Tag: guitar accessories

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Music

Hand Chord lets you cheat on your bar chords and riffs

Most guitarists will admit that learning to play bar chords is one of the more difficult aspects of learning to play the guitar. However, many musicians will endure the practice and pain of learning to play them correctly because bar chords offer a fuller and richer sound than their alternatives.

Hand Chord is a noteworthy new product that offers guitarists an alternative way to play otherwise challenging bar chords. While the product is touted as being ideal for beginners insofar as it makes chords easier to play and reduces finger pain, Hand Chord may be better suited for professional musicians interested in using it for specific songs in their set.

That said, shortcuts are never ideal for anyone aspiring to become a professional or even seasoned musician. While shortcuts may suffice for hobbyists, they won’t help hone one’s ability to jam with other musicians. Musicians who enjoy new gadgets might also like to check out Capo Clips and Wallet Capo. This campaign seeks to raise $9,500 by April 30. Backers get one product for $35 with an expected delivery of June 2015.

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Music

Leo Hahn’s Scratch Protector covers vulnerable bass or guitar backsides

Getting music gear to and from gigs without something getting scratched or broken can sometimes be a challenge. And the stakes are high since instruments and equipment are usually expensive.

While cases and blankets can usually diminish or even alleviate this problem, Leo Han’s Scratch Protector for electric and bass guitars offers musicians an option for keeping the back of their instrument a bit safer. The product is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. The felt-looking cover attaches to the strap knobs on the guitar to protect the back of the guitar from scratches.

Seems like an interesting idea, but not entirely convinced that it’s a particularly useful product unless the user tends to transport their guitar to gigs without a case, doesn’t use a guitar stand, or has a particularly large belt buckle. Interested backers might also want to check out Guitar Throne and bnd/one.  This campaign seeks to raise $25,000 on Kickstarter. Backers don’t get a product for their support, but there are other perks available with an expected delivery of April 2015.

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Music

Wallet Capo lets guitarists keep capo as close as cash

Being on stage and suddenly realizing that one’s capo got left in the guitar case puts a pretty awkward pause in the flow of a music set, challenging the lead singer to come up with some quick verbal improvisation that’s not necessarily clever.

Since a forgotten capo can be a real pain in the butt, Wallet Capo allows guitarists the benefit of always having a capo, um, somewhere convenient. It’s 3mm thick and is touted as being compatible with nearly any guitar neck, while also improving tone over the average capo out there. The product appears to be made of plastic with rubber fittings that go over the strings and against the back of the guitar neck.

While Wallet Capo is certainly convenient, it’s unclear whether or not the product itself is truly any better than the average capo out there. Interested backers might also like to check out Capo Clips. This product seeks to raise $5,000. For $10, backers get one capo with an expected delivery of March 2015.

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Music

Jack offers live guitarists option of Wi-Fi rather than cables

Every musician that enjoys doing live gigs dreams of one day having roadies for setup and teardown. In the meantime, affordable Wi-Fi options are often much coveted.

Jack is one such possibility. It allows for real time streaming over a secure Wi-Fi connection, eliminating the need for cables. In order to work, the Jack requires both guitar and amp. The Jack app is supposed to allow the user to connect the Jacks through any Wi-Fi enabled device. The app also allows users to record on their instrument, edit their music, and/or upload it to their Web site or social media profiles.

One downside here is that trying to run this through a phone or tablet is really going to put a drain on the battery. And normal use for your average laptop only offers about two –four hours of life without being plugged into an outlet. Nevertheless, as much of a pain in the butt as cords can be to lug to live gigs, this is actually a pretty exciting invention and seems worth checking into further. This project seeks to raise £20,000 (~$30,300) by early February. Early bird backers get one Jack for £95 (~$144).

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Music

Capo Clips make open strings ring without the hassle of tuning

One of the more difficult things to work around when chording on a guitar is those open strings. Excluding them makes for less dissonance, but it also thins the sound. Capo Clips allows the musician to cheat and use open strings for a fuller chord sound without having to retune their guitar.  The product is an alternative type of capo that clips directly over the fret (as opposed to in between) and spans two or more in spacing to create a more melodic and fuller sound. A Capo Clip is also capable of giving the guitar a more full sound even when no chord is being played, depending on which Capo Clip is being used and the placement choice on the guitar neck. The moveable rubber fretters allow for many different chords from each Capo Clip.

While the product is touted as suitable for anyone from beginner to pro, beginners may want to focus more on learning chords and proper technique than on finding ways to cheat. This campaign seeks to raise $2,500 on Kickstarter. Backers get one Capo Clip for $7 with an expected delivery in January 2015.

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The Magnet guitar camera mount tells your visual story when drilling technique

While the old adage about practice makes perfect has a certain amount of truth to it, practicing bad technique leads to bad habits, which in turn leads to limited skills and a lot of frustration trying to fix something that could have been avoided. A good teacher can help their student with technique during a lesson, but what to do in between? The Magnet guitar camera mount works with the user’s smartphone to create the perfect angle for capturing where those mistakes are happening so that they can be corrected. It adjusts to fit nearly any smartphone, and the phone can be used either upright or in landscape position.

An adaptor for the magnet allows for users to capture both their left and right hand at the same time, though two separate phones have to be used to accomplish this. Backers strapped for cash may just want to consider looking in a mirror while playing instead. This campaign seeks to raise $55,000. Early bird backers get one Magnet for $30, with an expected delivery of August 2015.

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Guitar Throne provides blended home for instrument and musician

The amount of gear that has to be packed up for a live gig can be daunting. So when a quality product comes along that allows for two or more items to be rolled into one, the average musician will sit up and take some notice. Guitar Throne blends a guitar holder and stool into one. Flip it up for the stand, and down to take a seat. There are also plenty of options: plain Baltic Burch so artists with painting and/or drawing skills can create their own graphic and perhaps use it to advertise their band at live gigs, stained model (backer chooses their preferred stain color), hardwood model (cherry, mahogany or walnut), or custom shop model for which preferred graphic and wood is chosen by the musician.

The measurements for the stool are not noted, but it is featured as a one-size-fits-most type of situation which has been field-tested. Interested backers may also want to check out the Bnd stand, Klin, and SoulPedal campaigns. This campaign seeks to raise $25,000 by December 19, 2014. For $150, backers get one Guitar Throne with the natural finish. Estimated delivery is currently set for December 2014.

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Music

Guit Stix offers a medley of tools for your guitar

Perhaps there is little that is more disappointing for a budding musician with a CD than to realize the importance of having a way to sell that CD before going to all the expense of recording. That being said, Guit Stix was created by a musician who apparently has lots of CDs to give away if backers will donate to his campaign. And just what is this product? It functions as a stand, pick holder, and tuning holder. The product appears to be wooden and rather bulky for attaching to a guitar. It doesn’t appear to be particularly sturdy. But hey, this guy should probably be given some credit for attempting to come up with a creative way of getting his CDs marketed and promoted and making some extra money off of a unique product idea. As for the pros who are interested in some useful performance gear, consider checking out the A Little Thunder campaign to add some live bass boost to that upcoming concert. This campaign seeks to raise $5000 by November 27, 2014. For $100, backers get one product to compliment that CD, and an expected delivery of January 2015.

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Guitar add-on helps novices hit chords, removes need for pain, skill

Finger FriendlyFor those who’d like to learn to play the guitar “just for fun” and only like to practice when the mood strikes them, Finger Friendly Guitar Company Keyboard may be the ideal option. Created by a guy who didn’t like dealing with pains in his fingertips and frustrated by learning which fingers go on what strings to form the chords, this gadget allows the casual player who thinks playing the guitar is a great idea, but working at it is not, a way to be the life of the party on a whim. Alas, aspiring female guitarists still won’t be able to grow out their nails. For $75 backers get one product with an expected delivery of January 2015.

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Music

Kiln keeps guitars dry when humidity is high

The Premise. Most musicians in high humidity areas know about the annoying impact that it has on their acoustic guitars. Oftentimes, central air and heat will be enough to combat this, but for those seasons when it’s not quite cool enough or hot enough to justify the increase that will be incurred when the next electric bill comes due, musicians don’t have many options available.

The Product. Kiln is something of a mini dehumidifier that fills in the gap for those in between seasons with high humidity, or those times on the road when keeping an acoustic guitar out of high humidity can be even more complicated. The item fits snuggly at the bottom of the sound hole between the strings and body, but is lined with felt so that the guitar doesn’t get scratched. When the gadget is turned on, it gradually heats the soundbox so that the air will absorb the moisture. Through the principle of convection, the moist air gets replaced with dry air to reduce bowing and issues with strings going out of tune.

The Pitch. The video for the $155,000 campaign gives some great clarity to the problem that comes with owning an acoustic guitar and living in a high humidity area. The demonstration of how the product works makes it appear simple to use, and the detailed description of why it will be effective is presented in a way that is easy to understand.

The Perks. There are 11 tiers from which a backer may choose. Early bird backers can get one product for $182 if they respond by June 1, 2014. This is 33 percent off of retail.

The Potential. The idea seems great, but the process takes eight hours to complete. So a musician needs to be thinking ahead where their gigs are concerned. The built-in safety features of temperature sensors and operation timers should give acoustic guitar owners piece of mind about using the product overnight, or being able to run a few errands while the process of dehumidifying is taking place.