Hail and well-met, favored readers. As you may already know, Thursday marked the first official day of the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Show. Hall after hall, exhibit after exhibit, there’s so much gear packed into each square foot that it’s difficult at first to take it all in. I spent my first day milling around, getting my bearings on the densely-populated show floor, and in the company of good friends and new real-life acquaintances which were formerly of the internet-only variety.
Though I did my best to see and experience as much as possible, there was just too much to pack into a single day, so I’ll be returning to NAMM 2017 for two more days of coverage. In the mean time, I’ve hit some of the bigger booths to give you a taste of what’s in store for this year’s show.
EARTHQUAKER DEVICES (BOOTH 4296)
Running behind as I was, I rushed to get to the EarthQuaker Devices booth before the Vanessa Wheeler demo set was over. Alas, it turned out that she had fifteen less minutes than I believed, so I missed it. Still, I’m proud of my good friend for landing such a cool gig! And from the videos I watched on Instagram, her singer-songwriter vibe and chordal wizardry paired beautifully with the subtler side of EQD.
In turn, this afforded me the chance to fully experience EQD’s range of pedals with a BilT Relevator through their headphone rig. Among my faves from this year’s setup were the Acapulco Gold (a single-knob distortion) and the Rainbow Machine, which is pure joy in pink pedal form. The new Space Spiral seemed to be all the rage, and sure enough, this modulated and ethereal delay gave me literal chills, boasting sounds I never imagined coming from a delay pedal. It is 100% worth your time.
We stayed to see a demo set by Sarah Lipstate, who weaves spooky and cinematic tapestries of sound under the moniker Noveller. Armed with a ’65 Jaguar and a host of clever boxes, Sarah showered us in washy, moody tunes that were orchestrated movements rather than songs. Moaning and wailing, her guitar sounded less and less traditionally “guitar-like” as her set waned on. This is what I love about EarthQuaker’s NAMM presence: they choose such a wide range of musicians that the versatility of their pedals is absolutely clear.
Before we left the EQD area, we met up with a few cherished souls, among them Chandler Eggleston (guitarist for Carter Winter) and Andrew Sinclair from Madlab Coffee. We banded together, feeling much safer in numbers as we traversed the busy show floor.
FENDER (300E)
From EarthQuaker, we headed straight upstairs to check in on what Fender was up to at NAMM 2017. Fender’s exhibit is even more exciting than last year, boasting a ton of Custom Shop instruments and the new American Pro line as well. The full AMPRO line was well-represented: Strats, Teles, Jazzmasters, Jaguars, Precision and Jazz basses too. Decked out in new, bright colors, your first look at 2017 Fender is a pretty sight for sure.
Walking toward the rear of the exhibit, you’ll start seeing Journeyman and Masterbuilt guitars for the year. Among my favorites were a Journeyman Relic Bass VI in Shell Pink, a host of sparkle-finished Custom Shop guitars, and a special collaboration with my pal Paul Frank. Yes, that Paul Frank. This Telecaster features a custom-printed foil paper under a lovely metallic burst, a Curtis Novak gold foil in the neck, and one of Fender’s new RD bridges. I always love to see Paul’s cartoons put to good use on a musical instrument.
The Paul Frank Telecaster is so wacky. I love it.
We also ran into our pal Matthew Farrar from Fender’s Artist Relations department and had a lovely chat about staying healthy during NAMM. If you’ve never been, you may not have heard about the yearly bug that goes around, not-so-affectionally known as NAMMthrax. Having suffered from this last year––like a mix of the flu, pneumonia, and the less savory bodily functions––I can tell you, it’s earned a fearful reverence from attendees and exhibitors alike. Matt recommended getting sick before NAMM, but for those less inclined to get sick at all, carrying some hand sanitizer and overloading on multi-vitamins seems to be the usual preparation.
GIBSON
Before heading back downstairs to the main floor, we stopped by Gibson’s hall. As I walked between the ropes leading inward, a Gibson-branded girl in tiny shorts stopped me by placing her hand on my stomach. She then grabbed my badge and scanned it without saying a word. This was weird and uncomfortable.
Andrew is a total boss
It seems that scanning the QR code on our badges (and the personal info that goes with it) is the price of entry here. Andrew smartly asked if they were taking his info and when the girls answered in the affirmative, he held his badge against his chest and exclaimed “CAN WE NOT” as he passed them. I admired him for that.
Realistically, this probably leads to an innocuous email list, one that I’ll likely unsubscribe from as soon as the first blast hits my inbox. No harm, right? Thing is, this just didn’t feel good to me, and that’s the real damage here: Making consumers and retailers feel uncomfortable and possibly less welcome while trying to build buzz for new models seems like a total misfire.
Simply asking if I’d like to sign up for more info would have sufficed, or perhaps incentivizing the move somehow would have smoothed over the whole transaction; just taking it didn’t sit well with me. Gibson doing so with neither explanation nor respect for personal space made me want to leave before I’d even crossed the threshold. It should also be noted that Gibson are the only exhibitor doing this.
This out-of-touch practice did little to ingratiate Gibson to myself or my friends, and in fact, we left mere seconds later without really caring about the guitars or other products found there. And that’s to say nothing of how outdated the whole “booth babe” concept remains in 2017. So, no, I won’t be covering Gibson.
BENSON & RONIN (Booth 2294)
It’s always good to see friends, and Chris Benson has always been a good one to the shop. We’re huge fans of his amps, from the 30W Chimera and 15W Monarch to the 1W Vinny head & cab. At the time a demo was going on, so I didn’t get to spend any time with Chris’ bass amp, which I’ve been dying to try. Another mission for Friday, I suppose.
At the same booth we also found Ronin guitars on display. I don’t know about you, but those deep carves and uniquely crafted lines just slay me. Such artistry begs to be played, but like I said before, a demo was going on. We were SO in the way. I did, however, manage to snag a few photos. Just look at that!
This is beautiful.
SINASOID MEETUP!
Our friends and makers of our very favorite cables on the planet (including my own signature Redbeard cable) held a small get-together for artists in their Hilton Hotel room toward the end of the day, a lovely time for all. We got to hear about plans for 2017 including some very exciting, very hush-hush developments for the company. With as much traction and support as they had in 2016, I think this year’s going to be huge for them. I’m so proud to be a part of their lineup.
REVERB.COM (Booth 4368)
It’s always good to run into the fine folks at Reverb.com. Although Reverb is a retailer, they still brought plenty of eye candy for the show, including a Sheltone Electric GalaxyFlite, a custom Jazzmaster that exceeds all expectations from price to playability. I’ve had the great honor of keeping and inspecting two of Shelton’s guitars over the last year, so do expect an in-depth review of his wares soon. Spoiler: I love them.
Reverb also had another of my favorite builders on display, namely Paul Rhoney. The last Oceana available for some time is available there, its striking red-and-black finish catching the eye the moment it’s in view. Paul’s put his company on hold for the moment, but he’s not gone for good! He just moved to Portland, OR and you can catch him at NAMM with Veritas Guitars (Booth 2290). I’ll be checking in with them over the next few days.
Vanessa was suitably infatuated with this one
I also had the absolute pleasure of handling a hardtail Jazzmaster-style guitar from Electrical Guitar Company, a first for me. I’ve always wanted to spend some time with their aluminum instruments, and even though I didn’t get to plug this one in, I came away from it completely impressed. I’ve never owned a Travis Bean instrument––the company handles the reissues of these legendary beasts––but I’ve long admired their quality and unique feel and tone, so being able to experience these guitars in-person was a huge treat for me. THANKS, NICK!
The Electrical Guitar Company Ken Andrews (Failure) model.
END OF DAY 1
I’ll be back tomorrow with more photos, info, and scoops on what’s new at NAMM.
Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar 