There have been many cool guitars, pedals and amps through Mass Street Music this year, but the following gear is the cream of the crop, what made us drool the most – our top Staff Picks for 2013!
Josh Baldridge – Tom Anderson Short Hollow T Electric Guitar
This tele style guitar is unbelievably comfortable, lightweight and resonant. The neck pickup works so well on its own, giving you a variety of tones, but I also love the way it blends with the standard bridge pickup on this. Anderson is not only a great guitar builder, but a master at pickups too.
Jim Baggett – Collings D1A VN Acoustic Guitar
I’m a huge fan of pre-war Martin D-18 guitars and Gibson J-35s and even though I’m thrilled with new Collings CJ35, the D1AVN acoustic has really captured my attention. I really believe the D1AVN is a vintage guitar in the making.
Eric Mardis – Grosh Blown ’59 Pickups
It’s no secret, I’m in love with these Grosh ’59 pickups. They helped breathe new life into my beloved Les Paul Custom which I’ve had for 20 years. Very versatile, but decidedly not for the faint of heart. Out of all the things I love gear wise this year, these pick-ups take the cake.
Eric Putnam – Cochrane Timmy Pedal
The Timmy definitely lives up to its reputation. It is very amp-like and maintains your amp’s tone. You can used it for a clean boost or as your primary drive. The Timmy is an extremely versatile and musical pedal and has kicked off two other overdrives off my board!
Ted Kritikos – Collings 290 DCS Electric Guitar
The bridge on this guitar is a work of art! Great tone, and perfect fit and finish. The 290 DCS is my favorite model of Collings electric – and my favorite guitar this year.
Mike Horan – Collings C10 Deep Body Acoustic Guitar
The C10 has a great sound that works well no matter what you play. This has nice bass and volume yet a focused and clear sound. Great guitar!
Matt Harmon – Xotic EP Booster Pedal
This is my go-to pedal for any customer that is looking for any type of boost. My favorite setting is with the dip switches set to Normal with the Gain knob turned down all the way – set this way, it hardly ever gets turned off.
Mike Runyon – Fishman Loudbox Mini Acoustic Amp
I love the big sound in the highly portable Fishman Loudbox Mini amp. It gives you fantastic acoustic reproduction and volume yet is so small. Very powerful.
Alek Nelson – Leo Posch OM-RW Acoustic Guitar
The Leo Posch OM-RW is an incredible guitar. I love smaller bodied guitars, and this one takes the cake. The neck is nice and fat, and fits the hand nicely. It is extremely responsive, both for fingerstyle as well as strumming. And the attention to detail is impressive, you can tell by looking at the construction and craftsmanship that a lot of time and care went into building this guitar.
Thomas Hamm – Collings Eastside LC Archtop Electric Guitar
Since joining the Mass St. Music team, I’ve had the opportunity to play on a lot of ridiculously amazing guitars, many of which stand apart from the rest, but, above all else, there’s one. For me, it’s been Collings’ Eastside LC Archtop guitar. My proclivity for archtops has grown more and more this past year and this beast, though primarily a jazzbox, can do so much. Every note and chord you play sounds fantastic – it’s constructed and set up so well. Sometimes you just want to play some J.J. Cale, other times, you want to croon some Conway Twitty or strum some folksy Brazzaville. Done. There’s nothing else you need aside from this guitar. A beautiful natural finish on an all-Maple body, along with a lone Lollar Imperial humbucker, perfectly express how stripped-down this guitar is, and how befitting it is for any tone you may want to conjure, at home or in the studio.
Anne Tangeman – Analog Outfitters Sarge Guitar Amp
I’m still astounded at how cool these guitar amps are. Amazing sound, incredibly portable and works well with so many cabs. It’s made in Chicago from recycled items like a Hammond transformer and old metal science boxes, and it gives you everything from clear tones to the grit I really go for. These are really unique and one of my favorites!
