upcoming N*MM show in LA.......

[hollywood_steve]

I know that this is kind of against the rules, but I couldn't make the 2003 AES show in NYC and I'm in need of a serious gear fix, so I was wondering if anyone knows where I might find a loose ticket for next week's N*MM show?

There are reasonably safe ways of getting in on the day of the show, but they all involve heading down there without a pass and playing "lets make a deal" with folks exiting the hall. Personally, I'd rather enter into this sort of transaction with a fellow GS reader instead of taking my chances with guys that carve drum sticks for a living.


This isn't RAP or even Harmony Central, (in terms of hits), so I doubt the N*MM police are scanning these posts looking to set up a sting, but it never hurts to be careful.

[Albert]

NAMM police? Is there such a thing, and do they scan newsgroups? Seems a little extreme, especially with how easy it is to get into the show on borrowed passes.

If you buy a lot of gear from a particular salesman, you might want to see if you can get a pass from him. Some stores go to the shows to check out the new gear and make deals.

[hollywood_steve]

N*MM police? Is there such a thing, and do they scan newsgroups? Seems a little extreme, especially with how easy it is to get into the show on borrowed passes.


I WAS joking about the police sting, my point was that its probably a good idea not to flaunt trading/borrowing/selling of passes as it would be easy enough for them to start asking for photo IDs. Better to maintain the status quo by keeping a low profile. That said......anybody got any?

[warhead]

As long as you're not looking for tickets to NAMBLA you should be OK.

[smoothmoniker]

because at nambla, they do check ID's ...

right?

-sm

[hollywood_steve]

Thanks a lot guys....

I just laughed so hard that I spit a bite of pizza out my nose onto the computer screen. At the same time I slammed by bottle of Sam Adams down on the counter so hard that it foamed all over the kitchen.

Signing off before I hurt myself

[Jam]

I'm never entirely sure why thet are such a pain in the arse about tickets surely it's in the intrest of the exhibitors if their potential customers can see the gear. I'm sure some of the manufacturers here could make you go white if they told what an average Namm show costs them and then their customers have to pay to get in. Sounds like a win win situation.

Jam

[wurly]

Call me. Or e-mail.

I'll be there pimping guitar slides and our new patent pending premium mic stand, the "micKing", along with the "Xtra Boom" accessory clamp-on mic boom.

Hall "E", booth 1829.

Gearslutz are welcome to drop by.

And speaking of the "NAMM Police", aren't they the people scurrying around with sound level meters attempting to enforce the 85 db sound level limit?

If you're not sure what cacaphony is, head for NAMM. It's like having 100 guitar centers explode in your head.

NAMM badges get to be a real joke by the 3rd and 4th days of the show, when at least one third of all badges are being worn by the "wrong" person. Ya never know how to address anyone by then due to the innaccuracy of the badges.

651-688-7502
LatchLake@aol.com

Jeff Roberts
Whir Lee

[Sir Bob]

I've been to the last five or so shows. Last year I saw two women barred at the door for presenting bogus passes. I, on the other hand, walked through with a borrowed pass.

The primary reason for the show is to pimp the gear pimps. There is not enough room to open the show to the public.

Myself, I love to see and meet the celebrities, even if I am not particularly a big fan. For example, I got photos of myself with the likes of Ted Nugent, Buddy Miles, Dick Dale, Jennifer Batten, Albert Lee, Johnny Hiland, Slash and a few more I can't recall. The line for Eddie Van Halen is always too long.

My favorite is a photo with Eddie Kramer and Jimi Hendrix' sister.
I have had a few good conversations with Seymore Duncan, John Pearse, etc. Seymore said he was at a party talking to Jimi and Jimi declined some drugs because he was more interested in talking guitars with Seymore.

Have I learned anything about the equipment at Namm? Not really; I get more of an education on GS. But that may be a function of my lack of knowledge.

One of the items that go up and down like the stock market is T-shirts. Some years everybody is giving them away and others it is not so. Some will sell the shirts.

Some of the most fun is the lower floor where they put the mom and pop manufacturers. My buddy calls it the crazy room. But here you can meet the guy who builds Foggy Mountain guitars or Z. Vex pedals.

[GearGuy]

Originally posted by Jam
I'm never entirely sure why thet are such a pain in the arse about tickets surely it's in the intrest of the exhibitors if their potential customers can see the gear. I'm sure some of the manufacturers here could make you go white if they told what an average Namm show costs them and then their customers have to pay to get in. Sounds like a win win situation.

Jam

Because NAMM is a trade show designed just for dealers. If it was completely open to the public, it would be too crowded for manufactures and dealers to do what they need to do. NAMM shows are where manufactures get dealers to sign up to carry their product line and to plan out their dealer's orders.

NAMM stands for National Association of Music Merchants. The show is paid for by both booth rentals and NAMM membership fees... _

[smoothmoniker]

I think they could do like a 10 buck sunday badge that opened the show to the public, and then the dealers and demonstrators would just know that they shouldn't make any deals on that day. Flood the gates, enter the unwashed masses to wank the new gear.

Long live the glorious revolution.

Or, ya know, something like that.

-sm

[Brad Lunde]

Originally posted by smoothmoniker
I think they could do like a 10 buck sunday badge that opened the show to the public, and then the dealers and demonstrators would just know that they shouldn't make any deals on that day. Flood the gates, enter the unwashed masses to wank the new gear.

<SNIP>-sm

Here here!. I am so in favor of that I can't even tell you. I have quietly been arguing this inside for a while now. In a previous post, someone said (gearguy?) that the show is for manuf to sign up dealers. Well, it used to be that way for pro audio manuf, but it hasn't worked like this in years. Nobody buys at the show anymore, too many "over buys" that purchasing guys regretted later. So I'm not exactly sure what the big transactions are that happen at nam other than international biz, which has also fallen off since 9/11. Maybe a lot of guitar biz?

The public should be invited, that would make me and a lot of others very happy.

Brad

[drumdude]

Hollywood, if you can't get hooked up e-mail me. I'll have an exibitors badge with the drum company i have to sign for, demonstrate, all that b.s. At the worst case scenario i could purchase one for you at a pretty nominal fee...............Hope that helps!................chassengrooves@hotmail.com

[Brad Lunde]

Originally posted by drumdude
Hollywood, if you can't get hooked up e-mail me. I'll have an exibitors badge with the drum company i have to sign for, demonstrate, all that b.s. At the worst case scenario i could purchase one for you at a pretty nominal fee...............Hope that helps!................chassengrooves@hotmail.com

Badges are $150 each this year, and I'm a NAM member. Ouch! I that's nominal to you, can you buy some more for me? I need to do what you are doing!
Brad

[drumdude]

Originally posted by Brad Lunde
Badges are $150 each this year, and I'm a NAM member. Ouch! I that's nominal to you, can you buy some more for me? I need to do what you are doing!
Brad

I believe from every previous year, a company can purhase a certain # of badges pretty cheaply. I believe you're right in that after a certain amount it jumps to 150.00. Usually or at any point in the past my company doen't go over it's alotment. Hope they haven't changed that? that would suck!................by the way Love all your lines Brad!!

[Brad Lunde]

Originally posted by drumdude
I believe from every previous year, a company can purhase a certain # of badges pretty cheaply. I believe you're right in that after a certain amount it jumps to 150.00.

I hope you are right, but I believe they have changed all that this year. Kinda wierd, at the very time they should be encouraging MORE attendees, increasing floor traffic, they make it harder. I bet if I talked to them, they would say the changes are
"security related".

At CES this year, the fake name badge thing is gone too, as you must present your badge at the desk with a matching ID (driver's license) to get a badge holder. Without a badge holder, no sercurity guards will admit you to the show.

So it appears all the shows are tightening things up.

Brad

[drumdude]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Brad Lunde
[B]I hope you are right, but I believe they have changed all that this year. Kinda wierd, at the very time they should be encouraging MORE attendees, increasing floor traffic, they make it harder. I bet if I talked to them, they would say the changes are
"security related".


You're right Brad encouraging more people to attend things like this is what makes the industry grow. Sad the media needs to keep everyone in fear. Will Transaudio have a booth in Anaheim ?

[Brad Lunde]

Originally posted by drumdude

You're right Brad encouraging more people to attend things like this is what makes the industry grow. Sad the media needs to keep everyone in fear. Will Transaudio have a booth in Anaheim ?

No, we will not. I displayed for many years, spent a lot of money on it, never got new customers from it. I think its just that the attendees are not there for higher end recording stuff. Great MI show.

Its a nice hang, but not an inexpensive one as an exhibitor.

A few folks still go, like EveAnna, API, etc. I think its the international traffic that keeps a few higher end (export) manufacturers going.

[Noah]

We will be there...

That said it's a funny show. Lots of noise, so it's impossible to hear anything critical. Lots of tire kickers, etc. Because we make plugs for PT, we get 100's of people asking us stupid questions about techinical or non-tech stuff about how something works.

That said, we still see lots of dealers and good customers there, so it's worth doing.

Unfortunatly we don't have any extra badges or I would let people know.

Noah

[cajonezzz]

ok, I'm going thursday and friday. Staying over on Thursday nite. If there is in official meet up during that time , count me in.

[drumdude]

Originally posted by cajonezzz
[B If there is in official meet up during that time , count me in. [/B]

An official gearslut namm hang.....That would be cool.......walk around and bust on the "banjo mart" stuff!...........I'll never forget one year someone at the Presonis booth telling me their pres sound like 1272's with the openess of an Api!!.......count me in too!!!

[fifthcircle]

See this thread... http://gearslutz.com/board/showthrea...threadid=10164

How would Friday after the show be? I'm going to have to stick around the Lynx booth pretty much until the end. Then we can either go somewhere around the convention center (not much within walking distance besides Disneyland as I remember) or as I said in the thread, the Block at orange is about 10 min from the convention center. There is a great brew place there. (Alcatraz Brewing company)

--Ben