Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
UK EditionUK US EditionUS AU EditionAustralia SG EditionSingapore
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Superbooth 2026
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
More
  • Superbooth 2026
  • Kate Bush Army Dreamers
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • Theory of Feels
  1. Guitars

Total Guitar Reader Awards 2014: best innovation

News
By The MusicRadar Team published 15 December 2014

Game-changing guitar gear galore

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Introduction

Introduction

We asked for your help selecting the most innovative guitar products of the last 12 months and you responded in droves. Without further ado, we present the seven best examples of the most forward-thinking gear of 2014...

Page 1 of 8
Page 1 of 8
Tech 21 FlyRig 5

Tech 21 FlyRig 5

A small but perfectly functional all-analogue pedalboard incorporating delay, amp modelling and overdrive.

It's weighs just over 18oz (510 grams), measures less than a foot long (300 x 70mm) and can be powered by a range voltages to cope with currents the world over. Why didn't anyone do this before?

4.5 out of 5

Read our full Tech 21 Fly Rig 5 review

BUY: Tech 21 Fly Rig 5 currently available from:
UK: Thomann
US: Sweetwater | Full Compass

Page 2 of 8
Page 2 of 8
Pedaltrain Volto

Pedaltrain Volto

Travel-friendly gear seems to be de rigueur among this year's innovation nominees.

The Volto, a compact, USB chargeable pedal power supply liberates buskers and mobile musicians from from the bains of batteries and power points.

4.5 out of 5

Read our full Pedaltrain Volto review

BUY: Pedaltrain Volto currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann
US: Sweetwater | Full Compass

Page 3 of 8
Page 3 of 8
BluGuitar Amp1

BluGuitar Amp1

Quite possibly the pedal amp you've been waiting for, the BluGuitar Amp1 succeeds where others have failed: combining simplicity, control and great tone in a solidly built, desirable package.

5 out of 5

Read our full BluGuitar Amp1 review

BUY: BluGuitar Amp1 currently available from:
UK: Thomann

Page 4 of 8
Page 4 of 8
Ibanez RGKP6

Ibanez RGKP6

We've seen guitars equipped with Kaoss Pad-style devices before thanks to Matt Bellamy's Manson creations, but what's really exciting about the RGKP6 is it's ultra-low price point.

With street prices of just £319/$399, it's great news for sonic pioneers that can't justify the expense of a teched-up custom axe...

Read our full Ibanez RGKP6 Review

BUY: Ibanez RGKP6 currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music
US: Sweetwater

Page 5 of 8
Page 5 of 8
Electro-Harmonix B9 Organ Machine

Electro-Harmonix B9 Organ Machine

Once again EHX comes through with a pedal everybody else wishes they'd invented.

Like the firm's best stompboxes, the B9 is simple in concept (it makes your guitar sound like an organ), rugged in design and actually delivers on it's promises (with the right playing style, it really does make your guitar sound like an organ).

4.5 out of 5

Read our full B9 Organ Machine review

BUY: B9 Organ Machine currently available from:
UK: Thomann | Gear4Music
US: Sweetwater | Full Compass

Page 6 of 8
Page 6 of 8
Blackstar Fly 3

Blackstar Fly 3

British amp firm Blackstar has built its brand on innovations like its ISF control (allowing you to blend between Brit and US voicings), so it's no surprise to see it enter the poll so highly with the Fly 3.

This 3-watt practice combo somehow crams a range of tones into a tiny box, doubles as an MP3 speaker and can be powered by six AA batteries.

Read our Blackstar Fly 3 Full Review

BUY: Blackstar Fly 3 currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | Gear4Music
US: Sweetwater

Page 7 of 8
Page 7 of 8
Line 6 AMPLIFi 150

Line 6 AMPLIFi 150

Just as Line 6's game-changing POD line is beginning to look a bit long in the tooth, the firm that made modelling mainstream comes back with a versatile amp and playback system, complete with app control.

The AMPLIFi 150's primary asset is it's flexibility: it's as at home onstage or in your living room, you can plug in and play like a normal amp, or you can stream tracks from your digital music collection and play along (with a choice of 200 modelled tones).

4.5 out of 5

Read our full Line 6 AMPLIFi 150 review

BUY: Line 6 AMPLIFi 150 currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Gear4Music
US: Sweetwater

Page 8 of 8
Page 8 of 8
The MusicRadar Team
The MusicRadar Team
Social Links Navigation

MusicRadar is the internet's most popular website for music-makers of all kinds, be they guitarists, drummers, keyboard players, DJs or producers.

GEAR: We help musicians find the best gear with top-ranking gear round-ups and high-quality, authoritative reviews by a wide team of highly experienced experts.

TIPS: We also provide tuition, from bite-sized tips to advanced work-outs and guidance from recognised musicians and stars.

STARS: We talk to artists and musicians about their creative processes, digging deep into the nuts and bolts of their gear and technique. We give fans an insight into the actual craft of music-making that no other music website can.

Read more
MusicRadar author Matt McCracken plays a Manson 007 electric guitar at The Guitar Show in Birmingham, UK
Guitars Here's 7 of the hottest guitar gear releases I tried at The Guitar Show this weekend that are available to buy right now
 
 
Neural DSP Quad Cortex
Guitar Pedals Best multi-effects pedals 2026: Our pick of the best all-in-one guitar FX modellers
 
 
Close up of LR Baggs acoustic guitar pickup
Guitar Pickups Best acoustic guitar pickups 2025: electrify your acoustic for stage, studio and sound fx – our top picks for all budgets
 
 
Deals of the week logo
Tech MusicRadar deals of the week: Score hundreds off PRS, Bose, and Moog - and grab a new guitar pedal for less than £10!
 
 
Three new additions to the $99 JHS Pedals range: Glitch Delay, Bit Crusher and Ring Modulator – all compact stompboxes with white enclosures and three knobs
Guitars Meet the $99 stompbox that’ll crush your bits – JHS expands its affordable 3 Series with three exotic effects for your pedalboard
 
 
Thomann Spring Sale 2026
Guitar Pedals With up to 60% off in Thomann's Spring Sale now is the time to give your pedalboard a spring clean - here are my 8 pedal choices starting at only £9.60!
 
 
Latest in Guitars
Ibanez QX527B headless guitar shot on grey surface
Electric Guitars “For those who find Strandberg’s space-age designs a little too alien, Ibanez’s Q series is the perfect middle ground”: Ibanez QX527B review
 
 
Donner Hush-X Live Pro
Guitars Donner reinvents the travel guitar with a headless electric featuring onboard amp and speaker
 
 
Glen Campbell and Jimmy Webb
Guitarists The story of Wichita Lineman. the song Bob Dylan called the greatest ever written
 
 
Deals of the week logo
Tech MusicRadar deals of the week: A guide to best Memorial Day sales
 
 
[L-R] Khemmis' Phil Pendergast and Ben Hutcherson [inset] A Behringer Super Fuzz
Artists Khemmis just made one of the heavy metal records of the year using a $28 plastic fuzz pedal
 
 
Oliver Ackermann of A Place to Bury Strangers throws it down live in Texas
Guitars Oliver Ackermann on the break-stuff tone philosophy behind guitar's most unorthodox pedal brand
 
 
Latest in News
David Bowie Heathen
Artists We get new insight into the making of an eerily prophetic David Bowie song
 
 
Diplo at Marquee on May 06, 2026 in New York City
Djs “The most exclusive party of the year”: Watch Diplo DJ at his 6-year-old son’s kindergarten graduation
 
 
Arturia Memory V synth plugin
Tech Arturia Memory V “resurrects the analogue majesty of the Memorymoog with breathtaking authenticity”
 
 
Ableton Push Lego prototype
Controllers Ableton’s Jesse Terry reveals the Lego brick origins of the company's Push hardware instrument
 
 
Linda Perry in a large hat
Producers & Engineers “I lost six months of scheduled work”: Linda Perry calls Billie Joe Armstrong a “pussy” for backtracking on collab
 
 
Donner Hush-X Live Pro
Guitars Donner reinvents the travel guitar with a headless electric featuring onboard amp and speaker
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...