Which Boost Pedal?

A lot of people recently have been coming in asking for a pedal to boost their guitar sound. Somewhat 

predictably, the answer lies within boost pedals, but which boost pedal and where to put it?

The best way to get the sound you're after is through trial and error; try different pedals in different orders 

and play around with the effects loop. Many players look to a distortion pedal for a boost, which, if you're 

playing on a clean channel may well do the trick but if you're already using a distorted channel and just 

want a volume boost, without  changing the sound too much, your best bet is to use a boost pedal in the 

effects loop of your amp. Depending on which pedal you use, you can adjust the amount of volume by 

which you will be increased and sometimes even tweak different frequencies. When trying them out, 

always start with the volume low and gradually increase it to what you need, never any more! 

Here are four pedals that'll do the job:

Gibson Min-ETune: Our Verdict

To say that Gibson have revolutionised the electric guitar yet again with their new self-tuning mechanism isn't far off the truth.

The Gibson Min-ETune now comes on all Gibson 2014 Les Paul and SG Standards and will no doubt be making guitar players' lives much easier all around the world. Simply strum the strings and with literally, the touch of a button, your guitar will start to tune itself. The device is fitted to the back of the headstock and can provide between 80-100 tunings on one charge.

This tuning device is accurate, quick and reliable. Not only does it provide quick fine-tuning but it's also great for switching between tunings; go from Standard to DADGAD to open G in a matter of seconds thus eliminating the need (but not desire...) for multiple guitars at gigs. We've seen self-tuning mechanisms before but this is something else; it's not just a novelty, it's genuinely really useful.  Even if you've got a perfect ear for tuning, the Min-ETune makes it one less thing to worry about on stage.

All 2014 Les Paul and SG Standards are fitted with the Min-ETune, as are many other models. For more information, please call 01254 265212, or check out 

http://www.reidys.com/p/gibson-2014-guitars/ 

Or, even better, visit us in store and try one out for yourself! 

Line 6 AMPLIFi: Reviewed

Announced at this year's NAMM, the newest offering from Line 6 really is something to shout about.  The Line 6 AMPLIFi (75 or 150 watt versions available) takes amp modelling to the next level.  Firstly, the amp sounds are great; technology has come on leaps and bounds in the last few years helping modelling amps produce tones that are closer to the 'real thing'. The same can be said for the massive array of effects on board.  A wide range of different distortions, modulations, delays and everything else you could want are all available within this amp.

What's remarkable about this amp is that the majority of the sound tweaking is done on your iOS device (via the free Line 6 app), not on the amp.  While this does mean that an Apple device is necessary to get the most out of it, it makes awkwardly bending down with your guitar round your neck a thing of the past; stand in front of your amp and hear it properly whilst making adjustments to your sound. 

Now for the really impressive bit; when you play a song from your library (wirelessly via bluetooth, we might add), the app will automatically match your tone to that on the song.  Yes, really.  It's done by users around the world tweaking the tones to match the song and then publishing it through the app.  This means that as more people use the amp and as the Line 6 online community grows, the song-specific tones will only get more accurate.

We're really impressed with this amp.  It sounds great when used as a guitar amp, capable of a variety of different sounds, and as just a speaker, to listen to music on.  The speaker system replicates a range of frequencies clearly and both models are capable of a fair bit of volume.  It looks nice too, it wouldn't look out of place in the living room or bedroom.

We'll try and get a video of it as soon as possible, but in the meantime here's a picture of the edit screen: 

For more information, check out our website:

http://www.reidys.com/pr/guitar-amplifiers/line6-amplifi-150-150w-17593/

Reidy's Talent Competition 2014

The auditions are over and now we're looking forward to the heats that will take place at Blakey's Café on the 20th Feb, 27th Feb, 6th March and 13th March.  It's hard to comment on it without sounding clichéd but we have genuinely been so impressed with the quality, quantity and enthusiasm of all the acts this year.  We're trying pretty hard over here (Jamie aka the Working Man in particular) to improve the music scene and nightlife of Blackburn and, for the second year in a row, we've been shown that there is an abundance of talent in the local area to help make this happen.

The Talent Competition has been great not only for giving bands and artists a platform to showcase their music on, but it's been good for music fans like you and me.  I've been introduced to a few bands that I'd previously never heard of and will definitely be going to watch again.  It's also a way for musicians to network with each other; sort out gig-shares, arrange jam sessions and just generally help one another out.

Whether you've already seen some the acts playing at this year's Competition or not, get yourself down to the heats at Blakey's (there's a bar!!); you'll be helping to support local music and you never know, you might just discover the next big thing.

Check out the video playlist of some of this year's auditions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQ53-Y3HAWM&list=PLW0jGB_1Hgeqgqad5AMLz2ivyYnn5Dg_z