The National Association of Music Merchants show (NAMM) is one of the best places to get the inside scoop on most, if not all, of the latest innovations in the music world. All sorts of exciting new gear and technology is being showcased at NAMM 2018 in Anaheim, CA — especially for guitar-lovers.

The Fender room in particular has been very impressive for the attendees. Dozens of classic guitar models (Stratocasters, Telecasters, Jazzmasters, and more) adorn the walls, on display to document the celebrated history of this great American brand.

One of the company’s biggest announcements — literally — was the Fender Custom Shop’s 9-neck guitar that is a combination of its top guitars: the Mandolin, Mustang, Jaguar, Telecaster, Stratocaster, Jazzmaster, Bass VI, P Bass, and Jazz Bass.

A post shared by Fender (@fender) on Jan 24, 2018 at 5:47pm PST

In other announcements, the company’s highly anticipated American Originals Series showcases 11 new models, inspired by the music and styles of the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s, and comes in 13 different finishes.

Also included are some amazing newer models, including the much-hyped Fender Meteora. The company’s Custom Shop also showcased the Prestige Collection, which includes guitars by Master Builder Paul Waller, and a highly anticipated Pinball Telecaster created by Master Builder Yuriy Shishkov.

New effects pedals: stompboxes

Apart from its new guitar announcements, the company also showed its new stompboxes, a series of vintage foot pedals that are ready to take the stage with any performer.

Fender Play

But there is another new and exciting product on display in the Fender room beside all the cool physical gear. Fender Play, a digital learning platform intended for aspiring and beginner guitarists, is being marketed by the company as “The Easiest Way To Learn Guitar Online.”

Typical guitar lessons can be very rigid, time-consuming and often inconvenient, even for the most passionate students. Fender is taking advantage of modern technology to accommodate the diverse needs and learning habits of beginning guitarists worldwide with this new platform. The app had originally launched in July 2017, and is now being heavily promoted here at NAMM. The goal is to combine the convenience of the internet with top-quality instruction that would be expected from such a trusted name in music as Fender.

The program is highly “song-based,” with an emphasis on the practical implementations of basic skills (primarily chord progressions, basic melodies and finger techniques). This is designed to inspire students through fun and engaging exercises that teach them songs quickly.

The program’s structure is divided into basic levels that make it easy to track students’ progress as they advance through every lesson. And since it is all digital and available online, students are allowed to move at their own pace, as it is convenient for them. You can also find Fender Play in the App Store as well as at play.fender.com, where they are offering a 30-day free trial and limited-time reduced monthly billing.

Check out the full line of Fender products — including new releases from NAMM 2018 — available now at Adorama.

Main image courtesy of @fender/Instagram.