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Gear of the Year 2017

Another year, another dazzling parade of pedals, guitars, amps, modelers, and accessories that made our noggins spin.

Godin Summit Classic CT Convertible

Though skeptical about guitars that claim to be all things, Ted Drozdowski found the Godin Summit Classic CT Convertible lives up to its name. Whether he played it through a vintage Twin Reverb, a Marshall Super Lead, or an Orange Micro Terror, the Convertible sounded great and felt familiar. With its Duncan P-Rails and active/passive HDR Revoicer circuit, the versatile Convertible is ready for any gig or session.

$1,595 street
godinguitars.com

Click here to read the full review

This year’s Premier Gear Award winners are, as usual, an eclectic set—full of old-school vintage homage, leading-edge digital developments, and imaginative meetings of those worlds. Dig in and dig it as we revisit the gear that fired the enthusiasm and wonder of our editors and contributors in 2017.

With separate Doom and Shimmer controls, low-pass and high-pass filter settings, and built-in Grit dynamic distortion, this pedal is a must-have for creating atmospheric sounds.

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Our columnist has journeyed through blizzards and hurricanes to scoop up rare, weird guitars, like this axe of unknown origin.

Collecting rare classic guitars isn’t for the faint of heart—a reality confirmed by the case of this Japanese axe of unknown provenance.

If you’ve been reading this column regularly, you’ll know that my kids are getting older and gearing up for life after high school. Cars, insurance, tuition, and independence are really giving me agita these days! As a result, I’ve been slowly selling off my large collection of guitars, amps, and effects. When I’m looking for things to sell, I often find stuff I forgot I had—it’s crazy town! Finding rare gear was such a passion of mine for so many years. I braved snowstorms, sketchy situations, shady characters, slimy shop owners, and even hurricane Sandy! If you think about it, it’s sort of easy to buy gear. All you have to do is be patient and search. Even payments nowadays are simple. I mean, when I got my first credit card…. Forget about it!

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Sleep Token announces their Even In Arcadia Tour, hitting 17 cities across the U.S. this fall. The tour, promoted by AEG Presents, will be their only headline tour of 2025.

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The Rickenbacker 481’s body style was based on the 4001 bass, popularly played by Paul McCartney. Even with that, the guitar was too experimental to reach its full potential.

The body style may have evoked McCartney, but this ahead-of-its-time experiment was a different beast altogether.

In the early days of Beatlemania, John Lennon andGeorge Harrison made stars out of their Rickenbacker guitars: John’s 325, which he acquired in 1960 and used throughout their rise, and George’s 360/12, which brought its inimitable sound to ā€œA Hard Day’s Nightā€ and other early classics.

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