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
(7 of 11)

Artisan
The Artisan Award is bestowed upon the pieces of gear that embody elegance, beauty and craftsmanship. We’d hang them on our wall if they didn’t sound so damn good.
PRS Tonare GrandPRS Tonare Grand

One of the pair of Paul Reed Smith’s first foray into the acoustic world basically knocked the socks off of reviewer Gayla Drake Paul. “This guitar has a huge sound,” she wrote, “voluptuous and chimey, yet fantastically warm and phenomenally detailed. It’s a dark and glassy tone that is hypnotically appealing.” In addition to being charmed by its choice European spruce and cocobolo, elegant detailing and comfortable neck, she was amazed by its ability to effortlessly handle different kinds of playing and every open tuning she could throw at it.
Street $5330 (base)
prsguitars.com
Read the full review...


Collings 360Collings 360

The Collings 360 (July 2009) is one of the first entries into the electric guitar market by a long-time acoustic builder. While it looks like a stretched-out Les Paul, the 360 is lighter and thinner. “I love guitars that are resonant, and the 360 is alive,” wrote Pat Smith. “The feel of high quality is obvious as soon as you pick it up.” Two Lollar mini-humbuckers give plenty of sizzle; the bridge pickup especially yields an almost Tele-like twang. Collings has also wired the 360 in what he refers to as ’50s style, which prevents the volume control from making the tone bassier.

MSRP $2900 (base model); $3500 (flame top)
collingsguitars.com
Read the review...
Watch the video review...



Collings 290Kragenbrink OM Fingerstylist

The Kragenbrink OM Fingerstylist (November 2009) is aptly named: with a huge fretboard and a spruce top, this guitar was simply one of the best acoustics we received in-house all year. No matter who played it, the guitar gave us great tone in a beautiful package. However, putting it into alternate tunings really showed off the versatility and tonal quality: “Big, booming bassy chords sustained beautifully under melodic lines, and harmonics rang nearly forever,” wrote reviewer Gayla Drake Paul, “it takes a truly remarkable instrument to do all of that without overwhelming the ears with unfriendly overtones.”
MSRP $5650
kragenbrinkguitars.com
Read the full review...


Schroeder Radio LaneSchroeder Guitars Radio Lane

A gorgeous singlecut semi-hollowbody, the Radio Lane (November 2009) is clearly inspired by the Les Paul, but has some appointments based ofn the D’Aquisto Solo. In addition to the “S” hole on the top, the Leaf Maple quilt top, the headstock inlay and the truss rod cover are all finished in hazel, which helps give this axe a unique flare. Plugged in, the Radio Lane continues to give off the Les Paul vibe, excelling at blues while remaining great at rock and jazz. “In one sitting,” wrote Ben Friedman, “we played a series of classic rock tunes and did find the need to adjust the settings accordingly on the amp. I adjusted the guitar settings and my pick attack and let the Radio Lane do the driving!”
MSRP $4200 (base); $4950 (as tested)
schroederguitars.com
Read the full review...



MTD 535-24Michael Tobias Design MTD 535-24

The red-to-orange finish on maple burl top of this ash-bodied bass is striking; the instrument almost appears to be made out of a flame. The MTD 535-24 (May 2009) and its tonewoods easily yield an aggressive sound, perfect for slap-and-pop style playing. While it’s clearly a modern funk-oriented bass, it sounds great in nearly any style, thanks to the incredibly transparent Bartolini pickups. With Volume, Pickup Blend, Treble/Midrange/Bass knobs, and a toggle to choose the midrange center, finding the right sound is merely a matter of fiddling with the controls. “It isn’t a question of good or bad—if this bass matches your preferences and your budget, it would be a fantastic choice for a new axe,” said Dan Berkowitz.
List $4400 (basic instrument); $6190 (with case and options)
mtdbass.com
Read the full 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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