Taylor T3/B
Taylor’s T3/B (April 2009) doesn’t have a direct predecessor to measure against,
but it is descended from two highly-acclaimed parents: Taylor’s T5 hollowbody and
their SolidBody. The semi-hollow T3 expands the tonal options of its precursors
while maintaining the slick visual standard they’ve set. The guitar could’ve easily earned the “Tons O’Tones” award as well, achieving all styles and then some
through the guitar’s Style 2 HD pickups, which can be accessed in all configurations
and split. Reviewer Steve Ouimette sums it up, “Taylor seems to have pulled out all
the stops on the T3/B, since it effortlessly excels in musical styles ranging from rock
to blues to jazz … I can’t think of a single thing I would change.”
MSRP $3198
taylorguitars.comClick here to read the full review
2009
Tone Enhancers
In the relentless pursuit of tone, we often review the kinds of gear that many
wouldn’t consider a major element in the construction of a killer sound, but
as gearheads it’s part of our credo that great tone means taking nothing
for granted—whether it’s a part of the signal chain whose job is to improve
performance without being heard, a device to make everything easier, or just
an upgrade to squeeze the very last bit of tone goodness from the rig, these
enhancers have earned our admiration.
Lehle Sunday Driver One of the newest devices from Germany’s wizard of switchery, the Sunday Driver (Augus 2009) is a compact preamp that operates as either a buffer or a booster. Struck by the difference it made in the clarity and definition of his signal, reviewer Brian Barr had this to say: “At first, I couldn’t believe my ears, so I plugged my guitar directly into the amp. To my sur- prise, the notes just sounded dead by comparison with the
unmodified signal boost provided by the Sunday Driver.” Although he
lamented the lack of a footswitch to toggle between the two modes,
he had no problem with the lack of a bypass. After hearing what it can
do, he concluded, “there would be no reason to turn it off.”
Street $190
lehle.com Click here to read the full review
Lehle D.Loop SGoS A member of Burkhard Georg Lehle’s sec- ond generation of switchers (SGoS), the D.Loop (August 2009) impressed us with its ilent performance and supremel ease of use. Fully MIDI compatible and syncable with other Lehle switchers, the D.Loop also provides
In/Out and two separate Send/Returns, three separate,
fully programmable switches and a buffer with +12dB
of boost. Reviewer Brian Barr found it so versatile and
easy to program as to be “an indispensible switcher for
any guitarist’s pedalboard setup.”
Street $370
lehle.com
Click here to read the full review
www.premierguitar.com
Floyd Upgrade “Big Block” Floyd Rose Tremolo
Noting the resurgence of the hot-rod guitar, and with it the Floyd Rose tremolo system’s return to popularity, we took a look at Adam Reiver’s Floyd-enhancing “Big
Block” (February 2009), a 42mm tremolo sustain block made of high-grade bell brass.
Calling it the “best upgrade you can add to a Floyd-equipped guitar,” reviewer Gerry
Ganaden found it installed without great difficulty and required only a few minor
adjustments—and the results were impressive: greater volume and more pronounced
sustain and resonance, as well as a more articulate, less trebly tone. Those results
made it an easy-to-recommend enhancement for anyone looking to get more out of a
Floyd-equipped hot rod.
Street $32.95 (and up)
floydupgrades.com
Click here to read the full review
PREMIER GUITAR DECEMBER 2009 119
