The weirdness and wonder of the annual NAMM Show , a gathering of merchants showcasing new musical products entering the marketplace, is hard to convey to anyone who’s never experienced it.  Imagine standing dead center on the floor of the United Nations, or maybe in the middle of the “Star Wars” cantina. Everyone surrounding you has been handed a different instrument  and each is playing a different song from a different culture or planet simultaneously -- all cranked to 11.

Got that picture and, more important, sound in your head? You’re getting close.

Sprawled across several acres of the Anaheim Convention Center on Friday, this year's annual gear fest once again featured thousands of exhibitor booths stocked with the latest in electric and acoustic guitars, amplifiers, pianos, electronic keyboards, sound processors, audio and video recording, mixing and playback equipment, sheet music, instructional videos, computer software, banjos, ukuleles, saxophones, violins, drums and every accessory imaginable -- and many hard to imagine.