My Musical Picks

Takamine Acoustic Electric Guitars under $500 Reviewed: Japanese 6-Stringed Delights

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Takamine has produced acoustic electric guitars in Japan since the 1960s. Their instruments are still highly regarded today. I’ll take a look at those models that you can normally get for under $500 in this review.

Takamine (pronounced, ta-ka-mee-nay) makes a wide range of guitars, but here we’ll concentrate on just their best acoustic electric guitars for less than $500. (I’ll cover some of the higher priced instruments in another article.)

If you are pressed for time and just want to check out the pricing and availability of the Takamine guitars in this review at Amazon, you can click the links in the list below. I know this list is longer than it should be for an article like this, but there are so many options in this price range that I just couldn’t decide which ones to leave out. Continue reading “Takamine Acoustic Electric Guitars under $500 Reviewed: Japanese 6-Stringed Delights”

Simmons Electronic Drum Sets: Can You Hear Me Now?

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Many drummers love the Simmons electronic drum sets because they realize you get what you pay for. However, many others are generally disappointed with what Simmons has been producing lately.

In this article, I’ll take a brief look at the various kits from Simmons. I’ll try to point out what it is that owners like and don’t like so you can judge for yourself whether a Simmons drum kit is for you or not. Continue reading “Simmons Electronic Drum Sets: Can You Hear Me Now?”

2Box DrumIt Five Electronic Drum Set Review: One Trick Pony?

2Box DrumIt Five electronic drum kit — 2Box DrumIt Five

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2Box is the Swedish manufacturer of the DrumIt Five electronic drum set. They really only have the one product (as of this writing) available in the US. They have developed a universal sound module called the DrumIt Three, but that is currently only available in Europe.

The DrumIt Five was highly anticipated before it debuted several years ago. The kit seems to have lived up to the hype, as many users today rate it very highly. It’s just unfortunate that it took much longer than expected to arrive and that no other products are yet available.

That said, in this review we’ll take a look at what the DrumIt Five is all about so you can see if it’s a kit that matches your needs. Continue reading “2Box DrumIt Five Electronic Drum Set Review: One Trick Pony?”

NFUZD NSPIRE Electronic Drum Packs Review: Lids for Your Heads

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You say you already have an acoustic drum set you really love, but you sure could use an electronic kit once in a while? Take a good look at the NFUZD NSPIRE line of electronic drum packs.

The NSPIRE “kits” are (to date) unique in the drumming world. They are something akin to slipcovers or lids for your acoustic set. They are electronic pads that you slide onto the heads of your acoustic drums and over your metal cymbals so you can play them with all the goodies that an electronic kit affords.

In this review, I’ll take a look at three of the NFUZD “packs” as they’re called – the Rock, the Standard, and the Pro. Continue reading “NFUZD NSPIRE Electronic Drum Packs Review: Lids for Your Heads”

KAT Electronic Drum Kits Review: Is the White Look for You?

KAT (I’m not sure where the apparent acronym comes from) makes four basic drum kits, known simply as the KT1, KT2, KT3, and KT4. What makes the KAT electronic drum kits stand out from the crowd is that they are all basically white.

Sure, there’s a little gray and black here and there, and the KT3 has some bright red accents, but the drum pads themselves are all white.

That’s rather refreshing. But is white your best color? Does that matter? Continue reading “KAT Electronic Drum Kits Review: Is the White Look for You?”

Pearl ePro Live Electronic Drum Kit Review: Are the Real Wood Shells Worth It?

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Pearl has long been known for top notch acoustic drums. With the Pearl ePro Live electronic drum kit, they entered the electronic world of drumming several years ago.

The chief distinguishing feature of the ePro Live, which comes in two variations, is the real wood shells used for the drums. You can swap out the electronic pads for acoustic heads and play them as an acoustic kit.

Would you want to do that? Is the ePro Live worth getting for that reason and just because it has wood shells? Continue reading “Pearl ePro Live Electronic Drum Kit Review: Are the Real Wood Shells Worth It?”

Roland TD-30K and TD-50K Review: Best Electronic Drum Kits

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The Roland TD-30K and the Roland TD-50K (and their near relatives the TD-30KV and the TD-50KV) are arguably the best electronic drum kits in the market today.

If you need top notch equipment and sounds, you will want to check out these V-Pro flagship sets from Roland.

I’ll take a look in this article at each of these four sets and compare them so you can decide which one is best for the money in your situation. Continue reading “Roland TD-30K and TD-50K Review: Best Electronic Drum Kits”

Roland TD-25K Electronic Drum Set Review: Near the Top of the Line

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You say you want a top of the line electronic drum set from Roland but can’t swing the price tag?

Check out the Roland TD-25K which Roland says has an “advanced SuperNATURAL sound engine based on the flagship TD-30” and the “sound quality and expressiveness equivalent to the top-of-the-line V-Drums.” Continue reading “Roland TD-25K Electronic Drum Set Review: Near the Top of the Line”

Roland TD-11K Electronic Drum Set Review: Best Compact Kit?

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While not as small as the TD-4KP, the Roland TD-11K electronic drum set is considered a compact kit. If a compact drum set is what you need due to a limited amount of available space, you should check out this kit.

In this review, I’ll look at the TD-11K in some detail and compare it to the TD-15K which is in many ways very similar. Continue reading “Roland TD-11K Electronic Drum Set Review: Best Compact Kit?”

Roland V-Drums Overview and Review: The Best Electronic Drums Available?

If you’re in the market for a really, really good set of electronic drums, you simply must check out the kits that Roland offers. Many drummers consider these to be the best electronic drum kits available today, especially if the set includes mesh drum heads.

But I’m getting ahead of myself just a little.

What I’m going to do in this article is introduce you to the 6 basic kits that Roland manufactures today. You may see older kits still available online or in a store, but these are the models that Roland touts on their website as of this writing. Continue reading “Roland V-Drums Overview and Review: The Best Electronic Drums Available?”