I have friends in the music business and live in LA so I have been able to get NAMM tickets whenever I've wanted to go. Over the years I've gone a few times but then I remember all the reasons why it is such a hassle and I don't go. This year I decided to go look at ukes.
So it takes me 2 hours to drive through the city of LA to get to Anaheim and then it took me 90 minutes of waiting in line just to park. I then had to take a shuttle to get to the convention center. So it started out kind of tiring.
When you get in the place is really packed and really noisy. There are lots of people pounding on drums and playing various instruments. The cacaphony makes it hard to hear anything. Among the stuff are lots of cool things that make it pretty exciting, and you can also rub elbows with a lot of famous musicians. But you've got to tolerate the noise and the crowds and the tons of stuff you don't care about.
A few things stood out for me that were memorable.
Kiwaya makes really quality ukes, and I was impressed by them even in a place with so much competitions. I really liked the concerts and tenors too.
Breedlove - the Kim Breedlove signature model was really nice. I could hear the quality and the highs really cut through even with all the noise.
Collings - I wish I owned one. Collings to me stands out as the best and most consistent of the current builders. And they are loud.
Ohana - They had a Vita Uke shaped resonator with a sound hole that I loved.
Islander Bass - I probably won't buy one as my U-Bass serves me well, but I liked it.
Kamaka - Still the definitive Hawaiian sound to my ears.
All in all most of what I saw blended together. There was a lot of serious junk.
Then getting home was a huge nightmare. It took me two busses to get back to my car and a three hour drive home.
It was more exhausting than fun. I think the people who come from out of town and stay at the hotels and just stay at the show get to soak it in more. I'd like to have more time at some of the booths but the experience as a whole can be more tiring than fun.
So it takes me 2 hours to drive through the city of LA to get to Anaheim and then it took me 90 minutes of waiting in line just to park. I then had to take a shuttle to get to the convention center. So it started out kind of tiring.
When you get in the place is really packed and really noisy. There are lots of people pounding on drums and playing various instruments. The cacaphony makes it hard to hear anything. Among the stuff are lots of cool things that make it pretty exciting, and you can also rub elbows with a lot of famous musicians. But you've got to tolerate the noise and the crowds and the tons of stuff you don't care about.
A few things stood out for me that were memorable.
Kiwaya makes really quality ukes, and I was impressed by them even in a place with so much competitions. I really liked the concerts and tenors too.
Breedlove - the Kim Breedlove signature model was really nice. I could hear the quality and the highs really cut through even with all the noise.
Collings - I wish I owned one. Collings to me stands out as the best and most consistent of the current builders. And they are loud.
Ohana - They had a Vita Uke shaped resonator with a sound hole that I loved.
Islander Bass - I probably won't buy one as my U-Bass serves me well, but I liked it.
Kamaka - Still the definitive Hawaiian sound to my ears.
All in all most of what I saw blended together. There was a lot of serious junk.
Then getting home was a huge nightmare. It took me two busses to get back to my car and a three hour drive home.
It was more exhausting than fun. I think the people who come from out of town and stay at the hotels and just stay at the show get to soak it in more. I'd like to have more time at some of the booths but the experience as a whole can be more tiring than fun.