Barry Wood's NAMM Oddities 2023 Edition

 Packrat Barry

Instruments

Prepare To Be Assimilated

I believe it's wholly appropriate to think of these hybrid wood/3D-printed violins as the Borg.

strikell

Conjoined Horn

There's a thumb valve that switches between the two bells so you can get up to hijinx (or dare I say horn-jinx) like having a mute in one bell and not the other.

tjmastermusic

Atrus' Orchestra

My initial thought was that this looked very much like a puzzle you'd find in Myst, but no, The Pipe is all about music. The business end sports a microphone that is used as an input for processing, modulation, and all manner of interesting synthesis. .

somasynths2

Never Enough

Last year I stood at 3D Music’s booth looking at their violins when someone asked about doing a cello. This produced an exasperated sigh from the maker, who wearily explained the challenges involved. This year I arrived at the booth to see that they’d overcome those challenges. While I admired their triumphant new cello…someone asked about doing a bass.

The maker said that was a very interesting idea, then looked around for a window to jump out of.

3dmusic

The Horror Of Party Beach

These skeletons look like they're having the times of their afterlives sitting around on driftwood pickups.

espguitars4

High Voltage Kamancheh

The DVINA is a two-stringed electric instrument inspired by Persian and Hindustani instruments that can be played like a violin. Its output is not generated with a traditional pickup—instead, built into the body are a magnet and a transformer that's less susceptible to EMF.

somasynths3

Cyborg Sax

Unlink other digital wind instruments, the YDS-150 Digital Saxophone uses a real reed and has a speaker that outputs through the bell. It can also be played silently to headphones.

yamaha

Beyond Monochrome

It seems piano manufacturers are finally breaking away from the homogenous color schemes of pianos immemorial. This Meisterstück C169 is covered by a veneer of a wood called white ebony.

schimmel-pianos

A New Trend?

This VX Series is made from a wood called sapele, which I'd never heard of before. If this appeals to you, you have no choice but to buy a matching drum set.

masonhamlin

Variously Extraordinary

Not only did this guy tear it up on this electric cello, he also had the most distinctive hair and moustache at NAMM, which is saying a lot.

3d-varius

Love Will Find A Way

She came from a respectable family, he was a rocker from the wrong side of the tracks, but when a cello and a P-bass love each other very much, nothing can stop them.

the-bace

Modular & Mellifluous

Euphonics are played in a similar fashion to glass harps, except you run your fingers along the horizontal metal rod. You can mix and match whatever notes you like to build the eerie chord of your dreams.

Bass Fishing

Supposedly the color scheme on this bass was based on the photo. I don't know if I quite see it, but I like it nonetheless.

ibanez

Paisley Must Be In This Year

I saw guitars this year with paisley designs around the edges; this bass takes the opposite approach.

maybach-guitars3

Squawk, Forist, Squawk!

The Little Forist is one of those interesting sound generators that you play by using your fingers to close circuits on the exposed traces.

spookycircuits

Baroque Bass

While not exactly a color scheme that would have been used in the 17th century, I could see this pattern done in velvet on a sitting room couch of the period.

dingwallguitars

Church Key

They should make miniature versions of these violins that you can use as a bottle opener.

bandm

Forced Perspective

I imagine it's difficult enough just to hand-paint the Eiffel Tower on an alto sax, much less capture the structure's majesty, as evidenced by this attempt.

chateau-wind

Endpin Donut

The Typhoon Minihorn has an anti-skid surface on the bottom, and the divide itself is supposed to enhance the resonance of the cello. I know that donuts enhance my midrange so who am I to be skeptical?

tpminihorn

Compelling Conformity

Martin Blocki will never rest until proper flute technique is universally observed. He has continued to refine and expand the training tools that I first saw at NAMM in 2012.

blockiflute

Cheese Machine

Upon hearing this I was immediately taken back to 1985 and the dulcet tones of the DX21.

Next Up: Techno Geek Toys

©2023 Barry Wood