hey guys this is Hunter welcome back to another video it's that time of year again it's time to rank the best and the worst guitars and guitar gear of the year it's the 2023 AG Awards let's take a closer look now just a couple of quick disclaimers before we get into it I'm not Sweetwater I'm not toen I don't have unlimited access to all the gear release this year I'm just a dude in the spare room doing my best so I didn't get to cover everything that I wanted to or everything that you guys requested in dedicated videos this year and usually I only pick winners from gear I actually made full demos on but I'll pick winners from what I actually got to lay my own hands on in person all that said we still talked about a lot of gear but think of this as a small dissection in The Wider gear sausage of 2023 not in love with that analogy but for lack of a better option we'll roll with it for now smack a like on the video If you going to enjoy it that actually massively helps appease the insatiable Beast that is the YouTube algorithm and let's talk about the best gear of the Year first category up best looking guitar and man holy ESP absolutely killed it with my custom USA Eclipse we saw the gold splatter eclipse and it was like that's awesome but what about in purple and oh my God it turned out even better than I could have ever possibly imagined the concept seems sick the mock-ups looks cool but in real life it's just incredible it's Unique it's modern without being over the top the matching headstock the mother Pearl inlays the purple flame Maple binding bare knuckle even did sort of matching purple splatter pickups the whole thing is just gorgeous and I've never seen another guitar like it Kyle bull called it cheap motel room under black light and he's not exactly wrong but I'll still never forgive him for that why are you like this Kyle get out of my life but yeah most beautiful guitar of the Year for me not exactly fair cuz it's a custom one-off build so there are a lot of honorable mentions in this category first honorable mention PRS SC mccardy 594 single cut and this is another one I'll talk about a lot more later in the video but I am living for this new Direction PRS has taking the SE line bright colored tops natural backs matching headstocks so sick and this one especially it's a single cut obviously that's going to score points on this channel and there's something about blue pies guitars I'm telling you speaking of blue PRS guitars another honorable mention PRS dwc 24 love it when PRS goes metal satin flame colored black burst tops Maple fingerboard with blackbird inlays only thing that would make this even better is if it came in a hard tail variant which PRS actually dropped this year metal and classy as next honorable mention Heritage h150 custom core Artis in aged another one that I'll talk about more later in the video but for now look at that top man and the tasteful aging I say it so many times but I'll say it again louder for the people in the back there is a huge difference between ricking a guitar properly so it looks and more importantly feels like playing a vintage instrument and just straight up inflicting damage another honorable mention for Phil Soso charel if Tom Delong Strat dropped the happy pop punk disguise and fully embraced the brutes this would be pretty much the result sleek and modern with the anodise piit guard volume knob two time zones over with a little bit of traditional classiness with the toothpaste logo so sick and the last honorable mention Murphy lab 68 reissue I mean I had to Classic tuxedo look Tastefully aged with the Amber binding and headstock inlays five honorable mentions I can't help it man like what I love about guitars is while they're tools to create art in a lot of cases they're also works of art unto themselves and there's so much Variety in aesthetic whether it's modern or Timeless there's so much creativity at play and it can all be appealing and inspiring in different ways that's my guitar designer Ro talking we move best unique feature this is always one of the most difficult categories every year because with like the exception of bujor Goot yotan with the built-in bottle opener there really aren't any Quantum leaps in mainstream guitar Innovation but man on the PRS Miles Kennedy signature is a simple genius idea I can't believe is not more popular so it's got two many humbuckers tone pot is Push Pull so you'd assume that splits the pickups right well it's got a five-way blade switch that handles all the splits so what does the push pull do turns out Miles Kennedy likes to roll his tone knob back to a very specific amount and so rather than do that every time they've wired it up so you just pull up on the tone knob then you're at the exact sweet spot of the rolled back tone it's efficient you're not acting like a DJ trying to find it while while you're playing that is awesome I love little hidden features like this that have real world utility and help you get the most out of the guitar honorable mention ianz Prestige RGA 622 xh definitely read that off of script I did not remember that name but I remember the guitar though because that 27 fret fingerboard with the slanted neck single is wild not the first time this has been done I think Jackson was actually the first it's not even Ivan as a first shot at it with Jake Bowen's latest signature but this Prestige is the only current non-s signature production model with this uncommon feature and not really an honorable mention but I want to give a shout out to relish guitars who sadly recently closed their doors their high-end models were crazy outrageous 60 sci-fi inspired body shapes woven bamboo fingerboards with stainless steel Frets touchpad pickup toggle and the most touted feature you might know them by the magnetic hot swappable pickup system so you just swap out a paf for or a P90 on the Fly for example never got to try one in person but it's just always a shame to see a company that's doing things so differently to not succeed But ultimately relish will go down as like the modern day Parker guitars Colt Classics with unique features that one over a loyal fan base ultimately it just wasn't enough to convince the wider audience at those premium price points maybe they should have done bases sad to see them go and I hope everyone affected lands on their feet next category biggest bust and this year as with every year with this category name I will ask you to be sure in the comments but this is the unenviable distinction of a guitar that just didn't live up to the hype this category gets more and more difficult every year because with modern manufacturing and CNC there are very few truly bad guitars at least from the big reputable brands with mass production things can always slip through the cracks but by and large as long as you stay away from the super cheap stuff on wish.com or AliExpress and now Teemu you should be okay but this year I've gone with epone greeny now this is not a dig at epone quality except for some the messages you guys have sent me they can be hit or miss lately unless you get them from Sweetwater who get to pick the cream of the crop you can bookmark my affiliate Link in the description if you want to take advantage of that I don't want this to put anyone off giving epone shot because they have been making some excellent guitars as well but since Kirk became a Gibson Ambassador there's been this huge greeny push with good reason I mean it's a legendary instrument going through the hands of Peter Green Gary Moore and now Kirk Hammond is playing it on stages across the world there are very few guitars that have that kind of legacy but so Gibson did the $50,000 historically accurate version they came with a special date with Kirk himself the $20,000 Murphy lab model the 3200 Gibson USA model the hype was at an all-time high you had a bunch of people waiting for the affordable epone version it finally dropped and $1,500 not exactly affordable In fairness it's got unique features for epone like the one piece neck mother of pearl inlays Gibson style open book headstock and Gibson USA greeny buckers now I don't really care what's on the head stock if it's a great guitar that's worth 1,500 and I want it and I can afford it I'll pay 1,00 just personally I don't really see how this is 500 to 750 more depending on the retailer than the epone 1959 Les Paul Standard that also comes with the vintage style hard case and gives in USA burst buckers still one of my top recommendations for a value level 50s Les Paul by the way but it makes me sad for the kids who are waiting for this because epone is supposed to be the accessible brand the players brand I love epone grew up playing epone this channel was basically built on epone and LTD demos I'll always be a fan and I get it inflation sucks everything's more expensive but even ignoring all the other brands just relative to epiphone's own standard offerings some of the artist model pricing seems a little whack and greeny is the latest and most blatant example honorable or I guess dishonorable mention goes to the fender Tom dong Strater now to be clear I love the one I have now it was a replacement for the first one I got where the bridge was so misaligned Fender customer service replaced it without question but a couple couple of friends who also bought it at launch have returned theirs for various other QC issues and you guys have been sending me pictures of yours with questionable quality control as well it seems for at least that first run Fender kind of rushed these out the door for how much they cost and how hyped a generation of pop punk kids was for this release that was pretty disappointing to see credit where credit is due though things seem to have been resolved now but that doesn't make that initial launch any less disappointing and this was a personal disappointment for me Mark hul's updated SE signature it's such a nice guitar the new Seymour Duncan Alpha Mega set sounds great I just can't get over the 20-in fingerboard radius and I'm mad at myself about it it's just so flat dude I can't now best amp and man the tube shortage has gotten better so I do fully into the amp world this year and the best amp I tried in 2023 is the angle Founders edition special edition no special edition Founders Edition I was that up everyone thinks by how they look angles are super modern chug machines and that's it but the special edition is so much more obviously it makes big mean loud Boutique heavy noises it has more gain than you could ever possibly need for leads but it's also got a super pristine clean Channel a lively crunch Channel and it even has a secret hidden fifth tube driver channel for those old school low gain tones [Music] then add in a bunch of high-end features like 3 effect Loop built-in Noise Gate power tube Monitor full midi control there a lot of super high-end does everything flagships these days but not with all the aggression precision and character that angle brings to the table amazing amp the PRS mt100 gets an honorable mention I've been so stoked for this amp since Mar Jam mon started teasing it like 5 years ago huge rectify fire style High Gain mixed with a kind of Bogner mid-range Twin Reverb is clean and then a crunch Channel modeled after a dumble basically nothing in terms of technological features to inflate the price it's refreshingly old school and its approach super simple and all about the [Music] tones another honorable mention for the Marshall Silver Jubilee it's crazy I'd never played one but I've always wanted to try it and it's super soon as I plugged in it was the exact Marshall tone I've been hearing in my [Music] head it's not super high gain it's Rich juicy rock and roll the reissue came out a few years ago but still wanted to give a shout out because it was a lot of fun making that video and the last honorable mention goes to the Hughes and ker triamp Mark 2 now this was an amp that launched in 2006 it was Hugh and Ker's 3,000 Flagship handbuilt in Germany and the reason we're talking about it in 2023 is the price for these things has absolutely crashed on the used Market you can grab them easily for under a grand six channels covering everything from Fender cleans to rectifier is High Gain combined with a pissed-off modded Marshall all infused with that signature Hughes and ketner High Fidelity quality that just cuts through in [Music] ax [Music] a couple of the technological features are a little outdated like what is this VGA cable for the foot switch but tone wise this is one of the this is seriously one of the best values in tube tone on the secondhand market today and then best plugin obviously I love my tubeamps but plugins get more and more impressive every year there's so many new plugins dropping all the time and the technology has gotten so good it's super hard to keep up with everything but I've gone with the bogran digital amp knob bdh amp bundle three flavors of 5150 and the greatest thing about these plugins it's one knob no option paralysis like you literally cannot this up instant tone makes it super easy to focus in on your creative process and then mess with tones later if [Music] needed I love how it's gotten to the point where there's so little barrier to entry between your fingers and solid tone for riffing out or for writing demos getting straight to improving or to the creative part that's amazing honorable mention neural DSP Mesa Mark 2C plus Suite had to mention neural DSP for me the feel of their plugins is still the best Metallica is my favorite band of all time so when neural DSP dropped the Mesa Boogie Mark 2 C+ plugin that was obviously going to be a plug-in highlight of the year for me not my favorite sounding tone but the mark 2C plus is a huge cult following and as a fan of anything and everything even remotely Metallica related had to include that as an honorable mention quick aside I did a short comparing the neural DSP archetype Ria plug-in to the victory super Kraken it's kind of modeled on and the sentiment was basically that the amp is more meaty in the low end the plug-in is EQ to be more mix ready out of the box but they both sound very good recorded not one significantly better than the other really especially in a mix context just different at least when compressed over social media it's a completely different story in the room but we move point is the future of the world of digital tone is very exciting then most surprising and just like last year I'm going to have to give this to a Jackson the American series virtuoso I really liked last year's American series soloist much to my surprise as well because I've never been into Jackson like that but a satin shell pink shred machine with a roasted Maple neck and I love the stre ebony fingerboard like I love how each one has its own unique character [Music] the overall quality the compound fingerboard radius and massive Frets but especially the snappiness of the neck I really really like this one it's one of my favorite guitars this year and as an obsessive Les Paul freak I never in a million years expected to say that about a Jackson ever I didn't even like the one Monarch I tried and somehow here we are with the virtuo so yes I'm a Jackson guy now definitely most surprising guitar of the Year for me and then honorable mention goes to the dangelico deluxe Atlantic baritone it was a huge surprise that dangelico even made a 26.75 in scale length baritone guitar first dangelico I've demoed on the channel and whatever I thought about dangelico before it was not this it looks like a super old school classy I don't know country guitar Big Art Deco inspired Vibes but then the first sign something thing was up was that it had locking tuners and then the set through neck with the satin finish very very similar in feel to esp's thin U so it looks super old school but it feels like playing a modern guitar and it's so frustrating that so often only the quote unquote metal guitars get the modern features and while this can do metal very well with the Seymour Duncan that probably wasn't its original intended audience there's Seymour Dunkin Seth Lovers by the way so definitely [Music] not [Music] it's just great to see when classic guitars get that modern upgrade and a second honorable mention for Fender's tone Master Pro it was pretty funny when this was announced because most of my guitar player friends are also metalheads and the general reaction was what business does Fender have making a high-end modeler it's like guys you realize Fender makes a ton of amps and they have forever right and they also make evh the 5153 and they were like oh wait never mind that actually makes a ton of sense the high-end modeler space already had some solid established players line six Helix fractal audio ax effects headrush they're also solid newcomers like ik multimedia's tone X pedal so there's a lot of competition and I got to be honest man as a metal player after hearing some of Fender's other High Gain demos I was kind of skeptical of what Fender could pull out of the bag especially at that premium price point even if it did have the first officially licensed evh 5153 stealth model but nah worry not it chug obviously it does all the super clean stuff really well playing with all the effects using the touchcreen is super fun but on this channel if it doesn't chug we don't want it and I was really pleasantly surprised that it makes a proper metal sound and not just what people who don't listen to metal think metal sounds like does that make sense solid first entry to the world of high-end modelers with hundreds of built-in amps effects and IRS it's got all the key ingredients for a good time can't wait to see how Fender takes his platform forward up next is best budget guitar but before that speaking of all the key ingredients of a good time today's sponsor one shot nailed that Segway so one shot is revolutionizing the world of health and sustainable energy through their supplement infused candies and they're not just a sponsor I'm pretty sensitive to caffeine so their caffeine-free Focus Shoes have been amazing to stay on track full of vitamins like b6 and b12 and fortified with zinc for a natural energy burst plus nutritional benefits and immune system support when you need that extra kick to get stuff done one shot's energy chws have 7 5 Mig of pure caffeine and additional neutop love how quick it is to just pop one get energized then get back to work and unlike an energy drink one shot never uses artificial sweeteners or fillers no excess Crap Just Energy and focus and they're actually really tasty blue raspberry is the superior flavor just saying but when is it not Matt ha of Trivium introduced me to one shot and together they've just developed new voice drops for musicians streamers anyone who needs to protect their voice it coats your mouth and throat with a soothing and cooling yudu lemon flavor it's awesome Shani says my serial killer trait is how many cough drops I go through recording videos sometimes just so I don't lose my voice rude we move but as a content creator The Voice drops are a godsend and if you get in on the pre-order using the link in the description you'll snag a 20% discount to celebrate one shot coming on as a channel partner for the next week only they're offering you guys an additional 30% off across the site using my code aguish discount stack so if you're a vocalist or you're getting into streaming or content creation I cannot recommend them enough especially at 50% % off again Link in the description use code agif fish for your special discount and of course clicking the link helps support the channel by letting them know that I sent you and while you're checking that out let's get back into guitars best budget guitar prices are kind of whack this year and they're still settling but I'm going with anything let's say 450 and below and Harley Benton continues their streak for the third fourth year running since I started doing the annual Roundup this year they celebrated their 25th Anniversary full disclosure I have a limited Consulting role with them and honestly even I didn't know they'd been around around that long either until they're like hey we're dropping the 25th anniversary models never been a huge fan of gold guitars but man satin gold tops they actually look pretty fresh especially the anniversary fusions and for the price they represent everything that won me over to Harley Benton stainless steel Frets glow-in-the-dark side dots Wilkinson Hardware roasted flame Maple necks and fingerboards limited edition with extra goodies so a little pricier than the standard edition but still for 400 new in this generally inflated guitar Market they continue to put pressure on the industry with quality and high-end features in the accessible space honorable mention buya and Zi lizard [Music] 6 I've been really curious about all these new super affordable Brands popping up on Amazon claiming high-end features like stainless steel Frets are they legit are they scams stainless steel Frets are great as as long as you don't have to fix them right out of the box then the extra durability can be a real pain in the ass but actually for less than $400 for a multiscale headless with stainless steel Frets an ebony fingerboard and an exotic top veneer not mind-blowing but impressively solid for the money was never going to be my favorite guitar personally I just don't with puzzle piece guitars but this could be a brand to watch out for in the future last honorable mention in this category I'm giving to the Squire paranormal Esquire love a good single pickup hard tail mod project PL platform and I'm a huge sun41 fan so I appreciate the big Derek wibbly Vibes love how simple it is and then the three-way rotary switch to split the pickup or activate the tone bypass such a solid mod project candidate Squire's been doing really cool things lately with the Paranormal series mixing and matching different iconic parts to create new and interesting things at the budget level and this is by far one of the best results Fender are currently running these 30% off too for the limited edition blue sparkle version even stronger case for one of the best budget guitars of of the year at that price then best value Level Guitar again prices are wonky this year so I'm going 450 to 1,000 and for the third year running I'm giving this to a PRS SE and you probably guessed it by how much I gushed about it in the review the SE mcari 594 single [Music] [Music] cut the original mcari is named after Ted mccardy former Gibson president during their quot quote Golden Era he was a mentor to Mr Paul Reed Smith and the model was designed with the intention of capturing the magic of those Golden Era L Pauls we've been waiting so long for PRS to add this to the import SE lineup and they nailed it it's got that traditional 50s L Paul Vibe but modernized for today's players with the nickel Hardware the brass Parts coil splits the super saturated eye-catching tops then it's got that little PRS twist with the bird inlays the 10-in fretboard radius and they're starting to come with these really nicely World fingerboard edges legitimately this is my favorite SE PRS have ever dropped and I might be biased because I love a single cut and I love a blue PRS but man for under a grand it looks great the quality is crazy and if you're lucky you can still catch the end of year 20% off sale PRS are doing on pretty much every ESS Paul Reed Smith the man is like your crazy guitar obsessed mad scientist uncle and I mean that in the most endearing of ways it's why PRS guitars have evolved so much from 1985 to now relative to the other big American brands evolution is part of their Heritage and the SC line has improved so much the last couple of years they're adding formerly Us exclusive models too it's a really exciting trajectory to watch and I'm going to give an honorable mention in this category to the Sterling by musicman sr50 the mid level is where Sterling really shines in my opinion especially when it comes to the models with the chunky roasted Maple necks like the sr50 it's not exactly the same hand rubbed Gunstock oil finished asymmetric neck as you'd find on the USA Music Man models but it's pretty close closer than anything else you'll find in this price range super satisfying and a unique feel that sets these Sterlings apart from anything else in the value buy category this year now into the more important category this being the Cults of single cut Channel we have best traditional single cut and best modern single cut listen single Cuts I have strong opinions on them those will be separate categories then after that best artist model and best overall guitar in 2023 okay first single cut category best modern single cut and there was really only one choice here and I'm so sad I haven't had time to put together a full demo for it yet but it's my ESP USA eclipse what a work of art man it doesn't just look incredible again shout out to the ESP team for making this insane idea come to life but oh my God is it a [Music] player what the it's effortless dude it's effortless I lik in the quality to that of my Gibson Murphy lab custom which is priced a couple Grand more but while I'm almost scared to play the Murphy lab because it's kind of a collectible the eclipse feels like a super high-end players guitar that's the best way I can describe it it wants to be played and then the finger board the fretwork the feel of the neck the custom bare Knuckles the purple stain flade mle binding just literally from a quality perspective from a visual perspective from a field perspective they've nailed all the details In fairness you'd expect that for how much it cost but yeah dream tier guitar first honorable mention staying in the ESP family it's an update to my favorite LTD of all time Bill Ker's bk600 it's still got that amazing ESP thinu neck the Big Railroad Track Frets on an ebony fingerboard 12-in radius like on the Japanese made e2s and your classic Les Pauls but now it comes in vintage silver burst with his new signature Mojo te Hellbenders it's like a modded 70s L Paul Custom and it represents everything ESP and LTD do best modernized takes on the classic shapes that combine modern specs and playability while still retaining that traditional flare even more so than the original I love it and the last honorable mention I've gone with the Harley Benton 25th anniversary single cut wasn't really sure whether this was Modern or traditional but with a roasted flame Maple neck locking tuners glow-in-the-dark side dots jumbo stainless steel Frets and a d-profile neck that pushed it over into the modern category actually did it have glow-in-the-dark side dots I can't remember but everything else definitely a modern guitar for less than 300 bucks the specs and quality are killer and it comes in Lefty by the way we're perfectionists but look out for another another modern Harley Benton single cut next year hopefully best traditional single cut Easy Choice Heritage h150 custom core Artisan [Music] [Music] age my god dude Heritage guitars are actually made at the legendary kalamazo facility where all the golden year 50s Gibsons were made and in fact Heritage was started by former Gibson employees and they still use a lot of that original Machinery hence the name and this one's been Artisan aged a process Edwin Wilson helped design he and Tom Murphy were the first two guys at the Gibson Custom Shop Edwin Wilson sadly passed away this year but his legacy remains strong across the industry and through incredible guitars like this I already thought the Heritage h150 standard was an incredible instrument the h150 custom core is a genuine feat of guitar crafting the Wood Choice look at that supremely figured top the way it's been aged where it's got a super thin warn finish and highly rolled edges that's the reason I personally love properly aged guitars they feel broken in and played quicker and more comfortably than a brand new high gloss guitar relics guitars are controversial and from an Aesthetics perspective I totally get it but for me man it's the way they feel and this is the closest I found to feeling like my real super beat up resta moded 70s Les Pauls it's just one the most satisfying guitars I've ever played just like with the Gibson Murphy lab this is definitely the opposite of a budget instrument but from my limited experience same quality level and a couple grand less so at least when you're looking at that specific super premium traditionally inspired segment of the market it could be argued that these Heritage custom cores should cost more than what they do for the quality I said could be argued they are still very expensive now the heritage is a super pricey heirloom Level Guitar kind of not fair so the first honorable mention goes to a much more reasonably priced instrument the PRS SE mccardy 594 think of it as the winner If This Were capped at a price of 1,000 bucks how much can I talk about this guitar though man it's so good looks great we covered that punches well above its weight in terms of quality and again it's like PRS have taken the vibe and feel of those traditional 50 single cuts and updated them in relevant ways for modern players and the last honorable mention in this category goes to the Gibson Custom Shop Murphy lab 68 reissue Les Paul Custom what a name this is another heirloom level guitar and any other year this would have easily taken the category like what a guitar the Finish checking the ambered head stock it's beautiful the Les paaul custom is timeless I've always loved the 68 reissues finally got one the Gibson custom shop and the Murphy lab have created a masterpiece now this is just personal preference it's on the same quality level but I don't play it as much as the Heritage totally my fault though I should have done my research gone with a heavier Relic to get that real played in feel this ultra light aging level is meant to mimic a decades old case Queen so it feels pretty much like a new guitar instead of one that's been played in makes total sense in hindsight I just didn't know how it would really feel until I got it in my hands take nothing away from the quality or the tone or the Artistry that went into aging it though holy I'm scared to play it a lot of the time because it's the most expensive instrument I've ever owned but it's easy to overcome that fear because it is damn inspiring to play then best signature guitar I'm giving this one to Sean Long's charel technically this launched last year but I only managed to demo it this year we [Music] move a lot of artist signatures go the root of ultra flashy really trying to stand out above the base models and sha Long's gone the complete opposite this is a super Street streamlined No Frills metal guitar dual EMG hard tail Strat that's it then a really simple high contrast color theme the only color comes from the exclusive yellow EMG 57 and the yellow charel logo that glows under black light there aren't even any inlays how often do you see that on a maple board that's so clean I love it Lumin lays to guide your way on your riffing Journey Fender Mexico has been killing it with these highly rolled edges super comfortable hot rodded riff machine love it speaking of going the ultra flashy route next honorable mention goes to Kirk hammet's khb dude I don't even like pointy guitars and this is one of the most pointy I've had on the channel to date but man the way they've done the finish with the solid black underneath and then the red metallic flakes for a high contrast amazing a viewer coined this demonic disco and honestly that Nails it perfectly EMG bone Breakers so it's metal and fun as at the same time which pretty accurately describes the metal ANS I've met in real life next honor will mention and this is a controversial one Fender Tom Delong Stratocaster but Tom dong can't play anything but power cords yeah and he plays the out of them shut the fck up I've wanted one of these since I was like 14 even in China there was no escaping Blink 182 and their dick jokes Tom dong was a big reason a lot of us even picked up and started learning the guitar through blink182 tabs as I mentioned first one I got Bridge alignment was pretty whack got it replaced second one amazing single volume knob seamour Duncan invader hard tail Bridge with smooth modern Saddles slab Rosewood fingerboard this thing is a pastel disguised chug machine the thing is pretty pricey for the specs but it's my childhood man I can't help but love it and if that was controversial this is going to divide opinions even more for sure but the last honorable mention is Tim Henson's ianz to 10n a nylon acoustic that plays like an electric not a completely original concept but certainly one of the most memorable with the tree of death inlay there's a reason this has been backordered pretty pretty much since launch this is one of Ian's best selling guitars of the year so is his other signature by the way the tree of death inlay and the ebony board looks even cooler main point regardless of your opinion on Tim Hansen or pfia if you don't recognize their influence or their money printing potential you just aren't paying attention next is most fun and as someone who just has fun playing guitars this is always a tough call but the one that stood out to me the most this year was the danelo deluxe Atlantic baritone baritone caveman chug Rifts are always a blast and doing it on a guitar that looks like this it's like I don't know chugging PBR out of a Fancy TE set stupid why would anyone do that completely inappropriate but it's fun as hell honorable mention is the evh 5150 standard guitar I know it's confusing evh 5150 could refer to the amp the album the studio the pedal but in this case we're talking about a bright neon green guitar with a Floyd a Duna and a big old red arcade button kill [Music] switch I dare you to play this without a giant smile on your face it's impossible and now finally best overall the best overall guitar I the absolute honor of trying this year was the ESP USA Eclipse you're probably sick of it and sick of hearing me gush about it but I honestly don't care because it absolutely deserves it and I know it's not fair because it's a super expensive one in the world and we just talked about it it's the dangelico [Music] bariton I was so impressed with how they managed to hide a super high quality modern guitar under an unassuming super old school veneer like look at this no one would suspect that this has a satin neck with a set through joint premium specs and the Seymour Duncan Seth lovers and Grover locking tuners and then all these fancy little appointments like the ebony control knobs the double bound ebony fingerboard with mother of pearl and Abalone split block inlays that level up the classiness past the normal we're used to seeing even for high-end import guitars super fun modern classic sleeper one of the most unique playing experiences I've had this year that caught me totally off guard and overall best new production guitar I played all year quite a few honorable mentions of course and somehow this is the first time I've mentioned this guitar all video but the shear California classic has to be talked about Shear now makes guitars out of Fuji gun in Japan they also make ianz Prestige this was the launch model and like I say a lot there's an obsession with perfection in Japanese guitar making culture consistently phenomenally built instruments just an all-around exceptional guitar that for some reason didn't fit into any of the other categories I'll have a demo out soon though because it's definitely one I want to talk more about in the future next honorable mention I have to talk just one more time about the PRS SE mcari 594 last time I [Music] swear I was just so blown away with across the board just how solid this was again I think prss line has been one of the most improved import Brands over the last few years and excited to see what we'll see from them next year and of course I have to give honorable mentions to both the Gibson Murphy lab 68 custom reissue and the Heritage h150 custom core Artisan [Music] aged both incredible heirloom quality instruments in the same general vein they're stratospherically pricey like in a completely different different category pricey but with good reason they're made by masters of The Craft so they were always going to get at least honorable mentions by default incredible incredible guitars that when I think back to the beginnings of the channel I cannot believe I got to try a guitar is that caliber this year and I think that's a good segue to the outro when I started channel was really more of like a I just wanted to find even one other person who was just as guitar and gear crazy to get super Nerdy with and now there are 170,000 of you and you've given me the opportunity to share videos and all this gear I never would have imagined having the honor of trying so all that to say I am super super thankful for all of you thank you for nerding out with me for watching for for educating I've learned so much from you guys apparently it's Ying ve mste not Ying way that's a Joan jet level plunder but we move again I'm going to blame that one I'm growing up in China but yeah nerding out about Gear with you guys that actually give a about nerding out about guitar gear is the greatest job in the world crazy sentence it's been a long Year love you all happy New Year and I will see you in 2024
