Mi Pro Isuue 105, February 2009 by Intent Media (now Newbay Media Europe)

INCORPORATING

MI PRO’S RETAIL SURVEY 2009 THE DEALERS HAVE VOTED

I TRADITIONAL I HI-TECH I ROCK I CLASSICAL I EDUCATION I PRINTED MUSIC

ISSUE 105 I FEBRUARY 2009 I WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

The good

Gremlin

Stop harping on about the recession and meet the folk specialist that’s showing some pluck and beating the squeeze

NAMM REPORT LIMS LATEST RADIO MICS YAMAHA MANUEL RODRIGUEZ

To find out more about the MG10KK and other Marshall products contact: Marshall Amplification plc Denbigh Road, Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK11DQ www.marshallamps.com

ISSUE 105 FEBRUARY 2009

IN THIS ISSUE

COVER STORY

MI PRO RETAIL SURVEY 2009

It’s back and after polling 100 retailers, the figures have been counted and a smattering of analysis added. The rest is up to you

GREMLIN IN THE WORKS

We take the most in-depth look at a company that continues to make waves in the MI business at large, while simply concentrating on what it does best. How do the ‘folk’ folk do it?

NEWS 6 LIMS announces retail hall for 2009 show, Andrew Kemble leaves YMUK, Manuel Rodriguez

DISTRIBUTION 10 Sutherland gets Madarozzo, Warwick profiled

PIANO NEWS 12 Intermusic Piano Exhibition

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT • RADIO MICS 34 With the bandwidth sell-off creeping ever closer, we look at the latest news from the Digital Dividend Review and at some of the best kit on the market today

RETAIL

MI Pro’s unique perspective on the UK’s MI business with news, interviews and reports on all aspects of the country’s front line

DRUM NEWS 13 Mike Dolbear runs through the latest kit on show at NAMM

PERSONNEL 36 7

New positions at JHS, Strings & Things and Audio Technica

DAVE BURRLUCK 38

As if you didn’t have enough NAMM, here’s some more

NEWS 41

CODA 64

Holmes Music of Swindon creates nude calendar, Absolute Music of Poole expands, Freshman sells out

The intimate snaps from the parties in January, as well as a look at The Walkabouts and classic Stradivari violins

INDIE PROFILE 43 Peter Norris of the Isle of Man gives us the lowdown on his island store

10 Years soundly insuring the UK Music Industry

PRODUCTS BASS & GUITAR 49 DRUMS 51 RECORDING 52 TRADITIONAL 54

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miPRO FEBRUARY 2009 3

EDITORIAL

Retail rules

MANAGING EDITOR ANDY BARRETT mipro@intentmedia.co.uk

DESIGNER REBECCA ALMOND rebecca.almond@intentmedia.co.uk

aking advantage of what is usually a quiter month for retailers, January is now the traditional month for MI Pro’s retail survey. Combining this with with the NAMM show, the February issue has become a pretty special one for us, as it provides one of the most comprehensive overviews of what and how the industry is doing – and not just in the UK. This year’s NAMM show (as you will see from the report on page 15) was a bit different from previous shows. Fewer British visitors and a lower attendance generally gave the show a calmer atmosphere, but the show only benefitted from this. Everyone there enjoyed the show and felt they profited from it – it had something of the feel of exclusivity abou it this year. It was more of a treat than usual to be a part of it. In the retail survey (page 25) you will see a good number of expected results as well as a lot of showings that certainly surprised us. We hope this will be a useful document for you in the trade, whatever you do, to help you gauge some of the trends in the UK’s industry. While the usual suspects can assure us that some things never change, the notable newcomers to the survey will also, I think, go some way to proving that this is still a dynamic business to be working in and that noone should ever assume that any position can be taken for granted. The big news this month is, of course, that after taking a majority share in the London International Music Show, the MIA has immediately dug into what can be done to make the show better. The word from the general public last year was that there was disappointment in there not being any retail element to the show. Retailers, too, appear to be keen to take advantage of having thousands of potential punters to lure. As a result, and despite complaints from some suppliers, a retail hall is to be annexed to the show. If any retailers needed evidence that the MIA is looking to be more on the side of its retail membership, this could well be it. The success of NAMM – which has been representing the American trade for well over 100 years now – comes from the fact that it is a retail-led association. The retailers make the suppliers’ business possible and, I certainly think, should be the foundation upon which any trade activities are centred. If LIMS attracts as many retailers to the retail hall as one would hope, this could be a catalyst for more retailers to get involved with the association and to start treating it as their own fiefdom. It’s up to you.

EDITOR AT LARGE GARY COOPER gary@garycooper.biz

DESIGN ASSISTANT CLAIRE BROCKLESBY claire.brocklesby@intentmedia.co.uk

Andy Barrett mipro@intentmedia.co.uk

ASSOCIATE EDITOR ROB POWER rob.power@intentmedia.co.uk

CIRCULATION PAUL LITTLE mipro.subscriptions@c-cms.com

STAFF WRITER ROB HUGHES rob.hughes@intentmedia.co.uk

CONSULTANT GRAHAM BUTTERWORTH buttsie@mbmediagroup.co.uk

ADVERTISING MANAGER DARRELL CARTER darrell.carter@intentmedia.co.uk

PUBLISHER DAVE ROBERTS dave.roberts@intentmedia.co.uk

PRODUCTION MANAGER HELEN FRENCH helen.french@intentmedia.co.uk

MANAGING DIRECTOR STUART DINSEY stuart.dinsey@intentmedia.co.uk

MEMBER

The success of NAMM comes from the fact that it is a retail-led association.

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PRODUCTION EXECUTIVE ROSIE MCKEOWN rosie.mckeown@intentmedia.co.uk

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NEWS

MIA reveals LIMS retail plans After lengthy negotiation London show gains retail hall and issues open offer to all prospective retail exhibitors AFTER MONTHS of speculation, the MIA has revealed that LIMS 2009 will have a retail element – open only to MIA members, but affordable for smaller retailers as well as major shops. In an announcement made to members on January 23rd, the MIA confirmed that, having recently taken a controlling interest in the show, it had canvassed opinions from members and decided that retail had a part to play. The retail days will fall on June 12th, 13th and 14th, following a single, trade only day. The lack of anywhere to buy equipment was one of the major public criticisms of an otherwise well-received LIMS 2008 and,

though there had been industrywide calls for retail participation in the show, there was opposition – primarily from distributors and manufactures.

In a joint statement from CEO Paul McManus and president Jon Gold, the MIA said: “A total industry consensus is always the ideal (albeit elusive)

NAMM’s quiet success

Guitars flourish

Figures down, but seriousness pleases both exhibitors and visitors

THIS YEAR’S Winter NAMM show closed on January 18th with figures three per cent down on 2008’s figures, including a drop of two per cent of foreign visitors. Around 50 less exhibitors displayed their wares at this year’s show to the total of 85,799 visitors. The overall mood from those that attended, however, including the NAMM association itself, was that the show had a seriousness and even more of a businesslike atmosphere than previous shows. Always the place for the first deals of the year, exhibitors were happy with visitor quality. 6 miPRO FEBRUARY 2009

“The 2009 NAMM Show was perhaps one of the most important industry gatherings in memory,” said NAMM’s president and CEO, Joe Lamond. “Our members once again demonstrated their determination and persistence as the best and brightest from around the world gathered to experience four days of new products, NAMM University courses, networking and great live music.” “We’re very pleased with the steady traffic that has been visiting our display,” said Dennis Houlihan of Roland US. “Dealers

and our decision is based on what the vast majority of you have asked us to do. “We are driven ultimately by the high levels of consumers

who came to the 2008 show clearly wanting to purchase instruments at the event.” The retail section will form a separate component in the show adjacent to the main exhibition halls. A fixed number of stands are available and retailers are encouraged to represent all the musical genres on show. Three different stand sizes will be available, but only products on display at the show will be allowed to be sold. Non-MIA members will be able to apply after joining the Association. More details about this longawaited development can be seen on page 32, as well as the MIA’s latest news bulletin on page 46. MIA: 01372 750600

Christmas sales up dramatically on 2007 despite economic downturn, reports GFK

are eager to see new products and new technologies. Everybody is anxious about 2009 and yet there’s an underlying confidence in the value of music and the need for music products in our country right now more so than ever before. “Roland is extremely pleased with the attitude of our retailers and we’re responding to their needs with products and programs to help everybody navigate through this time of uncertainty and economic challenge. Roland is confident, optimistic and moving forward, full-speed ahead.”

MARKET RESEARCH giant GFK has reported that the UK guitar trade demonstrated increased vigor during the 2008 Christmas period, significantly bucking the general retail trend. Its figures show that total guitar sales for the month reached 106,300 – a rise of 3.4 per cent on December 2007. Electrics were up by 7.5 per cent, which dovetails with the very strong performance from home entertainment products, such as games consoles, which grew in double digits. This adds credibility to the research that suggests the popularity of music simulation games is having a positive effect on real instrument sales. Furthermore, the multiples’ share of business fell, while music specialists grew. This indicates an even greater level of growth in value. GfK collates its figures from monthly reports from a majority of independent MI retailers, as well as some chains and also has an eye on comparative markets, such as electricals, which show that MI sales from the internet are still

relatively small compared to other industries. Matthew Gibbs, account director for photo and musical instruments, concluded: "In terms of value sales, guitars have been one of the strongest performing mature product areas at Christmas.”

NEWS

Andrew Kemble leaves Yamaha Music UK Long-term British boss to head Yamaha's Emerging Markets Group as Matsumoto takes over as UK operation’s sole MD AFTER 30 years as a key figure in Yamaha Music UK, the managing director, Andrew Kemble, has announced he is taking up a new position within the company, namely heading Yamaha’s Emerging Markets Group, responsible for the company’s business in Eastern Europe, Greece and Turkey. He will also continue to be part of the senior management group at Yamaha’s European offices as a vice president. Kemble’s position within the UK operation is to be taken over by Megumu (Mike) Matsumoto, who was previously based in London, working as deputy marketing director for Yamaha’s growing European commercial audio business. “Mike has a huge amount of overseas experience, having worked outside Japan for the last 18 years in Madrid, California, Hamburg and London. I am sure

that under his leadership, our UK and Republic of Ireland operations will continue to thrive,” Kemble said. The move takes place amid major changes within the Yamaha organisation, which has appeared to be moving towards a more pan-European mode of operation for some time. Commenting on his move, Andrew Kemble said, “For those of you who know me well, you will appreciate my mixed emotions: excitement at taking on what I regard as one of the most interesting positions within Yamaha’s European organisation, mixed with sadness at leaving a market and a business that has given me so much pleasure. “It goes without saying that I will hugely miss the YMUK and Chappell teams and my many friends and contacts among all our dealers, suppliers, artists and educationalists.

Andrew Kemble will be overseeing Yamaha’s emerging markets

Roland partners with FuturePlus Future’s agency starts year with contract to relaunch music titles ROLAND HAS announced a new publishing partnership with customer publishing agency FuturePlus to relaunch its customer magazines. Power On and Connect were previously published by BBC Customer Publishing and will relaunch under the guidance of FuturePlus in 2009, as Roland seeks to strengthen its customer communications. The magazines are part of a plan to drive brand loyalty amongst current Roland and Boss users, whilst encouraging sales of its products amongst musicians of all abilities. Relaunching in April with a print run of 25,000 copies an issue, Power On is aimed at enthusiasts and will be distributed through Roland’s retail network and its website. sister-title Connect, with a print run of 10,000 copies, is aimed at education professionals will return later this year. Packing 80 pages with advice from a wealth of experts across Future’s music making magazines, Power On will

“I am proud of Yamaha’s growth in the UK over the three decades that I have been involved and I have no doubt that this success has been due to the combination of Yamaha’s amazing products and the multi award winning team that I have been privileged to lead. (Thank you again to our dealers for voting us the best large distributor for each of the last two years.) “I would ask you all to welcome and support Mike Matsumoto in his new position as managing director of YMUK. He is in the fortunate position of ‘inheriting’ a great team of people and an excellent group of dealers.” Kemble had been the sole MD of the UK supplier since January 2008, after years as co-MD and Matsumoto will take over this position as sole MD. YAMAHA: 01908 366700

Auralex scoops Gibson approval New acoustic panels feature iconic guitars

include contributions from writers for Rhythm, Total Guitar and MusicRadar. “With the MusicRadar platform quickly becoming an essential part of the musicmaking landscape, Future is an obvious choice as we redefine the role of a modern musicmaking customer magazine,” commented Martyn Hopkins, brand manager, Roland UK. “We’re also particularly happy to be working with an exciting editorial team, and Future’s newsstand titles form a talent pool of great writing, engaging design and market awareness. Finally, Future’s inhouse publishing expertise means we can develop titles which are robust, commercial and able to demonstrate

effective ROI – all essential in today’s challenging economic environment.” Ursula Morgan, account director, FuturePlus added: “Working with FuturePlus enables Roland to tap into our mix of customer publishing skills and decades of newsstand experience, alongside our market-leading position in music-making media. This skillset is unmatched by any of our competitors and allows us to create compelling customer communications with a consumer magazine feel.” The new look Power On will be available to customers from April 2009, while the revamped publication of Connect will be relaunched later in the year. ROLAND UK: 01792 702701

AURALEX ACOUSTICS and guitar manufacturer Gibson have collaborated to provide ‘art of sound’ guitar images for Auralex’s SonicPrint line of printed acoustic panels. Auralex has gained access to Gibson’s gallery of images and is now licensed to print any Gibson, Epiphone, Dobra, Tobias and Steinberger product images onto its panels. SonicPrint custom-printed ProPanels are fabric-covered acoustic absorptive panels designed with artwork, featuring the ‘art of sound’ theme, which blends style options with the company’s proprietary acoustic treatment technology. Recording enthusiasts are able to outfit any space with paintings and drawings of any kind, to cheer up their recording spaces, rather than just having single, solid-colour panels adorning their studios.

Auralex Acoustics has a new dedicated micro-site, which is an online portal and direct way for dealers to place orders for the company’s SonicPrint custom ProPanels. Users can also upload their own personal photography, corporate logos or other custom images to be printed on the panels. Further details on this latest range can be found on Auralex’s website at www.auralex.com

miPRO FEBRUARY 2009 7

NEWS

Obituary – Manuel Rodriguez 1926-2008 MANUEL RODRIGUEZ Senior, internationally renowned for his classical guitars, passed away on Christmas Day 2008, aged 82. Rodriguez, the grandson of flamenco guitarist Manuel Rodriguez Marequi and son of classical luthier Manuel Rodriguez Perez, learned the art of constructing a guitar firsthand from his father and in the USA. His apprenticeship began at the age of 13 in Madrid and after operating in his own shop in Spain. Driven by the desire to expand his scope and to continue developing his skills, he decided to emigrate to the US under the patronage of the musician Theodore Norman; thus in 1959 he established himself and his newlywed wife Emilia in Los Angeles, California, where his two boys, Manuel Junior and Norman were born.

Rodriguez resided in Los Angeles for nearly 15 years, making guitars for professionals, Hollywood actors, teachers, and students before moving back to Madrid in 1973.

workshop (his children receiving their training as luthiers with him) and using machines and a specialised workforce to manufacture student guitars in greater numbers, specially designed by him with careful quality control. The family still runs the company, located in the Toledo province, where he was engaged and working until just a few weeks before his death. Today, the guitars manufactured by Rodríguez & Sons can be found in almost every European country, as well as in the US, Japan and around the world. His valued label guarantees fine design and the quality of the old master. Manuel Rodriguez passed the art of guitar-making to his sons, Manuel Junior and Norman, who continue the family business.

Rodriguez’ label today is a guarantee of fine design and quality of the old master. After returning to Spain, he soon realized that the business needed to be set on a sounder, more diverse footing and he developed a dual approach, constructing both fully handmade concert guitars in the

RODRIGUEZ: Learned his trade in Spain and the US

Mick Taylor named Future’s Yamaha Music Foundation finalists editor of the year Ten scholarships to be awarded in February

Guitarist editor scoops publisher’s excellence award MICK TAYLOR, editor of Guitarist magazine, has been named Editor of the Year at publisher Future’s annual internal awards ceremony. The company’s magazine reported: “Mick’s vision, passion, dedication and craft make every issue of Guitarist a pleasure to read. Delivering the highest ever selling issue, more subscribers, enviable efficiencies and overall ABC growth, Mick has taken one of Future’s key titles to its greatest heights this year. His enthusiasm and expertise has energised the whole team, and his ability to deliver spot-on ‘banker’ issues leading with stars like Eric Clapton, while also reaching out to new readers with calculated creative risks such as covers on John Mayer and Seasick Steve, underpin Guitarist’s recent impressive and sustained growth.” Taylor first started work at Guitarist as production assistant in 1997. Following stints on Metal Hammer and

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Mountain Biking UK, he edited Guitar Buyer, returning to Guitarist as editor in 2007. “Being editor of Guitarist was always my dream job,” he commented. “To get this recognition, moreover to have the pleasure of working with such an incredible team, is a massive honour.” Future Publishing’s Excellence Awards is the

company’s annual celebration of its best work during the year. Guitarist was also shortlisted for Future’s magazine of the year 2008, though the top spot went to Photo Plus. Pictured left to right are: Simon Wear (Future chief operating officer), Mick Taylor and Robert Price (Future chief executive). FUTURE: 01225 442244

TEN STUDENTS representing some of the UK’s leading conservatoires have been chosen to perform at the finals of the annual Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe Scholarship awards to be held at the Adrian Boult Hall in Birmingham Conservatoire on February 5th. The ten finalists will have their performances judged by a panel of world-class artists and tutors with the three winning finalists each receiving £2,000 to assist the furthering of their studies and classical music careers. The awards also provide students with a high-profile opportunity to get noticed. This year’s selected discipline is brass and woodwind and with the awards scheme now in its 20th year, they are now highly prized by students and respected by the music establishment and conservatoires in particular. This year’s awards are no exception, attracting a record number of entries from students in full time music education from all over the UK. Preliminary judges include John Reynolds (clarinetist and

head of woodwind at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama), Chris Mowat (former trombonist with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and lecturer at the RWCMD) and Bill Martin (Yamaha education liaison manager). The preliminary judges unanimously agreed upon the ten 2009 finalists who had submitted unedited recordings of two contrasting works. At the final, the ten finalists will each perform a programme of 30 minutes duration to the final judging panel. The Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe is a charitable trust founded in 1990 with a remit to assist talented young musicians. It currently operates in 31 countries. Each year the instrument emphasis rotates between piano, brass and woodwind, strings, percussion and voice. YAMAHA: 01908 366700

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DISTRIBUTION • NEWS

Sutherland bags couture brand A Vintage upgrade Martin Ritter’s new company finds gap in leading UK distributor

JHS selects two instruments to enhance

SUTHERLAND TRADING has been appointed as exclusive UK and Ireland distributor of the Madarozzo Bags and Case Couture. Madarozzo MD Martin Ritter and Sutherland MD Gareth Jones shook hands on the arrangement at the recent Winter NAMM show. “Madarozzo fills one of the few gaps in the Sutherland portfolio,” said Jones. “We’ve been selling unbranded bags as a commodity but we’re looking forward to building a brand that has value. Martin Ritter’s experience, reputation and knowledge of the industry give us a great start.” The arrangement is seen by Sutherland as a perfect fit as all Madarozzo products are designed by UK designers at Madarozzo’s Newcastle base.

JHS has announced significant upgrades to two of its Vintage range of guitars, one in the electrics and another for an acoustic. The Vintage VS6 twinhorned, twin humbucker, double cutaway electric guitar is now available in a vintage white finish, with complementing gold Wilkinson hardware, including the covered MWVC Wilkinson vintagevoiced humbucking pickups, Tune-o-matic bridge and rock-solid face-mounted stop bar tailpiece.

Martin Ritter, who was instrumental in changing the way the industry views musical instrument bags and cases, said: “Based on the huge success of my past work I had an enormous response on my new Madarozzo project. After considering several approaches from the UK I am happy to appoint Sutherland as exclusive distributor.” The Madarozzo Gig Bag Couture range is a fusion of design, function and instrument protection and comprises more than 70 models in a wide variety of shapes, padding and price points. It offers luggage grade 600D polyester, rugged zippers, soft nylon lining, comfortable designed backpacks and secure headstock, bridge and end-pin protection.

Stocks are likely to be in the UK in April, although dealers are welcome to contact Sutherland immediately. SUTHERLAND: 029 2088 7333

A new colour finish is also available for the VRA400 resonator, namely vintage sunburst, alongside the black version. The VRA’s mahogany laminate body construction, with nato neck, is the ideal tonewood complement to the bright response of the guitar's full size spun-cone 10.5-inch aluminium resonator, with its correctly-detailed spider bridge assembly and small twin 'porthole' fine mesh grille front-bout soundholes. The two guitars will retail at £249 and £279 respectively. JHS: 0113 286 5381

Proel gets into the art of drums Year of the Oram Boutique Italian manufacturer announces entry into the UK market

John Oram products return to the UK

PROEL INTERNATIONAL has scooped the UK distribution deal for what the Londonbased company describes as ‘the finest snare drums in the world,’ namely the Italianmade Drum Art range. Drum Art snares are handmade by Silvano Bianucci, a leading craftsman in wood, and represents the most painstaking efforts to fashion the perfect snare drum. Each Drum Art snare drum is a unique creation, produced from 2.7cm (1.06 inch) solid wood. They are capable of producing “unheard of sound quality and volume”, Bianucci said. In addition to the eyecatching shells, Drum Art snares feature solid aluminium lugs, stainless steel M6 pitch tension rods, a MicronTune snare strainer and Puresound snare wires. Drum Art snare drums are available from leading

THE JOHN Oram brand is now available again in the UK, comprising its entire heritage, right up to the latest range of outboard and consoles, all under one umbrella: Oram Professional Audio. The latest Oram innovations, known as the T Series, will still be made in England with the same sonics and reliability, but with a new robust metal frame and metal shaft pots throughout. Four recording console configurations are available with 32, 24, 16 and eight inputs. There is even an eight-channel rack version. All offer eight busses, eight auxiliary sends, a dedicated monitoring buss, mono mode, dual speaker selection, built in talkback mic and optional meter bridge. The upgrades continue with the Oram S25 dual 1U, High Definition mic-pre, that benefits from his latest chip-set design, which

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percussion specialists across the UK in spruce, maple, cherry, mutenia walnut, padouk, supreme (an African rosewood) and olive, in a wide range of sizes based on 12, 13 and 14-inch diameters. The wood chosen endows a

Drum Art snare with its own distinctive sound, which means drummers have plenty of choice to achieve the tone that is exactly right for them. Drum Art snare drums will sell from £750 to £1,000. PROEL: 020 8761 9911

gives a 28dBu input and output headroom. The Oram S50 single pre has the same upgrade, and offers instrument input, full eq and optical compressor with VU meter, all in a 2U rack space. To celebrate 45 years in the industry, 2009 sees a live console, the Oram S200. John has developed this action-packed rack number with Gunter Erdmann, one of Germany’s top names in live sound. It has a frequency range of 20Hz to 60kHz (within one dB), a four band eq, eight XLR balanced mic inputs and stereo channel. There is a deluxe model available with broadcast standard I/O interface with all metal pots, connectors and control knobs. ORAM PROFESSIONAL AUDIO: 01474 815300

PROFILE • DISTRIBUTION

Known for its exceptional basses and the ever-popular Rockbag, Warwick is also working hard to promote and develop its other lines, including Framus guitars. As MD Hans Peter Wilfer reports, it seems that the company is doing a sterling job… Date the business was established: September 9th, 1982 Number of employees: 89 Is business up or down compared to this time last year? Any particular reasons? Although though it was not an easy year in many respects, we were fortunate enough to see business up by nine per cent in 2008 overall. What are your best selling lines? The Warwick Range in general, RockBag, RockCase and Rockstand. Apart from your products, what are your strengths as a distributor? Firstly, we hold a huge stock level for our partners to facilitate immediate supply. Secondly, we try to work precisely, without any mistakes, in order to make our partners’ lives easier. What do you think this year will be like for retailers? Why? It’s difficult to say – if you look to the daily news in the media you

might consider closing down your company. The reality is though, business for us is still strong and we do not feel a real effect so far. I deeply believe that music is an invaluable contribution to the quality of life in our society and that consumers still wish to spend money on musical products. What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the industry today? To create the right product that our consumers are willing to buy. In a perfect world what product lines would you add to your portfolio? We are definitely happy with the products we carry and we are not

looking for any new products. What are your aims for the next 12 months? To continue with our investment plans for production, in order to reach the very highest level of quality possible in the industry for our Framus Guitars and Warwick basses, worldwide. Finally, how did Warwick find the NAMM show this year? Warwick’s booth was an aweinspiring presence at NAMM – like Superman’s Fortress of Solitude or Darth Vader’s Death Star. Big and black with the Warwick logo splashed about in iconic yellow, it merged the best of Warwick’s past with the potential that lay ahead.

CONTACT DETAILS Address: 75 Bridge Street, Manchester, M3 2RH Phone: 0161 839 0666 Website: www.warwick-distribution.de Email: info@warwickbass.co.uk Contact: Hans Peter Wilfer

miPRO FEBRUARY 2009 11

PIANO NEWS

In black and white

MI Pro’s section dedicated to all the news and issues that directly concern the piano market in the UK and beyond. If you have any news, views or promotions that involves the manufacture, supply or retailing of pianos, send them in to mipro@intentmedia.co.uk.

Dealer day underlines strong market 40 top dealers gather for informal afternoon with most reporting stable sales at Intermusic’s piano exhibition THE INSTITUTE of Directors on London’s Pall Mall was host to the annual Intermusic Piano Exhibition on January 7th this year for the 23rd time, with 40 top Intermusic dealers being treated to lunch and the chance to view the latest models from the Dorset-based supplier. At what has now become a constant in piano dealers’ calendar, all were treated to a champagne reception, fine food and the chance not only to relax in delightful surroundings, but also to place the first orders of the year for Intermusic’s evergrowing catalogue of pianos. On offer this year of particular note were new models from

Bechstein and Ritmüller, as well as the recently revamped Bentley range, made in the Pearl River factory. Also with the Bentley badge on it was a new electronic drum kit. “The day went off very well,” reported Intermusic’s MD, Richard Webb. “But then, we always do well at this event. Everyone came and they were all looking for savings – and judging by the sales we made, they succeeded. We would certainly lose out if we didn’t hold this day. It is a chance to get in front of dealers for a day, show them the latest products for the coming year and, of course, to socialise and say thank you.”

Positive notes for piano market Piano Warehouse looks forward to 2009 HOWARD MARTYN of the Piano Warehouse has published an extensive view of the market over the past year and considers what to expect from 2009 in his company’s latest newsletter. Despite gloomy predictions at the beginning of 2008 and the inevitable price increases at the end of the year, Martyn noted that many retailers in the UK enjoyed better levels of business than expected. Difficulties with price rises hampered the market a little, but again less than expected, although with Chinese factories reporting a 35 per cent downturn due to a fall in sales to the US, profitability has made it hard to remain open, let alone profitable. “For businesses buying from these factories, it is a case of ‘buyer beware,’” said Martyn.

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“With regard to factories such as Beijing Piano and Pearl River, though they are far better protected by having a large presence in the healthy home market, there remains the possibility that they will be forced to increase process at some point.” Martyn emphasised that prices have increased across the board, so no-one has escaped and possibly pianos are back in line with more realistic values, having been stable for over a decade. He concluded that it would be foolish to predict anything, but points out that there is evidence of firms trading down. Despite this, the fact that 2008 turned out better than expected, might mean similar could be true of 2009. PIANO WAREHOUSE: 020 7267 9229

L to R: Richard Webb, Steve Hammett and David Rushworth The event came at a time when the piano trade would appear to be coping extremely well with the current downturn, with the dealers present

reporting fourth quarter sales for 2008 at worst flat, but experiencing growth. “I think everyone recognises that business will probably go

down this year,” continued Webb. “The US has had a 20 per cent drop and this could happen here. It hasn’t happened yet, so we can be reasonably optimistic.” The event is a logistics nightmare, with some 30 pianos being delivered and installed in the first floor room in the morning, then removed and shipped back at the end of the day. Webb had nothing but praise for G&R Removals, which handled the carrying. “It is the most professional outfit in this field and has handled every one of our exhibitions since the beginning,” he said. INTERMUSIC: 01202 696963

Yamaha claims size matters MI giant expands award-winning grand piano line-up with new GC2 BUILDING ON the increasingly popular G series grand piano line up, Yamaha’s new five-foot, eight-inch GC2, the company claims, delivers excellent sound quality and a highly responsive keyboard action. The award-winning G pianos have become one of Yamaha’s most popular instruments in recent years thanks to the incorporation of a range of sound and manufacturing characteristics drawn from the company’s professional Conservatoire grand pianos. In the GC2, the duplex scaling has been refined to deliver overall balance and an increased depth of sound and range normally difficult to produce in smaller instruments. The secret to scale design, mastered by Yamaha, is the concept of considering the piano as a whole, rather than a collection of individual components. The solid spruce soundboard produces warmth and power,

and this, combined with upgraded frame quality, ensures consistency of tone. Yamaha's key action provides quality response across the entire dynamic range, making the instrument equally suitable for all musical styles. The GC2 is available in a wide range of finishes that will maximise the instrument's appeal – these include black polyester, ivory polyester, American walnut polyester or satin, mahogany

polyester and white polyester. With prices starting at just over £14,000, these instruments are perfect for the home, hotels and restaurants and mid-sized venues. YAMAHA: 01908 366700

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Drums along NAMM The news from the impressive drum hall at the NAMM show, day by day, in this show special drum page

Day one THOUGH MANY companies are currently holding back on the release of new products, there were plenty of launches to keep the drum community happy. Evans was showing Onyx twin ply black coated heads, EC1 snare heads, G-plus tom heads and Gmad bass drum heads. Also on show was the new Ecopad, touted as an ecological practice pad. The surface is made from recycled tyres and the base is made from compressed wood shavings. Some pads have an adjustable ‘snare’ mechanism. Sabian releases consisted of AAXplosion fast crashes in 14 to 19-inch sizes and a matching AAXplosion 11-inch splash. The Artisan range is expanded by 16 and 18inch crashes and 13 to 15-inch hats. There is a new 11-inch Alubell to match those released last year. The Raw Bell dry ride gets moved over to both the AAX and HHX ranges, both in 21-inches. There is a new AAX ride in the form of the Memphis ride, aimed at the gospel community, but don’t pigeonhole it.

Day two Dixon was showing the Outlaw, Demon and Chaos kits, together with an interesting nine-ply rosewood snare, complete with Dunnett strainer and a new left footed double pedal. Mapex showed the new Meridian kits in both maple and birch. These have a revised mounting system which is very solid and still isolates. There are also upgrades for the Saturn (all black hardware all round) and fresh colours for the Orion. There is a new VXB, additional colours for the QR and a debut, entry level Q series.

MEINL HAD just a few new cymbals on show, but did have 130 new percussion products. From the cymbals there was the new range called Soundcaster Fusion. They’re not aimed at fusion drummers (though they can be used for fusion), but the name comes from the fusion of lathed and unlathed areas on the cymbals surface. Big news from Pearl is the Eliminator Demon Drive pedal. This has been built from the ground up and features a solid drive, Ninja bearing everywhere and a footplate that converts from a short board to a long board. Gretsch was going a little retro with a USA Custom 12/14/18 kit finished in Vintage Oyster White that it had copied from a piece of 30 year-old wrap. This is one of five new finishes for the range. Gibraltar has a new stand, which can hold laptops, mixers, keyboards and so on. To go with it there is a mini foldup table which is perfect for mini

Day three

Day four

THE VLX shell is new from DW, which apparently gives an even lower shell pitch than the VLT and X-Shells. The VLX shells have a couple of vertical plies mixed in with an X-Shell. Roland has released the TD4 kit, which replaces the TD3. The kit has a completely new module and rack, 25 kits and 125 sounds. It focuses on more Rhythm Coach facilities for selfteaching and is compatible with the VH11 pad. The kit is due to ship in February and lists for £969. Following on from Rock Band (which was set up with a TD9 kit on the stand), Roland developed a new computer program for the HD1, which received a Best in Show plaudit. All cables are provided and the program shows you music to play (either in Rock Band format or in 'normal' drum score) and marks your playing.

ZILDJIAN REVEALED the new A Custom Rezo cymbals, which have alternating bands of traditional and brilliant finish, along with a new bell size and alternating lathing, too. Yamaha has been making changes to existing gear rather then bringing out new stuff. The hardware range has had a makeover with new tilters and ball and socket snare stands. The hi-hat stands have been lightened and now have retracting, lethal spurs in the feet, and the hihat and bass drum pedal all have a new smooth footplate, which looks retro and modern at the same time. Alesis had the USB Pro kit on display triggering a copy of BFD 2. The kit consists of the Alesis pads and Surge cymbal pads going into a Alesis Trigger I/O and then on, via MIDI, to a computer running the program. It’s a simple, efficient kit that was certainly getting some attention.

Sonor was showing the Danny Carey Signature snare, which is a 14 by 8-inch brass shell with laser etched shell. The Force 2007 and 3007 series now come in a new Rock set configuration with 22 by 20-inch, 12 by eight-inch and 16 by 16-inch with a 14 by six-inch snare.

mixers and the like. The NRG throne is for drummers who want something big, but not something that will get in the way of their legs, as it is like a saddle throne with the front cut off and shaped like a human backside.

The Eliminator Demon Drive pedal is a new product from Pearl

Alesis was also showing an improved kit for use with Rock Band for those who want something a little more sturdy. Further details of all products on this page and many others can be found on the Mike Dolbear website.

THIS PAGE IS SPONSORED BY MIKEDOLBEAR.COM, THE LEADING ONLINE RESOURCE FOR EVERYTHING DRUMS.

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miPRO FEBRUARY 2009 13

Just a few of our Leading Brands...

Blueridge have taken America by storm with their authentic vintage style guitars, and now we have made them available in the UK. This range, renowned for spectacular value for money, continues to receive excellent reviews in all the best known guitar press, including Guitar & Bass, Guitarist, Guitar Buyer, Acoustic Magazine... For the Gypsy in your soul! These beautiful guitars pay homage to the Selmer and Maccaferri guitars of the early 20th century. They have solid tops, are a joy to play, and look and sound like the real thing, right down to the excellent reproduction of the original tailpiece. More to the point, they are very affordably priced.

The best selling aluminium whistles in the UK. Renowned for their clear sound, they appeal to whistle players of all standards. Though ideal for beginners, they are professional instruments and are used on stage by many leading players.

The Kentucky mandolins are the pinnacle of affordable bluegrass instruments, and offer exceptional quality at excellent prices. These mandolins are a very welcome addition to our growing section of great quality bluegrass instruments, which includes mandolins, banjos, dobros, guitars and more.

News: SK120 Rated ‘Exceptional’ in Acoustic Magazine. “A wonderful little amp designed by people who understand what musicians need”. Also Guitar & Bass have just awarded the SK60 a massive 82%. We distribute these ShireKing Acoustic Amps along with Headway’s very popular pickups for acoustic instruments, including the Snake 3 and SA1 pickups, and the ‘Band’ violin and cello pickups.

A competitively priced range of student squeezeboxes, including Piano Accordions from 12 to 120 Bass, B/C, D/G and Cajun one-row melodeons, and Anglo and English concertinas, all ideal for beginners.

The leading brand of resonator guitars, with a long US heritage, available in the UK exclusively from Gremlin Music. Saga Music, have applied the same dedication to quality to these guitars as they have to the Gitane and Blueridge guitars, and the results are spectacular.

A professional quality range of Acoustic Guitars, Mandolins, Banjos & Fiddles, Basses, cases, electrics and more. This is the largest range of mandolin family instruments, banjos and ukuleles in the UK, and the Ashbury name is associated with high quality and excellent value.

As well as being the first point of call for all the hard to find traditional musical instruments your customers are asking you for, Gremlin Music is a one stop shop for any musical instrument retailer. We can supply a massive range of acoustic musical instruments, spares, accessories, strings, books and DVDs. Become a Gremlin Dealer and give your customers a better choice! We pride ourselves on the personal touch - you can always reach us by phone during working hours, and we’ll always send your order as fast as possible, no matter what the size. If you’re a dealer, you can browse our website for prices (retail and wholesale), contact us by email, and place orders online! We’ve been in the business for over 25 years, and can offer you an experienced, friendly and professional service.

www.gremlinmusic.co.uk

post@gremlinmusic.co.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 1903 203044 (9.30 - 5.30 Mon - Fri) | Unit A, Easting Close, Worthing, West Sussex, BN14 8HQ

NAMM • SHOW REVIEW

Come together

Event: The NAMM Show Venue: Anaheim Convention Center, California Date: January 15th to 18th Exhibitors: 1,505 Visitors: 85,799 (down three per cent) Verdict: A quieter NAMM than usual, but by no means a quiet NAMM. The financial constraints many are feeling meant that those attending the show were there to do serious business. Buyers on the aisles were keeping schtum as to what their plans were, but exhibitors were all surprisingly upbeat, reporting good sales.

With the world cowering in expectation of the global economic collapse that still might or might not happen (according to which news broadcaster you listen to) most people expected January’s NAMM show to be a subdued affair. How wrong they were. It wasn’t even quiet. Andy Barrett reports... AMM’s final comment on this year’s show confirmed what everybody who attended the show expected: figures were down. Visitor attendance dropped three per cent to 85,799, while exhibitor numbers were down nominally to 1,505 from 1,559 in 2008. The usual mass scramble to get in through the doors on the opening morning was absent and the first day was noticeably quieter than anyone could remember. Numbers clearly picked up on the Friday and Saturday and then dropped back again on the Sunday – although in fairness, it was no quieter than any Sunday at any Winter NAMM gathering. International visitors were down, too, at around two per cent less than last year, which made for something of a strange show for those foreigners (particularly Brits) who would normally spend the four days avoiding their compatriots. This year they were missing them. And the overall result of all this? Probably one of the most fruitful, exciting and, as NAMM’s president, Joe Lamond

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put it, important trade shows anyone has ever seen. The reason for this is everything that is listed above – the uncertain economic climate and the paranoia that, for some

The overall result? One of the most fruitful, exciting and important trade shows anyone has ever seen. strange reason, spending money on your business is a bad thing when times get hard. Of course, budgets need to be scrutinised, as good times invariably inspire thoughtless overheads, but cutting back on a show designed to improve revenue could be seen as being equally thoughtless. Even before the show opened the atmosphere was set with two breakfast

calls – namely NAMM’s Breakfast of Champions and Marshall’s MG4 series launch. The latter was a sure-fire way to clear the tubes, with Kerry King (who can now, for the first time, confirm that the sun is not yet up in California at 7am) and Whitesnake’s Doug Aldrich blasting out the rock n roll over ham and eggs. The former proved to be something of an eye opener as Joe Lamond attempted to interview Gene Simmons. The former Kiss bassman and vocalist railed the trade audience, asking individuals among them whether their customers came to them or whether they went out to their customers. Woe betide those that answered the customers came to them. “Not good enough!” hollered Simmons. These days, Simmons works in media and sets himself impressive goals – ‘think big and be proactive’ was the gist of his barrage. It went down very well. One British supplier noted that at times such as this, visitor numbers are even more irrelevant than they are when business is generally good. “If people have come to the show in spite of the reasons

there are to stay away, then they must have a plan and very likely a cheque book as well,” he said. While not strictly true – there were a number of retailers on the aisles without their cheque book – it stands that everyone was there with clear goals… Talking to retailers pounding the aisles and looking for… well, that was none too clear as most of them were holding their cards close to their chest, but reports from the exhibitors revealed that business was good. UK exhibitors, including JHS, Indie Guitars, Ashdown and Orange, were all most pleased with the results. In some cases it could be put down to lowered expectations, but generally it would appear that good business was done pretty much across the board. Which brings us on to the serious business of having kit to sell. Product launches were pretty much wall to wall and while a lot of it was a continuation of work done before, there were some genuine innovations that could easily spark whole new areas of business.

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SHOW REVIEW • NAMM

GENE SIMMONS: “Think big and be proactive”

ROLAND The glum faces of journalists called into the Roland demonstration hall on the Wednesday evening before the show opened did not take long to brighten up as the Japanese hi tech specialist launched what was to be the product of the show – the V-Piano. This versatile instrument probably owes more in heritage to the electric pianos of Rhodes and Wurlitzer, although the instrument is a fully digital piano. What the Roland R&D team has done is develop piano emulation, or modelling, for so long now a staple of the guitar fraternity, that depends upon the digital creation of soundwaves that reproduces every aspect of acoustic piano sound. Steinway and Bösendorfer pianos can be ‘reproduced’, as well as the creation of extra string windings, different string materials (such as silver), hammer proportions and hardness, and frame and cabinet size all being accessible through easy to use controls. The result is either pure, traditional piano sounds or avant garde ‘constructions’ that would be an

impossibility for traditional piano manufacturers. This was one of 19 product launches from Roland, with other items of note being the Boss ME-70 multi-effects unit, the KC-880 stereo keyboard amp, the return of the shoulder keyboard with the Ax-Synth, the VP-770 vocal and ensemble keyboard, which has a newly-developed Vocal Designer and the TD-4K electronic drum kit: the latest addition to the V-Drums range. FENDER As ever, Fender had a large ‘booth’ – newly installed on the third floor – completely rammed with new gear from the dozen or so companies FMIC now owns. No fewer than 40 new guitars, amps and (yes, honestly) ukuleles. Bringing the past back to life (and making it more accessible to a new generation), the Road Worn series of Fender guitars (Strat, Tele, Precision and Jazz) re-creates guitars of the ‘50s and ‘60s, replete with distressed finishes and the knowledge that Fender’s Custom Shop is behind them.

With that vintage flavour still in mind, Fender also launched the new BandMaster VM and Deluxe VM amps, as well as the Band-Master VM 212 cabinet, based on the classic Deluxe Reverb and Hot Rod Deluxe amps – the first (Fender assures us) pro valve amps on the market. There are also new Iron Maiden signature guitars, a Steve Harris Precision and a Dave Murray Strat. Away from the Fender brand, Fall Out Boy’s guitarist and singer, Patrick Stump, got together with Gretsch to create the Stump-O-Matic Electromatic Corvette electric guitar and Takamine has continued its annual ‘arts and crafts’ releases with the Ltd 2009, an electro-acoustic with a solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides. JHS Hunkered down in the treasure trove that is Hall E (or The Basement), JHS had the full range of Fret King guitars on show, as well as the new Encore Blaster series of electrics. The latter, JHS’ top-selling entrylevel guitars, have come in for the same treatment as the Vintage range, with

old single malt whiskey. “He must have had a drop of this when he decided to put so many features on this guitar,” he says. There will be five models initially in the master-built Stvdio series. EPIPHONE Gibson’s entry-level brand is moving up in the world these days, with the launch of the 1962 Wilshire Custom Historic electric guitar, a reproduction of the original Wilshire, which was launched in 1960 to compete with the Fender Strat. The guitar has a chunky, retro feel and packs a punch with its two P90 pickups, although the retro price of $210 in 1962 has not been retained. This one will sell through at around $1,400. Epiphone also had a very sexy little range of retro-styled amps due for launch later this year – watch this space. LUDWIG Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2009, Ludwig has a selection of special kits to celebrate. Notable among these are the Corey Miller signature kit (with shell designs courtesy of the tattoo artist that

Hunkered down in the treasure trove that is Hall E (or The Basement), JHS had the full range of Fret King guitars on show, as well as the new Encore Blaster series of electrics.

Ashdown and Hayden amplification put amps next to its bus...

16 miPRO FEBRUARY 2009

Trevor Wilkinson adding features and tweaks to improve playability and overall output of the guitars. Equally special are the new Fret King models that are pretty much constructed by Wilkinson at his workshop in Southport and are being labelled the Studio (or Stvdio) series. Models include a Corona Deluxe and the visually stunning Ventona 60, with four humbuckers and finished in 24 carat gold leaf. Dennis Drumm affectionately refers to this as Wilkinson’s ‘Lagavulin Guitar’, named after a 16 year-

gives the kit its name) and the re-issue of Ringo Starr’s Black Pearl kit from the heyday of Beatlemania. The Ludwig marketing team had also spent the past year putting together a movie which lays out the history of the drum manufacturer, featuring many of its top endorsers over the years – and unlike many of the promo films we see in MI, this one comes across as a genuine documentary with quality production values. I have to say that it was an enjoyable watch.

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NAMM • SHOW REVIEW

KORG Still flush with its hooking of the Samson and Hartke brands, Korg still had some excellent product launches under its own brand and, of course, with Vox – most notably the continuation of the Joe Satriani signature pedals. There are two new pedals in the series, the Big Bad Wah dual wah pedal and the Time Machine delay pedal. The wah pedal enables switchable access to two completely different onboard wahs, while the delay unit offers a unique mix of tonal colors, wide delay range and musical dexterity that sets it apart from other delays. The Korg LP-350 ‘lifestyle’ digital piano is touted as ‘the most compact cabineted digital piano now available on the market’. This full 88-note keyboard is designed to complement the modern lifestyle in a fashionable and functional, yet unobtrusive way. Korg had also gone overboard with product cosmetics and colourings at this year’s NAMM, with a limited edition pink Kaossilator and bright casings (red, yellow and blue) on the M50 keyboards (of which there were models on

the Korg stand signed by Herbie Hancock and Edgar Winter). YAMAHA Yamaha had three acoustic guitars and three electro-acoustics launched at the show, the former in the L series and the latter from the FG series. The acoustics have solid Engelmann spruce tops, threeply laminated neck (mahogany, rosewood, mahogany), Yamaha's new C shape neck block, combined with a hand-fitted dovetail neck joint with the whole thing coated with an ultra-thin finish, to maintain resonance. The new FGs have 0.3mm thinner back and sides (again for increased resonance), a hand-fitted dovetail neck joint, enlarged L shape neck block and a thinner neck, as well as the now expected Yamaha ART pickup system. GODLYKE As well as having all of the Power-All models on its stand, boasting higher current ratings and improved noise specs, Godlyke introduced three new package

Steve Vai revealed his first signature amp at the show, which is produced by Carvin

Bedwas House Ind Est, Caerphilly CF83 8XQ, T: 0845 2300 633 E: sales@sutherlandtrading.com W: www.sutherlandtrading.com

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miPRO FEBRUARY 2009 17

SHOW REVIEW • NAMM

configurations and four plug types for the range. On top of this, Godlyke launched the Totally Wycked audio effects (TWA) brand with the first model of the range being the Little Dipper formant filter and Chunk Systems’ impressive Octavius Squeezer analog bass synth, winner of the Outstanding Tone Award from Bass Guitar magazine in the UK. ASHDOWN Ashdown and Hayden amplification had one of the stand-out booths at the show. It had a genuine, open-topped double-decker London bus and stacked up the amps and performance areas around it (a neat ploy for those looking for a cheaper stand construction without losing square footage). The newly revamped Hayden range at the show included the Petite 2, Petite 5, Cotton Club 7/15, Cotton Club 15/30, Speakeasy and Classic Lead 80. The Speakeasy and Classic Lead 80 are available as heads, with a selection of 2x12, and flat and angled 4x12 cabinets. On the Ashdown side of the bus were the first cabinet models to come out of Ashdown’s new Kentucky manufacturing plant, as well as the BTA 400 bass valve amp – a sledgehammer 400-Watt head that partners the ABM Evo III preamp with an all-tube output section. MARSHALL As mentioned previously, the Marshall MG4 series of amps was launched directly prior to the show at the loudest breakfast ever, courtesy of Slayer’s Kerry King and Whitesnake’s Doug Aldrich. There are eight amps in the range, from ten and 15-Watt

18 miPRO FEBRUARY 2009

Ashdown and Hayden amplification had a genuine, open-topped double-decker London bus and stacked up the amps and performance areas around it. combos to the ‘full-fat’ 100-Watt combo and head, all containing the same digital effects processor and Stompware technology. With the new MG4s, Marshall has returned to a simple, tried and trusted panel layout for ease of use, with gain, followed by a three-band eq, volume and master volume placed in line. On top of this, the amps are packed with high quality effects (chorus, flange, delay, reverb) all controllable from the Stompware footpedal that connects to the amps via a standard quarter-inch jack. The effects are programmable and the result is pretty startling. TANGLEWOOD Tanglewood Guitars introduced the new Tanglewood Master Design by Sanden to the US and Canada to considerable acclaim. Chuffed with its standing as ‘the only British guitar brand to be elevated to the main show area’, Tanglewood was on display through its US distributor Musiquip, a US division of the Canadian distributor SF Marketing. The UK’s Tanglewood team met up with most of its 36 world distributors and managed to add to these with four new markets in Russia, Japan, Taiwan and Argentina. As is often the case with Brits at NAMM, the flag was flown in for decorating the stand in Union Jack livery.

LARRIVÉE This fast-growing, large-scale (but eminently boutique) luthier introduced two new mandolins at the show – the A-33 Astyle and F-33 F-style mandolins, which have signature Larrivée select woods and hand-fit orchestral violin-type V neck joints. Both models use all solid western curly maple back and sides, sitka spruce top, western curly maple neck, ebony fretboard, ebony headstock and truss rod cover, gold tuners and tailpiece, vintage water-stained sunburst and 1920s-style loar bridge. ALLEN & HEATH Allen & Heath unveiled the Xone:22, a two channel analog DJ mixer, promising high quality audio and a professional feature set at an entry level price. The smallest and most affordable Xone mixer to date, the Xone:22 is equipped with a lite version of the analog Voltage Control Filter (VCF) system, offering low-pass and high-pass filters, frequency sweep and ‘mild to wild’ resonance control. There is also a soft-switched effects loop to bring in external effects, which are routed back in through the filter system. The new mixer has two stereo channels with dual phono/line inputs and phonos can be configured to line if no RIAA sources are in use. There is a three-band total kill eq, crossfader curve control switch and the maximum output level is +25dBu.

CARVIN The third day of the show saw Steve Vai addressing the press office and launching his first signature amp, manufactured by Carvin. The new Vai Legacy II series comprises all-tube three-channel amps, which are the result of Carvin engineers working closely with Steve Vai. The Legacy II has been reviewed and tweaked by amp designer Benjamin Fargen of Fargen Amps, who says that the result is “a powerful blend of high-end boutique sound and rock-solid American manufacturing”. RETAIL UP Last, but by no means least, Retail Up, which sponsored MI Pro’s NAMM coverage this year, introduced two new features to its online retailing system. The additions to the Retail Up website and management system includes a new ‘lead tracker’ function and a ‘sales separation’ function. The lead tracker provides automation woven into the system that alerts the need to follow up on customers, whether those for rented instruments or those buying products or books, or even those on the system who have followed through an enquiry. The sales separation function means that the program can divide ‘shopping basket’ requests on the website into items in stock or not. Following this, the system will alert the relevant suppliers as to the need for stock at a particular store and can (if such a service is provided) dispatch the goods for the retailer direct to the customer. Retail Up is looking for a freelance agent to represent its systems in the UK. Enquiries should be made to the editor of MI Pro.

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COVER FEATURE • GREMLIN

Steady

beat

With hi tech distractions everywhere and the ever-present aura of rock n roll forever in our faces, it is always refreshing to go back to the roots of our music making through folk-based suppliers such as Gremlin. Gary Cooper discovers that it’s not just the music that is traditional – the business is, too…

t might seem paradoxical at a time when Nintendo Wiis, iPhones and BluRay players seem to be the ‘must haves’ of our time, but reports from across the UK’s MI industry suggest that it is traditional instruments – and that means really traditional instruments – that are staring recession in the eye and forcing it to back down. Gremlin Music, for example, has been banging the drum (or should that be bodhran?) for traditional instruments for over 25 years and whenever owner Pete McClelland or manager Chris Rudd are interviewed, they report that business is just fine. Of course, so do many others, but the facts bear out the duo’s optimism. Just over a year ago, the Sussex-based company moved to a greatly expanded warehouse and offices facility and business, since then, has just kept on growing, with plenty of new products on the way and a greatly enhanced website, bearing witness to continued investment and growth.

20 miPRO FEBRUARY 2009

Pete McClelland is too experienced a hand to take this success for granted, however, and he has some sharply observed views about the state of the industry, which soon emerge, as we speak. But first, how is Gremlin doing and what does he see as the driving force being behind its continued success and the general good fortune being experienced by the traditional sector? “From our experience, the market is definitely good. There’s quite a strong demand from retailers and we’re undoubtedly selling more to them. We’d like to think we’re doing so well because people like us and find us easy to do business with but, obviously, there’s some element of traditional instruments being more recession proof than mainstream ones. “That said, there seems to be evidence that instruments, generally, are selling better than some people had been predicting. The figures that I’ve been reading from the MIA, for example, about

guitar sales holding up are pretty much true from our experience, too. I think we were up 12 per cent recently and that is definitely due to demand. We’ve done the right things, we advertise, we put out catalogues and we keep our website very up to date, but we haven’t done anything spectacularly better than before, so that increase has to be due to improved demand.” Despite Gremlin’s success, McClelland admits he is deeply concerned by the problem besetting the industry as a whole – particularly, the spectre of a plummeting pound and the price increases from overseas suppliers. “What we are doing is putting our prices up as we get the goods, rather than imposing blanket price increases beforehand, which means some of our prices have gone up more than other people’s, while others haven’t gone up at all yet. For that reason, I don’t know that we’ve really felt the heat yet, because a lot of retailers and their customers haven’t

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GREMLIN • COVER FEATURE

yet seen the full-force of the impending price rises.” As McClelland admits, when the price rises do work their way through the pipeline, they can be eye-watering. “The worst yet has been an item which we hadn’t bought for over a year. When we did, by the time we had worked it out, it had gone up by 70 per cent. Typically, they are 35 or 40 per cent increases which, when I hear some distributors are putting their prices up by just 20 per cent, makes me wonder about their margins. “But we are definitely going to put our prices up. I’m a margins man, which means that the sales we’ve made have been profitable, so I’m in a good position at the moment. But I am fearful that when people come to restock their guitars and see how much they cost they will want to buy less. The staff probably think I’m being unduly pessimistic, but I don’t think we’ve hit the problems, yet.” THE TEST OF THE TIMES The acid test – and it is one facing the entire industry – is not, however, what retailers or distributors think, it is what the end-user feels when he is asked to pay considerably more for the instrument he wants to buy. Here, McClelland (who, like everyone at Gremlin, plays in a band and has day to day contact with gigging musicians beyond those he encounters at work) is optimistic. His belief is that most musical purchases are made on such an irregular basis that, for the most part, musicians simply aren’t aware what the price of the instrument they are considering was, say, six months ago. “The salesman might be nervous, thinking that the instrument has gone up, say, 50 per cent, but the customer will have researched it on the internet, and he will simply try to get the best price he can today. “That said, it doesn’t mean they will have the actual money to actually buy the products – that’s a different question, so there are still worries ahead.” “I think prices have been way too cheap for a long while,” adds Chris Rudd. “People have actually asked ‘how can they make this so cheap?’ and it’s just bad timing that the increase has been so high and at a time when the news tells people there’s a recession. If it wasn’t for all the news reporting about the recession, would anyone actually know there was anything different going on?” As an aside, both McClelland and Rudd are less than happy with the role the media in general, and the BBC in particular, have played in spreading the recession meme and Rudd is also less than impressed with the

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“Our whole focus is backing retailers. Everybody criticises online selling but it’s the future and providing the retailer has a shop and it’s open, we’re keen to help them sell online as well.” Pete McClelland, Gremlin government’s VAT reduction. As he says: “Ooh, I’m saving 5p – it doesn’t make a lot of difference to the end-user, does it?” “There is another aspect to the price rises that some may not be aware of, which is that they affect this country particularly hard,” McClelland says. “The global market isn’t affected by currencies to the same extent – it is only the British market that has been so badly hit. “I’ve looked at India, Pakistan, Turkey and other non-EU countries,” he continues (Gremlin procures instruments from a tremendously diverse range of sources), “and they are all much less troubled than we have been. “It’s almost unique to us, because other currencies are tied to the US dollar one way or another and we are not. That means our factories and suppliers don’t understand our dilemma. They don’t realise that if they force us to take stuff at a stupid price it will strangle business with them.

“This could have quite an impact on distributors, generally. People could lose lines because they’re thought not to be doing the business they ‘should’ be doing, by suppliers who don’t realise how badly the UK has been hit.” CAN MI ESCAPE? That said, McClelland’s view is that MI might escape the worst of the recession, because it has undergone a significant cull in recent years, with the loss of Williams and Sound Control as well as the folding of some smaller distributors. Gremlin’s strategy for handling the rough seas ahead is simple but guaranteed to appeal to its customers. Quite simply, it plans to do everything possible to make it easy for a retailer to do business with them. Musical traditionalists McClelland, Rudd and the Gremlin team may be, but they are anything but Neanderthals and a full time member of staff is employed to keep the company’s website absolutely up

to date. Revamping the website has been a major project, but one that is vital to their continued success, they believe. “Our whole focus is in backing retailers, McClelland says. “This applies both to online and shop sales. Everybody criticises online selling but it’s the future and providing a retailer has a shop and it is open, we are very keen to help them sell online as well and we will do everything to assist, including drop-shipping, of which we are doing an increasing amount. The retailer makes the sale but we do everything else – not just delivering to the customer, but providing all the information they need to be able to sell our products: which is where the new website comes in. “Obviously, we’ve had a website for years, but what we have now is greatly advanced and, importantly, it is fully up to date. Prices have to be current – not just up to date for this year or this week, but to the actual day. And it’s no use just having a few words to describe a product – all the relevant information needs to be there and it is.” “We’ve looked at a lot of other people’s websites in the process of developing ours,” says Chris Rudd. “I think, as a result, that ours is far better than a lot of others – for example, in the way the search function works and also by having up to date pricing and information on each

miPRO FEBRUARY 2009 21

COVER FEATURE • GREMLIN

item, as Pete says. Each instrument has its own page with a lot of detail. It is a very easy to use site, both for consumers and retailers, with a fully secure area for dealers, with online ordering, secure credit card handling – everything we can think of to make it easy to use.” DISTRIBUTING CUSTOMERS Having a good website is only half the struggle, however. How does Gremlin attract users to it and what does it do to send them, once they have found what they want, to a retailer? “I think quite a lot of customers find our site because they’re looking for something that not a lot of retailers stock – Chieftain whistles, Ashbury banjos, or Exclesior melodeons, for example and normally we’ll be on the first page of Google. From there, they usually drop us an email and we forward them to their nearest Gremlin dealer,” Rudd says. And if that dealer doesn’t happen to have the product in stock? That’s not a problem, as McClelland mentioned earlier, because Gremlin has been one of the first on the block to do what white goods manufacturers have been doing for some time – drop-shipping for its retail customers so that, as far as the consumer is aware, the product he bought from John Smith Music, is delivered by them, complete with John Smith’s own paperwork. “We’ve been doing this for a handful of customers for the last couple of years, because it saves the shops having to hold more stock than they need and it has worked very well, which is why we’re expanding it considerably,” Rudd says. It is this mixture of forward thinking from a company steeped in the Folk tradition that perhaps catches people unaware. The more you learn about what Pete McClelland and Chris Rudd are trying to do to improve service to retailers, while still maintaining a personal, friendly approach, the more you understand that Gremlin is being run by some of the sharpest knives in the drawer. It might seem a bit laid-back and folky, but in terms of the hard-nosed business thinking needed to have grown as much as it has and as far as having an appreciation of how the industry is changing, it is at least the equal of companies often regarded as the UK industry’s trailblazers. One unusual aspect to Gremlin’s business and which is also helping it weather the storm, is the number of domestically produced products it sells. “We do still have a core of products made here,” says McClelland. “Our Gremlin range has a fairly strong number of UK products – particularly woodwind and that’s a protection against the recession. A whistle is going to look 30 per cent cheaper against a guitar if it is made here and, of 22 miPRO FEBRUARY 2009

The Gremlin warehouse stocks a huge variety of traditional instruments – Ashbury mandolins have just arrived

“We’re always searching for new UK makers who are looking for distributors and, of course, we can help them with export, too. We’re actively looking for UK products now.” Chris Rudd, Gremlin course, we handle export for a lot of these companies too, and they are very well placed in overseas markets because of that. “As everything we import has gone up in price so rapidly, it’s certainly making the products we distribute from the UK look more attractive,” adds Chris Rudd. “In fact we’re always searching for new UK makers who are looking for distributors and, of course, we can help them with export, too. Most of our UK-made instruments are things like whistles and bodhrans, but there are also the stringed instruments from Fylde and it’s another thing that makes us different from companies that just go for Far East produced instruments. We are actively looking for UK products now,” he adds, refreshingly. HELP IS AT HAND Retailers who have already seen the traditional instrument light may not need an introduction to the plethora of brands and instruments Gremlin offers, but those that haven’t and who are tempted by all this talk of a thriving market sector they

may not previously have considered, will find a lot of food for thought on the company’s new website. And if they find themselves growing more intrigued but don’t feel secure enough to take the plunge into an area of, it has to be admitted, sometimes quite niche products, then help is at hand. Gremlin is happy to go in, consult and then advise. And, moreover, what it is consulting and advising on, Messrs Rudd and McClelland are quick to point out, are brands that are not subject to fierce box-shifting discounts. Nor are many of the instruments it sells also in the shop window of every other dealer in town. For dealers that decide to take the plunge, on offer is a Gremlin ‘Folk Dealership’, which costs £1,000 at trade prices, and offers increased margins and a lot of hands-on support and advice. Meanwhile, what is in store for those who have already realised the benefits and are looking for more ideas from Gremlin? Well, last year, the Ashbury range began to make useful inroads into the UK market with some impressive guitars, designed by

Bristol-based specialist luthier Phil Davidson, being produced in Vietnam. Now on the way are Ashbury mandolins, the first batch of which has just arrived. Rudd says: “There are a lot of guitarists out there that seem to be wanting to start picking up the mandolin and the handy thing about the Ashbury range is that it has a wider fingerboard, so it’s easier for guitarists to play. “In fact, Phil and I are going to Vietnam this month, to work on the next project – which will include mandolas, bouzoukis and citterns, which will probably be ready for retailers at the end of this year. There’s a big hole in the market for affordable instruments of this type. The mandolin has been far more readily available in recent years but, in fact, for most players used to the guitar, the mandola is probably a lot easier to approach, but there just hasn’t been an affordable one so far – and now there will be.” It may be a world away from Strats and distortion pedals – and a light year from software – but the UK is experiencing not a boom, but a steady, consistent growth of interest in Folk, Country and traditional instruments that has been underway for several years. If that sounds like a business opportunity in troubled times, who better to help than the company that has done so much to help sustain and encourage that very market sector? GREMLIN: 01903 203044 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

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Mel Bay would like to thank all MI Pro readers for voting for them!

2009 • RETAIL SURVEY

Retail Survey 009 2 T The votes have all been counted, compiled, pored over and triple checked and the results are finally in. Rob Power takes a fine tooth comb to this year’s MI Pro retail survey and finds out what’s hot and what’s not for 2009…

ake 100 randomly selected stores, a broad sweep of questions covering everything from best selling bass amps to predictions for the year to come and one sturdy telephone, and you’ll find the only comprehensive look at the current trends in the musical instruments industry – or, as we like to call it, the MI Pro Retail Survey 2009. The results shown here are an accurate representation of the answers given by the 100 retailers that were

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contacted, and make for some interesting reading. Those surveyed included all out rock n roll stores, piano specialists, sheet music retailers – you name it, we took a sample and grilled them about the past year. As befitting such a cross section, the results were wildly varied and not always as straightforward as you might think. The categories were picked in order to present a balanced general view of the industry and were answered honestly

and with much gusto by retailers up and down the country. For the sake of brevity and to aid you in getting to the meat of the matter, not every single vote is shown here, such was the huge amount of gear mentioned. With so many votes cast, often in their ones and twos, fitting them all in here would not have been an easy task, so the leaders in each category are listed, with honourable mentions given to those products or companies that performed

well, but just not well enough to crack the top. All results are shown as percentages, and do not include the large amount of retailers that abstained from each category, either because they didn’t stock the product or couldn’t find or bring to mind a relevant answer. Anyway, that’s the tension built up quite enough, and it is now time to move to the heart of the matter. So, with no further ado, let’s move on to this year’s winners…

miPRO FEBRUARY 2009 25

RETAIL SURVEY • 2009

ACOUSTIC GUITAR OVER £500

ACOUSTIC GUITAR UNDER £500

Taylor 110 ...............................................................................................19% Martin DX 1............................................................................................15% Tanglewood TW45 ...............................................................................15% Gibson J-45 ...............................................................................................8% Freshman FA500......................................................................................3%

Tanglewood...........................................................................26% Yamaha FG700 ....................................................................21% Yamaha APX 500 ...................................................................9% Fender CD60............................................................................8% Crafter........................................................................................8%

Honourable Mentions: Crafter, Breedlove, Stonebridge

Honourable Mentions: Ashton D25, Freshman FA1, Epiphone J200 2008 winner Tanglewood has retained a strong presence in this sector, with the Evolution range making its presence felt in the top spot. An excellent year for Yamaha in the budget acoustic guitar category, with the FG700 – a favourite budget guitar thanks to its excellent, built-to-last construction and singing tone – finishing up second and third, but with the greatest percentage overall. The APX series has proved popular among players looking to take the step up to a decent second guitar. Fender’s Chinese-built CD60 has been performing well this year, and for a wellconstructed guitar with the Fender headstock on it retailing at under £150 it is easy to see why. Crafter remains popular across the board, and was closely followed by Ashton’s D25 in the fight for fifth place. Freshman saw a decrease in votes from last year but remained near the top of the table, while the resurgence of Epiphone’s J200 suggest that affordable jumbos might just on their way into fashion for 2009.

An excellent year for Yamaha (above) which polled two of the top three under £500

Improving on its third place position, the Taylor 110 has performed impressively, nearly doubling its percentage on last year and proving that at the high end, no matter what the preconception, there is always room for movement. Last year’s winner, the Martin DX1, may have slipped into second place, but has all but maintained its high score from last year and continues to be a popular choice for players with a bit more punch in their pocket. Taking the joint second spot is the beautifully crafted Tanglewood TW45, another impressive showing from Tanglewood that demonstrates the brand’s staying power after a period of sustained growth in the acoustic market. Meanwhile, Gibson’s evergreen J-45 tells an important tale, namely that guitarists love classic shapes and familiar tones. The guitar has proved that fashion never really changes that much. Freshman holds fifth place with its FA500 in what has been a strong year in the acoustic sector for the Scots, which continues to impress all that crosses its path. Crafter, Breedlove and Stonebridge tied for sixth place in this tight category that has shown that there is plenty of spark left in the unplugged world.

ELECTRIC GUITAR UNDER £500 Epiphone Les Paul .................................................................................19% Fender Standard Stratocaster...........................................................14% Encore........................................................................................................11% Squier Affinity Strat..............................................................................10% Vintage V100.............................................................................................6% Honourable Mentions: Ibanez RG300, Yamaha Pacifica Topping the under £500 electric guitar table for the second year running, Epiphone’s Les Paul Standard has continued to perform strongly, giving rockers who dream of a Gibson the chance to own something really not that far removed at a fraction of the price. Second place has been held by the Mexican-built Fender Standard Stratocaster, which has given those who have always pined after that genuine Fender headstock just what they wanted. With build quality having dramatically increased at Fender’s Mexican factories of late, these are great guitars that have rightly leapt from seventh to second place since last year. Encore’s S-type packs still have the popular vote among bewildered beginners looking for an accessible way into the world of the electric guitar, and combined with JHS’ other range, Vintage, the Garforth supplier is making massive inroads into this market. (It’s worth noting the combined figures for Encore and Vintage out-do the Fender Strat.) The V100, and thanks to some excellent additions to the rest of its lines across the year and a profile boost thanks to its relic-a-likes, JHS’s guitar brand has performed admirably. The Squier Affinity Strat at fourth place, however, is still a big contender for the nation’s favourite starter guitar. Closely following on were the Ibanez RG300 and the Yamaha Pacifica, which has seen a dip in popularity of late, falling from third place last year to outside the top five.

26 miPRO FEBRUARY 2009

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2009 • RETAIL SURVEY

ELECTRIC GUITAR OVER £500 Fender USA Standard Stratocaster..............................................42% Gibson Les Paul .....................................................................................6% Fender USA Std Telecaster ................................................................5% Ibanez RG262 ........................................................................................3% Rickenbacker 330 .................................................................................2% Honourable Mentions: Gordon Smith, Indie, Blade Having held the top spot for the last two years in this category, it is no real surprise to see Leo Fender’s greatest creation once again taking first place. No matter the trends, musical or social, there is still something about an American Strat that makes every guitarist want to own one. Dropping one per cent from its 2008 score, Fender’s crown prince is still far and away the leader in its field and will no doubt continue to be for some time. A full 36 per cent behind the Fender is Gibson’s leading light, another guitar which cries out for inclusion in any selfrespecting player’s list of dream guitars. Perhaps due to price, or maybe even Gibson’s distribution troubles over the last 12 months, the Les Paul has not performed as well as it might, but has done well to maintain second place, rising from third in 2008. Telecasters remain a popular choice, probably no doubt to their endless versatility and tank-like construction, while Ibanez has cropped up in fourth place with the RG262. Bringing up the rear is the jangle-tastic Rickenbacker 330, an instrument that continues to appeal to a large segment of the market still convinced (or perhaps just wishing) it’s 1966. Gordon Smith tied with Indie – a great result here for the Oxfordshire based manufacturer – and Blade just outside of the top five in what was a close year for the high end electrics.

Fender’s Telecaster takes Fender’s showing in this sector to nearly 50 per cent of the votes

All hail the king: The Fender Strat has been number one for all three years of the MI Pro survey

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miPRO FEBRUARY 2009 27

RETAIL SURVEY • 2009

GUITAR AMPLIFIER

BASS GUITAR UNDER £500 Squier P-Bass ...................................................................................16% Yamaha RBX 170 ...........................................................................14% Fender Standard Jazz (Mexican) .................................................8% Vintage .................................................................................................7% Ibanez GSR200 ..................................................................................6% Honourable Mentions: Crafter Cruiser, Cort, Stagg Topping the budget bass category for 2009, the Squier Precision has almost doubled its votes from 2008 and made an impressive leap from third to first place. Favoured by fans for its great looks and excellent reproduction of its more expensive Fender cousin, it makes a great first bass and an excellent introduction to the instrument. In second place, Yamaha’s RBX170 on 14 per cent has dropped down from its perch on the top shelf last year, yet has still experienced a 1.5 per cent increase in votes. The versatility of this bass has added to its universal appeal and made it a consistent high performer in MI Pro retail surveys. Fender’s Standard Jazz has experienced a three per cent growth on last year and continues to perform well, while Vintage appeared out of nowhere last year to make its presence felt at fourth place in 2009. Ibanez has performed consistently well in all the guitar categories, although with the Crafter Cruiser, Cort and Stagg are looking to break into the top five, it could have a fight on its hands.

BASS GUITAR OVER £500 Fender USA Jazz ...........................................................................20% Fender USA Precision ..................................................................16% Musicman Stingray .........................................................................5% Cort .......................................................................................................2% Indie ......................................................................................................1%

Squier basses – still the place to start for wannabe lowdowns

Marshall MG ....................................................................................30% Line 6 Spider III 15 ........................................................................23% Roland Cube.....................................................................................14% Line 6 Spider III 75...........................................................................6% Kustom .................................................................................................5% Fender Frontman ..............................................................................5% Honourable Mentions: Laney, Orange Tiny Terror A runaway winner here sees Marshall retaining its top slot, while Line 6’s tirelessly popular Spider III amps combine to make a close second. as buyers continue to flock to their preferred brands. The Roland Cube, a long time servant of many a touring guitarist, has surely benefited from the broader range of options under the Cube umbrella now, but unfortunately didn’t quite have enough votes to dislodge Line 6 or Marshall from pride of place at the top of the pile.

BASS AMPLIFIER Ashdown Electric Blue .................................................................18% Kustom ..............................................................................................15% Fender Rumble .................................................................................15% Laney RB.............................................................................................12% Marshall MB30....................................................................................7% Honourable Mentions: Roland Cube, Trace Elliot 715 Ashdown continues to dominate the UK’s bass market, with a stronger showing than last year (but that’s the risk of a random voter selection) and the ever-popular Electric Blue takes its rightful place again. A surprise showing this year from the Kustom brand, which has surely benefited from good entry-level sales.

Honourable Mentions: Gibson Thunderbird, Fender Jaguar Bass Taking a double gold, Fender’s longest serving bass stalwarts have taken first and second place with significantly more votes than last year. Showing an excellent growth in 2008, Fender has continued to capitalise on its reputation as the go-to bass brand. In at third place, although a significant 11 per cent behind its nearest rival, the Musicman Stingray has performed really rather well. A strong third this year could well indicate a swing back towards the much-loved and tonally distinctive Stingray. Cort and Indie prop up the top five, with no single model standing out from the pack as retailers simply named the brand they felt had sold the most. Gibson’s mighty Thunderbird and Fender’s eyecatching Jaguar were close to breaking into the top five.

Some odd names popped up in the bass amp section this year, but no surprises

GET YOUR MESSAGE OUT THERE

2009 • RETAIL SURVEY

DIGITAL PIANO

DRUMS MID – HIGH END

Yamaha CLP.......................................................................................18% Casio Privia........................................................................................17% Yamaha YDP 130.............................................................................11% Kawai CN 21........................................................................................6% Korg SP250...........................................................................................3%

Mapex M-Birch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15% Roland TD9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13% Premier Cabria. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7% Pearl Forum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3% Yamaha Stage Custom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2%

Honourable Mentions: Roland FP7, Robertson RP 120

Honourable Mentions: Tama Superstar, Ludwig

With only one per cent in it at the top of the digital piano category, it’s clear that Casio has worked hard to push the Privia range forward, but Yamaha’s popular Clavinovas with a double showing in the top five places here are again clear winners.

Mapex’s M-Birch kit came up strong enough to topple the Roland kits from what was a dominant position last year. Between the Mapex and the TD-9, this year’s voting has proved the market is truly split between acoustic and electronic at the moment. Premier’s Cabria has moved up from fifth place last year, which will no doubt please the Leicester manufacturer.

ACOUSTIC PIANO Yamaha U1........................................................................................18% Kawai ...................................................................................................16% Yamaha U3........................................................................................13% Yamaha B Series..............................................................................12% Steinmeyer S108 ............................................................................10%

BRASS AND WOODWIND JHS Odyssey.......................................................................................25% Jupiter ...................................................................................................17% Yamaha ................................................................................................16% Trevor James.......................................................................................10% Stentor ....................................................................................................5%

Honourable Mentions: Reid Sohn, Kemble Concerto The specialist piano retailers interviewed have put the Yamaha U1 in the top spot and three entries from Yamaha in this section indicate an area that the manufacturer is clearly comfortable operating in. A good shout at second from Kawai demonstrates there is competition aplenty.

DRUM KITS – ENTRY LEVEL Stagg TIM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20% Sonor 1005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12% Percussion Plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10% Impact. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4% CB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4% Honourable Mentions: Dragon, Ridgewood, Roland HD-1 The Stagg TIM position will no doubt please EMD greatly. Affordable yet not feeling like a cheap kit, the TIM has won over plenty of first time drummers, while the Sonor 1005 is not far behind the one or two that seem to be prevalent. Percussion Plus also showed strongly for the first time this year, making for a clear top three.

Honourable Mentions: Sebastian Buckley, Besson

Yamaha meanz pianos. Some brands are building market share, but not at the expense of the Japanese giant, it seems

JHS took prime position in the brass and woodwind sector, with many keen to point out the quality of its Odyssey brass range. With most of the main players getting a mention, Jupiter has performed well to take second place, especially against some significantly larger competition in the form of Yamaha. Stentor has its first showing of the survey here, while Trevor James deserves a big mention.

HIGH TECH / DJ Line 6 Pod X3 Live ..........................................................................19% Microkorg ...........................................................................................18% Korg Kaos Pad...................................................................................16% Boss Micro BR...................................................................................15% Line 6 Toneport ................................................................................13% Honourable Mentions: Numark, Boss RC20 Another good result for Line 6 in what was a hotly contested area of the survey. Among those that stock hi tech gear, Line 6’s floor-based Pod X3 Live scraped in as winner, closely followed by the versatile and surprisingly powerful Microkorg. Another Korg entry at third place with the Kaos Pad was no doubt the result of an excellent TV appearance earlier in the year. Line 6 grabbed a second entry with Toneport, just behind Boss’ excellent mini recorder, the Micro BR.

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RETAIL SURVEY • 2009

ORCHESTRAL STRINGS

BEST SUPPLIER

Stentor.................................................................................................36% Stagg ....................................................................................................20% Yamaha ..................................................................................................8%

Westside ..............................................................................................23% Roland...................................................................................................20% Sutherland...........................................................................................19% Yamaha.................................................................................................19% Tanglewood.........................................................................................15%

This category is once again safe in the hands of the specialists, who selected Stentor as the leading brand for strings. Both Stagg and Yamaha also got a look in, but there can be no doubt that Stentor will be happy to have cornered its prime area of the market.

Honourable Mentions: JHS, P&R Howard

MICROPHONE Shure SM58 ...........................................................................................36% Sennheiser E800 series ......................................................................18% Shure SM57 beta .................................................................................12% Audio Technica AT-2020 ......................................................................7% AKG D5S....................................................................................................4% Honourable mentions: EV, JHS, Peavey There is simply little anyone can do in the mic market to overcome the conservatism of the average gigging band, which plumps for Fender and Gibson guitars and basses and the SM58 mic. Despite this overwhelming two-to-one superiority over the second placed Sennheiser 800 series, the fact that Sennheiser and Audio Technica have kept their places in this ‘unified’ mic category this year, shows that there is room still for others to eat away at the master’s four-decade dominance.

What can you do? The SM-58 maintains its grip on the buying public’s consciousness

SHEET MUSIC PUBLICATION Mamma Mia ..........................................................................................23% Associated Board Exams...................................................................21% Modern Guitar Method .....................................................................15% Absolute Beginners Guitar................................................................12% High School Musical .............................................................................8% Beatles Complete ...................................................................................5%

Thanks no doubt to its ever growing and impressive selection of brands and its proactive work towards helping its dealers turn a decent profit, Westside has come from nowhere to top the much-coveted Best Supplier first place in this year’s survey. Considering the popular distie missed out on a placing at all in 2008 only goes to show just how impressive a year this has been for Westside. It was no easy victory for Westside, however, with Roland just behind them at second place – a leap of two places from last year – while the ever-popular Sutherland and Yamaha took joint third place after dominating the first two years between them. Another solid performance this year from Tanglewood sees the company in fifth place and JHS and P&R Howard were snapping at the heels.

BUSINESS IN 2008 ON 2007 Up .........................................................................................................41% Same .....................................................................................................33% Down ....................................................................................................23% Don't know ..........................................................................................3% It seems to have been a good year across the board as retailers react to the toughening trading conditions with aplomb. While last year’s survey revealed that a worrying 41 per cent experienced a downturn in 2007, it would seem that 2008 was certainly not as harsh as it may have seemed at times. A big majority of our survey experienced sales growth over the last 12 months, with an equally impressive 33 per cent managing to maintain things at an acceptable level. Any dealer will tell you that they are working a lot harder to maintain the same profitability as was once the case, but these figures seem to show that the extra work is paying off. 2008 began with the Northern Rock crisis and has gone downhill from there, but MI continues to buck the trend seen in the retail sector in general.

Honourable Mentions: Rock School Guitar, Guns n’ Roses Greatest Hits In the year which saw Mamma Mia break all previous DVD sales and become the favourite film of every female in the land, it is really no surprise to see its piano, vocal and guitar book at the top of the sheet music tree. ABRSM took up its usual position at or near the top, and Mel Bay had a strong showing, too. Another all-singing, all-dancing affair is at fourth place, with High School Musical, while Absolute Beginners Guitar maintained its strong position. The Beatles take fifth place, proving that the Fab’s still have what it takes to prick up the ears of musicians across the country.

FORECAST FOR 2009 Down .....................................................................................................36% Same......................................................................................................28% Up ...........................................................................................................23% Don't know..........................................................................................13%

ACCESSORIES BRAND D’Addario................................................................................................46% Ernie Ball.................................................................................................15% Dunlop........................................................................................................8% Rotosound ................................................................................................5% Honourable Mentions: JHS, Levi’s D’Addario ran away with things in the accessories category this year, raking in nearly half of the votes thanks to sustained string sales and an eye catching presence from Planet Waves. Ernie Ball another string specialist, also performed admirably. Rounding off the top four is another US brand, Dunlop, but Rotosound can lay claim to being the most popular British accessories line – more power to ‘em.

30 miPRO FEBRUARY 2009

Mama Mia predictably topped the sheet music vote, but guitar tutors are never far away

With an unstable economic climate forcing retailers to think long and hard over their business plans for the next year, the feeling was unsurprisingly dour. 36 per cent are bracing themselves for the worst and with the credit crunch still big news across the globe, there is certainly a battle to be fought – every penny is going to be hard earned in 2009. For all the doom and gloom, there is a surprising amount of optimism out there as retail digs in for whatever the next 12 months has to throw at it. 28 per cent are hopeful of similar takings in 2009, while a surprisingly high 23 per cent are looking up, suggesting that not everyone is quite as pessimistic as might be expected. A strong start to the year has certainly boosted confidence and some are hoping to prove that recessions make more musicians. Time will tell.

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FENDER® GBI WOULD LIKE TO THANK...

ALL OF OUR CUSTOMERS WHO VOTED FOR OUR INDUSTRY

LEADING PRODUCTS IN THE MI PRO RETAIL SURVEY THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT!

DEALERSHIPS AVAILABLE How Indie dealerships work… 1. You choose any 8 guitars from the range, any price point. 2. 4 of the 8 are supplied as free issue guitars and 4 are invoiced, you choose. 3. We only invoice free issue guitars after they are sold by you. Pay 30 days later. 4. You choose free issue replacement guitars and we send them free of charge. 5. You replace your purchased guitars only after you sell them. 6. We will exchange any guitars that do not sell, no need to discount as nothing sticks! You can share in the success of the fastest growing guitar brand in Europe… …with the confidence that all indie guitars are unique and non competitive to any other brand. There is no catch… We simply believe in working with you to help sell great guitars. You can visit the showroom to view our guitars or we will bring them to you…

SHOW PREVIEW • LIMS

Deck the halls As the MIA reveals plans to incorporate retail at the second London International Music Show, Gary Cooper talks to the association’s president, Jon Gold, about how the show will now develop… fter months of speculation, the MIA has revealed that LIMS 2009 will, after all, have a retail element – open only to MIA members but affordable, the association says, for smaller as well as major shops. The MIA confirmed that, having recently taken a controlling interest in the show, it has canvassed opinions from members and decided that retail has a part to play. The retail days will fall on June 12th, 13th and 14th, following a single, trade only day. Though widely praised by visitors and exhibitors alike and with good attendance figures, one major criticism of the initial LIMS from members of the public was the inability to buy the instruments and equipment on display and being demonstrated. The MIA’s president, Ashton Music’s Jon Gold, explained that he and the committee charged with running LIMS 2009 were well aware of the controversy that could follow bringing retail into this year’s show, but that the pressure to do so had been irresistible and that it would greatly enhance the appeal to visitors. “We’ve got the template for a great show at last, and we have needed to find a way of including what the public wants in a way that satisfies as many people in the industry as possible. The feedback we received from consumers last year was that

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they loved the show, they loved the venue at ExCel, but they couldn’t buy anything. “Rather than sit round and dictate what happened, we wanted to consult the industry and find out what the industry wanted to do. So we held a meeting and invited some key players among retailers and manufacturers to find out. We had people like Digital Village, PMT, Bonners, Andertons, Roland, Sound Technology and myself from Ashton, to discuss a way

and there is now a pretty broad backing for what has been decided.” The plan is for LIMS 2009 to have a separate retail hall adjacent to the main four halls, with a limited number of stands selling as representative array of products as possible from the show – and only products on display will be allowed. Participation, similarly, is only available to MIA members, but non-member retailers who wish to join to take advantage of the

“We very much want the show to be available for smaller retailers. The stands aren’t unaffordable.” Jon Gold, MIA forward. We wanted to avoid the solus operation there has been at Music Live before and we wanted to be fair to all of our members. “But that wasn’t all we did. Prior to that meeting, we sent a questionnaire to every MIA retail member, asking their views and we had an excellent response, with very little opposition from retailers. In fact, the reservations were mostly from distributors and manufacturers, but as the plan has unfolded and they have seen that we are determined to make this a quality experience, that has dropped away, too,

opportunity will be welcomed, Gold confirmed. MI Pro understands that within minutes of the email announcing retail participation at the show, the Association’s office had received four applications, in addition to the interest exposed by a major guitar retailer beforehand. Interestingly, however, Gold revealed that the MIA does not expect the retail hall to be dominated by the ‘usual suspects’, some of whom have already said that, while they will support LIMS in other ways, they might elect not to take part as retailers.

This may be, it has been speculated, due to the absence of mega-stands. “We very much want the show to be available for smaller retailers,” Gold says. “Obviously, we know that a two-man shop from North Yorkshire, say, won’t be able to run a stand at a three-day event in London, but the stands start from around £3-4,000, and include storage, so it isn’t going to be unaffordable to those who think they could manage it.” Behind the scenes, it seems certain that the MIA and manufacturers and distributors will be trying to avoid the ‘car boot sale’ atmosphere that has marred some other shows and that there will be ‘terms and conditions’ imposed to “ensure the professionalism of the retail experience,” as the MIA puts it. On offer are both shell schemes and bare space plans: Gold stands measuring 10x10 metres, Silver, 7x10 metres and Bronze 4x10 metres. All will include an amount of storage space, but additional space can be purchased. “We want to be fair to everyone,” Gold says. “We respect the fact that, whatever we do, all our retail members can't be involved and we want to deliver a quality retail experience, where customers aren't going to be buying products for nothing. They’ll be paying the going rate, but they will get value from the demonstrations, the products on show and the expertise.”

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SECTOR SPOTLIGHT • RADIO MICS

While radio mics continue to be a lucrative source of income for many, the prospect of losing channel 69 in the Digital Dividend review means that the wireless world post-2012 could be very different. Andy Barrett looks at the possibilities and still finds bandwidth to look at some of the best systems on the market today...

Waitin’ for

the man hile there is undoubtedly still extremely good business to be had across the board selling radio mic, instrument and IEM systems, from high-end touring and theatre companies to the humblest of MI stores, this has become one of the hardest articles to write in terms of product overview. The reason for this, as most of you will be aware, is because of the proposed Digital Dividend Review (DDR) underway through the Government department Ofcom. To give the briefest and most easily understood overview of the present situation as it stands, one needs to go back a few years to the announcement of the DDR, when the sale of spectrum frequencies was announced. At that time, Ofcom succeeded in completely overlooking the programme making and special events (PMSE) market, prompting the re-formation of the British Entertainment Industries Radio Group (BEIRG) to lobby for the retention of channel 69, which contains the licensed frequencies that PMSE had been using for years. The success of BEIRG’s lobbying looked

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as though it had paid off by 2007; Ofcom had acknowledged PMSE’s claim as valid and had made assurances that space (and probably channel 69) would be left for PMSE usage. Then came the World Radio Conference of 2007, where EU techies discussed the possibility of establishing a co-ordinated pan-European frequency spectrum block. The plan was adopted, which means that Europe will (sensibly) have a united radio frequency policy, but the bad news is that this block included channel 69. Ofcom was unlikely to question this as the sale of channels 61 to 69 would bring in much more revenue than selling channels 61 to 68. Of course the industry, represented by BEIRG, can bid for channel 69, but up against the multimillions of the mobile companies, even companies such as Shure, Sennheiser, AKG and Audio Technica combined cannot hope to compete. BEIRG could also have rejected the offer to switch, but in the world

of political negotiating the result could well have been ‘take it or leave it’. This means that, in all likelihood, the current ocean of wireless systems out there will be redundant by 2013. That leaves four years for the entire industry to redesign and market new equipment, which might not seem too much of a difficulty, until one takes into account the fact that Ofcom has yet to announce which channel will be made available to PMSE, whether this will be a permanent or

temporary move and whether the government will help fund the switch. This leaves everyone – and by no means least the MI retailer – with something of a dilemma. There is good money to be made from selling entry-level to mid-priced wireless systems, it is a

In all likelihood, the current ocean of wireless systems out there will be redundant by 2013. This leaves MI retailers with something of a dilemma.

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RADIO MICS • SECTOR SPOTLIGHT

growing market and, as is often the way with technology, the state of the art is becoming increasingly available to an ever widening market, but now the products have a built-in obsolescence. Without word from Ofcom as to how (or if) the Government will assist in any switch over, let alone on what frequency the equipment will function in the future, retailers would be wise to explain the situation with each sale. There is obviously the chance that Ofcom and manufacturers will allow some sort of amnesty – bring in your old wireless system and get a new one – but no-one knows. In the meantime, as one BEIRG spokesman put it: “You need to cover your arse.” He went on: “This might have a negative effect on sales, but there is nothing to be done. The important thing is that people have to know what has been going on and, if they can be, persuaded into registering their displeasure with Ofcom, their MPs, anyone and everyone.” As MI Pro goes to press, the publication of the Digital Britain report is imminent (due on January 27th), which may make things a lot clearer – although on past evidence, one might be equally justified to expect the continuation of the vagaries and procrastination at which Ofcom has excelled since the DDR was first announced. That said, the wait is almost certainly coming to an end sooner rather than later and there are a good three years’ worth of sales to be had from stocking these increasingly popular products. The important thing is to keep your ear to the ground and keep your customer informed as to what is going on. As is always the case, better to lose a sale but keep the customer in the long run. SAMSON Samson has been at the forefront of microtechnology since it launched the Airline system some years ago and the abandonment of the need for beltpacks and wires (particularly for lavalier mics and instruments) was broadly welcomed by the end user. The Concert 77 system can be configured with the new HT7 handheld transmitter available with Samson’s Q7 dynamic element, as well as the Samson C05 handheld condenser element.

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The HT7 features a three-segment battery indicator, separate power and audio on/off switches, adjustable AF level (audio gain) and 12 hours of battery life on a single nine-volt battery. The new CT7 belt-pack transmitter can be configured as a lavalier, headset, wind instrument and guitar system thanks to the locking P3 input connection. The device also has an adjustable AF level and 12 hours of battery life on a single ninevolt battery. The CR77 true-diversity half-rack UHF receiver is the core of the Concert 77 system. The synthesized PLL frequency control circuitry keeps the signal locked, while dual-tuned antennas with LEDs monitor the true-diversity operation. Two CR77 receivers can be rack-mounted together in a single-space rack adapter available as an added accessory. SENNHEISER As Samson was coming out with its Airline technology, Sennheiser was keeping step by coming up with the SKP unit, a little plug that attaches to any XLR connected wired mic (that’s as close to all of them as makes no difference) and turns it into a wireless mic. The SKP 3000 is, unsurprisingly, part of the 3000 series, which also includes the SKM 3072-U handheld that comes loaded with access to 32 switchable channels and a veritable swathe of receivers, including the EM 3031-U/-V which provides 32 channels in a single rack-space unit. Then there are the beltpacks, including the new EK 3241, which has a switching bandwidth of 36MHz and frequencies that can be tuned in steps of 5kHz, making the receiver the perfect partner for Sennheiser’s higher end transmitter models in the 5000 series, the SKM 5200 and SK 5212. AUDIO TECHNICA The Japanese giant for all things mic and headphone has been making significant inroads into the wireless market for some years now, which combined with some spectacular endorser deals (perhaps the most notable being the opera singer Katherine Jenkins, who uses the Artist Elite AEW-T5400 transmitter mic, the Pigeon Detectives and Breed), have seen the company winning considerable prestige. The high-end Artist Elite 5000 and 4000 series range from the AEW-5416 package (retailing at £3,649), a dual system with two AEW-T1000 UniPak beltpacks and two AEW-T6100 handheld hypercardioid dynamic mic transmitters and the AEW-R2500 dual receiver, to the AEW-4110 body-pack system with an AEW-R4100 receiver and AEW-T1000 UniPak transmitter – a snip at £1,069.

Closer to MI hearts are the more affordable mics and receivers available in the 2000 and 3000 series (with prices for mics alone starting at £209 for the ATWT220 and £299 for the ATW-T341). SHURE The king of the mic makers maintains pretty strong elbow room in the market on the basis of its name, of course, but more so because the quality of its wireless systems keep it as the front runner. The latest (and many would say best) of these are the new and extensive Performance Gear systems, which comprise set-ups for lavalier, headsets, instruments and, of course, handheld vocals. The PG2 transmitter has a combined power/mute button with lock function, gain switch, channel select, a sevensegment, multi-coloured LED display, eight hours of battery life from a nine-Volt battery (included) and functions over a distance of 75 metres. The handheld is fitted with the PG58 mic head and all that number has inspired in mic users for the past 40 years. Combined with the PG4 receiver and its microprocessor controlled ‘Predictive Diversity’ technology, internal antennas for ten selectable frequencies and up to four compatible systems per band, you have one of the most effective and simple systems available for under £200. The PG58 system is also available as dual system.

enables the running of up to 12 channels simultaneously – at a price you will find hard to match. AKG NAMM saw the launch of a new system from the famed, Harman-owned, Austrian mic manufacturer, the DMS 700, which gives users a state of the art feature set including digital audio encryption, ultra wide tuning range and high channel count in a simple to use 19-inch chassis. Ideal for live sound reinforcement, the DMS 700 is touted as a ‘revolutionary wireless solution designed for the future’ as it operates with two frequency bands with each band providing a tuning range of up to 155MHz of receivers and transmitters, giving the user extended flexibility in today’s crowded RF environment. Meanwhile, at the entry level, AKG has the WMS 40 Pro systems, which have the unique HDAP (High Definition Audio Performance) technology, which ensures a quality, transparent sound in virtually any conditions. The transmitters operate for 30 hours off a single AA size battery, saving the user frequent battery replacements and thus money.

TRANTEC Buying British is something that a lot of musos don’t consider, but for vocalists – and particularly those looking for a good wireless system – it is a good option thanks to Trantec. A quarter of a century after pioneering the first readily available radio mics, Trantec introduced the groundbreaking S5 series, based upon the award-winning, professional S6000 system, which is widely used in theatre and broadcast. The S5.3, the latest multi-channel UHF product from Trantec, is the little brother of the S5.5 system and has 11MHz of bandwidth that

CONTACTS KORG (SAMSON) ...................................................................01908 857100 SENNHEISER ...........................................................................01494 551551 AUDIO TECHNICA ...................................................................0113 277 1441 SHURE ....................................................................................01992 703058 TRANTEC ................................................................................020 8330 3111 SOUND TECHNOLOGY (AKG) .............................................01462 480000

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PERSONNEL

New position at JHS Garforth distributor appoints UK and Ireland manager to newly created position JOHN HORNBY Skewes has welcomed Martin Donoghue as its new UK and Ireland house account manager. Based at the JHS head office in Garforth, Yorkshire, Donoghue’s remit is to help develop relationships with existing valued trade house account customers, as well as establish new ones. In this newly created position, he will primarily help to facilitate the continued the growth of exclusive licensed products, such as the Sponge Bob Square Pants real musical instrument range. Donoghue joins JHS from a professional background, which includes experience of MI retail, senior sales management, financial services and work as a professional musician. JHS sales and marketing director, Alan Smith, commented: “Martin is a keen people’s person with great personal and professional attributes and we’re pleased to have him on the sales team.” Donoghue is said to be looking forward to getting stuck into this new role and will be available for meetings at the

New addition to Strings & Things sales team Ex-Wharfedale salesman to head up MI and pro division

DONOGHUE: To handle licensed ranges forthcoming, combined JHS and SpongeBob booth at this year’s Spring Fair Exhibition, NEC Birmingham, Hall 5 D81 between February 2nd and 5th. He can be contacted by phone on the number below, on his mobile (07833 477387) or email at martin.donoghue@jhs.co.uk. JHS: 0113 286 5381

Hit the Right Note Every Time with Stentor Teachers and music services everywhere recommend Stentor for the quality and value we offer.

WEST SUSSEX-based music accessory wholesaler Strings & Things, has appointed Frankie Rudd as its road representative in the South West of England and South Wales. Rudd comes to the company with several years of sales experience and is a seasoned professional musician. Peter Lunney, the company’s general manager, commented: “We are extremely excited about Frankie joining the team. Not only does he have an excellent rapport with existing customers and staff, he is a great advocate of the high quality products that we supply. With his musical experience, he really understands the market and what musicians need and is able to demonstrate this to customers across a broad range of instruments.” “I am delighted to have joined Strings and Things – this is my dream job,” added Rudd. “I am combining my love of new musical equipment with my passion for sales. I have played the guitar and keyboard since the age of six and have been gigging for over 15 years, so I

RUDD: Dream job believe my experience will really help when communicating with retailers.” Rudd joins the seasoned team at Strings & Things with Robin Crocker returning to the road in the South East of England, Davie McArthur continuing in the North of England and Scotland and Andy White as sales rep in the Midlands. STRINGS & THINGS: 01273 440442

Audio Technica strengthens sales and marketing team Two appointments for mic maker to meet customer demand

Stock Stentor and keep customers coming back to you as they upgrade to their next instrument. Stentor violins, violas, cellos and double basses are hand carved from solid tonewoods, with correct measurements and good tonal quality, offering students the best start to their musical careers. Recommended as ideal student instruments by most teachers and music services in the UK: • Stentor Student I • Stentor Student II For intermediate and high grade orchestral models : • Stentor Conservatoire • Messina, Elysia and Arcadia

Request our new Stentor Orchestral Stringed Instrument Brochure - out now STENTOR MUSIC CO. LTD Stentor Sales: 01737 240226 Email: info@stentor-music.com 36 miPRO FEBRUARY 2008

WOOD: Remit in London and the south

HELPS: Well placed for product training

RECENT STAFF changes at Audio Technica have seen the company strengthen its sales and marketing team in response to the demands of its customers. New recruit Ben Wood has been appointed as area sales manager for London and the South, specifically catering to the needs of the MI market, while Audio Technica’s existing technical support manager, Logan Helps, joins the marketing team as training and product support specialist. Helps has been with the company since 2005, following a creative music and sound technology degree at Leeds Metropolitan University. With a background in both live and studio engineering and broadcast media support,

he is well placed to provide product training for Audio Technica customers in his new role and continuing to act as a first point of contact for dealers’ technical and product queries. “I’m looking forward to broadening my role in offering extra support and training both for internal staff and customers,” commented Helps. Wood has worked in management and promotion in the US, South America and the UK, most recently acting as a sponsorship agent for the UK’s leading music festivals. He remarked: “I am excited to be in a position to work with some of the highest quality products within the music industry.” AT: 0113 277 1441

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PROFILE

I WOKE UP THIS MORNING MATT GIBBS Account Director for photo & musical instruments, GfK Retail and Technology

GfK’s report that showed UK Christmas guitar sales to be up 3.4 per cent on last year has caused some controversy on the MI Pro website. This is how the man behind the figures spends his day… t GfK we have what we call ‘retail panels’ that operate across all the different markets that we track, including MI, electrical, DIY and so on. For each one we have a defined group of panel members or retailers that we track. Those retailers supply us with data on either a weekly or monthly basis. We have a standard report that goes out to manufacturers that includes all the brand and model listings, value, average prices and distribution data. It’s produced in the same way each month, so they can see how the brand’s share has changed and where they are competitive. What we produce is known as continuous research – a continuous audit and methodology.

On the MI Pro site people challenge the market figures with anecdotal evidence, but you need to look at the bigger picture. I’ve worked on the commercial side of the business for about seven years, and my job is really to be in overall charge of two defined panels. I run the musical instruments and the photographic panels, so I’m responsible for the relationship between the clients (the manufacturers or suppliers), and GfK. I’m also responsible for the overall strategy and direction of these panels. If we need to recruit more retailers to get better coverage for a certain area of the market, I’ll work with the field or retail department to go and recruit additional retailers and explain the benefits of taking part. The main part of my job is to ensure the quality of the data on a monthly basis and to maximise the insight users can gain from it. I spend several days a week with clients, discussing the reports or presenting current trends to them. WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

I check all of the data that we would send out to a manufacturer. I get what we call a QC project – the data which has been extrapolated (weighted up to represent total market sales) and a draft version of the report – and I then go through the data to see if there is anything that looks like it might be an anomaly within the data. We have a system which automatically checks for any major fluctuations so, for instance, if we have a Gibson Les Paul Standard that one retailer appears to be selling for £200, that would be flagged up and I’d be able to investigate. So I do a sense check of the data and ensure that the trends we are reporting are consistent. For example, with the December ’08 figures, the headline was that guitar sales were 3.4 per cent up on the same month in ‘07, but I can see underneath that to each individual retailer, and look at the performance of each one to make sure that the trend at the top line is actually representative of the industry in general. I can see if it was a general trend that was being repeated across the marketplace or if specific retailers were responsible for it. On the MI Pro site people challenge the market figures with anecdotal evidence of stores closing their doors up and down the country, but you need to look at the bigger picture. Woolworths has just shut down – does that mean there is going to be three billion pounds less spent in the marketplace because it’s no longer there? No, because people will buy from somewhere else. One of the biggest retailers in the MI business went under last year. Their share of the business goes to the retailers that remain trading or new start-ups. It’s clear we are facing a very tough retailing climate across all sectors, but as at any time there will be markets or segments of markets performing better than others. We’ll work with our retailer and manufacturer partners to identify these areas of opportunity or potential. Once I get home after work I like to get a good dose of fresh air, having spent all day in the office or in the car, so I might get my bike out or go for a run depending on the weather. If it’s raining I’ll head to the gym. miPRO FEBRUARY 2009 37

DAVE BURRLUCK

Dave Burrluck is the Gear Reviews Editor of Guitarist magazine. Guitarist, the UK’s leading magazine for serious players, is published by Future Publishing – 01225 442244

Business as usual? Yet another NAMM show is clocked up by our correspondent. Not a classic… ell, the weather was good, wasn’t it? Was that the only redeeming factor of this year’s ‘winter’ NAMM show? Of course not, but few would class it as a classic. Footfall definitely seemed down on last year and although the upper halls were rammed with exhibitors, the lower hall – ‘inventors alley’ – seemed quieter than usual in terms of displays. There was certainly no shortage of new stuff, although fewer products stood out. Guitarist editor Mick Taylor and myself had our usual fun trying to visit over 200 guitar-related stands as well as doing the all-important PR for the magazine, aided in the latter by editor-at-large Neville Marten. Yet despite four full days of trolling the aisles we were still struggling to fill our ‘Top Ten Products’ feature for our NAMM/Frankfurt 2009 coverage. Had we not already reviewed them, Fender’s new Mexican-made Road Worn series of aged guitars and basses, Marshall’s MG 4 series and Gibson’s Dark Fire Les Paul would have made our Top Ten. It actually seemed a show less about stand-out product than continuing trends. So what were they? Well, looking at the big picture, little has changed since last year. Relicing – aging, call it what you will – is definitely more evident, not only with Fender’s important Road Worns but there were many other attempts to create new, old-looking guitars from Gibson, ESP and a host of others. ESP launched the very limited James Hetfield ‘Iron Cross’ guitar, an aged replica, ironically, of Hetfield’s well-used and

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The halls were quieter than last year...

customised Gibson Les Paul Custom. At the other end of the spectrum we were taken to a small stand producing fiftiesstyle aged Teles, thankfully without the Fender-correct headstock and proper new company logo. But it was a ‘vintage Tele’ nonetheless, priced between Fender’s Road Worns and its USA-made Relics. Poke around and you’ll find increasing numbers of companies offering aged hardware, not just from small boutique suppliers but more mainstream hardware makers like Germany’s ABM. Of course, Gibson is rightly celebrating 50 years of its most famous guitar, the 1959 Les Paul, with a limited 50th Anniversary reissue model and various aged and small number artist models: Mike Bloomfield, Jimmy Page’s ‘No 2’ and

later in the year, we understand, Billy Gibbons’ fabled ’59. Yet it’s not all backward looking. Taylor chose this year not to launch a new acoustic, concentrating instead on its new electric T3 (available with or without Bigsby), while introducing a new modernistic vibrato for its SolidBody range. PRS officially launched its new high-end acoustics and amps, already being used by some heavyweight and loyal artists. It also nodded in the direction of us paupers with the Mira X, a more affordable version of its previously most affordable USA-made guitar. I rarely make it to the lower hall much before Sunday pm and this year was no different. And while it holds well-known brands like Collings, Suhr, Breedlove and

Santa Cruz, to name but four, you can really see the dilemma so many lesserknown smaller companies face. It’s often not the products – there was some very fine craft on show. But why, especially now, would someone pay top dollar for an instrument that has no legacy, no vibe? There seems little point at the moment, in producing anything without the budget to market it. Ironic then that one of our bestknown PRs, Max Kay, chose this show to ‘retire’. It’s times like these that we need more PR, not less. Max, you’ll be sorely missed… especially at the bar. Whereas the backdrop of last year’s show was who was acquiring who, this year it was who was going or has already gone bust. Grim reminders, if any were needed, that for a lengthy period things are going to get tougher. Some feel it’s for the good. We have too much product vying for a market that isn’t expanding. Price alone is no longer a USP; innovations are falling by the wayside lacking the promotional budgets to get a viewing. Our industry is distilling, burning off the unnecessary and leaving mostly old favourites that inspire confidence in the consumer. I saw very few examples of products aimed at the credit crunch, just fewer products, more limited runs and limited-to-demand models. People are playing it safe. “Hey, people only wanna buy a Strat, a Les Paul or a Marshall,” quipped an FX designer I ran into. He may be right, but what of his own-design pedals that are about as classic as a Heston Blumenthal culinary creation? Are we still fiddling while Rome burns? WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

RETAIL NEWS, OPINION, DATA

NEWS

NEWS Absolute Music in Poole expands and adds extensive tuition facilities

INDIE PROFILE Access All Areas enjoys massive success with the Apollo series

Pete Norris on the Isle of Man reports business up for 2008

Rare condition inspires Swindon Retailer Holmes Music releases nude calendar of customers and the town’s musicians in aid of Goldenhar Syndrome HOLMES MUSIC of Swindon’s owner, Alan Holmes, has been galvanised into action in support of the Goldenhar Family Support Group, a charity set up to help the families of those who suffer from the rare congenital condition known as Goldenhar Syndrome. The reason is a painful one for the Swindon retailer, as his two-year-old grandson, Morgan, was born with the condition, leaving him severely disabled

“When my customers offered to make a nude calendar of musicians, I jumped at the chance.” Alan Holmes with only one eye, one ear and butterfly vertebrae. Part of the child’s jaw missing and he has to breath through a tracheotomy. Part of a series of campaigns in aid of the charity has been the creation of a nude calendar, a la Calendar Girls, featuring the bodies beautiful of local musicians and customers of the store, which has been a part of Swindon’s town centre for some 40 years now. The calendar was designed by Billy Beaumont and features the naked musicians with carefully position musical instruments of choice to maintain some degree of modesty. Among other events, Holmes has also

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held a raffle with the help of donations from suppliers and a sponsored men’s ‘waxing night’. Alan Holmes commented: “The first thing was the men’s waxing night and, well, ouch, yes that did hurt. Then, when two of my customers, Darren and Lisa Coleman from Puttyfoot Photography, offered to make and produce a Swindon musicians’ nude calendar, we jumped at the chance – and what a fantastic idea it has turned out to be.” The shop also put on a Christmas charity show on December 14th featuring some of the musicians on the calendar, raising further moneys this way. “I would like to thank ESP Colour for printing the calendars free of charge and all my suppliers for their generous donations and raffle prizes; we have so far raised £6,284.50. If anyone else would like to make a donation, please contact me at Holmes Music.” Children born with Goldenhar Syndrome suffer from various abnormalities affecting one side of their body, which include abnormal, missing or misplaced ears with associated hearing loss, breathing problems, feeding problems, abnormal ribs and vertebrae. The heart, lungs and eyes are sometimes affected and the face is often smaller on the affected side. The Goldenhar Family Support Group was established in 1989 and is a registered charity with six committee members working voluntarily with families of Goldenhar Syndrome sufferers by regular newsletters, arranging family meetings and more. All funds are spent on supporting family members.

For more information, contact Holmes Music: 21-23 Faringdon Road, Swindon, SN1 5AR, or on: 01793 526393. Alan Holmes can be emailed at alanholmes73@hotmail.com

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RETAIL • NEWS

Absolute expansion Poole retailer does justice to growing guitar and keyboard collection LEADING MUSIC retailer Absolute Music has tripled the size of its Dorset-based showroom with the addition of a large vintage guitar area, soundproofed acoustic room, guitar workshop and a dedicated electronic piano and keyboard room. Taking the overall space of the Poole store up to 4,800 square feet, these new rooms have been created to showcase the large, growing number of quality guitars, basses, keyboards and pianos that Absolute Music now stocks. The guitar rooms feature everything from limited-edition Gibson, Hamer, PRS and Warwick models right through to rare vintage guitars, Fender Strats and Telecasters. Orange and Vox amps, Boss pedals and entry-level models are also available for beginners. The keyboard space features a constantly revolving collection of Roland and Yamaha electric pianos, as

Alan Barclay does justice to his stock well as synths and keyboards from Clavia, Korg, Roland, Yamaha. The shop’s knowledgeable sales team is on hand to offer advice and help, while the in-house guitar workshop boasts expert technicians, offering a wide range of services, from restringing and set-ups to more serious repairs. “Over the last six months we have been selling more and more guitars

Apollo sells out Supplier struggles to maintain stocks, but SEAN KELLY’S Access All Areas distribution company, which is responsible for the design and manufacture of the Freshman brand of guitars, has had the ‘pleasant’ difficulty of selling out of stock of the new Apollo series of guitars, just 21 days after the first consignment arrived. The first shipment of Apollo guitars arrived in late October 2008 and within three weeks every guitar had been sold, with repeat orders coming shortly afterwards. “It’s a nice problem to have,” commented Kelly. “When you think about it, it is amazing that something like this is happening when all around people are talking about how hard things are getting. We are extremely pleased.” The key to the success of Freshman generally, Kelly believes, is the fact that his company sources every component

42 miPRO FEBRUARY 2009

and wood itself, with the new Apollo series benefiting from an even higher spec of top grade spruces than ever before in the Fishman range. “The Apollo guitars are real eye candy, but they sound good and play really well, too. You need this combination if your guitars are going to sell consistently,” he added. The latest shipment of Apollo guitars arrived in dock just as MI Pro was going to press, so Kelly (obviously) is reminding dealers to get their orders in promptly. “We have just about managed to cover the current orders and actually have a bit to spare, too,” he explained. “We ensured that noone had to wait too long and we still have some left, so keep the orders coming.” Freshman guitars’ Apollo series made it into the top five in the MI Pro retailers survey in this issue (page 26), proving that the guitars have made an immediate impact. AAA: 01355 228028

and basses, including some extremely rare vintage models and limitededitions,” explained Alan Barclay, managing director of Absolute Music. “It was time to do them more justice, so we’ve created a fantastic space with all the electric guitars and basses on show, plus a range of amps and cabs, allowing customers to appreciate the quality of our guitars as well as try them out. “We also know that keyboard players like to try before they buy, whether it’s to get a feel for a hammer-action electric piano or to audition the sound on a synth,” he continued, “and that’s exactly what our new keyboard room is for.” The newly expanded showroom and store can be found at: 58 Nuffield Road, Poole, BH17 0RT. Opening hours are 9.30am to 5.30pm on weekdays, and 10am to 4pm on Saturdays. For more information, call: 01202 684500

OBITUARY Len Catherwood 1927 to 2008 MUSIC LOVERS in the north of Scotland were saddened to learn of the death of Len Catherwood, owner of The Music Shop in Church Street, Inverness. Catherwood studied at the Liverpool Royal School of Music, where he received his degree as a qualified music teacher. After a spell with an electrical retailer, he applied for a job as manager with Bruce Millers in Inverness. When the company sold up, he bought up the stock and started business with wife, Moira and children Diane, Donna and Roger. In 1991, he opened larger premises in Church Street, where the store is still situated. He worked in the shop into his eighties and still managed to wind-up the customers with his dry sense of humour.

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INDIE PROFILE • RETAIL

PETER NORRIS MUSIC, ISLE OF MAN

Do you think that business is up or down compared to this time last year? It’s slightly up so far, but we’re still working on last month’s figures, so we’re yet to know for sure. We’ve kept good stock and worked hard on our website and tried to convince locals to talk to us about prices before buying elsewhere.

someone from Norway contact us today. What is your main strength? Being on an island with a small catchment area, we have to sell a bit of everything. We’re experienced musicians, helpful, knowledgeable and always keen to do a deal. We also offer music lessons – I think that’s important too.

Do you advertise locally? Spasmodically. I don’t spend a fortune on advertising because I think it can often be a waste of money. We certainly don’t regularly advertise in newspapers, but we will get behind special local events.

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned during your time in the business? Getting the balance right between stock levels and sales. Its really difficult and I’m still learning.

Do you have a web presence? Yes, it’s an essential thing to have these days – you have to continually maintain your presence there. We’re getting more and more enquiries all the time; we even had

FACTS & FIGURES Address: 39 Finch Road, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 2PW Owner: Ken Mitchell Established: 1989 Employees: Four

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What is the biggest challenge facing you today? The internet and trying to convince people to buy locally, take advantage of the touchy-feely situation and have instruments set up properly. Given the power, what one thing would you change about the industry? The varying degrees of discounts from manufacturers; I’d level the playing field and enable smaller independent retailers to make the same profit margins as big multiples.

miPRO FEBRUARY 2009 43

LIMS: Everything you need to know The London International Music Show is set for its second incarnation at the ExCel Centre in London. The MIA gives MI Pro the lowdown on all of the vital information… WHAT? The MIA has formally confirmed that it has acquired the majority stake holding in the London International Music Show and is working with the show’s director, Clive Morton of MB Interactive, to bring the best possible showcase for the MI industry. WHEN? June 11th to 14th (Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday). WHERE? The event will once again take place at ExCel and will build upon the successful inaugural event of 2008. All instrument genres will be represented across four halls featuring: The London Guitar Show, Drummer Live, Sound Recording Technology (SRT) and Unplugged. FORMAT? The show will once again feature a trade day on the Thursday (June 11th) and three subsequent public days (including an Education focus on the Friday and Saturday/Sunday mornings). The trade lounge will be open for trade visitors for all four days. A live stage will be used for a full programme of performances and master classes. DID THE MIA LISTEN? Extensive feedback has been taken from the industry further to the 2008 show and the MIA has responded to as much of this as possible. It should be pointed out that the association was delighted with the constructive and positive nature of all the comments it received from last year – even the critical ones. As an example, the Drum Hall will now be on the same side of the concourse as the other three halls. FOOTAGE Bev Channell of Channell Events is coordinating all exhibition footage sales. Half of the footage is already gone, so you will need to act quickly. Don’t forget that MIA members can exhibit at a discounted rate. SPONSORSHIP AND MARKETING Dave Phillips of A&R Marketing is coordinating marketing, sponsorship and

46 miPRO FEBRUARY 2009

This year’s LIMS is set to deliver more of what retailers want

The MIA will be working with a range of partners such as Music for Youth to help ensure that the show attracts anyone with an interest in music. general publicity. Many will recall that Phillips achieved some deals with titles such as Q magazine last year, so watch this space for further developments there. Phillips has already struck a deal with the O2 arena and the new British Music Experience museum on the other side of the river. A full run-down of show sponsors will be published shortly. PARTNERS In order to get as many consumers as possible to attend the event, the MIA will be working with a range of partners such as Music for Youth to help ensure that the show attracts not only existing musicians, but anyone that might be interested in finding out more about playing an instrument.

RETAILING This is a passionate and polarising subject for the industry. Consumers clearly wanted to be able to purchase goods at the 2008 show and as a result, the MIA hosted meetings with retailers in order to gauge the best way to address this issue without the retailing presence being detrimental to the spirit and feel of the show. In addition, the association corresponded with an unprecedented number of businesses in order to be absolutely clear on the pros and cons of retail activity at the event. Ultimately, the MIA decided that LIMS will have a separate retail hall next to the main four halls with a limited amount of

stands selling products on show. There will be retail days on June 12th, 13th and 14th, following a single trade only day. SUMMARY Everyone is aware that this will not be an easy year and we ask every one of you to either exhibit, attend or get your customers to come to the show in order that we can deliver an event that the UK and all our partners around the globe can be proud of.

CONTACTS CLIVE MORTON: ..........................................................................................01572 757775 clive@mbinteractivegroup.co.uk COLIN HOLDSWORTH: .............................................................................020 8866 6230 colin@cphexh.org.uk BEV CHANNELL (SALES): ............................................................................01332 813952 bev@channellevents.com DAVE PHILLIPS (MARKETING): ..................................................................01604 762361 david@armarketing.co.uk MIA OFFICE: ..................................................................................................01372 750600 clare@mia.org.uk

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NEW PRODUCTS BASS & GUITAR • NEW PRODUCTS ARIA TA 50QM THINLINE SEMIACOUSTIC £349 They say: This guitar sounds and performs like guitars costing three times as much. For: Guitarists Range: Aria thinline semi-acoustics Spec: Quilted maple top, back and sides, chrome hardware, maple set neck, rosewood fingerboard, two HB-103 humbuckers with ceramic coils, proprietary SPT bridge and QH tailpiece. From: Aria 01483 238720

EVH WOLFGANG FROM £2,399

FENDER ROAD WORN SERIES ELECTRICS FROM £859.99

They say: Represents Eddie’s 35 years of experimenting, two years of intense research and a full year of brutal road testing. For: Guitarists Range: Eddie Van Halen signature guitars Spec: Quilted maple top, maple neck and fingerboard, stainless steel frets, double-potted customwound pickups, five-piece binding on body and headstock, custom machineheads, Floyd Rose bridge, low-friction pots. From: Fender 01342 331700

They say: Guitars and basses develop an unmistakable mojo over time that makes them cooler and more comfortable. For: Guitarists, bassists Range: Fender electric guitars and basses Spec: Based on Fender classic 50s Tele, Strat and Precision (£1,049.99) and 60s Strat (£859.99) and Jazz bass (£1,119.99), distressed finishes. From: Fender 01342 331700

LAG FOUR SEASONS ACOUSTIC GUITAR SERIES FROM £175 They say: Each guitar brings its own distinct appearance and tone. For: Guitarists Range: Lag acoustics Spec: Spring: laminate spruce top. Summer: solid spruce top. Autumn: solid red cedar top. Winter: sitka spruce top. All with Shadow Studio Lag preamp with five eq presets. From: Barnes & Mullins 01691 652449

MARINER A-6H AUDITORIUM £685 They say: Handcrafted auditorium acoustic guitar debuts new premium brand. For: Guitarists Range: Mariner Archive series Spec: Open arch mahogany back, solid mahogany sides, sitka spruce top, maple bindings with herringbone purfling, Grover Rotomatic tuners, ships with deluxe shaped, plush lined hard case. From: Ashton 01780 781630

Fender continues as a tribute to itself with the Road Worn series

PRS MODERN EAGLE II £5,595 They say: Builds on the illustrious reputation of its predecessor. For: Guitarists Range: PRS electrics Spec: Premium grade curly maple top with mahogany back, 25” scale black rosewood neck (wide fat carve), 22-fret fingerboard, high gloss nitro finish, available with PRS tremolo or stop tailpiece, hybrid gold/nickel hardware. From: Headline 01223 874301

SHINE SR-1 ROCK SERIES £POA They say: One of a totally new range of Shine guitars, higher quality specs and keener prices. For: Guitarists Range: Shine electrics Spec: Mahogany body, mahogany set neck, die cast tuners, 22 jumbo frets, rosewood fingerboard, EMG humbuckers, volume, tone, 3-way toggle, Tune-O-Matic bridge, gold hardware, white finish. From: Intermusic 01202 696963

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miPRO FEBRUARY 2009 49

1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4. 4. 2009 live for the music

The world of music is coming to Frankfurt am Main again in 2009. Visit the Musikmesse show from 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4 April to find out about the most important product innovations and new developments in the industry. Musikmesse is the leading international trade fair for musical instruments, music software, computer hardware, sheet music and accessories. With a complete range of musical instruments from the classical spectrum through to electric guitars, keyboards, brass instruments and electronic equipment, our exhibitors give retailers, trade visitors and music fans alike an insight into the latest trends. Make valuable contacts and successful business links here. Discover the most recent technical innovations and try out the latest instruments. Plus, there are professional product presentations from famous musicians to enjoy at this top insider event. Tel. +44 (0) 17 84 41 59 50 info@uk.messefrankfurt.com www.musikmesse.com

DRUMS & PERCUSSION • NEW PRODUCTS Aquarian makes the practice pad even more portable

ZILDJIAN A CUSTOM REZO SERIES £POA They say: New hi-hats, splashes, pangs and ride cymbals to complement existing crash range. For: Drummers Range: Zildjian A Custom cymbals Spec: Seven additional new models to range, alternating bands of spiral and full lathing techniques, traditional and brilliant finishes. New bell design on hi-hats and splashes. Unlathed, high polish bell on ride. From: Yamaha 01908 366700

AQUARIAN QUIK BOUNCE PRACTICE KIT £24.99 They say: A smaller, more portable version of the 12-inch Tru Bounce practice pad. For: Drummers Range: Aquarian accessories Spec: Six-inch practice oad, ‘realistic’ bounce, mountable on 8mm thread cymbal stand, pack contains ‘Teacher Approved’ rudiment chart, First Step elementary snare drum studies by Roy Burns, pair balanced graphite practice sticks. From: MSC 01562 827666

MEINL SOUNCASTER CYMBALS £POA They say: Produced in Meinl''s state of the art factory in Germany using computerized hammering methods. For: Drummers Range: Meinl Soundcaster Spec: B12 bronze alloy, machine hammered, dual finish (unlathed, brilliant and closed lathed), 10" splash, 14" hi-hat, 16" &18" crash, 18" china, 20" ride, 20" power ride, 22" power ride. From: Active 020 8693 5678

ZILDJIAN ARTIST STICKS £69 (PACK OF SIX)

TRX OVERSIZED BRT CYMBALS £POA

They say: Two of Zildjian’s newest artists have designed their own drumstick models. For: Drummers Range: Zildjian sticks Spec: John Blackwell sticks: 16.125 inches long, 0.57-inch diameter, thick neck, short taper, wood barrell tip, US hickory. Ronnie Vannucci sticks: 16-inch length, 0.61-inch diameter, oversized barrel tip, maple. From: Yamaha 01908 366700

They say: In response to requests from hardcore and progressive drummers for larger, more powerful cymbals. For: Drummers Range: TRX BRT cymbals Spec: Additions to series include 24inch ride, 21-inch and 22-inch crashes and 15-inch hi-hats. Handhammered Turkish cymbals, highpolish surface. From: Morico 01992 461089

The German made Soundcaster cymbals (above) add a touch of real quality to the entry level

ZILDJIAN K CUSTOM HYBRID CYMBALS £POA They say: Designed by of one of Japan's top drummers: Akira Jimbo. For: Drummers Range: Zildjian K Custom Spec: Additions include 21-inch, medium-heavy ride, unlathed, brilliant finish inner, traditional lathing on outer. Also 13-inch Trash splash and 15-inch Trash crash thin special effect cymbals. From: Yamaha 01908 366700

AQUARIAN HI VELOCITY SNARE HEADS £22.38 & £23.61 They say: This is one of the heaviest coated snare batter heads available. For: Drummers Range: Aquarian heads Spec: 2.7mm thick twin-ply snare head, proprietary Z-100 application coating, large ‘Power-Thin’ reverse dot. Available as 13-inch and 14-inch. From: MSC 01562 827666

THIS PAGE IS SPONSORED BY MIKEDOLBEAR.COM, THE LEADING ONLINE RESOURCE FOR EVERYTHING DRUMS.

VISIT WWW.MIKEDOLBEAR.COM FOR MORE DETAILS. WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

miPRO FEBRUARY 2009 51

NEW PRODUCTS • RECORDING & HI TECH

MARK BASS STUDIO 1 PLUGIN £199

LINE 6 POD STUDIO UX2 £149

They say: One of very few plugins that accurately models bass amps and cabs. For: Musicians, producers Range: New Mark Bass product Spec: Three Mark Bass heads and six cabs modelled, six ‘mic’ options, compression, mic position, tweeter level, room ambience control, 64 user presets, standalone capability. From: Proel 020 8761 9911

They say: Powerful and versatile, all the necessary features needed to get the most from recording music. For: Guitarists, desktop recording Range: Line 6 interfaces Spec: Two 1/4-inch guitar and two balanced XLR inputs, phantom power, trim knobs, 1/4-inch stereo monitor input, two 1/4-inch line inputs, two balanced 1/4-inch line outputs, S/PDIF digital output, headphone output, assignable VU meters. Pod Farm plugin, Ableton Live Lite, Reason Adapted. From: Line 6 01327 302700

MOOG ETHERWAVE PLUS THERAMIN CONTROLLER £TBC They say: Wave your hand and control your gear with Moog's Etherwave Plus. For: MIDI users, theramin players Range: Moog MIDI controllers Spec: MIDI-linked controller, standalone theramin use, pitch and volume control, gate output, pitch preview, headphone output. From: Arbiter 020 8207 7860

NOVATION FX PLUGIN SUITE £POA They say: A new effects plugin suite derived from Novation's illustrious synthesiser heritage. For: Musicians, producers Range: New Novation product Spec: Five key effects: chorus, delay, tremelo, phaser and five filters with three octave slopes and overdrive, modelled on Novation Supernova II, audio triggered envelope. From: Focusrite 01494 836324

M AUDIO TORQUE 1.5 £POA They say: Brings even more creative options to merge live DJ performance and advanced music production. For: DJs Range: M-Audio DJ products Spec: Tempo/pitch alteration, tempo anchors, tempo master, Z-plane Elastique timestretching/compression, transmit/receive MIDI beat clock, headphone song preview before loading to deck, intuitive toolbar buttons. From: M Audio 01753 659590

52 miPRO FEBRUARY 2009

Bob Moog’s last completed project (above right) the Theramin controller

LEXICON I·ONIX U22, U42S, & U82S USB INTERFACES £299, £399 & £599 They say: The highest quality hardware and software to provide the user with exceptional recordings. For: Computer musicians, producers Range: Lexicon interfaces Spec: 24/96 digital recording, Steinberg Cubase LE, Toontrack EZdrummer Lite, Lexicon Pantheon II VST/AU reverb plugin, dbx mic preamps. Two, four and eight channel recording respectively, Hi-Z instrument inputs. From: Sound Tech 01462 480000

Focusrite moves into VST with its first VST plugin

FOCUSRITE PLUGIN SUITE VST/AU £POA They say: Focusrite's first independent VST/AU plug-in suite. For: Computer musicians, producers Range: New Focusrite company Spec: Collection of eq, compression, reverb and gating VST/AU plugins for tracking and mixing, all with adjustable factory presets, all based on Focusrite hardware, except reverb – based on classic studio designs. From: Focusrite 01494 462246

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Hellborg Preamp Audiophile quality bass preamp with 72 dB gain, transformer balanced input, 4 Band Eq with inductor based mid bands, effects loop operating on -10 or +4 dB level, transformer balanced DI out. All transformers and coils are studio grade and housed in mu metal casings. Hellborg Mono Power Massive 250 and 500 Watt Bipolar Power Amps with over dimensioned output stage. Transformer impedance matching between amp and speaker. Advanced circuit protection. Hellborg Hi Cab 212 Bass reflex cabinet loaded with 2 twelve inch Celestion drivers. Frequency response from 50 Hz – 8 kKHz with focus on midrange clarity. Rated at 200 W RMS.

aw ard ed

www.viktorkrauss.com www.warwick.de/Hellborg Warwick UK: Headquarters: Branches:

Warwick Music Equipment Trading (Manchester UK) Ltd. • 75 Bridge Street • Phone 0044 - (0) 161 - 8390 - 666 • Fax 0044 - (0) 161 - 2146 - 161 • Warwick GmbH&Co.Music Equipment KG • Gewerbepark 46 • 08258 Markneukirchen Dübendorf / Switzerland • Praha / Czech & Slovakia Republic • Warsaw

Manchester M3 2RH / Great Britain E-Mail: info@war wickbass.co.uk / Germany • E-Mail: info@warwick.de / P o l a n d • S h a n g h a i / P. R . C h i n a

Visit us on the World Wide Web: www.warwickbass.co.uk • www.warwick-distribution.co.uk & join the WARWICK BASS FORUM: www.warwick.de/forum

Hellborg Big Cab 215 Direct radiating band pass cabinet loaded with one 15” coaxial full range speaker and one 15” Bass driver. Extended low frequency response. Rated at 500W RMS.

J anuary

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NEW PRODUCTS • TRADITIONAL

KNIGHT STRINGS KNIGHT ACADEMY VIOLIN OUTFIT £POA They say: New technically more advanced all solid, specially selected tonewoods. For: Beginner violinists Range: Knight orchestral strings Spec: Spruce and maple construction, introductory prices Academy £24.95, Academy ‘de luxe’ with ebony fittings from only £37.95 (discounts in quantities of five). From: Intermusic 01202 696963

A strong showing from Intermusic from Knight Strings (above) to Bentley digital pianos (below)

INTERMUSIC ENSEMBLE DIGITAL PIANO £POA They say: More amazing value pianos added to Intermusic’s growing range of digital instruments. For: Pianists Range: Intermusic digital pianos Spec: 88 fully weighted keys, 137 digitally sampled voices, 109 auto rhythms, 3,000 note record memory, ships with stand and onboard speakers. Prices from £275, incl delivery, no minimum order, discounts for quantities. From: Intermusic 01202 696963

BREEDLOVE QUARTZ FF MANDOLIN £1,495 They say: Quite simply, Breedlove’s best ever. For: Mandolin players Range: Breedlove mandos Spec: F-hole style body, solid sitka top, solid western maple body, ebony fingerboard, designed for bluegrass and folk players. From: Gremlin 01903 203044

BENTLEY CONCERTO DIGITAL PIANO £POA They say: Flagship new concept for Intermusic digital pianos, with creative new sampling. For: Pianists Range: Intermusic digital pianos Spec: Specially designed fully weighted 'new touch' hammer action, new sampling, full USB facilities, ex-VAT trade price of £449, free delivery. From: Intermusic 01202 696963

New to the UK market, Archetto’s coloured violins (right)

MISTRAL STARTER WOODWIND OUTFITS FROM £110 They say: Already established a reputation for quality and reliability. For: Woodwind beginners Range: Mistral woodwind Spec: All outfits include hard cases, seven instruments in range: flutre, piccolo, clarinet, alto, tenor & soprano saxophones, curved soprano sax. From: Stentor01737 240226

54 miPRO FEBRUARY 2009

TANGLEWOOD TB18MG UNION BANJO £229 They say: Tanglewood has adapted its value for money approach to the folk market and gives the consumer even more for his money. For: Banjo players Range: Tanglewood folk instruments Spec: Bluegrass style G banjo iwith maple cosmetic, resonator, 18 bracket precision geared 5th tuner. From: Tanglewood 01959 571600

ARCHETTO COLOURED VIOLINS £79 They say: A high quality, competitively priced instrument available in a variety of colours. For: Beginner violinists Range: Archetto orchestral strings Spec: Spruce and maple construction, ships with hard foam, fitted carry case with plush interior, exterior strap, bow and rosin. Available in red, yellow, pink, green, black, blue & purple. From: Karacha 0845 200 8343

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MI MARKETPLACE

THE PLACE FOR BUSINESS

MI MARKETPLACE TO ADVERTISE ON THESE PAGES CALL DARRELL CARTER ON 01992 535647 A ALLPARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0870 442 3336 B BILL LEWINGTON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01268 413366 BARNES & MULLINS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01691 652 449 C COVERNOTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0121 327 1977 F FOCUS MERCHANDISE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8245 9035 FCN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01892 603730 G GHANA GOODS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0117 955 8668 GUITARRAS DE ESPAÑA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0117 973 3214 H HERGA MUSIC SERVICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8861 1590 HOT ROX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0115 987 3163 L LEED REPRESENTATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01243 378050 M MADAROZZO™/CBAC LTD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8816 8368 MARSHALL AMPLIFICATIONS . . . WWW.MARSHALLAMPS.COM MCELLAND/GREMLIN MUSIC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01273 491333 MELBAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0)20 8382 8010 MIDI (IRELAND) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 003531 6779004 MUSIC EXCHANGE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0161 946 1234 MUSIC SHIPPING CO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01562 827666 O OCARINA WORKSHOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01536 485963 ORANGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0208 905 2828 P PIANO LOGISTICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0208 561 4321 R ROBERT MORLEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8318 5838 ROTHWELL AUDIO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01204 366133 S SOAR VALLEY MUSIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0116 230 4926 STAINER & BELL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8343 3303 V VARSITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0131 557 4310 W WARWICK BASS GUITARS . . . . . . . . . . . . 0049 3742 255 5100 WIND PLUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0116 243 1698

SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT

MARKETPLACE INDEX

Hot Rox is hot elcome to Hot Rox UK, the official UK distributor of Jensen speakers and a global supplier of computer matched valves and boutique effects pedals including the full Electro Harmonix range. Hot Rox stocks amplifier parts, components and specialises in valve amp repairs. Established in 1985, Hot Rox UK has established itself and is recognised throughout the music Industry for its sound technical advice, expertise, attention to detail and exceptional customer service from the beginner or enthusiast,to big-name artists on tour.

Valves At Hot Rox UK it is our intention to provide customers with true, substantial facts, expelling all the myths associated with valve technology. Our wide range of valves have a long burn-in before they are rigorously tested then curve traced and precisely matched, delivering quality and reliability.

Jensen’s comprehensive catalogue now includes the following models: P Alnico, C Ceramic, CH Chicago, Neodymium, the new 100-Watt Alnico magnet Blackbird and the Tornado 100-Watt Neo-Magnet series, all available with various Ohms and sizes. All speakers are labelled with the Jensen logo. Any amplifier manufacturer or gigging musician should seriously consider using the Jensen speaker brand for the ultimate performance and value for money. Catalogue and prices are available to both supply and retail. We offer a 24-hour guaranteed delivery service throughout the UK and our wide range of products are available in store or via our website. Contact details: Hot Rox UK, Unit 6, Millview Court, Newark Street, Nottingham NG2 4PS Tel: 0115 9413321 Tel/Fax: 0115 9873163 E-mail: sales@hotroxuk.com Website: www.hotroxuk.com

Jensen speakers An alternative to the ubiquitous Chinese manufacturing, the Jensen speaker range, we are proud to say, is made to a high specification at the well-established SICA factory in Italy. Jensen speakers, renowned for their outstanding tone and reliability, are now used by many leading named amplifier manufacturers. These speakers really can provide ultimate tonal qualities and are capable of enhancing the performance of all or any vintage and modern amplifiers.

CLASSIFIEDS: MINIMUM 12 MONTHS - ONE ANNUAL CHARGE QUARTER PAGE £1,295 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

miPRO FEBRUARY 2009 55

ABROAD REPRESENTATION

ACCESSORIES & GIFTWARE

AMPLIFICATION

CLASSICAL GUITARS

To find out more about the JVM Series and other Marshall products contact: Marshall Amplification plc Denbigh Road, Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK11DQ www.marshallamps.com

56 miPRO FEBRUARY 2009

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MI MARKETPLACE

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DISTRIBUTION

miPRO FEBRUARY 2008 57

MI MARKETPLACE DISTRIBUTION

DISTRIBUTION

ETHNIC AND FOLK

GHANA GOODS WEST AFRICAN PERCUSSION WHOLESALE AND RETAIL PO Box 95, Fishponds Bristol, BS16 1AG Tel: 0117 9354132 ghanagoods@clara.net

www.ghanagoods.com

58 miPRO FEBRUARY 2009

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MI MARKETPLACE GUITAR PARTS

r, emier Guita r P ’s K U e h T r arts Supplie P p m A & s s Ba

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GUITAR ACESSORIES

BRITAIN'S FINEST BOUTIQUE EFFECTS Rothwell effects pedals are truly hand-made here in the uk and built to the highest standards. The cases are hand polished and the electronics carefully assembled by skilled uk workers. The circuit design is innovative and original (we don't do clones, repros or mods) and the sound is the sound of classic rock guitar - pure tone. Our pedals are quickly gaining a reputation for superb quality and are being played on some of the world's biggest stages. The Hellbender (overdrive) and Switchblade (distortion) are currently being heard by thousands of fans on Justin Timberlake's world tour, played by Mike Scott (also Prince's main guitarist), who says "you make truly great, great pedals". Why not join our growing list of uk and international dealers and stock Britain's finest boutique effects pedals.

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Antique, Modern & New, Rental, Repairs, Sales lists & colour brochures on request.

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Extensive Product Information Secure Dealer Only Section

Making Music in Schools Since 1983 UK made rainbow ocarinas from Ocarina Workshop are easy to play and great fun to teach with. These pocket-sized instruments are popular with kids & well-tuned. Together with 'Play your Ocarina' music books, they are the key to successful music-making in many schools around the country. Make sure school ocarinas are on your counter-top and available when customers request them! Quote ‘MI Pro’ when you order 12 Ocarinas & 12 Books and be amazed at the ocarina’s potential... Trade orders are sent by return: free delivery & no minimum order

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TOP 10 BEST SELLERS NASHVILLE ACOUSTIC GUITARS . . . . . . . . . . . . £50.00 retail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £27.50 trade ex vat NASHVILLE ELECTRIC GUITARS . . . . . . . . . . . . . £99.95 retail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £54.97 trade ex vat ARK HEAVY DUTY MUSIC STAND. . . . . . . . . . . . . . £18.50 retail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £10.18 trade ex vat DOLMETSCH DESCANT RECORDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . £6.99 retail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £3.84 trade ex vat STEINHOFF 108B UPRIGHT PIANO . . . . . . . . . . £1795.00 retail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £987.25 trade ex vat RAVEN STUDENT TRUMPET OUTFIT . . . . . . . . . £140.00 retail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £77 trade ex vat NASHVILLE ELECTRO ACOUSTIC BASS . . . . . . . £125.00 retail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £68.75 trade ex vat STERN VIOLIN OUTFIT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £75.00 retail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £41.25 trade ex vat MAXTONE BONGOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £29.95 retail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £16.47 trade ex vat NASHVILLE 5 STRING BANJO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £99.95 retail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £54.97 trade ex vat

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Advertiser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page Acess All Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Adam Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Anglo Spanish Guitar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Aria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Ashdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Ashton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Barnes & Mullins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,39 EMC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 & 45 EMD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Fender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 House Music. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Indie Guitar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 JHS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Marshall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 MB Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Mcelland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Mel Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Retail up! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Roland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Rotosound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 S.Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Sherwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Sound Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Stentor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Summer Field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Sutherland. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Warwick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Westside. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,27,33,40

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miPRO FEBRUARY 2009 63

PRO THE LAST WORD IN MI MI Pro prides itself on bringing you hard-hitting news and analysis, but, we reckon you’d also enjoy seeing your peers in their more ‘off duty’ moments. So, we’ve expanded CODA to include a permanent pictorial spread of the month’s social highlights. If you have any snaps from an event you’d like us to include, please send them to mipro@intentmedia.co.uk...

RETRO

FEBRUARY 2007 COVER STARS: Burns London’s Barry Gibson talks of his high hopes for his company’s future, riding high on the wave of ‘retro-couture’. NEWS: Another record-breaking NAMM after a quiet Christmas, Ringwald joins NAMM, Steinway withdraws Woodwind & Brasswind bid – Guitar Center snaps it up, GfK begins MI stats. FEATURES: Gremlin, music software, NAMM 2007, Time + Space, folk instruments, the first MI Pro Retail Survey. PRODUCTS: Ritter Revolution gigbags, Phil Jones Flightcase combo, Maoex Black Panther snare, CB drum kit, Focusrite Saffire Pro. NUMBER ONE SINGLES: Mika – Grace Kelly. NUMBER ONE ALBUMS: The View – Hats Off to Buskers, Norah Jones – Not Too Late, Mika – Life in Cartoon Motion.

ON THE SHOW FLOOR NAMM 2009 proved as lively as ever for those that visited the show – and those that exhibited, such as Indie’s Keith Willis (top), together with his US counterpart, who launched his company’s US arm to considerable approval from hundreds of American dealers. Of course, Cookie Monster (top right) was on hand for photos and autographs, as were Kerry King of Slayer (above) and Doug Aldrich of Whitesnake (above right) for Marshall at the World’s Loudest Breakfast directly before the show opened. If you have been wondering whatever happened to Oz Owen (doubtful, but you never know) he is to be found at most MI and audio trade shows with a camera grafted on to his face. (The picture he took here has been censored for the sake of the innocent.)

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RECEIVED BY THE CHAIRMAN THE FIRST evening of each Winter NAMM sees a prestigious reception from NAMM’s chairman, chairman elect, past chairmen, president... The list goes on – needless to say, the great and the good of NAMM are there to greet VIP visitors and exhibitors from around the world. This year’s reception was no exception, with fine food and wine flowing freely. Lee Worsely and Paul Hagen of Active Music (top left) enjoy a laugh and the fact that the Ludwig brand (which they handle in the UK) is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Mark Mumford and Larry Morton of Hal Leonard (above) were making sure that their sheet music customers would be popping by their stand. Just 24 hours after launching what many consider to be the launch of the show – the Roland V-Piano – Ikutaro Kakehashi (above right), Roland’s founder, enjoys the evening, surrounded by his teams from the US and the UK. Some familiar faces from the UK were on hand, too, with those masters of all things brass and woodwind (with a bit of accessories thrown in) Alun Hughes (far left) and John Rogers (second right with wife Alison), all being kept suitably amused by the MIA’s Colin Holdsworth’s (right) latest set of jokes.

MI ICON tradivarius instruments are famous for the quality of their sound, which has defied attempts to explain or reproduce. The name has also become a superlative applied to designate excellence. To be called ‘the Stradivari’ of any field is to be deemed the finest there is. Born in Italy in 1644, Antonio Stradivari is considered to have been a disciple of Nicolo Amati, of the Amati family of luthiers of Cremona. In 1660, Antonio set up shop on his own in Cremona, though his early violins are generally considered inferior to those of his ‘golden age’, between 1698 and 1720. While his techniques have long been fertile soil for debate and not fully understood by modern craftsmen and scientists, it is known for certain that the wood used included spruce for the harmonic top, willow for the internal parts and maple for the back, strip and neck. This wood was

Stradivarius Violin treated with several types of minerals, including potassium borate, sodium and potassium silicate, and vernice bianca, a varnish composed of Arabic gum, honey and egg white. A Stradivarius made in the 1680s, or during Stradivari's Brescian period from 1690-1700, could be worth several hundred thousand dollars or more on auction. Depending on condition, instruments made during Stradivari's golden period from 1700 to 1720 can be worth several million dollars. Though relatively rarely sold, the highest publicised price paid was at public auction for The Hammer, made in 1707, selling for $3,544,000 on May 16th 2006. Private sales of Stradivari instruments have exceeded this price. It is not uncommon for violins to be labeled or branded ‘Stradivarius’, as the name has been used since by other manufacturers. However, it is generally believed that there are fewer than 700 genuine instruments, very few of which are unaccounted for. The fame of Stradivari instruments is not a modern phenomenon. They appear in numerous works of fiction,

including the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes being described as owning a Stradivarius. A famous, if perhaps apocryphal story about the Duport Stradivarius claims the instrument's visible dent was made by the boots of Emperor Napoléon I of France, who tried his hand at playing it. One aspect of Stradivari's approach has been noted that, while one would expect the 'f'-holes on the top of a violin to be symmetrical, Stradivari often made his slightly offset. This imply that he was less of a perfectionist than tradition holds, but, if true, it more likely demonstrates an aural perfectionism preferred over the visual aesthetic. The reputation of the Stradivarius is such that its name is frequently invoked as a standard of excellence in other unrelated fields (such as ships and cars), for example, the Bath Iron Works' unofficial motto is ‘A Bath boat is the Stradivarius of destroyers.’ In 1924, Vincent Bach began releasing a line of trumpets which became known as Stradivarius Trumpets, capitalising on the Stradivari name.

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INTERMUSIC PIANO EXHIBITION AS REFERRED to in piano news (page 12), Intermusic’s annual piano exhibition and dealer day took place on January 7th this year, with the cream of piano retail being represented for an afternoon of excellent company, fine food and wine and, of course, the chance to fill in an order or two. Among the 40 dealers present were (top) Simon Loat of Forsythes in Manchester and Celia Stockbridge of Carstair’s Pianos in Canterbury. Immediately right is former Hammond man, Keith Beckhingham of Cheltenham Music, sharing a joke with John Morley of Morley’s of Lewisham. At the bottom, Richard Webb takes the opportunity to get close with Danni Jackson, the piano department manager of Foulds of Derby.

Andrew Richardson Company / Job Title: Adam Hall, general manager.

S E IK L SOUNDTA HE WALKMEN

Years in the industry: Just the one. First single bought: That memory has been erased somehow. New Order’s Blue Monday was an early 12-inch of mine. Favourite album: The one that means the most to be is Gabrielle’s Rise because she wrote it about her own experiences and it brings back memories of something I went through eight years ago. Currently listening to: The last things I downloaded were Prince and Kelly Rowland. It’s great being able to get hold of anything online these days. Favourite musicians: Daniel Merriweather, the guy who has collaborated with Mark Ronson on recent tracks. What instruments do you play: My weapon of choice is either an X-box 360, PS3 or Wii; I’ve got them all Are you in a band: Does Singstar count?

er Former members of Jonathan Fire Eat and The Recoys, NYC’s The Walkmen ts, have departed from their garage roo ary por plumping for a more contem r, indie rock sound. They have, howeve s… held on to some vintage instrument

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Hamilton Leithauser (guitar, vocals): 1965 Fender Telecaster, 1965 Fender Vibrolux Reverb, Shure SM-58. Paul Maroon (guitar): 1957 Gretsch Streamliner, 1967 Rickenbacker Capri, 1965 Fender Pro Reverb

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Walter Martin (bass): Vox Apollo Bass, Ampeg SVT head, SVT 8x10 cabinet Peter Bauer (guitar): 1965 Vox Continental, 1968 Fender Pro Reverb Matt Barrick (drums): 1959 Ludwig WFL drumset, ‘old Zildjian cymbals’

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EMD invites you to discover a world of instruments and accessories at the best prices. Our best selling products are now available to order direct from our warehouse in Foshan, China at export price plus 7,5% with express delivery time of 6-8 weeks. Call EMD now on 01293 862612 or log on the website at www.emdmusic.com for more details. A big thank you to all our customers for voting us No1 in the MI Pro Survey

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A contemporary approach to a timeless classic Beautiful, elegant and different: introducing the new LX-10 digital upright piano. Rolandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s engineers have redefined the upright piano, creating a bold new instrument combining pure piano performance with contemporary style and convenience. The LX-10 is a piano with the looks, sound and feel of a classic. Call your area manager for more information. www.roland.co.uk

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