Four great music finds you should check out
- Oz Guitar Works Tau-6 headless guitar
- ZT ‘Lunchbox’ Amplifiers
- OZZtosh gleaming aluminum guitars
- WalkaBout drums: replace your cajon?
A musician at a NAMM show is like a kid turned loose for a day in a candy store. Wherever you look, there’s something that makes your mouth water. That’s true if you are a seasoned visitor or a first-time newbie.
Now the dust has settled on Summer NAMM 2018, presented by the National Association of Music Merchants, we can look back at some of the ideas and products that really stood out. NAMM’s ‘Make Music Experience’ sets aside a day each year for ‘prosumers’ to get an all-day, all access pass at a very affordable price. (See previous posts here at NashvilleMusicLine.com.)
Through the eyes and ears of a newbie
I returned this year (my 28th NAMM) for the full three-day show. But on the final day, the ‘Make Music Experience’ day, I brought along Storm, a NAMM newbie, to experience the vibe through her eyes and ears. Storm is an up-and-coming alternative songwriter, artist and musician. Here are some of the outstanding products we were able to try out.
Let’s start with Storm’s report, in her own words, about two items that caught her attention…
“I can hardly believe when I got the opportunity to attend Summer NAMM, I was so excited,” said Storm. “As an artist walking down the rows of guitars and other gear, I felt like a kid in a candy store. NAMM did not disappoint. There were so many amazing booths, but in particular a couple of products stood out to me.”
Oz Guitar Works Tau-6 headless guitar
The first was Oz Guitar Works Tau-6 headless guitar. The Tau-6 is a compact, yet sturdy, headless guitar that is, as a NAMM goer said, “effortless” to play. It features a wood neck and aluminum body, modular removeable pick-ups, steel nuts, dual stereo jack outputs, and a clean sheet design. William ‘Oz’ Anderson was a very chill dude and took the time to answer questions and show his guitars.
When I asked Oz about his inspiration for the Tau-6 he replied, “I wanted to make a guitar that sounded and played better but took a minimalistic view. Keep the essential, chop the rest.” Making this guitar did not come without it’s challenges. Oz states that some of his biggest challenges were making the aluminum body affordable and making the petite body attractive.
If you are a performer wanting a travel guitar that is not bulky, this is the guitar for you. And if you’re a studio musician, the sound and quality of the Tau-6 is great! I played this little beast and it is different from every other guitar I’ve played. It was light as a feather and the sustain was incredible! Here’s more info about Oz and the guitars.
ZT ‘Lunchbox’ Amplifiers
The second was ZT Amplifiers. These amps may be small, but they pack a punch. The sound for size and weight of these amps is outstanding. I could hear the guitar crystal clear over the energetic crowd at NAMM. Everybody that walked by stopped and stared in awe of the power and volume of these miniature amps. ZT features multiple different versions aptly named ‘Lunchbox’ amps.
The one that stood out to me was the ZT Lunchbox Acoustic Amp. It has a mic input, a switchable 115V/230V for international travel, and a 6.5” speaker all in 12 lbs. I asked what sparked the idea for these little amps and Michael from ZT said, “We saw an opportunity in the market and had the design capability to create a product to fill that spot, something that would make gigging much easier for guitarists.”
These amps would make gigging so much easier for artists like me who perform in smaller places, like coffee shops.
If you’re into a minimalistic lifestyle and performance, these products are definitely something you want to check out. The sound and quality for their size is impeccable. NAMM was an awesome experience that I’ll never forget, and I hope to see more of these guys there! If you’re interested in these products, click the links above. Keep rockin’! – Storm.
My thanks to Storm for her comments as a first-time attendee at Summer NAMM. You can follow Storm on facebook here, and on Twitter here.
And now two items that I thought you’d like to know about.
OZZtosh aluminum guitars
We’ve all seen different types of guitars from solid body to hollow body, made from ash, maple, poplar and other materials. But aluminum? Like Storm (see above) that’s what we found at the OZZtosh booth. First of all, these guitars look amazing. Each one is a gleaming work of art with a high metallic gloss shine. (We were informed that custom finishes are also available.)
The OZZtosh LUMA T guitar is machined from solid aluminum then hand-polished and assembled here in the USA. The neck is supplied by Moses Carbon Graphite We expected a solid metal body guitar to be heavy but, surprisingly, the LUMA weighs no more than an average electric guitar.
So how do they sound? From what we heard at the booth and saw in the videos at the OZZtosh website, the answer is: pretty darn good. You can read a review from Guitar Player magazine here. As reviewer Dave Hunter says, “It’s a great alternative for any player seeking some major flash on stage.” The OZZtosh LUMA S and LUMA T both retail for $5,995.00. See pictures, descriptions and more at their website
WalkaBout Drums
You need some percussion on stage to add a bit of oomph to your acoustic performance or in a writers’ round. You can slap the guitar body, but it’s hard to pick and slap at the same time. So you ask a friend to play the cajon, and that sounds good. But now there’s an alternative and your cajon-slapping buddy needs to know about it.
At the WalkaBout Drums booth, we were fascinated to see and try exactly what the name says: a drum you can walk about with. Basically, it resembles the body of an acoustic guitar without the neck. Using the supplied strap, you can play it while sitting or standing, flat against your body or on your lap. Or while walking about, presumably. We saw it played with fingertips, palms and knuckles, being slapped tapped or rubbed, right and/or left-handed.
There are two versions: Venture ($299 retail) and Odyssey ($499). Both are outfitted with internal microphones and can be plugged in to any amp or sound system using a standard guitar cable. The Odyssey features a dual-source LR Baggs system with an iBeam pickup and mic, plus on-board volume and balance controls. Both versions can be played acoustically without connecting to an amp.
From what we heard at their booth, the WalkaBouts have a greater range of percussion than a standard cajon and they don’t require the awkward ‘straddling’ seated position of a cajon player. You can see a video of a WalkaBout in action at their website. This looks like a great alternative to a cajon for about the same price.
Ideas and inspiration
Every visitor to Summer NAMM comes away with ideas and inspiration to energize their life in music. To find out more about NAMM and their two annual shows (Nashville, Tennessee and Anaheim, California) visit their website here.
Preshias Harris is a music journalist and music career development consultant with the emphasis on new and aspiring artists and songwriters. Her book, ‘The College of Songology 101: The Singer/Songwriter’s Need to Know Reference Handbook’ is available at www.collegeofsongology.com Follow her blog at www.nashvillemusicline.com