Musical Instruments

It never hurts to model a new guitar offering after a classic played by one of the instrument’s greatest heroes. And so it is with Fender’s new Hendrix Stratocaster. Based on the guitar used by the game changing innovator of the six-string, this may just be the Fender you’ve always been waiting for.

Yamaha has evolved their near-field monitor line through the years—beginning with the “industry standard” NS10’s back in the 1980’s and arriving at the latest HS series today. The HS5’s are small, but they pack a lot of performance and value into their diminutive size. I had the chance to put them through their paces in my studio for a few days and found them to be a small dark horse that defied my expectations.

The Yamaha FG720S dreadnaught style acoustic guitar and the APX500III electric acoustic feel, play, and sound like guitars well above their price points. In this blog I look at and play both of these guitars that prove cheap pricing doesn’t mean cheap craftsmanship or cheap sound.

The Fender booth was a treat for us. Why wouldn’t anyone like strolling through a large room full of iconic guitars, basses and amps.    There are some new things from Fender that will please both their established clientelle as well as their new ones. We got treated to a look at a few of the treats that Fender has in store for Strat lovers.  

Saturday was a-buzz with artist endorsement and demonstrations. That came with the obvious lines and crowds huddled around the booths to the displeasure of convention centre security. NAMM sometimes becomes a game of “Do I know him/her?”.

Give the musician in your life the ability to perform, or the ability to record their performances with these suggestions.

Keyboards offer plenty of possibilities for recording. This guide will help you understand all the different methods.

2015 is a very exciting year in the guitar geek and gear-head musical community: Fender announced at NAMM 2015 that it will be releasing extremely limited editions of unique-looking and unique-sounding electric guitars.  And the “best” news? Best Buy will carry some of those beauties! Let’s take a closer look.

Boss answers the boutique pedal manufacturers by releasing 2 new (old) pedals under their WAZA Craft branding that retain their original analogue warmth while adding some nifty new features. The Boss DM-2W Delay and the Boss SD-1W Super Overdrive are re-imagined for the modern guitarist. In this blog I will talk about their hallowed predecessors, compare them to this new iteration, and put them through their paces to see how kind time has been.

In the crowded market of digital pianos, it’s hard to stand out. The Casio PX-760 seems to accomplish just that feat with a feature-rich package that impresses but at the same time, doesn’t intimidate.