Guitar Summit 2026: Artists, New Gear & Meeting Guitar Pro Users

Once again, we were thrilled to attend Guitar Summit in Mannheim. As always, this must-attend event gave us the chance to discover the latest gear and innovations, check out some truly impressive workshops, and, most importantly, meet and connect with the influencers and artists who use Guitar Pro every day.

Some of the Guitar Pro users we met included Jack Gardiner, Andy McKee, John Wines, Sascha Rebbe, Eric Assarsson, Danilo Vicari, Alex Lofoco, and many more.

Jack Gardiner & Rabea Massaad Workshop

Andy McKee Interview & Workshop

It was a real honor for us to interview Andy McKee, who has been touring the world for more than 20 years. His career truly took off in 2006 with the release of his signature track Drifting, which catapulted him into the spotlight and played a major role in bringing his unique approach to acoustic guitar to audiences around the world.

Since then, Andy has continued to tour stages around the world, sharing his music, technique, and passion with generations of guitarists. A longtime Guitar Pro user, Andy kindly took the time to answer our questions and talk to us about his journey, his music, and his approach to the guitar.

Walrus Audio

The team at Walrus Audio was on hand to showcase the full range of its effects pedals, and much more! Its Canvas Series of utility pedals has been generating plenty of buzz, particularly the now industry-standard Canvas Tuner, its various direct boxes (DIs), pedalboard power supplies, volume pedal, and latest addition, the Canvas Expression Pedal.

The Walrus Audio Lo-Fi Delay is a new digital delay pedal with rich, textured sounds and a wide range of possibilities, thanks to its three operating modes and built-in tap tempo. The pedals in the Fundamental Series are designed to be easy to use, with a streamlined interface that makes it quick and easy to dial in the sound you’re after.

We teamed up with Walrus Audio for a giveaway, with one lucky winner set to receive a Fundamental Lo-Fi Delay pedal, plus 10 Guitar Pro licenses up for grabs.

Beetronics

The bees at Beetronics always know how to make a splash at trade shows, and this time was no exception, with all eyes on their booth. Fuzz, overdrive, delay, chorus: there’s something for everyone!

For tremolo lovers who like plenty of options, Beetronics has cooked up a pedal with killer sound and looks to match. The Tuna Trem offers nine different settings, all packed into a real tuna can.

Crazy Tube Circuits

Many fans of the Crazy Tube Circuits Triptychon, which combines an overdrive, a fuzz, and a boost, had been asking for a dedicated overdrive pedal. Why? Because on the Triptychon, the overdrive is always paired with either the fuzz or the boost, and an external footswitch is required to activate it independently.

Well, the Greek boutique pedal maker has listened to its users and delivered the long-awaited standalone overdrive: the Rapture. This transparent overdrive is sure to delight players looking for a pedal that preserves the natural character of their signal chain.

Furch Guitars

Furch once again made waves at Guitar Summit with its new Master’s Choice series: a range of electro-acoustic guitars organized by the brand’s familiar color-coding system, from the most accessible model to the top-of-the-line option: Violet, Blue, Green, Yellow, and Red. Each instrument in the series features its own unique body shape and finish.

The company developed the Furch CNR System® Active, a system designed to improve instrument stability through a reinforced, carbon-fiber double truss rod. It also makes adjusting the string action much easier. Most importantly, it incorporates expansion elements that allow the neck to move naturally and adapt to changes in ambient humidity.

Invaders Amplification

Our Belgian neighbors at Invaders were back at the show once again! Their stunning handcrafted tube amps drew plenty of attention to their booth and tempted many musicians to try out their gear. And speaking of eye-catching designs, one little amp really stood out with its floral finish: the 530 BlueReverb Combo Reverb Florent Garcia.

A compact 30-watt 1×12 guitar combo that can also run at 15 watts thanks to a small switch on the back. It even features a spring reverb, how cool is that? On top of that, the brand has released a special walnut finish to celebrate the model’s 10th anniversary.

Markbass

While the Italian brand, which specializes in bass amps, has made a name for itself since 2001, it has built much of its reputation around some of the lightest heads and cabinets on the market. Since 2019, the company has also ventured into building its own instruments.

While their range of amps has won over renowned bassists such as Marcus Miller, Alain Caron, and Jeff Berlin, Richard Bona was the first to get his own signature bass from Markbass.

More recently, Markbass teamed up with renowned bassist Andrew Gouché, who has performed with Joe Cocker, Prince, Chaka Khan, Michael Jackson, and Donna Summer, to develop the new « Godfather of Gospel ». This bass is available in 4 or 5-string versions, with either a Red Wine or Blue Sky finish and a maple or rosewood fingerboard.

Baum Guitars

The Danish team at Baum Guitars was also there. With their wide range of electric and acoustic guitars, as well as basses, the brand certainly caught everyone’s attention.

One of my personal favorites from Baum: the brand has clearly won over Seye Adelekan, bassist for Gorillaz, who now has his own signature model, available in several finishes.

Ibanez

The giants of Ibanez once again showcased their wide range of signature instruments. Among them were the Tim Henson models, which have now become an integral part of the Ibanez family. The TOD100N, TOD100FMN, and TOD10N particularly caught the attention, and the hands of the many guitarists stopping by the booth.

Following in the footsteps of Thundercat, Gary Willis, Adam Nitti, and Fieldy, Steve Di Giorgio is the latest artist to join the Ibanez family with his own signature model: the SDGB1, available in a Dark Moss Burst finish.

A true pioneer of fretless bass in extreme metal, Steve Di Giorgio is best known for his time with the legendary band Death, before more recently joining Testament.

See you next year!

Once again, Guitar Summit was a fantastic event, and it was a real pleasure for us to connect with Guitar Pro users, from professional artists to everyday players.

We’re already looking forward to seeing what next year’s Guitar Summit has in store. In the meantime, subscribe to the Guitar Pro newsletter to stay up to date with all our latest news.