The Melbourne Guitar Show took place on March 1 and 2, bringing the latest and greatest to Australian guitarists. Having attended, performed at and hosted Q&A sessions at previous MGS events, I was curious to see how the switch to a new venue would change the vibes. The biggest and best change was placing everything on one level; no more lining up at the escalators to pop upstairs to see the acoustic room or catch a performance on the main stage. And the flow-on result was a more relaxed, social and fun experience.
There are four main aspects to the MGS: the gear, the seminars, the performances and the hangs. There are the latest products, including advance previews of stuff that isn’t in Australian stores yet, like the phenomenal new Marshall pedals replicating the JCM800 and JCM900, DSL, JVM and Plexi. Or the only LTD Mick Thomson MT-I signature model guitar in circulation. You can listen to talks on topics like songwriting, guitar maintenance and pedal stacking. You can catch performances by the likes of Dallas Frasca, Dallas Crane (big Dallas year apparently), Brett Garsed and many more. And like NAMM or PAX or any number of conventions, you get to catch up with your buddies, meet reps from your favourite makers, strike up a conversation with a guitar legend in the coffee line.
Everywhere I looked at the Melbourne Guitar Show I would see something else cool and unusual. At the expansive Mannys booth I found an Ibanez J.Custom Australis 50th Anniversary RG made for the Australian market and featuring Aussie timbers. I saw a selection of Fender Custom Shop instruments including a beautiful lefty Strat that was so perfectly crafted that I almost wish I was born left-handed. I checked out the work of local gear builders like KINK pedals, Maton and Cole Clark. I saw stuff you rarely see here like James Tyler guitars (I checked out one that was $18,000 and felt like every cent of it). Curios like the Dean Kerry King signature model with its aggressive pointy bits and mean matte finish, or the impeccably hand-crafted MLJACKIE pickups with their vast array of models and cover options. Headless MOOER guitars. A Powers Electric Guitars A-Type built by the Taylor Guitars design legend (and it is seriously one of the lightest and most resonant guitars I’ve ever met).
One of the most impressive instruments I got my paws on was a beautiful guitar built by Mark Gilbert, a Hobart guitar builder who uses Australian timbers to create investment-grade guitars that play as good as they look. I plugged in a Tele-style build with P90 pickups and featuring the artwork of the legendary Albert Collins. I fretted the 7th fret of the low E string to test the volume of the Carr Lincoln amp and with the barest nudge of the pick the note bloomed forth with heavenly sustain cascading into perfectly controlled feedback. I was hooked.
On the seminar side of things, Something For Kate’s Paul Dempsey spoke with journalist Greg Phillips for the 30th anniversary of Australian Musician Magazine (and 31st of SFK), sharing his wisdom and playing acoustic versions of classics like ‘Monsters.’ Rock Academy Australia’s Phil Ceberano gave a wide-ranging and hilariously expletive-laden presentation that touched on everything from navigating your pedalboard to overcoming stage fright, rocking his trusty modified and heavily played Fender Strat Plus. Modern Musician hosted a guitar maintenance workshop that was so informative that I stopped by to catch it again on the second day. YouTuber Leon Todd was all over the show giving presentations and ripping out killer licks (you should have heard that dude play on a Fender Jack White Triplecaster: that guitar can absolutely shred when needed to).
The main stage hosted a huge variety of performers and special events. Rock Academy’s students played some killer covers including a ‘Killing In The Name Of’ that brought the house down. I didn’t get a chance to catch Phil Ceberano, Marcel Yammouni and Brett Kingman’s Ultimate Guitar Tone Challenge but hoo boy, those guys talking tone? I feel sick I missed that one. Minnie Marks’ incredible blues guitar and elaborate foot-played drum kit? That was unforgettable. And Paul Mason capped off the weekend with a tribute to Jeff Beck featuring the legendary Brett Garsed. If you ever have the chance to watch Brett play up close you’re going to see the most relaxed, every-note-tucked-perfectly-in-its-place guitar playing you can imagine. And Mason’s Beck-isms are spot on. Incredible stuff.
And on the social side, I had a great time catching up with friends I haven’t seen since the last guitar show, buddies I know from gigs and jams, and reps from various brands I’ve worked with or reviewed over the years. I chatted with Andrea Krakovska about her upcoming Aerial Guitar show in Melbourne (think shred meets P!NK), bantered with CMI’s Tim Gauci about the interest in the Mick Thomson LTD, checked out Japanese Telecasters with Mitch Cowen, and just generally nerded out with anyone who was up for a chat. And for all the great gear, amazing performances and insightful seminars, it’s still the people who make the Melbourne Guitar Show great. The connection to other musicians, other dreamers, other gear-obsessives, other songwriters, other people who feel this passion in the same way. I can’t wait for next year.
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