NAMM 2023: The latest and greatest musical gear for every budget

The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Show is one of the biggest events in the music industry, where manufacturers, retailers, artists, and enthusiasts gather to discover the latest products and trends.

This year, NAMM 2023 took place from January 19 to 22 in Anaheim, California, and featured over 2,000 exhibitors and more than 100,000 attendees.

The 2023 NAMM Show is now scheduled for April 13–15, 2023. Following that, the show will return to its traditional dates on January 25–28, 2024

1 WEEK! We can't wait to welcome you back for 3 unforgettable days complete with the latest gear, tons of live music, networking with the pros, education from industry luminaries, & tons of "only at The #NAMMShow" moments! It's not too late to register: https://t.co/1kPV4pm468 pic.twitter.com/kJeVmiQEBE

— NAMMShow (@NAMMShow) April 6, 2023

Here are some of the highlights and new releases from the show, along with their prices and availability.

Guitars and Basses

One of the most popular categories at NAMM is guitars and basses, and this year was no exception. Some of the new models that caught our eye include:

The Fender American Ultra Luxe Series, which offers premium features such as stainless steel frets, compound radius fingerboards, noiseless pickups, and sculpted neck heels. The series includes Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jazzmaster, and Precision Bass models, with prices ranging from $2,199 to $2,399.
The Gibson Custom Shop 60th Anniversary 1962 SG Standard, which recreates the iconic solid-body guitar that was introduced in 1961 as the Les Paul SG. The guitar features a mahogany body and neck, a rosewood fingerboard with 22 frets, a pair of Custombucker Alnico III pickups, and a Maestro Vibrola tailpiece. The guitar is available in Cherry Red and Polaris White finishes, with a price of $6,499.
The Martin SC-13E Acoustic-Electric Guitar, which is a new design that combines the comfort and playability of an electric guitar with the tone and resonance of an acoustic guitar. The guitar features a cutaway body with a Sitka spruce top and koa back and sides, a mahogany neck with an ebony fingerboard and 20 frets, a Fishman MX-T pickup system with a built-in tuner, and an innovative Sure Align neck system that allows for easy adjustment of the action and intonation. The guitar has a price of $1,499.

Keyboards and Synthesizers

Another popular category at NAMM is keyboards and synthesizers, which offer a wide range of sounds and possibilities for musicians of all genres. Some of the new products that impressed us include:

The Yamaha YC88 Stage Keyboard, which is a compact and versatile instrument that delivers authentic organ sounds as well as piano, electric piano, synth, and other sounds. The keyboard features 88 weighted keys with aftertouch, nine drawbars for organ control, two effects sections with rotary speaker simulation, and a built-in speaker system. The keyboard has a price of $2,999.
The Korg modwave Wavetable Synthesizer, which is a powerful and expressive instrument that uses wavetable synthesis to create complex and evolving sounds. The synthesizer features 32 voices of polyphony, two wavetable oscillators with over 200 wavetables each, four envelope generators, four LFOs, two modulation processors, two filters, three effects slots, a Kaoss pad for real-time control, and a motion sequencer for recording parameter changes. The synthesizer has a price of $799.
The Roland Fantom-8 Workstation Keyboard, which is a flagship instrument that combines a premium keyboard action with an advanced sound engine and a comprehensive production environment.
The keyboard features 88 hammer-action keys with aftertouch, over 3,500 sounds including acoustic and electric pianos, synths, drums, orchestral instruments, and more; 16 RGB pads for triggering samples and loops; a color touchscreen for editing and navigation; a sequencer with 16 tracks; an audio interface with 16 inputs and outputs; and multiple effects processors. The keyboard has a price of $3,999.