Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
UK EditionUK US EditionUS AU EditionAustralia SG EditionSingapore
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
Don't miss these
Danelectro Dan O Cool 12 String
Electric Guitars "Danelectro’s finishing falls noticeably short of what the market now expects at this level": Danelectro Dan O. Cool 12 String review
Guitar maintenance
Guitars "There isn't one correct answer": 6 things you need you need know about how to clean and condition your guitar fretboard
Blackstar Airwire i58
Guitar Accessories & Components “It’s easy to use, packs a tiny footprint and looks to counter two of the biggest drawbacks of going sans cable”: Blackstar AirWire i58 review
A Warm Audio Tube Squealer guitar pedal on a wooden floor with guitar cables in the background
Guitars Calling all guitarists! Guitar Center's legendary Guitar-A-Thon sale has finally dropped including up to $700 off a Gibson - here's 9 of the best deals selected by an expert
Deals of the week logo
Tech MusicRadar deals of the week: We've found $200 off Fender, $160 off Epiphone, plus hundreds off keyboards and studio gear
A PRS McCarty 594 on a hard case
Electric Guitars Best electric guitars 2026: Our pick of guitars to suit all budgets
Neural DSP Quad Cortex
Guitar Pedals Best multi-effects pedals 2026: Our pick of the best all-in-one guitar FX modellers
Close up of a Taylor GS Mini acoustic guitar lying on a wooden floor
Acoustic Guitars Best acoustic guitars 2026: Super steel string acoustics for all players and budgets
Line 6 Helix Stadium XL
Guitar Pedals "The tones may not quite be best of the lot, but it's comfortably the easiest and most enjoyable modeller to use": Line 6 Helix Stadium XL review
A Spark Link receiver in a Spark Mini practice amp
Guitars Best guitar wireless systems 2026: Cut the cord and liberate your playing today
timbre wolf
Tech "Boy, do people hate it": 10 of the most divisive products in music tech history, from iLok to the Akai Timbre Wolf
Man presses acoustic bridge pin into an acoustic guitar
Guitar Strings Best acoustic guitar strings 2026: Find your favourite acoustic strings
Taylor Academy 10E
Acoustic Guitars Best acoustic guitar for beginners: Strum your first chords with our choice of beginner acoustic guitars
Headphones next to electric guitar
Headphones Best guitar amp headphones 2026: My top picks for practicing your guitar quietly
Electro-Harmonix Neo Clone pedal on a wooden floor
Guitar Pedals Best chorus pedals 2026: Our pick of the top chorus pedals
More
  • Jimmy Douglass speaks
  • Ultravox's Vienna
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • Elektron Tonverk Review
  1. Guitars

New guitar gear of the month: review round-up (January 2018)

News
By Guitars published 2 January 2018

Guitar goodies galore

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

SamSystems IM12

SamSystems IM12

If the January blues have kicked in already, why not see them off by gazing upon a bounty of beautiful guitar gear?

That is exactly what we reviewed throughout December, bringing you our verdicts on the finest new guitar products. Here, we take a digested look at everything that was appraised last month, kicking off with the SamSystems IM12.

MusicRadar's verdict:

“Check it out now and hear your on-stage sound improve.”

FULL REVIEW: SamSystems IM12

4.5 out of 5 

(Originally reviewed in Guitarist)

Page 1 of 13
Page 1 of 13
Vigier Expert Classic Rock 

Vigier Expert Classic Rock 

MusicRadar's verdict:

“A superbly made and conceived modern bolt-on.”

FULL REVIEW: Vigier Expert Classic Rock 

4.5 out of 5 

(Originally reviewed in Guitarist)

Page 2 of 13
Page 2 of 13
Fender EOB Sustainer Stratocaster

Fender EOB Sustainer Stratocaster

MusicRadar's verdict:

“A brilliantly realised take on the Strat whose appeal reaches far further than just Radiohead fans.”

FULL REVIEW: Fender EOB Sustainer Stratocaster

5 out of 5 

(Originally reviewed in Total Guitar)

Page 3 of 13
Page 3 of 13
Yamaha A5R ARE

Yamaha A5R ARE

MusicRadar's verdict:

“A great-looking cutaway dread’ with plenty to offer.”

FULL REVIEW: Yamaha A5R ARE

4.5 out of 5 

(Originally reviewed in Guitarist)

Page 4 of 13
Page 4 of 13
Eastman SB 59/v

Eastman SB 59/v

MusicRadar's verdict:

“A seriously good single-cut.”

FULL REVIEW: Eastman SB 59/v

4 out of 5 

(Originally reviewed in Guitarist)

Page 5 of 13
Page 5 of 13
Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster 

Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster 

MusicRadar's verdict:

“All in all, this is a collaboration that’s really worked, and you can’t say fairer than that.”

FULL REVIEW: Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster 

4.5 out of 5 

(Originally reviewed in Guitarist)

Page 6 of 13
Page 6 of 13
Orange Getaway Driver

Orange Getaway Driver

MusicRadar's verdict:

“Whether you favour a touch of breakup or a harmonically dense wall of sound, this pedal can get you there.”

FULL REVIEW: Orange Getaway Driver

5 out of 5 

(Originally reviewed in Total Guitar)

Page 7 of 13
Page 7 of 13
Epiphone Ltd Ed Lee Malia Explorer Custom Artisan 

Epiphone Ltd Ed Lee Malia Explorer Custom Artisan 

MusicRadar's verdict:

“If the look appeals, you may well be surprised at where this guitar takes you - so much so we’d really like to see this pickup configuration on even more guitars.”

FULL REVIEW: Epiphone Ltd Ed Lee Malia Explorer Custom Artisan 

4 out of 5 

(Originally reviewed in Total Guitar)

Page 8 of 13
Page 8 of 13
Chapman ML2 Modern Standard

Chapman ML2 Modern Standard

MusicRadar's verdict:

“The mid-price market is a real street fight but the ML2 Modern more than punches above its weight.”

FULL REVIEW: Chapman ML2 Modern Standard

5 out of 5 

(Originally reviewed in Total Guitar)

Page 9 of 13
Page 9 of 13
Jackson X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDXQ 

Jackson X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDXQ 

MusicRadar's verdict:

“A very special signature model indeed.”

FULL REVIEW: Jackson X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDXQ 

5 out of 5 

(Originally reviewed in Total Guitar)

Page 10 of 13
Page 10 of 13
Guild M-240E Troubadour

Guild M-240E Troubadour

MusicRadar's verdict:

“A solid choice for those on a budget.”

FULL REVIEW: Guild M-240E Troubadour

4 out of 5 

(Originally reviewed in Total Guitar)

Page 11 of 13
Page 11 of 13
Maxon AF-9 Auto Filter

Maxon AF-9 Auto Filter

MusicRadar's verdict:

“An excellent pedal.”

FULL REVIEW: Maxon AF-9 Auto Filter

5 out of 5 

(Originally reviewed in Total Guitar)

Page 12 of 13
Page 12 of 13
Electro-Harmonix Blurst

Electro-Harmonix Blurst

MusicRadar's verdict:

“A great pedal blessed with a vast array of options.”

FULL REVIEW:  Electro-Harmonix Blurst

4 out of 5 

(Originally reviewed in Total Guitar)

Page 13 of 13
Page 13 of 13
Guitars
Read more
All the best guitar gear from this year's NAMM Show
Guitars The best new guitar gear of NAMM 2026: More effects, more amps, more guitars and more tech than ever
 
 
MusicRadar author Matt McCracken plays a Manson 007 electric guitar at The Guitar Show in Birmingham, UK
Guitars Here's 7 of the hottest guitar gear releases I tried at The Guitar Show this weekend that are available to buy right now
 
 
A PRS McCarty 594 on a hard case
Electric Guitars Best electric guitars 2026: Our pick of guitars to suit all budgets
 
 
Close up of LR Baggs acoustic guitar pickup
Guitar Pickups Best acoustic guitar pickups 2025: electrify your acoustic for stage, studio and sound fx – our top picks for all budgets
 
 
Deals of the week logo
Tech MusicRadar deals of the week: Score hundreds off PRS, Bose, and Moog - and grab a new guitar pedal for less than £10!
 
 
NAMM 2026
Tech NAMM 2026: rolling news from the world's biggest music-making gear show
 
 
Latest in Guitars
Gretsch G6136TG-58 Limited Edition 1958 Custom Falcon and G6134TG-58 Limited Edition 1958 Custom Penguin with Bigsby, photographed on a green leather couch,
Guitars Gretsch's exquisite, limited run Penguin and Falcon are a pair of fine-feathered guitars to crow about
 
 
Epiphone Futura Series
Guitars Epiphone’s Futura Series reimagines Gibson classics with Chromashift finishes, ProBucker Ignite 'buckers and stainless steel frets
 
 
Allan Holdsworth plays his headless guitar live onstage in 2007
Artists How Allan Holdsworth blew Eddie Van Halen's mind and took guitar to a higher plane
 
 
The Fender Vintera III series offers period correct specs and promises golden era tones — and here five from the range are lined up in formation.
Guitars “We set out to capture the defining moments that shaped Fender’s legacy”: Fender unveils the Vintera III series
 
 
Lyndon Laney photographed at the Laney factory in 2007, and on the left two of his company's most-famous amp designs.
Guitars UK amp pioneer Lyndon Laney has died, aged 77
 
 
Deals of the week logo
Tech MusicRadar deals of the week: We've found $200 off Fender, $160 off Epiphone, plus hundreds off keyboards and studio gear
 
 
Latest in News
Gretsch G6136TG-58 Limited Edition 1958 Custom Falcon and G6134TG-58 Limited Edition 1958 Custom Penguin with Bigsby, photographed on a green leather couch,
Guitars Gretsch's exquisite, limited run Penguin and Falcon are a pair of fine-feathered guitars to crow about
 
 
Epiphone Futura Series
Guitars Epiphone’s Futura Series reimagines Gibson classics with Chromashift finishes, ProBucker Ignite 'buckers and stainless steel frets
 
 
Dua Lipa and Britney Spears
Artists Dua Lipa’s favourite Britney Spears song was a massive hit, but the writing process was "torture"
 
 
UA
Tech Universal Audio is giving away eight of its most popular plugins for free in the UAD Explore FREE bundle
 
 
The Fender Vintera III series offers period correct specs and promises golden era tones — and here five from the range are lined up in formation.
Guitars “We set out to capture the defining moments that shaped Fender’s legacy”: Fender unveils the Vintera III series
 
 
Bruce Hornsby and Justin Vernon
Artists "I started getting all these Google alerts": Bruce Hornsby on how he first heard about Bon Iver
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...