Carved top guitars have always held a special place for me. There is just something about the contours of the top that give a guitar a classier look. That is not to say that guitars that are not carved tops don't appeal to me. In fact some of my favorite guitars for sound and pure playability are G&L ASAT models from both the US and Tribute series. What a great guitar it would be if I could just own the ASAT sound and playability with the classy look of a carved top body! Now that would put a smile on my face!

That is exactly what happened at the 2009 Winter NAMM show when we walked into the G&L booth. Hanging on the wall were a few new G&L Tribute models due to be released this year. The guitar that called my name was the "ASAT Special Deluxe Carved Top". A beautiful flame maple top that is available in two finishes (3-Tone Sunburst and Clear Gloss). Both are equally awesome in their visual appeal. Also available in the carved top models are the "L-2000 Carved Top" bass (available in 3-Tone Sunburst with Maple Fretboard and Clear Gloss with Rosewood Fingerboard), and the "L-2500 Carved Top" in Clear Gloss with Rosewood Fingerboard and Satin neck finish.

Something that kind of stood out to me is the fact that G&L Tribute Series guitars have to my knowledge always been copied off of the specs of their US model line. This is the first time that I know of that a G&L model has been introduced directly through the Tribute Series. If these guitars take off the way I think they will, I would look for them to be available in the US Line in the future with far more finish and custom options. They certainly got my attention, and I can't wait to see if I can get one for review in the near future. I just may have a new all time favorite guitar.

Gary Allen

I have never been a real fan of guitars that are built to look like they have seen many years of abuse. Fender's Custom Shop Relic series has been around for awhile now, and at the NAMM Show they introduced their Road Worn Series which allows players with a more modest budget to own one of these time tested looking guitars. I had the chance to look at these guitars at the show in January, and I will admit that I can see the appeal of these guitars for a player who likes this style. My personal opinion however is that if I am going to have a beat up guitar, it is going to look that way through real aging and playing.

With this in mind, I would like to share an experience I had at the G&L booth during the same show. We stopped in to see our friends at G&L and look at their new offerings for 2009. While we were waiting, we decided to look around at the guitars on the wall. Each guitar had a tag next to it with model name and other relevant information. Every so often however was a guitar or bass which looked like a very aged classic, but these guitars did not have a model number tag or any other information. As we were looking at these guitars, I figured that G&L had pulled out some real and true classic guitars from the past and had peppered them throughout their booth a look back at the history of their guitars. I remember thinking that this seemed like a very nice touch, but never did it occur to me that these weathered looking guitars could possibly be a brand new model set that was being introduced as the "Rustic Series" by G&L guitars. I would soon find out that this was exactly what these guitars were.

After finding this out, I took a closer visual inspection of these guitars, and in all truth, these guitars are unbelievable in their attention to every last detail. The hardware has been tarnished so well that it leaves you believing that it must be very old. The wood showing where paint had been rubbed off looks incredibly aged making you think that the paint must have rubbed off years ago exposing the raw wood to the elements. The Rustic Series truly look like museum pieces that belong behind glass in a guitar hall of fame.

Later in the day while at the Fender booth, I took another look at their Road Worn and Relic series. While I will admit that Fender also did a good job on their guitars, and I give them credit for coming up with the original idea of a worn guitar look, I just do not find them quite as convincing as the guitars G&L is putting out. In truth, the Rustic Series had me actually thinking that I might like to have one of these worn guitars in my collection. To date, these are the most real looking of the used and abused looking guitars I have seen to date, and I really don't think anyone is going to be able to do better then this.

I would later learn that the reason these guitars did not have tags with model number and information was because they were a last minute addition to the booth, and tags were not made because they originally were not going to be there. This actually worked in the favor of G&L since the lack of this information is the key that fooled me.

Gary Allen

Dave McLaren and Phyllis Fender
On February 7th, 2009, Clarence "Leo" Fender received the Technical Grammy® Award for his at a special invitation only award ceremony. The award was accepted by Leo's wife Phyllis Fender. I had the great opportunity to sit down with Phyllis for an interview at the 2008 winter NAM show to talk about Leo Fender. During this interview, I wanted to focus on Leo the man rather than Leo the guitar builder. Phyllis gave me some amazing insight into Leo's life, which included a very humble man who never understood what all the fuss was about. According to Phyllis, he could be found in the factory sweeping floors and working right alongside his employees. He was a man who understood that his success was based on the work of many people and not just himself.

G&L’s Fullerton Staff
On April 17th, the G&L factory held a special lunch for the employees to celebrate his Technical Grammy®. This was a great opportunity for all who continue Leo's legacy to share in this incredible and very deserving award. Among those who attended were Phyllis Fender (Honorary Chairman of G&L Guitars), and Dave McLaren (Vice President of BBE Sound, Inc, and G&L Guitars). The Grammy Award is in the hands of G&L Guitars for a short time before it is to be turned over to the Fullerton museum. According to Chris Locke of BBE Sound, Inc., "It is our belief that Leo would have wanted the staff to enjoy the award, as it was just as much a part of their efforts as his own".

Furthermore, at the 2009 Winter NAMM show, G&L Guitars worked with Phyllis Fender to unveiled two limited edition guitars to celebrate what would have been Leo Fenders 100th birthday. The "C.L.F. Centennial ASAT" guitar, and the "C.F.L. Centennial L-2000" bass strike a perfect balance between vintage and modern, with features that tell the history of design for G&L Guitars.

Both Centennial models will feature a custom pearl white blonde finish call "Sentimental Blonde, which is complemented by black hardware. These guitars incorporate many of the most coveted aspects of Leo's early G&L instruments including the Heritage "C" shape neck profile with 7.5 inch radius, and the "Magnetic Field Design" pickups that have been skillfully hand wound with NOS 42 gauge plain enamel wire.

These guitars were on display at the 2009 Winter NAMM show, and we had the opportunity to get a first hand look at both models. The contrast of the black hardware on the Sentimental Blonde body immediately caught my eye as we walked into the G&L Booth. They will be available in a limited run of 50 guitars in each style, and shipping of these instruments is estimated to begin in June of 2009. I am sure they will go fast.

In closing, I would like to point out that I have seen many companies that are so focused on the current economic conditions; they forget to celebrate their current achievements. In my humble opinion, there is no time more important for a company to recognize and share these important accomplishments with this employees and customers. Once again G&L Guitars shows they are a first class company by sharing their milestones with their employees and their customers. www.glguitars.com

One of the great benefits of the NAMM show is the opportunity to see not only new products from well known companies, but also the chance to meet people who are just beginning to make a name in the industry with a new company. In January I had the pleasure of meeting Larry Post who was showing his brand new product at the GuitarGuard(TM) booth. Larry is the CPO (Chief Protection Officer) at GuitarGuard(TM), and his product is an eco friendly sleeve for your guitar which protects the finish. Larry was very excited and passionate about his product, so he gave me a sample to take home and test out.

The GuitarGuard(TM) product is a very durable sleeve that fits over the back and upper bout of a Strat® of Les Paul® style guitar body. Larry told me that other body styles will be available in the future, but for now these two are the only ones available. This skin protects the finish on your prized or coveted guitar from the scratches and abrasions that can happen with constant use. The fabric used on the GuitarGuard(TM) is extremely durable, and is billed as being waterproof, scratch proof, and dent proof, as well as gig proof. The material reminds me of the substance used in wetsuits. There are holes in the skin for the strap pins, and this holds the GuitarGuard(TM) in place so that it will not slip or come off while you are playing.

I received the Strat® style GuitarGuard(TM), and decided to put it on my G&L S-500. I noticed right away that the skin was very tight on this guitar, but the body is a little thicker and heavier than most Fender Strat® models. It did fit, but was a little harder to put on than I expected. I decided to try it on my American Deluxe Stratocaster® and the results were a much better fit and ease of installation. The GuitarGuard(TM) conforms to the shape of the body including the contours on most guitars. With the skin on, the Fender still fit in the molded case, although it was much tighter, however, the G&L did not quite want to fit in the case with the GuitarGuard(TM) installed.

For the most part, the front of the guitar remains uncovered, and access to all of the playing surfaces and controls remain easily accessible. My biggest concern however was whether the GuitarGuard(TM) was going to affect the resonance of the instrument itself. Surprisingly, I could not discern any affect on the overall sound of the guitar. This is pretty incredible for something that seems like it could have a smothering affect on the guitars body.

My assessment of this product is for the most part very positive although I feel I would be remiss to not mention two minor details. First off, the fat that it is a relatively tight fit on some models. Secondly, because the GuitarGuard(TM) takes some space on your strap pin, it is hard to attach straps that have thicker fabric or leather at the strap holes. This can easily be overcome if you use the Dulop Straploc® system which I highly recommend anyway. I would have to say that the GuitarGuard(TM) is a great product for anyone who wants to preserve the condition of their guitar while still being unafraid to take it to a gig. www.guitarguard.net

Strat®, Stratocaster®, Les Paul®, and Straploc® are Registered Trademarks of their respective owners and are not affiliated with GuitarGuard(TM).

Most of you are probably familiar with Avant Electronics. Their exceptional yet reasonably priced products have been featured at GuitarGearHeads.com and RhythmPlayer.com in the past. At the NAMM Show, we received a special invitation from Glen Heffner, Ken Avant, and Sue Avant, to attend a private product unveiling in their hotel suite after the show. We did not want to miss this opportunity, so after the show on Saturday night we made our way to their hotel.

These private showings were small groups of select individuals, and as far as I could see, GuitarGearHeads.com and RhythmPlayer.com were the only press that were invited on this particular night. At the hotel that evening, we met some high profile people from the music and recording industry. In talking to them, they were extremely impressed with these upcoming products. The level of these professionals and their comments indicate that these are products that break from the traditional, insanely expensive audio products that have been industry standards for years.

We were sworn to secrecy, and at this time we are not able to disclose any information on the products we saw. All I am able to tell you is that these products are going to revolutionize the recording industry for both professional and home studios. It is my belief that when these products hit the street, Avant will stake an even larger claim in the MI industry, while keeping with their standard of affordable excellence. Watch for a release from Avant Electronics sometime in the second quarter of 2009. I guarantee that it will be worth the wait.

Gary Allen

Most of you are probably familiar with Avant Electronics. Their exceptional yet reasonably priced products have been featured at GuitarGearHeads.com and RhythmPlayer.com in the past. At the NAMM Show, we received a special invitation from Glen Heffner, Ken Avant, and Sue Avant, to attend a private product unveiling in their hotel suite after the show. We did not want to miss this opportunity, so after the show on Saturday night we made our way to their hotel.

These private showings were small groups of select individuals, and as far as I could see, RhythmPlayer.com was the only press that was invited on this particular night. At the hotel that evening, we met some high profile people from the music and recording industry. In talking to them, they were extremely impressed with these upcoming products. The level of these professionals and their comments indicate that these are products that break from the traditional, insanely expensive audio products that have been industry standards for years.

We were sworn to secrecy, and at this time we are not able to disclose any information on the products we saw. All I am able to tell you is that these products are going to revolutionize the recording industry. It is my belief that when these products hit the street, Avant will stake an even larger claim in the MI industry, while keeping with their standard of affordable excellence. Watch for a release from Avant Electronics sometime in the second quarter of 2009. I guarantee that it will be worth the wait.

Gary Allen

OK - I spent the weekend cobbling together all the video I took from the show and got Days 2 and 3 posted on YouTube!

You’ve already seen Day 1 from the previous blog - which was about a 1/2 day by the time our flights got in and we got to Anaheim. Lot’s more to see on Day’s 2 and 3 which represent full days at the Trade Show. If you’ve ever wanted to attend the NAMM show just check out all three vids and you’ll get the 30 minute tour!

I didn’t add as many video overlays, etc. on the Day 2 and 3 video. I figured you’d rather have up than perfect.

Enjoy!

Dan

GuitarGearHeads - Day 2

GuitarGearHeads - Day 3

We are just getting back from the NAMM Show. If you’ve been tracking our news section, you’ve noticed a ton of great new products - and some awesome updates on current favorites. Doing what we do best, GuitarGearHeads.com met with all the hottest manufacturers at the show…including ones we couldn’t even get in the door with a year ago. So, first up, thanks to all our readers who make our site one of the key web destinations for guitar news and reviews!

Over the next couple of weeks and months, keep a close watch on our blog and our review space for a whole host of exclusive reviews and features on the hottest new gear.

One of the coolest spaces is the virtual amp and effect area. Let me tell you that the computer space now owns the most realistic amps and effects available. I’m so excited to bring you upcoming reviews from the leaders in this space including IK Multimedia (Amplitube) and Waves (GTR) - as well as a couple of upstarts including ILIO (TH1) and Studio Devil!

First up is Waves GTR. As you noted from a previous blog, Waves released their Waves GTR Ground - a foot controller for their GTR Software.

However, they have a great offer you should take advantage of NOW. Go to their website (www.wavesgtr.com) and download a copy of their Waves GTR Solo and use it FREE for a year. This is not a watered down version:

10 amp models including all your favorites from Fender®, Marshall®, and Vox® (and others)
13 Stomp FXs including distortion, wah, and flange
10 cabs - massive stacks in the box baby!
Hundreds of presets
No other hardware required - just your computer

www.wavegtr.com

Tell ‘em GGH sent you!

Dan