NAMM 09

[Lee Barker]

It's the single biggest music show of the year, open only to those in the business, and it's more fun than Disneyland, which it's next to in Anaheim (so the comparison is easy).

We just got our booth assignment: 1445, just a little north of our traditional 1441 (I could find that booth backwards and forwards) and we're in very good company--Pat and Maria Wilkins, Duesenberg Guitars, Pyramid Strings (Germany), and Premier Guitar magazine.

I'll keep you updated as the weeks roll on toward January 15 - 18.

Lee

[Scwwitt]

Excited on the new location!

[Lee Barker]

Mark Wright is pretty excited about the newness surrounding the Accugroove Synergy amp, which he unveiled at last year's NAMM. It was well received.

Mark doesn't sit on his laurels, or even on an Accugroove Tri-210L. At this year's NAMM you'll be able to hear the Synergy and......

This year the Synergy is 20% smaller--yeah!--lighter (now under ten pounds) and--not satisfied with taking things away to make it better, he actually added horsepower! Imagine 1100 watts at 4 ohms. That's up from 775. Mark's been busy.

His brain never rests. Look what has gone into his bass cabinets: a new way of looking at putting more than one driver in a box. The music industry is way better for having Mark Wright around.

If he'd been in copiers, he might have come up with the machine that not only copies, but also punches for a three ring binder. Yeah, I know, that's already been done, but I couldn't imagine anything bigger or better than that. He could.

We don't need fancier copiers, we just need Mark to have bass stuff lying around. Something good always happens.

This year's NAMM show is January 15 - 19, 2009.

[Raul Amador]

Hi Lee,
Bass Musician Magazine will be on the floor at the winter Namm 09! We will make sure to stop by your booth and say Hi!

See you there,

Raul

[Lee Barker]

Hi Raul--Thanks for the heads up....sadly, because our family lost two people in October, we have determined that Linda and I just don't have the emotional horsepower to make the trek to Anaheim this year. We will miss terribly the fun and the connections, but we feel we made the best decision, one that will have us back stronger next year.

Meantime, there's no reason we each must travel a thousand miles one way to meet--hey, Vancouver is less than 150 miles from Redmond. Consider Barker Musical Instruments an excuse to spend some time in lovely Central Oregon!

Kindly,

Lee

[Raul Amador]

Hi Lee,

Sorry to hear that! I do understand.
I will keep you in mind when we are out and about central OR.
In the meantime, online closes the distance.Please visit us at www.Bass-musician-mag.com
and have a look at our December Issue with Ron Carter!

Take care,

Raul

[Scwwitt]

But Keep your eyes out there will still be barker basses dotted around NAMM I will be there with mine, with some fliers and such.

[adam on bass]

I'll be doing my normal routine this year again up stairs. I'll stop by and say hello.

Adam

[tombowlus]

Lee:

I am very sad to hear of your loss. I had been looking forward to hanging with you at the NAMM Show this year, but I totally understand your decision to forgo things this year. Again, my sincerest condolences to you and Linda.

Tom.

[Lee Barker]

I appreciate deeply all the notes of support and condolence. They have come from friends in the industry, owners of our instrument, and readers of our forum. Linda and I thank you.

We are doing just fine, getting help as we need it, and trusting to the process of grieving that acknowledges the pain and loss while leading us to acceptance of life as it is and pointing us to a future that honors us all.

In the weeks of the most acute pain I opted to stay away from power tools but found great solace in assembling a bass with a special story attached to it.

Some of that story is on our blog, http://barkerbassblog.blogspot.com/
December 12 entry.

Thank you Tom, Adam, Ron, Stew, Leo, Bob, the list goes on and on, as do our lives.