Musikmesse 2006

text and images (except where noted) by Joerg Kliewe

Musikmesse Frankfurt 2006 broke through the sound barrier again this year with a record breaking number of visitors (102,200), firmly offering a solid defense of itself as the world's largest trade show for music gear.

The event planners' strategy succeeds because they offer unique events for merchants, professional musicians and the general music-loving public. The end result is this rite of spring extravaganza becomes not only a destination for most music brands, but a place for all to hobknob with music artists, celebrities and industry leaders.

The evening before the gates officially opened at Musikmesse, Peter Gabriel, the talented eclectic rock musician, songwriter, video artist and former Genesis frontman, was awarded the 2006 Frankfurt Music Prize. Nearly everyone is familiar with Peter's hits like "Biko", Sledgehammer", "Red Rain" and 'Big Time'. His videos are regarded as milestones in pop culture.

Gabriel was awarded the honor because of his creative work, his stunning performances and his sponsorship of talented young musicians that have laid the groundwork for the future of rock and pop music. The jury has honored him as one of the leading musicians on the European rock music scene, and also for his artistic and social commitments.

The Frankfurt Music Prize has been awarded annually at the Musikmesse since 1980. The Mayor of the City of Frankfurt am Main, Petra Roth, presented the Music Prize at a ceremony.

Not only music giants, but stars of the Silver Screen participated at the Musikmesse: well known German actor Heinz Hoenig (Das Boot) made a guest appearance and presented his Heinz the Bull project. The project offers support to mentally traumatized children in the form of leisure programs and activities. Musikesse Frankfurt is also supporting this project and presented Heinz Hoenig with a contribution for the cause.

On the plaza of the Frankfurt Messe at the Agora Stage percussion virtuosos and cult drummers John Blackwell, Zoro, Dom Famularo and Claus Hessler, were participating on three stages. Blackwell plays with world star Prince and with Zoro for Lenny Kravitz.

Musikmesse didn't forget the new generation of rockers and invited drummer Benny Greb to the stage for an impressive solo show. Bass player Doug Wimbish and drummer Will Calhoun, the rhythm section of Living Colour presented funky R&B sounds. As a session musician, Wimbish has worked in the studio for Madonna and Annie Lennox. Guitarist and singer Stevie Woods, who has worked with music greats such as Steve Lukather of Toto and Bill Champlin of Chicago, raunched it up with some mean chords. And drummer Dirk Brand proved to be a sensation when he and keyboard virtuoso Tatsuya Nishiwaki created an impressive spectrum of unusual sound fusions.

And Musikmesse had good news for all parents. It seems evident that there's a small Pavarotti, an up-and-coming Mozart, or a miniature Bruce Springsteen in every child.

Researchers agree that every child makes music from the time of birth and that musicality is a basic human instinct. There is no lack of evidence for inborn musicality, e.g., the joy of gurgling, the urge to move in time with music and the delight in hearing a mother's lullaby. All that is necessary is to awaken and promote this instinct.

The organization called Music4kids aimed to introduce children to the world of music making, to instruments and to sound, and to show them how much fun and enjoyment making music can bring to their lives.

At one very special area, visitors found six worlds of sound focusing on an array of musical instruments. In these six worlds of sound, the youngsters could experience, experiment, explore and gain a new awareness of the many dimensions of music.

The big focus, as we know, is on new gear in the market, especially guitars.

Visitors browsed through the big name brands that are like big magnets to guitarists, attracting everyone to their exhibits.

As usual, Fender welcomed their guests with an impressive display of over a hundred Custom Shop guitars that were stationed to serve as the gateway to Fender's main booth. The exhibit area seemed larger than last year's event and was home to Fender amplifiers, as well as brands owned by Fender including Gretsch and Tacoma. Added to the mix was a full lineup of Fender's Squier guitars.

A riveting Fender Custom Shop guitar that united a Strat and an Esquire sold the first day. A series of reliced Strats that came as a package with little Blues Junior tube amps iin the color blue was also sold to retailers by the second day of the show.

Among their well know classics, Gibson also offered a peak at their latest innovations including the much anticipated Les Paul Vixen and SG Goddess models, both specifically aimed at female guitarists. The models are professional caliber axes with lightweight bodies and slimmer necks and are available in eye catching new colors named Ice Burst, Coral, and Corona Yellow. With lightweight designs and fast-action necks, the models feature powerful 490R and 498T humbuckers. As a treat for all guests, Gibson was giving away a beautiful Les Paul Goddess guitar on the last day of Musikmesse. More than a few visitors signed up for that opportunity.

Other Gibson Custom models on display included the Vintage Original Spec series, or V.O.S., that has a new, proprietary finishing process which yields the gently aged patina of a vintage classic. Solid mahogany back, historically accurate long neck tenon for superior strength and sustain, period correct neck profiles, hardware and electronics, and 100% nitro-cellulose lacquer are among some of the features offered in the Gibson Custom V.O.S. series. And Gibson’s legendary B.B. King Lucille model, the Howard Roberts Fusion III and the Alvin Lee Signature ES-335 showed up to make appearances at the show.

Bob Taylor had come to Frankfurt to present the new Taylor GS series. These all solid wood guitars show a new design with a wider lower bout for extended bass. Four classic wood pairings will be available and all with the same price tag.

"The presentation of the T5, our electric guitar, was a big success,", Taylor told us in Frankfurt. "The new GS series is, however, a fresh look at Taylor history and players will find everything in these instruments that they love about our guitars - and even more."

While the guitar was making its debut appearance in Europe, dealers in the US were already standing at their loading docks waiting for the arrival of their first shipment of GS guitars.

Paul Reed Smith Guitars returned to Germany with an expanded booth and an exquisite selection of single-cutaway models. Smith presented a huge variety of beautiful guitars that attracted all types of visitors to to the PRS booth. This was especially true on Saturday when the show was open to the general public. Musicians scrambled to make their way to look at what many consider the guitar of their dreams, including the PRS entry level series that is affordable to younger players and still offers incredibly high quality.

For the second year, Paul Reed Smith Guitars was honored as the recipient of one of the most prestigious Musikmesse International Press Awards (mipa) - Best Electric Guitar of the Year. The PRS 513 model was the hands down winner.

Comprised of a voting panel of editors and journalists from 58 publications worldwide, mipa presents manufacturers with awards considered by many in the industry to be the Grammy of the music instrument/pro audio industry.

The awards were presented to the winners at the special mipa-Party/Awards-Ceremony held during Musikmesse on March 30, 2006. Mipa has honored esteemed music instrument and equipment manufacturers for seven years and included more than forty different categories in 2006.

Paul Reed Smith Guitars has been nominated as one of three contenders in the electric guitar category every year since the mipa award was created in 2000 and has received the Best Electric Guitar of the Year accolade five times, a feat unmatched by any other guitar manufacturer.

Smith himself arrived in Frankfurt with his Paul Reed Smith band and kicked things off with a PRS party at the legendary King Kamehameha Club. Guests of the evening included some who got on stage to rock, including the great Johnny Hiland, Bugs Blues Band, Meritxell Negre and Titty Twister. While Musikmesse was in full swing, Smith and his band, along with Johnny Hiland performed each day at the Agora stage.

Musikmesse Frankfurt is also a forum open for new inventions and bright ideas in the instrument industry. Smaller companies take advantage of the show to attract musicians' interest, like Ulrich Teuffel from Teuffel Guitars.

At a relatively small booth, Teuffel showed off variations of his three guitar models. These axes are very cool and innovative and seem to define a guitar from some other universe.

"Of course my instruments are in the hands of reputable, professional musicians," Ulrich Teuffel describes the target group for his completely hand built instruments, "But many private players and collectors consider my instruments an investment beyond traditional designs, shapes or brands."

The guitar amplification arena still seems to be dominated by the Brits. Jim Marshall, the Godfather of British tube amps, showed up and was revered by all who stopped by to pay their respects, have a look at those monster Marshall amps and to sneak in a request for an autograph.

A few smaller amp companies like Ashdown or the revived JMI Amplifiers drew huge interest from musicians.

Frankfurt Musikmesse is always a treat with miles of aisles of eye candy for all musicians. According to an official survey, the majority of the almost 1.600 exhibitors from 51 countries were pleased about their appearance and the business they generated at the show. The growing success of Musikmesse, however, is a result of the planners enlivening the show by inviting a troop of great musicians to the scene and asking them to crank out what the show's all about - making great music.

Gallery of Guest Artists

Related Link
Musikmesse Frankfurt