Mi Pro 111 - August 2009 by Intent Media (now Newbay Media Europe)

No. 111

• AUGUST 2009 • WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

PRINT • ONLINE • MOBILE

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT PROFESSIONAL FOR EVERYONE IN THE MI BUSINESS

It’s not just flag-waving... We look at the companies that swear by the ‘Made in Britain’ label

BARNES & MULLINS YAMAHA JHS NAMM TAYLOR FRESHMAN HARDCASE

Innovation, functionality and tone â&#x20AC;&#x201C; just a few words that help sum up the brand new range of solid-state MG amplifiers from Marshall. Combining years of experience in analogue amplification with cutting-edge digital technology has resulted in the creation of an all-encompassing amplifier series, ideal for the beginner and gigging pro alike. Specially voiced digital effects, intuitive footswitching technology and four adjustable and storable channels are just a few of the features to be found in the new MG range. From a punchy 10 Watt combo through to an effects-laden, soul-pounding 100 Watt head, this series has it all.

To find out more about the MG range contact: Marshall Amplification plc Denbigh Road, Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK1 1DQ or visit the official Marshall website: www.marshallamps.com

ISSUE 111 AUGUST 2009

COVER STORY

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT • RENTALS 29 As the back to school market kicks into gear, we take a look at the very best gear to stock – but not for sale

MADE IN BRITAIN

With Far Eastern manufacture now seemingly the norm, Gary Cooper takes a look at those who brave the economy to maintain production in Blighty and finds that it works pretty well

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT • MIXERS 22 NEWS 6

Live or studio? Active or passive? It seems the old questions about which mixers to stock are no longer valid – USB rules

B&M buyout, Yamaha V-Expo, Music China, Roland mystique

DISTRIBUTION 10 The latest deals from Active, De Haske and Westside

RETAIL MI Pro’s unique collection of news and interviews concerning the business and work being done on MI’s front line

DRUM NEWS 12 6

Drumfest, Techtonic and Ludwig

JHS EVENT 14 Another stormer from Garforth

NAMM 33 Joe Lamond and Betty Heywood big up the importance of the global market

YAMAHA 36 How One Yamaha has set a new standard for the multi-national

14 FRESHMAN 41

NEWS 47

FRONT LINE 49

Music Live latest, Beatles straps

Make hay while the sun shines

LOCATION REPORT 50

INDIE PROFILE 51

A few furlongs around Cheltenham

You gotta – Knock on Wood

Still going, still growing, Sean Kelly reveals how he does it

TAYLOR 42 Making the Euro-model work

HARDCASE 44 How to keep British production strong

I WOKE UP 45 36

Andrew Richardson gets on his bike

PRODUCTS BACKLINE 54 ACCESSORIES 55 BASS & GUITAR 56 DRUMS 57 TRADITIONAL 58 PRINT 60

miPRO AUGUST 2009 3

EDITORIAL

The bigger picture

Highlighting the Best of British is not a call for everyone to start manufacturing here, but it is a celebration of those that do.

LATEST NEWS STRAIGHT TO YOUR MOBILE Bookmark us in your phone:

MOBILE.MI-PRO.CO.UK

ary Cooper opens his piece on the Best of British (page 17) with the famous quote from Dr Johnson: ‘Patriotism is the last refuge of the

scoundrel’. That’s as may be, but then again, show me the nation that doesn’t value its own manufacturing and the government that doesn’t try to persuade its citizens to buy home-made products. We British tend to be a bit more cynical than most, of course, but its not really an attitude to recommend. Look at the Winter NAMM show – a global powerhouse of an event. Why? Because the sheer amount of valued brands that are made in the US demand our attention. Joe Lamond, NAMM’s CEO, bigs up Britain and the London International Music Show in this issue (page 33) and again, the cynic might argue that he is looking to improve the markets where US products sell. It turns out to be no such thing. Lamond sees his role as a pretty borderless mission these days. He sees NAMM as a vital vehicle to make more music makers around the world. Yes, growing the global market will profit American companies (the cynic would say), but it will profit everybody else, as well. It’s a question of having a broader vision. Highlighting the Best of British is not a call for everyone to start manufacturing here, but it is a celebration of those that do and it flags up the fact that it is not impossible to make a good product and even a good living, however difficult the economic or bureaucratic obstacles might try to make it. Perhaps this reason alone is enough to prompt people into taking more care as regards supporting British-made goods. As well as the cover feature, we also talk to Hardcase (page 44), another company that has found a smart niche that enables it to keep the flag flying. But we are a global industry and the reality is that we cannot avoid product from overseas if we are to make our own businesses as successful as possible. In this issue we also talk to two very large companies (one American, the other Japanese) about how they are managing their businesses by looking at Europe as a whole. There have been various attempts at pan-European sales and marketing over the years, but it would appear from the successes of Fender-distributed Taylor Guitars (page 42) and Yamaha (page 36) that the wrinkles of early attempts are finally being ironed out. Britain is important, of course, but not just to the British – we are also, these days, part of a much larger entity.

MI PRO CONTACTS MANAGING EDITOR ANDY BARRETT mipro@intentmedia.co.uk

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

EDITOR AT LARGE GARY COOPER gary@garycooper.biz

DESIGNER CLAIRE BROCKLESBY claire.brocklesby@intentmedia.co.uk

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

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

DEPUTY EDITOR 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

Andy Barrett mipro@intentmedia.co.uk

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NEWS

Perrin and Cleary buy out B&M Partnership reformed with controlling stake of major distributor as Barnes family trustees’ hand forced by recession BRUCE PERRIN and Brian Cleary have successfully achieved a management buy-out of the Barnes family, becoming the majority shareholders of Barnes & Mullins. Sally Golder (company secretary) and Peter Emuss (retired director) retain their interest in the business. With immediate effect, Perrin and Cleary have become joint managing directors of Barnes & Mullins and are clearly delighted to be once again working together for the long-term security of the firm. “We’re very much back working as we were two years ago,” explained Cleary. “We recognise each other’s strengths and weaknesses and complement each other well. Bruce concentrates on the purchasing side of things and I focus on sales and together we share all the major decisions.” Cleary left the company in 2007 after he and Perrin had made two unsuccessful bids to buy the company from the Barnes family, which had been trustees of the business following Mark Barnes’ death in 1986.

PERRIN AND CLEARY: Back as they were

“We’re very much back to working as we were two years ago. We recognise each other’s strengths and weaknesses” Brian Cleary, co-MD Barnes & Mullins Despite these bids, the Barnes family made it clear that they still intended to sell their controlling interest in the company. With the pressures of

the credit crunch and the ensuing recession kicking in, however, the trustee’s expectations were lowered to the extent that Perrin and Cleary

could once again table an offer. “I’d been at Tanglewood (as sales director) for about a year when the whole thing reared its head again,” continued Cleary.

“I’m very fortunate in that I was working with my best friend, Tony Flatt, who completely understood the situation and supported me. There was no issue there.” Cleary has now resigned his directorial position with Tanglewood. The buyout brings Cleary back to a company he had considerable influence over, particularly in terms of the sales team and, of course, the Faith brand of acoustic guitars, although he was quick to stress that during his 20-month absence, others have taken on responsibilities that had been his and he has no intention of treading on any toes. As for any plans for the company, the joint MDs insisted that it is to be business as usual. “The company has been trading very well,” Cleary concluded, “so now is a time to focus on keeping that going by doing what we do. We’re really happy and relieved that the company is finally back in the hands of a team which cares deeply about its future success.” B&M: 01691 652449

Yamaha sticks to winning formula Preview day added for dealers, but V-Expo to remain largely unchanged for 2009 following success of previous ‘event’ YAMAHA MUSIC UK’s virtual expo, V-Expo, will take place again this year on September 9th, 10th and 11th at the dedicated website, http://vexpo.yamahaeurope.com. Following on from the success of the virtual dealer event last year, the company has made very few changes to the format, preferring instead to concentrate on the elements that worked so well for Yamaha last year. “We found a winning formula last year, so we didn’t want to tinker too much,” commented Ricci Hodgson, director of Yamaha’s pro music division and the instigator of the virtual expo. “There is more to look at this year, such as demo videos and artist areas, which information about the artists

6 miPRO AUGUST 2009

HODGSON: A winning formula and how Yamaha works with them, but the key ingredients are the obvious ones: the deals and the extended terms.” The website event has an improved, dedicated section for the purchase of seconds, where dealers can see photographs of

the instruments for sale and see the flaws before making an educated decision as to whether they want to buy. “Central to the whole ethos, though, is the fact that dealers can enjoy the benefits of an inhouse trade show without

having to leave their computers and at a time that suits them, rather than having to haul themselves to Milton Keynes,” Hodgson added. Last year, Yamaha sent participating dealers a mug, some tea bags and a pack of biscuits to underline the ‘at your leisure’ aspect of the scheme. Something similar is promised this year, too. The V-Expo will run across all three divisions (pro music, EKB and acoustic) and is open to all UK and Ireland dealers. At present, the website has a holding page, but a preview day on September 8th (requested from dealers) will happen this year before the site goes live. Participating dealers will be sent a username and password some 48 hours before this.

Hodgson was keen to stress the importance of MI Pro in the build up to the expo, with the banner on the magazine’s website as well as taking advantage of the email newsletters. “MI Pro has been crucial to the success of VExpo,” said Hodgson. “It is critical to raising dealer awareness.” YAMAHA V-EXPO SUPPORT: 0870 444 5595

NEWS

Music China gears up for 2009 show Strong support for international pavilions sees overseas growth as exhibitors appear bullish about the market potential at the show – companies also taking opportunity for cultural promotions and events underlining show’s importance MUSIC CHINA, considered by many to be Asia Pacific’s most important musical instrument show, will take place October 13th to 16th at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC), Shanghai, China. The trade show will bring together hundreds of music product suppliers with a broad mix of products including musical instruments, sheet music and accessories from around the world. According to Evan Sha, deputy general manager, Messe Frankfurt Shanghai, over 90 per cent of last year’s Music China exhibitors have reconfirmed space for the 2009 event. “We are very happy with the results to date, which show we already have 700 exhibitors – past and new – from 19 countries and regions.” International pavilions continue to show strong support for Music China’s international contingent. Nine countries have already signed up, namely the Czech Republic, Finland, France,

Germany, Italy, Spain, Taiwan, the Netherlands and the UK. In the sheet music publishing sector, the UK pavilion is expanding its zone by almost 60 per cent, thanks in great part to the governmental grants made available through the MIA, while

the Scandinavian sheet music publishers will be represented for the first time by the Finnish Music Info Centre (FIMIC). Nicolas Jouvenceau, the general manager of Warwick Shanghai, which has been exhibiting at Music China since

2002, is optimistic about the music business despite the current financial crisis. “There are flourishing days ahead,” he explained. “A lot of cultural expansion is on-going and more and more consumers and young people are interested in music

and making music. Although it is still a music industry newcomer, China represents the biggest future potential.” Zuzana Ceralova-Petrofova, president of Czech piano manufacturer Petrof, said that Music China is an important marketing tool for her company. “China is one of our most important international partners and its role will grow steeply,” she said. “China will not only be the strongest exporter, but also the strongest import partner for EU countries.” To celebrate its 145th anniversary, Petrof will present a series of short recitals at Music China with the audio luminary and jazz musician Mark Levinson playing a new Petrof grand piano. Music China 2009 is organised jointly by the China Music Instrument Association (CMIA), Intex Shanghai and Messe Frankfurt and runs concurrently with the entertainment industry show, Prolight+Sound, Shanghai. WWW.MUSIKMESSE.COM

Roland piques curiosity

Shure enters headphone fray

Roland Connect plans online product launch and ‘event’ for September, but gives nothing away

Mic giant covers all bases with new headphones, offering products to the entry, mid and professional markets

ROLAND HAS announced (with no little mystery) a global product launch and ‘event’ online, set to go live from September 1st. A preview period of one month (starting August 1st) will add to the intrigue by giving away no further information, but allowing dealers to download a computer desktop gadget that will provide a link to the website (rolandconnect.com) and a countdown to the event going live in days, hours, minutes and seconds. The virtual event will debut over ten new products from professional stage instruments to desktop homestudio gear covering the entire range of Roland’s product categories, as well as musical genres.

SHURE DISTRIBUTION has launched the Shure Pro Headphone range in the UK, marking the mic giant’s first foray into the headphone market. The products range from entry level and home recording offerings to premium quality professional headphones. The phones are available immediately.

“We want people to visit the website and feel the build up to this unique event,” said a spokesperson for the company. “It’s a worldwide launch of ten products and it will cover all of our product categories. These will be significant launches and we think dealers will see them as important. Other than that, there’s nothing else I can say.” ROLAND: 01792 702701

The SRH440 headphones are for professional home recording and studio monitoring applications, providing an enhanced frequency response. The detachable single-side cable, collapsible construction and a unique closed-back, circumaural design guarantee comfort and sound isolation.

The headphones mark Shure’s first foray in to this market The SRH240 headphones are the entry-level series and are designed for general listening, offering powerful bass response and clear highs. Weighing just 181 grams, the SRH240s are among the lightest in their class and incorporate a closedback, circumaural design, which ensures good sound isolation.

“Shure is well known in the professional audio and consumer audio market for our range of in-ear earphones” explained Paul Crognale, marketing manager at Shure UK. “We’ve drawn on our experience with pro audio monitoring systems and sound isolation technology and applied it to a whole new range of headphones.” SDUK: 01992 703058

The flagship model is the SRH840, which offers the widest frequency response. These headphones target studio monitoring and recording applications. The SRH840 is supplied with a carrying bag and an additional set of ear pads and retails from £69.99 to £139.99.

miPRO AUGUST 2009 7

NEWS

Sound Tech appoints Vince Borrelli Former Headstock, Mackie and Audio Technica man to handle tour sound sales in his return to the Harman Pro staff SOUND TECHNOLOGY has announced the appointment of Vince Borrelli as its tour sound sales manager. Prior to taking up this role, Borrelli helped create and launch a brand new audio division and PA range with Headstock, the UK distributor of the Laney, Tama and Ibanez brands. With over 20 years’ experience, Borelli is looking forward to reinforcing the Sound Technology distributed Harman brands, such as JBL, Soundcraft, AKG, Crown, dbx, BSS and Lexicon within the UK hire community. His experience includes work for audio giants Audio Technica and Mackie, making him well placed to take on his new role at Sound Technology. During his seven years at Mackie, Borrelli

was responsible for sales and training across all product areas, including the TT24 digital live desk, DXB digital recording console, EAW products and many others. He then joined Harman

“The people at Sound Tech are spot on and they do things properly.” Vince Borelli, Sound Technology

BORRELLI: Channelling experience

Sonic Distribution creates director Young allows founding partners to focus on manufacturing venture with sE Electronics

YOUNG: Deserves position SONIC DISTRIBUTION has appointed Ian Young as director of sales for its UK business. Young joined Sonic Distribution in February 2004 and has worked as UK sales manager for the past five years, proving indispensible to the growing success of the business. With the founding partners of Sonic focusing on their successful manufacturing venture with sE Electronics, Young will work on the promotion of Waves, 8 miPRO AUGUST 2009

“The people at Sound Tech are spot on and they do things properly,” added Borelli. “Everything you would want of a distribution company, they think of and do. I’m now looking

Apogee, Rupert Neve and sE products in the UK. Mitch Carey said: “Ian greatly deserves this position. It has always been our intention to keep the management of Sonic fresh, as all too often companies can stagnate as their owners get set in their ways. This move paves the way for new ideas and focus, based on a well established talent for sales and relationship building.” SONIC: 0845 500 2500

Pro for 20 months, before moving on to Headstock. Borelli is said to be keen to further the success of highly regarded products such as the Soundcraft Vi and Si series, the JBL live sound catalogue, including VRX mini line array and VerTec line array, the latest Crown amplifiers and new AKG digital wireless system.

forward to channelling my knowledge of the pro audio industry into developing the presence of Sound Technology and the Harman brands across the UK’s hire community. I’d also like to say that the guys at Headstock are a wonderful bunch and I really enjoyed my time there.” SOUND TECH: 01462 480000

Fender’s Gold role extended VP to oversee market expansion in ‘high-potential’ markets FENDER MUSICAL Instruments Corporation (FMIC) has appointed Jon Gold to a new and expanded role as senior vice president of international sales and market development. Gold will take on the role of driving Fender’s growth plan in high-potential markets, including Asia and the Pacific region, Europe distributed markets, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East, India and other international markets, as well as FMIC’s direct European territories. Additionally, he will be the driver of FMIC’s integration of Kaman products and the distribution of Taylor Guitars in Europe and will become the primary liaison between FMIC and its partner companies. This is to ensure, a corporation statement read, full communication of issues and opportunities and to make sure FMIC’s strategic direction is known and aligned with all involved parties. “I am extremely pleased to appoint Jon to this new position,” said Andy Rossi, senior vice president of global marketing, sales and R&D. “During his tenure at Fender, Jon has proved himself to be an

GOLD: Accelerating growth extremely valuable member of our team. With his new position, he will be able to focus on – and accelerate growth in – targeted highpotential markets, which is a key component of Fender’s future growth plans.” Prior to his appointment, Gold was responsible for

managing all European and international efforts for FMIC and held the title of senior vice president of international sales and marketing. Gold will continue to supervise the teams leading Latin America, Asia and numerous other FMICdistributed countries. FENDER: 01342 331700

The SRH840, Reference Studio Headphones, are speciﬁcally engineered for critical listening and professional recording. With their precisely tailored frequency response they deliver rich bass, clear mid-range and extended highs.

SRH240

SRH440

www.shure.co.uk

PROFESSIONAL SOUND FROM EAR TO EAR. For more than 80 years Shure rugged, professional audio products have been defined by a legacy of legendary performance. This passion for audio excellence also drives Shure Professional Headphones. These headphones live by a simple rule: What goes in must come out. Designed to withstand the rigours of everyday use, they are an excellent choice for music professionals and music obsessives – for recording, monitoring and personal listening.

DISTRIBUTION • NEWS

De Haske-Hal Leonard acquires Beriato

Active Music adds Medeli Digital manufacturer appoints UK distributor for its own brand ACTIVE MUSIC has announced its appointment as the exclusive UK distributor of the Medeli electronics brand. Medeli, a manufacturer of digital drum, keyboard and piano products, has been manufacturing for other well known brands for many years and is now developing its own range of products to sell under the Medeli brand worldwide. The first of these products to be launched in UK is the entrylevel digital drum kit, DD501. With a compact frame and hidden pre-wiring in the tubing, this kit is ideal for its target market of beginner/home users. It features ten preset kits, five user kits, 40 preset patterns, 108 voices, dual-zone snare, mix in, output/phones out and USB port for computer connectivity. Active Music confirms that this product will only be

available in the UK via the company and not under any other OEM brand. Active's director, Lee Worsley, commented: “Medeli is a very forward thinking company, as the design of the DD501 shows. With many new products due during the later part of 2009 and into 2010, it really represents a great opportunity for the brand in the UK market. With aggressive pricing, well thought out features and

Two leading band music publishers combine NETHERLANDS-BASED publisher, De Haske, has acquired the Belgian band publisher Beriato. The deal was negotiated by De Haske’s MD, Garmt van der Veen, and Beriato’s co-directors, Juri Briat and Ben Haemhouts, and is expected to close in August. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Briat and Haemhouts founded Beriato in 1996 and their company has grown to become a prominent publisher of concert and brass band music. It also offers chamber

music and educational publications under the Kameleon Edition imprint. Both Beriato founders will retain positions, with Briat becoming general manager of the Belgian branch and Haemhouts heading up publishing for De Haske and Beriato, responsible for the overall creative activities of both companies. They will be responsible for Beriato’s artistic direction. Beriato will continue as an independent label within De Haske-Hal Leonard. HAL LEONARD: 01494 730143

product standards, the Medeli brand warrants serious consideration for any retailer.” ACTIVE MUSIC: 020 8693 5678

Westside bags GrooveTech maintenance instruments Cruz Tools in the UK through Glasgow/London supplier

FAST-GROWING Westside Distribution has added the new range of GrooveTech products from Cruz Tools to its expanding portfolio. The new line of musical instrument tools includes a Guitar Tech Kit, MultiTool and T-handle drum key. SRPs range from £11.99 to £39.99. In an official statement, Westside commented that Cruz Tools initially

10 miPRO AUGUST 2009

created specialist tool kits for high performance motorbikes, ATVs and watercraft, but has now turned its hand to the musical instruments market. As a result, the press release went on, “Cruz Tools products are built to the highest quality and will not let you down when you need them the most.” Supplies are available immediately. WESTSIDE: 0141 248 4812

PROFILE • DISTRIBUTION

SCV London has carved out a significant niche for itself in the UK’s MI and pro audio markets. Andrew Stirling tells MI Pro what makes it tick... Year Established: 1986 Is business up or down compared to last year? It’s been on par with last year overall, although we have seen growth on some lines from manufacturers that are up-to-date and pushing the envelope as far as innovation goes and the recent merger of Stirling with SCV has helped us both by reducing costs and doubling the individual business. How has the current economic climate affected business? Well, it focuses the mind and ensures that every deal is a deal. We are also having to be diligent with credit. What are your best selling lines, and why do you think they perform so well? It is mainly the top end of each brand that is performing. Audix, Focal, Audient, Benchmark, Bricasti– they are doing well. Contrary to the main high street retailers like Primark where cheap is selling best, we are finding good deals on premier products are helping improve sales.

What are your criteria for selecting new products? Primarily, I like different, not ‘me too’ products. Second: do I like the people? This is always an important consideration. Then we look at how many distributors the company have had before and why it is looking to change. We turned down a line at Frankfurt because its existing distributor was good and I could not see why they would change, so I took the view that there was probably going to be trouble. What distinguishes you from the competition? We are independent, we have been doing what we do a long time and we still get excited at something new. We also still get excited getting orders in. How do you maintain a good relationship with retailers? We treat them as partners and work

with them. We also appreciate their efforts and let them know we do. What would you say is the biggest challenge facing the industry today? E-commerce and how to manage it, as well as all the international implications that involves. Manufacturers might look at getting to the market by different means – maybe like Dell, go direct and miss out the distributor and the dealer. Also, some manufacturers are talking about distributors going direct and missing out the dealer and some manufacturers are talking about going direct to dealers. So lots of fancy footwork is required. What are your aims for the next 12 months? Survive and introduce a major new line. We have shed quite a few lines over this past year – some by design and some not, so watch this space very closely.

CONTACT DETAILS Address: 40 Chigwell Lane, Oakwood Hill Industrial Estate, Loughton, Essex IG10 3NY Phone: 020 8418 1470 Email: sales@scvlondon.co.uk Contacts: Matt E Sau, Andrew Stirling and Tony Besgrove

miPRO AUGUST 2009 11

DRUM NEWS

Drumfest exceeds expectations Three-handed event brings in thousands and world record broken in support of multiple sclerosis charity DRUMFEST, ONE third of PMT’s Drumfest, Guitar Fest and National Rock & Pop Festival, saw some 1,500 people attend its dedicated day (July 12th) at Birmingham’s NIA, with a further 1,500 showing up for the Guitarfest on July 11th and 1,200 students and pupils attending the education day on the Friday. The Rock & Pop Festival staged youth performances each night, with something in the region of 1,000 mums, dads and friends going along to support their nearest and dearest. PMT’s Craig Glover, who was responsible for organising the multi-faceted event, said that the weekend far exceeded his expectations and he looked upon it as a real success. “We aren’t trying to be anything like LIMS, this is a performance based event with gear, but despite that, the 26 exhibitors were all extremely happy with the way things went.”

Playing, meeting the stars and breaking world records – Drumfest was a drummers dream Topping off the weekend was the world record attempt to get the most drummers into a room and playing a synchronised riff. Some 582 drummers took part, which was just shy of the 600 the organiser was hoping for, but still easily beat the previous record of 533. The event has raised (as MI Pro goes to print) nearly £40,000 for the Multiple Sclerosis Society, but Glover is confident that the figure will

Techtonic enters market Entry-level kit labelled ‘best value e-drums’ A NEW drum brand, Techtonic, has entered the market with an electronic kit designed for entry-level players. The DD502 is aimed at the mass-market consumer, particularly the parent/child gift market. The kit is intended to compete with video games and their peripherals, which have experienced a boom in recent times. Techtonic points out that the user gains the benefit of learning and playing a real instrument for the price of a games console with drumming controller. Distributed by Soar Valley Music, the Techtonic brand is being advertised as the best value electronic drum kit on the market. The DD502 has a suggested retail price of £429, although trade price varies according to quantity.

reach the target of £50,000. Glover also organised an impromptu charity dinner for the MS charity on the Saturday evening, raising a further £2,000. The three day show and the record attempt were all streamed live online with 12,000 catching a peek and there was coverage in the press and on the BBC website, as well as packages on GMTV and Sky News. “The idea of putting all of these events together was born

out of the recession,” explained Glover. “I didn’t think many would be too keen on spending for three separate shows, so holding all three at once seemed a really sensible thing to do – and it has worked very well.” Next year, Glover plans to stick to this formula, although, to help specialist suppliers, he will re-jigging the separation of the two main ‘gear’ days. PMT’s Simon Gilson was “blown away” by the success.

“Obviously, you have to pay a lot of respect to Craig, who has conjured this up out of nothing, but I also want to thank the industry for getting behind this project,” he said. “The exhibitors, the sponsors – everybody really made an effort to make the show the success it was. Topping the whole thing off with the world record – an experience I am unlikely to forget – really made it an unforgettable weekend.” PMT: 01702 436501

Ludwig announces Epic and Element ranges New drum kits introduced as part of 100th anniversary celebrations

The firm reports that trade pre-sales for the first container currently stand at 75 per cent. An end-user marketing campaign will run to Christmas, including competitions and reviews in drumming mags. Dealers taking the brand will feature in advertisements and will have direct web links from the Techtonic web page. SOAR VALLEY: 0116 230 4926

LUDWIG HAS announced the introduction of the new Epic and Element drum kit ranges to the UK market. The ranges are part of a whole new list of products being launched by Ludwig in its 100th anniversary year. Aimed at the mid-price market, the three series are expected by Ludwig and UK supplier Active to be strong contenders in what is the most competitive area of the market. With the addition of new features, colours and design, the new drum kits offer modern practical features, combined with the iconic style of the Ludwig brand.

As part of the UK launch, Active Music is offering all the ranges with a ‘six-four-five’ deal for added appeal to the customer. The kits are also

offered as a shell pack option with the add-on choice of two levels of hardware packs. ACTIVE MUSIC: 020 8693 5678

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

VISIT WWW.MIKEDOLBEAR.COM FOR MORE DETAILS. 12 miPRO AUGUST 2009

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SHOW REPORT • JHS EVENT

ASM Matthew Fleming and Brendan Ruddy

John Skewes, Brian Hayward (winner of Sunday’s prize giveaway) and Larry Fishman

Maunuel Rodriguez and Adrian Smale

JHS ASM Dave Pomeroy and John Birch of JB’s Music Stores

John Skewes, David Bennett Zings Music Group and JHS ASM Mark Whitrow 14 miPRO AUGUST 2009

EVENT: JHS Event DATE: June 21st to 24th 2009 VENUE: JHS Headquarters, Garforth, Yorkshire EXHIBITORS:Six (guest exhibitors, alongside JHS & Co) VISITORS: 600 – representing 350 individual retail outlets VERDICT: JHS does it again, with excellent weather and an impressive turnout of dealers from the length and breadth of the UK and Ireland. Yorkshire hospitality added to the relaxed atmosphere – and much business was done across all four days.

Chris Price-White from Absolute Sound, winner of HK’s Soundhouse On PA system and ASM Mike Onza www.mi-pro.co.uk

JHS EVENT • SHOW REPORT L to R: Dennis Drumm, Ivor Johnston Soundhire (winning the Kustom Coupe 72 Prize Giveaway) and Ted Burger of Kustom Amplification

JHS ASM Pete Gibbens and Phil O’dea of MOR Music

The BIG

event Since its inception in 1997, the JHS Event has led the way for MI in-house trade shows and proves that there is no replacement for face-to-face deals...

he 13th JHS Event closed its doors on June 24th, claiming a record number of dealers represented at the in-house trade show, including, the company said, a significant number of customers attending for the first time. This year’s theme was ‘Music and Margin’, with visitors being royally entertained with virtually non-stop live music from a diverse range of accomplished players and a wide range of deals designed to put extra cash into our customers’ businesses.

as a supplier,” said the company’s MD, Dennis Drumm, clearly very satisfied with the results this year. On top of the half dozen or so exhibiting ‘guests’, including the online, e-tailing expert Retail Up, Manchester’s print distributor, Music Exchange, and Future Publishing, JHS had brought in a record number of its own suppliers – of particular note being Larry Fishman and Joe Barbieri of Fishman Acoustic there for the first time and talking dealers through the benefits of the impressive Fishman Solo portable PA.

“The level of business written, which exceeded all expectations, would seem to indicate the popularity of our brands and our customers’ satisfaction in their relationship with JHS.” Dennis Drumm, MD JHS & Co From a business perspective, the Garforth supplier once again made it very clear – and in the simplest terms – to both Event veterans and first timers, what the benefits of attending the show were: additional margin from the show-only deals and free extended terms, designed to enhance the retailer’s own businesses over the coming months. “Certainly the level of business written, which exceeded all expectations and was at a record level, would seem to indicate the popularity of JHS brands and our customers’ satisfaction in their relationship with JHS

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Other suppliers attending included Kustom Amplification’s Ted Burger, Erjan van der Laan from Dunlop Manufacturing, Allen & Heath’s Bob Goleniowski and Martin Daley, US Danelectro clinician and demo artist Danny Dugan, and Manuel Rodriguez Junior of Rodriguez Guitars. “The plans are already under way for the JHS Event in 2010, at which I hope we’ll be able to bring all those JHS Event benefits to the many customers who’ve yet to make the journey,” concluded Drumm. JHS: 0113 286 5381

miPRO AUGUST 2009 15

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BEST OF BRITISH • COVER FEATURE

The sun never sets Despite the pressures of Far Eastern and eastern European manufacturing, there is still a lot to be said for the kudos of sticking a 'made in Britain' label on your products. Gary Cooper discovers how and why the stalwarts keep going...

atriotism may, as Dr Johnson insisted, be the last refuge of the scoundrel, but few in the MI industry wouldn’t have felt their spirits sink a little when, in April, it was announced that Kemble & Co – Britain’s last piano manufacturer – was closing its doors. To a pessimist, the news would have confirmed his view that the UK as a manufacturing nation is all but finished. But the reality is that some parts of Britain’s manufacturing industry are alive and well. Indeed, in certain sectors, including MI, manufacturing is flourishing albeit beset with the devils of a recession, high costs, a government in love with regulation and attendant bureaucracy. This article doesn’t set out to be a ‘product roundup’. The scope of British MI manufacturing is far too broad to cover in one article and if anyone has been left out, we’re genuinely sorry. Instead, what we set out to do was to take a snapshot of areas where there is particular activity and see what can be learned from some of the people who are doing their best to keep Britain afloat as a manufacturing nation. And if any reader feels ignored and has a rollicking good yarn of British

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manufacturing success to tell, please do get in touch and let us know. The first good news is that though the big success stories of British MI manufacturing tend to cluster into two areas – backline amplification and pro audio equipment – it is by no means confined to them. British companies are making everything from Chieftain’s folk music whistles to Rothwell Audio’s

the manufacture of so many other massmarket, low-cost consumer products has moved east, Rotosound strings are still proudly made in Kent and the company is constantly growing. But surely Jason How, Rotosound’s chairman, could make a lot more money if he chose to have his strings manufactured elsewhere. “Maybe I could,” How says, “but I

The reality is that some parts of Britain’s manufacturing industry are alive and well. Indeed, certain sectors, including MI, are flourishing. acclaimed effects, to TL Audio’s valve audio mixers. Even that relative graveyard of British hopes and dreams, mass market guitar making, is undergoing a small but steady renaissance, while relative newcomers, like the loudspeaker maker Tayden, are coming to the market with proof that not everything has to be made in Shenzen or Seoul. Take, for example, one of the UK’s biggest MI successes: Rotosound. While

wouldn’t want to take the gamble for the sake of few pence. I know exactly what we do and I wouldn’t risk it. Also, the machinery that we use plays a big part in how efficient we are, whereas I guess making guitars and building amps involve more labour, which may explain why those makers tend to go abroad.” Rotosound benefits particularly because How designs and makes his own string winding machines, the effectiveness of

which has to be seen in action to be believed. Even so, he could install them in a Chinese factory, but chooses not to. And this is not just due to sentiment. How reveals that Rotosound’s exports are up by a huge amount, this year. “By 49 per cent, in fact. And I have to say we put a fragmented image of the Union Jack on the front of our new string pack designs and during this latest year we’ve had a huge increase in sales. I can’t tell you if it’s the flag that made any difference, but everyone I’ve spoken to says I need to tell people that it’s British made product. Whether that matters so much in Rochester or Maidstone, I can’t say, but I am getting more and more emails from people saying they would like to buy British when they can. It’s like the penny is suddenly dropping.” The largest British MI manufacturing sector is clearly guitar amplification and despite recession in the vital US market, none of the leading makers regret their decision to make products here. Indeed, they all insist it is a major advantage. Though all the makers we spoke to in this sector source some of their production from the Far East, their hand-

miPRO AUGUST 2009 17

COVER FEATURE • BEST OF BRITISH

Some faces of the best of British, left to right: Gary Hurst and Hiwatt’s Justin Harrison; Chris Difford, Alister Atkin of Atkin Guitars and Boo Hewerdine; Marshall’s Paul Marshall wired valve equipment is thoroughly British, made by highly skilled workers producing a high-value product, which helps mitigate the high cost of production. It’s also a matter of pride to them all. Paul Marshall explains: “We make a lot of Marshall here in the UK. In fact we are continuing to introduce products that are made in the UK and there was a big launch at the end of July for even more products that will be made here. “We’re very proud of the fact that we’re a UK company and there is simply no way that we would move everything overseas. We find that having ‘made in the UK’ on products has a definite positive effect, particularly in America, which is a massive market for us. There, ‘made in the UK’ stands for a lot – it still counts for quality and workmanship and it’s probably the same across the world.” But does it count for as much at home? “I think that’s more difficult to say. People are often looking for low cost, but those who do buy British, buy it because they know it’s a quality product. People know that Marshall amps made in the 1960s are still working and still serviceable and that if they buy a new one today the same will be true of that in 30 years, too. “I think we should be proud of what we do here – not just at Marshall – and that we should fight to keep manufacturing here. When you see a UK-made product and you know that it’s UK jobs that put every nut and bolt in it… Yes, that’s something worth supporting.” Up in Yorkshire, you will hear a similar take from Hiwatt. Again, the company has

its lower cost designs produced in the Far East but, says Justin Harrison, everything else is made in the UK and the company’s close association with fellow Yorkshiremen and speaker-makers Fane makes them even more British than most. “I would think 65 per cent of our business is made in the UK,” Harrison says. He believes it matters. “Even if you just did it as a flag-waving exercise to say in your brochure that you make amplifiers in Britain, you need to do it.” Indeed, along with one or two other UK makers speaking off the record, he has a pretty low opinion of the way some companies trade on a British image that they do little to back with actions.

“When you manufacture anywhere in Europe, it adds a premium aspect to the brand and the more discerning customers will not accept a Far Eastern made product. The ‘Made in Britain’ tag, particularly with amplification, is important. These days, quality out of the Far East is generally very good and we control our Far Eastern production very successfully. All the same, there are things that we simply wouldn’t have done in China, hand-wiring for example, but not just that. The big valve amplifiers need to be set-up correctly and that’s something we prefer to do ourselves. “British amps have always been the world leaders and we strive to keep British

“When you see a UK-made product and you know that’s it’s UK jobs that put every nut and bolt in it...Yes, that’s something worth supporting.” Paul Marshall, Marshall “For us, our business is growing and maybe in ten years time when we are selling a lot more amplifiers, that actual percentage might fall, but we will still have engineers here, making British amps – it’s important. Made in Britain, like Made in the USA, now means something again.” Another great success in export markets, with business up 30 to 35 per cent this year alone, is Orange. Damon Waller, Orange’s MD, says that at least 60 per cent of Orange’s production comes from the UK and he feels it is a significant factor in the brand’s success.

manufacturing alive as much as we can. I’ve yet to see a high-powered valve amplifier out of China that equals the quality of UK-made equipment. I’m not saying it won’t come, but it hasn’t yet.” When Ashdown planned its Hayden range of backline guitar amplification it had the benefit of having had a foot in both camps with its eponymous bass range, some of which is produced in the Far East, but the top end of which is still manufactured in the UK. As Dan Gooday says, Ashdown voted firmly for making Hayden in the UK.

“We make a lot of our products in England and have done for 13 years now. It’s a very prestigious phrase too – ‘Made in England’ – especially when it comes to America. A lot of the artists I deal with ask for something made in England and its great to be able to offer that. Of course, we can also offer ‘Made in the USA’, which is an interesting one, too.” Given Ampeg’s move to Vietnam, this was a shrewd move on Ashdown’s part and, although it doesn’t have a direct bearing on manufacturing in Britain, it strongly suggests that buyers genuinely do care where their gear is manufactured. “With Hayden, the majority of the product is made here, because we can do that and still sell it for the same price as some of our competitors, who manufacture in Korea. We may not be making as much margin, but we didn’t think it was necessarily about that. We wanted to show the world that it can be done at the same price point and for a better product that we’re 100 per cent confident in.” Of course, it’s not all about amplifiers. Though our guitar makers haven’t fared so well in making the transition to production quantities, that doesn’t stop people trying. Companies like Fylde and Overwater have survived for many years and have strong followings, though neither is what you would call a major producer in terms of quantity. One guitar maker who is trying to break that mould is Alister Atkin, who has steadily been growing his range of wellrespected acoustic guitars, which are being

They’re all helping to sell great British products to the masses, left to right: Patrick James Eggle; Orange’s Damon Waller; Rotosound’s Jason How; Gremlin’s Chris Rudd 18 miPRO AUGUST 2009

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Portable, pure valve, studio quality tone is what the brand new Haze Series is all about. Loaded with natural valve tone, integrated effects and intuitive footswitching technology, the UK developed and engineered Haze Series takes your studio sound out on the road. Comprising the two channel Haze40 and Haze15, the series offers a rugged, gig-ready 40 Watt combo and a peerless 15 Watt head respectively. Combined with MHZ112A and MHZ112B speaker cabs, the Haze15 becomes the epitome of guitar amplification – a valve-driven Marshall stack, but one that fits easily into either the lounge or boot of the car. To find out more about the Haze Series contact: Marshall Amplification plc Denbigh Road, Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK1 1DQ or visit the official Marshall website: www.marshallamps.com

COVER FEATURE • BEST OF BRITISH

stocked by a growing number of retailers. Though still relatively small, Atkin has the makings of considerably bigger things and a keen recognition of the importance of marketing. “We’re making between 60 and 70 guitars a year and we’ve only been involved with the trade for a couple of years, but we are picking up new dealers all the time,” he says. “What’s always been very important to me is that the product has to be placed in the right hands.” By this he means endorsements – something a few British makers (though not all) have been able to capitalise on as well as their American counterparts. Go to the Atkin site and the first thing you see is a parade of influential younger users, headed by Graham Coxon. “Where I think we can buck the trend is by getting the right endorsements behind us. If James Taylor was playing your guitars, no one in the world would question them. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve stood around at a gig like a spare part with a guitar in my hands, hoping to get someone to try one, but you have to do it.” Coincidentally, with his Hobgoblin retail hat on, Gremlin’s Chris Rudd, another keen supporter of British-made products, has recently chosen to stock Atkin’s acoustics,

A maker who has trodden this path more than once (including in the USA), and who is currently treading it again, is Patrick James Eggle. “I think making in the UK is an advantage if you’re selling on home soil,” he says. “But actual manufacturing here is hard. The cost of labour isn’t as bad here as it is in Germany, but it’s higher than a lot of the guitar factories in America have to pay. However, I’m in a lower cost area of the country and able to pay the rent (thanks to Barnes & Mullins, which is a very good landlord), pay people a liveable wage and it works out for us. “At the moment we only sell our guitars into dealers in the Benelux countries and the domestic market, but that is filling our order book rather well, so I’m not looking too seriously at other countries yet and I’m not falling over myself to sell guitars in America, either, because of all the hoohah that goes with it there.” Eggle is making steady growth once again and helping keep alive the UK’s position as a force in the guitar-making world. He is one of any number of small makers, many of whom are producing instruments as fine as can be found anywhere in the world. It is, overall, a mixed, or even a lopsided, picture. In MI, amp makers clearly prosper

Gremlin distributes a variety of British products including Chieftain whistles

There are people working in most fields in the UK, from drumstick makers, to brass specialists, strap and pick makers – you name it. along with Jimmy Moon’s, in preference to a major American brand. Partly, he says, because it helps Hobgoblin stand out from the crowd and because, he feels, their customers want to buy British guitars. For that same reason Hobgoblin stores strongly feature the work of local makers. Meanwhile, switching back to his distributor’s hat, Rudd says Gremlin stocks an increasing number of British makers. “A large percentage of our whistle catalogue is UK-made – including the whole range of Chieftain whistles and also Tony Dixon whistles. Fylde guitars, which we distribute to the trade, are made here, as are our Sherwood concertinas, which are made in-house. “In fact, in a recent article in MI Pro I said we wanted to hear from small British manufacturers, particularly as the pound had dropped against the Euro, making British products relatively cheaper. As a result of that, a luthier called Tom Buchanan got in touch and I’m about to take my first delivery of bouzoukis from him. We do buy British where we can and we are always looking for new manufacturers from the UK.”

20 miPRO AUGUST 2009

in Britain, as do top-end pro audio companies, such as Neve, Allen & Heath, SSL, Digico, Soundcraft and Midas. Guitar makers, however, tend to struggle for reasons that are not quite clear. Some cite the higher cost of raw materials and manufacturing and the huge size of the US home market. But isn’t that just as true for amplifier makers? It’s hard not to wonder if it isn’t simply that customers have just got used to wanting American guitars and British amplifiers. Meanwhile, beyond the guitar market, there are people working in most fields in the UK, from drumstick makers, to brass specialists, strap and pick makers – you name it, someone is out there doing it. What is clear is that the UK has largely shaken-off the damaging legacy of the British Leyland years and is regaining its reputation as a maker of quality products that customers overseas really want to buy. It remains hard to manufacture in a high cost environment like ours, but many are still willing to give it their best shot. Which, given the country’s balance of payments position, has to be good news for the rest of us.

Fylde may not be a huge manufacturer, but its quality work has a good reputation

Patrick James Eggle is working hard to keep producing fine British-made guitars

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The new MoFo by Hayden is an all-valve guitar amp with a whole lot of attitude. But unlike other mini guitar amp heads, the MoFo is definitely not a one trick pony. From stunning bell like clean tones with real depth to plexi-esque classic rock crunch, right up to full on metal mayhem, the 30 watt MoFo head does it all.

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SECTOR SPOTLIGHT • MIXERS

Pick ‘n’ mix

Not every retailer has room for a dedicated PA department, but even the modest guitar peddler would do well to make space for a mixer or two. Rob Hughes looks at how you can make a small selection count...

cursory survey of a handful of MI shops up and down the country reveals that all but the most PAphobic instrument retailer tends to sell at least one mixing console of some description. And they’re quite shrewd in doing so – even in the analog days, it was always worth stocking the odd smallformat live mixer for gigging musicians and budding bands, but now that affordable sequencing software and audio interfaces have made home recording a snip, it would actually be daft not to. Associated PA equipment, too, is these days within reach of the average player who longs to graduate from the bedroom, so modern mixing desks often spend their time hopping between the stage and studio, making their cost a lot more justifiable than it once was. The question, then, is what to stock and why. Richard Harfield from PA specialist HW Music offers some thoughts: “A traditional setup comprising a good powered mixer and quality passive speakers tends to sound better, but, probably due to their convenience, a lot more people are using active speakers these days. The speakers themselves can sound fantastic, but they are let down by poor-sounding passive mixers. The problem is that to get the sound quality, you often have to spend money on channels and features you don’t need. Lots of controls can be daunting for people who just want to sing and not worry about operating complex equipment. This opens up the market to manufacturers who can provide a compromise. Ultimately, you have to sell a passive desk – it’s just getting the right one.” The message seems to be that if you have the space to stock both passive and active mixers, you should do so, since

22 miPRO AUGUST 2009

there is still a healthy demand for both. A larger retailer we spoke to noted a stock ratio of 70:30 in favour of passive mixers, but if you can only stock one mixer then it should probably be a passive model – and it’s worth pointing out that we heard “the digital USB type with onboard FX” mentioned numerous times.

Hayes tribute acts, while internal digital effects include reverb, delay and vocal enhancement. For those willing to shell out a bit more, the FX series offers professional features such as group buses, uprated effects and dynamics. Peavey also manufactures a stalwart collection of MI-targeted powered

The message seems to be that if you have the space to stock both passive and active mixers, you should do so – there is demand for both. That said, we shouldn’t underestimate the demand from live-only users, particularly gigging veterans, who will accept nothing less than an active mixer. With this in mind, here are a few examples, of various kinds, for your perusal… PEAVEY Peavey was a brand mentioned consistently by dealers we spoke to; stocked by all but one and widely considered to be a big hit with musos in quest of a mixer. This is hardly surprising since Peavey manufactures music gear across the board and its development of PA-related kit will logically benefit from its understanding of instrumentation – a concept clearly not lost on the customer. The firm’s PV series represents the classic go anywhere, do anything passive mixer. A good pick would be the PV 10 USB, with six XLR mic inputs, two stereo channels with RCA and quarter-inch inputs, USB connectivity, three-band channel eq (80Hz, 400Hz, and 12.5kHz), A/B stereo input selector to reduce patching and inserts on all mono channels. An 80Hz low-cut switch on all mic inputs lends a hand during Isaac

mixers, the PVi series and to satisfy customers who want ‘the works’, its XR 1212 is due for release soon. This 1,200Watt Class D powered mixer sports auto, digital nine-band G eq, four-band eq with mid-morph technology, proprietary digital feedback elimination and real-time analyser. KAM Although it manufactures a fairly broad range of DJ mixers, Kam offers just the one small format desk. Judging by its lengthy spec, however, it would seem that this little beauty covers all the bases by itself. The recently launched KMD10 is a powered mixing console that takes the form – and almost the size – of a passive desk and, alongside a well-hidden power amplifier, packs in a host of extras and professional features that are normally restricted to far more expensive products. Boasting top quality mic preamps and low-noise, high gain circuitry, the KMD10 features six mono input channels with gold plated XLR mic inputs and four stereo line input channels with balanced jack inputs. Channels are equipped with sweptmid three-band eq and four-band eq, respectively. Handily, the mute system

routes to a set of alt outputs instead of just cutting the channel, so users can set up a sub mix and, for those that wish to add some distinction to a mix, 32 different 20-bit effects are built in. LD SYSTEMS LD Systems is quickly making a name for itself in the PA sector, with its Dave series of portable systems being received with considerable acclaim. The brand’s LAX series of mixers complements the range with the same bang for buck philosophy. The LAX series comprises eight models, ranging from the compact LAX6 or LAX6D mixers – a six-channel mixer available with or without 100 preset, 24-bit DSP multi-effects processor – to the LAX8D, LAX12D, or flexible LD Mix 16-channel LAX16D with eight XLR microphone inputs and FX. The product line is topped off with the LAX12DA power mixer, with twin 300Watt (RMS) amplification built in. Also including the DSP effects, this mixer ticks all the boxes in application terms and should see the average musician through every conceivable situation. A ten-channel version, the LAX6BMDA active box mixer with two 220-Watt amps is also available. PHONIC Phonic seems to paying more attention to market trends than ever and while it has already released the new generation Helix Board 18 mixer, it has a new groundbreaking and NAMM-approved mixer due for launch later in the year. The universal Helix Board 18 mixer features a Firewire and USB interface that can individually stream up to 18 independent channels of audio to the computer and return two tracks for monitoring at transfer rates of up to 24-

www.mi-pro.co.uk

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT • MIXERS

bit/96kHz with zero latency. The 32/40-bit digital multi-effect processor provides 100 popular programs and six mono mic/line channels with 75Hz low cut filters and comes complete with three-band eq (six with swept mid), while two of the four stereo line channels have a four-band eq. Expected to arrive in October, the Digital Summit mixer is Phonic's new and revolutionary 16-input mixing console, with a colour, touchscreen graphical user interface, full effects and delays built-in. It can be used in a live setting or a studio, with flexible balanced XLR analog outputs providing users with numerous ways to connect a setup for live performances and/or studio application. Users are able to use the automated faders to adjust the levels of either their main channels or the aux and group mixes, which should take a lot of the guesswork out of adjusting these levels. ALLEN & HEATH Although it has historically shied away from this section of the market, Allen & Heath’s Zed series mixers landed with a thud in MI shops recently, offering affordable, small format, USB-equipped mixing for the working musician. There are a whopping eight Zed models in total, all of which are passive. A good representation of the series is the Zed-14 – the first to be launched – with ten independent outputs, plus two pre-fade and two post-fade aux sends. The mixer has six mono channels with three-band, swept mid-channel eq and four stereo channels with two-band eq. In addition to the twin TRS jack inputs, dual input options include stereo and two-track returns on RCA and a USB interface to enable the engineer to choose which outputs to send to the computer. All Zed mixers come supplied with a copy of Sonar LE recording and production software and also feature high performance DuoPre padless preamps.

These comprise microphone circuits and optimised line input circuits, rather than just one preamp handling both mic and line signals. For the technically-minded, models with the FX post-fix, such as the Zed-12FX retain the same professional features as other models in the range, but benefit from the addition of a comprehensive set of in-house designed effects, developed around an FX chipset. All the effects have individual parameter controls so they can be adjusted live, using the switches on the front panel. ASHTON The Australian brand has a small but comprehensive offering of both active and passive mixers. On the active side, Ashton’s PMX series of powered mixers range from 200-Watts to dual 450-Watts of power and feature sturdy wood cabinets, built-in digital effects, phantom power for use with condenser mics and eq on every channel. Each mixer also sports a fluoro paint that’s almost as loud as its output, so musicians will never lose it on a darkened stage. Central to the range is the PMX1042ST, with ten channels, eight XLR inputs and combo inputs, 48V phantom power, two stereo channels with quarter-inch jack inputs, output limiter, twin 200-Watt output (RMS at four Ohms), three-band eq (seven-band for main and monitor outs), auxiliary or effects send, RCA input and output, 16 onboard footswitchable DSP effects and LED metering. Ashton’s passive range begins with the £69 MXL6, a basic but solid performer, with six channels and individual eq on each. Top of the range is the £292 MXL12 with 12 inputs for mixing large ensembles live, a USB adaptor, 99 24-bit digital effects and phantom power to run condenser mics at the flick of a switch. This mixer also has three-band eq on every channel, but comes complete with a switchable low-cut filter to tame the bass, if necessary.

YAMAHA As one would expect, Yamaha has a huge selection of small format mixers on offer, from the lower-end passive MW series, targeted at the home studio with USB connectivity, to the more advanced MG passive range and the EMX series of powered mixers, the latter two both aimed primarily at the live performer. “Because each of our mixer line-ups cover different production and performance target markets, we find that MWs, N series and the digital mixers tend to work best within the music production areas of the store, while the MGs sell exceedingly well from the pro audio department,” explains YMUK’s Peter Peck. “Due to the diverse range of mixers we have, some ranges are available to all dealers, whereas others that require specialist knowledge and need to be displayed with third party peripherals are only available to dealers who have attended training sessions. The lower end

points, so you can add compressors or eq for vocals, a noise gate on a guitar channel, or other extra signal processing to individual channels as required. SOUNDCRAFT Harman’s console mastermind has been effectively churning out mixing desks in recent times and, from pro consoles such as the Si2 down to the popular Gigrac package, they’re being held in high esteem across the board. In the non-powered section, the Soundcraft EFX series combines all the features of the Soundcraft EPM mixer with a built-in 24-bit, digital Lexicon effects processor. The Soundcraft EFX mixer uses the same Audio DNA processor featured in much of Digitech’s and Lexicon’s outboard equipment, including the respected Lexicon MX400 processor. A little further up the range are the MPM and MFX series of mixers, newlyupgraded versions of which shipped last

Yamaha has a huge selection of small format mixers on offer, from the lower-end passive MW series to the EMX series of powered mixers. models of the MG series are classed as open product so are available to all Yamaha dealers.” And with the built-in audio interfaces and effects, it is the MG series that is the most adaptable to a variety of tasks. As an example, the MG12/4 has a total of 12 input channels (four mono mic/line inputs and four stereo line inputs, two of which offer mono mic inputs, all with phantom power). The MG16/4 has eight mono microphone/line inputs and four stereo line inputs, two with mono microphone input capability. Gain trim covers a wide -60dB to -16dB range for mic inputs, and -34dB to +10dB for line inputs. Mono input channels feature insert I/O patch

month. Soundcraft has uprated both the hardware and audio performance in these models and renamed them MFXi and MPMi (emphasising the high input count on each). This builds on the strength of the original range by using vertically mounted PCBs with the control pots being nutted to the front panel. This not only increases the rigidity of the mixer and gives a firm operating feel, but also aids servicing should it ever be required. Soundcraft also took the hardware development opportunity to fine-tune the audio design and further enhance the audio performance of the mixers, improving key specifications including noise and distortion performance.

CONTACTS LD SYSTEMS (ADAM HALL) ..................................................01702 613922 PHONIC (SHURE) ...................................................................01992 703058 KAM (LAMBA) ........................................................................01582 690600 SOUNDCRAFT (SOUND TECHNOLOGY).............................01462 480000 PEAVEY ...................................................................................01536 461234 YAMAHA..................................................................................01908 366700 ASHTON (MUSIC FORCE) ......................................................01780 781630 ALLEN & HEATH (JHS) .........................................................0113 286 5381

24 miPRO AUGUST 2009

www.mi-pro.co.uk

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STUDENT RENTALS • SECTOR SPOTLIGHT

Back to school With term time just around the corner, it’s time for our nation’s educators to start thinking about their students’ musical needs. Rob Power finds out what’s on the curriculum…

n years gone by, music just didn’t cut the mustard for some schools. For some of us a token recorder or perhaps the odd triangle and a tone-deaf maths teacher filling in for an hour was as good as it got. Thankfully, now that we all live in the 21st century, music is seen not as a legitimate way to catch up on a nap for an hour, but as a vital part of a wellrounded education. Most schools have not only choirs, but some sort of orchestra, perhaps a jazz band and certainly a full-blooded approach to the musical way of life. Some educational establishments have even embraced that most unruly of beasts, rock n roll and have invested in enough kit to allow students to form bands and perform for their peers, teachers and families. With all this in mind – and as the summer break grows shorter by the day – it’s time for schools across the country to

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start thinking about what they can find in the way of musical rentals. A potentially lucrative area of the market, schools can provide an awful lot of business in these tough times – something that retailers yet to jump on the scholastic bandwagon would do well to recognise. Even the smallest bit of help given to a local comprehensive can lead to a steady flow of uniformed customers and the potential of regular large-scale rentals.

SOUNDPOST Soundpost is a distie that has been especially thorough in its approach to the schools market, with each of its instruments tested against guidelines issued by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and administered by the Federation of Music Services in association with the MIA. Its Primavera family of bowed string instruments fulfils all of the criteria set

A potentially lucrative area of the market, schools can provide an awful lot of business in these tough times – something retailers should recognise. So, with the writing on the blackboard, let’s open our books at the appropriate chapter and find out what the market has to offer the bright young minds of tomorrow…

out in the guidelines, ticking all of the boxes for music education instrument procurement, but also delivering the quality and reliability that hire instruments need to be able to provide. For rental instruments, the objective is durability to ensure that retail suppliers get the maximum life and, therefore, rental return after the initial purchase price has been covered. Soundpost is particularly proud of the fact that there are Primavera instruments out there in regular hire use which are older than the students playing them.

The award-winning Prima 200 violin, the Prima 200 viola and all Prima cellos and double basses feature ebony fingerboards, and are incredibly consistent performers in the rental market. JHS & CO As you might expect from one of the biggest and broadest distributors on the market, JHS has got plenty to offer in this area. Antoni strings remain a strong seller and a popular brand for beginners on the look-out for their first step into the weird and wonderful world of the school orchestra. Antoni is a name that has become synonymous with excellent quality, ready-to-play and importantly – for parents on a tight budget – affordable string instruments. Available in sizes from eight to full-size in violins, the Debut range aims to cater to students who want an easy-to-play and reliable first instrument. Cellos and double basses can also be found in the Debut range, with prices starting from £69.99. On the brass and woodwind side of things, the Odyssey brand sees JHS once again hitting all the key areas confused parents and teachers want to see – high quality, well priced and dependable flutes, clarinets, alto saxophones, trumpets and

miPRO AUGUST 2009 29

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT • STUDENT RENTALS

cornets, starting at £129.99. A full range of accessories is available alongside the instruments, and each comes with a fitted ABS case that looks able to stand up to the most determined of schoolboy scuffles. Finally from JHS is a brand that will no doubt be popular with those kids who prefer hitting things to sitting down and playing them: Performance Percussion. This is a line that covers a broad range of percussion items, from junior KS1 percussion sets through to ever-popular world and multi-cultural percussion, to hardware and accessories. Additionally, electronic drum kits – so vital for low noise in-school practice – and the UK’s best selling full-size, all-in five-piece kit, the PP300 (£399) also have a big part to play in the success of the Performance Percussion range.

The next step up for budding concert violinists is the Piacenza Finetune, which is equipped with Wittner FineTune pegs. Although visually identical to traditional pegs, the Wittner Finetune pegs have a tiny internal gearing system that allows for ease of tuning. This is a tuning innovation that has the potential to save thousands of hours of wasted lesson time and make teachers’ lives that bit more bearable. The Piacenze Finetune retails at £245. Another range from Barnes & Mullins is Höfner, a name most of us associate with the Beatles, but one which also turns out an awful lot of orchestral strings that are well suited to the school market. The Höfner Alfred Stingl (AS) range of instruments are the result of the company’s Chinese manufacturing operation, with the AS060 range of violin, viola, cello and bass outfits available for

One range from Barnes & Mullins is Höfner, a name most of us associate with the Beatles, but one which also turns out a lot of orchestral strings that are well suited to the school market. BARNES & MULLINS A huge amount is on offer from Barnes and Mullins for schools looking to stock up on the musical side of things. First up is the Jose Ferrer line of classical guitars, which is a popular choice as a rental instrument. The Classical Guitar – especially in fractional sizes – is still the instrument of choice for beginner guitarists, due to its wider string spacing and softer-impact nylon strings. Jose Ferrer guitars are entry level instruments that offer a level of quality and playability that is significantly higher than the sort of thing offered up by High Street chains. Sizes available are 1/2, 3/4 and full size, with current retail prices of £49, £53 and £59 respectively, with each guitar coming complete with a woven gig bag. Orchestral strings is also an area covered by Barnes & Mullins, with its Hidersine Piacenza and Hidersine Piacenze Finetune violin outfits. Hidersine has been famous for its rosin for over 120 years now, but in recent years a whole range of accessories and instruments have also been introduced. The Piacenza Violin is an ideal starter instrument, featuring a spruce top with figured maple back and ribs. It comes with a case and bow and is fitted with Thomastik Infeld Synthetic Core strings, which would cost around £35 in stores. Add to this the inclusion of a block of Hidersine 3V rosin, and you have a quality outfit with a very affordable retail price of £175.

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students of all sizes – violins from 1/16 through to full size; violas in 13-inch, 14inch and 15-inch variants; cellos from 1/8th to 4/4 size; and double basses from 1/8th to 3/4 size. Prices start from £106. THE MUSIC FORCE There is plenty worth checking out from the Music Force, with Ashton having established itself as a front runner in the beginners’ corner of the market and made the natural progression to providing instruments that are suited to the playground. First up is the SX10 saxophone, an alto sax with a lacquered brass body that includes a hard-wearing canvas case and a neck strap. The FL10 flute is a classically styled silver-plated flute crafted in the key of C. Well suited to first-time flautists, it comes complete with a carry case to protect it on the way to lessons, as well as a cleaning rod and cloth to keep it looking and sounding as good as new. Next up is the CL10 clarinet in Bb, which aims to provide a good jumping off point for youngsters to learn on. It features a 17-hole ebonite body and smooth action nickel plated keys, and comes with a reed and 4C mouthpiece. With a case and cleaning cloth also included, Ashton has covered all the basics here. Finally there’s the TR10 trumpet. This top-value package includes a cleaning cloth and valve oil, so young players can keep their horns in tip-top condition, as

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STUDENT RENTALS • SECTOR SPOTLIGHT

well as a carry case to protect it from damage when it’s not being used. EMD As is to be expected from the brand that crops up in the most unimaginable places, Stagg has plenty of products that will keep headmasters happy. Handily, all of its student instruments are supplied with backpack-style gig cases, each with double shoulder straps, MP3 and phone pockets and a strap for a visibility light (should those dangerous winter drivers fail to see your pride and joy in the evening). Instruments available from the widereaching Stagg brand include the 77-SA SC Alto saxophone (£485), the 77-FE SC Flute (£199), the 77-T SC trumpet (£236) and the 77-C SC clarinet (£205). As an added bonus, all Stagg brass and woodwind instruments are now set up by three full-time specialists (with a mighty 70 years worth of experience between them) before dispatch, ensuring instruments arrive in a ready-to-play state. GREMLIN Folk specialist Gremlin has plenty to offer the schools market thanks to its wide range of well-built and reliable products from a variety of brands. Valentino in particular is a great name for Gremlin and one that is well known across the pond, having been a market leader in the United States for some years now. The GR2103 classical flute is a basic but excellent quality Chinese-made beginners’ instrument, that comes complete with case and retails at a particularly attractive £99.99. The GR6501 full-size violin is another market leader for Gremlin, and features a carved solid spruce top, carved maple body, an attractive inlay and hardwood pegs and fingerboard. Retailing at £79 and with a decent quality case included, it is easy to see how this brand has become so popular abroad. Finally, it would be criminal not to include Gremlin’s classic Descant Recorder. It’s made in the United Kingdom in a highly distinctive black and white plastic design, and is also the instrument that school room dreams (or nightmares, depending on the player of course) are made of. The recorder has a suggested retail price of £6.95.

CHILDREN ARE THE FUTURE Without question, there is plenty on the market for schools anxious to re-stock their music rooms with equipment that won’t break instantly and will stand up to enough punishment to sound marvellous come the end of year performance. School rentals are an important part of the retail sector, and one that retailers must be on board with if they are to prosper. Building good relationships with decent schools – ideally through the provision of well built, nice sounding instruments that are the perfect fit for eager to learn students – can do wonders to ingratiate a store with the local community. Putting a well-made guitar, or flute, or double bass into the hands of a school kid is not simply a way of making a few extra quid, it’s an investment in a potential future customer who, if looked after properly, could be a huge asset to your shop in years to come. In each school year there are dozens of kids desperate to bring a bit of music into their lives, and they can do so by visiting the local store that provided them with their first rental instrument. The children, as they say, are very much the future.

CONTACTS JHS ..........................................................................................0113 286 5381 BARNES & MULLINS .............................................................01691 652449 THE MUSIC FORCE ................................................................01780 781630 EMD ..........................................................................................01293 862612 SOUNDPOST ............................................................................01985 851122 GREMLIN ...............................................................................01903 203044

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EDUCATION SALES ADVISER Dawsons Music, one of the UK's leading and best established suppliers of musical instruments and equipment into Education, have a vacancy for an Education Sales Adviser. The main focus of the role involves visiting education establishments throughout the UK, advising and training teachers on a wide range of ICT solutions. The ideal candidate will possess an in-depth knowledge of a wide range of music software applications and be able to explain the relevant features and benefits with confidence at any level. They will need to be well organised, proactive, presentable and confident presenting to teachers. A clear commercial awareness and a proven track record in sales is also essential. Salary and commission structure will be commensurate with experience. Please apply in the first instance with a covering letter and C.V to David Briggs, Managing Director, Dawsons Music, 65 Sankey Street, Warrington, Cheshire WA1 1SU or email jobs@dawsons.co.uk

miPRO AUGUST 2009 31

NAMM • INTERVIEW

Showing up While the Winter NAMM show is one of the world’s major MI events, the Summer NAMM show has been struggling in recent years. Gary Cooper catches up with NAMM’s CEO, Joe Lamond, and Betty Heywood, the US association’s director of international affairs, at LIMS and discovers some valuable parallels…

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hatever the final verdict on this year’s LIMS show, one aspect can be counted an unequivocal success: the support the MIA’s UK showcase event received from NAMM. And if that sounds like an anomaly – the US trade association directly supporting the UK trade association’s show – then it’s an easy anomaly to dispel. NAMM has not been a solely US trade body for several years. In fact its stated mission today is to boost music making around the globe and it was in that capacity that it paid for 1,000 local children from London’s Docklands area to attend the show on Friday June 12th – Education Day. NAMM president and CEO Joe Lamond travelled from California so that he and Betty Heywood, NAMM’s director of international affairs, could see for themselves how LIMS was faring. Heywood was also at last year’s inaugural LIMS and comments: “Considering the current climate, it’s amazing how good it looked. I congratulate the organisers under the current circumstances – particularly with so little time available from when the MIA took it over – for doing such a great job.” Had the MIA not stepped in when last year’s organisers, MB Events, ran into trouble, it is clear that 2009’s LIMS wouldn’t have happened at all. It is also clear that the MIA, like all trade associations, needs a show of its own (or some other major fund-raising device) to secure its future. That’s not a situation unfamiliar to NAMM, nor are its shows immune from the current economic climate. Summer NAMM suffered from major exhibitors cutting back,

as did LIMS, so how does Joe Lamond feel about the UK event, in the light of NAMM’s experience? “The model of the association owning the show is the best way, I think, because the revenues can be reinvested throughout the year to help grow the business for everybody. We wanted to come and support it because there aren’t that many associations that own their shows and we think it’s a great move.” But it was more than moral support that NAMM gave – it was hard cash, too. What does NAMM gain from paying for 1,000 London school kids to attend a show so many thousands of miles distant? Heywood explains: “We’re all about making a broader access to music education for children from all walks of life and to have that happening, like it did here – so well organised by Music for Youth – was great and we were very happy to support that particular event. None the less, a cynic may insist there has to be something ‘in it’ for NAMM.

INTERVIEW • NAMM

“The NAMM board is made up of industry people and while 77 per cent of them reside in the United States, the rest don’t, so there’s a compelling membership reason to be out here,” Lamond says. “We sincerely believe that being able to reinvest the proceeds from the NAMM show into music education, into programmes and initiatives that create access to music making to people who might not ordinarily get it, produces a real benefit. “If we can, even in a small way by working with the MIA, get 1,000 kids to come in on music education day with their teachers, it’s a small step, but it’s a great step. That’s 1,000 kids who will get excited about music making and who knows where they will go and who they will influence?” Unless you are cynical to the point of nihilism, that sort of hard-headed philanthropy is what stops this looking like

tightened up, the dealers came under increasing pressure and we had to work even harder for them. Our dealers were really demanding service from us so we had to redouble our efforts to make sure we were being responsive to their needs. “Part of my job is to balance those two influences, but we all essentially want the same things. We all want our companies to grow and international co-operation is a way of helping that. People like Paul McManus at the MIA, Ian Harvey at the Australian Music Association, the Canadian association – about 20 countries now – meet at the NAMM show every year and we spend half a day together. I’m amazed at the co-operation and sharing of ideas that takes place.” That emphasis on the increasingly global nature of the musical instrument industry prompts the next question. Is what underpins NAMM’s interest in LIMS and other shows a global ambition of its

Betty Heywood: “On the supplier side, this is a global industry”

“If we can, by working with the MIA, get 1,000 kids to come in on music education day, that’s 1,000 kids who will get excited about music making and who knows where they’ll go.” Joe Lamond, NAMM a pleasant, yet essentially pointless gesture. It may be throwing money at an unknowable, but if just one of those London school kids grows up to be the next Eric Clapton, how many guitars is she or he going to sell? If just 20 per cent catch the music bug, that is still a lot of happiness and a lot of products to flow down the ensuing years. To be able to take that sort of view and act on it requires a lot of money. The MIA is not yet rich or powerful enough to do a fraction of what its leading lights want to. NAMM has to be wealthy to take that long view, which leads us back to LIMS. “Another aspect to consider is that when we talk about our membership, particularly the commercial members exhibiting at the show, that includes the Yamahas and the Rolands that are global firms,” adds Heywood. “On the supplier side, this is a global industry.” But isn’t NAMM a largely dealer-based association, as opposed to the MIA, the membership of which tends to be stronger among distributors and manufacturers? “There is a tremendous history and it certainly started that way,” Lamond explains. “I’m a dealer – in fact I came out of the retail world myself, but I think what NAMM has been able to do is navigate the balance between both the buyers and the sellers and that’s not easy to achieve, especially in America. As our economy

34 miPRO AUGUST 2009

own? And what would Lamond and Heywood say to those (and they exist) who occasionally say that what the UK really needs is NAMM operating here? “I think the MIA, with the leadership it has now, really deserves their support,” Lamond says, clearly throwing his weight behind the UK association. Successful though NAMM is, it isn’t without its own challenges, not least of which was the failure of several major corporations (among them Fender, Peavey and Roland) to support this year’s Summer NAMM show. Was this just down to the recession or is it a problem with the whole idea of a summer show? “We lost some of the big exhibitors, though many of them were there, participating under a new offer called The Club – like an airline club. We think the summer meeting is more about getting together and if that’s what’s right for some companies, just to go there and meet with their dealers without it being very expensive, that’s what we’ve created for them,” says Lamond. “I believe the economy has played a big role in this, but it’s just one of those cycles. I’m getting ready to do our ‘state of the industry’ morning session and we’ve done a lot of research for that. Going back 100 years in the US industry, we started tracking some interesting numbers. One was inflation, two was unemployment and

three was gross domestic product. We drew against that some of the trade show performances and it looks like a sine wave – it goes up and down just like that. “We’ve been through this many, many times. At the top of the wave there’s a euphoria where everyone thinks it’s great, it will always be great and there’s nowhere to go but up – you can see that in the 1940s, the 60s and the 80s. But at the bottom of the sine wave there’s the exact opposite – we’re all doomed, we’re all going to die. We’re at the bottom of one of those sine waves now. It’s going to come back. I can’t tell you when, but it will come back. “That’s why shows – LIMS or Summer NAMM and Winter NAMM – are so important. That’s where dealers get inspired and motivated and ready to go back to the store with this attitude of ‘I’m in the best business in the world’. The next thing you know, the store has a buzz to it and the people coming into the store catch that and traffic increases.” That said, Lamond admits that this year’s summer NAMM was destined to lose money, but considering the way of

economics mentioned above, there will always be a place for Summer NAMM. The present climate doesn’t seem to dampen that characteristic American ‘can do’ optimism. NAMM will push on with new ideas, such as placing the muchlauded NAMM University online. “We turned a corner when we had industry people teaching industry people,” Lamond says. “That’s what the NAMM University online is going to be. Having our icons, the people we grew up reading about, share their ideas. Actual talks on sales, finance, marketing and then a whole section of tips from key people in the industry that we hope will grow into a database that will ultimately link to our oral history programme. Wherever you are, you will be able to take advantage of that.” There maybe no better way of closing this interview than leaving it there on that typically ‘up’ note. NAMM is an organisation driven by optimism and a belief things can and will get better, so it is ploughing ahead with investment in the future. This is the sprit that made NAMM what it is today and which will hopefully inspire the MIA and the LIMS show.

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COMPANY PROFILE • YAMAHA

One This is the

Earlier this year, Yamaha announced a huge shake-up of its dealer trading terms via the formation of One Yamaha. It’s a scheme that could have huge ramifications across the industry. Ricci Hodgson director of sales and marketing, pro music division, talks Dave Roberts through the rationale and the detail…

usikmesse 2009, while as fine an MI trade show as there has been, was pretty low on business news – with one notable exception: Yamaha Europe’s introduction of the One Yamaha pricing harmonisation policy. It was, with hindsight, probably only a matter of time before someone came forward with such a scheme, although many would have bet on it causing some pretty big waves in the industry. They wouldn’t have been taking into consideration Yamaha’s ability to think things through and get it right.

36 miPRO AUGUST 2009

What was the motivation behind launching One Yamaha? Each local subsidiary across Europe was operating largely on its own. There were many areas, both dealer-facing and internally, where we could see potential benefits for overhauling this approach. Recognising the importance that the Yamaha dealership plays, we developed a pan-European approach to the contracts – Yamaha One Dealer Partnership Programme – a level playing field for the Yamaha dealership and product range.

What would you list as the headline goals of One Yamaha? One easy example is that of advertising and promotional activities, which can be better co-ordinated across Europe. Within a few months we have been able to share best practice across Europe – largely emanating from the UK. How long was the planning stage behind the scheme and which areas of the company did it involve? This has been the vision of our European

president, Masato Oike, for several years. There were stages that needed to be completed, including integrating Yamaha businesses in Europe where there was still family involvement, such as UK with the Kemble family and Spain with the Hazens. Was it possible to consult with retailers at all ahead of the announcement or, for reasons of confidentiality, did you have to present it as a fait accompli? We regularly had discussions with our dealers in the course of doing business

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YAMAHA • COMPANY PROFILE

TUNERS AND METRONOMES

FREE where we reflected on the key issues. This was very useful when it came to developing the new approach for the One Yamaha Dealer Partnership Programme. What are the key changes you’ve made in the way retailers do business with Yamaha? We’ve reviewed all our stocking agreements for each category with a view to striking the right balance when it comes to product displays. Yamaha Music UK has not done this in isolation; this whole process was done over months at meetings in Europe, via web conferencing and has been a total review until we felt we had got it right. When and how did you communicate this to retailers and what was the reaction? Frankfurt in early April this year was our first opportunity to introduce One Yamaha to our dealers and we prepared a special document that was sent out to our total dealership that helped explain our reasoning behind these changes. As to the reaction, we believe that it’s been positive – our staff have spent a lot of time explaining the changes and that does take time.

the advantage now is that our trading terms are harmonised. What are the changes you’ve made in relation to minimum stock commitments? A complete analysis across all our categories would take up a lot of space. We reviewed each category across Europe with our European colleagues and created new requirements that we feel are very fair. The general response has been very positive. Do you think you’ll actually have fewer dealers, but a better group of dealers as a result of One Yamaha? It’s not our intention to reduce our dealership. When our dealers have digested what we are actually asking for in terms of stock commitment, they have been pleasantly surprised. We have over 1,000 trading accounts with Yamaha in the UK. Have any big name dealers baulked at signing up? Back in April, we had several energetic discussions with some dealers about whether the UK is in Europe and how relevant our direction was to doing business in the UK. Five months on and having just reduced our prices

“We had several energetic discussions with some dealers about whether the UK is in Europe and how relevant our direction was to doing business in the UK.” Ricci Hodgson, Yamaha Is it true to say that many retailers will now actually be paying more for Yamaha equipment and how have you convinced them that this is a good thing? Last year, sterling in particular weakened against the euro and yen dramatically. All Yamaha subsidiaries purchase at a single euro price – we have now harmonised that buying price across Europe. The reaction has been very positive because there is no question that a dealer in another European country is receiving more advantageous terms – we think that’s really important. Recently, as sterling has strengthened, it’s allowed Yamaha in the UK to reflect this with a price reduction. Though inconvenient to change prices, it does allow each dealer in the UK the confidence to know that Yamaha products are the same price around Europe. Would it also be true to say that, under the previous system, you were giving away too much discount on too much of an ad hoc basis? It would be true to say that each Yamaha distributor was free to trade as they wanted and that probably did mean differences across Europe. When we started the process of harmonising, we found some peculiarities –

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by seven per cent as sterling has strengthened, and reflecting with these dealers that their own margins are holding up, we feel that this is the right approach.

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Is the scheme fully effective now? In other words, if a dealer is stocking Yamaha product now, then it’s definitely part of One Yamaha. Yes, each dealer is part of One Yamaha as we, Yamaha Music UK, move to becoming the UK branch of Yamaha Music Europe in April 2010.

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Do you expect other manufacturers to introduce similar schemes over the coming months and years? Honestly speaking, we would be very surprised if other larger manufacturers didn’t adopt this approach, as there are many advantages to be gained for both the local branch office and the local dealers. Last month, with the support of our European office, we launched the Yamaha S series synthesisers on a river boat up the Thames. There were over 60 European dealers and press on board and it was easy to deliver one message, one price, exclusive of local VAT rates and luckily for us Brits, English is the language of choice. YAMAHA: 01908 366700

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miPRO AUGUST 2009 37

FRESHMAN • COMPANY PROFILE

The Fresh prince Things are moving pretty fast for Freshman, a company that has grown to become one of the premier UK-based acoustic guitar brands. Rob Power takes a look at some impressive growth and uncovers the secret of the brand’s success…

n the six years since it first began trading, Freshman has achieved more than many companies manage in 20. As a brand, it has gained a reputation for quality, top-notch customer service and, most importantly, guitars that look, sound and play beautifully. Thanks to the forward thinking attitude of founder and Freshman MD Sean Kelly, the future is looking increasingly rosy for the Scottish firm. The last year alone has seen Freshman experience dramatic growth and with a number of new employees on board, 2009 has been something of a landmark year. “We’ve experienced growth across the company and we’ve tried to keep with it,” comments Kelly. “We’ve employed two brand new admin staff in the office in order to keep up with account enquiries and that side of things and three new account managers out in the field. “It’s no secret, what’s going on in terms of the industry and the economy. Many are battoning down the hatches, but if we don’t take the initiative, we won’t grow,” he points out. “We have to invest and as growth has been consistent over the last few years, now is the right time to do it. In terms of our brand awareness and sell through, the last few years have been a really significant time for us.

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“We measure our success in terms of what is selling through and that tells us that we are on the right track. Part of what we are doing is dealing with that growth while also investing in the future.” The real question here, then, is how has the company managed this impressive feat. “There are three main areas that we concentrate on,” explains Kelly. “First is our brand awareness. We’ve worked hard at raising our profile with big media

“Second, we have always been proud of the quality of our products. I design the guitars, we source the best woods and materials and ensure high standards all round, which ensures the guitars sound brilliant. We have a 16-point QC check here and we also set the guitars up before they leave the factory, which makes sure the quality of the guitars arriving at stores is of a much higher standard than many of our competitors.

“Retailers can make money with Freshman, so it makes their stocking decisions very easy.” Sean Kelly, Freshman Guitars campaigns. We’ve recently been featured in a Smart Car international marketing campaign, for example – it’s things like that that have helped get the brand known. Also, I’m a great believer that you make your own luck and we have worked very hard in this respect. We have some good contacts as well as some big endorsers and have managed a lot of tabloid exposure. Although that doesn’t sell more guitars tomorrow, it builds the brand. The job isn’t done yet, but the harder we work, the better we perform.”

“Finally, we are a profitable brand,” he continues. “We’re not greedy, so margins for stores are excellent. We’ve seen a significant increase in account enquiries recently, and it would seem that a lot of this is down to the fact that retailers can make money with Freshman, so it makes the decision very easy.” With these key tenets of the Freshman way of thinking in place, success has come naturally to the company and if all goes according to plan it will continue to do so. The next twelve months will see a brace

of new guitars that look sure to continue this tradition of great sounding guitars with affordable price tags. “There are a number of new guitars this year,” says Kelly. “We have a brand new line of solid tops for under £200 with A-grade sitka spruce tops. This will be out in the autumn as part of the FA1 series. We also have a limited edition range of national flags – featuring Irish, English, Welsh and Scottish designs – on acoustics, which will have a big media campaign. “There will be additions to the Apollo series, which has performed brilliantly for us in last 12 months. We’re adding to that with the Apollo 3, which will be launched in autumn this year.” All indications point towards the unveiling of the 600 series, following on from Freshman’s 500 series, which features some of the best high-end guitars to come out of China. While there is still work to be done, Freshman is on a sure footing and given past form will no doubt continue its rapid rise to the very top of the business. With the driven and determined Kelly pushing things forward, expect a whole lot more from this young company as it makes waves across the market. FRESHMAN: 01355 228028

miPRO AUGUST 2009 41

COMPANY PROFILE • TAYLOR

A tailored fit for Taylor Taylor’s move to pan-European distribution, courtesy of Fender, has taken none of the acoustic guitar brand’s autonomy, Brian Swerdfeger tells Gary Cooper. What is more, the company is making the end-user’s aspirations even more accessible through the dealers…

t is just over a year since one of the most unexpected UK distribution switches of recent years – the move of Taylor Guitars from Sound Technology to Fender. Though Taylor was swift to point out that the change implied no criticism of Sound Tech (which had, by any standards, done a first class job with the brand) and that it was shifting to a pan-European model with Fender, it still must have stung and Sound Technology hasn’t been slow to move Larrivée into areas where it had previously been working so hard with Taylor. All the same, Taylor has continued to make its presence felt in the UK and the company shows absolutely no sign of yielding an inch in its marketing. It exhibited independently of Fender at last year’s LIMS show and this year, despite no Fender stand at the event, it still took a sizeable one of its own and drew enthusiastic crowds on the public days. In charge of Taylor’s LIMS stand was Brian Swerdfeger, vice-president of marketing. I seized the opportunity to ask him how the guitar maker had been doing in the UK in the past 12 months and what plans Taylor has to offer UK retailers over the coming months. But to start with, I asked how Swerdfeger had found this year’s LIMS. “We had a great turnout because, as one of the anchor brands, the dealers came to see what was new and meet the folks from the factory – and that’s why it has been really important for us to be at LIMS as a manufacturer. That’s why two of us came from San Diego to say ‘hi and thank you’ to the frontline guys.”

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When news of the move was announced, concerns had been expressed in the trade that Taylor might become ‘just another line’ in a large catalogue of premium acoustic brands. Prior to the interview, MI Pro contacted several leading acoustic retailers to ask about their experiences and, it must be said, even when quizzed on an off-the-record basis, the feedback was very largely positive. Taylor would appear to concur. “One of the things that has been most beneficial for the EU market is that we now have one distributor to focus on, so it can get all of our attention and all of our

“Also, we’ve just completed our first go round, which is when we send factory techs from our repair and production departments into stores with the express mission to take the guitars off the wall, make sure they’re clean and put new strings on them. If they need a neck re-set we can do that – we’ll do whatever it takes to make sure that guitar is the same as it was when it left the factory, regardless of its age. “There’s no charge to the dealer – we just go in and love-up the guitars, say ‘Hi,’ give out a few T-shirts and fix the instruments. It’s a programme we run in

“The good news about the Fender relationship is that everything we make is now in Europe. Everything is available.” Brian Swerdfeger, Taylor resources. A great example of that would be that for the first time ever we now have Taylor factory service centres in the UK, Germany, Sweden and, this autumn, coming to France. All of our equipment, our tooling and our finishing department have moved into a Taylor Centre at Fender in each of those countries, so for dealers it means when there’s a guitar in the shop that has somehow been damaged – maybe a ding or a scratch – it can go right back to Fender. We’ll fix it and you’ll never know that mark was ever there, so they always have first quality guitars available.

the States and this is the first time we've exported it. We did 78 dealers and we are planning on doing it twice a year, going forward. “We had three teams of two and it went down really well. For us it’s a chance to see how guitars age and it’s also a chance to remove any preconceived notions about the products. We’re putting guitar makers into the stores, so there are people you can ask first hand questions. Why do you do this? How should I handle that? What do you do for care? How do I sell the guitars?

“Here we have a wealth of guitar knowledge just hanging out in the store for three or four hours. The store gets some training, the stock is now all first quality and as for customers that come in after we’ve been, they have got a great guitar with clean strings, ready to go. “The other good news about the Fender relationship is that everything we make is now in Europe. All our guitars are at Fender’s distribution centre in Rotterdam, so everything is available – never more than three days away.” Given Swerdfeger’s extensive travelling during the past year, evangelising the brand during what might have been a tricky time, had he any observations about the way Taylor guitars were being handled in the shops? “I think, first and foremost, that Taylor is a premium brand and so, even though we make some laminated guitars, it was our high-end instruments that really made Taylor – they are what built the brand. So one thing I would encourage dealers to do is not to be afraid to stock the high-end products, because that’s what consumers know us for. Even though people may come in and say they only have a certain budget, most of them aspire to the highend guitars. “Among the other things we've been doing are the Europe roadshow events, which are free for dealers to host. We bring on 12 to 20 of our premium guitars, including our build-to-order custom guitars. We do a programme where we teach people the difference between the

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TAYLOR • COMPANY PROFILE

different shapes and their signature sounds and then we talk about tonewoods and their influence. After that we take a break and have what we call the Taylor ‘petting zoo’, so everybody at the event can pick up a guitar and try it. If they’ve never tried a grand symphony or a grand concert or never tried cocobolo or koa – I want them to have first hand, hands-on experience with the guitars. “One of the things all the retailers comment on (and it’s true in the States and all across Europe) is that they’re surprised during the petting zoo when somebody falls in love with a £3,500 guitar and buys it. These are customers who come into their stores every day – they just don’t announce themselves. They come in, they look around and if you don’t have it, they leave. The roadshows have proved that Taylor does sell a lot of high-end guitars and that those customers are there.” All the same, there is an understandable reluctance to stock upmarket guitars during a recession, so what is Swerdfeger’s message to retailer in this climate? “This is my challenge to all of the retailers worldwide. The news reports as if it’s the end of the world, but guitar playing and music as a hobby are an escape for most people and the truth is that most of the world is still employed. We’ve found that when you have great service and a great selection and you offer somebody an alternative to the doom and gloom, more and more people spend their money. But they prefer to go with a

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trusted brand and they like go with a trusted retailer, too. “So building a relationship in your community is so important because then people start saying ‘this is a retailer I want to be in a relationship with’. This business brings people joy and I can’t stress that point enough. This isn’t about selling

they’re sad. You can say ‘times are hard and people don't want to spend any money’, but they do. The challenge is that you’ve got to give them a reason – remind customers about the passion of music making and the joy of playing guitar. You get a nice guitar and you play it more and the more you play, the better you get and

good about themselves and do want to have a great experience. People are careful where they’re spending their money these days, but they’re still spending it and the danger I see some retailers getting into is convincing themselves that the money has stopped. The truth is, it hasn’t – it’s just that people are being more selective.

Brian Swerdfeger (left) is understandably proud of what the Taylor team (right) has achieved with its brand and says retailers benefit sponges or cleaning supplies – things that are soulless. We’re in the guitar business. We sell approved mistresses – curvy things that we lust after and try to spend all our spare time with and yet our wives allow four of them in the house. “A guitar player is going to have a relationship with that guitar and it’s going to be there when they’re happy and when

the better you get, the more you enjoy it and that’s what sets you thinking about having yet another ‘mistress’ or two in the house. “I would encourage retailers not to abandon that. Don't race for the bottom, don't try to be the lowest price or have the cheapest Taylor, because there are many customers who do want to feel

“We build beautiful instruments, we do great promotional material and we bring people into the store. The retailers’ part of that is to have instruments in stock and be knowledgeable and enthusiastic and to be a passionate brand evangelist. The dealers that we have who do that are the ones that are very successful.” FENDER: 01342 331700

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COMPANY PROFILE • HARDCASE

Hard shell, easy sell Born and bred in the heart of the UK, Hardcase’s success is a lesson in what innovation and hard work can achieve. Rob Power talks to sales manager David Eyre to find out what makes the company tick…

part from a dodgy spire, there’s not an awful lot that leaps to mind when you think of Chesterfield. However, thanks to the sales successes of a certain hard shell case manufacturer, Chesterfield does have something else to shout about: Hardcase. As one of the leading manufacturers of plastic hard cases in the industry, this entirely UKbased outfit has been flying the flag for home-based industry since it first got going back in the late 1990s and it shows no signs of slowing up. “Hardcase is a division of Amber Plastics, which was the original

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manufacturing company,” says UK sales manager and artist liaison David Eyre. “Several years back, in the early 90s, we realised that the technology could be adapted to all sorts of uses and one of the areas we thought of going into was musical instruments. We looked into it and started out with drum cases in about 1992. It proved very successful, so in 2001 we had a complete redesign where we developed the next generation of cases, which had the stacking feature and short webbing straps. Everything we do is made from the same strong, high tensile material.” That material, polyethylene, is what has proved the secret to Hardcase’s success. It’s a petrol by-product that is both incredibly durable as well as flexible and it has been the bedrock of Hardcase’s product lines. Combined with great designs, Hardcase’s success has been natural from the start. “We try to give everything little touches to provide each product with a unique selling point,” continues Eyre. “Everything is made of polyethylene, which is a very strong impact and weather-resistant material that is still flexible and lightweight enough to give you a good product to mould that retains lots of strength.”

On the drum side of things, Hardcase’s design ensures that cases are slightly oversized, which allows any impact to be spread throughout the case as opposed to absorbed into the drum shell. This 25mm air gap is bigger on some cases, but the idea is that even though the lids telescope onto the drums and lock them in place, it is side impacts that are often the biggest problem. There’s no metal work there, so the drum shell can be easily damaged. As Eyre says: “We’ve had many an email from people who have had van doors damage their cases, but not their drums.” Hardcase’s success is all the more impressive when you factor in the size of the company and the fact that it keeps everything from marketing to design to manufacture in house and doesn’t farm it out to the Far East for a fraction of the price. “We’re a small company – there are only nine people who work here,” continues Eyre. “Our managing director, Derrick Round, felt that there was a lot of potential in this area of the market and he developed the Hardcase branding and the technology behind it back in the early 90s. It’s gone from there – I’ve been here since 2003 and having been a working drummer myself, I have a good idea about what I would want if I walked into a shop.

For 2009 there have been a plethora of new products from the company. “We’ve introduced steel pan cases, a general utility case, increased marching band coverage and now we’re looking at expanding our latin and ethnic percussion,” adds Eyre. “We want to work towards improving our offering in that area of the market. We’ve also introduced gong cases this year and we’ve revamped the colour range, so there’s been plenty going on. “We will be launching our upgraded guitar amp cases this autumn, which will be available in the bright red, light green and light blue colours as well as black. Each of these cases will now be fitted with metal locking clips and catches instead of the familiar webbing. The same metal fittings will be used on the guitar cases. Again, these will be in the bright colours but the range has been reduced from three down to two – electric guitar and electric bass models only.” So, with plenty to look forward to and a fine reputation behind it, things looks set to go from strength to strength for Hardcase. “The great thing is that we only manufacture here in Chesterfield, nowhere else in the world. We’ve got 400-plus retailers throughout the UK and Northern Ireland, we’re available in 45 countries and it’s all done out of Chesterfield. We’re very proud that we’re one of the last remaining UK manufacturers, which is a shame really. I think the music industry owes a lot to this country and we really should be very proud of it.” HARDCASE: 01246 451234

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PROFILE

ANDREW RICHARDSON General Manager, Adam Hall

I WOKE UP THIS MORNING

Adam Hall’s Andrew Richardson enjoys an action-packed working week, all while fitting in training for a charity bike ride...

n a typical day, my alarm goes off at 6:25am and, fortunately for me, my loving wife makes me a cup of tea every single morning. I leave the house at 7am and then travel from home, which is Ipswich, to Adam Hall, which is in Southend. It’s a journey of 60 miles, and can take from one to one and three quarter hours, depending on traffic. I arrive at the office between quarter past and half past eight and the first thing I’ll do is turn on the computer and go through my emails before a cup of tea. What we’ll typically do is look at the daily figures, which is the sales sheet from the day before and look at what we’ve sold and what has gone out. It’s part of my job to liaise with all the staff here and work out any marketing plans we’ve got, any shows coming up, any magazines we’re

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talking to, and any advertising campaigns we might have going on. A lot of my day is spent going over reports and checking that the systems we have in place are the right systems. If they are not, then we need to change them. There are a lot of other issues I tackle here, too. As well as being general manager, I look after all the marketing, and oversee the purchasing department. While most of my interaction is with the sales department, recently I’ve also been spending a lot of time with accounts, making sure everything is up to date. When it comes to lunch, recently I’ve been either grabbing a sandwich and eating at my desk or heading to the gym. I’m taking part in a London to Paris bike ride for Christian Aid that starts soon, which is 300 miles over four days. I’ve

been training a lot for that and I’m a gym animal anyway and love going there. I like to participate in a lot of challenges, like the London Marathon and I take part via charities. After lunch, I will usually check more reports, make phone calls to chase things up and work in conjunction with the sales department. It’s a varied job and no two days are ever the same. I like to get out and about to see customers as well, so I could be out for whole mornings or afternoons. I joined Adam Hall in February 2008 and have enjoyed the challenge of adding significant growth to the company in the UK market. The advantage I’ve had in some ways is that I’ve not worked in the music industry before, so I’ve approached it from a totally

fresh perspective. It’s taken me time to understand how the industry works and that has been a learning curve for me. I’m still learning about the market to this day, in fact. In the last year, we have been growing as a company, although profitability is something that everyone has had to look at due to fluctuations in the value of the US dollar. I leave the office between quarter past and half past five, in order to get home for around 7pm. It’s a long day, and when I get home I’ll knock off a few more emails before dinner. After that I’ll spend as much time as I can with my daughter, who is seven, and then maybe go out running or cycling. Generally I find that once I’ve done all that I’ll sit down for about an hour of TV and then head up to bed. It’s a pretty packed day.

miPRO AUGUST 2009 45

NOW RECRUITING Dawsons Music, one of the biggest and longest-serving MI retailers in the UK are currently recruiting. We currently have vacancies in our Reading, Warrington and Altrincham stores, as well as in our Education and Internet Sales departments, based in Warrington. If you are reading MI Pro then you probably know what kind of people we will be interested in. We want energetic, enthusiastic, professional salespeople who really know what they are talking about when it comes to musical instruments and equipment. For more details of the various positions currently available please visit www.dawsons.co.uk and click on the jobs section.

Are you ready to take up the next challenge in your sales career? Then you should be working with us, because we need an

EXPORT SALES MANAGER Faber Music is one of Europe's largest print music publishers and distributors with a growing international reputation. We are looking for someone who can maximise our overseas sales potential with impeccable key account management and can devise strategies and implement marketing and promotional plans with a high degree of creativity and innovation in both our pop and educational music catalogues. You must have excellent communication and negotiation skills, a demonstrable track record of success and an ability to think quickly and act appropriately, and have a keen awareness of current issues and pressures in the music industry and preferably a working knowledge of other languages. If you are hungry for success and you want to be part of a dynamic and ambitious sales team contact: Phillip Littlemore, Sales & Marketing Director, Faber Music Limited, Burnt Mill, Elizabeth Way, Harlow, Essex CM20 2HX or email: phillip.littlemore@fabermusic.com. Please include CV and current salary details. Closing date: 28th August 2009.

MUSIC RETAIL BUSINESS FOR SALE IN BUSY NORTH WEST LONDON HIGH STREET LOCATION • Well-established, reputable and consistently profitable business • Large attractive showroom and storage facility • Major dealerships for instruments, accessories and printed music. ‘Take it Away’ and rental schemes. • New lease by negotiation with the landlord • Ideal opportunity for someone with music retail experience to be owner/manager of an established business • Close to rail, tube and bus networks • Genuine retirement sale Price by negotiation and SAV All enquiries: charles-scott@live.com

RETAIL NEWS, OPINION, DATA

BEHIND THE COUNTER

NEWS Beatles straps from Planet Waves, Free Fender amp, online guitar design

As the sun shines, the luddites discover technology

INDIE PROFILE A unique percussion experience from Knock on Wood in Leeds

LOCATION REPORT Away from the horses, Cheltenham still has a lot to offer

Music Live right on course 2009 show bookings on target, retail sponsors announced and collaboration with Hellfire Festival adds further dimension

Hi On are among the acts at this year’s show as the Hellfire Festival comes to town

t hardly seems possible, but Music Live marks its tenth anniversary in 2009. For a decade, the show has been attracting close to 25,000 visitors to Birmingham’s NEC each November, and the organiser, Clarion Events, has plans in place to make the tenth birthday go with a bang. The show manager, Jason Hunt, pointed out that the RSVPs have been coming in thick and fast. “We have sold just over 60 per cent of the exhibition space so far, which is dead on target. And we’re pleased that despite the continuing challenges of the economic climate, manufacturers and distributors clearly see the value in what Music Live delivers in terms of visitor numbers and experience.” On the subject of visitor numbers, Music Live has an increasing invite list to attend to in 2009 – partly the result of considered social networking in recent

years. “We’re aware that Myspace, Twitter, Flickr and Facebook are bandwagons that lots of brands jump on, often without thinking,” explained Hunt. “But we’ve used these sites in a very specific way for Music Live, driving people to sign up for our regular ‘Transmission’ email newsletter, which now goes to 25,500 people. We saw more than 7,000 sign up for the newsletter following the launch of our social networking activity earlier this year – it’s exciting for our exhibitors to talk directly to potential visitors.” Among the news coming from Music Live headquarters recently is that of the show’s hosting of the Hellfire Festival this year. First held at the Islington Academy in February 2009, Hellfire featured the likes of Breed 77 and Exodus. Hellfire II will bring a similarly heavy line-up to the live stage each evening of the show.

“Hellfire is a great fit for our audience and allows all sorts of crossover potential. Stars such as Slayer’s Kerry King, Duff McKagan from Guns n’Roses and Bullet For My Valentine’s Matt Tuck have visited Music Live for signing sessions – and Hellfire will make more of those guest appearances possible. Visitors will be able to buy joint tickets for both Music Live and Hellfire, making the weekend a real experience for rock fans,” Hunt said. Another key part of the Music Live experience, for both visitors and exhibitors, is the retail element of the event. This year’s show sees hi-tech dealer Absolute Music return as a retail partner, alongside Fairdeal Music, Birmingham Drum Centre and London Drum Company. Education sponsors – key to the success of Music Live’s Education Day – include Access To Music and JAMES (Joint Audio Media

Education Services), both of which will be running seminars for teaching staff. “We know that visitors love to leave with gear that they’ve coveted,” says Hunt. “It’s always been an important part of the show. And while our retail partners may have changed in the last two years, as far as visitors are concerned, if they can buy the gear they want, they’re happy and they’ll keep coming back.” Music Live will take place at the NEC, Birmingham from November 6th to 8th this year, with Education Day being held on the Friday. Tickets can be bought in advance from the Music Live website (musiclive.co.uk) for £16 (£18 on the day) with reductions for the under 16s. Family tickets are also available for two adults and up to three children for £44 (advance) or £50.00 on the door. MUSIC LIVE HOTLINE: 0844 581 1109

RETAIL • NEWS

Planet Waves launches Beatles straps and picks Fab Four licensed for the first ever official Beatles accessory line PLANET WAVES has launched a one-of-a-kind collection of Beatles guitar picks and straps. The designs of the straps feature the album artwork and signature images that define the Fab Four. With artwork from every period of the Beatles illustrious career, the luxury straps are also vegan friendly. The picks are available in a multiple pick set for playing, displaying and collecting. The Beatles strap line is an extension of Planet Waves’ successful licensed strap and pick

range which now includes Woodstock, Alchemy, Lethal Threat, McWhite, Joe Satriani and Pat Metheny. All Planet Waves licensed straps and picks were on display at the recent LIMS event, with exclusive dealer offers at the show. Initial UK stocks have now arrived. Dealer info on the complete range of licensed straps, including the new Beatles straps, can be found in the dealer area of the Summerfield website. SUMMERFIELD MI: 0191 414 9000

Social guitar design for B&M

Free amps from Fender Fender to boost trade with tempting 'Buy a US guitar and get a free amp' promotion FENDER GBI is giving away a free Fender Champion 600 amplifier to every customer buying a Fender USA guitar this summer. The promotion, which runs from July 18th to September 30th, is aimed at driving customers into Fender dealers, the company’s Graeme Mathieson told MI Pro, and will operate on a voucher basis. To get their free Champion, customers have to pre-register on Fender's website to receive a unique serial numbered voucher. These can be printed out and handed to participating retailers, or emailed, if customers are buying from a webstore. When the sale is completed, the dealer hands (or ships) the customer a free Champion

600 from stock, and is then reimbursed direct from Fender . The promotion, which applies to US guitars only, not basses, is going live currently, with advertisements in the consumer press and a planned mass email promotion to Fender's extensive UK consumer database. A full range of display material is also being offered to Fender's participating retailers. Fender stressed that the aim of the promotion is ‘to put something positive back into the trade’ to encourage customers to visit their Fender dealers and the company believes it is likely to be welcomed at a traditionally quiet time of the year. FENDER GBI: 01342 331726

Internet guru’s signature guitar designed by fans and future owners BARNES & MULLINS has claimed to have launched the world’s first social network guitar design project: the ML1. The project is a partnership with guitarist Rob Chapman, who caught the attention of B&M when it noticed his videos were receiving 10,000 views a day from his online following. It was at the LIMS show that B&M director Bruce Perrin first saw Chapman at work. “I was amazed that almost everyone recognised him,” recalled Perrin. “He was followed

to the Faith stand by dozens of fans as his crew filmed him. I realised that we needed to work together to mutual benefit and the Rob Chapman Signature guitar was born.” Chapman then decided to allow his web following to help design his signature guitar. “I wanted the ML1 to be two thirds mine and a third the people’s,” Chapman explained. “After all, they will be buying it. I came up a concept and then let the fans tell me how they wanted it, eventually narrowing

it down to four concepts, which they voted on in a huge surge that crashed my forum.” “This is quite a big deal,” said Alex Mew, B&M’s marketing manager. “It’s incredibly exciting to be involved in this project, as social networking has become a very powerful influence.” The ML1 Rob Chapman Signature guitar will be released under the Chapman by Gould brand and is expected to be out by Christmas 2009. BARNES & MULLINS: 01691 652449

A Lifetime of Satisfaction In 2007, we introduced a unique Lifetime Warranty* across our 40 Series studio microphones and in 2009 we are going a step further and extending this offer to include both our Artist Elite and Artist Series ranges of wired microphones. Unsurpassed in the market, our Lifetime Warranty offers genuine added value to every sale and reinforces our commitment to unbeatable customer service. Call us today on 0113 277 1441 – and experience more. *Terms and conditions apply. Visit www.audio-technica.com/warranty for full details.

48 miPRO AUGUST 2009

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BEHIND THE COUNTER • RETAIL

Indoors and online this summer Our undercover reporter suffers from sunshine envy, while the shop he works in takes a giant leap into the internet age

here’s nothing quite like sitting indoors watching people have fun in the sunshine to really ruin a summer. When the sun is out and every passerby has some sort of ice-cream based confectionary, life on the shop floor can get really trying. But it’s the simple things that keep us going. The timely sale of a top end electric guitar we never thought we’d see the back of and the increasing number of kids turning up for every effects pedal delivery is certainly enough to raise the spirits. A fresh push at getting the shop into the public eye is also being undertaken across the board. Brand new posters and flyers are going out locally, while a bit of advertising in the various regional rags and national mags should help us become a little bit more visible. As summer is the usual time for a footfall downturn, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to be as pro-active as possible in

bringing folks near and far across the threshold of our wonderful little boutique and have been pursuing all manner of unusual activity in order to do so. A newsletter is now going out, while a monthly prize draw is already causing quite a stir among the regulars and there are mutterings about sponsoring a local night going on. We’re keeping our fingers crossed on that one… We’ve also started dabbling in the dark arts of this inter web-type trickery. That’s right, the internet age has finally arrived in our cautious little world and it’s been quite a shock. Not only do we have a brand new, shiny and sparkling website that punters can buy things from as well as use to check out all our lovely guitars, but there’s Facebook, Myspace, Twitter – it’s never ending, it’s baffling, but it really is quite a lot of fun. A website and associated blog are, as we all know, an

large, loyal customer base of which we are rightly proud, it feels as if only now that we have a tangible online presence, have we finally arrived. All that remains is to see whether we will actually sell anything online or whether this whole endeavour has been a massive waste of everyone’s time. We’ve emerged blinking from our luddite pen-and-paper based world into the blinding glare of the brave new internet world. As far as information superhighways go, we’re cautiously sticking to the slow lane for now, but hopefully, given a bit of time and effort, we’ll start ramping up the sales soon enough. Here’s hoping,

NEXT MONTH... absolute necessity these days, and thanks to a couple of months’ work, a lot of swearing and an awful lot of in-store photography, we can finally feel

proud of our online offering. For some reason, even though our particular store has been around for a number of years and has slowly built a

Mystery balalaikas, lefty dilemmas and the ongoing struggle for online supremacy are all in the crosshairs of our undercover operative in next month’s issue...

International Exhibition for Musical Instruments and Services ɻਝ ɐࣵ ਝ჌ᅥኂࢄᙴผ

13 – 16 October 2009

Shanghai New International Expo Centre, China

live for the music • over 40,000 distributors, dealers, retailers and musicians from 91 countries • over 1,100 exhibitors showing a broad product mix of both western and traditional Chinese instruments • set against the backdrop of one of the world’s most exciting and rapidly-developing music product markets For information, visit www.musikmesse.com Or email music@hongkong.messefrankfurt.com

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miPRO AUGUST 2009 49

RETAIL • LOCATION REPORT

Cheltenham A mecca for fans of the gee gees and a fine place to do business, Cheltenham has a great selection of MI retailers hustling for business. MI Pro casts a critical view over what’s on offer… A ROUNDABOUT SOUND Nicely situated among a cluster of specialist shops (including a slightly scary rifle specialist), A Roundabout Sound is a beautifully presented, well-branded and nicely stocked example of how to run an MI business in the 21st century. Although not a massive shop, it still has an extensive collection of new and secondhand electric guitars, a bass room, a drum demo room and a nice airy acoustic space upstairs. A good range of products from starter gear all the way up to top-end Gibsons, means that any muso visiting this shop is going to find something to suit his taste and budget and the friendly staff are helpful without being pushy. It’s the details that stand out here. Though everything is neat and tidy, every single item is clearly priced and well presented and the shop front is appealing and interesting to pass by. The logo and shop name is distinctive and it would seem that A Roundabout Sound has its sights set on being around for a long time – something which, on this showing, Cheltenham should be pleased with.

WORLD OF GUITARS A hop, skip and a jump away from A Roundabout Sound, Guitar World is a reminder of days gone by, when guitar shops could be smoke-filled dens full of nooks and crannies, with instruments hidden away in all sorts of strange corners. A small shop floor is not helped by being crammed full of odds and ends and although there are undoubtedly some great finds to be had here – a rather tasty Gibson Melody Maker caught the eye, for example – it’s just too cluttered and generally haphazard to live up to its obvious potential. The shop front is very bright, but comes across as a bit old fashioned. The staff are extremely friendly, not to mention hugely knowledgeable, so it seems a shame that while the window display looks inviting and indeed tempting, upon entry you can’t help but be a little disappointed. CHELTENHAM PIANO CENTRE Nicely located in the centre of town, the Cheltenham Piano Centre is, simply put, an excellent store that has plenty to offer

Nicely located in the centre of town, the Cheltenham Piano Centre is, simply put, an excellent music store that has plenty to offer all the musical locals. MILLENIUM MUSIC A bit of a strange beast, Millenium Music is based in the heart of a busy shopping district and as such has the geographic edge over its local competition. Having relocated recently, the shop is a strange mix of instruments – including electric and acoustic guitars and plenty of world percussion – and musical gifts, ranging from stickers and stamps to ties and tshirts. Interestingly, it also gives over half its window space to bizarre ornamental dragons and the sort of goblets you might see in a film featuring dragons and knights of old. While this is undoubtedly odd, it certainly brings a bit more character to what is a well put together little shop, which realises the potential in musical gifts more than many. Manufacturers represented include Höfner (seemingly very popular in Cheltenham), Yamaha, Blueridge, Orange and, of course, Stagg. 50 miPRO AUGUST 2009

musical locals, even if they aren’t a dab hand at the piano. A dedicated Kemble dealer with a fine line in pianos from a wide range of makers and at a variety of price points from a few hundred pounds all the way up to a mighty £15,000 (for a handmade and really rather impressive Bechstein), the spacious shop floor also houses a thorough sheet music section and a small, but well thought out selection of acoustic and electric guitars and amplifiers that mainly cater for beginners. Orchestral strings, as well as brass and woodwind, are well catered for and a huge accessories section must make the Cheltenham Piano Centre top of the list for any number of local musicians when looking for spares. Well priced, nicely set out and tended to by extremely professional and well mannered staff, this is a store that sets the standard. www.mi-pro.co.uk

INDIE PROFILE • RETAIL

KNOCK ON WOOD LEEDS

Is business up or down compared to this time last year? About the same – it’s been pretty steady. We had a stunning time with mail order last year, and although it hasn’t been quite as strong, we’re still pretty good. How do you market the shop? We have our website and we also advertise in the Yellow Pages in Leeds as well as in the regional Leeds guide. It’s pretty effective – there’s an arts community in Leeds and we have a good reputation both locally and internationally. I’m just back from a festival in Suffolk and everyone seemed to know who we were there, anyway. How do you compete with online? We have our own site and you’ve got to roll with the punches really. I’ve read in MI Pro that many people are trying to run shops on the High Street with big rents and if someone tries to sell certain products on the web cheaper, then that becomes national price. I think in the long term it has to be a combination of internet and actual shop sales – clicks and bricks looks like the way forward. Having a full scale internet set-up alongside a retail operation is a good combination. What do you consider to be your main strengths and weaknesses? We’ve been established a very long time and have a strong knowledge base – one of our directors came out of university with an MA in ethnomusicology and that’s always

been the basis of what we do. We’ve put something together than has grown from humble beginnings into something we’re very proud of. Both of the premises we have at the moment are subject to redevelopment in the next five years or so and when we recombine into one premises, it’ll all come back together. Our two most skilled people are currently working separately, but when they’re back under one roof, things will take off. How do you ensure a good level of customer service? My background is in marketing – it’s all about right product, right place and so on. But what it all really means is that you have to talk to the customer and find out why they’re in the shop. They need to know you are on their side and if they do, they will grow to like you. People complain to us about other shops in Leeds all the time. We’re pretty relaxed here and our primary goal is to help the customer. That comes from having read a book about 15 years ago called Marketing Without Advertising – your best sales tool is good feedback from existing customers, because they’ll tell friends. How can the industry do more to support retail? Wholesalers need to start thinking more about what it is actually like to run a retail business. Numbers and codes on a price list don’t make any sense and information should be easy to come by. They just don’t think enough about what it’s like to be behind the counter.

FACTS & FIGURES Address: Knock on Wood, 13, Eastgate, Leeds LS2 7LY Phone: 0113 242 9146 Owner: Andy Wilson, Ianto Thornber Established: 1982 Employees: Three Best selling lines: Double-shouldered drum straps by Klondyke

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miPRO AUGUST 2009 51

MIA NEWS an update from your industry trade association

And the winner will be… It’s that time of year again when the MIA makes a call for nominations and votes for the big UK MI back-slapping event in October. Full details of the event and how you can take part and (more importantly) be there… WHEN: Wednesday October 7th WHERE: The Sheraton Park Lane Hotel, London HOW MUCH: Early bird prices (must be booked and paid for by the end of August) £150 a seat or £1,350 a table of ten. (Normal prices are £175 a seat or £1,575 a table of ten.) ENTERTAINER: The one and only Bobby Davro DRESS CODE: Black tie or lounge suit

The PMT team has picked up the Best Multiple Retailer award for two years running now

THE MIA has announced details of the 2009 MIA Awards, which will be held, as always, to recognise the best companies, the best products and the best people in our great industry. The association wants to stress that everyone in the industry is welcome to what will be a much-needed celebratory night after the challenging year we have all operated in. The awards will be sponsored by companies and organisations as varied as Classic fm, Future Publishing, NAMM, Messe Frankfurt, The Music Publisher’s Association, Musicguard, sgm-FX and the Arts Council England, among many more.

MIA president, Jon Gold and Yamaha UK’s former MD, Andrew Kemble

52 miPRO AUGUST 2009

The event will take place on Wednesday, October 7th at the Sheraton Park Lane Hotel in London and those interested can take advantage of an ‘early

and paid for by the end of August. The association is asking for the help of retailers to cast votes in a number of categories. These are: Best Supplier

Everyone is welcome to this much-needed celebratory night after the challenging year we have all operated in. bird’ price scheme, which offers tickets at £150 a seat or £1,350 for a table of ten. To get these prices, you should be booked

(small/medium) and Best Supplier (large). Suppliers are being asked to vote for Best Specialist Retailer, Best Retailer

(independent) and Best Retailer (multiple), looking for the best presented and staffed shops with the best customer service. There is also a new category – the Rob Williams Business Enterprise Award. This award will be going to a company in our industry that has shown true flair and entrepreneurial sprit over the last 12 months and it has, of course, been set up in the memory of Dolphin Music cofounder, Rob Williams. All votes can be sent confidentially to Paul McManus on paulmc@mia.org.uk and all enquiries about the event should be made to Clare at clare@mia.org.uk. MIA: 01372 750600

Special awards will be presented for retail activity

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NEW PRODUCTS ACCESSORIES

BACKLINE G BASS & GUITAR G DRUMS G PRINT

PRODUCTS • BACKLINE & ACCESSORIES

PIGNOSE P7 100 TRANSISTOR COMBO FROM £129.95 They say: As alive today as it has ever been. For: Guitarists Range: Pignose combos Spec: : Five-Watt amplifier, mains or six AA battery powered, preamp out, strap buttons, internal lead storage. Also P7 200 Hog 20 with squeal control. Two inputs and headphone socket (£219.95) and P7 300 Hog 30 with three-band eq, funk bass switch (£259.95). From: Aria 01483 238720

PEAVEY TKO BASS AMP £TBC

ROLAND KC-880 STEREO KEYBOARD AMP £969

They say: The amplifiers of choice for bassists looking for the best possible combination of power, tone, portability and price. For: Bassists Range: Peavey bass combos Spec: 400W Class D, 15”: custom speaker, tweeter, seven-band graphic eq with high & low shelving control, pre-shape contour switch, bright switch, DDT speaker protection, active/passive pickup switch, XLR DI, headphone out. From: Peavey 01536 461234

They say: Builds on the famous high-quality KC sound with a new stereo design. For: Keyboard players Range: Roland KC series Spec: 320-Watt stereo power amplifier, two 12inch woofers, two horn tweeters, on-board stereo effects, multiple I/O options (incl XLR line & headphone out), Stereo Link function for chaining two KC-880s. From: Roland 01792 702701

MXR M116 FULLBORE DISTORTION £149

HAYDEN PETITE 5 COMBO £749

They say: This compact but powerful device is all you need to unleash the most devastating metal guitar tones ever heard. For: Guitarists Range: MXR stomp boxes Spec: Ultra-high gain overdrive, eq, bass, sweepable mid and mid-freq and treble rotary controls, scoop switch LF boost, switchable noise gate, internal noise gate. From: JHS 0113 286 5381

They say: Sounds glorious with both single coil and humbucker-equipped guitars. For: Guitarists Range: Hayden combos Spec: Five-Watt, single channel, valve combo, dual switchable power stage (EL84 or 6V6 valves), 10-inch Celestion G10 Greenback speaker, hand wired, components on gold turret tags. From: Hayden 01245 441155

ROTHWELL LOVE SQUEEZE £129 They say: Makes your guitar sound fuller, fatter and louder and doesn't add a snake pit full of hiss to your signal. For: Guitarists Range: Rothwell stomp boxes Spec: 20dB of compression, compresion & volume control rotaries, discrete FET voltage control, metal casing, yellow finish. From: Rothwell 01204 366133

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STAGG 150 GC412 STRAIGHT CAB £289 They say: Great value for a cab that packs a real punch. For: Guitarists Range: Stagg cabs Spec: Four 12-inch straight, semiopen back speaker cabinet for guitar, 150W, eight Ohm, steel pull-out handles & casters. From: EMD 01293 862612

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BOSS TU-12EX TUNER £85 They say: A direct descendant of the legendary TU-12. For: Musicians Range: Boss tuners Spec: Needle-type meter, LED tuning guide, thin-line body, flat tuning function (up to six semitones lower), reference tone, auto-off, Accu-Pitch (bleeps when correct tuning is reached). From: Roland 01792 702701

PLANET WAVES BEATLES STRAPS £49.95 They say: A one-of-a-kind collection of guitar picks and straps. For: Guitarists, fretted instrument players Range: Planet waves guitar accessories Spec: ‘Vegan friendly’ straps with artwork from every period of The Beatles’ career. Dealer info on complete range in the dealer area of the Summerfield website. From: Summerfield 0191 414 9000

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GUITAR GUARD T-TYPE AND DREADNOUGHT GUITAR SKINS FROM £29.99 They say: The line of award winning protective guitar skins has expanded. For: Tele and dreadnought players Range: Guitar Guard guitar guards Spec: Two new models for T-type and dreadnought guitars (£34.99). Also available: NeverKink Cable Management Device (attaches cable to guitar strap – price TBC). From: Wild Child 01273 702224

TANGLEWOOD TCT AND TKT TUNERS £POA They say: Great tuners for all manner of stringed instrument players. For: Musicians Range: New Tanglewood product range Spec: TCT1 traffic light clip-on tuner (for guitar & bass). TKT1 traffic light keyring uke tuner (for use with any acoustic stringed instrument). Powered by lithium battery. From: Tanglewood 01937 841122

miPRO AUGUST 2009 55

PRODUCTS • DRUMS ZILDJIAN Z3 CYMBALS £POA They say: A new level of power and clarity with rock cymbals with an abundance of sensitivity. For: Drummers Range: Zildjian Z series Spec: Unique lathing process for ‘tone grooves’, machine hammered, brilliant finish. Ten rides (three medium heavy, three rock, two mega bell & two thrash), four hi-hats and nine crash. From: Yamaha 01908 366700

STAGG EXA, EXK & EXD CYMBAL SETS FROM £135 They say: Matched cymbals perfect for the beginner or student. For: Beginner drummers Range: Stagg cymbals Spec: B8 bronze student cymbals. EXA: 16" crash & 13" hi hats (£135), EXD: 18" crash & 14" hi hats (£175), EXK: 16" crash, 20" ride & 14" hats (£249). All sets ship with cymbal padded gigbag. From: EMD 01293 862612

REMO NSL SOUNDSHAPES FROM £12.50 They say: Great for places where sound levels are a concern and are easily stored, portable and stackable. For: Education Range: Remo percussion Spec: NSL (not so loud) multi-packs of six drums (£114), mallets included, available in six, eight, ten, 12, 14 and 16-inch sizes. From: EMD 01293 862612

SABIAN AAX X-PLOSION FAST CRASHES £POA

ZILDJIAN STEVE GADD CYMBAL BAG £99

They say: Responsive to the touch and work well within numerous musical situations. For: Drummers Range: Sabian AAX cymbals Spec: : Tight lathing and unfinished bells, light hammering on top, available as 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 & 19inch versions, shallow profile, B20 bronze, Sabian warranty. From: Westside 0141 248 4812

They say: Truly captures the class and style of one of the most influential drummers of all time. For: Drummers, percussionists Range: Zildjian Artist Collection bags Spec: Heavy-duty cotton and leatherette trim exterior, aged metal hardware, 22-inch diameter, adjustable shoulder strap, padded carrying handle, rubberised skid plate. From: Yamaha 01908 366700

MEINL BENNY GREB SIGNATURE 20” SANDRIDE £398 They say: We are confident that the sound of the Sandride will please a lot of drummers worldwide. For: Drummers Range: Meinl Byzance Spec: Sandblasted top and partial lathed bottom 20-inch ride, light wash and stick sound, heavier bell sound. From: Active 020 8693 5678

REMO SOLOIST DOUMBEK DK3208 6M FROM £317 They say: Ideal for all educational programmes and professional tours. For: Percussionists Range: Remo percussion Spec: Soloist Doumbek with external tuning and Ergo-Drum system, Remo Skyndeep fish skin graphic drumhead, Acousticon drum shell bearing edge. Available as eight, nine & ten-inch (£317, £329 & £345). From: EMD 01293 862612

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

VISIT WWW.MIKEDOLBEAR.COM FOR MORE DETAILS.

BASS AND GUITAR • NEW PRODUCTS ARIA FA-77 ARCHTOP £879 They say: Recreates the essence of those early years of violin, cello and archtop guitar builders. For: Guitarists Range: Aria solid bodied guitars Spec: Solid sitka spruce top, double-bound figured maple back & sides, set maple neck, ebony fingerboard, bridge & floated tailpiece, gold-plated tuners, gold-plated single floating mini humbucker. From: Aria UK 01483 238720

SEAGULL PERFORMER SERIES £920 They say: The Performer series receives an upgrade and now makes for an even better guitar than before. For: Guitarists Range: Seagull electro-acoustics Spec: Pressure tested solid spruce top, flame maple back & sides, Quantum 1 electronics, flame maple veneer headstock, high-gloss finish. Available as cutaway dreadnought, folk and mini-jumbo models. From: EMD 01293 862612

VINTAGE VS6 ICON £299 They say: Only one thing could make these top-selling guitars even more appealing: an Icon version. For: Guitarists Range: Vintage Icon Spec: Twin-horned, twin Wilkinson humbucker, double cutaway electric guitar, solid mahogany body, slim set mahogany neck, gold Wilkinson hardware, distressed cherry red finish. From: JHS 0113 286 5381

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS FULL-SIZE GUITAR PACK £159 They say: Great news for all Spongebob Squarepants fans. For: Guitarist Range: Spongebob Squarepants Spec: Full-size, classic shape twincutaway electric guitar with maple neck, three single coil pickups, vintage-style fulcrum vibrato system. BB Blaster ten-Watt amp. Also carry bag, strap, guitar lead, plectrum, spare set of strings and tuition DVD. Spongebob graphics. From: JHS 0113 286 5381

TANGLEWOOD EVOLUTION EXOTIC SERIES FROM £249 They say: The Tanglewood Evolution series has gone exotic with some top grade woods. For: Guitarists Range: Tanglewood Evolution Spec: Two ranges: Flame maple (XFM) and Bubinga (XB). XFM with spruce top and flame maple back & sides, maple neck. XB all bubinga, mahogany neck. Available as jumbo and cutaway jumbo, dreadnought, folk and grand auditorium. Also bubinga acoustic bass. From: Tanglewood 01937 841122

REGAL RD-30 RESONATOR SQUARE NECK £995

GITANE DG-455 ELECTRO GYPSY JAZZ £1,395

They say: This is the best entry level squareneck resonator around. For: Guitarists Range: Regal resonator guitars Spec: Black finish with spruce top, mahogany body, rosewood fingerboard, ivoroid bound body & neck, rock maple saddle, bone top nut, spun 10” aluminium cone, rock maple sound well, 2” top nut. From: Gremlin 01903 203044

They say: A small guitar that sounds big in any room. For: Guitarists Range: Gitane jazz guitars Spec: Solid spruce top, Fishman Aura system electronics, rosewood back & sides, ebony fingerboard, ebony/maple purfling, mahogany neck, high gloss finish. From: Gremlin 01903 203044

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miPRO AUGUST 2009 57

PRODUCTS • TRADITIONAL

P MAURIAT PMX T-66RUL UNLACQUERED TENOR SAXOPHONE £2,399

STENTOR GRADUATE VIOLIN OUTFIT £159 They say: Perfect for the rental market or players looking to move up from their first instrument. For: Student violinists Range: Stentor violins Spec: Hand carved from solid tonewoods, shaded satin finish, ebony fingerboard & pegs, fitted with synthetic gut strings, 4/4, 3/4, 1/2, 1/4 and 1/8 sizes. Outfit ships with lightweight oblong case and a strong wood bow with ebony frog. From: Stentor 01737 240226

They say: The lack of lacquer frees up the resonance even further which will make this a firm favourite. For: Saxophonists Range: P Mauriat saxes Spec: Acid treated body, rolled tone holes, large flared bell, high F# key, abalone shell key touches, fully hand engraved. Ships with Protec USA contoured case. From: Saxophones Ltd 01892 662533

W SCHRIEBER 7130 SERIES OBOE £1,650 They say: Once again there are four oboes available from Schreiber & Keilwerth. For: Oboists Range: S&K woodwind Spec: French fingering system, grenadilla wood with natural wood surface, stable key mechanism, cast epoxy resin lining in bore, solid nickel-silver mechanism, extra heavy silverplating, five-year guarantee, made in Germany. Ships with case and extensive accessories. From: Rosetti 01376 550033

ASHTON UNION JACK UKULELE £24.99

KENTUCKY KM300 ELECTRIC MANDOLIN £299 They say: Newly re-introduced into the Kentucky mandolin range. For: Mandolin players Range: Kentucky mandolins Spec: Solid basswood body, arched back, set maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, nickelplated brass tailpiece, adjustable ebony bridge with bone cap, single chromeplated lipstick pickup, chrome-plated volume & tone controls. High gloss sunburst finish. From: Gremlin 01903 203044

They say: A super portable way to bring a summer vibe to your next campfire sing-a-long. For: Beginner uke players Range: Ashton traditional fretted instruments Spec: Hawaiian-style ukuleles, geared machineheads, Union Jack and London Underground graphics, matched design gigbags. From: Music Force 01780 781630

TANGLEWOOD TU1 & TU2 UKULELES FROM £49.95

NORD C2 COMBO ORGAN £2,312

They say: A pair of the classiest ukes on the market. For: Uke players Range: Tanglewood traditional instruments Spec: TU1: Mahogany top, back, sides & neck, rosewood fingerboard, natural satin finish. TU2: Solid cedar top, bubinga back & sides, mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard, natural gloss finish (£99.95). Also TU case: £22.95. From: Tanglewood 01937 841122

They say: No other unit delivers so much, at such a low cost, in such a compact and lightweight package. For: Organists, keyboard players Range: Nord keyboards Spec: Tonewheel, Vox, Farfisa and baroque pipe organ emulation, 21 stops, new firm action, left and right independent from Leslie 11-pin & high level outputs, Drawbar Preview function, extensive percussion sounds. Footpedal board optional extra. From: Sound Technology 01462 480000

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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

NEW PRODUCTS • PRINT

BOOK OF THE MONTH Author: Rikky Rooksby How to Write Songs on Guitar Target: Guitarist songwriters Comment: The first thing one should do when looking at books such as this is ask the question: ‘okay, so how many songs have you written?’ If the answer is ‘none that I know of’ one needs to look closely at the content. Thus I looked (hard) and found that Rooksby has written a pretty special little book here. The author avoids giving the reader any false impressions or

promises of ‘writing hits’. He simply says that, as well as carving your own experience, it’s good to have a bit of theory in place. From here he goes through basic methods, chord sequences, rhythm, melody, lyric writing, advanced harmony and a lot more, all delivered in a matter of fact ‘voice’ with feet planted firmly on the ground. This book will teach no-one how

EDUCATION

Artist: Christine Barron Drum Styles Made Easy Target: Beginner drummers Comment: As fine a beginner drum book as one will find, dropping the learner (after a brief look at drum tablature) into the simplest of rock and pop styles and leading on from there to cover funk, jazz, swing, reggae and more. With a performance and backing CD, this book will take the beginner through to a very competent level indeed. Each chapter shows ways of co-ordinating hands and feet, incorporating Barron’s own ‘cross in a square’ tablature. BOOSEY & HAWKES (SCHOTT): 020 7534 0744

Artist: Tim Quinn Fluid Pentatonics: Book 2 Series: Rock Curriculum Target: Guitar Comment: For those who have hit a brick wall in their soloing, this book explores the five minor pentatonic shapes and places them in ‘horiziontal’ form, progressing from one shape to the next along the neck and up the strings, rather than simply up and down the same shape. Combined with notes on picking technique and deviation from 4/4 time, this is a must for the would-be rocking soloist. MEL BAY: 020 8323 8010

Artist: Ken Parille 50 Essential Guitar Lessons Target: Guitar Comment: The opening statement in this little gem is ‘just jump in anywhere’. And that’s about it. 50 lessons – ideal for the terminal intermediate – that add a touch of class or colour to one’s playing, from chord voicings and harmony to agility drills and strumming practice, taking in (among a lot else) arpeggios and harmonics along the way. Highly recommended. HAL LEONARD (MUSIC SALES): 01284 702600

DVDS Artist: Rodney Branigan Live in India Target: General Series: Mel Bay Guitar University Comment: Mel Bay UK’s first signing now with his first DVD, recorded during his 2008 tour of India. The disc illustrates Branigan’s energetic double guitar style from a show in Mumbai, with documentary footage made in Jaipur. Branigan is a genuine talent who goes beyond the novelty of his playing style and, with the right push from publicists, agents and dealers, could attract an impressive fan base with this very accessible music. MEL BAY: 020 8323 8010

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to write a song, but it will certainly help beginners or those with writer’s block find a path to getting a song written. Rooksby looks at the styles and techniques of some of the best songwriters, historic and contemporary. This is the science of songwriting, presented coherently – the creativity is totally in the hands of the songwriter. BACKBEAT: 020 7720 3581

Artist: Larry McCabe (ed) 101 Three-Chord Children’s Songs Target: Guitar, banjo, ukulele, education Comment: Whether this book is bought by (or for) the younger learner of one of the three instruments it is aimed at or by the teacher looking for a collection of easy to play classic children’s numbers to up the repertoire, this book will go a long way to helping out. Many youngsters will already know a good deal of these songs, making the learning all the easier. Well worth a look. MEL BAY: 020 8323 8010

Artist: Ana Vidovic Guitar Artistry in Concert Target: General Comment: This highly accomplished classical guitarist takes the viewer through a selection of composers, such as Federico Torroba, Astor Piazzolla, Pierre Bensusan and Stanley Myers (of Cavatina fame) among others. Vidovic also gives an interview discussing her life as a touring musician, her instrument (a Jim Redgate guitar), teaching and advice to young hopefuls. A very pleasant collection. MEL BAY: 020 8323 8010

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THE PLACE FOR BUSINESS

MI MARKETPLACE TO ADVERTISE ON THESE PAGES CALL DARRELL CARTER ON 01992 535647 A ALLPARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0870 442 3336 B BARNES & MULLINS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01691 652449 BILL LEWINGTON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01268 413366 C COVERNOTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0121 327 1977 F FOCUS MERCHANDISE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8245 9035 FCN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01892 603730 440 DISTRIBUTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0113 258 9599 FUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0113 320 0304 G GHANA GOODS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0117 955 8668 GUITARRAS DE ESPAÑA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0117 973 3214 H HC DISTRIBUTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 00 353 5991 34268 HERGA MUSIC SERVICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8861 1590 HOT ROX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0115 987 3163 L LEED REPRESENTATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01243 378050 LEISURETEC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01525 850085 M MADAROZZO™/CBAC LTD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8816 8368 MARSHALL AMPLIFICATIONS . . . WWW.MARSHALLAMPS.COM MCELLAND/GREMLIN MUSIC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01273 491333 MELBAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0)20 8382 8010 MUSIC SHIPPING CO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01562 827666 O OCARINA WORKSHOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01536 485963 ORANGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8905 2828 P PIANO LOGISTICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8561 4321 R ROBERT MORLEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8318 5838 ROTHWELL AUDIO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01204 366133 S SAXOPHONE UK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01892 662 533 SOAR VALLEY MUSIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0116 230 4926 STEVE CLINKSCALE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0157 225 885 T TEAC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01923 438 880 V TOM & WILL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 08450 945 659 V VARSITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0131 557 4310 W WIND PLUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0116 243 1698 WORLD RYTHM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01242 282 191

SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT

MARKETPLACE INDEX

440 Distribution The joys of maintaining guitar tradition while championing the latest developments in cables

40 Distribution might be a new name to some, but the man behind the company will be familiar to many. Tom Harrison left Westside after seven years in 2007, with a desire to bring focus to quality products that had not yet appeared on the radar of the music trade. “It started off with Yairi,” explains Harrison. “Japan has a high-tech culture and yet there is this 75 yearold company still making guitars as it did in 1930. It has survived through a commitment to quality and I like that. It is still very old fashioned and I love the fact I get these beautiful guitars made with mallets and draw knives held together with cow glue from the most technologically sophisticated race on the planet. I wanted to get them in players’ hands because they hold their own with anything else out there.” An Australian company, DSL straps joined the 440 stable soon after. These high quality leather straps have seen some high end endorsement. Motorhead’s legendary founder, Lemmy, worked with DSL to create four Motorhead signature series straps, which are proving very popular

over here. DSL was so impressed with 440’s work that it awarded it the European distribution rights in 2009. This was a feather in the cap of such a new company, but DSL has gained valuable market knowledge in its biggest export territory. Recently, Core One Creative appointed 440 as its UK outlet for the Bullet Cable range and Harrison sees great potential in these products. “The cable market is saturated with utilitarian product,” he says. “Core cables make a fashion statement – you can have Dice or Guns on your jack plug or a wicked curly lead that doesn’t break. How cool is that?” Those who think this may sound a tad gimmicky might wish to remember that we are in a fashion led industry, after all. 440’s recent addition of Baden guitars looks like a great fit. These are two forward looking companies with great reputations (TJ Baden spent 18 years with Taylor and is receiving rave reviews in the press for his innovative acoustic designs), bringing the trade a credible and profitable alternative to the mainstream. 440 DISTRIBUTION: 0113 258 9599

CLASSIFIEDS: MINIMUM 12 MONTHS - ONE ANNUAL CHARGE QUARTER PAGE £1,295 62 AUGUST 2009 miPRO

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ACESSORIES AND GIFTWARE

ACOUSTIC DISTRIBUTION

AMPLIFICATION

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

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CLASSICAL GUITARS

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MI MARKETPLACE GUITAR PARTS

r, emier Guita The UK’s Pr er Parts Suppli p m A & s s a B

t r a p a k Pic p mp Am eA ge tag inta V Vin

• Amp Cabinets • Amp Kits • Capacitors • Grill Cloth • Pots • Hardware • Speakers • Resistors • Transformers • Transistors • Valves • Tubes ... and much more ! ! !

To order call 0870 442 3336 Low call rate 0845 345 59

Order online @:

www.allparts.uk.com or email us: info@allparts

DISTRIBUTION

.uk.com

DISTRIBUTION

…more than just a gig bag! Visit us online at www.fusion-bags.com Distributed by Aria UK Ltd 01483 238720

Cello Also available in Black & Grey

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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

Call Tom Harrison on 01132 589599 or email - tom@440distribution.com WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

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MI MARKETPLACE GUITAR ACCESSORIES

ETHNIC AND FOLK

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.

WWW.ROTHWELLAUDIOPRODUCTS.CO.UK 01204 366133 INSURANCE AND BUSINESS

MUSIC PUBLISHERS

Excellence in Music

s 3UPERB RANGE OF 1UALITY 0RODUCTS s %XCELLENT 3ERVICE s 'ENEROUS $EALER -ARGINS s #ONTACT US ./7

Office 2.05, Argentum s 2 Queen Caroline Street s Hammersmith, LONDON W6 9DX 4ELEPHONE .O s UK Sales Freephone: 0800 432 0486 Fax Number: +44 (0)20 8323 8306 s E-mail: salesuk@melbay.com

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MI MARKETPLACE OCARINAS

PIANOS AND HARPSICORDS

99x138mm ad

23/1/07

125 x 180cm

tel: 01536 485 963 fax: 01536 485 051 email: sales@ocarina.co.uk

Making Music in Schools Since 1983

t ber

4:23 pm

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MORLEY Co

020•8318•5838

Grand & Upright Pianos by Elysian, Grotrian-Steinweg, Bechstein, Monington & Weston and other famous makers

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.

John Morley Clavichords, Spinets, Harpsichords, Virginals & Celestes

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

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

www.ocarina.co.uk PIANO MOVERS

Robert MORLEY & Co Ltd. Piano & Harpsichord Makers Established 1881

H G AT 37 1 E E S t L O NDON S PERCUSSION & DRUMS

MSC ONLINE www.musicshipping.co.uk

Extensive Product Information Secure Dealer Only Section Public & DEALER Forums Online Ordering

THE MUSIC SHIPPING CO.

Drum and Percussion Accesories

NEXT DAY DELIVERY

01562 827666 sales@musicshipping.co.uk www.musicshipping.co.uk WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

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PROMOTIONAL

www.focusmerchandise.co.uk

REPAIRS

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SAXOPHONES

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MI MARKETPLACE WHOLESALERS

WIND INSTRUMENT

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

ADVERTISERS INDEX

Acess All Areas ........................................................53 Adam Hall............................................................45,55 Anglo Spanish Guitar ................................................5 Aria ...............................................................................5 Ashdown .....................................................................21 Audio Technica.........................................................48 Dawson ...............................................................30, 46 EMD.............................................................................75 Faber ..........................................................................46 Gremlin.......................................................................59 Hardcase ...................................................................40 Herga .........................................................................46 Hiwatt.........................................................................23 House Music...............................................................13 JHS .............................................................................25 Lamba .........................................................................16 Laney...........................................................................15 Leisuretec..................................................................32 Marked Events ...........................................................61 Marshall..................................................................2, 19 Messe China..............................................................49 New Moon...................................................................10 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

Peavey.........................................................................51 Retail Up!...................................................................47 Roland ........................................................................76 Rotosound .......................................................38 & 39 S.Johnson ....................................................................3 Shure ............................................................................9 Soar Valley .................................................................13 Sound Technology .......................................................1 TEAC.............................................................................4 The Sound Post........................................................28 Trinity Xtras ..............................................................37 Westside................................................................11, 35 Yamaha.............................................................26 & 27

TO ADVERTISE IN MIPRO CALL ROSIE MCKEOWN ON 01992 535 647 miPRO AUGUST 2009 71

N WITH IN ASSOCIATIO

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

MI FACE

AUGUST 2006 Cover Stars: Slash fronts the mag as MI pro asks whether endorsements really do boost sales on the frontline. The conclusion? Well, it depends… News: Trinity Mirror sells Music Mart to Sound on Sound, ABRSM and Roland team up, Roland Corps in Japan invites John Booth and Dennis Houlihan to the central board of directors, Bill Lewington celebrates 50 years.

Some musicians call it the ‘moment of the eternal now’, that point when the playing comes together and music takes over – and you never know how you are going to react. With Music and Margin the theme of this year’s JHS Event (clockwise from above), Roy Fulton and Geoff Whitehorn (both Fret King and Vintage endorsers) are clearly in the zone, while Gavin Coulson does what bassists do. Alan Morrison of the Brighouse & Rastrick Brass Band shows that inspiration can look as good as an Odyssey trumpet sounds. Danelectro’s Danny Dugan, however, proves that cool and with-it can look and feel like this. Whatever inspiration does to your physiognomy, the fact is that playing music makes you feel inside much as Spongebob looks from the outside. Making music makes you happy. And the margin? Well, take a look at the report on page 14.

Features: BMF report, JHS Event report, the UK’s brass industry, AKG profile. Products: Höfner Thin President, Vintage Zip, Digitech Brian May pedal, Ashton TMF drumkit, Bose Personal PA. Number one singles: Beyoncé (featuring Jay-Z), Déjà Vu Number one albums: James Morrison, Undiscovered. Christina Aguilera, Back to Basics

72 miPRO AUGUST 2009

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH

THE LAST WORD IN MI PRO

THE STARS’ GUITARS NOEL GALLAGHER Noel Gallagher has long been the king of cool for millions. What is more, he really – and we mean really – loves his guitars. Here are his shoulder slings of choice over the years…

1994

1998

1994

1998

Epiphone Les Paul In the years before Definitely Maybe changed everything for Oasis, like many an aspiring guitarist Noel couldn’t afford to go the whole hog with a US-made Gibson and so instead opted for the cheaper cherry sunburst Epiphone version of the Les Paul standard.

Gibson Silver Florentine Taking a swerve from his usual form for the Be Here Now tour, this intriguing semi-acoustic Les Paul in an impressively camp silver sparkle finish is a more unusual specimen for any player and a guitar for the truest of connoisseurs.

2000

1994-5 Epiphone Riviera The manufacturer that defined the Oasis sound in the mid 90s, this beautiful dark wine red late 70s Riviera was the inspiration for ten thousand schoolboys to say ‘I want one of those’.

1994-5

2000

1996 Union Jack Epiphone Riviera Probably his most iconic guitar, the Union Jack branded Riviera wielded at Oasis’ era-defining Maine Road gigs was another late 70s model and a gift from his then wife Meg Matthews – and again, the trend for young English axe wielders had been set.

1996

2005 - present

STICKING IT TO MS

Gibson ES335 Used as his main instrument on both the Don’t Believe the Truth and Dig Out Your Soul tours that have taken Oasis into the stratosphere as one of the biggest stadium rock bands on the planet, this singular Gibson with a Bigsby tremolo arm has become Gallagher’s trusted go-to guitar.

The successful Stick it to MS charity record attempt, which saw nearly 600 drummers all playing simultaneously (don’t you just wish you were there?), included MI Pro’s own Rob Baker and his dad, suitably kitted out in MI Pro livery. The bass drums, too, in pure 60s style, had the logo emblazoned for all to see... With everybody facing front, of course, we made sure those sitting beside the Bakers knew where they were.

2005

MI ICON

Rickenbacker 330 Mapleglo This stunning Ricky, covered in some suitably retro stickers, appeared on the Standing on the Shoulders of Giants tour and still occasionally pops up in Noel’s set to this day.

rom the surf players of the mid 60s to some of the biggest alternative rock icons out there, the Fender Mustang has got plenty of strings to its bow. This short-scaled bantam is affectionately held close to the hearts of a dazzling array of players and while it may be short of scale, it has proved to have more than enough personality to become a staple of the Fender line up. Introduced in 1964, the Mustang was aimed squarely at the student market alongside its cousins the Music Master and the Duo Sonic and thanks to its short scale found its first fans amongst players with smaller hands or those who simply wanted something a little different to the rest of the market. Riding the surf music boom, it swiftly became popular thanks to its individual look and interesting electronics configuration.

Fender Mustang Featuring two single coil pickups operated by on-off switches, players were able to use them singly or in parallel, as well as placing them in reverse phase – an interesting and novel approach at the time. The Mustang was also the first of Fender’s student guitars to feature a tremelo arm, a Leo Fender designed unit that is not seen on any other stock Fender guitar and has become popular thanks to its sensitivity. Manufacture of the Mustang ceased in 1981, but there was plenty of life left in it yet, as it was to prove a favourite with a new breed of alternative guitar slingers in the 90s. While Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore helped grab the Mustang a bit of cool, it was Kurt Cobain who sealed the fate of the Mustang as a true MI icon. The Mustang was re-introduced in 2002 and is made by Fender in Japan.