Donner Guitar
As I cruised throughout the 813,607 sq. foot exhibit hall at this year’s NAMM show, I reveled in all the compelling musical merchandise. I mostly gravitated to the guitar merchants because not only do I find the instrument aesthetically pleasing, but I am a novice player as well. Among the many guitars I checked out, a few new exciting strummers stood out.
At the Donner booth, the decade-old company unveiled the Rising-G Pro, a full carbon fiber body acoustic guitar. Set to be released in early July, the Rising-G Pro stands out with a purported improved resonance of 35 percent over other carbon fiber offerings. The barrel design body, Donner asserts, is excellent for the resonance. One of their goals was to make a guitar with great frequency range and replicate the sound of a high-end guitar. Donner has a proprietary manufacturing process for the unique bracing used on the inside of the guitar. The back is also carbon fiber, making it durable and resistant to warping. Because the guitar hole is positioned closer to the top, on the guitar’s shoulder, the sound level is heard well by the player. I didn’t personally sample the guitar because I bogged down in my camera gear; however, one of the company’s ambassadors, Mariano Anaya, played a few chords for me. The guitar had a very resonant and clear sound that was very rich. I was also told that the guitar mics very well. It was a bit strange seeing the guitar hole in a higher position. But it did sound great, and The Rising G-Pro’s durability and affordability make this an ideal guitar for beginners or even an intermediate player who travels a lot.
Chris Martin of Martin Guitars
Over at the sizable Martin guitar booth, my eyes and ears were treated to plenty of exquisitely crafted acoustic gems. A young woman and older gentleman entertained a crowd playing acoustic guitar versions of several classic rock songs. In the middle of the large booth, I spotted a beautiful acoustic guitar with tiny gems and an ornate pic guard atop a deep blue-colored soundboard. Holding the guitar was Chris Martin, who is not only the executive chairman of Martin guitars but is a 6th generation Martin, the family who started Martin guitars in 1833. I talked with Mr. Martin a bit, and he explained the significance of the alluring acoustic he was holding. “Every time we hit a milestone, we would come up with something special to commemorate it.” The idea behind this 2 ½ millionth Martin guitar is that it is a representation of lower Manhattan. Martin went on to say, “The Ruby stone on the body represents the location of the first Martin guitar workshop in America in 1833. The diamonds strategically placed on the body of the guitar represent what the night sky would have looked like the day that my family arrived from Germany to America to go on to be the world’s most famous guitar maker.” The guitar was uniquely radiant, and although I didn’t get a chance to hear it played, I have no doubt its sound was equal to the superb resonance that Martin acoustic guitars are known for.
By far, the most intriguing guitar I encountered was Ernie Ball’s newest electric guitar, the Kaizen. It’s a collaboration between the design team and Guitarist “Tosin” Abasi, the founder and lead guitarist of the instrumental progressive metal band Animals as Leaders. This guitar has an appealingly smooth, sleek look and features some innovating tech. Starting with the headstock, the tuners are Steinberger gearless turners, and there is a new slanted compensated nut. The frets are slanted because it’s a multi-scaled guitar. There is a 24 and ¾” scale on the treble strings, which goes from 25 ½ on the low E and beyond to about 25.7 on the low B. This gives the player a tighter string tension on the lower strings for rhythms and a looser tension on the treble strings. It allows for easier reaches because the frets are closer together on the treble strings. New pickup technology of heat-treated pickups has a lot of output and clarity. There is a wide range from the volume knob to get usable tones from just about zero to full blast. The Kaizen has a tremolo unique to multi-scaled guitars; not many of them out there have that. Although it’s not evident by looking at it, there is not a flat surface on this guitar. It is decidedly contoured not just for playability, but it adds to the aesthetics. It also has an infinity radius on the fretboard, which allows you to see the fretboard while you are playing it without needing to tilt the guitar. The Kaizen is constructed from Alder body wood and a roasted figured maple ebony fretboard. I didn’t get a chance to hear the guitar, but undoubtedly, I will be heading to my local Guitar Center to give it strum once it is released on June 14th. I will also be keeping an eye out for the 6- string version that will be available sometime in 2023.
Kaizen Gutar from Ernie Ball
Keep a look out for more on NAMM merchandise reviews in our upcoming articles coming soon.
Jen B. / BackStage360