Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Can you get a legit, heavy, high-gain guitar tone without dropping a ton of cash? Today I put that to the test. I grabbed the ultra-affordable Fender Squier Sonic Telecaster ($184) and the Line 6 POD Express Black ($129) to see just how far budget hardware can actually go.
In this video I dial in a tone in real time, walk through the settings, and see what kind of chug we can squeeze out of the cheapest combo I could find—using no plugins and no post-processing. Just pure, bare-bones hardware tone.
If you’re trying to get into recording on the cheap, building your first rig, or just curious how far low-cost gear can be pushed, this one’s for you.
Sponsored By Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/Fluff
Gear Used:
➡️➡️Fender Squier Sonic Telecaster: sweetwater.sjv.io/Squier_Sonic_Esquire
➡️➡️Line 6 POD Express Black:
sweetwater.sjv.io/POD_Express_Black
Drop a comment and let me know what other budget-tone challenges I should try next!
Fluff: instagram.com/riffsandbeards
Mike Squires: instagram.com/themikesquires
Join The Newsletter: eepurl.com/iUA6Es
Time Stamps:
0:00 - Start
0:19 - Intro
0:56 - Disclosure
1:12 - What Are We Doing?
1:51 - Unboxing
1:56 - The Guitar
2:26 - The Tone
2:49 - Rig Cost
2:59 - Tone Dialing!
10:34 - Wrap Up
Find Me:
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
➡️➡️Mixed By Spotify Playlist | spoti.fi/3Gofpoj
➡️➡️Website | riffsandbeards.net
➡️➡️Instagram | instagram.com/RiffsAndBeards
➡️➡️TikTok | tiktok.com/@riffsandbeards
➡️➡️Facebook | facebook.com/riffsandbeards
➡️➡️Discord | discord.gg/2XuqvPHvsG
➡️➡️Merch | teespring.com/stores/riffs-and-beards-merch
📚📚Content Creation Course: bit.ly/ContentCreation2024
Gear I Use:
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
⚙️⚙️M2 Ultra Mac Studio | sweetwater.sjv.io/M2Ultra
⚙️⚙️Apple Studio Display | sweetwater.sjv.io/AppleDisplay
⚙️⚙️Logitech Keyboard | sweetwater.sjv.io/Logitech_K860
⚙️⚙️Ernie Ball Strings | sweetwater.sjv.io/ErnieBall_Strings
⚙️⚙️ExMachina Pulsar | sweetwater.sjv.io/EX_Machina_Pulsar
⚙️⚙️Amphion Two15 | sweetwater.sjv.io/Amphion_Two15
⚙️⚙️sE Electronics 6160 Mic | sweetwater.sjv.io/sE_6160_Mic
⚙️⚙️Sony FX3 | amzn.to/3RKBdBj
⚙️⚙️Sony FX30 | amzn.to/3TomRYk
⚙️⚙️Three Legged Thing Tripod | amzn.to/3RGjUBk
Support This Channel
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
My Sweetwater Store: sweetwater.sjv.io/Fluff
My Reverb Shop: tidd.ly/3Y0A3V7
*All Links Are Affiliate Links*
Can you get a legit, heavy, high-gain guitar tone without dropping a ton of cash? Today I put that to the test. I grabbed the ultra-affordable Fender Squier Sonic Telecaster ($184) and the Line 6 POD Express Black ($129) to see just how far budget hardware can actually go.
In this video I dial in a tone in real time, walk through the settings, and see what kind of chug we can squeeze out of the cheapest combo I could find—using no plugins and no post-processing. Just pure, bare-bones hardware tone.
If you’re trying to get into recording on the cheap, building your first rig, or just curious how far low-cost gear can be pushed, this one’s for you.
Sponsored By Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/Fluff
Gear Used:
➡️➡️Fender Squier Sonic Telecaster: sweetwater.sjv.io/Squier_Sonic_Esquire
➡️➡️Line 6 POD Express Black:
sweetwater.sjv.io/POD_Express_Black
Drop a comment and let me know what other budget-tone challenges I should try next!
Fluff: instagram.com/riffsandbeards
Mike Squires: instagram.com/themikesquires
Join The Newsletter: eepurl.com/iUA6Es
Time Stamps:
0:00 - Start
0:19 - Intro
0:56 - Disclosure
1:12 - What Are We Doing?
1:51 - Unboxing
1:56 - The Guitar
2:26 - The Tone
2:49 - Rig Cost
2:59 - Tone Dialing!
10:34 - Wrap Up
Find Me:
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
➡️➡️Mixed By Spotify Playlist | spoti.fi/3Gofpoj
➡️➡️Website | riffsandbeards.net
➡️➡️Instagram | instagram.com/RiffsAndBeards
➡️➡️TikTok | tiktok.com/@riffsandbeards
➡️➡️Facebook | facebook.com/riffsandbeards
➡️➡️Discord | discord.gg/2XuqvPHvsG
➡️➡️Merch | teespring.com/stores/riffs-and-beards-merch
📚📚Content Creation Course: bit.ly/ContentCreation2024
Gear I Use:
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
⚙️⚙️M2 Ultra Mac Studio | sweetwater.sjv.io/M2Ultra
⚙️⚙️Apple Studio Display | sweetwater.sjv.io/AppleDisplay
⚙️⚙️Logitech Keyboard | sweetwater.sjv.io/Logitech_K860
⚙️⚙️Ernie Ball Strings | sweetwater.sjv.io/ErnieBall_Strings
⚙️⚙️ExMachina Pulsar | sweetwater.sjv.io/EX_Machina_Pulsar
⚙️⚙️Amphion Two15 | sweetwater.sjv.io/Amphion_Two15
⚙️⚙️sE Electronics 6160 Mic | sweetwater.sjv.io/sE_6160_Mic
⚙️⚙️Sony FX3 | amzn.to/3RKBdBj
⚙️⚙️Sony FX30 | amzn.to/3TomRYk
⚙️⚙️Three Legged Thing Tripod | amzn.to/3RGjUBk
Support This Channel
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
My Sweetwater Store: sweetwater.sjv.io/Fluff
My Reverb Shop: tidd.ly/3Y0A3V7
*All Links Are Affiliate Links*
