NAMM 2009 - Day 1

Day 1 of NAMM is almost at an end....ALMOST. I'm taking a two-hour break before we head over to the Marriott for the 11pm show, where Ronnie North will be shredding. As always, the first day of NAMM is overwhelming. The sheer size of the show is daunting and it is always a mystery how I am going to sift through the tens of thousands of products to identify those products that will appeal to Guitar Affair customers. And, as some of you know, I also write the NAMM awards for Guitar Jam Daily, so I also have to analyze all of the new gear to identify those products that are worthy of the Guitar Jam Daily awards. I always spend the first days walking the floor without looking at anything too closely, just trying to see what catches my eye and what products I should set aside time to investigate closer. I also spend time saying hello to friends and to our manufacturers. In all the day was long and tiring, and I'm sure that I walked 5 over 5 miles (2 of which were to and from the parking lot). There are lots of new products here to look at, so the next three days will be just as busy. The general mood of the show is definitely down from last year due to the economy. Those manufacturers who I know well and can have candid conversations with, readily admited that things were dismal. Everyone is praying for a better year in '09.

Here are some highlights of the day.

The entrance to the NAMM show is always impressive.

TC Electronic released their new Nova Drive, which features individual overdrive and distortion analog circuits in a single unit that can be used separately or stacked together for vitually unlimited tonal flexibility. This looks like a very cool unit that also integrates seamlessly with the TC Electronic G System. As a G System player, I was particularly interested in this unit and will definitely test it out this week.

TC Electronic also announced the release of VoiceLive2, a vocal processing unit that offers a plethora of pitch correction, harmony generation, and effect options. Particularly cool is the harmony generation which can be driven by a guitar, bass, and even an iPod.

Guitar Affair Gig Bags and CaseXtreme transport cases - Guitar Affair customers will recognize this combination, but this is the first year we've shown these cases at NAMM. The response was phenomenal, they are the best gig bags and transport cases at the show. Period. Look for some upcoming news about a package deal for people who want to ship their own guitars.

Stetsbar Tremolo - Ever want a trem on a Les Paul? Here's your chance. We saw one of these puppies on an XOX, and we loved it. Here's what they look like "in the raw".

Tascam GT-R1 - This unit has potential. It seems to combine some key features of the GT1, which some Guitar Affair guitar rental customers really like, and a guitar recorder. Look for a more indepth review on this unit later as we consider it as a possible addition for a Road Trip Package.

Gary Kramer Guitars - We've been following Gary Kramer guitars since he got back into the market three years ago. I'm very impressed with the quality of his instruments, particularly the US-made line and the custom shop instruments. Guitar Affair customers may well see these as guitar rental options soon. Below are pics of the Illusionist and Cathederal models.

Ibanez Paul Gilbert - Ibanez released a couple limited edition Paul Gilbert guitars. Paul Gilbert is one of my favorite guitarists, but at 10 thousand dollars, I'm not sure about these. Certainly, they are going after the collector market as they did with the Satriani "Surfing with the Alien" special edition."

The PRS Booth - Yes, I know that they are "almost" a mass produced guitar now, but they are still gorgeous and great guitars.

Peavey Orange County Chopper Guitar Line - I admit that I like the design of this guitar. Very sleek.

Some other new Peavey Guitars...

I'm not sure this one is going to sell well.

New Dave Mustaine Dean - cool graphics

Daisy Rock - the Daisy Rock booth gets bigger and bigger every year. These folks are doing something right, catering to young female guitarists. In 10 years, this may have a radical effect on the face of popular bands.

Other "guitar stuff" - NAMM is also filled with a lot of other music-oriented products. There are tons of these types of products and they can be fun.............or not.

Super Cool Guitar Hangers - I thought these things were great. I wish they had a model that worked with slat wall

The most extravagent booth at NAMM - It wasn't even a close competition this year. The Roland booth could hold a small town. Behind that large silver wall is a maze of stages, demo rooms, meeting areas, refreshment areas, and probably some secret stuff for "special Roland dealers". It's amazing. They must have 100 people working this booth.

Flash of honesty from Rep Putnam

Rep Putnam (R - FL) tripped over honesty when he stated that "BOTH sides oft he aisle took a very partisan turn." I'm sure those statements will be revised and amended before long but it was nice to hear it, if only for a brief moment.

"Rescue Bill" Fails in the House - Let the mud throwing games begin

Well, the bill failed in a truly bipartisan catastrophe. The administration didn't sell it and in the final minutes before the vote, the Speaker couldn't resist giving a partisan speach. Now comes the mud throwing, where each side will blame the other. In reality however, the voting was fairly balanced. While slightly more Republicans voted no compared to Democrats, enough Democrats voted against the bill that it is difficult to say that the vote was along party lines (but of course that won't stop anyone).

How many clowns does it take to make a circus???

Independent Extremist player of the week - President Clinton

I never thought I'd be writing this, but Bill Clinton has been nothing less than stellar this week. Pushing all of the crap aside, like wondering whether he secretly supports McCain so that Hillary can run again in four year, Bill Clinton has spoken of John McCain with respect all week.

There is no question in my mind the President Clinton is backing Barak, but he has demonstrated to the country this week that you don't have to degrade someone just because you do not agree with them politically. He has shown the even-handed integrity that we independents crave, focusing on what he views as McCain's good points instead of tearing him down. He did the same when he spoke about Todd Palin on Greta Van Sustren's show.

Of course this point has been lost on most of the media and they have instead chosen to try to go "National Enquirer" with stories questioning President Clinton's real motivations. It couldn't possibly be that President Clinton understands that constantly attacking political opponents is a net negative for the country, could it? I think it is and I think that President Clinton is patriotic and smart enough to know that this is bad for the country and he knows first-hand how crippling it is trying to govern in such a sesspool of mean spiritedness.

Have a great weekend.

Rescue bill is best example yet of our failed party system

I know we still have a long way to go, but I'm sick of this debate already. Both parties have failed us for more than a decade by promoting high-risk loans for first time buyers and allowing a disgustingly large river of money from the mortgage companies, Freddie and Fannie into their campaign coffers. The money taken by the members of the banking committees is nothing short of obscene and BOTH of our presidential candidates took large amounts of money from these folks also. McCain can talk about the fact that Barak took much more than he did, but it can also be said that while McCain was calling those organizations into question, he was apparently still taking money from them. What's wrong with this picture???

Now we will all sit and watch the parties jockey and manuever, each blaming the other for the rest of us being screwed. They will put the executive's heads on sticks and deny their parachutes (which I agree with), but none of them will suggest that the members of the banking committees for the past 10 years should also lose their gracious pensions. No, congress will once again skate through by blaming everyone but themselves. And we the sheep will just take it.

What the hell is an independent extremist?

Welcome to Independent Extremist. There are left-wing extremists and right-wing extremists. This blog is intended to be the home for independent extremists or center extremists. Independent extremists are fed up with the bullshit two-party system, which does nothing but point fingers at each other, accomplish nothing, and deflect all blame. We've had it. To quote Barak Obama - "Enough!". We are for radical changes in the political system, whether a viable 3rd party or the complete abolishing of the party system. The means is less important than the desired end, which is a radical overhaul of US politics.Do I really think it can happen? Sadly, it's not likely and we'll get into my reasons for feeling this way as we move forward together. This blog is really a venting outlet for me as I'm surrounded by party loyalists who primarily care what color a polititian's uniform is and will excuse appalling behavior if the uniform color is the correct one. If the other team displays the same behavior, however, termpers flare and the world comes to an end. It's so pathetic.I hope at some point, people will find this blog and I will make some new friends with whom I can share ideas and vent with.Enjoy life and try not to take these idiots too seriously.