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GALLERY: Musikmesse 2014 - Guitars & Basses

Check out the most interesting and unusual guitars and basses from Musikmesse 2014.

Markus Quenzel of Quenzel Custom Guitars showed off several colorful axes that paid tribute to the classic Fender and Gretsch models beloved by the German luthier. We dug the lime green Butterfly—a 25.5"-scale double-cutaway with a mahogany body, bolt-on neck, a Duesenberg trem, and two Lollar Lollartron pickups.

Musikmesse isn’t what it used to be, show veterans say. Attendance is far from peak. There are fewer full exhibition halls. High participation costs (and the ability to announce and publicize products digitally) have prompted numerous companies to bypass the once-essential event.

But you know what? Messe is still huge.

NAMM’s European equivalent, held each year in Frankfurt, Germany, is substantially larger than its Anaheim counterpart. Far louder, too: As at NAMM, “sound police” armed with decibel meters patrol the floor, but they’re slackers. Messe is deafening.

But, hey, what’s a little tinnitus when you get to spend four days ogling so many cool new music products? From March 12th through 16th we roamed the vast halls, marveling at superbly crafted boutique instruments, solid working-player tools, and some remarkable budget-gear bargains.

The show highlights? For North American players like us, it’s probably the chance to fondle the phenomenal creations of small-production European shops whose instruments tend to be scarce in the States. The phrase “Old World craftsmanship” may be a cliché, but Messe schools you on how it became one. You can hardly turn around without being dumbstruck by a ravishing instrument that blends the engineering chops of Stuttgart or Turin with the design elegance of Milan or Barcelona.

But our report isn’t just some glamour-gear buyers’ guide for investment bankers and lottery winners indulging in a European grand tour. Quality work and compelling style were equally evident in mid-priced gear for working stiffs and in some remarkable entry-level bargains.

It’s hard to summarize such a vast event with a simple tag—but if pressed, I’d go with “retro fun.” Per usual, vintage-inspired designs reigned supreme. But we saw more manufactures playing with vintage aesthetics, recombining old-school elements in winning new ways. By and large, manufacturers seem to be having fun. We certainly were—and it’s not just the beer and schnitzel talking!

A rig meant to inspire! That’s Jerry Garcia with his Doug Irwin-built Tiger guitar, in front of his Twin Reverb + McIntosh + JBL amp rig.

Photo by Frank White

Three decades after the final Grateful Dead performance, Jerry Garcia’s sound continues to cast a long shadow. Guitarists Jeff Mattson of Dark Star Orchestra, Tom Hamilton of JRAD, and Bella Rayne explain how they interpret Garcia’s legacy musically and with their gear.

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Grover has introduced Grover Guitar Polish, a premium, all-natural guitar care solution designed to clean, shine, and protect your guitar’s finish. Whether you're polishing your prized axe or simply maintaining your gear, Grover Guitar Polish offers a safe, effective choice for making your guitar’s finish look its best.

Grover Guitar Polish is specially formulated to remove dirt, fingerprints, and grime while enhancing the natural luster of your guitar. The versatile polish is safe for virtually all guitars: it works on gloss, matte, and satin surfaces without causing damage or altering the finish.

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The 1929 Gibson L-5 Andy Fairweather Low plays on Invisible Bluesman was a gift from Eric Clapton and was previously owned by J.J. Cale.

The MVP sideman has spent his life playing with the stars, but he’s also a bandleader with a hit new album, The Invisible Bluesman. Fairweather Low also explains why Steve Cropper is his favorite guitarist.

If debuting a new album at No. 1 on the U.K. Jazz and Blues chart seems a lifetime away from topping the U.K. pop charts with the singsong-y “(If Paradise Is) Half As Nice,” it’s certainly a good chunk—56 of Andy Fairweather Low’s 76 years, to be exact. And on The Invisible Bluesman, Fairweather Low’s newly released, tradition-rooted long player, the Welshman channels Arthur Crudup by way of Robert Johnson, delivers an overdriven “Bright Lights, Big City,” and proves up to the challenge of “Lightnin’s Boogie.”

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- YouTube

Watch John Bohlinger test this tweaked-tweed concept, 11-watt combo with active EMGs, a '50s Strat, and a goldtop.

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