Paper Jamz arrives at Walgreens

DEERFIELD, Ill. The newest must-have toy has arrived at one of the nation's largest drug stores.

Walgreens announced it will carry Paper Jamz guitars, drums and amplifiers. The paper-thin guitar and drums retail for $24.99 each; the amplifier, which plays music from Paper Jamz guitars, drums or personal MP3 players, retails for $14.99; guitar straps are available for $5.99. Paper Jamz products are also available online at Walgreens.com/PaperJamz.

“We believe Paper Jamz will be the hot new toy and technology for kids this summer and through the holidays,” said Bryan Pugh, Walgreens VP merchandising. “In addition to pharmacy, health and wellness products and services, we strive to lead our segment of the market by offering innovative products, unique gift ideas and affordable technology, and Paper Jamz is a great example of that.”

Produced by WowWee, Paper Jamz instruments are thin, battery-operated guitars and drum sets that feature Active Graphics technology, meaning that music is played based on embedded touch sensors. There are six unique guitars and six corresponding drum sets (sold separately), each featuring three hit, licensed songs. The guitar and drums can be played in four modes, including:

• Perfect Play - Customers can play along with the three included hit songs while jamming on the guitar “perfectly” as though part of the band;
• Rhythm Play - The rhythm of the music for each song can be controlled, speeding up or slowing down based on personal choice;
• Freestyle Play - The guitar can be played similar to a real guitar, as users can play real chords and create their own songs; and
• Karaoke Mode - Customers can mute the vocals, drums or backing tracks to hear themselves sing and/or play.

All instruments include a volume control and earphone jack.