My Highlights of 2025: A Genuine Bechstein Piano and a NAM wave
More shows, more gear, more of everything - my year in review!
My highlights of 2025: A Genuine Bechstein Piano and a NAM wave · Source: Julian Schmauch
Looking at the guitar world at the end of 2025, amps not much talked about anymore, acoustic and especially travel guitars seem to be increasingly popular, and there have also been some sad farewells. You could say it’s been a bit of a turbulent year. The NAM wave has slowly gained momentum, so 2026 should have a lot to offer in that regard. And a real Bechstein piano has moved into my studio!
Mein 2026:
Predictions for 2025: Instant effect chains and no plugin pedals
At the end of 2024, I predicted that guitar effects would follow a similar path to voice changers, which use AI to superimpose the sound characteristics of one voice onto another. BIAS X says yes, at least as a plugin. What’s more, crowdfunding for the One-Pedal shot up to a staggering $200,000!
However, what has become more widespread is NAM. The NAM wave is rolling. Where the NAM Player from German manufacturer Dimehead is still the prime NAM pedal for guitarists at the moment in terms of quality, Darkglass Anagram introduced a pedal from a larger manufacturer with NAM integration for bassists.
And Valeton has a whole range of NAM-compatible pedals in its lineup, which kept the NAM wave going. In a way, AI is at the core of this new technology just as it is with voice changers, but as of right now this only works for single amps or pedals. Who knows what the future holds for NAM, maybe a whole rig?
I admittedly was wrong in assuming that this year would see more pedals based on effect plugins (such as the Chase Bliss Lossy). Perhaps the two worlds are too far apart after all? At least IK Multimedia has listened to the community’s pleas and followed up with a massively improved workflow for its ToneX family of software. We are also still waiting in vain for a Mini Tone Master Pro from Fender.
My Studio is Finally Coming Together
My absolute highlight in terms of new music equipment this year was the arrival of a genuine Bechstein piano in my studio. It made the long journey from my parents’ house to Berlin, long unplayed, beautifully dusty, and so lively!
I absolutely love technology. I love what’s possible with software and modelers, and I have a 4 TB hard drive loaded with dozens of Kontakt piano libraries, with Keyscape, and more. So you could say it’s a little crazy to put a mighty upright into a tiny 12-square-meter studio. But let me tell you, the amount of sonic might, resonance, and dynamics that come out of it, even with my very modest piano-playing skills so far, is something plugins are still a long way from achieving.
Just the sheer power of the sound when you hold down the sustain pedal and play a chord that radiates directly from the instrument does something to you when you play. I wouldn’t know how to simulate that… In addition, new studio monitors finally arrived on Black Friday 2025. After a good 10 years with the very capable Equator D2, I now enojy two white Neumann KH120II. It’s like getting new glasses. Suddenly I hear things that weren’t even there before.
The Thirst for Gear: ST-Modern Plus
Of course, I’ve (*sigh) also fallen into the GAS trap a little, too. But in doing so, I have fulfilled one of my goals from last year’s review. A new guitar has moved in. Due to the relatively tight budget, I had to fork out for the Neumans, a Fender, Gibson, or similar was out of the question. But I needed a new guitar.
For many years now, I’ve been playing a Squier Strat for recordings, which plays like a dream thanks to a very extensive setup I did many years ago. But, oh, the pickups. They crackle and hiss, and half the time spent recording is spent on de-noising and editing. I’ve been eyeing an ST-Modern Plus for quite a while. Unfortunately, the Flame Blue Burst color was no longer available.
That’s the one I liked best. But the Flame Bengal Burst was also nice-looking, so I went for that one. And what can I say, it plays and sounds in an entirely different league from the Squier. As a stepping stone to a Fender or Gibson I’ll get in the next few years, I’m now more than well-positioned.
A Look Into the Crystal Ball: What 2026 (Probably) Has in Store
NAMM 2026 is around the corner, and there will be yet another flood of new guitars and pedals. I’m curious to see whether the local trend toward travel guitars will continue outside of Germany. And after the big pedal shrinkage of the past few years, will the logical next step be for effects to be integrated directly into the guitar, but in high-quality form? Or even wireless systems?
The NAM wave will definitely continue to roll. Whether in the next version of ToneX, a pedal from Fender, or perhaps from Fractal Audio, I dare to predict that there will be one or two surprises in store next year for NAM lovers. Perhaps even in conjunction with a more accessible software solution that also supports offline capture. Whether the NAM wave will already be a NAMM wave remains to be seen.
As for my little band (Chaos Commute), we’ve doubled the number of shows (from five to ten), but we’re also in the final stages of recording new material. Something will be coming out sometime between April and November, I promise! Let’s see how things go with how many shows we’ll play. I imagine things will be a little quieter in the first half of the year due to the ongoing EP production.
2026 is likely to be a lot louder. Maybe the plugin world will take a break, at least when it comes to software synthesizers. I can’t remember a year when this many manufacturers released updates. Perhaps something really new will come along for the first time in a long time? The first high-quality guitar-physical-modeling synth, for example?
*Disclaimer: This post about the NAM wave contains affiliate links and/or widgets. When you buy a product via our affiliate partner, we receive a small commission that helps support what we do. Don’t worry, you pay the same price. Thanks for your support!
This might also interest you
