Jeff Kiesel showing off a new color in their Vanquish series.Ignacio Vagnone in CE Distribution’s Jensen Sound Chamber demonstrating one of the new Tornado Stealth speakers.Jon Esau and Dan Koetsier from thetubestore.com visiting the VG booth.The resurrected Supro company has made a big splash with its phenomenal new amps (which were being used in booths and on showcase stages everywhere at #NAMM2017). Now, Supro’s bringing back its guitar offerings — and as with its amps, the guitars are updated in smart, modern ways while staying true to their vintage vibe. Here’s the solid-body Island Series, available in single-, dual-, and triple-pickups versions. And Supro’s modern pickups truly pack a punch.Experience Winter NAMM 2017 with James Patrick Regan (1 of 42).Experience Winter NAMM 2017 with James Patrick ReganExperience Winter NAMM 2017 with James Patrick ReganExperience Winter NAMM 2017 with James Patrick ReganThe revived Kay brand has big plans that were announced at #NAMM2017, including a new version of the vintage top-of-the-line archtop, the great Barney Kessel series in both full-size and more-compact Artist versions. Kay’s working to get all the details just right, which means starting form scratch in remaking many of the parts instead of selecting off-the-shelf, proprietary parts; a prototype lyre-shaped tailpiece is the next step. Beautiful guitars, beautiful tone!We showed you pictures of the launch of C.F. Martin’s new Dwight Yoakam DD28 Signature Edition at #NAMM2017, but it was such a cool event that we wanted to add some more photos. Dwight was so inspired by the guitar that he broke into song, singing a rowdy rendition of Elvis’ first single, “That’s All Right,” to remind everyone of how important the Martin dreadnought was to music history, as Elvis had played a D-18 on the original Sun recording. The DD28 is based on Dwight’s favorite 1972 D-28 — “The first Martin I could afford!” he said, and a guitar he played throughout his career. Two versions of the DD28 are being offered: the standard model using regular modern glues and a more-expensive one with vintage-style hide glues.Some of the funkiest guitar playing at #NAMM2017 came thanks to Justin Johnson who was performing with a homemade three-string electrified shovel. Yes, you read right — a shovel. He played it with a bottleneck slide and a percussive, deep-blues style, wailing away on Son House, Robert Johnson, and Muddy Waters tunes like nobody’s business. He ran his signal into API’s new TranZformer, an all-in-one EQ, tone, and compressor box, and then into his amp. Great stuff!Zemaitis International’s display at #NAMM2017 of its line of acoustic guitars was dramatic, to say the least. The guitars feature stylish bridges and soundhole shapes, often with mother-of-pearl-styled inlays. Gorgeous guitars — and with a wonderful warm, woody tone!Tom Feldmann live demo of a new Waterloo by Collings Guitars and Mandolins. #NAMM2017Cool happenings at the John Page Classic booth at the recent NAMM show. #NAMM2017
Wall of Orange! The great British amp company displayed this impressive pillar of sound at #NAMM2017, along with a variety of new and old amps — including the Orange Micro Heads. These 20-watt valve-hybrid amps are about the size of a lunchbox (remember those?) and yet pack a true sonic punch. The black version is the Micro Dark with aspects of Orange’s Dark Terror and Dark Dual amps in its DNA. The white version is the Micro Terror, with a sound living up to its name. Plug ’em into an Orange micro speaker cabinet and they can serve as a home or studio amp, a backup amp for gigs — or your primary weapon.This is cool: Freddy Rose handbuilds guitars and basses under the Phred name, including this gorgeous replica of Jerry Garcia’s final guitar. The care and finish on the instrument is phenomenal, the playability excellent, and the sound…stunning. Phred (which uses just the lower-case “ph” on its logo and headstocks) also offers a line of semi-hollow guitars and solid-body basses. Rose was sharing a booth with Mike Beigel’s Mu-FX at #NAMM2017 — which provided a perfect home for the Garcia guitar as a testbed for Mu-FX’s Micro-Tron III envelope filter, as Garcia was one of the most famous users of the original Musitronics Mu-Tron III, one of Beigel’s many brainchilds..In honor of its 60th anniversary, at #NAMM2017 Vox displayed its limited editions of the original 1957 four-hole AC-15 and 1964 six-hole AC-30 — both of them made from all British components and completely hand-wired in the U.K. They feature Alnico Silver speakers and original-styled Tolex covering and amp cloth. Just 150 of each amp will be built for worldwide markets.The Ovation Glen Campbell Signature Model is also available in striking sunburst.Glen Campbell’s son, Cal Campbell, was on hand at Ovation’s #NAMM2017 booth to promote the new Glen Campbell Signature Model guitar.Just like 1930s Paris all over again: John Jorgenson and his Quintet played a dazzling show of Django Reinhardt-style Gypsy jazz on Friday night at#NAMM2017 to celebrate Saga Instruments and the Jorgenson Signature Model Gitane guitars. Jorgenson traded guitar — and clarinet, and bouzouki — solos with violinist Jason Anick, and the audience was blown away by each tune. A masterful performance all around!Experience Winter NAMM 2017 with James Patrick ReganExperience Winter NAMM 2017 with James Patrick ReganExperience Winter NAMM 2017 with James Patrick ReganExperience Winter NAMM 2017 with James Patrick Regan
