Hello Troubadourians! January 23–24 found me at the NAMM show in Anaheim for the first time in five years. I was scheduled to attend on the 25th as well but the threat from the Border Fire at home cut my attendance short. Briefly on that topic, I have 13 guitars, all of which have a unique and specific function for my requirements. Some can serve as backups for one or more of the others—sort of—but they were all specifically chosen for a purpose. All of them have been customized in some way that suits my playing. That said, they are tools that can be replaced if necessary. However, there are three that I consider irreplaceable for reasons beyond what they do and are the must-save guitars in an emergency. My ’99 Collings D2 is at the top of the list. This one might actually be irreplaceable in that it is a cutaway Dreadnaught and Collings no longer makes Dreadnaughts with a cutaway. The other two are my I-30 and City Limits DLX. I use these more than any other of my electric guitars because of their unique construction and tonality. Yeah, I could replace them but I’d rather not… I did have the conversation with my daughters about which three to take if we had to evacuate, but it was clear that under the circumstances my presence was required far more than simple instructions of what guitars to save. So, I made the sensible choice and came home early.
All things considered, I was done after two days. In the five years since my last NAMM show the arthritis in my hip has become more bothersome and all of the walking required was quite painful. In my normal day-to-day, its all very manageable but in the two days at NAMM I probably walked close to five miles, maybe more. Thursday nearly killed me so on Friday morning I hobbled down to the CVS on the corner of Harbor and Katella and bought a cane. That thing saved my life. When I handed it to the young lady at the checkout counter, she smiled and said, “This is a real chick magnet.” We both laughed at her joke.
But, on with the show!
Collings Guitars: I always begin my NAMM experience in Hall F, so, of course, my first stop is always the Collings booth. Their new Hill Country acoustic Dreadnaught guitars are amazing. Truly approaching heirloom status right off the rack, they are primarily intended for players that aren’t going to require pickups or other electronics, and for that type of player I don’t think you could find a more perfect instrument. They rival every pre-war Martin I’ve ever played, and they will only get better as they play in and age. D2 A Hill Country | Acoustic Guitar | Collings Guitars
Collings also showed the new 71 Series electric guitars. I found the T-style most attractive, and I would consider having one made since their Head of Engineering, Clint Watson, told me that they would make me one with the wider 1.75-inch nut width that I prefer. 71 | Electric Guitar | Collings Guitars
Kyser Capos: I have used Kyser capos for as long as I can remember. As I walked by their booth, I was draw in by a wall full of the most beautifully finished capos I’ve ever seen. I’ve always just used a black capo, but their new finishes are simply amazing. I’m going to have to get one in Sunburst for my I-30. Acoustic Guitar Capos | Kyser Musical Products
While I was at the booth I met and spoke with Waylon Alexander, head of manufacturing. I told him that the spring broke on one of my oldest capos but that as old as it was, I figured it didn’t owe me anything. He said that Kyser capos have a lifetime warranty and that if I returned it, they would fix it for free. Wow! He then asked if I’d like to build a capo myself. Of course, I would! We went into the back booth where I learned to assemble a capo from the basic parts. This is what I made:
YouTube: There are two YouTube music-related channels that I subscribe to: Rhett Shull and Rick Beato. On Thursday, I met Rhett and his wife Tilly at the Collings booth. The first thing I noticed was that he is at least as tall as I am, which I wasn’t expecting. It is very difficult to judge a person’s height from a video without some fixed reference, so I generally expect musicians to be less that 6’ tall. I introduced myself and told him that he was much taller than I expected. He laughed and said that he got that a lot. I joked that at 6’3” I often feel like a giraffe onstage. Tilly said that he slouches too much when he’s on stage. We all laughed at that. I told him that I watched his channel and was a subscriber. I also said how much I enjoyed his guitar playing. There was more guitar-player talk and then I thanked him for his time. He offered his email so that we can keep in touch. Very cool dude.
As for Rick Beato, I didn’t actually meet him, but I did cross paths with him on Friday morning while walking along Katella. He was deep into a conversation with two other guys, so I didn’t interrupt them. Oh, and Rick is probably 5’9” at most… sorry Rick.
Fishman: I have a very old and cobbled-together Fishman pickup system in my D2. It sounds exactly like I want it to and because it is assembled from modular Fishman components, it is installed in locations on my guitar that are the most convenient for me. The problem is that some of those components have been discontinued, making it nearly impossible to replicate in another guitar. In particular, Fishman had an add-on for their Power Jack system called a VTB (Volume, Treble, Bass). While modern systems sound excellent, I’m not a fan of sound hole mounted controls. And they only have one tone control, which limits the frequencies that can be adjusted from the guitar. The alternative is a side-mounted panel that requires that a large hole be cut into the guitar. Not. Going. To. Happen. I happened to meet Drew Fishman at the Fishman booth and asked about the VTB and explained the reasons for my preference for it over other volume and tone controls. Drew gave me an 800 number to call and the names of two customer service guys at Fishman that might be able to locate a VTB (or two) for me. Being referred to very knowledgeable people inside a family-owned company by a member of the family… How cool is that? I’ve been too busy to call but I’m hoping for good results when I do.
L.R. Baggs: Another excellent pickup company is L.R. Baggs. Baggs has taken the bold step of not just making a new pickup system, but actually building an entire guitar with the system installed. The Baggs AEG-1 is the result. http://www.lrbaggs.com/guitars/aeg-1-acoustic-electric-guitar
The AEG-1 comes in three colors, and I was particularly attracted to the Sunburst Sitka Spruce. Of course, I was! I noticed the multiple AEG-1s on display on Thursday but I didn’t have time to play one until Friday. I am notoriously picky about my guitars and am usually unimpressed with guitars that are made/sold by companies that are accessory companies and not actually guitar companies. The AEG-1 is an exception. I played five of the nine guitars that were on display and found them enjoyable to play and exceptionally consistent in build quality and playability. They very much reminded me of a Taylor T-5 but with more specific focus as an acoustic guitar—without the magnetic pickup—and with an internal microphone. I’d actually consider buying one of these guitars.
Overall, I enjoyed being back at NAMM after a five-year absence and I’ll likely attend again next year. While my physical condition may influence how long I’m able to stay, it was certainly good to be there… again.
Need to know? Just ask… Charlie (ask.charlie@hotmail.com)
