w w w. m m r m a g a z i n e . c o m
October 2010
Ukulele Sales Continue to Trend Upwards... Survey: Guitar Market
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Contents OCTOBER 2010 VOL.169 NO. 10
24 Spotlight: Ukulele
As manufacturers, distributors and retailers attest, the ukulele is proving to be a bright spot in an otherwise lethargic MI retail market.
Cover design by Laurie Chesna
16
34 40
Upfront Q&A: Steven Savvides
MMR chats with Steven Savvides, president of Musical Distributors Group, about recent developments at MDG and his take on the current state of the MI world.
New & Notable Ukulele Products
68
Survey: Guitar Market
This recent survey gauges the latest trends in the guitar market over the past year.
46
New & Notable Guitar Products
56
Microphones: Audix USA
60
64
74
As Audix USA marks its 25th year in business, Cliff Castle, co-founder of the company, discusses the evolution of the microphone industry and expectations moving forward.
Spectrum Musical Instruments
81
Spectrum Musical Instruments is capitalizing on eCommerce. VP of sales and new business development Robert Settler explains why and how.
82
Jason’s Music & Piano Buyer
In every issue:
Kessler & Sons Music
4 6 14 72 85 88 98 104
The Piano Buyer, a new venture by Steve Cohen of Jason’s Music Center in Pasadena, Md. and publisher Larry Fine, is a guide for determining acoustic and digital piano pricing. Kessler & Sons Music, a boutique brass and woodwind shop with two locations in greater Los Angeles, bases its success on the two-headed philosophy of positive customer experience and low pricing.
Editorial Upfront People At a Glance New Products Supplier Scene Classifieds Advertisers’ Index
Big Dude’s Music City
MMR checks in with Mark Dodd of Kansas City’s Big Dude’s Music City, who talks candidly about his business operations and the strategy that has allowed his store to withstand all sorts of economic climates.
Fresh Faces
Bananas At Large president Alan Rosen gives the skinny on opening his store’s new location in Santa Rosa, Calif.
Guest Commentary
George Gruhn of Nashville, Tenn.’s Gruhn Guitars looks at trends within American guitar manufacturing and retail.
www.mmrmagazine.com
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 ©2010 by Symphony Publishing, LLC, all rights reserved. Printed in USA.
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OCTOBER 2010
The Power of Ten.
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®
Editorial Sidney Davis
Volume 169 Number 10 October 2010
Military Bands Under Review
PUBLISHER Sidney L. Davis sdavis@symphonypublishing.com
Defense Secretary Robert Gates is in a cost-cutting mode (as well he should be) and according to an article in The Washington Post, military bands may be on his radar screen. The story states there are three large army bands, 28 other army bands, as well as 53 National Guard bands, along with several smaller ceremonial ensembles. The writer notes there are similar numbers for the other branches of the services. He quotes the purpose of the military bands as described in the field manual is, “to provide music throughout the entire spectrum of operations… and foster the support of our citizens and promote America’s interests at home and abroad…” The article cites the Defense Secretary as saying, “Condi Rice (former Secretary of State) used to say we have more people in the military bands than they have in the Foreign Service…” My short reply would be that the military bands may well be more effective as the nation’s “goodwill ambassadors.” In another vein, Walmart’s chief executive forecasts a back-to-basics Holiday season pointing out that underwear and gloves will be substituted for iPads and jewelry. This is in contrast to Sony Music’s release of a 43-CD Miles Davis collection stored in a trumpet case with a “modest” list price of $1,199! The Genius of Miles Davis is being marketed directly to consumers via the company’s Web site. In addition to the CDs, the package also includes replica of Miles’ mouthpiece, a lithograph by the artist, a Davis t-shirt, and a 240-page book. Sony plans to follow up the Davis collection with a 30-CD Elvis Presley offering that carries a list price of $750, which will also be marketed online. New Hampshire based Daddy’s Junky Music, tested the Holiday season last year with a merchandising kiosk in a regional mail. Toys R Us are now taking the concept to a higher level with plans to open 600 temporary “Express” stores employing 10,000 seasonal workers and their FAO Schwartz division will follow with ten “pop up” stores for the fourth quarter. Kiosk merchandising is not a new concept for music dealers; many an organ was sold to mall strollers in the ‘60s… Last month we introduced a column by former Korg vice president Joe Bredau, the first in a series by industry professionals that will appear within these pages. This issue features George Gruhn’s analysis of the guitar market (page 82) Whether you agree with Gruhn’s premise and conclusions, as a longtime dealer and one of the leading sellers of vintage instruments, he is uniquely qualified to present a perspective for your consideration. And in a final note to those who would cashier our service musicians, let us not forget that the “father of our country,” first general of the U.S. Army (and our first President) George Washington was an accomplished flutist!
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Rick Kessel rkessel@symphonypublishing.com EDITOR Christian Wissmuller cwissmuller@symphonypublishing.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Eliahu Sussman esussman@symphonypublishing.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Denyce Neilson dneilson@symphonypublishing.com ADVERTISING MANAGER Iris Fox ifox@symphonypublishing.com SALES & MARKETING MANAGER Jason LaChapelle jlachapelle@symphonypublishing.com CLASSIFIED & DISPLAY AD SALES Maureen Johan mjohan@symphonypublishing.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Laurie Guptill lguptill@symphonypublishing.com GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Laurie Chesna lchesna@symphonypublishing.com Andrew P. Ross aross@symphonypublishing.com CIRCULATION MANAGER Melanie A. Prescott mprescott@symphonypublishing.com ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Popi Galileos pgalileos@symphonypublishing.com SYMPHONY PUBLISHING, LLC Chairman Xen Zapis President Lee Zapis lzapis@symphonypublishing.com Chief Financial Officer Rich Bongorno 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
sdavis@ symphonypublishing.com
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OCTOBER 2010
- Luke Doucet -
(Sarah McLachlan, Solo Artist & Producer)
Photo: David Bergman www.davidbergman.net
GREAT ARTISTS DEMAND GREAT TONE! Luke Doucet on Tour with Sarah McLachlan, Lilith Fair 2010 (L-R) YGM-3, DarkHorse DH15H Head / DHX12 extension cabinet, YGM-3
Visit www.traynoramps.com for more information on the DarkHorse or any Traynor product. Distributed in north america by Yorkville Sound
Upfront Korg, Marshall Split Korg USA and Marshall Amplication announced that the two companies have reached an agreement whereby Korg USA will no longer distribute Marshall products as of October 1, 2010. Marshall will open its own branded distribution network to serve the U.S. market, Marshall USA. This new business unit began operation on October 1st, and shipments to dealers will begin October 18th. Jon Ellery, Marshall UK co-managing director announced that Marc Lee Shannon will assume the position of VP Sales for Marshall USA on October 1st. Lee is a longterm industry veteran, who spent the last 17 years heading sales with Audio Technica. Ellery also announced that Ryan Rhodes has been named the brand director for Marshall USA and
will lead the product direction and work closely with Marshall UK to insure a coordinated worldwide effort. Ryan worked in past Marshall distribution in the US for 15 years. More Marshall dedicated management will be added shortly, with announcements to follow. Korg USA will continue to distribute, market, service and support its parent company’s brands, Korg and VOX, as well as the recently added Lâg brand of guitars. “Korg USA, [previously known as Unicord], has had a reputation as a brand builder,” stated Korg USA president Joe Castronovo. “We’re extremely proud of the job we’ve done for Marshall in that capacity since 1964, and wish them luck in the future. This change will enable us to focus a
larger portion of our company resources on VOX, which will see some exciting new product deliveries during the fall of 2010 and into 2011. We will continue to grow this world-class brand, as well as launch a new era of Korg Technology products throughout next year.” Marshall co-managing Director, Jon Ellery, commented, “The Marshall brand has been well-served by the efforts of Korg USA, and we would like to thank them for many years of loyal service, support and friendship. The time is now right for us to distribute and market our products in the U.S., taking the Marshall brand to the next level, ensuring that Marshall remains the world leader in guitar amplication” More information and contact about Marshall USA will soon be announced. For inquiries, e-mail MarshallUSA@ marshallamps.com.
Lexus Grooves on Yamaha… Yamaha drums play a prominent role in a new creative, high pro le television advertising campaign by Lexus. “When they rst contacted me about this, I was not quite sure if they could actually pull this off,” says Dave Jewell, marketing manager of Yamaha Drums and distribution manager of Paiste. “I also was somewhat concerned that they were going to have a driver that could actually maneuver the car in between all the drums. However, Eddie [Braun], the stunt driver, pulled it off. “When the director showed up on the rst day and we were unloading all the drums, they ipped out over the look of the Rock Tour kit. I went through our Web site the week before with the production company to pick out this color and series of drums. They loved the Matte nish on the drums and they knew they would look great on camera. At that time I asked the director, ‘For all the work and gear that Yamaha is providing, can you give me a logo shot in the commercial?’ He said on 6 MMR
that Monday of the shoot, ‘I will give you a logo shot.’ I never thought that it would be that cool of a logo shot right at the beginning of the ad. A lot of my friends have commented that they thought it was a Yamaha commercial and not Lexus – I just don’t want to tell Lexus that!” Yamaha provided 20 Rock Tour drum set components and over 100 pieces of hardware. Drum tech Todd Burr
mapped out a drum chart for the car to play, and precision driver Eddie Braun pulled off the feat in a large hanger in Long Beach, Calif. Dr. Curtin Bennett, chair of the math department at Loyola Marymount University, helped arrange the pedals at precise intervals, placed according to a mathematical formula that created a 155 beats-per-minute solo, attuned to fractions of a second.
OCTOBER 2010
Upfront E.K. Blessing’s Elkhart Facility Complete E. K. Blessing, a subsidiary of Verne Q. Powell Flutes, has completed the renovation of a building on Paul Drive in Elkhart, Ind. Blessing was established in Elkhart in 1906, and is now the only company producing all its brass instruments in Elkhart. Steve Wasser, Powell and Blessing president, explained, “Although Elkhart County allocated some special funding for us, we ultimately nanced this expansion with private money. The government ofcials and Elkhart community have been very supportive of our efforts, and we have done our best to reciprocate. The photos for our new brochure and
Web site were done exclusively in Elkhart by local photographer, Darrel Yoder, the law rm for Powell Flutes is now Barnes & Thornburg in Elkhart, and the renovation of our new building was ably completed by Jeff Long of Mesk Construction.” Since the purchase of E.K. Blessing by Powell Flutes at the end of 2009, Blessing has established a major product development effort led by Fred Powell, renowned trumpet maker and Blessing’s Director of Artistic Design. Major performing artists like Lew Soloff, Thomas Marriott, and Rob Slowik have become Blessing artists.
Randall Johnson, a Blessing family member and last owner of Blessing, says, “Steven Wasser and team have the energy, vision, and resources to move the Blessing operation onward and upward. My great-grandfather would be proud of the company that he started 104 years ago. I couldn’t be happier that Steven and I were able to work together for such a smooth and positive transition.”
Music Rising & Gibson Foundation Partner with Tulane In September, Music Rising, an award winning initiative co-founded in 2005 by U2’s the Edge, producer Bob Ezrin and Gibson Guitar chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz announced a $1 million program in partnership with Tulane University to develop a college curriculum that will provide a permanent, comprehensive and denitive study of the musical heritage of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region. The Music Rising program is administered by the Gibson Foundation. Music Rising has worked closely with Nick Spitzer, professor of anthropology and American studies and creator of Tulane’s public radio program American Routes in creating the connection with Tulane. The curriculum for the program on music and culture of the Gulf Coast will be implemented at Tulane and available to other universities through web and print materials. In addition to drawing from eld, studio and live interviews, programs and performances of the American Routes Collection, the curriculum will draw upon the resources of the William Ransom Hogan Archive of New Orleans Jazz as well as the Maxwell Music Library, the Louisiana Collection, the Southern Institute and the New Orleans Gulf South Center, all housed at Tulane. The Music Rising curriculum at Tulane aims to preserve the musical heritage of the 8 MMR
Gulf Coast region and eventually be adapted to educational levels ranging from elementary through high school. Preserving the music of the region has been the driving force behind the many initiatives Music Rising has supported since its inception in
2005, after the devastating hurricanes of Katrina and Rita. Building the Music Rising curriculum will also serve as a catalyst to develop a comprehensive system of archives that will preserve a vast amount of Gulf Coast based cultural history.
GC Outlines Executive Succession Plan Guitar Center, Inc. has announced a management succession plan to be implemented during the fourth quarter of 2010. Under this plan, Greg Trojan, currently president and COO, will assume the position of CEO. Mr. Trojan will also remain a member of Guitar Center’s Board of Directors. Marty Albertson, presently Chairman of the Board and CEO, will step down as CEO, but will remain as non-executive Chairman of the Board. Marty Albertson says, “I am thrilled to take on the role of non-executive Chairman. This will allow me to pursue many other interests and still contribute to Guitar Center in a strategic capacity. Guitar Center has a tremendous culture and exciting future, and I intend to stay involved in the company.”
“I asked Greg to join the Guitar Center team nearly three years ago as part of my effort to groom a successor for the CEO role, and my condence in his ability to successfully lead the company was critical to my decision to change my role at this time. Further, Greg has a thorough knowledge of our culture, values and industry.” Greg Trojan says, “I am excited to be assuming the role of Chief Executive Ofcer at this point in Guitar Center’s history. With the company’s strong management team and with the investments we have made in both our infrastructure and our people, we are well positioned to grow online and through our brick and mortar network. Accordingly, we plan on resuming opening new Guitar Center retail stores in 2011.”
OCTOBER 2010
When a guitar can span these extremes, you know it has to be special. Visit a PRS dealer to hear how versatile the Hollowbody Piezo can be. Š 2010 PRS Guitars, HB photo Marc Quigley
*Hollowbody II also available with maple top and back.
Upfront Defendants Say MAP Isn’t Price-Fixing In a court memo led Aug. 20, the defendants in the previously reported classaction lawsuit pertaining to alleged price rigging asserted that the “minimum advertised” pricing is a legal business practice that doesn’t restrict what retailers actually charge. The court ling also states that other basic facts, such as attendance at NAMM’s events, do not prove any wrongdoing. In a joint argument, the defendants (including NAMM, Gibson, Fender,
Yamaha, and Guitar Center, among others) stated that plaintiffs in the suit fail to allege an actual conspiracy to set prices and that “rather, plaintiffs only describe commonplace and lawful business activities.” The lawsuits stem from the recent FTC investigation charging that NAMM held meetings where companies shared price information. The association settled with the FTC, agreeing not to hold such meetings, but not acknowledging guilt.
The 30-plus current lawsuits allege that the companies have improperly affected the selling price of their instruments, at least in part through “minimum advertised price” policies that typically only restrict how low retailers can advertise a price. The suits, led by a group of attorneys who have since been consolidated and narrowed by the courts into a legal team, argue that manufacturers violated the Sherman Antitrust Act.
Hal Leonard Distributing PMI Hal Leonard Corporation has struck a deal with John Haag, formerly of Creative Concepts, to exclusively distribute his Professional Music Institute (PMI) catalog. The world deal went into effect on September 1st. The PMI catalog contains dozens of songbooks
and instructional titles. A standout series is the Music of the Stars, featuring classic songs from the Great American Songbook, grouped by artists such as Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughan, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and others. The PMI catalog is also rich in
Latin, jazz and boogie collections. For complete descriptions of all of the PMI titles and to place an order, call the Hal Leonard E-Z Order Line at (800) 554-0626, e-mail sales@halleonard.com, or visit www.halleonard.com/ dealers.
Pulse of the MI Nation Compared to last month, sales are now...
Down 38%
Up 23% Level 39%
Compiled from replies to MMR’s ongoing online survey of MI retailers. Visit www.mmrmagazine.com to participate.
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OCTOBER 2010
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Upfront SLM Becomes U.S. Distributor for P. Mauriat St. Louis Music has announced that it is now the exclusive U.S. distributor for P. Mauriat Musical Instruments. “The craftsmanship that goes into every P. Mauriat instrument is second to none,” says SLM CEO Mark Ragin. “P. Mauriat has grabbed the sax market’s attention and we are really excited to be representing this great brand in the U.S.” Albest Musical In-
struments CEO, Alex Hsieh explains, “We are so excited to form this partnership with St. Louis Music. They really understand the U.S. market very well and have the ability to stock large levels of inventory, and offer P. Mauriat dealers long term nancing. We look forward to a long and successful relationship with Mark and his team.” All instruments will be inspected, regulated, and adjusted in St. Louis before shipping out to U.S. Dealers. In addition to the saxophone line, SLM will also be distributing P. Mauriat’s professional trumpet series. For more information on placing an order or becoming a P. Mauriat Dealer, email info@usbandsupplies. com or call Mark Ragin at (800) 727-4512.
Zildjian Distribution in UK, Ireland The Avedis Zildjian Company has announced that Headstock Distribution is to become its new UK and Northern Ireland distributor. Headstock will assume
exclusive distribution duties from 1st January 2011. Zildjian has also announced that KMI is to take on distribution of the brand in Ireland from January 2011.
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In an effort to address the longstanding concerns of many regarding the misuse or overuse of the notorious visitor/nonindustry “Yellow Badges” at the NAMM Shows, NAMM is now offering a ‘Sunday Only’ Yellow Badge. NAMM notes: “Whether you love them or hate them, yellow badges are an important element of the NAMM Show and a benet that our Members seem to value. These badges are given out by YOU and were initially designed so each working industry member could welcome a spouse or special guest to the NAMM Show. Over the years, for many, it has turned into an open invitation for some NAMM Members to bring neighbors, distant relatives, your dentist, band mates and your Starbucks barista. We get it, bringing visitors to the NAMM Show benets our industry. However, we’re hearing from many of you that this congestion has impacted your ability to get your job done. “The new Sunday Only badge gives you another option. Please take a look at
your yellow badge list, decide who needs to be there all four days and give them the traditional yellow badge. For all the others, give them the Sunday Only badge. The goal is to relieve some of the aisle congestion on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and make Sunday as vibrant as the other days of the show. “When scheduling artist appearances, product launches and autograph signings, we encourage you to think specically about your programming on Sunday to provide an equally exciting and educational experience for those visitors in Sunday Only badges. We’ll be pumping up our Sunday entertainment and hope that you will consider doing the same. “We’ve taken many steps in the past few years to enhance the value of the blue buyer badges, including early oor access and preferred parking. This change will help our buyers get around easier and get more business done. Together we can make all four days of NAMM the best possible experience for all attendees.” OCTOBER 2010
People Brian Kemble MBE, former managing director and co-managing director of Kemble Pianos has been has been appointed to the position of deputy managing director by Bösendorfer, with a remit to oversee the sales and marketing divisions of the Yamaha-owned piano company. Kemble has over 36 years of experience in the industry. He received the MBE from Queen Elizabeth II for services to the piano industry and currently works as a piano consultant for Yamaha Music Europe and he was previously the joint managing director of Kemble & Co (with specic responsibility for sales and marketing), the last UK piano manufacturer, which has been part of the Yamaha group from 1986. Richard Stumpf has been appointed president of Imagem Music USA, the American branch of the pop music publishing company owned by Imagem. André de Raaff is CEO of Imagem, which also owns the giant publishing brands Rodgers & Hammerstein and Boosey & Hawkes. De Raaff announced Stumpf’s appointment this week, which starts immediately. Seymour W. Duncan and Cathy Carter Duncan, founders and owners of Sey-
American Music & Sound (AM&S) has hired Tom Menrath as division manager and added seven new regional sales managers to the new Music Creation Division. Together with AM&S’s national sales managers, the new regional sales managers will provide service to dealers across the United States for the beyerdynamic, Focusrite, Novation, Fostex, Kurzweil, Mono Cases, Nord, Studiologic, Vestax, Wharfedale Pro, and Xone brands. Mark Towles, former president of Towles Marketing Group, has joined AM&S as regional sales manager covering the Northeast Region. Formally
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mour Duncan Pickups and Pedals, have announced the appointment of Phil Ressler as CEO and president. A longtime guitar player and collector, Ressler is described as, Ressler “a seasoned executive leader who shares Seymour and Cathy’s ideas for the company’s evolution. He also brings a strong personal vision for Seymour Duncan’s future, rooted in his extensive experience developing companies.” John Moore has been promoted in support of Rico Reeds’ Operations improvement program. Moore’s current responsibilities will provide leadership and management expertise to facilitate this program. Since the inception of Lean at Rico, Moore has been instrumental in ensuring the success of the program.Moore will also oversee the efforts of the on-site Network Administrator to ensure that the information technology department is managed in accordance with organizational policies and goals. Renkus-Heinz has announced the appointment of Rik Kirby to the position of vice president of sales and marketing.
of Korg/Marshall, Ken Gilmer will handle the Southeast Region. Bryan Butler from Hal Leonard’s software division will head up the Upper Midwest region. Donovan Stark, previously with Solid State Logic, will take care of the West Coast. Tim Gilpin, formally with Gibson’s Baldwin division will handle the Central region. Ben Davis who previously worked as a product specialist for AM&S will
Kirby has been with Renkus-Heinz for ve years, most recently as vice president of operations, and previously as national sales manager. The company begins an immediate search for a qualied successor for VP of operations. Fishman Acoustic Amplification has announced that Ian Popken has joined the company as director of product development, assuming responsibility for both engineering and Popken product management. Popken will work to improve the company’s product development capabilities and business framework. Danser recently announced the appointment of Adam Weems as director of Sales. Weems will be in charge of all sales efforts for Vandoren, Denis Wick and Hamil- Weems ton Stands. Adam has been involved with music for over 30 years as a performer, arranger, educator and business professional, most recently as the manager of Education for the Avedis Zildjian Co.
take care of the Midwest. Josh Garcia from Taylor Marketing Group will cover the Rockies.
OCTOBER 2010
Upfront
Q&A
Steven Savvides Since 2003, Musical Distributors Group (MDG) has built a strong reputation within the industry and has distinguished itself through building uniquely close relationships with the brands it represents. MMR recently sat down with company president, Steven Savvides, to get the scoop on recent developments at MDG, future plans for the organization, and to learn Savvides’ take on the current state of the MI world.
“We get involved with our manufacturers to the point where we fully understand their business, their goals and their abilities.”
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MMR: Let’s talk a little bit about how MDG got started. Steven Savvides: Our roots are as manufacturer’s representatives. We are salespeople rst and foremost. MDG was incorporated in 2003 and was born out of the manufacturer’s rep rm, Right Track Marketing. The company was originally established to facilitate the sales of products we were no longer representing.
sied by expanding into other channels such as consumer, video and installation. We decided to begin distributing many of the brands we were no longer representing since our relationships and sales channels were very well established. In time, more brands approached us to stock and distribute their products, on the East Coast at rst, then nationally, then into Canada, then globally.
MMR: Can you tell me more about Right Track Marketing and your own background? SS: Working as an independent sales rep for 25 years, I started Right Track Marketing in 1997 and represented many top audio brands in the Mid-Atlantic, New York Metro and, New England Territories including Alesis, Tascam, Behringer, AKG, Fostex, Telex, EV, Monster Cable, and ESP Guitars, among others. After a noticeable shift in the way manufacturer’s handled their sales teams, many adopting a direct sales approach, we realized the growing volatility of the independent sales rep model. To protect themselves, many rms diver-
MMR: Discuss the notion of being “channel brand partners” and the approaches you apply to the various lines you work with. SS: Although we are listed and known as “Distributors” we consider ourselves more as “Channel and Brand Partners” for the lines we work with. The concept of being channel brand partners elevates the relationship between MDG and our manufacturers to a synergistic level. In addition to the standard administrative and sales functions a distributor performs for its brands, we get involved with our manufacturers to the point where we fully understand their business, their goals OCTOBER 2010
Upfront Q&A and their abilities. We then develop a customized business plan for them for the US market and form an alliance towards mutual success. Since we are building “their brand,” the more ownership they have in their own success, the more they understand what actions we need to jointly take to achieve our shared goals.
We basically operate under three scenarios: 1. We are Exclusive USA (or USA/ Canada) Distributors and Channel partners with 90 percent of the brands we carry and handle the entire supply chain and marketing aspect of their business in the USA, sometime including a USA website component etc. We are basically Fernandes USA, EBS USA, G7th Capo et cetera. 2. We are Exclusive MI/Pro Audio partners for some brands that are also sold via other channels. For example, Olympus sells cameras, binoculars, etc via a massive consumer channel, but we are their exclusive partner for the Music Industry. 3. We offer warehousing, ful llment and invoicing/collection services to companies who either wish to outsource these functions or need to add additional shipping points etc.
to their operation. For example, we provided all the ful llment services to Adam Audio in 2009 while they transitioned their operation from LA to NY. In short, we work with companies that are both familiar with our industry, and those that are not to offer the specic services and help they require to succeed.
MMR: Any types of companies and brands that you look for, in particular? SS: In searching for brand partnership, we gravitate towards two types of companies. Those who are established in perhaps other parts of the world, have solid track records and viable products, but need a way to succeed in the USA – or those that are startups, but have a product or products that are innovative, exciting and offer a promising growth opportunity. MMR: How many employees does MDG currently have? What are your facilities? SS: We currently employee 20 people in the following departments: Sales (Inside and Outside), Administrative (Operations, Credit), Customer Service (Repair, Guitar Set-up & Admin), Warehouse (Shipping Receiving), Executive Management, plus 11 independent Rep Firms. We operate out of Boonton, NJ in a 15,000 sq foot facility housing our ofces, training center, product demo room, guitar set-up and luthier stations and warehouse. We have an additional 7,000 sq feet of warehouse and ofce space in an adjoining building. MMR: How did your recent partnerships with Vinate, Laney, and i-Tab come about?
SS: We are thrilled that all three of these companies approached us at this past Winter NAMM 2010. It’s rewarding to see that our reputation has attracted the attention of well respected brands such as Laney and Vintage and that i-Tab, as a new brand, did their due diligence and identied us as the company they wanted to work with to bring them to the US consumer. Laney was ending a ve-year relationship with a previous distributor and was looking for a US partner with a track record, one who could help them achieve the same high level of success they enjoy in the rest of the world. Most notable about our initial dealings with Laney were the quality of people they had working for them and the history of innovative and quality products. We are looking forward to, and expecting big things from Laney in the coming year and feel that the timing could not be better. Vintage had already entered the US market via a partnership with a Canadian distributor, but needed to go beyond that and work with a company with established US dealer relationships and a stronger infrastructure. Again, a situation whereby a very well organized and successful company in their own right, Vintage saw the benet of working with a company very similar to themselves. There is a great deal of technical innovation occurring and the SuperMatic self tuning guitar is going to be one of the watershed products in our industry. i-Tab had a great product concept and was developing their product line and needed a partner to help them navigate the entire US sales channel, including Chain Stores, Mass Merchants and E-commerce opportunities.
MMR: Any other upcoming specific developments that you care to discuss? SS: Moving forward, MDG is looking toward nding unique and innovative products that would have 18 MMR
OCTOBER 2010
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MMR: What’s your general take on the state of the MI market? SS: Quite honestly, the MI market has lost track of what it was originally supposed to be – fun. Too many people have the misconception that this is the nance industry or commodities exchange or the medical profession. At the end of the day, if people never buy another musical instrument, nobody dies and the world will not grind to a halt. There is plenty of blame to go around but when I look at the MI industry of today vs. the industry of 1984. I sometimes wonder if they are the same industry. Fortunately, in most product categories, the “race to the bottom” is over and both consumers and manufacturers are demanding better quality at fair prices. I would like to believe we will see a bit more of the rebellious spirit that helped create the digital recording revolution, guitar innovation and products that were not so “traditional”. Musicians are not supposed to be “traditional”, their job is to push the envelope and move forward, not continually look back and mimic the past. I think we are seeing a trend towards individuality and hopefully the new products coming down the pike will reect that. MMR: Expectations for the coming year? SS: The race to the bottom is over. Hopefully the realization that to be competitive there needs to be a healthy mix of product offerings catering to a larger portion of the buying public. I think we are going to see dealers take chances on lines that differentiate themselves from their competition and hopefully inspire a new generation of musicians. It would be sad to see MI devolve to what the record industry has become: a sad shell of its former greatness. We have the capacity and ability to move forward, but do we have the passion and desire? I would like to think so. It is with that hope and belief that I can go to the ofce each day, ready to deal with whatever awaits. OCTOBER 2010
News
ADVERTORIAL â&#x20AC;˘ OCTOBER 2010
visit us online at www.namm.org the resulting exposure to their companies, their products and to the concept of making music in general.
Note from Joe Our Industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s GRAMMYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Academy Awards and Super Bowl All in One A big part of our mission at NAMM is to promote music making to the general public, encouraging them to visit a NAMM retailer and learn to play. I believe the more we talk about the beneďŹ ts of music making with consumers and the press, the more we strengthen and grow our industry. The NAMM Show in January is the largest platform in the world for us to talk up our industry. Last year alone, more than 1,000 media outlets covered the showâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;resulting in 1.8 billion media impressions valued at over $42 million! USA Today, CNN, L.A. Times, CBS, MTV, FOX, Wired magazine and NPR were all there reporting. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve even had entire TV shows ďŹ lmed at NAMM, including Orange County Choppers, Gene Simmons Family Jewels and Ace of Cakes. Our industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s story is compelling to the media and the public alike, and our Members beneďŹ t from
0RESS 2ELEASES 0RESS +ITS -EDIA /UTREACH
%8()")4/23 4AKE !DVANTAGE OF !LL THE 7AYS TO 'ET 9OUR 3TORY 4OLD AT THE .!-- 3HOW s !NNOUNCE THE LAUNCH OF YOUR NEW PRODUCTS WHILE THE worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s media is looking on s (OLD PRESS CONFERENCES IN THE .!-- 0RESS 2OOM s $ISTRIBUTE YOUR PRESS RELEASES IN THE 0RESS 2OOM AND ON THE NAMM web portal for easy press access s (OST CELEBRITY PRODUCT DEMOS AND AUTOGRAPH SIGNINGS TO capture media attention s 5SE SOCIAL MEDIA TO BUILD THE BUZZ ABOUT YOUR COMPANY AND product offerings s 5SE THE .!-- SMARTPHONE APPLICATION &OLLOW -E TO guide press to your booth
The coverage of our industry doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t end with the show but continues throughout the year. Recently, Blue Microphones, a NAMM Member exhibitor, was featured in USA Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a full six months after being interviewed at NAMM. A story in a publication of this caliber is worth six ďŹ gures in equivalent advertising value. With a weekday circulation of almost 2 million readers, this one story helped Blue Mics build their brand nationally and achieve their marketing goals for the entire year. Every day, we see news and comments about products launched at the NAMM Show posted on Twitter, and artist demos and videos are all over YouTube, MySpace and Facebook. In an age where social networks and online communities are a large part of the media machine, exhibitors at the NAMM Show will beneďŹ t year-round from their investment. The 2011 NAMM Show will be here shortly. It is the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chance to shine and demonstrate to the world all that we have to offer. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like our version of the GRAMMYs, the Academy Awards and the Super Bowl all at once. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s show them what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got!
*OE ,AMOND s .!-- 0RESIDENT #%/
Member Quote: â&#x20AC;&#x153;For us, NAMM is the place to showcase our innovative new w additio additions, along with our full line of products, to buyers, distributors, retail partners and key press. We bu rs dist were excited that the latest in our prosumer line stood out of the crowd and attracted top tier press, like USA mpany. Today, to look further into our growing company.â&#x20AC;? 3 */(. -!)%2 s #%/ ",5% -)#2/0(/.%3
NAMM News
October 2010
the up-to-date on NAMM. To keep by ewsletter ed e-n sh al bli git pu Di is back NAMM News up for our PLAY n sig , ws ne . g industry tal@namm.org latest breakin at playbackdigi
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Ukulele Sales Continue to Trend Up
Even longtime retailers baffled by unabashed success, but enjoying it...
Y
ou could call it a four-stringed bright spot in an otherwise lethargic economy. But it’s no joke – the ukulele is selling, and selling well. “It’s crazier than you think,” says Sammy Ash
of Sam Ash. “It’s exploded, and I think this holiday season it will be the hot product. Five years ago we stocked two no-name [brands], but now we stock over 30 models including the [Kala] UBass.” It seems to be spreading internally for Sam Ash Music Corporation, too: “Both my sons play, and our executive vice president has seven in his ofce!”
24 MMR
OCTOBER 2010
“You mean there are retailers who don’t have ukulele teachers?” Myrna Sislen asks in disbelief. As proprietor of Middle C Music, Sislen serves the Washington, D.C. area and is currently keeping two uke teachers busy. “It’s amazing what has been happening with these instruments. It’s like everyone has discovered them for the rst time. I can’t tell you how many college students are coming in and getting them.” “It boomed about four years ago and people were coming out the woodwork buying ukuleles,” says Al Markasky of Sylvan Music, a stringed instrument retailer in Santa Cruz since 1984. “We were like, ‘Wow! Let’s carry more!’ And it’s been consistent since then.” “Absolutely it’s huge, and I don’t think it’s abating,” says Mike DaSilva of the DaSilva Ukulele Company. “I host a beginning uke class and I always think it’s about to level out, but then I get another half a dozen new players.” For the main meting, DaSilva gets up to 100 people coming and has a full stage with a sound system. (He’s even setting on breaking the Guinness Book of World Records number for uke players playing together – 850.) Retailers jumping on the uke bandwagon are tiptoeing through higher margins, usually 40 points or more. “It’s an interesting business to watch, because it seems like whenever we add another line, it just adds more sales,” Ash says. “One new line doesn’t seem to be taking sales away from another. That’s always a fear – if you have eight lines of guitars and you add one, you’re not selling more guitars you’re just selling less of one of the ones you already carry.” Ash says while a lot of basic acoustic guitars from different makers look the same, ukuleles vary noticeably, which is a part of the appeal. “Some customers want a little color, some want a different shape – that’s what is cool about them.” Also attractive is that, “It’s the ultimate travel guitar. You can literally throw it in your suitcase.” Ash is seeing people coming into the store who have never been before because of their large uke selection. “There are a lot of new faces, and it’s exciting.” What’s Working, At What Price Range? At Sam Ash, Kala is their number one seller, and Lanikai is number two. “We stock a Fender model, which sells because of the name and the headstock. The Ibanez uke sells well, too. We sell Cordobas, which are slightly more expensive.” Sylvan Music, which caters to the country’s largest uke club, carries Flea, Flukes, Kamaka, Mainland, Maiki, and Lanikai instruments, plus some high-end Rick Turn Renaissance ukes and even some made by Santa Cruz Guitars. The uke enthusiast has a choice between the $28 instrument of the vintage Martin from the 1920s for $14,000. Not surprisingly, ukes are doing well in the Aloha state. Peter Dods of Easy Music, who operates two locations (Honolulu and Pearl City), declares that he enjoys more gross prots coming off ukulele sales then almost anything else he sells. Dods literally has a “top shelf” on his display wall, and the cheapest on that row is $500, going up to $1,300. But he has plenty of lower-priced instruments, too. “Kala ukuleles are our bread and butter, and are a better-than-average Chinese import,” he says. He adds they just started carrying Big Island Ukuleles which have some really nice mahogany instruments, and those have been doing well.
Peter Dodds
OCTOBER 2010
Ben, Sammy, and Max Ash
Myrna Sislen
“People are just fascinated by the instrument, and the trend has been happening for a couple of years now.” – Myrna Sislen
Sandor Nagyszalanczy MMR 25
“There’s no store that is lacking in uke sales.” – Sammy Ash
“Kamaka are handmade in Hawaii and they are like the Martin of ukes. They’ve been around since the 1960s and survived the ‘uke wars’ back in the day. Kanile’a are also wonderful instruments, locally made, and so is Koaloha.” They also carry Applause ukes made by Ovation. But “Kala is 90 percent of our sales.” Those who ignore the acoustic/electric and electric ukulele market seem to be doing so at their peril. Retailers like Dods are doing well with them and the related accessories, including amps. “We’re waiting on the Kala amps now, as we do quite a bit of business with electrics,” he says. “Applause, Kala, and Big Island ukes all offer models that are available with pickups.” Dods, Ash, and others say Kala’s UBass is doing especially well. These are not cheap, retailing for $400 and up. And while all are doing well primarily with the $30-$99 level ones, there are benets in carrying the higher priced ukuleles. “I’m excited about Kala because they make a perfectly ne uke at a reasonable price,” Sislen says. “It’s a good beginning
instrument for anyone from two to 90 years old. And I love dealing with Kala – they treat their dealers very well. In the rare instance there is a problem, they make it right.” Middle C is also starting to carry Mahalo, which Sislen says are appealing because of the way they look. “Also, Luna has come out with some ukes and they are really nice.” The range of instruments she has is a Kala for $39 up to Kala’s $349 acoustic/electric archtop. “It’s a beautiful instrument and I sell a number of those, too,” though most of her sales are less expensive models, those under the $100 level. Like every aspect of Easy Music, Dods pays attention to how the ukes are merchandised, and he says they’ve been going through every section of each of both stores and overhauling them. “I had white slatwall, which I hate because it’s the least creative way to merchandise,” he says. His uke wall has gotten a makeover, which involved cutting up traditional slatwall in strips and setting it off with a plywood backdrop. “This made the wall look in nitively better, and it’s
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OCTOBER 2010
Ukulele Club of Santa Cruz. Photo by Julie Hendricks.
says Markasky. “They are really exciting strings and make the ukes sound much more alive and even make inexpensive instruments sound good.” Also tuners
and pitch pipe do well. Interestingly, so do uke capos. “And we install a lot of pickups,” he adds, including plenty of K&K Sound pickups.
“We also sell lots of the smaller amps to these customers, especially the smaller ones, like the Roland AC-33, which is even battery powered so you can take it to the beach.” The step up from that, the AC-60, also does well. The Uke Clubs Sandor Nagyszalanczy has a collection of nearly 370 ukes, is a longtime member of the Ukulele Club of Santa Cruz, and performs in a uke trio called the Uke Aholics. He says that his uke club is the largest in the country. There are 2,000 names on the roster with 250 showing up for the average meeting. How fanatical is the uke craze? He says that pretty much the only way they lose members is “by attrition – as in they move to Hawaii.” “Every meeting is a concert, and other than Jake Shimabukuro, every uke player of note has played for us, and we’ve never had to pay a performer.” And not just “stars” perform at these events. “Nobody is excluded from performing, and we have this traditions that all rookies get a standing ovation,” he says. “It’s amazing how widespread interest in the uke is,” he says, noting that there’s even a Ukulele Hall of Fame in Cranston, RI.
28 MMR
OCTOBER 2010
Hal Leonard knows that ukulele is hot and we have dozens of titles for every flavor of ukulele player: from absolute beginners to those honing their trade to weekend noodlers. From instructional books or DVDs to songbooks featuring every type of music imaginable to the exciting new Ukulele Play-Along™ series, we’ve got uke covered.
The Daily Ukulele 365 Songs For Better Living Compiled and arranged by Liz and Jim Beloff, The Daily Ukulele features 365 well-known songs with easy ukulele arrangements. All arrangements feature melody, lyrics and uke chord grids and are in ukulele-friendly keys that are particularly suited for groups of one to one hundred to play and sing. Includes favorites by the Beatles, Beach Boys and Bob Dylan, folk songs, kids songs, pop songs, Christmas carols and Broadway and Hollywood tunes, all with a spiral binding for easy usage. Also features a tips and techniques section, chord chart and vintage ukulelethemed photos and art throughout. The Daily Ukulele offers ukulele fun all year long! 00240356........................................................................ $34.99
The club is supported by Markasky and Sylvan Music. “It’s incredible,” Markasky says of the group. “They get together every month at a restaurant called Bocci’s Cellar. We have so many customers of all ages coming in for ukuleles because of the club.” For the club’s events, Sylvan lends P.A.s for some of their shows and “whatever we can do to make sure their needs are met.” Mike DaSilva of the DaSilva Ukulele Company is building high-end hand crafted ukuleles out of his workshop in
Berkeley that range in price from $600 to $3,000. He also sells RISA electric instruments. It’s all supported by brings players from the San Francisco area into his Berkley workshop two Wednesdays a month. The Berkeley Ukulele Club starts at 6:30 for beginners then the regular session starts at 7:00. DaSilva is million miles from what he used to do. “I was in the computer industry, and had a corporate job,” he says.
Easy Music 30 MMR
Around 2004 he took some time off and started building ukes, then after he sold a few, “I didn’t want to go back to work!” he laughs. “We have six stores holding uke society meetings once a month and that number is growing,” Ash says. They tried it in their Clearwater, Florida location and 25 people showed up to the rst meeting. “We sold eight ukes that night and four more people came by the next day and bought them.” More recently 90 people have been showing up. “These meetings are a big thing because these people like to talk to each other about ukuleles. We bring them into the store, set up a P.A. and serve Hawaiian punch – they really get a kick out of that.” The Source of the “Explosion” Retailers and enthusiasts alike come up with different reasons for the surge, but “these kids today” seem to be fueling it. Apparently, the ukulele is hip. “The Guinness Book of World Records lists it as the world’s easiest instrument to play,” Nagyszalanczy says. He says the allure goes back to what attracts people to folk music – the simplicity. Dods of Easy Music has two words for it: Jake Shimabukuro, the ukulele player sensation who is burning up on YouTube. His amazing rendition of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” has logged in over six million hits, and he sells out concerts whenever he performers. “Jake has really opened people’s eyes about the instrument.” Several cited several hit songs in recent years that feature ukes as at least contributing to its popularity. Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours” and Train’s “Hey Soul Sister” are just two recent big hits that feature the humble four stringed instrument. Also currently on tour and available on DVD is Mighty Uke, a movie that makes the case for the uke craze showing that anything can be done on it – from simple songs to classical music. “People are just fascinated by the instrument, and the trend has been happening for a couple of years now,” Sislen says, adding that she’s had to do little to no advertising, it’s just the instrument itself that is doing all the selling. How strong is the power of the ukulele? Audra Jeppson has started selling them at her store – her ice cream store. Aloha Snow OCTOBER 2010
uses a Hawaiian theme to sell those 90 avors, so Jeppson, a guitarist, bought a uke for a prop. “I bought a $14 one I couldn’t tune, so I went and bought a Kala and it was really nice.” She was soon seduced herself by the instrument, and says she spent time on ukeunderground.com, where there are forums, lessons, and instruments for sales – that’s when she saw how popular the instrument is. Located in a Charlotte, N.C. she bought three ukes from the nearby Sam
Ash just for the customers to play. Then she hit on the notation of selling them herself and today she stocks Lanikais, Elukes, and Ohanas. “I’m told I have the largest selection of Eleukes electric ukuleles in the country,” she says. “The store has become a bit of a destination for them.” She got herself trained in the art of setting the instruments up and preparing them for sale, so the instruments are in good shape when they go out the door.
Along with her customers, she often takes one down and plays one, but don’t expect “Ukulele Lady” – it’ll more likely be a song by Eminem. “It’s de nitely growing in popularity,” says Audra Jeppson. “You can make it as easy or complicated as you want. You can teach yourself four chords and play half the pop songs out there, or you can get really specic and make it sing like any acoustic guitar.” They have jams in her store once a month, and she’s adding a
The Magic Fluke Company reinforced ABS. Also, since 95 percent of the time you’re “We just kicked off our 12th year in business and we’ve grown dealing with nylon strings I figured, ‘Why not mold the finso much we need to expand,” says Phyllis Webb of Magic gerboard out of polycarbon, too?’ And that got us our baFluke (www.magicfluke.com). In just over a decade the New sic, low-end uke. Its worked out very well because the conEngland supplier has become a key player in the world of sistency in molded parts is much greater than anything you ukuleles, specializing in quality, affordable instruments. can get in a machined wood piece with hand assembly. Phyllis and her husband, Dale, the creator of the “Most people also really like the shape, though there Fluke and Flea ukuleles, have unique insight into the reare traditionalists out there who think cent – and ongoing – surge in the uke’s it’s got to be shaped like a shrunken popularity. “We were absolutely there guitar. We’ve gotten a reputation as in the beginning, because this [ukulele a brand with a very stable product beinterest] started about 12 years ago cause of the materials and construcand we went to our first NAMM Show tion. A lot of people with more expenin 1999, showed the first Fluke, and it sive ukes will travel with ours, its great was just a huge success right away.” for kids, and loaners.” The Webb’s connection to the 12 years and 40,000 ukuleles uke was facilitated via Phyllis’ brother, shipped, worldwide, later, it seems “Jumpin’” Jim Beloff, who has authored clear Dale and Phyllis are onto somea number of popular ukulele songbooks thing. “I think it’s safe to say we’re the and is widely recognized as one of the inlargest uke maker on the mainland,” strument’s primary advocates. “When I states Phyllis. And they’re not restgot into this, of course it was under the ing on pas accomplishments, either. influence of Jim Beloff,” explains Dale. “We’re constantly, as a small business, “I didn’t know much about the uke prior listening to our customers to find out to that. I decided to try and make an “We have a what else they want,” she says. “The instrument that’s a little more fun and unique, affordable latest project for us is we put out an different-looking to distinguish us from product line with all-electric solidbody uke, using New the sea of traditional ukes out there York hardwoods, that we plan to debut – most of which are being produced in a solid reputation at Winter NAMM. China now. I also was drawing from my and great customer “People want to know, ‘Why is this engineering background and wanted service.” happening? Why are ukuleles so big something that was easy to manufacright now?’ I think, if the spotlight is on ture. As a result, I used some differour product, USA-made has always meant something ent materials, so the shape sort of evolved into something and means even more now, plus we have a unique, unique [see photos to the right/left?] and I incorporated affordable product line with a solid reputasome acoustic and material property analysis to try and tion and great customer service. In good enhance the sound, which worked out well. When most times and in bad, everybody needs music people think of our instrument, the number one appeal is in their lives, to celebrate, to mourn, whatthe sound, which is richer and fuller, when compared to ever. Music is the only universal language I more traditional ukes. know of. We offer an easy-to-play, afford“We weren’t necessarily breaking new ground because able way to access that language.” Ovation did this years ago, but we use molded glass-fiber
OCTOBER 2010
MMR 31
second one to accommodate high schoolers wanting to jam during a schoolfriendly time. (Don’t look for her to become a fulledged MI retailer though: “I do love music and it would be a dream to own a music store, but you have to have enough capital.”) “We’ll see two more years of growth, but now what we’re seeing is that so many manufacturers are jumping in,” Ash comments. “Just look at MMR and see
how many [related] ads there are. Now look back at an issue from three years ago and I bet there’s next to none. “It’s a niche, but a strong niche,” continues Ash. “If you would have tried to tell me I’d be having this conversation ve years ago… But there’s no store that is lacking in uke sales.” Sislen says the uke market is “growing rather than leveling – I’m selling more every month, so I would guess the market hasn’t peaked yet. I’m happy!”
Lanikai Ships over 100,000 Ukes, Hohner Announces ‘Sure Thing’ Promo Lanikai recently announced that it has shipped over 100,000 Ukuleles within the US through the first eight months of 2010, representing a 100 percent increase over the same time period in 2009. “Obviously the Ukulele market in the US has still not peaked, at least for us, we’re adding more dealers every day”, comments Drew Lewis, product manager. “We are selling equal numbers of higher priced as well as entry level models and we expect exponential growth to continue throughout the rest of 2010 and beyond.” In related news, Hohner Inc. has launched “The Sure Thing” promo. With this program, Hohner is aiming to help dealers feel comfortable in trying out our best new products in this challenging economic environment.
“THE SURE THING” PROMO Any credit-approved dealer who has not yet tried them can purchase: (2) Lanikai LKP-C Uke packs and (1) Essential Folk or Parlor acoustic guitar at master pack pricing, shipped free freight with 45 day terms. If they are still unsold 45 days later, Hohner will issue a call tag and take them back at no charge. “We’re so confident in the appeal of these products that we’re making this a no-lose proposition for retail music stores. Give them a try and you’ll see the benefit of adding these compelling, profitable products to your assortment”, sayes Scott Emmerman, director of marketing and sales.
Lanikai LKP-C Uke pack Concert Koa Ukulele with a solid top and back, extensive abalone inlay, gold plated tuners, a gig bag and chromatic in a 4 color, retail display box. MAP - $159
Hohner Essential Parlor or Folk guitar Small body acoustic guitar featuring frequency matched solid Spruce top and back, micro-thin finish, and Earvana compensated tuning system, shipped with hanging P.O.P. sign. MAP - $249 For more information go to: www.lanikaiukes.com, www.hohnerusa.com/essentialseries.html or contact your Hohner sales representative.
32 MMR
OCTOBER 2010
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e l e l s u t k c U rodu P Saga’s Mahalo Series Ukuleles
Saga’s Mahalo UB-35 ukuleles are built from maple, with a mahogany neck, and an ebonized maple ngerboard. The UB-35 ukuleles are available in black, blue, green, pink, and purple sparkle nishes. Every Mahalo UB-35 Series ukulele comes complete with its own carrying bag and an easy-to-follow instructional DVD. Other features include a genuine rosewood bridge, gold-plated, guitar style tuning machines, and a NuBone saddle. Mahalo Camp ukuleles are part of the UB-30 Series and feature a round, banjo shape body. The UB-30 is made in three models, each with a body, neck, and ngerboard crafted of mahogany. The UB-30SB has a spruce top nished in a vintage sunburst, while the UB-30RC has a red cedar top in natural nish. The UB-30AR features a solid spruce top in natural nish with art motifs for a retro look. www.sagamusic.com
Bamboo Ukulele from Kiwaya
As part of their eco series, Kiwaya’s KBUS Soprano and KBUSC Soprano bamboo ukuleles feature bamboo body, neck, ngerboard, and bridge and come with Aquila strings, Grover geared tuners, and carrying bag. www.kiwayaukuleles.com
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Alfred’s New Ukulele Course
Alfred Music Publishing has expanded its series of method books for kids with Alfred’s Kid’s Ukulele Course 1, by Ron Manus and L.C. Harnsberger. Geared for kids ages ve and up, Alfred’s Kid’s Ukulele Course 1 features ukulele experts – a clever classical dog, one cool jazz cat, and a friendly alligator who loves the blues – guide students along, focusing kids’ attention by pointing out what’s important on each page and making learning fun. An accompanying CD contains demonstration and play-along tracks with accompaniment for each song. Some of the play-along songs include, “Three Blind Mice,” “Yankee Doodle,” and “Over the Rainbow.” www.alfred.com
OCTOBER 2010
Fender’s Ukuleles
Fender’s three new tenor-style ukulele models feature the Fender Telecaster guitar headstock shape. The three models are: the Ukulele Hau’oli, featuring sturdy laminated mahogany construction with a satin nish; the Ukulele Nohea, is built of laminated koa (a native Hawaiian hardwood used by ancient Hawaiians to build dugout canoes), with a gloss nish, and aged abalone acrylic binding; the Ukulele Pa’ina, made of solid mahogany, with a satin nish, and passive electronics. All three instruments were designed exclusively for Fender with unique body shapes and bracing patterns. Each one comes with a Fender ukulele gig bag and a ukulele instruction book. Retail prices range from $200 to $400. www.fender.com
Kala’s Pocket Ukulele
Kala Brand Music’s Pocket Ukulele measures 16 inches from top to bottom. It is played on a Sopranissimo scale, which totals 11 inches from nut to saddle. The Pocket Ukulele is constructed of solid wood and is available in three models: Acacia, Mahogany, and Maple. The Pocket Ukulele is tuned in the same intervals as a baritone ukulele, except in higher octaves. It can be tuned either DGBE (4th string to 1st) or F tuning (CFAD). Other features include a mahogany neck, rosewood ngerboard and bridge, 12 silver nickel frets, friction tuners with black buttons, satin nish, and premium Aquila Nyglut strings. A padded gig bag is included with each instrument. www.kalaukulele.com
Korg Clip-On Ukulele Tuner
Korg’s new clip-on AW-2U tuner provides tuning for all types of ukuleles, from four-stringed soprano ukuleles to eight-stringed baritone models. The AW-2U features four tuning modes to support all types of ukuleles, complemented by an internal mic and a piezo sensor. The string name and note name are automatically detected and clearly displayed. A double ball joint mount allows the display to be positioned in a variety of ways, for optimal viewing. In addition, two backlight modes allow clear viewing. The soft mode can be used for low-illumination and auto mode for high brightness. A single CR2032 battery powers the tuner. The retail price is $65. www.korg.com
OCTOBER 2010
Hal Leonard’s Ukulele Method Series & The Daily Ukulele
The Hal Leonard Ukulele Method books are designed for anyone just learning to play ukulele. This comprehensive beginner’s guide by performer and uke master Lil’ Rev includes many songs of different styles to learn and play. The accompanying CD contains 46 tracks of songs for demonstration and play along. Also included in the book are types of ukuleles, tuning, music reading, melody playing, chords, strumming, scales, tremolo, music notation and tablature, a variety of music styles, ukulele history, and much more. Jim Beloff’s The Daily Ukulele songbook features 365 wellknown songs. All arrangements feature melody lines, lyrics, and ukulele chord grids, and are in uke-friendly keys that are particularly suited for groups of one to one hundred to play and sing. The book features songs by The Beatles, the Beach Boys, and Bob Dylan, folk songs, kids’ songs, Christmas carols, and Broadway and Hollywood tunes. It also includes a Tips & Techniques section, a complete chord chart, an overview of ukulele history, and vintage ukulele-themed photos and art throughout. www.halleonard.com
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Ukulele Products Mel Bay’s Ukulele Books
Classics for Ukulele features 20 well-known classical pieces arranged for ngerpicking solo ukulele. Tunes include: “Moonlight Sonata,” “Ave Maria,” “Ride of the Valkyries,” and more. Music is featured in standard notation and tab. Children’s Ukulele Method, by Lee “Drew” Andrews, was written for children and beginners of all ages. Beginning with simple chords and songs for all beginners, students are taught to play and read single note lines on the ukulele. Proper holding, strumming, and picking techniques are taught through text. The songs used in this method are well-known tunes for players of any age. Accompanying CD contains all examples and songs in the book, standard notation only. www.melbay.com
Ohana’s All-Solid Concert Ukulele
Ohana’s All-Solid Concert ukulele features maple back and sides and a solid spruce top. The amed maple back is book-matched, with each half separated by real abalone inlay. This inlay is also in abundance around the sound-hole, headstock, and puring both front and back. A 19 fret rosewood ngerboard goes all the way to the sound-hole and the cutaway makes the upper frets easily accessible. A bone nut and saddle and Aquila strings come as standard. www.ohana-music.com
Martin 3 Cherry
The Martin Special Edition 3 style cherry ukulele is constructed from 100 percent environmentally sustainable, certied wood that includes cherry top, back, sides, neck and blocks, basswood linings and braces, a katalox ngerboard and bridge, and a maple bridge plate. Other style 3 appointments include a pointed ngerboard inlaid with black/white marquetry and a pointed ivoroid tail inlay. www.mguitar.com
Play Love Songs Uke Package Hal Leonard Song Book with words and music for the Uke by: The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and more
Kay Deluxe Ukulele Carrying bag Tuning instructions Chord diagrams Fingering charts Picks and extra strings $
List 49.95B MAP 39.95 $
800-211-3319 | www.OrderDealerDirect.com 36 MMR
OCTOBER 2010
A Sure Cure for Island Fever
Nicole Fox Miss Hawaii 2008
When you’ve been in the Islands too long, a Mahalo Ukulele is just the thing to snap you out of the doldrums. Fifteen models and a full palette of color choices will suit your every mood. It is so easy to get started and Mahalo Ukes won’t pile your budget onto a reef either. Just follow Miss Hawaii into your local music store …surf’s up!
Mahalo Ukuleles Priced from $29.95 Retail Saga Musical Instruments • P.O. Box 2841 • South San Francisco, CA 94080 • [800] BUY-SAGA sales@sagamusic.com • www.sagamusic.com • DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED!
U-320
Ukulele Products D’Addario Ukulele Strings
D’Addario’s J71 Ukulele Set and the J92 Concert Ukulele Set consist of an all-nylon string set inspired and guided by the D’Addario ukulele artist, Jake Shimabukuro. The sets are made from an assortment of Pro Arte’ classical guitar string gauges. All Pro Arte’ strings are sorted by a computer-controlled, laser machine, which performs diameter/tension measurements and quality checks. D’Addario’s J68 strings are made specically for baritone ukuleles from clear rectied nylon and silver-plated copper wound on nylon. The J65 strings are made specically for ukuleles from clear rectied nylon and provide a warm long lasting tone. The J53 sets are designed for optimum use on a Hawaiian/concert ukulele. Each string is made from a warm sounding black nylon. The J54 sets are designed for optimum use on a Hawaiian tenor ukulele. Each unwound string is made from black nylon, and the wound string is silver-plated copper. www.daddario.com
Lanikai’s Concert Ukulele
Lanikai’s LKP-C is a Hawaiian Koa concert ukulele with a rosewood ngerboard and bridge, gold plated die cast tuning machines, and body binding and ngerboard board inlays. A custom wide bone nut was used to increase the string spacing, making these ukuleles more comfortable for guitarists who are trying out the ukulele for the rst time. The pack includes a Lanikai custom blue gig bag, CO-UT clip-on ukulele tuner, instruction booklet, and is packaged in a four-color retail box. The LKP-C pack retails $259. www.lanikaiukes.com
Kiwaya Ukuleles
Moving forward with tradition Made in Japan
LoPrinzi Ukuleles
For the Sound of Your Lifetime Made in USA
Dealer inquiries welcome Kiwaya USA Toll free: 877-4KIWAYA (454-9292) Fax: 253-941-3231 email: ukulele@kiwayausa.com www.kiwayaukuleles.com 38 MMR
OCTOBER 2010
Survey: Guitar Market
Better? A Little Bit? Guitar Retail in 2010 – Nothing to Fret About…
In prepping for this survey – sent out to over 400 dealers – about the state of the guitar market, we asked ourselves, “What’s new, in fall 2010, compared to last year’s bi-annual checkup of all things six-stringed?”* The economy? Hmmm… Well, though by most measurements things are better than 12 months ago, smart money (Ha – money! Irony!) wasn’t on folks gushing about the country’s nancial turnaround. Turns out the vast majority of respondents (almost 60 percent claim that guitar sales are “about the same,” so – indeed, not much new to report there. Based on some interactions we had at Summer NAMM, we wondered: “Are lessons playing a greater role in the overall business models of guitar retailers? Is the notion of having teachers upsell to students and their parents an
approach that’s getting increased attention?” Based on the results of our survey, the answer seems to be… sort of? It appears that lessons, themselves, are maybe slightly down, but the concept of teachers upselling is a big deal for most who have lesson programs ( just over 45 percent). So, what – is there nothing “new” to discuss? Are there results of this poll just a carbon copy of previously reported trends? Hardly: A greater-than-perhaps-expected criticism of the current administration and expectations for changes in the upcoming mid-term elections were widely expressed sentiments
amongst our survey participants; those in the areas most recently affected by this summer’s BP oil disaster (and previously by Hurricanes Katrina and Hugo) report how sharply those events are affecting their local retail economy; distress over perceived ill treatment of smaller independent stores at the hands of larger suppliers was also widely voiced... However, it’s worth noting that even from those reporting down numbers and troubled times, there was generally a pervasive note of determined optimism. For more detailed numbers and from-the-trenches insight, read on…
“Manufacturers should support and respect brick & mortar stores who continually teach and create buyers for their products.” – Kaye Colangelo, Rosehill Music Center, Thornwood, N.Y.
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OCTOBER 2010
How are your guitar sales, overall, compared to this time last year? Much better! Worse
15% 28%
About the same... 57%
“We sell second-hand acoustics in the $100-$250 range all day long as well as used electrics in the $200-$425 range, they do well.” - Clay Chalem, Rogue Music Store, NYC, N.Y. “We’re not quite up to 2008 levels, but 2010 has been much better than 2009.” - Dave Rogers, Dave’s Guitar, Lacrosse, Wis.
“Sales of new instruments remain problematic because prot margins have been severely eroded on most brands, however, vintage collectible and utility used instruments continue to sell quite well if they are priced in accord with the realities of the current economy. Our sales volume so far this year is better than last year, but not enough better to be viewed as a spectacular improvement.” - George Gruhn, Gruhn Guitars, Nashville, Tenn. “Gave up selling guitars because they are unprotable to sell. The manufacturers seem to forget that it is my store and not theirs. Nobody tells me I have to take this or that (quotas). I do quite well without having the burden of carrying guitars that are overpriced that I would have to give away to get my money back out of.” - R.M. Zinkan, Mike’s Music Shop, Harrisburg, Pa. “The lower priced entry-level are still our strongest movers. Oddly enough, the mid-priced units are kind of dead, but higher priced ($1,000.00 and up) are still moving well, just behind the sub $400.00 group.” - Robert Josjor, Lou Kraus Music Inc., Ogallala, Neb.
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MMR 41
What trends have you been noticing in the guitar market?
If yes, is this representing more or less of your overall business, compared to last year?
Increase in accessory sales 27% Acoustic sales are up 21% 6%
Marked drop in high–end vintage sales
More Less than last year
15% Roughly the same 63%
22%
Increase in used guitar sales 11% Low-end sales are strong, Mid-priced guitar sales down
26%
Other 9%
“My mid-priced guitars were the strongest [sellers, in past years] and now that market is almost non-existent.” – Danny Brevard, Acoustic Pro Musician, Lufkin, Texas “More acoustic sales. Anything used and decent is gobbled up quickly at a good margin” – Steve Miller, Tri State Music, Bryan, Ohio “A race to the bottom on price. The well-built inexpensive guitars under $299 do very well. Everything else, regardless of brand, sits idle.” – Spidey Mulrooney, The Music Shop, Southington, Conn.
“Both the number of students enrolled and retail is down, but the student part of the business is the larger percentage of our overall gross still. We would never survive without it.” - Joe Chiappone, Northfield Music Studios, Pittsford, N.Y.
Do you encourage your instructors to upsell students to better, more expensive gear? Yes - it’s a big part of our overall strategy 45%
Not really 35% No, but that’s a good idea! 7% No, and it would be inappropriate to do so
14%
In guitar sales, what price-point is doing best for you? Professional/ High-end Semi-pro/ Advanced
10% 28%
Entrylevel 62%
What are the most pressing concerns for your business? “Rising Internet business that contains the unfair sales tax advantage. Also, cheap guitars sold by big box stores.” - Robert Guthart, Bob’s Guitars, Cedar Falls, Iowa “Manufacturers setting low prot margins... and freight expenses since we’re on the east coast.” – Bill Melanson, Northstar Music Center, Plaistow, N.H. “Guitar vendors that have stocking requirements loading us up with product or product that does not move.” – Rich Pires, Herreid Music, Chico, Calif.
Do you have a teaching program?
No
20%
Yes 80%
“The overall economy. Add to that disasters, and you have quite a bleak market.” – Philip Leitz, Leitz Music Co., Panama City, Fla. “Level playing eld with Internet taxation, too many sources for the same gear, pending tax and health care legislation...” – Donovan Bankhead, Springfield Music, Springfield, Mo.
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OCTOBER 2010
“I am preparing for the possibility of even worse economic conditions and paying down debt as possible. I will work more hours myself and do what it takes.” – Chuck Vetter, Sounds Great, McPherson, Kan.
How do you expect the guitar market to fare in the coming months? “I expect it to remain relatively at with a modest bump in December over last year” - Mark Torstenson, The Fret Shop, Huntsville, Ala. “I think it will start to improve, but not until after the elections.” – David St. John, Gard’s Music, Glendora, Calif.
Additional thoughts? “I think we have seen the worst of the decline and have reached stability. It will, however, be a while before business starts to boom again. The graph of this economy would be akin to a square root sign. Those who have survived up till now have probably wrung out all the inefciencies from the bottom line and will have to re-congure and re-think their strategies for expanding their top line. This industry – as with
44 MMR
many others – is in transition, but what form it will take is the question.” – Dave Caldwell, Caldwell Connection, Whitestone, N.Y.
“While the Internet will continue to affect the sale of musical commodities and bring about many changes, we still feel very optimistic about the future of specialty guitar stores such as ours which serve as a regional destination for guitar players. We don’t think the appeal of face-to-face relationships with helpful, knowledgeable music sales people will go away, nor the need to have direct experience with a ne instrument.” – Claire Petsch, Maple Street Guitars, Atlanta, Ga. “Manufacturers should support and respect brick & mortar stores who continually teach and create buyers for their products. They should even the playing eld and stop making such ridiculous deals with Internet sellers that push local retailers out of the game. Manufacturers are systematically killing off the businesses (teaching stores) that help perpetuate their sales. Just doesn’t make sense – what sort of brains are ‘minding the store’?” – Kaye Colangelo, Rosehill Music Center, Thornwood, N.Y. *Yes, yes – there are guitars with more (and less!) than six strings. Well done…
OCTOBER 2010
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r a t i s t u G roduc P Eastwood Guitars’ Warren Ellis Signature Tenor
T-Rex’s Phaser and Chorus/ Flanger Pedals
T-Rex Engineering has added two new pedals to its Tonebug line: the Tonebug Phaser and the Tonebug Chorus/Flanger. The Tonebug Phaser offers a phased sound using a Mode switch and Rate and Depth controls. Modern Mode is said to provide a crisp, thick-sounding phase, and Vintage Mode for a classic analog vibe. The Tonebug Chorus/ Flanger pedal offers a textured chorus sound via the Rate and Depth controls. In addition to the chorus effect, this pedal also includes a anger mode, for a “whooshing” jet-plane sound. Both pedals retail for $199. www.t-rex-effects.com 46 MMR
After 12 months of collaboration between Eastwood Guitars and multiinstrumentalist Warren Ellis (The Dirty Three, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Grinderman) the new Eastwood Tenor Guitar has been released. The Warren Ellis Signature Electric Tenor guitar features a solid alder body and a bolt-on maple neck with rosewood ngerboard, a custom single coil blade pickup with volume and tone controls. The initial limited release is available only in vintage cream with tortoiseshell pickguard with chrome hardware. The Tenor is tuned in fths (CGDA low-to-high) similar to a tenor banjo, but can also be tuned in Chicago tuning (DBGE) or in open tuning for slide. www.eastwoodguitars.com
MOD Kits’ Enticer Pedal
The Enticer is a limited edition tube overdrive pedal kit based on a new-old-stock original RCA 12AU7A vacuum tube. It is said to offer a warm, clean sound with subtle distortion at low gain settings; at full gain and volume, it serves up coloration and has compressed overdrive distortion. There will only be 30 of these limited edition kits made. Each kit features a hand designed box. All kits come with easy to follow instructions and use point-topoint wiring. Pre-drilled enclosure and all parts are included. All that’s needed are hand tools, a soldering iron, and solder. All effect pedals operate on a 9V battery. www.modkitsdiy.com OCTOBER 2010
Alfred’s Led Zeppelin Play-Along Songbooks for Guitar, Bass, and Drums
Alfred Music Publishing has released Led Zeppelin play-along songbooks with expanded CDs containing sound-alike tracks and transcriptions. Ultimate Play-Along: Led Zeppelin songbooks are designed to allow guitarists, bassists, and drummers to play along to Jimmy Page-approved versions of Led Zeppelin classics, without needing a full band behind them. Featuring authentic transcriptions of many of their greatest hits, each of these classic songs are written in music notation, as well as additional TAB versions for the guitar and bass books. Included with each book is a CD that contains two versions of every song: an instrumental soundalike recording and an instrumental accompaniment track (without the specic instrument). In addition, when the CDs are used in a computer, the included TNT (Tone ’N’ Tempo) Changer allows the user to loop sections for practice, slow tracks down, or speed them up without changing the pitch. The songbooks retail for $19.99 each. www.alfred.com
Indiana Guitar’s Artist Reserve Graphic Series
Indiana Guitar Company’s four new graphic design dreadnoughts include the Saddle Up western model complete with a bronco rider and lasso style rope trim, Life’s A Beach model with sun, sand, and surf graphics, the Peace guitar with a tie-dye background and peace signs, and the gothic Blacknight, complete with faded lace, a bloody rose, and a ghosted skull on the headstock. All Artist Graphic Reserve instruments are individually serial numbered in sequential order and are available in limited production amounts. The guitars retail for $159.95. www.indianaguitar.com
Fishman’s Loudbox Mini Amp
Weighing in at 20 pounds, Fishman’s Loudbox Mini amp is the company’s lightest and most portable amp to date. Equipped with two channels and Fishman’s preamp and tone control designs, the Mini also includes digital reverb and chorus for the instrument channel, and reverb for the microphone channel. The Loudbox Mini also features an MP3 input and balanced XLR D.I. output. The Loudbox Mini is housed in a chocolate brown textured tolex enclosure with brown grille cloth and beige faceplate. The retail price is $299.95 www.fishman.com
OCTOBER 2010
MMR 47
The 3i-4214-56 has the same stellar features as our Watertight Bass Case but accomodates Les Paul style guitars.
Guitar Products Roland’s CUBE-XL Series
Roland’s CUBE-XL series of guitar ampliers is the latest addition to the CUBE amp family. The new CUBE-XL series includes the CUBE-80XL, -40XL, 20XL, and -15XL. The CUBE-XL’s include new ultraheavy COSM amp models, updated effects, and onboard phrase looping. There are a wide range of sounds from crystal clean to metal, along with the addition of powerful amp models such as Extreme and Metal Zone. Among the additional features found in CUBEXL series ampliers are onboard effects (including a new COSM vintage spring reverb effect), an acoustic guitar simulator, and solo and memory functions. The
OCTOBER 2010
new CUBE-XL ampliers come in various different sizes and feature sets. www.rolandconnect.com
Guardian Vintage Hardshell
Guardian’s Vintage Hardshell cases for electric guitar and bass are traditional rectangular cases that feature a sevenply, cross-grained wood construction for strength. Four 14 karat gold-plated latches and one lock keep the top tightly secured. The leather handle is tightly riveted to the body of the case. Guardian Vintage Hardshell cases are covered in classic black tolex, and a vinyl end cap
nishes the front and back of each case for added durability and traditional styling. The inside of the case is outtted with emerald crushed velvet, with multiple padding thicknesses for safety and t. Dense foam cushions the sides of the instrument, and medium density foam provides the cushion underneath. The accessory pocket has room to t a strap, picks, or a guitar tool. The new Guardian Vintage Hardshell cases retail for $134.99. www.themusiclink.net
Aguilar’s Pickups for Five-String Bass
Aguilar Amplication’s AG 5J-60 pickups for 5-string bass are modeled after the 60s Jazz Bass pickup, the AG 5J-60 pickups are said to bring the tone of a 1963 Fender Jazz Bass to today’s vestring basses. The AG 5J-60 uses all the period correct parts, including Heavy Formvar wire and Alnico V magnets.
MMR 49
Guitar Products The AG 5J-60 calibrated pickup set is a direct replacement in the Fender Jazz V and many other ve-string basses. Single neck and bridge pickups are also available. The retail price is $189. www.aguilaramp.com
Lollar Pickups’ Regal Pickup
Lollar Pickups’ Regal humbucking guitar pickup is a reproduction of the “wide range” humbucker and sounds and functions almost identically. The Regal pickup covers are made out of slightly thinner material, which is said to reduce
the dampening of tone that metal pickup covers can sometimes cause. The covers are engraved with the Lollar logo, and offered in nickel, chrome or gold. www.lollarguitars.com
VOX Hand-Wired Series
VOX Amplication’s new lineup of hand-wired AC15 and AC30 ampliers includes four combo models, plus a head and matching extension cabinet. The amps feature an all-tube design and handwired turret board construction. Finished in fawn-colored vinyl reminiscent of the 1960s AC ampliers, the birch-ply cabinets feature solid, tight bracing and a natural high frequency diffuser. Matched Ruby Tubes are used throughout for an extended dynamic range. All models provide three 12AX7/ECC83 preamp tubes. The AC30 models are equipped with an EL84 quartet in the power stage and a GZ34 rectier. Inside the AC15 models, a duet of EL84 tubes drive the power stage, while an EZ81 is used for the rectier. The 12-inch speaker choices
include the Celestion GM12 Greenback or Celestion AlNiCo Blue. The models in the VOX Hand-Wired Series utilize the traditional VOX twochannel design, offering a Normal and a Top-Boost channel, with High and Low inputs provided for each. A number of features have been added to allow modern ver-
satility. The Normal channel is equipped with a Bright switch for added brilliance. The Hot/Cool switch (also accessible via the included VFS1 footswitch) allows the Top-Boost channel to achieve more gain. The MV/Bypass completely bypasses the Master Volume section. A custom-t dust cover is included with every model. www.voxamps.com
Troy Sanders AD200B, SP410 Brent Hinds THUNDERVERB 50, PPC412C
50 MMR
Bill Kelliher TH200, PPC412C
OCTOBER 2010
For over 55 years Keystone has been supplying Battery Clips and Contacts to all industries, including the music industry. We pride ourselves in designing and manufacturing quality products that you can depend on. Some applications include: Guitars, Basses, Acoustic Pickups, Microphones, Amplifiers and Effects Pedals. Play with the best. Get the Keystone connection.
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Guitar Products Yellow Jackets’ Rectifier Converter
Yellow Jackets’ new recti er tube converter converts the 5U4, 5AR4, or 5Y3 tube to a solid state recti er and requires no adjustments to the ampli er. The YJR is made in a gold plated tube socket and uses premium components for optimal quality and sound. www.yellowjacketstc.com
Kaces Universal Banjo & Mandolin Bags
Universal gig bags for mandolin and for banjo are the newest editions to the Kaces gig bag products. Both are professionalgrade and made tough with a 600D polyester exterior and overstuffed with 20mm foam padding. Both include an ergonomic handle and an adjustable shoulder strap. They also feature a large accessory pocket for stashing picks, strings, tuners, and other tools of the trade. The universal aspect of these new editions means they can easily t either an “A” style or “F” style into the mandolin bag, and the banjo bag will accommodate most open back, tenor and/or
resonator congurations. The Universal Mandolin retails for $49.95, and the Universal Banjo retails for $59.95. www.kaces.com
Mel Bay’s Christmas Songs for Guitar, Banjo & Uke
The 50 Three-Chord Christmas Songs for Guitar, Banjo & Uke requires minimal play-
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OCTOBER 2010
Guitar Products ing skills and three chords – G, C, and D7 – to accompany each song.. Melody, lyrics, and chords are included for all songs. Guitar, ukulele, and ve-string banjo diagrams are included for the three chords, along with basic accompaniment tips. Transposing and how-touse-the-capo tips are included for singers. The book also features historical images throughout the text. The retail price is $9.99 www.melbay.com
MBT Cases’ Guitar Bags
MBT Cases’ Guitar Bags have a tough and durable exterior with backpack style padded straps that can also be hidden away. The Guitar Bags provide protection with thick, 20mm high-den-
sity foam padding and a non-scratch interior lining with neck restraint strap for additional protection. They feature large front pockets with compartments for storing picks, strings, straps, sheet music, and more. The Guitar Bags also feature comfortable rubber handles. The bags are available in red and black and come in four sizes: acoustic, electric, classical, and bass. The retail price is $55. www.musicorp.com
Budda’s Updated Budwah Pedal
Budda has updated and improved the Budwah pedal with major enhancements. Upgrades include: military-grade, sealed potentiometer; heavy-duty switch with improved duty cycle; wiring with heavyduty RF shielding; hand soldered connections; double-reinforced with commercial-grade adhesive; and new battery compartment with door and battery cradle.
The Budwah features a custom inductor voice that produces the midrange honk of vintage wahs without the top-end harshness. At bass settings, the Budwah’s tone is thick without losing note clarity. When accentuating the highs, a carefully selected roll-off frequency ensures the Budwah isn’t piercing. The circuitry features a hard-wire bypass, custom coil inductor inspired by the vintage Fasel inductor; and fullground plane board for noiseless operation. www.budda.com
Benny One-Off in Sweet Tea
“Sweet Tea” is the color of Benedetto’s Benny One-Off model. The guitar weighs only ve pounds and features a curly maple top and a mahogany body and neck. www.benedettoguitars.com
Rock House’s Lead & Rhythm Techniques by Gus G Rock House has released Lead & Rhythm Techniques, a two-DVD set featuring Ozzy Osbourne & Firewind guitarist Gus G. He is the founding member of Firewind and the latest guitarist to join Ozzy’s roster. In this program, Gus teaches the natural minor and Phrygian major scales, patterns, scale sequences, and full neck runs he uses to form leads. Also covered are diminished sweep and chromatic arpeggios, emotional bending techniques, and creating a minor third harmony lead. Gus reveals the chords, voicings, syncopated, pivoting staccato, interval, and clean picked rhythms that enable him to form his style. He analyzes many of his Firewind leads and song structures complete with full band backing tracks that can be played along with. The Lead & Rhythm Techniques two DVD set includes more than 40 lessons, a 46-page interactive E-tab book, live performances, behind the scenes video, photos, iPod ready video and lifetime membership to Rock House’s lesson support site. The retail price is $24.99. www.rockhousemethod.com 54 MMR
OCTOBER 2010
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Anniversary
Audix Marks a Quarter-Century Twenty-ve years ago, Audix USA got its start in Redmond City California. “We were set up initially as a distributor for Audix Japan,” says Cliff Castle, co-founder of Audix Microphones. “They were making microphone products for their domestic market which were very popular in Japan but virtually unknown anywhere else. So, we hooked up with them and set out to be their distribution arm and developed a few models for the US market based on what they already had.” After working as a professional musician for about fteen years, Castle had a pretty good handle on the industry and decided that there was room for growth in the mic market. “I went out and started showing the product and doing all kinds of A/B demos to get our feet wet,” says Castle. “At that time, the dollar to the yen was favorable and it made the pricing was very compelling, plus there wasn’t a whole slew of microphone products on the market – not like today. Of course there were your standards, Shure was Shure, and AKG and Beyer had a few models that were pretty popular in the US but there was kind of an open eld,” explains Castle. “So, we saw an opening and we started generating interest at the dealer level.”
The Evolution Flash forward 25 years and Audix has gone from a small distributor to a full-blown microphone company. “This in an evolution has been taking place ever since the beginning,” says Castle. “After I started showing the microphones in the pro industry where people are much more critical about what they’re going to be using, we saw that there was a lot of work to be done. Our microphones were very nice up to a point, but to really be competitive at that level, we needed to put forth serious effort. This was the beginning of the long trek to becoming a bona de microphone company.” 56 MMR
In the beginning, Audix USA worked in conjunction with the Japanese in designing and developing new products. Over the years however, Audix USA began to take over more of the assembly and manufacturing of the microphones. “I think that was caused by a couple of different reasons,” Castle notes. “First, the trade ratio between the dollar and the yen became much less favorable to the dollar so it became much more expensive to produce the product. Secondly, having control over the manufacturing process was ultimately becoming more important. It was the only way to be able to control our own destiny. Making the product yourself is the key to quality conOCTOBER 2010
Anniversary trol. We have very tight tolerances. From the materials we choose to the way we put the product together – it’s that recipe that determines the performance of your product and ultimately its longevity.” Making Changes Over the past 25 years, Castle has seen the microphone market grow and change tremendously. “The Web has taken over the marketing,” says Castle. “I think it is absolutely the most wonderful tool imaginable. The technology is growing at a fast pace and the tools are there for people to get online at their leisure and get answers as to what they should be getting. There’s so much information available out there and if a company does a good job of presenting their product, it’s invaluable to the reader.” In addition to posting several informational videos on drum micing, Audix has developed a “microphone nder” to assist customers in their search for the perfect vocal mic. “The mic nder was
something that we had wanted to do for a long time because we have a number of application specic vocal mics,” Castle
explains. “Our mics are designed to ful ll the specic needs of vocal performing artists. We have gured out that once we know all the variables involved for a vocalist, we can get the right mic for them every time. The Mic Finder has turned out to be very useful for any potential customer. In fact, I was just looking at the analytics on our Web site recently and it’s one of the most popular pages so people really like this feature.” The Next 25… To celebrate their longevity and success, Audix has released a silver twenty fth anniversary edition of their popular i5 microphone. “I think we feel a sense of pride that we’ve hit 25, and that given the state of the economy out there we’re stable and actually still growing,” says Castle. When asked about where he thinks Audix is headed in the next 25 years, Castle laughs. “That’s a hard one to answer. I think that the next 25 years is going be somewhat easier than the rst 25. We were struggling for a long time to get the product to the point where it was recognized and now we are a major brand. Now we have to do all the things that are required to continue to develop that status. We have a responsibility to develop innovative and interesting products for the marketplace and to come up the types of products that our dealers will be proud to carry and sell.”
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Spectrum Musical Instruments
About seven years ago, Spectrum Musical Instruments got its start as an OEM manufacture. At the request of several accounts to develop their own line of MI products, management at Ashley Entertainment Corp decided to take the plunge and build a brand out of Spectrum. Today, Spectrum Musical Instruments and Ashley Entertainment are once again making big moves. In addition to selling their products in the traditional retail markets, Spectrum has decided to take advantage of the booming eCommerce market. “The spectrum brand historically has had much more visibility at mass merchants or consumer electronics retailers,” says VP of sales and new business development, Robert Settler. “Typically we go after a retailer with many storefronts.” Now that Spectrum is taking advantage of the dot-com world, Settler is hoping to bring the storefront right to your computer. “We just turned the light on today with a couple of retailers,” he says. “The product is visible online and consumers are able to order. We wanted to get all the kinks out prior to the holiday season so we started today.” 60 MMR
OCTOBER 2010
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Ashley Entertainment’s new eCommerce division is a direct to consumer fulllment program. “We have 24 items – digital keyboards, guitars, digital drums and their associated accessories, keyboard stands, drum thrones etc. – and they’re all on this direct to consumer fulllment via dot-com. “The dot-com program encompasses accounts such as amazon.com,
Settler. “Number one, an account has a really hard time carrying paper on a warehouse full of every manufactures inventory. Remember, we’re competing against the Fenders, and the Gibsons – people with a better-known brand name – so we have to actually offer the retailer and the consumer the highest perceived value and the most efcient way to do business. Our intent is
“When we develop a new product we’re always looking to provide the most value possible.” target.com, AAFES.com and even department store retailers such as bonton.com,” says Settler. “We don’t charge anything to pack, pick and ship the item, and the freight is through a third party via FedEx or via UPS. Because there’s no processing charge whatsoever it’s really a no risk, huge reward situation for any account to get into.” eCommerce By Request When asked how Spectrum got involved in the world of eCommerce, Settler is quick to answer. “The accounts really asked us to do it – it all comes down to efciency,” says
to meet all the needs of the retailer which as one example would be our ability to over-box with a UPS shippable approved carton. There are requirements by UPS & FED EX and our boxes meet or exceed those requirements. The account doesn’t have to worry about taking product into inventory, breaking it down and then repacking it for shipment. How many people have to handle that one product to complete the sales process? It’s unbelievable! So we kind of bypass that whole process and offer and alternative option that makes the whole process that much smoother.”
Building the Infrastructure In building the infrastructure to provide customers with the most efcient business practices, Spectrum has invested quite a bit of time and money into it’s day to day operations. “We just moved our facilities to Henderson Nevada for the sole purpose of being able to do this direct ful llment program much more efciently,” says Settler. “All of our product comes in through Long Beach and then sent directly to Henderson, Nevada where we prepare it for eCommerce. We’ve always had warehouse space but this new space is much more updated and the infrastructure is much greater than it used to be.” The updates in space, staff and infrastructure have helped Ashley management to deal with some of the hurdles of eCommerce. “Each retailer or e-tailer may have different requirements and systems for EDI and processing,” explains Settler. “You’re also shipping APOs and we deliver product worldwide so the infrastructure has to be there and logistics needs to be right on. Every account has a different EDI system so it’s a job and a half to muddle through that and get it right. Knowing how to prepare a product to make it easiest and most efcient, overall, for every type of retailer has been quite the task too – everyone’s got a different set of requirements.” Looking Towards the Future Now that their eCommerce division is up and running, there are high expectations for the future. “We are denitely growing,” Rob notes. “When we develop a new product we’re always looking to provide the most value possible. From the logistics and manufacturing side we are always trying to be the most efcient for our customers and that’s what this is all about. Over the past few years, eCommerce has become so popular that you have to participate to stay competitive,” explains Settler. “We decided to dive right in. To make 24 items available right away – and not have any hiccups – is a huge undertaking. But, with our new facility and expanded infrastructure we’re able to handle it and we look forward to building this to really assist the retailers in what they need to facilitate progress and success.” “The retail side is where we still sell most of our product but e-tailing has become so popular in recent years that if you’re not participating you’re certainly getting left behind.”
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Jason’s Music and Piano Buyer Offering New Opportunities to Dealers Since opening their doors in 1937, in Philadelphia, Jason’s Music Center, now located in Pasadena, Md., has operated as a family-owned, full-line music store. Jason’s offers new and pre-owned acoustic and digital pianos, electric and acoustic guitars, basses, band instruments, repairs, accessories, and lessons. With over 50 years of experience, owner Steve Cohen was “born and raised in the business.” Cohen began working in his father’s shop at the age of seven. He would go to the shop after school and help dismantle and rebuild pianos, which he did until he was 17, when he began delivering the pianos. Steve’s father began to groom him for ownership of the business by sending him to NAMM shows and having other staff in the shop train him in the trade. Today, Cohen not only runs the dayto-day operation of Jason’s, but continues to provide consulting services to piano
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OCTOBER 2010
Franz Liszt
Johannes Brahms A long line of composers and artists have performed on Bösendorfer pianos since 1828, and dignitaries such as Napoleon III, the Emperor of Japan, Austria’s imperial court and a Russian czar have been linked to these fine Viennese pianos. Yamaha, the world’s largest musical instrument company, has long admired Bösendorfer as well, recognizing in the company a shared passion for creating premium pianos. In 2009, Yamaha purchased Bösendorfer. Yamaha now markets these fine instruments from its U.S. headquarters in Buena Park, California. Everything about Bösendorfer, including its quality, Johann Strauss
creativity and tone endures.
To inquire about representing
handcrafted Bösendorfer pianos, contact Ray Chandler at 714.522.9415 or rchandler@yamaha.com today.
Tori Amos
Oscar Peterson
Boesendorfer.com
contains galleries of standard pianos — such as Model 290 shown here — as well as unique, decorative, special edition pianos— including a modern Audi-designed grand, the romantic “Chopin,” the art deco “Chrysler,”and more. ©2010 Bösendorfer USA. All rights reserved.
industry manufactures, authors, and other piano dealerships. He has also recently started a signicant new venture with Larry Fine, publisher of The Piano Book and the Acoustic & Digital Piano Buyer, which provides
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list prices for more than 2,500 currently manufactured acoustic and digital piano brands and models, as well as advice on how to estimate actual street prices to help negotiate the lowest possible price. Steve started out as a consultant for Piano Buyer and then became their advertising director. Cohen and Fine have also partnered to create the Local Market Offers (LMO) program, designed to bring potential piano buyers – the 85,000 subscribers to Piano Buyer – directly to a local dealer, via ads that run throughout the Piano Buyer book and Web site, and other selected sites frequented by piano shoppers. Piano shoppers can enter their zip code (or Canadian postal code) in the ad and click “Go.” They will immediately be taken to a customized Web page containing promotional offers from local dealers seeking business in the shopper’s zip code, followed by offers from technicians, teachers, and others. Typical offers will be for special sales, manufacturer rebates, discount coupons, special nancing terms, free accessories with purchase, certicates for free or discounted lessons
or tunings, and so on. Each of these offers is expandable to a full-page, printable ad, or coupon that can be brought to the store, making it easy to track the results of the promotion. LMO pricing will be on a “pay-per offer-delivered” basis – dealers will be charged a fee only when shoppers request offers and the offer is delivered, within the zip codes the dealer species and up to the max imum monthly budget the dealer has set – no clicks, no cost. If a dealer’s monthly budget is reached before month’s end, the dealer will receive an e-mail alert, giving the option of either raising the budget to continue offer delivery, or discontinuing delivery until the beginning of the next monthly billing cycle. Larry Fine has estimated that, in a mid-size market, there will be about 50 offer requests per month, and that a monthly budget of only about $250 will be sufcient to respond to all of them. This is precision-targeted and precision-timed advertising. A dealer’s offer is delivered precisely when a serious shopper requests it, and only when the shopper’s zip code is within the market area that the dealer species in the offer setup. Dealers will have access to a password-protected online portal, through which you can upload their own ad, or create one from our customizable templates. Dealers can also congure the market in which they wish to have their offer delivered, according to metropolitan area, distance from a storefront, or by state, county, or zip code. An offer can be changed at any time, and multiple offers can be created. Optional features to be part of your offer, a link to the dealer Web site, YouTube, Google Maps showing store location, a list of store hours, a form for contact requests from shoppers, all at no additional cost. Both Yamaha and Kawai have signed on as national sponsors of LMO and are enrolling all of their dealers. Cohen now splits his time between Jason’s and his home ofce where he works on Piano Buyer and the launch of the LMO. It’s a lot of work, but he’s managing. According to Steve, “If someone wants to see one of my pianos, my house is ten minutes from my warehouse, and the shop is ten minutes from the warehouse. I must be doing something right – my business was in the black last year, and I think I was one of a few dealers who can say that.” OCTOBER 2010
George’s Music and GE Money. Tuned into customer relationships. Over the years, George’s Music has learned the key to success in tough times is about building good relationships with customers. One way to generate traffic and repeat sales is to provide added-value services like financing from GE Money, a division of GE Capital. “Our customers make it possible for me to be in the music business”, explains George Hines. Staying tuned into their needs really makes a difference. American Renewal is happening. Right now.
gemoney.com 1-866-210-1646
Kessler & Sons Music Serving Musicians On-line and In-person
Kessler & Sons Music has been serving the greater Las Vegas band and orchestra needs since 1989. “ I’ve been here for 21 years,” says Chuck Kessler, the stores founder. “Before that I worked in Las Vegas for about ten years for Mahoney’s professional music center and drum shop. It was primarily a drum place and they had been there for about 30 years but eventually became victims to the big box stores,” says Kessler. Rather than try to compete with the big box stores, Kessler decided to open a store catered to the needs of both student and professional horn players. “I’m a woodwind player – I was a professional player and woodwind and brass repair guy, so I had a background in the band and orchestra side,” explains Kessler. “I used to try to blend the two – I played in the Reno symphony and the opera company back there. Eventually, I sold my bassoon and kind of semi-retired back to one job – running the music store – it was too difficult to do them both.” 68 MMR
octobeR 2010
“We started out with one location which was very small – about 800 square feet,” says Kessler. “We gradually took over the whole little mini shopping center that it’s located in and the landlord built on an extra space for us here. I’ve had the second location probably for around 15 years and the third location for about seven years. We’ve moved both of the other locations to better retail areas over the years as nances permitted and we have fairly high dollar per square foot rates on those places but this one remains really low and it’s the mainstay of the business. We do our Web site from here, we do all of our shipping and receiving from here and the other two are more or less smaller square footage stores. We’ve been able to stay very successful by keeping the store sizes really small,” explains Kessler. “Music and Arts was here but they eventually left town and they had overwhelming rent – that’s one of the reasons we try to keep our places small.” Although Kessler tries to keep his overhead low, he’s not one to shy away from thinking big. “We started the Web site in 1998 and online sales have been wildly successful,” he says. “It accounts for about 35 percent of our business. Our eBay store is right on the front page. You can just go over and click on the eBay logo and it will show you all the current auctions by kesslermusic.com. We carry most of the major brands and we do a lot of vintage instruments, especially in the saxophone business. The Internet is one of the most powerful word of mouth vehicles that’s ever been seen. People can go into a chat room and immediately get more information about your company or your product than they can get in ve or six days of traveling all around town to all the different music stores. It’s really an effective tool for us because we have a lot of great feedback from customers.”
we do most of that stuff over eBay. So, we have three to four thousand used rental instruments that we recondition, put in new cases and clean up every summer. We’re basically doing a start up program like we did here last year in Las Vegas. For around $100 a year you can rent a student level ute, clarinet, trumpet or violin from us – all the things that are a little bit smaller to ship. We’re avoiding the big-ticket items like tenor saxophones and cellos for now just because of the difculty of shipping them.” When asked what prompted him to reach outside of the Las Vegas area, Kessler is quick to respond. “The Las Vegas economy is obviously not one of the most stable in the country. Right now, we have the highest unemployment rate in the country which is why we’re trying to do some out of state rentals. We did a national advertising campaign this year which wasn’t real expensive and we think it’s cost effective to attract new band directors who may not have heard of us before. I wouldn’t say that we reinvent ourselves everyday, but between myself and my son, we’re constantly brainstorming about how we might reach new band directors. If band director sees our little advertisement in a magazine and goes online and checks us out, then maybe goes to a forum somewhere or they click on the eBay thing and see eBay feedbacks – that word of mouth is the thing that always comes back in the end no matter
“The Internet is one of the most powerful word of mouth vehicles that’s ever been seen.”
Expanding & Evolving Kessler’s latest endeavor is once again harnessing the power of the Internet to increase his bottom line. Starting this year, Kessler & Sons will be renting instruments via the web to students from all over the country. “This is something of an experiment for us,” says Kessler. “The only merchandise we sell used are vintage instruments – Selmer saxophones, pro level instruments and the like – and OCTOBER 2010
MMR 69
what. It’s always your reputation that draws people to you.” The Elements of Success “I don’t know exactly what our feedback number is, but in the ve to six hundred customer feedbacks on eBay, there were zero negatives. You can call the Chamber of Commerce and again zero negatives over a twenty one year life! You have to have 100 percent happy people. You cannot afford to fall down on the job, you cannot misrepresent product and you have to have the best price. We almost always ship an instrument the next day after the order. Those are all important things,” avers Kessler, who believes that word of mouth advertising is one of the essential elements to his stores success. “We’re really proud of the fact that the most uneducated parent can walk into our store and get the best price in the country. We work really hard at our supply sources and really work to provide the parent with the most bang for their buck. It really comes down to word of mouth and being honest with people, not having any negative feedback from any sources, be it online or be it local. That will kill your business.” The other essential element to Kessler’s work is the personal touch he tries to provide each and every customer. “My son or myself are the ones that answer the phone line. We don’t have phone operators who are unknowledgeable. There are just two of us that do it all. And, I hand prep every woodwind instrument that
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we send out of the store. Even though I have a repair shop and they help me in the actual mechanical aspect, I inspect and play test every instrument that we ship out.” “I think that the importance of a people friendly environment is often overlooked in much of business,” Kessler continues. “We hire counter people that are very nice and greet each customer walking in the door. I can walk in a big box MI store and I may or may not get waited on. Sometimes I walk around the store and maybe not even get greeted – which is a pretty disappointing customer experience if you’re really there to buy something. I’ve had that same experience in Home Depot and Lowes. Recently, in the last six months to a year, they have understood the importance of being customer friendly and even a little bit aggressive with people who walk in the door. I walked into a Home Depot in Reno about three months ago and I probably had three different employees walk up to me and say, ‘Hi, how can I help you? What can I do for you?’ That type of customer attention is what sets you apart from your competition.” Not Just Sales In addition to instrument sales, Kessler & Sons runs a very successful lesson program. “We provide all of the referrals for the students and they come in and use the lesson spaces but they’re subcontractors,” says Kessler. “We charge a very minimal fee of two dollars per half hour lesson and
keeping that rate low really attracts the best teachers. We want the best teachers and we have them. We have woodwind players, and brass players and a drum teacher that love teaching for us. The way we look at it, we’re not here to make money off of them and their lessons. We’re here to provide a service to the kids and the parents. And we really try to give the kids the highest quality private lessons we can so we keep our fees really low and the guys pay us each week when they walk out the door.” Kessler prides himself in having not only the best teachers, but also one of the top repair shops in the country. “We have a seven person repair shop,” he says. “I avoid saying seven man repair shop because we have a female who does a lot of ute and clarinet work. We have a lot of young people, and several more experienced repair guys as well.” Recently, when Kessler needed to add another repairman, he didn’t just hang out a sign saying ‘help wanted’ – he held auditions! “We auditioned repair people last summer and I ended up bringing a guy all the way down from Chicago. He was running a 20-man shop up in the Chicago area and he’s now become one of our woodwind techs. When asked how he managed to convince his new tech to relocate, Kessler is quick to respond. “I pay better than most places and he researched our company online for three days and couldn’t nd one negative comment. He searched all the major forums and tried and tried to nd anything negative about us and came back with zero.” For Kessler, that zero is the most important number on his books.
OCTOBER 2010
At A Glance Back Beat’s
Greg Arnold Started out in style: I started out first playing my dad’s original 1957 Fender Precision Bass and an Ampeg Portaflex flip top bass amp. From there I learned how to play drums and guitar.
Who: Greg Arnold What: Back Beat Music Where: Jonesboro, Arkansas When: Founded in 1995 Type: Combo Line
Current (King-sized) gear: I currently play a drum set I built for the western swing surf rock group I’m in. It features a 32-inch marching bass drum converted to a kick drum with 36-inch cow horns mounted on top. I’m 6’ 5”, so it looks more proportional when I sit behind this kit. Smelled success: I have to credit my wife, Bridget, with idea of starting the business. She has owned a flower shop since 1982, and when we bought a building next to her shop, it was an obvious opportunity to have our businesses side by side. What’s selling in the shop right now: All Ibanez guitars, Taylor, ESP/ LTD guitars, Fender CD60 guitars, Vox
amps, and Mapex Drums have sold really well for us the past three years. It’s not a good day when… I spend too much and then worry about cash flow. Movin’ on up: Just this past March we moved into our new location down the street. It’s a great building with more parking, more showroom space, and more room for our student lesson program, which has over 230 students in it. Best part of the gig: The freedom to take off when I want to spend time with my family and help raise my son. Not-so-rosy part: Unwashed customers who love to play for hours and hours. We have a bottle of Febreze ready and waiting. Regrets: Not having my accountant more involved earlier in my career.
“ The most important thing about managing a music store is buying the right amount of what sells.”
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OCTOBER 2010
You couldn’t tell by lookin’ at him but… I have a television/radio production degree that helps when I do my own commercials. Also, I was once featured in Transworld Skateboarding Magazine. The tricky part: The most important thing about managing a music store is buying the right amount of what sells. Pet peeve: Its one thing to overhear a young kid say to his grandfather, “I’ll just go online and order that guitar tuner.” But when I hear the grandfather, who just learned how to use a computer a few years ago, say it … especially when what they are talking about is just ten feet away! Heir to the throne, hairs on the throne: Son Mills, five; cats Abraham and Isaac II. When I’m not working, you’ll likely find me… Relaxing with my family, and playing music or tennis. True or False: Can you be happy AND rich in the music instrument business? True. If I could lunch with any musician, living or dead, it would be: Paul McCartney. The bumper sticker on my car reads: “So this is HOPE?” Last great band/musical act I saw was: The Legendary Shack Shakers. Flattery among his skill set: My proudest business achievement is being in MMR Magazine, of course!
OCTOBER 2010
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Big Dudeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Music City Runs on
Entrepreneurial Spirit KCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Iconic Full Line Store Weathers Times Good and Bad
Mark Dodd 74 MMR
One of the foundations of the MI industry is the inevitable transition of a business from father to child. But few have been called to serve at such a young age as Mark Dodd, and few have had as much experience making tough choices. OCTOBER 2010
Keith “Big Dude” Dodd is an entrepreneur who was a key contributor to Kustom Electronics in the 1970s. He dabbled in guitars, including Greco and Goya, and ended up with a modest music store in the small town of Carthridge, Mo. Stores in Joplin, Mo. and Wichita, Kan. followed – all in addition to running an import/export business. By 1976, he had moved on from the other cities and had two stores in the Kansas City area: A big one in a prime location downtown, and a smaller satellite in the suburb of Overland Park, Kan. Tragically, in 1979, Dodd suffered a deliberating stroke (thankfully he survived and is still part of the family business today, though in a limited capacity). His son Mark was just 15 at the time. The operations continued with Mark doing what he could, and when he graduated from Kansas University, Lawrence, Kan., he took over the operations completely. “When I came on full time in 1986, Big Dude’s was heavily in debt,” he says from his ofce above the store’s showroom oor. The amount of red ink dripping from the books would have intimidated a more experienced businessman, but Dodd’s methodical and calm approach was put in play, and impressively he moved his accounts into the black in just four months. The rst thing he did was close the satellite store and bring the inventory into the city location. That enabled him to not have to buy for a while and pay off his vendors. His philosophical disposition of being in a “cash position” with vendors has proven wise – especially today. Business exploded, marketing got more aggressive, and a repair center was added. Today the windowless orange store is a musician’s Mecca. Walking in the front door, the rst impression is of the great depth of pro audio gear. Uncluttered, and stacked oor to ceiling, it’s broken up only with a large video screen above a stage where they host clinics and special events. There’s a second, equally large area with guitars and percussion, then a couple of rooms: one for acoustic guitars, and another for keyboards/software. “A cool thing is that I’ve been able to hire a bunch of really great people,” he says. “People working with me today have been here from three to 25 years.” In addition to a good instinct for people, Big Dude’s practices a thorough vetting process with new hires. At rst the prospective employee sits and just talks with Dodd for up to an hour, who looks most for the ability to think critically. “Often they have it in their head that this is their dream job, but 30 days later reality sets in,” he says. Knowing gear is great, but having people skills and being able to work with others is more important. “I’m a pretty good judge of character. I miss a call sometimes, but most of the time I make it. You want to be careful in the beginning of the hiring process because you don’t want to have to let someone go.” Kansas City itself has long had a brawny chronicle of music making. It is where early “jass” bands replaced the tuba with a double bass, which arguably lead the transition to swing. (Charlie Parker, Lester Young, and Count Basie all have Kansas City roots.) A Conservatory of music that goes back to 1906 continues to draw music students. Recently the city opened the American Jazz Museum at (appropriately) 18th and Vine. It has a fair amount of alternative, blues, rock, and hard rock bands playing local clubs. The last decade has seen several casinos open up in the area, which is a boon for musicians. OCTOBER 2010
“ I get ‘one day only’ e-mail specials. If you’re in a cash position, you should take advantage of them; if not, don’t.”
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Today, like everywhere else, Dodd says local musicians have some concerns. “Musicians have to hustle and market themselves,” he says. Those who are aggressive with this are doing better than those who do not. “Musicians I talk to are more fo-
cused on their products. If you play in a bar, you need to work to get people in the seats and sell drinks for the bar.” Efforts to revitalize nearby parts of the downtown have had an unexpected consequence to his midtown location:
Hints that the urban area’s unsavory elements are being pushed into the neighborhood are becoming apparent. Dodd notes that he is starting to look at a new location more central to the greater Kansas City area.
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The blunt-talking Dodd sat down with MMR to discuss his operation, the state of the business, and how he plans to weather the current storm (hint: it involves cash, not credit). Lines & Strategies MMR: What guitar lines are you doing well with? Mark Dodd: Schecter, Ibanez, and Fender are the main lines. We do some Dean. For acoustic guitars, we sell Martins, Breedlove, and some Takamine, Dean, and Fender. We’ve always done well with acoustics.
MMR: Have you always been a Fender dealer? MD: We just got Fender about four years ago. Really, it was because they lost several music stores in the area over the last 10 years. It sort of forced their hand. But it’s been good for us. It didn’t increase the [customer] pool [per se], but it has a lot of name recognition. I have no complaints with Fender. The quality has been good. MMR: You have a good selection of drums…
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MD: We do well with Pearl and Roland electronic sets. We just picked up ddrum and that has taken off. That was shocking. Doing $499 to $1,200 sets. The things have been bringing in a slightly different clientele because the drums are so [distinctive] visually. This one came in was red and black and, to me it was ugly. [Laughs] It sold the same day. The second one sold in two days. They come in and the other guys are laughing at me for ordering it, but [they sell fast]. You just don’t know… I guess the younger demographics are buying the sets like that.
MMR: And hand percussion? MD: A little hand stuff, not a lot. MMR: And you have an impressive offering of software products. MD: We do a lot of software, especially recording. But the big problem there is with piracy. It’s hard to sell a $200 program when people are getting it for free. That’s killing us. We have people coming in every day asking us questions about programs [that were stolen].
“ If you slow down and talk enough, people will give you their business.”
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them. But now with guitar modeling technology, it’s complicated. Guitars haven’t changed that much, but amps sure have. In all of that, people really appreciate having someone to, someone who is knowledgeable. We have people buy software in other places, but come in here to talk to us about it.
MMR: Have you ever sold computers? MD: A few years back we were a Mac dealer, but we pulled away. Apple was undercutting us, and [non MI] retailers were selling the computers at prices lower than what we were getting them for.
The Dudes on the floor: Noah Richmond, Nick Snyder, Jeff (Sib) Weisbender, Nick McKenna, and Doug Kenworthy.
MMR: Are recording products doing well? MD: We sell a lot of recording products, but the margins are a bit low, and you have to watch your inventory on that. I have some guys dialed into recording, keeping up with everything. You need to be able to gure out what the customer wants and needs. You really need somebody who is driven in that area, knows compatibility issues between programs and computers. And it
all changes so fast. It’s fun to sell and it’s cool because it allows for creativity but it has to make sense on the business side of the equation. If it works great for the consumer but you’re not making any money on it, it isn’t worthwhile for you. Actually, even with guitar amps it’s important to have someone driven who keeps up with the technology. 20 or 30 years ago when they only came with ve or six knobs, it was easy to get someone up to speed with
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MMR: It’s interesting that when you walk in the door, the first thing you see is that wall of PA gear. MD: We do well in pro audio. Partly it’s that very impression: You walk in, and you know we’re serious. Also it’s in part because of the installation side of it. The boxes you see when you rst walk in aren’t designed for installs, but the impact they make drives install sales. It could be a school or church ofcial, and when they come in and see what we have they are comfortable talking PA with us. MMR: What are the main lines of gear? MD: JBL, Electro Voice, and Peavey. MMR: And how did you get into the installation business? MD: We segued into it over the years. The retail side feeds the commercial side. A customer who happens to be a plant manager of the local Harley Davidson factory comes in for something else and starts talking to us about his plant and next we end up with a good-sized installation job. We do businesses, bars, and churches – we also do video installs, which a lot of people like. MMR: Do you have someone dedicated to that? MD: Richard Troutman has been with me for quite a while, and he works with the software programs that are available, designs and oversees the installs. MMR: How do you get your church business? MD: I have a guy that goes out and knocks on church doors. But again, mostOCTOBER 2010
ly we have people coming in, and in my experience, if you slow down and talk enough, people will give you their business. When we do surveys, our clients are very pleased with our work. We have a created a good environment here. We’re not pushy and people refer us to others.
MMR: And how is PA gear overall fairing these days? MD: Business is down on the retail side. The commercial side was going gangbusters all through September and October, and then it was like someone hit the switch and turned it off. Last year they were screaming at us to get our butts to their place and install… then nothing. But now that’s starting to pick up. MMR: And you’re installing video, too? MD: We have a video screen set up with the PA gear and that gets a lot of attention. We use it during special events and clinics and, again, it’s a draw for installing possibilities as well. MMR: Lessons and repairs? MD: We have lessons and repair centers in the basement. The thing is, we’re in midtown, so there aren’t a lot of families coming down here. We have four studios and see probably 75 kids a month. The repair side is busier. We hired another tech about a year ago to respond to the need. We’re really good at turning things around fast. Getting good parts is sometimes a challenge. Sometimes you have to reach around and nd parts. Some manufacturers are good about schematics, while with others you have to “reverse engineer” sometimes.
MMR: Any Internet marketing? MD: Everything is viral now. We’re just about to cut six TV commercials right here and post them on YouTube.com. Pearl just came out with a new Demon Drive Pedal, and wanted to do something with us. Everyone we talked to said that it’s the real deal, an amazing piece of hardware, so we created a video. We need to do more of those things. Things like this need to be on your Web site and YouTube. This is the way people nd you. This is where all our marketing [attention] is going.
MMR: And the retail side of things, overall? MD: It’s up and down. I don’t have the clarity to be completely honest with you as far as how business is. One day could be really good, and the next day bad. It’s hard. America is coming to grips with the reality of the economy. Since we’ve spent the last 30 years shipping our manufacturing out of the country, exporting jobs offshore, now we don’t have the manufacturing [base] that offers good paying jobs. We’re seeing the nal stages of the affect of all this with the car industry.
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MMR: How are you using the Internet? MD: We used to have a shopping cart so people could buy online, but we pulled away from that. I want to go back to that but you have to dedicate someone, and pay him or her to do it full time. Manufacturers change prices constantly, every month, and you have to stay up on that and it’s not easy. And you can’t do that during business hours. It’s also interesting how the bigger MI chains always seemed to have gotten those price lists before us… We do more business on eBay. Now we just have a Web site that is an informational. OCTOBER 2010
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The repercussions of it all are now the U.S. economy is being reset – it’s a new game and a new day.
MMR: Thoughts on how it’ll be affecting MI, specifically? MD: I was seeing prices from vendors going up. Commodity prices nally collapsed in the third or fourth quarter of last year. The government’s debt is a problem, and they will probably have to monetize it. If oil continues going up, you’ll going to start seeing inationary issues. MMR: What is Big Dude’s doing to prepare for the unknown? MD: I’m going to start building up my inventory now – I’m going to load up today and get a bit of an edge against inationary pricing. I have some vendors who are now starting to raise their prices, so I’m seeing hints of that. MMR: Vendors would certainly appreciate that… MD: I’m getting calls from vendors asking to take an extra 10 of this or 20 of that. Some vendors are driven by cash
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ow and that’s what is driving special offers. I get “one day only” e-mail specials which shows they are trying to move stuff. If you’re in a cash position, you should take advantage of them; if not, don’t.
MMR: And how have you been affected by the credit crunch? MD: I was with AIG. [Smile] I liked them, though, because they were fast and didn’t charge a lot on the back end. They had workable deals. Two weeks ago our banker came in – and I had never seen him come in – and said, “We’ll give you anything you want.” Came in unsolicited and sat down with me, trying to capture some additional business. I really don’t need additional credit, but it was an interesting experience. MMR: Happy with your vendors? MD: [Pauses] Each company has assets and liabilities. Some are great with the operational end. They make sure they have product in stock, and get it to you when you need it, but the product might be lacking in quality; others have consistent great quality but are lacking in operational [skills].
You nd out those things right away when you’re bringing on a new company. The salespeople want to sell and move on, but then you learn – are parts availability? How often does the instrument break down? There are some things I won’t bring on the oor because you can’t get parts and can’t get support. MMR: And the future? MD: Your government is in trillions of dollars in debt, ination is out front, and most banks are in reality, bankrupt. People who have invested in stocks have lost 40 percent to 50 percent of their wealth. You’re exporting jobs. Some of the Big Dude’s of the world will make it, some won’t. [Pause] I’m not saying anything good here. MMR: So… it’s time to build a bunker? MD: Is there opportunity? Yes. Are people doing business? Absolutely. Do you have to go out and get it? Damn right you do. You have to stir the pot, stir the people. What are you doing right now?
OCTOBER 2010
Fresh Faces: Bananas At Large Opens New Location
San Rafael-based MI retailer, Bananas at Large, opened a second store in downtown Santa Rosa, Calif. on October 1, their one and only additional location since opening in 1974. Company president, Alan Rosen, started as an employee at Bananas At Large in 1992 and in 2007 he and his wife Meredith took full ownership. After almost 40 years in one location, why open a new store now, in such a tough economy? Alan responds, “Why not? The city of Santa Rosa and surrounding areas seemed under serviced. Customers were driving long distances to shop at our San Rafael store, for very specic things. We were able to negotiate a great lease. So we walked in with a low overhead.” Laughing, he jokingly adds, “I decided to lose my mind and divide myself in half.” At the new location Rosen carries guitars, basses, acoustics, pro audio, recording equipment, software, computers, PAs, lighting, drums, percussion, keyboards, home digital pianos, sheet music, and more. The previous occupant of the 5,000 square feet space was also a music dealer and a friend of Alan’s. “My very good friend Darrell Munsford had a shop here called Music X. Sadly, Darrell passed away a few years ago after battling cancer. We hope we are honoring his memory by kicking ass up here. We hired back some of his staff and two new people, all of whom are local to Santa Rosa. So we supported our new community by creating a few new jobs and giving them to
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local folks we know,” he says. According to Alan, the new location seems to have great promise for Bananas At Large. “Santa Rosa is a great town with tons of live music. Being directly across from the mall and next to a major city parking lot helps us get foot trafc.” Although Rosen does express concern, for all MI dealers, about non-music distractions such as iPads,
the Internet, and video games that keep young people away from interacting and playing musical instruments. However, as Alan explains, there is a bright side, “I get inspired by my friends in the business. There are some great solid players out there who inspire me.” He also confesses, “And there are some new up and coming folks that are kicking me in the butt!” He is not backing down. To get the word out about the new store, he is utilizing social media sites, press releases, posters, signs, mailers, and word of mouth. For the opening of the Santa Rosa location, Bananas At Large held a three day event with special sales, rep demos, giveaways, and a concert. Ibanez/Tama sponsored a full stage with lighting and a PA. Jeff Watson of Night Ranger and Tal Morris of Creedance Clearwater Revisited attended, along with the Greg Marra Band. That’s not a bad start. Alan adds, “We are affectionately known as the ‘where the pro’s shop.’ We have been working with Bay Area and national artists for many years. We are lucky to serve everyone from the very beginner to the professional.” MMR 81
Guest Commentary George Gruhn, Gruhn Guitars, Nashville, Tenn.
Flooding the Market Since Martin guitars are consecutively numbered, it is easy to determine how many they made from the start of the company in late 1833 through the end of each year as well as how many they made per year. Interestingly enough, I have never seen any copy of this graph other than the one I have prepared. While the music business as a whole is obviously not directly linked to the ups and downs of Martinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s production, it is my opinion that many of the trends shown on this graph apply throughout our industry. It took Martin from late 1833 through 1897 to make 8,000 guitars. They hit serial number 20,000 in 1924, 100,000 in 1947, 200,000 in 1965, 400,000 in 1978, 1 million in 2004, and are now over 1.4 million. If every Martin guitar made up to 1965 were suddenly destroyed, there would still be over 1.2 million of them left in circulation. Since a well-made guitar can easily last over 200 years with proper care, used and vintage instruments have the potential to compete with new ones. By late 1934 Martin guitar designs were essentially the same as today such that the new ones do not render the used ones obsolete. While many people think electric guitars are more innovative than acoustics, by 1960 Gibson and Fender had already introduced virtually all the electric models which today have proven to be their best sellers and had virtually all the bells and whistles on them 50 years ago. While many people claim that it is impossible to compete with Chinese and other overseas manufacturers with USA production, production figures clearly show that more than 10 times as many guitars are made in the USA today as were made in the mid-1980s. During the mid-80s Martin was producing only about 7,500 guitars per year. It should be noted, however, that the early 1980s were a very rough time for Martin as well as every virtually every oth82 MMR
Martin Guitar Production History
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er American guitar manufacturer due to a severe recession, extremely high prime rate interest, a high dollar valuation versus other currencies which made export difficult, and a general malaise in the music market. American guitar production had peaked in the late 1960s through early 1970s and had fallen significantly by the early 1980s. The market was showing clearly visible signs of recovery by late 1986. PRS exhibited Paul’s first handmade prototypes at the New Orleans NAMM show in 1985 and obviously now has hugely expanded capacity including an 80,000 square-foot recently opened plant addition. In 1985 Fender had only Asian imports since Bill Schultz and his group did not buy the Fullerton plant. Gibson’s 1985 production was a small fraction of their current output. In 1985 Bill Collings had a one-man operation. He expanded to one helper by 1988 when I ordered two dozen guitars from him which was the biggest order he had ever received up to that time. Now he is a good size factory. Taylor’s output for the year 1986 was 681 guitars which is about 1/10 of what they do today. In addition to the makers I have named, there are now hundreds of
small time builders who produce 10 to 20 instruments per year. While each of them individually is small, collectively they add up to more than the output of a company like Collings. Needless to say, if one studies worldwide output one will see that Japanese and Korean output is far less today than it was in the mid-1980s, however Chinese and Indonesian production as well as new sources such as Vietnam fully make up for the difference. Dealer profit margins tend to be inversely proportional to manufacturers’ output. As manufacturers increase their output, dealers often find it increasingly difficult to sell instruments for a good profit margin and respond by discounting and trying to make it up in volume. What the manufacturers see is that orders have increased so they respond by ramping up their output and building new plant additions. Needless to say, this produces a positive feedback loop which just like an engine with no governor can tear itself apart. It is my opinion that many of the problems in our industry today are not simply a matter of a bad economy, but are a response to a market which has been absolutely flooded with
too much new product. Since manufacturers have increased their overhead with new plant additions and improvements, it is extremely difficult for them to scale back production and remain profitable. It is also my opinion that much of what fueled the phenomenal growth in sales of high-end new limited edition and vintage instruments from the mid-80s through the year 2000 was demand from baby boomers who are now aging upward and are no longer in the active acquisition phase of their life. It is much easier to sell someone their third or fourth guitar when they are enthusiastically starting out collecting than it is to sell them their 34th or 35th guitar when they are over 60 years of age. Many dealers I talk to find that it is currently extremely difficult to make money selling new instruments due to greatly reduced profit margins. If they price new American made guitars at MAP they simply don’t sell. If we price them where they would be profitable they don’t sell, but if we price them where they sell it is unprofitable. Our industry is under great stress, probably far more so than many manufactures and dealers realize.
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New Products CodaBow’s JOULE for Violin, Viola & Cello The CodaBow’s JOULE features a trademark Graphite Diamond Weave architecture that extends precisely from button to tip. This technology is said to contribute to the balance between strength and ex-
ibility. The JOULE’s Acoustic Core, comprised of a medley of advanced bers, imbues a natural sensitivity and organic characteristic. The frog design is said to increase effective hair length while preserving thumb position and dynamic balance,
OCTOBER 2010
which encourages more sound from the lower range while heightening string control. Now available for violin, viola, and cello, prices start at $675. www.codabow.com Gibraltar Stand Mount & Quick Release Drum Key Gibraltar’s iPod/MP3 Stand Mount secures an iPod or MP3 player to stands. The mount’s heavy-duty nylon clamp ts stand tube diameters from 5/8” to 1-5/8”, for placement on cymbal and hi hat stands, thrones, and even some Lrods. The Stand Mount can also be used as an accessory for singers and guitarists to secure to their mic, music, or accessory stand. The mount also features a nine inch gooseneck and is fully pad-
ded with adjustable clamping arms that accommodate most sizes and styles of iPods or MP3 players. Simply adjust the mount to any position and lock into place -- protection is guaranteed by a security tether. The retail price is $99.99. Gibraltar’s new Quick Release Drum Key includes a knurled grip for quick and easy head changes and adjustments. The Quick Release Drum Key hooks onto any lanyard or carabineer clip. The retail price is $14.50. www.gibraltarhardware.com Audix’s CabGrabber-XL Audix’s CabGrabber-XL, an extended version of the CabGrabber to accommodate larger amps and cabinets, enables sound engineers and musicians to place a microphone on a guitar amplier or cabinet without the use of a mic stand.
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Constructed of durable aluminum tubing, the CabGrabber-XL is lightweight but capable of holding microphones securely and rmly in place, including large diaphragm condenser mics weighing up to 16 ounces. The CabGrabber and the CabGrabber-XL were designed primarily to be used with the Audix i5 but will also accommodate other microphones. Designed to operate with larger guitar combo amps and cabinets, the CabGrabber-
XL will accommodate cabinets ranging from 14 to 20 inches in depth. The CabGrabber-XL, which is held on to the cabinet by a tension t design, will work equally well on cabinets with a at surface or a recessed edge. The tubular arm is threaded to hold any standard microphone clip and will rotate 180 degrees. A thumb screw locks the arm into position. This, plus the ability to place the CabGrabber-XL at any location on either the side of the cabinet or the top of the cabinet, will allow the user to place the microphone in the exact location they desire. The CabGrab-
ber-XL can be stored in the back of an amp or a gig bag. The retail price is $89.00. www.audixusa.com Keystone’s PCB Thru-Hole Battery Clips Keystone’s 54 battery clip can be specied for 17 to 19mm diameter lithium ion cylindrical batteries and is specically engineered to withstand the rigors of recharging cycles associated with the 18650 Lithium-Ion cell
usages. The 54 clip is ideal for 3.7 volt, high energy, lower weight mobile electronics, industrial and telecomm applications. Clips can also accommodate A, 2/3A, 18500, 17500, 17335, 17450, and 17650 style cells. To facilitate a direct PCB-to-battery connection, the clips are manufactured from spring steel with a tin nickel plated nish. All these clips are shock and vibration resistant and incorporate a unique three-legged THM mounting feature to assure rm positioning during wave soldering. Reliable PCB installation and solderability is possible with either 0.062” or 0.093” (1.57mm and 2.36mm) thick boards. www.keyelco.com NS Design’s NS WAV Series Electric Violin NS Design’s WAV5 is the ve-string version of the NS WAV series electric violin. The WAV5 features a carved maple body and adjustable shoulder rest molds to t the contours of the shoulder for optimum grip and comfort. Fitted with the optional Balanced Shoulder Rest, the WAV5 rides almost weightlessly on a counterweighted arm, freeing the musician’s upper body and providing support for highimpact playing. By raising or lowering the adjustable rock maple bridge, players can set the strings to the height they de- sire -high action like a classical violin or lower ddle-style action for quick response. The 86 MMR
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WAV5 is built around NS Design’s patented Polar pickup system, and the passive pickup system does not require a battery. www.thinkns.com Levy’s Drum Hardware Gig Bag Levy’s new polyester drum hardware roller-bag features 1/2” foam padding,
even images to musical instruments and accessories. Due to the large work area and cutting capabilities of the EXT, users can create designs that add style to large or uniquely shaped items such as guitars. www.epiloglaser.com OcToBrass The OcToBrass is a concert level ocarina that can be used with a trumpet, trombone, bass trombone, horn, or tuba mouthpiece. The OcToBrass is designed to help the brass musician develop and
strengthen their embouchure. The OcToBrass Kit comes with a lightweight polycarbonate mouthpiece, leather pouch, and instructions. www.octobrass.com
polyester lining, reinforced hard plastic base, padded handles on top and ends, detachable 2” adjustable rubber-padded shoulder strap, and two extra-large zippered accessory pouches. Inside dimensions are 44” X 15” X 13”. www.levysleathers.com Rico’s Reserve Bass Clarinet Reed Rico’s Reserve Classic Bass Clarinet reed was designed in conjunction with clarinetist J. Lawrie Bloom, bass clarinetist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Reserve Bass Clarinet reeds feature a special 3.0+ strength that is unique to bass clarinet reeds. Each Reserve reed is precisely cut on Rico’s reed manufacturing machines. The Reserve Classic Bass Clarinet reeds are made exclusively from lower-internode cane to yield the highest-density cane available. The retail price is $39 for a box of ve reeds. www.ricoreeds.com Epilog Laser EXT Epilog Laser’s equipment provides a fast way to add initials, text, or even images to musical instruments and accessories. Epilog’s Legend EXT is the company’s large-scale laser engraver that offers easy to use features that provide a fast way to add initials, text, or OCTOBER 2010
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Supplier Scene Ovation Guitars Redesigns Web Site Ovation Guitars’ new Web site was designed around an interactive and user-friendly platform. The site can be searched by keywords or products can be ltered by series and body depth. Ovation’s social media sites can be accessed from each page on the site to share information with friends. Other features include Buy it Now, Get Live – featuring artist events and tour dates – an inter-
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active Soundroom blog, and a comprehensive video lesson library. Artists are featured in an expanded Players section, and each Ovation artist has with their own page within the site. Over the next few months, additional functionality and features will be added to the site. The Hometown Heroes section will provide players the opportunity to showcase their own music, photos, and videos. Visitors will be able to plan Ovation Meetups, interact, share, and
plan dates for events. The site will also be translated into multiple languages. www.ovationguitars.com Hal Leonard Digital Video Retailer Program Hal Leonard has added video content to its Digital Retailer Program. The Digital Retailer Program allows over 3,000 music dealers to offer sheet music on demand, and now these retailers will be able to sell downloadable and streaming video lessons to their customers through the new Hal Leonard Digital Video Retailer Program. The Digital Video Retailer Program lets music dealers prot through the Hal Leonard Web site,GuitarInstructor.com, which features lessons in all styles of music, for beginners to professional musicians. The site offers more than 1,000 professionally lmed video guitar lessons and video song lessons, as well as over 2,000 full-band, play-along tracks. Lessons start at just $1.99 per download. The Digital Video Retailer Program
OCTOBER 2010
offers dealers three ways to participate: The Af liate Program allows them to place a link on their Web site to GI.com, and earn commissions on all sales that these click-throughs generate. The Online Digital Retailer Program, to be released later this year, lets dealers control the entire consumer sales process directly, with the digital content provided by Hal Leonard. The third option – also coming soon – is the In-Store Digital Retailer Program, where a dealer’s customers can purchase video lessons from brick-andmortar locations. To nd out more, visit www.halleonard.com/dealers.
D’Addario Adds Tom Hamilton to Roster D’Addario has welcomed Aerosmith bassist, Tom Hamilton, to its artist roster. For well over 30 years, Aerosmith has helped de ne American Rock ‘n’ Roll. Aerosmith has sold 150 million albums. They have been induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and have received countless awards (four Grammy Awards,
eight American Music Awards, six Billboard Awards, and 12 MTV Awards). For more information, visit www.daddario.com. Samick Guitars Selected as a “Company to Watch” Samick Guitars was selected at the 2010 Summer NAMM show as one of the “Companies to Watch” by industry ex-
Floyd Rose Marketing Moves to New Facility Floyd Rose Marketing, AP International, and Pro Rock Gear have moved
to a new facility located in Wall Twp, New Jersey. The new address is 5044 Industrial Road, Unit D, Wall Twp, N.J. 07727. They also have a new Web site in the works. For more information, visit www.oydrose.com. Kawai Teams Up With Berklee Dozens of high school musicians from across the world made their way to the Los Angeles area in August to participate in the annual Berklee in LA program. Students from the U.S., Canada, and at least ve other countries, spent one week listening to and performing with professors from Berklee College of Music. Kawai America is the ofcial digital piano for the Berklee in LA program. This year, six Kawai EP3 portable digital pianos were provided to the program. For more information, visit www.kawaius.com. OCTOBER 2010
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Supplier Scene
perts. Samick was chosen in the “Companies To Watch” category for its guitar designs, great price points, and margins. Six industry retail experts, representing single-store operations, small to mid-sized chains, and an industry trade magazine served as panelists. The annual Summer NAMM show took place in Nashville, Tenn. in June 2010. For more information, visit www.smcmusic.com.
Vater Welcomes the staff of The Drum Lab to their Education Family Vater Percussion has welcomed the staff of The Drum Lab in Sacramento, Calif. to their Education Artist Family. The Drum Lab is Sacramento’s rst and only school of drumming. The Drum Lab opened their doors in May of 2005. Now with over 130 students, The Drum Lab continues to offer a comprehensive, hands-on education in contemporary drumming techniques and styles.
Each of The Drum Lab’s instructors specializes in a different musical style. They help each incoming student choose the instructor that best ts the style of music they want to learn. The staff also encourages students to move around periodically from teacher to teacher so that they can absorb as many inuences as possible. For more information, visit www.thedrumlab.net. Mapex Drums’ Latest Additions to Artist Roster Mapex has announced the addition of four new, drummers to the Mapex Drums Artist portfolio – Matt Halpern, Lee Pearson, Matt Johnson, and Damien Schmitt. Baltimore native Matt Halpern, formerly with Animals As Leaders, is the drummer for progressive metal band Periphery. Halpern plays on the Saturn Series drumkit as well as the Falcon Double Pedal. Lee Pearson is a notable Broadway,
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jazz, R&B, and hip hop drummer from Maryland, and is in his rst year as head of the music department at the Maryland Academy for the Performing Arts. Matt Matt Halpern Johnson is an independent musician and educator. He is a member of The Hi-Fi Quintet, as well as a drum set instructor at Fullerton College. Damien Schmitt, a French drummer, is most notable for his work with Jean Luc Ponty, the French jazz and rock violinist. Matt Johnson Schmitt also does regular drum clinics in both the US and Japan, and recently showcased his
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talents as the co-headliner at the 2010 Meinl Drum Festival in Germany. For more information, visit www.mapexdrums.com. Remo Honors & Thanks Employees Remo, Inc. employees were invited to a presentation at the Performing Arts Center in Valencia, Calif. To make sure everyone could participate, the Remo, Inc. facility was closed for most of the day. Headphones were also offered at the event for translation of the presentations OCTOBER 2010
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Remo Belli, founder and CEO, thanked everyone for helping to change the world. It was important to Mr. Belli that he close the doors to Remo, Inc. for a day so he could thank his employees and show them the impact of their work. He invited everyone back to the Remo, Inc facility to enjoy lunch. To ď&#x192;&#x17E;nd out more, visit www.remo.com OCTOBER 2010
Sheridon Stokes Introduces the Pearl Flute Quartet Pearl Flutes artist and UCLA senior lecturer-professor of ute, Sheridon Stokes, introduced four of his ute protégés, the Pearl Flute Quartet, at this year’s NFA
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convention in Anaheim, Calif. The Quartet followed the introduction with a performance at the Pearl booth. In 2005, Stokes was presented with the NFA Lifetime Achievement Award. For more information, visit www.pearlutes.com. PRS Partners With Mel Bay PRS Guitars has partnered with Mel Bay to offer US customers a free Mel Bay/ PRS gift package when they purchase a
PRS guitar and return a warranty card. International customers who purchase a PRS guitar will receive a voucher for a free Mel Bay/PRS gift package media download from Mel Bay. Mel Bay/PRS gift packages include a vast array of themes including basic and intermediate learn to play, pro, technique, blues, soloing, rock, jazz, and rhythm Backup. For more information, visit www.prsguitars.com LEAN Allows PureSound Percussion to Lower Prices With the successes that PureSound Percussion’s LEAN manufacturing program has brought to the company, they will signicantly reduced pricing on the Custom, Equalizer, Concert, Super 30, and Twisted snare wire models. Since D’Addario & Company instituted LEAN manufacturing at its facilities, each proprietary brand has reaped positive results, PureSound Percussion included, allowing for a considerable price decrease. LEAN manufacturing, pioneered by Toyota, is the elimination of all types of waste from the manufac-
turing process that add no value for the customer. For more information on PureSound Percussion, please visit www.puresoundpercussion.com. Vandoren Has an App for That Vandoren application for the iPhone offers users access to the history of Vandoren, a complete list of their worldwide distributors, tips to help the user nd a reed and mouthpiece combination, and more. The new Vandoren iPhone app is available from the iTunes store at no charge. For more information, visit www.vandoren.com. Samick Music Donates Piano Parts to Fundraising Event Samick Music has donated of a variety of piano parts to “Encore! Reclaim the Sound”, a new fundraising event to support the Arts Council of Williamson
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Supplier Scene County (ACWC) Arts Education Programs and the Nashville International Piano Competition of The Steinway Society of Nashville. The parts donated by Samick Music range from piano keys, foot pedals, tuning pins, and piano strings, to key rails, benches, and grand piano lids.
The piano parts will be recycled through creative artwork and auctioned off in a live and silent auction at the event’s black-tie affair this month.The fundraising event is presented by the ACWC and Steinway Piano Gallery of Nashville. The competition awards rst, second, and third
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Earthwork Mics in the Desert & the Studio with Candlebox Seattle, Washington-based band Candlebox recently completed a Middle East tour where they performed for U.S. troops in Kuwait, Bagdad, and Al-Basra, plus a few other locations. In addition to searing heat and dust, the band even encountered some mortar re that forced them to move a lot faster than they might have otherwise chosen to. Through it all, their arsenal of Earthworks microphones were kept protected from the elements. For the band’s latest studio endeavor, Candlebox drummer Scott Mercado used the Earthworks DK25/R drumkit recording system. For more information, visit www. earthworksaudio.com. Woodstock Invitational Luthiers Showcase The Woodstock Invitational Luthiers Showcase, held on October 23 - 24, 2010, in Woodstock, New York, is an alternative guitar show, featuring handmade acoustic guitars and stringed musical instruments exhibited by their makers, along with continuous live acoustic music performances. The showcase offers more than fty exhibitors in all, including wood dealers, parts and tool suppliers, inlay artists, lutherie services, string and accessories
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prize scholarships to the selected students to study piano at any nationally accredited school of music in the state of Tennessee. To nd out more, visit www.smcmusic.com.
manufacturers, magazines and publications, and lutherie schools. Also included is a special exhibit of signicant historic, vintage, and contemporary acoustic guitars and stringed instruments loaned by major collectors. Nylon-stringed classical and amenco style guitars, steel-string attop and archtop guitars, crossovers and hybrids, mandolins, banjos, and more will be on disOCTOBER 2010
America’s Premier Guitar & Bass Parts Supplier play. This year we are pleased to welcome a number of signicant builders from the West Coast, eminent mentors and young disciples, innovators all. There will be music educators demonstrating instruments and performing on behalf of the makers. The two-day show is open to the public by admission. A portion of any proceeds will benet The John Herald Fund, Family of Woodstock, regional food banks and local soup kitchens, and The Direct Grace Project. For more information, visit www. woodstockinvitational.com. NAMM Foundation’s ‘Generation Next’ Program The NAMM Foundation recently announced that it is inviting college students with music business or music education majors to attend the “Generation Next” program at the 2011 NAMM Show. This program offers professional development sessions and networking opportunities to help launch their careers in the music products industry. This is a rare opportunity for music product and music education industry college students to attend the NAMM Show, as it is a “trade-only” event. The NAMM Show features more than 1,500 manufacturers from around the world exhibiting unique music materials and products, including pro-audio equipment and new music-making applications and technologies. Highlights of the program will include: • An opening day (Thursday) presentation by Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser of Attitude Concepts, Inc. called “This is Not a Dress Rehearsal, This Is the Performance of Your Life” and Friday session with Dr. Lautzenheiser exploring attendees’ personal leadership commitment and qualities. • A simulcast of a live SupportMusic Coalition meeting featuring the opening plenary of the Arts School Network’s national conference. The meeting will recognize the work of organizations and individuals from around the world who support music education in schools. • “Generation Next” Think Tank Sessions: Industry professionals will disOCTOBER 2010
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cuss life goals and career possibilities with students. A Saturday morning session with GRAMMY Award-winning artist Victor Wooten called “The Music Lesson” as well as a book signing of Wooten’s book “The Music Lesson: A Spiritual Search for Growth Through Music.” The second annual Sandy Feldstein Industry Roundtable hosted by The Crane Institute for Music Business, featuring music industry leaders and NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond. Three informative industry sessions presented by Arts Schools Network and moderated by Mr. Haqq Islam, CEO/president of March 3rd Records. Sessions include “I Want to Win a Grammy,” “The Business of the Music Business,” and “What’s the Future of Music?”
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Supplier Scene the NAMM Foundation, and registration fees are waived for qualied universityand college-level students through Dec. 15, 2010. Attendees will be responsible for their travel expense to the NAMM Show and other related expenses. To nd out how to register for the “Generation Next” collegiate program at the 2011 NAMM Show, college students majoring in music business or music education should contact Candace Snedecor at NAMM via e-mail:candaces@namm.org. Fender Music Foundation’s New Leadership Hamid “Gadget” Hopkins has been appointed Chairman of the Board for the Fender Music Foundation. West L.A. Music’s senior account manager joined the board in June 2008 and is the second chairman in the foundation’s history. He replaces foundation founder Larry Thomas, who remains as an active board member. Thomas, founder of the music education charity, had served as chairman
since the foundation’s inception in 2005. At the time, the organization was named the Guitar Center Music Foundation, as Thomas had recently retired as co-CEO of Guitar Center Inc. Thomas is the current CEO of the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC). Also voted onto the board at the foundation’s September board meeting were Bruce Ross, CFO of Robbins Brothers, returning to the board after a hiatus; Laurel Kaufman, CEO of Los Angeles Consulting Group; and three executives from FMIC – Director of Entertainment Marketing Del Breckenfeld, senior vice president of Marketing Fender® Brands Richard McDonald and senior vice president of Marketing and Communications Jason Padgitt. According to board member JoAnn Kepler, “Fender Music Foundation board members represent a fantastic cross section of excellence in experience, commitment and ery passion.” “I am delighted to join as a board member of the Fender Music Foundation
and to advocate the benets of music in more people’s lives,” said Padgitt. “The power of music is undeniable,” he said. “Its effectiveness in therapeutic, developmental and social environments is simply amazing to witness. Music makes a positive difference. The mission of the Fender Music Foundation is lling a serious need in America today. I am excited and honored to be asked to participate.” To learn more about the foundation or to make a donation, visit www.fendermusicfoundation.org. Yamaha & Disneyland Celebrate Longstanding Partnership Marking its 50th anniversary in the United States, Yamaha Corporation of America has renewed its status as the Ofcial Supplier of Musical Instruments to the Disneyland® Resort. Yamaha will continue to provide a broad range of instruments for use by the resort’s performers and continue its music education partnership.
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Yamaha’s formal partnership with Disneyland® Resort, located in Anaheim, Calif., dates to 2005, but the companies have had a long and fruitful relationship stretching back 20 years. In recognition of that partnership, Takuya Nakata, president, Yamaha Corporation of America presented George A. Kalogridis, president of Disneyland® Resort, with a special plaque commemorating Yamaha’s 50th year in the United States. Yamaha provides instruments and equipments for Disney performers and venues, as well as the many thousands of students who participate in the Disney Performing Arts program and the college bands students who join the Disneyland All-American College Band.
In addition, Yamaha has co-sponsored several podcasts, contests and concert series in conjunction with Disney, including a four-concert presentation broadcast live on Yamaha’s multimedia Web portal, The Hub. Yamaha also cross-promotes its relationship with the Disneyland® Resort at the annual NAMM musical products industry convention at the Anaheim Convention Center .In addition, Yamaha has held four special Dealer Concerts at the Hyperion Theater. For more information, write Yamaha Corporation of America, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622, telephone (714) 5229011, e-mail infostation@yamaha.com. Gator Bids Farewell to Murphy On September 13th, Jerry Freed announced to the Gator Cases staff that Delena Murphy would be retiring as International Sales Manager effective September 28th, 2010. She and her husband, Robert, plan to return to their home grounds in Texas to be closer to their family. OCTOBER 2010
this. We are looking forward to seeing this concept take shape in the years to come.” Tickets went on sale to the public beginning Friday, September 24. More information can be found at The State Theatre’s website (www.statetheatre.org) or by calling (610) 252-3132.
As one of Gator’s senior staff, Delena started working for Jerry Freed, CEO/ COB of Gator Cases, dating back to the early ‘70s with International Music Corporation during the Hondo Guitars and Black Diamond Strings era. Upon her departure, Jerry is quoted: “Delena has been a loyal employee for almost 38 years. She has been a xture and will be missed by all” Martin Guitar Concert Series C. F. Martin & Co. (www.martinguitar. com) and Pitcher Sword Productions (www.pitchersword.com) have announced the launch of “The Martin Guitar Tour” – a new concert series concept that will kick off at 8 p.m. ET this December 11, 2010, at The State Theatre in Easton, Pa. Future events in other markets around the country will be determined following this kick-off. Artists set to perform at the December concert include Jorma Kaukonen, Peter Rowan, Woody Mann, Rory Block – all who have had their own Signature Martin Guitar designed by the legendary American guitar maker throughout the years. Additionally, mandolinist Barry Mitterhoff will join Kaukonen, Tony Rice will join Rowan, and Lehigh Valley favorite Craig Thatcher and some surprise guests will perform. Martin’s Dick Boak, the company’s director of artist and public relations and a leading guitar historian, will host the event. “I couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of an event that will feature solo and ensemble performances by some of the most prominent guitar players in the world,” said Boak. “For many years, we have wanted to collaborate in the creation of a Martin concert series like
Yamaha Disklavier Piano App With the recent release of a new Operating System for its E3 series Disklavier pianos, Yamaha gas af rmed that its entire consumer line of award winning reproducing instruments is now compatible with the company’s updated Disklavier app (version 1.1.1), available for download in the Apple iTunes store. The free App, introduced last June for Mark IV model Disklavier pianos, enables wireless WiFi remote control of the instrument using an Apple iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad. At the touch of a button on any of these devices, the user can control many Disklavier performance functions, including selection and playback of sources, albums and individual songs; volume, basic record and song titling, balance, transpose and part cancel. In addition, the App can be used to control playback of DisklavierRadio, an unlimited, subscription-based service that lets users listen to hundreds of fully orchestrated songs on demand over the Internet, which are then performed “live” on the Disklavier. To take advantage of the iTunes App, Disklavier owners must upgrade their pianos to the most current operating system. Version 3.0 for Disklavier E3 models can be downloaded to a USB thumb drive/ash memory from the following site (www.disklavier.com/e3site); version 4.0 for Mark IV models is available through a local Disklavier dealer or by calling Yamaha Piano Service at (800) 854-1569 (ext. 22). MMR 97
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AD RATES $30.00 per inch (1 inch minimum). $40.00 per inch if one color, logo or graphic added. Add $1.00 per bold face line. Display classified: $50 per inch. PAYMENT MUST BE RECEIVED IN ADVANCE.
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NEW ADDRESS HERE! Name ___________________________ Address _________________________ _______________________________
Name: ___________________________________________________________________________________
City ____________________________
Company: _______________________________________________________________________________
State ____________Zip ____________
Street: ___________________________________________________________________________________ City:_____________________________________________State:__________ Zip Code: _______________ Telephone #:________________________________Fax # _______________________________________ Email Address: ___________________________________________________________________________ OCTOBER 2010
21 Highland Circle, Suite 1 Needham, MA 02494 (781) 453-9310 MMR 103
Ad Index COMPANY NAME
E-MAIL/WEB ADDRESS
PAGE
A Ac-Cetera Inc. Al Cass Alfred Music Publishing Allparts Music Corp Amati’s Fine Instruments America Longxing Inc. American Way Marketing LLC Ashley Entertainment Corp
www.ac-cetera.com www.alfred.com/dealer www.allparts.com www.Amatis.us www.huntermusical.com info@americanwaymktg.com www.ashleyintl.com
94 95 45 95 59 76 77 57
Benedetto Guitars Breezy Ridge Instruments Ltd. Casio America, Inc
www.BenedettoGuitars.com www.jpstrings.com www.casiousa.com
44 92 55
CE Distribution LLC Chem-Pak Inc. Chesbro Music Co. Chord Buddy Collings Guitars
www.cedist.com www.chem-pak.com www.chesbromusic.com www.chord buddy.com www.collingsguitars.com
80 76 15 52 58
www.davapick.com www.extremeheadphones.com www.jimdunlop.com
92 92 73
www.labella.com www.eastwoodguitars.com www.staggmusic.com www.staggmusic.com www.emgpickups.com www.epiloglaser.com www.danelectro.com
63 50 61 71 44 26 1
www.fulldiscount.com www.ferreestools.com www.floydrose.com
32 87
www.gemoney.com www.georgels.com www.godlyke.com www.graphtech.com www.grotro.com www.guitar-hands.com
67 62 93 20 85 70
www.halleonard.com www.halleonard.com www.hohnerusa.com
19 29 33
www.jackrabbit.com www.kalaukulele.com
94 36
B/C
D The Dava Co. Direct Sound Headphones Dunlop Manufacturing Inc.
E E. & O. Mari Inc./La Bella Eastwood Guitars EMD Music Inc. EMD Music Inc. EMG Inc. Epilog Laser Evets Corporation
F FDW Corp Ferree’s Tools Inc. Floyd Rose Marketing
G GE Capital George L’s Godlyke Inc. Graph Tech Guitar Labs Grover. Guitar Hands
H Hal Leonard Corp. Hal Leonard Corp. Hohner, Inc.
J/K Jack Rabbit Kala Brand Music Co.
104 MMR
COMPANY NAME
E-MAIL/WEB ADDRESS
Kawai America Corp. Kay Guitar Co. Keystone Electronics Kiwaya USA Kyser Musical Products Inc.
www.kawiausl.com www.KayGuitar.com www.keyelco.com www.kiwayaukuleles.com www.kysermusical.com
PAGE cov 2 36 51 38 89
L LM Products Co. Inc. Lollar Guitars LPD Music International
www.LMProducts.com www.lollarguitars.com www.lpdmusic.com
66 83 53
M/N Miami Audio Music Corp. Musical Distributors Group NAMM National Educational Music Co.
www.miamiaudiomusic.com www.musicaldistributors.com www.namm.com www.nemc.com
10 13 22-23 84
O Ohana Music Orange Amplifiers Oriolo Guitar Company
www.ohana-music.com www.orangeamps.com www.oriologuitars.com
27 50 54
www.peacedrum.com www.peakmusicstands.com www.peavey.com www.pedulla.com www.sterlingbymusicman.com www.prsguitars.com
88 38 17 49 52 9
www.sabian.com www.sagamusic.com www.sagamusic.com www.samsontech.com www.shoreviewdistribution.com www.shsint.net www.shubb.com www.sierraguitars.net www.sikpik.com www.skbcases.com www.sonarewinds.com www.stringswing.com
39 79 37 3 91 41 12 43 78 48 90 ´21
P Peace Musical Co. LLC Peak Music Stands Peavey M. V. Pedulla Guitars Praxis Musical Instruments Inc. PRS Guitars (Paul Reed Smith)
S Sabian Ltd. Saga Musical Instruments Saga Musical Instruments Samson Technologies Corp. Shoreview Distribution SHS International Shubb Capos Sierra Guitars Sik Pik SKB Corp. Sonare´ Winds String Swing Mfg. Inc.
T/V Tech 21 The Magic Fluke Co., LLC TKL Products Corp. Visual Sound
www.tech21nyc.com www.Magicfluke.com www.tkl.com www.visualsound.net
11 27 7 cov 4
W/Y W.D. Music Products Inc. Wyman Piano Company Yamaha Yorkville Sound Inc
www.wdmusic.com www.wymanpiano.com www.yamaha.com www.yorkville.com
73 91 65 5
OCTOBER 2010
SAVE THE DATE!
2nd Annual JEN Conference January 6-8, 2011 New Orleans, LA Historic Roosevelt Hotel – Famed Blue Room Details online NOW! • Exciting Headliners • Enlightening Clinics/Panels • Exhilarating School Ensemble Performances • Enticing Exhibits – 20,000 sq. ft.! All under one roof, two blocks from the French Quarter! Registration, Housing, Exhibitor & Volunteer Applications available online NOW!
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