“It turns out you all really love a wildcard”: The hottest new guitar gear releases of February 2026 – according to Guitar World readers

January was an unsurprisingly hectic month for guitar gear launches, and we had NAMM to thank for that. However, that doesn’t mean things slowed down for February – in fact, over the past four weeks we’ve seen the arrival of some significant guitar gear.

From potentially game-changing passive pickups and JHS Pedals’ first-ever octaver, all the way to a meticulous recreation of Matt Bellamy’s Number One Manson and the most metal Jackson guitars around, we’ve been spoiled rotten for choice with new gear to pine over.

With that said, we’ve been crunching the numbers, and with the help of our handy new polls (which will be a fixture of each roundup going forward), we’ve been able to identify the gear picks that have resonated most with readers.

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And so, we’ve picked out the top three new gear picks from across the month that received the most votes readers for a highlights reel. Oh, and I’ve thrown a few of my own picks in there, just for good measure.

Make sure to catch the weekly gear roundups to vote for your favorite new releases – and, if you fancy having your thoughts shared in one of these highlight reels in the future, leave a comment explaining your pick...

1. Tone King Royalist

Tone King Royalist Preamp Pedal - Awesome Cleans to Plexi Grind - YouTube

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Perhaps somewhat surprisingly (given the mountain of competition it came up against), the Tone King Royalist Preamp Pedal proved to be one of the most popular new launches of February 2026, drawing 23 votes – 21% of the 110 votes that were cast.

I say 'surprisingly', but in reality this outcome isn't all that unexpected. After all, Tone King's growing line of preamp pedals is held in very high regard. The first model, the Imperial, was given a glowing five-star review from Guitar World.

The Royalist looks to continue that fine form, promising glistening cleans, Plexi crunch and all-out drive inspired by golden-era Marshalls. It's loaded with three valves to deliver authentic tube amp touch sensitivity, with two channels and plenty of options for dialing in tones. This could be yet another five-star preamp pedal from Tone King...

2. Gibson Mark Morton Les Paul Modern

Introducing the Gibson Mark Morton Les Paul Modern Quilt - YouTube

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The week it came out, Mark Morton fended off the competition from the likes of the Kiesel Mark 66 and Eastman Kauffmann to gain 22 votes for his signature Les Paul Modern – 23% of the 96 votes that were lodged.

That won't come as a surprise to... well, anyone, really. We've been waiting for Morton's signature Les Paul for years, ever since Gibson signed the Lamb of God guitarist back in 2022. In 2024, we got a glimpse of a potential prototype, but we only got the official release this month. It's been a long time coming.

And what a beaut it is. That quilt maple top is gorgeous. Those new Mark Morton Gibson humbuckers rip. No wonder Guitar World's Jonathan Horsely called it "the most vicious artist series model in the Gibson catalog" in his review.

3. Eastwood BG-64 Guitarlin

BG 64 Baritone Guitarlin with Michael Weber - YouTube

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We all love a wildcard, right? Well, apparently Guitar World readers really like a wildcard – because despite arriving in a week that included the 3rd Power MagFRAG pickups, Jackson Pro Plus and the Herman Li Omniforce Fishman Fluence pickups, it was the Eastwood BG-64 Guitarlin that came out on top.

Technically, it drew with the Gibson Gary Clark Jr. Custom ES-355, but 26 votes for an oddball baritone/extended range/mandolin/guitar Frankenstein hybrid is a really surprising outcome.

What even is the BG-64 Guitarlin? Well, as Eastwood says, it's a one-of-a-kind instrument that blends Danelectro's 1950s Guitarlin with a baritone guitar. Dreamed up by Michael Weber, the BG-64 has 35 frets and channels the vibe of vintage Teiscos, pairing the ranges of a guitar and mandolin in a baritone format.

So, yeah, pretty wild. No wonder it got so many votes...

Honorable mentions

Mark 66 Offset Guitar - Kiesel Guitars - YouTube

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Personally, I couldn't get enough of the Kiesel Mark 66 this month. Inspired by Mark Kiesel's old SGB, the Mark 66 is – in my eyes, at least – the firm's most desirable and accessible build yet. There's so much I love about this: the vintage vibe, the subtle offset body, the P-90 pickup configuration... it's the first time I can remember actually wanting to buy a Kiesel.

The fact it's also working with Eric Gales suggests Kiesel – which is often pigeonholed as a 'metal guitar' company – is looking to venture out with some more traditional builds. And I'm all for it.

Finally, let's give a shoutout to the Eastman Kauffmann series. Building on the D'Ambrosio and FullerTone lineups, the Kauffmanns – available in single-cut, double-cut and offset iterations – are hand-relic'd guitars that look, sound and feel classy as hell. I played an offset at Guitar Summit last year. It might be my dream guitar...