Eastwood Staff Gear of the Year 2022

    Here at Eastwood we're all about guitars - we're fans, musicians and collectors, just like you. So it's time to meet some of our team and find out what gear rocked our world in 2022!

    Mike L. (Bronco)

    Favourite Gear of the Year: Valco Five-O

    "This year Eastwood released several effect pedal offerings, but the Valco Five-O is hands down my favorite. Upon first run through it's easy to dial in rockabilly and surf sounds reminiscent of Rev Horton Heat, Dick Dale or Link Wray.
    After further exploration it's clear that this pedal can lead a player down many creative rabbit holes, from spooky soundscapes to droned out psychedelia.
    The pedal has an intuitive layout and is easy to navigate. The Reverb, Tremolo, and Drive can be turned on and off independent of each other or used all at once. The Reverb and Tremolo options are vast thanks to "pre" button and wave shape options. While the Drive is not what anybody would use for their heavy metal band it's the perfect amount of grit on tap to pair with the lush Reverb and Tremolo offered here."

    - Bronco, Guitar Technician and Customer Service

    Carl C.

    Favourite Gear of the Year: Valco KGB Dist

    "After using the Coronavirus lockdown as an opportunity to learn about synthesizers/synthesis and samplers, the Valco KGB Dist has become my go to tool for all distortion duties.
    I’ve been using it on guitar, bass, synths, drums, vocals, mix buss/sends, pretty much anywhere as it works everywhere. It’s got me at the point where I feel I could sell ALL of my other distortion pedals now."
    -Carl, Product Designer

    Chris M.

    Favourite Gear of the Year: Airline Vanguard

    "We released so much stellar gear this year, so it’s hard to narrow down my fave to just one but I’m going with the Airline Vanguard as my choice for Gear of the Year. It’s got the vintage looks I love, with the Valco Single Coils and that body shape. 
    At first glance, you might think it's going to just be a basic guitar because of the original it’s modeled on, but it’s not to be underestimated by any means."
     
    - Chris, Marketing and Content Manager

    Matt N.

    Favourite Gear of the Year: Warren Ellis Ten Tenor

    "For me, the Gear of the Year is the Warren Ellis Ten Tenor. Its high end build quality and no nonsense electronics make it a joy to just concentrate on playing without any distractions."

    - Matt, Logistics Manager

    DEMO TEN TENOR ON SALE HERE

    Michael R.

    Favourite Gear of the Year: Eastwood "Sharkbite" Fyrbyrd

     

    "My fave guitar in 2022 was by far the Eastwood "Sharkbite" Fyrbyrd.
    This one has been on my to-do list for almost 20 years. It's risky to commit to making a tribute to such an obscure guitar as the Fyrbyrd - especially one from Australia that never really caught on outside that country. That's why it sat on the bench for 20 years.
    Fortunately we've been able to "crowd source" models such as this one through our Custom Projects Page, and thanks to our customers, they helped us bring it back to life!"

    - Michael, Owner

    DEMO FYRBYRD ON SALE HERE

    Patrick S.

    Favourite Gear of the Year: Eastwood BB-05 Mag Delay

    "I use a lot of delay for sustain on my instruments, mainly electric banjo, so the BB-05 MAG DELAY comes in clutch to give me a sustain and change in timbre.
    Paired with the Octave Mando these are my favorite instrument and pedal combo of the year.
    The amount of twang and jangle mixed with the sustain gives me a universe of tone to sculpt."

    - Patrick, Chicago Warehouse Manager

    DEMO MAG DELAY ON SALE HERE

    Vincent S.

    Favourite Gear of the Year: Sidejack Baritone 20th LTD

    "OK, technically this is not a new model, and maybe I’m just biased because the Sidejack has been such a staple in our core lineup for so many years… but I’ve got to go with the Sidejack Baritone 20th LTD.
    I’m still undecided as to whether or not I like the Metallic Gold or the Metallic Emerald best, but all of the new finish options on this guitar turned out great!
    As with all of the Sidejack Baritones we’ve done over the years, this guitar fits like a glove and rings like a bell.”

    - Vincent, E-Commerce Manager

    Wes S.

    Favourite Gear of the Year: Rivolta Combinata XVIII

    "My gear of the year is the Rivolta Combinata XVIII. I've always been a huge fan of the Combinata XVII from a playability standpoint and also the sound of the Novanta P90. I also love the versatility of the Mondata VIII switching system, so bringing the 3 pickups and switching into the Combinata model makes it a completely different animal to play."

    - Wes, Rivolta Business Development Manager

    SHOP DEMO RIVOLTA MODELS HERE

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