Redux Deluxe
Is there anything better than your favorite gear getting better? The Redux
Deluxe award goes to this year’s gear that answered a most difficult
question—is it worth buying again?—with a resounding, “YES.”
Click here to read the full review
PRS Modern Eagle II
One of the highest-end guitars we reviewed this year (January 2009), PRS’ fol-lowup to their Modern Eagle knocked it out of the park. From build quality (“the
highest I’ve ever encountered in a guitar,” said reviewer Steve Ouimette) to the
1957/2008 pickups’ tone (“these pickups sounded better than the real ’ 58 PAF
that was in my Les Paul,” Steve admitted), the Modern Eagle II goes a long way
to wipe away any memory of the original. Though the price tag is steep, Steve
justified it, saying, “I think this may be the first time I’ve felt that a guitar was
worthy of a price tag in that range.”
MSRP $7080
prsguitars.com
Fuchs Plush Good Verbrations
Fuch’s Plush line of pedals has been garnering acclaim for
a few years, and one of the popular pedals in the line is the
Verbrator, an effects loop with built-in reverb. This year, the
company released just the Reverb section of the Verbrator
in a tiny, simple box they call Good Verbrations (November
2009). You can adjust the level and decay of the reverb,
allowing for a greater range of expression, from long and
lush to short and tight. Says reviewer Gary Guzman, “Good
Verbrations has a nice sounding reverb with simple, yet very
useful controls.” While it doesn’t upgrade anything from
the original, the Good Verbrations presents a slice of the
best material, with a sizeable price break—something we’re
happy to award.
MSRP $249
fuchsaudiotechnology.com
Click here to read the full review
Click here to read the full review
Bogner Custom Amplification 20th
Anniversary Ecstasy
The Bogner Ecstasy had a lot to live up to—Bogner’s
flagship had built a reputation as one of the most
versatile modern amps ever built—but Reinhold
Bogner’s dedication to improvement was evident in
the 20th Anniversary Ecstasy (October 2009). Living
up to its predecessor in versatility (three separate
channels, loads of features), the Anniversary Ecstasy
incorporates a redesigned preamp circuit. This
expands the tonal options even further, excelling in
British-flavored high and low-gain rock. Says reviewer
Jordan Wagner, “For those players who desire more
options at their fingertips, the Ecstasy, with its three
separate channels and myriad of usable customization choices, is an incredible choice with very few
alternatives in its league.”
MSRP $4425 (head)
bogneramplification.com
Furman P-1800
PF R Power
Conditioner/
Surge Suppressor
Although we had to provide the requisite warning about
the danger of becoming “that guy,” there
are some very good reasons to go with a real
power conditioner over the ubiquitous office-supply-store
power strip. Furman’s P-1800 PF R (April 2009), and update to
their Power Factor Pro R brought all of their well known surge suppression
and voltage spike protection and added in their new Clear Tone and Power
Factor technologies in a unit designed specifically for high-current gear like
guitar amps and powered monitors. They also threw in a whole batch of
other useful features, like a digital voltmeter/ammeter, spaced outlets with
securing straps, BNC connector and front panel USB outlet—enough to
qualify it for a Kitchen Sink award as well.
MSRP $599
furmansound.com Click here to read the full review
Maxon AD999 Pro
Analog Delay
For the past few years,
Maxon (the company behind
Ibanez’s ‘70s classics) has been
releasing updated versions of their
classic effects in the Vintage Series. The new
AD999 (November 2009) channels the renowned AD- 9
and AD999 pedals, with some modern improvements.
The new AD999 adds true bypass, noise reduction and an
entire Multi-Head mode to simulate tape delays. The ability
to simulate tape delays such as the Roland RE- 201 Space
Echo, along with authentic vintage delay (utilizing some
NOS components), makes the Maxon AD999 a lot of fun.
“For devotees of vintage analog sounds, the AD999 Pro is
a perfect choice,” reviewer Jordan Wagner declared.
Street $399
maxonfx.com Click here to read the full review
118 PREMIER GUITAR DECEMBER 2009
www.premierguitar.com
