GEAR ROUNDUP
String ProTech Fretboard Covers Dead Ringer Rubber Bridges
Armor Gold Guitar Cable
Every kind of string for all types of instruments has increased in price since the Pandemic. But, as we all know, fresh strings sound fuller, brighter, stay in tune more and just look better on our guitars too. String ProTech is the first of its kind lab tested and proven to extend the life of your guitar strings. The concept is simple but genius the String ProTech device is a non-intrusive plastic shield that slides over your strings and fretboard. Next to your strings is a moisture wicking fabric that also protects the strings from oxidation, humidity, finger oils and acids. When you aren’ t playing your guitar just slide the Guitar String Protection Case over the fretboard and your covered. String ProTech offers customizable stickers with major music groups and artists to apply to the top of the protective case. You can also create your own custom design with your name, church, Praise team name your favorite band or a meaningful bible verse. Currently the String ProTech Guitar String Protection Cases are only available for electric guitars, although I did test them on f-hole guitars and small acoustics and they worked on those also. Priced at $ 59.99 each if you can triple or quadruple the life of your guitar strings then it has paid for itself. Also, the String ProTech adds some personality to your favorite guitars in studio or on stage. More models will be launching in the future to protect your other stringed instruments! www. stringprotech. com
Thanks to Dead Ringer rubber bridges we can all achieve the rubber bridge sound without permanently altering our guitars. Based outside of Nashville, TN Dead Ringer has become very popular with their innovative foam bridges that slide underneath your strings next to the bridge dampening the sound without damaging a guitar permanently. To achieve the correct Dead Ringer rubber bridge height, first text out the Dead Ringer rubber bridge color of your choice under the strings. If it does not fully touch the guitar strings, then add the included foam add-on strips to the back of the Dead Ringer rubber bridge. For my Martin D18 it required two foam add-on strips, but it will depend on the action of your guitar. For singers, songwriters and performers the Dead Ringer Rubber Bridges are ideal since you can add or remove per song, and they won’ t damage the top of your acoustic guitar. Dead Ringer Rubber Bridges are offered in a single bridge($ 20), 2-pack($ 35) and 3-Pack($ 50). The best deal, in my opinion, is the Full Collection Bundle that provides all three colors of Dead Ringer rubber bridges, a protective metal carry case, picks and stickers for $ 55. You might want to purchase an extra set of foam add-on strings, and they are only $ 3 for 6 strips. True story I bought a rubber jewelers block that I was going carve up into rubber bridges( badly) until I found Dead Ringer rubber bridges. You probably won’ t want to apply the Dead Ringer rubber bridge for every song or performance but the tonal change that provide does deliver its own brand of inspiration. Try these out for yourself! I will maintain at least one of my guitars with a Dead Ringer rubber bridge on it. www. deadringerbridge. com
For all of the reviews in this Worship Musician magazine roundup I used the Armor Gold Cable. I had never heard of this company before until Casey James came on my TV show and was discussing them, so I reached out. The company was originally established in 2005 by guitar guru Joe Naylor. Armor Gold makes a variety of cables but for this review we received one of their Pro Instrument cables featuring one straight ¼” male adapter and a right-angle adapter. Here are some of the cool features Amor Gold prints the length of the cable on both ends of the heat shrink sleeves, the model tested was 10’. They offer gold or black cables, but the gold feels and looks premium. You can choose lengths from 5’ up to 25’ and they offer a wide variety of plugs including silent ones. The cable itself is wrapped in aircraft industrial polymer mesh, with Neutrik plugs and double layered heat shrink on each end. The Armor Gold cable that we tested had the silent end on the straight ¼” plug and standard 1 / 4” for the right angle. I prefer the silent ¼” for changing out instruments with no noise for the audience or soundman when playing multiple instruments in the Praise team. For optimal tone Armor Gold cables are dialed in at 33pf per foot and are made in the USA with 95 % spiral copper shielding. Prices range from 39.95 to $ 122.95 or as texted with the straight silent Neutrik ¼” $ 68.95. The sound quality is clean and full, with no artifacts or loss or low end or high end. They offer XLR and patch cables too! The cable feels like quality when you hold it and the sound delivery, and lack of noise were outstanding. If you have been unsatisfied with other high-end instrument cables in the past, I suggest you give Armor Gold a try. They are a family-owned company, making great music products and a rockin’ logo. www. armorgoldcables. com
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