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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | This is just a list of some of the things I saw that made an impression on me enough that I made a note to follow up on them.
This is just the surprises and not the great things I EXPECTED to see at many of the booths.
Blackbird guitars ....all carbon fiber guitar in steel, nylon, and uke!
I am having Al get me one of the nylons and I think both Dave and Kim Keller are getting ukes. Really cool for the money.
Taylor 8 string baritone .....very interesting concept that had a cool sound (tuned to B) with the additional 2 strings adding an almost 12 string chime. Would I buy one....no but it has me thinking about converting the bridge and nut on my mandocello which has 8 strings and can obviously take the tension of higher gauge strings.
TC Helicon's POLYTUNE .....cool tuner that lets you strum ALL the strings at once and tells you which ones are out of tune instead of having to go through them one at a time. Is something like this needed????? I don't know but it is really cool. Check out the link.
Polytune Demo
WIAMusic Woodies Guitar Wall Hangers ....yes this booth was the meeting place for hooking up with OFC members since it was manned by Adrian and Paul. These wall hangers were really cool for shallow bowl or electric guitars allowing you to hang them on the wall any way or direction you wanted. They appear to be indestructible as Paul stood on them several times and they never broke under the incredible weight placed on them. This item won Best Of Show in the accessories category. I think AJ bought about 50 of them!!!
Violet Microphones ...sounded great and did a good job of emulating classic vintage mics. Not cheap or for the faint of heart.
Harmonizers .....saw two of particular interest that were simple to operate and sounded great (considering the environment for listening). The Digitech Vocalist Live 3 and the Electro-Harmonix Voice Box.
One of these will soon be residing in my gear kit after I have had a chance to test them both out in closer detail.
The Harmonizer might make the trip to Amelia Island in March for some fun on acoustic jam night.
There were other things as well but I will post them up a bit later if I have time. |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Non-equipment highlights.....
It was a great time Moody hosted at his house. Thanks to his wonderful wife for putting up with us. Also nice to play Moody's self proclaimed greatest woodtop Ovations ever (re)built. There were some VERY NICE guitars available for jamming including an original slothead.
It was GREAT to FINALLY meet Tony Calman after developing a friendship via the OFC almost 6 years ago but never meeting face to face. We have talked on the phone, traded guitars, sold guitars to each other yet somehow never managed to cross paths until Moody's. Tony was instrumental in getting me to attend NAMM this year and I am grateful to him for the opportunity.
Meeting Michael Wong and his lovely wife. Michael is like Bobbo in that the joy on his face with every strum or picked string on the guitar is a glorious event. It was awesome to watch him play and sing and have such fun. I can now add him to the terrific people I have met through the OFC.
Meeting Kim Keller and Amy for the first time. What a fun bunch of characters. I look forward to seeing them again in the future.
Meeting Adrian who owns WIAMusic and was kind enough (or sadistic enough) to let me share the hotel room with him and Paul at NAMM. Adrian is a terrific person and someone I look forward to keeping in touch with.
and of course seeing the usual suspects...Dave, Al, Wabbit John, Moody, Professor, Paul, AJ and everyone else who I failed to mention.
My lone disappointment from a people perspective was not meeting my long time friend Bruce (Noah). Our friendship is like the one with Tony and over many phone calls and guitar swaps/sales we have never gotten to meet face to face. I was really hoping he would make it to Moody's but unfortunately he did not. |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Ditto on all the above (with exception of having to listen to Temp snore... I could hear Moody snoring - from the floor above my room!). I too was hoping to meet Bruce, but it was great meeting everyone else for the first time, and seeing old friends again. |
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Joined:
May 2008
Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | Um, Stephen that was Michaels DAUGHTER. Don't feel bad, I made the same mistake. You know these chinese guys you just can't tell how old there really are, and then when you do find out it's like they're 107 or something ...
Ditto to everything T28 wrote, I saw some very cool stuff indeed. Highlight for me (among many) was the Blackbird ukulele. Just ordered one from Al. It's like a ukulele version of the adamas Q. Completely carbon fiber. Unbelievable tone and the coolness factor is off the scale. When T28 says "cool for the money", he's not exactly saying it's cheap (a thousand bucks).
http://www.blackbirdguitars.com/pressreleases/blackbird_ukulele.htm... |
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Joined:
June 2003
Posts: 1792
Location: Rego Park, NY, | Originally posted by Gallerinski:
Um, Stephen that was Michaels DAUGHTER. Don't feel bad, I made the same mistake. You know these chinese guys you just can't tell how old there really are, and then when you do find out it's like they're 107 or something . Dave,
I know all about the oriental age thing. When I was about 35 I was in a supermarket that was having a contest for a car. You get a scratch off ticket if you purchaced a certain dollar amount of groceries. I paid and the cashier who was an older women and not a high school kid. She didn't give me a scratch off ticket. I asked her for one and she said no you have to be at least 18. I said I am and I had to show her my drivers license.
Last November Pearl and I took my Michael to a college fair. Pearl made her way to the front and the rep asked her what she would like to major in. Pearl has a young face but she has long hair that has started to show alot of gray and black (salt and pepper hair). She had a smile on her face for the rest of the evening.
To put it nicely just in case she sees this post, I have just started my fifth decade on this earth. She will be starting her fifth in August.
Two Michael Wong's at the factory in 2004. That's Gregory-son #2 in the back on the right |
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Joined:
March 2008
Posts: 354
Location: nashville | Ok I'll say it "Two Wongs dont make a right" unless they are playing Ovations. |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Now that's just wong...... |
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Joined:
June 2003
Posts: 1792
Location: Rego Park, NY, | It must be type and speak like Elmer Fudd week. |
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Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by Phil Wong:
It must be type and speak like Elmer Fudd week. White, it is!!! |
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June 2006
Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | John, watch out. They may be hunting wabbits. |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Duck season. |
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My NAMM list of highlighted goodies
