PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN HILL
As we dive headlong into our annual round-up of the very best gear to arrive at the Guitarist offices during the past year, I can’t help but remember what might be called the origins of our Gear Of The Year event. I first joined the magazine in the 1990s and back then amps, effects and guitars would arrive at our doors practically every day. On rare occasions, unboxing certain items would literally bring work to a standstill while we gathered around to look at the latest creation from one or other corner of the music manufacturing industry.
One such event was the arrival of an early Fender vintage reissue Strat from Japan. We had been expecting it, of course, but when we opened the case and saw its Sonic Blue finish, period-correct styling and build we were in awe. In fact, out of the five writers present that day, I remember clearly that four of us bought one practically on the spot. And that was far from being a one-off incident. The very early guitars from the workbench of Patrick Eggle came our way around the same time and I recall seeing the all-maple Big Jim Sullivan signature Eggle Berlin. It was love at first sight there, too. I ended up ordering a wine red Berlin around that time – and there were plenty of other occasions in those days when the family budget was stretched a bit if something took my fancy.