Barry Wood's NAMM Oddities 2015 Edition

Packrat Barry

Other Goodies

The Ultimate Electro-Mechanical Vibrato

Analog Outfitters continue their scavenging operations with this repurposing of Hammond vibrator scanners as guitar effects.

Is There a Dermatologist in the House?

This pick guards look like they're suffering from the plague or at least the heartbreak of psoriasis.

Radio on the TV

Tone King is nailing the retro Magnavox/Zenith vibe with their vintage-inspired tube amps.

  • Tone King Amplifier Company, Inc.
  • Box 38 Bldg 45-2A
  • 4401 Eastern Avenue
  • Baltimore, MD 21224
  • www.toneking.com

Set and Forget

If you use specific settings on your pedals or amp and worry about the knobs getting changed, here is the product for you. This replaced the original knob with one that cannot be accidentally changed. To make an adjustment you pull up on the knob to disengauge the teeth and then turn it.

Pickup Smorgasbord

The Zexcoil pickups use a separate coil for each string and offer enough different pickup choices to paralyze the typical tone-obsessed guitarist.

  • Lawing Musical Products, LLC
  • P.O. Box 9924
  • Newark, DE 19714
  • www.zexcoil.com

Parametric Pickup

Like a parametric EQ, these pickups allow you to select the frequency and Q (bandwidth) of the pickup response. This goes way beyond traditional guitar tone controls.

No Witty Title Required

When a company named Cioks puts out a pedal power distribution accessory and they call it Pussy Power, it makes my job just that much easier.

  • CIOKS ApS
  • Brogaardsvej 102, 2
  • DK-2820 Gentofte, Denmark
  • www.cioks.com

Animal Magnetism

The SlideWinder is a ring with a magnetic bar that allows you to use a slide and still bend your finger when you want to form full chords, which is typically not possible with one of your fingers ensconced in a rigid tube.

Lumber Yard Core Samples

I'm sure there's some reason for this unusual construction method, most likely having something to do with suppressing resonant cabinet frequencies. I just thought they looked cool.

The Sustain, Listen to it

"I don't hear anything."
"Well you would though, if it were playing."

At least that's what I would expect Nigel to say about this product, which mechanically couples the neck and bridge for improved sustain.

Curse of the Mummy's Stompbox

Your descendants may rue the day you open up this to pedal to adjust a knob. I didn't want to risk it myself so I can't even tell you what it does.

  • Ogre
  • Seogeun-ri 205, Paltan-myeon,
  • Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
  • 445-914
  • www.ogre.kr

Mooer Wahter

This sounds more like the plea from a dehydrated individual than the name of an ultra compact wah pedal.

  • Shenzhen Mooer Audio Co., Ltd.
  • 5F, Unit B, Jinghang Building
  • Liuxian 3rd Road, Bao'an 71District
  • Shenzhen, China
  • www.mooeraudio.com

Positively Petite Pedals

My foot isn't really that big, these pedals are just that diminutive.

Filled to the Brim

This is the latest weapon in the war on picklessness.

Pick Leverage

The Pykmax fits in your hand and has a hinged pick attached to palm-fitting handle that presumably provides more control over the pick.

I think they're missing the boat in not promoting the anti-pick dropping characteristics inherent in the design.

  • Pro Music Marketing, Inc.
  • 421 7th Ave., Ste. 1200
  • New York, NY 10001
  • www.pykmax.com

A Mötley Crüe

A tuner for every occasion, just not any occasions that you might realistically encounter.

  • iSupply Music Co., Ltd.
  • 6F.-1, No.315, Sec. 5, Nanjing E. Rd.
  • Taipei, Taiwan (10569)
  • www.isupplymusic.com

Endorsed by the SPCR

Prevent cruelty to your roadie, especially if your are him. I particularly like that you can pull the fingertip back on these protective gloves to provide either fine finger work or more likely, access to your smartphone screen.

This is a Good Place for a Stick Up

Except instead of freshening the air, this stick-on wireless X/Y touchpad smoothly crossfades between effects in the companion processor.

Stand up to the Man

What really caught my eye at this booth was their vehement stance against Guitar Center.

The Z-Stand look like it would make nice "living room" guitar stand.

Pickup Your Guitar

Yet another way to keep your guitar handy and open up floor space.

A NAMM Staple

It's just not a NAMM show without ostentatious guitar straps. Killer-Q stepped up to fill this much needed void.

For Unpredictable Weather

These little packets will either humidify or dehumidify depending on the current conditions.

Next Up: Percussion

©2015 Barry Wood