NAMM 2018: news, announcements, videos and more from Anaheim

Join us on a pre-NAMM snoop around Moog's amazing House of Electronicus

NAMM 2018: Contrary to the world at large, the guitar and music tech gear world was filled with good news in 2017, so hopes are high that the upcoming Winter NAMM show is going to knock our socks clean off.

Held every year in Anaheim, California, this trade-only event sees the world's biggest (and smallest) developers and manufacturers gathering together to show off their latest products for guitarists, hi-tech musicians, drummers, DJs and many others.

To ensure you don't miss out on anything , we'll be updating this page with all the news that comes in.

Stay tuned!

Guitars

- As Gibson skips NAMM, Fender unveils Parallel Universe range and "mischievous" Troublemaker Tele

- Fender also dives into the effects market with six new stompoxes

- Eric Johnson and Fender unveil first contoured Stratocaster Thinline

- Astonishing backing-band-in-a-box OneManBand in action

- Hold the line! RapcoHorizon's latest V-Cable can mute and change your guitar's volume

- The LTD Stand, in pictures

- Misha Mansoor talks us through his new Jackson USA Signature Juggernaut

- Marshall are zipping up their boots...

- Signature models, metal monsters and active axes on the LTD stand

- Still more Fender goodness as Fender Custom Shop fails to disappoint yet again, with jawdropping Prestige Collection one-offs

- Check out our video of the new flasgship Katana Artist 100 amp

- Blackstar has unveiled its first ever bass amps

- New hot-rodded Charvel pro mods

- LOADS of Jackson Pro X and JS series axes

- Mansoot and Broderick signatures from Jackson

- Gretsch makes 135th birthdays a thing

- New Mick Thomson signatures from Jackson emerge

- Orange have unveiled a Brent Hinds signature Terror head, and Rocker 15 Terror head and Crush Mini amps. We got hands-on with the Hinds

- Mark Tremonti takes his PRS relationship "to the next level" with his first signature amp, the MT-15

- HeadRush are bringing their new FRFR-112, which they claim is the perfect amp for modellers and FX freaks

- It's a new era for Hughes & Kettner's premium acoustic amp range

- The first Harmonic Hendrix Home Guitars are being showcased at the show - they're acoustics built out of wood salvaged from Jimi’s childhood home

- EVH Gear is feeling blue

- Pigtronix have note-following harmoniser and tremolo effects a gogo in their new Ringmaster pedal

- D’Angelico has launched its first-ever solidbody electric guitars, the Bedford, Atlantic and Ludlow

- With its Hampton and Westbury baritone electric guitars, Supro is aiming low

- Electro-Harmonix's gargantuan 6-track 95000 looper is like having a foot-controlled mini studio

- EMG has unleashed the Kirk Hammett Bone Breaker pickup set

- IK Multimedia is promising “a new level of hardware/software integration for stage and studio” in its latest video teaser…

- SoundBrut's new VA boost pedal is out, and it pumps up to 30db

- There are two new pedals from Greek pedal co Crazy Tube Circuits, the Constellation Of Fuzz and Ziggy V2 pedals

- Bass titan Marcus Miller's collaboration with Markbass has yielded the 'Little Marcus' amp head

- There's plenty to chew over from Vox, including the fully featured Nutube MVX150 head and combo and two new MV50 micro heads, plus the updated Starstream Type 1 Plus Mahogany modelling guitar

- No NAMM would be complete without new Korg tuners, and this year, the company is promising a revolution with its OLED screen polyphonic clip-ons

- Way Huge has launched its first ever bass pedal, the Pork & Pickle

- Something new this way comes from Catalinbread

- Acoustic innovation comes courtesy of the Tonik Sound Pulse, which allows players to get delay, distortion and reverb effects direct from an acoustic guitar

- Yamaha has issued a new top-line TRBX bass model, with much more to come…

- There's an awful lot to come from Cort this year, but first up is the fan-fret KX500FF, which boasts EMG 707 pickups

- Want Rat distortion tones without a pedal? The Rat Tail features the classic circuit crammed into a guitar cable

- Chase Bliss Audio has introduced the Condor Analog EQ / Pre / Filter pedal, and there's something more to come: the mysterious Thermae

- The first of Fender's announcements is in, and it's a replacement for the venerable American Vintage line: get a load of the 11-strong American Original Series

- Walrus Audio has dropped another typically desirable pedal, the Fathom Multi-Function Reverb

- Soundscapers rejoice, for Rainger FX has announced the overdrive-equipped Reverb-X mini pedal

- Vintage string enthusiasts will be pleased to see the reintroduction of La Bella's renowed '60s and '70s Bender sets

- Fano has dropped a new offset bass design, the JM4-FB

- There's a quartet of new Align Series acoustic preamp pedals incoming from LR Baggs

- Mad Professor has revealed its “most amp-like pedal ever”, the Little Tweedy Drive

- Martin's only gone and reimagined its entire, 21-strong Standard Series line for 2018, and launched a $15k signature acoustic for guitar lothario John Mayer

- More ingenuity from Alexander Pedals, which has announced the feature-rich Quadrant Audio Mirror delay

- Lollar has lifted the lid on its “harder, heavier, more aggressive” dB Humbucker guitar pickup

- Cort has expanded its Artisan Series with a new open-pore six-string bass, the B6 Plus AS, and we hear there's much more to come

- Dave Friedman calls it "the best amp I've ever made"; we call it the highly flexible, super-desirable Friedman Amps BE-50 Deluxe 50-watt All-Tube Head

- EarthQuaker Devices has introduced the Westwood Translucent Drive Manipulator, plus five V2 pedals

- There are four new digital pedals incoming from TC Electronic, dubbed the Sonic Specialists, plus the intriguing Teleport Guitar Transmission System

- As per its parent brand, Epiphone won't be attending NAMM, but it's unveiled Anaconda Burst-finished Slash Les Paul Standard Plus Top Pro guitars nonetheless

- Boss has launched the world’s first fully wireless guitar amp system, the Katana-Air - and before you complain about it "not being the first", note that it has a built-in wireless receiver AND it can run on batteries. No wires at all!

- Guild's offerings include a reissue of '60s oddball the Jetstar, plus the Starfire Bass, F-55 and D-240E Flame Mahogany and more

- D'Addario has announced the really-quite-useful Clip-free Micro Tuner, as well as a boatload of other fresh accessories, including a DIY Pedalboard Power Kit

- Something big this way comes from EHX. We'll say no more

- Schecter's new line-up is out of the bag, and it's full of big-name specs, with a few retro rockers to boot

- There's more Tony Iommi goodness from Laney, as the Black Sabbath legend receives a lower-wattage, more widely available version of his debut-aping signature head, the LA30BL - and there's more to come, apparently

- Ibanez has teamed up with Korg to produce the Nutube-equipped NTS Tube Screamer, and casually dropped 50+ new electric guitars, 25 new basses, plus a Tom Quayle signature model

- ThorpyFX will be attending NAMM and bringing something new along for the ride

- Mooer is dropping three new Micro Preamp mini pedals, its mini treadle-ready pitch-shifter, the Pitch Step, as well as the Audiofile headphone pedalboard amp

- Italian company Sim1 will be showcasing its XT-1 pedal, which promises to emulate the sound of any electric or acoustic guitar - it's a bit like a Kemper for guitars

- Framus will be unveiling two new Devin Townsend-designed guitars, with the possibility of “more reasonable prices” according to Devin

- Ryan Adams' signature Strat is very nearly ready… will the man himself be at NAMM?

- There’s something EL34-flavoured coming from Marshall

- The news that Tosin Abasi is producing his own guitars came as a surprise after a long relationship with Ibanez, and his newly formed company will be attending NAMM

- In a surprise move, Gibson has confirmed it won't be attending NAMM; nonetheless, it's unveiled updated electrics, fresh Montana acoustics and Memphis semis - and even revived the RD, announced a Semi-Hollow version of its controversial Modern Double Cut guitar and teased the radical Modern Flying V

- ESP has already dropped what must surely be its entire LTD line-up for 2018, including multi-scale models, jaw-dropping new finishes and a fresh Black Metal range

- Warwick’s RockBoard line is setting out for pedalboard dominance with a totally redesigned range

- PRS has released new SE models and updated the entire line, as well as six new SE Acoustics, limited-edition S2 Studio and DW CE 24 ‘Floyd’ models and the Custom 24-08, not to mention the luxurious Private Stock Hollowbody II 594 Limited Edition - we’re still awaiting news of a Mark Tremonti signature amp and that Strat-style John Mayer model, though…

- Paul Gilbert has developed a set of PG-13 mini-humbuckers with DiMarzio

- There are exciting Orange plans afoot, big and small, but we can’t say any more than that…

- Bon Jovi guitarist Phil X is pulling no punches with his LAA-Custom F**k Jazz Overdrive pedal

- Radical tweaks are expected from Taylor

- T-Rex won't be showcasing a working version of its take on the Binson Echorec, by the sounds of it

- Zivix will be premiering two new Jamstik+ smart guitars, to focus on two different player groups: learners and creators

- Will we see the release of TC Electronic's Roland Juno-inspired chorus, the June-60?

- Acoustic specialist Fishman gives its Loudbox Mini a rechargeable battery and bluetooth.

– Danish overdrive merchants Lunastone will be previewing four all-new pedals.

Tech

- Waves has partnered with a couple of big names to produce new channel strip and guitar amp plugins; namely, mix engineer Andrew Scheps and guitar manufacturer PRS.

- Antares has unveiled Auto-Tune Pro - the successor to Auto-Tune 8 - which offers a new interface that streamlines the workflow.

- Avid has released Pro Tools 2018, the latest version of its famous DAW. This puts the emphasis on workflow, adding features that are designed to speed up the music-making process.

- Apple has released its now traditional NAMM-time Logic update - version 10.4 should be in the App Store as you read this. It’s another freebie for Logic Pro X owners, and features a new tempo detection technology and additional plugin effects.

- IK Multimedia's iRig Stomp I/O is a full-on USB pedalboard that contains four switches, an expression pedal and a 24-bit/96kHz audio interface, and it’s designed to be used both in the studio and on stage.

- It feels like pretty much every music software developer and their dogs have released TR-909 and TR-808 drum machine emulations at some point over the past couple of decades, but now Roland, creator of the original hardware, is doing the same.

- It’s got to be the iOS music-making deal of the decade: Intua’s BeatMaker 3, the acclaimed iPad DAW, is free for the duration of the NAMM Show.

- Take a look inside a house that leads an amazing double life. When the Asheville synthesists come to town, it becomes the Moog House of Electronicus!

- Audient has already impressed in the desktop audio interface market with the iD4, iD14 and iD22, and now it’s setting its sights on the slightly higher end with the iD44.

- Guitar pedal specialist Strymon is getting into the Eurorack game with Magneto, a stereo multi-head tape delay module.

- Nord’s Electro has long been favoured by those who require a high-performance yet compact stage keyboard, and now we have version 6 to consider.

- Alesis's Vortex 2 keytar MIDI controller promises an enhanced control layout and superior playability in comparison to its predecessor, and comes in a gloss black housing.

- Alesis is looking to strengthen its position in the electronic drum kit market with the launch of the Surge Mesh and Command Mesh 8-piece kits, each of which comes with five drums and three cymbals.

- Sonnox has a new processing package called VoxDoubler, a product that, unsurprisingly, is designed to produce vocal doubling effects.

- Playtime Engineering’s Blipblox could well be that rare thing - a child-friendly electronic instrument that actually feels like a proper synth.

- Pioneer DJ is aiming to simplify the process of recording DJ mixes with DJM-REC, a new iOS app that promises simple set-up, high-quality audio and easy sharing.

- Adam Audio has unveiled a new “accessibly-priced” range of nearfield studio monitors in the form of the T Series. These inherit some of the features from Adam’s flagship S Series, and come in 5-inch and 7-inch varieties (T5V and T7V).

- Audified has worked in collaboration with the recording engineers at Drum Workshop to create DW Drum Enhancer, a new plugin that it says is “the only drum processor you’ll ever need”.

- Bitwig will be showing version 2.3 of its DAW. Leading the charge is Phase-4, a 4-oscillator phase distortion and phase modulation synth that takes inspiration from the likes of Yamaha’s DX7 and Casio’s CZ series.

- Already available for Mac and iOS, Korg and Detune are bringing Gadget to the Nintendo eShop in the spring, and more details have now been confirmed.

- Loopmasters will be showing Loopcloud 2, a new version of its sample management software that enables you to audition sounds from within your DAW.

- No, it’s not a new OP-1, this is the ELZ_1 from Sonicware. It sports a healthy number of sound engines and we can’t wait to hear how it plays at the show, next week.

- Native Instruments has launched Sounds, an online sample content subscription service, which will host sounds from over 200 partners as well as all of Native Instruments’ sample, loop and expansion content.

- Korg’s Konnect is a portable PA that can be used in variety of situations. Housed in a single unit, you could use it for small-room live performances, DJing, at a party or anywhere else you might require it.

- The biggest news from Korg at this year’s show has to be the launch of the Prologue. Coming in both 8-voice, 49-key and 16-voice, 61-key flavours - nice!

- The long awaited update (nearly 40 years) to the Korg KR-55 rhythm machine is here, in the form of the KR-55 Pro.

- Possibly one of the most in-demand Korg products in a while is the new Volca Mix. The ‘performance analogue mixer’ can also power up to three Volca units.

- Audiofusion is a new software solution that promises to make wireless in-ear monitoring accessible to all and all from your smartphone.

- It seems three is the magic number for Arturia, as the french music tech firm followed up the MiniBrute 2 and 2S announcements with RackBrute.

- Universal Audio is taking aim at the portable audio interface market with the launch of Arrow.

- Pioneer DJ’s DDJ-1000 has a familiar look to it, and features the same jog wheels as you’ll find on Pioneer’s CDJ-2000NXS2. There’s also an On Jog display that displays track information, saving you from having to look at your laptop.

- Not content with releasing just the one MiniBrute 2, Arturia have dropped another. The S2 ditches the 25-note keyboard in favour of a set of performance pads, and includes a triple-layer sequencer with space to save up to 64 sequences.

- Arturia has seriously beefed-up the MiniBrute in version two. It’s now a full-on semi modular monosynth with a KeyStep-inspired sequencer.

- Radikal Technologies will be taking to the show floor with a new Eurorack gateway drug, called the Delta Cep A semi-modular synth.

- Not content with just showing us the new Quantum, Waldorf will also be dropping a whole ton of vocoding string synth in the form of the snappily-named STVC.

- Despite no actual physical presence at the show, although we’re hoping Moog will be in the neighbourhood to show off its ever expanding family, which now includes the DFAM.

- Focusrite has uncorked another classic vintage, with an update to the Clarett range.

- Want 384kHz operation in a desktop audio interface? Then you need look no further than the JoeCo Cello.

- With up to 20 hours on a single charge, Samson’s new Expedition XP108w PA is a busker’s dream.

- Novation are going big at this year’s show with a user-experience to rival most booth offerings.

- High performance at low, low prices might be the mantra of a used car salesman, it’s also the USP for JBL’s series 4 mkII monitors.

- Dropping some news at CES is Roland with two mobile-centric offerings. First up is the 4XCamera app makes it easy to create split-screen music videos.

- It’s not all about video though, as the Japanese giant has unleashed the R-07; a handheld recorder that you can control from your phone.

- Another mobile offering, the R4 from CEntrance is a proper serious looking interface, with plenty of pro features.

- Apogee has completely overhauled its USB mic with a new ‘Plus’ edition.

- No random button-bashing here. Moldover had created a new unnamed instrument in the form of a modded Akai LPK 25, which is now in the hands of the highly digitally dextrous Glasys.

- Behringer is up to its usual tricks with yet another unknown prototype, much to the annoyance of those who are still waiting for their Model D clone to arrive (see below)

- IK Multimedia tells us that it'll "be bringing hardware/software integration to a new level for both studio and stage – with something for guitars, vocals AND keyboards”. Intriguing...

- It's already shown some new wares at CES, but Roland is assuring us that there's more to come at NAMM. Synths, perhaps?

- We’re hoping that Waldorf’s long-awaited Quantum polysynth will get an airing; pre-orders are now being taken and it’s scheduled to ship in January

- Given that it’s been available to pre-order for six months, Behringer will be under pressure to show a finished version of its Minimoog-cloning Behringer D synth. Inevitably, it’ll also be quizzed about its on/off plans to emulate a whole load of other synths, too

- Another well-known music technology manufacturer is set to unveil additions to its audio interface range, promising great performance at a relatively low price

- Following Gibson’s decision to end development of its products, is it too much to hope that we might hear some good news about Cakewalk?

- As a general theme, we’re going to stick our neck out and say that this could be the year of the analogue polysynth. The market is flooded with monophonic instruments, so it feels like the next logical step

- We know that both Ableton Live 10 and FL Studio 20 are scheduled for release in 2018, but we doubt that either will be on display at NAMM

- Word has it that CEntrance could be launching a new mobile recording interface

- There's often a new Dave Smith synth at NAMM but, to the best of our knowledge, his company won't be exhibiting at the show this year, so a product announcement seems unlikely

MSRP: $349.99 / £350

As with the other models in the range a the Tele HH features a slim, C-shaped neck with 12-inch fingerboard radius. There are two ceramic humbuckers with chrome covers, which should offer a hot-rodded Tele tone.