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
(9 of 11)

Redux Deluxe
Is there anything better than your favorite gear getting better? The Redux Deluxe award goes to this year’s gear that answered a most difficult question—is it worth buying again?—with a resounding, “YES.”
PRS Modern Eagle IIPRS Modern Eagle II

One of the highest-end guitars we reviewed this year (January 2009), PRS’ followup to their Modern Eagle knocked it out of the park. From build quality (“the highest I’ve ever encountered in a guitar,” said reviewer Steve Ouimette) to the 1957/2008 pickups’ tone (“these pickups sounded better than the real ’58 PAF that was in my Les Paul,” Steve admitted), the Modern Eagle II goes a long way to wipe away any memory of the original. Though the price tag is steep, Steve justified it, saying, “I think this may be the first time I’ve felt that a guitar was worthy of a price tag in that range.”
MSRP $7080
prsguitars.com
Read the review...


Fuchs Plush Good VerbrationsFuchs Plush Good Verbrations

Fuch’s Plush line of pedals has been garnering acclaim for a few years, and one of the popular pedals in the line is the Verbrator, an effects loop with built-in reverb. This year, the company released just the Reverb section of the Verbrator in a tiny, simple box they call Good Verbrations (November 2009). You can adjust the level and decay of the reverb, allowing for a greater range of expression, from long and lush to short and tight. Says reviewer Gary Guzman, “Good Verbrations has a nice sounding reverb with simple, yet very useful controls.” While it doesn’t upgrade anything from the original, the Good Verbrations presents a slice of the best material, with a sizeable price break—something we’re happy to award.
MSRP $249
fuchsaudiotechnology.com
Read the review...


Furman P-1800
Furman P-1800 PF R Power Conditioner/Surge Suppressor

Although we had to provide the requisite warning about the danger of becoming “that guy,” there are some very good reasons to go with a real power conditioner over the ubiquitous office-supply-store power strip. Furman’s P-1800 PF R (April 2009), and update to their Power Factor Pro R brought all of their well known surge suppression and voltage spike protection and added in their new Clear Tone and Power Factor technologies in a unit designed specifically for high-current gear like guitar amps and powered monitors. They also threw in a whole batch of other useful features, like a digital voltmeter/ammeter, spaced outlets with securing straps, BNC connector and front panel USB outlet—enough to qualify it for a Kitchen Sink award as well.
MSRP $599
furmansound.com
Read the full review...



Bogner 20th Anniversary EcstasyBogner Custom Amplification 20th Anniversary Ecstasy

The Bogner Ecstasy had a lot to live up to—Bogner’s flagship had built a reputation as one of the most versatile modern amps ever built—but Reinhold Bogner’s dedication to improvement was evident in the 20th Anniversary Ecstasy (October 2009). Living up to its predecessor in versatility (three separate channels, loads of features), the Anniversary Ecstasy incorporates a redesigned preamp circuit. This expands the tonal options even further, excelling in British-flavored high and low-gain rock. Says reviewer Jordan Wagner, “For those players who desire more options at their fingertips, the Ecstasy, with its three separate channels and myriad of usable customization choices, is an incredible choice with very few alternatives in its league.”
MSRP $4425 (head)
bogneramplification.com
Read the review...


Maxon AD999Maxon AD999 Pro Analog Delay

For the past few years, Maxon (the company behind Ibanez’s ‘70s classics) has been releasing updated versions of their classic effects in the Vintage Series. The new AD999 (November 2009) channels the renowned AD-9 and AD999 pedals, with some modern improvements. The new AD999 adds true bypass, noise reduction and an entire Multi-Head mode to simulate tape delays. The ability to simulate tape delays such as the Roland RE-201 Space Echo, along with authentic vintage delay (utilizing some NOS components), makes the Maxon AD999 a lot of fun. “For devotees of vintage analog sounds, the AD999 Pro is a perfect choice,” reviewer Jordan Wagner declared.
Street $399
maxonfx.com
Read the full review...


Taylor T3/BTaylor T3/B

Taylor’s T3/B (April 2009) doesn’t have a direct predecessor to measure against, but it is descended from two highly-acclaimed parents: Taylor’s T5 hollowbody and their SolidBody. The semi-hollow T3 expands the tonal options of its precursors while maintaining the slick visual standard they’ve set. The guitar could’ve easily earned the “Tons O’Tones” award as well, achieving all styles and then some through the guitar’s Style 2 HD pickups, which can be accessed in all configurations and split. Reviewer Steve Ouimette sums it up, “Taylor seems to have pulled out all the stops on the T3/B, since it effortlessly excels in musical styles ranging from rock to blues to jazz … I can’t think of a single thing I would change.”
MSRP $3198
taylorguitars.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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