Barry Wood's NAMM Oddities 2010 Edition
Guitars
Oddity of the Year 2010
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.
With a guitar like this, who Needs LSD?
- Visionary Instruments
- 4401 San Leandro St., Suite 45
- Oakland, CA 94601
- www.visionaryinstruments.com
I Hope Those Wings Work
You might have to get Benny Hinn give you a whack to fix your back after wearing this monster for a while.
This really is a striking guitar that would be right at home in the Vatican.
- The ESP Guitar Company
- 10903 Vanowen St., Unit A
- North Hollywood, CA 91605
- (800) 423-8388
- www.espguitars.com
Turn Turn Turn
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.
- Dwarfcraft Devices
- Eau Clare, Wisconsin
- www.dwarfcraft.com
Neither Fish nor Fowl
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.
- Aristides Instruments
- Humberweg 12
- 1043 AC Amsterdam
- +31(0) 6 105 97 460
- www.aristidesinstruments.com
Holy Guitars Batman
It looks like ESP took a shotgun to the Bassart guitar I saw at NAMM a couple of years ago.
- The ESP Guitar Company
- 10903 Vanowen St., Unit A
- North Hollywood, CA 91605
- (800) 423-8388
- www.espguitars.com
Holy Crap, It's the Batmobile!
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.
- Hallmark Guitars
- P.O. Box 242
- Greenbelt, MD 20768
- (240) 473-1157
- www.hallmarkguitars.com
The Relic
Even without the creepy Boris Karloff Frankenstein lighting, this guitar looked pretty cool.
This would be the perfect axe for the aspiring guitarist who wanted to look more experienced than they really are.
- Spear Guitars
- www.spearguitar.com
Siamese Mini Me
This prototype guitar combines a standard six-string with a tenor guitar neck. The pickup positioning has a jaunty, devil-may-care attitude about it.
- Dynamico Guitars
- P.O. Box 195
- Ada, MI 49301
- (616) 856-5660
- www.dynamicoguitars.com
Reductionist Design
It's amazing that in a guitar made with so little wood, you will find maple, walnut, mahogany and wengé woods.
- Paul Lairat Luthier
- Rte de Roquemaure Chemin du Rimonet
- 84100 Orange
- 00 33 (0)4 90 51 12 56
- www.lairat.com
Work From Home!
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.
- Danelectro
- P.O. Box 5030
- San Clemente, CA 92674
- (949) 498-9854
- www.danelectro.com
Getting the Finger
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.
- Ministar
- www.ministarguitars.com
It Hinges on Price
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.
- EDG Guitars
- (877) 334-0607
- www.edgguitars.com
For Those With Ample Digits
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"
- Eastwood Guitars
- 348 Guelph St. #14
- Georgetown, Ontario
- Canada, L7G-4B5
- (905) 702-8291
- www.eastwoodguitars.com
A Droog's Axe
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"?
- Charvel Guitars
- 8860 East Chaparral Road, Suite 100
- Scottsdale, AZ 85250
- www.charvel.com
Steel Snakeskin
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.
- James Trussart Custom Guitars
- 1307 Allesandro St.
- Los Angeles, CA 90026
- (213) 989-1554
- www.jamestrussart.com
Ovation Makes a Bid for Edgy
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.
- Ovations Guitars
- www.ovationguitars.com
Migratory Soundhole
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.
- McPherson Guitars
- 1204 Roberts Road
- P.O. Box 260
- Sparta, WI 54656
- (608) 366-1407
- www.mcphersonguitars.com
In the Grand Tradition
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.
- Steel Hammer
- 022-24383636 24388866
- www.steelhammer.cn
©2010 Barry Wood