The Journal.

I’ve had a lot of incredible musicians come through my studio, but Madison Cunningham is one of those players who stops you dead in your tracks. Before we’d even properly started our conversation, she was playing — and I already had goosebumps.

I’ve heard it a thousand times — “break out of the pentatonic box.” But what if I told you there’s still a whole universe of sounds hiding inside that box that most of us have never even touched?

The NAMM Show 2026 delivered another year of innovation, bringing together cutting-edge guitar technology, boutique craftsmanship, and gear that pushes the boundaries of what’s possible. From guitars that literally show you the right notes, to instruments that prove tonewood might not be everything, this year’s show floor was packed with surprises.

When Dominic Miller walks into a room with his signature white nylon string guitar, you’re in the presence of someone who’s shaped the sound of modern pop music in ways most people don’t realize. As Sting’s longtime guitarist and the composer behind “Shape of My Heart,” Miller has spent decades proving just how expressive the nylon-string guitar can be.

In 1954, Leo Fender introduced an instrument that would become the best-selling, most iconic electric guitar of all time: the Fender Stratocaster. Seventy years later, his design remains largely unchanged—a testament to how perfectly he got it right the first time.