FEATURE > MUSIKMESSE 2012
CAN’T AFFORD THE THOUSANDS OF BUCKS IT’D TAKE TO VISIT THE WORLD’S BIGGEST GEAR SHOW? NO PROBLEM. PREMIER GUITAR WILL TAKE YOU THERE, SHOW YOU THE GOODS, AND SPARE YOU BOTH THE JET LAG AND THE RAGING TINNITUS.
BY CHARLES SAUFLEY AND SHAWN HAMMOND Illustration by Steve Worthington
Things are always a little foggy after an overnight flight o Frankfurt, Germany. So even for a couple of battle- hardened guitar journalists, Musikmesse’s cacophony of about a billion guitars, pedals, and amps—not to mention tubas, pianos, accordions, and banjos—leaves you feeling a
little spun around. Once you rub your eyes, catch your breath, and
enjoy your first sip of beer from some kind bloke at a booth (yes,
the Germans know how to do these trade shows right!), you can
start to revel in the overflowing guitar bounty at what is arguably
the biggest musical-instrument trade show on the globe.
Musikmesse is a feast of the familiar and unexpected. The big
companies usually bring something new to tantalize their European
fans and dealers, but often the real treats are from smaller manufac-
turers with unique perspectives and inspirations—and often they’re
outfits that have yet to make it to our shores. Some have become a
little more familiar over the last few years—like Berlin’s Nick Page,
who builds fascinating fusions of the traditional and forward look-
ing with a cosmopolitan/Deutsch-hippy twist, or Claudio Pagelli,
with his functional refinement and design irreverence. Other
names—like Denmark’s Ole Koehler and his stunning acoustics,
or Tonehenge, with their heirloom-grade-amplifiers-as-modern-
furniture—are revelations.
76 PREMIER GUITAR JUNE 2012
premierguitar.com
