NAMM 2016 Cool Guitar Gear Roundup

With so many new products at this year’s Winter NAMM, going through all of them can get a bit tedious, so we have come up with a list that features our favorite guitar gear.

NAMM 2016

As always, different manufacturers have brought their A game into this trade show, showcasing their latest music gear. However, it seems that most manufacturers played it safe this year, because there are no truly ground breaking technology that was unveiled, rather most new releases are basically improved versions of their predecessors. Still, there are some cool and interesting products that caught our attention, we have listed them here for your convenience.

Marshall Code Amps

Marshall Amplification finally dived into modern digital modeling technology, resulting in the Marshall Code Amp line, which is one of the coolest new product line in this year’s NAMM. Not sure why they shied away from this technology for so long, but they should have come up with this product a while back – especially considering the quality that is being showcased by the demo videos. In addition to modeled effects and amps, these amps also feature bluetooth connectivity and realtime control via smart phone apps, features that are not necessarily new, but cool nonetheless when paired with Marshall’s reputation for quality. The guys at Andertons had a close up experience with the amp, check out the video below:

Vox Starstream Type-1

Released a few days before the 2016 NAMM Show, the Starstream Type-1 is Vox Amplifications’ entry into the instrument modeling market. This is certainly something expected from the company because they are known for embracing technology and applying whatever they can into their products. This one wowed many NAMM 2016 attendees with its impressive 27 guitar models and built-in effects, where in you can into via quick knob adjustments directly on the top of the guitar. Click here for our feature on the Starstream Type-1. Sound on Sound had a nice video demo of the guitar at the NAMM Show, watch it below:

Martin D-28 John Lennon 75th Anniversary Dreadnought

The Martin D-28 John Lennon 75th Anniversary Dreadnought was a true head turner at the event, and that is to be expected since it carries the name of the iconic artist. What’s cool about this acoustic guitar is its cosmetic references to John Lennon’s various artwork and songs including his self portrait, peace signs and many more. Check out the official video demo from Martin:

Yamaha Revstar Series

In a surprising move, Yamaha unveiled an entirely new electric guitar line just in time for the 2016 NAMM Show. And since the Yamaha Revstar Series is their first major electric guitar release in a while, all eyes are on the new product. As expected these guitars garnered much attention, especially with its cool retro appeal and innovative “Dry” switch which allows for single-coil and humbucker tones via filters instead of actually splitting coils. Click here for our feature article on the Yamaha Revstar Series. Instead of showing NAMM videos, I opted for this video from Sweetwater because it contains more information on the series, great for those curious about this new guitar series from Yamaha.

Fender American Elite Series

Fender is never one to stop and be content with their product line up, and this year is the same as they introduce the American Elite Series, which replaces their American Deluxe line of guitars. As expected, people flocked to their booth to see these new instruments, which incidentally are not entirely new but – new nonetheless – because of some subtle but important changes. The most notable of which is the implementation of their 4th generation noiseless pickups, which is said to sound better than the previous version – while having less hum noise. It also helps that the finish and color options are eye pleasing! Check out their official presentation recorded at the NAMM floor.

Gibson Memphis 2016

While others were adding features, Gibson has reverted some of the “features” they added in 2015, and it maybe their effort to lower the price into something similar to 2014. For us mortals, this reversion is good news because hopefully some Gibson guitars will be more accessible. Having said that, the Gibson booth once again attracted scores of visits, many of which were focused on Gibson’s drool inducing Memphis 2016 lineup. Aside from new and not to mention cool color finishes, the main change implemented in this new line of guitars is the use of Titanium for the saddles, which helps improve sustain and resonance. Andertons’ had a nice video tour of the Memphis 2016 line up at Gibson’s NAMM booth, you can watch it below:

If you think we have missed out on other cool and innovative guitar gear releases, don’t hesitate to mention your favorite NAMM 2016 releases below.

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