This week on Tha News, Joe Bonamassa teams up with Epiphone for a shiny new signature model—Seymour Duncans, vintage vibes, and enough class to make your wallet nervous. JAM’s rolling out another fuzz box that promises to turn polite riffs into pure chaos, and NUX is trying to convince us that looping onstage actually looks cool… jury’s still out on that one. In Unpopular Opinion, we’re doubling down: Bigsby Teles just have more swagger than their hardtail cousins—sorry, not sorry. And for Rigs on Trial, Jay’s breaking out his JAM pedalboard to see if it’s studio magic or just pedal hoarding with style. Oh, and the TS of the Day? Because every board deserves at least one green scream.
Do 5-watt amps suck? In the latest gearpocalypse, Catalinbread's Mini Fuzz is out here shrinking the Mosrite Fuzzrite's splattery '60s psych-freakery into a pedalboard bullet that turns your riffs into incense-scented chaos—because who needs room for nuance when you've got garage-rock napalm? Meanwhile, G&L Guitars just slammed the factory doors shut, auctioning off Leo Fender's late-life toys to the corporate overlords at Fender, proving once again that even guitar gods get swallowed by the beast for a quick buck. And if that's not enough existential whiplash, Strymon drops the Olivera in Big Shiny Tones episode 8, that oil-can delay wizardry slinging modulated echoes so oily and organic, it'll make your tones shimmer like a '50s lounge lizard's greased-back regrets. On top of all that, we need to know... do 5-watt amps suck?
In the shadowy lair of Big Shiny Tones EP7, the Fender American Pro Classics slink in like a noir antihero snarling with a glassy edge sharp enough to cut through your soul’s darkest regrets. Then slithers the Beetronics BeeBeeDee, an analog delay pedal with a sinister grin, spitting warm, tape-like echoes that twist into pitch-shifted nightmares—think a swarm of cursed bees trapped in a haunted jukebox, warping time itself.
Episode 6 of Big Shiny Tones, where hosts Jay Leonard J and Jonathan Lindsay (the dynamic duo who make gear reviews feel like a rock 'n' roll therapy session) summon the ghost of Extreme coolness: Nuno Bettencourt himself.
We're diving headfirst into Positive Grid's BIAS X, the AI wizard that's basically Skynet for your guitar rig—whisper "that crunchy Edge vibe from 'Where the Streets Have No Name'" and boom, it'll spit out a preset so spot-on, your amp might file for divorce.Expect zero politics, all gear—Jay's probably mid-rant about why AI won't steal his soul. Will the AI out-shred the humans? Does Nuno secretly use it to compose ballads about his cat? Tune in for big shiny chaos that'll leave your ears grinning and your DAW begging for mercy. If your tone game's been stuck in the '90s, this ep's the portal gun you need. Shred responsibly—or don't. We won't judge. (Much.)👉 Shop Online: https://www.tapestrymusic.com/?affiliateID=10059
Buckle up, tone chasers—meet the Marshall JMP Preamp Module, the pint-sized Plexi powerhouse that's got more vintage growl than a '70s rock god stumbling out of a glitter-fueled fever dream. Born from the epic alliance of Marshall and Synergy, this dual-channel tube beast (twin 12AX7s for that authentic harmonic hangover) lets you flip between '60s smooth-operator vibes and '70s headbanger fury with a flick of a switch. Crank it through its sneaky "0-watt" power stage for cranked-amp sag without rattling the neighbors, and dial in everything from polite cleans to distortion so searing, it’ll make your strings sizzle like a stage light on overdrive.👉 Shop Online: https://www.tapestrymusic.com/?affiliateID=10059
Welcome to Big Shiny Tones, where we dive headfirst into the glittering abyss of guitar gear that'll make your axe sound like it's auditioning for a UFO sighting (They’re in the oceans 🛸 😉). Today, let's talk Floyd Rose tremolos—oh baby, these bad boys aren't just bridges, they're the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti of whammy bars, locking down your strings tighter than a conspiracy theorist's tin-foil hat. The Floyd Rose is the unyielding overlord of sustain and stability, turning every riff into a seismic event. Now bow before my harmonic perfection!" And hot off the cosmic presses, the new Source Audio Encounter pedal? It's not just a delay-reverb duo; it's a psychedelic warp drive for your signal, blending swirling, otherworldly echoes and reverbs into soundscapes so trippy, you'll swear your Strat's channeling interdimensional squirrels (They’re in the trees!).
👉 Shop Online: https://www.tapestrymusic.com/?affiliateID=10059
Come for the joyride as Big Shiny Tones Episode 3 cranks the insanity to 11 with fretboard-shredding maniac Ben Bullett, hollering from a van held together by sheer willpower and old guitar strings! We put his RIG ON TRIAL so check it out and see what the jury has to say.
Did you watch the 2025 VMAS? We discuss the OZZY tribute with Matt McAthur.
Shop in Store:
Tapestry Music - Vancouver
2705 Main Street
Vancouver, BC
604.736.3036
Tapestry Music - White Rock
1335 Johnston Road,
White Rock, BC
V4B 3Z3
604.538.0906
Tapestry Music - Victoria
1824 Government St
Victoria, BC
V8T 4N5
250.590.0752
Tapestry Music has been a BC family owned business since 1996 offering in-store and online shopping, music lessons and repair services. As a music education specialist, Tapestry is respected and recommended by music educators across Canada.
Big Shiny Tones Episode 2: The Norlin Era Gibson Guitar Fiasco - A Comedy of Frets and Regrets. Welcome to Big Shiny Tones, where we polish the tarnished tales of music history with a side of snark! In Episode 2, we dive headstock-first into the infamous Norlin Era of Gibson guitars, a time when "quality control" was more of a suggestion than a rule. Picture this: heavier bodies, wonky headstocks, and guitars that some say sounded like they were strung with wet noodles. Join your hosts, Jay Leonard J and Jonathan Lindsay, tone-chasing troubadours with a knack for finding humor in the clunkiest of chords, as we explore how Norlin’s "innovations" made guitarists weep but gave us plenty to riff on. Were Norlin Gibsons really that bad, or just misunderstood? Tune in, turn up, and let’s shred through the controversy.
Buckle up, groove cats! Season one Episode one of BIG SHINY TONES is here!So much to talk about, but how about the new Boss PX-1 Plugout FX... Thoughts? Comment below!
