The Guitar Companies We’re Not Allowed To Tell You Were Exhibiting at Summer NAMM 2011

Ok, so you think this headline sounds silly, and we agree! But it didn’t come out of nowhere…

Sub Heading: Lawyers get paid way too much for covering other people’s butts.

This is the official legal claim made by NAMM on their website in relation to the list of companies exhibiting at Summer NAMM 2011:

The directory and its contents are proprietary products of NAMM. The contents of this directory may not, in whole or in part, be reproduced, copied, disseminated, entered into a computer database, used as part of or in connection with a mailing list, or otherwise used in any form or manner by any means, except for the user’s individual, personal and confidential reference.

As you may have guessed, I’m not a lawyer – so given the huge amount of publicity material NAMM are supplying the media, my guess is they really do want to be publicized so I’ll go ahead and name who I believe are some of the more ‘interesting’ guitar companies exhibiting at this year’s Summer NAMM.

• 211 Guitars – Booth# 1701 – With the company motto “Shred Till You’re Dead” and guitar models such as “A-bomb” and “Bonehead”, how could you not be interested in this budget guitar manufacturer?
• ArtGuitars – Booth# 216 – Thankfully J.Douglas Vokes resorts to his impressive design skills more than he does to lawyers – take a look at his work, these guitars are striking!
• AxeGlove – Booth# 1343 – “designed by musicians and for musicians”, ok their motto is far from unique, but they’re the only company I’ve come across that makes ugg boots for guitars.
• Beard Guitars – Booth# 1300 – Although none of their resonator guitars require shaving, perhaps their endorsed artist Vince Gill does.
• Bedell & Breedlove Guitars – Booth# 1210 – These two acoustic guitar brands are merging under the name “Two Old Hippies” and both of them made it into the high end of our Best Acoustic Guitars list. Be impressed, be very impressed.
• Bitchstraps – Booth# 844 – I’m not going to comment here.
• CE Distribution – Booth# 1227 – I’ll admit they don’t sound sexy, but quite apart from the fact they have advertised on GuitarSite.com, when you need any kind of guitar or amp part, or replacement component, then you’ll be glad you heard about them from us.
• Computerized Guitar – Booth# 212 – Some ideas find that perfect moment in time. Some don’t. We’ll let you decide if this approach to learning guitar works for you.
• Cupit Music – Booth# 246 – There are a couple of ways to interpret the word “interesting”, and with an actor talking at full volume when you visit their website, they fall into the ‘other’ interpretation. Oh, they make travel guitars too.
• Daisy Rock Girl Guitars – Booth# 1118 – It’s really hard to carve out your own niche in an overcrowded guitar world, but Daisy Rock have been achieving this brilliantly for many years now!
• EarthQuaker Devices – Booth# 743 or 444 (EarthQuaker and NAMM disagree on which booth they’re really in) – No, this is not about eating your oats for breakfast – they are about digital processing and synthesizing guitar sounds.
• Flaxwood USA – Booth# 1405 – Does someone really make guitars out of the same material used throughout the pacific by Polynesians for clothing, building, and tools? No. Their guitars are made from a composite material called Kareline, but they call it flaxwood, and actually they tend to use the more traditional Alder for their guitar bodies. They do look good though!
• Joeker Guitars – Booth# 1635 – Clearly any scientific analysis would prove the Joker would be a better guitarist than Batman, and Robbin plays a Virginal
• The Juliet Collective – Booth# 1603 – Wherefore art thou boutique amps and pedals?
• Little Walter Tube Amps – Booth# 1718 – This boutique tube amp company has a wide range from 8 to 50 watt models with a unique vintage approach to design.
• Overture Guitars – Booth# 1501 – Which came first, the Overture or the ESP? Would anyone suggest some guitar manufacturers copy from others?
• Perri Ink. Guitars – Booth# 343 – Any guitar maker who’s claim to fame is “I have owned lots guitars over the years, and built and destroyed many of them” deserves a look.
• Pinkboard – Booth# 254 – Some ideas are a total washout, but not this!
• Reverend Guitars -Booth# 1250 – You just gotta believe.
• The Rock Lock – Booth# 1448 – You wouldn’t leave your bicycle unlocked at your gig, so why would you do it with your guitar?
• Trem King – Booth# 911 – A rose by any other name would smell us much. The market needs room for more than one, so lock in this tremolo system.
• Tunerguard – Booth# 1704 – Although their promotional video is totally tongue-in-cheek, I can’t help but feel the people who buy this aren’t.
• Zuni Custom Guitars – Booth# 1638 – Whenever anyone does a thorough A to Z list of guitar manufacturers, this company stands a high chance of being included.

You can find these, and all of the exhibitors, in the 2011 Summer NAMM Interactive Floorplan.

Legal Disclaimer: The contents of this article are in no way meant to be read by anyone for any purpose other than entertainment or something else. If you have not been entertained, or informed, or something else, then you are required to read it again whilst thinking of what would happen if Yngwie Malmsteen and Slash‘s hair joined forces to form a new Super Hair-cut Band.