We're ready with the full pictorial report from the NAMM trade show floor. Camera in tow, we documented what we thought were some of the cool mandolin highlights and posted them on the Mandolin Cafe Message Board. The hit of the show was two electric mandolins from JBovier, in particular the cream colored Mandocaster tribute, but we also enjoyed many of the other instruments posted on the message thread. Take some time to weigh in with your thoughts, too:

Summer NAMM 2009: A Mando Perspective

True story: The NAMM show is notorious for having terrific eye-candy but less-than-optimal aural auditioning environment. The din from loudspeaker companies, drums, DJ equipment all tested simultaneously in a room the size of three football fields is a huge distraction from an honest sonic evaluation of any acoustic instrument. On a bathroom break, we saw three buyers and the Stonebridge representative (literally) tucked into the privacy of the Men's public restroom doing their best to dodge the overwhelming ambient noise and hear the tonal capabilities of a lovely F5 mandolin. On the way out the door, we happened to bump into and greet mandolin superstar, Sam Bush, who had just witnessed the same "out-of-place" dialogue while answering nature's call.

Not being as intimate with the often quirky commerce side of NAMM, he confessed his confusion, "I didn't know what kind of shady transactions were just going on--dudes doing some backroom deals in that bathroom with mandolins. Like they were selling drugs or something."

Well, now that you mention it...

Posted by Ted at July 19, 2009 6:40 AM