There’s nothing like the thrill of playing live. The hum of the amps. The roar of the crowd. The excitement of launching into your favorite song in the set.
There’s also nothing like stepping on a cable and accidentally unplugging your guitar midway through a song. Oops.
While using a standard guitar cable is still the most popular and straightforward way of plugging in and playing, wireless systems have their place.
I love the unparalleled freedom that comes with playing wireless. No trip hazards or worries about accidentally unplugging your guitar. You can run around the stage unbound, as far from your amp as the signal allows.
Over the years, I’ve tried plenty of systems. These are the ones I like best.
6 Best Guitar Wireless Systems for All Budgets
1. Xvive U2
The Xvive U2 is an impressive little unit. Out of the box, it comes with two identical-looking pieces: one receiver, one transmitter. There’s no cabling here. You plug the transmitter into your guitar, and the receiver into your amp, or in my case, the tuner at the start of my pedal chain.
Xvive U2
The Xvive folds snugly against the side of my tuner. Although the curvature of the receiver doesn’t exactly sit flush against the blocky, square chassis of my tuner, it isn’t enough to make me worry about accidentally stepping on it.
The sound on the U2 is nice and clear. No noticeable scratchiness or dropout as I walk from one end of the house to the other.
Xvive advertises the plastic housing as being durable enough for touring, but I’m dubious. It feels concerningly lightweight, and I doubt that it would stand up to the rigors of life on the road.
The Xvive feels better suited to low-pressure at-home practice or rehearsal than to the demands of a heavy gigging schedule.
Likewise, the bulky housing for the jack simply does not fit in some guitars. If you’re playing a Strat or Ibanez-type guitar with your jack embedded in the body, the Xvive won’t comfortably go in, blocked by its body. You risk damaging your guitar in doing so.
I had no trouble putting it into the side-mounted jack on my Les Paul or the front-mounted jack of my 335, however.
On the other hand, the battery life is pretty impressive, supposedly offering five to six hours of play time before running out. The lithium-ion batteries hold up fairly well over time, and you can use any micro USB cable to charge it.
Given the ubiquity of USB-C charging these days, I’d have liked to see the charging port upgraded, but that might come with a future iteration of this product.
I was able to get through a full three-hour solo gig with no interference or dropout issues. I’m very cautious about dying batteries, however. I opted to charge the Xvive overnight between gigs rather than risk cutting out mid-song.
The limited 2.4 GHz range of this unit is a crowded one, and I’d be concerned about signal loss in a crowded venue. Wi-fi routers, Bluetooth devices, and other common electronics use this range.
I brought spare cables with me to gigs using this unit. I didn’t experience any dropouts or major signal loss, but I wouldn’t want to run the risk of my guitar signal cutting out because someone left their Bluetooth on.
At the show, however, the sound on offer was pristine. I noticed no unwanted compression or crackling, even at stage volume, and the transmitter stayed firmly lodged in place for the duration of the gig. At no point did I feel like it was going to slip out of the guitar or that the signal would give out.
Overall, this is a well-designed wireless unit that can definitely deliver quality results at gigs, even if it doesn’t feel as durable as some other, more expensive systems.
2. Shure GLXD16+
If you’re like me, you’re probably more familiar with Shure for their industry-standard SM58 microphone. With the SM58, the Shure brand became synonymous with durability and reliability. I know sound guys who are still using the same SM58s they bought back in the 80s!
The Shure GLXD16+ is a welcome foray into guitar technology for the brand. The idea here is to put the receiver on your pedalboard.
Shure GLXD16+ integrated onto the pedalboard.
The transmitter bodypack, powered by an included lithium ion battery, goes onto your strap or your clothes somewhere. I put it in my back jeans pocket.
The bodypack is remarkably lightweight. It’s almost disconcerting. It’s a slim profile, and fits neatly into my pocket, but I’d prefer something with a little more heft. Regardless, it feels sturdy and reliable.
The receiver fits neatly into a pedalboard, and unlike the bodypack, demands 12V of power, rather than the 9V that usually supplies a pedalboard. If you have a power brick that offers various voltages, you’ll be OK. I had to use the included 12V adapter, adding an extra cable to my pedalboard setup. It’s nothing major, but I thought the point of this was to reduce the number of cables on stage!
The receiver, conveniently, also functions as a tuner. The LED display is bright enough to see outside during the day, and includes information on the quality of your wireless signal. It won’t replace the TU-3 in my pedal chain, but it’s a nice feature.
Speaking of which, I was able to walk all through the house and into the back yard without any significant drop in signal strength. Impressive stuff.
As with many other modern wireless units, I am unimpressed by the frequency range of the GLXD16+. Offering only 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz feels like a disaster waiting to happen. Imagine walking into the crowd for a guitar solo and competing for bandwidth with every mobile phone and Bluetooth device in the room!
I prefer using the 5.8GHz channel, if only to alleviate the risk of signal interference.
I experienced no dropout issues, but resting my phone near the receiver at 2.4GHz did bring in some staccato phone interference.
Regardless, the sound quality is excellent. Every note is clear and defined with no noticeable audio degradation. I noticed no tonal difference between the Shure unit and a standard guitar cable.
As a matter of personal preference, I’d rather not have an extra pedal on my board. I’m trying to minimize the amount of gear I carry to every gig, and prefer the simplicity and smaller footprint of other units.
In this day and age, with discreet, minimalist wireless units available for even bar-level guitarists, a pedal-sized receiver feels like a throwback.
I am less than thrilled about the connector from the guitar to the transmitter. It’s a ¼” jack connected via a skinny, fragile-feeling cable to a TA4F connector, which looks like a miniature XLR cable.
In my experience, this is the part of a wireless system that breaks first. The cables have to be very durable to withstand the constant movement of a live performance, and the TA4F connectors in my experience experience issues earlier than ¼” jacks.
The easy solution is to buy spare cables, but this once again raises my base issue with this unit. The idea is to reduce the amount of clutter in your setup, especially cables.
Admittedly, we’re removing the biggest one, connecting guitar to amp or pedalboard, but in this case a single guitar cable is replaced by multiple smaller cables, an extra power cable, and a pedal-sized receiver on your board.
To me, that’s a lot of extra breakable parts.
Despite this, this is overall an excellent unit from a reputable brand.
3. BOSS WL-20
Is there a guitar player alive who isn’t familiar with Boss gear? The tank-like pedal silhouette and the mythical durability of Boss equipment is as much a part of guitar culture as Jimi Hendrix or the fear of dropping your pick inside your acoustic guitar.
Boss’ foray into wireless tech, the WL-20 echoes the brand’s minimalist ethos. Upon opening the box, you get the receiver, the transmitter, and a USB charging cable. That’s it.
BOSS WL-20 plugged into amp.
The receiver and transmitter look near-identical, and barely take up any room at all. It reminds me more of Apple’s AirPods than any piece of guitar gear I’ve owned before. They’re reassuringly weighty, and the jacks slip into place with a satisfying click as I plugged one into my Les Paul and the other into my tuner.
I like using the neck compartment of my guitar case for storage: I kept these in there on the way to a gig. I was a huge fan of the fact that there’s a ¼ inch socket in the receiver for the transmitter’s jack to slip into when not in use. At the very least, it removes the risk of finding one or the other in your bag of gear and not being able to find the other!
As a devoted fan of simple “plug and play” systems, I was thrilled to do exactly that. There was a little charge in the W20 straight out of the box, so I was able to mess around on guitar for a bit before setting the unit up to charge. Doing so was a simple matter of using the included USB cable.
I would like to see a new iteration of this system using the now-standard USB-C, which seems like the go-to port on every new phone, and offers faster charging. Likewise, the 2.4GHz range of these is concerningly crowded these days.
A single charge got me through a full three-hour gig without any issues. I never felt like the transmitter was going to slip out of my guitar. My guitar signal was clear and crisp the entire time.
Although at first I was concerned that Boss might have compromised on sound quality for the sake of convenience. That's not the case here at all.
Every note was crystal-clear. Occasionally, wireless units are prone to fizzy signal distortion or noticeable “peaking” as the compressed signal hits their noise threshold. Not the case here, with a consistently clean, clear tone.
Guitarists accustomed to the midrange dip that comes with extremely long cables might miss it here, but that’s a minor issue for me. I’d rather rely on the amp EQ or an EQ pedal for tone-shaping anyway.
The Boss W20 is, as with most Boss gear, extremely competitively priced, well-built, and reliable. I can’t recommend it enough.
4. LEKATO Wireless Guitar System 5.8
LEKATO is a brand I was not overly familiar with. This wireless guitar system is very affordable, with an ultra-simple design. You plug the transmitter into your guitar, and the receiver into your amp, or the first pedal between your guitar and amp.
LEKATO Wireless Guitar System plugged in.
The plug-and-play functionality here is very impressive. A simple press of the signal key on both transmitter and receiver pairs them to one another. In this case they’re like penguins: paired for life.
You can, in theory, pair them to other devices, if need be. Doing so is just a matter of pushing the signal key again with whatever corresponding receiver or transmitter you want to use.
I did appreciate not having to pair the two ends of the system every time I wanted to use them. It’s a valuable time-saving measure that heavily gigging guitarists like me will very much appreciate.
The rotatable plug here is an interesting feature. I was able to make it sit flush against the side of my Les Paul, and did the same when playing my 335 with a front-mounted jack.
Given that both the transmitter and receiver are fairly sizable, especially compared to competitors like the Boss W20, this makes playing with it much easier.
Likewise, the rotating plug sat happily tucked away at the side of my tuner. It’s nice to have the wireless unit out of the way.
The sound here is impressively strong. At the extreme end, cheap guitar leads often sound boxier and fizzier than higher-end stuff. Not the case here, as my guitar signal came through the amp loud and clear.
The plastic housing for both sections of the unit feels pretty flimsy, but at this price it’s hard to complain. I’d be more confident with a heavier material, especially as I tend to plug wireless receivers into my tuning pedal rather than straight into my amp.
The lightweight plastic housing on the transmitter feels like it could shatter if you accidentally stepped on it instead of the tuner. It’s far from reassuring. However, at this price point, concessions must be made, and it’s not as if this unit would be expensive to replace.
The choice to use only the 5.8GHz frequency range makes sense, as most players will experience much less interference from other wireless devices compared with a 2.4GHz wireless system.
The straightforward plug-and-play functionality here is by far the LEKATO’s best feature. It makes sitting down to practice very easy.
I like using wireless units for practice because, years ago, I destroyed a guitar cable by letting the wheel of my office chair run over it while I was seated. Ever since, I’ve been paranoid about trailing cables in my practice space.
The simple setup here is the LEKATO’s main selling point. It’s easy just to plug the two ends in and get to playing, which is what we’re all really here for at the end of the day. No risk of running over cables with the office chair.
Although the LEKATO system’s light weight and somewhat fragile-feeling construction feels better suited to home practice than to long, hard touring, I had plenty of fun with this unit.
Overall, it’s great value for money and the ease of use and extremely competitive price make this system worth buying for guitar players new to playing wireless.
5. Positive Grid Spark LINK
Although the Positive Grid Spark LINK seems designed to pair with the brand’s flagship amplifier, it can do much more. The brand’s distinctive Marshall-esque black-and-gold color scheme is on display here, in a much more discreet package than pretty much any wireless system I’ve tried.
Out of the box, the transmitter has a black nut on the jack and the receiver has a gold one. The elbow joint connecting the jack to the body of either part allows for fluid movement one way or the other. It’s reassuringly weighty, but not bulky.
Positive Grid Spark LINK
I plugged the transmitter into my Les Paul, and the receiver into my amplifier. It fit snugly into place on both counts, and sounded excellent. I noticed absolutely no difference between the sound of the Spark LINK and the tone of a guitar cable.
Although the LINK fits just fine with my Gibson-style guitars, PRS or Ibanez guitars with a recessed jack simply cannot accommodate the transmitter. It’s just too big and bulky, even at its diminutive size.
Anything bigger than a standard ¼” guitar cable will be too big for these kinds of guitars, however. Loyal Ibanez and PRS players beware.
Upon plugging in, I turned my amp up, left the room, and kept playing throughout the house. No matter how many walls or doors I put between me and the amp, my signal persisted, loud and clear. Despite being limited to the 2.4 GHz range, I noticed no interference from household devices.
I even stood next to my wi-fi router while playing and experienced no signal issues.
Likewise, when I tried the LINK at a gig that night, I was impressed at the signal strength throughout the show. The LINK didn’t make it all the way through two days: it got through a three-hour gig, but sputtered into silence in the final hour of rehearsal the next day.
However, it endured a Justin Hawkins-style foray into the audience mid-guitar-solo, unaffected by the countless mobile phones in the pockets of the audience.
That was from a two-hour charge, courtesy of Positive Grid’s very welcome choice to charge the units via standard USB-C cable. Perhaps most conveniently, you can charge both the transmitter and receiver using the included cable, which forks at one end like a two-headed snake.
The inclusion of extra channels is a welcome one here, too. The bass player in the band was using his own wireless unit, and to avoid interfering with one another, I simply changed channels.
When it comes to wireless playing, I want as little clutter on stage as possible. I don’t want to worry about extra power supplies or fragile cables. I have a strong preference for these simple, easy-to-use units, especially when they look as cool as this.
I appreciate not having to wear a body pack or find a power supply for the wireless receiver, and for minimal clutter, the Positive Grid SPARK LINK is a great wireless unit.
6. Fender Telepath
Fender’s cleverly named Telepath is a great piece of gear. Like other modern wireless systems, it features twin ¼ inch jacks and is clearly meant for guitar players like me who prefer to plug in and play.
Fender Telepath - Box
You plug the transmitter into your guitar. You plug the receiver into your amp. If the pair hasn’t come out of the box already paired, you press the power/sync button on both, and they pair up. You play. That’s all there really is to it, and really, what more do you need?
The 5.8GHz frequency range of the Telepath is a far less crowded piece of the spectrum than 2.4GHz, and I didn’t notice any interference at all. No buzzing from the lights in my rehearsal room, nor any accidental incoming-call morse code through the amp with my phone nearby. Just crystal-clear guitar sounds.
Possibly my favorite concession to guitarist convenience here is the right-angled jack. Although the Telepath folds (with both pieces of the unit neatly fitting into my guitar case’s neck compartment) against itself, the actual jack protrudes at a 90-degree angle.
That means that the Telepath’s default position isn’t sticking straight up from my guitar, but neatly alongside it, with minimal risk of getting bumped or knocked out of place.
Given that Fender is better known for its guitars than its leads (or wireless systems), I was pleased to note that the articulating joint on the Telepath allowed the lead to easily fit in the recessed jack of my friend’s Stratocaster. It would be pretty embarrassing for Fender for their accessories not to be compatible with their flagship guitar!
The receiver, too, fits neatly against the side of my TU-3 tuner pedal. I was mildly concerned about accidentally stepping on it with my clumsy size 11 boots trying to tune mid-gig, but it’s discreet enough against the side of the tuner to allay that concern.
Charging the Telepath is as simple as plugging it into a USB-C cable. Two hours of charge got me through two three-hour gigs without any worries. My guitar tone was clear and crisp throughout, and I didn’t notice any interference in the signal from any devices at the venue. Likewise, the bass player’s own wireless rig didn’t seem to bother the Telepath at all.
At this gig, I had to switch guitars for a section of one set in open G. I didn’t even have to unplug my Les Paul to do so. I plugged another Telepath transmitter into my 335 before the show, paired it to the receiver running into the amp, and was able to effortlessly change guitars.
At home, I was able to walk all over the house, closing doors behind me, while playing guitar. I even went outside and could still hear the amp!
The Telepath, like Fender’s in-house guitar pedals, is a little chunkier than other similar units like the Boss W20. Although the chassis of the unit is plastic, it feels sturdy and durable, as if its bulk is a benefit, not a hindrance.
I’d highly recommend this system to any regularly gigging guitarist.
Why Go Wireless?
Most of us, the first time we played electric guitar, plugged in using a standard guitar cable. The first time you get too enthusiastic while jumping around your bedroom to Van Halen, you learn that cables have limits.
Live acts in the 1970s pioneered the use of wireless systems for exactly this reason. As stages got bigger, guitar leads had to get longer to accommodate them. Performances became more and more active, and having long, moving, electrified cables on stage simply became a health and safety concern.
As a result, leading live acts started using wireless transmitters in place of a standard guitar lead. Typically these weren’t truly wireless or cable-less. They would have a short cable running to a transmitter, often attached to the guitarist’s clothing or strap. This transmitter then relayed the guitar signal to a receiver, plugged into the amp.
These receivers (and, sometimes, the transmitters) used to be big and bulky, often chewing through batteries with budget-breaking pace. I used to have a Line 6 wireless system that consumed AA batteries the way an SUV consumes gasoline.
One of the earliest popular wireless systems, the Schaffer-Vega diversity system, featured a massive tower-like receiver that stood about a foot tall. As a side note, the Schaffer-Vega did include a preamp that colored the guitar’s tone so desirably that Angus Young supposedly used it to record his parts on AC/DC albums.
These days, however, you can find more discreet transmitters and receivers. Some have rechargeable batteries, sparing the pain of a battery budget. Best of all, many of them are priced affordably for the average gigging guitarist. It’s not only AC/DC and the Rolling Stones who get to play without cables now: so can humble bar bands, myself included.
How to Choose a Wireless System
If you’re looking at de-cabling your guitar setup, there are a few things to consider.
First, as always, is your use case. Are you mostly an at-home guitar player simply looking to declutter your practice or recording space? Do you gig regularly? Depending on how you play, and where you play, different wireless systems will work best for you.
Guitar players like me who play gigs multiple nights of the week will need to prioritize longer battery life and wireless systems less vulnerable to signal interference. Likewise, at-home players might be more comfortable with bulky receivers that plug in to the wall. You don’t need a battery-powered receiver if you’re sitting down practicing, for example.
The frequency range of your chosen system is worth thinking about, too. The 2.4GHz range is very popular for personal devices, including mobile phones, Bluetooth devices, and wi-fi routers. A wireless system limited to this range risks signal loss or deterioration more than one capable of covering other ranges.
Ease of use is my other major consideration: I want a simple system that works as much like a cable as possible. I want to do minimal fiddling with the wireless unit. Ideally, I want to simply plug one end into my guitar, the other into my amp, and play.
Likewise, I want charging the wireless, if it doesn’t use disposable batteries, to be as straightforward as charging my phone. My preference is for USB-C charging rather than anything bespoke, especially if I’m on the road and need to charge the unit overnight between gigs.
Unhindered Playing
I get sick of running countless cables when I’m playing guitar. I’d rather just plug in and get on with the business of playing.
There’s always the risk of tripping over a cable, accidentally standing on it and unplugging your instrument, or someone else in the band standing on your cable and rooting you to the spot until you can get them to move.
If you, like me, prefer to run around and roam the stage freely, there’s really no better solution than a reliable wireless guitar system.