The Hammer Jammer is unlike most guitar accessories: It's cheap ($30), made of plastic, and offers fast hammering techniques that you can’t really get anywhere else, no matter how good you are. Born out of the idea of combining a guitar and a piano into one musical instrument, the Hammer Jammer is meant to sound percussive. With a snap-on base and flexible knobs, this fun accessory gives any guitar a harp-like vibe that sounds almost magical.Invented by Columbus-based musician and audio engineer Ken McCaw, who runs Big Walnut Productions, he used the accessory in a soundtrack he wrote for the Stone of Destiny film trailer. Since then, it has been a hit in the media, citing the quirky, six-string add-on as the next big thing. He also got props from Chet Atkins and Eddie Van Halen, among others.McCaw briefly spoke to us about his Hammer Jammer, how it all came about and what is next for the guitar accessory that opens new possibilities which have yet to be considered.The Hammer Jammer in action.Noisey: How did this idea come about? Was there a need you were trying to fill?
Ken McCaw: I am a studio guitarist and pianist. I was doing some studio work and needed percussive sound like a piano, but I wanted a guitar sound, so I wondered if anyone had ever put the two together, that's where the idea came from.What was the goal of the sound?
The goal was a percussive slap guitar sound with individual note speed, like a keyboard.Why is it so inexpensive? These types of guitar accessories usually cost a fortune.
Good question. And it's going to cost more going forward, but these are being sold as commercial samples to get guitar players worldwide working with the product. The goal is to have a number of current generation of guitarists become proficient with the device and that as their careers grow, awareness of the product will grow with them. Similar to the way the Floyd Rose whammy bar became a staple for guitarists because of Eddie Van Halen.Will there be any new additions to the Hammer Jammer in the future?
We are turning the project over to another company along with a number of modifications possibly, other instrument adaptations, and advancements.Have you had any success stories? Celebrity name dropping?
When I first developed the Hammer Jammer years ago, I got much encouragement and support from Ricky Skaags, Vince Gill, Chet Atkins, Eddie Van Halen, Mark O'Connor, Larry Carlton, and many studio players. This latest wave of interest is picking up some of the current named guitarists, but I can't release those yet.Why do people love it?
The thing that kick-started the current interest in the Hammer Jammer was when a cue that I wrote, that featured the Hammer Jammer, was used for the movie trailer for Stone of Destiny, on their European release. This got me thinking that there may be more interest in this since it was told to me that it was such a unique sound.Follow @nadjasayej on Twitter.
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Ken McCaw: I am a studio guitarist and pianist. I was doing some studio work and needed percussive sound like a piano, but I wanted a guitar sound, so I wondered if anyone had ever put the two together, that's where the idea came from.What was the goal of the sound?
The goal was a percussive slap guitar sound with individual note speed, like a keyboard.Why is it so inexpensive? These types of guitar accessories usually cost a fortune.
Good question. And it's going to cost more going forward, but these are being sold as commercial samples to get guitar players worldwide working with the product. The goal is to have a number of current generation of guitarists become proficient with the device and that as their careers grow, awareness of the product will grow with them. Similar to the way the Floyd Rose whammy bar became a staple for guitarists because of Eddie Van Halen.Will there be any new additions to the Hammer Jammer in the future?
We are turning the project over to another company along with a number of modifications possibly, other instrument adaptations, and advancements.Have you had any success stories? Celebrity name dropping?
When I first developed the Hammer Jammer years ago, I got much encouragement and support from Ricky Skaags, Vince Gill, Chet Atkins, Eddie Van Halen, Mark O'Connor, Larry Carlton, and many studio players. This latest wave of interest is picking up some of the current named guitarists, but I can't release those yet.Why do people love it?
The thing that kick-started the current interest in the Hammer Jammer was when a cue that I wrote, that featured the Hammer Jammer, was used for the movie trailer for Stone of Destiny, on their European release. This got me thinking that there may be more interest in this since it was told to me that it was such a unique sound.Follow @nadjasayej on Twitter.