Academy Of Tone 297: NAMM Recap feat. Steve Fryette!

Special guests: Steve Fryette & Joe Campbell

00:00 Intro Jam at the NAMM 2026 03:51 Touring the Fryette Amplification workshop 05:12 Insights into Power Amp production (252 Stereo) 06:46 Heading to the office for the NAMM recap 09:09 Finding the sweet spot in your amplifier 10:54 Attenuators and the Pandora's Box of tone 12:45 Customer stories: Habitual extremists and backups 14:44 The importance of technical education for guitarists 16:31 Near-death experiences with high voltage 18:55 Childhood starts in electronics and first repairs 21:42 The "metallic taste" of different voltages 24:11 Lessons learned from electrical shocks 27:39 Safety protocols in the amplifier test room 30:45 The intense focus of sound design 32:50 Happy players and the industry ecosystem 34:13 Power Station: Solving the tube amp volume issue 36:56 Listener feedback and the evolution of products 39:25 Headroom and the "girth" of 100-watt amps 42:39 Why NAMM is an investment for manufacturers 45:48 Redirecting NAMM budgets into R&D 48:38 The lifespan and value of high-quality gear 51:15 Consumer expectations for new product versions 53:00 Meeting Rick Beato and Tim Pierce at NAMM 55:46 Discovering new talent: The 12-year-old wunderkind 1:01:35 The passion and patience required for tweaking gear 1:07:35 Freedom in playing through unfamiliar backline 1:12:39 The "Rock Anarchy" approach to live music 1:25:48 The balance between gear modifications and practice 1:32:40 Honest feedback between friends and colleagues 1:41:19 The unexpected success of "half-baked" product rollouts 1:47:28 Comparing NAMM to the community feel of Guitar Summit 1:53:30 Final words and closing the stream