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NAMM 2020: Best guitars, amps and pedals of Day One
10 highlights from the first day of the show.
NAMM 2020: Day One of Winter NAMM 2020 in sunny Anaheim, California is over, but our ears continue to ring from the cacophony of the show. We covered quite a bit of ground today, visiting brands big and small to check out all the cool gear they were launching, from retro-vibe guitars to unexpected signature collaborations to spanking new stompboxes. Listed here are 10 of our top picks of today:
Fender Acoustasonic Stratocaster
The long-awaited Fender Acoustasonic Stratocaster is finally here. The beautiful instrument combines a hollow construction with innovative electronics to deliver hum-free Strat-inspired acoustic and electric tones. Listen to it above. Also, check out some of Fender Custom Shop’s crazy new creations here.
Gibson 60th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standards
Definitely one of our favourites of the show so far, the Gibson 60th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standards will be available in three variations: V1, V2 and V3. Here we check out two V1s – which features the same specs as a ’59 Les Paul – one in an “unfaded” finish and another in an Antiquity Burst finish.
Eastman Romeo-SC
Eastman‘s gorgeous new thinline is the Romeo-SC. It features a solid spruce top with mahogany laminate sides and back, a maple neck and 12-inch-radius ebony fretboard. Tone is provided by a Seymour Duncan Vintage Stack single-coil in the neck and a Seymour Duncan Humbucker in the bridge positions.
Epiphone Modern Collection Les Pauls
One of the most exciting NAMM 2020 developments so far has been Gibson’s massive overhaul of its Epiphone brand. Key in this overhaul is the new larger headstock shape for its Gibson-derived Epiphone Les Paul and SG models. These include the Epiphone Les Paul Junior, Les Paul Special, SG Special, Les Paul Standard 50s, Les Paul Standard 60s, SG Standard and 61 SG Standard w/Maestro. Take a closer look in the video above.
Fender Tom Morello Soul Power Stratocaster
After doing the rounds on the rumour mill, the Fender Tom Morello Soul Power Stratocaster has finally made a proper appearance. The guitar features a number of customisations favoured by Morello, from a recessed Floyd Rose locking tremolo system to a HSS pickup configuration and even a kill-switch toggle. Check it out here.
Martin SC-13E
Martin‘s biggest launch of the show is the SC-13E, which aims to to bridge the boundaries of electric and acoustic guitar. The new guitar features an offset shape and is targetted at more experimental and boundary-pushing six-string players.
Teisco Overdrive and Distortion
2020 brings about three new pedals for Teisco’s growing collection. The Overdrive and Distortion are self-explanatory additions to the brand’s analogue stompbox family, while the Interface represents Teisco‘s foray into utility devices.
Line 6 POD Go
The Line 6 POD Go is the brand’s newest multi-effects processor. Its biggest draw is its portability and price: it measures 313 x 520 x 148mm and costs only £639. If that’s not enough, it also features over 300 amps and effects taken from Line 6’s Helix, M-Series and legacy libraries.
IK Multimedia Axe I/O Solo
IK Multimedia has announced a slew of products to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its acclaimed iRig interface. One of the biggest launches so far has been the Axe I/O Solo, a compact, affordable two-in/three-out USB audio interface packed with advanced tone-shaping features. Other releases include the Z-Tone Buffer Booster and Z-Tone DI, and AmpliTube Joe Satriani.
Orange Terror Stamp
Orange Amplification has unveiled the Terror Stamp, a small-footprint 20-watt class A/B amplifier that combines the best of the Micro Terror and Micro Dark. Highlights include a hybrid valve/solid state design featuring a 12AX7 valve-based preamp and 20W Class AB Solid State power amp.