We’re well into day two down in Anaheim and sensory overload is beginning to creep in. With so much to see, it’s hard to sort through the chaff. Our quick hits for the day:
We spent some time with Brandon and Jeff at the Budda booth, and had the pleasure of checking out their Superdrive V-40, the newest addition to the Superdrive line. Featuring 40 watts through a handful of 6V6 tubes, the V-40 (as well as the lower wattage V-20) brings a different voice to the table – think of roots rock, instead of the usual Brit rock vibe. Think of an old Deluxe without reverb. And since it’s a Budda, you know it looks good.
But if you can’t live without a detuned guitar, you’ll want to check out the latest offerings from Randall. New for 2008, Randall has introduced several new ways to get low, including the V2 Ninja, designed by Michael Amott , and the V2 ArcheType designed by Christian Olde Wolbers. Also on tap are the new Kirk Hammett series of amps – the first line of amps and cabinets to bear the guitarist’s name. These amps are based off of the MTS platform and the limited edition RM100KHLTD stack is wrapped in an unbelievable AAAA flame top, proving that flames aren’t just for guitars. Heavy.
For those on the go, or just trying to save some space, Traveler Guitar was celebrating 16 years in the miniature business. These unique guitars feature a full scale length and a built-in headphone amp – with clean and dirty channels – so you can rock anywhere you end up. Coming in at a reasonable price (MSRP $549, with a street price under $400), make sure you don’t overlook these.
Unk Guitars – designed by Paul Unkert, who has worked with a variety of major guitar companies over the past 30 years – had their coming out party, showing off their unique guitars to an excited audience. Available in Junior, Special and Standard configurations, these guitars offer U.S. made quality with a unique feel. The one we couldn’t take our hands off was made of Korina, packed with vintage P-90s from Seymour Duncan and featured the unique Stetsbar trem system. Pricing starts at $1950, and fans of vintage Travis Bean will dig the split headstock.
Prefer something funky? Parker announced a Four Seasons limited run – four different models, made with different materials and representing each season, will be made in quantities of 25. If you’ve got $5k to spare and you dig Parker’s marriage of technology with playability, you’ll want to pick up these sure-to-be collectibles.
Breedlove closed out the day with their first ever press conference in the lobby of the convention center (and hilariously had to compete with a roaming band of bagpipes on several occasions), and announced their newest products: the Pro Series acoustics, made jointly between their Korean facility and the Custom Shop in Bend, Oregon, and their new Mark electrics, taking what they learned from last year’s Mark I and refining it. The Mark II (pictured in the middle above) is a high-end guitar featuring a unique burst pattern – affectionately referred to as their “wicked” burst – and a variety of output options, including a 13-pin configuration for working with Roland’s VG system.
Well, that does it for now. Stay tuned for more updates straight from the floor at NAMM, and check out our videos direct from the show floor on the main page.