Summer NAMM 2008, Thursday June 19 Show Prequel

by Rick Landers.

Summer NAMM 2008, the second installment of the yearly sequence of major musical instruments industry trade shows in the United States, returns to Nashville, Tennessee, where music and guitars are second nature. Walk down the street and wherever you go there seems to be an old guitar used as a display piece. It's Thursday, June 19, a day before the official opening of the summer gear industry mecca. Before my first visit to the Nashville Convention Center I stop at a Bob Evans for a quick breakfast. The restaurant walls are lined with guitars and other stringed instruments. Guitar fever's in the air.

I arrive at the convention center early, grab my press credentials from the registrar and meet J. Euell, NAMM's Web Director, who, along with all the other NAMM representatives, create a welcoming atmosphere and demonstrate a sincere willingness to make things work smoothly with computer connections, media kits, and media badges; they even offer a Mac in case anyone has problems with his or her own gear.

The Nashville Convention Center is smack in the center of the city and around the corner from Broadway Street where locals find live music, including street buskers, some grub and cold beer. And, if you're inclined to visit the closest music shop, a block away is Gruhn's Guitars where you can find some fine vintage guitars and talk to the vintage master himself, George Gruhn. I'll make my way to Gruhn's after a peek at the convention floor.

Gretsch, Guild, Taylor, Martin, Danelectro, Hagstrom and others set up their exhibits while forklifts scurry around moving freight. Because NAMM is a music instrument trade show that's not limited to guitars, there are company reps placing signage, arranging exhibits and other odds and sods for pianos, drums, woodwinds, horns and all the unique and sometimes offbeat accessories that constitute the world of music gear.

The exhibition booths aren't fully in place, but I find good angles for photos and briefly meet with some guitar builders. Chris Martin, Dick Boak, Bob Taylor, Fred Gretsch and others are expected to help man their company exhibits and the NAMM crowd will be treated to the appearance of celebrity guitarists including Johnny Winter, Slash, Johnny Hiland and other guitar universe notables.

Time to let the exhibitor's do their pre-show thing, so I make my way to Gruhn's. While waiting to talk to George, I bump into Chris Gill, Marketing Manager, Squier Guitars, and Justin Norvell, Director of Marketing, Fender Electric Guitars, who are checking out some old Jaguars. Chris, Justin and I had met earlier at the convention center when I took some shots of the Fender folks unpacking and staging their line of electric and acoustic guitars.

Chris and I find a common interest in the early history of Fender Japan and how the company has grown overseas with China as a partner for the Squier line. As Modern Guitars coverage continues over the next few days (the show runs from Friday until Sunday), you'll get a chance to see what Fender has in store for its customers, including that new Elvis Costello Jaguar.

After leaving Gruhn's piece of vintage guitar heaven, I head for Manuel's Exclusive Clothier to check out his shop full of colorful attire, including a dramatic suit that was recently made for Patti Griffith. Manuel designed Elvis's gold-lamé suit, Bob Dylan's suit to meet the Pope, the Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club suits, and was responsible for getting Johnny Cash to dress in black. His daughter pulls out a guitar Cash owned that he gave to Manuel, what appears to be a vintage Martin with mahogany back and sides, that bears an inscription from Cash to Manuel.

I step out of Manuel's and traffic's loaded and locked, so I find a place to sit for a gin and tonic and listen to live music. It's The Stage on Broadway where Rocky Vaughan and the Chillbillies serve up whatever the crowd calls out for them to play. I holler, "Hot Rod Lincoln," and they fire up a great version with the guy on the old Tele pushing the song along with all cylinders firing.

Here in Nashville guitar fever's in the air, I tell you.

More 2008 Summer NAMM Show Coverage
Summer NAMM 2008 Final Wrap Up and More Photo Galleries
Photo Gallery Five: 2008 Summer NAMM
Photo Gallery Four: 2008 Summer NAMM
2008 Summer NAMM: Gibson Guitar's All-Star Jam Band
Summer NAMM 2008: More from the Floor and Photo Galleries
Photo Gallery One: 2008 Summer NAMM
Photo Gallery Two: 2008 Summer NAMM
Photo Gallery Three: 2008 Summer NAMM
2008 Summer NAMM Show: Fender, Martin and Taylor

Photo Gallery (Thursday, June 19, 2008)

More 2008 Summer NAMM Show Coverage
Summer NAMM 2008 Final Wrap Up and More Photo Galleries
Photo Gallery Five: 2008 Summer NAMM
Photo Gallery Four: 2008 Summer NAMM
2008 Summer NAMM: Gibson Guitar's All-Star Jam Band
Summer NAMM 2008: More from the Floor and Photo Galleries
Photo Gallery One: 2008 Summer NAMM
Photo Gallery Two: 2008 Summer NAMM
Photo Gallery Three: 2008 Summer NAMM
2008 Summer NAMM Show: Fender, Martin and Taylor

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