A huge range of eye-catching guitar gear arrived over the past 12 months. Here, we break down the best of the bunch
(Image credit: Future)
2022 is officially drawing to a close, meaning it’s currently the perfect opportunity to look back over the past 12 months to revisit some of the best guitar gear we’ve had the pleasure of coming across.
It’s certainly been a year to remember, with a number of knock-out new releases making their way onto the market, from long-awaited electric guitars and boutique acoustic guitars all the way to surprise pedal drops and modern-minded guitar amps.
Not only that, 2022 has also helped cement the status of numerous pre-existing products as serious fan favorites, with many guitars, basses, pedals, amps and more from previous years earning their way onto our end-of-year round-up.
With that said, here is our 2022 holiday ultimate gear guide for the best new products of the year.
AKG Ara
(Image credit: AKG)
The AKG Ara two-pattern USB microphone lets podcasters, bloggers, gamers and musicians capture pro-quality, high-resolution sound right from their desktops. Whether you’re streaming or recording, capture audio at 24-bit, 96kHz resolution for crystal-clear speech clarity and stunning vocal and instrument tracks.
Ara’s dual pickup patterns let you focus on a single voice or instrument or everyone in the room. Choose the directional Front (cardioid) pattern to focus on sound directly in front of the mic while rejecting sound from other sides, or use the Front + Back (omni) pattern to pick up sounds all around the mic, such as multiple speakers or a group of performers.
Use Ara on a desktop, boom, stand or on the go, with an optional adapter and your mobile device. It’s plug-and-play simple, thanks to USB connectivity and class-compliant drivers.
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The AKG K240 MKII professional over-ear, semi-open headphones have advanced 30mm XXL transducers with patented Varimotion diaphragms. These deliver a wide dynamic range, increased sensitivity and high sound levels, while their semi-open design provides the airiness of open headphones with the powerful bass response of closed designs.
In addition, the headphones are durable and comfortable, built to withstand the demands of hours in the studio. The AKG K240 MKII headphones also feature a professional mini XLR connector and come with a 10-foot straight cable, a 16-foot coiled cable, and convertible jack plug for connecting portable equipment easily. From performance and ease of use to comfort and reliability, the AKG K240 MKII is a powerful tool for production environments.
K361-BTs are precision-engineered to reproduce natural, balanced audio in exceptional detail, so you can make more confident decisions when you’re mixing and editing.
They deliver the deepest bass and highest highs in their class, with a stunning frequency response of 15 Hz to 28 kHz. The K361-BTs also offer the convenience of switchable Bluetooth wireless and wired connectivity.
A built-in microphone allows two-way Bluetooth communications for studio sessions or conference calls; use gesture controls located on the earcups to answer calls, adjust volume, play and pause music, and more. Ergonomic earcups cradle your ears in comfort, too.
AKG’s K371-BT headphoness are precision-engineered to match AKG’s Reference Response acoustic target to reproduce audio in detail. Like AKG’s K361-BT phones, they’re the best in their class when it comes to delivering deep bass and high highs than any other model in their class, offering a frequency response of 5 Hz to 40 kHz.
Also like that product, the K371-BTs permit switchable Bluetooth wireless and wired connectivity. Two-way Bluetooth communications are enabled via the built-in mic, and controls on the earcups allow many functions with the swipe of a finger.
Podcasting, making YouTube videos, live streaming, and recording music are all enabled with the AKG Lyra Ultra HD, multimode USB microphone. Plug Lyra into your PC, Mac, phone or tablet and the unit is ready to go.
The system requirements are Windows 8 or higher, Mac OS 10.7 or higher, Android 9 or higher, iOS 10 or higher, and iOS support may require an Apple Camera Connection Kit. In addition, Android support may require an OTG adapter cable, which is available separately. The Lyra’s 24-bit/192kHz maximum audio performance is obviously dependent on the host device and software capabilities.
The all-new Baldacci Guitars Bighorn ECO combines the sleek, offset body style of the Baldacci Bighorn series and reimagines it in a new, vintage-inspired design, built with 100 percent American-grown lumber.
Features include Baldacci’s standard 25.125” scale length, a red alder body, a quartersawn maple neck, an Arizona-grown Sissoo rosewood fretboard, and an all-new humbucker set from Darkmoon Pickups. The guitar is available in four satin colors.
The Bighorn Standard is a sleek, offset guitar that merges the simplicity of a Telecaster with the double-cut, carved maple top refinement of a PRS. What’s interesting about the Bighorn is it doesn’t have the typical scale length of a Fender-style guitar (25 ½”) or a Gibson Les Paul (24 ¾”).
Instead, designer Conner Baldacci employs a novel 25 1/8” scale length for the Bighorn standard, which adds a balance of brightness along with sustain and resonance. The medium-output Darkmoon pickups are voiced for fat articulation and are sonically pleasing no matter what amp they’re pumped through.
What sets the Bighorn Standard apart from other factory-made guitars is its fast-and-fluid feel, with just the right amount of string tension and elasticity that makes your fingers fly. It certainly has a familiar design, but there’s something about its offset, user-friendly build that elevates it from other custom-shop guitars.
Blue Lava Original is the latest acoustic-electric guitar by Lava Music. It comes in a compact, lightweight, and weatherproof body, and using Lava Music’s signature L2 Preamp with FreeBoost and 4-MASS technology, it provides onboard chorus, delay, and reverb effects.
It features a 2.3mm string height, a thin heel, an ergonomic neck shape, and a truss rod with a magnetic cover, delivering comfort and playability. At only 3.7 pounds, the 36” acoustic-electric guitar is light on your hands and shoulders while playing or carrying it around. The neck has an ergonomic shape and is accurate and stable, as it is attached through a precision machining process.
The thin heel allows easy and smooth access to higher frets, and the magnetic truss rod cover is simple to remove and replace, allowing you to adjust the neck relief with ease. The HPL material used in this guitar is highly recyclable, and the design centers on the idea of reducing the material and manufacturing impact on nature.
Built for the modern player and influenced by Animals As Leaders master virtuoso guitarist Tosin Abasi, the Kaizen seven-string guitar was crafted with many forward-thinking design concepts guided by Tosin’s unique specifications and playing style.
The Kaizen features an alder body, multiscale fretboard, new Music Man HT bridge, humbucking electronics, custom radiused roasted maple neck, and ebony fingerboard. Finished in Apollo Black, the Kaizen will be offered in seven-string with a six-string model to follow soon.
The 35th Anniversary StingRay5 features an ash body with a figured maple top finished in Spalted Sunburst. The roasted maple neck features an ebony fretboard with block inlays and is finished in a high gloss for superb comfort and playability.
High-output neodymium StingRay 5 pickups provide powerful low-end with a distinctive mid-range punch while the lightweight hardware delivers solid stability. The StingRay 5 includes a certificate of authenticity and ships in a Mono case.
Like all ESP E-II models, the Arrow is made in Japan at the ESP factory. Offering neck-thru-body construction, the Arrow includes an alder body, a three-piece maple neck, and an ebony fingerboard with 24 extra jumbo frets.
High-quality components on the E-II Arrow include ESP straplocks, Gotoh locking tuners, a Floyd Rose Original bridge, and a set of EMG 85 and EMG 81 active pickups. It comes with an ESP hardshell case.
Fender recently announced its American Vintage II range of electric guitars and basses, an all-new catalog of instruments that harks back to a handful of exceptional production years from the Big F’s history.
It’s a comprehensive drop, one that comprises five individual Telecaster models, three Stratocaster iterations, a sole Jazzmaster and three separate bass guitars. Specifically, the Telecaster cohort contains models based on the single-cuts Fender dropped in the years ’51, ’63, ’72, ’75 and ’77, while the Strat section sets its sights on ’57, ’61 and ’73-inspired models. Completing the roundup is a ’54 and ’60 Precision, a ’66 Jazz and a 1966 Jazzmaster.
Highlights include the return of the revered CuNiFe Wide-Ranging humbuckers of the ’72, ’75 and ’77 Telecaster models — replacing the cosmetically enhanced regular humbuckers that are found on similar models — which are joined by nitrocellulose lacquer finishes, vintage-style neck profiles and hardware, and “heirloom quality, year-specific pickups”.
Fishman Fluence Modern Nine-String Humbucker Pickups
(Image credit: Fishman)
Fluence’s multi-voiced Modern Humbuckers are now available in a nine-string format, each featuring three distinct voices. “Starting with our revolutionary Fluence Core, we create the world-class colors you have come to expect from great guitar pickups. Then we go beyond, with tones you’ve never expected in an extended range guitar,” the company tells us, adding that these pickups work equally well when applied to eight-string multi-scale guitars.
MAP $269.95 per set, $144.95 for an individual alnico or ceramic pickup, fishman.com
Fishman Ryan “Fluff” Bruce Custom Series Pickup
(Image credit: Fishman)
Ryan “Fluff” Bruce is an authority on guitar gear, with thousands of online videos and followers to his credit. In his band Dragged Under, he has the unique perspective of putting that gear to the test in demanding live and studio environments.
His gear reviews and deep dives have given him a broad knowledge of all the different types of pickups on the market, and his favorite voices have come from Fishman Fluence. Now, all three of his favorite Fluence voices are available in the Ryan “Fluff” Bruce Custom series pickup.
Since first hitting the world stage as a child prodigy with an unparalleled level of skill and understanding, Thomas McRocklin has been leaving jaws on the floor for over 35 years.
Whether it’s his string of musical releases and collaborations, in depth lessons, or his “School of McRock,” he continues to demonstrate his musical IQ as something to behold. As someone who does extensive work with single coils, Thomas has always loved Fluence’s Classic Humbuckers and their ability to access true single coil voices. His Classic Set adds some tweaks to those voices.
Slated for release in 2023, Ibanez has announced the latest addition to their expanding line of signature acoustic instruments. The newest model comes from acoustic guitarist and internet sensation, Marcin.
His first-ever signature model, the new MRC10, is tailored to accommodate the intricacies of Marcin’s playing. While certain specialized features on this guitar, like the scratch pad, are clearly visible, many are not. These include proprietary Ibanez X-M bracing, a Fishman Rare Earth electronics package, and a wood reinforcement plate under the top to facilitate aggressive tapping techniques.
Other notable features include a solid Sitka spruce top, pau ferro back and sides, and Gotoh 510 tuners, along with a custom mother of pearl rosette and 12th fret inlay.
The TOD10N is Polyphia’s guitar phenom Tim Henson’s newest signature instrument, and a departure from his original AZ-based guitar. Tim’s inspiration for this guitar came from a previous Ibanez design called the SC500N. This older model was unique in that it was a solid body electric, but it utilized nylon strings paired with a Piezo pickup system.
The new guitar’s body shape is based on the FR series but is hollow in its construction. The design also incorporates a sound hole located on the upper bout, directed towards the player. Fan bracing is another critical element of the TOD10N.
A bracing style generally found on classical guitars, it was incorporated to help facilitate and enhance the “Nuevo Flamenco” style Tim and Polyphia have been exploring as of late. Other notable features include a solid Sitka spruce top, Walnut fretboard, Fishman Sonicore pickup, and the “Tree of Death” inlay, designed by Tim.
These compact reference monitors, the newest models in the 1 Series line, draw from seven decades of JBL Professional engineering to deliver the most accurate sound in their class. They can be used for recording musicians, producers, podcasters and vloggers, as well as professional audio engineers seeking an accurate portable reference with Bluetooth streaming.
JBL 104-BT Reference Monitors combine a powerful coaxial 4.5-inch low-frequency driver and 0.75” soft-dome tweeter, and potent integrated 60-watt amplification. Bluetooth streaming lets you check mixes over Bluetooth to make sure they sound great in every listening scenario.
EON700 leverages the latest acoustic science, transducer designs, cabinet materials and advanced DSP and control technologies to deliver extraordinary performance in a fully professional, highly flexible, easy to use, portable system.
With four models available, including the 10-inch EON710, the 12-inch EON712 and 15-inch EON715 powered PA speakers, and the 18-inch EON718S subwoofer, EON700 systems cover the needs of today’s working musicians and sound providers.
The JBL EON ONE Compact packs a professional-grade speaker, a full-featured four-channel mixer and Bluetooth control into a compact battery-powered PA, weighing in at just 17.6 pounds.
Premium effects and presets can be customized from a phone or tablet using the JBL EON ONE Compact Control app – no engineer needed. Presenters, fitness instructors and emcees will appreciate EON ONE Compact’s ducking feature, which lowers background music volume when speech input is detected. Peer-to-peer Bluetooth permits broadcast music playback. The EON ONE Compact’s tool-free, swappable battery is good for up to 12 hours.
This battery-powered column PA packs an acoustic package, five-channel digital mixer, dbx and Lexicon DSP, Bluetooth functions and universal app control into a lightweight, portable package that can be carried in one hand.
The EON ONE MK2 combines a geometrically optimized, C-shaped eight-tweeter array with a 10” woofer to deliver clarity and coverage down to 37 Hz, with wide dispersion and a maximum output of 123dB. The EON ONE MK2 is engineered for versatility and ease of use, with a full suite of pro-grade Lexicon and dbx effects and presets, with controls that scale from beginner to advanced.
Variable Power Performance automatically optimizes power performance for AC or battery operation. Bluetooth audio streaming and six-hour battery operation round out this all-purpose, all-in-one system.
This all-in-one powered column PA features an acoustically optimized column array featuring a seven-channel digital mixer, a full suite of professional DSP, class-leading audio connectivity, Bluetooth functionality, and JBL Pro Connect universal app control. PRX ONE delivers 130db max SPL, with consistent front-to-back throw, thanks to its custom-engineered 12-tweeter column array featuring JBL
AIM acoustic technology, 12-inch bass-reflex woofer and built-in 2,000-watt (peak) amplifier. PRX ONE’s full suite of professional effects includes reverb, delay, compression and dbx DriveRack technology featuring AFS Pro Automatic Feedback Suppression.
Connect microphones, instruments, mobile devices and wireless rigs using versatile I/Os (featuring dedicated phantom power and Hi-Z inputs and pro-grade Neutrik connectors) and Bluetooth 5.0 features. It’s a great solution for anyone who demands best-in-class power, acoustic performance, creative control and connectivity in a full-featured column PA.
A classic single-cutaway shape that’s applicable to all musical styles and genres, the EC-201 features multi-binding on the mahogany body and headstock. It offers set-neck construction for fast access to the highest frets, 24 extra-jumbo frets, and a single ESP LH-150B pickup with antique nickel cover. The LH-150B can also be split for single-coil sounds with the push-pull volume knob.
The Phoenix-1004 offers a 34” scale neck-thru-body design, using a five-piece mahogany and walnut neck with satin finish for smooth playability, along with mahogany body wings, and a Macassar ebony fingerboard with 21 extra jumbo stainless steel frets.
Other highlights of the Phoenix-1004 include a reverse headstock, a Gotoh 201B-4 bridge, and a set of Fishman Fluence SB-1 active pickups with push/pull for single-coil mode voicing.
With seven strings and a 27” baritone scale, the SN-1007HT Baritone is ESP’s first extended range guitar in the SN Series. It features a sandblasted Black Blast finish on its swamp ash body.
Features include a bolt-on roasted maple neck and a Macassar ebony fingerboard with 24 extra jumbo stainless steel frets, scalloped from frets 17 to 24. Components include a Hipshot hardtail bridge and a set of Fishman Fluence Modern Humbuckers with push-pull control to activate voicings.
The JC-4 is the signature bass of Lamb of God’s John Campbell. Features include bolt-on construction, a 34” scale with a swamp ash body, a five-piece maple and purple heart neck, a Macassar ebony fingerboard, and glow-in-the-dark side markers.
Components on the JC-4 include Hipshot Ultralight tuners, a Hipshot A Style bridge, and a set of Fishman SB-1 active pickups with single-coil mode and three pickup voicings. It is accompanied by an ESP hardshell case.
The LTD ’87 Series are faithful recreations of instruments from ESP’s 1987 catalog. The Surveyor ’87 is a classic bolt-on design at 34” scale, with an alder body, maple neck, and Macassar ebony fingerboard with 21 extra-jumbo frets.
Other features and components of the Surveyor ’87 include a matte black pickguard, Gotoh 201-B4 bridge, LTD vintage tuners, and a Seymour Duncan Vintage P/Vintage Jazz pickup set with volume, balance, and tone controls.
Monster Grips is a revolutionary guitar pick grip that is super grippy, non-sticky, and stays clean. Surprisingly durable, yet ultra-thin, it is extremely comfortable and is certain to enhance your playing experience. Monster Grips’ amazing properties allow you to hold the pick even more lightly, producing even better articulation, while reducing fatigue.
PreSonus has released Studio One 6, the first major update to its DAW since the company was acquired by Fender in 2021. You can see some signs of change in Studio One 6: New Smart Templates, for example, are designed to make it easy to get started on a specific task right away.
These comprise preconfigured tracks and channels with a customized interface and automatic download of required content, with options for basic recording, beatmaking, mixing stems, mastering an album, setting up for a live show and more.
There’s a drop zone for importing audio, video and MIDI files, and interactive tutorials with instructions and links to related video content. Finally, no major DAW update would be complete without some new plugins, and Studio One 6 gets some in the form of the new De-Esser and Vocoder.
PRS launched the HDRX amp family in the summer of 2021 with both 100- and 50-watt heads. The PRS HDRX 20 features PRS’s newly documented “Authentic Hendrix” Touring Circuit. This circuit is heavily inspired by one of Hendrix’s personal amps, purportedly used at Woodstock, which Paul Reed Smith and PRS Amp Designer Doug Sewell were able to study in 2018.
Designed to push the high-end so it is very clear, but not so much that it’s harsh, the PRS HDRX shines without glaring and allows for thick yet articulate aggression that can be backed off for smooth, sweet tones. In this lower-wattage package, the HDRX 20 breaks up beautifully at more usable volumes. The addition of a Master Volume control on the HDRX 20, a new feature for HDRX amps, is another modern convenience.
Players can use the Master Volume to control the power amp section of the HDRX, making it more user-friendly for players who do not want to add a volume attenuator to their setup. The PRS HDRX 20 also features a three-band TMB tone stack, a two-way bright switch, high-mid gain switch, and presence controls.
The PRS Horsemeat transparent overdrive is a from-scratch circuit designed to enhance guitar tone without coloring it. Using germanium diodes, Horsemeat will give throatiness without sounding nasal or too high-pitched and deliver harmonic richness.
It also boosts full low- and high-end frequencies, all while providing more available headroom. Depending on the setting, the PRS Horsemeat can be used as a clean boost, straight overdrive, or even enhance an amplifier’s distortion by slightly pushing the front end of the amp’s preamp section. In essence, “Horsemeat sounds like a good amp,” says Paul Reed Smith.
The PRS Mary Cries optical compressor is based on the storied LA-2A and helps to harness players’ dynamic audio range. When engaged, Mary Cries can boost and even out clean tone, add sustain to leads, help control signal peaks, and push guitar tone without losing definition or clarity.
By using the output/gain control and leaving the compression control low, players can also use Mary Cries as a straight boost pedal.
The PRS Robben Ford Limited Edition McCarty was first teased by Ford back in the summer of 2021. Limited to 200 pieces worldwide for 2022, this limited edition has been meticulously spec’d to deliver the highest level of playability and loud, clear, soulful tone.
As an added detail, Paul Reed Smith has hand-signed the front of each headstock and Robben Ford has autographed the backplate of each instrument. This limited edition is based on the PRS McCarty model and features a thicker mahogany back, a bound, 22-fret, 25” scale mahogany neck, and African Blackwood fretboard.
The guitar is anchored by a Vintage-Style tuners and a PRS Stoptail bridge with brass inserts, both of which add to the guitar’s liveliness and tone – as do its thin, hard nitro finish and bone nut. Perhaps most noteworthy on this model are the Robben Ford signature pickups and the modified control layout.
Personally dialed-in by Ford and Smith throughout the R&D process, these pickups are tuned to deliver loud, clear, and full tone across the spectrum. Never too dark or overpowering, these pickups are paired with a single volume and tone control, three-way toggle pickup selector, and a single mini-toggle switch that splits both pickups into single coils.
The PRS SE A20E Angelus Cutaway body shape delivers comfort and playability and is well-suited for picking and fingerstyle playing. The all-mahogany body gives the PRS SE A20E an organic, warm voice. The PRS SE P50E is a parlor-sized acoustic featuring a solid spruce top and figured maple back and sides, bringing a sophisticated new aesthetic to the popular parlor platform.
This body size offers bold projection with more focused tone, and the maple back and sides provide unexpected warmth and tonal transparency. Both new acoustics feature PRS’s distinct bracing pattern, which is modeled after a speaker cabinet and creates a single-diaphragm instrument.
PRS hybrid “X”/Classical top bracing allows the top to freely vibrate and project, while the back and sides are more heavily braced to “lock them down” and encourage the tone of the guitar to push through the top. All PRS SE Series acoustics also feature the PRS-Voiced Fishman Sonitone Pickup system, which allows the natural sound of the instrument to come through.
This electronics system features an undersaddle pickup and soundhole mounted preamp with easy-to-access volume and tone controls. Additional high-quality features include solid tops, ebony fretboards and bridges, bone nuts and saddles, as well as PRS trademark bird inlays and headstock design. Both acoustics ship with high-quality gig bags included.
The PRS Wind Through the Trees dual flanger is best described as two flangers fighting each other, resulting in a sound that is reminiscent of the wind whipping through the trees. Use the PRS Wind Through the Trees to create airy harmonics, moody frequency swirls, jet-engine swooshes, and fluctuating warbles.
This pedal is highly usable and hours of fun. All PRS pedals feature through-hole soldering, which broadened the component selection and allowed for the best-sounding parts to be used. PRS pedals are also true bypass, so they are out of the signal chain when turned off, allowing players to have uncolored tone at the tip of their toes.
The GD35CE-12 is a striking pearl white 12-string dreadnought cutaway. This bold and robust-sounding guitar is one of Takamine’s high-value G-Series: Its design elements include black/white/black binding over the body, fingerboard, and headstock, gold hardware, pearl dot inlays, and a beautiful abalone rosette.
It comes fitted with Takamine’s legendary TP-3G electronics to make live performance a thing of ease. It comes with a GBXW gigbag and is also available as the six-string GD35CE PW.
The EF341DX is based on one of the most iconic Takamine dreadnought guitars, the EF341SC. It adds ‘Deluxe’ appointments such as strikingly colorful abalone purfling, abalone rosette, Gotoh tuners with pearloid buttons, and delicate Takamine diamond inlays.
Featuring solid cedar top and maple back and sides, the EF341DX includes Takamine’s legendary CT4BII electronics, making sure that this great-looking guitar is matched by powerful and reliable Takamine stage sound.
Takamine’s annual special limited edition model for 2022 celebrates the company’s 60th year. The LTD2022 features a figured spruce top and figured koa on its back and sides.
It includes the new CTF-2N preamplifier which revives the sound of Takamine’s early “Brownie” FET preamp, with a two-band EQ, notch filter, and onboard tuner. It also features a diamond-shaped inlay, abalone purfling, and matching rosette.
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