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The Year in Gear 2019

The 60+ guitars, amps, pedals, basses, and accessories that stood out from the crowd and earned our coveted Premier Gear Award this year.

Fender

Squier Contemporary Active Jazz Bass HH


Squier Contemporary Active Jazz Bass HH
This reimagining of classic J Bass design offers handsome looks and modern tones. Instead of conventional passive single-coils, a pair of SQR ceramic humbuckers wired to a 9V preamp with treble/bass boost capabilities deliver thick, punchy lows and shimmering highs devoid of 60-cycle hum. The HH’s slim C-shaped satin-finished neck and 12" fretboard radius invite speedy shifting, and its black-chrome hardware is fetching. A must-try, value-heavy workhorse for any gigging bassist.

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$399 street, fender.com

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Plus! December Premier Gear Award Winners!
Read the full reviews on the pages indicated below!

1. Peavey Invective.MH$699 street, peavey.com
2. Chase Bliss Dark World$349 street, chaseblissaudio.com
3. Comins CGS-16 $2,399 street, cominsguitars.com
4. Ernie Ball Music Man Short-Scale StingRay$1,999 street, music-man.com
5. EBS MicroBass 3$349 street, ebssweden.com