Daddy’s Blog

The Gibson Guitar of the Week program is officially done for 2007 and here are some final thoughts on the successes and failures of the effort.  We’ve said all along that it was a very ambitious program, 48 guitars in all were debuted in ’07.  Obviously, Gibson thought maybe a tad too ambitious and presented their 2008 Guitar of the Month program at the Winter NAMM show in Anaheim, CA.  All 12 guitars were shown and there are some very interesting choices coming in the months ahead, we’ll keep you up to date.   Back to the 4^th quarter of GOTW, we participated in 8 weeks and here are the results.

Week 37 – ’67 SG Reissue w/P-90s
Until very recently, the appeal of soapbar pickups was limited but this guitar flew in the face of convention.  Its classic look and classic sound struck a responsive chord with our customers and this SG is all gone.  With the possible resurgence of P-90s and the upcoming Zep world-wide tour, can a return of bell-bottoms, scarfs and flowing locks be far behind?

Week 38 – SG Classic Custom in Aged Cherry
Another SG, same results?  Not quite, there are still a couple left.  It’s very attractive in a kind of over-the-top kind of way.  A pearl pickguard, gold hardware (including gold inserts in the Black Top Hat knobs!). gold Grover tuners and a pair of gold ’57 Classic Humbuckers add a touch of golden elegance to a rock n’ roll machine.  Interesting.

Week 39 – Les Paul Classic Custom in Antique White
That word “elegance” comes up again.  This Paul has sold well and there are only three left.  What guitar player worth his salt hasn’t gazed upon a white Custom and imagined how they’d look ripping incredible licks out of this beast?  Don’t let the opportunity to fulfill this vision pass you by.

Week 40 – ’84 Flying V Reissue in Silverburst
Did Gibson make a mistake in going back to the Silverburst well once again?  We’re happy to report that the answer is a resounding no.  There are only two left and the response have been very positive on this guitar.

Week 42 – Les Paul Classic Custom, 3 Pickup in Heritage Cherry Sunburst
This beauty has been gifted with three DiMarzio Super Distortion pickups and it takes a special player to harness its unique power.  If you think you qualify, check this one out but don’t wait too long, there’s only one remaining.

Week 44 – Les Paul Standard in Un-Burst
We’re waiting for a sensitive soul who will fall in love with the simplistic beauty of this guitar.  The golden Un-burst finish over the AA figured maple top, Amber Top Hats, Green Key machine heads, rounded 50s neck and the pair of DiMarzio Double Crème PAFS give this LP Standard a powerful but unassuming, natural glow that is just waiting to be appreciated.  What we’re saying is, how come no one has bought one?  Okay, I’ll take back the sensitive soul part if you’ll just give this guitar a chance.  It is very cool.

Week 46 – Les Paul Classic Custom, 3 Pickup in Antique Ebony
For such an impressive looking guitar, the Classic Custom came and went quickly and quietly.  A lucky few guitar players snatched this one up as soon as it arrived and no wonder because Gibson had pulled out all their “antiqued” tricks to give it a startling “new/old” look that was uncanny.  Truly, an instant classic.

Week 48 – RD Standard Reissue in Silverburst
Alas, our GOTW journey is nearly over but not quite. These guitars just arrived this week (January 28^th) so not all the final results are in but the initial returns from the Dixville Notch indicate we’ve got a winner.  Two went out almost immediately and only a couple remain.  Who’d have thought that this bean shaped relic from the ‘70s would be missed so much?  Actually, it’s very comfortable to play and those Dirty Fingers humbuckers give it a nasty tone.  Can you be nasty and comfortable all at the same time?

You be the judge.

Another beautiful day in Southern California that we never experienced because we were stuck in meetings and the exhibition hall from 8:00 in the morning ‘til 6:00 at night. No, I’m not complaining, it’s just a fact. Saturday has traditionally been a treacherous day at any Winter NAMM show. It’s the day that the rock stars (Steve Vai, Gene Simmons, etc) make their personal appearances at various manufacturers booths while the public comes out in droves.

Don’t know how they get in, this is a “Trade Only” show, but that’s a topic for another time. We worked our way around the stars and their adoring fans and actually got to see some cool stuff. The morning started with a visit to Godin Guitars, makers of Godin, Seagull, Art & Lutherie, Simon & Patrick, just to mention a few. The company is celebrating their 25^th Anniversary by releasing two gorgeous Seagull acoustics. One is an all solid wood (spruce top, mahogany back and sides), herringbone inlay and a high gloss finish and the other is a cutaway, solid flame maple top with pickup and EQ with gig bag. Both of these beauties will be selling $599.99, are in production now and should be shipped by late March.

A ‘so funky that it’s cool” arch-top, non-cut, acoustic guitar called the Godin 5^th Avenue does more than just recall the great guitars of the ‘40s and ‘50s, it replicates them to a “t” and does them one better with great sound, playability and a custom polished finish, reminiscent of the 19^th century French polish. The high-gloss contoured headstock completes the look. It will be shipping in a few months, it’s made in Berlin, New Hampshire and will be going for 519.99! Check it out.

On to the Digitech booth where we saw the first public appearance of the RP-500, a hybrid floor pedal that will instantly change from a complete model effect processor (125 stompboxes, amps, effects and cabinets) to a simple array of your favorite stompboxes just with the flick of a switch.

A quick trip to Line 6 revealed some startling new discoveries. The Micro Spider will be shipping by spring as is a 6 watt, 6.5” speaker, battery powered amp that sports 4 Spider III models, one acoustic guitar model and a built in digital tuner. At 139.99, the Micro should do very well.

Next stop was at Alesis/Numark/Akai where they showed a whole bunch of new product (portable PA, mixers and recording interface) that featured universal docks for the iPod, in recognition of that products emergence as the favorite way to store and play music. More information will be coming. In addition, the SR-18 debuted (don’t worry, old favorite, the SR-16 will remain in the line) and this new addition features updated sounds, backlit display and many other features for only $249.99

The Alesis USB Pro Drum Kit allows any drummer to quickly harness the power of their computer into a complete set of real drum and cymbal triggers all in an affordable package of $699.99.

These are just a few of the new additions to the Alesis line.

Finally, QSC added to the excitement of the show with the announcement of their new GX series of power amps. The GX3 (300 watt program) and GX5 (500 watt program) feature XLR, ¼”TRS, and phono input connectors, a built-in Subwoofer/Satellite crossover, Speakon and binding post outputs all in an extremely affordable package. With prices starting at 299.99 and many features, these amps are sure to add to the QSC legend.

That’s it from the show. Overall, an upbeat experience, full of dealers that are exploring new and better ways to service their customers and manufacturers that are responding to the needs of the market place with feature-laden, cost effective products. It will be a good year to satisfy your equipment needs. We’ll keep you updated on the arrival dates of this exciting new gear into the Daddy’s warehouse.

The high spirits of the first day continued, enhanced by a beautiful winter’s day, full of brilliant sunshine that warmed the air up to the mid sixties. We rushed to the Schecter booth where national sales manager, Gregg Burns, an alumnus of Daddy’s Boston, took us through the display. We saw the Devil Spine guitars (powered by an EMG 81) with intriguing inlays (what does it all mean, Basil) and a unique skeletal graphic, very cool. The Stilleto-6 FR caught our eye. With a licensed Floyd Rose trem (they’re back!), EMG H-4S-1 S-1 pickups and access to all 24 frets, these guitars should be an instant favorite. The Stargazer, especially in the Crimson Ghost, invoked the spirit of another famous brand of guitars and should cause a stir when it shows up on our guitar walls. Finally, the Ultra III, looking for all the world just like a souped up Tiesco Del-Ray, will be very interesting. Custom Duncan designed FG-101 pickups, the Bigsby B-50 vibrato and 3 slide switches give this guitar the capability to produce some other-worldly tones. You have to try it out.

From there, we sprinted to Fender to catch our first view of the new American Standard Strat, Tele, Precision and Jazz Basses. They sound and look better than ever and should be hitting Daddy’s stores within the next couple of weeks. The changes in these guitars go straight to the heart of the matter. A new bridge design includes a high mass block for longer lasting sustain. An improved neck treatment features a high gloss finish on the fingerboard and the silky satin feel on the back of the neck. All new American Standards come with a freshly designed, durable SKB case. If you’ve been waiting for the perfect opportunity to get the Strat, Tele or Fender bass of your dreams, that time may be right now. Coming soon to Daddy’s.

Onto the Peavey booth, where the boys in Meridian, Mississippi have been very busy. A new line of modeling amplifiers, the Vyper series, is ready to take on all comers. Starting with the Vyper 15 (1×8, 15 watts) 24 amp channel models, 11 editable effect, true analog distortion ( to avoid that snarky digital cutoff) all the way up to the tube powered Vyper Tube 120, these amps will compete because of the high value to cost ratio. Peavey has completely reworked the SP series, America’s long-time favorite PA speakers, with new features and looks. They should be available in a few months. Peavey may have also thrust themselves right back into the front lines of the guitar wars with the radical PXD series. Acting on the suggestions of their endorsees, Peavey designed these guitars with a post modern touch, a flat black finish offset with brushed chrome appointments, active pickups and a peghead straight from Hades. You’ll want to check these out.

The New Vyper Amp

Again, after a tough ’07, the manufacturers have brought their “A” game to this show. The excitement among the attendees is palatable and that will translate to even more excitement for musicians everywhere in the coming months. More on the show coming soon.

Almost every retailer and manufacturer attending the 2008 Winter NAMM show agreed, 2007 was a challenging year.  A mid-year sales slump, rapidly increasing costs of raw materials and an uncertain financial future due to massive write-downs of some of America’s largest financial institutions could have cast a pall over the normally high spirits of this gathering.  Surprisingly, the mood was one of cautious optimism and the general feeling was “let’s make the best of a sticky situation”.  Thursday, the first day of the show was marked by strong attendance and business appeared to be brisk at many of the manufacturers’ displays.  Many new products designed to excite the buying public were being displayed.  Here are a few examples:

Our first meeting was with Roland/Boss.  The Boss BR-900D Version 2.0 is still the high quality 8 track recorder with CD burner it has always been but now includes 46 GT-Pro class COSM amp types built in with a 1GB Compact Flash card included which allows you to record up to 500 track-minutes.  Roland has expanded their increasingly popular Cube amp line to include the Micro Cube RX in a guitar and a bass format.  Powered by 4×4 speakers, this amp features 8 COSM amps, 6 digital effects, all in true stereo, it’s truly a Micro Cube on steroids or B12 vitamins, whichever you prefer.

Yamaha is expecting a March delivery date on the Pocketrak 2G, a super portable (1.7oz)  recorder with a 2 GB memory, a built in speaker (!) and stereo microphones.  Cubase AI Digital Audio Workstation Software is included for the 349.99 price.  The now venerable P-70 has been replaced by the P-85, a Yamaha digital piano that features improved piano samples and the realistic Graded Hammer Standard keyboard.  The stand and 3 pedals are optional.

Hartke presented the highly anticipated debut of its reworked line.  Founder and designer Larry Hartke, has put together three new amps.  The LH500, a five hundred watt amp with a 12AX7 preamp circuit, simple but powerful, just $449.99, the LH1000, 2×500 watts of power, 1000 in bridged mode, same great sounding preamp circuit, more tonal flexibility, still only $649.99 and finally, the Kilo 1000, a 1000 watt monster with 10 band graphic EQ, tube EQ, variable compression, Shape Control and Bass Attack Overdrive and many more features with a milled aluminum faceplate and oversized handles, all for just $999.99.  The HyDrive Cabinets contain the latest in speaker technology;  hybrid cone speakers, combining the best features of aluminum and paper coils and a more efficient heat dispersion design that means a lighter speaker (only 5 lbs.!).  The cabs come in 1×15, 4×10 and 8×10 configurations, all contained in rugged new cabinet designs.  Prices range from 499.99 to 999.99.  There’s a new contender in the professional bass amp market and it’s an old contender with exciting new design  ideas, Hartke.

Hartke HyDrive Cabinets

Could it have been the warm California sun or the grand unveiling of so many new products that created all the good vibes of the ’08 Winter NAMM show?  Or could it be some of us witnessing one of those little magic moments that happen every year at this show.  We were on our way down in the elevator at the Hilton when it lurched to a stop on the 7^th floor and the doors sprung open.  Three lovely young ladies, all made up with highly teased hair and, most importantly, sporting 3 of the tiniest plaid mini skirts we had ever seen, stepped into our little cubicle.  The doors closed and as we hurtled downward with our new passengers, we were all thankful we had been witness to these splendid examples of natural beauty.  A great way to start the day.