Peter's Reviews - NAMM 2007

NAMM 2007 -Zemaitis Guitars

nospam@example.com (Peter) — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 21:25:55 -0700

I've seen Zemaitis guitars before but I never knew much about them. I must say that the engraving on them is simply stunning! They have such an elegant and classy look that few guitars can match. The new guitars must be seen and held to be appreciated. Eric Clapton recently sold his 12-string Zemaitis for $235,000!

NAMM 2007 - Ed Roman Guitars

nospam@example.com (Peter) — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 21:15:37 -0700

Ed Roman Guitars is really a superstore for guitarists. They carry just about every brand but they're known for carrying some oddball, rare and bizarre stuff like the bass pictured here. If you're bored by the "normal-looking" guitars and really want to stand out, pay a visit to Ed's store in Las Vegas. You won't be disappointed.

NAMM 2007 - Phil Jones Bass Amps

nospam@example.com (Peter) — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 23:04:38 -0700

The amp above sure doesn't look like a bass amp but it is! The Phil Jones Bass Briefcase is the first truly portable bass amp I've seen. How portable is it? The Briefcase is only 6.5" x 14.5" x 15.75" and weighs in at a mere 28lbs! Another amazing thing is that it also runs on battery power. The Briefcase has a built-in compressor/limiter, 5-band EQ, 2 x 5" drivers and has 100 watts of power. I was amazed at this little amp and was totally wanting one!

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NAMM 2007 - RKS Guitars

nospam@example.com (Peter) — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 19:07:00 -0700

RKS Gutiars are sure designed to be head turners! The signature look of the wings on the side of the guitar stand out but may alienate some purists but most will love the exotic looks and innovations. RKS claims that the guitar resonates more due to its design. Also, the way the knobs are made and positioned makes them more functional and tactile.

The models on display that I tried all played well, had good action and looked stunning. Ravi K. Sawhney (pictured here with the Nirvana and the RKS in RKS Guitars) might just make RKS a household name, in guitarist's households anyway.

NAMM 2007 - The Koyabu Symmetric Board

nospam@example.com (Peter) — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 21:55:11 -0700

Every year there are a ton of touch-style instruments introduced and the Koyabu Symmetric Board was one of the nicer ones out there. Yoshitaka Koyabu has designed an instrument with a ton of possibilities. The Symmetric Board has a 30" scale length and can be used with standard guitar and bass strings so players can create their own custon gauge sets. You can also get an optional guitar synth pickup for additional sounds.

Click through to watch a video of the Koyabu Symmetric Board in action

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NAMM 2007 - Jodavi's Snap Jack

nospam@example.com (Peter) — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 21:40:44 -0700

Have you ever walked too far onstage and yanked your guitar cord out of your amp or effects? Has anyone ever tripped over your guitar cable and pulled your guitar off its stand? Jodavi has made a solution to these problems with their Snap Jack guitar cable. If you yank too hard, the cord will pop off of the jack silently. This will definitely save your guitar but I wonder if the magnet might not be strong enough that it might get knocked off when you don't want it to. Diane assured me and others at the booth that they were going to move to slightly stronger magnets soon. This is an interesting invention and it worked exactly as advertised. I was surprised that there wasn't any loud popping when attaching or detaching the cable from the ends. I'll be looking for this product to be appearing in stores soon.

NAMM 2007 - Digitech's New GSP1101 Rack Guitar Effects Processor

nospam@example.com (Peter) — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 16:15:00 -0700

I'm a huge fan of Digitech's old rack mount units and I still use the Digitech 2112. I've been wondering why they ditched the rack format for the pedals so I was psyched to see the new Digitech GSP1101 rack unit! Unfortunately, they didn't have a working demo, only this shell mockup on display.

So what's so special about the GSP1101? It uses 2 of their new AudioDNA processors for extra processing power! It also can act as a USB audio interface so you can now record direct into your computer workstation.

Here's a list of features for the Digitech GSP1101:

Intuitive user interface with dedicated amp controls and LCD display
Over 120 amp, cabinet, preamp and effects models including vintage stompboxes and pickup modeling
Stereo effects loop
40 Tone and 40 Effect Chain Libraries 1600 exclusive DigiTech® combinations
Global EQ
Balanced stereo XLR and ¼" outputs
Chromatic tuner
USB with audio streaming + Editor/Librarian software included
MIDI In / Thru
Internal power supply
Front panel guitar input and headphone output
Footswitch and expression inputs

The only things I wished they'd have on this thing is an input level knob like on the older models and a tube preamp. I'll be very excited to check out the new GSP1101 when it comes out!

Click here to check out the Digitech GSP1101 at Digitech.com

NAMM 2007 - Verdine White and Tony Franklin

nospam@example.com (Peter) — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 15:55:00 -0700

I spotted Verdine White of Earth Wind & Fire and Tony Franklin of the Firm at the Fender booth. As much attention as Verdine was getting, I would've rather have heard Tony demo some stuff. He's an awesome fretless bass player. If he wasn't busy at the time, I would've liked to have met and talked to him. Click here to read Tony tell the story about when he meant Jaco.

NAMM 2007 - Video of Yngwie Malmsteen Performing at the Fender Stage

nospam@example.com (Peter) — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 13:08:00 -0700

I was bummed that I missed Yngwie Malmsteen performing at the Fender sponsored stage but fortunately Fender put up the whole concert at YouTube! I just wished they could've captured more of the room sound because this video sounds like it was taken from the board and it's bone dry.

NAMM 2007 - Bill Clements Video

nospam@example.com (Peter) — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 23:03:07 -0700

Bill Clements is an inspiration to everyone. Not just in his playing, which blends jazz/fusion with a pulsing sequencer-like beat but the fact that he lost his hand and forearm in an industrial accident and bounced back, playing a gig just three months later. I shot the video (after the jump) at the Fender room at NAMM. Bill was just kicking back and jamming. Listen for him to play a little Earth Wind & Fire lick at the end. He started to play that when Verdine White walked into the room.

Click through to watch the video of Bill Clements playing

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NAMM 2007 - Ritter Basses

nospam@example.com (Peter) — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 21:25:34 -0700

Master Craftsman, Jens Ritter created some really amazing instruments this year. The America (pictured on the left) was beautifully finished but the Golden Roya Concept on the right was a sight to behold! It was carved from a single piece of wood, had a 24 carat gold leaf finish and was awarded the German RLP Design Award! These pictures don't even come close to showing the detail and beauty of these very different instruments. All of the Ritter Basses had such quality and style that Jens should have orders to keep him busy for the rest of the year. Tonight I'll be dreaming of a Ritter Classic 5-string fretless with a red champagne finish!

NAMM 2007 - Monte Montgomery

nospam@example.com (Peter) — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 18:05:03 -0700

Possibly the best thing about the NAMM show is that there are so many amazing live performances. Monte Montgomery is one of the greatest acoustic guitar players and he put on a killer show. Alvarez Guitars just introduced the MMY1 guitar that was built for Monte. I want one because it features a 5-piece laminated neck that even Monte can't break. I do a lot of neck bending so I'd like to get this guitar and not worry about breaking or tweaking a neck again.

NAMM 2007 - Stu Box Guitars

nospam@example.com (Peter) — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 15:33:00 -0700

Instead of using a traditional doubleneck guitar, Stu Box wanted to create an instrument where he could play traditional guitar plus do touch-style guitar and switch between the two seamlessly so he created Box Guitars. But this isn't just two guitars stuck together using a single neck. The Box Guitar has an extended 34" range, a headless design and a clever bridge that utilizes a single tuning knob that is used to individually tune all 12 strings. If tapping is your thing and you don't want to learn a whole new tuning, check out Box Guitars!

NAMM 2007 - Leland Sklar

nospam@example.com (Peter) — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 13:16:00 -0700

One cool thing about the NAMM show is that you see young stars like John 5 and legends like Leland Sklar (pictured here) walking around. For those of you who don't know who Sklar is, he has played bass for a ton of artists including Phil Collins, Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon and many, many, many more!

NAMM 2007 - Benavente Basses

nospam@example.com (Peter) — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 12:04:00 -0700

Benavente Guitars had some stunning basses on display. The extended range 9-string (second from the left) was a beautiful instrument but way too heavy. My back hurts enough playing with my 6-string. If you're into basses or guitars, Chris Benavente will be happy to make your dream instrument.