I played hooky from work today to spend opening day at NAMM in Anaheim (the huge music tradeshow here once a year) – as a guest of Holloway Harp Guitars.

Hung out a bit and played a few tunes for the crowd.  It was sure fun to see the expressions on the multitudes walking by – many of whom would of course stop and stare.

Here’s Scott and staff (Dave and Tone Powell) fielding questions, doing demos, etc.
(That’s one of Scott’s vintage Knutsens hanging on the wall)

Scott trying out a headphone listening station for customers

Dave & Tone with a guest – Teddy Randazzo, marketing his new pickups for acoustic guitars

Pooh stopped by for a visit.  He’s an old friend of Stephen Bennett and many of today’s fingerstyle players, with a guitar and music distribution company in Japan (and anxious to stock the Holloway).  Here, he’s showing me the review he just did on Stephen’s new Classic Rock CD in their Acoustic Guitar Book (magazine).

Some old friends from Carlsbad’s Museum of Making Music did a great display “Celebrating the Small Shop Luthier,” with instruments on exhibit and for sale.   That’s director Carolyn Grant.  She and Tatiana and staff put on the worlds’ first harp guitar exhibit, if you recall.

William Eaton had loaned one of his stunning harp guitars.
At right, in the glass case is Michi Matsuda’s outrageous harp guitar for Michael Simmons).

I got a good look at his amazing sliding nut posts for unlimited sub-bass tuning configuration.  I’m dying to try it out – hopefully Saturday, if Michi’s around.

I stumbled upon Michele Ramos and his fascinating 8-string guitar that builder Richard DiCarlo submitted for our Galleries awhile back.  It ended up on the Extended Range Guitar page, as the low 2 strings are played like a fretless bass.

He has a very unusual plucking hand position.  And I saw his left using the unfretted 7th string a lot for chords.   He was great, though I couldn’t hear much over Bunny Brunel’s extremely loud electric upright bass, sad to say.  No time to say hello either as they weren’t coming up for air anytime soon, and I had lots of other folks to hook up with.

I’ll try to go down Saturday for some more action with Stephen Bennett, who got snowed in (CT) and didn’t make it today as planned.

For now, to bed!  It is one exhausting, grueling and noisy way to spend a day, I can tell you.