The NAMM Show 2020
THE NAMM SHOW 2020
Anaheim Convention Center, CA
January 14th-19th, 2020
The NAMM Show 2020 returned once again to the beautiful grounds of the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA.
The monumental and vibrant NAMM signs welcomed excited guests to this massive event as attendants, exhibitors, vendors, performers and staff trickled in.
The convention provided an exciting Media Preview Night which consisted of a mini strip of exhibitors lined up to provide a taste of what the weekend had to come. Exhibitors Lumatone Inc, who presented a MIDI keyboard with illuminated keys and Vochlea Music, presented a double studio kit that learns a musician’s voice through AI technology. A big hitter in this even is Gibson, who brought a party to the night with an impromptu performance by Los Angeles’ very own Los Lobos and from Colombia, Grammy Award Winner Juanes. A new line of guitars by Slash was unveiled amongst the beautiful showroom.
Entering the immense showrooms appears intriguingly overwhelming as diverse musical sounds grab your attention and guide you in multiple directions.
The whimsical sound of ukuleles floated from the Kamaka Ukulele booth. Reliable Design’s booth had their ever-impressive Rotating Drum Set on a roller-coaster loop. Fender’s impressive showroom included a full-room performance by Jim Adkins, singer of Jimmy Eat World. A fan favorite is the Deering Banjos booth, known as The Great American Banjo Company. Manager Chad Kopotic gave us some insight to the history of this brand including a new and unique addition to their collection; a lovely Ukulele-Banjo. Their production really has no limit as he quoted their motto “If we are asked to make it, we won’t say no.”
Sabian Drums and Percussion displayed their usual stunning wall of golden cymbals. And their intricate drum set-ups instigated drumming sessions by passersby. DVarius Electronic Violins, made in France, produced beautiful yet powerful light-weight violins.
You can’t miss the orange bags circling around you; the anticipated gift from the Orange Amplification booth. This year, they went big on bass and introduced the Bass Butler, a pedal that splits the bass guitar signal at the input stage into separate and parallel signal chains.Tom Foster, owner of Killer-Q Guitar and Instrument Straps gave us a tour of their infinite collection that includes guitar straps, key fobs, strap retainers and even lanyards and coasters.
The diverse crowd provides a colorful scene as women, men, children and fashionable characters parade about. The convention grounds don’t seem to sleep as late performances run through the night and early arrivals begin as the sun rises.