Musical instruments

Vangoa VBU-20 Banjolele review – a whole bunch of fun at a great price!

REVIEW – You read that right! A banjolele is exactly what it sounds like: the love child of a ukulele and a banjo. The Vangoa VBU-20 Banjolele is designed to be an entry-level instrument that you can learn on without spending a whole bunch of cash. In my opinion, it accomplishes that mission. To the …

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Vangoa 23 inch mahogany concert ukulele bundle (VU403) review – bringing a little Hawaii home

REVIEW – Whenever I hear the ukulele, I’m transported back to my childhood and seeing Tiny Tim playing and singing “Tiptoe Through the Tulips”.  If you’re too young, a quick search will take you to it.  Yes, that can scar someone for life.  But since then, there have been plenty of terrific ukulele performances, including …

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Improve your guitar playing skills without even making a sound

NEWS – Fretting notes and chords on the fingerboard is the most important skill when it comes to playing the guitar. Without that skill, you won’t be able to play your favorite songs. Practicing with an actual guitar is obviously the best way to improve your playing but for those times when it’s not convenient …

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Artiphon Orba review – Create music without knowing how to read music

REVIEW – A couple of months ago, I reviewed the Artiphon INSTRUMENT 1 and now I’m back with another musical instrument from Artiphon. I enjoyed testing the INSTRUMENT 1 but found that it was more than I needed in a music-making device. Lucky for me, Artiphon makes another device that is much smaller and has …

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Artiphon INSTRUMENT 1 MIDI controller review – It’s a whole band crammed into a ukulele sized instrument

REVIEW – When I was very young, I discovered the music books that my mom had used when she took piano lessons as a child. I used those books along with very minimal help to teach myself to play a few songs on the Baldwin piano that we had in our living room. I later …

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Acoustik Attak review – Technical guitar picks that add unique qualities to your sound

REVIEW – Guitar news typically focuses on the artists themselves (and why shouldn’t it) or the core equipment (guitars, amps, strings, pedals). However, there is an unsung component that rarely gets mentioned… the guitar pick. It could be that it’s just taken for granted, relegated to band merchandising or that everyone assumes a pick is …

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Fender Mustang Micro guitar amp review – Your guitar’s new best friend

REVIEW – Learning to play guitar, and getting to a point where others might want to listen, can be a very large gap. Even when you sound really good, the required repetition to nail a lick can take a toll on anyone listening. Headphones have long been a great solution for this, but without good …

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Jamstack 2 – Does your amp mount on your guitar? This one does!

NEWS – If you’re a guitar player then you know that it’s hard to compete with the feel and sound of plugging into and playing through a good amp. Maybe you don’t have room for a 2x cabinet amp, or perhaps just want to minimize your gear. You might want to check out the Jamstack …

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Fender Fullerton Stratocaster ukulele review

REVIEW – My 12-year daughter has been teaching herself to play a basic entry-level ukulele that was given to her by a friend.  She has been dedicated to learning and we had been discussing purchasing her lessons and a better quality uke.  So, when the opportunity to try out the Fender Fullerton Stratocaster Ukulele presented itself, …

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Fender Play review and a Player Series Firemist Gold Mustang® too!

REVIEW – What’s something on your bucket list that you can tackle without traveling? What’s that? You said you’d learn to play guitar, bass or ukulele? Well, Fender’s Play app can help you cross that one off in whatever time increments you can devote. Fender was gracious enough to not only give us access to …

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AeroBand PocketDrum wireless drumsticks review

REVIEW – Have you always marched to your own beat?  Are you intrigued by the idea of being a rockstar drummer, but for any of various reasons (space limitations, too-close neighbors, non-understanding spouse), setting up the skins just isn’t in the cards?  AreoBand might have the answer you’re looking for with their new PocketDrum wireless …

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Senstroke electronic drum set review

REVIEW – Senstroke connected drumsticks lets drummers play, record and learn from anywhere. What is it? These drumsticks have sensors that allow you to rock out, even during a global pandemic and quarantine. Using the Senstroke app and your connected device, you can customize your virtual drum kit. There are even foot pedal sensors to …

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Orangewood Guitars Harper Concert Acacia Ukulele review

REVIEW – If you’ve ever wanted to learn to play an instrument but were intimidated with all the keys on a piano or guitars with 6 strings, you should consider trying a ukulele. They are easy to learn, don’t take up a lot of room (unless you get addicted and start collecting them), and they …

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