I went to the Winter 1998 NAMM Show (the Convention Center in L.A.) and took plenty of pictures for the new 1998 mini winter NAMM report. I did the hang at the MTD, SWR, & Spector, booths and demo'd at PIGNOSE and looked at new stuff. I paid special attention to what is happening with the a new generation of midibass controllers... Namm 99 is going to be great! Bob Lee
1/29/98 - I did product demonstration at PIGNOSE booth #5267 with Judy Rudin (harmonica) and Louis Metoyer. Louis is the guitarist with Terence Trent D'Arby, and has worked with Patti Scialfa, Belinda Carlisle, 4 Non Blondes, New Edition, Tone Loc, Bobby Brown, The Fan (movie soundtrack) and others. Louis and his group Boot, won the 1997 Southern California Disc Makers independent music world series. He is a good friend and fellow MI graduate (1981).
The Pignose Model B-100V is a 100 Watt Tube (4-6L6's) that should be looked at by anyone considering an Ampeg B-15 re-issue. This amp has more power and sounds great for that "tube" sound. While it is not light in weight, it looks like it will fit in the trunk of a mid sized car and at less than $700 list is less than the new Ampeg B-15. I took my 4 string Spector w/ flatwound strings to demo this amp on 1/29 but will use a 5 string today and put it through it's paces...
(update 1/30)
The PIGNOSE B-100V worked very well with the 5 string (roundwound strings). It was warm (important) and it cut (more important). When pushed to an xtreme limit (volume wise,) you were reminded that this is a 100 watt amp. At a moderate volume the tone was there.
1/29/98 - I stopped by the Axon booth today and was really impressed with their guitar midi controller system. I also tried out their bass (regular tuning) and it was very good and and quite difficult to trip up. I am still partial to the piccolo bass midi controller (same tuning as a regular guitar but bass spacing and 30" scale) and can't wait to try it with their system. They make a 4 string and 5/6 string pickup configuration. I saw the 5/6 mounted on a 4 str bass and although there was an extra pickup sensor above and below the strings, the pickup is
quite small and you will look closely to find it at all much less be bothered by the 2 extra sets of pole pieces. This should pose no problem at all for my piccolo 5 string and I can also get a P/U for the 4 str piccolo. The adapter is reminiscent of the Roland style and attaches with a 13 pin cable which is only slightly bigger than a regular cable and the connector is small with a molded shell.
1/30/98 - I got to play a couple of interesting new basses today. The MTD 35" scale 5 string passive, yes PASSIVE bass. It was made out of swamp ash with a maple top with a 1 piece bolt on maple neck. This bass I called the "air bass". It was so light and really had the open Fender P-bass sound to a T... or rather MTD
I also played the MTD designed and licensed Grendel 5 str. bass. This was also an excellent instrument.
Rawn Randall (of R2 Musical) also had a killer fretless 6 string from a German bass company with a French name called Marleaux! The fretted model of the 6 string is shown at left.
I also got to play a bass only a picture can describe...
This Bass (made by Taos Drum company) was fashioned from a section of the trunk of a tree (the body) hollowed out with a banjo like head front and back. The bridge transfered the sound to the body (again like a banjo) on the top head. The company that makes this also makes whole drum sets out of tree trunks. Their instruments look like props from the Flintstone movie but they really work. I was on my way to a gig and saw their booth and couldn't resist stopping and jamming with a couple of guys who were playing the drums. I got a e-mail from the owner of the bass Arne Petter Ugelvik of Norway. He informs me that the bass was made by Ned Steinberger & Taos Drum Co. Ned made the neck and pickup system. Arne plays the bass in an acoustic band with no drums.
There is also a new Spector Basses (formerly SSD) model. The NS-2000 series with bolt-on neck and neck-thru basses which replace the NS-94/NS-95 series. The lowest price model (NS-2000B 4 string bolt-on neck) sells for $479.00 in the US.
1/31/98 - I went back to the Axon booth and watched the full demonstration of their guitar controller AX-100. Whew, Burr Johnson is a great guitarist and a great product demonstrator. He really took the Axon through it's paces. I also spoke with Dr. David Lee who is head of the project. They are great people and I thank them both for taking time with me to explain their system.
It is late Saturday night and I am pretty well NAMM worn (I played Fri. & Sat after the show) so I will close now but not without mentioning Victor Wooten's stellar performance at the EMG booth. This man must have two brains when it comes to his thought processes regarding bass playing! He played melody, chords & bass simultaniously all on a 4 string bass (I can't imagine what he does with his 7 string Conklin). There was a traffic stopping crowd (naturally) so my view was limited. Victor played standards and his own stuff all with such talent that I was floored. There should be a law that states... Any bass Victor Wooten plays should be called a "precision bass".
2/1/98 - On the last day of the show there were several surprises. Louis' son Raymond came to the show and sang the blues. Nothing special until you consider that Ray is 4 years old! He really stole the show. Ray Metoyer is pictured below checking out Guitarist Ray Bailey.
I happened by a booth that was just down the isle from the Pignose booth. They had all the parts for cabinets and guitar/bass amps including tubes, power transformers, (how many bassman amps are gathering dust in somebody's basement for want of a power or output transformer?) well, anyway they had neat stuff. Magic Parts was the name of the company (800-451-1922 phone). I got some great shots and will post them directly. Some of them I can't put here (can you say DEAN GIRLS?). I wish I could but, my wife has NO sense of humor... ("it's a joke dear...")
There was stuff I wanted to see but didn't for one reason or the other. I did get to see a lot of old friends. Steve Rabe was so busy at the SWR booth that we didn't get a chance to talk but, It looks like he had a great show I saw Jimmy Haslip play his MTD in the sound room with a smokin' rhythm section. I will check Steve for the names.
The NAMM Demonstrator Gallery
Bob Lee & Jon Butcher
Chris Kuffner - Spector Bass
Euphonics Audio
No Pictures Please
Ray Bailey - Pignose Guitar
Eddy Etyngold - Playpro
Bill Dickens - Bob Lee
Axon Bass controller
I am always glad when NAMM starts and when it ends. If you are there for the whole show it gets nuts! Your hearing goes into cardiac arrest, your voice is gone from talking constantly, the food..., the mind is on hiatus by the close of the last day BUT, I will be back again next year for it is truly the kid in the candy store syndrome... If music and making music is your candy.
