NAMM 2026: Welcome, guitar disciples. Once more, we bid you a happy new year and happy new gear, as we usher in NAMM 2026 – the world’s biggest guitar gear show.
The annual gathering of the National Association of Music Merchants has been running since 1902, making January 22-24 2026 the 124th(!) showcase of new guitars, amps, pedals and everything else besides.
We enter 2026 in a different mood than 2025. Last year, we weren’t sure whether the show would even take place owing to the California wildfires. This time, the specter of tariff uncertainty looms over release schedules and price lists.
Fortunately, nothing can stop the torrent of new gear that bursts forth every January, and we are delighted to confirm there are some humdingers on the horizon.
NAMM is less public-facing than it once was, and our diaries are filling up with press conferences and closed-off product showcases. Not everyone will get up close and personal with the latest releases – but you can bet we will.
Yes, once more, the Guitar World team will have boots on the ground at the musical mecca that is the Anaheim Convention Center, bringing you all the biggest releases, artist performances, and weirdest guitar builds you’ve ever seen.
This year’s squad includes Editor-in-Chief Mike Astley-Brown, now on his seventh/eighth/ninth tour of the ACC. News Editor Matt Owen joins him for his second year of hoping to bump into John Mayer at the Anaheim Fresh lunch stand.
GW gear guru Paul Riario – now on what must be at least his 79th NAMM – will be stroking his chin over the finest new goods, ably assisted by videographer Alan Chaput. GW mag’s own Editor-in-Chief Damian Fanelli is also roaming the halls, arm-wrestling his digital counterpart to be first in line for the free content creator coffee.
In short, we got you. All the hottest news, up-to-the-minute as much as patchy show will Wi-Fi allow. Expert insights and hands-on analysis. Artist interviews, celebrity sightings, live shred-offs, and more gear than you could ever dream of sneaking by your significant other.
Welcome to NAMM 2026 LIVE! Bookmark this page, pore over it regularly, cherish it. And prepare yourself for some truly terrible puns…
And there they are! Look at our intrepid gang, standing outside the eighth Wonder of the World, the Anaheim Convention Center.
Now, we've seen a multitude of huge gear releases already, and rumors abound about what we might yet see in the coming days. Who'll make a surprise appearance? What product announcement will steal the show? Will Matt get to play a real Dumble again?? Answers to all this and more await...
One thing that is certainly not in doubt is which pre-show release is being chatted about the most at the moment.
Unveiled today, Neural DSP's new Quad Cortex mini is a big f'in deal, as they say. The Quad Cortex completely changed the game for modeling multi-effects pedals, and this pint-sized modeler puts the full QC experience into its smallest format yet, and at the same time, retains the larger unit's power, UI, and most importantly (and unlike its sibling, the Nano Cortex), a touchscreen. We cannot wait to get our hands on it.
So, you've obviously got your new kit with the pre-show announcements, but how about some star power? This was provided by Ed Sheeran, who on NAMM Eve announced the PRS SE Cosmic Splash, a tastily spec'd hollowbody baritone limited to just 1,000 pieces.
Amazingly, it’s the first time PRS has ever made a hollowbody baritone guitar, save for the one-off Drive guitar it made with Sheeran for the new F1: The Movie soundtrack.
Tantalizingly, the stadium-packing singer-songwriter said of the model, “It's a limited edition, so it will go fast, but there's more to come, so stay tuned.”
Yamaha's had quite a pre-NAMM day as well. Revstar aficionado Chris Buck – who was wooed by the model away from the Strat, to which he had long been a loyalist up to that point – has put his own signature twist on the model in the form of the new RS02CB.
Loaded with sweet personal visual and sonic touches, it goes well with Yamaha's other major announcement of the day, its new-for-2026 Pacifica single-cut.
As is NAMM tradition, we spent plenty of time at the Martin booth today. Okay, fine, the Martin booth was the only booth that was open, but the company's media preview day press conference still reliably delivered the goods.
We got up-close with the first-ever paisley Martin, the sustainably sourced Biosphere Polar Bear acoustic, and, of course, the new Molly Tuttle signatures. Tuttle has two signatures out, and she demo'd both of them at the booth. Obviously, they sound amazing.
Some extremely cool goings-ons at the EVH and Jackson Custom Shop stalls, too. A striped EVH whammy bar. Silver swirl Wolfgang. The Pile O' Bones Soloist with a constantly flashing red light – and one of the greatest jack socket placements in the history of electric guitars. As for the Jackson Condor (last slide), we're sure we've seen that shape somewhere before…
Good morning NAMM fans, Deputy Editor Matt P here – back in the rainy UK, holding the fort, while our pan-Atlantic team galavant around Anaheim’s golden halls. However, while I am lacking in vitamin D, I will attempt to compensate for that by basking in the reflective glow of spangly new gear...
Probably the biggest news overnight is the arrival of Billy Corgan and Laney's new Supergrace signature pedal, which the Smashing Pumpkins man is boldy claiming packs the tone of his $100K+ rig into a $629 pedal amp. It’s not empty marketing, either, as Corgan told GW, he’s already used it onstage in front of an audience of 60,000...
One of my favorite things about NAMM is how, amid the big brand noise and reissues, you can stumble upon a genuinely insane leftfield idea. The Casio Dimension Shifter definitely falls into that category. It uses the tension of your guitar strap to convert your movements into a signal that can wirelessly control effects parameters.
Think of it like an expression pedal. But it’s in your strap.
Yeah. It is wild and, for a lot of players, probably about as much use as a chocolate teapot, but I want to try it nonetheless...
A lot of tube amp builders market themselves purely on vintage self-reverence, playing up the mysticism and acting like they’ve uncovered some kind of lost secret power. It helps with the marketing, sure, but embracing all that antiquity makes them look a bit... well, dusty.
As such, I really enjoy Orange’s refreshing policy of bullishly making tube amps that are somehow still relevant to the modern player.
The new Orange OR60 is a single-channel 60-watt build that does not mess about. Like the OR30 before it, it somewhat surprisingly, touts its versatility.
No, it’s not pretending to be a bells and whistles modeler with 1,700+ preset slots you’ll never use, instead Orange means it'll do all the things you need it to – handling pedals, high gain aggression or high headroom cleans – without breaking a sweat.
*Check 1, 2, 3* Hello (guitar) world – staff writer Janelle here, and I'll be shining a spotlight on some of the NAMM (or NAMM-adjacent) releases that have caught my eye.
First up is Fatoumata Diawara’s signature Epiphone SG, and if you haven’t heard of Diawara, go to your favorite listening platform right now and prep yourself for a delectable sonic feast.
Diawara is also making history as the first woman of color to partner up with Epiphone on a signature model (it's well overdue).
Each spec and detail is Diawara through and through – from the obvious, like the body graphic inspired by Diawara’s Malian roots, to the nods to one of the artist’s favorite SGs, the Epiphone Muse.
Her genre-blending compositions are reflected in the pickup choices: Epiphone Alnico Classic PRO humbuckers – with individual volume knobs that include push/pull coil-splitting – and two tone controls for further tone sculpting.
There’s also a push/pull phase switch on one of the tone knobs, which offers out-of-phase tones when both pickups are engaged. And, for $699, it's safe to say that it's a total bang for your buck.
Matt P, back in saddle. I, rather grandly, declared us to be in a new golden age for pickups in 2023 – thanks to the tidal wave of innovation in the space across the past decade.
Fishman's Fluence pickup system has been the real paradigm shift and a runaway success for the company, allowing multiple voicings from the same physical units and, perhaps more savvily for the firm itself, real-time revoicings and spec'ing of signature products using their studio software.
Now the biggest name in aftermarket pickups, Seymour Duncan has unveiled, rather grandly, the MortalCoil, which offers similar flexibility to players, packing three voices into a single active humbucker design. As such, it’s promising you can get modern metal tones, plus classic Seymour Duncan JB and Jazz sound, and even single coil tones from the same unit.
A new (old) one from MXR here, the MXR EVH Modern High Gain takes the face-melting third channel of the EVH 5150III – that’s its highest of high gain settings – and tries to contain it in a pedal. It has clearly turned very red in the face with the effort.
What is particularly cool about this box of anger is that it was designed in direct conjunction with the good lord of tone Edward Van Halen, himself, back in 2015.
The control setup is similar to the longer-standing MXR EVH 5150 Overdrive, with the exception of a rather nifty bass shift mini-switch, which offers a choice of fatter or punchier low end frequency.
And... I'm back (Janelle here). Strandberg is certainly living up to its reputation as the avant-garde firm to beat at this year's NAMM. It has just turned to Jamstik for its latest collaborative release – the Strandberg x Jamstik Chameleon – which puts its electric guitar design on a collision course with full polyphonic MIDI functionality.
See it as a best of both worlds guitar, with all the usual features of a Strandberg bolstered with the power of MIDI. Through USB-C, Bluetooth, and TRS-MIDI connectivity, the guitar can control software instruments, from lush violins and synths to harpsichord, choirs, and whatever else may take your fancy.
For all the Iron Maiden fans out there... this one's for you.
The British metal heavyweights are the latest to be honored with a signature Jim Dunlop Cry Baby Wah, with a special Killers edition of the iconic pedal paying homage to the band’s earliest days.
The wah has been a trademark effect for Maiden’s shredders, so, cue this collector’s edition stompbox, emblazoned with Killers era Eddie (of course) for a pedal you won’t miss on a darkened stage floor.
And oh, Kirk Hammett's a fan.
Blackstar has launched one of this year's most surprising offerings, as the firm is going toe to toe with the likes of the Fender Tone Master Pro by rolling out the new ID:X Digital Floorboard series.
Like the Fender Tone Master Pro and its dizzying array of competitors, it looks to pack amps and effects into a travel-friendly unit, with the promise of capturing the “true behavior and musical response of tube amplifiers rather than simply recreating their sound.”
There are three options to choose from. The cheapest and most compact option, the ID:X Floor One, comes fully equipped with USB-C audio interface capability, MIDI input, XLR outputs, a built-in tuner, streaming input, and headphone connectivity.
ID:X Floor Two is next – and it throws an expression pedal into the mix (to satiate all your wah and volume needs). The most expensive of the trio, the ID:X Floor Three, comes with all that and more... namely, a MIDI in and Thru, an effects loop for wider pedalboard integration, extended switching for patches and effects, and a larger chassis.
Considering how well modelers have been doing over the past couple of years (just have a look at Reverb’s yearly sales reports) it's no surprise that Blackstar is getting in on the action.
Long-time Martin champion Molly Tuttle is finally getting her flowers in the form of not one, but two, signature acoustics: the Martin D-18 and the D-X2E.
The two offer an unmistakably vintage flair, which comes as no surprise considering they're based on her prized 1943 D-18 – with a rear-shifted scalloped bracing, 1940s neck profile, and added Molly-isms in the form of moon phase fingerboard inlays. Both right- and left-handed models are available.
As Tuttle herself describes the new signatures, “I've always dreamed of playing Martin guitars ever since I started playing the guitar.
“These are such beautiful instruments, I'm excited to see what songs they hold; there are no limits to what I can create and perform on these guitars.
“They have the classic sound that I'm looking for, and Martin Guitars always bring the best out of my playing and ideas.”
Hello there! Jackson here for more of your NAMM coverage needs. Having attended the show myself what feels like a lifetime ago (2023), I know well what an onslaught it can be, but like my colleagues, I'll cherry-pick some highlights from the show that you should know about (and highlight why you should know about them).
At that aforementioned show, I thoroughly enjoyed visiting the Donner booth, and seeing the fun the company was having in the budget guitar space. Its headless HUSH model, in particular, was a lot of fun to mess around on, and its accessibility and affordability had me wondering if I should do the inconceivable (sorry, I was admittedly a bit of a hater): and drop a bit of money on a headless guitar.
Described by the company as “the ultimate modern headless guitar,” Donner's new HLX-500 is definitely more upscale than the HUSH, but is still super-affordable. Ringing up at $330, it's a shot right at Strandberg and Ibanez, and may draw yet more curious players to the ranks of the polarizing, once-overlooked, decapitated style.
NAMM isn't just about new gear, mind you – there are also live performances galore.
I was jealous as hell when the team sent this video – taken at Yamaha's pre-NAMM show concert – over to me. With jaw-loosening chops and technique that have blown the minds of some of the instrument's most respected names, Matteo Mancuso has long been one of the most buzzed-about players in the guitar universe. And from this video you can sure as hell see why!
Funnily enough, when Tosin Abasi last gave us an update on his long-in-the-works Abasi Concepts nylon-string model, it was NAMM 2025.
“It's basically an attempt to create a nylon-string instrument that [takes] a lot of the same design concepts from [other Abasi Concepts guitars] – multi-scale, thin-bodied, ergonomic,” he told GW at the time, “but it's for guys who maybe aren't traditional classical players, but do want a nylon-string guitar for recording and specifically for stage.”
Now, it finally lives. The Abasi Stage 7, to give it its full name, sees Abasi Concepts team up with nylon-string and Spanish guitar mainstay Córdoba. It's a 7-string model tuned from B to E, and features – among other tasty specs – 24 fanned frets and Córdoba's Stage Pickup System. Not your grandpa's classical guitar, that's for sure.
From our colleagues on the show floor...
It's not every day you get to be in the same room as a genuine 1938 D-45, but Matt Swanson – CEO of Dumble, no less – was gracious enough to let us get up close and personal with his own pre-war dreadnought, which is set to be recreated in Martin’s Project 91 initiative. We also got to hold and play it, but we didn't sling it over our shoulder quite like Matt did…
Mike reporting from the show floor here to let you know that Ibanez had some signature surprises at its booth, including the long-awaited Nili Brosh model making its official debut, plus new guitars for Joe Satriani, Kiko Loureiro, JB Brubaker, Nita Strauss, and one particularly extravagant Steve Vai limited edition. Oh, and there's an RG celebrating 250 years of the USA. As you do.
Audio giant JBL has entered the ever-expanding AI guitar tech fray, and the company's first swing is a big one.
The company's newest creation, BandBox, is an AI-powered smart practice amp and portable speaker. Most intriguingly, that AI tech, JBL says, can provide real-time vocal and instrument separation. This could really change the way guitarists practice...
Matt O here, interrupting your feed to share some snaps from NAMM’s ever-extravagant Boutique Guitar Showcase walk. As always, there are some truly spell-binding builds from the likes of Kauer, Giulio Negrini, Sully Guitars, and more. I may or may not have spent 15 minutes here…
Mike has basically melted into a puddle after witnessing Billy Corgan perform at the TEC Awards, where he was honored with the Innovation Award (Billy, not Mike). It was an unapologetically deep-cut set – typical of the Smashing Pumpkins maverick – opening with Siamese Dream's Rocket, before unleashing some gut-wrenching solos over Adore's Shame. There's a real possibility our editor-in-chief may never recover from the latter.
One of the stars of the performance was Corgan's new signature pedal amp with Laney, the Supergrace, which bottles his epic (and very expensive) live tone. Under Corgan's fingers, it sounded just as explosive and volatile as the real deal – and take it from Mike (me), who has seen SP many, many times.
It may have only been bass and drums backing Billy this evening, but he was getting some six-string support from fellow Pumpkins guitarist Kiki Wong.
