Barry Wood's NAMM Oddities 2009 Edition
Guitars
Über Scary
Leave it to ESP to take garish guitar designs to the next level. It's kind of like watching a bad horror film in 3D.
Before you question my use of the umlaut in the title, it was required as this handy Heavy Metal taxonomic diagram will reveal.
- The ESP Guitar Company
- 10903 Vanowen St., Unit A
- North Hollywood, CA 91605
- (800) 423-8388
- www.espguitars.com
'09 Convertible
This interesting guitar system lets you swap out the complete electronics package of the guitar in seconds. You can go from single coils to humbuckers and not have to drag around multiple guitars.
That does kind of go against the natural tendencies of guitar players to amass large numbers of guitars.
- GDK Technologies
- 1123 Sherman Ave., Suite B
- Coer d'Alene, ID 83814
- (208) 664-3686
- www.gdk-usa.com
A Pete Townsend-Proof Guitar
Let's see you smash this one, Pete. The milled aluminum body is fitted with carbon fiber front and back pieces to create a resonating chamber, which I am told, provides for better tone. Would a man wearing a fez lie?
- Etavonni Instruments, Inc.
- 4525 Stauffer SE, Suite A
- Kentwood, MI 49508
- (877) 423-8286
- www.etavonniinstruments.com
Bulletproof Guitars
Carbon fiber instruments were out in force at NAMM this year. This one has a fiber/kevlar shell over a light-weight alder body.
Maybe these guys could let us know just how bullet-proof these guitars are?
- Bulletproof Guitars
- www.bulletproofinstruments.com
Carbon Cannon
I told you carbon fiber was popular. The folks at Blackbird are now making a full-sized guitar along with their travel steel string and nylon string guitars.
This guitar actually has a larger physical volume than a normal acoustic because of the way they've created the front port in what would have been the hip of the guitar.
- Blackbird Guitars
- (415) 625-0977
- www.blackbirdguitar.com
The Hombre
At a price of nearly $12,000, you might have to pull off a bank job to afford one of these.
Like their Lenore guitar from last year's NAMM show, the Hombre has an amazing amount of detail in the solid sterling silver hardware. It also includes a replica Derringer, which should provide hours of entertainment with the TSA should you need to fly somewhere with your guitar. You could try hiding it in the secret compartment in the back of the guitar, that might be even more fun.
- Goldbug Products
- P.O. Box 922
- Delavan, WI 53115
- (262) 740-1678
- www.goldbugguitars.com
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Minarik has a penchant for elaborate doublenecks, as their Goddess from a couple of years back shows.
This year it's an electric mandolin/guitar combo featuring a headless horseman theme. They really should have used bridge tuners and made this a headless guitar.
- Minarik Guitars
- 413 Ross Street
- Glendale, CA 91207
- (818) 243-3733
- www.minarikguitars.com
Guitar Liposuction
In years past Kraken has fielded some, shall I say, less-than-stylish guitars. This year they were showing one that you might not be ashamed to be seen playing.
- Kraken Custom Guitars
- 860-1, Dukdo-ri, Gwangjeok-myeon
- Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do 482-843, Korea
- +82 31 871 6195
- www.krakenguitars.com
Photoshop-Free
There was something oddly compelling about this hand-painted guitar. After seeing all the super-slick graphic-laden guitars, this was a breath of fresh air.
It's possible that I'm the only person who doesn't recognize that this is a replica of Clapton's SG. Thanks for clueing me in Babz.
- Musical Instrument Distribution Canada
- 860 Denison Street, Unit #11
- Markham, Ontario, L3R 3K4 Canada
- (866) 607-7030
- www.midc.ca
It's Wafer Thin
Unlike the mint profered by John Cleese, these won't cause a gastro-intenstinal apocalypse.
These instruments include a line input so you can plug-in an mp3 player and jam along in the privacy of headphones.
- Eleuke
- Honcho 5-37-2 Nakanoku
- Tokyo 164-0012 Japan
- +81-3-3380-1434-1435
- www.eleuke.com
The Moog Guitar
Occasionally I overlook an item simply because I'm already familiar with it. That was the case with the Moog Guitar. This instrument is exceptional because not only can it produce EBow-like sustain on all strings, it can also do the opposite by causing the strings to very quickly cease vibrating.
- Moog Music
- (828) 251-0090
- www.moogmusic.com
Mildly Annoyed With The Machine
This guitar serves as a visual metaphor representing the thinly veiled workings of a somewhat-less-than-transparent government doing things that you don't wholly aprove of.
- Gitary Mayones s.c.
- ul. Narwicka 10
- 80-557 Gdansk, Poland
- +48 58 343 07 83
- www.mayones.com
V Coustic
Dean continues to be an industry leader in the flying V guitars. Last year they were showing a doubleneck V and this year it's their V Coustic. Maybe Dave Mustaine is planning an unplugged tour.
- Armadillo Enterprises, Inc.
- 4924 West Waters Ave.
- Tampa, Florida 33634
- (813) 600-3920
- www.deanguitars.com
My Biscuits are Burnin'!
Don't be satified with simply having flames painted on your guitar; make them an integral part of it.
This reminded me of Yosemite Sam's first scene in Roger Rabbit.
- Minarik Guitars
- 413 Ross Street
- Glendale, CA 91207
- (818) 243-3733
- www.minarikguitars.com
©2009 Barry Wood