Thursday, January 10, 2013

NAMM 2013

The Fender Jazzmaster HH Select
We're gearing up (no pun intended) for the annual summer NAMM music trade show held each year in California. Expect to see many new instruments from the zillion manufactures to be unleashed on the world in just a few days. Fender have all sorts of goodies including new models from their 'Select' range of top-enders including the beauty pictured above. The Jazzmaster HH features among other things, a compound-radius (9.5"-14"). An inlaid rosewood fingerboard where the rosewood board is actually inlaid into the hand rubbed oiled maple neck. Some new humbuckers and fancy switching. The angle of the Adjusto-Matic™  bridge looks a bit radical to me? Pedals galore for the stompers and some new relics from the Fender Custom shop. But some sad new from the almighty Fender Musical Instrument Company (FMIC), one of their acquired brands 'Hamer' will be put out to pasture with other brands as yet un announced disappearing off the walls. Gibson are also firing on both barrels with a new line of, wait for it, Les Pauls. It's all happening in the next couple of weeks where we will get to see Pete Townsend receive his Les Paul award, I wouldn't have a clue what this would be for?

New study shows retirees buying more instruments

The Nanas belt out one for the oldies.
It would seem the X-Factor's and Idol's are doing something good for the music industry after all? Check out this report from our UK correspondent Jory Mackay from MI Pro

Baby boomers are hitting the musical groove in an all-time high according to a study by Gear4Music.
The York-based online MI retailer found that the number of musical instruments being bought by or for people aged 55 plus has never been higher with sales expected to reach a fever pitch during the Christmas period.