These 6 epic alternative sales prove Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days event isn't much cop for guitar players

Guitar Center Guitar-A-Thon: Up to 35% off
Guitar Center's Guitar-A-Thon is up and running until October 11, giving you a couple of days to bag some bargain gear. With up to 35% off a huge range of guitars, amps, and effects, it's a top choice for finding a great deal this week.

Deal highlights
Gibson Les Paul Traditional Pro V: $2,499, now $1,799
Epiphone Hummingbird Performer: $479, now $360
Fender Player Stratocaster: $1,049.99, now $799.99

Fender Vintera sale: Save up to $280
Since the release of the new Vintera II series, we’ve been waiting for the OG Vinteras to drop in price, and that day has finally come. You can make hundreds of dollars in savings on some killer models. Including these headline acts:

Deal highlights:
Fender Vintera 50s Strat: $1,099.99, now $879.99
Fender Vintera 70s Telecaster Custom: Save $230
Fender Vintera 60s Jaguar Modified HH: Save $280

Musician’s Friend: 40th anniversary up to 40% sale
Musician’s Friend is celebrating its 40th birthday in style this year and spreading the birthday love to its customers. You can save up to 40% off a wide range of guitar gear – from acoustics and electrics to amps and effects – through October 29.

Deal highlights:
Fender Player Telecaster Plus Top: $879.99, now $719.99
Gretsch G2657T Streamliner Center Block Jr: $Save $150
Fender Blues Junior IV: Save 10% with an account

Sweetwater Recording Month: Save on studio gear
From plugins to mics and audio interfaces, Sweetwater has earmarked September as the month they help budding producers gear up their home studios for less. With products up for grabs from Lewitt, Universal Audio, Focusrite and more, you should be able to kickstart or enhance your recording setup all while making decent savings. The sale runs through October 31.

Deal highlights:
Focusrite Scarlett 4i4 (3rd Gen): $259.99, now $219.99
Audio-Technica ATH-M50X BT2 headphones: Save $40
IK Multimedia AmpliTube 5 Max: $299.99, now $99.99

Marshall: Save $30 on Major IV headphones
In addition to their hard rocking guitar amps, Marshall has become almost as well known for their range of rock-ready speakers and headphones. Right now, you can save a sweet $30 off their popular Major IV wireless headphones, which boast 80+ hours of runtime per charge. They’re super cool and look like you have a couple of mini amps strapped to your ears. 

IK Multimedia AmpliTube 5 SE: $149.99, now $59.99
If you’re looking to start recording but feel you’re lacking in sounds, virtual gear is usually the way to go, giving you countless amps and effects at your fingertips, minus the outlay of loads of physical gear. We loved the full fat version of AmpliTube 5 when we reviewed it – awarding it 5 stars – but this stripped back Special Edition is a great place to start if your budget won’t stretch.