Academy of Tone #297: NAMM Recap feat. Steve Fryette!

NAMM 2026 was vibrant, inspiring, and far beyond our expectations. The energy on the show floor was incredible — we met many old friends, made new ones, and welcomed amazing players at the BluGuitar booth throughout the entire week. Thomas spent most of the show demonstrating the AMPX as well as the AMP1 Mercury and AMP1 Iridium. Once again, it was exciting to see how musicians reacted not only to the sound, but especially to the feel of the BluGuitar amps and cabinets. The fully analog response — and the ability to play through real speakers at our booth — kept people playing non-stop. At times, it honestly felt like they were getting addicted to the pure analog tone and touch. For this special episode, Thomas is joined live from the Fryette HQ in Los Angeles by Steve Fryette himself — the mind behind Fryette Amplification and the legendary Power Station. Together, they recap NAMM 2026, share insights from the show, and talk about tone, amps, and the evolution of guitar sound. This is a live Academy of Tone, so feel free to join the conversation in the chat or leave your questions in the comments — we’re happy to answer them. Enjoy this special episode of Academy of Tone, live from L.A., with great stories, great gear, and great people. #bluguitarfamily #bluguitar #thomasblug #stevefryette #nammshow ____________________________________________________________________________________ Get your AMP1 MERCURY EDITION and IRIDIUM EDITION with 3 YEARS WARRANTY and FREE SHIPPING (within EU): https://bluguitar.com/en/products/ ____________________________________________________________________________________ https://bluguitar.com/ 00:00 Intro Jam at the NAMM 2026 03:51 Touring the Fryette Amplification workshop 05:12 Insights into Power Amp production (252 Stereo) 06:46 Heading to the office for the NAMM recap 09:09 Finding the sweet spot in your amplifier 10:54 Attenuators and the Pandora's Box of tone 12:45 Customer stories: Habitual extremists and backups 14:44 The importance of technical education for guitarists 16:31 Near-death experiences with high voltage 18:55 Childhood starts in electronics and first repairs 21:42 The "metallic taste" of different voltages 24:11 Lessons learned from electrical shocks 27:39 Safety protocols in the amplifier test room 30:45 The intense focus of sound design 32:50 Happy players and the industry ecosystem 34:13 Power Station: Solving the tube amp volume issue 36:56 Listener feedback and the evolution of products 39:25 Headroom and the "girth" of 100-watt amps 42:39 Why NAMM is an investment for manufacturers 45:48 Redirecting NAMM budgets into R&D 48:38 The lifespan and value of high-quality gear 51:15 Consumer expectations for new product versions 53:00 Meeting Rick Beato and Tim Pierce at NAMM 55:46 Discovering new talent: The 12-year-old wunderkind 1:01:35 The passion and patience required for tweaking gear 1:07:35 Freedom in playing through unfamiliar backline 1:12:39 The "Rock Anarchy" approach to live music 1:25:48 The balance between gear modifications and practice 1:32:40 Honest feedback between friends and colleagues 1:41:19 The unexpected success of "half-baked" product rollouts 1:47:28 Comparing NAMM to the community feel of Guitar Summit 1:53:30 Final words and closing the stream