NAMM 2024: The world’s biggest guitar gear trade show is back – and it’s returned to its rightful January time slot.
Yes, after NAMM 2022 took place in June, and NAMM 2023 hit the Anaheim Convention Center in April, NAMM is back where it belongs: the tail end of January. And it’s a good thing, too, because it means we can bring our old ‘Happy New Gear!’ pun out of retirement.
More importantly, NAMM’s return to its traditional month has enticed some of the brands – and artists – who were more hesitant post-Covid back to the fold.
As a result, we’re seeing more thoroughly exciting releases this year than we did in 2023 or 2022… and we are very much here for it.
In fact, we are literally here for it. Our roving Editor-in-Chief, Michael ‘Mike’ Astley-Brown, is scouring the show floor in search of the hottest, the most ground-breaking, and the downright wackiest guitars, amps, pedals and everything else besides.
Jetlag permitting, he’ll be bringing you snaps and videos from the thick of the action, posted right here in our up-to-minute live blog. This is 21st century journalism.
Back aboard the good ship GuitarWorld.com, our regular editorial coverage continues, with all the latest NAMM news and in-depth – and occasionally funny – analysis of the trends and products that have been grabbing our attention, while MAB will also be sourcing hands-on reports on the gear you want to know about.
Sound good? Well, prepare your wallet/debit card/overdraft, and join us as we bring you NAMM 2024… *LIVE*!
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(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
The weather's a little cloudier than we were hoping, but damn, it's good to be back at NAMM. Look how excited/overly caffeinated Mike is. The show hasn't officially started, but us press types get an early preview. And boy was there stuff to preview!
One of the most surprising launches of the show – before it's even started – is the Pacifica Professional and Standard Plus, Yamaha's top-of-the-line, Japanese-made takes on its long-running range, which is traditionally associated with beginners.
In a presentation opening NAMM's Media Preview, YouTube favorite Jay Leonard J took the Standard Plus for a test drive, showcasing its tonal versatility. The key word here is balance: every pickup position, even the bridge coil-split, just sounded… right. We'll bring you more on this one very soon.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Dig out the spandex: the Peavey Vandenberg is back, baby – and Adrian Vandenberg is on hand to promote it. He's very tall, you know. The guitar is being billed as a modern take on the original, and three different versions will be available, complete with a Floyd Rose original tremolo and Seymour Duncan pickups. Noice.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Thankfully, this isn't one of Martin's new models. This is, in fact, the 1870 guitar Kurt Russell smashed on the set of Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight, which is on public display for the first time ever at the show. It's also incredibly hard to photograph owing to its plexiglass prison.
We've covered the full story before, but Martin has also filmed a short documentary about the guitar, which we hope will see release online sometime soon. Suffice to say, they haven't exactly forgiven Tarantino – the company has since changed its loan policy regarding museum instruments. We don't blame them.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown / Future)
Gibson is not at NAMM 2024, but that’s not stopped it from hosting its own LA preview party at its exclusive artist showroom. It had a lot to show the world’s guitar press, too – not least, the long-awaited Epiphone Dave Grohl DG-335 signature guitar.
As such, we can confirm the much-rumored Foo Fighters signature model is now a reality and comes complete with some high-end appointments, including a pair of USA Burstbuckers. We even got to take it for a quick spin...
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Ernie Ball has pretty much won NAMM with this string vending machine. It's more of a promotional tool right now, but we would like to see these in every rehearsal space across the world. Make it happen, EB!
All aboard! Storied British speaker manufacturer Celestion is celebrating its 100th anniversary by driving a bloody London bus onto the show floor. But wait: who's that in the driving seat?
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Meet the TOD10MM – Metallic Mauve is a new one on us, but Tim Henson's much sought-after Ibanez TOD10 is launching in this lustrous shade in the summer. Yum.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
So rare, it's concealed in a perspex cage: EHX's Double Anniversary Big Muff Pi, resplendent in gold, is here. It may already be sold out in the wild, but one lucky NAMM attendee can win one. Wish us luck...
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Barely six months since it launched, Alex Lifeson's LERXST brand shows no signs of letting up, with the launch of the Limelight, built in collaboration with Godin. Available in both Floyd Rose and VegaTrem-equipped versions, the guitar pays homage to Lifeson's '80s era Superstrats, updated for the modern day.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
After many months of teases, Rabea Massaad's take on the Ernie Ball Music Man Sabre has officially dropped. Extra body carves to aid comfort and playability, Bare Knuckle Silo pickups and Bea's custom inlays make this one high-performance workhorse with looks to match.
(Image credit: Michael Astley/Brown-Future)
The Iceman cometh... once again! Yes, Ibanez is bringing back the cult favorite with set necks and Super 80 pickups matched to the original late-'70s/early-'80s specs. Three finishes will be available: Antique Autumn Burst, Antique Blue Metallic, and a flame maple-topped Violin Sunburst, with prices hovering around the $1k mark.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Israeli luthier OD Guitars' jaw-dropping AI-inspired centrepiece, 'Natural Geometric 2024', is headlining the Boutique Guitar Showcase this year. And it. Is. Stunning.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Arise for the LTD Royal Shiva, Bill Kelliher's latest signature model with ESP. It's a Silverburst double-cut based on his old First Act model. It has Mojotone Hellbenders. The price tag is $1,999. Bill has previously told us it is extremely heavy, but unfortunately they've got this sucker clamped to its stand. To avoid lawsuits, presumably.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Boss is celebrating 50 years since it was first conceived by proud parent Roland, and it has brought its OG compact pedals to NAMM to pay homage to its history. The OD-1 OverDrive, SP-1 Spectrum and PH-1 Phaser are all worth quite a lot these days, even in this condition. Nice to see this trio got some use over the years, too.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
We've heard of winged guitar builds before, but this is ridiculous. Spanish luthier Alejandro Ramirez put this one together. It's called Ascension. Please tell us those are Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates in there.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Hand-wired Vox combos (and heads) are back, based on a meticulous teardown of vintage AC30 and AC15 models. The circuits have been rebuilt from the ground up – to the point that Vox reckons they could be the best they've released since the '60s.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
So, Neural DSP's booth is, uh, different this year. Let's hope we can find out what's going on tomorrow…
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Slash's signature Magnatone is finally out in the wild! And it really does look wild. Look at that green snakeskin.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Billy Corgan's fourth signature model with Reverend (by our count, anyway), the Drop Z ups the scale length of his existing Z-One to 26.22" for lower-tuned riffing. That High Tide Blue is a really tasty finish, too.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
After the success of its long-awaited signature model for Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, Guild has relaunched the S-100 proper as the Polara. There are a wealth of options and finishes on offer, but this Voltage Yellow finish is a real retina-searer. And all for just $549.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
The streets of NAMMtown have been abuzz with talk of Yamaha's new high-priced Pacifica range, which has set its sights on proving the beloved beginner workhorse has thoroughbred potential.
As such, GuitarWorld.com's Editor-in-Chief Michael Astley-Brown – who has been busy scoping out the show floor this year – ventured over to the Yamaha booth to find out whether a Pacifica could ever be worth $2,000. Spoiler alert: the phrases “blown away” and “world-class” are used.
(Image credit: Eastman)
Eastman is well known for its catalog of ultra-desirable electric guitars, and now it's thrown even more into the mix courtesy of the drop-dead-gorgeous, all-new D'Ambrosio Series. Fresh body shapes? Sustainably reclaimed tonewoods? Custom pickups?! Take our money. Take it now.
(Image credit: Peavey)
At last, the cult classic Peavey Vandenberg is back – and we've finally got all the nitty gritty details you could want. As promised, the guitar has received something of a glow-up, with some new tonewoods and pickup configurations to boot. Rad.
(Image credit: Kauer Guitars)
We've seen some bold designs already at this year's show, but are any as striking (and controversy-courting) as Kauer’s new Gripen guitar? A twin of sorts of the company's flagship Banshee model, this origami Explorer features crown-shaped inlays and a choice of three humbucker combinations.
Tomo Fujita has been laying it down at the Eminent Technology booth, where the flat cab specialists have developed a powered amp that you can run your pedals and modelers into – and it's so light you can even wear it with a guitar strap.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Look who we bumped into at the Jackson Audio booth – it's only the busiest man in funk guitar, Mr. Cory Wong.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
This is Normal For NAMM. Mexico's Cream Guitars reliably has the wildest booth at the show. This year is no exception.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Oh heeeeeey, John Petrucci! That beard is even more majestic in real life. Maybe that's where the Ernie Ball Music Man Majesty gets its name from – and there are five new colors for 2024. Stay tuned for more on that from the man himself.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
It's subtle, but something tells us Fulltone is back. Jackson Audio has licensed the brand and will be manufacturing the OG boutique pedal co's classic stompboxes once more.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
One of Jack White's ACTUAL TOURING GUITARS is at the Third Man Hardware booth, and it is completely and utterly wild. We're talking scalloped fretboard, B-Bender, D-tuner, three different kind of pickups wild. It's nuts to play. We kinda want one.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Chibson strikes again with the “puzzle piece guitar,” made real by Paoletti Guitars, and ably demonstrated by the almighty Masters of Shred. Just don't try to take it apart.
Ground Control kinda won the internet this month with its UwU buffer, which features a Tamagotchi-like virtual pet that responds to your playing. But it also features a variant of Tetris, as well as Space Invaders and Snake. Except they're cat-themed, so therefore better.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Danelectro has overhauled everyone's favorite DADGAD-tuned Jimmy Page guitar for 2024 with the Fifty Niner. Featuring a semi-hollow hardboard/spruce body with center block, and new '50s-voiced single coils, it promises a new experience while retaining that familiar format. We're big fans of that new three-way blade selector switch, and the single volume and tone. No more stacked control nightmares! And it's all for $599.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
It might surprise you to know that one of this year's biggest NAMM stories – from a traffic perspective, at least – was the release of the On-Stage GWS5000 Guitar Workstation. We've seen it in person, and it's really quite fetching. Think we'd need more space for pedals, though…
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Gamechanger Audio is hoping to bring the nerdy appeal of modular synths to guitar players with the MOD Series – a trio of delay, reverb and chorus pedals that can be shaped by the way you playing. The pedals' dynamics and pitch signals can be routed anywhere on the patch bay, allowing for a wealth of wild tones. We heard these at the booth, and they sounded Very Nice Indeed. That reverb is massive.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
After a long day of pounding the Anaheim Convention Center halls, we like nothing more than celebrating the 50th anniversary of the original aftermarket pickup. If that can somehow be combined with an alcohol beverage of some description, even better. DiMarzio's Double Cream Ale distils its iconic Super Distortion humbucker into a surprisingly enjoyable brew, which thankfully isn't as high output as the pickup it honors.
Steve Vai said he “evolved fusion-style guitar playing,” Tosin Abasi called him a “virtuoso beyond virtuous,” and Joe Bonamassa said of him after seeing him play, “I have not seen anyone reinvent like this since Stanley Jordan.” Wondering why all these A-tier six-stringers have heaped praise like this upon Matteo Mancuso? Just take a look at this performance...
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Black Stone Cherry's Chris Robertson is demoing his new signature model over at the Chapman booth. It's somehow even classier than when we spotted it last year – with some gorgeous f-hole binding – and marks a sleek aesthetic shift for the brand.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Dean may not have been out on the floor, but we got a sneaky peek at what the company has lined up for this year – and it's safe to say the brand's comeback is going to be fierce.
Competition-beating specs are the order of the day, at surprisingly affordable price tags: this black satin-finished Exile Select Floyd Fluence features Fishman Fluence humbuckers, a Floyd Rose tremolo, glow-in-the-dark side dots, and 24 frets. And it's going to be $999. The mid-priced metal market will seriously heat up when this and the rest of the company's 2024 lineup drops later this year.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Headless guitars are now dangerously close to becoming mainstream, and Strandberg's most affordable model yet, the Essential range, is dead on trend. It's got the ergonomics and the EndurNeck, but with OEM pickups and an Indonesian build. And it's $999. Which is quite, quite awesome.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Zoom has given its MultiStomp lineup an overhaul, which will be great news for the Reddit tone tweakers. Upgraded sounds, new models and easier navigation bodes well for the feature-packed compact units. The MS-200D+ drive modeler will be out first, priced at $139.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Finally, a guitar stand with built-in lighting! Gravity Stands' functionally named Guitar Glow Stand features 246 LEDs that can be dialed into any color of the rainbow (as long as that color is RGB). Surely destined to be the next must-have influencer accessory.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Founded by former Hiwatt builder/designer Kee Mayer, Valhalla Amplification is a new company that aims to deliver hot-rodded Hiwatt-esque drive, as well as ultra-low-noise cleans, all built entirely in the UK. The Ragnar is a 20-watt EL84-based head with two channels and a push/pull gain boost, with high and low power options.
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(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
French acoustic firm Lag is taking great strides in the sustainable guitar-building arena, topping its guitars with a tonewood called BrankoWood. It uses wood from short-cycle pine forests, and looks purdy while it's at it.
Round the back and sides, you'll find smoked raw eucalyptus – a wood that requires less varnish, releasing fewer solvents into the atmosphere, and cuts way down on sanding. It's a distinctive look, too.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
We found it. Schecter's hallowed Machine Gun Kelly signature model, the Razor Blade, was lurking at the Revv booth, and got a lot of attention. Typically of a Schecter build, it's actually really nice to play – albeit not ideal sitting down.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Think we'll just leave the caption blank for this one.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Larry Carlton may be Mr. 335, but he's branched out into just about every electric guitar type on the planet with his 2024 Sire range, including Jazzmasters that feature a Göldo/Sire ‘Vintage’ JM-type floating bridge – a quality appointment on a budget guitar – while the Edgeless fretboard design makes for smooth playability.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Phil X marks the spot with some dangerously incendiary leads at the Xvive booth.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Acorn Amps were in the business of scene-stealing at the Delicious Audio Stompbox Booth with some amusingly appointed parody pedals, including this smoky take on an EHX classic. Handy if you need an emergency cig and happen to have a Philips screwdriver handy.
Oh hey, in case you missed it, Mike's interview with John Petrucci at Ernie Ball's plush interview suite is now live. Trooch was an absolute gentlemen, and shared some fascinating picking insights. Once the interview was over, we chatted Rock Discipline warmups and starting out on nylon-strings as kids. He also combed his beard before our conversation, which was a sight to behold.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Cream Guitars has an eye-catching booth, sure, but the guitars themselves are absolutely stunning, too. This take on its offset Revolver is crammed with many, many miniature skulls. Presumably not from tiny humans.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Budget UK brand Vintage has branched out from its value-for-money copies and reimagined classic guitar designs in its own image with the Revo range. We're particularly taken by the Integra, which features a seven-piece body, comprising ash, mahogany and maple. There's also a reverse headstock for added cool points.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Yes! We met man of the moment Matteo Mancuso (try saying that after a few drinks), and fawned over his playing for a solid minute as he looked around nervously. His performances routinely drew massive crowds and the biggest cheers of the show. It's clear he's no longer a guitar hero in waiting. He's already there.
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown/Future)
Possibly the most important product release of the show given the sheer number of handshakes initiated over three sweaty days, the Boss HS-19 will clean up your palms, but maybe not your tone. We wouldn't recommend trying it, anyway.
