NAMM 2026: Welcome, guitar disciples. Once more, we bid you a happy new year and happy new gear, as we usher in NAMM 2026 – the world’s biggest guitar gear show.
The annual gathering of the National Association of Music Merchants has been running since 1902, making January 22-24 2026 the 124th(!) showcase of new guitars, amps, pedals and everything else besides.
We enter 2026 in a different mood than 2025. Last year, we weren’t sure whether the show would even take place owing to the California wildfires. This time, the specter of tariff uncertainty looms over release schedules and price lists.
Fortunately, nothing can stop the torrent of new gear that bursts forth every January, and we are delighted to confirm there are some humdingers on the horizon.
NAMM is less public-facing than it once was, and our diaries are filling up with press conferences and closed-off product showcases. Not everyone will get up close and personal with the latest releases – but you can bet we will.
Yes, once more, the Guitar World team will have boots on the ground at the musical mecca that is the Anaheim Convention Center, bringing you all the biggest releases, artist performances, and weirdest guitar builds you’ve ever seen.
This year’s squad includes Editor-in-Chief Mike Astley-Brown, now on his seventh/eighth/ninth tour of the ACC. News Editor Matt Owen joins him for his second year of hoping to bump into John Mayer at the Anaheim Fresh lunch stand.
GW gear guru Paul Riario – now on what must be at least his 79th NAMM – will be stroking his chin over the finest new goods, ably assisted by videographer Alan Chaput. GW mag’s own Editor-in-Chief Damian Fanelli is also roaming the halls, arm-wrestling his digital counterpart to be first in line for the free content creator coffee.
In short, we got you. All the hottest news, up-to-the-minute as much as patchy show will Wi-Fi allow. Expert insights and hands-on analysis. Artist interviews, celebrity sightings, live shred-offs, and more gear than you could ever dream of sneaking by your significant other.
Welcome to NAMM 2026 LIVE! Bookmark this page, pore over it regularly, cherish it. And prepare yourself for some truly terrible puns…
And there they are! Look at our intrepid gang, standing outside the eighth Wonder of the World, the Anaheim Convention Center.
Now, we've seen a multitude of huge gear releases already, and rumors abound about what we might yet see in the coming days. Who'll make a surprise appearance? What product announcement will steal the show? Will Matt get to play a real Dumble again?? Answers to all this and more await...
One thing that is certainly not in doubt is which pre-show release is being chatted about the most at the moment.
Unveiled today, Neural DSP's new Quad Cortex mini is a big f'in deal, as they say. The Quad Cortex completely changed the game for modeling multi-effects pedals, and this pint-sized modeler puts the full QC experience into its smallest format yet, and at the same time, retains the larger unit's power, UI, and most importantly (and unlike its sibling, the Nano Cortex), a touchscreen. We cannot wait to get our hands on it.
So, you've obviously got your new kit with the pre-show announcements, but how about some star power? This was provided by Ed Sheeran, who on NAMM Eve announced the PRS SE Cosmic Splash, a tastily spec'd hollowbody baritone limited to just 1,000 pieces.
Amazingly, it’s the first time PRS has ever made a hollowbody baritone guitar, save for the one-off Drive guitar it made with Sheeran for the new F1: The Movie soundtrack.
Tantalizingly, the stadium-packing singer-songwriter said of the model, “It's a limited edition, so it will go fast, but there's more to come, so stay tuned.”
Yamaha's had quite a pre-NAMM day as well. Revstar aficionado Chris Buck – who was wooed by the model away from the Strat, to which he had long been a loyalist up to that point – has put his own signature twist on the model in the form of the new RS02CB.
Loaded with sweet personal visual and sonic touches, it goes well with Yamaha's other major announcement of the day, its new-for-2026 Pacifica single-cut.
As is NAMM tradition, we spent plenty of time at the Martin booth today. Okay, fine, the Martin booth was the only booth that was open, but the company's media preview day press conference still reliably delivered the goods.
We got up-close with the first-ever paisley Martin, the sustainably sourced Biosphere Polar Bear acoustic, and, of course, the new Molly Tuttle signatures. Tuttle has two signatures out, and she demo'd both of them at the booth. Obviously, they sound amazing.
Some extremely cool goings-ons at the EVH and Jackson Custom Shop stalls, too. A striped EVH whammy bar. Silver swirl Wolfgang. The Pile O' Bones Soloist with a constantly flashing red light – and one of the greatest jack socket placements in the history of electric guitars. As for the Jackson Condor (last slide), we're sure we've seen that shape somewhere before…
Good morning NAMM fans, Deputy Editor Matt P here – back in the rainy UK, holding the fort, while our pan-Atlantic team galavant around Anaheim’s golden halls. However, while I am lacking in vitamin D, I will attempt to compensate for that by basking in the reflective glow of spangly new gear...
Probably the biggest news overnight is the arrival of Billy Corgan and Laney's new Supergrace signature pedal, which the Smashing Pumpkins man is boldy claiming packs the tone of his $100K+ rig into a $629 pedal amp. It’s not empty marketing, either, as Corgan told GW, he’s already used it onstage in front of an audience of 60,000...
One of my favorite things about NAMM is how, amid the big brand noise and reissues, you can stumble upon a genuinely insane leftfield idea. The Casio Dimension Shifter definitely falls into that category. It uses the tension of your guitar strap to convert your movements into a signal that can wirelessly control effects parameters.
Think of it like an expression pedal. But it’s in your strap.
Yeah. It is wild and, for a lot of players, probably about as much use as a chocolate teapot, but I want to try it nonetheless...
A lot of tube amp builders market themselves purely on vintage self-reverence, playing up the mysticism and acting like they’ve uncovered some kind of lost secret power. It helps with the marketing, sure, but embracing all that antiquity makes them look a bit... well, dusty.
As such, I really enjoy Orange’s refreshing policy of bullishly making tube amps that are somehow still relevant to the modern player.
The new Orange OR60 is a single-channel 60-watt build that does not mess about. Like the OR30 before it, it somewhat surprisingly, touts its versatility.
No, it’s not pretending to be a bells and whistles modeler with 1,700+ preset slots you’ll never use, instead Orange means it'll do all the things you need it to – handling pedals, high gain aggression or high headroom cleans – without breaking a sweat.
*Check 1, 2, 3* Hello (guitar) world – staff writer Janelle here, and I'll be shining a spotlight on some of the NAMM (or NAMM-adjacent) releases that have caught my eye.
First up is Fatoumata Diawara’s signature Epiphone SG, and if you haven’t heard of Diawara, go to your favorite listening platform right now and prep yourself for a delectable sonic feast.
Diawara is also making history as the first woman of color to partner up with Epiphone on a signature model (it's well overdue).
Each spec and detail is Diawara through and through – from the obvious, like the body graphic inspired by Diawara’s Malian roots, to the nods to one of the artist’s favorite SGs, the Epiphone Muse.
Her genre-blending compositions are reflected in the pickup choices: Epiphone Alnico Classic PRO humbuckers – with individual volume knobs that include push/pull coil-splitting – and two tone controls for further tone sculpting.
There’s also a push/pull phase switch on one of the tone knobs, which offers out-of-phase tones when both pickups are engaged. And, for $699, it's safe to say that it's a total bang for your buck.
Matt P, back in saddle. I, rather grandly, declared us to be in a new golden age for pickups in 2023 – thanks to the tidal wave of innovation in the space across the past decade.
Fishman's Fluence pickup system has been the real paradigm shift and a runaway success for the company, allowing multiple voicings from the same physical units and, perhaps more savvily for the firm itself, real-time revoicings and spec'ing of signature products using their studio software.
Now the biggest name in aftermarket pickups, Seymour Duncan has unveiled, rather grandly, the MortalCoil, which offers similar flexibility to players, packing three voices into a single active humbucker design. As such, it’s promising you can get modern metal tones, plus classic Seymour Duncan JB and Jazz sound, and even single coil tones from the same unit.
A new (old) one from MXR here, the MXR EVH Modern High Gain takes the face-melting third channel of the EVH 5150III – that’s its highest of high gain settings – and tries to contain it in a pedal. It has clearly turned very red in the face with the effort.
What is particularly cool about this box of anger is that it was designed in direct conjunction with the good lord of tone Edward Van Halen, himself, back in 2015.
The control setup is similar to the longer-standing MXR EVH 5150 Overdrive, with the exception of a rather nifty bass shift mini-switch, which offers a choice of fatter or punchier low end frequency.
And... I'm back (Janelle here). Strandberg is certainly living up to its reputation as the avant-garde firm to beat at this year's NAMM. It has just turned to Jamstik for its latest collaborative release – the Strandberg x Jamstik Chameleon – which puts its electric guitar design on a collision course with full polyphonic MIDI functionality.
See it as a best of both worlds guitar, with all the usual features of a Strandberg bolstered with the power of MIDI. Through USB-C, Bluetooth, and TRS-MIDI connectivity, the guitar can control software instruments, from lush violins and synths to harpsichord, choirs, and whatever else may take your fancy.
For all the Iron Maiden fans out there... this one's for you.
The British metal heavyweights are the latest to be honored with a signature Jim Dunlop Cry Baby Wah, with a special Killers edition of the iconic pedal paying homage to the band’s earliest days.
The wah has been a trademark effect for Maiden’s shredders, so, cue this collector’s edition stompbox, emblazoned with Killers era Eddie (of course) for a pedal you won’t miss on a darkened stage floor.
And oh, Kirk Hammett's a fan.
Blackstar has launched one of this year's most surprising offerings, as the firm is going toe to toe with the likes of the Fender Tone Master Pro by rolling out the new ID:X Digital Floorboard series.
Like the Fender Tone Master Pro and its dizzying array of competitors, it looks to pack amps and effects into a travel-friendly unit, with the promise of capturing the “true behavior and musical response of tube amplifiers rather than simply recreating their sound.”
There are three options to choose from. The cheapest and most compact option, the ID:X Floor One, comes fully equipped with USB-C audio interface capability, MIDI input, XLR outputs, a built-in tuner, streaming input, and headphone connectivity.
ID:X Floor Two is next – and it throws an expression pedal into the mix (to satiate all your wah and volume needs). The most expensive of the trio, the ID:X Floor Three, comes with all that and more... namely, a MIDI in and Thru, an effects loop for wider pedalboard integration, extended switching for patches and effects, and a larger chassis.
Considering how well modelers have been doing over the past couple of years (just have a look at Reverb’s yearly sales reports) it's no surprise that Blackstar is getting in on the action.
Long-time Martin champion Molly Tuttle is finally getting her flowers in the form of not one, but two, signature acoustics: the Martin D-18 and the D-X2E.
The two offer an unmistakably vintage flair, which comes as no surprise considering they're based on her prized 1943 D-18 – with a rear-shifted scalloped bracing, 1940s neck profile, and added Molly-isms in the form of moon phase fingerboard inlays. Both right- and left-handed models are available.
As Tuttle herself describes the new signatures, “I've always dreamed of playing Martin guitars ever since I started playing the guitar.
“These are such beautiful instruments, I'm excited to see what songs they hold; there are no limits to what I can create and perform on these guitars.
“They have the classic sound that I'm looking for, and Martin Guitars always bring the best out of my playing and ideas.”
Hello there! Jackson here for more of your NAMM coverage needs. Having attended the show myself what feels like a lifetime ago (2023), I know well what an onslaught it can be, but like my colleagues, I'll cherry-pick some highlights from the show that you should know about (and highlight why you should know about them).
At that aforementioned show, I thoroughly enjoyed visiting the Donner booth, and seeing the fun the company was having in the budget guitar space. Its headless HUSH model, in particular, was a lot of fun to mess around on, and its accessibility and affordability had me wondering if I should do the inconceivable (sorry, I was admittedly a bit of a hater): and drop a bit of money on a headless guitar.
Described by the company as “the ultimate modern headless guitar,” Donner's new HLX-500 is definitely more upscale than the HUSH, but is still super-affordable. Ringing up at $330, it's a shot right at Strandberg and Ibanez, and may draw yet more curious players to the ranks of the polarizing, once-overlooked, decapitated style.
NAMM isn't just about new gear, mind you – there are also live performances galore.
I was jealous as hell when the team sent this video – taken at Yamaha's pre-NAMM show concert – over to me. With jaw-loosening chops and technique that have blown the minds of some of the instrument's most respected names, Matteo Mancuso has long been one of the most buzzed-about players in the guitar universe. And from this video you can sure as hell see why!
Funnily enough, when Tosin Abasi last gave us an update on his long-in-the-works Abasi Concepts nylon-string model, it was NAMM 2025.
“It's basically an attempt to create a nylon-string instrument that [takes] a lot of the same design concepts from [other Abasi Concepts guitars] – multi-scale, thin-bodied, ergonomic,” he told GW at the time, “but it's for guys who maybe aren't traditional classical players, but do want a nylon-string guitar for recording and specifically for stage.”
Now, it finally lives. The Abasi Stage 7, to give it its full name, sees Abasi Concepts team up with nylon-string and Spanish guitar mainstay Córdoba. It's a 7-string model tuned from B to E, and features – among other tasty specs – 24 fanned frets and Córdoba's Stage Pickup System. Not your grandpa's classical guitar, that's for sure.
From our colleagues on the show floor...
It's not every day you get to be in the same room as a genuine 1938 D-45, but Matt Swanson – CEO of Dumble, no less – was gracious enough to let us get up close and personal with his own pre-war dreadnought, which is set to be recreated in Martin’s Project 91 initiative. We also got to hold and play it, but we didn't sling it over our shoulder quite like Matt did…
Mike reporting from the show floor here to let you know that Ibanez had some signature surprises at its booth, including the long-awaited Nili Brosh model making its official debut, plus new guitars for Joe Satriani, Kiko Loureiro, JB Brubaker, Nita Strauss, and one particularly extravagant Steve Vai limited edition. Oh, and there's an RG celebrating 250 years of the USA. As you do.
Audio giant JBL has entered the ever-expanding AI guitar tech fray, and the company's first swing is a big one.
The company's newest creation, BandBox, is an AI-powered smart practice amp and portable speaker. Most intriguingly, that AI tech, JBL says, can provide real-time vocal and instrument separation. This could really change the way guitarists practice...
Matt O here, interrupting your feed to share some snaps from NAMM’s ever-extravagant Boutique Guitar Showcase walk. As always, there are some truly spell-binding builds from the likes of Kauer, Giulio Negrini, Sully Guitars, and more. I may or may not have spent 15 minutes here…
Mike has basically melted into a puddle after witnessing Billy Corgan perform at the TEC Awards, where he was honored with the Innovation Award (Billy, not Mike). It was an unapologetically deep-cut set – typical of the Smashing Pumpkins maverick – opening with Siamese Dream's Rocket, before unleashing some gut-wrenching solos over Adore's Shame. There's a real possibility our editor-in-chief may never recover from the latter.
One of the stars of the performance was Corgan's new signature pedal amp with Laney, the Supergrace, which bottles his epic (and very expensive) live tone. Under Corgan's fingers, it sounded just as explosive and volatile as the real deal – and take it from Mike (me), who has seen SP many, many times.
It may have only been bass and drums backing Billy this evening, but he was getting some six-string support from fellow Pumpkins guitarist Kiki Wong.
The UK contingent is back...
Janelle here, and we're kicking things off with some juicy (and pretty exclusive) news. Gibson's testing out a brand new body shape at this year's NAMM. Yes, you heard that one right. And our editor, Mike, was on the ground to witness it (the aptly-titled Atomic Age) firsthand.
“It’s quite unlike any other Gibson we've seen,” he relays. “There's a kind of plain-top Les Paul Junior vibe, but the elongated body and extravagant contours around the bridge and control knobs are something else.
“There are nods to pawn shop designs with the big Gibson logo on the split pickguard, paired with a single ‘G’ on the headstock. Mid Century Modern-style bowtie and amoeba shapes are dotted elsewhere.”
The guitar is the brainchild of Custom Shop Product Engineer Darron Dubose, and (as the kids say), it’s giving retro design meets futurism…. complete with a humbucker and a split-coil neck humbucker, and a Jaguar-style slider switch on the other side of the pickguard.
More about this intriguing guitar here…
For those in the market for new go-to strings, Cleartone Strings has just rolled out the all-new Power Series, engineered for “players who demand more power, clarity, and endurance from every note.”
They’re built on a reformulated Nickel-Iron Blend and guarantee “a natural clean boost directly from your guitar – no pedals required.” Apparently, they've gone through a year of intense testing!
Available now in gauges 9-42, 9-46, 10-46, 10-52, and 11-48.
The guitar world gasped when Slash left Marshall in 2023... only to join Magnatone, a lesser-known brand. Well, turns out this (fairly) new collaboration is proving fruitful.
In an arena saturated with amp modelers, Slash is sticking to what he knows best: old-school amps. In fact, he's just rolled out the Lil’ Viper, a lightweight amp with a size-defying sound, in collaboration with Magnatone.
It's a combo amp fueled by a 12AX7 preamp tube and a pair of NOS 6AQ5 power tubes, resulting in 8 watts of push-pull Class AB output hurtling out of the Magnatone Custom 8” ceramic magnet speaker.
For added versatility, there’s a High/Low gain switch that gives players two distinct voicings for when players (like you) would want to dial back and dig in, respectively.
Pretty nifty!
Reverend Guitars is rolling out the Air series, featuring four new semi-hollow models in the Charger, Kingbolt, and Roundhouse lines. As the brand puts it, “each one is built for classic tone, modern playability, and standout looks.”
Construction-wise, each model features a solid mahogany back, routed to yield a full-length center block – topped with maple (Roundhouse Air) or spruce (Charger Air and Kingbolt Air).
New Steelhead Series pickups, which include humbuckers and hum-cancelling P90s with oversized steel poles, furnish these models, all in the name of a “punchy, dynamic sound.” Looking at the finishes, they’re as tasty as they come – Metallic Cherry, Purple Punch, Citrus Cream, and Iconic Blue (to name a few!)
Not only that... Reverend is making over – and introducing updated models to – its Charger, Kingbolt, Descent, Sensei, and Roundhouse lineups. Talk about a brand properly implementing its 2026 resolutions!
Hello, Matt Parker, back on the live blog! This is cool... Meet the BW 1969, the new signature amp from Divided by 13 and Butch Walker.
It’s a super high-end Marshall-style tube amp build at its core, but it features both EL84 and 6L6 power sections, each of which can run independently – or you can stack the two together – all with a simple toggle switch.
It looks absolutely beautiful and has been built in the USA with point-to-point wiring. There is no price tag available at the time of writing, but judging from that spec, expect it to be approximately all of your dollars...
Back on the homefront, Pete from our UK reviews team has already got his paws on one of the show's most talked-about new products: Neural DSP’s Quad Cortex Mini.
Our full review is obviously still incoming, but you can check out his unboxing and early impressions – alongside a few tones from the unit – right here.
He didn’t even have to brave to 15 hours of slap bass and Anaheim aircon to get a go on it, either. It hardly seems fair...
Not to be outdone by Tosin Abasi’s stylish new entry into the nylon-string signature game with Cordoba, Tim Henson is back to remind us who got the progressives into classical guitars in the first place. [Er, Segovia? - Ed]
His new Ibanez signature TOD100N offers a high-end take on the successful TOD10N, which was first launched in 2022.
It comes with a choice of Sitka Spruce (N) and Flame Maple (FMN) tops. Expect upgraded Fishman electronics, ebony fingerboards and bridges and a video demo in which he does that killer jerky neck move while calmly delivering some spider handed licks at 1,500bpm.
No price yet, as they won't be rolling out until later in 2026...
Ah Mr Mayer, we’ve been expecting you. Few points to note about this image. The first and most important, is that this is the new limited edition ‘Wild Blue’ colorway for Mayer’s PRS Silver Sky.
It was actually one of the earliest prototype Silver Sky finishes, but never saw release – until now – as PRS is promising to make 1000 of them across 2026.
“As a watch collector, turquoise blue is a color that has always evoked excitement,” notes Mayer. “So a limited edition Silver Sky in turquoise is the perfect crossover. I hope it brings a smile to both guitar players and watch enthusiasts alike.”
Now, correct me if I'm wrong watch geeks, but I think Mayer is alluding to the crossover releases from Rolex and Audemars Piguet that use the iconic ‘Tiffany blue’. The name, meanwhile, is a nod to Mayer’s song of the same title. Get more info on that one at PRS.
Also, I want that sweater. What is that? A gansey? Is there a signature line on the way?
Here it is, the Ibanez everyone’s talking about, the Alpha.
Naturally, the chatter around this one has focused on its likeness to builds developed by Tosin Abasi (who, it should be pointed out, once developed a prototype signature guitar with the company).
There's no denying it certainly has an Abasi Concepts Larada / Ernie Ball Kaizen vibe about it, but Ibanez has tried to do things its own way – that newly engineered neck joint, for instance, is quite nice.
There's no six-string version, so the seven- and eight-strings felt quite alien in my hands (Matt O here, btw), but it's impressively put together nonetheless, and it feels suitably ‘progressive’.
Jackson here! I wanted to give a quick shout-out to the She Rocks Awards ceremony, which takes place tonight. Even if you aren't attending NAMM, you can watch the show live on the Women's International Music Network YouTube channel. Hosted by Vicki Peterson of the Bangles, this year's honorees include guitarists Sophie Burrell and Margaret Glaspy, and many more female musicians and industry leaders.
MO again. Last NAMM, I got to play a real, actual Dumble. This year, I got to play the next best thing: the DSM & Humboldt Dumblifier.
This was firmly on my radar going into the show this year, and this morning I finally got a window to scout it out.
How does it compare to the real thing? Hard to say through headphones, of course, but the early signs have left me hugely impressed. The overdrive channel is particularly juicy, the level of customization you get with the speaker cab options is insane, and the onboard reverb is chef’s kiss. Could get surprisingly atmospheric with this. Very versatile. I might go back later…
We also got a look at what Epiphone has in store for 2026, and my goodness – Futuras, stainless steel frets, and long-awaited signatures? It's a really sign of Epiphone taking true inspiration from its big brother company, with a mission of bringing bigger and better specs to lower price ranges for the first time.
We could break it all down at great length, buuut a better source would be Gibson Vice President of Product Mat Koehler. That's why we asked him to give us a guided tour of Epiphone's new-for-2026 lineup!
No new Mateus Asato model from Suhr this year. He left the company a few weeks ago, and the popular rumor is he's off to Fender.
That said, Suhr has made a point of showing just how stacked its current artist roster is with a very impressive Wall of Fame-style display. There are models for Pete Thorn, Andy Wood, and Benji Madden of Good Charlotte. Some very nice 2026 limited edition models on show, too…
We talked 'bout the exciting developments at Epiphone earlier, but how about its sibling?
Gibson is celebrating 50 years of building guitars in Nashville, and its got a lot of plans up its sleeve. The company's new-for-2026 lineup includes ‘50s and ‘60s-inspired reissues and signature models for classic rock gods of the days of old (Mick Ronson, Michael Schenker) and new (Gary Clark Jr.) alike.
But how about we double that to 100 years? The Gibson Century Collection of acoustics serves up “a sound you can feel in your bones” in light of the 100th anniversary of the introduction of the company's flat-tops.
The guitars harken right back to then – no-frills, 12-fret instruments “channeling the minimalist elegance of early 20th century design.” Covering all the bases, huh?
From Matt O on the show floor...
Okay, it's about time I address the Big One. The Neural DSP Quad Cortex mini. This was a surprise for me heading into the show, and I was very pleased to see it out in the wild on the show floor. We got the nitty gritty from ‘Digital’ John Connearn in the Neural meeting room yesterday, but this morning I spent a bit more time with it.
There's no denying it's an amazing-sound piece of kit, and that they've managed to put the full QC experience into such a tiny package is rather remarkable, but with such a streamlined form factor comes compromise in the operation. There will be a bit of a learning curve, no doubt, and it took me a while to get to grips with the switches, views, modes, and the like.
It's so worth it, though, because it truly does sound superb. Full thoughts to follow shortly…
I don't want to speak for Mike and Rob (our esteemed Reviews Editor, who is also scouring the NAMM floor), but three members of the GW team have played the Mentha Works Monk Echo pedal so far, and we've all come to the same conclusion: it's a really f**king great pedal.
When we heard two ex-Gamechanger Audio employees were starting their own company, we knew they'd be one to watch. 'Gamechanger Audio' was a very apt name for the firm, after all.
And while the Monk Echo might look more stripped back, a bit more minimalist, it by no means sounds it. The tones you can get from this our breathtaking. Dialing in effects is a unique experience, too – it's very tactile, very hands-on. I'll be honest, the LED display confused me, but that didn't matter. It was so easy to get otherworldly reverb/delay/modulation effects. Can't wait to see what they do next...
I am a huge fan of the Yamaha Revstar. I am also, like most people reading this page, a huge Chris Buck fan. Put the two together and... well, you get an absolute winner in my eyes. We were fortunate enough to spend some time with Chris today to chat about his new signature, but we also discussed technique, tone, that Strat baggage take, and, of course, what it was like when his hero Slash helped Chris and his band, Cardinal Black, get to L.A. for their first US gigs. Full feature to come...
It's been a looooong time coming (we were having this conversation last year) but the Abasi Concepts nylon-string is finally here. Hurrah!
Mike hosted a public Q&A with the man himself this evening at the Cordoba booth. I spent 99% of my time listening, and 1% staring at the guitar you can see above. I might have fudged the numbers there, but it's not my fault. It's a very cool guitar.
I spent plenty of time in the Boutique Guitar showcase display yesterday, but I reckon the most extravagantly intricate, mind-meltingly stunning, gorgeously crafted one-off build can be found at the John Page booth.
The Retablo is a cathedral in a guitar, and it pays homage to some true music greats, with odes to Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Muddy Waters and more all housed in the three-dimensional body. Words don't quite do this one justice.
Good morning! Dep Ed Matt Parker here – and a very warm welcome to NAMM Saturday 2026.
We're in the final day of the show now and, while our LA team is still tucked up in bed (hopefully – they'll either be doing that, or frantically typing), there’s still so much news that we've not had time to tell you about yet – and we'll be going right through the weekend to bring it you.
If you're checking in on NAMM news for the first time, we'll be updating this here live blog throughout the day. You can catch up on everything from the show floor below, or for a full directory of announcements – peruse our NAMM hub.
We'll keep bringing you the most in-depth guitar coverage of the mammoth music-making event that you'll find, well, anywhere...
So make yourself a beverage and dig in!
Just in overnight is news of a signature guitar for longtime Taylor Swift guitarist Paul Sidoti. The Duesenberg Alliance Paul Sidoti is a vintage style beauty, with a Custom Catalina Blue finish and nickel hardware.
Based upon the firm’s Paloma Custom solidbody, there’s an alder body (with comfort carves) and an HSH pickup configuration that uses Duesenberg’s own units, with two Split/King Duo-Coils and a Pearlito single coil.
The Split/King Duo-Coil innovation is that it’s actually two single coils housed in a humbucker-unit, so you’re not splitting the coils, as such – you’re getting true single coil tone – making it more of an SS-S-SS configuration, if you get what I mean...
Across the course of the last 50 years, ‘Made in Japan’ has gone from creating a perception of a knock-off brand to becoming a badge of pride for guitar producers.
Now, most players will acknowledge what the guitar cognoscenti having been (quietly) saying for decades – that Japanese builds rank among the best in the world.
All of which means that the timing couldn't be better for the return of Tokai to US shores. The firm has signed a new distribution deal, meaning its vintage Fender-style builds will be available in US stores and looked after by a new Texas-based customer support team.
First off the boat, is a trio of the Goldstar S-style, Breezysound T-Style and Hard Puncher (P-Bass-style) models. The S-style will have a choice of vintage spec or a hot-rodded HSS variant. No word on prices yet (a theme of this year's show) but they'll be rolling out later this year.
Janelle here – back with the buzziest news from NAMM.
Who would have expected the “humble” nylon-string guitar to turn into a trend? Following Tosin Abasi's link-up with Córdoba, Polyphia virtuoso (and OG nylon string wielder) is continuing to build on the trend with a brand new Ibanez signature model
The TOD100N and TOD100FMN come waltzing with new Fishman pickup systems, tonewoods, and looks – looking to go one better with this next generation of guitars.
Henson’s first signature nylon-string electric acoustic, the Ibanez TOD10N, arrived in late 2022 and quickly became a best-seller on Reverb... and it's safe to say it was one of the catalysts that kickstarted a nylon-string revolution, especially for the contemporary experimental and prog world.
This new launch simply proves that the Ibanez-Henson partnership wants to remain ahead of the curve.
Love ’em or hate ’em, ChatGPT and AI chatbots are here to stay… and the premise is now being applied elsewhere, i.e., guitar pedals.
Polyend has unveiled the Endless pedal: a fully customizable, open-source effects pedal that allows players to continually create new effects. No coding knowledge is required.
Hinging on an almost ChatGPT-like premise of “if you can describe the effect, you can make your own,” Endless boasts a custom-machined aluminum enclosure, magnetic, swappable faceplate, a stereo 48 kHz / 24-bit audio path, and, apparently, no sonic limits.
In short, it's the first pedal to spew out effects from user-generated descriptions, with reverbs, overdrives, and loopers all available, right through to amp sims, or something that colors outside traditional lines.
And if that has piqued your interest (well, I, for one, am intrigued), check out the video below…
Signature guitars are all the rage at this year's NAMM... and, more specifically, affordable versions of well-known (or even lesser-known) signatures...
Sterling by Music Man is continuing this (very welcome) trend by announcing affordable versions of Jason Richardson’s Cutlass signature guitar, arriving in six- and seven-string formats, without overly sacrificing its top-line specs.
Being a Music Man, its $3,599 / $3,799 price tag – depending on the string count – was no surprise, but by no means accessible to all. That makes the Sterling variant’s arrival much anticipated. And it looks to have tweaked the Music Man recipe without too much compromise, resulting in a more broadly welcoming $949.99 outlay.
And we have more signature guitars... this time, by way of ESP.
The brand is rolling out eight signature models from some veritable shredders, including Gojira’s Grammy-winning riff monster Joe Duplantier, Children of Bodom's Alexi Laiho, Slayer’s Jeff Hanneman, Slaughter to Prevail’s Jack Simmons, Slipknot’s Mick Thomson, Deftones’ Stephen Carpenter, and ’80s shredder supreme George Lynch...
For those who, like me, are suckers for soundscapes and vibes, Old Blood Noise Endeavors is jumping on the bandwagon of pedals like Walrus Audio’s Qi Etherealizer Pedal and Chase Bliss' MOOD with Parting – its own experimental glitch delay/reverb machine.
Developed in collaboration with musician, social media influencer, and YouTuber Emily Hopkins (Emily the Harpist), the pedal promises vibes for days... a.k.a to “enhance the granularity and ambience of most pedalboard soundscapes.”
It combines chance-based delay or reverb, modulations, degradation effects, and randomized clock changes to offer “pleasant surprises at each turn of a knob.” And for maximum integration with any type of rig, it comes fully equipped with stereo in and out, trails or true-bypass switching, expression control over every knob, MIDI control, and, of course, presets galore.
Jackson here! Earlier this week, we told y'all about Molly Tuttle's two new signature Martins. At the show, the acoustic maestro was kind enough to give us a tour of the models – a D-18 and a more affordable D-X2E – herself.
The premium model is inspired by her treasured 1943 D-18, and she’s also bringing the 1940s neck profile to the more affordable X-Series for the first time. Oh, and how about those moon phase inlays!
Seymour Duncan had already had a pretty big January anyway, with the release of the Slash 3.0 signature humbucker set, a recreation of the pickups the top-hatted guitar great had fitted to the Gibson SG he used at Ozzy Osbourne's Back to the Beginning show.
Now, the company has unveiled the 50th Anniversary Limited Edition JB / Jazz Humbucker Set, which celebrates the company's roots via period-correct parts such as butyrate bobbins and rough-cast magnets. Retro tonehounds'll love this one.
Mike here – I've just wrapped an always informative chat with Paul Gilbert over in Ernie Ball's secret (and mercifully quiet) room. He let me in on the most dangerous bend you can attempt on the guitar, and why he just started using 7-gauge strings. You guys aren't ready.
Ernie Ball Music Man made quite a splash a few years ago with its announcement of the DarkRay bass – a StingRay with onboard fuzz and distortion effects from Darkglass Electronics. The bass even – alongside volume, bass, treble, and blend controls – has a gain knob with an LED ring around it that glows red or blue depending on which gain voice you're using.
Set to come out in a few months' time, the DarkRay II builds on its older sibling's template with new, fully integrated octave up and octave down effects. Oh, and that octave knob? It also has an LED ring around it that glows depending on how you deploy it. I mean, how cool is that?
Everyone's chatting about the Neural DSP Quad Cortex mini, but let's give some love to the AM4 – Fractal’s newest launch that puts its acclaimed tech into its most accessible form factor yet.
I'm a sucker for the Nano Cortex, but I (MO) was hugely impressed here. I've never actually played a Fractal, but I only ever hear good things (I have a friend who swears by his). Very responsive, very dynamic, very nice effects.
What does the future of AI in the guitar pedal industry look like? Well, it might look like the Polyend Endless – a do-it-all hardware pedal that turns prompts into actual, usable effects.
I asked it to build a lo-fi tape echo and, after a follow-up prompt, it delivered the goods. The stock Memory Cloud effect also sounds really convincing. Oh, and it won Best of Show this year. No biggie.
Hello, Matt P here. I just want to tip the cap to Surfy Industries’ extremely cool Beach Boys Pet Sounds Compact Reverb.
It’s the firm's regular Compact Reverb, rebadged and officially endorsed with Pet Sounds artwork, ready to roll out in May as a limited edition build in time for the 60th anniversary of that landmark album.
The Compact might not seem that compact, but it is notable for being a genuine, real-deal spring reverb (as in it has an actual spring inside) that will fit comfortably on your pedalboard.
It's also the last time you'll be able to buy the regular Compact from Surfy Industries, as it's being discontinued in favor of the Deluxe model. As a Beach Boys fan, I wants it...
It's JB on the mic (Janelle)... bringing you more goods this NAMM Sunday.
Third Man Hardware usually has a treat in-store for NAMM and this year it's a historic artifact... a.k.a Jack White’s NFL Lions Triplecaster, as used in his special NFL halftime show with Eminem during Thanksgiving.
We caught up with the guys from Third Man Hardware to get the lowdown on how this guitar came about...
Sterling by Music Man is continuing to serve budget-friendly this NAMM... and we absolutely love it.
The brand just launched its own version of Cory Wong's StingRay II (fun fact: the Music Man version was announced at last year's NAMM), and it's a lot of guitar for just a fraction of the OG's price. Expect it some time later this year (date TBA)...
And if you're in the market for a baritone, Sterling by Music Man has just rolled out its first-ever baritone guitar. Featuring a 27.5” scale, 24 frets, and B-standard tuning, this all-new model promises to deliver “a deeper low-end presence within the StingRay lineup.”
Our team in Anaheim had the opportunity to go behind the scenes at Gibson's invite-only preview room at NAMM... and managed to get an exclusive sneak peek at some very tasty Custom Shop models.
Elite craftsmanship was on full display (and oh, there’s even a mysterious offset prototype…), making the perfect case for why guitar builders are indeed bona fide artists.
Speaking of bona fide art pieces and , well, I cannot help but mention GW editor Mike's encounter with the actual guitar used by Nigel Tufnel in Spinal Tap II.
And yes, it comes fully equipped with a cheese/grater compartment (perfect for a mid-gig snack)...
And, what better way to test a new preamp than to have Nathan East, arguably the most recorded bass player in history, put it through its paces?
Laney has just launched the DB-EAST-PRE and its backstory takes us back to Laney’s Digbeth DB500H bass amplifier, which East began using in 2023. That led to the birth of a signature head, the dual-input DB-EAST, last year, and that “unprecedented flexibility” has been transferred into this smaller, but no less powerful, version.
“The Digbeth amp was loved at first sight,” says East. “We ended up taking it down to the Royal Albert Hall, and played a concert with it [with Eric Clapton] the following night.
“The DEB-EAST-PRE is a preamp with all the goodies in it. It's a total game-changer again. There's a lot of information packed into this little box.”
The guitar tone in Chris Isaak's Wicked Game is a classic... and the model behind that tone, the Silvertone 1446 semi-hollow electric, is being reissued for the first time in decades.
The new-and-improved model features some contemporary upgrades (of course). Its original “2×4 lumber” neck profile has been re-engineered, delivering a modern-taper soft C-shape, while a chambered center-block maple body improves sustain, reduces feedback, and bolsters its dynamic range.
Its electronics pay tribute to the OG, however, with P19 mini humbuckers that have been painstakingly recreated in order to emulate the iconic tone.
And this one's for all the buskers/street performers out there...
Roland is rolling out its latest battery-powered PA solution, with “class-leading tools” designed for gigging musicians and street performers alike.
The Cube Street Mini is dinky, easy to carry, and battery-powered (via an onboard rechargeable battery with a seven-hour playtime) setup. What's more – it's also designed to handle multiple instruments, with an onboard dial for a more dedicated tonality via modes for acoustic guitars, keyboards, electric guitars, and vocals.
Ernie Ball always knows how to make strings FUN, and this year, it introduced Ernie, its ingenious take on the old Zoltar fortune-telling machine, best known from the Tom Hanks flick Big.
Push the button and it will tell you your lucky string gauges. Mine were 10-13-17-30-42-52. I feel suddenly compelled to buy a set of Skinny Top Heavy Bottoms…
British amp firm Blackstar's NAMM was highlighted by the introduction of its ID:X Digital Floorboard series, a high-powered floor modeler series that takes aim straight at the Fender Tone Master Pro.
In tandem with this announcement came that of the company's new Artist FR series of FRFR speakers, designed to give users of the ID:X – or, obviously, the Quad Cortex, Tone Master Pro, etc. – a realistic, tube amp-like response. They come loaded with onboard EQs, and 50 or 100 watts of power, depending on your choice of model. Good for bridging the gap between traditional and more 2020s-era rigs, we reckon.
Earlier this week, we told you about Casio’s phenomenal, strap-mounted Dimension Shifter, a device that lets players control effect parameters with their movements.
On the show floor, we kindly got the fine folks at Casio to give us a tour, and show us how it, well, actually works.
With the introduction of a more affordable version of Cory Wong’s signature StingRay II, its first ever baritone, and a scaled-back version of Jason Richardson's signature Cutlass, Sterling by Music Man has had one heck of a NAMM to crow about – and there's more, too.
An HSS version of Steve Lukather's ever-popular Luke signature model, sweet new finishes for the Cutlass Plus and StingRay Short Scale bass, and a new SUB Series StingRay Plus bass, are all in the cards for 2026.
Hello, Matt P here, back with the final day of our NAMM live blog. It's official. NAMM is truly over.
The music-making industry has left the building, the breakfast bars of Anaheim contain 90% fewer conversations referencing “true-bypass” and Team GW’s intrepid (and, at this point, somewhat fetid) roving reporters have been vanquished back to their cable-laden caves in the US and UK.
Worry not, though. I still have a very rock 'n' roll spreadsheet, laden with new gear to tell you about, so I will continue to hurl the most exciting parts of that directly into your eyes and ears until the close of play today...
One thing I've been keeping an eye on since spotting the teaser posts last week is this lovely new tube head from Two-Rock, the Studio Overdrive.
The brand has a rock-solid reputation for its boutique builds, and this looks like one of its most user-friendly and gain-y units yet. It’s a two-channel 35-watt design, based around a pair of 6L6 tubes, with a cascading overdrive channel and a buffered effects loop. So it’s no-nonsense setup, but then there’s a trio of mini-switches that offer additional tone sculpting options.
Two-Rock describes it as “fast under the fingers and confident in any setting”. I could certainly do with more of both of those attributes in my playing, so I’m pretty sure spending the $3,799 is definitely going to fix that for me...
Vertex Effects’ Mason Marangella and Gator Cases have teamed-up on a new “unified pedalboard” system that offers a high-end alternative to the slew of ‘all-in-one’ pedal kits that proliferate on Amazon.
There’s some smart design tweaks in here, as you’d hope from a pro of Marangella’s stature, –including risers that flip up to house power supplies, or the option to mount them below the ’board – and durable 8-gauge aluminum frames.
The trio of options are all available with tailored gig bags and bundled with fasteners, too, making it a truly one-stop shop. There’s also talk of hard cases to follow. Prices start from $199.
Blackstar undeniably have the chops when it comes to tone, but I don't usually find myself drooling over their designs. Until now.
The TV-10A and TV-10B are undeniably beautiful 10-watt tube-amp heads (each available with a complementary Celestion-loaded cab), based around their combo predecessors.
The ‘A’ uses an ECC83 preamp tube paired with a 6L6 power tube and is aimed at “players seeking the characteristically bright clean sounds and hot lead tones associated with American Class A amplification”, so expect ‘MESA’-style gain to be the order of the day here.
The ‘B’ meanwhile harkens back to Blackstar’s British base, channeling Marshall-like tones from a combination of ECC83 preamp and an EL34 power stage tubes.
Both have built-in reverb and effects loops, plus emulated line outs that take the signal after the power stage, to nail that tube tone with easy connectivity.
The heads will retail at $749.99, with the cabs at $499.99. Head to Blackstar for more.
Martin has gone and done ‘a Gibson’, savvily splitting its newly overhauled Road Series into Retro and Modern lines, to reflect its dual offering of both vintage-inspired classic (dreadnoughts, 000s etc) and more contemporary acoustics builds.
It’s not a refresh in the name only, either – 18 of the 20 instruments in the series have either been tweaked, or are new models, so there’s a lot to explore and, now, it is easier than ever to do so.
Prices start at $899.99 for a D-10 Retro Sapele, and run all the way to $2,099.99 for the DE Retro Plus Granadillo, with plenty in between...
All of that said, Martin has also slightly infuriatingly decided to throw some other model numbers in the mix, so the Mexican equivalent of a US Style 15, is a 10 Style, for some reason. Still, progress is progress.
May we request the simplification campaign hits up the good folk at Gretsch next...
Oh, for a glimpse inside the mind of Ola Strandberg. The founder of the Swedish guitar firm has been on a hot-streak for years now, having spotted a sizeable gap in the market for a luthier who wasn’t intent on forensically rebuilding mid-century models and then attacking them with their keys (jk).
Strandberg-the-man was on hand at NAMM to tell GW about his latest build, the grandly-titled Chameleon.
It’s a collab project with MIDI guitar maestros Jamstik that takes the firm’s Boden model and adds a MIDI pickup and a color-shifting finish to the mix, making it flexible on both the ear and eye...
Jackson here! Before we officially usher NAMM out with a grand fireworks display and a parade, I wanted to highlight juuuust a couple more things that came across my digital desk during the show.
Kepma's Elite Grand Auditorium F2S Lamplight acoustic stopped me in my tracks because, man, look at those inlays! The Nashville-based brand says that the fretboard is meant to represent the floors of a high-rise apartment building, with the inlays being the various lighting scenarios within that high-rise. Bringing cyberpunk to an otherwise classically-styled acoustic – you gotta love that.
Yamaha's NAMM was dominated by the release of the RS02CB – a recreation of Chris Buck's beloved custom shop Revstar – and the company's announcement of a mass-produced Pacifica single-cut.
There were also a couple of anniversaries to celebrate – the big 6-0 for both the FG9 acoustic and the aforementioned Revstar. Luxuriously-spec'd anniversary models were designed for both, and boy do they look beautiful.
Aaaaaand that just about wraps everything up! My colleagues who were on-site are back home and currently gathering their thoughts – and will soon report the things they learned, the trends they spotted, and their thoughts on where the industry is heading. Until then, though, thank you for following us on this great gear journey. 'Til next year!
