[mpexus]

Ist my impression or NAMM this year was like... totally Meh.

Even the regular YouTubers have barely anything relevant on their videos

 

[Mattayus]

I think the world has reached peak guitar. So many options, so many designs, nobody's doing anything new that doesnt look fucking horrible, but they all seemingly refuse to reissue classic designs.

I mean I know that's boring and we've been there, done that, but not really... it just feels like they're all trying to reinvent the wheel and its fallen on its face.

 

[Randy]

I disagree, ive been seeing more NAMM coverage and surprising stuff than at least the last 3 or 4 years. They made a guitar pedal that you pour shit into! Does nothing please you? :lol:

 

[Rocka_Rollas]

i WOULD HAVE BEEN EXCITED AND FLAPPING MY ARMS AROUND THE ROOM IF THEY SHOWCASED THE BASS EVERTUNE

 

[105]

i WOULD HAVE BEEN EXCITED AND FLAPPING MY ARMS AROUND THE ROOM IF THEY SHOWCASED THE BASS EVERTUNE

 

[Mr. S]

Guitar wise it's been a long time since anything at NAMM has particularly excited me, but there's always cool tech stuff coming out. Like the aforementioned piss (other liquids are available) pedal. :lol:

 

[Lozek]

I've been enjoying the ESP US custom stuff, but there is a steady stream of that all year round. Other than that, the announcement about Kemper Kone and Acoustic Simulator are quite cool but given that they previewed the Editor last Namm and we only just got it, plus the shit show that was the Stage launch, it's hard to be too excited.

 

[Variant]

:shrug: Really? I thought it was pretty good, particularity in the guitar department. Everyone's bringing out a lot of varied spec'd guitars, tons of finish options, a good bit of throwback stuff (particularly '80s stuff) along with the modern kit.

Some new amps, a good amount of pedals, a decent amount of stuff on the production/electronic side of things.

I'm not really in the market for much of anything right now so I've just been looking at it from a diversified customer angle on things. I guess my biggest boner would be for the Neural DSP Quad Cortex (whenever they get it sorted... they can take their time, I ain't got $1600 at the moment), and I'll probably nab the non-limited edition & more compact Earthquaker Life pedal, maybe probably the Boss SY-1000 when my estranged rich uncle I never knew about leaves me some inheritance.

This probably was my favorite thing I saw this year, Schecter Mach-7s:

Dem specs. :yum: 26.5" scale, Lundgren M7 & Sustainer in the neck, Floyd Rose or Evertune or fixed Hipshot versions. Man, If still played sevens, I'd buy one of each.

This was dope too (though I don't understand why it didn't get the 26.5" scale the RGDs do:

 

[Variant]

i WOULD HAVE BEEN EXCITED AND FLAPPING MY ARMS AROUND THE ROOM IF THEY SHOWCASED THE BASS EVERTUNE

That's interesting. I wonder how it will effect the stability of the strings. One thing that's a trick with bass is: Smacking that shit like Chris Brown sounds good, but hitting that hard causes notes to pull sharp, and the only way around it is to pull a bit of the waver out with Melodyne or VariPitch or similar after the fact.

Wonder how they'll manage the fact that string spacing on basses isn't NEARLY as consistent as guitars as well.

 

[jim777]

There have been some very cool synths released or announced (Behringer is slowly releasing ALL of the classic synths with updates), but guitar wise I'm not terribly excited by new $2K+ toys I don't need. I don't think I saw anything bass related though.

 

[Variant]

There have been some very cool synths released or announced (Behringer is slowly releasing ALL of the classic synths with updates)

This. Lotta good synth stuff, plugins, even more on the hardware/modular side. Last two or three years have been good though. Samplers and grooveboxes have made a bit of a comeback as well.

but guitar wise I'm not terribly excited by new $2K+ toys I don't need.

Same here, still haven't pulled the trigger on a Variax Shuriken 270 like I've friggen' wanted since they came out yet. :nuts: Cool lookin' shit to be sure, nothing I need to add any functionality to my existence.

I don't think I saw anything bass related though.

This was the only thing that tickled my taint:

Kiesel Zeus 7-string headless basses. No idea on the price point or if I'd get on with the multiscale on bass (I do not dig on guitar).

 

[Variant]

I think the world has reached peak guitar. So many options, so many designs, nobody's doing anything new that doesnt look fucking horrible, but they all seemingly refuse to reissue classic designs.

Really? We we watching the same NAMM 2020? I thought the exact takeaways were tons of aesthetic choices and a lot of reissue/throwback stuff.

 

[Drew]

For me, there's very little at NAMM this year that I really give a shit about, but that's more a reflection of the fact I'm pretty happy with my current setup - guitars, amps, recording gear, all of it - and aside from maybe one day wanting to grab a good Tele and some sort of a semi-hollow, there just aren't too many things I'm really lusting after.

Now, bikes, on the other hand... :drool:

Really? We we watching the same NAMM 2020? I thought the exact takeaways were tons of aesthetic choices and a lot of reissue/throwback stuff.

Based on the guitars you're talking about, I think you and Mattayus may be seeing the same djent-friendly aesthetic in very, very, VERY different ways. :lol:

 

[scole]

brOla release his first walkthough video from NAMM:

Personally, I am "meh" this this year's NAMM. The new PIAs were the big NAMM craze but I don't find them special and look fugly. Outside of that, the other brands I have an interest in (Kramer, Korg, Alesis) didn't really announce anything interesting. I throw Kramer in this category because god knows when anything they announce actually becomes available for purchase..

 

[Rocka_Rollas]

That's interesting. I wonder how it will effect the stability of the strings. One thing that's a trick with bass is: Smacking that shit like Chris Brown sounds good, but hitting that hard causes notes to pull sharp, and the only way around it is to pull a bit of the waver out with Melodyne or VariPitch or similar after the fact.

Wonder how they'll manage the fact that string spacing on basses isn't NEARLY as consistent as guitars as well.

That is what Evertune does.

It makes the string in tune.

So you can hit hard and the pitch will not jump noticably much.

 

[Randy]

Ola jamming and twisting knobs on that Neural thing already sounds 10x better than anything in the official demos.

 

[Rocka_Rollas]

Well I did say "sounds good to me" so just like any other gadget it's up to the user to make it sound good

Kempers are legit units, but I can sure make them sound like ass. :lol:

 

[Variant]

Based on the guitars you're talking about, I think you and Mattayus may be seeing the same djent-friendly aesthetic in very, very, VERY different ways. :lol:

I mean, if he's big into the djent/modern metal thing, I still think there were a decent number of guitars dropped this year. :shrug: Maybe not as much as in previous years, but that market is pretty saturated.

Overall, though there were quite a lot of colorful, more shreddiggity modern & shreddiggity throwback stuff. Even Fender brought out the old superstratsrats, Gibson rolled out a bunch of Kramer stuff, Kiesel had the X-series, ESP and Schecter bringing back some classic body shapes. Crackle finishes, flip flop finishes, pearlescent finishes, flake finishes, neon finishes, graphic finishes, more bursts than you can shake a magical burst wand at. That and the dad rock standards (Fender, Gibson, etc.) seemed to pulling hard too. Big lines of options, new stuff here, reissues there.

 

[Variant]

Ola jamming and twisting knobs on that Neural thing already sounds 10x better than anything in the official demos.

Their modeling software is second to none. If it's the same algorithms, IRs, etc., there is no reason it should sound anything but tits. :smoking:

 

[Variant]

That is what Evertune does.

It makes the string in tune.

So you can hit hard and the pitch will not jump noticably much.

I know the gist of how they work. I just wonder how stable/fast-to-react a bass version will be when knocking the fuck out of a heavy-ass .160 gauge D1 string.