Slash tweets new Marshall and Les Paul NAMM2010

Here's something to salivate over for those going to NAMM2010. Slash just tweeted the following:

To those of you who have been inquiring, I'll be announcing the new "Slash" Marshall & Les Paul at NAMM, Sat, Jan 16th. http://bit.ly/56GpwD

Is it just me, or are there more signature series and limited run Les Pauls around now than there are regular models?

More Namm 2009 Highlights

Here a few more picks from the tornado that is Namm 09.

• Four new pedals from Radial. Hey, if they are good enough for Eric Johnson, well...
• New BC Rich's, including a monster twin neck beast of a thing.
• Dean release a bunch of guitars that aren't alll Dimabag Series guitars..... but.....
• ....they do release a Dimebag Amp. Looks like a bit of backlash too. I think we know why Dean Z left the company...
• Paul Gilbert drops a RacerX reunion, talks about the Fireman and more on this cool vid.

Another huge Namm. Remember, I'll be posting some more specific posts in the next week.

NAMM 09 : Day One Highlights

WOW. Talk about overload. NAMM 09 os proving to be a huge smack upside the head with releases after release. I'll do some individual posts on the items that I'm really keen on, but I'll do a general wrap each day on what has been and gone.

So here are my highlights from day one of NAMM 09.

• All of the PRS releases, in particular the amps and acoustics.
• Radial Engineering's four new Tonebone Pedals
• Elixer release antirust plain steel acoustic strings
• For us computer geeks, IK Multimedia StealthPedal
• EVH Wolfgangs have got some new variations. Still not sure what I think of these.
• New RP series pedals from DigiTech.
• A new Satriani wah from Vox. Looks "wah"esome!!!
• I'm jealous. The new G5135PS Patrick Vaughn Stump Signature Series Gretsch Stump-O-Matic Electromatic Corvette Guitar. No I am not making that name up! I love this guitar.
• I know I don't like relic for relic's sake, but as a signature model I dig it. And I dig the new James Hetfield ESP.
• A reverse Iceman - I love it.

Thanks to all the great websites that are posting up the info. Great for a poor Aussie like me sweltering in 40degC+ temperatures on the other side of the world. More highlights coming soon as well as individual summaries of my favourite announcements.

Why the relic fad should just die.

I am completely over this fascination with relic or road worn guitars. I don't mind them as a tribute to an iconic guitar owned by a famous guitarist (for example the Rory Gallagher Strat), but as a marketing gimmick? Fender at NAMM is launching the new entry level Relic series titled Road Worn. Here is what they have to say:

Some things just get cooler with age. It’s especially true of electric guitars and basses—they develop an unmistakable mojo that makes them look cooler, sound better and feel even more comfortable than when they were brand new. Hence the winter 2009 arrival of Fender’s new Road Worn series—Stratocaster, Telecaster, Precision Bass and Jazz Bass guitars that, while new, are designed to look like they’ve borne the wear, tear, blood, sweat and beers of thousands of miles on the road.

Now here is what I have to say:

This is the most meaningless way to make yourself feel important and "legitimate" as a guitarist as you can go. There is no character in these guitars, they all look the same. Part of the joy of having a beat up guitar is getting it to look that way. If you buy it like that from the factory, you don't live and grow with the guitar you just bought over time. It's like adopting a 10 year old with scars. You don't get the funny story about the kid falling out of the tree or scraping their knee learning how to skateboard, you just get a banged up kid.

My two main guitars are full of stories. They have been on the road. They have lived. One has a giant crack on the neck's finish from me throwing it into my amp and the end of the gig. That was the same gig I had a fat chick pour a beer on my head because I turned down her "invitation" to "party". My other main guitar has a matte finish on it that has been rubbed off by my right arm from too many hot night in hot bars in country New South Wales, Australia. Not to mention the countless dings and scratches that have happened from onstage (and offstage) mishaps.

What happened to these guitars was natural, an evolutionary process of myself as a guitarist and a performer, and the bonding between a man and his musical instrument. The guitar wears in to your playing, your body, your touch. This cannot be done from a factory. This can not be achieved without putting in the effort, the energy, the time, blood sweat and tears, the passion, everything it takes to be a real musician.

These guitars have no soul.

Seriously, if you are going out to buy a brand new PRS for example, and you get to the shop and they try to sell you at full price one with dints and rubbed off paint at full price, what would you think? Would you buy it?

I know I wouldn't. So why should trashing the guitar deliberately be any different? In my mind it isn't.

Image: Stephen Poff

Reverend Pete Anderson Signature Series

Pete Anderson, guitarist for Dwight Yokeam, is luckey enough to have his own signature model with Reverend. He'll be demonstrating the new guitar at Namm 2009 in the Reverend Booth.

The guitar features a vintage look but is designed to please modern players with a mix of grunt and twang provided by the some P-90s. It also features the Uni-Brace system, which divides the guitar into two seperate chambers and supposed to provide less feedback, increased sustain, cleaner lows, and a classic hollow sound.

It's decked out with a spruce top, laminated maple back and sides, a set korina neck with a 24-3/4" scale, 12" radius, 22 frets rosewood fingerboard, topped off with a Bigsby B70 tremolo, some whipped cream and a cherry. Ok, so it may not have the last two but it does sound delicious.

List price is $1429, $169 for the case to match.
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