NAMM 2011 (EVH Booth content)

[indeedido]

I can't even imagine playing with Edward looking over my shoulder. My brain would take a memory dump. "Hey Ed, check out this A chord. I can go E A D with no problem."

[Diamondjimi]

[rocknrolldork]

The only reasoning for it that comes to mind is some difficulty with the locking nut placement. Yet even that could be remedied by putting the adjustment for the truss rod on the reverse side of the headstock. But still, why on Earth would you need a locking nut on a stop tailpiece equipped guitar?

I agree it doesn't look the best, but if it in some way helps take away the headstock worries that sure is an advantage from Gibson guitars. I always fear the strap locks will break or slip and the headstock will break off.

I have a guitar from the 80's that had a stop tail with fine tuners. It was great for quick fine tuining live.

[Hardrock69]

A locking nut on a stop-tailpiece is still going to help insure the guitar stays in tune, as when you bend a string, the string itself slides through the slots of the nut. If it catches, even a micro-amount, the string will not be in it's original location and thus will not be tuned as it was. A locking nut prevents string movement through the nut.

[Hardrock69]

HAHA! totally dude. That made me giggle a little. Ed liked it. Although if it was me, he woulda hated my hack intro to Aint Talkin Bout Love. 25 years & I still barely have that phucker down. Not even really.

(I can still play it better than Slash did at that God-awful R&R Hall Of Fame version)

The only time I ever saw Michael Schenker play live was at a club in Kansas City in the late 90s. Did not think it could get any better, as there were only about 100 people in the club, and I was right up front, right in front of him for the entire night.

Then, immediately after the set, they announced he would be signing stuff after a while, so I went to the merch table and bought an 8 X 10. After a half an hour or so they brought him out, and installed him in a little niche where I just happened to be standing, so I wound up first in line.

I got to tell him "Dude....after 25 years of trying to get it right, I STILL cannot play Captain Nemo for shit!" and he cracked up.

Some stuff is just meant for those who can play the impossible.

[Nitro Express]

The tech guys I've talked to all love that feature... I've been told it makes adjustments very easy... personally, I don't mind it...

It never bothered me and it is an easy truss rod to adjust. It also makes sense when you have a locking nut and a small headstock. Also, we have to remember Ed designed these guitars to go on the road with and humidity and temperature changes sometimes require truss rod tweaking. The graphite reinforced necks are more stable than the old type of neck but with the bare wood Ed likes, the neck is more prone to need truss rod adjustments.

[Nitro Express]

I agree it doesn't look the best, but if it in some way helps take away the headstock worries that sure is an advantage from Gibson guitars. I always fear the strap locks will break or slip and the headstock will break off.

I have a guitar from the 80's that had a stop tail with fine tuners. It was great for quick fine tuining live.

I have a Gibson SG Custom I love to play. Those guitars seem so fragile with the thin body, the glued neck joint with not a lot of wood there for support and of course the Gibson headstock that breaks off so easy. As soon as I'm done, that guitar goes right in the case. I leave my Strat and Wolfgang just laying around. Nothing is going to break on either one. If the strap comes loose and the guitar falls to the floor the worst that would happen is a ding, a dent, or a chip. Maybe nothing would happen as well. Not so with that SG. It probably would shatter into several pieces on the floor.

[sadaist]

The only time I ever saw Michael Schenker play live was at a club in Kansas City in the late 90s. Did not think it could get any better, as there were only about 100 people in the club, and I was right up front, right in front of him for the entire night.

Then, immediately after the set, they announced he would be signing stuff after a while, so I went to the merch table and bought an 8 X 10. After a half an hour or so they brought him out, and installed him in a little niche where I just happened to be standing, so I wound up first in line.

I got to tell him "Dude....after 25 years of trying to get it right, I STILL cannot play Captain Nemo for shit!" and he cracked up.

Some stuff is just meant for those who can play the impossible.

After a year of begging & pleading, my Mom saved up the $125 to buy me an electric guitar for Christmas and 2 lessons at the guitar shop. We sat in the tiny room that had floor to ceiling speakers, knobs, equalizers, etc.. And 2 barstools.

1st lesson Mike taught me how to tune correctly. And said "next week bring in a song you like & want to learn to play"

No brainer

2nd lesson he makes sure I practiced my tuning and everything was in check. I hand him my cheapo cassette tape with the 1 song. He pops it in and the intro to Aint Talkin' Bout Love cranks out. His head sank a little, but what could he say? I was 14 and had a smile that went ear to ear, ready to learn my fav song of all time on my new red & white Hondo strat copy.

He taught it to me. I still play it exactly the way he showed me 25 years ago. I got the timing down, I'm not sloppy on the notes, guitar is in tune...but it just doesn't sound close. But I have a fuck ton of fun playing it.

It's still the very first thing I play when I pick up any guitar (like the Stairway to Heaven joke in Waynes World when they were at the guitar store). It's still my favorite intro to ANY song ever. I've heard a lot of guys play it, but never the way Eddie can. And I will never perfect it.

For most guys it was Eruption. For me it was ATBL.

(when I say I learned the intro...I mean up to where the drums start. Just that one riff played 4 times)

[twonabomber]

that set-neck almost looks like it could have came out of the Hamer shop. fingerboard binding is similar.

[Diamondjimi]

[jhale667]

Most fun I've had at one in YEARS...

Probably because I'm not "officially" working it, y'know? But I'll take it.


I'm still zooming back and forth from here to Anaheim, so I'm thinking perhaps this should serve as the official NAMM 2011 thread. I'm too wiped to post much, and gotta crash because my presence has been requested again tomorrow...LOL I'm having more fun than humans should be allowed though. This NAMM has a way different vibe than I remember, and it's great to be here. Checked out the Avid, Mesa-Boogie, Marshall, Fender (NO CHARVELS...bummed)/Jackson and Gibson exhibits, among many others...

Let me know what you guys think - I'm fine with just continuing posting about it here, don't see a need for a separate thread?

But I LIKE the EVH 5150III 50-watter, and I wasn't sure I would - and didn't think if I did it would be THIS much...



I have 100-some pictures on my phone from there already, not sure how high quality everything is (new Blackberry 5mp cam, but the auto-focus is a bit wonky, IMO), but the people I'm with are shooting HD pics that I'll be able to share....and videos too. Just too wiped to do more now, crashing.

Here's one my bro shot, not much clear, but a more full shot of the rig I played through...













And though I literally can't share any details on certain VH things...all I can say is keep hope alive, my peoples. Just (not for the record...lol) sayin'.

[VanHalenFan5150]

If I was at that booth, and Ed showed up, i'd be freaking out. I wouldn't remember how to play anything. And on top of that, i'd be right next to Eddie F'in Van Halen for god's sake... But I agree!

[Va Beach VH Fan]

And though I literally can't share any details on certain VH things...all I can say is keep hope alive, my peoples. Just (not for the record...lol) sayin'.

Wait just a second.... You ain't getting off that easy, you sumbitch....

You can't leave us hanging like that, it's a rule here, you know....

[PETE'S BROTHER]

he said "new album" without sayin' "new album". sweet

[indeedido]

I'm jealous, sounds like NAMM has a lot more to offer this year than the last two.