Namm 2012
written by Jamie Latty
Another year, another NAMM show! That's right ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! The circus was in town once again as the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) show rolled into the Anaheim Convention Center, just footsteps away from another very famous circus - Disneyland! NAMM is the biggest event in the musical instrument (MI) calendar, so while many industries ease themselves into the new year, the MI industry goes into panic mode as we all know there are only a few days left to make final preparations for the biggest show of the year.
The NAMM Show is an MI trade show that happens every January and is open for attendance to all of its 9000 worldwide members which are made up by artists and retailers in the industry. It is a place for manufacturers to do business, to meet their dealers face to face and discuss their plans for the year ahead. But more importantly, it is a platform for manufacturers like Deering to launch and display their new products for the year. And 2012 is no exception with the release of the Phoenix 6 string banjo, which sounds as incredible as it looks with the help of humbucker and peizo pick ups, master volume, blend pot and Deerings new Patented Bridge Plate. Full details can be found here (this will be a separate article and we should link back into it).
From the minute the doors opened for the first day, the Deering booth was awash with dealers, buyers and visitors, all of whom took the opportunity to try out the new Phoenix or one of the many other models on offer which included the very popular Eagle II and Sierra models, a selection of Vega banjos and many of the Goodtime models. We also met many new and existing artists including representation from metal guitar god Zakk Wylde who went home with a Boston 6 String banjo, The Peculiar Pretzelmen who loved the Deluxe Tenor and the Phoenix on offer, The Wimberly Family who took all of three minutes to jump into a full on jam and hard rockers, Scattered Hamlet who added a Goodtime to their aggressive Southern sound.
The booth was also graced with the presence of the formidable and extremely talented Kruger Brothers who made daily appearances at the booth, stopping people in their tracks with their unique blend of acoustic Americana and phenomenal musicianship. The trio from North Carolina made a profound impact at the Sunday morning NAMM Breakfast Sessions - a 7am breakfast for over 1000 dealers and exhibitors. The result? Good bacon, good coffee, a room full of dropped jaws and a standing ovation to finish up a wonderful four days.
One thing was very apparent at the NAMM Show...the banjo has landed and it is being picked up by everyone! Musicians from all genres are picking up the banjo either to be used as a mainstay of their sound or simply for something new and exciting to play. Many guitarists are playing one of Deerings many 6 strings models just to get that banjo sound, while many others are challenging themselves to learn 5 string from scratch. Even people who don’t play a musical instrument are picking up the banjo for the first time and, judging by the feedback we have received, are having great difficulty putting them down. Deering is very proud to be a part of this new banjo movement and very humbled that so many of these players are choosing to play a Deering banjo and come rain or shine, circus or no circus, Deering will always strive to produce the finest banjos in the world.
The NAMM Show is an MI trade show that happens every January and is open for attendance to all of its 9000 worldwide members which are made up by artists and retailers in the industry. It is a place for manufacturers to do business, to meet their dealers face to face and discuss their plans for the year ahead. But more importantly, it is a platform for manufacturers like Deering to launch and display their new products for the year. And 2012 is no exception with the release of the Phoenix 6 string banjo, which sounds as incredible as it looks with the help of humbucker and peizo pick ups, master volume, blend pot and Deerings new Patented Bridge Plate. Full details can be found here (this will be a separate article and we should link back into it).
From the minute the doors opened for the first day, the Deering booth was awash with dealers, buyers and visitors, all of whom took the opportunity to try out the new Phoenix or one of the many other models on offer which included the very popular Eagle II and Sierra models, a selection of Vega banjos and many of the Goodtime models. We also met many new and existing artists including representation from metal guitar god Zakk Wylde who went home with a Boston 6 String banjo, The Peculiar Pretzelmen who loved the Deluxe Tenor and the Phoenix on offer, The Wimberly Family who took all of three minutes to jump into a full on jam and hard rockers, Scattered Hamlet who added a Goodtime to their aggressive Southern sound.
The booth was also graced with the presence of the formidable and extremely talented Kruger Brothers who made daily appearances at the booth, stopping people in their tracks with their unique blend of acoustic Americana and phenomenal musicianship. The trio from North Carolina made a profound impact at the Sunday morning NAMM Breakfast Sessions - a 7am breakfast for over 1000 dealers and exhibitors. The result? Good bacon, good coffee, a room full of dropped jaws and a standing ovation to finish up a wonderful four days.
One thing was very apparent at the NAMM Show...the banjo has landed and it is being picked up by everyone! Musicians from all genres are picking up the banjo either to be used as a mainstay of their sound or simply for something new and exciting to play. Many guitarists are playing one of Deerings many 6 strings models just to get that banjo sound, while many others are challenging themselves to learn 5 string from scratch. Even people who don’t play a musical instrument are picking up the banjo for the first time and, judging by the feedback we have received, are having great difficulty putting them down. Deering is very proud to be a part of this new banjo movement and very humbled that so many of these players are choosing to play a Deering banjo and come rain or shine, circus or no circus, Deering will always strive to produce the finest banjos in the world.