Updated: Fixed broken link (my fault). 7.1 surround sound organs? Check. Saxes painted with porcelain-skinned, Rococco women? Check. Laser beam metronomes? Guitar picks with faces that morph into skulls? Mic stands with drink holder attachments, or (my personal favorite) Pepsi bottles that double as mic stands? A guy playing his bass upside-down? Obscenely-painted and warped instrument bodies? Wacky Inspector Gadget-style guitar inventions you didn’t know you need?

It all adds up to one thing: it’s 2006 NAMM Oddities time. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, when Barry Wood posts all the strangest things he’s seen at NAMM. Some of the stuff is awesomely useful. Some is just awesomely diverting, like this, uh, tube dressed up as a dude. And, no, none of the rest of us can top it. (Though I am flattered that I managed to qualify as a NAMM Oddity in the new O’Reilly.com NAMM roundup.)

Round ‘em up, ride ‘em in, NAMM roundups:

Bary Wood’s NAMM Oddities

Special Report: New Music Gear from NAMM [O'Reilly Digital Media]

Now that you’re sufficiently distracted for the morning, I’m off see if I can not miss some writing deadlines. CDM isn’t finished with our own NAMM coverage yet, but we’re pacing ourselves. Stay tuned.