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Coolness Incarnate – Gretsch at Winter NAMM 2009!

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- Rated: 23 ↑
Jan 16, 2009 2:01 a.m. giffenf:

After listening to Bobby’s set, I strolled around the rest of the Fender facility. Check out some of these cool Custom Shop beauties. I especially like the custom-upholstered amps. Finally a Blues Junior I’d want to own (besides a lacquered tweed one, of course). Also, the Bandmaster is back! A tube amp with digital effects. I'll try to play one if I can.

Oops, I think I left this pic of the man himself out of the first post:

I think I've found my next car (or my son has), Toyota Matrix with a built-in G-Dec:

Then I did some non-Gretsch stuff (I think I’ll post it in the “Other Guitars” section so it at least all stays on the GDP), but I did stop by the Bigsby booth, and found a new item I’d never seen before, something that has been discussed in other discussion groups I hang out in, how to elegantly mount a Bigsby on a stud-tailpiece guitar. And they’ve done it! Check out the Vibramate! It comes with SAE and metric stud screws, you screw the base into the stud holes, then screw your B5 into the Vibramate, and you’re done! There’s a little less break across the bridge because the Bigsby is elevated about 3/16”, which may (or may not make the vibrato action smoother), it’s just cool all the way around. And I gotta have one. Also in the booth but not pictured is the new Paul Bigsby book, available in a leatherbound, gift-boxed edition, signed by Fred Gretsch, for only $100. Great detailed photos in it.

Later in the day I went back to TV Jones and played (and played, and played) a SpectraSonic. I also achieved something new. I got busted by the NAMM volume police. I was ordered to turn down the volume, and limited to 5 minutes of playing. Oddly, this was apparently not enforced at the bass amp booth next door. But oh well, lots of people stopped to listen to me play (that is considered a good day at NAMM for me), and the TV Jones people invited me to come back and play some more. The soundclips I recorded there were not top-quality, so I will likely go back and do some more.

FG
- Rated: 59 ↑
Jan 16, 2009 2:08 a.m. bobbyrivera:

The Bandmaster sounds interesting... Thanks for the report Frank!
- Rated: 5 ↑
Jan 16, 2009 2:36 a.m. awfurby:

I like the looks of the Telecaster with the Filtertrons(?)!
- Rated: 90 ↑
Jan 16, 2009 4:19 a.m. Ratrod:

Cool stuff. I like those new Fender amps. A new Bandmaster, those custom upholsteries....great stuff.

What's this exactly?
- Rated: 314 ↑
Jan 16, 2009 4:33 a.m. Proteus:

Good thing Frank's there to step in while I go slacking off.

As Frank mentioned, Fender dominates the third floor of the hall, with an extensive layout comprising a main display room for Fender guitars and amps, Gretsch, Guild, and the company's other primary brands – which apparently now includes Toyota. I knew things were bad in the auto industry, and that Fender would eventually own everything, but the pace of change in the world of business is just dizzying, isn't it?

Across a wide corridor from Fender's primary domain is the Fender Spirit of Rock-n-Roll stage, with complete lighting, sound, and professional video facilities. It's a shallow but very wide room with a stage anyone would be proud to play on, and attentive techs who make it sound as good as it looks.

IN that wide corridor are kiosks highlighting Fender's Rock Band video game involvement, and the Amplitude Fender amp modeling plug-ins. While Fender has always meant – and we hope will always mean – sweaty live music played on instruments that can go out of tune by fallible humans, they're clearly taking no chances on getting left behind by virtualization.

Also across the corridor is an auxiliary showrooms for other Fender brands, such as Gretsch drums (acquired last year in the Kaman Music deal), Gibralter stands, Jackson, Takamine, Ovation, and ... Hamer?

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The sales area where dealers and reps get down to brass tacks is adjacent to the auxiliary showroom – and, economy or no economy, though traffic seemed light at the show, I saw orders being written.

And beyond the sales area are behind-the-scenes hallways and cubbyholes where audio and video engineers film and record and upload stuff to the web. But more about that later...
- Rated: 314 ↑
Jan 16, 2009 4:42 a.m. Proteus:

A Quick and Possibly Redundant Tour of Gretschland
(But we walk by it more than once, so why shouldn't you?)

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See Kim here? Flanked by Gretsch artist signature series guitars, she adorns the back wall of the Kim Falcon Stage, where Joe has live music scheduled every two hours.

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That's where Frank caught Bobby Gibson while I was still in the air – and where Buzz Campbell's Hot Rod Lincoln was playing as I came in, per the day's schedule.

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And beHIND the stage is a very cool, somewhat edgy rockacounterbillycultural kinda mural that caught me by surprise. Joe has some explaining to do about THAT, and I want to get better pictures of it. I believe it rewards some closer study.
- Rated: 314 ↑
Jan 16, 2009 4:58 a.m. Proteus:

Other Surprises Joe Will Have to Explain

We've already heard tell (though just barely) of the new Custom Shop 6120 Chet Atkins "gentle relic." I want to get my hands on it, and take some pics outside the glass case, but it looks very gently relicated indeed, and simply has the vibe of an old, thoroughly played-in guitar.

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But the zingers for me are two new Custom Shop "art guitars," along the lines of Sara Ray's Red Baron of several years ago. In fact, Sara's back for one of these 6120s, the "#401 Jolly Roger."

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How much? I thought you'd never ask...

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The other new Custom Shop 6120 is the "#400 Lucky," by artist Joe Wood.

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Yup, same price.

The Electromatic Double Neck also caught me by surprise, but surenough, there it is in the price list where it's been all along. I'd just never seen one in the flesh. I picked it up for a go-round, and quickly determined I'm not cut out for two-headed guitars. While the second neck is, I believe, advertised as a baritone, on this guitar it was strung and tuned more as a light 6-string bass.

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If the pace slacks a little, I want to get some belly time and pornworthy pics of lots of the guitars in the booth – in particular both the walnut and black 5122s, the sunburst 5120, and various iterations of sparklejets.

I notice the 6118-125 Leftie is on hand (though its Rightie cousin is MIA, so there goes the bookends shot) - and I know you portsiders want to see it.

All in due time, all in due time...
- Rated: 314 ↑
Jan 16, 2009 5:06 a.m. Proteus:

And look, what's a NAMM show without pretty girls?

This charmer won my heart in seconds flat with her natural good humor and unbeatable smile.

Meet Juliana, an 11-year-old pianist and singer – who also plays a little guitar and does a little modeling. She's an 11-year-old sixth-grader from Mill Valley, CA.

We know her father, a luthier with close ties to Rickenbacker – and an instructor in auto design in San Francisco. He goes by cardesnr 99 on the GDP, and is none other than the infamous jingle-jangle from the Ric site. He came by for our annual catch-up chat (which always passes muster), and brought Juliana with him. I asked her if this was her first NAMM show. "No! This is my third!"

Watch out!

I gave her the choice of any guitar in the booth to model with, and she chose the Zoom Jet.

Jul
- Rated: 314 ↑
Jan 16, 2009 5:07 a.m. Proteus:

This post is reserved for a gratuitous pic of the room service supper I had at 9:30 Pee of Em.

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Handsome, huh?
- Rated: 117 ↑
Jan 16, 2009 5:41 a.m. Pappy:

I love seeing kids that play guitar, even if they can (always) play better than me. Soe of the stuff I see on Youtube blows me away and I'm left thinking, "man when I was their age I was always climbing in trees and wasn't talented at anything at all and here's someone playing Chet at age eight!"
- Rated: 58 ↑
Jan 16, 2009 5:43 a.m. dmanlow:

Great coverage! Any word on the Billy Zoom amps?
- Rated: 314 ↑
Jan 16, 2009 5:59 a.m. Proteus:

Not much word on anything yet - I'm kinda taking it as it comes. I have an invitation from Billy to visit his shop and play through some of the amp designs; I hope there's time for that.
- Rated: 3 ↑
Jan 16, 2009 6:12 a.m. ScottieDawg:

Great coverage guys! Thanks for all your efforts... I feel like a kid again when NAMM comes around!

"Other Surprises" you say?! Awww stop teasing!

And I just have to say, although it may be blasphemous to some, I sure dig the looks of those Cadillac G tailpieces on those custom 6120s. Not that I don't like my Bigsbys, but I've always thought those Caddy G's had a lot of class. Best tailpiece going - hands down!
- Rated: 314 ↑
Jan 16, 2009 6:14 a.m. Proteus:

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention.

Guess who these people are waiting to see?

.

Time's up.

Did you guess Eddie Van Halen?

If so, you win! In fact, he and his small entourage hung out in the artist's lounge for 45 minutes or so, just through a thin curtain from the Green Room web-slave quarters.

He was actually there for a short talk in conjunction with the introduction of the EVH Guitars Wolfgang model, and for photo ops for invited dealers and guests.

I was not invited. No access badge could get me in.

In fact, I wasn't permitted to take a picture of him in the backstage area, or approach or converse with him at all, though he was sitting 6 feet away.

Alas, we'd've had nothing to talk about anyway, so there's that.

(Now that I mention it, I'm not sure I'm allowed to mention Edward was there.)

It's 4 AM Pacific time; I've been up for 26 hours, and have to get BACK up in three. Wish me luck sleeping.

Once the sun's been up awhile, there'll be more live music from the Kim Falcon Stage, lots of guitar pics, more details on new stuff, and, yes - Triv-a-ways!

Make sure you get up and do your chores early.
- Rated: 23 ↑
Jan 16, 2009 7:43 a.m. farmerbrown:

Thanks for the report and sound clips from both Frank and Tim, kind of warms it up for me as it is 0 degrees here in KY this morning!
- Rated: 90 ↑
Jan 16, 2009 8:12 a.m. Ratrod:

I like the artwork Gretsches. The 'gentle relic' rules!

Excitement is building. Keep it coming.
- Rated: 28 ↑
Jan 16, 2009 8:18 a.m. fauves:

Great Job! Glad to see the G400JV still there I heard a rumor they were goin away.

I would LOVE to get a invite to Billy Zooms shop, gotta see that stuff. I am diggin' the look of the custom covered amps also.
- Rated: 28 ↑
Jan 16, 2009 8:21 a.m. fauves:

Oh yeah, any Bigsby guitars there?
- Rated: 34 ↑
Jan 16, 2009 8:46 a.m. Ripley1046:

I'm not sure whether to be excited that we have such great reporters there, or depressed that I'm not one of them. Great to get an inside look guys, have fun!
- Rated: 23 ↑
Jan 16, 2009 8:56 a.m. giffenf:

Fauves: I may have missed any others, but the only Bigsby guitars I saw were the one being fitted with the Vibramate, and this one in the Martin booth, not an actual Bigsby, but pretty cool nonetheless:

Ratrod: those poorly-photographed items are chrome pickup covers for P-Trons, in case you don't like black.

It's Friday morning and I'm marginally conscious. I'll defer Gretsch coverage to Proteus now that he's onsite and in the know. But if in the unlikely event he misses something, or you have any other questions, I'll be happy to track down an answer if I can. And I'll be wearing my All Access pass All day, All the time.

FG
- Rated: 117 ↑
Jan 16, 2009 9:15 a.m. Deed Eddy:

We see you! Both of you! Oh, who's in heaven, now???
- Rated: 314 ↑
Jan 16, 2009 9:30 a.m. Proteus:

Weird, ainit. No time to demurely crop myself out. Tru-Arc is working on an unobtainium invisibility cloak, but it's not done yet...
- Rated: 51 ↑
Jan 16, 2009 9:34 a.m. dubkitty:

This post has been deleted
- Rated: 117 ↑
Jan 16, 2009 9:45 a.m. Deed Eddy:

Weather update. It's NINE degrees right here, right now.

Over to you, in the land of the palm and bouganvilla.
- Rated: 28 ↑
Jan 16, 2009 10:07 a.m. fauves:

thanks Giffenf! That Martin is very cool.

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