Blues City Music

Blues City Music web store is adding a "Pre Owned" section.

Hello from Memphis.

Blues City Music is proud to announce that we are introducing a new collection on our web store of high quality "Pre Owned" products.  You'll see guitars, amplifiers, pedals, etc., priced at really good deals.  Most of these products are items I've accumulated, and some of them have only been played a few times. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out and let us know.  Until then, happy shopping.

Lynn Burke

Blues City Music - Owner

Soldano Hot Rod 50+ built into Hot Rod 25 chassis

Blues City Music is excited to announce that we have in stock the very first Soldano Hot Rod 50+ built into the Hot Rod 25 chassis. 

You'll get a smaller foot print, 50 watt full power transformers, the very best post master volume effects loop in existence, and that legendary tone that lasts for days.  We've even made sure this one looks amazing.  Dark oxblood sparkle naugahyde tolex, black mini chicken head knobs, and red jewel light. 

This is the full power version of the Hot Rod 25.  Same dead pan quiet DC heater system on the Sovtek 5881/6L6WGC output tubes, but you'll have more clean head room when needed. 

Give us a call, email, tweet, or text, we can easily sell you this one, or order one in any color imaginable. 

Lynn Burke - BCM Owner

Blues City Music is a NEW Mezzabarba Custom Amplification dealer !!!

Hello from Memphis.

We are proud to announce that Blues City Music is now a proud Mezzabarba Custom Amplification dealer.  These amps are hand made in Italy, just northwest of Rome, and are the #1 amp in that country today.  Huge reaction at Winter NAMM in Los Angeles, California this past January as well. 

These amps WILL NOT be sold by big box stores.  They are very proud of the boutique dealer network they are building.  We are now the 4th dealer in the USA.

All amps are made in Italy then shipped to the distributor in Los Angeles, California.  They have many amps in stock there but if not, they can have them within 20-30 days. 

All amps use TAD (Tube Amp Doctor) EL34's.  Great tubes and powerful sounding. 

We will stock the flagship 100 watt MZERO Overdrive and a matching Celestion Vintage 30 4x12" cabinet and a 30 watt Skill head and a matching Celestion Greenback Crusier 2x12" cabinet as well. 

You gotta check this amp line out.  We can't wait to have them in the shop.

Give us a call, email, text, or message so we can get yours asap.

Keep rocking.

Lynn Burke

BCM - Owner

New Products at Blues City Music !!!

Hello from Blues City Music.

We are starting 2018 with some really cool products for sale at BCM. 

How about some really nice, Washburn made, Oscar-Schmidt Ukelele's?  You can have tenor of Baritone size and with a gig bag or really cool hard shell case.  All kinds of different type woods to choose from.

We now have ALL of Diezel Amplification's pedals in stock.  All 3 types of FSL foot switch pedals for Herbert, DMoll, Hagen, and Paul.  VH4-2 pedal plus the legendary Zerrer pedal.  How about a rear loaded Diezel 2x12" cabinet with Celestion Vintage 30 speakers?

Next up is the Friedman Amplification Runt - 20 1x12" combo and Matchless Lightning 1x12" combo with reverb.  Yeah, analog reverb, the real deal. 

As always , customer service is paramount here at BCM.  I already own everything in the shop out right and fly for FedEx as a 777 Captain/Check Airman for my primary job, so I only sell the finest products known to man, and what YOU need, not what I NEED to sell.

Your tone is what counts.  Come see us and experience the best products and customer service you'll ever encounter.

Now, Turn It Up.

Lynn Burke

BCM - Owner

Soldano Custom Amplification Post Master Volume Effects Loop Mod Specifics

Soldano Custom Amplification Post Master Volume Effects Loop Mod

Fabulous news!!!

The Soldano Custom Amplification, Super Lead Overdrive (SLO-100) post master volume effects loop mod is now available. You can have it installed on your new amp during the build process for an additional ($500.00), or you can have it added to your existing amp for an additional ($600.00).

Mike Soldano personally hand wires this mod, and it takes almost all day long to do so. No one knows this amp better than Mike; so don’t take any chances damaging your amp, or voiding your life long transferable warranty with others trying to modify this loop. Let the master do it.

For those who are familiar with the Soldano Hot Rod 25 and its post master volume effects loop, this is where I came up with the idea of making this type loop available for all SLO-100 customers. Mike has done a few SLO-100 effects loop “one off’” builds for customers in the past, but none have been designed from scratch and built like this new production mod.

As the name implies, the effects loop is now located after the Master Volume controls with the EFFECTS RETURN going directly into the power amp. (FYI, current build +4db serial line level effects loop SLO-100’s have the loop located before the tone stack.) There is an EFFECTS LOOP RETURN LEVEL control located on the back of the chassis right next to the effects loop jacks. This control adjusts the power amp’s sensitivity to the signal level coming from the output of the effect device (s). More simply put, it is the volume control for the power amp.

The Master Volume controls on the front of the amp now act as EFFECTS LOOP SEND LEVEL controls. They will adjust the level of the signal going into the input of the effects device (s). This configuration allows both send and return levels to be adjusted to accommodate virtually any type of effect device (s).

An added bonus is that you can now use your SLO-100 as a power amp if you wish. Simply plug any signal source into the EFFECTS LOOP RETURN jack and use the EFFECTS LOOP RETURN LEVEL control as an overall master volume control.

When nothing is plugged into the effects loop, the EFFECTS LOOP RETURN LEVEL control is still active and acts as an overall master volume control. Mike recommends setting this control at around the 3 o’clock position when there is nothing plugged into the effects loop. You can then use the Master Volume controls on the front of the amp as you normally would.

You asked for it, and we asked Mike Soldano. You now have the option of having this new effects loop installed on your SLO-100, have Mike adjust the current +4db serial line level loop to be more pedal friendly, or just go with the tried and true +4db loop that Mike designed and still builds 31 years later.

If you have any questions, please let us know ASAP.

Can't cut through the band mix? It's your AMP not your guitar.

Hey guys/gals,

Lynn Burke here, owner of Blues City Music. 

Today's blog deals with a very popular issue brought to my attention on a weekly basis, that being, "no matter how loud I turn up my amp, no one can hear me, it's just muffled".  No worries, we can easily address that.

First and foremost, your electric guitar is a mid range frequency instrument, and if you think "Scooping" the mids of your amplifier, or turning them way down is the way to go, you are sadly mistaken.  Do this, and you are now competing with the bass guitar frequencies as well as the kick drum and floor toms of your drummer's rig.  You will lose this battle every gig making you tonally invisible. 

Years ago, I played a gig in a large venue utilizing my Soldano SLO-100 and a 2x12" cabinet.  Other than a late 60's or early 70's non mastered, 4 input, Marshall Plexi or Super Lead, the SLO-100 has the most amazing mids of any amp made today.  No wonder the majority of major label players from Clapton to Haynes to Mars to Lynch all use SLO's on a regular basis.  They CUT. 

The other guitar player in my band was using a Mesa-Boogie Dual Rectifier Road King and 4x12" cabinet, which has a heavily scooped mid section.  He couldn't even cross mid stage in front of the drummer without my SLO on the other side of the stage eating him for lunch and blanking out his amp.  Not volume, but tone, note clarity, and articulation.  Front of House sound guy loved it. 

Second problem with not being heard is do you really have the right amp for the venue, type music, and band size?  Trying to throttle a 100 watt head and 4x12" cabinet at this venue is impossible.  You'll have the master volume turned way down with the pre gain turned way up trying to achieve some kind of gritty tone at low volume.  Big mistake.  All you get here is pre amp buzz with zero tone and certainly minimal sustain.  Try to run your master volume up to compensate, and the Front of House sound guy will just cut your volume at the console. Wrong amp for the gig.

In retrospect, you should grab a 25-50 watt 1x12" combo or 25-50 watt head and cabinet allowing you the ability to turn the master up. This wakes up the output section of your amp.  Now, you don't have to "dime" your amp in this situation, but being able to open it up to breathe will certainly make your tone that much better. 

Next, dial in your tone stack.  Remember, more is not always better.  Listen intently with your ears without getting all wrapped up in the drama of where your knobs are set.  Set them one at a time, but you have to keep your mids turned up.  Then for more bite or attack, add the presence.  This is basically adding high frequencies back to your tone via a negative feedback loop. 

Finally, make sure you run your guitar volumes around 8 for your rhythm tones so you can roll up to 10 for your lead riffs, or if your drummer starts playing a lot louder.  This way you'll cut even that much more over the total mix of the band. 

Don't forget to incorporate pick attack, picking location (closer to the bridge for more treble), and tone knob adjustments on your guitar as well when necessary.  Above all, listen. 

Keep rocking !!!  Give us a call if you have any questions or comments. 

Lynn Burke / BCM Owner

Blues City Music shop hours for December.

Hello from Memphis.  I hope you are having a wonderful start to the upcoming Christmas holiday season.  Yeah, we say Christmas proudly in our neck of the woods.

I'll be in the shop starting 27 November until 11 December, then again 21 and 22 December.  Come see us and remember.  WE ARE A STOCKING DEALER.  Plus, we have the best demo rooms money can buy.  You can play as long and as loud as you like. 

Turn It Up and come see us. 

Lynn Burke / BCM owner