What is a company to do
when musicians present
it with exuberant, youthful
input that runs counter to that
company’s current course? Should
it dive headlong into uncharted
waters or dig in its heels and stay
with the prescribed plan?
I’ve been on both sides of
that equation myself. In the
early 1970s, I ran a vintage
guitar shop with my business
partner. He and I made a pilgrimage
to a well-known guitar
factory to work out the details
of becoming a certified warranty
center. Excited to have the ear of
important executives, I gushed
about how the time was nigh
to reissue some classic designs
of the 1950s to fill the need
I saw emerging on the guitar
scene. Wouldn’t it be prudent
to meet this growing demand?
My words fell upon deaf ears.
Disappointed, we returned to
our storefront to resume repairs,
but it wasn’t long before we
built our own answer to the
questions I’d been asking. When
we brought our wares to our
first NAMM show, those big
companies didn’t even notice.
Soon, we weren’t alone. Dean
Zelinsky, Bernie Rico, Randy
Smith, Seymour Duncan, Rob
Turner, Larry DiMarzio, and
other independent thinkers
were having the same epiphany.
At those early trade shows, we
hung like a tribe of young,
hungry wolves among the giant
industry stalwarts—eagerly
carving out our territories and
trying to make a difference.
Today, some of those same
people are now considered industry
old-timers. When we run
into each other at trade shows,
it’s now on panels or at awards
ceremonies. But at the Anaheim,
California, NAMM convention,
downstairs in the subterranean
Hall E, today’s upstarts who
wish to carry the torch study the
small-company legacy.
Quite literally in the convention’s
basement, Hall E is
where small companies and
entrepreneurs can buy a 10'x10'
booth space to show their wares
for a reasonable sum. With its
low ceilings and hushed ambience,
it’s not as grandiose as the
sprawling halls above, but E is
the entry-level, foot-in-the-door
starting block for any company
trying to launch a product.
Upstairs, NAMM veterans who
have been exhibiting for ages
have a lock on most of the main
floor space. Once you have a
display location, you pretty
much get first dibs on it the
next year. This way, manufacturers
and distributors have a
“location” their customers (who
are primarily retail buyers) can
easily find year after year. It’s
handy for everyone—except
those attempting to get onto
the main floor for the first time.
Which brings us back to Hall E.
When I attend NAMM, I
always look forward to going
downstairs to see what new
things have washed up on the
shore. Although you don’t need
a metal detector to find treasure
there, a sense of humor comes
in handy. Hall E is a feast
for the senses, with amazing
Asian brands with improbable
names like Chosen Fat and
gothic-themed articles of every
description. Do you need a
wall of 4x12 cabinets shaped
like Maltese crosses? Check.
Looking for a guitar with a
built-in video screen? Check.
Searching for a saxophone with
a built in flame-thrower? Well,
maybe not—but never say
never. I’ve rarely been let down
by my visits to Hall E. For
contrast, sandwiched between
the exotic displays you’ll find
industry heroes like Collings
and Breedlove. And established
brands like TonePros and
65Amps are Hall E alumni,
proof that this concrete cellar
can be a fertile valley.
One never knows which
companies from Hall E will
rise from the valley to produce
a bumper crop that becomes a
staple for a sizable number of
players, but it’s still an inspiring
place. Novelty items notwithstanding,
there are always
some truly innovative and
thoughtful products. The big
guys are upstairs, but tomorrow’s
products often debut
below. If you take your time,
you’ll find somebody with a
great idea or product among
the rows and rows of wackadoo
stuff. I know what it’s like to be
a young gun with an idea and
nothing but the future ahead,
and Hall E is where people
like that get their start. That’s
why you also see astute upstairs
personnel poking around—possibly
to avoid being blindsided
by a new trend.
Jol Dantzig is a
noted designer, builder,
and player who co-founded
Hamer Guitars,
one of the first boutique
guitar brands, in 1973.
Today, as the director of
Dantzig Guitar Design, he continues to
help define the art of custom guitar. To
learn more, visit
guitardesigner.com.