We Went To The Fretboard Summit: Does NAMM Still Matter?

We Went To The Fretboard Summit: Does NAMM Still Matter?
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Welcome to Episode #067 of the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast! This week, Jon Gundry and Matthew are back from Chicago after attending the 2026 Fretboard Summit, an event that brought together guitar builders, gear makers, musicians, collectors and serious guitar enthusiasts under one roof. After experiencing the Summit firsthand, we came home with a big question for this week's Guitargument: Does the Guitar World Still Need NAMM?

🎸 Gear Featured in This Episode
1967 ES-335 with ThroBak ER-Custom P.A.F. style pickups.
Vintage 1979 Fender Silverface Deluxe Reverb
Nobels ODR-1 effect pedal

🎬 Intro
Welcome to Episode #067! Jon and Matthew are back from Chicago with plenty to talk about, including their visit to the 2026 Fretboard Summit and the big question it inspired: Does the Guitar World Still Need NAMM?

📰 ThroBak News: ThroBak Chicago Road Trip
Jon and Matthew hit the road for Chicago! We kick off the travelogue with highlights from the ThroBak road trip and their adventures around the Windy City.

⚾ Cubs Game
You can't visit Chicago without taking in a little local culture. Jon and Matthew make a stop at historic Wrigley Field for a Chicago Cubs game.

🎸 Chicago Music Exchange Visit
The road trip continues with a visit to Chicago Music Exchange, where Jon and Matthew check out the guitars, amps and gear at one of America's best-known guitar shops.

📬 Viewer Comments
We check in with the ThroBak Guitar Lounge community and respond to viewer comments and reactions from last week's episode.

🎟️ Fretboard Summit 2026
Jon and Matthew head to the Fretboard Summit and report back on what they saw, who they met and their impressions of this guitar-focused gathering of builders, manufacturers, players and enthusiasts. Does an event like this offer a glimpse into the future of guitar shows?

🎸 Pickups of the Week: '67 Gibson ES-335 + ThroBak ER-Custom MXV P.A.F. Style Pickups
This week's guitar is a vintage 1967 Gibson ES-335 loaded with ThroBak ER-Custom MXV P.A.F. style pickups. Jon puts this classic semi-hollow through its paces and explores what the ER-Custom MXV set can do.

🥊 The Guitargument: Does the Guitar World Still Need NAMM?
After experiencing the Fretboard Summit firsthand, Jon and Matthew tackle the big question: Does the guitar world still need NAMM? Are smaller, guitar-focused events offering manufacturers and players something the massive traditional trade-show format can't? Or does NAMM remain an irreplaceable part of the guitar industry?

🧊 The Cool Down
The debate may be over, but the discussion isn't! Jon and Matthew cool things down and continue unpacking the changing role of NAMM, guitar shows and industry events.

🎵 Matthew's Rorschach Riffs: Chi-Town Theme!
Matthew takes over the guitar for a Chicago-themed edition of Rorschach Riffs. Can Jon identify Matthew's Windy City-inspired musical clues?

🚌 Jon's Musical Musings: Frankfort Bass Safari
Jon heads out on a Bass Safari to Frankfort, Michigan!

👋 Outro
Jon and Matthew wrap up Episode #067 and another week in the ThroBak Guitar Lounge. Thanks for watching, commenting and joining the conversation!

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