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Music China 2018: Taylor Guitars, Line 6, Roland and Takamine (Day 1 Recap)

Music China 2018 is, to put it plainly, the NAMM of Asia. What began more than 20 years ago as a modest musical instruments show with a handful of exhibitors has blossomed into the largest of its kind in the region. We’ve got a gear-laden recap of the first day for you.

Music China 2018 Taylor
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In this year’s edition, over 2,200 brands have set up shop across 138,000 sq m of exhibition space, attracting upwards of 100,000 attendees from both the industry as well as the public. In other words, it’s massive. From marquee names like Taylor and Roland to boutique companies such as South Korea’s Belcat and Greek’s Verve Guitars, Music China 2018 is a crossroads where equipment makers, retailers and distributors from all four corners of the globe meet.

We’re fortunate enough to attend the event – and here are the highlights of the first day of the fair, which is held in Shanghai from 10 to 13 October.

A crowd gathering at Taylor’s booth.

Music China 2018 Taylor

A wall of Taylors. The acoustic titan is one of many US brands that flocked to Music China 2018.

Music China 2018 Taylor

Taylor demonstrating how its acoustics are crafted and set up.

Music China Line 6 HX Stomp

Line 6 is another big name at Music China 2018. And everyone wants some hands-on time with its brand-new HX Stomp.

Music China Boss Waza Craft Metal Zone

Over at the Roland booth, we spy the new Boss Waza Craft MT-2W Metal Zone…

Boss Waza Craft Dimension C

…and the Waza Craft DC-2W Dimension C, a pedal that combines the iconic Boss DC-2 and the Roland SDD-320 Dimension D rack unit.

Roland AX-Edge

The Roland AX-Edge keytar in all its ’80s glory.

Joyo Board

Speaking of ’80s, check out the Tron-inspired LEDs on these Joyo stompboxes.

Dr J pedals

Joyo also presents its Dr. J brand of guitar pedals, including the new Compdriver, available soon in the UK.

Nux pedal board Cerberus

NUX, another China-based pedal brand, makes an appearance. You’ll find the Cerberus, an integrated effects unit and controller released last year, in the foreground.

Takamine SAD Birds DX

Takamine catches our eye with its SAD-Birds-DX model.

Takamine SAD-Birds-DX

Here’s a detailed look at the intricate inlays. The guitar comes with a hefty price tag, though: about £8,300.

Music China Maestro

An elegant, if subtler, inlay from Maestro Guitars, a company based in Singapore.

D'Angelico Music China

On the electric guitar front, we spot a few D’Angelico archtops…

Music China Greg Bennett Designs Samick

…a booth for Greg Bennett Design guitars, like this Avion…

Eastman Music China

…and a whole lotta Eastmans.

Music China Blackstar

Blackstar is also on hand to put its amps through their paces.

Music China live acoustic fingerstyle

And it wouldn’t be a music fair without a few live performances. This acoustic fingerstyle show is just one of dozens spread across Music China’s four days.

That’s it for Day 1, but we’ll be back tomorrow for more highlights of Music China 2018. Stay tuned!

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