Category: Guitar Gear

Guitar Gear Scarebear

Custom guitar plectrums from Grover Allman

I’ve wanted to get some custom guitar plectrums for quite some time now. I’m not in a band and I’m not famous, but I’ve wanted some all the same. Why? Because thanks to Grover Allman I can! It’s simple when you look at it that way. You can order directly from the Grover Allman website or you can order using their own iPhone app. Either way, you can submit your own artwork and the plectrums are produced for you in no time at all. That’s what I’m hoping for anyhow. … Custom guitar plectrums from Grover Allman

Guitar Gear

Take your pick (plectrum comparisons)

Recently I received a gift pack of TUSQ guitar plectrums from the kind people at Graph Tech. The TUSQ plectrums are made using the same technology/material that Graph Tech has been applying to its saddles and bridges for almost 30 years. This man-made ivory improves the harmonics, vibration control and tone when used in the nut and/or bridge. So I was curious what that would mean when the same material was applied to the guitar plectrum. … Take your pick (plectrum comparisons)

Guitar Gear

Chops PrePlay hand conditioner for musicians

Late last month I received a small sample pack of Chops PrePlay hand conditioner from the lovely folks at GraphTech. Although I still don’t know how I ended up with it—I did enter a lot of online competitions during the December-January holiday season—I am glad I received the sample pack. It made hours of guitar playing and practice this afternoon go a whole lot smoother. Pun intended.

I was intrigued by the claims on the card that came with my sample pack. If this hand conditioner could extend string life and reduce hardware corrosion, I was all for it. As for reducing your skin’s pH while leaving you with a smooth, silky finish … I just assumed that was a good thing. I’m not a chemist though. I trusted the marketing on the package. Here’s what I discovered. … Chops PrePlay hand conditioner for musicians

Guitar Gear iOS

GuitarTone 2—Now with twin amplifiers!

Back in late 2011 I wrote about GuitarTone and my impression of it when using an iPhone 3S. A few things have changed since that article. Firstly, I’m now using an iPhone 4S and an iPad. Secondly, the GuitarJack (version 1) I had purchased isn’t compatible with my new devices. Thirdly, GuitarTone has been upgraded to version 2. Some aspects of GuitarTone have remained the same but some aspects have been changed … for the better. Let’s look at some of the changes as they apply to the iPad. … GuitarTone 2—Now with twin amplifiers!

Guitar Gear iOS

David Mead’s Guitar Gym—a guitar practice workout

I discovered the David Mead: Guitar Gym app through GuitarNoize—who you should absolutely follow on Twitter and/or Facebook—when I was looking at various guitar-related iOS apps. I have a fascination with guitar-related iOS apps to be honest. I love the educational guitar apps, the amplifier simulator apps and most other music apps that allow me to use my guitars on iOS. But with the number of apps out there these days how do you find the good apps?! I’m lucky I follow smart people on Twitter. If you’re discovering the David Mead: Guitar Gym app from this article, you’re lucky through association. Congratulations! … David Mead’s Guitar Gym—a guitar practice workout

Guitar Gear

iRig BlueBoard by IK Multimedia

The talented people at IK Multimedia have released news of another addition to the iRig family—iRig BlueBoard. The iRig BlueBoard is the first wireless MIDI pedalboard controller for iPhone, iPad and Mac. The wireless aspect of this cool new device is managed through the power of Bluetooth. Of course you can’t see the awesome blueness of the device’s buttons on this website, but trust me, it glows with the power of blue. Perhaps it’s the Bluetooth that makes the buttons glow with such amazing blueness?! Who knows?! Not me. I just know it looks amazingly cool (which works on a whole new level because blue is a cool colour—it’s a design thing). … iRig BlueBoard by IK Multimedia