Guitars and Accessories
Magic Hands
Do you regularly play a stringed instrument? Take a look at your fingers—are they dry, cracked, or torn? Strings can slice and tear the skin of your fingers, making it painful and difficult to play. Guitar Hands is dermatologist-designed to help restore your hands to optimal condition. By using Clinical Lipid Therapy, Guitar Hands cream cleans and smoothes your hands by replacing lipids that are lost due to dry weather, harsh hand soaps, and extended playing. The airplane-friendly three-ounce tube is ready to be anywhere your music calls you.
MSRP: $16 www.guitar-hands.com
The Perfect Piezo
Ned Steinberger of NS Design and Dave Borisoff of Hipshot Products are in heavy pursuit of the perfect passive piezo electric guitar bridge. The Grand Piezo’s proprietary Differential Technology allows more transfer of string energy to the pickup element than other piezo bridges. The result is a more vibrant signal to your amp without the problematic distortion and loss of tone associated with battery-operated preamps. The attractive bridge is CNC machined of aircraft-quality aluminum and is available in chrome, black, or gold finishes.
MSRP: $210+ www.hipshotproducts.com
Hip Library
Introducing the Planet Waves CTM, which stands for Chordmaster/Tuner/Metronome. In other words, this is an all-in-one guitarist’s reference tool, which boasts more than 7,000 chord voicings and fingerings, a full-feature metronome, and chromatic tuner with built-in microphone. All are instantly accessible when required, viewable on a conveniently backlit LCD display. The CTM combines three successful Planet Waves products at one affordable price.
For more information, visit http://www.planetwaves.com
It’s a Lock
One advantage of owning a Sonaré TRC-800 trumpet is the MicroLok valve system. Co-invented by instrument makers Cliff Blackburn and Steven Wasser, the MicroLok system sets valve alignment at the factory using a set screw, which can be adjusted by an instrument technician without the need to solder. What’s more, each Sonaré trumpet features a one-piece, hand-hammered bell and is cryogenically treated to increase response using a process popular with professional trumpet players. Once they arrive in the US, these German-made trumpets are tested by Sonaré technicians to ensure they meet quality standards.
For more information, visit www.sonarewinds.com
King’s Restoration
With genuine gold-plated hardware, beautiful engravings, and a flamed maple resonator, the new Artist Deluxe banjo from Recording King recalls banjos from the Golden Age of musical instruments. A revival of the most classic Recording King banjos, this instrument also features American Standard thread hardware, a 20-hole tone ring, and a three-ply rim. The Artist Deluxe also features the traditional Recording King “style 6” floral peghead and fretboard inlay and an authentic Mastertone-style flange. Included is a vintage archtop hardshell case from Guardian.
For more information, visit http://www.recordingking.com
Mountain Music
Designed with a stylish Venetian cutaway, Sierra Alpine Series guitars are acoustic-electric dreadnoughts enhanced by Barcus-Berry electronics. The Alpine SD35CE, CEBK, CEWR, and CETBL models feature spruce tops; mahogany backs, necks, and sides; and rosewood bridge, bindings, and fingerboard. The guitars are available in gloss natural, black, wine red, and transparent blue.
For more information, visit www.sierraguitars.net
Smart Model
Digitech has released the latest generation of its RP line of modeling guitar processors. At the heart of the line is the AudioDNA2 DSP chip, which is four times as powerful as the previous AudioDNA processor. The RP line offers myriad options for creating high-quality tones for any genre of music. The RP250 (pictured) is equipped with 50 user and 50 factory pre-sets, accessed by the up/down footswitches, and 89 models, including 21 amp/preamp and acoustic guitar models and 14 speaker models. A drum machine and chromatic tuner are built-in, and the RP series is USB compatible for recording and editing using the downloadable X-Edit software for PC and Mac.
For more information, visit www.digitech.com
Comfort & Style
Levy’s new Ultra-Comfort straps are specifically engineered to provide the greatest comfort possible. Special materials such as neoprene and a quilted lining make the strap’s contact with the shoulder soft and cushy, while special design features such as elastic webbing and corrugated braided leather distribute the load evenly across the length of the strap.
For more information, visit www.levysleathers.com
