OUR FAVORITE GEAR OF THE YEAR

There was an onslaught of new guitar products released over the past 12 months. Here are the ones that had us talking

- AMIT SHARMA

Marshall
Modified Amplifiers
$3,449-$3,849, marshall.com

WE ALL KNOW Marshall amps have played a huge part in some of the greatest guitar albums ever made, but it's worth noting that a small portion of these genre-defining tones were produced by circuits that had been modded in some way or another, and therefore could no longer be considered “stock.” Slash, for example, used a JMP 1959 Super Lead modded by Frank Levi on Guns N' Roses' Appetite for Destruction. Another big name in the Marshall mod universe was José Arredondo, the now-deceased tech who customized heads for Eddie Van Halen, Mick Mars and James Hetfield. Until this point, however, the U.K. amp company had largely stuck to their guns and chosen not to acknowledge that certain players were enjoying tones that had been tweaked and enhanced. Which is why the release of the JCM800 Modified – boasting switches for gain boost, mid-boost and extra tightness – and the slightly more expensive 1959 Modified – with a new master volume control and two overdrive modes – dominated headlines in January. As a famous guitarist once noted, more is more.

Boss
RT-2 Rotary Ensemble
$239, boss.info