What Stood Out from NAMM 2021
This past week, our feeds have been full of all of the awesome releases from the annual winter NAMM show. As lovers of gear, we were glued to the virtual demonstrations of new products and we were so happy to even have a NAMM this year to talk about. With the many releases announced this past week, we wanted to highlight a few of our favorites that you should keep in mind.
Walrus Audio Mako Series ACS1 Amp & Cab Simulator Pedal
With all of the cab simulation and digital amp options released over the past few years, it was great to see Walrus’ take on the pedal. A pedal like this being released in 2021 makes perfect sense as I’m sure we are going to see even more home recording and we know how loud your standard tube amp can get. What we loved was the stereo options for this pedal! You can have the stereo outputs using the same amp OR you can use a different amp model for each output! If you were looking for your next digital amp, you should definitely check it out here!
Most people might look at this one and say, “Oh, it’s just a fuzz, what’s the big deal?” Well Jackson really wanted to build a fuzz with all the options you’ve wanted from your standard fuzz pedals, all in one! First, it’s got a great parametric EQ so you can shape your fuzz tone with more than just a single tone knob. On top of that, it’s got an octave up inside and Jackson is releasing replaceable fuzz circuits so you can pick your favorite flavor of fuzz and change it whenever you want. Find it here!
Fender Mustang Micro Headphone Amp
And we have another digital amp option on this list! Fender dropped their new headphone amp this past weekend and it’s got a lot of features in a super small package. Fender has been building out their Mustang line for years now and you can use 12 of their top amps in an affordable package. At $99, you’ve got a great headphone amp you can use to play along to your favorite songs with Bluetooth capabilities too! It's on Sweetwater now!
Epiphone Crestwood Custom (Tremotone) Guitar
Epiphone is re-releasing another cult classic and we love it! With all of your standard guitars, it’s awesome to see brands like Epiphone embrace their fun history and revive an underrated favorite. Other than the looks, this guitar has a vibrato tailpiece and sweet mini humbuckers. If you’re looking for something that is interesting and will stand out on a stage, you should check it out here.
Fender '68 Custom Vibro Champ Reverb Amp
If you’re chasing that classic tube amp tone, then the Fender ‘68 line of amps always scratches that itch. This NAMM, they re-released their Vibro Champ with a couple updates that will make this a really great model. The 5-watt combo has a 10-inch speaker now instead of the 8-inch speaker it used to come with, making it versatile enough for your bedroom or a small gig. I’m a big fan of smaller tube amps, so this is definitely on my list. It also has the classic onboard reverb and tremolo you’d expect from Fender. Get yours here!