Skip to main content

This miniature guitar turns your iPad into a music teacher and a recording studio

miniature guitar turns ipad music teacher recording studio jamstik
Credit: Christian Brazil Bautista Image used with permission by copyright holder

Jamstik, a miniature MIDI guitar designed for the iPad, has gained a lot of fans since it first surfaced on Indiegogo a year ago. About a month before it gets shipped to early buyers, it resurfaced at CE Week, and it seems ready for its release into the wild.  

The version of the Jamstik that we got our hands on seems to be the improved version of the prototype that showed up at CES last year. Reports of the device during the event mentioned latency between guitar strums and the audio output, an issue that seems to have been fixed.    

“The kinks have been worked out and it’s ready for primetime now,” said Brian Metcalf of Green Room Social, the PR firm of Jamstik creator Zivix. 

The Jamstik is a guitar MIDI controller. It’s a rarity, since most MIDI controllers come in keyboard form. It has real frets and real strings, so it’s basically like a normal guitar, only it’s a lot lighter and doesn’t have a neck. It also does not require tuning. 

The Jamstik was initially prototyped with actual, full-length guitars. However, that plan was scrapped because it would require Zivix to work with guitar manufacturers. “Guitar manufacturers are terrified of the word MIDI. They hate that idea. We decided to do something that we knew no guitar manufacturer was gonna touch,” Jamstik said. 

Playing the Jamstik takes a little getting used to, though because the scale length (the length of the string from nut to bridge) is a lot shorter than it is on a normal guitar. Its scale length is 16 inches, which is much shorter than the 25 inch length of a common Fender guitar. However, it’s not so awkward that it would take hours to adjust to the scales and the lack of weight.

“I always tell existing guitar players to give yourself 20 minutes with it,” said Christopher Heille, a music product specialist at Zivix. 

Unlike traditional guitars that use pick-ups to translate string vibrations into electric impulses, Jamstik uses infra-red signals to read finger placements. This means that the device essentially sees your fingers, sends a signal to the iPad, and then connects to native apps. 

The guitar comes with several bundled apps. Jam Tutor is for teaching guitar chords and finger placements, while Jam Mix controls different instruments for multi-track recording. It also has an arcade mode, which is basically a Guitar Hero type game for teaching guitar.

The Jamstik is still available for pre-orders at the Zivix website and at Jamstik.com for $300. For now, it’s only compatible with iPads and Mac and Windows computers. There are no plans to make a Jamstik version compatible with Android because the company says the OS has poor MIDI support. However, Heille said that they might come out with an app for the Microsoft Surface. 

Editors' Recommendations

Christian Brazil Bautista
Christian Brazil Bautista is an experienced journalist who has been writing about technology and music for the past decade…
The best Apple iPad (2022) cases and covers
iPad Air 5 back in hand.

Apple has mixed up its iPad range with the introduction of the new iPad. No longer is the humble iPad the sole hold-out for an aged design and a Lightning port — now, the new iPad has a USB-C port and a design that's reminiscent of the iPad Air. It's a modern-looking device that's fit for almost anywhere, from your home sofa, to your business desk.

But those new looks mean old iPad cases no longer fit the new iPad, breaking a years-long tradition. That means it's finally time to shop for a new iPad case. Why do you need a case? A case is a good purchase for a variety of reasons. A good case can protect your device from scratches and bumps, but the very best also add extra utility, like kickstands, hand straps, and even storage spaces. Here are some of the best iPad 2022 cases you can buy right now.

Read more
How to add music to your iPhone or iPad
mqa universal music group deal hi res audio man and woman listening to

If you're anything like us, you love your music, and you want to be able to enjoy it anywhere, on any device. Downloading your music collection onto your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch gives you access to your music pretty much everywhere — so it makes sense to know exactly how to download music onto all of your Apple devices.

Read more
8 things to do before giving your older family member an iPhone or iPad
The iPhone 14 Pro Max next to a green pepper.

One of the best gifts you can give someone, especially in today’s connected world, is a new iPhone or iPad. After all, these are devices that come equipped with iOS or iPadOS, respectively, which are fairly intuitive and easy to use for most people. For the most part, getting an iPhone or iPad set up the way you want it is a simple affair.

However, if you’re giving an older person in your family a new iPhone or iPad, it may prove a bit more difficult since they may not be fully tech-literate. You know the drill — questions like, “what’s my email?” or “what’s my password?" I’m sure a lot of us have been the tech support for our families, especially around the holidays. My mom is on the older side, and my siblings and I have to help her with pretty much everything, including her iPhone and iPad. Here are a few things that you should do before giving an iPhone or iPad to an older relative.
Set up an Apple ID for them

Read more