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Top 10 First Looks of 2020

Top 10 First Looks of 2020

A shit year didn't mean shit gear—here's our most-popular gear demos featuring fresh pieces from Epiphone, Fender, Suhr, EHX, MXR, and others.

10. Guild X-175 Manhattan Special

Thanks to its DeArmond Dynasonic pickups, true hollowbody tone delights await in this classy and handsomely styled 6-string that won't break the bank.

Click to read the review.


9. Fender Brent Mason Telecaster

B-bender, mini-bucker, and copious switching options make this session master's signature Telecaster a twanging tone chameleon.

8. Electro-Harmonix 5MM

Check out the big amp tones from a little box that won't bust your eardrums (or your bankroll).

Click to read the review.


7. Fender Player Duo-Sonic

A streamlined, short-scale solidbody that spans Stratocaster tones and Telecaster simplicity.

6. Electro-Harmonix Ram's Head Big Muff

From Gilmour to Mascis, the mighty Ram's Head has always represented the pinnacle of Muffery. Now this econo version delivers the goods for a fraction of the vintage-madness price.

Click to read the review.


5. MXR Timmy Drive

Paul Cochrane teams with MXR to build a tiny and accessibly priced take on his ultra-legendary overdrive.

4. EarthQuaker Devices Afterneath

Guitar phenom ​Yvette Young tap dances around the ethereal, ambient, cavernous world of EQD's latest reverb.

Click to read the review.


3. Suhr Hombre

Sweet simplicity meets tasty tremolo in a brownface-inspired tone machine.

Click to read the review.


2. Fender American Professional II Stratocaster

The world’s most iconic electric evolves again—this time with a roasted pine body, contoured heel, rolled fretboard edges, and more articulate pickups.

1. Epiphone Joe Bonamassa 1960 Les Paul Standard "Norm Burst"

Fat tones, fast neck, and scads of vintage Les Paul vibe at an easy-to-own price.

Click to read the review.


Moth Electric's C. regalis overdrive pedal offers massive boost, natural overdrive, and searing distortion for guitar and bass. With active treble and bass controls, clean blend, Smooth/Crunch modes, and true-bypass switching, this USA-made pedal is a versatile addition to any pedalboard.

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Photo by David James Swanson

Jack White's 2025 No Name Tour features live tracks from his album No Name, with shows across North America, Europe, the UK, and Japan.

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A dose of magic gain potion.

Works like a little vial of magic gain potion. Fattens without obscuring individual frequency bands.

None.

$129

Solodallas SVDS Boost
solodallas.com

5
4.5
5
4.5

The Schaeffer-Vega Diversity System—an early and very successful wireless system—excelled at the tasks it was designed for. But there was more magic than met the eye. Though designed to sound as transparent as possible, it nonetheless colored the signal in a way that people like Angus Young and Eddie Van Halen found essential.

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- YouTube

Learn about this iconic guitar's journey, its mods done by Frank, and hear how it sounds in the hands of his son Dweezil.


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