Dallas International Guitar Festival

[Hamerica]

Another DIGF in the books. 

Carondelet

I attended Sunday to specifically to visit  good friends Carondelet Guitar and Bass Pickups, with the mighty, mighty Jeff R and Vonnie holding court.  Jeff R. has some very unique voicing pickups.   Congrats to Jeff and Vonnie on the their continued expansion of their business. 

There were vintage guitars with prices to match for the cork-sniffers. 

There were some local builders and some specialty guitars. 

Since I went Sunday, I am sure I missed "all of the deals". 

Hamer USA Guitars  

Hamer Talledaga   $2,999

Hamer Daytona in Stonge Green      $1,699

Grand Ol' Opry (Monaco III with appointments) $2,499  

Hamer Black T-51    $999 (It was abused....) 

The Talledaga moved but I didn't witness the transaction.

Vintage Amps
Jim's Guitar out of PA had a very nice selection of Gibson tweed as well as two-tone amps.

A couple other dealers had some nice Maestro amps and I spotted a couple of modded Music Mans.

There is always one item at each show vintage dealers seem to bring out....this show as no different; everyone and their dog had the MXR 100 both in block and script.  Pricing was all over the board on the script version....

Artist Performances
I always come out to support Buddy Whittington who played a revised set due to the often repeated and anticipated (wearebehindschedule) delays in the live performance.    But an hour late by 1:20 p.m.  pleaseeeee.

John 5 made his first appearance at DIGF  and he had 30 minutes of technical difficulties before he finally came out. He had to request to borrow an amp at a guitar show for his clean chicken pickin'.  5 is a great performer and reported a super nice guy.   His technique is very interesting...

Paul Gilbert closed (also his first DIGF) and of course he could have swept the floor for an hour and I would have watched him.  He was outstanding as always.   Lots of melodic blends.

Want to thank Guitar Greg, Scott and Nathan for coming out Sunday. 

Always great to catch up with Bill R.    

[cmatthes]

Always enjoy your reviews, Brian!

[Jeff R]

Thanks again for coming out, Brian, meant the world to us.

We had an incredibly successful consumer debut. We won new fans in a new market, we built a handful of OEM partnerships I am insanely excited about, and we made a lot of new friends in the process.

Like my new friend Danny Leal, from Waco, who graciously provided an impromptu demo of my EVH-inspired "Secret Sauce" bridge humbucker ... 

My personal EVH Striped Series B/Y was one of I think 17 guitars and basses loaded with examples of my pickups for hands-on test drives. Two of the demo axes were my personal Hamers ... my '92 Studio GT was loaded with my soapbar P-90s, and the old '92 Chap 4 had my favorite P-bass wind and my hum-cancelling J.  The Hamers in particular were a HUGE hit ... a buyer who made a generous offer for the GT is driving in from DFW in two weeks to pick up the guitar and more pickups.

[Jeff R]

My super cool holy sh!t moments were when Larry Mitchell and Greg Koch hung out in my booth a while playing my stuff. Larry's the former touring guitarist for Tracy Chapman, Billy Squier and Ric Ocasek, a solo artist, a top session player, a Grammy-winning producer, a Dimarzio endorser for decades and the patriarch of a signature series guitar with Knaggs (on the cases beside him). His chops, his melodic sense, and his musical expression are something special to experience in person -- I encourage you to go see him live when he's near you. And y'all already know Koch - he is the tallest, funniest and unequivocally the most frightening guitar player on the planet. His typical rides nowadays are signature products with Reverend and Fishman Fluence. To just see guys of that caliber enjoy themselves with my stuff was truly bucket list.