Gibson Who? Here Are 5 Guitar Brands That WILL Be At NAMM 2018

In recent Gibson news, the company has announced they will not be attending this year’s 2018 NAMM show in Anaheim, California. This comes as a pretty big surprise, given that Gibson is pretty much a household name across the guitar world. According to Music Radar, the company is focusing its efforts into the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this year instead.

The reasons for this decision are mostly based around the company’s goals of ending the development and production of Cakewalk Products, which, according to Gibson, would “better align with the company’s acquisition strategy that is heavily focused on growth in the global consumer electronics audio business under the Philips brand.”

While this may be a bummer to some, here are 5 other guitar brands that you can count on having a booth at the NAMM show this year.

1. Aristides
   
   Known for their amazing “space guitars”, Aristides Instruments are a top pick for a lot of guitar and bass players out there. You won’t find a splinter of wood on their guitars, which is pretty forward-thinking. Check their website for Facebook for their 2018 NAMM booth info.
2. Strandberg
   
   Speaking of forward-thinking, Strandberg Guitars are another brand to be on the look for at NAMM this year. Leaders in the “#goheadless” revolution, Ola Strandberg and the team have helped ergonomic, extended-range guitars gain popularity in recent years. Peep their Facebook for their NAMM info.
3. Kiesel 
   
   Jeff Kiesel and the team at Kiesel Guitars always have something new to bring to the guitar and bass world. You can catch their latest custom builds at NAMM this year, and see their booth info on their Facebook.
4. Mayones
   
   Polish-based instrument company Mayones Guitars and Basses have a pretty sweet selection of axes to choose from, including their newest headless “Hydra” model. They’ve got a slew of signature models out, so you can be sure to see ’em at Winter NAMM this year.
5. Balaguer
   
   Balaguer Guitars are a company slowly on the rise, as Joe Balaguer and the gang have been making guitars for kick-ass players like Fluff and Beau Burchell. Get your digits on their guitfiddles at this year’s NAMM show.

So you might not be seeing Gibson at Winter NAMM this year, but it looks like you’ll be in good hands guitar and bass-wise. Be sure to get your tickets soon, and the Gear Gods crew will see you there!