December 2009 \ Features \ Premier Gear Awards \ 2009 Premier Gear Awards

2009 Premier Gear Awards

Premier Guitar Editors

2009's award-winning gear - all in one place! Read our picks for awards in these categories: Small Package-Big Tone, Two-for-One, Tons O'Tones, Toe-to-Toe, The Kitchen Sink, Artisan, Fresh Approach, Redux Deluxe, Tone Enhancers and Nice Price.
Premier Guitar December 2009
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Tone Enhancers
In the relentless pursuit of tone, we often review the kinds of gear that many wouldn’t consider a major element in the construction of a killer sound, but as gearheads it’s part of our credo that great tone means taking nothing for granted—whether it’s a part of the signal chain whose job is to improve performance without being heard, a device to make everything easier, or just an upgrade to squeeze the very last bit of tone goodness from the rig, these enhancers have earned our admiration.
Lehle Sunday DriverLehle Sunday Driver

One of the newest devices from Germany’s wizard of switchery, the Sunday Driver (Augus 2009) is a compact preamp that operates as either a buffer or a booster. Struck by the difference it made in the clarity and definition of his signal, reviewer Brian Barr had this to say: “At first, I couldn’t believe my ears, so I plugged my guitar directly into the amp. To my surprise, the notes just sounded dead by comparison with the unmodified signal boost provided by the Sunday Driver.” Although he lamented the lack of a footswitch to toggle between the two modes, he had no problem with the lack of a bypass. After hearing what it can do, he concluded, “there would be no reason to turn it off.”
Street $190
lehle.com
Read the review...


Lehle D.Loop SGoSLehle D.Loop SGoS

A member of Burkhard Georg Lehle’s second generation of switchers (SGoS), the D.Loop (August 2009) impressed us with its silent performance and supremel ease of use. Fully MIDI compatible and syncable with other Lehle switchers, the D.Loop also provides In/Out and two separate Send/Returns, three separate, fully programmable switches and a buffer with +12dB of boost. Reviewer Brian Barr found it so versatile and easy to program as to be “an indispensible switcher for any guitarist’s pedalboard setup.”
Street $370
lehle.com
Read the review...


Floyd Upgrade Big Block TremFloyd Upgrade “Big Block” Floyd Rose Tremolo

Noting the resurgence of the hot-rod guitar, and with it the Floyd Rose tremolo system’s return to popularity, we took a look at Adam Reiver’s Floyd-enhancing “Big Block” (February 2009), a 42mm tremolo sustain block made of high-grade bell brass. Calling it the “best upgrade you can add to a Floyd-equipped guitar,” reviewer Gerry Ganaden found it installed without great difficulty and required only a few minor adjustments—and the results were impressive: greater volume and more pronounced sustain and resonance, as well as a more articulate, less trebly tone. Those results made it an easy-to-recommend enhancement for anyone looking to get more out of a Floyd-equipped hot rod.
Street $32.95 (and up)
floydupgrades.com
Read the review...

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Comments

 (5 comments) display by
UsernameComment
Chris Tomlinson
on 03/14/2010 		These are great. However, everything from floyd upgrades is a rip. You can get it all for less in other places. Heck, even the big block is all over ebay from some other dude. It works just as good and a much better price (and his is the 42mm version). But yes, the stuff you can do to a floyd is great, just don't waste your money with "floydupgrades.com".
Garrison Vest
on 01/29/2010 		yep the Floyd rose "big Block" upgrade is worth the $. alot more sustain and clarity added
Garrison
www.daggerrocks.com
Vince L.
on 12/11/2009 		I ditto Dave V's comments about floydupgrades.com's products. I own a couple of late 80's Jackson's. The tone improvement and weight balance is almost immeasurable!
Dave Valliere
on 12/09/2009 		floydupgrades progresses my guitar tones to new dimensions! Superb resonance with Herculean sound! Sustainability reaches new levels, allowing me to hang on a few choice notes while enjoying my music! Dave Valliere (Val Year) www.davevalliere.com
Dan Marois
on 11/20/2009 		"Economic woes may have put a damper on the grand plans of buyers and sellers alike, but the gear … the gear that came our way this year was every bit as cool, innovative, beautiful, ingenious, exceptionally crafted and great sounding as it was the year before." There was still a lot more expensive new gear than I expected to see in these so-called hard times. I guess not everyone is feeling the pinch. Or maybe only consumers and workers got the memo - companies are still sifting through their hate mail. :-) Manufacturers and builders could have used the opportunity to reinvent themselves. One would have thought they could have used a bit of ingenuity to make their products more affordable. You know, to get them out there. The media must take a large portion of the blame - they didn't stop parading expensive equipment these past two years. Of course, we all know why they do that right? Magazine reviewers want to get their hands on the "best" stuff not for our benefit but for their own. :^)



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