Technically, it’s Day 2, but I’m going to ignore that. It’s the end of Day 1 at NAMM 2014. 

My francophone alter-ego, Jean Marc Andre, and I had a busy and LOUD event-filled day. In addition to visiting a number of vendors and seeing new gear that Best Buy will be carrying, there were a number of people, products and … other things that caught our eyes:

Getting into NAMM was an event unto itself. There are a LOT of people here and the show is HUGE. Getting into NAMM was an exercise in patience, but it was rewarded with credentials that brought big smiles

  

Weird thing Number 1: The PianoArc by Brockett Parsons – best known as the keyboardist for Lady Gaga. It’s a circular keyboard controller that you just have to see to believe:

Ever want to know where to get bling-covered mics like Christina Aguilera and other R&B stars? We found some at NAMM in a rainbow of colours…

And have you ever thought that your guitar cabinet grills are boring in black or gray? Someone else has too:

 

And the perfect gift for guitarist with the man-cave is an amp that’s not really an amp, but a mini refrigerator.

If you ever thought that your guitar didn’t have enough strings, here’s something that will get the wheels in your head turning (I think that’s eight strings he’s playing):

And, the perfect guitar for the little girl who wants her guitar to be an accessory as much as an instrument:

Of course, in addition to all the gear, there were a number of fantastic musicians at booths and various stages throughout the show.

More to come tomorrow from the floor of NAMM!  Check out all of our NAMM coverage!

Dave Chick
I'm a film / TV composer based in Vancouver BC. Music has always been part of my life, but my first career was in the technology industry as a consultant and project manager. I helped to build and open the Experience Music Project – a rock and roll museum in Seattle. I hold a Bachelor of Music from the University of Western Ontario and a Master of Business Administration degree from McMaster University. I also hold a diploma in Audio Engineering from the University of Washington and I’m a graduate of Hummie Mann’s acclaimed Pacific Northwest Film Scoring Program.