It's hard for me to believe that a year has already passed since the 2001 Summer NAMM show, yet I did indeed find myself back in Music City last week for the 2002 event.  If you will recall from my 2001 report, I attended last season's show as a representative for Carr Amps.  Steve Carr decided not to exhibit this year, so I did not plan to go until I received a last-minute invitation from Klein Guitars.  I'm glad that I went because I was able to reconnect with some old friends, make some new ones and see some outstanding performers.

While I will highlight some of the fabulous equipment displayed at NAMM, I'd also like to give a more personal account of my trip than I did in last year's notes.  There are plenty of other Web sites out there giving more gear-oriented details, so I'll try to personalize this offering.

We spent a shorter amount of time at the show due to a Friday evening arrival.  I had the pleasure of riding out to Nashville with Bill Richardson of Greensboro, NC.  Bill is a fine guitarist and had never been to a NAMM show.  A memorable time was had as we discovered what the event and city had to offer.

The first thing on the agenda was to attend Muriel Anderson's All-Star Guitar Night at the famed Ryman Auditorium on Friday night.  Due to the late nature of my plans to attend NAMM, the concert had long been sold-out. Danny Flowers was kind enough to secure a couple of tickets for me, as he would be performing on the bill with a handful of noted artists.   You might remember from my notes last July that Danny is an accomplished singer-songwriter-guitarist known for penning the classic "Tulsa Time" for Eric Clapton and other tunes recorded by Willie Nelson and Emmylou Harris.  He was Don Williams' guitarist for thirteen years and has played with Vince Gill, Nanci Griffith, and Dobie Gray among others.
 
 

The concert at the Ryman this year was a tribute to the late Chet Atkins.  It was divided into two segments; the first featuring a handful of acoustic wizards including Muriel Anderson, Phil Keaggy, Alex De Grassi, Ed Gerhard, and Richard Gilewitz.  The second part featured electric stalwarts such as Junior Brown, Brent Mason, Johnny Hiland, Nokie Edwards, Seymour Duncan, and of course Danny Flowers.  Noted jazz/fusion drummer Danny Gottlieb provided much of the backbeat and the awesome bass stylings of Dave Pomeroy and Victor Wooten more than carried the low end for the evening.  Suzy Bogguss and fiddle legend Vassar Clements also lent their talents to the show.

The Ryman is known as the historic home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974.  While the building exudes lots of charm, I didn't find it to be the ideal facility to watch a concert that would ultimately extend to approximately five hours long (sitting on church pews isn't exactly comfortable).  Furthermore, people sitting under the balcony were treated to an obstructed view due to the support columns.  Nevertheless, with so much talent in one place, there was a lot of tremendous music to be heard. 
 
 

The great Jerry Reed made a cameo appearance to present surviving members of Chet Atkins' family with an official tribute proclamation by the governor of Tennessee.  One moment of comedy relief came during the silence as Reed bestowed the framed proclamation to Atkins' family.  Someone yelled out "Hey Jerry, when you're hot, you're hot," in reference to one of his hits.  Without missing a beat, Reed turned to him and replied "And when you're not, you can't give it away."

I would be remiss if I did not point out that Flowers was using a 1x15 Carr Slant 6V combo amp throughout the show.  His tone was great and projected better than some of the others in my opinion.  Danny definitely provided an energy boost with his performance of "Tulsa Time."
 
 

We hit the NAMM show Saturday and Sunday at the Nashville Convention Center.  NAMM holds two conventions per year, the winter session occurring in January in Anaheim, CA and the summer show in Nashville during July.  I like the Nashville event because I don't have to travel as far and I enjoy seeing the musicians affiliated with the Music City scene.  I've noticed a big change in the atmosphere in Nashville over the past decade.  It always seemed to me that the music scene was pretty much limited to Opryland and behind closed doors on Music Row.  Now, there are more clubs down on Broadway St., and some stellar musicianship can be heard on just about every corner.

Personally, this year's show did not seem quite as crowded as 2001 to me, I thought perhaps due to the economy and travel issues associated with 9/11.  However, NAMM actually reported an increase in overall attendance for this year.  Many of last season's vendors were located in the same places, so it made things easy to find and I did see some interesting products on display.
 
 

Let's begin our trip through the show at the booth of  Terry C. McInturff Guitars.  We shared a space with Terry at last year's exhibition, and our friend Greg Germino took up the spot this year with his new line of Germino Amplifiers.  I've known both Terry and Greg for a long time, given that they have both had a presence in North Carolina for many years.  Greg is now based out of Ohio, while Terry continues his guitar production out of Holly Springs, NC which is just up the road from where I live.

Terry makes some of the most gorgeous instruments anywhere and is a connoisseur of  quality.  As usual, he brought some stunning guitars to the show, including a new "Old Gold" finished Taurus model.
 
 

I've been fortunate enough to share the stage with Greg Germino on a number of occasions.  In addition to being one heck of a guitarist, he can now add "amp builder" to his resume.  His new line of Germino Amplifiers embody classic styling cues of old-style Marshall amps.  The KT-66-equipped Rock Grinder model and EL-34 based Lead 55 amp are sure to please guitarists looking for organic and overdriven old-school tone.
 
 

Greg's purple combo (pictured above) is very reminiscent of the old Marshall Bluesbreaker amp.  It is a very wide enclosure, which Greg credits due to the fact that the original Bluesbreakers were of a similar nature. Will Ray, a phenomenal guitarist from The Hellecasters, took one look at it and asked if it was legal in the state of Tennessee because it was so wide.  (You had to be there to experience the subtle phrasing and nuance of the wording provided by the inimitable Mr. Ray.)

Next stop is the always prominent Fender display.  Old friend Alan Waite has climbed the ladder to VP at America's proudest musical tradition.  He was kind enough to show off some of their goods at the show.

Fender's big guitar release at this show was the Highway 1 Stratocaster.  It is intended to be a stripped-down, no-nonsense American-made Strat at a reasonable price.  These instruments feature alder bodies and transparent satin finishes on both the body and the neck.  I saw three different colors, and all were nice looking and relatively lightweight.  For this market segment, Fender has got a winner on their hands.
 
 

Paul Reed Smith continues to churn out elegant guitars year after year.  Like Fender, PRS usually has one of the larger displays at the show (even though we all know size doesn't always matter  ).  There were some eye-catching pieces offered by the company located in Maryland.

David Grissom (guitar) and Gary Grainger (bass) are two of the finest musicians you could ever hope to see.  (In fact, if you want to see them, check out some MPEGs below of their entertaining performances at the PRS display.  WARNING:  These are large files and more appropriate for high-speed Internet users.)

Grissom is the renowned axeman for Storyville, and has been a fixture on the Austin, TX scene for quite some time.  He has also toured with Joe Ely and John Mellencamp.  Grissom was demonstrating the sonic virtues of the PRS Hollowbody I  model w/ piezo pickup.  I use one of these myself, and it is one of my favorite guitars.
 

-Click here to view David Grissom using the piezo pickup

-Click here to view David Grissom using the standard pickups with an overdriven tone
 
 

You will find numerous references to two products on my Web site:  Carr Amps and Klein Electric Guitars.  It's a wonderful thing for a musician to find two companies that make toneful and well-executed products, which in turn enhance creativity and the inspiration to make music.  I've owned a Klein for almost seven years now, and it has brought a lot of good things into my musical life.

The first thing people notice about Klein electrics, is their otherwordly shape and lack of a headstock.  I've heard so many jokes and comments about them that it has grown tiresome.  However, there is a "cult" of players out there who regard these to be the absolute finest and most comfortable playing instruments anywhere.  I can personally attest to the quality and rare vibe these guitars have.  You are either a Klein player or you are not.  They work for me, and while you might get kicked out of the Grand Ole Opry with one of them, the Klein is a superbly-crafted tone machine capable of eliciting.....ok....enough of the melodrama.

Lorenzo German, builder of the Klein Electrics, graciously invited us out to the show where we hooked up with him and Frank "Silk " Smith.  Frank is an accomplished guitarist who has performed with Albert King, B.B. King, Aretha Franklin, and Robert Lockwood Jr. among others.  I met Frank last year and he greeted me like an old friend when we arrived last week.
 
 

 For this year's display, Lorenzo featured a marvelous spruce-top guitar with Seymour Duncan pickups.  He has also refined the nut assembly and is making it from an aircraft alloy material allowing for better sustain on the open strings. 

Another interesting addition is a very convenient drop-tuning device called the Langley D-Head Drop Tuner.  Developed for Steinberger-based instruments by Phillip Langley of Langley Guitars, the D-Head (I know what you're thinking  ) allows for the player to drop the low E string down to a D note at the quick twist of the knob with precise tuning results.  Furthermore, it can be adjusted a variable amount to accomodate almost any dropped 6th string note.  For instance, E could be dropped down to B or F# could be dropped down to E and so on. 

Langley released the device approximately three weeks before the show, so it is a new product.  He is sending one to me and I'll try to offer some thoughts on it in the future, though it worked very well at the show.  This unit was installed on the spruce top Klein and Bill Richardson eventually acquired the guitar.
 
 

Video:  - Click here to see Frank "Silk" Smith demonstrate the new Langley D-Head Drop Tuner.  (Large MPEG file recommended for high speed Internet users.)
 
 

Arrangements were made prior to the show for Lorenzo's exhibit to have a Carr Rambler amp onhand for demonstration purposes.  This combo drew high praise from many people at the event.  I heard a couple of players refer to it as having one of the best clean tones they've ever heard.  I will add that even though Steve was not operating an exhibit this year, Carr Amps enjoyed a high level of visibility at the show.  I saw a number of booths using Carr Amps in their displays.
 
 

Roland/BOSS had a large display featuring their well-developed line of keyboards, recording equipment, drum machines, guitar effects, etc..  There were a few things that caught my eyes and ears.  In addition to several dual pedal units recently placed on the market by BOSS, they have released a new digital delay (DD-6) and a digital reverb box (RV-5).

According to the Roland representative, the DD-6 is an upgrade over the previous DD-5 unit and now offers twice the available delay time (5.2 sec) with 24-bit sound and a tap-tempo function.  The RV-5 offers several reverb simulations, including a much-requested spring reverb.  The demonstration player was running these in stereo through a pair of Roland's VGA-3 "V-Amps".  This gave an impressive stereo-field sound and pronounced the effects greatly.  However, it was definitely a processed sound.  I  think running one or both of these pedals through a good tube amp would be more to my liking, but the flexibility offered by these boxes was impressive.

Another interesting pedal on display was the PW-10 V-Wah.  This unit models a handful of classic wah sounds and also has an onboard Uni-Vibe simulation and overdrive sounds.  I was intrigued by the fact that the device does not have a pot to wear out or get scratchy.  Rather, it uses infrared technology for clean and quiet switching.  The clinician indicated that it is a true-bypass affair.  This box sounded very good through the demo amps.  Will it replace my Teese wah?  I don't know.  I must admit that I was surprised by this pedal; but will reserve judgement until I am able to spend more time with one.
 
 

Line 6 continues to expand their range of modeling amplifiers.  I remember seeing their top-of-the-line Vetta amp at last year's show.  This time, I saw the new DuoVerb amp being demonstrated by their clinicians.  The amp actually sounded pretty good (I qualify that because I still think a nice tube amp offers better tone and feel...however, these types of amps definitely have their place and utility), and it was promoted as a "simplified Vetta" with an easier-to-use interface.  In fact, I was attracted to it precisely because it didn't have a bunch of digital readouts or other features requiring a pilot's license to operate. 

I am impressed with their recent Guitar Port, and if Line 6 continues to evolve and develop better modeling technology through the years, we might see the day where they are even more viable alternatives to tube amps.  After all, David Grissom sure sounded great through his POD at the PRS display.
 
 

Another revolutionary product on the way from Line 6 is the world's first modeling guitar called the Variax. 

Here's a pic from Line 6:

Aspen Pittman and Groove Tubes have been around for a long time.  In all honesty, there were so many things to do that I didn't have time to check out the GT amps like I wanted to.  Nonetheless, I did take a couple of photos of their products, such as the new GT Single amplifier, and the Soul-o 45 combo.  These have intrigued me for awhile, so I hope to play them in the future.

You might recall my visit to the Victoria booth last season and being impressed by the Victorilux amplifier.  This amp is a 3x10 combo amp featuring a choice of 4 x EL-84s or 2 x 6L6 tube complements. It produces about 35 watts, if I'm not mistaken.  Whereas I did not actually play one last year, I made a point to this time around.  Mark Baier says he has tweaked this model since 2001 and that it is even better now. 

Let me say that this was my favorite amp that I played during the show.  I thought it was warm yet articulate and the added reverb & tremolo are very worthy of the Victoria name.  I'd like to test this out in a club situation sometime.  Simply outstanding.
 
 

Daisy Rock is a division of Schecter Guitar Research, and they are carving out an interesting and needed niche in the industry.  Their line is aimed at bringing young female players into the fold, which I think is a great thing.  While I'm not usually a fan of marketing hype, unless it can be backed up by the product, I do believe that attracting more females into the world of guitar (even by virtue of this type of marketing) is a worthwhile endeavor.

No, I did not play these guitars; but the thought of seeing these on the next Metallica tour crossed my mind.

It was very nice to see John Chandler again this year at the NAMM show.  John makes an ingeniously simple pedalboard device called the Pedaltrain (click here to see my look at these from 2001).  He's a nice guy to deal with and is very quality-oriented.  I liked his Pedaltrain so much that I bought one last year.  It gets a lot of use in my studio and I am very satisfied with it.

John informed me that he will be introducing some new models this year, including a smaller unit for players who don't want to lug a lot of stuff around to gigs.

There were some very high-profile artists expressing an interest in the Pedaltrain, so I think his product is going to be around for a long time to come in this increasingly competitive market segment.  Due to guys like John Chandler, guitarists benefit greatly.
 
 

Does the world need another overdrive pedal?  Sure.  Why not?  More choices means more choices.  The latest box to create a buzz among Internet gearhounds is the John Landgraff Dynamic Overdrive unit, made in Florida.  This compact box (think MXR Dynacomp) features three overdrive/distortion modes accessed by a toggle switch.  There was not an official Landgraff exhibition at the show, but John Chandler had his own personal unit on a Pedaltrain and graciously gave a demonstration of it.

There are sound level restrictions enforced by the "NAMM Police", so I wasn't able to demo this at high volumes; however I could tell this model is an excellent gain box.  For well over $300 it better be.  I'd say this box will do everything from a clean boost to Tubescreamer overdrive and higher gain distortion (not heavy metal).  Sounds too good to be true?  I'll let you know after a friend of mine receives one that he has on order at the time of this writing.  As with many boutique offerings these days, there is a long wait for these units.

Here are some reviews and a link for purchasing info.

Here are a few more items from the 2002 Summer NAMM show:

Nashville is a vibrant town full of outstanding musicians who have moved to Music City to follow their dreams.  On every corner of Broadway St., one could hear mind-boggling guitarists making their Telecasters and Fender amps do amazing things.  The scene has expanded a bit since I first visited back in the early 90's.  Country music is still the dominant theme, though artists of all genres are finding their spots in town.

The NAMM show was attended by a ton of excellent players.  There are simply too many to list here.  One guy who displayed prodigious and extremely unique talent was Greg Howard and his Chapman Stick.  You should've heard his version of "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat".  Thankfully, he endured repeated requests by me to play it (he was next to the Klein display) without too much fuss.  I have it on video, but I think the files are larger than I wish to post here at this time.  If you really want to see it, drop me a line.  He is the epitome of a one-man band.
 
 

It was the thrill of a lifetime for me to meet the legendary James Burton.  I remember seeing him in person and on television when I was a kid as he played his famed pink paisley Telecaster with Elvis Presley.  Before that, he provided the licks for Ricky Nelson and a host of others... aw just read it here.   If you ever see the Roy Orbison black and white concert footage which is often played on VH-1 Classic these days, you will find Burton backing up more legends.

I remember the first time I heard Dale Hawkins' version of "Suzie Q" and being floored by the guitar solo.  Though this was in the 80's and long after the recorded fact, I was still able to find the 45" single (remember those?)  for the song and absorb it all.  It actually took me awhile to learn that Burton was the man responsible for the music.  He was a very humble guy and took a lot of time to talk to me.  I was able to demonstrate my Keeley Compressor for him and he seemed very interested in it.  I hooked Robert Keeley up with him and will report back if anything comes of it.

Johnny Hiland, profiled in the August 2002 issue of Guitar Player, is rapidly gaining a reputation as one of the hottest guitarists around.  I met him back in 2001 at the show, but didn't get a photo with him until this year.  He is legally-blind, which only makes him more astounding.  His rousing guitars and vocals on his rendition of "That's Alright Mama" at the Ryman show was something to witness.

He also checked out my Keeley Compressor and burned on some of his trademark licks.  I'm sure we'll be hearing more from him.  Johnny was playing all over town during the week and I caught some video footage of him as I stood outside a standing-room only club on a sidewalk.  It was actually fun filming through a window behind the stage.  As with the Greg Howard video, I am electing not to post the video right now due to file size; but e-mail me if you want to see it.
 

I wish to thank all the people I met at NAMM last week, as well as those I've had long-term relationships with throughout the years.  I enjoyed the experience yet again.

Jason