Live from the NAMM Show: innovations abound, even on the event's final day

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Part 3 of the Guide's on-the-scene coverage of the music industry's biggest annual trade show, at the Anaheim Convention Center complex
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by Larry Wines & Nowell Siegel
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Sunday morning is always the fourth and final day of each year's enormous National Association of Music Manufacturers (NAMM) trade show. It includes presentation of a couple of music-media awards and always anticipated "Best of Show" picks by a panel of industry insiders of varied backgrounds.
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That affords us an opportunity to cite our own first batch of finds among the many new products and innovations. Of course, plenty that's here has excited us, and we'll bring you more from our ongoing explorations, even after the show has ended.
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The first of this morning's awards went to competitors in the school bands contest; all were featured Saturday night at Downtown Disney. NAMM will send the top winner of the national competition to an international contest rhis sumner in Frankfurt Germany.
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Next came NAMM's "Excellence for Music in Advertising Award." Nominees included the Old Spice "Muscle Music" ad, Target Stores "Music Teachers" (which won 3rd place), the United Health Care / AARP ad "Playing for Keeps" (2nd place winner, depicting aging Boomers getting together for a rock jam), ads by Volkswagen, Coca-Cola, Chase Freedom (bank credit card), and a positively stunning ad for Chevy that won, hands-down. We'll bring you more tomorrow on the winner, and where you can watch it online.
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Broadcast media, both radio and TV, are required to air a miniscule amount of material in the public interest. These "PSAs" are far less numerous than they used to be, but well-made ones do get aired. NAMM screened their new PSA, celebrating the importance and sheer joy of music education and learning to play at any age. It's titled "Just Play" and it deserves to be on TV.
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That brought the program to its morning live performance. The packed dining room was treated to a "BLUEGRASS BREAKFAST PERFORMANCE" by the ensemble of MARK JOHNSON and EMORY LESTER, with GREG from THE KRUGER BROTHERS. They inspired enthusiastic approval.
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Then came the NAMM panel's picks. We'll include a few in this edition.
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The panel's first category was "Best New Add-On or Accessory," and brought recommendations for the following:
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*  Music Nomad Equipment Care set. (More, soon.)
*  Remo Frame Drum Holder (works on bodhrans, tambourines, and more, and allows quick removal of the instrument forthe playing with both hands; $10.75 retail).
*  Pro Logic Russ Miller "All-N-1" practice pad (allows overlays, available individually, that permit one pad to function as a variety of percussive instruments)
*  Gibraltar Remote Cajon Pedal (we caught a performer using it on the first day of the show. It makes a two-hand instrument into a wood box version of a drum kit).
*  Ernie Ball Slimey-M-Steel electric guitar strings (defense-grade steel alloy).
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The Acoustic Americana Music Guide's team has several additions to that list. Here are a few:
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The Guide's resident luthier, Nowell Siegel, is enthusiastic about the potential of Crystal Frets. He aata, "Always on the watch for innovative stuff, here is something interesting. Crystal frets replace fretted instruments metal frets with Quartz crystal frets!"
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The Colorado-based company offers a lifetime guarantee that their stone frets will never wear out. Nowell notes, "The harder material provides better sustain. A holographic backing is placed underneath each quartz fret. A wide variety of colors is available, and can seem to be any color, reflecting rainbows or stunning effects, depending on the holographic pattern." Crystal Frets will not sell you the frets: they retrofit your guitar or other instrument. Prices start at $850.
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Nowell also likes HeyDna Guitar Stands. The company is a break-away from Fender. They make very portable, lightweight instrument stands and advanced wall hangars. The most interesting is a hanger that wraps around the instrument when the headstock contacts the top of the open bracket, causing curved clear plastic bands to reach from each side and encircle the full circumference of the neck. It's similar in function to a Hercules stand. Really nifty to watch as it works, and a consideration in earthquake country.
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Deering Banjos has a new "Banjo Mute" that clips on to the bridge to reduce the instrument's volume and tone. Nowell says "Not for everyone, but it may save your marriage."
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The "Best of Show" panel named picks in several areas. We'll cover all of them in coming days, and add more of our own.
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There's still a lot to see here at NAMM. The Guide is getting back to the multiple floors of exhibited products, innovations, and instruments -- and probably catching more live performances along the way. More, in the first of our wrap-up reports on the NAMM experience, coming your way Monday.
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Lawrence Wines & Tied to the Tracks.
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