Fishman AirLock GT

A compact, flexible, and user-friendly wireless system.

August 6, 2025

Acoustic and electric musicians alike get frustrated with the tangle of wires tying an on-board pickup to an amplifier, especially if they need to move around or there is some distance between the instrument and the amp. A wireless system could be the solution. The technology is affordable, dependable, and easy-to-use, and some players find that cutting the cable means cutting a headache, even if moving around a big stage isn’t part of their agenda. Fishman’s AirLock GT is newly available, and I had a chance to check it out in the Peghead Nation video studio.

Wireless instrument systems have come a long way since the days when they required a bulky belt-pack and an antenna-wielding stand-alone receiver. Fishman isn’t the first company to offer a compact transmitter and receiver attached with ¼-inch plugs, but as is typical with Fishman, the new AirLock GT has refined the user experience. Measuring a sleek 3 x 1⅝ x ⅝ inches, the AirLock GTs receiver plugs directly into the instrument’s output jack. The unit’s swiveling plug allows a range of convenient angles. The system’s receiver has the same format and look, but is slightly longer at about 3⅜ inches. The sides of each unit have easy-to-navigate features: The transmitter has three small sliding switches on one side for power, “cable” (simulating the tone of 3-, 5-, or 10-meter long cables), and “interference” (for mitigating possible signal interference from wifi, cell phones, etc.), and a button for pairing it with the receiver and a USB C port on the other side. The receiver only has the pair button, power switch, and USB C port, but also includes a 9-volt input jack, so it can be powered as part of a pedal board. As a bonus feature, the receiver’s USB port can be used as an interface for computer recording. Both the transmitter and the receiver have built-in rechargeable batteries (replaceable once they reach the end of their life cycle). Fishman includes cables for charging via USB, but not the charger itself. The AirLock GT also includes a high-quality protective carrying case.

I tried the AirLock GT in a couple of different settings. In the video demo, I used my Taylor 712c with a Fishman Jon Gomm Powertap Pro pickup system and a Fishman SA330x mini PA. I also checked out the AirLock GT at home, where I could move around to test the range, use different magnetic and piezo pickup systems, and see how it handled proximity to wifi routers, microwaves, etc. For starters, the AirLock GT offered total plug-and-play performance. The transmitter and receiver both arrived charged, and automatically paired with each other when I turned them on. I plugged them into my guitar and amp and was off to the races. No tweaking, no adjustments, no fine-tuning: The system just worked. Fishman claims a range of up to 150 feet, and I experienced no signal loss while moving around my three-bedroom house. The AirLock GT uses 2.4 GHz technology, and while some higher-end wireless systems use 5.8 GHz, Fishman claims that it has addressed possible interference issues that were sometimes a concern with earlier 2.4 GHz systems (Fishman explains its choice for 2.4 GHz on its website: www.fishman.com/airlock-wireless-gt-interference-settings/). I experienced no interference in my tests.

Besides being happy about the AirLock GT just working as it should — I’ve definitely come across wireless systems that didn’t! — I was pleased that it didn’t degrade my sound. Regardless of the instrument or pickup system I tried it with, I would have been hard pressed to tell that I was using a wireless. And yes: I did A/B the system with a guitar cable in my tests at home.

The AirLock GT is a great choice if you want to eliminate messy cables or sometimes need to place yourself and your amp at a distance. Fishman makes a point that the AirLock GTs use is not limited to typical wireless guitar duties. It would work for any connection that would ordinarily use a ¼-inch cable. The USB recording interface is icing on the cake.