Every year the music biz stops everything and goes to Winter NAMM in California.  Every year I debate going, and every year I end up with the conclusion that I’d rather have that money in my pocket.  Fortunately there are a kabillion YouTube videos up, covering almost everything interesting.  Like the videos done by Ryan from 60 Cycle Hum.

So what’s cool this year?

  1. I like the looks of the Tremonti MT-15, which is a 15 watt two channel tube amp from PRS for only around $600.  It sounds cool and looks killer.  LOVE the price point.
  2. Fender’s Parallel Universe collection has some interesting items, but I mostly like them because they’re different.  Honestly, some of them are questionable, but The Big F has been making the same handful of guitars since the 50’s so I like anything they try to do outside the box.  I really like the Troublemaker Tele, because I’m a big fan of Shawbucker pickups.  That looks like a kick ass guitar.  Nowhere near my price range, but still interesting.
  3. The Eric Johnson semi-hollow Strat is another interesting instrument.  I’m anxious to play one.
  4. Ernie Ball has new models out that I can’t afford, and have also released new models in the Sterling line.  I am anxious to play the new Sterlings, because they look really good.  I like the Sterlings a LOT.  They remind me of the PRS SE series, which I also like a lot.
  5. Orange came out with the Rocker 15 Terror, which I think looks and sounds really interesting, but I think the price is a little high at $729.  There’s a lot of competition in the $600 to $800 15 watt head arena.
  6. Marshall’s new amp line, the Origin, is supposed to be a classic vintage sounding amp.  The 15 watt tube head version is going to sell for around $520, which is a decent price.  I like the slight crunch sound it has, but it doesn’t cover the heavy lead sound stuff at all.  That’s a feature for some.  Not so much for me.  Still, I like what they’re trying to do.
  7. The Wampler Equator and Reflection pedals sounded interesting.  Especially the Equator – it looks like the ultimate guitar EQ pedal.  Can’t go wrong.
  8. Back to Fender, the utilitarian Level Set Buffer pedal looks like a really neat tool for anyone who switches single coil and humbucker guitars during a set/show.
  9. LR Baggs have four new pedals for acoustic guitar.  I’m surprised we don’t see a billion new acoustic guitar pedals yet.  But everything LR Baggs does is amazing, so these pedals are very worth checking out.
  10. Chapman is stepping into the higher end market with the new British-made line.  They look amazing.  They’re going to be pricey, and I’ll never even see one, but I like the move.

And on the other side, here are some bonehead/head-scratching moves:

  • Fender updated the Hot Rod Deluxe to version 4.  The two biggest problems with the HRD are the fact that you can’t turn it up above 1 and a half in your home, and the dirt sound is craptacular.  So with version 4, Fender managed to fix NEITHER of those two issues.  They did change the overdrive, but it still sucks.  And these two issues are the ones most responsible for people selling their HRD amps.  They are why I sold mine.
  • For fuck’s sake, doesn’t the world already have enough pedals?  Not to pick on Fender too much, but the world doesn’t need Fender-made dirt pedals.  Even Robert Keeley thinks the world needs more dirt pedals.  No, it doesn’t.  It also doesn’t need more clones of the Big Sky.
  • It’s really funny how many people are drooling over all of the “roasted maple” necks.  It’s the new hip cool trendy thing to do.  People are attributing these necks with magical properties that they don’t have.  I don’t think there’s anything quite like the amount of bullshit that exists in the world of electric guitars.
  • Everyone is talking about Fender right now, because of the Parallel Universe guitars.  No one is talking about Gibson.  Why?  Because Gibson didn’t bother to come to Winter NAMM this year.  So companies like Fender and Ibanez and Ernie Ball are getting all the talk and all the hype, and that makes people think about those companies.  That will translate into sales.  People NOT talking about Gibson is bad for Gibson.
  • Lots of companies are putting out fanned fret guitars.  Heh heh heh.  Good luck with those.

One more thing.  YouTube has had SUCH a massive effect on the guitar world, hasn’t it?  I mentioned Ryan from 60 Cycle Hum earlier.  Ryan is popular because he’s such a nice guy, and because he’s a nerd who loves guitars.  The fact that he’s not a great guitarist is a plus, not a minus, because a lot of people are playing at Ryan’s level and he’s sort of representing them.  I think that’s awesome.  Lee Anderton has his own artist model guitar.  We’re talking about a guy who doesn’t make music – he doesn’t write/record/perform live, but he does love guitars and he owns a guitar company, so why not?  I’d do it if I were him.  But Lee is another really nice guy that everyone likes.  The guys from That Pedal Show have their own signature Keeley pedal, and it’s selling very well.  Another set of good guys.  I like the fact that the good guys are succeeding on the Internet.