NAMM predictions

[norminal]

HOW DARE YOU DISS THE PAISLEY????!!

I dig paisley, especially on a Tele, but not on a JS/Radius body.

 

[Stone]

Gibson, Fender, PRS aren't there this year. Not sure if it's a "NAMM is irrelevant" issue or a "NAMM in late April doesn't really work for us" thing.

Bean counters showing sales are up without the expensive cost of NAMM, so lets pocket the profits and introduce some of the same old rehashed models with a fancy new vintage sounding name sell it for more and even more

winner winner chicken Fender dinner

 

[DrewJD82]

Awesome and crazy are definitely NOT mutually exclusive here. :)

As for the grip, apart from years of arbitrary attachment to the old design, the new one just looks less “practical” - i.e. if I can’t get my whole hand through the hole, then it ain’t a grip. (Maybe each of them are bigger than they look in photos?)

You're not wrong, there's a vid somewhere of Vai holding it by the petals and you can see it's not as firm of a grip. The PIA's definitely grew on me, they look far better in person than in pictures. I haven't had the chance to play one yet and I'm dyin' to, but there's also no way in hell am I spending $3500 on one. The black PIA is spank bank material.

Vai's also got a 7-string version-

 

[DrewJD82]

I like this protoype PIA more than the one they're doing-

You can see on the back how these aren't done like traditional swirls, it looks more like a wrap than a whole dipped swirl. Half the fun of the actual swirls is trying to decide which side is cooler, the front or the back.

 

[JT]

I like this protoype PIA more than the one they're doing-

I actually dig the heck out of this finish! The red pickups and knobs are iffy for me but not sure what color would be a better fit?

 

[DrewJD82]

I actually dig the heck out of this finish! The red pickups and knobs are iffy for me but not sure what color would be a better fit?

Neon green is always the answer here.

 

[Gearzilla]

I like this protoype PIA more than the one they're doing-

You can see on the back how these aren't done like traditional swirls, it looks more like a wrap than a whole dipped swirl. Half the fun of the actual swirls is trying to decide which side is cooler, the front or the back.

Where’s that one from?

As far as new Vai guitars go I’d also like to see a reissue of the Universe with the original radius or unleash the 7 string Pias.

 

[DrewJD82]

Where’s that one from?

As far as new Vai guitars go I’d also like to see a reissue of the Universe with the original radius or unleash the 7 string Pias.

That's another Bonvillian swirl, I think he's in France. He does some pretty killer stuff!

Those tight little areas end up giving it a bit of an Alex Grey vibe, that's always cool in my book.

He did guitars for the Lamb Of God guys, this is Mark's Tele-

Home - Bonvillain Design Studio

www.bonvillain-design.com

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Bean counters showing sales are up without the expensive cost of NAMM, so lets pocket the profits and introduce some of the same old rehashed models with a fancy new vintage sounding name sell it for more and even more

winner winner chicken Fender dinner

I really think it's as simple as "we built our entire product launch/production cycle on January NAMM. There is no way we are going to reshuffle that for two years to meet these weird dates, just to have to reshuffle back to January two years later." More than anything else. For a guitar a line as extensive as Fender, I can't imagine how much it would cost to get everything out to YouTubers. Definitely a lot more than they spend on NAMM.

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

I really think it's as simple as "we built our entire product launch/production cycle on January NAMM. There is no way we are going to reshuffle that for two years to meet these weird dates, just to have to reshuffle back to January two years later." More than anything else. For a guitar a line as extensive as Fender, I can't imagine how much it would cost to get everything out to YouTubers. Definitely a lot more than they spend on NAMM.

I dunno know about. All told NAMM with shipping the booth, set up time, union cost for that. Flights, hotels, per diem, biz dinners etc… for a 10’x20’ booth the lay-out was on average 25k. Of which nearly a third was floor space rental. That’s for 200 sq.ft. Hiding/Ibanez dies what a 80x50 booth that’s like just that’s like 150k just for the floorspace.

 

[mbenigni]

Not really sure. There is this recession:

Though the monkey grip does look a bit larger.

Yeah, I just don’t like it. I get that they’re supposed to be flowery and/or yin and yang-ish, but the shape doesn’t connote “handle” like the old one, and if one of them is big enough, then the other is superfluous. And neither look like they’d balance quite right, anyway. (Not that a Jem weighs a ton, or anything…)

 

[TJontheRoad]

View attachment 6503

I actually kinda like this

 

[DrewJD82]

I love paisley stuff, but they just look like paisley slugs on that JS. Would have been really cool if they did it with fabric under the clear coat with a legit paisley pattern instead of the slugs.

 

[JT]

I love paisley stuff, but they just look like paisley slugs on that JS. Would have been really cool if they did it with fabric under the clear coat with a legit paisley pattern instead of the slugs.

Slugcaster'd

 

[Fireproof]

Yeah, I just don’t like it. I get that they’re supposed to be flowery and/or yin and yang-ish, but the shape doesn’t connote “handle” like the old one, and if one of them is big enough, then the other is superfluous. And neither look like they’d balance quite right, anyway. (Not that a Jem weighs a ton, or anything…)

My guess is that no one ended up swing their guitars around or carrying it by that monkey grip, so it became decorative anyway. So they played with the design. You are right - if you really want to use it as a handle, the new design is not ideal.

 

[TJontheRoad]

I like it with the Sustainiac.

 

[TJontheRoad]

This will be stolen by your GF.

 

[Gearzilla]

In case you want to rock something besides violet.

 

[paisleywookiee]

I actually kinda like this

Yeah, I chose “PaisleyWookiee” years ago because I love walking carpets and yes, paisley patterns. I love this guitar.

 

[mbenigni]

My guess is that no one ended up swing their guitars around or carrying it by that monkey grip, so it became decorative anyway. So they played with the design. You are right - if you really want to use it as a handle, the new design is not ideal.

I don't swing mine around much (too old for that s***) but I do carry it by the handle all the time. Not exactly "necessary", but surprisingly ergonomic. :)