Michael Mullins of New Jersey is a guitar player and musician besides his regular day-to-day job duties. He loves collecting and playing new guitars and recently tried out a few new models that he thinks will rock just about any guitar player. Here are his picks for the top guitar models for 2022, including a few suggestions for players that he thinks might love each model the best.
Michael Mullins Examines His Favorite New Guitars
Michael Mullins has played a lot of guitars in his life, and he knows what makes a model suitable. A great guitar doesn’t just sound great but also plays smoothly, provides many unique pickup options, creates a fantastic tone, and looks beautiful. For the top models on the market today, he has difficulty picking anything but the Fender Classic Series 72 Telecaster Deluxe as the best for 2022.
Fender is such a well-known guitar manufacturer that people who don’t play guitar probably know that their name is synonymous with quality. Just about every Fender is worth playing, and the 72 Telecaster Deluxe is an amazing beast. It comes with humbucking pickups that help you make this guitar adapt to many playing tones, including rock, jazz, and even funk playing styles.
While jamming on it, New Jersey’s Michael Mullins felt his inner 70s rock god come out, which is not surprising. It emulates the look and feel of the 70s Telecaster and has that same excellent sustain that goes perfectly with many rock styles. It’s not too hard to feel like Steve Howe of Yes or any other famous Fender player when strumming out intricate guitar licks on this fantastic and gorgeous model.
However, it’s also worth mentioning at least one Gibson guitar, and Mullins is a huge fan of the Les Paul line. Who isn’t? Les Paul was not only a fantastic guitar player and composer but a technical innovator who changed the way the instrument is approached. The Les Paul Faded T 2022 is probably the best model Mullins has played in ages when it comes to Gibson models.
The Faded T 2022 combines multiple humbucker pickups with 22 frets that work well for bending. Michael Mullins noted that his bends kept a consistent tone and sounded as weepy as the best Les Paul runs from the 40s and 50s. The slim taper neck is perfect for jazz players who need easy access to multiple frets quickly and easily. However, the tone is also ideal for rock players.
One thing you’ll notice while playing this guitar is its lightweight, flawless sustain, and vintage look. It’s not hard to imagine Les Paul playing a guitar precisely like this and making it sound beautiful. Mullins does lament that this guitar is pretty expensive compared to other models, but that’s what you get with a Les Paul. It’s a serious guitar for serious players who want only the best.
Beyond these options, Michael Mullins from New Jersey also picks the PRS S2 Custom 24, the Schecter Hellraiser C-1, and the Ibanez RG450DX RG as the best guitars for 2022. Each provides many benefits, such as the Ibanez working perfectly for metal guitarists who want flexible soloing abilities and a thick, bass-rich sound.
