“Back in the heyday we had huge touring budgets and room for large travel rigs. Now you can store all your amps on a USB stick”: The greatest guitar gear of the 21st century (so far)

Composite of greatest gear of the 21st century, including gear from PRS, Ernie Ball and Positive Grid.

A lot can happen in 25 years. We’ve seen digital products go from strength to strength. At the turn of the millennium, such tools were probably best described as sufficient, while even analog purists would be forced to admit that the hardware and software of today is groundbreaking.

The general template for guitar building hasn’t changed too drastically, though there has been serious innovation in places, best evidenced by the 2019 arrival of Fender’s Acoustasonic line, which blurred the line between electric and acoustic instruments.