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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.

Hilbish Design Beta

The original Sunn Beta Lead began its unlikely rise to legend status thanks to the Melvins’ Buzz Osborne, and the Hilbish Design Beta delivers Osborne’s massive clean-to-sludgy muscle with killer authenticity. It also provides surprisingly powerful active-EQ tone-shaping capabilities—all at a refreshingly affordable price.

$1,100 street
hilbishdesign.com

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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.

- YouTube

PG contributor Tom Butwin demos seven direct boxes — active and passive — showing off sound samples, features, and real-world advice. Options from Radial, Telefunken, Hosa, Grace Design, and Palmer offer solutions for any input, setting, and budget.

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Delicious, dynamic fuzz tones that touch on classic themes without aping them. Excellent quality. Super-cool and useful octave effect.

Can’t mix and match gain modes.

$349

Great Eastern FX Co. Focus Fuzz Deluxe

greateasternfx.com

5
4.5
4.5
4.5

Adding octave, drive, and boost functions to an extraordinary fuzz yields a sum greater than its already extraordinary parts.

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Why is Tommy’s take on “Day Tripper” so hard? And what song would Adam Miller never play with him? Plus, we get Adam’s list of favorite Tommy Emmanuel records.

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Peavey Electronics announces the Decade preamp pedal. The internet and social media have been abounding with chatter about the current recording secret of the modern-day guitar gods – the Peavey Decade practice amp.

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