2025 NAMM Show Wish List

The world's biggest guitar trade show, the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Show runs from Tue, Jan 21, 2025 – Sun, Jan 26, 2025 in Anaheim, CA - expanding from 3 days to 5.

It's when many of the top guitar and music companies from around the world announce new products, and detail some of their product plans for the year ahead.

Below is my wish list (mostly focused around electric guitar releases) for NAMM 2025 announcements from some of the top guitar companies:

Fender:

• Release a '57 Tweed Tone Master Deluxe and/or Tweed Tone Master Princeton amp. Fender introduced the first Tweed-style Tone Master amp in 2024 in the Tone Master '59 Bassman. The '57 Tweed Deluxe is arguably Fender's most popular tweed amp, and a Tone Master version would likely sell like hotcakes.
• Release a USA-made version of the Fender Sixty Six. The 6-string guitar with a scaled-down Jazz Bass body was part of Fender's Alternate Reality series from 2019. It's a cool concept. An American-made version could take it to another level compared to the original made-in-Mexico model.
• American Professional III? It's been 4 years since the release of the American Pro II line, and Fender's typical 4-year-cycle, combined with them seeming to discount some of the American Pro II line recently can indicate a refresh is on the way. Look for new colorways and updated pickups.
• Thinline American Ultra Telecasters. The previous American Deluxe and American Elite Telecasters had thinline versions. While Fender released thinline American Professional II teles last year, a thinline hasn't yet been added to the Ultra line.
• Release a new American-made Jaguar

Gibson:

• New ES-339 in additional colors/finishes. While Gibson released some new colorways for the larger-body ES-335 in 2024, it's been a few years since any updates were made to the ES-339 line.

Paul Reed Smith:

PRS Guitars won't have an official exhibit at NAMM this year, but it will be sponsoring stages and events, and likely getting its products into different booths.

• Bring back the CE-22. The PRS CE-24 is a very popular model, but not everyone wants a guitar with 24 frets. They stopped producing the CS22 in 2008, but I'd love to see them bring it back, even for a limited run.

Ibanez

• Update the AS/AM Artstar line. Ibanez's semi-hollow guitars are among the best out there, but the company seems to largely ignore them in favor of their models more geared toward shredders. I'd love to see some updates to the AS2000, AM2000 and lower-tier Artstar/Artcore range. Some colors other than Sunburst would at least be nice. 😏

Gretsch

• Release a semi-hollow version of the Players Edition Jet, and maybe some additional color/finish options for the Broadkaster Jr..

D'Angelico

I'm a big fan of the guitars D'Angelico has put out over the last decade or so, but 2024 was a relatively quiet year for them - mainly focusing on a few signature model releases.

• Updates to the Deluxe & Excel DC and Deluxe Mini DC line. These are nice guitars, but it's been a few years since they've had any updates. DC models with different pickup options, such as a P90 in the neck and humbucker in the bridge would be a welcome addition. The single-coil Seymour Duncan pickups (in humbucker casing) used in the Eric Krasno Signature Brighton sound great. I'd love to see them used in a semi-hollow guitar.
• Offer a Semi-hollow Deluxe Brighton and Atlantic (preferably in their great Satin Honey finish).
• Offer some guitars with a bit fatter necks. If there's one gripe about D'Angelico's electric guitars, it's that every model seems to use the exact same neck - which is on the thin side. Offering some guitar models with different neck profiles could appeal to more players.

Supro

• Enter the digital modeling amp game. So far, Supro has remained solely focused on valve amps. Can 2025 be the year they release a digital modelling amp?

Yamaha

• Updated Pacifica. The Pacifica is due for a refresh.
• Release a 14" version of the SA2200. The SA2200 is one of the best es-335-sized semi-hollow guitars out there. I'd love to see Yamaha offer a version of it in the size of the ES-339 with a 14" body size.
• Revstar with an F-hole. The Revstar already has a chambered body, but is still on the heavier side. Making it even more chambered and adding an F-hole could take a great guitar to another level.

Eastman

• Offer Thinline guitars in a natural or blonde color. It's been years since they've offered this.