Gibson, Marshall and Electro-Harmonix lead this week’s best new guitar gear

1. Electro-Harmonix: the pedalboard upgrade worth stopping for

Electro-Harmonix is the most immediately useful name in the batch because Guitar World keeps returning to its pedals for a reason: the brand is still pumping out the kind of boxes that solve real problems, from octave fuzz to all-out big-muff territory. The publication has already given attention to an Electro-Harmonix Big Muff round-up, a POG3 review, and a deal story on the Lizard Queen octave fuzz for $39.60, which tells you exactly where the interest sits: tone chasing, weird textures, and budget-friendly pedalboard wins.

If you are scanning for something you can actually plug in and use right away, this is the safest bet in the roundup. EHX is one of those rare names that can cover classic fuzz, octave sounds, and modern utility without losing the plot, and that combination is why it keeps showing up in Guitar World’s gear coverage instead of drifting in and out like a novelty brand.

2. Gibson: the big-brand move with collector appeal and real buzz

Gibson lands second because the company is not just dropping another guitar story, it is running a year-long campaign called “Handcrafted in Nashville, TN,” built around four chapters with new videos. That matters because it puts craftsmanship back at the center of the brand, and Gibson electric guitars do not need much help attracting attention when the story is this tightly framed.

For players, this is the kind of brand push that tends to spill over into actual buying interest, especially when the gear conversation is already crowded with reissues, finishes, and signature-model noise. Gibson’s Nashville angle gives the roundup a sharper edge than a generic launch list, and it is the sort of thing that makes a longtime buyer look twice at the next Les Paul, SG, or ES update instead of shrugging it off as another catalog refresh.

3. Marshall: the amp name that keeps stage-rig buyers watching

Marshall rounds out the list because even a brief appearance from the brand still matters in a weekly gear sweep. Guitar World’s July 17 roundup explicitly names Marshall alongside Gibson and Electro-Harmonix in the URL slug, and that is enough to tell you the piece is aimed at players who still care about amp-side authority, not just pedalboard clutter.

Marshall is the kind of name that immediately narrows the field for gigging players who are chasing familiar stage sound and practical rig upgrades, which is exactly why it earns a spot here even without the fluff. Put it next to Gibson’s craftsmanship push and Electro-Harmonix’s pedal depth, and you get the cleanest read on the week: the useful gear is the stuff that either changes your tone fast, gives you a real brand story worth following, or does both at once.