Although the big draw of the NAMM show comes from all of the new musical instruments on display, some of the most innovative new products on the show floor this year were accessories. Case in point: the Gig Glove by Gig Gear (gig-gear.com), the first protective work glove designed specifically for touring musicians, DJs and roadies. “One of the things that I most noticed in all of my years of gigging around is that, while there are purpose-made gloves and hand protection for practically every industry you can think of—mechanics, gardening, whatever—musicians, roadies and technicians never had a purpose-made glove designed for them,” said Gig Gear Owner Daniel Shatzkes. “Our hands are our livelihood, yet we’re all gigging using whatever we were able to find at Home Depot or the like. So, all these years, I’ve been thinking somebody’s gonna come out with something that makes sense, and nobody did, so I finally took the plunge.” Shatzkes’ initiative speaks to the spirit of innovation that often motivates simple, albeit groundbreaking, new products. “I realized there was a real opportunity to create a product where there’s a need,” he explained. “And at the end of the day, the best products may not always be the biggest and flashiest, but the ones that solve a problem.”
Gig Gloves don’t simply protect the wearer’s hands. They also allow the wearer to use his or her fingers for fine adjustments without having to remove the gloves, and are even touchscreen compatible. “With a generic work glove, you constantly have to take it off every five minutes because you need access to your fingers,” said Shatzkes. “You don’t have to take Gig Gloves off, from the moment you start unloading until the moment you’re done setting up, and you’re protected the whole time.” And, of course, safety is an issue that is extremely important to Shatzkes. “I’ve been volunteering as an EMT in New York for the last 14 years, and between the ambulance runs that I do and the years I’ve spent gigging, I’ve seen every type of injury that can happen, and the vast majority of them are with your hands,” he elaborated. “So, from a medical standpoint, it helps to know that, when it comes to preventing anything from a small cut to broken bones or crushing wounds, I’m helping people in our industry protect themselves.”