However you play, there’s going to be a way to sound great that seems tailormade for you (and your pocket). Such is the breadth , utility and quality of the guitar gear scene in 2021, the real problem may be finding exactly what works best for you among the sprawling ranges of the giant US and Japanese gear makers – but also among the many small makers turning out brilliant guitars, amps and effects all over the world.
In the following pages, you might just find your answer. They contain 40 hand-picked favourites from what has been, despite the long shadow of Covid, a really interesting and, at times, revelatory year in gear reviews here at Guitarist. We’ve played electrics that were better than anything we’d yet encountered and delved deep into digital amps that fully blurred the line between analogue hardware and simulation. The best of every category of important gear – from affordable electrics to inspiring overdrives – has been set down here, in the hope that it might help you get more enjoyment from your music in the year ahead.