NAMM 2012 Coverage

[Hellbat]

I keep waiting for Roland to "get it" and make a hexaphonic pickup into a pickup ring for a standard humbucker and then figure out some way to put the required hardware in an average guitar cavity.

[DC_rhoads82]

Not making that out too well. Does the switcher still need bolting to the rear of the body like the Roland GK3?

According to what I've read about it, it actually uses a magnet to hold everything in place. It was described as 'similar to the power cable attachment for a macbook' so moving it between guitars should take 'seconds'. It should be noted that I have no idea how it will stay secure or what bearing a magnet would have on sound frequencies and noise, but apparently it works haha.

[aliensporebomb]

I keep waiting for Roland to "get it" and make a hexaphonic pickup into a pickup ring for a standard humbucker and then figure out some way to put the required hardware in an average guitar cavity.

Great idea. There are ways to make the GK hardware internal but it usually involves surgery. I'd rather not surgically modify my Soloist so.... yeah, Roland, get on it!

[roodyrocker]

The problem I see with building the pickup into the pickup ring is that there are many types and colors of pickup rings. It's not practical to make that way. Besides, if you want to move it to another guitar it may not fit or match. There are short and tall rings, flat or arched, black, cream, chrome, brass, etc... Then you have guitars with direct mount pickups so there is no ring at all. Humbucker vs. Single coil.
There used to be a guy on E-Bay that sold a little plate that mounted on the existing bridge posts of some guitars which allowed mounting the GK pickup to that. It doesn't work on a Floyd though.

[roodyrocker]

Does anyone have a gallery of the Gibson and Ibanez booths? With minimal effort put in, I haven't been able to find any beyond pics of Ace Frehley's latest LP sig.

I didn't shoot much at the Ibanez booth, just a few. Gibson was a big disappointment. They displayed the USA line and Epiphones only. All the custom shop and historic stuff was at an undisclosed location for dealers only. The Paul Kossoff sig model was introduced as well as another Billy Gibbons model. They also are releasing a Kirk Hammett Flying V sig model. The first day at the booth I was told they only had one custom shop catalog there and I couldn't have it. The next day catalogs magically appeared so I got a few.
They did have an Ace Frehley USA model as well as an Epiphone version of it there. Next to the Ace model they had a USA Zakk Wylde Vertigo. Those were about the only three Gibsons I took pix of.
When I get back home I'll upload the pix to Facebook.

[tonemonster]

Gibson was a big disappointment. They displayed the USA line and Epiphones only. All the custom shop and historic stuff was at an undisclosed location for dealers only.
.

They probably had to keep the stuff out of sight so the feds wouldnt storm the place and ruin the show.

[Sephiroth]

They probably had to keep the stuff out of sight so the feds wouldnt storm the place and ruin the show.

Nah they just wanted time to produce and get it on store pegs before ESP produced their own EMG-equipped versions

[roodyrocker]

The stuff that interests me at Gibson would have been the Ace sig model and of course my favorite Les Pau, the 68 Les Paul Custom Reissues. Unfortunately we got to see neither. The Ace USA model looks cool but they had a few details missing compared to the VOS and Aged/Signed models. For example, they made the USA model without the cream pickguard and had regular Grover tuners and buttons it. The Ace should have the pickguard as well as those funky pearled tuner buttons on it. Oddly enough, these things are present on the lower line Epiphone model but not the USA.
I also would have liked to see that Paul Kossoff sig. Oh well. Dan Lawrence had his GMP Guitars on display as well. It's good to see GMP back and their stuff looked killer! I have tons of pix from that booth to upload yet. Also got some pix of the GJ2 guitars.
More good news, the Charvel booth was a kickass display this year! They got their own booth on the main floor and it was pretty spacious, well laid out, looked top notch! Before they were sort of on the back wall of the Jackson display. Bionic and his crew did a great job with it! I will post photos AND video later from home. Right now I'm sitting at the airport waiting for the flight back home.

[DC_rhoads82]

Thanks for everything, Rudy. It's been really nice having a pretty constant update from all the ongoings at Namm! Really appreciate it and am looking forward to your videos! Have a safe flight home!

[Hellraiser6502]

It was nice seeing you again Rudy...

[~K~]

Kurt,. you working for GMP now?

[Hellraiser6502]

Kurt,. you working for GMP now?

Yes, I am working Sales/Marketing...setting up a dealer network.

[neilli]

They're going to be going down the dealer route rather than direct in the future then?

[Hellraiser6502]

They're going to be going down the dealer route rather than direct in the future then?

Direct and Dealer both for now. Ideally I'd like to get STRONG reputable dealers such as Matt's, Music Zoo, Wild West, Drum City etc. Talking with some now and will follow up with others very soon.

We want to add some dealers regionally (East, West, Southwest, Southeast etc.) and eventually *probably* dealer only.

There shouldn't be any conflict as long as it is a small dealer network, for example, if a direct inquiry has a dealer within a 50 mile radius, we would refer them to the dealer.

If/when it grows to MANY dealers then we would re-evaluate the direct sale route....we'll cross that bridge when the time comes. We had TONS of inquiries at the show and I'll have my hands full in the next couple of months!! Which is a good thing.

[roodyrocker]

It was nice seeing you as well Kurt. I will have the the pix I shot from the booth up on Facebook in the next day or two hopefully. I'm also going to burn them to a disc and send them to Dan so guys will have them. The GMP Guitars looked real nice!