LP Raul Rekow signature congas and bongos
This stunning triplicate and bongo pairing has recently been added to the LP signature series and they’re stunning. Coming in a vibrant tiger print accented with a hint of gold glitter, the Quinto, Conga and Tumba stand a full 30-inch tall and come with 3 ply premium wood shells. Fitted with elegant gold Comfort II rings and matching gold LP side plates, they are also supplied with the rubber cushion ProCare integrated shell protectors that will shield the drums and protect them from bumping into their neighbours. Needless to say, a good shell is only half of the drum story and as you might expect, LP have set aside a special group of hand selected rawhide heads to complete the package.

Saxophones.co.uk P Mauriat saxophone
If you’re looking for a saxophone that produces a classic vintage tone, then the P.Mauriat range of horns should be high on your test list. Not only do they have the tonal characteristics of the vintage Saxophone – they also have the looks! From the burnished bronze of the Artist series to the dark lacquered brass with abalone buttons of the vintage series with the innovative vintage style super Jazz VI neck – pipe, these horns ooze character and class. The range also includes a number of custom made limited edition instruments, such as the Arc Soprano and the PMB – 302G Baritone in vintage form without the low A. There’s little doubt, that given the quality of build and the attention to detail of the P. Mauriat Saxophones, they’re likely to be giving the Selmer selection a good run for their money.

Yamaha CP33/CP300 digi stage piano
Two new stage pianos have recently come off the Yamaha CP line – the CP33 and the CP 300. Both have an 88 key graded hammer keyboard and the state-of-the-art AWM tone generation system. But this is really where the similarities end. The CP300 is a multi-functional instrument that can not only be used as a stage piano, but by using its built – in 16-track sequencer can also be used for compositional and recording purposes. To support this, the CP300 carries a maximum polyphony of 128 notes, as opposed to the 64 of the CP33 and also sports 50 original voices, whereas the CP33 carries just 28. So why the CP33? Simple. It’s a great little stage piano that’s got all the voices you’re ever likely to need, is light and portable, and is a breeze to set up – much the same as it’s predecessors the CP80 and 90.

D’Addario string news
D’Addario have recently released two new sets of strings that could be of particular interest to jazz players. For the bass guitarist there is the ECB84 set, a 40-100 set of chrome flat wounds, while for the guitarist it could well be worth checking out the EHR370’s, a set of 11-49 in stainless steel half round. There are also some new speciality singles: the CG075 and the CG080 are flat wound chromes specifically made for seven-string jazz tunings, while the CB032 is a flat wound bass chrome .032 specially designed for the 6-string high C note. Nothing ventured – nothing gained!

Gibson Vegas high roller guitar  
This is one of those instruments that just begs to be played! Modelled on the classic twin-cutaway 330 shape, this semi with a fixed bridge is just bursting with top end components and quality timbers. Gibson have sourced the highest possible grade AAA maple for the top table, into which has been set two top of the shelf ‘Burstbucker’ pick ups, which not only give the Vegas High Roller its unique sound, but also give it the style and looks to match. Add to this a run of trapizoid pearl markers, gold hardware and pearloid tuners and you begin to get the idea.

David Gallant