January 28, 2025 I Award, Event

Best in Show Highlights Top Gear, Companies at 2025 NAMM

The annual Best in Show panel moved to the Ideas Center this year — bringing with it all the hottest gear, companies and services available at The 2025 NAMM Show.

Held Jan. 25, Best in Show, which was moderated by Frank Alkyer, president of Music Inc. magazine and UpBeat Daily, featured a panel of six retail-buying experts who presented their top picks for the best gear and services they saw across the 2025 show floor.

The categories were:

Best in Show — The best product or service the panelists saw at NAMM.
Company to Watch — An exhibitor with trendsetting products or services.
Gotta Stock It — A product that retailers should stock right now.
Add-ons & Accessories — A great product from the small-goods arena.

This year’s panelists were:

  • Robert Christie, President of A&G Central Music in Madison Heights, Michigan
  • Dominic Wagner, Chief Marketing Officer of Thomann in Treppendorf, Germany
  • Laura Penrose, Owner of Nick Rail Music in Santa Barbara, California
  • Cyph Shah, General Manager of Astro Audio Video Lighting in Glendale, California
  • Amanda Rueter, President of Ernie Williamson Music in Springfield, Missouri
  • Jim Tuerk, Director of Business Development at Reverb.com in Chicago

ADD-ONS & ACCESSORIES

Vandoren HD mouthpiece — Selected by Robert Christie
“We’re lucky we have companies like Vandoren that understand while artists have a lot of things in common, they also have things that make them unique. Vandoren has made this mouthpiece for that.”

D’Addario Backline Beat Backpack — Selected by Dominic Wagner
“This bag has so many different compartments that make it a very useful product.”

American Way Marketing Twister Mouthpiece Puller — Selected by Laura Penrose
“This is a great tool that fits in every trumpet player’s case and every teacher’s satchel bag.”

VAMAV 10-inch STX1040 Powered Subwoofer — Selected by Cyph Shah
“It’s priced somewhere between a plate of nachos and a PlayStation — it’s truly affordable.”

Vandoren 4-Reed — Selected by Amanda Rueter
“These are really the add-ons that keeps adding on.”

Gator GPB Pocketboard — Selected by Jim Tuerk
“This pedalboard fits eight standard-size pedals and can be used horizontally or vertically.”

GOTTA STOCK IT

Protec Rumi Wind Instrument Bags — Selected by Robert Christie
“These bags offer different designs and option that help musicians set themselves apart. It’s another example of fashion blending into gear.”

MXR Rockman X100 — Selected by Dominic Wagner
“MXR has harnessed the same technology and sonic power of the original Rockman X100, but put it in a new, compact stomp box preamp pedal form.”

Casio Celviano AP-300 — Selected by Laura Penrose
“These are great sounding instruments, and they come in three colors.”

DJ Tech Tools USB Chroma — Selected by Cyph Shah
“This product is really a great win for the DJ community.”

Gator Icon Gig Bags — Selected by Amanda Rueter
“Gator is always designing, and this is one of their many, many innovative products.”

Martin Grand J-28E DN (Double Neck) — Selected by Jim Tuerk
“It’s a cool instrument. The raised diamond at the bar of the headstock is just cool.”

COMPANIES TO WATCH

Maple Leaf Strings — Selected by Robert Christie
“If you ask someone what makes a good partner, they’d say Maple Leaf Strings. They find out what your goals are and they make them their own common goals.”

IK Multimedia — Selected by Dominic Wagner
“This company truly is the whole package.”

Opus1.io — Selected by Laura Penrose
“Lesson management is so difficult, and this company offers tech-meets-tradition in an easy-to-use format.”

DB Technologies — Selected by Cyph Shah
“DB Technologies’ products are engineered for the end-user, for example, cable trays built into its speakers.”

Eastman — Selected by Amanda Rueter
“I’ve never been to a NAMM show where Eastman hasn’t had multiple exciting products to show me.”

Strandberg Guitars — Selected by Jim Tuerk
“They have a space-age design, and, when you look at them, you wonder, ‘What’s the market for this?’ Well, we started seeing them on Reverb, and I’ve been surprised by the great response.”

BEST IN SHOW

Yamaha Marching Carriers — Selected by Robert Christie
“Retailers in the B&O space know a pain-point for band programs is marching stands. Yamaha was thoughtful about the design of these ones.”

Korg minikorg 700Sm — Selected by Dominic Wagner
“This synth has created big buzz at this show. Our buyers are very excited about it.”

Maple Leaf Strings’ Savi Bows — Selected by Laura Penrose
“It’s exciting to see something new and fresh, but super applicable for today’s string players.”

QSC KC12 Column P.A. System — Selected by Cyph Shah
“It’s the price-point of one of their subs, and it performs at a higher SPL.”

NAMM U Educational Sessions — Selected by Amanda Rueter
“I recently got a promotion at my job, and I honestly think my career kicked into high gear here at the Ideas Center [NAMM U’s NAMM show education center].”

Marshall JCM800 Modified — Selected by Jim Tuerk
“If you play guitar, you must plug into this amp, turn it up and play an E chord. I did this, and it made me feel like I was 12 years old.”

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