Gimme rumors!

[Anderton]

So what do you hear about attendance? I know that NAMM dropped the price on square footage...

I was talking to Mitch Gallagher, because he always has his ear to the ground (which isn't that easy, he's not short) and he said some companies are going specifically because the show is back in Nashville, while others didn't go to Austin, didn't feel it caused them any problems, and decided against going to Nashville.

We'll see...hey any corporate SSSers out there, are you going? Not going?

[Gus Lozada]

I´m not going. Not sure if M-Audio / Digi are attending, tough.

[MikeRivers]

I just spoke to the NAMM media person last week and she said that they were expecting attendance in the 10-15K range, which is pretty darn good for a Summer show.

M-Audio
Booth: 444

Digidesign - Zilch

"The Normandy guitar, weighing in at only weighs 8.6 lbs., is a deceivingly solid piece of equipment. The difference between this aluminum product and other conventional wooden guitars is that its sustain is better — producing smooth, warm tones that ring long and true. Oregon musician and entrepreneur Jim Normandy is the brains behind this masterpiece. He will be at booth #1342 at Summer NAMM. "

The Kay aluminum doghouse bass used to be popular with bluegrass bands because they could tie it to the top of the car and not worry if it got rained on. Somehow I think Normandy has something else in mind for this guitar.

[dave251]

We'll be there....#2046. My first booth at a NAMM show with the electroCoustics.

Austin was pretty dead last year. Heard they are expecting much more this year. Our booth is on the second level, across from PV. About a third of the upstairs booths didn't sell....but there should be thirty or so up there.

[Hope Drums]

We'll be there, Pintech USA Inc. #605.

I agree that Austin was pretty slow. Small show and low turn-out!

[MikeRivers]

I agree that Austin was pretty slow. Small show and low turn-out!
Why do you think Austin shows didn't work out? Austin is a pretty cool town so that can't be it. It's a little difficult to get to from anywhere but Dallas so travel might have been too expensive. Was it just that the manufacturers are slowing down and didn't have much to show?

For a few years, NAMM was trying to make the Winter show the new product show and the Summer show be the educational show, but they're loading up the Winter show with seminars now so there may just not be enough incentive for exhibitors. Also, this year there's a day of overlap with InfoCom (a few exhibit at both shows) and the US AES is just three and a half months later.

[Anderton]

I think the inaccessibility by air was one issue. Another was that a lot of major metropolitan areas are within driving distance of Nashville, not so with Austin.

Too bad, I like Austin. But I think I'll like Nashville better in mid-June than in mid-July :thu:

[timmit65]

I predict Fender and Gibson will show new colors for the Strat and Les Paul. Alesis will show something you can connect an iPod to, and Peavey will have a new controller for Guitar Hero/Rockband. But then, I did pick the Lakers in 6 games.

[techristian]

Why do you think Austin shows didn't work out? Austin is a pretty cool town so that can't be it. .

It was HOT very HOT there. When I went in 2006 it was in the 99-101 degree range every day. If you drive down , YOU DIE !!

Dan

[Jon Hiller]

I know that Samson won't be there, because they'll be at Infocomm, so my rep, who also reps for American Music & Sound (Walden, Jay Turser, Hagstrom, & Mano Percussion) won't be there either because of Infocomm. This also eliminates Zoom, and Hartke because they are all part of Samson.

My guess is that it won't be quite as heavily attended as previous years in Nashville, and my reasoning is because I was able to get a room reservation at the Days Inn/Stadium location just a couple days ago, although most of the other hotels in the area were booked full.

I expect that Kustom will show the new Double Kross, their monster guitar amp head that was designed by James Brown, formerly of Peavey. Beyond that, I haven't really heard of any rumors. IF Coffin Cases is there, they'll show off their new gig bags for Guitar Hero controllers, although that's not much in the way of news, I do find it interesting, and I wonder if they will really sell many of them.

I haven't heard of many musical events happening this time. Samick is sponsoring one but other than that I haven't heard of any. In all fairness, though, I didn't get in the NAMM game til late this year.

[MikeRivers]

My guess is that it won't be quite as heavily attended as previous years in Nashville, and my reasoning is because I was able to get a room reservation at the Days Inn/Stadium location just a couple days ago, although most of the other hotels in the area were booked full.
Yeah, that's weird. I went looking for a room as soon as they officially confirmed the Nashville location and dates and found that my first three choices (not on the NAMM official list) were full. I ended up about a mile away at the Best Western Music Row. Hope the rain forecast for evenings keeps up (so it won't come down). A few years back there was a major downpour right around closing time and I had about a six block walk back to my hotel. I scrounged a large garbage bag from one of the cleanup crew at the convention center and wore that as a raincoat.

I haven't heard of many musical events happening this time. Samick is sponsoring one but other than that I haven't heard of any.
That's pretty strange. There's the All Star Guitar Night as usual, but other than that and the sort of random concert in "The Hang" Thursday evening, I haven't heard of much either. But then it's not like there's no music in Nashville.

[Sonic Jedi]

I went to Austin last year. I really liked it. However, i haven't been to Nashville, so I have nothing to compare against.

[rasputin1963]

Where do people tend to stay (crash) when they attend Nashville NAMM ?

Yeah, Texas in summer is as prohibitive as, say, Siberia in the winter. From about August 1st to September 15th, we just don't even like going outdoors.... even outdoor sports (swimming, camping, etc.) can be often unpleasant because of the heat.... The Texas sun is not soft and golden, like Calfornia's.... it's an evil, grey-blue broiling eye. You don't tan, you just fry.

[MikeRivers]

I predict Fender and Gibson will show new colors for the Strat and Les Paul. Alesis will show something you can connect an iPod to, and Peavey will have a new controller for Guitar Hero/Rockband.
Alesis had a bunch of products with an iPod slot at the Winter NAMM show.

I heard that Gibson wasn't going to be there, but they're still listed in the show directory with a booth number. They usually have a big bash at the custom shop there in Nashville but I haven't heard about it this year.

Fender has revamped some classics (Jaguar, Jazzmaster) with new pickups. They'll probably make a big deal of their acquisition of Groove Tubes (one of Jeff's clients, as I recall).

[Anderton]

I do know that when Erik and Bill from our video crew was trying to scope out artist appearances, they didn't come up with much. I suspect it's going to be more of a local, dealer/store oriented "sign some orders" show. Not that there's anything wrong with that :)

[MikeRivers]

Where do people tend to stay (crash) when they attend Nashville NAMM ?
Believe it or not, NAMM is really a business show, so people tend not to "crash" but rather stay in hotels. They're expensive and they fill up fast. The hopeful songwriters fill up the inexpensive hotels year round, so we visitors are left with either staying in the boondocks or expensive downtown hotels. I'm about a mile away at a Best Western, but that's as cheap as I could find, even in Februrary. It's no better in Anaheim, where we used to be able to stay for cheap. I just reserved last week for January, and I'm paying about $75/night at a friggin' Travelodge. The Hilton still had rooms available for about $200 more, and up.

[MikeRivers]

I do know that when Erik and Bill from our video crew was trying to scope out artist appearances, they didn't come up with much.
They almost always have the Playback magazine on line a month or so before the show with artist appearances, but it's not there, or at least not accessible to non-members. And the "Promotions" lists a bunch of restaurants but only a couple with discounts or free appetizers or desserts.

Johnny Hiland will be playing one show a day in Peavey's room. He's a regular at NAMM shows, but a real gas.

[ivorycj]

This may sound like a stupid question, but I heard it wasn't going to be at the convention center. A.) Is that possible? B.) Where would it be if it wasn't at the convention center?

[Anderton]

It's at the convention center.

Moog will be showing their guitar big-time, with a press conference and concert on Saturday.

[geddyentwistle]

as a transplant to nashville who has never been to NAMM (and isn't going this year), there has been a lot of local talk about inadequate space at the convention center and not enough hotel rooms nearby

last year it was a record heat wave and drought in nashville and the southeastn in general..last years namm would have been terrible anywhere...

this year is completely different here, as it is simply perfect outside...

[Jon Hiller]

as a transplant to nashville who has never been to NAMM (and isn't going this year), there has been a lot of local talk about inadequate space at the convention center and not enough hotel rooms nearby

last year it was a record heat wave and drought in nashville and the southeastn in general..last years namm would have been terrible anywhere...

this year is completely different here, as it is simply perfect outside...

There has always been inadequate space at the convention center, at every NAMM I have been to. People just deal with it because they like the venue and the city. I don't know about there not being enough space at the local hotels, I found available rooms at a bunch of different hotels last week, and I ended up getting reservations at the Days Inn at the stadium, which is pretty close by, especially considering how late I booked the rooms.

I think what makes Nashville NAMM cool is the environment, Nashville is just a pretty nice place.

[BandofThieves™]

Gibson will be at NAMM but at an off-site location.Probably do the shuttle thing again..

[spokenward]

D&M Agrees To Takeover By Bain Capital By Joseph Palenchar -- TWICE, 6/20/2008 7:20:00 AM

Tokyo -- D&M Holdings’ board of directors has agreed to a tender offer by Bain Capital to take D&M private for 510 yen ($4.74) per share.

RHJ International also agreed to the takeover. RHJ is D&M’s largest shareholder with 45.3 million shares, or 48.5 percent of outstanding fully diluted shares.

Bail(sic) will launch the tender offer following the signing of an agreement by the board. Once the offer is launched, Bain said it intends to purchase 100 percent of the shares of D&M Holdings.

D&M owns multiple consumer electronics and pro audio brands, including Denon, Marantz, Boston Acoustics, Escient and McIntosh.

http://www.twice.com/

[Phil O'Keefe]

http://www.twice.com/

Interesting - thanks for posting that. :)

I won't be at summer NAMM, but I expect to be at Anaheim this winter. Last year, I got a delayed start on Saturday and could not find parking - anywhere. So this year, I hope to talk some publishing entity into hooking me up with a room... ;) :D

Oh, and for the record, it was over 100 here in SoCA today, and the sun was brutal, not soft and golden. :wave:

[MikeRivers]

So this year, I hope to talk some publishing entity into hooking me up with a room... ;) :D

If you figure out how to do that, let me know. Will work for nice hotel room.

I was able to get a room at the Travelodge on Harbor Blvd just a few blocks from the Convention Center for about $76, but better grab something fast. You can always cancel a reservation in a dumpy-but-cheap hotel if you get a better offer, but rooms do tend to fill up fast. (says me, staying in a dumpy but not terribly cheap hotel in Nashville)