Randy Wood describes himself as “old fashioned” as we sit in his workroom in Bloomingdale, Georgia, only minutes down the road from historic Savannah. On the walls hang unfinished instruments and seasoned tools. Each work station is stocked with carpenter’s glue, a sanding stone and a variety of utensils for crafting or restoration. He cradles [...]

  Eastman E10D Acoustic Dreadnought MSRP: $1,250 Eastman certainly isn’t as well-known a name among guitar players as legends like Martin or Gibson, even though the company offers a pretty impressive line of both acoustic and electric guitars. We checked out one of the company’s E10D flattops and were pleasantly surprised, if not almost shocked. [...]

(Photos: Cody York) Cloud Cult’s ringleader Craig Minowa opens the gaping door of his three-car garage in rural Wisconsin. High bluffs of an inactive rock quarry rise in the distance. Trees sprout from the clifftops. Hawks and eagles swoop from the sky. The night before, a wolf standing on the ridgeline watched Cloud Cult’s six [...]

NAMM 2013 wraps up today and signs of that are everywhere. At the Hilton that adjoins the convention center the stage was torn down at breakfast time. Some of the vendors have begun packing up to make a quick getaway at closing time. And blurry eyes are everywhere after tiring non-stop dealing and late-night extra-curricular [...]

NAMM 2013 wraps up today and signs of that are everywhere.  At the Hilton that adjoins the convention center the stage was torn down at breakfast time.  Some of the vendors have begun packing up to make a quick getaway at closing time.  And blurry eyes are everywhere after a tiring non-stop dealing and late-night [...]

Saturday continues on with all the hustle and bustle one might wish for…if your idea of a good time is loud noises, crowded walkways, star gazing and circus freak shows.  There was certainly some fun things happening on the floor with jaw-dropping talent demos of gear and rock stars in full regalia.  And the gear [...]

It was another cloudy day with showers in So. Cal this morning as NAMM kicked into second gear.  The general mood was spirited despite the weather, which also had bouts of sunny optimism…and, it was easy to find some gear that could put a smile on your face. Tomorrow we’ll spotlight some of the wacky, [...]

The annual musical instrument trade show, commonly know as NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants), convened to day in Anaheim, California.  Manufactures and retailers from all over the world descended upon the usually sunny resort town (Disneyland is next door to the Convention Center) to find cloudy, rain skies that are forecast to last the [...]

APOGEE QUARTET www.apogeedigital.com (MSRP $1,295) Are you a performing songwriter and Apple devotee looking to upgrade your recording setup? Perhaps you have a one or two input recording interface and would like to capture your duo or band in a more organic live setting? Or maybe you simply have outdated gear. If so, make the [...]

  The Gibson J-45 is a legendary acoustic guitar that has been one of Gibson’s biggest sellers since it was introduced seven decades ago, and is right up there with older Martins and Guilds as one of the most significant acoustics in history. J-45s have been played by John Lennon, James Taylor, Jeff Tweedy, John [...]

Things just got easier for the touring singer-songwriter. Earlier this week, Mackie unveiled a new line of ultra-compact, powered loudspeakers – the DLM Series – which are 1/3 smaller in size than anything in its class. (Click here to watch a video demonstration.) Additionally, the speakers boast 2000 watts of power, proprietary Mackie TruSource™ technology [...]

Looking to pimp out your band? Act now and you can own some exotic gear that once belonged to The Low Anthem. The multi-instrumentalist Providence, Rhode Island “folk band turned hoarder collective” have put up a few of their prized possessions on Craigslist. Among the spoils are a 19th century melodeon, a Fender tube amp [...]