Total Guitar Reader Awards 2014: best innovation
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...
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
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
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
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
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
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
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