Barry Wood's NAMM Oddities 2014 Edition

 Packrat Barry

Instruments

Co-Oddity of the Year 2014

Will It Go Round in Circles

Yes it will, Mr. Preston. This was very nearly the last thing I saw at NAMM this year. Of course, that meant that I had three days of people asking me if I'd seen it yet so it wasn't exactly a surprise.

This consists of three 88-key controllers plus a couple of octaves for key switches. It was a nice surprise to catch Brocket Parson giving a demonstration. I'll bet Billy would have had fun with this.

Soft Machine

The Seaboard is the latest entry in the multi-axial keyboard controller category (yes, we have categories like that around here.)

It can detect your left/right and front/back position on the key to control pitch and timbre and it's got a particularly spongy version of aftertouch. There's more tactile feedback than the Haken

  • Roli Ltd.
  • 2 Glebe Road
  • Dalston, London E8 4BD
  • www.roli.com
Roli Ltd.

Odd Even For an Oud

They're definitely taking the "less is more" approach with this electric oud.

I'm disappointed that I couldn't get back to the booth to see John Bilezikjian play. He's one of the best oud players I've heard.

  • Mid-East Mfg., Inc.
  • 7694 Progress Circle
  • West Melbourne, FL 32904
  • (800) 673-1517
  • www.mid-east.com
Mid-East Mfg., Inc.

Taurus Maximus

The Murmux Pedalsynth is a more capable synth than the venerated Moog Taurus. Of course, all that analog goodness comes at a price.

Dreadbox Effects

For the True X-Men Fan

You'd better be willing to part with a mint 1st edition X-Men comic to come up with the scratch for this $17,999 five-string bass.

Ritter Bass Guitars

A 3+1 String Baritone Mando-Dulcimer

My cumbersome title aside, the Merlin is actually a cool little instrument. It's got frets spaced in a diatonic scale like a dulcimer, and the doubled high string gives it a bit a mandolin sound. It really looks like it would be fun to play.

Seagull Guitars

Safety Basses

You won't have to worry about anyone tripping over one of these on a darkened stage.

This is their "Combustion" model which is actually made in China for Dingwall. I suspect it's one of the few fanned-fret basses to come out of China.

Dingwall Designer Guitars

Life Imitates CG

I'm thinking that at least one Moog engineer was a fan of the film Wall-E. Someone needs to perform a rendition of "Put On Your Sunday Clothes" set to the scenes from the film(s).

Moog Music

Frankenstrad

The perfect axe for playing a chamber pop version of "Atomic Punk."

mezzo-forte Streichinstrumente

Cricket Violin

I'm not sure if they call this travel violin the "Cricket" because it's small and insect-like or if it's because it's shaped vaguely like a Cricket bat.

  • The Magic Fluke Company
  • 292 South Main Street
  • Sheffield, MA 01257
  • (413) 229-8536
  • www.magicfluke.com
The Magic Fluke Company

The World's Tiniest Accordion Player

You're probably not buying that.

Hohner is no stranger to making enormous reed instruments.

  • Hohner, Inc.
  • 1000 Technology Park Drive
  • Glen Allen, Virginia 23059-4500
  • (800) 446-6010
  • www.hohnerusa.com
Hohner, Inc.

Chibi Keys

These 73 key instruments could be thought of as giant toy pianos or small full-sized pianos. I think at ¥ 450,000 it's going to have the be the latter.

Okiraku Kobo Co., Ltd.

Ligature Constrictor

The "boa" wire that secures the reed is made from aircraft grade stainless steel. You can rest easy knowing that you won't have a catastrophic ligature failure at altitude.

Claude Lakey

Asian Sea Bass

ESP went all out with the Asian motif on this 5-string bass.

  • The ESP Guitar Company
  • 10903 Vanowen St., Unit A
  • North Hollywood, CA 91605
  • (800) 423-8388
  • www.espguitars.com
The ESP Guitar Company
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