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This page posted on 7/25/01
updated: 3/6/02

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2001 Summer NAMM Notes (Part 3)
July 20-22, 2001  Nashville, TN

by Jason A.Barker

 
 
 

PART 1

PART 2

PART 4

A lot of people are familiar with my love for Klein Electric Guitars.  They are very controversial and even unattractive to some who have never played them.  However, they are quite possibly the world's most ergonomically-efficient design and they offer top-shelf craftsmanship.  Kleins are also very toneful and capable of providing a completely unique and rewarding experience for the player.

Lorenzo German, the builder of Klein electrics, has always been a great guy for me to deal with.  If I have ever had a question or concern, he has been right there to help me solve the problem.  Meeting him in person at this year's Summer NAMM show did nothing to diminish my impressions of his personality and devotion to his product.  Thanks to him and Eddie Berman, my Klein guitar has brought me a ton of enjoyment over the past five or six years.

Lorenzo had some terrific pieces on display including a cedar-bodied model with Bartolini pickups (pictured above) and a Klein acoustic electric.  Frank "Silk" Smith, a former guitarist with Albert King and Bobby "Blue" Bland was onhand to demonstrate these instruments.  I was able to play some with Frank and the excellent Piedmont-style blues guitarist, John Cephas.  Harmonica standout Lee Oskar visited the Klein booth and proceeded to jam along with the party that was taking place in the Nashville Convention Center.
 
 

Frank "Silk" Smith caressing his Klein w/a Carr Rambler (l)   Bassist Curtis Johnson (l) holding the groove while Frank (r) comps
 
 

Lorenzo showed me an incomplete Klein with a body made from some walnut that he had salvaged.  We tapped it to check for tone and it was very resonant.  I wonder if I should have him pop some pickups and a neck on there for me.  Hmmm..... I promised myself not to get too gear crazy there.
 
 

Editor's Note 3/6/02:  The walnut body Klein has now been integrated into a finished instrument!  Here are a couple of shots of the finished product...

The walnut Klein was fitted with Bardens hum-single-hum pickups and a Steinberger Trans-Trem tremolo system.  To see Jason Barker playing this guitar, click here for the MPEG.
 
 

Here's a nice photo of John Cephas with the exhilarating Klein acoustic/electric guitar:

We provided Lorenzo with a Carr Rambler for use at his booth.  It received many positive comments from the people who played through it.  The Klein section was a happening place to be and I was definitely pleased to spend some time there.

If you'd like more info on my personal Klein guitar, click here for a picture, and here for a review I wrote awhile back for Indoor Storm.
 

One of the most ingenious, yet simple things I saw at this season's NAMM show was the Pedaltrain pedal board system.  John Chandler's exhibit was just across the way from our booth and we kept hearing good things about his product.

Constructed of a sturdy alloy, the Pedaltrain features "rail-like" rows covered in Velcro which allow for easy placement and removal of all sizes of pedals.  The intelligent aspect of this design is that your cables can be wired underneath the rails for a very clean layout.  The design is so simple that one would have to wonder "why couldn't I have thought of that?"

                 The Pedaltrain exhibit at NAMM                                             Hard-shell transport case for the Pedaltrain
 

The original transport cases for the pedal board were soft-shell.  They have been replaced by new hard-shell boxes.  Rick Johnson from ToneQuest, Matt King and I all opted for the discontinued soft-shell versions.
 
 

While we're on the subject of pedal boards, I must mention the highly-advanced units offered by Pedalboard.com at the NAMM show.  These creations were the antithesis of the Pedaltrain boards in terms of extravagance, but offered some excellent options for touring musicians such as extensive switching capabilities, built-in rack spaces, and luxurious wood trim on the sides.  The following pedal boards are serious pieces of equipment and are being used by a number of pro players including the guitarists for Aerosmith, according to the exhibitor.