Music Gear

News, reviews and articles about musical gear and accessories.

Mighty Bright Orchestra Stand Light review – A musician’s gadget!

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REVIEW – Musicians need gadgets too! Regardless of the instrument, there is always niche gear, tips, and ways that musicians have come up with to improve their music in one way or another. Today’s review, the Mighty Bright Orchestra Light, is a handy solution to help you see your sheet music in dark or dim […]

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Synido TempoPAD Z-1 MIDI Controller Beat Maker review – more pads equals more fun

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REVIEW – I recently reviewed the Synido MIDI Keyboard Controller Beat Maker Machine and the Synido TempoPAD P16 Portable Beat Pad and have thoroughly enjoyed noodling around and making music with both tools since those reviews. Out of the blue, Synido reached out wondering if I’d like to check out their new Synido TempoPAD Z-1

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Synido TempoPAD P16 Portable Beat Pad review – a great little beat pad controller

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REVIEW – Thanks to various Gadgeteer reviews I’ve been amassing the various pieces I’ll need to make my DJ debut during my midlife crisis. I haven’t picked a DJ name yet, but I’ve definitely enjoyed noodling around with the Synido MIDI Keyboard Controller since I reviewed it a few months ago. When Synido asked if

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Spark LINK wireless guitar system review – Freedom to move!

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REVIEW – Cable can be one of the most annoying things to manage as a musician and when the opportunity came up to check out the Spark Link Wireless Guitar system I wanted to see how it performed. What is it? The Spark Link Wireless Guitar System consists of two small wireless devices the size

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Synido MIDI Keyboard Controller Beat Maker Machine review – a great compact MIDI keyboard and keypad

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REVIEW – Like many middle-class American kids, I was forced to learn piano growing up. Even though I hated this at first, I eventually came around and also elected to play in the school band, and have loved to learn and play new instruments ever since. I mostly noodle around randomly and make up things

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If you got a guitar for Christmas, check out these picks!

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NEWS – Did you get a guitar as a holiday gift this year? If so, you’ll probably want some guitar picks and I think these picks from Bog Street are worth looking at for their unique features. As you can see, the picks have a hole in the center as well as specially engineered contoured

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EASINE piano lamp with metronome review – shining the light and bringing the beats

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REVIEW – Tickling the ivories is a skill that I do not possess.  My lovely wife, however, has the ability, therefore, we have a piano.  One thing that is crucial for playing is decent lighting, both on the keyboard as well as on the sheet music.  The light needs to do its job without blinding

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Improve your guitar playing skills without even making a sound

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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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Positive Grid Spark mini battery-powered amplifier review

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REVIEW – Guitarists of all types want an amp at some point. Acoustic players want to be heard above the other instruments or voices they may be playing with. Electric players want to just hear the actual sounds, but also usually want to add some effects to the bare sound, which, until the age of

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Brennan B2 CD Ripper and Hard disk Jukebox review – all your high resolution digital music in one place

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REVIEW – Do you still own CDs—like, a lot of CDs? I do. I own between 300-400 compact discs. And even though I now stream most of my music—I’m stubborn and not willing to give up music I physically own. I’m not parting with my CDs.  So, if you own a bunch of CDs and

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Donner DBA-1 15W Bass Guitar Amplifier review – Big sound in a little package

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REVIEW – One of the many hobbies I picked up during my pandemic downtime is the bass guitar. I’ve played guitar since I was a kid but was always a bit intimidated by the bass. Having been in the same band for about twenty years now (insert shameless Spotify plug here) I’d frequently pick up

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Victrola Revolution GO portable rechargeable Bluetooth record player review

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REVIEW – Victrola joins the ranks of “Worlds Firsts” again by injecting their deep history with vinyl into a 21st century device: the Revolution GO Portable Rechargeable Record Player. Let’s give it a turn! What is it? The Victrola Revolution GO is a portable, rechargeable battery powered record player, capable of playing all manner of

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

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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

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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

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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!

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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

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

Roadie 3 automatic instrument tuner review – Tightens and loosens strings for you

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REVIEW – When you play stringed instruments, you spend a lot of time tuning their strings before you can even start making music with them. I’m all about efficiency and saving time, so is there a way to make tuning stringed instruments faster and more accurate than using a pitch pipe (do people really use

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