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
(8 of 11)

Fresh Approach
Many of the world’s best guitars were created 50+ years ago, and following in those footsteps is undoubtedly a noble pursuit. However, significantly modernizing the instrument through materials, technology and ingenuity deserves recognition as well. For breaking new ground—and doing it well— we award these pioneers.
Acme Tone ShaperAcme ToneShaper

The ToneShaper from Acme Guitar Works is an electronics package that puts an abundance of Strat wiring mods into your guitar simultaneously. While these mods are nothing new, the approach certainly is. Reviewer Kenny Rardin remarks, “It looks like this may take me out of the Strat modding business altogether. It’s simply amazing.”
Street $129.95
acmeguitarworks.com
Read the full review...


Ibanez Tube King TK999HTFender Road Worn ‘50s Telecaster

While others were bringing forth the future, Fender was also bringing forth the past. New old-looking guitars have been around for a while, but it’s generally been an expensive affair. The Road Worn Series guitars (May 2009) took the concept to the masses by putting quality instruments with convincing aging in the hands of players at prices many more could afford. Say what you will about the aesthetics of a deliberately worn-out guitar, the neck feel of a real vintage Fender and classic Tele voice made this one a winner in our book. Reviewer Jordan Wagner summed it up this way: “Once in a while, you come across a particular guitar that exemplifies a model you’ve played what seems like a million times—one that rises above the others of its kind and truly enchants you. This Telecaster was one of those instruments.”
Street $949
fender.com
Read the full review...


Flaxwood Liekki
 Flaxwood Liekki

Flaxwood Guitars is a Finnish company who uses injection molding and a mix of wood particles and a binding agent to produce guitars with extraordinary resonance that are free of moisture-related problems. The Liekki (June 2009) is their hollow-bodied P-90 model. It earned a Premier Gear award for its exceptional neck and playability, and broad tonal palette. Said reviewer Pat Smith, “I have played guitars many times the cost of these that can’t touch them for playability, fit or finish. The sound is good and versatile, and the neck is probably the best feeling neck I’ve ever had my hands on.”
MSRP $3093 (fixed bridge); $3296 (tremolo)
flaxwood.com
Read the full review...
Watch the video review...


Ibanez Tube King TK999HTVoyage-Air VAOM-1C

Travel guitars have been done in a number of different ways. Master luthier Harvey Leach’s approach is to make a high-end acoustics that just happen to fold. The Voyage-Air (January 2009) is the result. The guitar is a solid-wood, OM-style that folds at the neck joint to fit in a backpack-style case. Reviewer Gayla Drake Paul summed up the expertly executed concept: “The more compact and self-contained we artists can be, the easier our lives get and the fewer expenses we have. It’s a beautiful equation, and the bonus points are that this is a fantastically good guitar that sounds, plays and feels like one of the best factory made guitars out there.”
MSRP $1695
voyageairguitar.com
Read the full review...
Watch the video review...


« Previous    1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11    Next »

Related Articles

Best of 2011: Premier Gear Awards
The Best of 2008


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. :^)



Your Comment:  

All comments are subject to editing or deletion by the Premier Guitar staff.

Your Name:  


Please enter the text you see in the image:  
10

15D00EA6-C78C-4A05-8640-BD0B34715AA6