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I went to NAMM this year for 2 days and wanted to share some of what I saw. I'll be starting threads in the Pickups, Guitars, Amps, and Pedals sections. Please note the following disclaimers:
DISCLAIMER 1: These previews are by no means comprehensive. I was at NAMM for only 2 out of 4 days. There are, like, 10 billion things there. I only checked out what interested me.
DISCLAIMER 2: Guitars and Amp threads will be more substantial because those interest me most. Pedals and Pickups threads will be skimpy because those don't demo well in the NAMM environment.
DISCLAIMER 3: My 5 year-old phone has a terrible camera.
Enjoy!
NAMM 2017 Guitars thread
NAMM 2017 Amps thread
NAMM 2017 Pickups thread
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There are many pedal manufacturers at NAMM - this seems to be the fastest growing segment of the electric guitar industry - but NAMM isn't a great place to demo or learn about pedals. The typical presentation is a giant pedalboard filled with a brand's complete line of pedals, and some guy hogging the pedalboard for hours at a time.
So I didn't spend much time with pedals at NAMM. I just happened to catch the stuff listed below.
1. Tech 21 Fly Rigs (Brit, Cali, 5 (Plexi), Richie Kotzen (RK5))
Half the Fly Rigs aren't new, but they're all new to me, and probably still new to many. They're at a price point ($250ish) that's certainly within reach but not as mentally accessible as your average $100 or $150 pedal one gambles on, knowing that one can easily flip it.
Tech 21 had them all lined up to try, so I tried them all - and liked them all.
If I remember correctly, there are 4 flavors:
I have to emphasize how small these things are. They are smaller than they look in pictures. From the Tech 21 site: "Actual size: 11.5" x 2.5"w x 1.25"h • Weight: 18.6 oz". So each one is about the size of a stack of foot-long rulers.
The delay ("DLA") and SansAmp sections of each seemed to be all the same, so I'll focus on the respective drive sections.
I am amazed at how much tone one can get now from such small form factors. We have nano or mini pedals now, so the Fly Rigs are sort of like all-in-one nano pedalboards. The controls are *tiny*, but that comes with the territory. You could show up at a gig with a guitar, a tuner, and one of these ruler-sized things, and plug into any ol' clean amp and rock the house. Well-done.
2. Friedman Dirty Shirley, Buxom Boost, Motor City Drive, Fuzz Fiend
I only had time to try the Dirty Shirley pedal. I've only spent a little time playing an actual Dirty Shirley, so I can't really compare the amp to the pedal. But I have played the BE-OD, and can say that if you liked the BE-OD, as I did, but wanted less gain, the Dirty Shirley fits the bill. It is simply a great Marshall in a box.
I must point out that it still felt like a pedal. The real thing will still be much better, as it should be. Dave Friedman's amps, like all good amps, have a presence that can only be emulated but not replicated by a pedal. You don't get the sensation that valves and speakers are working in concert with each other and you.
But this pedal sounds and feels fantastic for a pedal. I feel that Friedman makes the best Marshalls today, and this pedal is an affordable way to bottle some of that magic.
DISCLAIMER 1: These previews are by no means comprehensive. I was at NAMM for only 2 out of 4 days. There are, like, 10 billion things there. I only checked out what interested me.
DISCLAIMER 2: Guitars and Amp threads will be more substantial because those interest me most. Pedals and Pickups threads will be skimpy because those don't demo well in the NAMM environment.
DISCLAIMER 3: My 5 year-old phone has a terrible camera.
Enjoy!
NAMM 2017 Guitars thread
NAMM 2017 Amps thread
NAMM 2017 Pickups thread
*********************************************
There are many pedal manufacturers at NAMM - this seems to be the fastest growing segment of the electric guitar industry - but NAMM isn't a great place to demo or learn about pedals. The typical presentation is a giant pedalboard filled with a brand's complete line of pedals, and some guy hogging the pedalboard for hours at a time.
So I didn't spend much time with pedals at NAMM. I just happened to catch the stuff listed below.
1. Tech 21 Fly Rigs (Brit, Cali, 5 (Plexi), Richie Kotzen (RK5))
Half the Fly Rigs aren't new, but they're all new to me, and probably still new to many. They're at a price point ($250ish) that's certainly within reach but not as mentally accessible as your average $100 or $150 pedal one gambles on, knowing that one can easily flip it.
Tech 21 had them all lined up to try, so I tried them all - and liked them all.
If I remember correctly, there are 4 flavors:
1. Plexi (the original "Fly Rig 5")
2. Richie Kotzen sig ("RK5")
3. Brit
4. Cali
2. Richie Kotzen sig ("RK5")
3. Brit
4. Cali
I have to emphasize how small these things are. They are smaller than they look in pictures. From the Tech 21 site: "Actual size: 11.5" x 2.5"w x 1.25"h • Weight: 18.6 oz". So each one is about the size of a stack of foot-long rulers.
The delay ("DLA") and SansAmp sections of each seemed to be all the same, so I'll focus on the respective drive sections.
Plexi - I was surprised at how Plexi-like this was. This is not a high gain pedal. It can kind of get there with boost ("Hot" switch) engaged, but its sweet spot is the most classic of classic rock. I loved it.
Richie Kotzen - This was sort of like a Tube Screamer through the Plexi model, with a noticeably thick, creamy midrange bump. I quite liked this also, and think it could work well in the stoner rock/metal context.
Brit - This was a hot rodded Marshall. This performed very well, but it didn't stick out to me in terms of character. This space is extremely crowded at this price point. I would pick the original 2-channel Carl Martin Plexitone over this, or the Bogner La Grange or Ecstasy Blue, as those have more idiosyncratic flavors. If you wanted a truly generic (and I mean that in a good way) hot rodded Marshall tone, Brit might be for you.
Cali - This was a Mesa-type of smooth high gain. Not my thing, but very good. It would be a viable smaller alternative to, say, the Bogner Ecstasy Red pedal.
Richie Kotzen - This was sort of like a Tube Screamer through the Plexi model, with a noticeably thick, creamy midrange bump. I quite liked this also, and think it could work well in the stoner rock/metal context.
Brit - This was a hot rodded Marshall. This performed very well, but it didn't stick out to me in terms of character. This space is extremely crowded at this price point. I would pick the original 2-channel Carl Martin Plexitone over this, or the Bogner La Grange or Ecstasy Blue, as those have more idiosyncratic flavors. If you wanted a truly generic (and I mean that in a good way) hot rodded Marshall tone, Brit might be for you.
Cali - This was a Mesa-type of smooth high gain. Not my thing, but very good. It would be a viable smaller alternative to, say, the Bogner Ecstasy Red pedal.
I am amazed at how much tone one can get now from such small form factors. We have nano or mini pedals now, so the Fly Rigs are sort of like all-in-one nano pedalboards. The controls are *tiny*, but that comes with the territory. You could show up at a gig with a guitar, a tuner, and one of these ruler-sized things, and plug into any ol' clean amp and rock the house. Well-done.
2. Friedman Dirty Shirley, Buxom Boost, Motor City Drive, Fuzz Fiend
I only had time to try the Dirty Shirley pedal. I've only spent a little time playing an actual Dirty Shirley, so I can't really compare the amp to the pedal. But I have played the BE-OD, and can say that if you liked the BE-OD, as I did, but wanted less gain, the Dirty Shirley fits the bill. It is simply a great Marshall in a box.
I must point out that it still felt like a pedal. The real thing will still be much better, as it should be. Dave Friedman's amps, like all good amps, have a presence that can only be emulated but not replicated by a pedal. You don't get the sensation that valves and speakers are working in concert with each other and you.
But this pedal sounds and feels fantastic for a pedal. I feel that Friedman makes the best Marshalls today, and this pedal is an affordable way to bottle some of that magic.
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