NAMM 2008

Lee Barker · #1 11-02-2007, 09:16 AM

We received our booth assignment for the January 2008 show. Again we are in 1441, the palindromic site which is very nearly the geographic center of Hall E. Many of our same neighbors are there, like Pat Wilkins, and down the lane are Fred Bolton of Bee Basses and George Furlanetto of F Basses and Over Thataway is Mark Wright of Accugroove. Gerard Melancon is nearby too. I'll report others as I find them.

Anyway, I'll post periodic notes about what we're cooking up to show there this year. Ideas are floating about... I am planning to post pictures here as we get closer.

Lee Barker · #2 11-02-2007, 09:22 AM

Will Witt reported to us about playing through a relatively new bass amp from Jaguar Amplification. www.jaguaramplification.com
He was pretty enthusiastic about what he heard.

I have been in communication with Henry Clift of Jaguar (who had to evacuate because of the San Diego fire, but has returned and faces cleanup but nothing more daunting than that) and I am hoping we'll find a way to get a Barker to his booth so Will can plug it in and show us all what the combination can do.

Scwwitt · #3 11-04-2007, 08:27 AM

Im excited! Cant wait to hear it!

Lee Barker · #4 01-12-2008, 09:09 AM

Monday morning at oh-dark-fifteen we leave for Los Angeles, a two day drive from the middle of Oregon. Linda and I are all prepared. 5 new Brios were completed and photographed yesterday and are packed and ready to be loaded into the Bassmobile.

We are always excited about seeing our friends so we can come home and drop a whole lot of names.

Actually, it is a great fraternal feeling and, while it is very hard work (think four days of 8 1/2 hours on your feet in a 10 x 10 booth, talking, listening, inviting the skeptic to play after he's said, "but I don't play upright" three times and I've said, "It's JUST LIKE a bass guitar!" four), it is such a different world that it is refreshing to my soul.

We do have a special Showstopper bass again this year, quite a departure from last year's. I will not have access to the photo before I go but you will get to see it eventually. This bass sits on a pedestal in the center of the booth.

I try to walk the narrow line between letting you know that we go as a legitimate part of the music industry and sounding like an elite snob who has an inflated sense of self importance. Let me know if I get even close to the latter. I'll run the other way.

Meantime I am making lists, one of which has duct tape on it. And breath strips. And cough drops. And cushy socks.

And the new Barker Bass postcard handouts. Linda did 'em, with pictures by Philip Lima, and they are stupendous. By this time next week, nearly a thousand of them will be in other people's hands.

Kindly,

Lee

adam on bass · #5 01-13-2008, 03:06 PM

Safe travels my friend. I'll come down and say hello.

Lee Barker · #6 01-24-2008, 09:34 AM

It was great to see you, Adam....I noticed as I unpacked my booth stuff that I had not one but two of your business cards! You're always the one with the clever hard sell techniques!

There are some video recaps of the show, kinda awshucks amateurish, but if you've never been to a NAMM they can provide a little sense of what the four days might be like if you just wandered about:

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheNAMMShowChannel

Kindly,

Lee

adam on bass · #7 01-24-2008, 12:14 PM

I hope things went well. I hope you unpacked lots of orders as well! Give me a call sometime and we can talk hard sell tactics and make you rich!!

Lee Barker · #8 01-26-2008, 12:59 PM

NAMM 08 pictures are now in several albums at myspace.com/barkerbass.

I think there will be more eventually.

Lee Barker · #9 01-29-2008, 07:43 PM

Eddy Napes is a very talented bassist who, at times, plays three basses at once. Here's some video of him playing a couple of Barkers, but, alas, only one at a time...but there's more notes rolling out than you might expect:

http://www.youtube.com/swf/l.swf?vid...BYtmWKH_0IhrU&

Lee Barker · #10 01-30-2008, 09:10 AM

Stew McKenzie, our longtime friend, works for Carey Nordstrand--making pickups and stunning basses as well. Stew has posted a NAMM blog that offers another view, this one from upstairs:

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...ogID=352420440

bigfatbass · #11 01-30-2008, 10:04 AM

Hey Lee, really nice to meet you in person, and even nicer to play that new 5er. What a dream tone people, Lee is doing everything right when it comes to the tone out of his instruments.

Someday I'll have one of your new collapsibles in my arsenal, but until then, Homer still got my back!

JKT · #12 02-01-2008, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigfatbass

Hey Lee, really nice to meet you in person, and even nicer to play that new 5er. What a dream tone people, Lee is doing everything right when it comes to the tone out of his instruments.

Someday I'll have one of your new collapsibles in my arsenal, but until then, Homer still got my back!

I just picked up my Barker from it's annual check-up by my guitar tech (Pete at Suburban Guitar repair- he rules). The first thing he said was how great the tone was. He was so enamored he went above and beyond the call of duty of the simple routine neck adjustment and went through it stem to stern, cleaning this, tweaking that as only a great tech can.
He also said he visited the website and was genuinely impressed all around.

One set of ears at a time,

Joel