Not only does the Video Guitar look incredibly cool, it actually plays and sounds good.
You download mp4 videos into the instrument and then freak out your fans. Steven Wilson is getting a great reaction with one at concerts on the current Porcupine Tree tour.
This text from the dwarfcraft website sums up their ethos quite succinctly: "Let's face it, turning heads is old fashioned. You need to turn stomachs."
They built this guitar as a one-off for NAMM and incorporates a square wave oscillator that is mixed with the guitar output.
Shown below the guitar is a selection of their pedals in the "mangler" line. The gem at the very bottom is the "Spectacular Aenima."
Dwarfcraft had enough Oddity-worthiness to warrant two entries this year.
When I visited the Aristides booth on Thursday they explained that in addition to the guitars they were showing,
they also had a bass. Unfortunately, the US Dept. of Fish and Game had delayed it in Customs.
The company said it was because of the neck inlays, but I think it was because their instruments are made from a mysterious material they call "Arium."
I asked the Aristides folks what Arium was and they couldn't explain it to me.
I've got to admit that I felt a chill go up my spine when I saw the Batmobile. As a kid I would rush home from school so I could watch the
Batman TV show.
Oh yeah, there's a Batman guitar, too. It's inspired and endorsed by the Batmobile designer himself, George Barris, who
was in attendance.
Danelectro is looking for some stay-at-home moms interested in an exciting new home-based business opportunity.
If you'd like to make money in your spare time (or even just during nap time), we've got the just the thing.
Please send pictures of your kid's room to prove you've got all the necessary skills to join our team.
References from local craft store are a plus.
P.S. Danelectro is not really looking for moms to paint their guitars… as far as I know.
Acoustar was showing some minimalist travel instruments that I covered in 2008
and now they've got a travel acoustic that, in effect, swallows its own tongue.
If you look closely, you'll see there's a creepy, rubber finger that's used to keep the neck from going anywhere when in it's travel configuration.
If you stop at Wendy's for chili, you might want to leave the guitar in its case so as not to arouse suspicion.
Between the two folding guitars in the 2008 Oddities
and the two I saw this year, it looks like folding guitars are on the way to not being not all that odd.
Perhaps this guitar sets itself apart if only because it goes for under $400.
Eastwood was showing this as-yet-unnamed four-string guitar.
Seeing as there is quite a bit of space between strings, I would like to suggest that it be called "The Sausage Finger Friend"
I've seen A Clockwork Orange at least half a dozen times and I don't recall any checkerboard motif in the film.
Could it be they've been partaking of too much "moloko plus"?
Trussart is a regular at NAMM and it's an oversight on my part to not have featured them more often.
This snakeskin texture on their hollow-body tele-style guitar is gorgeous.
In an effort to expand beyond the worship service market, Ovation teamed up with the
guitarist DJ Ashba of the zombie-like band, Guns N Roses, to create a series of guitars.
To me, this is like painting a skull and crossbones on a Volvo. You're just not going to
convince many people that you have a dark side.
I'm sure that there are all sorts of fancy acoustical reasons for McPherson to move the sound hole up from it's traditional location, but let's face it,
the most important advantage is that you're much less likely to drop your pick into your guitar.
One of many things you can count on at NAMM is that you will see gigantic instruments.
The Steel Hammer booth had several mega-dreadnought guitars in their booth. The inside label credits Glen Burton, so either he made it or someone modeled it after one of his guitars.
