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Gear Awards

Pretty sounds live alongside freakish modulations in a phaser, flanger, and filter combo with super-impressive range.

Fantastic range of phase, flange, and filter tones that span conventional and radical sounds. Cool, practical, and functional trip switch. Beautiful design.

Some tones tend toward metallic, which might put off classicists.

$250

Death By Audio Disturbance
deathbyaudio.com

5
4.5
4
4.5

Somehow I sense that the Death By Audio team would appreciate that I wrote the review for their new Disturbance on the day I got a root canal. Dental drills whirring, bright lights, and flying spittle—this is the stuff of many DBA products. Yet the ominously named Disturbance—which manages to be a phaser, flanger, auto wah, and a sort of cocked-wah filter all in one—is actually capable of sounds that fall squarely in the category of beautiful. And like almost all DBA effects, it’s also capable of radical and jarring tones. Its ability to span these extremes is the Disturbance’s strength.

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The effects guru puts two historic pedals—the TS808 and the Nobels ODR-1—inside a single box, with a fresh circuit design that allows for four variations on their revered voices.

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A session man’s take on the sound of a great tube amp—without the glowing glass.

Wickedly great EQ controls. A very musical range of overdrive tones.

Tight control can be a bit too subtle.

$269

5
4.5
4.5
4.5


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A flexible, dirty overdrive that holds the key to Billy Gibbons’ tone, and much more.

Authentic BFG tones in a sturdy, easy-to-dial-in package. Also capable of a wide variety of other dirt tones, from American classic to British vintage.

Not suitable for clean boost.

$199

J. Rockett Audio Designs El Hombre
rockettpedals.com

5
5
5
4

Another 3-knob overdrive? What’s the big deal? Let me tell you. The El Hombre by J. Rockett Audio Designs puts one of the holiest of holy grail guitar tones—those of the Rev. Billy F. Gibbons—at your fingertips. And for me and everybody else who has chased those tones, that’s a big deal, indeed.

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A chambered body and enhanced switching make this affordable Revstar light and loaded with tones.

Scads of cool tone combinations. Articulate pickups. Relatively light. Balanced and comfortable. Well built.

Some P-90 players might miss the extra grit the Revstar trades for articulation.

Yamaha Revstar Standard RSS02T
usa.yamaha.com

4.5
4.5
4.5
4.5

While the Yamaha name is famous in circles beyond the guitar world, they’ve made first-class guitars since the 1960s. And while they don’t unleash new releases with the frequency of some larger guitar brands, every now and then they come down the mountain with a new axe that reminds us of their capacity to build great electric 6-strings. In 2015, Yamaha introduced the first generation Revstar. With a handsome aesthetic inspired by the company’s motorcycle racing heritage, the Revstar combined sweet playability and vintage style touchstones. This year, Yamaha gave the Revstar an overhaul—including body chambering, updated pickups, and new switching. What’s impressive is how these alterations enhance the already impressive playability and versatility of the original.

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