MMR March 2008

w w w. m m r m a g a z i n e . c o m

March 2008

2008

NAMM Show Highlights –

Analysis, Photos, Products, Awards, ‘ Best & Worst’ Picks

Piano Suppliers, Dealers Battle Tough Trends

The ART TubeFire8™ delivers the best of all worlds in one tube driven digital audio interface package. Ideal for any recording application, the TubeFire8™ adds eight incredibly warm tube driven microphone or line inputs and eight balanced outputs to any FireWire equipped computer.

Features • Shipped with Steinberg’s Cubase LE 48-track (for both Mac and Windows operating systems)

Complete FireWire Based Studio Solution Designed as a complete studio package, the TubeFire8™ is shipped with Steinberg’s Cubase LE 48-track for both Mac and Windows operating systems making it a truly plug and play recording solution, although it is compatible with many popular ASIO and Core Audio based applications.

• 8 x quality second-generation discrete Class–A vacuum tube microphone preamps • 8 x XLR & 1/4-inch TRS Combi-jack Inputs • 2 x 1/4-inch instrument jack Inputs (CH1 & 2)

Class-A Tube Design ART’s TubeFire8™ packs eight quality second-generation discrete Class–A vacuum tube microphone preamps in a single rack space audio interface with balanced I/O and FireWire connectivity.

• 8 x 1/4-inch TRS balanced Outputs

Versatile I/O

• 8 x Input Gain / Channel Level / HPF / Phase Invert

ART’s microphone preamps provide clean quiet gain while maintaining incredible transparency through the input stage. The eight balanced outputs of the TubeFire8™ can be driven from either the analog microphone preamp inputs making the TubeFire8™ an in-line eight channel tube preamp, or from the internal high quality D/A converters making it a high quality multi-channel audio output for your PC.

• 8 x Channel Metering

Full Input Control & Low Latency Monitoring Every input channel offers both XLR input and 1/4-inch TRS balanced input with 70dB of gain. All inputs have –10dB Pad, High Pass filter, Phase Invert clip indicators and a wide range LED meter to monitor the preamp levels. The eight balanced outputs can be summed to an integrated headphone output providing either a mono or stereo mix function for low latency input monitoring and for monitoring audio playback from the computer.

• 1 x 1/4-inch TRS headphone jack

(4 bar led graph w/ clip indicator)

• 44.1KHz, 48KHz, 88.2KHz, 96KHz Sample Rates • 24-204KHz External sample rate • 44.1K, 48K, 88.2K, 96K, 176.4K, 192K Internal sample rates

We have delivered leading edge products with exceptional tone and versatility which have gained the loyalty of musicians and sound engineers worldwide – on the road, in nightclubs, arenas, recording studios, auditoriums, churches, basements, garages, bedrooms – wherever there’s a need to capture your creativity or amplify it, ART is a brand you can trust. a r t p r o a u d i o . c o m

Contents (Photo: NAMM, The International Music Products Association.)

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MARCH 2008 VOL.167 NO. 3

Features

THE PIANO MARKET 32

Dealers: Tough Times in ’07, Challenges Ahead An e-mail survey of stores merchandising acoustic and digital pianos confirms that 2007 was hardly a banner year for the home keyboard market. Dealers also comment on the current picture and trends in piano styles and finishes.

38

Piano Supplier Report: A Brightening Forecast?

The American piano market has been soft, but many suppliers report an encouraging NAMM Show and express cautious optimism going forward in 2008.

52

Keyboard Products & People

2008 NAMM SHOW 58 Anaheim Show Tops 1,500 Exhibitors, 88,000 Attendees With the industry embroiled in a period of rapid change and the American economy buffeted by some severe headwinds of its own, there were plenty of negatives as this year’s NAMM Show approached. But when it was over, NAMM ‘08 proved to be yet another stellar performance on virtually every front …

72

68 Happy Anniversary! … MMR checks in with selected companies celebrating significant birthdays this year.

72

Dealer’s Choice Awards Winners of the 2007 MMR Dealer’s Choice awards received plaques recognizing the results of dealer voting for the outstanding products in major categories. In all, 18 Dealer’s Choice awards were presented during this year’s show.

76 Best & Worst

122

From frozen yogurt to too-loud lobbies, we identify the highlights and low points of the Anaheim extravaganza.

79 Korg USA Show Highlights 80 Meet the Press -Exhibitors Showcase Their Latest Innovations A rundown of press conferences and parties, “media tours,” product walk-throughs, photo opps, and dog-and-pony shows that kept the press corps hopping.

122

NAMM Notables: New Gear Galore

134

Sound & Light: American Audio’s SD Players Shrink DJ Libraries, Expand Dealer Profits

Departments www.MMRmagazine.com

4 Editorial 8 Upfront

24 People 26 Letters

136 Classifieds 144 Advertisers’ Index

MMR Musical Merchandise Review® (ISSN 0027-4615) founded in 1879, is published monthly by Symphony Publishing, LLC, 21 Highland Circle, Suite 1, Needham, MA 02494 (781)453-9310, publisher of School Band and Orchestra, Choral Director, Music Parents America and JazzEd. All titles are federally registered trademarks and/or trademarks of Symphony Publishing, LLC. Subscription Rates: U.S.A., US possessions, one year $32; two years $40. Canada one year $80; all other countries one year $159. Single issues $5 each. May Supplier Directory $35. Periodical-Rate Postage Paid at Boston, MA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER/SUBSCRIBERS: Send address change to Musical Merchandise Review, P.O. Box 8548, Lowell, MA 01853. Periodicals circulation is directed to music dealers and retailers, wholesalers and distributors, importers and exporters and manufacturers of all types of musical instruments and their accessories, related electronic sound equipment, general musical accessories, musical publications and teaching aides. The publishers of this magazine do not accept responsibility for statements made by their advertisers in business competion. No portion of this issue may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. Copyright ©2008 by Symphony Publishing, LLC, all rights reserved. Printed in USA.

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MARCH 2008

Editorial

®

Volume 167, Number 3, March 2008 PUBLISHER Sidney L. Davis sdavis@symphonypublishing.com EDITOR Don Johnson djohnson@symphonypublishing.com

A Hard Look

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Kevin Mitchell kmitchell@symphonypublishing.com

E

conomics is sometimes called “the dismal science,” but a more fitting term might be the dysfunctional science. Scanning the newspapers and the Internet these days, we learn we are (a) approaching a recession or (b) already in a recession … or (c) about to enter a short, mild recession that will be over by the 4th of July.

It’s basically a matter of take your pick, and the media’s prevailing wisdom as of this weekend held that if consumers think it’s a recession, then it is. A strange “science” indeed.

One thing can be said with certainty: we’re sure not in the middle of a boom. The sub-prime mortgage fiasco, the inexorable outflow of U.S. manufacturing jobs, skyhigh energy prices, huge credit-card debt, and the $2 trillion adventure in Iraq have combined to suggest that if we’re not in a recession now, it’s a pretty good impersonation of one.

As we report in this issue, the 2008 NAMM Show was another blockbuster, but the California show’s performance begs the question as to whether this juggernaut bears any connection to the real world of business after the ball is over. The next quarter or two should provide some answers.

Staples, the office supply mega-chain, offers an example of how one retailer is approaching the current environment with a carefully measured tightening up of its operation. After seeing sales decline for two consecutive quarters for the fi rst time since 2000, everything at Staples is receiving “a second or third look” by its management, according to an article in the Boston Sunday Globe. Their capital improvement budget has been cut 10 percent, corporate hiring scaled back, and stocking of higher-price computers and office furniture has also been reduced.

In addition, their “second or third look” extends to such relatively small matters as fewer luxury stationery SKUs, installing devices to limit the speed of Staples trucks to 55 miles per hour, and switching from overnight to second-day deliveries.

Of course, with more than 1,400 superstores nationwide, Staples’ course is not a blueprint for the average music store, or even for Guitar Center or Sam Ash. However, their plan does underscore ways any retailer can react to less-than-robust times. It’s also interesting to note that many analysts believe Staples can ride out the storm thanks to their core offerings, i.e. copy centers and nuts-and-bolts office necessities. Music stores likewise have their Old Reliables, not the least of which are accessories and lessons.

We’ll give the last word on the subject to John Mahoney, Staples chief financial officer. “You can get away with things not perfectly when you have robust revenue growth,” he comments. “But when you’re having a bad time it’s necessary to take a hard look at everything.”

CONTRIBUTING WRITER Christian Wissmuller cwissmuller@symphonypublishing.com ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Rick Kessel rkessel@symphonypublishing.com ADVERTISING SALES Tom Kelly tkelly@symphonypublishing.com Iris Fox ifox@symphonypublishing.com CLASSIFIED AD SALES Maureen Johan mjohan@symphonypublishing.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Laurie Guptill lguptill@symphonypublishing.com PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Michael Rueckwald mrueckwald@symphonypublishing.com GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Andrew P. Ross aross@symphonypublishing.com Laurie Chesna lchesna@symphonypublishing.com CIRCULATION MANAGER Melanie A. Prescott mprescott@symphonypublishing.com ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Popi Galileos pgalileos@symphonypublishing.com WEBMASTER Sanford Kearns skearns@symphonypublishing.com SYMPHONY PUBLISHING, LLC Xen Zapis • Chairman Lee Zapis • President lzapis@symphonypublishing.com Rich Bongorno • Chief Financial Officer rbongorno@symphonypublishing.com Corporate Headquarters 26202 Detroit Road, Suite 300, Westlake, Ohio 44145 440-871-1300 www.symphonypublishing.com PUBLISHING, SALES & EDITORIAL OFFICE: 21 Highland Circle, Suite 1, Needham, MA 02494 (781) 453-9310 Fax: (781) 453-9389 www.mmrmagazine.com

djohnson@symphonypublishing.com

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MARCH 2008

PIANODISC MUSIC LIBRARY The World’s Finest Piano Music Software 800.566.DISC ~ www.PianoDisc.com

Upfront Roland to Acquire Major Share of Cakewalk On Jan. 17, Roland Corp. announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire a major share of Cakewalk, the Bostonbased developer of software products for music creation and recording.

Roland and Cakewalk have been partners since 1995, and have cooperated closely on numerous business projects and complementary product lines. In 2003, Roland augmented its partnership with Cakewalk by becoming a minor shareholder in the corporation. As a part of that relationship, Roland gained exclusive worldwide sales distribution rights with the exception of Cakewalk’s U.S. home territory.

Hidekazu Tanaka, president of Roland, and Greg Hendershott, CEO of Calkwalk, shake hands on the new agreement.

Roland expanded its commitment to the Cakewalk product line even when it began bundling Cakewalk software such as Sonar LE with a wide range of Roland/ Boss/Edirol products. In recent years, the two companies co-developed and released innovative recording solutions, including the SONAR Power Studio.

Recently, Cakewalk adopted Roland’s REAC technology (Roland Ethernet Audio Communication) to develop the SONAR REAC Recording System, capable of recording up to 40 channels of high-quality audio directly input to a PC via an Ethernet port.

Roland Corp. president Hidekazu Tanaka, relates, “Through this mutually beneficial partnership, both corporations have enjoyed a marked increase in sales and market share. As a logical evolution of our relationship, we have decided to increase our investment in Cakewalk by becoming its major shareholder.”

New products will be branded as “Cakewalk by Roland.”

Greg Hendershott, founder and CEO of Cakewalk, said, “We all look forward to working on new projects we have planned with Roland. Our two companies work well together and our respective customers will benefit from our ongoing collaboration.

Roland makes great hardware. Cakewalk makes great software. The combination has the power to make a powerful difference in the world of music and audio creation.”

Steinway Piano Sales Up 10% in ‘07 Steinway Musical Instruments Inc. said on Jan. 8 it expects to report a 10 percent increase in 2007 piano sales and flat band instrument sales. The company said piano sales in Europe and Asia advanced 23 percent, while U.S. piano sales rose three percent.

Grand sales fell four percent, as sales increases in Europe and Asia fell short of offsetting an 11 percent dip in U.S. sales.

Boston and Essex pianos jumped 36 percent.

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For 2008, Steinway predicted a stable scenario for band instruments. The company also expects better margins in its band segment due to production efficiencies.

In the piano division, the company expects a challenging U.S. and Western European market this year, but anticipates growth in Eastern Europe and China. The company plans to reduce inventories and adjust production to match demand in 2008.

Steinway shares fell 26 cents to $25.74 on the day of the preliminary report.

Gibson, TC Group Plan Merger On Jan. 18, Gibson Guitar and TC Group announced that they are planning to merge. The announcement was made at the NAMM Show by Gibson chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz and the CEO of TC Group, Anders Fauerskov.

The TC Group, headquartered in Risskov, Denmark, develops and manufactures audio products for professionals and musicians. The company has a number of premium brands of pro audio technology and produces amplifiers, speakers, digital processors, guitar pedals, and other pro audio and MI products.

TC Group’s customers include musical artists, recording studios, television and radio/TV stations, theatres, commercial installations, and home entertainment.

“This merger will revolutionize the music industry for many years to come,” said Gibson’s Juszkiewicz.

“The synergy between the two companies will allow us an enormous advantage in the development of new audio technologies and brings together two of the world’s most powerful brands.”

“The opportunities ahead are very exciting for us,” said Fauerskov of TC Group. “This merger will create exciting new opportunities for all employees within TC Group and Gibson and, in particular, fantastic new tools for our markets and customers. This partnership will allow us to expand our leadership position in the marketplace.”

The announcement marks a preliminary agreement between the two companies. Under the terms of the merger, Fauerskov will remain based in Europe and serve as chief operating officer of the new combined Gibson Guitar Corp. The companies were expected to finalize the deal by the end of February. Terms were not disclosed.

MARCH 2008

l a s t s e a s o n , S t e i n way s e t t h e s ta g e f or

9 8 % of c onc e rt a rt i s ts.

9 8 % o f s o l o i s t s c h o s e S t e i n way d u r i n g t h e 2 0 0 6 / 2 0 0 7 C o n c e rt S e as o n .

S t e i n way : 4 9 1 2006/2007 Concert Season:

Steinway | Others

Steinway | Others

Akron Symphony Orchestra Alabama Symphony Orchestra Albany (GA) Symphony Orchestra Albany (NY) Symphony Orchestra Anchorage Symphony Orchestra Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Asheville Symphony Orchestra Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Austin Symphony Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra Bellevue Symphony Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra Boise Philharmonic Boston Symphony Orchestra Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Canton Symphony Orchestra Charlotte Symphony Chicago Symphony Orchestra Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra The Cleveland Orchestra Colorado Symphony Orchestra Columbus Symphony Orchestra Dallas Symphony Orchestra Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra Detroit Symphony Orchestra East Texas Symphony Orchestra Erie Philharmonic Eugene Symphony Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra The Florida Orchestra Florida West Coast Symphony Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra

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0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

Other Pianos: 10

Fox Valley Symphony 1 Fresno Philharmonic Orchestra 3 Glenn Falls Symphony 6 Greensboro Symphony Orchestra 3 Greenville Symphony Orchestra 3 Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra 3 Hartford Symphony Orchestra 5 Honolulu Symphony Orchestra 6 Houston Symphony 7 Huntsville Symphony Orchestra 2 Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra 7 Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra 4 Kansas City Symphony 3 Knoxville Symphony Orchestra 3 Lexington Philharmonic 2 Long Beach Symphony Orchestra 1 Los Angeles Philharmonic 18 Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra 5 Louisville Orchestra 4 Memphis Symphony Orchestra 2 Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra 7 The Minnesota Orchestra 11 Mississippi Symphony Orchestra 2 Naples Philharmonic Orchestra 3 Nashville Symphony 7 National Symphony Orchestra 8 New Jersey Symphony Orchestra 5 New Mexico Symphony Orchestra 3 New West Symphony 3 New York Philharmonic 10 The New York Pops 3 North Carolina Symphony 6 Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic 1 Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra 3 Omaha Symphony Orchestra 2 Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal 7

Warm. Rich. Powerful. Unmistakable. Only a handmade Steinway piano can bring every musical emotion to life.

Incomparable sound and craftsmanship make Steinway pianos the

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Steinway | Others

Oregon Symphony Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra Pacific Symphony Palm Beach Pops Pensacola Symphony Orchestra The Philadelphia Orchestra The Phoenix Symphony Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Portland Symphony (ME) Quad City Symphony Orchestra Reno Chamber Orchestra Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra San Antonio Symphony San Diego Symphony San Francisco Symphony Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra Seattle Symphony Orchestra South Carolina Philharmonic Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra Spokane Symphony Syracuse Symphony Orchestra Toledo Symphony Toronto Symphony Orchestra Tucson Symphony Orchestra Utah Symphony Vancouver Symphony Virginia Symphony West Virginia Symphony Orchestra Wichita Symphony Orchestra Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra Winston-Salem Piedmont Triad Symphony Youngstown Symphony Orchestra

3 4 4 4 2 9 4 8 2 1 2 6 9 10 4 3 11 3 8 7 2 1 4 6 4 11 4 6 12 3 2 2 3 1 3

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overwhelming choice of today’s concert artists and prestigious music schools. For information about our Concert & Artist program, and a current roster of Steinway Artists, please call 1-800-366-1853.

One Steinway Place, Long Island City, New York 11105. 1-800-366 -1853. www.steinway.com ©2008 Steinway & Sons. Steinway & the Lyre are registered trademarks. Photo of Emanuel Ax, Lorin Maazel and the New York Philharmonic by Chris Lee.

Upfront Guangzhou MI Expo Set for April 5-7 Launched in 2003, the China (Guangzhou) Musical Instrument Expo is well on its way to becoming the largest professional expo in South China, serving as a platform for music manufacturers and distributors to do business, and music lovers to communicate.

The show caters to manufacturers and suppliers of all types of musical instruments and accessories who want to launch or expand sales in China, and also to international dealers who want to source from a wide range of Chinese- and Asian-made instruments.

According to Expo organizers, Guangdong, one of China’s biggest mu-

sical instruments manufacturing and consuming provinces, with a large population of well-heeled consumers and a growing middle class that values culture, entertainment, and education, is an ideal venue for holding expo of this kind.

The 5th China (Guangzhou) Musical Instrument Expo, to be held Apr. 5-7, 2008, will present both Chinese traditional and western instruments. Based on exhibit sales to date, it’s predicted that approximately 500 companies will be exhibiting in an area of 280,000 square feet, including the Sound + Lighting Expo, held concurrently.

There also will be series of seminars and conferences held in conjunction with the show, including the premiere Distributors Conference where top musical instrument distributors, importers, and exporters will gather together to share experiences and insights.

For more information, visit: www. guangzhoumusic.cn and www.soundlight.cn

Music Ed Software & Hardware Alliance Formed MakeMusic, Inc. (Nasdaq:MMUS) announced on Jan. 18 that it has formed a partnership with Garritan, Steinberg, and Yamaha that will provide integrated solutions to the music education market in the United States.

Announced at the NAMM Show, the Music Education Software and Hardware

(MESH) initiative brings together hardware, software, sound content, and curriculum to provide turn-key solutions for today’s music educators, who are often faced with an array of products that can be difficult to navigate and integrate. In addition to aggregating four major components of music education technology into a seamless bundle, the alli-

Hal Leonard Distributes MVD Performance DVDs Hal Leonard Corp. has signed a distribution deal with Oaks, Pa.-based MVD Entertainment Group, one of the primary producers of music performance DVDs. Under the terms of the agreement, Hal Leonard will exclusively distribute MVD DVDs to the music trade.

Since 1999, MVD has released more than 700 titles in styles ranging from jazz and blues to alternative rock and hiphop. Hal Leonard will initially distribute select MVD bestsellers catering to musicians as well as music fans. Titles featuring Bill Bruford, Mike Stern, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Sublime, Robben Ford, and War, among others, made their Hal Leonard debut at the NAMM Show.

Doug Lady, Hal Leonard senior vice president of sales, comments, “We are very pleased to be working with MVD. 10 MMR

Their wide selection offers something of interest to all music lovers. The titles we are concentrating on for the music trade feature artists respected and admired by musicians. They dovetail with our instructional publications and will round out our DVD catalog nicely.”

Ed Seamaen, chief operating officer of MVD, says, “Hal Leonard is the best in the business at reaching the musical instrument trade. We know that a lot of our content hugely appeals to musicians, and what better way to reach those musicians than in their favorite guitar or drum shop.”

For more information or to place an order for MVD DVDs, call the Hal Leonard E-Z Order Line at 1-800-554-0626, send a message to sales@halleonard.com, or visit www.halleonard.com/dealers.

ance will also provide training to teachers based in the United States, enabling them to fully use the power of computer music technology solutions.

“MESH is truly greater than the sum of its parts,” said Gary Garritan, president of Garritan. “We will not only provide recommended systems tailored to individual educator’s needs, but also work in the future to advance integration between our products, making it easier than ever before for teachers to take advantage of music technology.”

“Because Yamaha Corporation of America distributes both Yamaha and Steinberg products in the United States, we can provide a large part of these music technology solutions,” said Terry Lewis, executive vice president, Yamaha Corporation of America. “But when best-inclass companies like Garritan and MakeMusic join with us to form a team, the possibilities are astounding.”

“MakeMusic is committed to transforming and enhancing the experience of making, teaching and learning music,” said Ron Raup, co-CEO, MakeMusic. “As such, we believe the MESH Technology Alliance represents a perfect fit for both our products and our mission.”

For more information, visit www. makemusic.com MARCH 2008

Upfront Eight Elected to NAMM Board Eight new board members were elected at NAMM’s Annual Meeting of Members, held during the NAMM Show. From left: Neil Lilien, Meisel Music; Jon Harris, Harris/Teller; Chip Averwater, NAMM chairman; Lee Paynter, J.W. Pepper; Liane Pieffer Rockley, Rockley Music; John Tarpley, Tarpley Music; Joe Vasko, Mapex Drums, USA; Robin Walenta, West Music Co.; Robert Wilson, Sound Technology (UK), and Joe Lamond, NAMM president and CEO.

Exiting the NAMM board after completing their terms are: Rick Drumm, J. D’Addario & Co.; Gary Hanser, HHI (Hanser Holdings, Inc.); Bryan McCann, Instrumental Music Co.; Dale Miller,

DJ Miller Music Distributors; Jerome Murphy, M. Steinert and Sons; Richard Rejino, Brook Mays Print Music; Dean Samuel, Samuel Music Co.; and Denny Senseney, Senseney Music.

Alfred Salutes Carlos Santana

Carlos Santana, Aaron Stang, and Ron Manus.

During the NAMM Show, Alfred Publishing honored Carlos Santana with its Lifetime Achievement Award. On Jan. 18, a crowd of fans gathered to view Santana receive the award, presented by Alfred executive vice president Ron Manus and Alfred’s acquisitions editor, Aaron Stang.

“It is a great honor to be able to join together and commemorate Car-

los Santana’s 40 years of talent and innovation,” remarked Manus. “He is a true legend – inspirational in his music, humble in his accomplishments, and worth far more appreciation than mere words can express. We at Alfred are privileged to be able to publish his music and share it with musicians worldwide.”

Guild Manufacturing to Ovation/Hamer Facility Fender Musical Instruments Corp.

(FMIC) announced on Jan. 31 it will move production of Guild Guitars from Tacoma, Wash. to its newly acquired Ovation and Hamer Guitar manufacturing facility in New Hartford, Conn. The move will take place as a phased operational transfer, expected to be completed before the end of the year.

FMIC’s recent acquisition of Bloomfield, Conn.-based Kaman Music Corp. also included the purchase of KMC’s Ovation and Hamer guitar brands, and their manufacturing facility in New Hartford, Conn. After closing the KMC acquisition, an extensive review of the Tacoma and New Hartford manufacturing facilities was conducted to determine the best long-term home for Guild produc12 MMR

tion. The fi nal decision to relocate Guild to New Hartford was driven by FMIC’s desire to improve overall production processes as well as meet the growing demand for Guild throughout the world.

“We are committed to moving forward in a strong and focused way to ensure that Guild instruments continue to meet the highest standards of quality, affordability, and accessibility for our consumers,” said Bill Mendello, chairman and CEO of Fender. “This decision will allow us to accomplish goals we would otherwise not be able to meet in our Tacoma facility, while continuing our longterm commitment to manufacturing world-class guitars in the United States.”

Select Tacoma brand guitar models will soon follow in the transition.

Approximately 70 Tacoma, Wash.based FMIC employees will be affected by the move throughout the year and will be provided with assistance, including retention and severance packages, benefit continuation, and outplacement services.

Founded in 1952, Guild began its rise from a small Manhattan guitar workshop to one of the world’s premier makers of high-quality acoustic (and several popular electric) guitars. The fledgling company originally set up a 1,500-square-foot manufacturing facility on the second floor of a factory near the base of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Guild Guitars became a brand of the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation in 1995.

MARCH 2008

Ask about our new Hospitality Series!

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Upfront Terry West Promoted to Pearl President/CEO Effective Feb. 1, Terry West has been promoted to president/CEO of Pearl Corporation USA. “Terry brings great insight and capabilities to his new position, having served Pearl in a variety of capacities for over 20 years,” says vice president of Pearl Musical Instruments Worldwide, Tak Isomi. “In his many roles, Terry has demonstrated the ability to manage programs and effectively implement change in addition to providing industry expertise and oversight. I believe this new assignment broadens this highly respected leader and I have absolute confidence that,

under his leadership Pearl Drums, Adams Musical Instruments, and Pearl Flutes will continue its success.”

West has been an integral member of the Nashville-based company since 1987, when he came aboard as art director. During his tenure, West has managed several different aspects of Pearl Corporation, including stints as director of advertising, director of artist relations, executive vice president, and most recently as chief operating officer.

Pearl Corporation is a division of Pearl Musical Instruments, manufacturer of drums, percussion instruments, and flutes. The company is also the exclusive U.S. distributor of Adams concert percussion and Hughes & Kettner guitar amplifiers.

American Way Inks 5 Distribution Deals American Way Marketing has announced five new distribution agreements that became effective during the NAMM Show. As a result, AWM will now provide products from BG France, Claude Lakey Mouthpieces, Marca Reeds, Peter Ponzol Mouthpieces and Reeds, and SaxMute.

BG France features ligatures, straps, instrument stands, and mouthpiece and pad accessories. Claude Lakey specializes in handcrafted woodwind mouthpieces for alto, soprano, tenor sax and clarinet.

Marca Reeds offers a full line of handfi nished French cane reeds from student

to artist-endorsed reeds. Peter Ponzol manufactures handcrafted mouthpieces for alto, soprano, tenor sax, and clarinet in hard rubber, stainless steel, and anodized aluminum. A full line of reeds from the finest aged French cane is also available. SaxMute is a unique mute system for saxophones and clarinet that, American Way notes, “will astound you with how well they perform, losing no intonation.”

For more information, call 1-800-3310664 or email info@americanwaymktg. com.

From left: Franck Bichon, BG France; Nicolas Righi, Marca Reeds; Peter Ponzol, Peter Ponzol Mouthpieces & Reeds; and Nick Bogden, Claude Lakey Mouthpieces.

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Trade Regrets: Joe Desmond On Jan. 16, longtime MI and audio executive Joe Desmond lost his brief but courageous battle against cancer at home with his family at his side.

Joe Desmond was born in Boston on July 8, 1953 to Rita and Joe Desmond. The youngest of four and the only boy, Joe proved to be full of life from day one. He often loved to recount his childhood antics from growing up in Boston to his days of Catholic boys’ boarding school, where he was sent to “straighten him out.”

Those who know Joe best know that this was never to happen. Joe moved from Boston to San Francisco in the early 1970s and combined his love of music and his sales ability to land a job at the Guitar Center on Van Ness Avenue. There he started a long and successful career in the music and pro audio industry. Desmond worked at both Guitar Center and K&K Music and, in 1986, became the national/international sales manager for Furman Sound Inc. where his passion for audio and sales savvy transformed Furman into a leader in the pro audio business.

He remained at Furman until 2004 when he struck out on his own, forming Joe Desmond & Associates with his wife, Pam Desmond.

In addition to his wife, survivors include his daughter, Jillian, and son, Ben, and his mother, Rita Desmond.

MARCH 2008

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Upfront Taylor, Fender Join Forces in Europe Taylor Guitars and Fender Musical Instruments Corp. have announced a strategic relationship between the two companies to raise Taylor’s brand awareness throughout Europe. Fender Europe’s new Taylor Division will be the exclusive distributor for Taylor guitars in Europe, Africa, and most of the Middle East, and is expected to commence distribution operations on July “The world has become more and more flat, with cultural, currency and trade barriers becoming less and less,” commented

Sennheiser Kicks Off ‘Right Mic’ Campaign At the NAMM Show Sennheiser launched the first segment of its comprehensive “The Right Mic” campaign targeted to virtually every business selling a Sennheiser microphone to an end-user.

Sennheiser has created a complete line of hangtags for every instrument that say, “The Right Mic for Your Guitar,” “The Right Mic for Your Hi-Hat,” “The Right Mic for Your Saxophone,” and so on. To complement the hangtags, there are also posters promoting microphones for vocalists, for example “The Right Mic for Paramore.” In addition, Sennheiser is providing table cards and a pocket-sized brochure covering all the information the end-user needs to select “The Right Mic.” Sennheiser will roll out the program in phases. In addition to in-store material, a complete online program is in the works.

Kurt Listug, co-founder and CEO of Taylor Guitars. “With the advent of the European Union, the adoption of a common currency, and the free movement of goods across borders, a huge opportunity has been created to do more commerce at a higher level.

Fender has proven the concept of an American guitar and amp company successfully exporting their business model to Europe, and achieving much higher sales and brand awareness as a result.”

Listug said he approached Fender with the idea of distributing Taylor guitars in Europe after learning how successful Fender had been with their overseas sales model. “Bill (Mendello, Fender CEO) shared his experiences in creating Fender Europe with me a few years ago, and invited me to see their European operations firsthand. I spent a week visiting their warehouse, sales

Fender’s Andy Rossi, Jon Gold, and Bill Mendello and Taylor Guitar’s Kurt Listug and Bob Taylor.

offices, and even their Düsseldorf custom shop showroom. I was blown away by their incredible success in Europe, and the huge potential of their sales model for Taylor.”

“We are extremely pleased to be working closely with Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug, two admired industry leaders who have built Taylor into a premier guitar brand,” said Bill Mendello. “By providing our expertise in sales, marketing, warehousing, and logistics, we look forward to enhancing their success throughout the European market.”

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16 MMR

MARCH 2008

It’s Not the Country of Origin That Matters, It’s the Company of Origin.

© 2008 Yamaha Corporation of America www.yamaha.com

Upfront ‘Silver Surfer’ Showstopper Over the years Hoshino’s Ibanez/Tama NAMM Show exhibit has featured everything from a smoke-breathing 17foot Godzilla-like monster to dystopian visions of the end of the world. This year’s must-see center display featured

a life-sized version of Marvel’s Silver Surfer, which arguably was the numberone NAMM photo-op spot as attendees stopped, stared, and then persuaded others to take their pictures with the striking statue.

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18 MMR

Guitarist Joe Satriani stands by “The Silver Surfer” statue, the centerpiece of Hoshino’s Ibanez Guitar/Tama Drum exhibit at the 2008 NAMM Show.

Explained Bill Reim, president of Hoshino (USA), “The Silver Surfer was chosen to highlight two anniversaries: The 20th anniversary of Joe Satriani’s album, Surfing with the Alien, which featured the Silver Surfer on the cover, and the 20th anniversary of Joe’s relationship with Ibanez guitars as one of our most important artist-endorsers.”

Naturally enough, the Silver Surfer is holding a limited-edition Ibanez Joe Satriani Signature electric guitar featuring a three-dimensional representation of, who else, the Silver Surfer himself.

Raid Yields Counterfeit Mics in China Shure Incorporated has announced that large quantities of counterfeit microphones, which were being sold in India, were traced to their source, Easlem Sound Instrument Factory (also known as Xingyou Electronics Equipment Co. Ltd.) in Guangzhou, China.

For months, Shure worked with private investigators and local authorities in China to uncover the location of the counterfeiter’s manufacturing operations. In cooperation with the Jiangmen and Enping Technology and Science Bureaus (TSBs), Shure raided Easlem’s Enping City-based factory, known as Enping Yi Xing Electronics, where evidence was obtained that the factory was producing counterfeit Shure and other brands of microphones.

“This is not just a Shure problem,” said Sandy LaMantia, president and CEO of Shure. “It is a pro audio industry problem, and we are committed to fighting this criminal activity. We are grateful to the authorities in China for their help in this raid and will vigorously continue our efforts in China and the rest of the world.”

MARCH 2008

In 1864 Antonin Petrof built his rst concert grand piano. Since then his family has continued in the same tradition of expert instrument craftmanship. Petrof Piano Company of Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic is extending their international success to the U.S. market and has announced the formation of PETROF U.S.A., LLC, a new factory owned subsidiary that will be responsible for all sales, distribution and marketing in the United States beginning December 1, 2007.

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Overall Supplier Excellence Music Inc. Supplier Excellence Awards, 2007

Companies to Watch NAMM’s Best in Show Awards, 2008

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People Hal Leonard names Mark Mumford to the newly created position of director of European sales & marketing. He has been working with Hal Leonard since Mumford 2003, when he and his UKbased MusiWorks Services Ltd. consulting company were contracted to help more aggressively promote and market Hal Leonard educational publications throughout Europe. Mumford previously held management positions with International Music Publications, Music Sales Group, Warner Bros. Publications UK, and MakeMusic! Inc. KMC promotes Roger Hart to director of merchandising for the company’s consolidated distribution business. A 15-year Kaman veteran, Hart has worked Hart in a variety of roles in purchasing and marketing. In his new role, he will lead Kaman and Musicorp’s merchandising team, working closely with current and potential suppliers to determine product assortment and offering, selling propositions, and seek out new product for marketplace. He will also manage the distribution side of KMC and Musicorp’s Fender Accessory program and will continue to manage the Genz Benz product line.

KMC also promotes Jim Stanek to product manager overseeing both Dixon and Sabian product lines. He began his career with KMC in 1999 as an inside sales rep.

Stanek In 2001, Stanek joined the marketing staff as a percussion product specialist and over the past three years

has served as the liaison between KMC and Sabian, creating sales programs and deals for both the KMC and Musicorp sales teams. Prior to joining KMC, Stanek was a drum shop manager and buyer for Falcetti Music, Springfield, Mass.

Phil Celia joins Crown International as Eastern regional sales manager. Celia reports to Deb Frantom, Crown’s director of U.S. sales. A familiar face to the Celia professional audio industry, Celia is best known for his 14-year tenure with Fostex America, where he spent the past five years as general manager.

Propellerhead Software appoints Gerry Bassermann as director of North American markets. He will serve as the Propellerhead ambassador to the U.S. and Bassermann Canada, helping to spread the brand, image, and goodwill in the territory, as well as act as a hub for all North American sales and marketing activity in close coordination with U.S. distributor Line 6 and Canadian distributor Music Marketing. Bassermann is an industry veteran, musician, composer, and sampling pioneer who has worked as product specialist for many pro audio companies including E-mu, Opcode, Digidesign, Antares, Mackie, and Zoom.

Gian Piero Staffa has been named Behringer vice president of sales, Europe. Active in the MI and pro audio industry for more than 30 years, Staffa, based in Italy, will lead sales activities, growth, and development of all Behinger brands and products in Europe.

Breaking News ®

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24 MMR

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Letters

NAMM’S Oral History Project: Reaction ‘Creativity and Passion’ Reading the interviews in your article (“Voices of the Industry: The NAMM Oral History Program”) prompted me to pause and reflect on not only the diversity of this thing we call the music products industry, but also on the creativity, passion, and drive clearly apparent in the leaders and luminaries (many no longer with us) from all segments of the industry. The interviews clearly reflect the creativity and passion that makes our industry so exciting.

26 MMR

Thank you for bringing this important and meaningful NAMM program to the attention of your readers.

Karl Bruhn Bruhn & Associates Anaheim, Calif.

‘Landmark Project’ I applaud you and MMR for recognizing the significance of the NAMM Oral History Program through such excellent coverage. I believe the program is a landmark project for our industry. I congratulate NAMM for having the tre-

mendous foresight to undertake such a substantial project, which I believe will pay dividends for years to come.

Mark Cabaniss Shawnee Press, Inc. Nashville, Tenn.

‘Music Business Education 101’ I read your article about the NAMM Oral History Program which I found to be very interesting. Those that have not logged onto this site are really missing something.

It is music business education 101.

Every new employee at every company in the business should spend a considerable

MARCH 2008

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Letters amount of time checking out these interviews. There is an arsenal of information that will benefit them in their careers.

It’s also amazing that Dan Del Fiorentino has gathered such an incredible array of people to interview and it never stops. He is constantly adding new interviews to the site. I look forward to the next additions.

Keith Mardak Hal Leonard Corp.

Milwaukee, Wis.

‘Covering All the Facets’ I thought I would drop you a note to say thanks for the great article on the NAMM Oral History project and Dan Del Fiorentino. Having these types of interviews on fi le and available to future generations is invaluable. I know that NAMM has worked alongside the Percussive Arts Society in making all their interviews available to us, and even doing a series at a PASIC conference. I think one of the greatest aspects of Dan’s research is that he is covering all facets of our industry … from the legendary players, to the pioneers in manufacturing, to the retailers, he has an ever-growing pile of interviews. Thanks should go to Joe Lamond and Dan at NAMM for having the foresight to get this project moving, for doing such a great job at it, and for being so sharing and open with it. Bravo!

Jim Rupp Columbus Pro Percussion Columbus, Ohio The writer is the Percussive Arts Society’s drum set committee chair.

‘Right On’ What a great article about the tremendous work Dan Del Fiorentino is doing at NAMM. Your story about his Oral History project is right on, and no one can attest to that more than me! I was interviewed by him as were several other former members of two great piano companies of the past, Aeolian American Corporation and Winter & Company.

28 MMR

One was Glenn Howard who was the first traveler hired by John Gettell, sales manager of Winter. He was without a doubt the most beloved member of the piano industry. Then there was Arthur Linter, treasurer of the original Winter & Company. Later, upon the purchase of Aeolian by Winter, he became vice president and comptroller of the combined companies. He was a gentleman and a friend of every member of the sales force!

It’s unfortunate Dan was unable to interview one of the great men of the piano business, Bob Hoyman, before his death. Bob and I joined Winter in 1958 and were as close as brothers. Together, he and I revived the National Piano Travelers Association (NPTA) which now boasts over 400 members worldwide.

Wilton Syckes National Piano Travelers Association Sun City, Ariz.

‘A Bright Light’ Congratulations on the comprehensive article in the current issue of MMR on the NAMM Oral History program. We have a five-second video clip from the 1955 NAMM show in Chicago that pictures Chet Atkins, Fred Gretsch Jr., and Jimmy Webster. It’s five seconds of treasure that can’t be recreated in any way. The oral histories assembled by NAMM are priceless in their length, breadth, and detail.

Many thanks for shining a bright light on this worthwhile NAMM initiative.

Fred Gretsch Gretsch Co. Savannah, Ga.

‘Riding a Time Machine’ I was delighted to see the feature article on NAMM’s Oral History Project. Its curator, Dan Del Fiorentino, is a gifted and compassionate interviewer and a true

fan of the music industry. He is also an extremely entertaining speaker. The Retail Print Music Dealers Association has invited Dan to attend our past several conventions as a presenter. He also uses his time with us as an opportunity to capture some of our members on tape. Listening to and watching his video footage is like riding in a time machine with dozens of your closest friends. Dan’s interviews with industry giants are also a wonderful educational tool for young people coming up in the business, because to get where you’re going, you have to know where you’ve been.

Thanks to Dan Del Fiorentino for his continued dedication to this important project, and to Joe Lamond and NAMM for recognizing the value of chronicling the history of our industry. I wonder who Dan’s one thousandth subject will be?

Take it from RPMDA, everyone should stay tuned!

Madeleine Crouch Retail Print Music Dealers Association Dallas, Texas

‘Importance of Preserving Records’ Congratulations on the excellent article on the NAMM Oral History Project. I trust it will encourage others to contribute. Dan’s approach to me has resulted in Stentor’s old archive material being donated to the NAMM Museum of Making Music once it is collected together.

Recently we used memory and archives in researching a patent application. This shows the importance of preserving records through this worthwhile project.

Michael C.Doughty Stentor Music Co. Ltd. Surrey, England MARCH 2008

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Dealer Survey:

Tough Times in â&#x20AC;&#x2122;07, Challenges Ahead

A

n early January e-mail survey of stores merchandising acoustic and digital pianos confirmed that 2007 was hardly a banner year for the home keyboard market. Nearly two-thirds of respondents report â&#x20AC;&#x2122;07 sales coming in below the previous year and a majority experienced decreased sales in both vertical acoustic pianos and digital instruments. Grand business was somewhat more encouraging, as 57.7% found sales to be up or even with 2006.

Participating dealers also commented on finish and style trends in pianos and the outlook for the business this year.

32 MMR

MARCH 2008

Piano Dealer Survey Sales for my dealership in 2007 were:

Up

29.2%

Styles & Finishes “Ebony satin coming back for grands, mahogany and cherry verticals are the favorites.”

“Less traditional finishes in verticals, and leaning toward more simple designs … more ebony satin.”

62.5%

“Still high-polish ebony grands and wood-finish verticals.”

Even

8.3%

Down Vertical piano sales were:

Up

15.4%

”Traditional style grands in ebony; some interest in dark walnut and dark mahogany.”

“Darker finishes or high-polish ebony.”

“More architecture … Louis XV, Chippendale, etc. and more natural wood finishes.”

73.1%

“Straight-lined cases in ebony or dark finishes.”

Even

11.5%

Down Grand piano sales were:

MARCH 2008

“Mahogany and satin ebony … simple studio-style designs.”

“Black, black, black.”

38.5%

“Few consumers are willing to pay more for better finishes.”

19.2% Down

“Digital rather than acoustic for churches involved in contemporary music.” ”Any color as long as it’s cheap.”

Up

42.3%

“Player grands in polished black.”

“Simple black polish and an interest in more rare woods – rosewood, bubinga, etc.”

Even

”Satin black is coming back.”

MMR 33

Piano Dealer Survey

Comments & Challenges

Digital piano sales were:

Up

“I don’t look for an increase … too many Chinese pianos flooding the market with low prices and too much discounting.”

Bob Trombino, Trombino Music Centers, Belle Vernon, Pa.

52.2%

“An increase in store lessons is a must.

Come up with a plan to move students into a better instrument and out of the portable keyboard they purchased a year or two before.”

Ben Robinson, Chick Piano, Athens, Ga. “The economy is not as bad as the media tells us and fine quality products like a piano should not be put off until later.”

William D. Crabtree, Reifsnyder’s, Lancaster, Pa. “The most outstanding feature of our 2007 sales was the rise in the percentage of used pianos in relation to total sales.

Most of the new grand pianos sold were the less expensive models while, surprisingly, in sales of new pianos, more expensive verticals sold.

“I believe the outlook for piano sales in 2008 is not bright. The piano industry is facing challenges on all sides: the lack of interest shown by potential and beginner students in the face of much more exciting and faster gratifying electronic paraphernalia; more and more people spending more and more time on the Internet, in blogs, in games, in discussions, and emails and have little or no time for practicing the piano. The single biggest challenge, however, seems to be a social change of attitude as a whole over the entire population where the idea of learning to play the piano (while people who actually can are still very much admired) is no longer in any way a priority in the average household, nor can the average teenager even name the simplest of classical pieces.

“So: social changes and priorities; appalling lack of education in music and general lack of interest among educators (obviously not piano teachers); and competition for precious little available free time for extracurricular activities.

34 MMR

30.4% 17.4%

Down

Even

The average piano selling price for 2007 was:

Even

Up

24.0%

36.0%

40.0% Down My piano margins for 2007 were:

Even

Up

25.0%

33.3%

41.7% Even MARCH 2008

Comments & Challenges “If we want to bring pianos back as something more than just an ornament, we need to somehow revitalize the perception that playing the piano is fun and a source of pride and accomplishment.”

Ivan Khan, Oncore Pianos International, Dallas, Texas “Dismal at best. Lack of customers and low priority in family purchases. We’ve tried big discounts, in-house financing … just about every incentive under the sun … with horrible results.

Worst acoustic piano biz in 37 years.”

Hardt’s Music & Audio, Winona, Minn.

“Lower unit prices, lower demand, increased competition.”

Joe Onofrio, Onofrio Piano, Denver, Colo.

“Expect 2008 to remain somewhat soft, mostly as a result of the housing market.

Biggest challenge will be to remain positive, innovative, and focused.”

Tony Leonard, Playground Music, Fort Walton Beach, Fla. “My outlook is still optimistic.

Our biggest challenge is to get people excited about playing music. If they are, business will take care of itself if you work hard.”

Cary Welch, Welch Music, Boise, Idaho “The outlook is good for dealers who can get to the fall. With the election coming, sales are always good for a six-month period.

Gas prices will come down then and the country will be optimistic.”

“The biggest challenge is the competition for our customers’ time … we have to make the piano a personal ‘must-have’ that it once was.”

Silverio Mazzella, White Plains Piano & Organ Co., White Plains, N.Y. “Single challenge: sourcing and training retail sales reps.”

Bob Luptak, Steinway Piano Gallery, Coral Gables, Fla. “I think the market will remain stable for both acoustic and digital pianos. Fixed and rising overhead costs will be the greatest challenge.”

Dewey Kruger, Dewey Kruger Music, Northwood, Iowa MARCH 2008

“The piano business is going to remain tough for various reasons, one being the economy and the inability of the middle class to increase disposable income for the bread-and-butter items they used to buy, like pianos. The emphasis on math and science in the public schools isn’t helpful. Educators seem not to understand the connections between creativity in the arts and how that transfers to other subject matter.

And, of course, the fact that people of all ages continue to spend increasing amounts of time in front of electronics screens and games which provide entertainment and instant gratification.

Together they make the discipline of learning music as well as many academic subjects appear unattractive.

Parents, in many instances, don’t have the needed discipline to decide what’s good for their children.

Instead, they let their children decide what they ‘want to do.’ Many of the changes in society are well documented and are nothing terribly new.

They don’t necessarily apply to Asian students, as we have all experienced.

They want to achieve.

How spoiled have most of us become?”

Jerry Gorby, Gorby’s Music, S. Charleston, W. Va. “We are alone in promoting pianos versus sports and consumer electronics, so relevance is the primary issue.

We aren’t being considered by people who used to think piano.”

Jim Foster, Foster Family Music, Bettendorf, Iowa “Piano sales will remain flat at least through the first half of 2008.

I think gas prices and some of the negative press on housing and financing are to blame for the slowdown.”

BOORF@aol.com “Expect 2008 to continue to be soft.

Challenges are a lack of customer understanding of the price/value relationship, coupled with under-trained and underperforming sales personnel.”

Denny Senseney, Senseney Music, Wichita, Kan. MMR 35

Piano Dealer Survey

Comments & Challenges “Slow demand, low cost, high margins, but not enough volume.”

Chris Climer, WorldwidePiano.com, Dallas, Texas

Did you do any outside promotions in 2007?

No

29.2%

“Some improvement.

The biggest problem is creating the need and finding ways to reach prospects.”

Silas Lyon, Southern Keyboards, Marietta, Ga.

70.8%

“Fewer and fewer people playing the piano.

It’s a buggy-whip business.”

Joe Woods, Woods and Son Piano Co., Brighton, Colo.

“I think 2008 will be the most challenging year we’ve ever seen, but it will be a good year.

We do not concentrate on price.

We sell value. We do not look at walk-in traffic as a part of our business; this is the gravy.

“We work hard with networking and about two-thirds of our business is referral.

We promote constantly outside of the store with a strong emphasis on education.

Yes Do you plan any outside promotions in 2008?

No

Unsure

19.0% 76.9%

“If dealers worked harder on selling the benefits of music and getting people excited enough to want to buy our product, we would not have to worry about price-gouging and ridiculous margins.

“Manufacturers also need to understand that price alone does not sell pianos.”

Jim Fishback, Fresno Piano, Fresno, Calif.

“The outlook is not good.

November and December were very tough.

People are spending less on pianos and we get lots of calls from people wanting to sell their pianos. Big-ticket pianos are not selling as well, and the Internet is hurting store traffic.”

David Byce, Modern Piano, Wexford, Pa. “I expect it to be a down year.

Fewer and fewer people are coming in to buy and customers are always expecting the price to be lower each time they visit.”

Don Bellville, Marin Piano, San Rafael, Calif.

36 MMR

3.9%

Yes Over the past five years, retail competition in my market has:

Decreased

47.7%

Increased

33.3% 19.0% Remained the Same MARCH 2008

Piano Market Prole:

Making Lemonade? … current economy calls for creative approaches, suppliers stress

W

ithout question the American piano market is soft these days, yet almost all suppliers report having a strong showing at the recent NAMM Show and being “cautiously optimistic” about prospects for 2008 as a whole.

Depending on their size, the level of export business, where the pianos are manufactured, and the price points involved, each manufacturer provided a somewhat different perspective on the current state of the market. But they all universally agree on one mantra: this is the year that everyone throughout the supply chain will have to work a little 38 MMR

harder and be more creative to succeed.

Steinway & Sons’ Ron Losby echoed many when he remarked, “The days of sitting in showrooms waiting for people to come in will continue to go away.” Getting out to where the people are is fast becoming a crucial component for today’s piano retailer. But it’s not all gloom-and-doom by any means. And for those parts of the industry that are suffering, there are sales incentives and help in marketing and promotion to make the task ahead more palatable at retail.

As Theresa Perry of Haliun Pianos puts it: “If you set objectives, and won’t take ‘no’ for an answer, you’ll be more successful than if you just listen to the negativity around us.”

MARCH 2008

Young Chang

R. Todd Brown, National Sales Manager “Young Chang was looking forward to this trade show considering what we have accomplished in the last 18 months with HDC as our new partner,” said Todd Brown. “Our focus was to show the incredible changes that our factories underwent to become the most efficient manufacturing facilities in the music world and to show our dealers that we are in business with them. We did that and had an incredibly successful show and are looking forward to having a great 2008.”

The economy is making Young Chang dealers change the way they do business, becoming more efficient overall, Brown

noted, and these changes should help dealers be more profitable in the future. Also Young Chang unveiled new programs to help the dealers sell their products, the most important being a renewed emphasis on dealer education. “Every dealer needs to have a recap of how to sell from time to time and through our Young Chang Direct program, we can really help them. We want our dealers to know that they are not alone and that we are a great partner to be in business with.”

The trend he sees is toward quality, as the industry has pushed the “lowest price” campaign to its end: “These lowpriced pianos are still out there and are

not selling. Young Chang is focused on making and providing the highest quality pianos for the money. We have done that for years and have not changed. Now with the changes in our manufacturing processes, our quality level is at its highest. We feel that we offer the best value in the world.”

His advice to dealers in the new year is simple: “Buy Young Chang!” he quips, before adding: “Education is where the salespeople will excel. The salesperson can benefit from concentrating on knowing his or her craft completely. That, and staying positive, will have business coming back more frequently.”

Geneva International Earl Matzkin, President

“2007 was a tough year for us,” admits Earl Matzkin, president of Geneva International. “Our industry follows and is affected by the housing market, and we sell a product that requires disposable income – the less disposable income out there, the tougher our sales are going to be.”

But Matzkin sees relief in terms of less competition -- the tougher times may just thin out the herd a bit, as tough times tend to do. Regardless, though, Geneva is going to stay the course: “We’ve never tried to build the cheapest piano, and our brands are a step up in quality. We were on the cutting edge as far as putting European components into pianos made in Asia, and we’ll continue to do that.”

Not that it’s easy: controlling the quality has required a serious commitment, but it’s something Matzkin said they have managed successfully. The other thing they’ve been done well at is supporting the dealers.

“Everybody says they can support their dealers, but many distributors aren’t in a position to do that because they don’t have a MARCH 2008

full shop facility in the states.” Geneva operates just such a 35,000square-foot facility in Wheeling, Ill., and this plus is augmented by a highly experienced staff, many of whom have been with the organization for years.

In 2008 Geneva will be expanding their Weinbach Piano line, which Matzkin said is truly a European piano assembled in Asia -- “The scale, design, action, hammers -- everything.” The line is a step up from their Nordiska line. The company will continue to expand, adding more models and getting more aggressive in their marketing.

“At the same time, we’re all looking at 2008 with a great deal of trepidation,” he added. “We’re watching our costs, cutting back when necessary – but we’re well capitalized. We’ll just have to wait it out, and just keep doing what we’re doing and hope we get a little better share of the market.”

MMR 39

Piano Market Prole: Petrof

Al Rich, USA CEO Al Rich reported having a good NAMM Show – which is good considering it some ways it was their first. The Petrof firm, which was marketed under the Geneva banner for nearly two decades, has now set up their own distribution in the U.S. “So it was the first show out on our own, and it met all of our expectations,” said Rich. One of the most vital tasks for the Czech piano company was to assure dealers they can rely on the new distribution system. The message was simple: If you have been a Petrof dealer, you still are, and you will continue being served.

“Petrof has made a strong commitment to the U.S. market, meaning that we will have a sizable inventory to serve our dealer’s needs. Dealers don’t need to be a warehouse for suppliers, and we’ll be able to serve them in short order.”

Rich acknowledged that many dealers found last year to be a challenge -- but not all. “Several dealers said that 2007 was equal to or even better than 2006, so at least there was no backward slide,” he commented. “And dealers who had a good year last year are the ones who concentrated on the mid- and upper-level instruments rather than the entry-level market.”

He sees a continuous trend toward higher quality and higher-priced instruments. “It seems the frost is off the pumpkin on the rash of entry-level instruments that have come into the country from Asia,” he added.

Otherwise he’s noticed a trend in the number of grands versus verticals. Petrof is selling 70% grands versus 30% verticials, which is a change from just a few years ago when it was 60% verticals to 40% grands.

Style-wise, black polish is still the predominant color choice though he adds they are seeing gains with mahogany finishes as well. Size-wise, the 6’4” grand remains one of their most popular pianos.

“The dealers who had bright spots were the ones that continued to work off-site promotions, and those who had a strong emphasis on education and group teaching – in other words, those who were creating customers. We all need to go out and broaden the market.”

40 MMR

Steinway’s New President Brings “Old World” Experience to New Job

Fresh from living and working in the U.K. for a decade, Steinway’s new president of the Americas was stewing. A meeting was scheduled but no one was there. A good ten minutes went by. He checked his notes – yes, he had the right day and the right time. It was suppose to be right there on the first floor … oh wait.

That first floor.

“In Europe, there’s the ground floor and then the first floor is above that,” he laughs, citing that as one example from his adjustment period back in the U.S. “Also, I would use a word like ‘scheme,’ which over there just means a plan. But I would use it here and then have to convince people I wasn’t trying to do anything underhanded!”

Relaxed and affable, Ron Losby recounts his first few days of adjusting to the States with candor and humor. But leaving his position as managing director of Steinway U.K. and director of its European retail operations for the new position was actually a homecoming: prior to that his position in the U.K. he was a Steinway & Sons district sales manager in the Midwest from 1987 until 1998.

In addition to his business background, he also brings musical experience to his new posting, having piano performance at Julliard and graduating from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

NAMM Show was his chance to introduce himself to Steinway & Sons’ American dealers.

“The show was so good on so many different levels,” he says.

“I was able to see the dealers who knew me before my position overseas and meet others. And they did a nice tribute to the Bruce Stevens [who recently retired as Steinway & Sons president]. Obviously everyone was sad he was leaving, but everyone was also pleased and positive about the change and, because many already knew me, it made it easier.”

Not that he doesn’t have some work to do …

“While Steinway is a big name, it’s still a small business and a personal business based on personal relationships.

I think we have 77 dealers in the Americas and if I don’t learn all their names by heart, and learn the names of the people who work with them, then shame on me!”

Despite the economy, Steinway’s worldwide piano sales jumped 23% last year, with domestic sales up a little over 3%. “We’re pretty proud of that because we did hear of some not-so-rosy news out there,” Losby comments. One

“We need to be in places where the prospective customer will be.”

“Unfair” Share of Business

Officially, Losby started in his new position January 1, so the

MARCH 2008

of the things he attributes to their success was the Essex line of pianos, which he describes as a “complete home run. It’s the right price, right quality, in a beautiful furniture style -- they alone were up 36% last year. And even in the declining upright market, the uprights are doing well.”

Losby notes the Steinway-designed Essex pianos are built in China, with features typically found in higher-priced models. They perform better than anything out there in that price range, he added. But even for the “low end,” Essex pianos typically cost more than most Chinesemade pianos. “We’ll never be in the low, low end,” he stresses.

While they have had a successful 2007 with all three of their lines, including the mid-level Boston, like everyone else Steinway & Sons still faces a tough domestic economy to which even they are not completely immune. “Except for the pianist that has to have it, pianos are discretionary,” Losby notes. “They are not a necessity and we have to be cognitive of that, and address that in our sales promotions.

“What I like to say is we have our ‘unfair’ share of the business out there, but we could not do it without having the best dealers in the industry. That’s where the rubber hits the road, and our dealer network is a tremendous asset to the company.”

A World Perspective

Losby says he brings to his new job a broader perspective based on his experiences in the U.S. and overseas. “I think I can look at both sides and see the strength of each in respect to each other. I would like to improve the expectation [in the Americas].” He points out European and Asian buyers tend to be more discerning, and come into a showroom with a higher expectation as to how the product is presented.

“That’s always been interesting to me. From a merchandising standpoint, I want to take a closer look at how our pianos are displayed, how

MARCH 2008

they look on the floor, and increase the preparation that’s involved. I think we can benefit greatly if we pay greater attention to that.” In Europe, the retailers are sensitive that the customer is not necessarily looking at Steinway versus another piano, but rather a piano versus a Land Rover, a small summer cottage in Wales, or even a cruise. “We have to provide the reason to buy the piano, and all doubt has to be removed. This is done by how well the product is presented. The expectation of the consumer has to be elevated or they will be disappointed and go buy that Land Rover instead.”

He also brings a sensitivity to the position. In Asian and Europe, he typically dealt in 25 different languages, and all those different cultures required different approaches. “There’s a lot more sensitivity we can bring here – the Northeast is so different from the South, for example. Being aware of regional differences can allow us to generate activities that will attract different types of people to our products.”

Additionally, he will encourage a well-balanced promotional plan that is based on three parts: identify new customers; cultivate their interest; and instill an overwhelming desire to have the product. If the first two parts are done right, the third one takes care of itself.

“A lot of these new customers are not necessarily going to come into the showroom first, especially the impulse buyer,” he said. “We need to be in places where the prospective customer will be.” These include high-end furniture shows.

Also, sponsoring a private recital at a hospital for doctors can often lead to several good leads.

“The days of sitting in showrooms waiting for people to come in will continue to go away,” he said.

“We have to bring ourselves to the customer.”

Losby will continue the Steinway & Sons emphasis on institutional sales, which he says is a segment that is very much alive and well. He says the three lines they now offer are well suited for capturing any educational institution no matter what their budget is. They now offer a piano for every concert hall to every basement accompanying room.

“And how many people say, ‘I never want to learn the piano’?” he asks rhetorically. “We need to cultivate the desire to play, share with others how fulfilling it is to make music. As a pianist, I feel sorry for those who can’t create something -- decorate a room, arrange flowers … something that provide a creative outlet.

We have all these baby-boomers retiring and they will live well beyond retirement age. What are they going to do? Watch TV until they have a heart attack? They are too active for that and we need to get them involved intellectually, and one way is making music.”

And whatever economic weaknesses there are, it shouldn’t get in the way of the company’s success.

“When you put a quality product out there, you will have success regardless of what the market is like,” he says emphatically. “I tell people we can’t control the sub-prime loans, we can’t control the housing market … but we can control what we do. And as long as we adhere to successful strategies, we will continue to outperform the market -knock on wood ... or as they say in the U.K., ‘touch on wood.’”

“We have to provide the reason to buy the piano, and all doubt has to be removed.”

MMR 41

Piano Market Prole: Yamaha

Paul Calvin, GM, Piano Division Paul Calvin reports being busy the entire time at the NAMM Show, and being pleased about the amount of activity in the Yamaha booth -- he even expressed surprise that normally slow times, like Sunday morning, was still busy.

But he is well aware of the struggles that 2007 brought and said that dealers need to fi nd new ways to get people into the store. “The old ways are not working as well as they used to,” he declared.

“And we’re certainly trying to help dealers basically get outside of their stores.

When customers aren’t coming in, you should find a way to get out and find customers. This could mean getting your products exposed at home shows, etc.

-- any unusual opportunity. This could include working with Costco and doing a [joint] promotion. And working outside in terms of networking with others in the music business, including private teach-

ers and universities.” Finding a place where people shop, like the mall, and putting a Disklavier on display, is a great way to reach out. That’s what one dealer did, Calvin notes, complete with a call-to-action sign that tells the onlookers to pick up their cell phone and call right then to learn more about the instrument. “Things like that are a living billboard, and that’s the kind of activities we need in the business these days.”

Along with looking for new routes toward sales, Calvin advised not to forget the old. He said some piano sales staff might have forgotten some of the old “tried and tested” methods: “I’ve been in this business since 1976, and back then you had a steady practice of contacting old customers for referrals, going out and calling on churches …

some of these practices have been forgotten. It’s easy to think that if there is no one coming into the store, there is no business – but that’s not true.”

Not surprising, Calvin said their technology-driven products continue to do the best and he expects that trend to continue. Otherwise, they continue to expand their Cable Nelson line of pianos, instruments that are Yamaha-designed and built in China.

Typically these pianos run 20% less than the Yamaha instruments, and added that the two new Cable Nelson grands were especially popular at the show.

He’s looking for a positive 2008. “The housing sector will get better and that will help, so I’m cautiously optimistic,” he said.

“There is definitely business out there for those who want to aggressively go after it.”

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42 MMR

MARCH 2008

Hailun Pianos

Theresa Perry, President, Hailun Distribution, LLC “It was a great show for us,” declared “We garnered a number of new Theresa Perry. “As a young company, we dealers at the show, though we are seare at a bit of an advantage in the U.S. lective about who becomes part of the and Canadian markets – we have no diHailun family,” Perry said. “We are rection to go but up!” To illustrate the looking for those who are dedicated point, she reported their NAMM Show to this business and fair-minded and sales were up nearly 350% from last year, ethical, both with us and with the cus“so we’re feeling pretty good about that.” tomer, and also those who can respond It was only the third NAMM Show apquickly and effectively to the custompearance for the parent company, which ers’ needs.” has only been making pianos under the She maintains that there are people Hailun name since the mid-1990s. At out there who will buy pianos during the show they good and bad times, so the key is to unveiled their help dealers find what strategies work larger grands: best in a down market so they can conthe HG 198 and tinue to build market share and enjoy the HG 218. The success.

6’5” and 7’0” While she began her adult life in the models were music business, Perry eventually got an extraordinarily MBA and took a detour to work in the well received, high-tech industry -- so she’s no stranger she said. to market upheavals. “The traditional-

MARCH 2008

ist may begin to believe the doom-andgloom noises in the market and it can become a self-fulfi lling prophecy,” she commented. “But we can transport success in a way that refuses to follow that trend. I believe piano dealers can position themselves positively during down times.”

More than just words of encouragement, Perry said that Haliun has some specific strategies they can share with their dealers to help them become more creative in their approach and more successful selling pianos. Otherwise, the importance is in the ability to focus on the task at hand: “If you set objectives, and won’t take ‘no’ for an answer, you’ll be more successful than if you just listen to the negativity around us. Our U.S. corporate motto is ‘Aspire to higher performance’ and we believe in that.”

MMR 43

Piano Market Prole:

Bohemia Pianos, August Förster Bert Neidhardt, President

For Bert Neidhardt, Anaheim was somewhat a success, hampered by the reality that not all dealers made it to the show.

“2007 was a struggle,” he said. “California was a little better than the year before, but specifically in areas such as

the northeast and the upper Midwest, it was not so satisfying.” Aiming to make 2008 better, Bohemia dealers will be offered financing, as the company has begun work-

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ing with GE to reach out to dealers with floor planning options, as some dealers are simply cash-strapped.

Bucking what seems to be a general trend, Bohemia uprights are selling better than expected, and grand sales are a bit softer, Neidhardt notes. Within the uprights, the larger models are the most popular.

“Our taller uprights sound as good as smaller grands, but don’t take up nearly as much room,” Neidhardt said. “And they cost less money.”

New at NAMM was the 173 model grand that “grew” from 5’7” to 5’8”, and offers much more than the difference of an inch. Design changes to the model allow for a wider soundboard and the seemingly slight change has made for a vastly improved sound -- so much so that the model is momentarily sold out and he is waiting for more shipments on it.

“I think some dealers should get more active contacting institutions, schools, and also do more advertising,” he advises.

“Schools are good targets because they especially appreciate European instruments.”

Even though European makers like Bohemia have held the line on pricing, the euro’s rise and the dollar’s fall results in a more costly instrument. Still expect no changes, he concluded. “What works should not be changed. If people like the instrument, don’t change anything.”

The German-made August Förster pianos have also experienced a slight downturn in sales in 2007 compared with 2005 and 2006, said Neidhardt.

There were no new models released or changes in the instrument for this year, nor were their changes to how they were made or how many were available: “The point is there are only 100 grand pianos made a year, because they are made by hand,” he explained. “And that’s for the entire world!”

In general, the 6’4” models are selling better than the smaller grands. “Today everybody wants the larger-sized pianos,” he said. But not necessarily the very largest: the company offers a 9’ concert grand which sells only occasionally.

MARCH 2008

The German maker is now using different veneers, with the pyramid mahogany growing in popularity, Neidhardt reported. “There is more demand for more livelier colors.”

Currently Förster has 16 dealerships in the U.S. and he said that the company is satisfied with the number and quality of dealers.

Wyman Piano Tim Laskey, President

“The business is regional – where housing situation is the worst, piano sales are the toughest,” said Tim Laskey. “But in other places it’s not so bad -- there are bright spots.”

But the times call for “doing it all the hard way” he added with a smile. “It’s a matter of getting back to basics, including having good knowledge of the product and keeping in contact with past and future customers. You have to keep an eye out for opportunity, and when you see it, grab it.”

Experience has taught him sales training and knowledge is most valuable, and they are working to facilitate this as much as possible. Laskey is proud to be members of the Piano Manufacturers Association International (PMAI) for example. Also, he adds that they are targeting baby-boomers, especially those who used to play piano and now, with more time and money on their hands, are looking to return to the instrument.

For Wyman, there’s a move toward more contemporary styling, and to meet that trend they are offering uprights with beveled tops, and keyboard lids that close over the rim. The WV 118 DL, a 46” vertical deluxe model, was especially getting attention. “We took it to the last PTG Convention and it got very high marks,” he said.

Wyman is also attracting more artists, including some Nashville players the company is working with. This will help raise the profi le of the Wyman name with the public.

Getting tools into the hands of their dealers is an important aspect for Wyman, and something that is being emphasized now more than ever. “Point-ofpurchase displays are very important,” he said, picking one up. “You can’t just say words like ‘quality cabinet construction.’

You have to also say what that means: ‘a lifetime beauty of appearance.’”

The POP pieces act as a prop, and even a cue card, for the salesperson on the floor: by adorning the pianos with it, the customer can have key points driven home.

“We have no crystal ball, but we’re keeping our eyes and ears open,” Laskey added. “Results at this show have already been better than last year, so it’s on the upswing so far.”

Piano Market Prole:

America Sejung (George Steck, Falcone, Hobart M. Cable) Peter Hong, President

Peter Hong was pleased that more dealers than average came to his room on the second level of the convention center at NAMM – especially considering …

“I acknowledge it was a challenging year,” he said.

Working families who might think about buying a piano are likely more concerned with the economy or perhaps having mortgage problems.

Also, he said that today’s generation of parents between the age of 30 and 40 who have a child who could benefit from playing the piano aren’t as zealous about it as in previous generations, and are perhaps distracted by all the other options available to spend disposable income.

As a company whose products are typically priced in the lower- and mid-level

46 MMR

ranges, all these factors are affecting ASC more than others. “People with lower to middle incomes are in the habit of postponing anything that cost more than $1,000 when times are slow,” he noted.

ASC is reaching out to its dealers with increased discounts, he said, in hopes of engendering better dealer profitability and in hopes it will inspire them to promote and advertise more.

While the ASC room was set off by eye-catching colors – a pink baby grand, a purple upright – Hong said that those kinds of styles aren’t necessarily a trend.

Dealers who display unusual pianos benefit by attracting kids into the showroom, but when their parents start to get serious, they tend to move toward more traditional styles and colors.

“2008 will be something to watch out for – nobody can tell what will happen or how long the current economic situation will last,” he said. “How long it does last might have more to do with people’s perception of the economy than the reality.”

C. Bechstein

Ken Ambrose, CEO “2007 was a good year for us,” said Ken Ambrose. “We set up our offices in New York, and we had a projection for what we wanted to accomplish in the market and were successful.”

At Bechstein, their market segment is “ultra high-end, and it’s a small sliver of the total market. We have to have a discriminating player with money – and that’s not an easy combination to find! So it’s a small niche, but it’s also a protected niche.

Those people are still buying pianos, so we’re protected to a certain extent from the volatility of the market.”

The demographic they go after also affects the styles of their instruments, and he said they don’t do a lot of “fancy furniture” things because their buyers are really more interested in the piano’s inherent quality and craftsmanship.

Ambrose said they are optimistic going into 2008 based on the success of 2007. Also, he is pleased with the introduction of a new W. Hoffmann product line. “It’s a new line that is in the medium-price range, an area we’ve never been into before. Build in the Czech Republic, it is a great line which allows us to bring a new product into the market.” The WH 120 and WH 128, both uprights, have already caught on with many wanting Bechstein quality at a more affordable price.

MARCH 2008

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Hannes M Schimmel-Vogel, President Schimmel booked a record year in 2006 and, impressively, 2007 came in at the same level. The company was able to achieve that with new lines and products. “I was worried because the market was down 20%, and the industry had two tough years in a row,” Schimmel-Vogel said. “But our perspective is there are still a lot of opportunities out there, but you have to work harder for that same dollar.”

Schimmel now offers a Classic 6’10” grand and a 6’3” model in maple. Also, the Konzert 213, which came out at the end of last year, has been a tremendous seller even though it’s a high-end instrument, he said. Designed for smaller concert halls and for home use, it’s been met with award-winning acclaim.

There are two additional lines: The Vogel, designed by Schimmel and made in Poland, has been popular and gaining increasing attention. Then there is the May Berlin, designed by Schimmel and built in China with German parts. For the first time, Schimmel as a company now reaches all three price levels of the market.

Despite how established the piano maker is in Germany and throughout Europe, Schimmel-Vogel did admit it is tough to become better known in the U.S. consumer marketplace. Institutional sales have been easier because pianists at that level typically are familiar with the Schimmel reputation.

“We have a history of doing some fancy and unusual fi nishes, but in challenging economic times, people go for the traditional look in pianos,” Schimmel-Vogel said. “Customers will look at a special design or color in the showroom, but then typically go to the more traditional-looking instrument from there, which is understandable.”

Otherwise, there is an emphasis on providing visual displays for their dealers. Lights reflecting the name, big posters, and other POP displays are being provided to bring home the company’s reputation for quality.

But he and the company are braced for anything coming in the near future.

“We were on this long plane ride from Germany to this show, worried about things a little, when someone suddenly said, ‘2008 is going to be a great!’” he laughed. “But seriously, it’s going to be a challenging year for the whole industry.

Still, I’m optimistic. It’s just going to require a lot of hard work.”

Phil Kennedy, Director of US Sales

MARCH 2008

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Pearl River

“We have a good core dealer network out there, and they came to the show so we had better attendance than I would have expected under the current conditions,” said Phil Kennedy. “But globally, we have the most unit sales. Last year we sold 83,000 pianos, so business is good for the company. We’re up most substantially in Asia, Europe is flat, and we’re down in the U.S.” Kennedy said Pearl River has a specific and clear plan going forward to

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bolster U.S. business. “We’ll be refining our distribution policies to first respect the value and integrity of our Pearl River and Ritmüller brand names.”

Establishing pricing integrity is important – so while it might seem that slashing prices might be tempting, he feels that’s detrimental on several levels.

“We’re up against a lot of panic by a lot of manufacturers, but we feel we offer the best quality and value – and 83,000 other people feel the same way!”

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MMR 47

Piano Market Prole: He said the company secured their relationships with OEM clients and has relationships with some of the biggest names in the piano business.

“Those relationships have helped us solidify our corner of the market –and it’s telling that the three largest retailers in America have turned to Pearl River as their private-label brand.”

(Ed. Note: He refers to Jordan Kitt’s

Music, Schmitt Music, and Sherman Clay.)

“We’ve changed the color of our mahogany polish throughout the line – that’s a new addition that will help aid the dealer by offering customers the right color,” Kennedy said. “We’ve come up with a new 52” ebony polish upright, and we’re refining other Pearl River models as we speak.” But Kennedy us especially ex-

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48 MMR

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cited about the Ritmüller line, which has grown to now encompass eight models.

As for 2008: “I feel more confident in the spot we are in the world than I might, given the sheer size of the dealer network.

But everyone building $15,000 or less grands and verticals has been hurt – those segments have been soft for a while, mostly because of higher gas prices … and stupid borrowers and stupid lenders.”

Samick

Jay Cross, Marketing Manager The NAMM Show for Samick “went well – we have no complaints,” reported Jay Cross. And they weren’t getting all bad news from their dealers, either – some markets, including Chicago and Indianapolis were good, as was Utah. However, Florida dealers were hit particularly hard as the housing situation in the Sunshine State is worse than in other parts. California has suffered similarly.

Samick will be working on new ways to assist its dealers to spur sales in 2008.

“We have a lot planned but haven’t unveiled anything yet,” said Cross. Adding new dealers onboard is a focus, he added, but the top priority is taking care of the existing dealer base.

One way to take care of them is by offering new product, of which there was plenty of at the show. “I can’t remember a show where we had more new offerings,” Cross said. Front and center was a 50th Anniversary grand, a special edition designed by Phoenix Customs of Phoenix, Ariz.

Trend-wise, he sees a steady flow of grands selling, with the vertical market remaining a little soft. “At times we’ll be doing well with verticals and then we’ll hit a lull – yet I have some dealers ordering as many verticals as ever. But overall the used pianos that are out there and the digital market are taking away from new verticals.” He adds that high-end verticals are doing well for them.

MARCH 2008

Looking ahead, Cross is encouraged by the fact that, despite the tough times, they’ve added new dealers in places like California and Florida in addition to other large markets.

But the economic malaise “obviously makes our jobs tougher! But overall, I’m enthusiastic even though I know it’s an election year and that is supposed to make things more difficult; but I think we’ll see some gains. We’re focused on what we need to do.”

Grotrian

Burkhard Stein, Managing Director “We are looking back on a successful year in 2007,” said Burkhard Stein. “All models of the Grotrian pianos sell well. This is easily shown by an increase in turnover of 16% compared with the previous year. This is not a development that only took place in Europe, but also in our export markets. Even though the dollar was very weak, we did not notice any decrease in the sales in the U.S. We think that the sales in the premium field are not so much affected by these matters. People who can afford to purchase a high-quality, German-made instrument are not so much affected by the weak dollar.”

He said that their dealers were enthusiastic about their products and put in a good number of orders during the show. Also, Grotrian was able to find new dealers in markets where their pianos weren’t available before.“Exactly one year ago the Grotian Piano Company launched the new Charis 208 (7´0”) grand piano,” Stein said. “The originally planned sales figures were surpassed by far.” Also they’ve been successful with getting the piano into recital rooms throughout the world including New Zealand, South Africa, Japan, Germany, and the U.S. “The Charis accounts for 20% of Grotian’s sales and we believe it will rise still further,” Stein concluded. “It was worthwhile to fill the gap between our model Cabinet 192 (6’3”) and the Concert 225 (7’4”).”

MARCH 2008

MMR 49

Your next guitar is here...

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Worldwide trade distributors JHS & Co. Ltd. Distributed in Canada and USA by MIDC Ltd. Tel: 1 416 464 2610

Piano Market Prole: Mason & Hamlin

Tom Lagomarsino, Executive Vice President “This year’s results exceeded our expecta“We have every reason to betions,” said Tom Lagomarsino of the 2008 lieve we’ll have a successful NAMM Show. “We are thrilled. Dealers year.” showed up and we sold a great deal of invenOne of the featured piatory.” Still, he describes last year as challengnos in Anaheim was their ing and sees 2008 being “more of the same.”

Model B, which LagomarsiThe company will be pushing harder no said is for people who on their partnership program and findwant the big Mason & Hamlin sound ing ways to motivate salespeople on the in a smaller package. Despite being just floor. “We’re also working to help dealers 5’4”, it has a brilliant treble and deep, increase the salaries of salespeople on the rich bass sound normally associated floor. We’ve created a program that actuwith much bigger grands, he said. “It’s ally pays the sales person $250 to $1,000 arguably one of the largest-sound baby every time they sell a Mason & Hamlin grands built today.” piano. In hard times, we have to work toWhile most of their instruments stick gether.” with the traditional look, they are makOn the other hand, the weakness of ing more in exotic fi nishes including the U.S. dollar against foreign currency pyramid mahogany and black satin and has benefited the American-made pianos. polish. “Historically, our pianos were They are now more attractive to overseas very popular in clear fi nishes or wood buyers. “We like our position, and we like grain finishes, but the trend over the last our product mix,” Lagomarsino noted.

20 to 30 years has been toward high-pol50 MMR

ish finishes. That was driven by the European pianos. Today, people like a black shiny grand, and we’ve delivered.”

For 2008 to be successful, Lagomarsino believes retailers need to get outside the store and create leads. “And don’t give up!” he adds. “You have to have a positive attitude. The reps have to sell themselves, the store, the service – it’s a package.”

On the PianoDisc side, Lagomarsino admits those products are down a bit in the states, but international business for the player system is doing very well.

“Our iQ iPod system has been phenomenal everywhere,” he adds. “And we have a new program that allows dealers to offer customers the choice of music genres they would like to have when they buy a PianoDisc system.”

MARCH 2008

‘Our snobbery led us to assume that we’d be forced to lay into these guitars.

We were wrong, and you should ensure you don’t make the same mistake.’

Simon Bradley

www.jhs.co.uk Worldwide trade distributors JHS & Co. Ltd. Distributed in Canada and USA by MIDC Ltd. Tel: 1 416 464 2610

THE GUITAR PLAYER’S BIBLE Pic: Vintage® Advance Series™ AV2HHF

Walter Piano Company Charles Walter, President

“NAMM was good –and that was a complete surprise to me!” said Charles Walter. Those who came to his exhibit saw improvements on his pianos and some new products. First off, there was a new 50” vertical piano.

“It’s something we’ve been missing,” Walter noted. “We had dealers telling us we need at least a 48” to really move, then other dealers added, ‘why don’t you move it up two more inches?’ That has given us the edge we’ve been looking for.”

Secondly, a return to traditional looking instruments was found (the exception being they still have a more styled look on their 45” vertical).

Walter, always the engineer, was also listening what his dealers were saying about his grands – and apparently they MARCH 2008

needed a little more bottom-end. “People had expectations about our grands based on our 43” and 45” verticals – those pianos have excellent bass. But our grands were lacking it, so we’re going to be addressing that and raising the level of those instruments.”

Overall, he summed it up when he said: “Some dealers had a tough time, but some of the bigger ones seemed to do alright. But I don’t anybody was extremely pleased with 2007.

“Dealers have to play the game the way they see it coming. From the number of orders we wrote, we had reassurances that some things were working. The more plain-looking piano, and verticals 48” or above were growing.”

Their newer Victorian-style grand, with the round Athenian-styled leg was also

an instrument that resonated with dealers, he said.

“And we also heard from a number of sources that people don’t want to buy Chinese any more. All our pianos are made here, in Elkhart, Indiana.”

Breaking News Find it in the Hot News section of MMR’s Web site, www.MMRmagazine.com MMR 51

Keys PianoDisc Marks 20th Anniversary in 2008 PianoDisc is celebrating its 20th Anniversary in 2008, and marke the milestone at the NAMM Show by showing its latest technology and several new products and featuring PianoDisc artists in concerts throughout the show.

NAMM 2008 saw the debut of PianoDisc’s High Definition interactive videos (combining MIDI, audio, and video) created specifically for the modern player piano

QRS ‘Park West’ Spade Leg Grand QRS Music Technologies, Inc. announces the introduction of the Park West, a new twist on the spade leg piano, designed to appeal to the more style-conscious customer.

“The details are what make the Park West distinctive from other spade leg pianos and a cut above,” said Tom Dolan, president and CEO of QRS. “Our dealers will love this piano; we predict the Park West will be the best-selling piano in our new Signature Series Collection.”

The Park West is available in 5’4”, 6’1”, and 7’0” lengths and in satin ebony lacquer and high-polish ebony finishes. Priced at under $20,000, the model offers a level of style, performance, and design not seen in this price range. It features a music rack, cabinet banding, and leg detailing that are distinctive and bring a modern perspective to the classic design.

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system. Called PianoVideo-HD, these specially formatted DVDs allow PianoDisc system owners to view a High Definition music video while their piano plays along with it live, in sync with the pianist on the screen.

PianoDisc showed samples of their first HD videos at the show, including tracks from artists Joe Augustine, Jeffrey Biegel, Richard Glazier, Eric Himy, Oksana, Emile Pandolfi, Danny Wright, and vocalist Michael Andrew with Sam Sorensen on piano.

Also new in Anaheim was Sync-A-Vision, a media workstation that is powered

by Apple’s Mac Mini and comes with a 19” HD monitor mounted on a piano’s music rack. Sync-A-Vision in combination with a PianoDisc system makes the piano a single-source audio/visual hub. Sync-A-Vision with PianoDisc is especially suited for playing PianoDisc’s new PianoVideo-HDs, providing an HD screen in close proximity to the piano as it plays the video’s imbedded MIDI signals. Sync-A-Vision is also compatible with karaoke and piano teaching software among other applications.

The company also demonstrated MusiConnect2, a new software application that connects PianoDisc customers and their pianos with the PianoDisc music library. With MusiConnect, customers can download music from PianoDisc’s Web site and manage their own personal PianoDisc music libraries in iTunes. Demonstrations of MusiConnect2 were ongoing at a kiosk in PianoDisc’s exhibit.

Rounding out its introductions, PianoDisc’s flagship system, Opus7, the world’s first Internet-connected player system for acoustic pianos, had new enhancements. In addition to its own “PianoDisc Live!” Internet radio programming with live streaming audio and MIDI (the first such programming, introduced at NAMM several years ago), it also has 24/7 Classics and More, an Internet radio station that streams MIDI files to the Opus7 system for around-theclock, disc-free piano performances. The music on 24/7 is all in the Public Domain, so it’s an ideal source of royalty-free music for hotels, restaurants, and other public venues.

Hammond Suzuki Dinner for Suzuki’s 55th Anniversary

To celebrate the 55th anniversary of the Suzuki company, Hammond Suzuki’s Manji Suzuki attended a NAMM Show reception and dinner held to recognize the company’s dealers. From left: Howard Feldman, Manji Suzuki, Dennis Capiga, and Masuo Terada.

MARCH 2008

Kennedy Directs Pearl River U.S. Sales; Other Personnel Shifts for Piano Maker Jennette Xu, president and CEO of Pearl River Piano Group America, has announced the appointment of Philip Kennedy national sales director. Kennedy has been with Pearl River for more than seven years as a district sales manager representing the South and Southeastern U.S. and Puerto Rico.

Pearl River has also hired Jean Hollenbeck as its new assistant manager. She comes to Pearl River from GE Capital Solutions. The company announced that John Garrison has stepped down from his post as vice president, sales and marketing.

Phil Kennedy grew up in the industry and has played the piano since he was five years old. After attending Duquesne Uni-

Newell Hardy

Jean Hollenbeck

versity with a major in music education/ piano, Kennedy joined the Wurlitzer Retail Stores Division. His career also includes more than 10 years with Baldwin, which included multi-store management of factory-owned stores, management of Baldwin’s store in Pittsburgh, and ownership of Baldwin of Pittsburgh. This was followed by a stint at Roland before he joined Pearl River Piano Group America. Kennedy will continue to be based in Palm Harbor, Fla. Jean Hollenbeck comes to Pearl River with experience in sales and credit, especially in the music industry. Her career has been focused for the last 10 years on sales growth and account retention for music-related fi nancial services at

Philip Kennedy

Lothar Thomma

GE Capital Solutions. Her career also includes similar positions with Transamerica Distribution Finance and the Whirlpool Financial Corp. Hollenbeck will be based at Pearl River’s corporate headquarters in Ontario, Calif., where she will assist president/CEO Jennette Xu. Newell Hardy has been named Pearl River district sales manager for Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, and Missouri. Hardy, with 25 years of expertise in music sales and management including senior sales and management positions with Yamaha, Roland, and Samick.

At the 2008 NAMM Show, visitors to the Pearl River/Ritmüller display room had the opportunity to meet Lothar Thomma, renowned European piano design consultant. Thomma was on hand to meet and greet customers and personally demonstrate the design nuances that distinguish a new collection of Ritmüller piano models being considered as additions to the company’s North American line.

Yamaha Rolls Out Clavinova CVP400 Series “No question about it: the Yamaha CVP400 Series Clavinova Digital Pianos are the most exciting CVP Series ever,” says Jim Levesque, Clavinova marketing manager. “For the first time in the history of the digital piano, users can record fully orchestrated performances, with vocals, onto their USB thumb drives. These acoustically stellar performances can then be turned into CDs, using iTunes or Windows Media Player, and then easily MARCH 2008

shared with friends, in person, on disc, or over the Internet. And, for added convenience with fewer external interfaces, the Clavinova CVP400 Series is the fi rst with a built-in LAN port.

The instruments in Yamaha’s new CVP400 Series (CVP401, CVP403, CVP405, CVP407 and CVP409) offer grand piano realism like never before.

With Yamaha’s Instrumental Active Field Control (iAFC) technology, the

CVP-409/407 models use built-in microphones and speakers to reproduce the sonic textures of a grand piano, creating a resonant sound that’s truly unparalleled. The Natural Wood keyboard on the CVP409/407 reproduces as closely as possible the experience of playing an actual grand piano, including the authentic touch, feel, and weight of the keys. Yamaha’s Graded Hammer 3 (CVP405/403) and Graded Hammer (CVP401) techMMR 53

Keys nologies give a natural piano touch and expressive response.

The Clavinova CVP400 Series Digital Pianos are offered in a choice of three finishes, depending upon model: polished ebony or polished mahogany or dark rosewood. In addition to the gorgeous fi nishes, the CVP409 now comes with Synthetic Ivory keytops to create a more authentic feel to the keys.

With the USB Audio Recorder feature on the CVP409/407/405/403 models, users can record their own performances, including singing, karaoke, or anything

else that comes through their Clavinova’s sound system, such as, for example, an electric guitar when plugged into the mic input jack. “Then, they can burn a CD or send their music over the Internet to share their creations with others,” says Levesque. “And, the Super Articulation Voices (CVP409/407/405) and Mega Voices (CVP409/407/405/403) make a wide range of acoustic and electric instruments playable directly from the keyboard with expressive realism and performance characteristics never before heard in a Clavinova Digital Piano. If you

activate the guitar voice, for instance, you’ll hear harmonics, fret noise, and body tap, just like you would when listening to a live guitarist. Same with brass instrument voices - you’ll hear shakes and falls - or saxophone, where you’ll hear breath noise. Yamaha designers purposefully created Super Articulation Voices to sound the way real instruments sound – and it all happens naturally and appropriately, just the way you hear these sounds when you’re listening to a musician performing live or on a high quality recording.”

and project management at Lowrey from 1988 to 2003.

A life-long music maker, Imamura learned piano at the age of five. At 12 years of age he found his true passion, which is the trumpet. A concert brass band member through junior and senior high school, he was a member of the symphony orchestra at university. After graduation he has continued playing regularly by soloing at churches, and being a member of a British-style brass band. He also has mastered the two-finger, easyplay Lowrey organ method.

“As a home organ manufacturer, my goals are to supply attractive, enjoyable, profitable programs and products to our dealers,” stated Imamura. “I believe the recreational music making market holds tremendous promise for Lowrey and its dealers. We at Lowrey will strive to develop dealers and offer the kind of support that creates the opportunity for long term success.”

At the company’s annual breakfast meeting during the NAMM Show, Lowrey director of sales Mel Wisniewski presented the 2007 Top Performer Dealer Awards given to the top dealer in each of the five regions. These went to Leonard and Lynn Hannah of Hannah Piano & Organ, Columbia, S.C.; Judy and Phil Lambert of Lambert’s Music Center, Anderson, Iowa; Doug Brown and Jarvis Webb of Piano Gallery, Idaho Falls, Ida.;

Ken Turner and Stan Beagley of Piano Gallery, Murray, Utah; and Dave Constantino, Bob Carbone, and Bob Wolfe of Piano & Organ Center, Clay, N.Y. Ten other dealerships were also honored by Lowrey.

New VP/GM at Lowrey Seijiro Imamura has been named vice president and general manager of Lowrey Organ Company, a wholly owned division of Kawai America. Current Lowrey vice president and general manager Satoshi Takada, having spent nearly seven years at Lowrey, now takes on responsibilities at Kawai headquarters in Hamamatsu, Japan, beginning in February.

Imamura, who was introduced to the Lowrey dealer network during the NAMM Show, is no stranger to the United States, having spent 15 years in a variety of roles in engineering, R&D,

Lowrey’s new vice president general manager, Seijiro Imamura,addresses dealers at the Lowrey breakfast meeting in Anaheim.

54 MMR

Stevan Mills Named Hailun Sales VP Stevan Mills has been named vice president of sales for Hailun Distribution, LLC. Formerly national sales manager, he was promoted to the newly created position in January.

“Steve has done an outstanding job in the initial phase of our company’s life,” said Theresa Perry, Hailun USA president. “Now our sales and sales force are expanding and there are the concomitant increased responsibilities and need for a more strategic role. Steve has demonstrated his commitment to our mission and I am so pleased that he will take on this new ‘hat’.”

Formally organized 16 months ago, Hailun USA has seen sales grow steadily. Executive offices for Hailun USA in the Atlanta suburb of Lilburn, Ga. support all sales operations in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

MARCH 2008

MARCH 2008

A Note Mary from Joe...

News

THE &REEWAY ² R TE F !

G IN O ' E R E´ ¹7

Strong Music Education Programs Drivee

While weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in the midst of spring concert season, many schools sit silent because of budget cuts to music education programs.

As your industry association, we are working to change this trend. More than ever, NAMM is committed to bringing the industry together with one focused goal: to keep music strong in schools and communities across the country.

The associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s music education efforts include facilitating the national Support Music Coalition, funding grants for industry programs and music/brain research, and promoting the the proven beneďŹ ts of music education and scientiďŹ c ďŹ ndings through public relations efforts. NAMM is also involved in key partnerships that help present our industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s message to the world.

Additionally, the 2008 NAMM Show featured a Music Education Day where regional music teachers connected with the industry. To continue this recognition of top educators, the NAMM Foundation is currently seeking out areas nationwide that excel in music education, which will be recognized in its Best Communities for Music Education program.

How do these activities beneďŹ t our industry?

By working directly with parents, educators and the media, we keep the public spotlight on our message about the importance of music education and work to ensure that communities support access to school music.

The proof is in the numbers. A recent national poll indicates that there is a new group of American swing voters who are committed to supporting candidates and policies to restore imagination and innovation as key outcomes of learning: 56 percent say they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who supports these views and 91 percent believe arts education supports context for imagination in schoolsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;public backing that is critical during this election year.

Our music education students of today are the music makers, innovators and leaders of tomorrow, and NAMM is committed to the continued support of the industry in this very important effort.

Mary Luehrsen,

Director of Public Affairs & Government Relations, NAMM/ Executive Director, NAMM Foundation

ADVERTORIAL

Getting thee Word Out with the Support Music Community Action Kit

F Funding Research That Changes T Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Minds P Providing P Grants G to Grow the Market Growing the Support Music Coalition

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NAMM News is published by NAMM. To keep up-to-date on the latest breaking association news, sign up for our PLAYback Digital e-newsletter at playbackdigital@namm.org or visit www.namm.org.

IIndustry Growth June 20-22, 2008 Nashville, TN

Resto Restoring More Than $600 Million California Music to Ca Education Programs

Recognizing the Best Communities C ffor Music Education E

Hotel and Badge Registration Hi^gl FZk\a *) ppp'gZff'hk`

1,500-Plus Exhibitors Pack the 2008 NAMM Show … attendance in Anaheim exceeds 88,000

T

he Santa Ana winds that howled through Orange County on the eve of the 2008 NAMM Show could be taken as a metaphor. After all, the music products industry has been embroiled in a period of rapid change and the American economy is currently buffeted by some severe headwinds of its own, with the specter of recession on everyone’s mind.

John, Jim, and Sharon Hennessey, The Music People.

58 MMR

Tradition Guitars’ Rusty Bickford.

Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith stops by Hal Leonard to get autographs from Hal Leonard’s Brad Smith and Larry Morton.

Apparently he’s a huge fan of both (and younger brother to Brad).

MARCH 2008

Nikki Sixx at Dean Markley.

Kenny G discusses the new line of Kenny G saxophones, marketed by Golden Sound Distributors, in the NAMM Press Room.

Sonaré Winds: Mike Smith, MaryAnn Zschou, and John Rodgers.

In the end, the Santa Ana winds settled down, the California sun shone, and the NAMM Show turned in yet another stellar performance, cementing its leadership position among global music trade events. As has come to be expected, records fell at NAMM, held Jan. 17-20 at the Anaheim Convention Center. The association reported a four percent increase in overall registration from 2007 for a grand total of 88,128 registrants.

Despite having no new halls or other space to work with, NAMM ‘08 also broke the alltime record of exhibitors with 1,560 companies displaying products. International attendance checked in with a seven percent increase for a total of 10,605 registrants representing more than 100 countries. This number was no doubt abetted by the ongo-

ing weak U.S. dollar situation, making travel and lodging in the U.S. a certified bargain for the overseas contingent.

“Despite the uncertain economic times, the music products industry once again showed its resiliency as we came together to see new products, attend NAMM University courses, and network with friends and peers,” said Joe Lamond, president and CEO of NAMM. “We believe this is a positive sign for the year ahead.”

Along with main event of buying and selling, the show a jammed-packed schedule of celebrity appearances by Stevie Wonder, Slash, Robert Downey Jr., Bill Murray, Dave Navarro, Herbie Hancock, Carlos Santana, and other top-level artists and personalities. Attendees also took

advantage of the opportunity to learn the tricks of the trade from industry professionals at the popular NAMM University breakfast sessions and some 40 focused sessions held every 30 minutes at the Idea Center in the Convention Center.

The legions of non-trade attendees at the NAMM Show, identified by their ubiquitous yellow badges, have always presented a particular problem at the winter show. Many regard this contingent, a motley mix of musicians, friends, relatives, gawkers, souvenir hunters, and even the occasional thief, as an out and out nuisance. Others feel this group adds to the particular “flavor” of the California

First Act: Kelly Butler, Jimmy Archery.

Vic Firth: Tracy Firth, Michael Gault.

Kenny Aronoff greets Zildjian’s Craigie Zildjian.

MARCH 2008

The ‘Yellow Badge’ Conundrum

MMR 59

The Levy’s Leathers’ team. Front row: Garth Giesbrecht, Harvey Levy, Frank Bresee, and Amy Hanford. Back row: Brett Marcus, Tom Levy, Ben Myron, Larry Green, Piers Munro, Bob Richards, Dennis Levy, Jeff Bard, and Jerome MacPherson.

Alicia Previn (Andre Previn’s daughter) performing at Musicorp booth.

Peace: Andre Cynkin.

show. To further muddy the waters, virtually everyone involved in the NAMM Show – exhibitors, dealers and, yes, even the press corps – is guilty of facilitating the admission of Yellow Badge people.

It may be a love-hate relationship, but this year NAMM decided enough is perhaps too much and made a concerted effort to crack down on the visitor group.

This initiative involved black-light scanners at show entries designed to spot counterfeit badges and more widespread security checks to ensure one’s photo ID matched the name on the badge.

Did it work? Scott Robertson, NAMM director of marketing communications, reported visitor badge registration was down 15 percent from the 2007 show.

This was certainly a promising start in controlling the situation, although that reduction still left hordes of yellow badges in play. NAMM also asked its members to limit requests for visitor credentials, but this was strictly on a volunteer basis.

It should also be noted that if members don’t practice some restraint in this area, the overabundance of visitors will never be rectified because these folks are entering the show with bona fide badges courtesy of the members themselves.

Web Marketing on the Rise Once of the most prominent trends at the show was the ascendancy of the Internet to front-and-center for manufacturers and dealers alike. YouTube and Myspace and other social networking Web sites were brought up often as part of manufacturer marketing plans for 2008 and a number of exhibitors were posting show highlights daily on these sites during this year’s show. Yamaha, Zildjian, Remo, Roland, Dean Guitars, Paul Reed Smith, Taylor Guitars, and many others are increasingly using YouTube to showcase endorser appearances, new prod-

ucts, and behind-the-scenes looks at how products are made.

Notably, Larry Hartke’s series of humorous YouTube spots featuring his amps have become so popular he moved the spots to their own site. Hartke was also treated like a celebrity at the show, as his “sitcom-mercial” has raised his visibility to near autograph-seeking status.

Dealers also are appreciating the opportunity and importance of the Web. Danny Rocks, who worked with NAMM in facilitating the NAMM University sessions for the Idea Center, said, “All our Web-related seminars had standingroom-only crowds. Web-related topics continue to be our number-one most requested subjects to have talks on.”

[Editor’s Note: Kicking off the Idea Center schedule this year was “How to Avoid the Seven Deadly Web Site Sins,” presented by MMR associate editor Kevin Mitchell.]

Breakfast of Champions “Holy smokes – what a year!” NAMM’s Joe Lamond exclaimed at the opening of the “Breakfast of Champions” event staged the morning before the first day of the

Tom and LouAnne Getzen and Dave Surber of Getzen Inc.

The inimitable Mike Matthews of New Sensor Corp.

60 MMR

Bill Carpenter welcomes guest to the Hamilton Stands 125th anniversary party.

Alyssa Janney and Remo Belli of Remo, Inc.

Steve Wilson and Barrie Edwards, Music Sales.

MARCH 2008

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Breedlove Guitars: Peter Newport, Chris Lindquist.

Seymour Duncan: Seymour Duncan.

The Frankfurt Music Fair/Music China team. Front row: Judy Cheung, Elke Abate. Back row: Amy Crane, Miriam Schmidt, Wolfgang Luecke, and Aubrey Oakes.

show. “It’s been a year of change, and 2008 promises more of the same: more economic change, political change, and industry change. No one knows for sure what will happen next, but you’re in the right place to find out – the NAMM Show.”

Before interviewing some of the industry’s leaders, he pointed out that there were likely some in the audience who “might not agree with them, might not want to hear what they have to say – but should hear what they have to say.” First on stage was Skip Maggiora of Skip’s Music in Sacramento who addressed the role of the inde-

pendent dealer in today’s business. As for the future, Maggiora advised, “Look for the opportunities – they are always there.”

Fender’s Bill Mendello and Kaman Music’s Ed Miller were up next, and they discussed the Fender buy-out of KMC and what dealers can expect. “It’s very simple,” Mendello said. “Kaman was a company we could acquire and literally just let operate. It’s not a situation where the company is broken and we’re going to try to fi x it.” In fact, Mendello said he expects Fender to learn a great deal from Kaman.

Mark Lekas, Levi Oliphant, and Aaron Chaiclin, The Music Link.

Stuart Spector with Spector’s one-of-a-kind 30th anniversary bass.

Audio 2000’s/ H&F: Rafael Gutierrez, Paula McNamee, Haw-Renn Chen, Maricela Ramirez.

62 MMR

Guitar Center CEO Marty Albertson discussed taking the company private, and what it will mean in the short term.

“We’re going to significantly slow down the growth of new stores over the next few years,” he revealed, and reinvest in the ones they have in operation. Training of management staff and continuing to support music education will be just two of Guitar Center’s priorities in the coming years.

“I pretty much never make decisions that go with the grain,” Henry Juszkiewicz, Gibson CEO, admitted when it was pointed out that many in the industry are curious about some of the decisions he makes. He did take issue with being called a “maverick,” however. “I prefer ‘change agent,’” he said. “Change is happening more rapidly and you can either use change and be relevant, or fight change and be irrelevant. I’m more Peter LaPlacca of PJLA Music, about ‘let’s be a leader and embrace change.’” with MMR’s Sid Davis.

Jeff Saltzman and Tom Eaton, EMMC.

Ronni Ginott and Don Rhodes of E.M. Winston.

MARCH 2008

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TKL: Everett Porter, Daneen Holcomb, Donna Dougherty, Laurie Dougherty, Tom Dougherty, Dennis Reamy.

The Dean Girls, a NAMM Show mainstay since the 1980s.

AIM: John Fullerton, Michael Carnathan.

At the American DJ Dealer Appreciation Party, ADJ’s Brian Dowdle and Scott Davies flank Joe Fucini of Fucini Productions.

Market Building, A Step at a Time A long-term trend this decade is the movement of the industry’s specialized associations to become more engaged in concrete market-development initiatives.

During NAMM Show week, several such organizations reported on their progress.

The Guitar & Accessories Marketing Association (GAMA) annual meeting this year was open to GAMA members as well as non-members involved in guitar and guitar-related manufacturing, importing, and distribution.

Certainly a lure this year was a speaker roster that included Guitar Center CEO and the chain’s brand-new COO Greg Trojan. Trojan was unable to attend due to a family matter, but Albertson held forth with an impassioned talk urging

The Gulf Music Sales crew.

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Wood Violins’ Laura Kaye and Mark Wood.

The Breakfast of Champions lineup. Front: Bill Mendello, Fender; Skip Maggiora, Skip’s Music. Back: Marty Albertson, Guitar Center; Joe Lamond, NAMM; Ed Miller, Fender/Kaman Music; Henry Juszkiewicz, Gibson.

increased support of GAMA’s longstanding program to teach music educators the basics of starting guitar curricula in their schools. “Why wouldn’t anybody invest in a program that has that has such a proven return on investment,” he asked the gathering. Albertson said GC would commit $100,000 to GAMA in 2008 and challenged others to ramp up their financial investment in the grass-roots teachthe-teachers program.

While GAMA enjoys the support from many vendor companies in the fretted category, it was pointed out during the session that scores of companies, including some major players in the guitar arena, continue to benefit from the association’s grass-roots work without participating in its efforts through membership.

The Percussion Marketing Council (PMC) also held a well-attended meeting on the eve of the NAMM Show. The group reviewed two of their main programs, Roots of Rhythm and Percussion in the Schools. All agreed these initiatives netted new players and buyers of percussion products. An ad campaign aimed at women and young girls, with such catchy headlines as “Girls Just Want to Have Drums” also helped spread the gospel of percussion.

Reaching out and partnering with other groups such as PAS, GAMA, and NASMD would yield additional benefits, it was agreed.

“Building alliances to grow the market further is important,” said Brad Smith of Hal Leonard, PMC’s co-executive director. The significance that Guitar Center’s

Danelectro’s Patrick McGinus, Danny Dugan, and Chris Byrne.

SKB’s Kathy Galbraith with the large and midsize tuba cases on wheels.

MARCH 2008

Yamaha Piano Division 2007 MMR Dealer’s Choice Awards

– Yamaha Pianos – Acoustic Piano Line of the Year FOR THE SIXTH YEAR

– Yamaha Disklavier – Product of the Year FOR THE SEVENTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR

– Yamaha Clavinova – Pro Digital Piano Line of the Year THE TWELFTH AWARD IN 15 YEARS

Thanks to Dealers, 2007 Was a Good Year for the Yamaha Piano Trophy Case. ©2008 Yamaha Corporation of America. All rights reserved. www.yamaha.com

David Benedetto, F.E.Olds, and Gene Garb, NEMC.

Guitar Center’s Marty Albertson fields questions following his address to the Guitar & Accessories Marketing Association (GAMA.)

The Percussion Marketing Council (PMC) executive board: Brad Smith, Phil Hood, Karl Dustman, Billy Cutrell, and David Levine.

the last 20 years harvesting, and now it’s time to plant seeds.” Potential adult music makers comprise some 78 million people in the U.S. a demographic with money, time, and interest. “We’d be fools to waste this opportunity,” Chung added.

Marty Albertson had just announced the company was writing a check for $100,000 to GAMA was not lost on the group.

Attracting new members, extending successful programs beyond a 12-month cycle, and exploiting the possibilities of social network Web sites like myspace.com will be front and center for the new year for PMC. The concept – Recreational Music Making (RMM) – was introduced at a NAMM Economic Summit in 2002, so it isn’t exactly new. What is new, however, is the formation of the National Coalition for Recreational Music Making, a group that met for the first time this year in Anaheim. Their goal is to share ideas and best practices and promote existing RMM programs while exploring new ones.

RMM, in the words of Karl Bruhn, encompasses “enjoyable, accessible, and fulfi lling group music-based activities that unite people of all ages regardless of … ability or prior experience.” The idea is to promote the proven health and wellbeing benefits of music-making (“nonmusical outcomes”) among those who for one reason or another have not taken up music-making as a rewarding pastime.

At the RMM Coalition meeting, Matt and Debbie Perez, the owners of Texasbased Valley Keyboards, spoke compellingly about their experience with group piano lessons. The dealership, working with classes of six to eight for the last 15 years, has mined success on the part of satisfied students, busy teachers, and a happy sales force. Today their RMM-style teaching approach yields an estimated 40 percent of Valley Keyboards’ overall sales volume.

Later in the week, the Perezes also spoke at the annual meeting of the Piano Manufacturers Association International (PMAI), where their story dovetailed nicely with PMAI’s ongoing 21st Century Piano Project, which also focuses on group teaching of adults. “We don’t have enough players,” commented PMAI’s new president, Brian Chung. “As an industry, we’ve spent

With the close of the NAMM Show, attention turns to its midyear counterpart, Summer NAMM. Anaheim might be considered the golden boy of trade shows – handsome, popular, and smart.

The latter? Well, lately the term “at risk” comes to mind.

In an effort to accommodate a waiting list of exhibitors and grow the show, NAMM left its longtime Nashville venue following the 2004 Summer NAMM to host the 2005 show in Indianapolis and the 2006 and 2007 editions in Austin.

While both Indy and Austin boasted better facilities, the out-of-Nashville Summer NAMMs suffered from both declining attendance and exhibitors.

In hopes of reversing a negative trend, Summer NAMM this year returns to the friendly (if cramped) confines of the Nashville Convention Center, June 20-22.

For information, visit www.namm.org.

Philip Kennedy, Huang Wei Lin, Jennette Xu, and Jean Hollenbeck, Pearl River Pianos.

Andrew Gravelle, Rob Turner, Hap Kuffner, EMG, Inc.

Steve, Chrystal, and Sue Clayton of Steve Clayton, Inc.

At the Piano Manufacturers Association International (PMAI) meeting, Debbie & Matt Perez of Valley Keyboards outline the success of the adult group piano education at their Texas stores.

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Nashville-Bound

MARCH 2008

Happy Anniversary! … selected companies celebrating significant birthdays in 2008

175years

125years Rane, Fred, Will, and Fritz Gretsch of Gretsch Mfg. boast 125 years of family involvement in music products manufacturing.

Chris Martin and Dick Boak of C.F. Martin with an MMR plaque commemorating the guitar maker’s 175th anniversary.

Bill Carpenter and Steve Maines of Hamilton Stands. The Ohio-based firm is now celebrating its 125th year in business.

60years

Pat Bovenizer and Scott Peterson of Peterson Electro- Musical Products display MMR plaque marking their 60th year. At right, the Peterson family – Sandy, Scott, and Kara – at the cake-cutting.

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MARCH 2008

50years 40years Benedetto Guitars’ Howard Paul and Cindy Benedetto with the company’s 40th anniversary plaque.

Calato Mfg., makers of the Regal Tip brand, turns 50 in 2008. From left: Cathy Calato, Alberto Iacobellis, David Escovedo, Keith Garlock, and Carol Calato (front).

25years Players Products’ Aase Jorgensen, JodiAnn LaLonde, and George Phelps.

20years

PianoDisc’s Jan Glazier, Tom Lagomarsino, Kirk Burgett, and Gary Burgett on the occasion of their 20th anniversary.

MARCH 2008

Samick’s John Hawkins displays the Korean corporation’s 50th anniversary plaque.

U.K. manufacturer Rotosound has been in string making for 50 years. Seen here is managing director Jason How at Rotosound’s NAMM Show exhibit.

MMR 69

Kawai Dinner Top Dealers Saluted at Kawai Presidential Dinner Perhaps the longest-running event at the NAMM Show, the Kawai 45th Annual Presidential Dinner and National Dealer Meeting was held this year at the Crowne Plaza Anaheim on Jan. 18.

Dealers on hand heard opening remarks by Kawai America executive vice president Naoki Mori and the president’s

address delivered by Hirotaka Kawai, president of Kawai Global Group.

While acknowledging the “struggles” of the U.S. business environment, he noted Kawai posted an 8% sales increase globally for the first half of its fiscal year, with steady performances in Canada and Australia and solid sales gains in China, Europe, and parts of Asia.

In his remarks, Naoki Mori noted Kawai received the MMR Dealer’s Choice award for the CA-91 digital piano, which

was voted Home Digital Piano of the Year for 2007 by dealers.

Following a reception and dinner, guests were entertained by veteran television, film, and stage actress and singer Linda Purl.

The evening was also highlighted by the presentation of Kawai’s Pinnacle Awards recognizing the year’s top dealerships and the piano maker’s Regional Sales Manager of the Year. Plaques were presented by Kawai America executives Brian Chung, Dan Ivanovich, and Tom Love:

Dealer of the Year – Large Market (five or more locations): Schmitt Music, Minneapolis, Minn., Tom Schmitt accepting, flanked by Kawai’s Hirotaka Kawai and Naoki Mori.

Dealer of the Year – Large Market (five or fewer locations): Kim’s Piano, Garden Grove, Calif., David Kim accepting.

Dealer of the Year – Kawai Canada Music: Merriam Music, Oakville, Ont., Alan Merriam accepting.

Top Sales Performance – Medium Market: Marin Piano, San Rafael, Calif., Don Belville accepting.

Top Digital Piano Market Performance – Medium/Small Market: Chick Piano, Athens, Ga., Ben Robinson accepting.

Regional Sales Manager of the Year: Hale Ryan.

Top Digital Piano Market Performance – Large Market: Pritchard’s Piano, Sarasota, Fla., Dave Pritchard accepting.

Top Sales Performance – Small Market: Gratz Piano, Valparaiso, Ind. 70 MMR

MARCH 2008

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Dealer’s Choice The Winner’s Circle: MMR Dealer’s Choice Winners of the 2007 MMR Dealer’s Choice awards received plaques recognizing the results of dealer voting in the fourth quarter of 2007 for the outstanding products in major categories. In all, 18 Dealer’s Choice awards were presented during the 2008 NAMM Show.

PRODUCT OF THE YEAR Yamaha Disklavier Yamaha Corporation of America

Yamaha’s Disklavier, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, got the nod for overall 2007 Dealer’s Choice Product of the Year. In fact, the Disklavier line captured the top prize for the seventh consecutive year. Accepting the award are Yamaha’s Paul Calvin, Bill Brandom, and Terry Lewis.

ELECTRIC BASS Ibanez Basses Hoshino USA Inc.

ELECTRIC GUITAR Fender Stratocaster

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation

On hand to accept their Dealer’s Choice plaque are Hoshino’s Kiyotaka Yamada, Mac Muranaka, Pete Chiovarou, and Yuki “Ozzy” Ozawa.

ACOUSTIC GUITAR Taylor Acoustic Guitars Taylor Guitars

Taylor Guitars founders Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug receive the Dealer’s Choice Award for Acoustic Guitar Line of the Year.

72 MMR

Justin Norvell, Fender senior marketing manager, electric guitars, shows off the company’s Dealer’s Choice award for Stratocaster along with one of the new “American Standard” Strat models introduced in Anaheim.

MARCH 2008

AMPLIFIER Spider Ampliers

SOUND REINFORCEMENT Peavey

MICROPHONE Shure Microphones

Doug Provisor, Line 6 senior vice president of sales & marketing, with the award for Amplifier Line for the company’s Spider amps series.

Peavey patriarch Hartley Peavey with the Dealer’s Choice Award for Sound Reinforcement.

Chris Schyvinck accepts Shure’s Dealer’s Choice award for the microphone category.

Line 6, Inc.

RECORDING EQUIPMENT Boss Digital Recorders

Peavey Electronic Corporation

Shure, Incorporated

ACOUSTIC PIANO Yamaha

Yamaha Corporation of America

Roland Corporation US For a third year running, voting dealers gave the nod to the feature-rich and affordable Boss digital recorder group.

Seen here are Kaz Tanaka, Paul Youngblood, and Tetsuji Iyoda.

BAND INSTRUMENT Jupiter Band Instruments Jupiter Band Instruments, Inc.

Jupiter’s Tabor Stamper, Keith Gard, MMR’s Don Johnson, and Derek Craig at the award presentation.

MARCH 2008

MMR’s Sid Davis presents the Dealer’s Choice award for Acoustic Piano Line of the Year to Yamaha’s Paul Calvin.

MMR 73

Dealer’s Choice PRO DIGITAL PIANO Yamaha

Yamaha Corporation of America Rounding its Dealer’s Choice hat trick, The Home Digital Keyboard Dealer’s Choice award went to Yamaha for its Clavinova and P Series instruments.

Pictured from the Piano Division: MMR’s Don Johnson, Paul Calvin, Jim Levesque, and Terry Lewis. From the Yamaha PAC Division: Rick Young, Jim Levesque, Dane Madsen, and Paul Calvin.

HOME DIGITAL PIANO Kawai CA-91 Kawai America Corp.

LIGHTING American DJ American DJ Supply Inc.

American DJ’s Chuck Davies and Scott Davies with the Dealer’s Choice plaque for Lighting Line of the Year.

MMR’s Rick Kessel is flanked by Kawai’s Hirotaka Kawai and Naoki Mori during the award presentation at the annual Kawai dealer dinner.

DJ Numark

Numark Industries The Numark team accepts its MMR Dealer’s Choice Award for the DJ Line Of The Year.

74 MMR

MARCH 2008

PRINT MUSIC PUBLISHER Hal Leonard Hal Leonard Corp.

The world’s leading print music publisher prevailed once more in 2007. Seen here at the Hal Leonard NAMM Show exhibit are Doug Lady, Keith Mardak, Larry Morton, and David Jahnke.

PERCUSSION Mapex Drums Mapex USA, Inc.

Joe Vasko, Joe Hibbs, and Scott Sasser of Mapex USA, Inc.

WEB SITE Zildjian

Avedis Zildjian Co. Zildjian scored its first MMR Dealer’s Choice award, winning in the Web Site of the Year category. From left: Zildjian’s John Sorenson, Debbie Zildjian, Brad Baker, and Jason LaChapelle.

MARCH 2008

ACCESSORY Korg Tuners Korg USA, Inc.

After winning in the Accessories category last year with the GA-30, Korg USA came out on top again with dealers voting for the entire Korg Tuner lineup this time around. Seen here with the award is Korg USA’s Ryan Rhodes, product manager.

MMR 75

Best & Worst of Show Awards

Best & Best Snack: Low-fat frozen yogurt was a hit on the show floor.

Best Band Name: Lox & Vodka.

The klezmer group’s clarinetist, Tom Puwalski, was busy at NAMM, performing in the Hilton lobby and at the Legere Reeds exhibit.

Best Birthday: There were many significant company anniversaries celebrated during the show, but you can’t top Zildjian’s 385th on the longevity chart. Pictured cutting the cake are Debbie and Craigie Zildjian, Cady Zildjian Bickford.

Best Exhibit Theme: Ernie Ball Music Man returned to the limelight with a salute to gangsters of a bygone era. A highlight was the 1938 Buick sedan, complete with a “Vote for Roosevelt” sticker on the rear window and a Thompson submachine gun in the front seat. Among the “public enemies” on hand were (from left) Brian Spoeneman, Adam Gainey, Scott Applegate, Jodi Maine, and Nathan Stiff.

Best Seats in the House: Hal Leonard and Zildjian televised Sunday afternoon’s NFL playoff games. Happy faces at Zildjian as the hometown Patriots defeated the San Diego Chargers. Green Bay did not fare as well for Hal Leonard’s contingent, as The Pack lost to the New York Giants in overtime.

Best Finish: Lots of foot traffic at NAMM ’08, even as the show wound down on Sunday.

76 MMR

MARCH 2008

Best Color Scheme: Gold was in fashion, as witnessed by a Petrof grand piano, the Ibanez George Benson guitar, and the Gretsch limited-edition 125th anniversary Chet Atkins model.

Best Variety: NAMM’s ongoing performances in the convention center lobby. Seen here is the Mark Wood Rock Orchestra …

Best Trafc-Builder: Ace Products’ display, with Brett Paley and John Maher behind the wheel.

Best Exhibitor Act: Saga Musical Instruments’ Tora Bora Boys.

MARCH 2008

Best Musical Surprise: Stevie Wonder at Yamaha Dealer Concert MMR 77

Worst

&

CABLES BUILT FOR THE PROS

Worst Trend for Latecomers: Breakfast service for barely five minutes, then right into the meeting agenda. Didn’t your mother tell you it’s the most important meal of the day?

Worst Venue for Schmoozing: Nonstop high-decibel music in Marriott lobby. It may draw some business, but it certainly drives a lot away at the same time.

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Worst Logistics: The Long Beach Airport has perfected the art of directing you to Carousel One for your baggage and then, after 20 minutes or so, redirecting you to Carousel Two. Thank God they only have two carousels …

Worst Idea: The Convention Center’s “Lost Weekend” policy of opening beer, wine, and liquor stands at 10 a.m. sharp.

Worst Weather: Santa Ana Winds whipping up on the eve of the show.

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Worst Wait: Autograph lines seemingly without end …

Worst ‘Do: ‘Nuff said.

Worst Prediction: NAMM’s Pete Johnson had high hopes for his San Diego Chargers but, alas, it was not to be.

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cableup.com 78 MMR

MARCH 2008

Photo KorgGallery USA Strong Show for Korg USA Korg USA, exclusive U.S. distributor of Korg, Marshall, and Vox, had a strong showing at the 2008 NAMM Show, where the company exhibited new products and hosted press events featuring well-known music personalities.

John Connolly and Sonny Mayo from Sevendust perform using the new Korg Pandora PX5D.

Korg featured a number of new products, including the KAOSSILATOR Dynamic Slash and Mick Mars Phrase Synthesizer; pitchblack, and see Marshall’s pitchblack+ and pitchjack wall of amps, which tuner models; two new Korg showcased other Pa Series keyboards; and the new models.

PX5D Personal Multi-Effects Vox hosted Joe Processor.

Satriani to announce Marshall started strong on Joe Satriani announces plans to their new partnership introduce a full line of effects pedals Thursday morning, debuting on a forthcoming developed in partnership with Vox. the new Limited Edition Randy line of effects pedals.

Rhoads signature 1959RR In addition, Vox amp. The event featured appreciative and surprised dealers and the press with its new moving words by Rhoads’ mother, Delores, line of Vox Virage semi-hollow body guitars. and shredding by Whitesnake’s Doug Korg USA also presented its newly Aldrich and Marshall U.S. product manager created annual Key Note Awards to six Nick Bowcott. Later on, Kerry King of top dealers. The awards recognize and Slayer fame was on hand to debut his new commend retailers who have excelled in a signature practice amp and sign autographs. variety of categories and have demonstrated Fans also clamored for the chance to meet their commitment to Korg USA’s brands.

Slash signs autographs at the Marshall exhibit. The line waiting to meet the artist was the longest ever, the company reports.

From left: Whitesnake guitarist Doug Aldrich, Randy Rhoads’ mother, Delores Rhoads, Marshall’s Paul Marshall, and Marshall USA’s Nick Bowcott announce the new Limited Edition Randy Rhoads signature amp.

Korg USA president Joseph Castronovo presents Sweetwater Sound president/CEO Chuck Surack with the Korg USA Key Note Award for Overall Commitment to Excellence.

MARCH 2008

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MEET THE PRESS-Exhibitors Showcase Their Latest Innovations in Anaheim Press conferences, press parties, “media tours,” product walk-throughs, photo opps, and dog-and-pony shows. Whatever you call them, they’re all part of the NAMM Show package for trade and consumer music media folks. Here’s a sampling of what MMR’s editors unearthed at several of these events during the course of the 2008 NAMM Show …

Fishman: Expanded Exhibit, Offerings “It’s great to have a larger booth – you know, we’re not just pickups anymore,” declared Chris DeMaria, Fishman’s director of marketing. DeMaria, with director of product development David Fournier, gave a tour of all their new offerings and made the case that they were more than worthy of the additional space.

And while they are more than just pickups, that’s where we begin.

The focal point at this year’s show was the Fishman Matrix Infi nity, the latest evolution of the company’s Acoustic Matrix pickup and preamp systems.

The newly redesigned and re-voiced Matrix Infinity undersaddle pickup/preamp system offers a winning combination of musicality, balance from string to string, accuracy, and ease of installation. The product includes a new active, endpin-mounted preamp for the most sophisticated level of sound quality and responsiveness to the player’s touch. Key to the Infinity preamp are soundhole-mounted rotary Volume and Tone controls that allow the player to make a variety of easily accessible dynamic and tonal adjustments.

The Tone control cuts mids while boosting the bass and treble response to enhance the tonal characteristic and impact of any amplified acoustic guitar, from classical nylon string instruments to Dreadnaught and Jumbo acoustic models.

Taking the pickup’s tonal variation capability one step further, the Matrix Infinity also incorporates a switchable voicing feature to accommodate all guitar body sizes and different performance situations in one pickup. MSRP for the Matrix Infinity is $209.95.

Always keeping the purist in mind, their Concert Series Pickups for violin, viola, and cello will please those who love their acoustic instruments, but need to have them amplified in the simplest, clearest way that maintains the integrity of the instrument.

“These have the pickups built into the actual bridge, and are accurate reproductions of the acoustic instrument,” said Fournier.

They are in fact a piezo-ceramic pickup crafted into a high-quality Despiau bridge.

“It does require professional installation, but that is easy to do at your local shop and

The Fishman Matrix Infinity undersaddle pickup/preamp system.

something the musician will want to do anyway,” Fournier adds.

For the Bluegrass player, the Nashville Series Pickups are aimed at accurate reproduction of fiddle or mandolin. There’s the Spider-style Resophonic, which is a split saddle piezo-ceramic pickup design especially for spider-style bridges. The M-300 is for arch top mandolins, and the M-400 is for flat top, the latter of which is embedded in a rosewood bridge.

Fishman has also redesigned its popular Rare Earth Soundhole Pickups.

“These have been popular for a long time, and now they are even better,” Fournier said. “These cutting-edge neodymium magnets now produce an even warmer, more natural acoustic tone.”

Casio Cuts the cake on Privia’s 5th Birthday To celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Privia digital piano line, Casio threw a NAMM Show party for dealers and press. In addition to calling attention to the success of the line and to create the opportunity to show off the two latest models, there was a Privia keyboard cake with silver icing and keys of white and dark chocolate. Hosts for the gala event included Casio CEO Terry Terada, executive vice president sales and marketing John Homlish, and vice president, consumer products Peter Brinkman.

The stars were the new Privia keyboards themselves: The PX-320 and PX120. Both feature 88 weighted keys and 80 MMR

weigh less than 30 pounds, and are aimed at the garage band that is starting to gig more, as well as something the music student can take to classes and practice with anywhere. Both feature a stereo sampled Tri-element AIF Sound Source that delivers outstanding piano sound and expression. The acoustic resonance system reproduces the resonant effect of a grand piano damper pedal for more realistic piano performances. High-precision stereo sampling of a grand piano combines with an original new fi lter system to produce sounds that modulate naturally from the

moment a key is pressed until the note decays.

What distinguishes the PX-320 from the PX-120 is its unique features for use in the studio. Designed with ¼” line outs, the PX-320 can be connected with an amp or studio equipment for the more advanced play. With a USB Port providing easy connection to a PC, recording and sharing music with friends is simple to do.

The new Privias became available in February. The PX-320 has a suggested retail of $699 and the PX-120 is $499.

MARCH 2008

Peavey: Custom Shop, New Modeling Software “This NAMM Show was an opportunity for Peavey to extend the concept we laid down with the online Peavey Custom Shop unveiled at Austin,” said Peavey founder and CEO Hartley Peavey. “The Peavey Custom Shop is a great tool for retailers because it allows their customers to design one-ofa-kind guitars online, which we then help them deliver.” The online guitar shop allows the player to design whatever he or she can possibly imagine with the help of more than 16 million custom colors.

“This year we’re bringing retailers and musicians even deeper into the product design process with ReValver MKIII amp, effects, and speaker modeling software,” Peavey said. “ReValver brings a unique approach to modeling software because it essentially lets players design their own amplifiers from the schematic level. In that

sense, ReValver complements the vision of the online Peavey Custom Shop. The implications this technology will have on the future of the music-products industry, and Peavey specifically, are vast.”

Also drawing crowds were Peavey’s new PXD guitars, VYPYR modeling amplifiers, and SP loudspeakers. The PXD series features supercharged active pickups coupled directly to tone-sustaining mahogany. “These guitars are the perfect complement to our Peavey 6505 Series guitar amps,” said Jim Beaugez, marketing communications coordinator. There are four models: the Tomb, TwentyThree, Tragic, and Void. All are available with Kahler tremolos. MSRP for the PXD Series ranges from $399.99 to $899.99.

Peavey is heralding the VYPYR series modeling guitar amps. What the amps

lack in vowels, they more than make up in features: double the processing power of other modeling amplifiers, has a 32bit, floating point SHARC processor, and has 24 amp channel models. Plus there are 11 editable post-amp “rack” effects with dual-parameter controls. It also acts as its own computer audio interface, with a built-in studio-quality USB 2.0 output.

Not forgetting its roots, there were also the new SP Series loudspeaker systems with featured new Hammertex covering and newly redesigned exterior with full-front metal grills. Continuing on its 30-year legacy, the enclosures feature asymmetrical Quadratic Throat Waveguide technology, Black Widow loudspeakers with Kevlar-impregnated cones, 4” ribbon-wire voice coils, and exclusive field-replaceable baskets.

Remo: More Choices In 2008 Remo Inc. is putting an emphasis in developing products that look as good as they sound. “What we want to do is give drummers more reasons to change up their set,” commented Bob Yerby at Remo’s NAMM Show press briefing.

First up was their Black Suede drumhead. “We’re now applying its unique suede texturing process to our popular Ebony Series drumheads,” he said. “It’s going to be offered in Ambassador and

MARCH 2008

Emperor weights, and it will provide focused warmth, enhanced mid-range for snare drums and tom toms without muting their percussive attack.” They are available in sizes 10”, 12”, 13”, 14”, and 16” and feature 1-ply of textured Ebony 10-mil fi lm. The Black Emperor drumheads feature 2-plies of textured Ebony® 7.5-mil fi lm.

Next Yerby talked about their Vintage A snare drumheads. “These were introduced for Remo’s 50th Anniversary, and they were so popular we’ve expanded them for toms.” The heads are constructed of 2-ply, 7.5-mil and 3-mil polyester fi lms and available in 10”, 12”, 13”, 14”, and 16” sizes. They are a reissue of the first Remo Ambassador drumhead of the late 1950s, Yerby said. These will retail from $24.50 (10”) to $31.75 (16”).

Remo has also expanded their X-treme drumheads aimed at the “heavy hitters.”

In addition to the

Bob Yerby with the vintage A snare head.

Emperor X, they have released the Black X. Marketing promotions manager Chris Hart then showed off a selection of new Remo instruments. Again, with an emphasis on looks, the new Percussion Shaker line features fun, unique graphic designs and models are available in various tube-shaped sizes. Hart noted the Shakers are a great gift for drummers and as impulse items. Several have fi nishes that match Remo’s new Designer Series Djembes.

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MEET THE PRESS-Ovation Not ‘Lost’ on TV Viewers The popular TV show Lost has a lot of faith in Ovation.

One of the show’s story lines centers on Charlie who, prior to a plane crash on an uncharted island, was in a band that was a one-hit-wonder. When the plane crashes, Charlie misses his guitar, assuming it was smashed for good. An important plot line had him reunited with his guitar – and viewers could spot the familiar roundback as an Ovation.

“I think they needed a second one when the guitar took an arrow, saving Charlie’s life,” Kaman Music’s Nikki Nearing says. When it was pointed out that there were other scenes that might rile a guitarist, like scenes of Charlie walking with the guitar, unprotected, in a rain storm, Nearing insisted the guitar holds up to just about anything. A Lost fan Web site backs her up: “Charlie’s guitar is an Ovation, which is made from synthetic materials. The sides and back of the body are Lycrachord (a substance having similar properties to plastic) and the top is HPL (high pressure laminate), which is basically wood chips pressed together under extreme pressure. The neck and fretboard are also HPL, so water and humidity changes wouldn’t affect the guitar itself. It’s unknown how the metal strings are still in such great shape after being on a deserted island for two and a half months, although Charlie may have had a guitar case that kept the strings in good condition.”

But for the show, the guitar might not hold up to this plot twist: alas, Charlie was killed off at the end of last season. But as the show is famous for bringing characters back via flashbacks, the Ovation guitar might return to the spotlight eventually …

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Kurzweil: PC3X: ‘A Seven-Year Investment’ For the vast majority of manufacturers, their products are like their babies, and they love all of them equally … just sometimes some are a little more equal than others. Take Kurzweil’s PC3X Performance Controller Keyboard: at NAMM, it got its own hotel suite.

Showcased in a luxury suite on the top floor of the Marriott, the newest Kurzweil product is “a seven-year investment,” said Mike Papa, national sales manager. “It’s an absolute arsenal of our latest cutting-edge technology. It’s a performance controller, a synthesizer, and a Dave Weiser and Mike Papa with the new Kurzweil PC3X. workstation.”

Dave Weiser, senior soundware engineer, was on hand to functions like step editing, swing, and back Papa’s claim up with a demonstracontroller scaling with a really easy to use tion. “We have over 1,000 sounds in it, interface,” Weiser says. “We have burnand we personally sculpted every one ing distortions, transparent compressors, of them,” he said. “You know how a great phaser and chorus effects.” lot of keyboards have like eight piano Not that the Kurzweil team is neglectsounds, and they all pretty much sound ing its other children … the same? We have captured specific, “Our new Kurzweil digital MarkPro identifiable ones from certain songs series is the big hit for the industry this and periods.” The aptly named “Blues year,” says Todd Brown, national sales Piano 1974,” conjures up the sound of manager for Young Chang, parent comLeon Russell on his Shelter People repany of Kurzweil. “We have combined cordings, and there’s one called “Rock the famous sounds of Kurzweil with Piano 1974” which Weiser based on beautiful cabinets for the home. Now the great thin-sounding piano heard you really can sound like a pro in your on David Bowie albums of that period. home.”

The PC3X also has a vast array of vin“We also have the SP2X, which is our tage keyboard sounds, and over 250 orSP2 with speakers, a stand, and a music chestral and string section programs. rack,” Papa says. This stage piano is also The 88-note keyboard features their the result of years of engineering and denew Dynamic V.A.S.T. architecture, velopment, and features Kurzweil’s Triwhich Papa says, “is a huge step forward ple Strike Grand Piano technology. Also in synthesis. It offers up to 32 layers per a USB interface allows the instrument program which means that emulations to connect to a computer for complete of real instrument can be detailed and MIDI performance and OS updates. It accurate.” It features an unlimited-track has a MSRP of $1,599. sequencer with 1536 PPQ resolution and It all adds up to renewed confidence more effects processing power than their for Kurzweil, a company with a reputapopular KSP8 processor, making the tion for great products but has had its keyboard a full-blown music production share of challenges in recent years. But workstation. it’s all behind them now.

The sequencer is newly designed, and “We’re back from the brink,” Papa offers unlimited tracks and 1536 PPQ concluded with a smile. resolution. “It has great song editing MARCH 2008

Hohner Debuts 11 Products With the slogan “It’s All About the Music” setting the tone, Hohner hosted a press party on the Friday afternoon of the NAMM Show. Scott Emmerman of Hohner, Inc./HSS presided over the event, and took the opportunity to introduce 11 new products.

The new Steven Tyler Artist Series Harmonica is a more affordable version of the original and is expected to build on the success of the Tyler harp released last year. “Hohner is looking forward to wide market support with the Steven Tyler Artist Harmonica, which celebrates the career of one of rock ‘n’ roll’s living legends,” said Emmerman. “This harmonica plays and looks great and is affordable to everyone.” It has a MAP of $29.95.

Also featured was the Hoodoo Box Harmonica Amplifier, a five-watt, Class A tube amplifier featuring a single EL84 power tube, a single 12 AX7 pre-amp tube, a single 12AU7 pre-amp tube, classic spring reverb, an 8” Celestion “Super

8” speaker, and a balanced XLR direct out which can be used as a recording output or as a send to the front of house PA. The MAP on the Hoodoo Box is $279.

The Rockstart acoustic guitar package includes the Hohner HW350 acoustic guitar featuring a Spruce top and diecast turners, a padded gig bag, a Korg chromatic turner, eMedia instructional DVD, and more. This will retail at $299.

The Sonor Drum division is delivering two configurations of the new eXtreme Force kit featuring free tom-toms and five pieces of upgraded, heavy-duty hardware. The eXtreme Force 20 is a sixpiece kit with a free 8” mounted tom (including clamp and mounting arm), and a 20” bass drum. The eXtreme Force 22 is a six-piece kit that features a free 14”

The new Hohner Hoodoo Box Harmonica Amplifier.

floor tom, and a 22” bass drum.

In addition to the free toms, Sonor is offering two free cymbal boom stands via the “Sonic Boom” coupon redemption program.

Hohner kept busy the entire show, too.

They sponsored the children’s performing group, ZOOM, which is a sixth and seventh grade Orff & Percussion ensemble from Vista, Calif. World-renowned accordion player Alexander Shirunov was a featured performer as well. The 22year-old virtuoso performed at the exhibit, was featured at the press party, and again at the retirement dinner for longtime Hohner executive Horst Mucha.

StudioDock Stars at Samson Doing NAMM with your voice all but gone is one of the trade-show risks you run, but Mark Wilder, Samson’s director of marketing, didn’t let vocal impairment slow him down. “Let me show you this,” he whispered, leaning close. “You have to see our StudioDock.”

It was easy to see why the StudioDock was at the top of the list and received a lot of attention from show attendees. The USB studio monitor unit allows the user to play or “stream” digital audio via USB directly to the monitors, providing highresolution audio with no buzz, hiss, or crackle. The music stays digital, allowing for higher quality. Wilder points out the iPod dock allows the user to sync, charge, and play music from his or her iPod. “The desktop speakers sound great,” he adds.

“It’s an all-in-one solution with studioquality sound for the iPod generation.”

There was also a crowd scene at the other end of Samson exhibit where top bassist Stu Hamm was demonstrating MARCH 2008

the HyDrive Bass amp.

The HyDrive is a brandnew speaker design with greater power handling.

More than three years in development, the technology creates the warmth of traditional paper while incorporating the punch and attack of aluminum.

The patented Hybrid Cone Technology uses an outer paper cone for low frequencies and an inner aluminum cone for punch, articulate mids Samson’s Mark Wilder and product specialist Rob Garofala with the new StudioDock. and highs. The best part (for the guys who use and tem eliminates body packs and replaces haul these things) is that despite its size them with tiny micro transmitters that and sound, it weighs about 40% less than plug right into the bass guitar. It offers a traditional bass speaker. a “problem-free” user experience, and Another product Wilder is excited is less than half the size of conventional about is the AirLine Series Wireless sysbody packs. tem for bass guitar. The Airline UHF sysMMR 83

MEET THE PRESS-Sabian Cuts Through With APX Nothing starts a morning like a press conference with a cymbal demonstration. It’s better than espresso.

It’s 10 a.m. on opening day and an enthusiastic Andy Zildjian of Sabian greets the standing-room-only crowd at the Sabian stand. “It has been a truly successful year for us, and we’re excited about what we’re going to be showing you,” he said. Zildjian also ticked off some of their successes of their year, noting Sabian is especially proud of their association with the Vans Warped Tour. More than 50,000 fans cast votes in their “Dream Spot” contest last year, which allows unsigned bands to try to get a spot on the popular tour. They plan on building on their success and doing it again this year, he announced.

Zildjian then brought on Sabian’s cymbal specialist Dave Williams who got behind a kit to show off the cymbals. With the promotional “guillo-

tine” that features an image of the APX cymbal ready to cut through an amp stack looming in the background, he quickly established that the APX is indeed a “highdecibel” design that delivers bright, intensely loud, and focused response. For guitarists who want to drown it out, even a volume knob that goes to “11” won’t overpower this cymbal.

Williams next demonstrated a few of the other products featured at this year’s show. The drummers in the crowd were suitably impressed with the “Alu Bell,” which Williams said was a consistent bestseller on the Sabian Vault tours.

“When some of our major players heard them there was no stopping the concept,” he said. He added that though aluminum bells are comparatively thick and have an unfinished look, they have a sweet tone with great sustain.

After the demonstration, Sabian founder Bob Zildjian came up and said a few words before Andy Zildjian again took the mic. This time Andy brought up John D’Addario and Little Kids Rock David Wish to present LKR with $10,000 checks from Sabian and the D’Addario Music Foundation for his organization. Zildjian praised Little Kids Rock for all they do to spread the availability of music education and what they do to create new music makers. Billy Joel’s longtime drummer and a big supporter of the non-profit organization, Liberty DeVitto, was also on hand.

Kaman Fills 2008 with New Product “We had the busiest Thursday I’ve ever experienced,” commented Kaman Music media manager Nikki Nearing. The other days of the trade show were equally fast-paced at Kaman – and their Acoustic Café concert headlined by John Mayer was instantly fi lled to capacity, turning many away.

Kaman Music rolled out a staggering amount of new products at Anaheim; here are a few highlights:

Ovation 2008 Collector’s Edition. Ovation has been offering annual limited-edition collector’s guitars since 1982, but for the first time the Adamas line received the collector’s treatment. Only 84 MMR

100 collector’s versions of the famous roundback are being made in their New Hartford, Conn. factory. The soundboard is made from refi ned carbon fiber (graphite) and attached to the body by a suspended composite ring. Its contour body is handmade from fiberglass cloth.

It’s powered by Ovation’s VIP preamp with five built-in microphone images that replicate the guitar’s natural voice.

Also featured are a walnut neck, 1-3/4” nut width, slotted peghead, and 18k goldfi lled fingerboard inlays. It will MAP for $3,999 with molded.

Ovation Hybrid VXT. The VXT was introduced last as one model available with a sunburst or black fi nish. Now Ovation adds new fi nishes, exotic tops, and a lower-priced model. The VXT are now available in cherry trans and cin-

namon burst fi nishes. Those will MAP at $1,699. A Deluxe VXT model will feature flame maple tops and those will MAP at $1,899. Finally, there is the new VXT Standard, based on Ovation’s Elite T guitar and features a maple neck, onepiece poplar body, textured body fi nishMARCH 2008

MEET THE PRESS-es, Seymour Duncan P90 pickups, and microphone imaging technology that controls the acoustic output. This will MAP at $1,499.

Takamine LTD2008. One of the biggest head-turners at Kaman was the LTD2008. “This is our tribute to mother earth, and has a really decorative soundhole,” Kaman’s Nikki Nearing says. The instrument depicts the third planet from the sun as seen from the surface of the moon, suspended in the blackness of space and illuminated in crescent by the rising sun. It’s all fashioned from semi-precious stone, shell, and wood inlay.

The neck features a blazing sun rising over

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the fretboard. It was have a MRSP of $2,499.

Gretsch Limited Edition Jazz Kits.

You don’t get to be 125 years old without doing something right, and Gretsch Drums celebrates their anniversary with a Progressive Jazz kit. Modeled after the classic Gretsch “Birdland” kit from the 1950s, which was used by

Max Roach, this kit features six-ply USA Custom shells and features goldplated drum hardware. It has a MAP of $3,999. Also there is the Progressive Bop kit that also features six-ply USA Custom shells. It will MAP at $3,859.

Both kits contain a serialized vintage orange/white internal shell label and a 125th logo affixed over the paint (but underneath the lacquer) on the bass drum shell.

Genz Benz’s Uber Bass Series. Each cabinet of the latest from Genz Benz features custom GNX 10250 neodymium loudspeakers, compression bullet tweeters, and custom designed crossover network. The product boasts 13-ply birch construction, custom hardware, and heavy-duty Tolex covering. There’s the GB 410T-UB which features a 1,000 watt cabinet. It has a MSRP of $1,299. The GB 810T-UB handles over 1,600 watts and has a MSRP of $1,799.

MARCH 2008

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MEET THE PRESS-PRS: A Dozen Electrics … and Acoustics on the Horizon Those fortunate (or sharp-elbowed) enough to get into the always tumultuous PRS Guitars exhibit at NAMM had an unexpected treat in addition to the 12 new electric models the guitar maker released: three beautiful acoustic guitars – a first in the company’s history.

Currently the acoustic guitars are part of the Paul Reed Smith Private Stock line.

Longtime PRS luthier Joe Knaggs built the guitars on display, which are dubbed “Chesapeake” models (the PRS factory is near Chesapeake Bay.) “For the moment, we are offering acoustics through Private Stock only, but we are in the midst of developing an acoustic line in regular production,” notes Peter Wolf, director of sales and marketing. “There are no concrete timelines or details yet. In the past, most new PRS models have been introduced through Private Stock fi rst.”

Meanwhile, there were of course plenty of things at PRS that plug in.

David Grissom’s Signature Model – the DGT is the result of more than 20 years of collaboration between Smith and Grissom. It features an extra volume control, a nitro topcoat, vintage colors, large frets, and strung with .011 gauge strings. Also attracting a lot of attention was the new Mira, the 24-fret guitar that features 25” scale length, 10” radius, locking tuning pegs, PRS non-adjustable stoptail, and offered in a range of colors including vintage cherry, orange, vintage mahogany, black, and seaform green, among others.

PRS continues to do well in the medium-priced range as well. While most of their guitars still list between $2,200 to $4,500, the SE models continue to come in under $1,000. New to the show was the SE Soapbar, for example, which lists for $660.

It wouldn’t be a PRS NAMM Show without Carlos Santana showing up, and he was there to assist in unveiling the new models. He personally introduced the Santana MD and its “multi-dimensional” voice control feature (it lists for $4,200). Other PRS artist that showed up for the many signings included David Grissom, Alex Grossi (Quiet Riot), Rich Eckhardt (Toby Keith), Mike Scott (Prince), Dave Navarro, Pat Travers, and Paul Jackson Jr.

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MEET THE PRESS-Drum Workshop: Bigger Kits, Jazz Series Expansion At Drum Workshop, the Custom Shop is busy letting drummers have a say in the shells, color, sizes, and hardware. On display were the raw shells so DW representatives could explain how they are made, why they are so solid, and what sets them apart from the competition. Particularly drawing attention was the concept of “bigger” – bigger drums, bigger kits.

Front and center was a mammoth kit on display, and also there were their 23” bass drums that are also gaining popularity.

The offerings in the Jazz Series are numerous, and building drums that can stand a much more specific tuning range than traditionally required is key. The newly designed hybrid Maple/Gum shell allows drummers to tune to a higher “sweet spot” while retaining resonance and tonality. The result is jazz drum, but also an instrument that can cross over to other genres. Other features include die-cast counter hoops, special crimped

DW fully coated drumheads, and new kickstand bass drum lifters for smaller 18” bass drums (which apparently are in-

creasingly popular with jazz musicians.)

It is the first totally jazz custom drum set in history, the company claims.

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MEET THE PRESS-Roland Debuts ‘SuperNATURAL’ Workstation It was standing room only as Roland product manager Vince Loduca took the podium to introduced what the company calls the most powerful and luxurious live workstation in its history, the Fantom-G. The instrument boasts and “ARX SuperNATURAL” expansion bay, jumbo-sized color LCD, new audio/MIDI recorder, and Ivory Feel weighted keys.

The Fantom-G’s sound engine is driven by a new audio processor, which provides musicians with new sonic depth and versatility. With twice the wave-ROM capacity of its predecessor, it contains a trove of Roland’s SRX-quality sounds. But what was stressed at the

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press conference was that it is the new ARX expansion that allows additional SuperNATURAL sound-sets and fully dedicated synth and effects engines to be added to the powerful workstation.

SuperNATURAL ARX expansion slots add SuperNATURAL expandability to the already powerful synth lineup. The Fantom-G is the first Roland instrument to feature Roland’s newly designed power sequencer. In conjunction with the largesize LCD, this composition tool provides 128 tracks (including 24 audio tracks) in an integrated audio/MIDI graphical environment. A mouse can also be incorporated for computer-like speed and ease of use.

Meanwhile, out on the show floor, the DP-990 Digital Piano was getting a lot of attention as well. Built to “exude class and elegance,” it also features what Roland terms their most au-

thentic keyboard feel yet with the PHA II weighted keyboard with Escapement, which brings about a heavier touch in the low range and a lighter touch in the upper. It also provides lighter resistance for pianissimo passages and stronger resistance for fortissimo. The onboard USB port provides add-on functionality. The audio port allows the user to connect an iPod to it. Just as important was the styling though – contemporary and sleek, and sure to appeal to younger buyers.

MARCH 2008

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7 , 1- ° " 98 MMR

MARCH 2008

Photo Gallery

At the George Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s booth: (front) Suzanne Merritt, Sandy Richter, and Kimberly Lewis (rear): Kahler and Karrington Williams.

Matt and Jeff Cowherd of JBovier Mandolins & More.

Travis Thieman and Paul Thieman of String Swing.

Anthem Musical Instrumentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; David Kilkenney and John Gill.

Marc Harris, Harris Musical Products, displays guitar floor lamps.

Arturo Riera and Jim Rockwell welcome dealers to the Latin Percussion reception.

Teresa and Myles Reck, MusicSearch.

Wholesalers of:

Juzek Stringed Instruments Bows Cases Strings Accessories

P.O. BOX 1415 STOWE, VT 05672 1.866.846.5461

100 MMR

sales@metmusic.com MARCH 2008

Dan Barker and Serge Alsteens of EMD Music.

D’Addario’s Mike Zucek and Jess Gonzales.

JJ Babbitt: Bill Reglein, Rocky Giglio.

Galileo Music: Bruce Eckman, Gary Girouard.

The Music People’s Bill Sloan, Jessica Wong, and Carl Hestad.

Peter Bellak, Intime Design, LLC.

Stanton’s president Tim Dorwart at the company’s press conference.

George Li, Michael Kramer, and Su Fei Wu, Merano Musical Instruments.

Behringer International CEO Michael Deeb.

MARCH 2008

Gold Crest: Bob King.

MMR 101

Photo Gallery

Violet Design: Lonya Nenashev, Gary Templin, and Shawn McLaughlin.

Daisy Rock’s Rich Lackowski and Tish Ciravolo.

102 MMR

Mono Case’s Daniel Kusher and Patrick Chen.

Sheryl & Tevis Laukat of Cannonball Musical Instruments.

Hosa Technologies’ Rob Manning, Jennifer Paquette, and Jonathan Pusey.

Adam Levy of Brooklyn Gear with the company’s new eightstring electric.

World-class accordionist Alexander Shirunov performs prior to the Hohner dinner.

MARCH 2008

Roger Kao and Chris Iao of Sunlite Industrial.

Eastwood Guitarsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Mike Robinson and Peter McCracken.

Bill Gibson and John Musselman of JA Musik/American Way Marketing.

David Wright and Gayle Tomlinson of Tribal Planet.

Mr. Park, Young Chang CEO, and Ray Kurzweil, Kurzweil founder and now a consultant to Young Chang.

Nick Bowcott of Marshall announcing the new Randy Rhoades amp.

Actor James Brolin was among the celebrities on hand.

Music Distributors Association (MDA) meeting: Lloyd McCausland, Universal Percussion; Mike Sails, Reliance Electric; and George Westjohn, MDA.

Steve Simmons, Colorado Case Co. MARCH 2008

Marty David, Ampuplugnplay, LLC. MMR 103

Photo Gallery

Old Dog: Derrick Baird, Bob Stevens.

Roland’s Vince Laduca introduces the company’s new keyboards at a press conference.

Bob Card and Marc Davis of LPD.

Peavey’s Jim Beaugez shows off some of the company’s latest guitars.

E.K. Blessing Co. has appointed U.S. Band & Orchestra Supplies as the exclusive Sales and Marketing Agent for Blessing Musical Instruments.

Michael Shade and Danny Boldiston of Intermusic, Victoria, Australia, meet with David Kowalski, and Janet & Mike Kropp of NS Design.

This alliance will bring many great benefits to established and new Blessing dealers throughout the world. Both companies look forward to supplying you with one of the U.S.A.’s greatest names in musical instruments.

V2Go: Bob Liu.

JT Musical’s Scott Johnson.

Call U.S. Band for further details

U.S. Band & Orchestra Supplies Inc. 1922 Woodson Road St. Louis, Missouri 63114 Toll Free: 800-844-9653 Intl.: 314-429-3439 Toll Free Fax: 866-587-2263 E-mail:mark@usbandsupplies.com Web:www.usbandsupplies.com

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102 Years of Manufacturing Excellence

E.K. Blessing Co., Inc. 1301 West Beardsley Avenue Elkhart, Indiana 46514, USA Phone: 574-293-0833 FAX: 574-293-8398 Toll Free: 800-348-7409 E-mail: sales@ekblessing.com Web: www.ekblessing.com

LJ Hutchens: Hutch, Paul and Jesse Effman.

Susan Gregory of Wristies.

Doug Bischoff with DY Music.

MARCH 2008

John Lamb, John Coates, and Bob Wiley with Codel Enterprises.

Dominic Wagner of Shadow Electronics.

Sennheiser’s Rob Blumenreder.

Perri’s Leathers’ Lou and Anthony Perri and Angel Lopez.

Mike Armstrong of Hammond Suzuki.

Donn Denniston of Littlite.

Music Star Productions: Patrick McCormic and Tony Williams.

Mark Wilson and Rusty Membrano of OnBoard Research.

Rana Singh and Richard Danielak of Amati USA and Strunal America.

David Saghian of Marathon Professional.

Randy Wright, Debbie Stewart, Jim Seguin, and Bill Wenzloff of Morley/Ebtech.

At the Young Chang dinner: Todd Brown, Mr. Park, and Y.T. Kwon.

Ace Karaoke’s Marisol Espino.

Longtime Hohner mainstay Horst Mucha, seen here with his wife, Judy, was the guest of honor at his retirement dinner in Anaheim.

Hohner dinner: Steve West, West Music, Coralville, Iowa; Wu Hshieh, Hohner; and Winfried Baumbach, German Musical Instrument Manufacturers Association.

Hohner dinner: Paul Damiano, Kaman Music; Karl Kief, Kief Music Ltd.; Jack Westheimer, Cort; and Dominique Agnew, NAMM.

Real del Reyes: David Gonzalez.

Paul Reed Smith introduces the Gary Granger bass guitar.

Collings Guitar: Steve McCreary.

Jam session at the F.E. Olds booth.

Schilke: Andrew Duncan, Andrew Nauman, Phil Baughman.

Trent Salter of Premier Guitar.

Chuck Hogan of House of Troy.

Joe Satriani announces that he is currently working with Vox to create and develop pedals with added functions.

106 MMR

MARCH 2008

Yorkville: Herb Venticinque, Phil Betette.

Steve Goodson and Jim Gavigan of Orpheus Musical Instruments.

Saxophonist David Chenu and Randy Huey of Antigua Winds.

Tony and Ted Guarriello, Tregan Guitars.

Meeting the Needs of Students for More Than 25 Years ...

Richard Cocco, Eric Cocco, and Bob Archigian, E & O Mari.

Our Best-Selling SV-175 Cremona Violin!

Cremona bowed instruments have set the pace for the vibrant student and rental markets for over 25 years. Strict adherence to international sizing requirements, domestic educational set-up standards and continuous quality improvement have made Cremona Violins, Violas, Basses and Cellos proven sales leaders.

Gary Kilday, GRK Mfg.

Jodi Head of Jodi Head Guitar Straps.

Our best-selling, ebony fitted SV-175 Cremona Premier Violin Outfit has again been upgraded to include the new LaSalle LB-15 Octagonal Bow and the TL-33 deluxe rectangular Travelite case.

Cremona SV-175 Violin Outfit: •Six sizes from 4⁄4 to 1⁄16 •Long lasting ebony fittings •Finetuner tailpiece for precise, easy tuning •Rugged TL-33 Travelite case •All-solid carved, graduated construction •Well-balanced LaSalle LB-15 bow with ebony frog

Jerry Freed and Mark Stone of Gator Cases.

Still

169

$

Suggested Retail

Mike Pedulla, M.V. Pedulla.

MARCH 2008

Dave Dunwoodie, Graph Tech.

SV-175

[800] BUY-SAGA www.sagamusic.com Dealer inquiries invited.

MMR 107

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Karl Winkler, Colin Bernard, and Matt Robertson of Lectrosonics.

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Etros: Renato DeMoraes.

Neal Moser, Moser Custom Shop.

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Lace Music Productsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Jeff Lace, Jim Spanos, and Don Lace.

Syndy Neyland, Epilog Laser.

David Baker of Redland Music Products.

Major Music Supply: Jacob Flood, Mike Mulqueen, Jim Bruno.

108 MMR

MARCH 2008

Players: JodiAnn Stone, George Phelps, Aase Jorgensen, Tony Lalonde.

OSP: Grace Ye, Randy McFarland.

MARCH 2008

Steve McIntosh and Chuck Greene of RocN-Soc.

Beechler’s Judith Roan and Mark Costner.

Shubb Capos: Raul Renoso, Michael Phelan, Rick Shubb, Gary Mobley.

The busy folks at Demeter Amplification.

Stash Picks’ David Rosenfeld, Linda Magid, and Brenton Trotter.

MMR 109

Photo Gallery

Hodge Music Products’ Alan and Ann Hodge.

The Baden Guitars team.

Sabine’s Rob Rothschild and Anna Phelps.

Jim & Jennie Hall, Hall Crystal Flutes.

JOIN US AT WINTER NAMM / BOOTH 1775

Jason Everly and Joe Iacobellis of Everly Music Co.

John Hawkins and Greg Bennett, Samick Music Corp.

866.834.1021 Call for a Closer Look

Burkhard Lehle and James Garza of Dana B. Goods.

buyersgroup@ospworldwide.com

Michael Pepe and Sue VanderSchans of Casio.

Metropolitan Music: Rob Juzek, Adam Juzek.

Oasis: Steve Hepple, David Hepple.

Don Young and Eric Smith of National Reso-Phonic Guitars.

Bob Vorel, Ed Vodicka, and Dale Zieger of Web Only Piano Co.

Marshall Electronics’ Wayne Freeman.

Godlyke’s Kevin Bolembach.

Alan Poster, Brett Paley, John Maher, and David Andrus, Ace Products.

Jay Morrissey of Composite Acoustics.

MARCH 2008

Meisel Music’s Neil Lilien.

MMR 111

Photo Gallery

Michael Aragon and Chuck Sher of Sher Music Co.

National Music Funding: Dennis and Sandi Zalewski.

Amy Mao and Paul Sheldon of Diplomatte Musical Instruments.

VAM: Michelle and Byron Cancelmo.

Bohemia Pianosâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Marcela Schramlova, John Martin, and Martina Bocanova.

Richie Onori of Onori Accessories.

Shadowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Joe Melchiorre.

At the Casio party celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Privia: John Homlish, Terry Tarada, and Peter Brinkman.

Raxxess: George Goodwin.

112 MMR

Fernandes: Andres Jaramillo.

MARCH 2008

Bourgeois: Bonni Lloyd, Dana Bourgeois, Mike Onofrio.

Suzuki: Phil Dolganov.

Tal Morris at the Dunlop booth.

Saxophonist James Carter visits with Roger Greenburg and Alex Hsieh of P. Mauriat Saxophones.

Trick Percussion: Michael Dorfman.

Wittner: Horst Wittner.

A Playboy Bunny signs posters at the Steve Clayton, Inc. exhibit.

MARCH 2008

MMR 113

Photo Gallery

The new slate of PMAI officers. From left: Brian Chung, Kawai America, (president); Phil Kennedy, Pearl River Pianos, (vice president); George Benson, Wyman Pianos, Paul Calvin, Yamaha Corp. of America; and Tom Dolan, Story & Clark/QRS. Not pictured: Ron Losby, Steinway & Sons.

Sonora: Plutarco and Mauricio Toloza.

Tolito Musique: Antoine Cillia and Carlos Pavicich.

B.R. Wexler of Wexler Music Co. with Andy Herff of Blitz Mfg.

Shannon & Chris Rose of Eminence Speaker.

tycoon’s exclusive signature grand design features: • wider bodies for extra depth and power • hand-selected ash quinto, conga and tumba • premium-grade calfskin heads and classic-pro™ hoops • brushed chrome hardware (909) 393-5555 TYCOONPERCUSSION.COM

National Guitar Workshop’s Nat Gunod and David Smolover are flanked by Alfred’s Steve Manus and Ron Manus.

Composite Acoustics’ “Shower Guitar.”

114 MMR

MARCH 2008

SIT Strings: Tim Pfouts, Eddie Speedy, Hoogie Donais, and (front) Jon Wheeler.

Middle Atlantic Products: Mark Blades, Robert Newhuis.

The Berg family, Michael, Sharon and Irwin of Humes & Berg Mfg.

Cyndie Caruth demonstrates Piano Wizard.

A-Design’s Ronan Chris Murphy and Peter Montessi.

Mark Thompson of Slipknot at the D’Addario booth.

Rose Gonzalez, Cliff Castle, Desiree McCormick, Phil Garfinkle, and Eric Johnson of Audix Corp.

MARCH 2008

Eleca: Michael Lee.

Bob Goodden and Chris Warnick of Interstate Music, New Berlin, Wis. MMR 115

Photo Gallery

Dennis Drumm and Trev Wilkinson of John Hornby Skewes & Co., Ltd.

Cecilio Musical Instrument’s Annie Chea and Derek Zimmerman.

Joe Naylor and Pete Anderson of Reverend.

Hawk Yan and Kevin Powers of Wisemann/DY Music USA.

Chuck Franklin (left) presents the Rep of the Year award to Shel “Perfect” Perkins along with Todd Ordway and Jimmy Russell of M&M Merchandisers.

Innovative and Influential Baritone Saxophonist

Drummer Jason Bittner at the Carl Fischer booth.

ProSing’s Charles Heath.

DEG’s Mark Reynolds, Dave Dombeck (McCormick’s Enterprises, Arlington Heights, Ill.), and Allan Murray.

The Mariachi Divas perform on the NAMM Stage.

116 MMR

MARCH 2008

The ASC team: Keith Lee, Dirk Zwiebel, Y.T. Shin, Merlin Cheon, Peter Hong, Patrick Gallagher, and Keith Coates.

K&M Stands’ Martin and Gabriela Konig, Peter Strauch, and Werner Schuermann.

Emilia Aviles and C.P. Taurino Quezada Sanchez of Jimmy Weiss Guitar Strings.

Important announcement for the local indie scene

Freehand: Clyde Beswick, Sarah Shreve.

The world’s fastest growing guitar brand has the innovators of “indie” saying...

“I get it” Bert Neidhardt, Annekatrin and Stephanie Foerster of August Foerster Piano Co.

Bill Nelson Earl Slick Chris Spedding Colin Newman Buddy Miller Pete Shelley

Stan Ridgeway Chris Difford Andy Gill Robyn Hitchcock Dean Wareham Mick Karn

Men in black: Brian Halley, John D’Amato, Steve Dikum, and Tom Kekler of St. Blues Guitars.

Endorser Dave Navarro pens autograph at the PRS exhibit.

Eastwood dealers “get it” phone 905-702-8291

MARCH 2008

www.eastwoodguitars.com MMR 117

Photo Gallery

Lorne Graham and Gene Garb of NEMC.

Eleven-year-old Julia Pierce performs with her Daisy Rock guitar.

Dusty Strings: Sue Mooers, Garrett Viggers, Ray Mooers.

Ivy & Quincy Yu of Tycoon Percussion.

118 MMR

Though it was the first session of the show for the Idea Center, a capacity standing-room-only crowd showed up for MMRâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presentation The Seven Deadly Sins of Web Sites.

MDA: Jeff Saltzman, EMMC; Jake Connolly, Connolly & Co., Chris Rohrecker, Connolly & Co.

MARCH 2008

MDA: Kay Guitars’ Tony Blair with a model from the new Kool ‘50s Kay series, set for release in early 2009.

Rebecca Eaddy and Paul Reed Smith of PRS Guitars.

Father & son team of Richard and Cory Berger of Grover Musical Products.

JodyJazz’s Michael Lobombard and Jody Espina.

Beautiful...

Inside and Out Andy Nitkin of Meisel Strings; Andrew Bionen of JAMMS Music; and Rich Roland and daughter Tina of Helmet Guitars.

Stone Sour’s guitarist Josh Rand and Peavey’s David Elison discuss the new JR Special electric guitar, which Rand had a hand in designing. Both Rand and Peavey are donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the JR Special which will go to wounded veterans.

Becker stringed instruments are precisioncrafted in Romania following centuries-old European tradition. All are fashioned from select, aged northern Carpathian tonewoods, hand-finished to bring out their tonal and visual beauty, and professionally set up in the USA to our exacting standards.

With those advantages, why not try Becker in your program?

Old-World Craftsmanship For Today’s Young Musicians Howard Core: Colin Hendrickson, Cindy Evans, Meg Weidner, Melanie Reaves.

MARCH 2008

Visit Becker online at www.BeckerInstruments.com Kaman Music Corp., P.O. Box 507, Bloomfield, CT 06002

MMR 119

Nady Systems: Toby Nady, T.D. Clark, Cora Racher, Joy Ferrrer, and Rich Bandon.

Karl Detken of Pioneer Pro DJ.

X2 Digital Wireless Systems’ Jamie Scott and Guy Coker.

Partners Jimmy Ford and Jay Gaylen at the Ford Drums exhibit.

Halo Guitars: Jeff Lee (second from left) with the Vaudevillians Burlesque Troupe -- Alina Papitto, Antoinette Johnson, and Star Malone.

Microsonic’s Jennifer McDowell and Monika Major.

120 MMR

Dean Guitars founder Dean Zelinsky.

Golden Sound Distributors: Rheuben Allen and Rick Izumi.

MARCH 2008

Drumming up business at Drumnetics: Will Krause, Michael Van Dyke, and Mark Van Dyke.

GCI: Chuckie B. and Jon Kinsella.

Ultimate Support Systems’ Mike Belitz and Jeff Moore.

Inventors Gregg Kellogg and Mike Kelly man the Sound Innovations booth.

Vicki Genfan performs Luna Guitars’ Yvonne at Luna Guitars. de Villiers.

X-Tempo Designs: Endorsers Michael Elsner and Mario Pagliarulo.

Timberline Guitars’ Ed Alves and Rob Smith.

MARCH 2008

MMR 121

NAMM Show Notables: Gear Galore from the Anaheim Show Waves GTR3 Guitar Interface GTR, the guitar interface and amplifier modeling package from DSP specialists Waves, brought superb quality amp modeling to the digital audio workstation.

Now Waves announces GTR Version 3, offering guitarists even more.

Waves GTR3 adds nine new guitar amps and seven new bass amps, including six new and improved high-gain models.

The system is now capable of stand-alone or DAW-ready operation for the maximum flexibility – anywhere you need the very best in guitar and bass amp modeling. The GTR3 features a hardware guitar interface developed in conjunction with Paul Reed Smith that provides the correct impedance and level-matching, maintaining the sound, volume and dynamic range delivered by a true guitar input. This results in

122 MMR

minimum signal loss, maximum model realism and true touch playability.

The GTR3 now includes 26 modeled classic and contemporary amplifiers that turns the computer into a stack of world-class amplification. In addition to a Direct input option for full, transparent tone, there’s a vast selection of new sounds modeled on famous amplifiers. The “Warm” setting, for example, is a jazz and ballad tone based on a boutique amp from Paul Reed Smith’s private collection. The “Punchy” setting, based on a 100W Marshall head, for a clean rhythm tone, and “Scream.” based on another boutique amp from the PRS collection, for

overdriven bluesy tones. “Activator” is based on a Sadowsky preamp for super-responsive, clean performance, while “SolidState” was inspired by a Hartke 3500, hand-picked for its sturdy, solid sound.

There is also a choice of 22 cabinets, and an array of choices as to what to do with them. Play through two cabinets. Record with two different microphones. Flip the phase.

With GTR3 you can mix and match amps, cabs, and mics with drag-anddrop simplicity.

GTR3 from Waves is available now for Native or TDM, Mac, or PC and has a MSRP of $600 Native / $1,200 TDM. www.waves.com

MARCH 2008

Danelectro ‘Dano 63’ Guitars In 1963, the Danelectro “model 1449” was a hit with garage bands and working pros alike due to its signature twang.

The bodies were lightweight and featured a hollow inner chamber to make them sonically “alive.”

Forty-five years later, Danelectro reissues this classic guitar as the “Dano 63.”

The new model replicates the original “lipstick” pickups while upgrading the tuners and bridges.

The company also combed the archives for just the right retro colors and plated the hardware with “zero gloss” nickel.

The Dano 63 line includes the electric guitar ($299), baritone ($349) , and shortscale bass ($349.) Color options are Aqua, Black, Burgundy, Tangerine, Gold, Keen Green, and Peach (pictured.) www.danelectro.com

Simple to operate, changes can easily be made on the fly --without having to refer to the owner’s manual. You just turn the knobs to a setting you like, double-click on a footswitch, and it’s saved in that channel. You can tailor and program any six sounds, from vintage clean to gnarly overdrive to crushing distortion.

The SansAmp Bass Driver Deluxe can be used as a pre-amp or stomp box with

any amp/combo, power amp and speaker cabinet, or direct into any mixing console. There’s a ¼” instrument level input, as well as 1/4” and XLR outputs with selectable levels. The SansAmp Bass Driver Deluxe is phantom power operable, or uses an optional 9V DC power supply (Tech 21 Model #DC2), or 9V battery.

Manufactured in the U.S.A. MSRP $350. www.tech21nyc.com

Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver Deluxe Tech 21 has designed SansAmp Bass Driver Deluxe, the ultimate live version of its popular SansAmp Bass Drivers. There are dual inputs for two instruments to be online and ready to go, and six program locations. You can create three custom tones for each input or use all six for a single instrument. And you can program the FX loop to engage your favorite effect each time that particular preset is selected.

The SansAmp Bass Driver Deluxe features a combination of an all-analog signal path and convenient digital programmability. There are four independent, popfree footswitch actuators and the same controls as its two siblings --Drive, Bass, Treble, Presence, Blend, and Level.

MARCH 2008

MMR 123

NAMM Show Notables Spector Euro4LX–DC Bass

Meisel Clip-On Tuner

The newest addition to the Euro Series of Spector basses is the Euro4LX-DC model. Handcrafted at the Spector workshop in the Czech Republic in the sculpted classic Spector neck-thru-body style, The instrument features EMG DC-TW pickups that allow for single- or dual-coil pickup operation via push-pull controls.

Other features include the Spector Tone Pump active EQ circuit and gold-plated hardware including a locking bridge and Schaller tuners.

The fully carved body is available in figured or spalted maple, zebra wood, and birdseye poplar burl, all of which are layered to a European alder back. MSRP $2499 www.spectorbass.com

Meisel releases the MCT-8L clip-on tuner.

It is small enough to fit into a pocket, but intelligent enough to distinguish between a single instrument and other noises in a room. By picking up vibrations rather than sounds, the MCT-8L remains unaffected by ambient noise, but it measures only 1.75” x 1.75” x 0.5” without clip or 2.2” with clip. Aimed at both

124 MMR

students and professionals, the MCT-8L can clip onto virtually any instrument.

It features a tuning range of 12-note full-range chromatic: A2-B7 and a standard pitch of 420-460Hz in 1Hz steps. It’s also accurate within +/- 0.5%. With a non-volatile memory, the MCT-8L preserves settings and uses one CR 2032 coin battery. www.meiselmusic.com

Indiana Guitar’s ‘Arietta’ Acoustic-Electric The Indiana Guitar Company, a division of SHS International, has added a new acoustic electric f-hole cutaway named the “Arietta.”

The guitar is available in either a gloss back or white fi nish and features f-hole sound holes, distinctive sleek headstock, on-board active electronics, rosewood

fingerboard and bridge, sealed die-cast tuning keys, bound top, back, and neck. Street price is $179.00 and backed by a written 10-year warranty. www.shs.int.net

MARCH 2008

SKB Roto Molded Double Guitar Case In their efforts to continually add to their lineup of guitar cases, SKB has developed the 1SKB-26RW Double Guitar Case with wheels.

The 1SKB-26RW Double Guitar Case is rotationally molded of impenetrable, lightweight LLDPE plastic, providing maximum impact resistance and is designed to accommodate two guitars in gig bags for added protection.

A molded-in valance with a gasketed seal and pressure equalization valve

to comply with Military Standards make the case watertight and dust proof.

The case also features SKB’s nylon fiberglass reinforced trigger release latching system that includes two TSA-recognized and accepted locks, a cushioned rubber over-molded carrying handle, lifting handles on each end for a two-man carry, and roller blade style wheels for easy transport into a gig. www.skbcases.com

Hammond Suzuki Guitar Leslies, XK-3c Keyboard Hammond Suzuki USA welcomes the newest members of the Leslie product family, the model G27 and G37 guitar Leslies.

The new Leslie products were designed specifically for guitarist. The G37 is the

SHUBB the

CAPO

Closes like your hand,

so it will not create tuning problems. www.shubb.com • shubb@shubb.com 707-876-3001 MARCH 2008

first Leslie ever equipped with an onboard guitar amplifier. With the G27, the player can use his or her own amplifier.

Dennis Capiga, senior vice president of Hammond Suzuki USA, commented, “Our engineers have been very busy over the last several years designing an all-new Leslie that has the controls, features, and, most important, the sound that guitarists are looking for in today’s music. After hundreds of hours of product testing with famous guitarists around the world, we have developed the perfect Leslie for the guitarist. And because it is a real Leslie speaker, it has the high quality you expect.”

Hammond Suzuki USA also announces the newest member of the Hammond product family, the model XK-3c keyboard.

The XK-3c has been designed with the professional musician in mind. Built upon the features and tone-wheel type sound found on the legendary XK-3 keyboard which is no longer being produced, the company’s engineers have added many of the most requested features and effects never before found on a Hammond keyboard of this price range. These include Split upper and lower Vibrato/Chorus switches (like on the new B-3 organ), assignable controller for MIDI instruments; advanced digital Leslie and Vibrato Scanner; and enhanced dual tube preamp and overdrive.

MAP for the XK-3c is $2,295 with a dealer cost of $1,670. hammondorganco.com MMR 125

NAMM Show Notables Reverend Ron Asheton Signature Guitar Proto-punk guitar legend Ron Asheton (Iggy Pop & The Stooges) has collaborated with Reverend on a new signature model that debuted at the NAMM Show.

Based on the Volcano model, the guitar includes three Reverend P-90 pickups, lightning bolt body logo, and Ashetonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s signature on the back of the headstock.

The korina body construction features a raised center section which improves clarity and sustain, while the thinner wings increase resonance for an instrument that is lively, clear, and rich in harmonics.

The custom designed pickups consist of a bridge pickup that is slightly hotter

than vintage, and middle/neck pickups that are slightly cleaner. The passive Bass Contour adds versatility, ranging from a slight low-end roll-off to percussive single-coil sounds.

Suggested list price is $839. www.reverendguitars.com

Aim Gifts Purses & Luggage

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Aim Gifts, the manufacturer and distributor of music gifts accessories, announces its new line of purses and luggage. They are constructed of a high-quality, uniquely designed, weather-resistant PVC fabric, are fully lined and include brass zippers.

Pictured: the 17â&#x20AC;? Shopper, Handbag, 12â&#x20AC;?

Tote, and the 20â&#x20AC;? and 24â&#x20AC;? Suitcases.

Aim, an Inc. 500 Company, has no minimum order. www.AIMGifts.com

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Eastwood Indie Endorsement Program Eastwood Guitars has a new artist endorsement program aimed at supporting the growing indie music community. Bands can qualify for the program at their local Eastwood Guitar dealer or on the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Web site at www.eastwoodguitars.com. The program includes discounts on Eastwood guitars and allows for links to the bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Web site and Myspace pages. Special co-op discounts on services such as CD duplication and printing will also be available. www.eastwoodguitars.com MARCH 2008

Acesonic Hard DriveBased Karaoke Player Acesonic has released a new version of its hard-drive karaoke system. The KOD-800 features an internal hard drive which can be upgraded up to 1 terabyte of storage.

The large storage capacity will allow users to hold over 20,000 songs at an uncompressed 40MB per song within the machine itself. The unit also allows users to upload media at a faster rate. The multi-format player is compatible with almost every major karaoke format on the market, including CDG, DVD, VCD, CD, MP3, MPEG1, MPEG2, JPEG, CDR/RW, and DVD-R/RW. www.acesonic.com

three wires would not satisfy certain MIDI foot controllers, footswitches, etc.

To solve this, each new BaseSnake now has a white fivewire channel, which also provides other applications.

Some new Pigtails now take advantage of the five-wire channel, adding even a wider array of functions.

Page says “Our new PedalSnake.

Com site is also a great enhancement to the PedalSnake experience. For info on guitar rigs, pedals, noise, etc., it is now

the most comprehensive Web site anywhere. Ease of navigation has been enhanced, and several innovative tricks and tips, like our Simple Hum Test, have been getting rave reviews from players who have been mystified by the hum in their rigs.”

Harris-Teller and Fender’s FMIC Wholesale are presently the official U.S. PedalSnake distributors. www.pedalsnake.com

PedalSnake: A New Beginning Stage Magic Inc., creator of the awardwinning PedalSnake product, recently announced the release of their new “allmodular” PedalSnake systems, and a new Web site.

“Sales are up over 500% in the fi rst month after release,” reports Jody Page, president of Stage Magic. “Folks like the options of purchasing the new PedalSnake as a fully modular system. Plus, our new site at www.pedalsnake.com is greatly enhanced — easier to navigate, and with a world of helpful info regarding guitar rigs, pedals, noise, and so on.”

“We used to sell one BaseSnake,” Page continues. “It was 22 feet long with four channels, and had to be purchased as a kit containing combinations of our plug’n’play Pigtails. Today, we sell BaseSnakes separately, and there are four now, so folks can choose different lengths and channel-counts. This makes it easier for customers to get exactly what they need.”

The new BaseSnakes also have added functions. The old BaseSnake had channels that had three wires (part of the PedalSnake patent.) But they learned that MARCH 2008

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NAMM Show Notables Mapex Adds to Black Panther, Saturn Lines Mapex has introduced a new model to its line of Black Panther snare drums.

The Thick Flamed Maple model features a 15-ply, 12-mm thick, all-maple shell. The drum’s bearing edges are rounded, increasing the shell’s contact with the head. The drum, which measures 14” x 6”, has a dark, full-bodied

sound and a soft feel. The exterior ply of the shell is a highly figured maple veneer that’s been finished in a transparent honey maple burst lacquer.

The drum also features chrome plated, low

mass, single-point-of-contact lugs, die cast hoops, and a fully adjustable throw-off and butt plate. The MSRP is $689.99.

Mapex also introduces new configuration, shell packs, and finishes for the Saturn series. The new six-piece Studioease configuration is $3,399.99. The Studioease configuration is also available as a shell pack, which lists for $3,059.99. Additionally the seven-piece Plus Bass Fusion Pop 22 configuration is available as a shell pack for $3,399.99. The five-piece Fusionease configuration is also offered as a shell pack $2,958.99. All Saturn configurations are available in a new gloss natural fi nish, sienna burst finish, or blue galaxy sparkle burst lacquer finish. Mapex is also offering black chrome hardware as an option on all Saturn drum sets for the first time. www.mapexdrums.com

Amp-U-Plug-N-Play Version 3 Amp-U-Plug-N-Play releases version three -- “V3” – of its mini guitar amp.

V3 is a direct-connect mini guitar amp that requires no guitar cord. It is powered by a nine-volt battery and fits in a guitar case.

Using the volume and tone controls from the guitar, the unit delivers a clean sound to about eight on the volume control and above eight overdrives for distortion. Improved packaging includes a colorful freestanding blister pack which may be peg-hung for display as well. The MSRP $34.95. www.ampuplugnplay.com 128 MMR

MARCH 2008

Peace Drums Neo Rebel Kit Peace Drums is shipping its Neo Rebel series kit. It features deep nine-ply mahogany shells with colored hardware. Drum sizes include a 16” x 22” bass drum, 10” x 12” tom, 11” x 13” tom, 16” x 16” floor tom, and 5.5” x 14” snare drum. Available finishes include black and yellow, white and green, white and blue, black and red, and black and black. www.peacedrum.com

M-Audio Handheld Digital Recorder M-Audio announces the MicroTrack II handheld digital recorder. It features an extended input gain range, analog input limiter, 48V phantom power, headphone monitoring of S/PDIF, and more.

It overcomes the limitations of FAT32 by enabling users to create seamless multipart WAV recordings beyond 2GB in size.

The recorder includes a T-shaped stereo electret microphone, earbuds, 1/8” stereo extender cable, protective carrying case with mic pouch, power supply unit with USB connector, and cables. It has a MSRP of $499.95. www.m-audio.com

adjustable thumb rest. Additionally, all models feature Valentino pads, as well as key plating options of nickel plate, silver plate, and black chrome.

Model LB320 is a full composite instrument with a special acoustically designed bell and barrel. It is recommended for most students and will be most widely available for rental through music deal-

New Colors for Small Dog Colorado Case Company now makes available its Small Dog brand of instrument case covers in eight new colors.

When combined with a separate pocket color, there are now over 80 possible color combinations to personalize the case

MARCH 2008

cover. In addition to the black body with gray pocket, they can now be ordered in brown, purple, teal, navy, green, burgundy, and royal blue. Additional colors are available for OEM applications. www.coloradocase.com

Visit us at Booth 2977

New Leblanc ‘Bliss’ Clarinet Young professional clarinetist Julian Bliss has been a featured soloist for orchestras on three continents, and has been invited to play for the Queen of England. The EMI recording artist, with Conn-Selmer, now introduces three new Leblanc by Backun Bliss clarinets, which were acoustically designed by Morrie Backun in conjunction with Julian Bliss. The instruments feature a bore that requires less air pressure but allows for versatility, control, and playability. All three models include keywork featuring an over-arm crow’s foot with adjustment screws, low E reinforcement bar, left-hand F/C adjustment screw, and

ers. Model LB310 features a Backun-designed grenadilla wood barrel, composite body and bell, and hard rubber mouthpiece. Model LB210 is a full grenadilla instrument with Backundesigned barrel and bell. Silver-plated keywork and hard rubber mouthpiece are also standard. www.conn-selmer.com

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MMR 129

Attention Dealers With String Rental Programs

Extend their life with the

GLASSER BOWS Reconditioning Program ● Save money on restocking fees. ● Bows reconditioned and rehaired “like new,” with new frog, new hair, new parts and new paint. ● Orders completed within three business days. ● Increases return on your investment in bows, making your rental program more profitable. ● Available For Glasser Bows Only Please!

Throwing away used bows is like throwing away money -so don't do it!

Send your used Glasser Bows to us at the address below instead.

Glasser Bows, Inc. 4330 Bullard Avenue Bronx, NY 10466

Cecilio Gold-Plated Saxophones Cecilio Musical Instruments has added a gold-plated finish option to the new 2Series ® Alto and Tenor saxophones. The new option complements Cecilio’s current offering that includes gold lacquer, nickel-plated, black nickel-plated, and gold-plated sandblast saxophones, among others. The new models feature a high F# key, large bore bells, high-quality leather pads with metal tone boosters, and handengraved bell decorations. The saxes come with a newly upgraded plush-lined,

Purdue Drumline Goes for SilverFox Grover Pro Percussion Inc. announces that the Purdue University Drumline, home of the world’s largest bass drum, endorses SilverFox drumsticks and mallets.

The Purdue University “All-American” Marching

Band first appeared on the West Lafayette, Ind., campus in 1886 and today is led by the famous “World’s Largest Bass Drum.” The SilverFox line of marching sticks for snare drum, bass drum, and tenors complements the high-energy playing style of the Purdue Drumline.

The SilverFox SFX Competition series features a 5/8” diameter premium hickory shaft with taper to provide players with a sturdy mallet that sustains superior balance and control. www.groverpro.com

Old Dog Modular Speaker System for Guitar The new Modular Speaker System for Guitar from Old Dog LLC is a scalable speaker array designed to adapt to any situation.

The Modular Cabinets come in two basic sizes: a ported single 12 loaded with a 16-ohm Vintage 30, and a sealed 2-12 Vintage 30-equipped cab running at 8 ohms.

Every speaker in the Modular series is outfitted with a patent-pending highfrequency foam diffuser. This device eliminates the harsh sound emitted at the speaker center and sweetens even the newest speakers. www.olddogproducts.com

Audio2000’s PA and Karaoke System Audio2000’s presents the AWP6407 universal PA and karaoke system, which features an anti-shock CDG/CD/MP3 player and a digital recorder and is fully portable. It contains a built-in CDG/MP3/CDR/VCD/ CD player, a digital recorder, a rugged retractable dolly, a built-in dual-channel UHF 16-

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nylon-covered hard case that feature shoulder and back pack straps, a neck strap, cork grease, and a free cleaning swab.

Models: AS-280G (alto) Retail $1099/ MAP $599 and TS-280G (tenor) Retail $1399/ MAP 799.99. www.ceciliomusic.com

frequency wireless microphone system, and a set of rechargeable batteries. The built-in wireless system allows for two users at the same time, and the wireless transmitters can be any combination of the headset, lavaliere, and/or handheld microphones. www.audio2000s.com MARCH 2008

Fender Unveils American Standard Series At the NAMM Show, Fender introduced American Standard series of Stratocaster, Telecaster, Precision Bass, and Jazz Bass, marking the first overall part-by-part detail improvement of the instruments in eight years. The new series stay true to the original classic models, while incorporating modern advances in design, materials, and production.

Relying on a reverse-engineering approach, Fender used precision tools and expert ears to isolate the elements that make their instruments famous: tone, comfort, playability, and durability.

Significant improvements to the electric guitars include a redesigned bridge, new bent-steel saddles with elongated

string slots, a new neck and body finish, and a Fender-exclusive high-tech molded case. Similarly, the bass guitars feature a new neck and body finish, a Fender-exclusive high-tech molded case, lightweight tuners, height-leveled pole pieces, and the new HMV highmass vintage bridge. And for the first time, Fender is offering the traditional Precision Bass in a five-string passive version.

“To take these instruments and to respect all of the classic aspects of their design—all of the things that Leo Fender got right at the outset, which are so remarkable—but also to say, ‘We can still improve perfection,’ is exactly the spirit that Leo Fender himself brought to his

imaginative work every day,” commented Fender historian and author Tom Wheeler. “The results of this reintroduction of the American Standard line will be very impressive to those who take great care and interest in every detail of their instruments.”

Tycoon Signature ‘Grand’ Congas Mighty Bright Pedal Board Light Mighty Bright introduces the Pedal Board Light, which boasts two separate lighting heads, each on a flexible gooseneck arm.

Each lighting head contains two super LEDs, which produce three times the light of a standard LED. One light head contains two white bulbs, and the other two red bulbs, and each light head has its own on-off switch. It provides enough light to see all guitar effects pedal control settings, and can be clipped onto many different surfaces, and also comes equipped with a

Velcro strip-mound. It is powered by three AAA batteries, which are included. www.mightybright.com

Tycoon Percussion announces its allnew Signature “Grand” series conga drums. The 11˝ quinto, 11¾˝ conga, and 12 ½˝ tumba feature hand-selected North American ash shells in a rich, natural satin oil fi nish with 10 percent wider bellies. This shape allows more air movement and creates a fatter, warmer, more resonant sound.

Also included are Classic-Pro hoops, premium-grade calfskin heads, and brushed chrome hardware. Matching requintos, bongos, and djembés are also available. www.tycoonpercussion.com

eRacks / Studio System The eRacks / Studio is a professionalgrade audio creation/production computer system, hardware-optimized for studio-level audio and video work. The system is Linux-based, Dual or Quad Core CPU, and QuietByDesign™, which means computer noise won’t interfere with audio production.

The unit is loaded with a set of Open Source audio and video software applications, meaning no licenses or upgrade fees apply. www.eRacks.com MARCH 2008

Come & Get It! 7 DC & 7 AC Outlets Computer Controlled Sequence All AC/DC Outlets 7000 Joules Reduce Noise, Heat & Waste Firmware & Software Upgrades

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NAMM Show Notables JHS Launches Fret-King Guitars & Basses The NAMM Show marked the international launch of Fret-King guitars with JHS. This cult guitar line, conceived by guitar guru and UK guitar specialist Trev Wilkinson, has been taken under the portfolio umbrella and distribution skills and facilities of lead-

ing independent UK music equipment supplier, John Hornby Skewes & Co. Ltd. For the past few months, Wilkinson was at work both in his UK-based workshops and his international manufacturing facilities designing, planning, and

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Now Interviewing Quality Independent Retailers Across America 132 MMR

finalizing specifications and building first-run production samples in preparation for the worldwide introduction.

The lineup of Fret-King guitars and basses will number over 170 individual options and, as such, represents a significant addition to the JHS guitar catalog.

Fret-King instruments will be available in two categories.

Fret-King Green Label series guitars and basses are hand-built in Wilkinson’s UK workshops. Produced in very limited numbers, the Green Label series “epitomizes world-class guitar building, the embodiment of ultimate tone with classic hand-selected electric guitar tonewoods and pickup configurations carefully matched to the construction of each guitar,” JHS reports.

The mid-price Fret-King Blue Label series guitars will be produced in a low-volume, luthier-built environment, bringing the Fret-King ethic of guitar design to a much wider audience. Using the same quality imported tonewoods associated with all Fret-King guitars, Blue Label series use custom-wound Fret-King pickups and circuitry, with premium hardware by Wilkinson and Gotoh and authentic vintage construction.

The return of JHS to NAMM as a participatory exhibitor signified the company’s intention to capitalize on their presence in an already-expanding international market via a newly formed partnership with Canadian distributor, Musical Instruments Distribution Canada (MIDC) Ltd. As such, JHS also presented the Vintage line of electric and acoustic guitars and basses at NAMM as a primary ‘own brand’, alongside various other examples of their brand portfolio. The Vintage Advance and Icon Series of guitars and basses, already a success in European, Eastern European, and Australasian markets in particular, were given featured exposure at the NAMM Show to the Canadian and U.S. guitar markets. www.jhs.co.uk MARCH 2008

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LIGHT AND AUDIO

American Audio’s SD Players Shrink DJ Libraries, Expand Dealer Profits

T

he DJ audio market, in case you haven’t noticed, has been getting smaller. No, we’re not talking about sales volume. What’s shrinking is the size of the music software DJs lug around to gigs. From bulky vinyl LPs, to more compact CDs, to highly compressed MP3 files, technology has allowed mobile DJs to progressively lighten their load.

Now comes a device that affords the greatest mobility of all: the SD (Secure Digital) card. This tiny flash card -- the size of a postage stamp -- can store up to 4GB of memory. Music-wise, that translates into 150-1,000 MP3 tracks (128 kbps), all on a little square you can hold between your thumb and forefinger.

What DJ wouldn’t love to be able to stash his or her entire music library in a flap in their wallet? But although SD cards have been around for awhile (you’ve

134 MMR

probably seen them in products such as digital cameras and PDAs), there really wasn’t any hardware that would reliably play MP3 music fi les stored on them.

But now American Audio has introduced two pro audio decks, the SDJ-1 and Q-SD -- a dual MP3 player and a playermixer combo, respectively -- that were developed specifically for compatibility with SD cards. Both decks have built-in SD card slots and require no external drives, computers, or hardware such as a separate MP3 player. You simply put the SD card in the slot, and you can do the same things to your music tracks that you would with any professional DJ player, using features such as Tempo Lock, Seamless Loop, QStart, Pitch Bend, and an automatic BPM Counter. The SDJ-1, which has full playback control similar to most pro CD players, can even be hooked up to any traditional American Audio mixer.

By making it as easy to mix and manipulate tracks from SD cards as from CDs, the new decks will spark a major revolution in the DJ market, predicts Tom Freret, national sales manager for American Audio. “Just as DJs shifted

from vinyl to CDs to MP3 fi les, the next major move will be to SD cards,” said Freret. “With the availability of a reliable, easy-to-use professional SD player, DJs can play MP3 fi les without having to carry around any external drives, laptop computers, or extra MP3 players.”

A Whole New Category The little cards also carry the potential of big profits for MI dealers. “SD players are more than just improved versions of an existing product; they represent a brandnew category that dealers can get involved in,” Freret commented. “Just like the iPod isn’t a ‘better’ CD player, SD technology isn’t a ‘better’ version of the DJ decks that are out there. It’s a whole new technology – and a new profit center for dealers.”

Virtually all DJs will want the ease and convenience of being able to carry a whole night’s music on a 1-inch card, noted Freret. Thus, there’s tremendous potential for a store to sell SD players to its existing disc jockey customer base. One of the attractions of SD cards is that they’re inexpensive, readily available and simple to use. Using a USB to SD adapter, you can transfer MP3 files from any computer that has a USB drive to an SD card with just a few clicks.

Before orders were even shipping, word about American Audio’s new SD MARCH 2008

decks was spreading throughout the DJ community. “One of the top DJ Web sites just gave the SDJ-1 player a tremendously favorable review,” Freret reported. What’s more, a video about the SDJ-1, posted on youtube.com drew more than 1,450 hits after being up for just a week and a half.

Although the new SD decks should be an easy sell because of the benefits they offer, there are some talking points dealers can use to heighten interest among customers, Freret advised. One is to point out that the Q-SD player/mixer combo can work as the ultimate back-up unit. This is because it can function as a traditional mixer, but also has an SD card slot, allowing DJs to bring a “back-up” of all their music on a card half the size of a matchbook.

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Specs The SD card can be assigned to any of the Q-SD mixer’s four channels. The Q-SD offers a full range of professional mixer features, including: gain, treble, mid and bass control for each channel (-30dB rotary kills); master output trim control; zone output control; cue mixing, cue level and master level control; balanced XLR outputs; DJ microphone with volume, treble, bass and talkover control; and pitch bend (+/-4%, +/-8%, +/-16%, +/-60%). On the player side, it features one built-in SD card slot.

The SDJ-1 dual player has two built-in SD card slots, and allows music from either SD to be played on either side. Both the SDJ-1 and Q-SD are compatible with SD cards up to 4GB and do not accept SDHC --Secure Digital High Capacity -cards. An ultra-fast unit with no boot-up time, the SDJ-1 is also reliable because it contains no moving parts to break down.

Both the SDJ-1 and Q-SD include the following professional features: Tempo Lock, Seamless Loop, Auto BPM Counter, and Fader Q Start when used with compatible American Audio products. Like the company’s MP3 disc players, they feature MP3 track listing, as well as advanced cueing with track search by frame. Users can also search the SD card for the next song while the current one is playing.

For a limited time, with the purchase of each SDJ-1 or Q-SD unit, American Audio is offering a free 1GB SD card and a USBto-SD adapter. This value-added promotion is an excellent selling point for dealers, noted Freret, because it gives DJs everything required, right out of the box, to get started using SD cards at their performances.

MARCH 2008

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MMR 135

Classifieds Accessories

Visit the Classifieds on the Web: www.MMRmagazine.com

Business Opportunities

Distributors Welcome

MUSIC COPYRIGHT NOTEBOOK KIT

136 MMR

MARCH 2008

Visit the Classifieds on the Web: www.MMRmagazine.com

Business Opportunities

Help Wanted • Band and Orchestra Rentals • New and Like New Educator-Approved Brand Name Instruments • Personalized Rent-To-Own Program • No Franchise Fee or Inventory Investment • No Shipping Costs • High Commissions Paid the 1st of Every Month • Exceptional Service

Sales Manager for The Cavanaugh Company

The Cavanaugh Company is seeking an aggressive Sales Manager for its three divisions of the company, Super-Sensitive Musical String Co., Black Diamond Strings and Bari Woodwind Supplies.

This position would be responsible for growing existing accounts and generating new business with dealers and distributors.

Have strong sales background and knowledge of the Music Industry and ability to develop these markets.

Education Sales Manager for The Cavanaugh Company

For Classified Sales Call Maureen

The Cavanaugh Company is seeking an aggressive Education Sales Manager for its three divisions of the company, Super-Sensitive Musical String Co., Black Diamond Strings and Bari Woodwind Supplies.

This position would be responsible for developing relationships and sales within the educator market of the Music Industry.

May have the option to work from a satellite ofce.

The ability to travel and able to communicate with music teachers, professional musicians and other industry professionals.

Contact: Jim Cavanaugh 941-371-0016 ext 2118 Jim@cavanaughcompany.com Fax: 941- 378-3617

800-964-5150 ext. 34 mjohan@symphonypublishing.com MARCH 2008

MMR 137

Visit the Classifieds on the Web: www.MMRmagazine.com

Help Wanted

For Sale MUSIC STORE FOR SALE Well established Southern California location.

3 blocks from the beach.

Full line, sales, service and repairs.

Complete amp and guitar repair shops. $195,000.00 Call: 909 338-2129 909 806-9543

Music store for sale in small town of Deer Park, WA. Seller wants to retire!

Will sell building, inventory, and existing customer base for $159,000 with attractive owner contract terms. Approx. 20% down payment and you can go to work in this existing business. Building is older home converted to retail space in thriving business area.

Call Jim Palmer Jr. - Real Estate Marketplace N.W. 509-276-5445

MUSIC STORE FOR SALE IN SUNNY FLORIDA Well established for over 30 years 4k sq. ft., newly renovated Full line instruments, rental program, teaching studios, music books, and instrument repair dept.

Turn key ready: Inventory, xtures and repair equipment included.

Owner ready to retire, LET’S TALK For more information contact: doityesterday@verizon.net

MUSIC STORE FOR SALE IN HAWAII SALES MANAGER/PARTNERSHIP Exciting Opportunity For Energetic Piano Man To Expand Santa Barbara Location And Forge Into New Territory Up The Central Coast. Earn A Partnership And Enjoy The California Coast At The Same Time.

800-269-3549 Wally2Step@aol.com Attn: Bob

CLASSIFIEDS on the MOVE! check

www.mmrmagazine.com for daily updates!

138 MMR

For Sale BIGGEST MUSIC SCHOOL in the HOUSTON AREA FOR SALE 25 Teachers; 500-plus students and 2-story bldg. in prime real estate location with music store and rental space!

For more information Call broker at 281 359-2593 or Owner at 832 445-5668

Have you ever dreamed of living in Hawaii?

This could be your chance!

Full line music store in paradise.

All inventory and xtures included.

Most major lines are represented. $125,000.00 For more information Call 808 870-5953

For Classified Sales Call Maureen

800-964-5150 ext. 34 mjohan@symphonypublishing.com

MARCH 2008

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For Sale FOR SALE Beautiful central Florida Well-known music store, Located 21 years on East Coast!

All inventory/xtures, turnkey!

Major brands, full-line.

No real property. 6 + studios Owners have aging parents.

Call PM only 321-723-6489 Or 321-725-3047

Merchandise Studios, Consoles, Spinets Lot Pricing: $195-$350 Solid, Reconditionable Pianos. Some have Benches.

JAY-MART PIANO WHOLESALERS P.O. Box 21148 • Cleveland, OH • 44121

800-411-2363

Fax: 216-382-3249 • Email: jaymartpianos@sbcglobal.net “The Piano Store For Piano Stores”

Instruction

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“How To Make a Living Teaching Guitar” Guytar Publishing

www.guytar.com Merchandise

Carter Steel Guitars P.O. Box 851324 Mesquite, TX 75185-1324 USA Info: 1-972-475-2324 FAX: 1-972-412-7353 www.CarterStarter.com OrderDesk@CarterStarter.com Made in the USA

www.mmrmagazine.com MARCH 2008

MMR 139

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Merchandise Oboes & Bassoons

We create the finest hand-crafted Oboes & Bassoons. Also replacement 5K Bassoon Bocals.

Linton Woodwinds Corporation, Jack Linton 1013 Alma St. Elkhart, IN 46514 U.S.A. PH: 1-866-220-2909 Fax: 574-266-7658 E-Mail: info@lintonwoodwinds.com www.LintonWoodwinds.com

ACCORDIONS, CONCERTINAS, & BUTTON BOXES new, used, buy, sell, trade, repair, tune, CASTIGLIONE DISTRIBUTING CO. 13300 E 11 MILE WARREN, MI 48089 PH # 1-586-755-6050 WWW.CASTIGLIONEACCORDIONS.COM

CASES CASES CASES Factory Direct!

Any ATA Case For $99 Mixers, Amps, Heads, or Keyboards www.newyorkcasecompany.com

877-692-2738

ACCORDIONS: All sizes —

over 100 in stock — new & used.

Regular, Electronic, MIDI, etc.

JOHN GAUNT, Distributor, 1248 S. Highland Ave., Clearwater, FL 33756, (727) 443-4113.

www.mmrmagazine.com

equatone@earthlink.net

Wristies® ngerless gloves warmth for handsfreedom for ngers.

Perfect for practice, cold venues and marching.

Wholesale, retail and quantity discounts available.

wristies.com

800-811-8290

300,000 Piano Lovers!

That’s how many unique, piano loving people visit PianoWorld.com every month.

YAMAHA–KAWAI

Be smart, advertise your piano or music related business where your new customers are hanging out.

& MORE

PianoWorld.com

Asian High Quality

For more interesting statistics and advertising information: Visit www.PianoWorld.com/advertising ... Now!

CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED PIANOS

Home of the world famous Piano Forums.

No other supplier offers superior service before, during and after the sale.

You get what you pay for!

GUARANTEED LANDED QUALITY

1-800-782-2694 North American Music 11 Kay Fries Drive Stony Point, NY 10980 Fax: (845) 429-6920

FINANCING AVAILABLE 140 MMR

www.mmrmagazine.com MARCH 2008

Visit the Classifieds on the Web: www.MMRmagazine.com

Merchandise

Repair Tools BOW REHAIRING Expert Bow Service

Order forms,Pricing and Shipping label at:

www.bowrehairing.com Violin bows as low as $10.00 per bow in quantity incl. shipping (see website for details.) Large inventory of replacement parts both new and vintage.

IRA B. KRAEMER & Co. Wholesale Services Division

“An industry leader since 1967”

Miscellaneous

467 Grant Avenue, Scotch Plains, N.J. 07076 Tel: 908-322-4469 Fax: 908 322-8613 e mail: info@bowrehairing.com

REPAIRS BAND INSTURMENTS SINCE 1946.

BAND INSTRUMENT REPAIR VIDEO Save $$$ on repair expense. Earn extra income. Journeyman repairman offers “How To” videos on the repair of brass and woodwind instruments.

For information write to: B.I.R.V. Co. 880 Slater Rd. Bellingham, WA. 98226 (360) 384-6707

Competitive prices, 100% satisfaction GUARANTEED Dealer inquiries invited.

Write or Call: PHILLIPS MUSIC CORPORATION 17668 State Highway B Kirksville, MO 63501

660 665-5889 BAND INSTRUMENT REPAIR Complete woodwind/brasswind repair, from rental return service to complete overhauls. Dealers welcome. All work guaranteed. Member of NAPBIRT. Quality Repair Service PH #574-268-5360 email: mwebb451@embarqmail.com

Breaking News

Find it in the Hot News section of MMR’s Web site, www.MMRmagazine.com

For 60 years we have provided musical instrument repair tools to technicians and musicians around the world.

We have a wide selection of pads and other supplies in addition to our repair tools.

Contact us today for a FREE CATALOG.

FAST TURN-AROUND ON STOCK REPAIRS NATIONWIDE NAPBIRT member, 25 Years Experience Contact: Dan Rieck, 801-733-4243 dan@utahwoodwindrepair.com

For Classified Sales Call Maureen

800-964-5150 ext. 34 mjohan@symphonypublishing.com

For Classified Sales Call Maureen 800-964-5150 ext. 34 • mjohan@symphonypublishing.com MARCH 2008

MMR 141

Visit the Classifieds on the Web: www.MMRmagazine.com

Sales Reps Wanted Sales Representatives Wanted!!

Michigan-based Brass, Woodwind and accessories line. Join a great new organization with an “artist-endorsed” product.

Competitive Commissions with incentive.

Contact: db@dymusicusa.com 734-384-1705

REPS WANTED

Codel Enterprises J3 and Aslin Dane Guitars, Basses and Amps Seeking ambitious guitar reps.

Major territories open.

High commissions Best Dealer Buying Program Contact 860 408-1441 or lamb@codelenterprises.com

School Sales Reps Wanted INDEPENDENT SALES REPS Sales Reps Wanted Band & Orchestra Instruments Most territories open A Great Job! AMERICA LONGXING

(718) 706-0828 Ask for Paul

Services SHIPPING YOUR PIANO

with Lone Wolf Trucking

Used Instruments Used 4 Less Music

over 2,000 used parts and 400 used instruments.

50 – 70% less than new.

Repaired with one year guarantee or not repaired.

Brand names Clarinets and utes from $50 Alto saxes from $250 Everything from piccolos to Sousaphone Clarinet & Flute repad $69 Call Jimmy Hayes 800 559-4472

Vintage Instruments

is a “grand” idea!

An independent, long-distance Mover specializing in coast-to-coast residential Relocation.

1-800-982-9505 Alamogordo, New Mexico. 88310

ICC MC-256289

For Classified Sales Call Maureen

LOCAL & NATIONWIDE PIANO MOVING • CRATING • STORAGE •

Sales Reps Wanted

Mighty Moe Ampstraps seeks established reps for selected territories across the USA www.mightymoe.com 415 455-9268 or email: peter@intimedesign.net

Seeking Employment Pianos/Digitals/Organs I Don’t Sell, You Don’t Pay Closer for hire!

20 years experience Outside promo specialist timfeager@msn.com • 561-379-4718 142 MMR

(800) 222-2888

800-964-5150 ext. 34

(310) 830-3362 (FAX) • http://www.pianomove.com

mjohan@symphonypublishing.com

Wanted To Buy re ’ We ing

y os u B ian P

We are buying grands — and smaller verticals Honest - Professional - We Sell Nationwide JAY-MART PIANO WHOLESALERS P.O. Box 21148 • Cleveland, OH • 44121

800-411-2363

Fax: 216-382-3249 Email: jaymartpianos@sbcglobal.net “The Piano Store For Piano Stores” MARCH 2008

Visit the Classifieds on the Web: www.MMRmagazine.com Visit the Classifieds on the Web: www.MMRmagazine.com

Wanted To Buy Wanted USED TUBAS ANY CONDITION-CASH PAID THE TUBA EXCHANGE 1825 CHAPEL HILL RD. DURHAM, NC 27707 1-800-869-8822 WWW.TUBAEXCHANGE.COM

WE, BUY, SELL, TRADE and ship worldwide.

Written APPRAISALS available.

GRUHN GUITARS,

Breaking News Find it in the Hot News section of MMR’s Web site!

400 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203

(615) 256-2033

fax (615) 255-2021

www.gruhn.com

www.mmrmagazine.com

www.MMRmagazine.com

Vintage Showcase WE, BUY, SELL, TRADE

What’s it worth?

We buy, sell, trade, consign and appraise fine guitars, banjos and mandolins.

629 Forest Ave., S.I., N.Y. 10310 Phone (718) 981-8585 mandolin@mandoweb.com www.mandoweb.com

and ship worldwide.

Written APPRAISALS available.

GRUHN GUITARS 400 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203

(615) 256-2033 fax (615) 255-2021

www.gruhn.com

Call Maureen Johan 800-964-5150, ext 34 or mjohan@symphonypublishing.com

for Special Offer Details!

MARCH 2008

MMR 143

Adindex COMPANY NAME A

Ace Karaoke/Acesonic USA Acoustics First Corp.

Amati’s Fine Instruments America Longxing Inc. American DJ Supply Inc. American Way Marketing LLC Anderson Silver Plating Antigua Winds, Inc. ARK International ASC

C

Cable Up Cannonball Music Instruments Cecilio Music Colorado Case Company LLC

D

D’Addario & Co. DBL Distributing Diplomatte Musical Instruments Drumnetics Company Dunlop Manufacturing Inc.

E

E.M. Winston Eastwood Guitars Eleca International EMD Music Inc. EMG Inc.

F/G

Gator Glasser Bows Grover Guangzhou China Intl. Music Expo Gulf Music Sales

H/J

Hailun Hall Crystal Flutes Inc. Hamilton Stands Inc. House of Troy JHS JHS Jupiter Band Instruments

K

K&M Stands Kaman Music Corp.

Kawai America Corp.

Ken Smith Basses Ltd. Kurzweil Music Systems Kyser Musical Products Inc.

L

L. J. Hutchen Corp.

LM Products Lowrey Organ Co. Luna Guitars

M

Marathon Professional Metropolitan Music Co. Mircrosonic Mono Case MPathx MPathx 144 MMR

E-MAIL/WEB ADDRESS www.acekaraoke.com www.acousticsfirst.com www.Amatis.uscom www.huntermusical.com www.americandj.com info@americanwaymktg.com

PAGE

www.antiguawinds.com www.ark-audio.com www.sejungusa.com

125 16 20 90 6-7 124 128 18 128 61

www.cableup.com www.cannonballmusic.com www.ceciliomusic.com www.coloradocase.com

78 89 86 132

www.daddario.com www.dbldistributing.com psgpi@aol.com www.drumnetics.com www.jimdunlop.com

19 93 90 129 102

www.emwinston.com www.eastwoodguitars.com www.eleca.com www.staggmusic.com www.emgpickups.com

102 117 24 25 43

www.gatorcases.com www.glasserbows.com www.grotro.com www.guangzhoumusic.cn www.gulfmusicsalesonline.com

109 130 113 118 106

www.hailunusa.com www.hallflutes.com www.hamiltonstands.com www.houseoftroy.com www.jhs.co.uk www.jhs.co.uk www.jupitermusic.com

91 115 126 48 50 51 23

www.km-america.com www.kamanmusic.com www.kawaius.com www.shigerukawai.com www.kensmithbasses.com www.youngchang.com www.kysermusical.com

97 119 cov 3 113 87 111

www.ljhutchen.com www.LMProducts.com www.lowrey.com www.lunaguitars.com

122 49 99 120

www.marathonpro.com sales@metmusic.com www.microsonicmusic.com www.monocase.com mpathx.com mpathx.com

112 100 98 127 129 131

COMPANY NAME

E-MAIL/WEB ADDRESS

MPathx Music Freight The Music People Musician’s Wholesale America

mpathx.com www.musicfreight.com www.musicpeopleinc.com www.musicianswholesaleamerica.com

N/O

NAMM National Educational Music Co. National Music Funding NS Design OSP Worldwide

P

P & D Wholesale P.Mauriat Paris/ALBEST Musical Inst Pearl River Piano Group Petrof USA Piano Disc Pianotek Supply Company Pro-Mark Corp.

R/S

Real de los Reyes Reverend Musical Instruments Sabian Ltd.Instruments Saga Musical Instruments Schimmel Piano Co. Sennheiser Electronics SHS International SHS International Shubb Co. Sibelius Software Inc. SKB Corp.

Stage Magic, Inc. Steinway & Sons Sunlite Industrial Corp.

Super-Sensitive Musical String Co.

T/U

Talking Tabs Tanglewood Guitars Timberline Guitars TKL Products Corp.

Tregan Guitars Tycoon Drums U.S. Band & Orchestra Supplies

V

Vandoren V2Go Vic Firth, Inc. Vic Firth, Inc. Violet Design Visual Sound

W

Walking Bird Publications Web Only Piano Wittner GmbH & Co. KG Wood Violins Wyman Piano

Y/Z

Yamaha Corp. of America Yamaha Corp. of America Yamaha Corp. of America Yorkville Sound Inc. Young Chang Avedis Zildjian Co.

www.namm.com www.nemc.com www.nationalmusic.com www.NedSteinberger.com www.ospworldwide.com

PAGE 127 121 3 85 56-57 93 96 101 110

www.PDWholesale.net www.monteverdemusic.com www.PearlRiverUSA.com www.petrof.com www.pianodisc.com www.pianoteksupply.com www.promark.com

135 116 46 21 5 96 63

www.realdelosreyes.com www.reverendguitars.com www.sabian.com.com www.sagamusic.com www.schimmel-piano.de www.sennheiserusa.com www.shsint.net www.shsint.net www.shubb.com www.g7info.com www.skbcases.com www.pedalsnake.com www.steinway.com www.sunlitedrum.com www.cavanaughcompany.com

108 49 11 107 37 95 44 135 125 133 67 122 9 123 47

www.playitnowtunes.com www.tanglewoodguitars.com www.timberlineguitars.com; www.tkl.com www.treganguitars.com www.tycoonpercussion.com www.usbandsupplies.com

71 88 132 1 92 114 104

www.vandoren.com www.v2gotech.com www.VicFirth.com www.VicFirth.com violetdesignusa.com www.visualsound.net www.walkingbird.com www.webonlypiano.com www.wittner-gmbh.de www.woodviolins.com www.wymanpiano.com www.yamaha.com www.yamaha.com www.yamaha.com www.yorkville.com www.youngchang.com www.zildjian.com

42 26 105 103 94 cov 4 98 13 55 108 45 27 65 17 cov 2 30-31 29

MARCH 2008

DEALER OF THE YEAR Large Market (5 or more locations)

DEALER OF THE YEAR Large Market (Fewer than 5 locations)

DEALER OF THE YEAR

Tom Schmitt

David Kim

Alan Merriam

Schmitt Music

Kawai Canada Music

Kim’s Piano

Merriam Music

TOP SALES PERFORMANCE (Small Market)

Gratz Piano Mike Gratz (not pictured)

TOP SALES PERFORMANCE

TOP DIGITAL PIANO MARKET PERFORMANCE

Marin Piano

Pritchard’s Pianos

(Medium Market) Don Bellville

(Large Market) Dave Pritchard

TOP DIGITAL PIANO MARKET PERFORMANCE (Medium/Small Market)

Chick Piano

REGIONAL SALES MANAGERS OF THE YEAR Hale Ryan

Ben Robinson

Kawai America Corporation • 2055 E. University Drive • Rancho Dominguez, CA 90220 • www.kawaius.com

p

Powers virtually ANY 9v pedal on the market today, from BOSS to Zoom even Line 6 pedals*

p

Only takes up ONE spot on your power strip

p

Powers an ENTIRE pedalboard with optional MC8 daisy-chain cables (up to 1700mA!)

p

Competitive retail price, better dealer margins

p

WANT MORE? You’ve got it! The new 1 SPOT® Combo Pack includes: 1 SPOT® Power Supply PLUS (1) MC8 Cable, (2) CBAT Battery Clip Converters, (2) C35 3.5mm Converters and (1) L6 Line 6 Converter

4922 Port Royal Road B-11 Spring Hill, Tennessee 37174 1.931.487.9001 www.visualsound.net p

p

*Brand names listed are trademarks of their respective companies and have no affiliation with Visual Sound.