Chris Kies heads to Blackstar to take in a demo of the Beam Mini, a USB-C rechargeable desktop amp with 18 hours of battery life and a companion app featuring amp models, effects, IR speaker simulation, YouTube integration for practice, and upcoming neural amp model support via Tone 3000 with access to over 200,000 captures. Also new: the ID:X Floor series modelers with 18 voices, over 35 effects, all parameters controllable on-unit, and the Artist FR active FRFR cabinets in 50-watt and 100-watt versions.
Blackstar
Beam MINI
Blackstar announces the BEAM MINI, a compact desktop amplifier designed for electric, bass and acoustic guitar players seeking high-quality tone, portability and intuitive control. Previewing at NAMM 2026 and launching worldwide on 24 March 2026, BEAM MINI combines Blackstar’s decades of amp design expertise with advanced component-level digital modelling, powerful DSP and a sealed, acoustically tuned cabinet to deliver immersive sound in a small, portable format suitable for home, studio and on-the-go use.
Vox came fully stocked to NAMM '26. During our visit we checked out the new hand-wired AC30 head and 2x12 cabinet with Celestion Alnico Blues, plus the Treble Booster and Fuzz pedals featuring silicon transistors voiced for AC30s. Also new: the VT20X and VT40X Valvetronix amps celebrating the series' 25th anniversary with circuit-level modeling, deeper 12AX7 tube integration, Class A/AB switching, and (very cool) vintage-style Classic Blue grille cloth.
VOX
AC30
Few amplifiers have shaped music history like the VOX AC30. With the AC30 Hand-Wired, that legacy lives on – reborn with painstaking attention to vintage accuracy and updated with modern refinements that make it stage- and studio-ready.
This is more than a reissue. It's a complete reconstruction of a vintage legend – hand-wired and fine-tuned to bring the '60s sound back to life. Featuring hand-wired circuitry, custom transformers, and vintage-accurate cabinet construction, this amplifier aligns classic British tone with modern necessities including bypass-able master volume, a transparent effects loop, and custom-voiced spring reverb.
Now, the unmistakable sound of a vintage VOX is finally within reach. Built for vintage enthusiasts, aficionados, and modern players alike. The AC30 Hand-Wired delivers the unmistakable voice of VOX!
We headed to Cort to hear all about the new Space G6MS multiscale with dual humbuckers and the Space G6TR tremolo model with HSS configuration. They both feature okoume bodies, bolt-on roasted maple and walnut necks, roasted maple fingerboards with compound radius, 24 stainless steel frets, and custom headless hardware. Weighing just over 5 lbs., the models include glow-in-the-dark side dots and matte neck finish, with the TR adding a flame maple veneer top.
Cort
G6MS & G6TTR
A headless guitar with multi-scale precision — optimized for ergonomic feel, low-end clarity, and effortless reach across all 24 frets.
The CUBE Street Mini is a 10-watt 2.1 portable PA system with a 5-inch speaker and two tweeters, featuring dual channels, Bluetooth audio, individual effects per channel, multiple guitar voicings, and onboard tuner. The rechargeable battery provides seven hours of use, and the unit includes headphone/recording output with emulated speaker, kickback stand, and mic stand mount for versatile positioning.
Cream Guitars returned to the NAMM floor with a collection of unique body shapes and eye-popping finishes, including the groundbreaking DaVinci, which boasts a low-energy E Ink Prism 3 electronic display with 64 programmable segments in seven colors, controlled via a Bluetooth app for custom color schemes and changing patterns. Company founder Luis Ortiz also walked us through the company's heated neck technology, which uses lithium battery power and graphite insulation to keep players' hands warm without affecting intonation.
Cream Guitars
Davinci
Choose between 3 voices:
Single coil, traditional humbucker, and high-output humbucker, featuring a custom system developed with Fishman pickups.
Hardware
Chrome Hardware
Ratio Graphtech locking tuners
Graphtech nut tusq XL
Jumbo frets
GHS #10-46 strings
Stainless steel screws
Electronics
Cream Bridge
CTS Push/pull 500k pots
Fishman Fluence
Fishman Fluence
Switchcraft input
Sony 3-way switch
Neck
Roasted Maple Techwood
Rosewood frets
Block inlays
Specs
Extra Jumbo Frets
Scale 25.5
Ratio 12
Display
Low energy consumption non-light emitting display
Custom made Voltage guitar display design 64 individual segments
Programmable custom color schemes and changing patterns
Control and program your guitar through the app by
connecting your phone or device to the guitar via Bluetooth
7 available colors: white, black, yellow, orange, blue, red and green
It features a low-power, non-emissive E Ink Prism™ 3 display.