103rd Winter NAMM 2005

>> Walls of guitars were everywhere. >>

Anaheim, CA - January 20 -23, 2005 – Vox returns to the NAMM convention (formerly the National Association of Music Merchants, now called the International Music Products Association) for another look at the Mecca of all things musical. You may recall we first introduced you to NAMM in 2003 (see the VOX Vault article here), and we planned another go-round this year to check out the new gear and music personalities in the house – and there were plenty of both.

Although NAMM brings together the majority of the world's music products manufacturers to show off their equipment and give consumers previews of coming products, it is not open to the public. However, the impact of this show on the music buying public is huge -- this is where buyers from music stores across the nation meet to decide what's going to end up on store shelves. NAMM is also where important industry announcements are made and where the music community comes together to give back to the global community. So naturally, we at Vox had to be there...

One such announcement was the introduction of the limited edition USA Epiphone McCartney 1964 Texan acoustic guitar.  At an exclusive event on January 22 at the Pulse Lounge in the Anaheim Hilton Hotel, Epiphone held an intimate concert entitled “Yesterday and Today” that featured Sugarcult, Maxeen, Freakhouse and “The Beatles Remembered” (starring Les Fradkin from the original Beatlemania cast). The concert was held in celebration of the debut of the Epiphone Texan reissue -- the first instrument ever to bear McCartney’s personal endorsement and name.

The original Epiphone Texan guitar was built in 1964 and purchased in 1965 by McCartney. He wrote “Yesterday” (the most recorded song of all time) on that guitar and performed with it on the Ed Sullivan show. According to Epiphone, there were only 250 American reissue Texan guitars made, and 1,964 Japanese models made (in honor of the Beatles’ 1964 landing in the U.S.). Each guitar has been played and autographed personally by Paul McCartney himself, each will be sequentially numbered and each will include a custom case and Certificate of Authenticity. A large percentage of the proceeds from the sales of the guitars will go to Paul’s personal humanitarian crusade, the adopt-a-minefield program (http://www.landmines.org.uk).

While Sir Paul himself was not in attendance at the concert, a Beatles tribute group musically honored him in a performance. The Beatles Remembered put on a fantastic show of Beatles music, featuring some fine Epiphone guitars. They did great versions of such classics as “Get Back,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “Ticket to Ride,” “Paperback Writer,” “Tax Man,”   “Back in the USSR,” “Here Comes the Sun,” and “Twist and Shout” to name a few.

>> Korn's Jonathan Davis signed autographs at the 2005 NAMM show. >>

Next came an impromptu performance by the legendary guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter (of Steely Dan and Doobie Brothers fame). After sitting not five feet away from a star-stoked Vox staff, Skunk grabbed his own signature Epiphone acoustic and came onstage for an original song entitled “I Don’t Want to Live in a World of Hunger” sung by vocalist Suzanne. Skunk shredded his way through some tasty leads before pausing for some photo ops and autographs, and quietly departing into the insane NAMM after party scene that went on in the Hilton and elsewhere about town.

[The after party scene offers that annual chance to check out the assorted collection of skids, wannabes, mullet heads, has-beens and hangers-on that emerge from their crypts on a yearly basis to congregate at NAMM after-parties, mostly because they can't get into NAMM.   We’ve come to affectionately know them as the NAMMpyres – the musical undead.  It's become one of the great motivations for going to NAMM each year - to see who will win the coveted title of NAMMpyre of the Year, an award we quitely give out each year, unbeknownst to the winner.]

>> Story of the Year performed in the Taylor Guitars room. >>

Maxeen took the stage by storm next. Maxeen's sound ranged from the spacious melodic world beat of the Police and the anthem-like drive of U2 to the aggro-punk angularity of the Pixies and the Replacements. Maxeen will join Sugarcult in the 2005 Take Action Tour.

Freakhouse blended nu-metal, mainstream pop and a little bit of techno. Currently a featured act in the Harsh Reality Tour, Freakhouse continues to play to sold out crowds across the country while mixing art and commerciality successfully.

Sugarcult continued to turn heads. The Santa Barbara-based quartet has shared bills with such bands as Green Day, the now-on-permanent-hiatus Blink 182, The Hives, Sum 41, Good Charlotte and many more.

>> Maxeen rocked the afterparty. >>

Thanks to the sponsorship of Bad Cat amplifiers (www.badcatamps.com), Slingerland drums (http://www.gibson.com/products/slingerland/), Grover machine heads, Sabian cymbals (www.sabian.com), and Shadow electronics (www.shadow-pickups.com/) , all the bands had outstanding tones coming from the stage – especially the guitars (the Bad Cat amplifiers were simply outstanding).

The Epiphone Company, one of the premier banjo and guitar manufacturers in the first half of the 20th century, joined the Gibson family of brands in 1957. Headquartered in Nashville, Gibson is known worldwide for producing classic models in every major style of fretted instrument, including acoustic and electric guitars, mandolins and banjos. Gibson Guitar Corp.'s family of brands now includes Epiphone, Dobro, Kramer, Steinberger, Tobias, Slingerland, Maestro, Baldwin, Hamilton, Chickering and Wurlitzer. Visit Gibson's website at www.gibson.com for more information.