NAMM 2026 is where the music industry comes together to preview what the year ahead will sound like. Held annually and open to industry professionals, the NAMM Show is where manufacturers unveil new instruments, amplifiers, effects, and tools, while artists, retailers, distributors, and media get an early look at the ideas shaping modern music making. It is less about spectacle and more about context, showing how individual releases fit into a broader creative landscape.
Below is a wrap-up of the NAMM 2026 releases we have covered so far, highlighting the gear, updates, and ideas that stood out to us ahead of the show.
KORG Berlin’s phase8 Is Finally Here, Liano Live, microAudio Interfaces & Kaoss KPV
The KORG phase8 is an eight‑voice acoustic synthesizer built on Acoustic Synthesis. The Liano LIVE! is a slim digital piano for livestreaming, complete with a mic, stand, mixer-style controls, speakers. The KAOSS PAD V brings dual‑touch control, an updated Voice FX engine, and a built‑in USB audio interface. The microAUDIO 22 and microAUDIO 722 are compact USB‑C interfaces delivering 24‑bit/192kHz audio.
ESP Guitars Launches Its Bold New 2026 LTD Lineup
ESP Guitars has kicked off 2026 in serious style, unveiling a fresh wave of LTD guitar and bass models that push the brand’s legacy of craftsmanship, attitude, and innovation even further. This year’s collection brings together cutting‑edge upgrades, fan-favourite designs, and a slate of powerful signature instruments from some of metal’s most influential players.
Blackstar ID:X Floor Brings Valve Feel to a New Generation of Digital Modellers
The Blackstar ID:X Floor is the company’s first high-performance digital floor modeller range, built for electric, bass and acoustic guitarists who want the dynamic response of a real valve amp paired with intuitive, hands-on control and modern routing flexibility. Blackstar’s latest move focuses squarely on a floor-based modeller that behaves less like a computer and more like an amp.
Blackstar Expands the TV-10 Range with New Heads and Cabinets for 2026
Low-watt valve amps have a way of slowing everything down. You plug in, turn up, and suddenly the focus shifts from tweaking settings to responding to touch and feel. The new Blackstar TV-10 AH and TV-10 BH heads, along with the matching TV-112 A and TV-112 B cabinets, bring the brand’s low-power, single-ended Class A valve designs into a compact modular format.
Blackstar Artist FR Brings Amp Feel to the FRFR World
Plenty of players love the flexibility of modellers, yet struggle to connect with how they feel once they hit a full-range speaker. Blackstar Artist FR is a new line of powered full-range, flat-response cabinets designed specifically for digital modellers, offering clarity and balance while delivering the physical response and dynamics players expect from a real guitar amp.
Ibanez Introduces Two Signature Models – JB Brubaker JBBM40 & Kiko Loureiro KIKO300
NAMM 2026 has seen Ibanez unveil two highly anticipated signature guitars that reflect the unique playing styles of two influential metal guitarists: JB Brubaker of August Burns Red and Kiko Loureiro, formerly of Megadeth and Angra. Both models are rooted in classic Ibanez designs but feature custom specifications tailored to each artist’s needs, making them standout additions to the Ibanez lineup.
Aguilar Drops the Tone Hammer 210 Combo, TLC Compressor EQ DLX & Octamizer DLX
Aguilar has kicked off the year with not one, not two, but three new additions to their lineup—each built to deliver that unmistakable Aguilar tone while giving modern players the features we’ve all been asking for. Whether you’re a touring bassist, a session regular, or just tone‑obsessed (aren’t we all?), these new releases pack serious punch: the Tone Hammer 210 Combo, the TLC Compressor EQ DLX, and the Octamizer DLX.
VOX Revives Classics with the VTB-1 Treble Booster and VFZ-1 Fuzz Pedals
VOX has introduced the VTB-1 Treble Booster and VFZ-1 Fuzz—modern reimaginings of two of the most influential guitar circuits of the 1960s. The VTB-1 builds on the classic Rangemaster-style boost, delivering greater stability, lower noise, and a wider usable range, while the VFZ-1 revisits the iconic Mk 1.5 fuzz circuit, refining it for today’s players with improved reliability and flexibility.
VOX Expands the Hand-Wired AC Range with AC30HWR2 and AC15HWR1
VOX continues to quietly refine its most iconic circuits, this time broadening the hand-wired AC family with the new AC30HWR2 and AC15HWR1. Rather than replacing the Alnico Blue-equipped models, these new variants sit alongside them, offering a different flavour of classic AC tone that feels deliberately voiced for modern players and contemporary rigs.
VOX Reimagines the AC30 with the New AC30HWRH Head and V212HWRX Cabinet
The VOX AC30HWRH and V212HWRX reframe the classic AC30 sound into a flexible head-and-cab format, pairing traditional hand-wired valve construction with practical considerations for modern touring players and home studios alike. There’s a certain kind of quiet confidence that comes from seeing a familiar silhouette done properly. Not reinvented or dressed up for trends, just refined with intent.
VOX Refreshes Valvetronix with VT20X and VT40X Classic Blue Editions
The Valvetronix series has always occupied a unique space in the guitar amp world and now, VOX has quietly refreshed its popular Valvetronix lineup with the VT20X Classic Blue and VT40X Classic Blue, pairing a familiar hybrid tube modelling platform with refined VET+ processing and a striking throwback aesthetic inspired by early-2000s VOX designs.
VOX Pathfinder 10 BRG Brings British Racing Green Style to a Practice Classic
VOX has refreshed one of its most familiar practice amps with the Pathfinder 10 BRG, wrapping the compact 10-watt combo in a British Racing Green finish while keeping the straightforward controls and unmistakable VOX tone intact and has long been a quiet staple in bedrooms, teaching studios, and rehearsal studios.
Neural DSP Announces Quad Cortex mini & CorOS 4.0
Neural DSP has just dropped a major announcement: the Quad Cortex mini is here, launching alongside CorOS 4.0.0. This is big news for guitarists, bassists, and producers who want the full Quad Cortex experience in a smaller, more portable format—without sacrificing power or tone. This has just been announced at the NAMM show. Here’s what we know so far.
Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier® Solo Head: The Return of a High-Gain Icon
When Mesa Boogie first unleashed the Dual and Triple Rectifier® Solo Heads in the early ’90s, they didn’t just release amplifiers—they changed the course of modern guitar tone. These amps became the backbone of heavy music. Now, more than three decades later, Mesa has revived the most powerful member of the family: the Triple Rectifier® Solo Head, a 150-watt beast that remains as uncompromising as ever.
Seymour Duncan Celebrating 50 Years of Tone and Introducing a New Era
NAMM 2026 is shaping up to be a landmark event for Seymour Duncan. As the company celebrates its 50th anniversary, it’s taking the opportunity to honor its roots while unveiling technology aimed squarely at the future of guitar tone. Two major releases highlight this dual vision: a vintage-correct recreation of the JB / Jazz humbucker set and a new active system called MortalCoil.
XVIVE AT-2 & AT-3: Professional Audio Testers Made Simple for Musicians and Venues
In live sound and studio environments, troubleshooting audio issues quickly and accurately is essential. XVIVE has introduced two powerful tools designed to make diagnosing problems easier than ever: the AT-2 and the AT-3. Both are aimed squarely at audio professionals but are intuitive enough for gigging musicians and venue operators who need reliable solutions on the go.
