Best Of “Gear” ’08
It has been another year of interesting and exciting new products and gadgets in the world of “Gear.” Here’s our list of 2008’s best.
APPLE
MacBook Air
(Feb) Mac fanatics have been anticipating a sub notebook that would match the specs of mini-notebook laptops from PC makers Sony, Fujitsu, and Toshiba. They were rewarded in April when Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the MacBook Air, a 13.3-inch LED-backlit widescreen laptop that weighs three pounds and is about 3/4-inches thick. Early adopters will pay a premium for this “wedgie computer” – retail prices range from $1,800 to $3,200. Being the first on your block will get you an 80 GB flash drive, one USB 2.0 slot, Micro-DVI (for an external display), and a headphone jack as well as an exclusive mini-sized 1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. The MacBook Air also offers 802.11n-based wireless networking support and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR. One of many caveats is there is no CD or DVD drive included. Apple engineers rightfully point out the MacBook Air is not a traditional laptop – it’s meant to be an ultra portable communication device, hence, they ditched all peripherals that add extra weight to a laptop computer. Apple’s fancy new “Remote Disk” hard drive lets you borrow another hard drive wirelessly to download CD/DVD software to the MacBook Air. Included is Mac OS X Leopard, iTunes, iPhoto, and other useful productivity tools. Visit www.apple.com for more details.
ION
TTUSB Turntable
(Sep) If you plan to purchase a turntable to play records several hours a week, you could find better models in the Technics, Sony, or Stanton lines. But if you’re looking to convert your vinyl to digital, Ion, one of the early pioneers of USB turntables, should be at the top of your list. The TTUSB allows users to convert vinyl collections directly to CD or MP3 with its onboard EZ Vinyl Converter 2 (PC) and EZ Audio Converter (Mac) recording software. Features include a free download Gracenote MusicID, which analyzes your vinyl songlist and automatically retrieves album, artist, and song information from iTunes as well as edits and cleans your converted tracks. The TTUSB also includes a switchable phono/line level output for connecting to any home stereo with an AUX input. The turntable retails at $149; visit Ion-audio.com for more details.
HUTCHINS
Brian Jones Signature Guitar
(Nov) Taking the blueprint from The Rolling Stones’ Brian Jones‘ mid-’60s teardrop guitar (one of the most unique guitar designs of all time), the British-made Hutchins Brian Jones Signature Series is available now in the United States. The guitar features a bolt-on neck, two Entwistle single-coil pickups, a premium basswood body, rosewood fretboard, and a British-tweed signature hardshell case. An authentic Jones signature is on the pickguard and headstock. The guitar is available in a vintage white finish and is a must for Rolling Stones fans with an extra $1,200 in their pockets; that includes the hard case. See the piece at www.hutchinsguitars.com.
VOX
Satchurator Guitar Pedal
(May) British amp and pedal company Vox and Joe Satriani recently unveiled the Satchurator, their first pedal in a series. Designed to the virtuoso’s exact specifications, this analog distortion pedal was a year in the making with Vox’s aim to make a hybrid of vintage guitar-pedal tone with modern-day specs. The Satchurator can achieve high gain levels but still operates more quietly than other modern distortion pedals. It mirrors Satriani’s own dynamic style and enhances blues tones, classic rock, and shred. List price is $160; visit www.vox amps.co.uk to take a closer look.
HOHNER
Bob Dylan Signature Series
(Oct) Hohner company and Bob Dylan announced the Bob Dylan Collection of hand-signed, limited-edition harmonicas celebrating the dual legacies of both the musician and the company. These very-limited sets are true collectors’ items that none of us reading (or writing) this column will ever own, but it’s still fun to pretend. The first series consists of a complete set of seven Marine Band harmonicas in the natural keys of C, G, D, F, A, B, and E that have been played and signed by Dylan. The harmonicas are displayed in a Dylan-approved, inlaid ebony box that includes a letter of authenticity from Hohner, Inc. President Clayman Edwards. This set is limited to 25 worldwide. Get all the details at www.hohnerusa.com/bobdylan.html.
– David Gedge
