NAMM 2022: It’s back! The biggest gear event of the year is taking place in June rather than the usual January, but we’re on hand to bring you all the news you need to know about.
Even better, we’re now able to bring this to you *LIVE* from the NAMM 2022 show floor, courtesy of the fancy new liveblog you’re reading right now.
Our intrepid editor-in-chief is roaming the halls, scouring for the hottest and, let’s face it, weirdest goings-ons, and he’ll be sharing his candid snaps right here, while the rest of the team will be serving up the latest goss from the major players.
Basically, if you like your news up-to-the-minute and served with a small side order of sass, we got you.
And for the full rundown of everything launched this year, be sure to check our regularly updated NAMM 2022 news hub, featuring all the latest guitar news, rumors and predictions.
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(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
And with this year's obligatory 'Anaheim Convention Center with gigantic banner, blue sky, luscious trees and water fountain in full flow' shot out the way, we can officially proclaim NAMM weekend to be upon us. We'll be bringing you the hottest – and weirdest – gear from the show floor over the coming days. Hold on tight...
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
The talk of NAMM so far has been Ernie Ball Music Man and Tosin Abasi's Kaizen, a surprise new seven-string that offers Ernie Ball Heat Treated pickups and a multi-scale design. A six-string version is due next year. For now, get a load of those rad contours.
Martin has unveiled a signature D-28 for Rich Robinson, and the Black Crowe himself was on hand to introduce it. It's based on his dad's '54 D-28, which not only ended up being the same guitar RR earned to play on, but also the instrument he used to write and record much of the Black Crowes' acoustic material. You could say it has something of a… Rich history.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Minarik Guitars is tapping into Anaheim Convention Center's jarring proximity to Disneyland with a one-off electric ode to one of The Big D's more NAMM-friendly IPs: yes, it's a Haunted Mansion solidbody. In a spooky frame. Plus, some (presumably living) guy's head is popping out the side of it. Chilling.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
How many diamonds are embedded into Martin's 2.5-millionth acoustic? Thanks for asking: the answer is 436. And, just off the top of my head, I can tell you they've been laid out to depict the map of the stars that Martin founder Christian Frederick Martin Sr. and his family would have seen in the sky the day they arrived in New York City from Germany on November 6, 1833. Understandably, this prize piece was kept in a perspex case to keep it well clear of the ketchup-smeared digits of your average NAMM attendee and/or journalist. That's why you can just about make out the reflection of 'Please Do Not Touch' on the guitar's body, see. Good advice.
What is this witchcraft? San Diego startup Ciari has launched a more affordable version of its Ascender Custom folding guitar, the Ascender Standard, which now clocks in at $1,800. The mechanism is more refined than ever, and so are the instrument's curves: Grover Jackson and Joe Glaser redesigned the body and headstock, but the whole package still folds down to fit in a neat padded backpack. According to Ciari, said backpack will fit into a commercial airplane, motorcycle, RV/van, boat/yacht, and private airplane. One for the aviation and naval enthusiasts among you, clearly.
GW Tech Editor Paul Riario had an insightful chat with Rich Robinson about his gorgeous new signature Martin D-28, which is based on a 1954 model once owned by his late father.
“From Martin's standpoint, it's not about doing things on the cheap to make money; it's about getting it right,” Robinson tells us. “I sent them my dad's guitar, they had it, they studied it, they did everything really respectfully and correctly, and I couldn't be happier.”
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(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Incredibly, it's been 10 years since Yamaha debuted the OG of desktop amps, the creamy, living room-friendly THR series. To celebrate, it's launched two new color variants of the latest and greatest version of said amp, the THR30II: black and white. Now, there's nothing different sonically – sorry, metalheads, that inky variant isn't a THR30IIX – but those new looks are really quite alluring. We can't help but want one. Or both. OK, both.
Five new-for-2022 Ibanez signature guitars (Image credit: Ibanez)
Everybody, stop what you're doing and get a load of these new signature models from Ibanez. Usually, we'd be waxing lyrical over those new-look Satch and Vai models, but the fresh Tom Quayle T-style model and Nita Strauss six-strings are simply stealing the show. Oh, and Jake Bowen's all-new 27-fret beauty (yes, 27!) is a sight to behold, too.
We look forward to snapping some of these stunners on the show floor later today...
It's good to be back. Welcome to the official day 1 of NAMM 2022 (anything we've been sharing beforehand has been from the incredibly exclusive press preview event the day prior.)
(Image credit: Future)
It's here. It's really here. Ibanez may have just won NAMM by sticking Steve Vai's actual triple-neck monstrosity, the mythical Hydra, on the wall. They've even cooked up a neat little preamp, complete with inputs for each of the beast's pickup systems. Sadly - though not unsurprisingly - it's kept away from mere mortals courtesy of a roped-off area. Probably for the best.
