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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.

Carvin X1 Tube Preamp


Featuring clean and dirty channels driven by two 12AX7s, Carvin’s X1 Tube Preamp has a full EQ (bass, mid, treble, and presence) and the ability to use footswitches to switch channels, engage a lead-channel boost, or activate a 5-band graphic EQ. The X1 offers a truly impressive array of tones ranging from spongy, beautifully compressed cleans to crunchy grit or high-gain sounds perfect for singing leads or evil metal.

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$449 street, carvinaudio.com

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


Day 4 of Stompboxtober brings a chance to win a pedal from TWA: The Chemical-Z! Don’t miss out—enter now and return tomorrow for more!

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Fuchs Audio introduces the ODH Hybrid amp, featuring a True High Voltage all-tube preamp and Ice Power module for high-powered tones in a compact size. With D-Style overdrive, Spin reverb, and versatile controls, the ODH offers exceptional tone shaping and flexibility at an affordable price point.

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Jackson Guitars announces its first female signature artist model, the Pro Series Signature Diamond Rowe guitar.

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Cort Guitars introduces the GB-Fusion Bass Series, featuring innovative design and affordable pricing.

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