Words and Photos by Greg Phillips
The Australian Music Association’s long-running, acclaimed Guitar Show brand came to Sydney for the first time last weekend and thousands of Sydney-siders lapped up the opportunity to delve into all things guitar-related. For years, Victorian music fans had enjoyed the Melbourne Guitar Show, now it was its northern neighbour’s turn to rock out to guitar gear, performances and demonstrations.
Situated at the Sydney Showgrounds, crowds queued in tropical heat on day one of the two day event to be first to view the fretted fare on offer and there was plenty of it!
Upon entry to the Sydney Guitar Show, punters had a sliding doors moment to consider! Do I of walk straight up to the main gear hall, veer left to the main performance stage or visit The Studio (a new Guitar Show concept which delivered a curated program of presentations, hardware, software, ideas and expertise on recording and audio technology), or they could swipe right and check out the Acoustic Hall. For parents, there was also the Big Music kids space. Whichever way you looked, there was something of interest for music fans of all ages.
THE GEAR
There were over 126 brands listed for presentation in the main products room and we’re certainly not going to mention every one but here’s a snap shot of some of the gear we found interesting this year.
Entering the main gear floor, it was hard to miss the huge Fender exhibit, possessing prime real estate and making great use of their 144 square metre space. Fender (partnered with Musos Corner) displayed an extensive collection of Custom Shop masterpieces and exclusive, never-before-seen anniversary models, offering punters a chance to see and play instruments rarely found in stores. The Custom Shop Lounge, offered private ToneMaster Pro demo stations in the Tone Zone, where you could browse parts, accessories and lifestyle merch, and enter to win a Mod Shop guitar of your own. Occupying a back room of the exhibit was the amiable American MasterBuilder David Brown offering advice on set-ups and displaying a range of superb custom made models that he had created. David also presented a session on the main performance stage with Diesel but more of that later.
Next door also taking up a fair chunk of trade floor space was Belfield Music, who partnered with ELFA on their brands such as PRS Guitars, Headrush (The Ed Sheeran Looper X Multi-Track Looper Workstation was so popular), plus amp juggernaut Marshall Amplification. Wholesaler CMI provided some shiny, rockin’ ESP guitars, Blackstar amps and Digitech effects. Of particular interest to metal fans were the ESP Custom Shop, E-11, ESP USA and 2026 LTD models.
Konig and Meyer presented state of the art guitar stands and accessories such as iPad and phone holders, as well as Tony Burn’s humour. Ormsby Guitars showed us some stunning guitars including the Hype Mulitscale, Kaseki CustomShop and Copper Top Elite. As always the Holdfast custom paint jobs on their guitars were incredible, including insane Alice Cooper and Iron Maiden designs. Cilia Guitars/The Tone Sanctuary was another exhibit with serious floor space. Charles Cilia is a guitar show regular and his Michael Dolce, Brett Garsed, Leon Todd (Headfirst Amps) and Jack Jones endorsed products turned many heads, as did Charles’ new hairdo!
Opposite Cilia was the always busy Pedal Party area. Think loud fish market but with pedals instead and you get a picture of the vibe. Lots of hands reaching out to pedal knobs, searching for that special tone. We enjoyed checking out pedals from Phatt Music Co and Pedal Empire opposite them (Great deal on their Cloven Hoof!). New Zealand based Cunningham Amplification’s MK1.6 Fuzz RCA Germanium Edition and BC108 Silicon Edition were impressive too.
The Tonex brand is making quite a noise in the market at the moment and their Brown Sound pedals were super popular at the show. The Tonex Cab and the AXE I/O One interface were getting plenty of interest as well.
British guitar brand PJD were all set for a special Australian launch with company founder Leigh Dovey due to make an appearance. Sadly the outbreak of war with Iran meant that he couldn’t make it, however a crate of his awesome, unique looking guitars did make it for the show. Australian distributor F Payton and Son were thrilled with the feedback and one of their models won a spot in the guitar show’s new Best in Show award event, which occurred on the main stage on the Sunday.
Manny’s was another company with a major exhibit which featured Gibson, Ibanez and Orange products, all featuring brand logos in bright neon lights, adding great atmosphere to the room. Other brands adding to the excitement included Epiphone, Positive Grid, Vox, Spector, Aguilar, Darkglass Electronics, Eventide and Two Notes. The biggest vibe on the Manny’s stand however, seemed to be reserved for the Neural 1A Quad Cortex Mini and 1c Quad Cortex Floor Modellers, surely one of the music world’s most popular brands at the moment and also featuring in the Best in Show mentions.
The Boss stand was decked out in bright blue this year featuring some great effects including the GX-1 series, GK synth, 200 series pedals and More. Everyone owns a Boss pedal!
Strandberg Guitars/H Music had a huge show too, not only displaying their distinctive guitars but also presenting signings for their artists Plini and Tash Wolf. H Music proudly showed the range of Kemper profilers as well. Another popular demonstrator and performer was American guitarist Larry Mitchell who often inhabited the Independent Music Stand, showcasing the range of Fractal gear.
Grubisa Guitars teamed up with Amwatts Amps to display their quality gear and supported the Australian Musician session with Baby Animals guitarist Dave Leslie on the Saturday by providing gear. Mestric Guitars launched their brand at the show too. Of particular interest were their road worn finishes.
Mooloolaba Music made the trek down from Queensland to present some beautiful Hagstrom (always loved their Super Viking models) and Knaggs guitars.
Gladesville Guitar Factory showed off their range of Collings, Bowden, Iconic, Zemaitis guitars to name a few as well as Matchless and Henriksen amps. I stumbled past the stand at an opportune time to witness Steve Edmonds playing a cool version of Midnight Oil’s surf classic Wedding Cake Island. It’s hard to walk past Eastman’s eternally gorgeous instruments too.
Dynamic Music had a truckload of Cort guitars on offer including the KX Series and GB basses, with Craig Calhoun stopping by to have a jam. The Cort Masterpiece acoustic series were lovely too. National Music gave us some eye candy with the range of artistic Luna guitars
Bonham Guitars had some quality models on display including the natural finishes of the ‘Workbench’, ’Stable’ and ‘Cargo’ models, sharing a stand with legendary Australian brand Vase Amps.
D’Addario had a shipload of strings and cables available as well as showing a range of dangerous looking Schecter guitars. Kepler guitars didn’t go unnoticed with their Titan, Iris and Nebula models in some fine finishes. Amber Technology showed us a heap of quality Warwick and Sadowsky instruments, as well as the fab Duesenbergs. Pedal-wise there was Strymon, Peterson, Cioks, Thorn Soundlabs, Black Mountain, Radial Engineering and more.
ACOUSTIC HALL
Inside the Acoustic Hall The Wildwood Instruments guitar making course exhibit was forever busy, as was the luthier showcase. Fenech guitars continues their journey onwards and upwards, teaming up with Turramurra Music for the weekend and showing us their brilliant master built guitars. Carlingford Music presented some amazing Lakewood and McNally acoustics. Admira’s classical guitars were busy. Taylor Guitars, right next to the entry/exit couldn’t help but be noticed. Cole Clark continue to stun the world with their True Hybrid series as well as the Touring Series, Recording Series and Studio series guitars.
Maton guitars are celebrating their 80th anniversary this year and have created the commemorative CW80 Anniversary 808 models which they had on display, featuring Figured Queensland Maple Neck, Fijian Mahogany back and sides, a Sitka Spruce soundboard and an Indian Rosewood fretboard and bridge. Company manager David Steedman told us there will be a special celebratory event happening in May this year.
THE STUDIO
Outside the main guitar gear area and to the side lived the new pro audio and recording room called The Studio. Inside punters found sessions and gear presented by Factory Sound, Koala Audio (offering a great deal of their Kuassa Amplifikation 360 Bundle and the fab SSL UMD192 192 Channel Madi & Dante Digital Audio Interface with USB) and Fender’s (formerly PreSonus branded) Studio One recording software application (distributed in Australia by Link Audio).
PERFORMANCES AND WORKSHOPS
Main Stage
The Australian Music Association’s guitar shows have been streamlined in the last couple of years, fewer stages and artists but more concentrated, so that you’re not missing anything due to time clashes. Anyone in early to the show on opening day may have stumbled across Godriguez, who mesmerised the audience with his chilled atmospheric loops, that he played tasteful guitar licks over. Godriguez is the solo project of Australian-Spanish guitarist, producer, and composer David Rodriguez-Lovibond.
Sydney-based guitarist, composer and influencer Tash Wolf really does have a buzz about her and she performed a stunning set on her Strandberg headless guitar, later spending time on the Strandberg stand signing autographs and posing for selfies.
The Big Music Bandits collective impressed many with their classic rock licks. Bandits is Big Music’s premier performance program for passionate teen musicians who are ready to be challenged, inspired, and pushed toward their full musical potential.
Up next was the incredible Grammy award winning American guitarist Larry Mitchell, who blew us away with his sublime playing and gorgeous tone. Shout out to the sound guys too for providing a pristine sound all weekend.
The multi award winning Ray Beadle gave us some authentic blues and RnB riffs, which went a down treat with the crowd before Diesel took to the stage for Fender, accompanied by master builder David Brown. In a session called Decoding The Dream, the pair explored instincts and ideas that shape a great guitar. They also discussed elements that may be attributed to a new signature Telecaster for Diesel.
On Sunday, Lil G kicked off proceedings playing her blues flavoured licks, followed by a little jazz diversion with the accomplished Lucy Clifford Trio.
BEST IN SHOW
Popular Youtuber Gabor Josika from SuperFunAwesomeHappyTime Pedal Show then presented Australia’s version of NAMM’s ‘Best in Show’, in which the panel (including Tash Wolf and Josh Owen) discussed their fave gear from the show.
Gabor chose UK brand PJD Guitars’ Origin Series Apprentice guitar as his show fave. After years of building guitars by hand in York, PJD wanted to share the feel, balance and character of their instruments with more players without losing what makes it special. “They aren’t substitutes for our Custom Shop guitars. They’re simply PJD instruments made more accessible, considered and built with intent,” PJD tell us. Gabor also acknowledged Novo Guitars Serus J Electric from the Pedal Empire stand and Poly Effects Kanso Gain Clarity pedal. Kanso is a collaboration between Josh Smith and Poly Effects. With a simple and expressive method of control… One giant Fknob. The Fknob is a foot switch, LEDs and a knob in one mechanism to allow clear feedback and intuitive, indestructible control. Poly Effects founder Loki Davison is a gear wizard and could be found on the trade show floor in the pink boiler suit!
Josh Owen selected the QSC CB10 Battery Powered Speaker, a compact, battery-powered loudspeaker system offering unrivaled audio performance and versatility. Josh also liked the Elixir Attune Strings. “With its natural touch and crisp, longest-lasting tone, Attune brings out the sound that keeps you playing for hours,” Elixir’s site tells us. Owen’s final choice was the D’Addario Mic Mute, “a smart, hands-free solution designed for vocalists, presenters, and engineers who need total control over their live sound. Automatically muting the microphone when not in use, this intuitive device removes unwanted feedback, stage bleed, and background noise from your mix — without ever needing to touch a button.” Special mention was also given to the Taylor Thermex Ultra Picks.
Tash Wolf gave kudos to the Neural DSP Quad Cortex Mini (it really had to be in there). Quad Cortex mini delivers the full Quad Cortex experience in their most compact, useable format, without cutting corners. Phatt Music Co’s Custom Pedalboards were Tash’s second choice and third mention went to Cole Clark’s beautiful looking and sounding Recording Series acoustic guitars.
BACK TO THE MUSIC …
Plini followed and I don’t think I’ve seen a bigger guitar show crowd than this, apart from maybe Simon Hosford’s Van Halen show at the Melbourne Guitar Show in 2019. Plini’s technical proficiency is off the charts yet his feel and phrasing is incredible too. The audience loved his brand of prog rock/metal and ambient soundscapes. It’s no surprise that the rest of the world have cottoned on to Plini as well.
Guitar Show and festival faves Hussy Hicks were up next and didn’t disappoint with their lively mix of roots ’n’ roll. A special moment occurred when guitarist of the moment Stefan Hauk took to the stage to trade licks with Hussy’s Julz Parker. Watching Hussy Hicks perform is always a joyous experience.
Closing out the main stage for the weekend was Zane Banks, presented by Fender with a show titled The Dawn of Electric Rock n Roll, which took us through the history of rock guitar. A fab way to end an incredible guitar show.
MAKE MUSIC ROOM
While artists put their gear to work in some amazing performances on the main stage, a short walk away in the Make Music Room, a bunch of well curated sessions were underway. Saturday opened with an informative Classical Guitar Workshop put together by the Classical Guitar Society of Sydney. USA guitarist Larry Mitchell then delivered an interesting session for Independent Music extolling the virtues of the Fractal Amp Modelling Effects processor and chatting about tone and playing styles. Gabor from SuperFunAwesomeHappyTime Pedal Show was back to host an intriguing Guitar Makers Workshop.
Josh Owen was next, stepping in for Brett Kingman who couldn’t make the show. Josh’s session was called The Modern Acoustic Guitar Rig: Tone Technique and Touring Insights. In the session Josh spoke about utilising a rig that can be used for both electric and acoustic playing and the best ways of achieving your live sound goals.
The True Temperament Workshop discussed ‘wiggly frets’ and why Steve Vai, Mattias IA Eklundh, Per Nilsson, and Plini are using them. Remco Mayer explained what scale length is, how and why it works, and the approach True Temperament (TT) uses to improve intonation between strings and frets. Speed player Doug DeJong was on hand to demonstrate his monster skills too.
Then it was Australian Musician magazine’s turn to present a session. We chose to chat with Baby Animals guitar legend Dave Leslie about RIFFS & LICKS: his playing influences, skills, inspiration, stories behind the Baby Animals licks, tour tales and a demonstration of his very fine Grubisa Merlin electric guitar, played through an Amwatts Amp.
Sunday in the Make Music room was dedicated to workshops with the I Heart Songwriting Club and included: Songwriting from cover artist to original artist, Songwriters in the Round with Bryce Saint, Chloe Gill and Francesca de Valence, Crafting Lyrics to Tell your Story and finishing with a songwriters meet up to swap ideas and thoughts on their craft.
Judging by the amount of people through the doors, the gear sold and the positive feedback, the AMA tell us that the Sydney Guitar Show is here to stay, alternating between Melbourne and Sydney each year from now on. Congratulations to show producer Alex Masso and show managers Emma Bienvenue and Shannon Sullivan for presenting an incredible 2026 show. Bring on Melbourne in March 2027.
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