Musikmesse 2016 Roundup

Imagine 287 drummers soundchecking, and a slew of metal solos blazing out on 8 string guitars- all at the same time. That was Musikmesse 2016, where the drums, bass and guitar areas were all concentrated into one large, open hall. It made finding things a little difficult and gave the whole event a more hectic feel. Many of the larger brands stayed home, and in general there seemed to be less people and less excitement than in past years. Of course, there were still all kind of cool new things to play, stomp, hit and kick. Here are some of our highlights:

Another excellent European electric guitar luthier, GNG caught our eye with their fanned frets, sleek modern design, and high quality craftsmanship. The guitars also beautifully finished and focused on playability. http://www.negriniguitars.com/

At another end of the design spectrum, Ogre Guitars makes axes from magnesium, some of which can be taken apart and rearranged for comfort. They also make some well-reviewed metal-focused pedals. You probably won't see any played at classical concerts...

Though we are used to seeing high-quality cymbal makers from Turkey at Musikmesse, this year we discovered a great showroom of exotic instruments and cool sounds from Anatolia in SAZ Müzik. They focus on traditional instruments such as thebig tambour, baglama (saz), oud and tambourine, and they know how to make them sound good in a demo. http://www.saz.com.tr/

Crea-re offer unique, personalized, and eco-friendly travel cases and bags for musicians. They create drum cases, guitar gig bags, and more out of upcycled or unwanted materials, personalized to each individual order. Each bag is a work of art in its own right, designed with a designer's eye and hand crafted with love. Find more about them at http://crea-re.com/.

Polyend had "Seq" on display, a solidly constructed new sequencer. It's designed to work hand in hand with their other product at Musikmesse 2016, "Perc", their midi-to-trigger percussion technology. It physically plays a drum set using the sequences directly over midi. A creative way for the mathematician to get back to music's analog roots? http://polyend.com/

Beat buddy is an all-in-one drum machine in the form of a guitar stompbox sounded surprisingly good in person. It could be a really good tool for small acoustic gigs or busking. A smaller “mini” version, which has slightly less features is also now available. http://mybeatbuddy.com/

You put a case on your phone, so why neglect your turntables? Decksaver presents a very sensible equipment protection product that probably should have existed since the dawn of the DJ. Splashproof, shockproof, basically clubproof, these shields are a must-have for DJs, festivals, clubs, and anyone using their equipment on the go or in a studio where dust or moisture might be a factor. http://www.decksaver.com/

Check out our other articles from Musikmesse too!

TV Jones

Patchblocks

Mogees