Though NAMM may be the guitar extravaganza that the majority of players and gear fans pin their entire year’s calendar around, Germany’s Guitar Summit is fast becoming an equally potent force in the world of guitar shows – and the 2025 edition was clear evidence of that.
The largest event of its kind in Europe, the Guitar Summit is less than 10 years old – but if, like myself, you had the pleasure of visiting the city’s Rosengarten this past weekend, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s been around for much, much longer.
At 10:45am on a Friday morning, right before the doors were opened for Day One, the queue was stretching out of the courtyard and right down the road. Fans were keen to get in, and once they were, the Rosengarten became a scorching hot cauldron of all things guitar.
There was a delightful buzz around the place, but it wasn’t simply a mass-organised weekend of gear try-outs. Over the three days, companies announced all-new gear, assembled a star-studded slew of artists to engage with the fans, and took the opportunity to give Guitar Summit attendees sneak previews of guitars we didn’t even know were in the works. Heck, a new brand announced itself to the world with a grand curtain-pull on the first morning.
I spent three days trawling the halls of Mannheim’s Rosengarten to scope out new releases, interesting scoops, drool-worthy builds and more. Here’s what caught my eye…
1. Line 6 Helix Stadium XL is finally out in the wild
The Line 6 HX Stomp completely changed the game for my rig, so I went into Guitar Summit 2025 hoping, praying, that there would be an update on Line 6’s upcoming launch – the hugely anticipated Helix Stadium XL. Never did I actually expect to get the chance to see one up close – let alone play one. As an added bonus, I got to catch up with Line 6’s Eric Klein to go over the big talking points.
It was, I think, the biggest ‘big brand’ gear launch and showcase of the show. Details surrounding the next-gen amp modeler’s release have been murky, even if we have already been given details of its mind-bending specs, from its Agoura modeling tech to its fine-tuned touchscreen display, which could change the game for dialing in tones.
So the fact Line 6 had three units out for players to tinker with was a hugely pleasant surprise. You best believe I came back at least four times (or whenever I saw an opening) to sit down and get a feel for the unit. I would spend as long as I could with it before the surge of Line 6 fans was too large to ignore.
This is a topic for another day (getting hands-on with the Helix deserves its own piece), but the headlines are as follows: it sounds great, feels ever better – Agoura really is shaping up to be something special – and the touchscreen is a more engaging experience than I first gave it credit for. Now we just need an official release date.
2. Fender was there (sort of)
Given that FMIC brands were absent from Guitar Summit 2024, and only attended NAMM in a restricted ‘behind-closed-doors’ capacity, it was something of a surprise to see some of the Fender-owner brands in the list of Guitar Summit 2025 exhibitors. Sure, Fender itself wasn’t there, but Jackson, Gretsch, Charvel and EVH all were – and they had plenty of guitars themselves to attract the crowds.
The booth was efficient in showing off all the new launches from the Fender umbrella of brands, from the Gretsch Synchromatics and CVTs all the way to the new American Series Rhoads V and Misha Mansoor Juggernauts. There was also the Rick Graham signature on display, the Jackson Pro Origins 1985s and some upcoming Gretsch models which still have yet to be formally announced…
All signs point towards FMIC re-embracing the trade show format, something that seemed improbable when we spoke to Andy Mooney back in 2023. And while we might not see Fender itself at Guitar Summit 2026, we’d be surprised if the cavalry weren’t there in its place. If it was just Jackson, Gretsch and co, we’d be okay with that. A huge highlight of the show.
3. Marshall continues its strong trade show form
Speaking of brands coming back to convention center halls, Marshall – which also made its return to NAMM for the first time in five years back in January – continued to insert itself as a resurgent trade show presence with a stand of its own.
The big launch here was a JMP preamp module designed in collaboration with Steve Vai’s favorite amp company, Synergy, which was unveiled on Day One of the show. The brand’s other big launches from this year, including the Modified Series heads, and a smattering of Studio combos were also available for demo.
Alas, there was no Spinal Tap ‘Infinity’ head, but Marshall did have another ace up its sleeve: Dweezil Zappa, who hung around the booth chatting with fans, and also caught up with Guitar World for an update on his ‘What The Hell Was I Thinking?’ mega-project…
4. Bernth finally gets his well-deserved signature
It’s been a long time coming. In an era of YouTuber signature guitars, it seemed strange that Bernth – the progressive virtuoso who has been blending content creation with a prolific live career for some time now – hadn’t yet had a six-string to call his own.
Now, that has changed, and the BER10 made its debut during Day One at the show, where it received considerable attention from just about everyone who passed the Ibanez stand. For good reason, too – it’s not just a signature guitar, but a carefully tuned instrument that promises to help you play faster and sound better, from its Oval C neck profile and altered body topography to the custom Fishman pickups.
Bernth himself was spotted hanging around throughout the weekend, chatting to fans and taking the time to talk with anyone who came up to him – including Guitar World, who managed to get the lowdown on the guitar’s stand-out specs from the man himself.
It’s also notable that Bernth is the latest in a long line of YouTubers who have turned their hand to signature guitars. There’s Ryan ‘Fluff’ Bruce, of course, and recently Samurai Guitarist launched his own brand, Otera. We wonder who will be next…
Martin’s catalog of signature acoustics is most commonly associated with blues greats, country stars, chart-topping singer-songwriters and Britpop legends. With a roster that comprises Shawn Mendes, John Mayer, Johnny Marr, Eric Clapton and Billy Strings, that comes as no surprise.
But Martin used Guitar Summit to unveil its newest signature acoustic, designed in collaboration with Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt.
It’s a gorgeous guitar, with stunning inlays and an elegant headstock decal whose appeal would stretch far beyond Opeth fans. Åkerfeldt also said it might just be the best guitar he’s ever played, and while the jury is out on that, this is a very special Martin indeed. The speedy neck – usually reserved for the firm’s SC line – is a great addition to the more traditional dreadnought format.
6. It was a ‘silent’ show – but one exhibitor took matters into its own hands
Whereas NAMM might be an all-out assault on your ear drums, Guitar Summit is a ‘silent show’, meaning you’re saved from nine straight hours of cranked tube amps and dimed fuzz pedals. Instead, guitar and pedal booths had amp modelers to try gear through, while amp brands had attenuators and headphone outputs to keep noise to a minimum. Heck, even workshops were conducted using wireless headphones.
There was one exception to the rule, though: Musik Produktiv’s Ampworld Matrix – a purpose-built room tucked away in one unassuming corner of the building, which was filled floor to ceiling with amp heads, cabinets and combos.
The premise was brilliant. Thanks to five kilometers of cables and some incredible cable management, Musik Produktiv had installed a system that allowed players to pair any amp with any cab at will, with instantaneous switching for a mind-bending assortment of setups. Engls, EVHs and more were piled high for players, who could take turns matching any bizarre combo they desired.
It was an easy room to miss (and I only stumbled upon it after receiving a tip-off from our friends at Jackson) so it was something of a hidden gem, but it sure was loud. Anyone needing a reprieve from the quiet show floor and craving some Proper Guitar could get their eyebrows blown off at any given moment. Serious ‘dream amp room’ vibes…
7. Eastman does it again
When Eastman first launched its D’Ambrosio guitars, I didn’t think it could ever produce a more desirable instrument. I thought the exact same thing when it followed them up with the FullerTone range. That’s twice I’ve now been proved wrong by Eastman. When will I learn?
It was the missing piece of the FullerTone puzzle: you had the flagship version and the more accessible spin-off. All you needed was a high-end, hand-aged relic’d model to complete the lineup – and at Guitar Summit 2025, that was exactly what we got, with the new Kauffmann series making its public debut.
I have so much time for Eastman. I think they’re one of the few guitar builders who are doing something genuinely fresh when it comes to their guitar designs. I love vintage reissues as much as the next person, but these Eastmans somehow make those old-school vibes exciting and new. The Kauffmanns further support this. They look like they should be 40-plus years old, but feel unlike anything else that was around in that period.
Looks aside, they behave, sound and play immaculately. The FullerTone neck really is a unique spin on the bolt-on design, and it does translate to the guitar’s feel and performance. Surely they can’t get better than this… right? Right?!
8. Boutique builders hit new heights
It’s easy to get caught up in the ‘will they, won’t they’ nature of the big brands attending these sorts of shows, but we mustn’t forget the boutique builders who have time and time again shown themselves to be the foundational bread and butter of these big guitar gear blowouts.
Walking through the boutique hall was breathtaking. Jens Ritter’s whole stand was a masterclass in unique guitar making, from its uber-gold glitterball guitar to a decidedly Darth Vader-esque six-string bass.
Peter Bachmaier had on display some wild builds that had movable pickups. Touch Guitars had a 10-string beast. We could go on. I found myself coming back to this hall, again and again, taking even more photos of guitars I’d already seen. Some of the things that guitar makers can do these days are mind-boggling.
9. Who is Infinia?!
Well, if there was one thing I definitely wasn’t expecting at Guitar Summit, it was an all-new brand making its grand debut – complete with a curtain reveal and everything. Infinia had teased its unveiling in the lead up to the show on social media, but even that seemed to downplay the grandeur surrounding the announcement.
It was all very exciting, and the Infinia mission objective sounds equally so. Essentially, it serves as a platform for designers and builders to create models that “push boundaries”. As such, it’s no surprise to see that its initial stock of guitars is incredibly diverse, with a range of metal and headless guitars with various specs, finishes and appointments. Certainly a brand to watch out for in the future…
10. Honorable mentions
It’s inevitable I’ve left something off this list, because let’s face it – there was enough crammed into the Rosengarten to fill a tome. So please forgive me. To that end, there are some additional brands and pieces of gear that deserve a shout-out, namely: the Zilla Cabs Tone Henge, Ibanez Power Series, Cornerstone Nucleo Reverb, Duesenberg booth, and Shark guitars modular fretless guitar.
Same again next year? Yes please…
