NAMM SHOW 2015

By Steve Shapiro

2/01/2015

NAMM is the National Association of Music Merchants which is a not-for-profit association “that promotes the pleasures and benefits of making music and strengthens the $17 billion global music products industry. Our association—and our trade shows—serve as a hub for people wanting to seek out the newest innovations in musical products, recording technology, sound and lighting. NAMM’s activities and programs are designed to promote music making to people of all ages.” NAMM is known for its trade shows. The winter show is at the Anaheim Convention Center and surrounding hotels, while the summer show is in Nashville. The audience for the shows is musicians, music teachers, music store owners and sound and lighting engineers. The Anaheim show spans four days from Thursday to Sunday on the 4^th weekend of January. The show encompasses four halls on the main level, one hall on the sub-level and exhibits on two other levels. The main level exhibits include everything from electric guitars, brass and woodwind instruments, percussion and sound reinforcement equipment as well as lighting.

Some of the better known makers represented on the top floors are:

Hohner – makers of accordions and harmonicas and related instruments

Remo – known for their percussion instruments as well as banjo heads

CF Martin, Taylor, Gibson – known for their Guitars

Shure, Electro-Voice, Audio-Technica, Mackie – known for their microphones and sound systems

Of course, you find a variety of assorted sundries like picks, capos, strings, music and instrument stands.

There are a lot of manufacturers from China who have everything from violins, mandolins, ukuleles, guitars and a host of electronic gear.

The hall that I spent most of my time in was Hall E on the bottom floor. This room tends to have most of the acoustic instrument makers such as Lowden, Santa Cruz and Collings guitars and mandolins, OME and Deering banjos, Dusty Strings harps and dulcimers, Magic Fluke ukuleles, Two Old Hippies who own Weber mandolins and Breedlove guitars.

Miscellaneous NAMM sitings

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Guitars everywhere:

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 MANDOLINS

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 BANJOS

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