The Hammer Jammer is a picking mechanism that hammers on the strings to give you a unique percussive sound.
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This unique contraption lets you hammer the strings separately by tapping on a moving mechanism, providing a unique way of playing the familiar instrument that is the guitar.
A film composer designed this picking mechanism in response to a need for a percussive guitar sound. They took inspiration from the piano key and hammer design, miniaturized it and made it work specifically for guitars.
Using the device is quite straightforward, you simply tap on the six curved “keys” which instantaneously pushes a hammer to tap the strings of your guitar. The result is a “slap” sound that you can better control, and it lets you slap all the string of your guitar simultaneously while taking into consideration attack, speed and dynamics.
Because of this unique design, you will have to develop a different technique that will make your right hand behave as if it is playing a piano. However, I learning to use the Hammer Jammer will not take too long, and it can also be a great tool to make playing the guitar more easier for beginners!
What makes it interesting is that it discretely installs to both electric and acoustic guitars without having to do any modifications. Setup is said to be quick and easy, which makes it a useful alternative “pick” for players that are looking for a fresh new approach to their playing and sound. The obvious applications are for adding sonic textures
Unfortunately not much detail is provided by the manufacturer, but the demo videos have shown that the device works really well. At first glance, I wasn’t expecting much dynamics, but I was surprised to see it being fast and responsive to right hand technique nuances.
Check out the Hammer Jammer in action in this demo video from Big Walnut Productions:
The Hammer Jammer is currently being sold online for $30, which means many will be able to afford it. It will be interesting to see the many sonic palettes that guitarists will be able to come up. You can buy the Hammer Jammer at Big Walnut Productions.
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