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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.

Taylor GS Mini-e Bass

After spending quality time with Taylor’s 23 1/2"-scale GS Mini-e Bass, associate editor Rich Osweiler confirmed that size doesn’t necessarily matter for pulling big bass tones out of an acoustic bass guitar. Osweiler was especially enamored with the “punchy thump and warmth that leans towards the darker tones of an upright,” and didn’t think twice about tagging the Mini-e with a Premier Gear Award.

$699 street
taylorguitars.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.

The bold English band return with their eighth record, Dreams on Toast. The brotherly guitar duo tell us about their pilgrimage back to Tonehenge.

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Very diverse slate of tones. Capable of great focus and power. Potentially killer studio tool.

Sculpting tones in a reliably reproducible way can be challenging. Midrange emphasis may be a deal breaker for some.

$199 street

4.5
4.5
3.5
4.5

Bold-voiced, super-tunable distortion that excels in contexts from filtered boost to total belligerence.

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The New ToneWoodAmp2 is smaller, lighter, rechargeable, and offers foureffects simultaneously, along with a mobile app and much more.

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Paul Reed Smith also continues to evolve as a guitarist, and delivered a compelling take on Jeff Beck’s interpretation of “Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers” at the PRS 40th Anniversary Celebration during this year’s NAMM.

After 40 years at the helm of PRS Guitars, our columnist reflects on the nature of evolution in artistry—of all kinds.

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