By: Rick Landers
Walking about the grounds at the Sweetwater event called GearFest 2015 you hear music rolling out of the tents where exhibitors have hundreds of guitars staged for playing. And it’s a day where deals are worked out, new friendships develop and guitars find new homes.
What a blast to see some fantastic amateurs pushing their axes to the limit and two doors down enjoying a teen finding the notes on the fret board, as if for the first time.
This really is a multi-generational crowd, where parents are chaperoning little herds of starry-eyed kids. And this is the place where all of them just might get some more music gear into their lives!
We stopped at the cool Gibson bus and met up with Gibson’s driver, Don Crawford, who’s first job was driving Louis Armstrong. Since then he’s hit the tarmac with Slash, Les Paul, Skunk Baxter and many legends of the guitar.
We’re heading out of the press room to take in some seminars, some performances and a bit of lunch, so for now, enjoy a few photos from this morning…!