NAMM showcases myriad musical instruments and gear but the guitar, as it rightfully should, reigns supreme. So, on Saturday at the overloaded Anaheim Convention Center, no appearance caused a greater commotion than Slash's--because, let's face it, he's one of the last true guitar gods. He's a top hat wearing, cig smoking, bourbon swilling icon. Slash's Guns N' Roses contributions compare with anything in the upper echelon of hard rock awesomeness and his work with Velvet Revolver, well, it's not so bad.

Andrew Youssef

Slash

Slash appeared at the Marshall exhibit around 12:30 p.m. to meet, greet, autograph and promote the AFD100, a recreation of what the promo material says was a "hot-rodded, 100 Watt, pre-master volume model from the early 1970s, this legendary amp was hired specifically for the [Appetite for Destruction] sessions in 1986 ... Now Slash and Marshall Amplification have joined forces to recreate that revered 'Appetite Tone' with the announcement of the new Marshall AFD amplifier. Click for more information. Oh yeah, this is also where we learned the exact date of the former Gunner's debut solo album Slash & Friends.

When they trotted Slash out at the Marshall Amplification exhibit around 12:30 p.m. today at the NAMM trade show, which is being held at the Anaheim Convention Center and wraps Sunday, throngs of fans elbowed their way toward the star, snapped pictures and observed that his trademark top hat seemed a bit shorter than expected. 

Wade Tatangelo

An affable Slash signing autographs and chatting up fans at NAMM

The line to meet and have something signed by the guitar hero looked like what you might to expect at nearby Disneyland for Pirates of the Caribbean. So, yeah, plenty of noise accompanied Slash's arrival. But one sentence uttered by the announcer shot through the din like a searing solo--at least to my ears. The man born Saul Hudson's highly anticipated debut solo album Slash & Friends--reportedly featuring "four of the five original members of Guns N' Roses: Slash, Izzy Stradlin, Steven Adler and Duff McKagan--will be out April 6, confirming rumors.

Editor's note: OCW Web Editor Vickie Chang is at NAMM today keeping us updated on all the rad gear, celebs and weird dudes with long, greasy ponytails. Click to follow on Twitter.

Vickie Chang

Jason Mraz playing it cool at NAMM

Jason Mraz at Shure... huuuuge fucking line to meet the guy!

The 2010 NAMM Show, which is expected to draw nearly 1,500 exhibiting companies, opens today with multitudes of instrument/products retailers, manufacturers and every leathery-faced, longhaired dude who ever sold you a guitar while telling you about how his band had a record deal but something went wrong at the last minuet back in the 1980s.

No word on if Taylor Swift will also speak on her love of white rabbits

Quincy Jones and Yoko Ono are scheduled to discuss the importance of music education for children this morning during the opening Breakfast Session, at a first-ever SupportMusic Coalition webcast and at a press conference held at the John Lennon Education Tour Bus. Other celebrities expected are Taylor Swift, Jason Mraz and Julianne Hough. The trade show, held at the Anaheim Convention Center today through Sunday, is only open to industry members and their invited guests. NAMM reports a total of 85,799 of registrants, including 1,505 exhibitors, attended last year. Stay tuned for more updates--yes, we'll be there--and pics taken from the convention center.

Click for past 2010 NAMM posts.

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