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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.

BYOC Crown Jewel

Our colleague Joe Gore hinted that the Crown Jewel could be the most versatile overdrive ever. And with a modular design that enables you to re-configure modules covering everything from Fuzz Face and Klon clones to Orange Squeezer and Rangemaster-style tones, we’re inclined to agree.

$219 ($483 as reviewed with all 11 preassembled boost modules)
buildyourownclone.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 moe. frontline from left: Chuck Garvey (guitar), Rob Derhak (bass), Al Schnier (guitar), and Nate Wilson (keyboards). In the mist behind them is Jim Loughlin (percussion) and Vinnie Amico (drums).

Photo by Paul Citone

The two guitarists are known for their sympathetic 6-string interplay. They remain as tight as ever, despite setbacks, as they deliver the buoyant, vibrant Circle of Giants, the long-running jam band’s 14th studio record.

Thirty-five years ago, a group of University of Buffalo students gathered in a basement, drank a lot of beer, and played some tunes. They had no goal other than to have fun and party. But it wasn’t long before they headed into a studio housed in an apartment above local guitar shop Top Shelf Music to record the debut moe. album, Fatboy. Slowly, the band built a devoted fan base, crisscrossing the country in a van. As they persevered, the band and their audience grew up together, and now it’s the fans’ children who are discovering the group.

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Bassist Scott Thunes first started with Frank Zappa’s band when he was 21 years old.

The idiosyncratic musician has gone from Zappa to the classroom, even though he says “I can’t write a bass line to save my life.”

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Pro hardware, unusual circuit tweaks, and killer playability lend new twists to the P-90 solidbody template.

Light and very comfortable to play. Creative tonal options. Excellent hardware.

P-90s may be too hot or bright for some. Middle pickup not as articulate as expected—and surprisingly difficult to activate on the fly.

$1,229

Vola Guitars JZ FRO
volaguitars.com

3.5
4
5
4.5


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There’s no disputing the influence B.B. King has had on the history of electric guitar music. We’re talking about his sound, his best records, his guitars, his showmanship, and his collabs, from an all-star jam at the 2010 Crossroads festival to, yes, even his 1988 U2 collab, “When Love Comes to Town.”


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