Summer NAMM 2015. From the floor.

[Ted Eschliman]

I usually try to slip away from my buying chores for my music store chain in Nebraska to take a few pictures of mandolinists' interest. There are always the usual suspects, the Webers, the Eastmans, the Loars, and the Breedloves, that have a good show of force. I've posted some of these on my JazzMando Facebook Page, but I'll post a few here, too.

Keep in mind, you can't hear these instruments. Don't ask how they sound, because you can't hear them above the assault aural din of FX pedals, Marshall stacks, saxes, and other powerful sounds. Seriously. Don't ask...


Weber


Eastman


Music Link

[Ted Eschliman]

I mentioned the biggest excitement--Gordon Roberts is back! The man who almost singlehandedly created the Eastman explosion a decade ago is back with a new line of Celtic instruments. More here.

[Ted Eschliman]

Big surprise was something from Takamine. In 3-1/2 decades of retail, I had never heard of a Takamine mandolin, but here you go.



Personal opinion, the $6K list price seemed a bit ambitious for an F-body mandolin out of the gate, but that's just me.

[Ted Eschliman]

How about a tenor guitar? How about a custom one from Martin? This beast weighs in at around $6300, but it was nice to see someone paying attention to this missed market.

[Ted Eschliman]

Probably the "Most Unusual" award goes to Kala Ukes who displayed a prototype Bill Griffin mandolele. 4-string nylon guitar body, this was still tuned in 5ths. Some pretty open playing options for picking and/or fingerstyle playing. Coming out of the amp, it sounded pretty good.



Hope to find out more about this. Kala is looking into possibilities of offering a production version of this.

[Ted Eschliman]

NAMM wouldn't be complete without some wackiness. Introducing, Jammin' Johns. Whatever floats your, er.. whatever...

[MikeEdgerton]

Hey, how did Gordon sound?

It's nice to see him back and thanks for the pictures.

BTW, here is the last Takamine mandolin thread from January of this year.

[JEStanek]

That Eastman Archtop Uke looks killer.

Jamie

[Svea]

That Eastman Archtop Uke looks killer.

Jamie

Or is that a Mandolele??

Svea

[Petrus]

NAMM wouldn't be complete without some wackiness. Introducing, Jammin' Johns. Whatever floats your, er.. whatever...

Gives a whole new meaning to "mother of toilet seat." Do they make a mandolin version?

[Petrus]

BTW, any news of the promised Seagull mandolin we heard about last year? It was due this summer.

[JEStanek]

Mando lids are smaller...

Jamie