NAMM 2026 – Day One Recap

We hit the ground running at NAMM 2026 and had an incredible first day connecting with brands, checking out new gear, and locking in exciting plans for the shop. Here’s a look at what we saw on Day One.

Ludwig Drums

We kicked off the day at the Ludwig booth and finally got hands-on with a wide range of snare drums, including some exciting new pieces currently in development. We spent time with David Nelson discussing future plans, including the possibility of collaborating on a special Ludwig snare down the road. One big highlight was hearing that the 8" Black Beauty may be returning to stock soon. David will also be visiting the store in the near future as we continue expanding and strengthening our Ludwig drum selection.

Tama & Ibanez

Next stop was Tama / Ibanez, where we dove deep into what’s coming next. We checked out the new Starclassic lineup and confirmed plans to bring in Starclassic snare drums in multiple finishes over the coming months. We also spent time with the limited-edition Mike Portnoy snare (already in stock) and the Star Reserve snares, both currently available on our website. In addition, we previewed several Starphonic models that will be arriving soon.

Limited-Edition USA Gear

We also checked out some incredible USA-built limited-edition kits. While we won’t be able to bring in a full kit ourselves, our friends at 2112 Percussion will have one available. We will be bringing in the 250th Anniversary USA-made electric guitars and basses, along with an acoustic guitar. Between drums, guitars, basses, and hardware, we’re looking at well over 100 new items coming to the shop soon. One standout was the new lightweight Tama hardware, solid, practical, and seriously impressive.

Gator Drum Thrones

At Gator, we checked out their new hydraulic drum thrones available in black, red, and blue, with optional backrests. They’re also introducing a manual spindle throne with a quick-lock feature. These thrones were extremely comfortable, very solid, and hit a great price point. Gator continues to surprise us and keeps pushing further into the drum world.

PreSonus / Fender Studios

We spent time with PreSonus, now owned by Fender and rebranding parts of the line under Fender Studios. We checked out their updated audio interface lineup, which looks great and hits some very strong price points. We’re excited to have these arriving at the store soon.

Reverb

We also met with Reverb to talk about some new opportunities, especially for customers interested in selling used gear. We’ll be partnering more closely with Reverb moving forward, and there are some exciting things in the works. Definitely keep an eye out for updates on that.

Roland

Later in the day, we stopped by Roland to check out the new GX-1 and GX-1B multi-effects pedals, which are going to be incredible. We also got a demo of the new Cube Tower, and it seriously impressed us. As always, it was great hanging out with our rep Steve.

Paiste Cymbals

We wrapped up the show floor with Paiste Cymbals. This past year was our first carrying Paiste, and it was a fantastic one. They showed us several brand-new products that we’re not allowed to talk about or even photograph yet, with a release planned for March. All we can say is that 2026 is going to be a big year for Paiste at the shop.

Wrapping Up the Day

We ended the day with dinner at Disneyland, always a highlight of the trip. Tomorrow, we’ll be back on the floor for another full day at NAMM, with plenty more to share soon.