Academy of Tone #296: Heading to NAMM 2026

Thomas Blug and the BluGuitar team are officially on the road — heading to Los Angeles for NAMM week! Before the booth even goes up, it’s all about pre-NAMM vibes: getting settled, checking out the halls, doing first setup preps, and soaking in the energy of L.A. Expect some sneak peeks from the venue, behind-the-scenes impressions, a spontaneous jam, and cool meet-ups with friends from the industry — including legends like Tim Pierce! This is the calm before the storm… and we’re taking you along for the ride! #nammshow #bluguitar #thomasblug 00:00 Intro Blues 04:14 Welcome to 'Academy Of Tone 296 04:25 The Story of heading to NAMM 2026 04:47 Arrival in LA and the 11-hour flight 05:00 Hiking to the Hollywood Sign 05:35 Visiting the Hollywood Walk of Fame 05:55 Spotting hero stars: Ennio Morricone and Herbie Hancock 07:13 Arriving at the Airbnb and Redondo Beach 07:40 California vibes and the "Muscle Muscle" 08:00 Traveling with the Blue Guitar: Technical tips 08:35 Guitar setup and bolt-on neck advantages 09:00 Relaxing at the seaside before the show 09:20 Meeting guitar legend Tim Pierce 09:47 Discussion about Tim Pierce's Masterclass 10:31 Using the AmpX with Tim Pierce 11:00 Comparing AmpX to a Dumble-style amplifier 11:43 Transition to Anaheim for the exhibition 12:10 Approaching the NAMM 2026 sign 12:29 Smooth registration and getting the passes 12:50 First look at the Blue Guitar booth (5810) 13:30 Reflection on last year’s shipping tragedy 14:02 Quick booth setup in 30 minutes 14:15 Checking out local guitar shops with thousands of guitars 14:42 Blue Guitar logo on the X-Vive stage 15:22 Performance schedule and All-Star Band details 16:15 Joining Ronnie Lee’s All-Star Jam 17:08 Planning the walkthrough and business meetings 18:18 Visiting Walter Trout on Sunday 18:51 Update: AmpX moving into final production phase 19:20 Pre-order list and beta testing info 20:00 Hardware stability and software iterations 21:01 Knobs vs. Touchscreens: The design philosophy 22:23 Tone Innovation: Why sound comes first 23:39 Comparing AmpX to modelers and tube amps 24:34 Final words and "Like and Subscribe" 25:00 The traditional NAMM ritual at SNG Grand Café