NAMM 2004 Show Highlights !!

NAMM Show !! - Just got back from NAMM 2004 in Anaheim Calif and it was just a perfect time to attend. Considering it was -17 when we left Maine and it was 65 in California it was a heat wave ! All that considered we attended Friday and Saturday and caught all the latest gear releases and show insanity. Do NOT worry there is lots of cool things coming now and through out the rest of the year. Everything from 2 new Zvex pedals, SIB new tube overdrive, Malden new guitar models, etc. Next year I will figure out how to use my cell camera for photos even !

Zvex - Mr Vex was showing a new octave pedal "Johnny Octave" and a new version of the Seek Wah called the Seek-Trem. Both pedals will start shipping in April.

Mooger Fooger - Finally Mooger Fooger has released a new pedal. Its a filter based pedal that will be call the "Murphy" and will start shipping end of February. Model 105.

Electric Harmonix- Double Muff which is 2 Big Muffs in one and the Pulsator are 2 pedals they are releasing. Also EH has gotten into the rack game with a "Filter" type rack unit and LA-2 Tube compressor. Ship dates not known.

Tone Bone - Tone Bone has 3 or 4 new pedals that will utility pedals or tools shall we say. Speaker Cab changer, FX Loop Pedal etc. They will be showing up in the Spring.

Home Brew- Showed a new overdrive/distortion and a new Fuzz pedal with multi tweaking. They looked very cool and will be shipping in the spring. Also look for a limited chrome version of the Power Screamer

Demeter - Demeter didn't have anything new really but did show a limited edition red and green vintage paint job Trem and Compressor. They looked very cool !

Boss- Boss showed this new Micro Cube amp that just killed. Retail $149.95, batter or AC, 5 amp models, 6 FXs, just killed. Basically will make your Pignose etc useless. The ultimate couch and practice amp. I actually got called on to demo this for some people which wasn't very good considering how hung over I was ! Ouch !

SIB/SMF/Star- SIB has a prototype of a tube distortion that killed. It was the same size as the Mr Echo and was very nice. Also SMF showed a echo studio type Amp Head. Also look for their Star Amp line to launch this spring.

Xotic- Had their RC and AC booster etc on display and also their new Bass pre-amp that will arrive late February.

Maxon - Maxon showed some new cool pedals that were very nice. They are also coming out with 3 new tube overdrives and distortions.

Guyatone - Had a hand held reverb box that was cool, these "high" end trem and filter prototypes that were just killer. Maxon showed some new cool pedals that were very nice.

Expandora 3 - More a step back to the original version of the Expandora !

MXR Stereo Chorus - It's back ! Better than ever !!

Malden Guitars - Malden guitars showed 2 new guitars that were slaying people. A start "type" guitar that wasn't a strat. Make sense ? And a Les Paul that wasn't a Les Paul! Played them both they both rocked.

There is also some new lines we picked up you will see in the future and other stuff but from the sheer overload of info I can't even remember it right now !!!

- Teddy Rasch. Jan. 19, 2004