Winter NAMM 2009; pictures from the floor

[Ted Eschliman]

Winter NAMM starts in the mild SoCal clime. News of 20 below wind chills make this a pretty welcome place to be, even though most of my days are indoors. My task is to bring pictures of cool mando gear; understand it's a tough place to actually audition the instruments. The ambient noise is as overwhelming and unsettling as some of the outfits the participants wear.
Starting in Hall E, with a bevy of Breedloves:

[Ted Eschliman]

Next, the Weber booth. Didn't have a chance to talk to Tony or Bruce, but it's on my list today:

[Ted Eschliman]

Collings; I couldn't get a picture of the Fs, there was always a crowd standing in front of them.

[Ted Eschliman]

Cool National Resonator:

[Mandobar]

ted, what happened with the oval holt MT? did it make it to the show?

[Ted Eschliman]

This is something I must check out closer later; Elleuke electric mandolins. Some of these have MP3 jacks you can plug your accompaniments in. Unfortunately, the instruments weren't set up very well the first morning of the show. Cool look, though.

[Ted Eschliman]

Caraya, an "import" company

[Ted Eschliman]

One Hofner (import) mandolin

[Ted Eschliman]

Gianinni Bandolims (only a couple)

[MikeEdgerton]

Look at the differences in the scrolls on those mandolins from the Caraya company. The one in the middle is awful, the one next to it not too bad.

[Ted Eschliman]

Shameless plug at Mel Bay…

[Ted Eschliman]

Dunlop picks under glass. Amazing how many styles they make.

[Ted Eschliman]

Michael Kelly wall.

[Ted Eschliman]

Sean Chase and the new Dawg Bacorn. Sweet little ax. I know what the 3rd mando in the Dawg collection is going to be, but I ain't telling.

[Ted Eschliman]

Couple of the Loar Models, and an entry level Savanah Army/Navy knock-off.

[Ted Eschliman]

Larrivee. Much improved cosmetics since the last one I saw a couple years ago.

[Ted Eschliman]

Wall of Kentucky.

[Ted Eschliman]

Good to see Jeff Cowherd at J Bovier. This is the 3rd African Zebrawood F I've seen. Most impressive.

[Ted Eschliman]

At the Gibson booth, the (relatively) new Victorian and a Sam Bush model.

[Ted Eschliman]

This was the first of a four day show. I'm out here on my store business (http://musicincmag.com/Resources/the_experts/ted_eschliman/ted_2009.html), so I really don't have a lot of time to pick, nor is the environment conducive to close aural scrutiny. At least I can snap some pictures. Maybe more later...

[Larry S Sherman]

Cool National Resonator:

It looks like the early reports are correct, and National Resophonics has moved from the art deco style headstock decals to a badge emblem.

Larry

[sgarrity]

The Breedloves are looking good! I know it's out there a little but I really like the FF design.

[JEStanek]

Thanks a bunch, Ted. I've never been a fan of the Breedlove bursts. I prefer their natural finish but that pale brown one looks great. And let me be the first to seriously d r o o l over the Dawg Bacorn model. any skinny on MSRP? Very nice.

Jamie

[Ken Olmstead]

The Bacorn model is simply SWEET! Nice job by Eastman!

[TomTyrrell]

Does the price tag on that Savanah Army/Navy knock-off really say $199.99? Could be another answer to that age old "I need a beater" question...

[Brad Weiss]

Sean Chase and the new Dawg Bacorn. Sweet little ax. I know what the 3rd mando in the Dawg collection is going to be, but I ain't telling.


Gotta be a cylinderback! Or a Hofner. No, the cylinderback. Right??
;)

[mrmando]

Sean Chase and the new Dawg Bacorn. Sweet little ax.
Er ... that's Bacon, as in lettuce and tomato. Roger Bacorn is a custom builder from New York.

[mrmando]

This is something I must check out closer later; Elleuke electric mandolins.

I'm guessing that's Eleuke (http://www.eleuke.com/index.html), a Japanese company that already has a line of electric ukuleles. The Japanese answer to Risa?

[Jim MacDaniel]

Does the price tag on that Savanah Army/Navy knock-off really say $199.99? Could be another answer to that age old "I need a beater" question...

Related questions:
1) Is it all laminated, or solid-top & laminated back & sides?
2) Do they offer a hardshell or foam case for it? (one that might perhaps fit Flatirons and Travelers? ;) )

[JEStanek]

Martin thanks for the clarification. MMMmmm Bacon ahhhhhh.

Jamie

[Stephen Lind]

that National could bury a banjo
with single notes on the A strings
i was amazed at how loud it was in proportion to the other strings

also had the D'Adario rep explain the new EXPs
the coating is about 2/3 thinner than the old ones and much more evenly applied
they had a cross section blown up picture that showed the difference
a real improvement
they sound very much like regular J74's

[Spruce]

Thanks for sucking up all that fluorescent lighting and noise for the cause, Ted... :mandosmiley:

[Steevarino]

Does the price tag on that Savanah Army/Navy knock-off really say $199.99?

Uh-oh,... looks like maybe I should just close up shop. First Dobro moves most of their Hound Dogs to China (causing me a great loss of revenue in parts), and now this. It's dang hard for an American company to compete with Chinese labor. Of course, I am not using children, prisoners, or otherwise slave labor to help make our flatties!

And then there is the subject of quality of materials, quality of tone, quality of build, resale value, all that.

Maybe things will be alright after all...

Steve Smith
www.CumberlandAcoustic.com
www.RedLineReso.com

[MikeEdgerton]

There will always be a market for better built instruments.

[Larry S Sherman]

Uh-oh,... looks like maybe I should just close up shop. Maybe things will be alright after all...

Steve Smith
www.CumberlandAcoustic.com
www.RedLineReso.com

I think your Traveler mando looks great...quality build, etc. After reading the review in Vintage Guitar I couldn't help fantasizing about the possibility of a mandolin version of a seafoam green Red Line Rambler deluxe reso mandolin (round neck). That would be sweeeeet!!!

Larry

[Don Grieser]

Eastman Bacon....the first scratch and sniff mandolin? :grin:

[mandroid]

#6 with the F holes front and back, is a curious build , indeed. :popcorn:

[GRW3]

I hope that Bacon Artist sounds good because I'm afraid that's the blind date your mother says has a 'great personality'. YMMV.


Is that distressed Weber a Yellowstone? My local dealer said he was getting a distressed Weber from NAMM and I wonder if that's the one. I've become partial to the Cremona finish on my Eastman and this looks like a Cremona too.

[mrmando]

#6 with the F holes front and back, is a curious build , indeed. :popcorn:

They go all the way through the body. Like the infamous Ross Teigen (http://www.emando.com/builders/Teigen.htm) 4-string.

[uncle ken]

I played quite a few of those shown in the pictures on Thursday. It's the only day that you probably have a chance to hear something because of all the racket there. Luckily the Weber booth was near a quiet corner downstairs this year. As usual they always have the best sounding stuff at NAMM, at least to my ears.

[mandroid]

re: #6 .. Ah, now I get it, a couple F shaped holes pierced in a solid body.

[Jim MacDaniel]

re: #6 .. Ah, now I get it, a couple F shaped holes pierced in a solid body.

Sort of the emando equivalent of this...

[jefflester]

This is something I must check out closer later; Elleuke electric mandolins. Some of these have MP3 jacks you can plug your accompaniments in. Unfortunately, the instruments weren't set up very well the first morning of the show. Cool look, though.
They look like solidbodies with the f-holes all the way through? Intersting approach. Though the F-shaped red one doesn't appear to have a magnetic pickup so it seems like it couldn't be solid.

Did this company appear out of nowhere? Or it is this company:
http://www.eleuke.com/

Edit: (oops, I was only reading page 1 and didn't see the other comments)

[Ted Eschliman]

Thanks for sucking up all that fluorescent lighting and noise for the cause, Ted... :mandosmiley:

Got that right, Bruce. End of 2nd day, and I don't know what hurts worse, my feet or my ears...

[delsbrother]

Sort of the emando equivalent of this...

http://xstrange.com/049050frontfull250.jpg

Ted, ever go to the Healdsburg festival? Or Montreal? I think it'd be fun to read one of your reports from somewhere more luthier-centric.

[mrmando]

Ah, the Eastwood reissues of Ampeg basses. All of you who missed my birthday, here's your chance...

[Jim Garber]

Sean Chase and the new Dawg Bacorn. Sweet little ax. I know what the 3rd mando in the Dawg collection is going to be, but I ain't telling.

I assume you mean Bacon and not the Roger Bacorn model. I am not a great typist either.

Man they nailed the finish on that one. I own an original and the sunburst looks just like that one. I hope I get to play one one day and compare to the original.

I know... they are making a Snow Queen model next. :)

[delsbrother]

Those aren't Eastwoods! They're made in the US by Bruce Johnson (http://xstrange.com/) - or at least they used to be. Don't know if he's still building.

[Pete Braccio]

Hey Now!

I just got back to my friends house after spending a couple of hours at NAMM today. She let me borrow her camera and, since electrons are cheap, I took almost 170 pictures. Anyway, there are some shots of mandolins, a bunch of guitars, a handfull of basses, and two pictures of pennywhistles.

The site can be found here (http://web.me.com/braccio/Site/NAMM2009.html).

Enjoy!

Pete

[sgarrity]

The Collings oval hole F-style.....MAS is a terrible thing.

[rekx]

thanks for posting the pics!!

[Ken Olmstead]

The Collings oval hole F-style.....MAS is a terrible thing.


Yeah, you said it, man! That thing looks pretty tasty!

[LVH]

I missed the collings f style oval hole can someone post a link or picture of one

[Pete Braccio]

Hi Luke,

I thought the link might be too subtle in my original post.

My NAMM2009 Picture Web SIte (http://web.me.com/braccio/Site/NAMM2009.html)

Pete

[SChase@EastmanStrings]

Thanks a bunch, Ted. I've never been a fan of the Breedlove bursts. I prefer their natural finish but that pale brown one looks great. And let me be the first to seriously d r o o l over the Dawg Bacorn model. any skinny on MSRP? Very nice.

Jamie

$2695...available...uhhhh...soon

[em guitars]

http://xstrange.com/049050frontfull250.jpg

Ted, ever go to the Healdsburg festival? Or Montreal? I think it'd be fun to read one of your reports from somewhere more luthier-centric.

I used to have one of the original Ampegs. What a great bass. Regret having sold it, but it needed repairs that were beyond my abilities at the time. Maybe I'll just build one !
Eric.

[mrmando]

Any more photos, Ted?

[jefflester]

NAMM 2009 oddities (http://www.otheroom.com/namm/figure.html) (no mandolin content)

http://www.otheroom.com/namm/images/true_temp.jpg

[mrmando]

Compensated frets? Is that the next version of the Buzz Feiten tuning system?

[Bob Borzelleri]

NAMM 2009 oddities (http://www.otheroom.com/namm/figure.html) (no mandolin content)

http://www.otheroom.com/namm/images/true_temp.jpg

This is a variation on the compensated fret theory. The manufacturer has you play for 20 minutes on a digital fretboard and it maps your finger placement and then designs and builds a fretboard to correct your poor technique. :mandosmiley:

[j. condino]

That thing makes a fanned fretboard look like childs play! I don't think I'll be returning any calls for that one if someone decides they need a refret.....

j.
www.condino.com

[Dfyngravity]

Where do you buy a saw to cut those fret slots?

[Skip Kelley]

Where do you buy a saw to cut those fret slots?

Dang! I threw away a saw blade that looked just like that!

[woodwizard]

Great pics! Thanks for posting them. Wish I could be there...(understatement) How bout some more?