Want to jump straight to the answer? Our choice for the Best Country Guitar VST is the Fender Collection 2 from IK Multimedia!
Country music is among the most prominent genres to exist today. Many love it, some hate it, but it has made a cultural impact and will continue to do so for generations. When I think of country music, The first thing that comes to mind is one of the all-time legends Johnny Cash, with that country draw in his voice and a guitar in his hands. Between classics like Cash and modern country stars, the guitar (both electric and acoustic) has solidified its place. Now affording the amps and pedals that the stars use is fairly difficult for most, but with the modern world of VSTs, you can get their sounds at a fraction of the price with the best country guitar VSTs.
Quicklook: Best Country Guitar VSTs
- Fender Collection 2 – IK Multimedia
- Bias Amp 2 – Positive Grid
- GTR3 – Waves
- Amplifikation Vermillion – Kuassa
- Bias FX 2 – Positive Grid
- Amplifikation Matchlock – Kuassa
What To Look For When Choosing a Country Guitar VST
When looking for the tone of a country guitar, you want to establish just what sound you are going for. Crunchy rock sounds, thick clean tones, and smooth blues have all some sort of sound in country music. To make the most of your country guitar VST think about what sounds you are going for while considering these options below.
Pricing
While these are all much less expensive than an actual amp or setup, they still will most likely cost you upwards of $100. That being said, depending on which choice you make for your country guitar VST, you will get a wide selection of amps, pedals, and cabinets.
Compatibility – System Requirements
When it comes to using a pc, all you need to do is make sure your system is 64 bit compatible (which most modern computers are). Macs are generally built to meet the standard as well, you just want to check if you have enough ram to handle whatever program you are using.
DAW Compatibility
It is super easy to make plugins that are compatible across the board with every DAW. That being said, if you are using an updated plugin and your DAW is not compatible, chances are that your DAW is not up to date itself.
Frequency of Use
One of the coolest parts of country guitars and country guitar VSTs is that they have a neutral sound that with a little tweaking, can fit into many other genres, whether that be rock, pop, indie, or something else. And beyond recording, these ample and emulators are just fun to play with.
Skill Level
Once your plugin is installed, you should have no issue using it, especially if you are a guitar player familiar with using gear. These companies keep it fairly straight forward when it comes to how their plugins are used so anyone can get the hang of them quickly!
Jump To:
- Fender Collection 2 – IK Multimedia
- Bias Amp 2 – Positive Grid
- GTR3 – Waves
- Amplifikation Vermillion – Kuassa
- Bias FX 2 – Positive Grid
- Amplifikation Matchlock – Kuassa
6 Best Country Guitar VSTs
1. Fender Collection 2 – IK Multimedia
Fender has created some of the absolute best amps out there used in any and every genre. Each amp included in this collection is the “Officially Certified Models” of their respective amps. IK Multimedia’s Amplitube is one of the best places to look for amps and VSTs, and this pack shows just why that is. Every amp and cabinet is a perfect replica from their original 50’s and 60’s versions.
What is included:
- 7 Amplifiers
- 7 Cabinets
Best for: Old School Tones
Price: $149.99
DAW Support: All popular DAWs supported, works well with Logic
System Requirements: macOS and Windows
| Mac | Windows | |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM 8 GB recommended | 4 GB RAM 8 GB recommended |
| Operating System | 10.10 or later | Windows 7 or later (64-bit only) |
2. Bias Amp 2 – Positive Grid
The Bias Amp from Positive Grid is always going to be one of my favorites because of how versatile and adaptive it is as a plugin. With the Amp Match feature, Bias Amp can accurately imitate any amp sound you can show it. You could even search through and download presets from some of your favorite artists and musicians.
What is included:
- 36 Default Amp Models
- Over 20 Cabinets
Best For: All in One VST
Price: $299
DAW Support: All popular DAWs supported, works well with Pro Tools
System Requirements: macOS and Windows
| Mac | Windows | |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM 8 GB recommended | 4 GB RAM 8 GB recommended |
| Operating System | 10.10.5 or later | Windows 7 (SP1), 8, and 10 |
3. GTR3 – Waves
The Waves go-to is the GTR3 bundle which houses sounds for every style and every player out there, especially country. Both Fender and Marshall amps are included in this bundle giving you some of the best names in the business to choose from. Not only are you getting over 30 different amps, but you will also have 25 stompboxes to choose from for your tone.
What is included:
- Over 30 Amps
- 30 Cabinets
- 25 Pedals
Best for: Waves Users
Price: $129.99
DAW Support: All popular DAWs supported, works well with Cakewalk
System Requirements: macOS and Windows
| Mac | Windows | |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM | 8 GB RAM |
| Operating System | 10.13.6, 10.14.6, 10.15.7, 11.0.1 (Intel only) | Windows 10 (64-bit) |
4. Amplifikation Vermillion – Kuassa
This warm but plucky amp is perfect for any country rhythm or lead line you could write. The amp has built-in tremolo and reverb that sounds absolutely beautiful mixed in with the rest of the amp. Kuassa has pushed beyond the idea of straight into the amp and you get what you get with their 3-dimensional mic placement and 45-degree angle control of your mics.
What is included:
- 3 Amp Types
- 5 Cabinets
- 4 Mics
Best for: Full Control
Price: $39.00
DAW Support: All popular DAWs supported, works well with Cubase
System Requirements: macOS and Windows
| Mac | Windows | |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM 8 GB recommended | 4 GB RAM 8 GB recommended |
| Operating System | 10.5 or later | Windows XP, Vista, 7, or later |
5. Bias FX 2 – Positive Grid
From the same creators as the Bias Amp 2, you get the Bias FX 2. The FX and routing options give new ways to get your stank face going. This comes with a bunch of different fx pedals as well as their Guitar match software which allows you to imitate some of the most recognizable guitars like the Custom 57 Goldtop Reissue Les Paul and the Custom 60 Wildwood Stratocaster.
What is included:
- Amps
- Standard – 30
- Professional – 60
- Elite – 100
- Effects
- Standard – 43
- Professional – 115
- Elite – 122
- Guitar Match Models
- Standard – 4
- Professional – 8
- Elite – 20
Best for: FX Driven Musicians
Price:
DAW Support: All popular DAWs supported, works well with Reaper
System Requirements: macOS and Windows
| Mac | Windows | |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM 8 GB recommended | 4 GB RAM 8 GB recommended |
| Operating System | 10.11 or later | Windows 8 or later |
6. Amplifikation Matchlock – Kuassa
Based off of classic American Fender amps, the Amplifikation Matchlock is all about bringing, “The Heritage of ‘American Sound’ to your Desktop.” This plugin is a step up from Kuassa’s Vermillion with 7 types of mics to choose from to mic your amp.
What is included:
- 3 Amp Types (2 channels for each amp)
- 5 Cabinets
- 7 Mics
Best for: Authentic “American” Sound
Price: $49.00
DAW Support: All popular DAWs supported, works well with Logic
System Requirements: macOS and Windows
| Mac | Windows | |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM 8 GB recommended | 4 GB RAM 8 GB recommended |
| Operating System | 10.6 or later | Windows XP or later |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to buy a DAW to use a guitar VST?
Classic Sounds for a Classic Style
Country music is one of the most recognizable genres from the US. Using the best country guitar VSTs can pull out the best in your sessions. With your guitar playing abilities, you can re-amp and combine and compare sounds from different amps to find the perfect tone whether it is one amp or more. But no matter what genre you are in, a ripping guitar solo is always welcome.
Subscribe to Audio Assemble on Youtube for the latest Reviews and Tutorials!
For the latest deals and discounts from your favorite companies and distributors, check out our Deals Page!
Jarrett is a hardcore Lover-Jazz Lover-Rock Lover-Blues Lover-just a music lover. He has the hair to match — Jarrett and provides in-depth insight into all things guitar and music engineering.