SHOW BUSINESS
January is a big month for guitar enthusiasts across the globe thanks to the Winter NAMM show. Participants and onlookers salivate at each new model and reissue announced, and social media users hit refresh as often as their apps will allow, hoping to catch the latest news from their favourite brands and musicians. Regular attendees know just how loud the din of detuned guitars can be, and those who watch from home may actually be getting a better deal, with channels such as Guitar.com able to filter through the noise to find the best and most important new models and offers.
However, if new gear isn’t your thing, perhaps the less frenetic Amigo Guitar Show in Costa Mesa would be more your speed. Based at the OC Fairgrounds, just 13 miles from the Anaheim Convention Center, this is the perfect place to scope out all manner of rare and unique vintage instruments, equipment and assorted memorabilia. Read on for some of our highlights.
DREW BERLIN
During our first lap around the show, we encountered famed dealer and ‘Burst Brother’ Drew Berlin, whose understated and unassuming booth belied the treasures lurking within. Behind a makeshift entryway of folding tables were rows of vintage 1950s Stratocasters resting in their original cases, their
