2014 Holiday Buying Guide

Full lines of electric guitars, racks of blinking new effects pedals, and walls full of shiny cymbals? Check. Now it's time to look into stocking up on products you might have missed out on earlier in the year. While most of the country is just settling into some cooler fall weather and new school schedules, retailers nationwide know it's already time to start gearing up for the holidays. For this upcoming season, MMR has combed through this year's releases for a few key products that could lead to some sure turns and cash register magic.

We've broken down some of the year's important gift items into price categories to make it easy for you to make sure you've got your shelves stocked with attractive goods at every price point.

UNDER $25

Helping your musician customers replenish supplies is a safe place to start, meaning picks, strings, and drum sticks are always in play. Vic Firth's SHO¯GUN(tm) (MSRP: $19.95) sticks feature the designs of the ever-popular American Classic(r) 5A and 5B – the hardness of the wood tip in oak should make for bright cymbals and intricate ride definition.

New for Dean Markley this year are the pure nickel guitar strings in their Helix line ($18.99). Helix strings are made with a new patented hyper-elliptical winding technique, creating a tighter wrap, more mass, warmer tone, and extended life.

Meanwhile, restocking or upgrading an instrument care kit is never a bad idea. On-Stage Gear's GK7000 Universal Guitar Care Kit (list $16.99/MAP $9.99) includes is a good holiday or all-year add-on sale and includes two soft microfiber cleaning cloths, one 4oz bottle of eco-friendly guitar polish, a standard peg winder, and three celluloid picks (thin, medium, and heavy).

And for real winter holiday spirit, AIM Gifts Winter Ware line offers a large selection of musically themed scarves, knit hats, and gloves, all for under $25.

For those shopping for woodwind players, Vandoren's Jazz Reed Mix ($18.99 to $59.99, depending on instrument) represent an attractive option: available for soprano, alto, tenor, or baritone sax, these sets offer one of each jazz reed Vandoren makes.

On-Stage Stands is now offering the Mighty UKE Stand (List $29.99/MAP $17.95). The A-Frame design of the lightweight Mighty UKE ensures stability while the entire stand folds up, making it compact and portable.

UNDER $50

A smart retailer would never underestimate the value of good-looking apparel during the holiday season. Zildjian recently introduced its Fall 2014 Apparel Collection to its Z Gear line ($21.95-$49.95). Featuring soft, high-quality t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, and hats, Zildjian has added all-new designs inspired by the iconic "Vented K" logo, vintage family photography, and more.

In the woodwind world, Légère Reeds has added two new members to its Signature Family of reeds ($39.39). The new BH Bass Clarinet Signature and the Baritone Saxophone Signature reed are designed for heightened responsive and to have a depth and color not found in other synthetic reeds. As with other Legere reeds, these play right out of the box and do not need pre-moistening.

Popular with teachers in the B&O segment, the colorful and animal-shaped Things 4 Strings(r) accessories shape and stabilize the fingers of the right hand, instantly moving beginning players to a flexible, functional bow hold. Products include Bow Hold Buddies(r) for violin/viola, CelloPhant(r) for cello/(French-style bow) bass ($29.95).

Another solid holiday buy is always guitar straps. Henry Heller's new Matador series (MSRP $49.95/MAP $39.95) straps are A 2.5" wide that taper to a 2" with a metal tri-glide adjustable. The Matador straps are available in many South American Inca designs as well as black and blue denim.

If there's nothing else you've learned over the last several years, you probably know that ukes are the little engine that could. Solid offerings this year include Amahi's UK Series (MAP: $49), which feature all-Mahogany bodies, Aquila strings, and an optional 10mm padded gig bag for an additional $7.00. Their DDUK (or "D Ducks") ($39) are soprano size with matching bag and come in eight distinct colorful designs.

And finally, it wouldn't be the holidays without songbooks. Alfred Music's new The Christmas Songbook ($29.99) is a hardcover compilation of more than 100 traditional and popular songs for guitar, printed in lead sheet format. It includes an eight-page color insert, an accompanying CD featuring performances of the 12 guitar instrumentals, and more. as well as access to printable lyric sheets for every song in the book.

UNDER $100

As tablet devices continue to take over more aspects of our lives – media consumption, fitness, and an increasing amount of our music making activities – products like On-Stage's u-mount's Snap-On Covers ($54.99 – $69.99) are becoming more and more useful.

These units utilize a tough protective Snap-On back cover to secure the tablet to a choice of mounting systems.

Kala Brand Music's Makala Shark ukes ($62.99), have debuted in six classic colors matched to emulate 1950s classic cars that will include vintage shades of white, blue, pink, yellow, red, black, and green. The Shark bridge ukes are available in the soprano size and are the same body design as the Makala Dolphins.

For drummers, accessories are often the way to go during the holidays (plus the gift-giver doesn't have to worry about hearing any actual drumming after the present is opened). Sabian's Stick Flip ($60) is a great choice here.

It starts out as a drumstick bag, then unzips, flips, and morphs into a drumstick holder. When in stand formation, it sits firmly on the floor. Folded up, the low profile bag provides a lightweight and secure way to transport drumsticks.

For retailers with DIY guitarists in their customer ranks, something like the Yellow Jackets(r) NOS Tube Converter ($86) would be an option here. This is a limited edition converter made for use in most amplifiers under 100 watts and using 6L6, EL34, 7027 or 6V6 output tubes. The converter lowers the overall power in an amplifier to give it unique vintage tone. This NOS Yellow Jacket(r) is designed with an NOS 6AQ5 seven-pin miniature beam power tube, which is included with the converter.

Finally, woodwind departments might check the new Rovner(tm) Rectangular Bore Clarinet Barrel ($99) designed to improve intonation and offer an increased clarity of throat tones and tonal dimension, more even scales, better articulation, and improved altissimo response. Players adjust the barrel to suit their needs, instead of struggling to make the adjustments  themselves.

UNDER $250

A product making waves this fall throughout the guitar market, Fishman's single coil Fluence pickups ($142.79 List and $109.95 Street) offer a new take on a whole range of magnetic pickup tones based on some of the classics and reflect years of research for improved consistency.

This price point also offers another level of ukulele quality, including Amahi Snail Ukuleles (MAP: $159), with exotic woods, book-matched top and bottoms, and a second soundhole on the side that allows the player to better hear the music. These also feature gold, die-cast tuners.

Back in the drummer's accessory pile, we find Drumfire's DHB6500 Drum Hardware Bag w/Trolley (List $180.99  MAP $109.95) which can handle all the hardware from a standard five-piece kit. Up to eight stands or mounts fit into its large foam-lined main compartment, outfitted with tethered dual oversized zippers and a span of hook-and-loop closure to secure the main compartment.

In the realm of affordable recording gear is the new PreSonus AudioBox(tm) iOne 2×2 USB/iPad Recording System (iOne MAP: $129, iTwo: $159.95). This portable audio interface for Mac(r), PC, and iPad(r) features one mic input and one instrument input, offering the ability to record anywhere. With a high-performance Class A mic preamplifier, balanced TRS monitor outputs, and professional-quality, 24-bit/96 kHz converters, it's an impressive miniature studio tool.

If you know you've got customers looking for premium gifts, there's no harm in investing in bigger ticket items. For woodwind players looking to get more involved in their own reeds, Vandoren's new line of high-precision reed trimmers ($249.99) for clarinet and alto saxophone make an interesting option.

The new trimmer is the first to exactly replicate the tip contours of various reed cuts designed by Vandoren.

GOING BIG

Effects pedal observers may have already noticed the radical new Electro-Harmonix B9 Organ Machine ($293.73), but for those who haven't – this pedal takes guitar signal (or any other instrument signal) and transforms it into a variety of vintage organ tones, complete with harmonic Click sounds and modulation speed control.

A novel new approach to the uke fad includes Kala's new hybrid instrument, the Guitarlele ($429.99). This six stringed instrument is tuned to A-D-G-C-E-A and projects a bright full tone. A solid spruce top and Koa back and sides match its mahogany binding and rosette, slotted headstock with Koa cap, Grover Tuners, rosewood fingerboard, and satin finish.

Meanwhile, Cort Guitars is offering a new instrument in its "MR Series" of acoustic guitars -the MR600F ($425). The new model is outfitted with the Fishman Isys Plus preamp and Sonicore pickup and features a dreadnought body with a Venetian with mahogany back and sides. The body is topped with a solid spruce top and advanced scalloped X bracing for overall performance. The 25.3" mahogany neck features the traditional three on three headstock, rosewood fretboard, and dot inlays.

KRK Systems' new ROKIT Generation 3 Studio Monitor Series (ROKIT G3) ($250-$419) are available with 5", 6", or 8" drivers for these two-way active monitors which feature lightweight yellow composite woofers with a unique tuning process treats the woofer, cabinet and port as a single, integrated whole. The upgraded, 1" soft-dome tweeter provides response up to 35k Hz, while KRK's optimized, proprietary waveguide technology delivers superior stereo imaging with a wider "sweet spot."

Finally, if you're going big, you might as well think about your band and orchestra customers. Maybe it's time for parents to really consider that big step up. For brass departments, a choice for aspiring trumpet players is the professional grade Silver Plate with 18K Gold trim Phaeton BH Trumpet ($2,585), which is played by renowned artists worldwide.