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Gigs & Guitars Top Gear of 2025 – The best 2025 guitar gear we tried this year!
Introduction
Another year has gone by and it is time for my top gear of the year! Out of everything I have reviewed, what has stood out the most? What gear stuck in my head? What gear do I keep on grabbing and using frequently? What was the best 2025 guitar gear I tried? I have put together a list of the top five things that stood out to me!
I have had a lot of gear this year to review! My busiest year to date with reviews and articles! So thank you all for watching and reading the reviews and articles! 2026 will be even better with even more content and projects! Because of this, narrowing it down was really hard! However, when I think back throughout the year and look back on all the reviews, these are the five things that stand out! So let us dive straight into the first top 2025 guitar gear!
Neural Nano Cortex
What a device! I will be honest, when the Neural Nano Cortex first came out I didn’t really understand it! I couldn’t see the point and didn’t see why anyone would want to buy one! Then I started seeing them around, saw more videos and heard more sounds and as I explored a “direct to desk” rig, it became a lot more appealing! So I got one!
The full article goes over our thoughts, and don’t think that it is all positive and happy! The Nano Cortex does have its downfalls, the App being a big one for me! However, the sounds you can get from it are amazing! Capturing a few amps has genuinely surprised me at how amazing, real and similar it sounds!
As someone who still loves pedals and will always have pedals in his rig, the Nano Cortex was an obvious choice over the Quad Cortex! However, if you want my thoughts on the Quad Cortex then please let me know and I might put together a full review on one!
JSA Pedals LNS Screamer
What a pedal! I tried a lot of pedals this year! Most I have ever tried. They were all incredible; however, the JSA Pedals LNS Screamer is insane! A proper vintage-spec tube screamer that just sounds insane! Since buying this pedal, I have put it on my board and haven’t taken it off! Using this alongside my Boss Blues Driver (Review Here) has opened up so many different sounds! I basically have five gain stages from two pedals and my guitar volume knob!
Granted, it isn’t the cheapest pedal ever, but it is hand-made out of components that Simon handpicks to go in! Did I mention they are all vintage and correct spec parts? You are getting a pedal that is almost identical to the originals! So if you want an original Ibanez Tube Screamer without the vintage price tag, this is the perfect option for you!
I haven’t ever tried one of JSA pedals that hasn’t been mind-blowing (and believe me, I have tried a lot); however, this LNS Screamer has something a little special about it!
"So you can be sure that it will feel lovely and your guitar will sit just where you want it to!"
Affordable 800 Drive
This was a review I did to help a good friend of mine! Affordaboard released their own line of guitar pedals in 2025 and asked if I could check them out and give my thoughts and some sound samples! I can confidently say that I was blown away by the sound of the 800 Drive! It sounds incredible, performs amazingly, and contains so many amazing sounds!
Pair all of this with the insane price that they are selling for, and you have a UK-designed and built pedal that will wipe the floor with even some of the pricier Marshall pedals out there!
I may have to get another one in for a project I have coming up! It was such. Killer pedal and at such an insane price! If you want to check out the full review or even grab one for yourself, then you can check out the links below!
Lost Soul Leather Guitar Strap
I met Lost Soul Leather at the Bristol show and took a look at his guitar straps. I was blown away by not just how well made and high quality the straps were but also how friendly and knowledgeable he was! So after a bit of chatting and discussing, I put my order in! The quality in not only the build but the parts and components is insane!
I speak about this more in the review, but the strap fits and feels so nice! It is built to your length with some adjustment in case you need or want it! So you can be sure that it will feel lovely and your guitar will sit just where you want it to!
Want to know how much I love these straps? Well, I have ordered another one! This is for a special upcoming project! However, be sure to see another Lost Soul leather.
Schmidt Array SA350 Pedalboard
The final on eo fat list of 2025 guitar gear that I tired is the Schmidt Array SA350! This pedalboard has been a game changer for me! Since buying it, I haven’t used another board outside the house! It has made my “direct to desk” rig so much easier to carry, use, but also manage! Of course, I go over this more in detail in the actual review. However, having the three sections to put and mount stuff is so practical. Along with this, having the patch bay on the side has made setting up and breaking down so much easier! Everything can be packed away or assembled in a few minutes!
I think in the New Year I will put another power supply in. This will make powering the Nano Cortex a lot easier and also make set up even easier as I won’t have to lift the shelf to plug in the power supply! Expect a full article or review on whatever one I end up buying!
You may be asking “how can a pedalboard be game changing?” Well, I have an article coming very soon which goes over this and I go over why you may want to think about your pedalboard choice a bit more than you think!
Conclusion
So that is our round-up of the 2025 guitar gear I tried! Some amazing products reviewed and sampled! It was really hard this year to narrow it down to just five products! This list could have easily been ten or twenty products long!
No one in this article knows their products and brand has been featured! This is just my thoughts on the 2025 guitar gear I have tried and no one has paid to have their product on this list! Some of the products where discounted but I paid or got loaned all the products on this page!
Huge thanks for checking out my articles throughout the year, watching my YouTube videos and also buying anything using my affiliate links! Any money I make goes right back into buying gear to review and demo! I already have so many articles and Reviews planned for 2026! Plus a few changes with the amount of reviews and article I do! Planning to put out even more content for you all!
Hope you have all had an amazing year! We will see you very soon for the first article of 2026! It will be a big one that has been in the works for a few months now! So see you in the New Year!
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