Fortnite Instruments: Equip Your Stage
A clean guide to guitars, keytars, drums, mics and basses: where to equip them, which modes support them, and how Instrument cosmetics differ from Festival gameplay parts.
What are Fortnite Instruments?
Fortnite Instruments are cosmetic Locker items in five categories: Guitars, Keytars, Drums, Mics and Basses. Equip one in its matching Locker slot to change the Instrument shown during supported music actions. It does not improve timing, score or difficulty. The equipped cosmetic and the playable Festival part are separate choices.
Fortnite Instruments are Locker cosmetics, not performance upgrades
Epic classifies Instruments as cosmetic items. They customize the visual Instrument connected to a supported performance or music action, but they do not change note charts, timing windows, score multipliers or song difficulty. A rare Guitar therefore gives the same competitive advantage as the default visual: none.
That distinction matters because Fortnite Festival also asks players to choose a performance part. Guitar is a cosmetic category; Lead or Pro Lead is a playable part. Selecting one does not automatically select the other.
How to equip a Fortnite Instrument
Set up the cosmetic before entering Main Stage. Each Instrument category has its own Locker slot, so equipping a Mic does not replace the selected Guitar, Keytar, Drums or Bass.
Start in the Fortnite Lobby and choose Locker from the main navigation.
Find the Instrument section in the cosmetic loadout.
Select Guitar, Keytar, Drums, Mic or Bass, then choose an owned cosmetic.
Apply the choice and check the matching slot before joining Festival.
The five Fortnite Instrument types
Epic separates Instrument cosmetics into five Locker categories. Similar shapes do not make the slots interchangeable: a Guitar cosmetic remains in the Guitar slot, while a Bass cosmetic belongs to Bass.
Instrument cosmetic vs Festival gameplay part
The Locker controls appearance. Main Stage controls what you play. Epic’s Main Stage flow lets players choose Lead, Bass, Drums, Vocals, Pro Lead or Pro Bass, then choose difficulty separately. The equipped Instrument cosmetic supplies the visual style; the selected part supplies the note chart.
How Instruments work in Fortnite Festival
Select Fortnite Festival Main Stage from Discover, enter the backstage area, build or join a setlist, and use the assigned input to choose a part. Epic says players can switch parts between songs, so one cosmetic loadout can support different roles during the same set.
Main Stage supports parties of up to four. The song, part and difficulty determine the playable experience; the equipped Instrument changes presentation only. For music ownership, party sharing and Battle Royale playback, use the separate Fortnite Jam Tracks guide.
Set each preferred Instrument in the Locker before loading Festival.
Select Lead, Bass, Drums, Vocals, Pro Lead or Pro Bass for the song.
Difficulty is separate and can vary by song and performance part.
Use Pro Lead and Pro Bass without a guitar controller
Current Fortnite Festival support allows Pro Lead and Pro Bass on supported keyboard-and-mouse setups, standard controllers and guitar controllers. Pro charts use fret and strum inputs and include hammer-on and pull-off mechanics instead of standard Lift Notes.
A supported guitar controller should make the Pro parts visible automatically. If no guitar controller is connected and the choices are missing, Epic provides an in-game display setting.
Open the Main Stage experience before changing the Festival option.
Select Profile, Settings, then the Game tab.
Locate Always Display Pro Parts and switch it on.
Save the setting, return backstage and reopen the part selector.
Where Fortnite Instrument cosmetics can be used
Epic’s current cosmetic compatibility table marks Instruments as usable in Battle Royale, Save the World and Fortnite Festival. It marks them unavailable in LEGO Fortnite Odyssey, Rocket Racing and developer-made islands.
How to unlock or buy Fortnite Instruments
Epic says Instrument cosmetics can appear in the Item Shop for V-Bucks and through seasonal pass progression. Availability, bundle contents and prices can change, so use the live Shop or current pass page instead of relying on an old rotation date.
Confirm the exact Instrument type, included items and live V-Bucks price before buying.
Check the active reward track and deadline before planning an unlock.
Search the matching Instrument category and remove active filters.
Fix missing or incorrect Fortnite Instruments
Start with the exact symptom. A cosmetic missing from the Locker, the wrong visual appearing, and a missing Pro gameplay part require different checks.
Open the matching Instrument category, clear search and filters, and check Archived items.
Verify the exact slotReturn to the Locker, select the correct category, re-equip the item and save the loadout.
Reapply the cosmeticEnable Always Display Pro Parts under Game settings inside Festival Main Stage.
Turn on Pro displayCheck Epic’s compatibility table and trigger a supported music action; some modes do not support Instruments.
Check mode supportReturn to the Lobby, reopen the Locker and search the exact Instrument name under its category.
Refresh the LockerConfirm the correct Epic account and platform link before changing or unlinking any account connection.
Verify account ownershipInstrument rules checked for this guide
Instrument categories, cosmetic-only status, Main Stage parts, Pro-part controls and mode compatibility were checked against current Epic Games and Fortnite documentation on July 14, 2026.
Fortnite Instruments FAQ
What are Instruments in Fortnite?
Instruments are cosmetic Locker items in five categories: Guitars, Keytars, Drums, Mics and Basses. They change appearance but do not provide a gameplay or scoring advantage.
How do I equip an Instrument in Fortnite?
Open the Locker, choose Instruments, open the matching category, select an owned cosmetic and apply it. Each of the five Instrument types has a separate slot.
Do Fortnite Instruments improve Festival score?
No. Epic describes Instruments as purely cosmetic. Score, chart, timing and difficulty are determined by the song and gameplay settings, not the equipped cosmetic.
What is the difference between a Guitar and Lead in Fortnite Festival?
Guitar is a cosmetic Locker category. Lead is a playable Main Stage part that determines the note chart. The cosmetic and gameplay part are selected separately.
Can I play Pro Lead without a guitar controller?
Yes. Current Fortnite Festival support allows Pro Lead and Pro Bass with supported keyboard-and-mouse setups, standard controllers and guitar controllers.
Why are Pro Lead and Pro Bass missing?
Inside Festival Main Stage, open Settings, choose the Game tab, find Festival and enable Always Display Pro Parts. A supported guitar controller should show them automatically.
Which modes support Fortnite Instruments?
Epic’s current compatibility table marks Instruments as usable in Battle Royale, Save the World and Fortnite Festival, but not in LEGO Fortnite Odyssey, Rocket Racing or developer-made islands.
How can I get new Fortnite Instruments?
Epic says Instrument cosmetics can be available in the Item Shop for V-Bucks and through seasonal pass progression. Check the live game for current availability and pricing.
