Music & Sound Retailer March 2017, Vol 34 No 3

MUSIC & SOUND AWARD WINNERS ISSUE MUSIC & SOUND AWARD WINNERS ISSUE MUSIC & SOUND AWARD WINNERS ISSUE March 15, 2017 Volume 34, No. 3

THE NEWS MAGAZINE FOR MUSIC PRODUC TS RETAILERS

BE SURE TO WATCH

FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME

WE P R O U D LY P R E S ENT ‘ THE NEW CLA S S ’ FROM N AMM 20 17

By Anthony Vargas

Another NAMM Show has come and gone, but, somehow, the wonder never fades. It’s hard to be jaded about a show as massive as NAMM, with so many great products to see and so much amazing (and not-so-amazing) music to hear. And, even if you find yourself unable to bear the sight of one more skullet, or you find yourself stretched as thin as all the spandex worn well past its expiration date, you can always get a revitalizing hit of enthusiasm from swinging by the booths of some of NAMM’s firsttime exhibitors. The sheer passion and love of music making displayed by NAMM’s debut exhibitors each year is always infectious; not even this year’s unprecedented downpour could wash away the high spirits prevailing among 2017’s rookie class.

As part of our annual NAMM Show coverage, The Retailer is spotlighting a handful of first-time NAMM exhibitors and their game-changing product offerings. Some of these companies might very well become household names. For now, though, all of them were happy to be a part of the spectacle that is NAMM, and to share their innovations with their fellow musicians and music lovers. All the companies are worth keeping an eye on in the coming years. (continued on page 24)

By Dan Ferrisi

Winners Of The 31st Annual Music & Sound Awards Turn Heads

Having administrated the Music & Sound Awards (MSA) program since 2011, I’ve had the privilege of giving MSA “hardware” to some of the finest dealers, manufacturers, reps and industry executives in the music products space. Even with all that history, though, I was struck by the outstanding winners in our 31st annual MSA presentation. In the unlikely event that you doubted our industry is in a renaissance of creative innovation, just check out the manufacturer and product winners, spotlighted here. From the guitar category to percussion products, from mixers to print publications, and from DJ gear to wireless systems, these products are not only exceptional in quality, but also robustly profitable for brick-and-mortar dealers.

Let our distinguished MSA winners share their thoughts with you…and join us in celebrating their considerable achievement. (continued on page 34)

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L AT E S T

D’Addario Foundation Awards Music-Education Grants The D’Addario Foundation, a 503(c) nonprofit that is a leader in finding, funding and partnering with transformative music-education organizations, has announced the results of its first two grant-application cycles. “One-hundred and seven passionate not-for-profit organizations spread out over 30 states have been awarded grants for the first half of this year,” Suzanne D’Addario Brouder, Foundation Director, confirmed. “We’re thrilled, because a great majority of these states have the lowest high school graduation rates in the U.S. and face significant challenges in their education systems…challenges that compromise the ability of students to receive a well-rounded education.” In total the D’Addario Foundation has awarded $210,000 in monetary donations and $57,000 in D’Addario and Co. product. Of the 107 organizations, 45 are new to the D’Addario Foundation.

“We pride ourselves on funding programs in the early stages of development, when support is most critical and difficult to come by,”

Brouder added. “Many of these new organizations are boosted by the support from the D’Addario Foundation, and they’re able to leverage the credibility and track record to secure other forms of support.”

In addition, the D’Addario Foundation partners with a diverse array of programs, believing that musical Suzanne D’Addario Brouder inclusion does not come in a one-sizefits-all package. With the grants, the foundation has committed support to programs that include the following: inner-city free orchestral instruction, rock band instruction at schools and at Boys and Girls Clubs, guitars for teenagers incarcerated in juvenile detention centers, jazz instruction for at-risk and incarcerated teens, and others.

NAMM Welcomes Eight New Board Members During the annual NAMM Show, the association welcomed eight new members to its Board of Directors. Each member will serve a three-year term and provide oversight and direction to the organization and its charitable arm, The NAMM Foundation.

“As we eagerly welcome our newly elected Board members and The newly elected Board members, flanked by reluctantly say goodbye Joe Lamond (far left) and Mark Goff (far right). to the outgoing class of 2016, we express our President and Member Partner, deep gratitude to both groups for American Way Marketing, LLC.; their willingness to serve,” Mark Alun Hughes, Managing DirecGoff, Chairman of the Board tor, British Band Instrument Co. of Directors and President of Ltd.; J. Scott Mandeville, PresiPaige’s Music (Indianapolis IN), dent, Tim’s Music; Eric Matzat, shared. “The diverse experiPresident, Palen Music Center, ence and perspectives of our Inc.; and Chris Syllaba, Presivolunteer leadership is essential dent/CEO, Jordan Kitt’s Music. to NAMM’s ability to serve our The meeting also celebrated membership. Guided by our vithe service, leadership and many sion, mission and five objectives, contributions of the outgoing I’m confident that our Board members of the Board. They will continue to work tirelessly include Blake Augsburger, HARon behalf of our members in the MAN International; Pat Averyear ahead.” water, Amro Music Store, Inc.; NAMM has welcomed the folPeter Dods, Easy Music Center; lowing members to the organizaTodd Heid, Heid Music Co., Inc.; tion’s Board: Lauren Haas AmanGabriela König, König & Meyer foh, President, Royalton Music GmbH & Co.; Sheryl Laukat, Center, Inc.; Bryan Bradley, Cannonball Musical Instruments; Senior Vice President/GM, HARLiz Reisman, Creative Music & MAN International; Philip Cajka, Arts, LLC; and Tom Sumner, President and CEO, Audio-TechYamaha Corp. of America. nica U.S., Inc.; Kathy Donahoe, MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

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VOLUME 34 NO.3

62

Features ON THE COVER

Roll Out The Red Carpet

In the event that you doubted our industry’s in a renaissance of creative innovation, just check out this year’s Music & Sound Award winners. From the guitar category to percussion products, from mixers to print publications, and from DJ gear to wireless systems, these products are exceptional in quality and robustly profitable for brick-and-mortar dealers.

ON THE COVER

Feels Like The First Time

22

As part of our annual NAMM Show coverage, The Retailer is spotlighting a handful of first-time NAMM exhibitors and their game-changing product offerings. Some of the companies we cover might very well become household names. For now, though, all of them were happy just to be a part of the spectacle that is NAMM.

Columns 36 Music & Sound Award Dealer Winners 38 Music & Sound Award Manufacturer Winners 40 The Music & Sound Independent Retailer 42 Five Minutes With

Not only does Seymour Duncan’s Max Gutnik have years of experience as a recording artist and an impressive industry résumé—it includes Guitar Center, Sweetwater, Apogee, Avid and Line 6—but he also has a passionate commitment to the brick-and-mortar dealer channel, as well as for cultivating the next generation of music makers.

46 MI Spy

While taking his 19-year-old daughter back to Harrisburg University, our resident super sleuth visited four Harrisburg PA-area music stores. In a nod to rock ‘n’ roll band Ocean Blue and its lovely, saxophone-infused melodies, the MI Spy made the venerable sax—an instrument for his school-aged child—the object of his search.

42 52 Retailer Rebel

Gabriel O’Brien missed both Summer NAMM and the NAMM Show over the past 12 months. He reflects on the importance of both expositions, and explains why he can’t wait to go back.

48 Front And Center

54 Veddatorial

49 From The Trenches

62 Under The Hood

50 Shine A Light

Buzz

Dawn Birr has spent the majority of her professional career with Sennheiser and Neumann, and she’s loved every minute of it. She’s worked hard, overcome adversity and steadily climbed the ranks.

If you ship product on a regular basis, you know the “Oh drat!” feeling that comes along with postal rate changes. They can be a huge drag on your operations. Allen McBroom offers some key tips.

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Schenectady NY’s Drome Sound is gearing up for its 50th year of serving the needs of local community music makers, as well as national and international touring bands that come through upstate New York.

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When you consider music making and music products as a whole, we’re a global industry. And we’ve been global almost from the point where everyone agreed that the Earth is a globe.

One of MI’s most iconic brands, Fender, truly wowed the global music products industry at the NAMM Show when it unveiled the American Professional line of guitars.

Latest...3

People...18

Products...22 MARCH 2017

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EDITORIAL

You’re The Best Around Being a huge movie buff, in addition to being a passionate music aficionado, I can’t help but be swept up in “awards season,” which begins in roughly November with National Board of Review honors and concludes in late February with the Academy Awards. Years ago, when I saw between 65 and 75 films per year, I’d compile a top 10 list right before New Year’s Eve. Then, as the Golden Globes and the Oscars aired, I’d root on my favorites and bemoan all the “snubs.” Being nominated for and winning such honors isn’t everything—creating something beautiful is truly its own reward—but awards are meaningful, because they spotlight and celebrate excellence. In the music products industry, the benchmark for recognizing outstanding achievement is the Music & Sound Award (MSA), which was created by The Music & Sound Retailer and which has been presented annually for more than three decades. There’s no initiative with which I’m prouder to be affiliated.

In this month’s cover story, “Roll Out The Red Carpet,” we turn over the metaphorical microphone to the manufacturers and industry executives who stood out in 2016. So, here, I’ll acknowledge the dealers whose exemplary business practices earned them one or more MSA plaques. In the Multi-Store Division, I DJ NOW, with locations in West Babylon NY and Fresh Meadows NY, took on behemoths like Guitar Center and Sam Ash to earn Dealer of the Year. I DJ NOW is a perennial Music & Sound Award winner, frequently taking home top honors in the DJ Equipment category, which, incidentally, it did this year, as well. Other Multi-Store Division past winners that earned one or more awards this time include Alto Music, Ken Stanton Music, Bananas at Large, Skip’s Music and Guitar Center.

If you don’t believe me, allow me to paraphrase columnist Dan Vedda: Exceptional customer service, provided by a deeply knowledgeable sales staff, is the key to brick-

and-mortar retailers’ survival. For that reason, I want to spotlight Instrumental Music Center, with two locations in Tucson AZ, and Robert M. Sides Family Music Centers, whose storefronts dot Pennsylvania and New York. Those multi-store dealers won top honors in Sales Staff and Customer Service, respectively; in doing so, they proved themselves well adapted to a competitive landscape in which free-shipping warehouses like Amazon devour music stores that only know how to ring up items. Instrumental Music Center and Robert M. Sides aren’t box movers; they’re your neighborhood music ambassadors.

In the Single-Store Division, that community-centric vibe is raised to the nth degree. These are the kinds of places where, frequently, the Owner is the person who bags the songbooks and string packs. This year, The Candyman Strings & Things (Santa Fe NM) was bestowed the Sales Staff award, whereas Uptown Music (Keizer OR) earned plaudits in the Customer Service category.

Both businesses are institutions in their hometowns; these MSAs are just the latest in a string of honors they’ve received.

Given that The Retailer, among all music products industry magazines, is the most vocal champion of small, independent music stores, we can bestow no higher honor than Dealer of the Year in the Single-Store Division. Although this year’s winner, Kraft Music (Franklin WI), is a first-time MSA recipient, it’s widely regarded as a leading MI store in the Midwest, and it has appeared on the NAMM Top 100 Dealer list, as voted on by impartial industry experts.

With the MSA, Kraft Music’s vendor partners affirmed that the store reflects the honest business dealings and best practices to which every retailer aspires.

Finally, kudos to the other single-store businesses that earned Music & Sound Awards this year: Sweetwater, Chicago Music Exchange, Canal Sound & Light, Vic’s Drum Shop, Rock & Soul and Mike Risko Music. Congratulations to all!

March 15, 2017 Volume 34, No. 3

DAN FERRISI dferrisi@testa.com Editor

ROBERT L. IRAGGI riraggi@testa.com Advertising Director

ANTHONY VARGAS avargas@testa.com Associate Editor

RICKY PIMENTEL rpimentel@testa.com Art/Production Assistant

BRIAN BERK Contributing Editor

ROBIN HAZAN rhazan@testa.com Operations Manager

GEORGE HINES SKIP MAGGIORA Editorial Advisors MYKI ANGELINE JEFF KYLE JR. MICHELLE LOEB

VINCENT P. TESTA President/Publisher ALLEN MCBROOM GABRIEL O'BRIEN ROBERT SAMPLE

JANICE PUPELIS Art Director STEVE THORAKOS Production Manager CIRCULATION circulation@testa.com FRED GUMM Digital Art Director MATT VAN DYKE Editorial/Social Media Coordinator mvandyke@testa.com DAN VEDDA Contributors

Editorial and Sales Office: The Music & Sound Retailer, 25 Willowdale Avenue, Port Washington, New York 11050-3779. Phone: (516) 767-2500 • Fax: (516) 767-9335 • MSREDITOR@TESTA.COM. Editorial contributions should be addressed to The Editor, The Music & Sound Retailer, 25 Willowdale Avenue, Port Washington, New York 11050-3779. Unsolicited manuscripts will be treated with care and must be accompanied by return postage.

Sound & Communications • DJ Times • Sound & Communications Blue Book The Music & Sound Retailer • The DJ Expo • IT/AV Report The Retailer’s Vnewsletter • Convention TV @ NAMM • InfoCommTV News VTTV Studios The Music & Sound Retailer (ISSN 0894-1238) (USPS 0941-238) is published 12 times a year for $18 (US),

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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Music & Sound Retailer, PO BOX 1767, LOWELL MA 01853-1767

MARCH 2017

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L AT E S T

ASCAP EXPO She Rocks Showcase Announced For Next Month The Women’s International Music Network (The WiMN) has announced the official She Rocks ASCAP EXPO Showcase, which is scheduled during the ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO in Los Angeles CA. Now in its fourth year, the She Rocks Showcase will take place on April 14 from 9pm to 11:30pm in the heart of Hollywood at the Tinhorn Flats Saloon & Grill, across the street from the EXPO headquarters at the Loews Hollywood Hotel.

“This will be our fourth year hosting the She Rocks ASCAP EXPO Showcase, and it’s been an amazing success, hosting music executives from all walks of the industry and featuring a jam-packed house who enjoy performances by top female artists,” The WiMN’s Founder, Laura B. Whitmore, stated. “The 2017 She Rocks Showcase will be no different. I am excited and eager to receive submissions from talented ladies around the world!”

The 2017 She Rocks Showcase presents a unique opportunity for

Facing West performing at the 2016 She Rocks ASCAP Expo Showcase.

female artists of all styles and ages to perform in front of industry experts, media representatives, artists, publishers and more during the premier conference for songwriters, composers and producers. An ASCAP EXPO badge is not required to attend or participate in the She Rocks Showcase. It is sponsored by “108 Rock Star Guitars.”

Shure Unveils Incentive Auction Resource Center To serve wireless users as spectrum availability and regulations continue to evolve, Shure Inc. has created an online Incentive Auction Resource Center (shure.com/americas/incentive-auction-resourcecenter) that summarizes the status of the auction and provides links to relevant tools and product information. The ongoing incentive auction of spectrum in the 600-megahertz band has caused concern and confusion for many wireless microphone users, resellers and installers. Even those who have diligently followed Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announcements and regulatory filings are uncertain about how impending changes could affect the wireless equipment they already have or plan to purchase.

For wireless users who want to check on the progress of the auction, the Shure Incentive Auction Resource Center provides a clear view of the status of the current stage of the incentive auction. It also includes an auction timeline, straightforward explanations of how the process works, and information about how the auction will affect wireless users and how Shure is updating its wireless product lines in preparation.

Visitors can request e-mail alerts to receive status updates as they occur.

“The Incentive Auction is extremely complex,” Mark Brunner, Vice President of Corporate and Government Relations at Shure, stated. “It has been difficult for wireless users to find information that is accurate and timely, yet easy to understand. The Incentive Auction Resource Center is designed to keep them up to date and let them know what Shure is doing to address their wireless needs, now and in the future.”

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L AT E S T

Bose Professional Rocks ‘Club B’ Pop-Up Event

Late last year, more than 400 attendees found their way to a massive warehouse in Brooklyn (Mona Lisa Studios) for an all-night EDM event that doubled as a demonstration of loudspeaker technology from Bose Professional. Showcasing Bose F1 loudspeaker technology, “Club B” (as the event and future such events have been dubbed) was a resounding hit among attendees and promoters, as well as for Bose. Club B Sound by Bose Professional rigged up a system composed of 12 Bose F1 model 812 loudspeakers, 12 Bose F1 subwoofers and two Bose L1 Model II systems (filling the bar area and lounge area, respectively) for the show. It featured Berlin, Germany-based electronic artist Anthea as headliner, as well as six other DJ performers. New York-based event firm Top Notch Vibes served as promoter.

Antwan Webb, the DJ performer who opened the night, remarked, “The sound was well balanced. The highs and mids felt sharp and precise. The bass was warm, and you could feel the punch.”

Marco Araujo, Bose Corp. Territory Manager – Live Music U.S. Northeast region, was among the event’s organizers. He stated, “This was the first collaboration between Bose and this type of pop-up EDM party. It was a really big production in terms of lighting and sound, and it was a successful showcase of our portable products. The event went from 10pm at night until approximately 8am. Response to the F1 system was unanimously positive. Attendees and our event collaborators reacted to the clarity and ‘perfect punch’ of the system.”

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In conjunction with the NAMM Show this past January, KMC Pro Audio introduced a host of new pro-audio brands, products and programs. In addition to previously announced pro-audio brands, such as Audio-Technica, Focusrite, Galaxy, MBT Lighting, Monster Cable, RCF, Sennheiser and Shure, as well as HARMAN Professional Solutions Group brands AKG Acoustics, Crown, dbx, JBL Professional and Soundcraft, KMC debuted products from Ashly Audio, Audix, Ultimate Acoustics, Samson Technologies and PowerWerks.

“We are committed to becoming our dealers’ ‘one stop’ source for all of their pro-audio needs, and this NAMM Show really demonstrated just how fast we are achieving this goal,” KMC’s President, Mark Terry, said.

For the first time ever, KMC’s NAMM booth featured a dedicated pro-audio section stocked with representative brands and staffed by sales professionals who helped dealers offer their customers more pro-audio products and systems from more manufacturers than ever before.

Terry explained that it’s difficult for many dealers to establish an authorized dealer status with manufacturers, because they cannot meet the minimum order threshold that is required. “Now,” he began, “dealers who can’t meet those minimums can obtain the brands their customers want by ordering them through KMC, the same company with which they already have an established business relationship. Now, they can provide their customers with the brands they want, when they want them—while they are in the store.”

MARCH 2017

L AT E S T

Yamaha Presents ‘Revstar Garage’ At The NAMM Show

with a Yamaha Revstar (RS620) guitar, painted and pinstriped to match the scrambler-styled bike. Similarly, a Revstar (RS620) was customized to match a stock Charcoal Silver SCR950. The display was conceived jointly by YCA and YMUS marketing teams, which worked in unison to carry forward the vision.

“Over the course of the entire NAMM Show, we had many musicians come to our display and share with us their passion for both music and motor sports,” Dave Jewell, Marketing Communications Manager, YCA, said. “This collaboration between YMUS and YCA brings a heightened awareness for the two companies that continues to elevate the ‘Two Yamahas, One Passion’ philosophy.”

Yamaha Corp. of America (YCA) and Yamaha Motor Corp. USA (YMUS) came together for the second year in a row to showcase the company’s “Revstar garage” concept at the NAMM Show, held in January. Embodying the company’s “Two Yamahas, One Passion” philosophy, the Revstar garage was a dramatic display within the 27,000-square-foot Yamaha booth in the Anaheim Marriott. The display combined the passion for the stripped-down or “yard-built” style motorcycles, which gained popularity in London and Tokyo in the ’50s and ’60s, with the Yamaha Revstar, a line of solid-body electric guitars that was inspired by the motorcycles and unveiled last year in celebration of 50 years of Yamaha guitars.

In the NAMM display, a custom gold SCR950 motorcycle was paired

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On-Stage Generously Donates To Harmony Project

On-Stage has donated an array of music products and accessories to Harmony Project, of Los Angeles CA. On-Stage has a long history of supporting charities, community programs and schools that promote music education and performance.

Coming off the NAMM Show in January, On-Stage gave the organization all the products it displayed at the trade show. The On-Stage NAMM booth was large for an accessories manufacturer, boasting more than 200 products from a variety of categories, including instrument stands, tuners, microphones, bags and cases, and more.

Now that the products have been given to Harmony Project, they will facilitate instruction, performances, creativity, confidence and teamwork in some of the city’s least-served neighborhoods.

This is the second year that On-Stage has collaborated with NAMM to donate products to a local organization. Last year’s donation went to Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls Los Angeles.

Harmony Project was founded in 2001 with only 36 students and a keen awareness of the good that music could do for at-risk young people in a city where 68 percent of public schools offer no musical instruction whatsoever. Since then, propelled by Executive Director Myka Miler, the organization has enjoyed considerable success and growth. Currently, Harmony Project is committed to educating more than 2,000 young people throughout the course of their uninterrupted school enrollment. Last year, all 62 graduating seniors were accepted to college.

MARCH 2017

L AT E S T

Alvarez Appoints SFM Canada Distributor Alvarez continues to expand globally, and it’s teamed with SFM in Canada to oversee distribution in that region.

“We’re thrilled to be working with SFM,” Chris Meikle, Head of Development at Alvarez and Senior Vice President of St. Louis Music, stated. “Canada is a really important market for Alvarez, and we’re very happy to be working with one the country’s leading MI distributors. SFM has a great track record in the distribution and brand building of acoustic guitars, and they’ll do a fantastic job with Alvarez.”

Founded in 1978, SFM pro-

vides customized go-to-market services to global brands within the live entertainment industries. In addition to traditional wholesale distribution services, SFM offers an array of additional services that help suppliers and

customers achieve their market potential.

John Kelley, GM of SFM’s MI business unit, added, “The Alvarez and Yairi brands have been core to the fabric of the acoustic guitar market for decades,

and the company’s approach to design, quality and continued innovation is highly respected around the world. Alvarez fits naturally alongside the other premium, guitar-oriented brands that we distribute.”

PreSonus Extends Warranties For Speakers

PreSonus has extended its warranty on all WorxAudio, AIR and ULT loudspeakers from three years to six years.

The extended warranties are in effect immediately, and they apply to loudspeakers purchased on or after January 1, 2016. The warranty terms are otherwise unchanged.

“We have great confidence in the quality of our loudspeakers,” PreSonus’ Director of Customer Services, Alex Tinsley, explained. “They have proven to be extremely reliable and problem-free. Our customers are incredibly loyal.

So, rewarding that loyalty by extending the warranty was an easy decision.”

PreSonus online technical support, including warranty service, is available at presonus.com/support/con tact-technical-support. Technical support is available via e-mail at techsupport@preso nus.com. PreSonus telephone technical support is available to customers in the U.S. from 9am to 5pm (CST) from Monday through Friday at 225.216.7887.

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

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ADVERTORIAL • MARCH 2017 • NAMM.ORG

Note From Joe

Now is Our Time If there was ever a time to have our industry’s voice heard in Washington it is now...

No question, we are living in interesting political times and I believe as concerned citizens we have an obligation to get involved. Perhaps one of the most direct ways to do that is to exercise our constitutional right to go and meet face to face with our elected officials. Going to your state capital or to Washington D.C. to express your opinion and to advocate for things that are important to you gets you off the sidelines to become a part of the solution.

This May, your industry peers and colleagues will travel from all over the country to join in the NAMM Music Education Advocacy D.C. Fly-In. What started as a fledgling group of NAMM Board Members just a few short years ago has grown into a movement with members and our many partners in the music and arts field convening in our nation’s capital. They come to achieve our industry vision of a world where every child has a deep desire to learn music and a recognized right to be taught.

The following days are filled with advocacy training, briefings to prepare the message we’ll be taking to our elected officials and visiting with members of the Senate and House of Representatives to insist that music and art remain a part of a well-rounded education. Most newcomers arrive with a feeling of trepidation and uncertainty but they leave after their week in D.C. feeling like true patriots, fighting for something greater than themselves.

“We always hear about the rights of democracy, but the major responsibility of it is participation.”

Those attending will participate in an opening “Day of Service” where NAMM members volunteer in a D.C. school. It is amazing to see NAMM members teaching music to these young people, often from very disadvantaged circumstances, and leaving the school equipped with thousands of dollars in donated instruments setting up the school for future success.

It is the perfect metaphor for our week in D.C. and cements our commitment to changing lives through music.

The part that is hard to describe is how life-changing this is to each individual NAMM member. For most of us it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to participate in our democracy. And even for those veterans who have been many times, the experience of walking the halls of Capitol Hill, all in the cause of music and music education, is truly a career highlight.

The NAMM team invites you to be a part of our next Fly-In held May 22–25. Call 800-767-6266 or visit www.namm.org/fly-in for more details.

Perhaps Wynton Marsalis put it best, “We always hear about the rights of democracy, but the major responsibility of it is participation.” Now is our time!

Joe Lamond NAMM PRESIDENT AND CEO

Participate in the Music Education Advocacy D.C. Fly-In

Be a Part of the Movement and Teach!

Champion Music Education in Your State

Attending the Fly-In, held May 22–25, 2017, is a life-changing experience.

Don’t miss this opportunity!

Registration is now available for this one-of-a-kind event.

Attendees will not only be able to meet with law makers about the importance of music education, but will also help local children experience the joys of making music at the annual “Day of Service.”

The Coalition on Coalitions (CoCs) supports NAMM members with tactics, resources and best practices to move and improve state-level policies, funding and advocacy for music and arts education.

LEARN MORE AT NAMM.ORG/FLY-IN OR 800-767-6266

Book Hotels March 9 and Register for Badges March 29 namm.org/summer/2017

JULY 13-15, 2017 • MUSIC CITY CENTER • NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE • NAMM.ORG/SUMMER

L AT E S T

Fishman Launches Online Product Sales Training Fishman has launched “Up To Speed,” a product sales training program for authorized Fishman dealers. “Up To Speed” provides the information needed to understand, discuss and sell Fishman products effectively. The company’s President, Larry Fishman, greets participating salespeople in the training program’s introduction video. He says, “Our goal is to create a communication directly with you—our dealers and our salespeople—that benefits you on an ongoing basis to become the most confident and trusted salespeople in the industry.”

In an easy-to-use, mobile-friendly online environment, “Up To Speed” offers four training courses: amps, pickups/onboard preamps, pedals/ preamps and TriplePlay. Each course provides a study guide and corresponding quiz. The courses are effective and concise, but salespeople have the option to go deeper into Fishman product knowledge and access marketing assets in the optional “Resources” section. Fishman ships a prize to each salesperson for every course he or she passes.

Fishman is also offering a sweepstakes for all eligible salespeople who pass courses before March 31. Various prizes will be given away, including a Loudbox Mini Amplifier, Fluence Pickups, Aura Spectrum DI Preamp, TriplePlay Wireless MIDI Guitar Controller and, of course, the grand prize: a Martin D-16GT Guitar with a custom-installed Fishman Matrix Infinity Pickup and Preamp System.

Sweetwater Surpasses 100 Million YouTube Views Sweetwater recently surpassed 100 million views on its YouTube channel, with channel subscribers now exceeding 137,000. The retailer launched its video effort in December 2008, with a part-time videographer and a part-time producer.

Today, the video staff includes five videographers, a creative director and three content providers. They’re housed in state-of-the art studios, which were completed last year and which were designed by acoustician Russ Berger. This year, the departSweetwater’s Founder and President, Chuck Surack, said, “Our ment will produce approximately video efforts are an extension of our long-held commitment to being 900 videos. the experts in all things audio: from musical instruments to pro-audio gear. It’s a vindication of our video strategy to reach such a huge milestone in only nine years.”

Videos fall into four general categories: product demos, “how-

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to” videos, case histories and interviews with industry professionals: musicians, audio manufacturers and pro-audio users of renown.

Most Sweetwater videos are product demos, and they’re embedded on the appropriate product pages at sweetwater.com.

Sweetwater’s Editorial Director, Mitch Gallagher, has been the principal subject of Sweetwater’s videos from the beginning, providing informative interviews and product demos. His videos are posted three times a week on Sweetwater’s YouTube and Facebook pages.

Interviews with artists have included Joe Walsh, Joe Satriani, Nathan East, Billy Sheehan, Ben Folds and Don Felder.

Guitar Center Launches A Free Mobile App

Guitar Center has debuted its free mobile app for musicians, granting them unlimited access to new and used gear from their favorite brands, anytime and anywhere. The Guitar Center mobile app is an intuitive retail app for musicians, and it allows consumers to shop on the go, receive personalized notifications, explore product reviews while in the store and more.

Features of the mobile app include the following: used and vintage gear sections that help users locate exactly what they are looking for, from a large selection, at the right price; wish lists that allow users to build their dream gear list or scan a product in the store to add it MARCH 2017

L AT E S T

Eastman Music Co. Honored With Milestone Award At the NAMM Show, Eastman Music Co. was honored with the NAMM Milestone Award for 25 years’ service to the music products industry. Presented annually by NAMM’s President and CEO, Joe Lamond, the Milestone Award recognizes music businesses that have flourished through changing business environments to reach a noteworthy anniversary.

Eastman Music Co.’s portfolio includes respected flute and brass companies Wm. S. Haynes Co. and S.E. Shires Co., in addition to the lines of Eastman string, wind and fretted products. At NAMM, Eastman announced a partnership with Backun Musical Services and its clarinets.

“NAMM is honored to recognize Eastman Music Co. for its 25 years in business and in service to both the music products industry and their community,” Lamond noted. “Eastman has demonstrated the perseverance and passion to stand the test of time, inspire countless others

and create a more musical world for the benefit of all.”

The Milestone Award is presented annually to industry leaders that are celebrating notable anniversaries during the NAMM Show, held annually in Anaheim CA.

Step up to a higher level of directly; a save searches function that allows users to be notified when items arrive that match their specific search criteria; a barcode scanner that scans products in the store to bring up reviews and view additional content; a store locator that includes upcoming in-store events, workshops and local inventory; and a social feed in the app that allows users to explore what Guitar Center customers are posting on social media and purchase products.

“We’re thrilled to be one of the first retailers in the musical instrument space to launch a mobile app and give our customers another convenient way to shop and be connected to the music community,” GC’s Vice President of Marketing and E-Commerce, Jeff Wisot, said. “We’re seeing a significant shift to mobile shopping, and we feel it’s important to offer our customers these comprehensive tools.”

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PEOPLE

Ashly Orders Big ‘Mack’

Jim Mack has joined the Ashly Audio team as CEO. He will help expand business in existing markets and forge paths into new markets that leverage Ashly’s history of, and reputation for, building amplifiers, signal processors and user interfaces. Mack will report to Marty Szpiro, President and CEO of Jam Industries, Ashly’s parent company.

“On top of being a great person to work with, Jim has a depth and breadth of experience that makes him a real asset to Ashly, especially at this moment in Ashly’s history,” Szpiro stated. “He has proven people and recruiting skills, and a tactician’s instinct for the right moves at the right times. Ashly is an essential and strategic asset in Jam Industries’ portfolio, and we’re thrilled to have Jim on the Ashly team.”

Mack began his career in the mid-1980s as Sales Rep for Sound Marketing, a position he held for a decade before transitioning to management-level positions in Alesis (Vice President of Sales and Marketing), TASCAM (General Manager), SaneWave (Vice President of Sales and Business Development) and TEAC America (Executive Vice President). In addition, he served as CEO at PreSonus for seven years.

“With the full backing and blessing of Jam Industries, I’m looking forward to growing Ashly by taking it in new directions and by growing its share in existing markets,” Mack declared.

Can You Hear Her Now?

Sensaphonics has hired Jenna Paley to promote hearing wellness and business development.

Paley received her doctorate in audiology from Indiana University, and she’s the Founder of Project Decibel, which is an organization dedicated to educating musicians and others about how to protect their hearing health while still enjoying loud sound on stage, in the audience or anywhere in their lives.

At Sensaphonics, Paley will bring her own perspective and expertise to the company’s ongoing mission to help musicians maintain their hearing wellness through knowledge, techniques and products designed for high-impact monitoring with minimal risk of hearing damage. She will organize and present at educational events to promote hearing wellness with outreach to industry organizations, as well as visit touring and local artists at venues and rehearsal facilities.

Paley is a Chicago IL native and a recent graduate of the Sensaphonics Gold Circle seminar, where she gained hands-on experience working with a band experiencing in-ear monitors for the first time.

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Heart & Solangi

RCF has appointed Tarik Solangi as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for RCF USA. Solangi’s background in the industry includes time as a production company and recording studio owner, tour coordinator and manager. He started with RCF as an independent consultant, providing technical support and managing product demonstrations for the touring and performing arts communities. RCF recognized not only his expertise in product, but also his knowledge and understanding of the various vertical market segments with which RCF is involved.

In 2015, Solangi was named National Sales Manager. Since that time, RCF USA has evolved. Initially the wholly owned distributor of the RCF and dB Technologies brands owned by the RCF Group in Italy, RCF USA has refocused solely on the RCF brand of loudspeakers and electronics for the U.S. market. With Solangi at the helm of sales, the company has excelled, realizing significant growth. That restructuring has also brought a purpose for RCF USA to redefine the roles of the management team to achieve the continued maturation and recognition of the RCF brand in the U.S.

Zildjian Inaugurates John Stephans

Zildjian has appointed John Stephans as President, reporting to CEO Craigie Zildjian. In the new role, he will lead all sales, marketing, product development and manufacturing efforts for both the Zildjian and the Vic Firth brands.

“John will be instrumental in developing a long-term growth plan for our core cymbal and drumstick businesses,” Craigie Zildjian said. “He will develop strategies that leverage our brand equity to incubate emerging technology products and services.”

Stephans spent five years growing IdeaPaint—the creator of an innovative dry-erase paint for workplace collaboration—from a startup to a market leader that’s installed in more than 150,000 locations, and distributed in more than 50 countries. He led an aggressive new go-to-market strategy and organizational expansion while increasing revenues throughout his tenure. Before joining IdeaPaint, he worked as Senior Vice President of Strategic and Product Marketing for employment Web site Monster, and he held multiple leadership roles at Gillette.

“Throughout my life, I’ve had a passion for music,” Stephans said.

“So, it’s an honor to join a truly legendary company. I hope to use my experience to grow these great brands now and in the future.”

MARCH 2017

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PEOPLE

Meet Mr. Worldwide

D’Addario & Co., Inc., has appointed Devin M. Hanna as Vice President of Global Sales. He reports to John D’Addario III, President of D’Addario.

Hanna has benefited from best-in-class training as a sales executive with companies like Newell Rubbermaid, Timex, Groupe SEB and, most recently, Joseph Joseph, where he was Vice President of Sales. Hanna boasts a highly entrepreneurial, data-driven style, which will help him thrive in D’Addario’s growth-oriented, collaborative environment. Hanna’s impressive track record includes strong leadership skills and multi-channel commercial experience, which will be pivotal in leading D’Addario’s global sales efforts.

Hanna is a graduate of John Carroll University, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in business administration before he began his career at Newell Rubbermaid. Outside of his professional experience, Hanna is a marathon runner; he’s completed eight triathlons; and he’s a two-time Ironman finisher.

MDA Gains Some ‘Hart’

KMC’s Vice President of Merchandising, Roger Hart, has been appointed to serve a two-year term as President of the Music Distributors Association (MDA). The appointment took place this past January at the MDA’s Annual “Show & Tell Day,” which occurred in conjunction with the NAMM Show.

“The music industry, like every specialist industry in the country today, is being challenged to innovate the ways in which they serve their customers,” Hart said. “The Music Distributors Association accepts this challenge and, in fact, sees it as an opportunity to reinvent the distributor’s business model in exciting new ways. I look forward to working with our membership as President, and I thank everyone for their support in asking me to serve as President.”

Hart has served as Vice President of Merchandising at KMC since 2012 and, in fact, he’s been with the company for 25 years. He began his career in 1993 as an Inside Sales Representative in the call center; since then, he’s held various positions, including Purchasing Agent, Purchasing Manager, Genz Benz Product Manager, Accessories Product Manager and Director of Merchandising.

The MDA is an international, non-profit trade association that represents and serves manufacturers, wholesalers, importers and exporters of musical instruments and accessories, sound-reinforcement products and published music.

Our Closest ‘Alli’

Roland Corp. has appointed Brian Alli as Vice President of Artist Relations and Business Development.

With more than 10 years’ service to Roland, most recently as Vice President of Sales for Roland Corp.

U.S., Alli has successfully led his sales teams and consistently grown the business for Roland in the U.S. In his new role, Alli will drive Roland’s relationships with strategic partners (artists, influencers and businesses), develop strategic communications plans and deliver new market opportunities.

Alli brings decades of music and audio experience to his new role, having served on the management and executive teams of Jordan Kitt’s Music and Panasonic. His wide range of responsibilities has spanned the piano, combo, consumer electronics wholesale and retail markets.

“I am grateful for the privilege of working with the incredible team at Roland U.S. for the past 10 years, and I’m extremely honored to be entrusted with this new role at Roland Corp.,” Alli enthused.

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PEOPLE

Shure’s Powerful Promotions

Shure Inc. has promoted Scott Sullivan to Vice President of Global Product Management and Dave Cerra to Associate Vice President in its Product Development Division. Sullivan is responsible for positioning products, planning for enhancements, assessing competition and evaluating the overall future of Shure’s product lines. He will also provide input and contributions as Dave Cerra a key member of the Corporate Management Committee and as Chairman of the Roadmap Planning Team.

Sullivan joined Shure in 1989, and he holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees from St. Xavier University.

Cerra joined Shure in 1995 and greatly improved the audio quality

Scott Sullivan

of Shure products. In addition to inventing Shure’s patented Audio Reference Companding, he led the product teams responsible for PSM900, PSM1000, Microflex Wireless and numerous associated products. He now leads the development of new Wired and Wireless Discussion Systems and the next generation of Microflex Advance. Cerra holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree.

‘Bursey’ With Pride

Sabian has promoted Katie Bursey to Marketing Manager. A graduate of the University of New Brunswick, Bursey joined the Sabian team as e-Marketing Coordinator, responsible for online media planning, e-mail marketing, online campaign integration, social network development and ensuring all related activities are aligned with Sabian’s online management strategy. She will continue to work closely with the Sabian sales and marketing team to develop and execute key marketing programs, product launches and project management.

“Since 2008, Katie has made herself an integral part of our team,” Sabian’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Stacey Montgomery Clark, stated. “She has developed a great affinity for the Sabian brand and a deep understanding of our marketing requirements. We are all thrilled to have her take on this challenging role.”

Cops And ‘Robson’

LOUD Technologies Inc. (LOUD) has appointed Kelsea Robson as Sales Director, U.S. National Accounts. Robson comes to LOUD with a lengthy background in MI sales and retail operations, including more than eight years with Guitar Center, where, most recently, she was Director of Sales Administration and CAPEX Operations. She is a graduate of California Lutheran University and a lifelong musician. In her new role, Robson will oversee national accounts for LOUD’s Mackie and Ampeg brands. She will be based out of LOUD’s corporate office in Woodinville WA. “Representing iconic brands like Mackie and Ampeg is a dream come true,” Robson commented. “I began my MI retail career selling direct to musicians and audio engineers, where I was able to witness firsthand the incredible impact that Mackie and Ampeg products have on the music industry. I’m thrilled to join a customer-centric organization that’s dedicated to delivering innovative solutions for musicians, and I look forward to supporting our national dealers in that endeavor.”

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

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PRODUCTS

Ain’t It Grand?

Gentlemen Prefer Archtops

Over view: D’Angelico Guitars’ Limited Edition Marilyn Monroe EXL-1 Specifics: D’Angelico Guitars has debuted its new Limited Edition Marilyn Monroe EXL-1. Returning by popular demand, following a sold-out limited run of Marilyn Monroe Excel 59s last year, the Marilyn Monroe EXL1 features all-new iconic artwork and a sleek black finish on D’Angelico’s most popular archtop model. The instrument features custom headstock and fingerboard inlays. With a 17-inch-wide body, powered by a single Kent Armstrong mini-humbucker that offers excellent archtop tone, the Marilyn Monroe EXL-1’s sound equals its looks.

MAP: $2,699 Ship Date: Now Contact: D’Angelico Guitars, 646.460.8472, dangelicoguitars.com

‘EZ’ Peasy

Over view: Recording King’s Grand Auditorium Acoustic-Electric Models Specifics: Recording King has added two new Grand Auditorium acoustic-electric cutaway models to the EZ Tone Plus and EZ Tone lines of guitars. The RGA-A9M is part of the EZ Tone Plus line, and it features a solid spruce top and all solid mahogany back and sides. The EZ Tone RGA-A3M sports a solid spruce top. Both instruments are equipped with the stageready Fishman Presys pickup system. The Grand Auditorium body shape and Recording King’s ultra-thin matte finish contribute to the instruments’ crystal-clear high mids, symphonic frequency range and articulate separation of tone.

MSRP: Call company Ship Date: Call company Contact: Recording King, 888.552.5465, recordingking.com

Over view: Casio’s CELVIANO Grand Hybrid GP-300WE Specifics: Casio’s CELVIANO Grand Hybrid GP-300WE comes with the three historically popular grand piano sounds, as well as the same Natural Grand Hammer Action Keyboard that its predecessors have. That technology provides an authentic acoustic grand piano feel in a digital piano. Its design features a natural white wood finish for both the body and stand, producing a bright, yet elegant, ambiance that provides players with a beautiful alternative to the black wood finish of the GP-300BK. The GP-300WE also features the Grand Acoustic System, which faithfully represents the sound of a grand piano as it emanates from above and below the soundboard. The six-speaker, multi-channel amplification system creates an immersive sound field like that of a nine-foot concert grand for both the player and audience. Other key features include several types of resonance, Hall Simulator, Concert Play Mode, 60 preset songs, Duet Mode, and USB audio recording and playback.

MSRP: Call company Ship Date: Call company Contact: Casio, 800.836.8580, casiomusicgear.com

Well-Rounded CV

Over view: Cerwin Vega’s CV Series Powered PA Line Specifics: Cerwin Vega’s CV Series powered PA line includes three distinct speaker groups: CVE, CVX and CVXL. Each group’s audio and build quality has been optimized for specific applications. The CVE group is composed of four powered speakers—single 10-inch, 12-inch and 15-inch tops with one 18-inch sub—and it represents the CV line’s most compact systems. (Hang points and accessory wall bracket are included.)

The CVE line is outstanding where portability and light weight are paramount. CVX is a more powerful, medium-sized line with four powered speakers: single 10-inch and 15-inch tops, with 18-inch and 21inch subwoofers. The subwoofers feature CV’s exclusive “Tour Shield” finish. The CVX series is for applications that require a relatively lightweight, but portable, PA system. CVXL, the largest and most powerful of the CV Series, comprises five powered speakers: single 12-inch and 15-inch, or dual 15-inch, tops, as well as single 18-inch or dual 21-inch 22

subwoofer (featuring the “Tour Shield” finish). The line is for medium to large houses of worship, clubs, restaurants, auditoriums, corporate PA applications, and rental and staging companies.

MSRP: $329 to $1,699 Ship Date: Spring Contact: Cerwin Vega, 800.444.2766, cerwinvega.com MARCH 2017

PRODUCTS

Building ‘BLOX’

Over view: RapcoHorizon’s BTIBLOX Music-Streaming Device Specifics: RapcoHorizon’s BTIBLOX music-streaming device is for DJs, recording studios, live events and presentations throughout the MI, pro-audio and worship markets. BTIBLOX pairs with most Bluetooth music players, including smartphones and computers. It operates on phantom power, but it can also be powered by its own internal, rechargeable battery. It has a line-of-sight range of 75 feet or more to stream music wirelessly. It’s built with an XLR-male output that can connect directly to the mixer input, and it features a translucent back cover that allows the user to view the LED status.

MSRP: Call company Ship Date: Call company Contact: RapcoHorizon, 800.325.0266, www.rapcohorizon.com

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Over view: Roland’s Aerophone AE-10 Digital Wind Instrument Specifics: Roland’s Aerophone AE-10, a digital wind instrument, boasts breath-sensor technology and highly expressive sounds. Powered by Roland’s SuperNATURAL engine, it provides a wide selection of saxophone sounds, offering authentic response and playability.

Many other acoustic instrument sounds are included, as well, along with synthesizer sounds optimized for breath control.

The Aerophone AE-10’s traditional saxophone fingering enables sax players to start to use the instrument right away. The sensitive, mouthpiece-mounted breath sensor features a bitesensing reed, which allows for control of expressive techniques like vibrato and pitch. With its onboard soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophone sounds, the product gives players all the sax tones they need in one convenient instrument. It also includes a variety of additional acoustic instrument sounds, such as clarinet, flute, oboe, trumpet and violin, plus others.

Street Price: $799 Ship Date: Call company Contact: Roland U.S., 323.890.3700, roland.com MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

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(continued from cover)

Instrument cables are rarely head turners at a show like NAMM, but there was an awful lot of rubbernecking going on around the R&M Tone Technology (rmtonetech.com) booth. The company was showing off its impressive line of PowerWire preamplified instrument cables, which can boost the sound of a guitar or bass just as much as an effects pedal, but in a new, patented way. “We tend to overlook the signal loss and sound degradation that are inherent in the passive cables we use every day,” R&M’s Chief Marketing Officer, Gene Della Torre, explained. “PowerWire is an active cable with a self-contained amplifier designed into the jack.

It overcomes frequency loss, carries a cleaner signal and sounds amazing.”

R&M Tone Technology currently offers four different preamplified cables in its PowerWire line, each of which has its own unique effect on an instrument’s tone. “There are two clean boost cables with identical signal improvement over any passive cable, but different amplification levels. CB0 is a clean boost with zero decibels of gain, and CB6 is a clean boost with six decibels of gain,” Della Torre said. “They work best with high- and low-output pickups, respectively. But, the truth is, you can mix and match and try them with any electric, bass or acoustic without active pickups already installed. We’ve even got guys running it through electric fiddles, pedal steel and cigar box guitars. So, there are lots of interesting things you can do.”

The other two PowerWire offerings add popular pedal effects directly to the cable jack. “The TS09 is our Tube Screamer in a cable, and it adds that classic distortion,” Della Torre continued. “You can dial the distortion up or down using the volume control on your guitar. And the Super Sizzle, or SS, is an enhanced bass-response cable. It boosts the frequencies below 20 hertz. So, when you plug in the SS cable, you’re going to get a very nice low-end boost and a harmonic effect that many players really like.”

To hear R&M Tone Technology’s PowerWires in action, go to msr.io/ToneTech.

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There were several boutique effects pedal companies on hand at NAMM, all of them hoping to ride effects pedals’ recent wave of popularity. One of those companies, which stood out from the pack thanks to its strong branding, was Beetronics (beetronicsfx.com).

The company’s booth was home to booth hands decked out in beekeeping gear, and it featured eye-catching art that reimagined iconic rock stars as bumblebees.

Beetronics’ Co-Founder, Filipe Pampuri, who started the family business with his brother, Daniel, his sister-inlaw, Camila Teixeira, and his wife, Cristal Nogueira, shed some light on the company’s unique branding. “We have this bee theme because my nickname growing up in Brazil was ‘Abelha,’ which means bee,” Pampuri said. “Back in the day, I was just making pedals for myself, and I once wrote on a pedal ‘Abelhatronics,’ which became Beetronics.” He continued, “We’re pretty unconventional in every aspect of our brand. We make everything from scratch.

We create our own enclosures.

My wife is an architect, and she created all the 3D parts. Inside

of the pedals, we have some really cool painted circuit boards (PCBs), shaped like bees and hives.”

As far as Beetronics’ product offerings go, “We launched the brand six months ago with the Octohive and the Whoctahell,” Pampuri elaborated. “The Octohive is high-octave fuzz. It has a ‘70s vibe to it…a very Jimi Hendrix style like the Octavia Vibe. But it’s a little more versatile. You can find tones from a very-high-gain fuzz to a low-gain kind of ring modulator vibe.” He continued, “The Whoctahell is a whole different beast. It’s a low-octave fuzz, square-wave octave. So, it’s very gnarly; it acts super weird; and it has a mind of its own. It’s very hard to control. And the pedal

that we’re launching here is the Overhive, which is a really round, medium-gain, smooth overdrive that’s very warm and creamy. It’s a pedal that will work on pretty much any rig. And you can push pedals, push amps, you can use it as an overdrive or you can use it as just a little boost. It’s super cool.” Beetronics also offers a line of Custom Series pedals that

features unique, one-off designs.

According to Pampuri, the company’s first appearance at the NAMM Show is just the start of big things to come. “We plan on launching probably four new pedals this year,” he revealed. “We also have plans for our Custom Series to collaborate with artists from all over the world. Right now, our products are in 15 countries, and we’re in a lot of online stores and physical stores in the U.S., as well. Within the next few months, we’ll be expanding pretty much everywhere in Europe. And NAMM has been great exposure for us.”

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MARCH 2017

Fuzzrocious Pedals (fuzz rociouspedals.com), another family-owned company that was showing off its full line of boutique effects pedals at NAMM, is run by the husband-and-wife team of Ryan and Shannon Ratajski.

“Every one of our pedals is made by hand, and Shannon hand-paints each direct order, with some help from our children,” Ryan explained.

“We pride ourselves on working with every customer on a one-to-one basis, so that every pedal is made by hand for that customer. We also work one on one with dealers, as well.

The pedals we sell to dealers are screen-printed, but still handmade.”

In addition to offering modifications of existing pedal designs, the company recently launched a line of its own original pedals. “We started out making clones of famous effects, but taking them steps further,” Ryan recalled. “Over the last two years, we’ve been developing more original designs from the ground up.

We’re creating things that haven’t been done before with specific op amps or chips, and things that haven’t been done with an EQ before.”

That approach has led to Fuzzrocious’ wide-ranging, innovative line of effects. “We have fuzz and distortion, of course, and we do delays, reverbs and EQ,” Ryan continued. “This year, we’re debuting the Blast Furnace, which is an original fuzz delay design, and the Baxstabber, which is an EQ preamp tone shaper. We have a nice, full line so that, when people come to us, they can find the sound they’re looking for.”

Manuel “Manny” Miller, Sales Rep Years at Alfred Music: Two Instruments: Guitar, Piano, Voice, Native American Flute, Melodica Best Perk of Working at Alfred Music: Shredding with musician coworkers Favorite Genres to Play: Jazz Fusion, Post-Hardcore Rock, Classical Favorite Artists: Queen, Drake, Paco de Lucìa First Concert Experience: Lynyrd Skynyrd in 2006

Fifteen years and a hundred guitars ago, I was new to the guitar, but I wanted to rock—chug the low string riffs like a pro, know how and when to sus chords, and shred the full fretboard, not just one position.

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Wandering around Hall E, I couldn’t help but notice a huge crowd gathering around the uke section. So, I surveyed the scene and—shwing!—there was Tia Carrere. The star of “Wayne’s World,” “True Lies” and the underappreciated syndicated classic “Relic Hunter” was signing autographs! Standing right next to her was six-time Grammy winner and ukulele legend Daniel Ho! (And, for the real Hawaiian music fans, Uncle Jerome Koko of the Makaha Sons.)

All of them were on hand to support Romero Creations (romerocreations.

com, peperomero.com/luthier), a line of ukuleles designed by Pepe Romero, Jr., master luthier and son of classical guitar virtuoso Pepe Romero. “I’ve been building classical guitars for 20 years, and ukuleles for five,” Romero said. “I have a three-year backlog on orders for my custom work. So, Romero Creations was my effort to supply the people who might be interested in my designs, but at a lower price point and without the waiting list.”

Romero explained the inspiration for his unique ukulele designs: the Tiny Tenor and Grand Tenor. “The Tiny Tenor came from Daniel Ho, who was playing my custom instruments and came to me with a design concept,” he began. “He said that he wanted a ukulele that was portable like a concert but a tenor in scale length, with the dynamic range, body and robustness of a tenor. He wanted to be able to sit on an airplane and play in his lap without poking the guy next to him.” Romero continued, “The next thing I did was take that concept and apply it to a soprano. So, we have a sopranino, or a baby-uke-length instrument, that has a soprano scale length, soprano neck and the feeling of a soprano.”

For the Grand Tenor design, he began, “I decided to expand on the body resonance and the fatness of tone that a tenor ukulele offers. So, I made a wider and deeper-bodied tenor with a wider nut width at the neck.” He continued, “If you have big hands and you’re having problems on a ukulele, you can play this one and your fingers won’t get in the way of the strings on either side of the chord you’re holding.”

The Pepe Romero Sr. Six-String, a model based on the elder Romero’s concept, rounds out the collection. It features a classical guitar neck on a baritone ukulele body. The company already offers midrange production models, and it just launched an under-$500 line at NAMM that features a solid top and mahogany laminate body. Romero also offers a line of uke and guitar strings that come standard on all Romero Creations instruments. They’ve been used by Jack Johnson, among others. And, just for fun, the company also offers a customdesigned mini cruiser skateboard.

To hear a sample, go to msr.io/RomeroCr. 28

MARCH 2017

The one thing all the speaker companies at NAMM have in common is an appreciation of high-quality sound, because many of the companies are passion projects for audiophiles and experienced sound engineers who are looking to solve a problem they’ve run into in their own music-making endeavors.

That’s certainly true for recent speaker startup Moon Amplification (moonamp.com). Roy Davis, an audio engineer with a knack for developing revolutionary solutions, started the company.

During his time with Qualcomm in the ’90s, Davis’ team devised a touchscreen dataphone that ran on a general-purpose operating system, well before the iPhone hit the market. He started Moon Amplification to solve a problem he encountered after he got back into playing the keyboard. “I played keyboards back in high school and college,” Davis began, “and, a couple of years ago, I bought myself a nice keyboard and started playing again. But I realized that the Leslie emulation on the keyboard didn’t sound great through stereo speakers.”

Davis was inspired by an idea that his wife and the President of Moon Amplification, Nancy XL Moon, had. “I worked really hard trying to make stereo speakers sound good with an emulator,” he XL explained. “I was never satisfied, until Nancy came up with the idea of using a cabinet with speakers on all four sides.”

DJ controllers are the fastest The couple also drew on L Moon’s last name for the comgrowing market segment in pany’s branding. “People refer to our industry today. Odyssey this as a rotary cabinet,” Davis L remarked. “And it really doesn’t has made upselling DJ rotate; it orbits. The sound has to cases and bags easy go around in a circle, and it has to be physically separated from the with 4 main sizes to cover all center. Making the circle is an the popular DJ controllers by orbit…the moon orbits…so it all M ties together.”

Pioneer DJ, Numark, Denon, The Moon Amplification line M Traktor, Roland and many, features four unique takes on the many more.

Leslie speaker, including three bass models. “The product line is called the skamp,” Davis said. “It started as an adjunct to an SK-1 Let us show you how easy or SK-2 organ, which is what I it is to find the right S happen to have. So, ‘SK’ plus amS case or bag for your plifier and you get ‘skamp.’” He continued, “The skamp cabinet is customers gear. a standalone unit. It does the top rotor, bottom rotor, left and right ® stereo. The bass cabinets are PATENTED FLIGHT READY separate. We have the bassLite, SERIES CASES which is on the smaller side. We have the bigBass, which is a little Since 1995, Odyssey has been the industry leader in designing and manufacturing professional protective cases and mobile accessory solutions for the DJ as well as the musical instruments and pro audio markets. Through heavier and which has a lot more innovative ground-breaking designs, Odyssey has brought hundreds of unique solutions to the market. Today, power. And then we have the subOdyssey continues to be the premiere source for dealers and distributors worldwide.

Bass, which has pretty much the same electronics as the bigBass, but it’s more a piece of furniture WE’RE HAPPY TO ANSWER BE SURE TO ASK ABOUT OUR www.OdysseyGear.com that’s made to look pretty.”

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If you spend enough time wandering the NAMM Show floor, the odds are good that you’ll come across some unusual-looking guitars. Many times, such guitars are more gimmicky than practical; that isn’t always the case, though. Take, for instance, Elroy Guitars and its line of O-Guitars (o-guitars.com).

The compact, brightly colored and unusually shaped guitars almost look like toys; however, they offer fun features for guitar hobbyists and gearheads alike, and they pack a lot of punch in a portable size.

O-Guitars feature rounded bodies that, from a distance, resemble the shape of a banjo. “We figured, ‘Let’s try coming out with something unique…something that’s going to be eye-catching,’” Elroy Guitars’ President, Joseph Kim, stated. “I think it works for people who want something that’s going to stand out onstage. It’s a cute, little guitar, and there’s a lot of customization you can do on it with the round shape, like hanging stuff from the rounded headstock.” Elroy Guitars’ luthiers decided on a headless tuning system in order to achieve the headstock’s unique rounded and hollow look. And each O-Guitar features pickups that are custom made in Korea.

“The first thing I noticed when I picked up an O-Guitar was the neck,” Wyatt Kane, one of Elroy Guitars’ supporting artists, said. “The neck action was amazing. The pickups are custom made. And, even though there’s no tone knob on the guitar, it’s EQ’d already. So, it has a great sound.” Kane continued, “When they were designing and EQing the guitar, they wanted it to be more mid-rangey. The cool thing about going midrange is that it sticks out.

In a band, it cuts through the mix.”

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MARCH 2017

Every bass player wants big, rump-thumping sound. But, for touring musicians, achieving that kind of sound often means lugging around a bunch of heavy bass cabs. Drue “Boom Boom” Williams, Owner of Boom Bass Cabinets (boom basscabinets.com), and Co-Founder Brad Johnson knew there had to be a way to get the stage shaking without their backs breaking. “The whole concept behind Boom Bass Cabinets is both of us are bass players and working musicians,” Williams said. “So, we were trying to figure out something that we could build that wouldn’t break our backs, but would still keep that big sound. I’m also a carpenter by trade, so I put the two together.”

Williams also used his background in carpentry to devise a hardware-based solution to common problems that some bassists have with their stage sound. “A lot of times, bassists have to tilt the cabinet back or set it up on a chair, so the sound will come up at us,” Williams explained. “So, while I was building these speaker cabinets, I came up with an idea of tilting back the baffle. Having a cabinet driver facing down allows the cabinet to get more low end on it, without having to have a lot of bass turned up on your gains. It also keeps the sound a little tighter.”

Johnson added, “We used a full-range driver for the bottom driver. So, the cabinet actually fires full-range sound out to the left, the right, forward and up. It gives you an ambient dispersion where you can’t get away from the sound.” There are four models in the Boom Bass Cabinets line, including a model designed for guitars. All models are available in a range of custom finishes.

Thanks to their unique design, Boom Bass Cabinets pack a lot of power into a small footprint. “Our cabinets range from 36 pounds to about 47 pounds for our biggest one,” Williams confirmed. “They all put out between a range of 1,200 watts and 1,600 watts. And, they’re all full-ohm loads. So, you’re going to be able to get the most out of the amps that you use.” He continued, “Most bassists carry two cabinets around, because they need them to get the punch, the feel and the body they want. With our cabinets, you only need one.”

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

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CN EOX TMMIONN TGH

Sometimes, the simplest products are the most innovative ones. Case in point: the SledgePad (sledgepad.com). It’s a bass drum damper that’s made of acoustic foam, providing deeper, more consistent, more resonant sound than a load of your dirty whites. And, it won’t shift around during travel between gigs, either.

“When I first started playing drums, I would take whatever my mother had lying around that she wasn’t gonna miss, and I’d start putting stuff in there until I got the right sound,”

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The Retailer and MI SalesTrak analyze the guitar market We host a roundtable discussion with guitar manufacturers, talking trends Five Minutes With Suzanne D’Addario Brouder, of The D’Addario Foundation Under The Hood: Alvarez’s AG/AR

SledgePad’s Founder, Mike Vermillion, said, echoing the early experiences of many a drummer. “The thing that I hated about that was, you would put your drum in a case, go to your next gig and everything would move around. If you had a front head on with a small port, you really can’t get in there, and you can’t adjust your dampening. And it’s just so annoying when you’re playing and you know everything’s not right inside the bass drum.”

Bearing that in mind, Vermillion designed the SledgePad to be slightly oversized, so that the pressure of the front and back of the bass drum holds it in place. Adhesive strips further protect the SledgePad from unwanted shifting during travel.

The SledgePad’s unique design also ensures that it lies flat against the bottom of the bass drum; this serves to open up the drum’s insides for added resonance. “It doesn’t overdampen the drum,” Vermillion confirmed. “It allows more airflow. I get the comment all the time that it’s just the right amount. Drummers don’t want their drums to be dead; they still want the low-end thump. They don’t want it to sound like it’s packed with half a load of laundry or a sack of potatoes or whatever.”

There are four variations of SledgePad to fit any size bass drum. In contrast to similar drum-damping products that take a one-size-fits-all approach, each size is custom made for the drum depth. The patent for SledgePad’s design was approved on December 13, 2016.

Thanks to its simplicity and the tremendous sound it delivers, SledgePad has already gained traction among drummers in the know. “Over the summer, we got Johnny Rabb to pick it up, and he used it all during 2016 on his tour,” Vermillion enthused.

SledgePad is also one of the founding members of the newly formed Drum Gear Alliance (DGA), and it will work to foster emerging drum product companies at the NAMM Show in the future.

Artist Series Models A new column from Donovan Bankhead that’s sure to generate discussion Shine A Light: New York NY-based Canal Sound & Light and much, much more!

MARCH 2017

Another company showing off a seemingly simple, but in fact game changing, new drum accessory was TripStick Pro (tripsticknyc.com), helmed by Pirate Pete Asarisi. As Pirate Pete described it, the TripStick is “a delay stick for any responsive surface.” It clamps onto a drum or other responsive surface, and it holds an additional drumstick that the drummer strikes instead of that surface. The stick then continues to strike the surface, even as the drummer is free to continue playing on other surfaces.

“In traditional drumming with two sticks, it doesn’t matter if you’re Buddy Rich: You cannot control more than two surfaces at the same time,” Asarisi said. “But, with this delay stick, I can hit one surface, and it’s going to continue while I go around and hit other items. So, it allows you flexibility to really color in between the lines a little more. Way more texture…way more expression. It just makes anything you’re doing more musical.”

He continued, “You can put a TripStick on anything: a head…a table. I’ll put it on tabla drums, djembe drums, a cookie sheet… anything that’s responsive. The tighter or more responsive the surface, the more fun you’re gonna have with it. And it really is just about fun. It’s not about anything else. People take this shit way too seriously. For me, it’s either fun or die. That’s my motto.”

According to Asarisi, the TripStick received considerable On-Stage GS7140 On-Stage GPB4000 Push-Down Spring-Up Guitar / Keyboard attention from a lot of impressed Guitar Stand Pedal Board drummers during the show, including some heavy hitters.

BEST GUITAR ACCESSORY OF 2016 BEST ACCESSORY PRODUCT OF 2016 “I got Daru Jones loving it,” he said. “Peter Erskine—that’s right, Peter Erskine—told me it’s great and gave me his business card.

Jojo Mayer and Dom Famularo.

Tommy Igoe told me, ‘This opens up endless possibilities.’” Asarisi conceded that the TripStick might not be for everyone, but he expects the product to resonate with a certain percentage of the We at On-Stage want to thank everyone who drum market. “I get it,” he said. voted for us during the recent 2016 Music & “Not every percussion product is Sound Awards.. Mix and match 6 pieces* and for every drummer. But there’s receive 1 free GS7140. Call 1.800.289.8889 definitely five…10 percent of the and use the promo code: “Best Deal” or visit drum population that’s gonna On-Stage.com/BestDeal to take advantage get their rocks off on this!” He continued, “It seems like people of this opportunity. whose tax return says ‘Drummer’ on it love it. And beginners without preconceived notions love it.”

On-Stage GS7140 & GS7141 On-Stage GPB4000 Push-Down Spring-Up To see the TripStick in action, Guitar/Keyboard Pedal Board Guitar Stand check out Pirate Pete’s Instagram Shown with Carrying Case (included) PATENT PENDING at instagram.com/tripstick_nyc NEVER GO ON STAGE Info@On-Stage.com | On-Stage.com WITHOUT US or visit msr.io/TripStick.

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MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

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ROLL OUT THE RED CARPET: WINNERS OF THE 31ST ANNUAL MUSIC & SOUND AWARDS TURN HEADS

(continued from cover) In the Best Acoustic Guitar of 2016 category, top honors went to Taylor Guitars’ 562ce 12-Fret Guitar. According to Master Guitar Designer Andy Powers, “It is a real honor to have our 12-string/12-fret 562ce recognized by our dealer partners. Our 12-string instruments are deeply woven into Taylor’s guitar-making history as superbly playable guitars, and the 562ce was designed to be a uniquely expressive voice that invites more players to enjoy the 12-string experience. We felt a small-body edition offered an appealing new feel and sound, and we are thrilled to find that dealers and musicians agree.”

When it comes to Best Electric Guitar of 2016, the dealers’ votes went to Ibanez’s RGDIX7MPB-SBB Iron Label Guitar. Tom Appleton, Sales Strategist/Guitars & Electronics, stated, “We are honored to receive the Music & Sound Award for Best Electric Guitar for two

34

years running. It is extremely gratifying to know that our Ibanez dealer network has chosen us for this prestigious award. Without the support of our dealer partners, we would not be able to create the amazing instruments that we offer. I would also like to salute all of this year’s nominees, which do so much to continue to grow and foster the music industry. We are truly humbled, and we pledge to continue to deliver the best products for you and your customers. Thank you from all of us here at Hoshino and Ibanez.”

Continuing in the guitar vein, the winner for Best Bass Guitar of 2016 was Fender’s Flea Jazz Bass. Acknowledging the win, Justin Norvell, Vice President, Electrics and Accessories, said, “We at Fender are excited and honored to be recognized by our partners and dealers around the country with this award for our Fender Signature Flea Jazz Bass. This was an exciting project with a marquee artist, and it clearly resonated with the community. In addition to the product, we were pleased that our PR/marketing and social campaign helped expand our reach, driving interest and traffic into the MI channel from both fans and mainstream media. We strive for product excellence, and having this award be voted on by our valued dealer network is a true privilege.”

In the category of Best Guitar Accessor y of 2016, On-Stage’s GS7140 Push-Down SpringUp Guitar Stand earned the gold. Jim Hennessey, Executive Chairman, remarked, “TMP/ On-Stage has been dedicated to innovative product design since its inception in 1979. We are truly honored to have been recognized this past year with not one but two Music & Sound Awards. The GS7140 Push-Down Spring-Up Guitar Stand is unique in its blend of functionality and convenience.

It utilizes a spring-loaded mechanism that renders the guitar and stand a single unit for ease of setup and placement. Simply press the guitar down into the lower yoke and lock its neck in the upper yoke for one-unit positioning and portability; then, reverse the process for smooth, secure stage or studio access.” He continued, “A Music & Sound Award is very gratifying and much appreciated because it reflects a broad spectrum of retailers. It means we’re doing our job, giving folks exciting new options and helping them focus on what’s really important: their music.”

A perennial Music & Sound Award winner in the category for Best Effect Pedal, ElectroHarmonix and its MEL9 Tape Replay Machine once again earned the votes. Larry DeMarco, Director of Marketing, comMARCH 2017

mented, “We’d like to thank all the retailers who selected the ElectroHarmonix MEL9 Tape Replay Machine as Best Effect Pedal of 2016.

What makes receiving this award even more incredible is that those retailers chose our KEY9 Electric Piano Machine as the award recipient in 2015, and our B9 Organ Machine in 2014. The MEL9 transforms a guitarist’s ax and lets them conjure up the sounds of vintage, tape-based keyboards. Those sounds have become part of the fabric of modern music, and the MEL9 provides players with a portable, practical and affordable way to emulate them.”

It was a great year in the string category, with lots of product innovation. However, voters’ clear choice for Best Strings of 2016 was D’Addario’s Nickel Bronze Acoustic Strings. Brian Vance, Director of Product Management, noted, “After pioneering 80/20 Bronze and Phosphor Bronze, it’s no easy feat to reinvent the acoustic guitar string. But, we’ve done it with Nickel Bronze. By bringing out unrealized tones and hidden wood character from acoustic guitars, Nickel Bronze has opened up an entirely new spectrum of acoustic sound. Sparkling clarity, improved balance and unsurpassed projection have inspired artists as diverse as Ray LaMontagne, Keith Urban and Kacey Musgraves to re-imagine their acoustic tone. We thank the readers of The Music & Sound Retailer and our valued dealer partners for supporting Nickel Bronze, and for taking a chance on this new standard in acoustic tone.”

In the hotly contested Best Non-Guitar Fretted Instrument of 2016 category, Kala Brand’s 2016 Elite Ukulele Series came up aces. Jason Villa, Manufacturing Manager, stated, “We are thrilled to have received this award from The Music & Sound Retailer at the NAMM Show. It is an honor and privilege to be building instruments at the Kala shop in Petaluma CA. Each day, our team of builders takes great pride in crafting high-quality instruments for musicians and enthusiasts to enjoy for a lifetime. And special thanks to all our dealers for their continued support over the years.”

This year, Best Band & Orchestra Product of 2016 went to Yamaha’s YEV Series Electric Violin. Ken Dattmore, Marketing Manager, Strings, said, “It’s an honor and achievement to be named the MSA winner for Best Band & Orchestra Product.

The purpose behind the Yamaha YEV Series Electric Violin was to provide a seamless transition for the multitudes of violinists ready to move to an electric instruMUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

ment, and it has surpassed even our expectations. Thank you to all our dealers for their continued support in making the YEV Series Electric Violin the great success it is today. We will do our utmost to continue delivering the quality you have come to expect from us.”

Let’s turn to Best Keyboard/Sound Module of 2016, which, this year, went to Roland’s FP-90 Digital Piano. Corey Fournier, Category Sales Manager, noted, “We are grateful to our dealers, whose support is essential for the success of our products. The FP-90 is the result of several years of development, and many of its refinements are based on dealer feedback. So, it’s gratifying to know that our partnership has created an instrument that is fulfilling for trained musicians and helping to inspire the next generation of music makers, which is our (contimued on page 58)

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31ST ANNUAL

Canal Sound & Light

MULTI-STORE DEALER DIVISION BEST GUITARS & BASSES Guitar Center

BEST DJ EQUIPMENT I DJ NOW (NY)

BEST INSTRUMENT AMPLIFIERS Alto Music (NY)

BEST CLINICS Skip’s Music (CA)

BEST KEYBOARDS Ken Stanton Music (GA)

BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE Robert M. Sides Family Music Centers (NY, PA)

BEST SOUND REINFORCEMENT Ted Brown Music (WA)

BEST SALES STAFF Instrumental Music Center (AZ)

BEST RECORDING-RELATED PRODUCTS Bananas At Large (CA)

MULTI-STORE DEALER OF THE YEAR I DJ NOW (NY)

Instrumental Music Center

BEST PERCUSSION Skip’s Music (CA)

SINGLE-STORE DEALER DIVISION BEST GUITARS & BASSES Chicago Music Exchange (IL)

BEST DJ EQUIPMENT Rock & Soul (NY) Ted Brown Music

BEST INSTRUMENT AMPLIFIERS Chicago Music Exchange (IL)

BEST CLINICS Mike Risko Music (NY)

BEST KEYBOARDS Sweetwater (IN)

BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE Uptown Music (OR)

BEST SOUND REINFORCEMENT Canal Sound & Light (NY)

BEST SALES STAFF The Candyman Strings & Things (NM)

BEST RECORDING-RELATED PRODUCTS Sweetwater (IN)

SINGLE-STORE DEALER OF THE YEAR Kraft Music (WI)

BEST PERCUSSION Vic’s Drum Shop (IL) Uptown Music

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MARCH 2017

Guitar Center

The Candyman Strings & Things

Robert M. Sides Family Music Centers

I DJ NOW

Ken Stanton Music

Kraft Music

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

Sweetwater

Vic’s Drum Shop

Mike Risko Music

Skip’s Music

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31ST ANNUAL BEST NON-GUITAR FRETTED INSTRUMENT OF 2016 Kala Brand’s 2016 Elite Ukulele Series BEST BAND & ORCHESTRA PRODUCT OF 2016 Yamaha’s YEV Series Electric Violin

BEST ACOUSTIC GUITAR OF 2016 Taylor Guitars’ 562ce 12-Fret Guitar BEST ELECTRIC GUITAR OF 2016 Ibanez’s RGDIX7MPB-SBB Iron Label Guitar BEST BASS GUITAR OF 2016 Fender’s Flea Jazz Bass

D’Addario (drum gear)

BEST GUITAR ACCESSORY OF 2016 On-Stage’s GS7140 Push-Down Spring-Up Guitar Stand

Chris Martin

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BEST AMPLIFIER OF 2016 Supro’s 1695T Black Magick

BEST EFFECT PEDAL OF 2016 Electro-Harmonix’s MEL9 Tape Replay Machine

BEST SPEAKER OF 2016 JBL’s EON ONE Linear-Array PA System

BEST STRINGS OF 2016 D’Addario’s Nickel Bronze Acoustic Strings

BEST MIXER/CONSOLE OF 2016 PreSonus’ StudioLive AR USB Hybrid Mixers

D’Addario Foundation

Hal Leonard

Roland (digital piano)

BEST KEYBOARD/SOUND MODULE OF 2016 Roland’s FP-90 Digital Piano

D’Addario (strings)

On-Stage

Shure

D’Addario & Co., Inc.

Misha Guiffre

TASCAM

JBL

MARCH 2017

BEST MULTITRACK RECORDER OF 2016 TASCAM’s DR-100mkIII Handheld Digital Stereo Recorder

BEST CABLED MICROPHONE OF 2016 Shure’s KSM8 Dualdyne Vocal Microphone

PRODUCT OF THE YEAR Yamaha’s EMX Series Powered Mixers

BEST ACOUSTIC DRUM PRODUCT OF 2016 D’Addario’s Evans Drumheads’ UV1 Drumhead Series

BEST LIGHTING PRODUCT OF 2016 CHAUVET DJ’s GigBAR 2 Four-In-One Lighting System

REP OF THE YEAR Misha Guiffre, The Music Link

BEST ELECTRONIC DRUM PRODUCT OF 2016 Roland’s TD‑50KV Electronic Drum Kit

BEST DJ PRODUCT OF 2016 Peavey’s Dark Matter Series Enclosures

BEST CYMBALS OF 2016 Zildjian’s A Avedis Cymbals

BEST BAG/CASE OF 2016 Gator Cases’ Updated TSA Series Cases

BEST PERCUSSION ACCESSORY OF 2016 Promark By D’Addario’s ActiveGrip Drumsticks

BEST BOOK/VIDEO/SOFTWARE OF 2016 Hal Leonard’s “Hamilton – Vocal Selections”

BEST WIRELESS SYSTEM OF 2016 Sennheiser’s ew 100 ENG G3 Wireless

BEST ACCESSORY PRODUCT OF 2016 On-Stage’s GPB4000 Guitar/Keyboard Pedal Board

OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD D’Addario & Co., Inc. MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR D’Addario & Co., Inc. LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT/HALL OF FAME Chris Martin, Martin Guitar

Electro-Harmonix

Fender

Gator Cases

Ibanez

Kala Brand

Peavey

PreSonus

Roland (drum kit)

Sennheiser

Yamaha (electric violin)

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

Supro

Yamaha (powered mixers)

Zildjian

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(L-R): Paul Reed Smith and Keith Grasso.

Rosi Johnson

Mississippi Music’s Johnson Receives Major Award

Rosi Johnson, CEO/President of Mississippi Music, Inc. (Hattiesburg MS), and Mississippi Music Acceptance Corp., has been awarded the 2016 Phi Beta Mu Contributor Award by the International Bandmasters Fraternity Delta Chapter. Mississippi Music, a four-store, full-line retailer, was established in 1946 by Mac and Jim Johnson, the parents of Johnson’s husband, Dex. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Mississippi.

Johnson currently serves as President of the National Association of School Music Dealers (NASMD), and she’s a past member of the NAMM Board of Directors. She is a member of the Alliance of Independent Music Merchants (AIMM), American Music Conference, Mississippi Music Educators Association, Historic Hattiesburg Downtown Association, and Area Development Partnership of Forrest and Lamar Counties. Johnson was named the Mississippi Business Journal’s Business Woman of the Year in 2011.

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Island Music Co. Is Instrumental In Wildly Successful Rocktoberfest

In creating Rocktoberfest, the idea that motivated Island Music Co. (La Plata MD) and the La Plata Business Association was to give the town a sense of community through music and fine arts. The thirdannual event drew more than 3,000 people to Main St. Headlining bands included Jimmie’s Chicken Shack, the Paul Reed Smith Band and a local favorite, Franklin Square. Organizers successfully raised $15,000, which was donated to the Charles County Public Schools’ Music and Fine Arts Department.

Organizers pulled together resources to promote and advertise the event through local businesses and to people throughout the music industry. ESP Guitars donated 20 guitars, which were branded with “Rocktoberfest” stickers and placed in all local sponsoring businesses, helping to advertise for the event.

PRS Guitars set up a display and had representatives on hand in a custom-made PRS Guitars and Island Music Co. tent. The company also had limited-edition guitars displayed. Charles Cassell from Audio Associates provided a PA system and sound engineers for the headlining stage, and Island Music Co. raffled off a PRS SE guitar.

Dr. Kimberly Hill, Superintendent of Charles County Public Schools, said, “Charles County Schools is grateful for the support of our local business community. The Rocktoberfest 2016 event was an amazing success. People of all ages and backgrounds came together to enjoy good music and a sense of community in downtown La Plata. Proceeds from Rocktoberfest resulted in a $15,000 donation to the fine arts program in Charles County Public Schools. We appreciate all that Keith Grasso, Owner of Island Music, and the La Plata Business Association do to provide opportunities for students to pursue fine arts.”

Timothy Bodamer, Content Specialist for the Fine and Performing Arts Department for Charles County Public Schools, said, “This year’s Rocktoberfest event was a great success. It would not have happened if not for the dedication of Keith Grasso, President of the La Plata Business Association, and the hard work of the association’s planning committee. The people who attended this event were very gracious and supportive. To see people come out to support live music and the school system’s arts program was exciting. It was truly a community event, and we’re looking forward to partnering with the association next year to make Rocktoberfest even better.”

MARCH 2017

We Take Full

Responsibility — For Music Education — Music education is a cornerstone of the Yamaha philosophy. We advocate at national, state and local levels for every child’s right to music education.

We also sponsor music education programs that inspire music participation from preschool through college. Because we know that music education doesn’t just make someone a better musician, it makes them a better person.

YamahaMusicUSA

FI V E M INUTE S W ITH

MAX GUTNIK

Senior Vice President Of Products/Chief Revenue Officer, Seymour Duncan

By Dan Ferrisi

A snapshot of pedal production at Seymour Duncan.

If anyone could be said to epitomize the best elements of the music business, Seymour Duncan’s Max Gutnik would have a strong case for the distinction. Not only does he have years of experience as a recording artist and an impressive industry résumé—it includes Guitar Center, Sweetwater, Apogee, Avid and Line 6—but he also has a passionate commitment to the brick-and-mortar dealer channel, as well as for cultivating the next generation of music makers. At Seymour Duncan, where he is Senior Vice President of Products and Chief Revenue Officer, he’s found the perfect setting to merge his technical expertise, passion for music, affinity for the guitar and knowledge of in-store music retailing, all while contributing to a brand whose legacy is among the music products industry’s truly elite.

Join my conversation with Max Gutnik, and learn about a person who’s dedicated his life to the pursuit of amazing sound.

The Music & Sound Retailer: Tell me about how you initially became interested in, and passionate about, music and technology.

Max Gutnik: I started playing guitar as a kid, and I became passionate about it immediately. I attended a high school for the performing arts, focusing on music, and I moved to Los Angeles CA to attend Musicians Institute. From there, I ended up on the road with a band, 42

A peek at Seymour Duncan pickup production.

touring and recording for a little over a decade. As a recording artist, I discovered a passion for technology. I remember the first time I saw ProTools, when we were recording our first record, and I got really into it…specifically, discovering ways to create and capture music that sounded better than others, and why. My pursuit of great tone, as well as great outcomes in the studio and on stage, is really what drove my thirst for knowledge.

The Retailer: How did you get your start in the conventional workforce? Tell me about your career trajector y.

Gutnik: After years on the road, the band and the music industry were changing. I was a little older, and I didn’t want to be on the road full time. It was almost nonstop. My first conventional gig started at Sweetwater Sound in tech support. I was able to translate my experience performing and recording to helping others. Eventually, I went back out to L.A. and I took a job managing the pro-audio department at Guitar Center Hollywood. We focused on selling digital audio workstations and live rigs with great-sounding outboard gear, teaching folks what mattered in the pursuit of great sound quality.

At the time, I was really big into Apogee converters. I sold a lot of them and, ultimately, I ended up working there. At first, I ran sales, then marketing and then, finally, I started doing product design. As MARCH 2017

a musician and recording artist, I had an intimate understanding of what the market needed and what people like me wanted. I designed some products that did well in the market, which led me to my next gig, running the ProTools product team at Avid. It was a great experience, and we came out with some amazing products.

I began to feel a little distanced from my guitar. So, when I had the opportunity to go to Line 6, I took it. I got to combine my understanding of the digital audio world with workflows that guitar players really needed at the pro level. Helix was a really massive project. We were merging all the technologies that Line 6 has helped develop into kind of a form factor and workflow for guitar players who are playing professionally, and who have a certain expectation for sound quality and functionality. But, at the same time, we were able to create this

Perhaps the biggest impact has been on the product side. We want to design products that solve problems and inspire creativity. We ask lots of questions. Instead of “What can we do?”, we ask, “What should we be doing?”

This has had a huge impact on our pedal business. We’re really focused on trying to bring innovation that’s meaningful to players. The first pedal I worked on at Duncan was the Catalina Dynamic Chorus.

Chorus is a great effect that, often, can be too much of a good thing.

So, we came up with the Dynamic Expression feature, which enables you to regulate the effect level, based on your playing dynamics. This solves a huge problem, and it makes the pedal a creative tool unlike any other.

Our Palladium Gain Stage pedal changes what’s possible from just

Seymour Duncan’s engineering expertise has cemented the brand’s enviable reputation among serious musicians.

intuitive ease of use that hadn’t previously existed in the high-end guitar space.

As far as my path to Seymour Duncan? I grew up admiring them.

Duncan was one of those classic aspirational brands, like Fender or Marshall. When you check that box as a guitar player, you feel like you’ve arrived. The first set of Hot Rails or the JB that you buy makes you feel like, “Wow…I actually have great tone coming out of my guitar!” It’s a big deal.

Needless to say, when they called, I jumped at the opportunity to go there. For 40 years, Seymour Duncan has been an innovative company beyond just pickups. The convertible amps and some of the early pedals were way ahead of their time. More importantly, Seymour Duncan has really helped define great tone for guitar players, both live and in the studio. Being able to merge my experience and background with the folks here has been really exciting.

The Retailer: Discuss your key contributions, responsibilities and achievements during your tenure with Seymour Duncan.

Gutnik: Everything I’ve learned as a guitar player and working musician, as well as my experience in retail and pro audio, has had an impact. I think my skills and experience have been a good complement to the great team we have here.

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

your pedal board. Historically, the problem with getting your tone from pedals is their two-dimensional, kind-of-boxy sound and feel. Pedals traditionally don’t react like an amp, and that compromise is hard for players. With Palladium, we asked, “Can we design something that reacts, sounds and feels like a really great sounding tube amp?” The answer was yes.

After launching Palladium, we felt there was finally a real amp-in-abox solution for players to take advantage of. Still, guitar players who used Palladium were in need of an amp to provide power and a clean channel. So, we thought, what if we took some of the design innovations we used to create Palladium’s reactive, amp-like qualities and applied that to a power amp that was powerful enough to drive your live rig, yet small enough to live comfortably on your pedal board?

That idea became PowerStage, Seymour Duncan’s first new amp in more than 20 years. PowerStage is going to change the way guitar players think about their rigs, and it’ll bring a much-needed solution to the market.

On the pickup side, we just introduced Duality, a new active pickup architecture, designed to solve the problems of too much compression and not enough dynamics or versatility in active pickups. We created a completely new architecture. The tone is versatile enough for many different styles of play. The design also lets us change the winding, 43

ers can walk in the door of a music store, sit down with a guitar, and hear and feel the difference our products make, the better.

The Retailer: Do you have any suggestions you’d offer to the brick-and-mortar dealers who are reading this inter view…ideas that you think would help them bolster their business? Do you have any constructive criticism for Seymour Duncan’s dealer partners?

Gutnik: I’ve worked for two of the biggest dealers in the country.

Apart from those, when I first started teaching guitar, I worked at a little place—Academy of Music—in Menomonee Falls WI. The Owner would pull me out of my guitar lesson and have me (L-R): Derek Duncan, Cathy Carter Duncan, Max Gutnik and Seymour Duncan. play guitar for a young, budding guitar player, so they could really hear what that guitar could do. Ultimately, that is the magic I’m talking magnets, tension…just like voicing a passive pickup. You can also about. There’s still an experiential thing that has to happen to connect choose any style: black, zebra, nickel gold. And, they sound amazing. to guitar players, musicians and future musicians. And I think the more With the Saturday Night Special pickups, we’d heard from customopportunity music stores give people to come in, experiment and expeers that they really wanted that classic rock, ’70s sound. But what rience the magic that can happen when you turn on an amp and hear we’re really hearing on the record is what the engineers were doing a Les Paul or a Strat for the first time with distortion, the better. That’s to the guitars and the amps in the ’70s. When you hear a Skynyrd repowerful and impactful, and it’s really important. cord, you’re hearing a Skynyrd record in the studio. So, the question We shouldn’t get so caught up in the expediency of one-click selling became “Can we make a pickup that captures that authenticity all the that we forget that. When you walk into an acoustic room, with wood way through the signal chain?” That’s how the Saturday Night Special everywhere, and that smell, and you get to sit down in a treated room was born. and hear the shimmer of that guitar…that’s where the love connection Those are a few of the achievements we’ve had on the product side. happens. It’s not when you get it home to your bedroom. It’s the dream of what this could sound like.

The Retailer: We’ve discussed what you’ve brought to SeyThere are ways in which you can try to replicate that experience mour Duncan, but what has Seymour Duncan brought to you? online. There are great sales guys who are incredibly passionate about What motivates, inspires and engages you? music at the online shops. They’re wonderful to talk to, and they have Gutnik: First and foremost, it’s the people at Seymour Duncan. We tons of content they can pass along. They do a really good job of that. have such a great team here. I work for Cathy Duncan, Co-Founder And that serves a certain type of customer, too. Ultimately, we have to and CEO of the company. Seymour and she are amazing. The perspechave both. tive and passion they have—not to mention the culture they’ve created In both cases, as the average age of guitar players keeps getting at the company for musicians—are real and authentic in a way that higher, we need to start really thinking about how we’re going to I’ve never before experienced in my career. It’s the first place I’ve ever incentivize people to put down their Xbox controller and pick up an been where the pressures to put out a product “on time” are trumped instrument. I believe it’s the dealers and companies like us that share by our asking, “Are we doing the best thing for the customer at all the burden of inspiring, nurturing and stewarding the next generation times?” of players.

As for Seymour…this is a man who wound pickups for Jimi Hendrix back in 1968! His love for guitar, guitarists, tone—we’re like kindred The Retailer: What can company watchers expect from Seyspirits. I get so much satisfaction from being able to relate to them and mour Duncan over the next one, three or five years? the rest of the Duncan team: those who have been here for 35-plus Gutnik: Like I said, we’re trying to anticipate what the market years, and those who have just joined the company. needs and wants, and seeing what we have that uniquely qualifies us to It’s all about meaningful and lasting contributions to our industry; solve some of those problems for musicians and guitar players. At the that’s what’s important. Everyone at Seymour Duncan lives and NAMM Show, we announced our first digital delay pedal in a decade. breathes that commitment. The company has provided a space for us We believe we’re bringing a lot of cool, needed utility and sound quality to be truly creative and do great things for our customers. to that in a way that’s intuitive and easy for guys to use. Hopefully, it’ll inspire them in certain ways. So, we’re going to continue along those The Retailer: Give our brick-and-mortar-dealer readers lines, both in the analog and digital domains. insight into Seymour Duncan’s commitment to selling through In addition, what we’re doing to solve problems for people who are the dealer channel, as opposed to focusing on direct-to-congetting tone from pedals and modelers is exciting. PowerStage comes sumer sales. To what extent is a firm commitment to the dealer in two models. There’s a 170-watt power amp that sits on your pedal channel a fundamental part of Seymour Duncan’s core apboard and provides clean tone and EQ. We’ll also have a 700-watt stereo proach to business? version that can be rackmounted or just set on top of your cabinet. Both Gutnik: Working with our channel partners is the core, fundamenare voiced specifically for guitarists. Those are solutions to a problem tal approach to our business. We still believe that products like pickups and pedals are ultimately experiential products. The more custom(continued on page 60) 44

MARCH 2017

Working forward to payment solutions that hit all the right notes Every musical instruments retailer is different, but all share a common ambition: to succeed. And it starts by serving customers better. Synchrony Financial delivers payment solutions that help drive traffic, increase average transaction size, and build repeat business. Whatever you’re working forward to, we can help make it happen.

Engage with us at synchronybusiness.com/music or 1-855-433-4522.

What are you working forward to?

Credit is extended by Synchrony Bank Š 2017 Synchrony Financial

M I SPY

I WANT YOUR SAX A few decades ago, a rock ‘n’ roll band called Ocean Blue appeared on the scene.

(Or, more appropriately, it appeared on the airwaves of WLIR, Long Island NY’s then-trendsetting alternative rock station.) Although the saxophone is known to appear in rock tunes from time to time, its use is a tad unusual.

Nevertheless, Ocean Blue made haunting sax riffs one of its signature sounds. I, for one, was hooked.

The band hailed from the very un-musical (to the public mind, at least) town of Hershey PA. It’s a pleasant burg next door to the state’s capital, Harrisburg PA. Hershey, to this day, is still associated more with confections and a giant amusement park than with the music scene.

While taking my 19-year-old daughter back to Harrisburg University, I visited four area stores. In a nod to Ocean Blue and its lovely, saxophoneinfused melodies, I made the venerable sax—an instrument for my school-aged child—the object of my search.

The road trip took place on a Saturday, when snow was falling hard for the first half of the four-hour drive from the New York area. None of the four stores was open on Sunday. And, because of the aforementioned snow, I arrived at my first stop a mere 20 minutes prior to closing time.

Central Penn Music u 8 N. Londonderry Sq. u Palmyra PA 17078 u 717.832.6110

Central Penn Music is located in Palmyra PA, a suburban town just east of Hershey. The music store is in a large strip mall, set back quite a ways from Pennsylvania Rte. 322. Fortunately, directions from my GPS navigation system proved accurate. The store sits next to a movie theater and a Dollar General store. Although Lowe’s and Walmart are in nearby centers, I didn’t have to fight for a parking spot in front of Central Penn Music.

Upon entering the store, I was greeted immediately by a salesperson. The other employee was waiting on another customer. Once I began to ask questions, she proved herself to be quite an expert on the needs of students in general, and sax players in particular.

Of note, the line of saxophones carried by Central Penn Music—John Packer—was the most reasonably priced line I found among the four retailers that day. Designed in Great Britain, the brand’s products are made by the same factory in China that manufactures pricier lines of saxophones. For a beginning student, she recommended the JP045, which was priced at $699.

“We are the first dealer in Pennsylvania to carry the John Packer line,” she said. “There are saxophones out there that are less expensive, but they aren’t made to the same quality specs. So, you won’t get as good a sound from them.”

On that particular day in January, the stock on hand was a bit low. One key reason was this: The store doesn’t sell or rent many instruments in the middle of the school year. The store’s selection is larger when the school year begins in the fall. Yet, the salesperson noted that, for interested customers, she could get instruments delivered to the store within a day, at the latest.

A good saxophone will make it easy for a beginning student to produce a good sound, she said, ensuring the student will be less apt to become frustrated. The sax is actually a good option for beginners, she added. “Often, kids will have difficulty with other reed instruments, and we’ll recommend that they try a sax.”

Unlike with some other instruments, the student won’t have to replace a reed or mouthpiece for several years, she continued. That usually occurs when the student is ready to acquire a more advanced instrument. Finally, she added that the store runs a robust rental program for schools in a 25- to 30-mile radius.

Forté Music u 550 N. Mountain Rd. u Harrisburg PA 17112 u 717.657.1400

Forté Music has a Harrisburg address, but it’s actually in a section of Lower Paxton Township called Linglestown PA. It’s in a standalone, chalet-style building on a busy street just north of Interstate 81. The familyowned enterprise marked its 40th anniversary last year.

Inside, I noticed the store was well appointed and fairly spacious. It also functions as a music school. Because 46

MARCH 2017

it’s a two-story building, I assumed that the second floor had classroom space.

Although I can do a great job impersonating an uninformed parent, I was a tad bit embarrassed when the salesman at Forté Music questioned whether the child was interested in an alto sax or a tenor sax. Truthfully, until then, I was completely unacquainted with the tenor variety of saxophone, other than knowing that, if one kind is called “alto saxophone,” then there logically will be another variety. Call it a learning experience! The salesman informed me that the tenor sax is not one for beginners.

“Honestly, the alto sax is what the vast majority of students play,” the salesman said. “The tenor sax is bigger and produces a deeper sound, and it’s more difficult for students to play and learn.”

The salesman reassured me of the wisdom of my child selecting the sax. For starters, he began, quite a few students thoroughly enjoy learning to play. “The sax is also one of the most versatile instruments out there,” he declared. “It offers quite a note range, and you’ll find sax players in an extremely varied range of music types: from classical, to jazz, to rock ‘n’ roll.”

For the beginner, the salesman recommended the Conn-Selmer Prelude Student Model AS711. The instrument comes with a case and all necessary accessories, and it’s made by a venerable manufacturer. Although the instrument lists for around $1,120, the store had it available for purchase for less than $850. As an alternative, a student could sign up for the store’s rent-toown program. (As evidenced by the signs on display, many area band students do exactly that.)

“If your child seems really, really into playing the sax, I would recommend buying the instrument,” he said. “If you think they’re going to be iffy about it, then go with the rental.” He added that most saxophone students, once they give it some time, end up loving the sax.

The rental program costs $56 a month for a brand-new selection, but there are alternatives. A “like-new” used instrument rents for $48 per month, whereas a less-than-pristine used sax rents for $39 monthly. Used saxophones are also available for purchase, the salesman noted, but the best time to do that is a month or two before the school year begins. That’s when parents of seasoned sax players “trade up” to higher-end instruments.

An interesting footnote: The store’s Owner also founded a Christian organization entitled Shofar Ministries. His ministry emphasizes performing, and it teaches the playing of the shofar, an ancient Hebrew instrument.

JW Music u 331 Market St. u Lemoyne PA 17043 u 717.761.8222

From Forté Music, I headed south on Interstate 83, crossing the Susquehanna River to the town of Lemoyne PA. Downtown Lemoyne is quite well preserved, and it looks like a movie set for an early-1960s downtown.

JW Music was easy to find. It takes up half a block on Market St., which is, incidentally, the very same street on which my daughter lives, once you cross a rather pretty bridge into downtown Harrisburg. The shop occupies two storefronts and, at the nearer of the two to my parking spot, a large sign directs shoppers to the neighboring entrance.

The store is quite spacious and well-appointed inside, and it’s obviously the place to shop in metropolitan Harrisburg for serious musicians. The store was abuzz with shoppers that Saturday afternoon, and there were plenty of salespeople on hand to help. The store definitely wins top honors for ambiance.

I felt confident that any of the salespeople would have dispensed good musical guidance. Because it was midyear, the salesman with whom I spoke suggested that I sign up the student for several introductory lessons prior to making any decision on an instrument. (That seemed like a good road to take, particularly since the likelihood of my child enrolling in a music curriculum earlier than next fall was low.) The Lemoyne store, I learned, has a staff of 10 music teachers.

With only one exception, the saxophones for sale at JW Music were the priciest among the four stores I visited that day. The store’s mainstay student-model sax is the Selmer AS400, which was retailing for $1,795 new and $1,395 used.

The low-priced option that day was a vintage Evette Buffet Crampon sax, which was selling for $395. “This has been used over many, many years of good service; it’s in decent condition; and it plays well,” the salesman said.

Meanwhile, the Selmer AS400 rents for $63 per month new and $53 per month used. No interest is charged, and all monthly payments are applied to the purchase price. A benefit of purchasing the store’s offerings is the warranty and service that comes with it. Apart from situations that involve obvious abuse, all maintenance and repairs are covered.

“Obviously, if a kid uses his sax as a weapon and clunks another kid on the head, that damage is not going to be covered,” the salesman confirmed. “But most situations aren’t like that.

Repairs can cost on average $100 to $120, and we cover those repairs. That’s a good deal for parents in the Harrisburg area.”

JW Music also has a somewhat-smaller store in the large town of Carlisle PA, which is about MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

10 miles west of Lemoyne. Its popularity earned JW a “Simply the Best” award in a recent readers’ poll in Harrisburg Magazine.

Menchey Music Service 3907 Union Deposit Rd. Harrisburg PA 17109 717.564.2299

The last stop of the day was at the only true chain store among the lot. Menchey Music Service is an 80-year-old enterprise with five stores in Pennsylvania and three in Maryland.

The Harrisburg store is on busy, six-lane Union Deposit Rd., right where it meets Interstate 83.

It’s in a wing of a large shopping center that’s anchored by Gabe’s, a 64-store apparel chain based in West Virginia.

This particular store was, physically, the smallest of the four. However, the salesman more than made up for that in the variety of merchandise presented during my visit.

The man cautioned me that good deals happen in August, not January. Just for starters, the store offers three free months—August, September and October—to students who are just starting to play. “When it comes to instruments and kids, the parent always has to be wary of just how interested they are in continuing to play,” he said. “This is a good way for both parent and student to try it out, with no payments and no purchase obligation whatsoever.”

The store’s most popular model for beginners is the Yamaha YAS 23, which was available new for $1,382. Among the available models I was told were comparable were Jupiter’s 667GN and 669GN. I was informed that, of the two manufacturers, Yamaha is somewhat easier to service.

The salesman also showed me several goodquality used versions of the instruments.

At this store, both for purchases and for rentals, service plans are additional. An extended warranty adds $100 to the price of any instrument purchase, and $7 per month to a rental.

The salesman strongly urged me to return around the end of the school year and enroll the child in some introductory lessons, to be scheduled over the summer. “All the lessons we offer are one-on-one,” he affirmed. “If you can give them that head start when they begin to play, they’ll ultimately be more successful at playing any instrument.”

The Sale

Call me a cheapskate, but I tend to scout for bargains. (It’s a byproduct of living in relatively pricey locales.) All four stores offered attentive service, musical expertise and the choice of either purchasing or renting an instrument.

Comparing this month’s mission to previous mystery-shopping exercises, I noted the fact that, this time, there was a wide range of pricing. In particular, the first two stores offered (continued on page 60) 47

FRONT AND CE NTER

DAWN BIRR

Global Commercial Manager, Audio Recording, Sennheiser & Neumann

By Myki Angeline Dawn Birr has spent the majority of her professional career with Sennheiser and Neumann, and she’s loved every minute of it.

She has worked hard, overcome adversity and climbed the ranks, even earning her MBA along the way. Sixteen years ago, Birr came to Sennheiser as a temporary receptionist right out of college.

She was eager to learn, and she worked her way up through the organization, aided by strong mentors and a nurturing culture.

As her career progressed, she was exposed to the business of audio in different markets: studio, live sound and RF management, integrated systems and retail.

Given opportunities to extend her reach and learn about those various markets, Birr has held several positions within the organization: Neumann Product Manager, RF Product Manager of the 3/5K series, Channel Manager for Installed Sound, and Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Installed Sound in the U.S. Now, she works in a new global role as the organization’s Global Commercial Manager.

We caught up with Birr to speak with her about working in the audio field, how she came to Sennheiser and the impact the company has had on her life, both personally and professionally.

48

Women’s International Music Network: What attracted you to the music and audio industries?

Dawn Birr: When I was first beginning my career, I was lucky enough to find Sennheiser. And, once I learned about the company, its culture and its products, I was instantly hooked. Sennheiser has a rich, storied background, and our company has intersected with history from the beginning. Sennheiser is responsible for so much that we listen to every day—both passively and actively—and I am so proud of our company, the vision of our leaders and where we’re going.

The WiMN: What is your favorite aspect of working at Sennheiser?

Birr: We work in a truly global company and, every day, my job looks different from the day before. My favorite aspect is that Sennheiser, at its heart, is a very exciting and fun place to work. We get to do and see things that are so unique, so interesting and that impact people on so many different levels. Sennheiser’s environment has also been completely supportive and open to taking chances with people, in addition to really treating the employees as the greatest asset of the company.

The WiMN: What is one little-known fact about you?

Birr: Although I don’t play an instrument, one of my favorite things in the world is to get to use a Sennheiser mic and listen to the sound of my voice through a PA system! I love that! In my head, I have a Beyoncé “girl power” moment. Goofy, but true!

The WiMN: What is Sennheiser doing to reach female musicians and audio professionals?

Birr: Sennheiser knows that our strength comes from diversity, and we have a great team of female leaders in our organization, within many different disciplines. Our leaders, Daniel Sennheiser and Andreas Sennheiser, have a strong interest in continuing to grow our diversity. From an outreach perspective, I make it a point to work with as many female artists and engineers as possible, and I support them in any way that I can. I have been mentored by some of the best women in the business. For example, Leslie Ann Jones has been a great role model for me. And I want to try to repay that in kind.

The WiMN: Have you ever faced adversity in the music industry simply for being a woman? If so, how did you overcome it?

Birr: I have. When I was younger, it was harder. Often, I was doubted in a couple of ways: my age and my gender. A few times, it was done directly to my face, with no pretense. I overcame that by not allowing myself to be run over. I overcame it with the support of the great men around me, all of whom believed in me. And, I finally learned to overcome it by knowing that, in most cases, I was smarter than the person slinging the shade was.

The WiMN: Any words of advice for young women who would like to enter the industry?

Birr: Seek out people you admire and learn from them. Don’t become lost in the idea that you only need women to support you. I wouldn’t have made it this far without the exceptional men I’ve worked with, and who have mentored me, as well. Be your best ally. Say “yes” to (almost) every professional opportunity, no matter how far out of left field it might seem. Take a chance!

The WiMN: What’s next for Sennheiser and you?

Birr: I can’t wait to find out!

Myki Angeline is the Founder and CEO of Rants of a Sic miK, and Rants & Raves. She is an accomplished podcast creator and social media influencer, and a sought-after, impactful speaker and trainer.

MARCH 2017

F ROM T H E T R EN C H ES

PRECISION SHIPPING Avoiding The Sticker-Shock Jolt

By Allen McBroom

As I write this, the United States Postal Service (USPS), in its seemingly endless quest to keep life interesting for retailers, has just changed its postal rates again. Not only did the USPS increase rates, but it also made the First Class shipping rates much more diverse. Until two days ago, we had three postage rates for anything shipped First Class that weighed 16 ounces or fewer. Today, 16 ounces won’t go First Class, and the remaining 15 ounces are divided up among nine different rates.

If you ship product on a regular basis, or you sell on eBay, Reverb. com, Amazon, your Web site or anywhere else online, you know the “Oh drat!” feeling that comes along with postal rate changes. Those changes can be a huge drag on your operation’s time allocations, as you race to update shipping rates across all your selling platforms.

Part of that annual process can be made a lot easier if you are careful in creating your online listings. Assigning accurate weight and dimensional values to the products you sell helps make sure you know what you’re really spending on shipping to your customer.

And, you’re less likely to experience postage scale “sticker shock.”

It’s not unusual for the weight of a box to change your 11-ounce item ($3.60 First Class) into a one-pound item ($6.56 Priority Mail).

Keep in mind that postage rates vary depending on your source.

Take a box to the post office, and you’ll probably pay more than you would if you had used a commercial account on stamps.com. eBay, Amazon and most sites base postage on what the completed shipping package weighs. So, when setting up your product listings, be sure to figure in the weight of the item, the packing materials used, and the weight of the box or padded envelope. If your packaged product is anywhere near oversize (e.g., an acoustic guitar), then your shipping cost might be based on what carriers lovingly refer to as “dimensional weight.” Dimensional weight is a larger weight value, which is calculated by some algorithm that relates actual weight to the size of the package. And (surprise!) dimensional weight can be shockingly higher than actual weight. To avoid MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

sticker shock on your postage rate or UPS bill, always have the correct dimensions of your shipping package included in your product listing.

Understating Amazon and eBay shipping weights, whether inadvertently or not, will come back to bite you in the pocketbook. The postage shipping label generated by these platforms is coded in such a way that all weight corrections are charged back to your platform shipping account.

There is just no way around paying whatever the current full shipping rate happens to be.

And, the USPS has nothing on UPS. If you misstate a weight or dimension, the correction, with fees, will show up on your UPS bill, under a section called “Adjustments.” Some adjustments you just can’t avoid, such as a corrected address because the customer gave you an inaccurate one.

That’s part of life as a retailer. Adjustments as a result of not weighing or measuring your boxes correctly, though? Just consider that a fee for being careless.

Reverb.com operates a bit differently from some of the other platforms when it comes to shipping; precision is no less important, however.

Reverb.com uses seller-defined shipping profiles, where the seller can create a shipping profile for each group of items being sold, and the seller then assigns each profile a shipping cost. Unless the shipper is willing to absorb the cost of shipping on every sale and offer everything as “free shipping” (a genuine misnomer), then the seller needs to assign profile rates carefully. Another aspect of Reverb.com that, at least for the time being, is different is that there are multiple shipping fees for multiple purchases. For example, suppose you charge $2.61 for shipping a pack of strings (the current stamps.com rate for two ounces). If a buyer purchases three packs of strings, then the buyer has to pay $2.61 for each pack, even though all three might ship for only $2.61, based on weight.

In our store, we watch for multiple shipping fees, and we refund the excess to the buyer. Some folks at Reverb.com have told me that they’re working on a mechanism to use one shipping charge for multiple items.

So, this might soon vanish as an item to watch. I’m a huge fan of Reverb. com and the way the business operates, so I’m not surprised that their team is already working on it.

So, let’s say that, in the rush of getting your Web site or eBay store up and running, you skipped the weight and dimension part of your listings.

(Bad dog! No cookie for you!) You can still fix that on all major platforms and e-commerce sites by using the import/export tools that they provide.

All it requires, in most cases, is a very basic understanding of how to use Excel. If you don’t have Excel, OpenOffice has a function that is a clone of Excel, and it’s free to download and use. All you need to do is export your product listings, key in the weights and dimensions, save the file and import it (upload it) back to the platform. The new values will be in place.

Just remember, when adding new products, to add the shipping weight for each item.

If you don’t want to weigh every item in the store, most manufacturers have a retailerside Web page that lists shipping weights and dimensions for all their products. If you pale at the thought of grinding away hours adding such info to each product listing, remember that you only have to spend time to add the data once. And if you don’t add the data, you might be spending money for shipping charge corrections again and again.

A little precision now can lower your sticker shock later.

49

SHINE A LIGHT

DROME SOUND FLIES HIGH IN SCHENECTADY

By Michelle Loeb Schenectady NY’s Drome Sound is gearing up for its 50th year of serving the needs of local community music makers, as well as national and international touring bands that come through upstate New York.

Over the years, Drome Sound has grown to encompass a variety of business arms: retail sales, music lessons, audio system rentals, band and orchestra rentals, an on-site luthier and guitar repairs, electronics repairs, band instrument repairs and a robust used business. That diversity is one of the reasons for the store’s continued success, according to the Owner, Richard Parks. He noted, “Drome Sound’s success partially relies on its diversity, and our recognition of the multiple opportunities within the business.”

In fact, recognizing business opportunities was how the original Owners, Frank Popolizio and Pat Ragozzino, came to open Drome Sound in the first place. The store got its start in 1968, when Popolizio and Ragozzino, who had been booking acts at a local nightclub, The Aerodrome, realized that the acts coming to play the club—Led Zeppelin, Vanilla Fudge and Janis Joplin among them—needed somewhere to go for musical equipment and accessories when they came to town. The pair rented a space adjacent to the club, which also served as a namesake, and Drome Sound was born.

“At that time, there were a few small, local competitors, but Drome Sound quickly grew to carry the top brands, becoming the dominant musical instrument retailer in the area,” explained Parks, a touring guitarist who got his start selling gear and cleaning guitars at the store in 1978, and then moved to the General Manager position.

Over the years, Drome Sound continued to grow, moving to newer and larger locations, all of them within a two-mile radius of one another. It even got new ownership in the form of Frank’s brother, Tony Popolizio, who purchased the business in 2004. Parks stayed with the store until 1998, when he accepted a job at Guitar Center. However, by 2015, he was not only back, but also buying the business from Popolizio.

50

Drome Sound Music Store 1875 State St. Schenectady NY 12304 518.370.3701 dromesound.com Mon-Fri: 10am-7pm Sat: 10am-5:30pm Sun: 12pm-4pm Richard and Nancy Parks, Owners Richard Parks

“My wife and I are super excited to have such a great opportunity and to be a part of history,” Parks said of the sale, adding that the transition in ownership has been “fairly transparent.”

Since taking the reins at Drome Sound, Parks has made some key changes, which have left his mark on the store, even as the core business has remained intact. One such change was the reinforcement of a customer-friendly return policy.

“If a customer isn’t happy with their purchase, we’re happy to take it back for a full refund, or we’ll exchange it for another item that might work better for them,” Parks affirmed. “Years ago, Drome Sound didn’t offer a return policy. So, it gives customers additional confidence to make their purchase. We want our customers to love the merchandise they’ve purchased, and we’ll do whatever we need to do to make sure they’re happy well beyond the sale.”

Customer service is a major focal point for Parks, who strives to make Drome Sound “the MARCH 2017

destination for a lot of customers in our market.” He said, “We realize our customers have many shopping options. When customers come into our store, though, they are impressed with the large and varied inventory. And, I believe we’re second to none in providing a great customer experience.”

According to Parks, “My customer-service philosophy is simple: Be attentive, honest and sincere with people.” He continued, “By doing so, customers typically respond well and trust you with their purchase. Every person who walks through our front door has a goal that involves music. Whether they’re just starting out or they’re a professional, it’s our job to help them achieve their goal.”

That desire to help customers goes beyond just their in-store experience. Parks also relishes the opportunity to check in with repeat customers to make sure they’re happy with their purchases. And for customers who want to peruse the inventory on their own? “We strive to make sure every item has a price on it, so customers can self-serve, if they prefer,” he said.

Parks’ tenure has also been marked by a modernization of the store’s use of social media. That allows Drome Sound to keep customers in the loop, as well as spotlight key achievements.

“Recently, we started producing short videos of our students and customers, which we post on Facebook in an effort to help share their talent,” Parks explained. “We’ve had a great response, with thousands of views.” He got the idea after an impromptu NAMM Show meeting with Marcus Lavake, one of the Owners of Haggerty’s

Musicworks in Rapid City SD. “Marcus was kind enough to share the details with me about how they produced their videos…even the equipment they used,” he continued. “We don’t charge anything to produce the videos. We just think it’s a great way to support local musicians and help them get their music out there.”

Fostering the music community in Schenectady is important to Parks, just as it is to all of Drome Sound’s 10 employees and 10 music instructors. The store offers at least one clinic, if not two, every year with nationally renowned drummer Jason Bittner. And, it always tries to participate in local music events, including working with local promoters to supply backline equipment, when necessary.

In fact, one of Parks’ long-term goals is to be a pillar of the community and always have it feel good when people walk into the store. He elaborated, saying, “It’s amazing how far a ‘hello’ goes these days. We strive to talk to every customer, and get to know him or her a little.

We have fun. We treat people fairly. And there’s a family atmosphere in the store.”

That family atmosphere applies to both Parks’ long-time staff and his customer base, which has included the same families for generations. “I continue to be amazed that so many of the regular customers still shop at Drome Sound 20 or 30 years later,” he marveled. “We are on second and third generations from many of our longstanding customers. It’s a regular occurrence for me to reunite with customers whom I helped all those years ago. They still shop with us today, and we’re grateful for that.”

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I MISSED THE NAMM SHOW

4

Reasons I Can’t Wait To Go Back

By Gabriel O’Brien

I’ve attended NAMM trade shows for the past four years. I know…that’s much less than many people. But, they’ve had a definite impact on my store, my career in MI and me. So, why did I miss the NAMM Show? Well, technically, I’ve missed the last two shows, because I also didn’t attend Summer NAMM in 2016. I didn’t plan to attend that one due to some vacation-time conflicts. As for the NAMM Show this past January…well, it was just too close to my wife’s due date to travel to Anaheim. So, a whole year having passed with me not attending any NAMM trade shows, I had to ask myself: Do I miss being there and, if so, why? I spent most of my career in MI retail not attending the NAMM Show. So, does it really matter that I missed it?

Yes, I think it does. I think it matters a lot. As much as I talk about new media and technology, which next month’s column is going to be about, the analog realm of experiencing the NAMM Show is still a valuable resource for growing your business and finding ways to be better at what you do.

1

Networking

A gathering of your industry peers is always an opportunity to meet and talk to people who are fighting the same battles, in the same trenches, as you are.

It’s an opportunity to talk to people who are facing the same daily struggles that you face, and to hear their ideas, their view of the current retail climate and their outlook for the future. NAMM has great events for that, such as those sponsored by the NAMM Young Professionals (NAMM YP). At those events, industry leaders like Taylor Guitars’ Bob Taylor speak to the group and share their wisdom. There are also plenty of “mixer” events to go to, where you can just meet people, have a drink and learn about other people in the industry. I never seem to make as much time as I want to for those events, but that’s going to be a goal of mine going forward.

Ours is a relationship-driven business. The more people you know, the more resources you have.

2

NAMM U Idea Center Sessions

3

Product Demos

Speaking of resources, the NAMM U Idea Center is maybe the best part of the whole show. It also has a special significance for me, because it’s played a big part in my NAMM Show experiences from day one.

I’ve given solo sessions and participated in panels with some of the best people in MI retail, including NAMM Board members like Brian Reardon and Gayle Beacock. Another person I’ve had the good fortune of sharing panels with—my friend, Donovan Bankhead—is a huge advocate for the Idea Center, and he wrote about it in his recent column. He walks the walk, too. If you ever want to find Donovan at the NAMM Show, just go to the Idea Center; he’ll either be there or be there shortly. If you pay attention, many of the NAMM Top 100 Dealers spend a lot of their time attending the sessions. Maybe that’s how they were able to become NAMM Top 100 Dealers….

I’m still a gearhead at heart, and I get as excited about new products as anyone does. And, despite YouTube and my many sales reps, all of whom are very competent, the NAMM Show is still the best place in the world to learn about new products. It can be difficult to find time to explore the show floor; however, I highly recommend everyone take at least an hour every day and just look at some of the items that you’d otherwise never get to see in person.

Products lie at the center of our industry, and I’m a product guy.

Often, I like to spend NAMM meetings talking less about sales 52

numbers and special buying offers and, instead, just chatting with the product guys and letting them walk me through demos. My friend Jerry Lambert, of U.S. Music/KMC fame, taught me this. He’s a product guy, too, and he always makes sure I get time with the demo guys in the booth. Great product demos are an art form, and you can pick up a lot by watching the pros do it. Then, take those techniques and recreate them in your store. It’s like Cliff’s Notes for showing off something new, and it makes selling those items so much easier.

4

Community

I know this one kind of falls under “Networking,” but there’s another element to the NAMM Show that’s very valuable. For me, some of the best things to come out of NAMM are the people I get to meet and talk to, whom I’d never otherwise have an opportunity to be in a room with, and the relationships that form from those meetings. Sometimes, they’re in the green room before a “Best In Show” panel, like last year, when I met Sammy Ash, who’s been a helpful resource and friend ever since. Sometimes, it’s having dinner with Eric Garland and the staff from Fazio’s Music. I’ve made some fantastic friends because of the NAMM Show.

Many times, it’s people with whom I’ve shared a panel, or whose panel I’ve attended. Other times, it’s NAMM staff members, such as Zach Phillips, Jessica Duarte or Jessica Cortez, who have been great friends and resources, and who work incredibly hard to put together these massive events. The people I’ve met in this industry, such as those I’ve mentioned here and in other columns, inspire me to be better at what I do. When I’m questioning myself, trying to find a solution to a problem or just looking for something new to try, having people I know and trust, to whom I can reach out, is a tremendous asset.

As you look at your calendar for the next year, I urge you to make time in your busy schedule to attend the NAMM Show or Summer NAMM. If you haven’t been in a while, or if you’ve never been at all, reach out to one of The Retailer’s columnists who talks about the shows all the time—it should really be Donovan, though—and you’ll get an earful of helpful advice on how to get the most out of it. Get out of your store for a little bit and spend some time with other people in the industry, especially people you don’t get to see very often. You’ll find great and generous individuals who are willing to share their time with you, and you’ll find yourself full of new ideas to implement when you return home. Oh, and I’ll be there, too. Swing by The Retailer’s booth, or find me in the Idea Center. I’ll buy you a beer.

Have tips for maximizing the NAMM Show experience? Have questions? Have topics you’d like to see me cover? Write to me at gabriel@ larrysmusiccenter.com.

MARCH 2017

V E D D AT O R I A L Ideology aside, if there’s anything the last few months have shown us, it’s how things can go when we hunker down in our bubble and believe only what we want to believe. Unless you troll for a hobby, you’re probably tired of strident statements of belief-colored pseudo-facts from both sides of the divide. Perhaps you yearn for a simpler time, when Facebook timelines mostly held food pics, cool guitar selfies and musician jokes.

But, in these times, we must be aware of the many ways that the current climate can affect our industry—for good and ill—and we must position ourselves to be insulated from the shifting winds of uncertain times, or to capitalize on them.

First, a caution and an observation: Just as we’ve often said the music industry is somehow “different” when it comes to certain economic pressures and trends, the broad claims and supposed benefits of change might not affect us in the way pundits would predict for the rest of the country. When you consider music making and music products as a whole, we are a global industry. We’ve been global almost from the point where everyone agreed that the Earth is a globe. Pre-Industrial Revolution, our products

By Dan crossed borders and depended on a worldwide cadre of craftspeople and inventors to advance the quality and technology of music making. Masters, journeymen and apprentices traveled far and wide to learn, collaborate and promote their craft.

That continues today, with fine woodwinds coming from Paris, treasured violins originating from luthier enclaves scattered around Europe and the choicest guitars still “Made in America.” Our entry-level and intermediate products come from all around the Pacific Rim and Mexico, and from re-emerging Eastern European makers. It’s not unusual to see a company’s line of instruments, from beginner to pro, originating from four or five countries. That doesn’t even count the multinational sourcing for components and woods that are assembled into final products in the U.S, the accessories market and ultra-exclusive niche products that come from only one place in the world.

That’s why I get uncomfortable when I hear the “Buy American” rhetoric applied unilaterally. For us, it’s not a simple, stroke-of-thepen dictate. There is no “American” rosewood, ebony or other tropical wood, and the ideal tonewoods for our purposes (like spruce and cedar) grow in narrow climate regions, of which very few are within our borders. And even when those woods can be grown in America, sustainable yield per acre can make them economically impractical, at least for the moment.

So, domestic sources for some materials are non-existent, and the process of migrating music consumers to alternate materials is neither fast nor easy. Brazilian rosewood is still a “holy grail” material, despite the decades-old CITES ban on importing (and, now, even the sale of undocumented older instruments that contain it).

Even when an effective substitute is found, it takes a generation— or longer—for it to gain acceptance, as we’ve already seen with Mylar drumheads, nylon strings and solid state amps. (Still, we all know there are plenty of people who continue to prefer calfskin, gut and especially vacuum tubes. Try to make a 12AX7 locally. It’s toxic

waste in a bottle.)

Labor is another issue. Highly skilled craftspeople are still people, with homes, families and preferences. Although skilled workers tend to collect around centers of production, they won’t automatically uproot and move when a new center is established. Gibson experienced that fact when it left Kalamazoo MI years ago. And every company that depends on skilled workers knows the difficulty of acquiring and training a workforce in a location that is removed from a craft center.

Of course, there can be a real benefit to moving manufacturing back to the U.S. Many companies, including members of our industry, have shifted significant production back to the homeland. This is usually a plus for quality and logistical efficiency, as well as an ecological benefit due to reduced waste and a smaller carbon footprint for transport. It’s not for the uncommitted, though. Ask a company like D’Addario about the associated infrastructure costs and you’ll realize that the capital investment is a strain, no matter how tax-incentivized the government might make it.

So, we will not easily weather a tax on imports that would drive up the costs of our products. And, even with autoVedda mation (which, of course, results in fewer jobs), it’s a large investment to convert and maintain quality. It’s particularly tricky to achieve and keep the products profitable for manufacturers and dealers, while still being affordable for consumers.

That leads me to my biggest concern for our industry. Our best chance to thrive together is to get as many people as possible playing music. It becomes a dramatically more difficult task when the costs of entry are higher. A boost in import taxes might remove the nasty $69 guitars and violins from the Internet and mass merchants, as well as wipe out a lot of the counterfeit products I’ve railed against. But, it would also push our decent, entry-level, $129 import guitar to a higher price (unless dealers and manufacturers take the profit hit).

American manufacturing, through automation and simplification, might manage to provide instruments at the same price as tariffburdened imports (again, depending on the cost of wood and other components). But, if tariffs are enacted, it’s unlikely in the short term that we’ll see the historically low entry-level prices that have diminished the barriers to people making music.

That means we’ll have to work extra diligently to attract and retain music consumers. The job will likely be harder than just countering a rise in the cost of instruments, because we don’t sell in a vacuum.

Consumer spending will be influenced by many factors, including food costs. (Even if you lay off the Coronas and the tequila, a large amount of our food comes from Mexico and other exporters.) And we’ll still have to compete for leisure dollars after food, clothing and shelter have been covered. Of course, we could also see changes based on defunding the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and we will still wrestle with school curricula and budgets. If B&O dealers see a shift in their area to for-profit charter schools…well…good luck with that.

So, I continue to maintain that growing our market is the most important work we can do to ensure our success. The broader our base, the better will be our ability to withstand change. And I don’t think anyone believes that, in the near term, we won’t see a lot of change.

A GLOBAL INDUSTRY

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ROLL OUT THE RED CARPET: WINNERS OF THE 31ST ANNUAL MUSIC & SOUND AWARDS TURN HEADS

Ad Index

Company

Pg

ALFRED PUBLISHING..........27 BITTREE..................................61 BOURNS PRO AUDIO............60 CASIO.......................................C-IV CELESTION.............................C-II CHAUVET LIGHTING............53 D'ADDARIO.............................17 D'ANGELICO GUITARS........C-III GALAXY AUDIO....................3 GATOR CASES........................35 GRAPH TECH..........................34 HARMONY MUSIC BAND RENTALS..............................16 HOSHINO.................................25 KALA BRAND MUSIC CO....12 KMC MUSIC............................9 KYSER MUSICAL PRODUCTS...........................20 MANHASSET SPECIALTY COMPANY............................6 NAMM......................................14-15 ODYSSEY INNOVATIVE DESIGNS..............................29 PARTS EXPRESS.....................10 PEAVEY...................................7 PRO X.......................................23 RAIN RETAIL SOFTWARE....26 RAPCO/HORIZON COMPANY............................31 R&M TONE TECHNOLOGY....................30 REVERB.COM.........................5 SENNHEISER..........................19 SHURE.....................................11 SUPRO USA.............................55 SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL......45 TASCAM..................................61 THE CAVANAUGH COMPANY............................21 TMP / THE MUSIC PEOPLE!................................33 TRUSST....................................28 U.S. BAND & ORCHESTRA SUPPLIES.............................24 VOCOPRO................................13 XOTIC GUITARS & EFFECTS...............................59 WD MUSIC PRODUCTS........8 YAMAHA.................................41 ZILDJIAN.................................51 While every care is taken to ensure that these listings are accurate and complete, The Music & Sound Retailer does not accept responsibility for omissions or errors.

58

(continued from page 35) ultimate goal. This makes this award all the more satisfying, in that it represents the achievement of our mutual success as a team: a real win-win-win.”

For Best Speaker of 2016, it comes down to three letters: JBL. The EON ONE Linear-Array PA System earned the top prize. Bryan Bradley, Senior Vice President and GM, Entertainment, said, “On behalf of everyone at JBL Professional and HARMAN, we would like to thank our partners and The Music & Sound Retailer for recognizing the JBL EON ONE all-in-one linear-array PA system as the Best Speaker of 2016. It is such an honor for JBL Professional to win this award for the second year in a row, especially in such a highly competitive category. With the first truly all-in-one linear-array PA system, we strove to bring the same technology and sound quality found in our loudspeakers to the EON ONE system. It seems that our hard work has paid off with this acknowledgement and continued support. Again, thank you to The Music & Sound Retailer and all our partners for this wonderful recognition.”

The winner for Best Mixer/Console of 2016 was PreSonus’ StudioLive AR USB Hybrid Mixers. According to VP of Sales Rick Naqvi, “We appreciate the Music & Sound Award because it comes from dealers, who work with our customers every day. StudioLive AR USB mixers have been an instant success because they’re lightweight, versatile and feature-rich, yet they’re easy to use and a terrific value. They combine the familiarity of analog; the flexible inputs of our unique Super Channel; 24-bit, 96-kilohertz, multi-track USB recording; and an integrated stereo SD digital recorder. The Music & Sound Award confirms that’s a winning combination.”

Turning to the world of drums, we arrive at a new category: Best Acoustic Drum Product of 2016. The top vote getter was D’Addario’s Evans Drumheads’ UV1 Drumhead Series.

Sergio Bonsignore, Percussion Product Specialist, remarked, “The UV1 series is the end result of years of research, experimentation and product development. These drumheads went through extensive testing, and they were played by over a thousand drummers before we landed on a finished product.

Through the process, we learned a lot about drummers’ needs, and we created something compelling that solves a common problem: Drummers want heads that hold up to the rigors of everyday playing, but that remain versatile for a variety of musical applications. UV1 drumheads are exactly that. We’re grateful for the recognition from The Music & Sound Retailer, and we’re excited to share the most versatile and durable drumheads that drummers have ever laid their hands on.”

Top honors in another new category—Best Electronic Drum Product of 2016—went to Roland’s TD‑50KV Electronic Drum Kit. According to Drew Armentrout, Product & Artist Relations Manager, Drums & Percussion, “On behalf of Roland Corp. U.S., we would like to express our sincere thanks and gratitude for the Music & Sound Award for Best Electronic Drum Product of 2016 for the TD-50KV V-Drums kit. Twenty-seventeen marks the 20th anniversary of Roland’s iconic V-Drums line, which completely revolutionized the percus-

sion industry. Roland has continued to refine and improve these instruments, and the flagship TD-50KV is a reflection of Roland’s 45-year commitment to electronic drums and percussion.

Most importantly, we would like to acknowledge our valued dealers. Their loyalty and continued support, and the infectious enthusiasm they share with their customers, are truly the fuel that drives Roland to design and produce the best possible instruments for creative music making for musicians of every age and skill level.”

Moving right along to Best Cymbals of 2016, the dealers have spoken, and they’ve chosen Zildjian’s A Avedis Cymbals. Victor Filonovich, Cymbal Category Manager, remarked, “We are absolutely thrilled to have our A Avedis Cymbal Collection be recognized by our industry’s dealers and win a Music & Sound Award for Best Cymbals of 2016. This collection not only represents a big part of Zildjian’s history, but also represents many of the great drummers and the legendary music of the 20th century. We’ve worked hard to recreate the sound, the look and the feel of these iconic cymbals, and we are honored to have them win this award from the best dealers in the country.”

Rounding out the world of drums, we have Best Percussion Accessor y of 2016, in which Promark By D’Addario’s ActiveGrip Drumsticks nabbed the most dealer votes. Elijah Navarro, Percussion Product Specialist, said, “Promark sought to develop a new drumstick coating technology that would push far beyond the offensive stick grips currently available, while elevating a drummer’s performance—not detracting from it.

Through many painstaking iterations, the groundbreaking, patent-pending technology of ActiveGrip was born, and it has inspired drummers, including Mike Portnoy, Rich Redmond, Glenn Kotche and Anton Fig, across a vast array of musical genres.

As the manufacturer of the first-ever heat-activated drumstick coating, we’re honored that the readers of The Music & Sound Retailer, as well as our dealer partners, see the benefits of ActiveGrip technology. It puts an emphasis on how a drummer’s tools can help them handle any playing situation, while taking their performance to new heights.”

Next up are microphones, and multiple-year winner Sennheiser took first place in the Best Wireless System of 2016 category for its ew 100 ENG G3 Wireless. According to Greg Beebe, Director, Live Performance & Music, “We would like to express our sincere thanks to The Music & Sound Retailer and all the dealers that voted our ew 100 ENG G3 Wireless as Best Wireless System of 2016. Since the G3 has been on the market for nine years and this is the third generation of our evolution wireless series, this award speaks to the quality of the product and Sennheiser’s pursuit of perfect sound. Indeed, the G3 is still relevant today for many applications, including podcasting and video blogging, as well as more traditional broadcast uses. We are also proud to note that the G3 is assembled in our Albuquerque NM plant, right here in the U.S. Thank you again for the recognition and to the readership of The Music & Sound Retailer.”

MARCH 2017

Chris Martin Wins Highest Honor

Far and away the most prestigious Music & Sound Award is Lifetime Achievement/Hall of Fame, which is reserved for the true icons of the music products industry. This year, dealers selected Chris Martin, CEO and Chairman, Martin Guitar, for this singular honor.

Speaking to The Music & Sound Retailer, Martin said, “It is an honor to receive this Lifetime Achievement/Hall of Fame Award on behalf of Martin Guitar. We truly value the close relationships that we have enjoyed with our dealers and distributors, many of them decades long. With the making of our two-millionth guitar in 2017, I reflect back to the innovations my family has made in the world of guitar building. We are fortunate and thankful to remain relevant 184 years later. This would not be possible without the hard work of our craftspeople, dealers and the legions of committed Martin fans who faithfully buy our guitars and strings.

Although MI as a whole is heading into 2017 with some challenges, we remain optimistic that, since music heals and lifts us up, it will prevail over uncertainty in the end, and retailers of musical instruments will flourish once again. We felt the excitement at NAMM, and we were thrilled to be there introducing new products, including FSC-certified and artist signature models.

We are proud of our rich history, and we continue to dedicate our efforts to sustainable guitar building and innovation in a world of endless possibilities. Many thanks to The Music & Sound Retailer for this prestigious award.”

A frequent winner in this category, Shure secured the gold as Best Cabled Microphone of 2016 for the KSM8 Dualdyne Vocal Microphone. Abby Kaplan, Director, U.S. Retail Sales, commented, “Since the original Unidyne debuted in 1939, innovation in transducer design has been a hallmark of Shure’s engineering. The KSM8 Dualdyne Vocal Microphone opens the next chapter in Shure microphone history. It was the result of years of effort by a devoted team of people who are passionate about live performance, and it has been embraced by the dealers and rental companies who provide equipment for shows every day. Shure is delighted that the KSM8 has been named as Best Cabled Microphone of 2016 by The Music & Sound Retailer.”

Light fixtures are an increasingly profitable category for music products retailers. This makes the Best Lighting Product of 2016 win for CHAUVET DJ’s GigBAR 2 Four-In-One Lighting System even more meaningful. Albert Chauvet, President, stated, “CHAUVET DJ is grateful to have been honored with The Music & Sound Retailer’s Best Lighting Product award for the ultimate pack-and-go lighting system, GigBAR 2. GigBAR 2 includes two LED derby fixtures, LED wash lights with UV, a laser and four high-power LED strobe lights, all mounted on one bar. Products like GigBAR 2 mean entertainers can MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

provide amazing light shows quickly and easily. Our commitment to providing the very best value, innovation and performance tools, like the ultra-convenient, four-in-one GigBAR 2, is stronger than ever. We’d like to thank our dealer partners for their continued partnership and confidence in CHAUVET DJ products. This incredible honor shows us that, together, our efforts are helping mobile entertainers prosper through lighting.”

If you’re a DJ, you want to know which product earned the MSA for Best DJ Product of 2016. Well, it’s Peavey’s Dark Matter Series Enclosures. Courtland Gray, COO, noted, “We are honored to have our Dark Matter speaker enclosures recognized as Best DJ Product of 2016. Thanks to their advanced, DSP-equipped power section, the high-SPL Dark Matter enclosures provide best-in-class performance and deliver crystal-clear, professional audio. These enclosures are perfect for bands, DJs and other musical applications. The Peavey team worked long and hard to develop a new line that would meet and exceed the demands of today’s consumer. Thank you to all of the participating dealers for recognizing that effort and choosing Peavey in this category.”

Next on the list is Best Bag/Case of 2016. The MSA went to category powerhouse Gator Cases and its Updated TSA Series Cases.

According to Mike Swenson, Senior Director of Marketing & Creative Services, “The Gator Cases team is honored to have won a Music & Sound Award for our upgraded TSA Series Cases. We are thankful for the incredible content delivered by The Music & Sound Retailer, which enriches our business community. We would also like to thank the powerful and passionate dealer network for all the votes cast in every category. We thank you, and we look forward to an incredible year.”

One of the toughest categories, if for no other reason than its sheer breadth, is Best Book/Video/Software of 2016. The winner this year? Hal Leonard’s “Hamilton – Vocal Selections.” David Jahnke, VP, National Sales, said, “We are very proud to represent ‘Hamilton’ in print. This amazing show has taken Broadway to exciting new heights and introduced a whole new generation of fans to the world of musical theater. Thanks to the stores who voted for our ‘Vocal Selections’ as Best Book/Video/Software of 2016. We hope you’ve all had fun selling it in your stores, as well as performing it with your coworkers and customers. We look forward to a whole slew of new movies and Broadway musicals causing more buzz in 2017!”

More and more dealers have identified accessories as their breadand-butter sales these days, making the Best Accessor y Product of 2016 award particularly high profile. The winner was On-Stage’s GPB4000 Guitar/ The Heart and Soul Keyboard Pedal Board. Jim of Your Tone Hennessey, Executive Chairman, remarked, “TMP/On-Stage, again, is truly honored to have been recognized this past year with not only one but two Music & Sound Awards. The Best Accessory Product winner, the RV-60 Single Coil Pickup Set GPB4000, is the first of its kind: a pedal board that accommodates both guitars and keyboards. Designed to fit seamlessly over any On-Stage X-Style keyboard stand, the GPB4000 accepts effects pedRV-PAF Classic with cover als for guitar, keyboards, modular RV-50 Single Coil Pickup synths, laptops, DI boxes, small Hand wound in California mixers and drum machines. The Period accurate specs included padded gig bag and True vintage tone “ These pickups have just the ample adhesive strips complete right amount of aging.”

-Michael Thompson *RV-60 this unique product. Everyone at TMP/On-Stage—particularly xotic.us/raw-vintage the R&D team, who dedicate 59

Performers included themselves round the clock to researching, engineering and fulfilling RSO: Richie Sambora industry demand—is appreciative of the awards and the recognition and Orianthi. from all the voters. The support and the inspiration make our jobs a much more exciting profession.”

When it comes to recognizing music products, there is no higher honor than Product of the Year, which, for 2016, went to Yamaha’s EMX Series Powered Mixers. According to Nithin Cherian, Marketing Manager, Pro Audio, “We are greatly honored to accept the Music & Sound Award for 2016 Product of the Year. With the EMX Series mixers, we set out to create a product that would build on the performance of its predecessors, as well as appeal to a wide range of users.

Winning this award affirms the hard work and dedication of our staff of engineers. Of course, none of this would be possible without the continued support of our dealers, who have helped make Yamaha the bestselling line of powered mixers in the U.S. Thank you, and we look forward to bringing you even better products in the days to come.”

For a truly stunning fourth year in a row, the award for Outstanding Community Ser vice went to D’Addario & Co., Inc. Suzanne D’Addario Brouder, D’Addario Foundation Director, commented, “Thank you to The Music & Sound Retailer and to all the dealers who voted, for the fourth year in a row, to recognize the D’Addario Foundation for our commitment to supporting music education. Last year alone, the D’Addario Foundation granted more than $700,000 and raised $200,000 to support our not-for-profit grantees. The Foundation partners with programs that are transforming lives by providing access to quality, rigorous music instruction, filling a gap in our education system, exposing children to music as early as possible and sticking with them through their education for as long as possible.

Our future goals include collaboration and information sharing with this amazing dealer network in order to tap further into local needs, as

well as to expand our ability to create more music makers. Thank you once again.”

Of a piece with the company’s winning ways, D’Addario & Co., Inc., also earned Manufacturer of the Year, based on its dealer partners’ votes. John D’Addario III, President, stated, “As part of our lean philosophy at D’Addario, each and every day we relentlessly seek opportunities to eliminate waste, improve processes and innovate. We are driven by our quest to sustain our status as a high-quality, low-cost manufacturer and remain globally competitive. We also have a great deal of pride in our commitment to designing and producing over 95 percent of our products right here in the U.S.A., while remaining socially responsible along the way. However, everything we do would not be possible unless we had the support of so many loyal customers. On behalf of the entire D’Addario family and family of employees, I would like to extend our sincere appreciation for being recognized as Manufacturer of the Year. It is truly an honor to be nominated by The Music & Sound Retailer and our dealers, let alone to be awarded as such.”

Finally, for Rep of the Year, The Music Link’s Misha Guiffre came up aces. He said, “I am deeply honored to accept The Music & Sound Retailer’s Rep of the Year award. I have long admired The Music & Sound Retailer’s commitment to quality industry coverage. It’s been an amazing year at The Music Link, and I am genuinely thankful to every single dealer who nominated and voted for me. I look forward to a bright and successful future together.”

Other Music & Sound Award winners included the following: Best Amplifier of 2016: Supro’s 1695T Black Magick; Best Multitrack Recorder of 2016: TASCAM’s DR-100mkIII Handheld Digital Stereo Recorder.

Plans are already underway to make next year’s MSAs our best ever.

Stay tuned!

FIVE MINUTES WITH: SEYMOUR DUNCAN’S MAX GUTNIK

(continued from page 44) that just hadn’t previously been solved.

Our dealers are very excited.

We’ve heard them say that we’re the ones who finally got it right… that this is what customers have been asking for. Because of the heritage and the expertise at Seymour Duncan, we’re uniquely positioned to fill those gaps going forward, and we’ll serve the market in exciting ways.

The Retailer: Is there anything I’ve forgotten to ask?

Gutnik: One thing I do want to say—and I touched on it when talking about dealers—is that we, as an industry, have to recognize that the business has changed.

There are more distractions and opportunities for people to engage in activities other than music.

That puts our industry at risk. If we don’t have young musicians or young students of music, then we won’t have an industry in the future. There are a few aspects to this. One is that attention spans are continuing to decline. Kids

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have less patience to go sit down and practice guitar. Even my own kids! It’s really challenging to get my sons to want to sit down and practice. I have to find very creative ways to incentivize them.

We no longer have a record business that’s effectively able to do artist development the way it did in the past.

I think there’s an opportunity for us, as an industry, to take on the mantle of creating an environ-

ment to promote, develop and incentivize young, up-and-coming musicians to stay with it and seek those rewards. We have to remind kids that this is still a really cool adventure to go on.

At Seymour Duncan, our contribution is creating products that inspire musicians to pick up their instruments and make great music. Ultimately, that’s the goal, right? Great music, great musicians and great-sounding gear.

MI SPY: I WANT YOUR SAX

(continued from page 47) merchandise that seemed to be priced a smidge lower as compared to the latter two.

JW Music was clearly more oriented toward people who are already musicians. The parent who knows next to nothing about music might feel a bit intimidated by that oversized emporium, what with its assortment of rooms devoted to percussion, guitars and the like. He or she might also be a bit put off by the price, although the rental charges are in accord with the other three stores. And, yes, the store had a well-kept used sax on hand at a bargainbasement price.

Menchey Music Service is a

great all-around music store, and I appreciated the fact that the salesman showed me a variety of saxophones, including some wellcared-for used models. The buyer walks out feeling as though he or she has a multitude of choices. In fact, by opting for a used instrument, the purchaser might very well come away with a deal on an instrument that, otherwise, might not be affordable.

The salesman at Forté Music indicated that used saxophones are also available from his store.

Based on the signs in evidence, the shop seems to do a brisk business with area middle school and high school students.

MARCH 2017

Going back to Menchey Music Service, though, the place shone in several ways. Chief among them is having had a greater selection of instruments than the other three places, despite the location’s small size.

All things considered, I was shopping for an entry-level instrument for a beginning student. Of the four, Central Penn

Music gave me what I needed at a truly entry-level price. The store offers everything all the other stores do, including, one must note, a robust selection of music courses.

The only drawback to the shopper is that the store is about 15 miles east of downtown Harrisburg. Still, it’s worth the drive.

(Note: There are several other

music stores farther out on the same highway. I was unable to visit those.)

A final note: To their credit, all four stores took care to show me instruments that had earned the seal of approval from the music directors at area high schools.

That’s no small feat. That area of Pennsylvania is a solid “family” area, with dozens of high schools.

So, the retailers should be applauded for having tailored their wares to a wide variety of schools.

Parents can make their choice easier by visiting the school’s music director beforehand and obtaining a list of recommended instruments, and then using it as a guide when shopping. Because I was engaged in a ruse, I couldn’t access such resources.

ing buzz. Posiflex graphite rods run the length of the neck for added support. The Jazz Bass is also offered in left-hand and fretless variants, as well as the American Professional Jazz Bass V five-string version.

The American Professional Precision Bass and its left-hand version include Michael Bump V-Mod split-coil pickups, the ’63 P Bass neck profile, the same redesigned tuning machines as the Jazz Bass and Posiflex graphite support rods that run the length

of the neck. It’s also available in a five-string version: the American Professional Precision Bass V. MSRPs for all models in the American Professional Series range from $1,399.99 to $1,599.99.

Color options across the line include the new Sonic Gray, Antique Olive and Mystic Seafoam finishes, as well as Three-Color Sunburst, Sienna Sunburst, Black, Olympic White, Crimson Red Transparent, Butterscotch Blonde and Natural. Color availability varies by model and style.

UNDER THE HOOD: FENDER’S AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL SERIES

(continued from page 62) magnet, despite the fact that there are 18 different polepieces on a Stratocaster, for example,” Norvell explained. “We wondered if the sound and balance could be optimized for each string in each pickup location more like a mixing desk, where each position could be ‘tuned’ to perfection. So, that’s what we did.” He added, “Some of the new guitars have three different magnets on them, and multiple magnets within a single pickup. They sound phenomenal!”

The American Professional Series also marks the debut of three new finishes: Sonic Gray, Antique Olive and Mystic Seafoam. “When we launched the American Elite Series and Offset Series, one of the things we wanted to test was whether a range of more vibrant, interesting colors could find a home with a younger consumer,” Jones remarked. “And I think the feedback we got was a definite yes.” He continued, “One of the the biggest trends we’ve seen is the influx of female players into the guitar market. It started with acoustics five…10 years ago.

What we’re seeing now, we suspect, is that, as those consumers have come in and gotten more familiar with guitars, they’ve started to migrate over to electrics.”

Jones explained, “For us, that’s exciting, because we want to make sure we’re driving excitement back to retail. Not only for the players who have been around a long time, but also for the next generation of players, we want to give them a reason to come into the category and, ultimately, find their way to retail.” He added, “That’s why, with the American Professional Series, we’re leading with multiple colors, such as Sonic Gray, Antique Olive and Mystic Seafoam. We think consumers are gravitating toward those more aggressive colors in a MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

big way.” According to Jones, “As a whole, we’ve found, through our introduction of American Elite Series and Offset Series guitars, that color allows us to drive energy into a line, while keeping Fender on trend to appeal to the broadest number of players.”

The American Professional Stratocaster features new V-Mod single-coil pickups designed by Tim Shaw, along with a treble bleed circuit tailored to the guitar’s voice. It is also available in a left-hand version. The American Professional Stratocaster HH ShawBucker variation features a pair of Tim Shaw’s ShawBucker humbucking pickups. The American Professional Stratocaster HSS ShawBucker variation features a ShawBucker humbucking bridge pickup in addition to V-Mod single-coil pickups.

The American Professional Telecaster and its left-hand variant also feature V-Mod single-coil pickups, as well as a redesigned bridge with three compensated brass barrel saddles and a treble bleed circuit tailored to the guitar’s voice. The American Professional Telecaster Deluxe ShawBucker variation features a pair of ShawBucker humbucking pickups.

The American Professional Jaguar and American Professional Jazzmaster have V-Mod single-coil pickups, and they also boast an improved tremolo and bridge with a screw-in arm, as well as brass Mustang saddles that stabilize the strings. Both the Jaguar and the Jazzmaster also have their own treble bleed circuits tailored to each guitar’s unique voice.

The American Professional Jazz Bass features V-Mod single-coil pickups designed by Michael Bump, as well as redesigned tuning machines that create an optimum break angle over the nut. That increases sustain and tuning stability, while also reduc-

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39 YEARS

Bittree.com 61

UNDER THE HOOD

FENDER’S

AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL SERIES

Stratocaster

Telecaster

Jazzmaster

Jazz Bass

By Anthony Vargas When an iconic brand like Fender launches a new flagship guitar line for the first time in more than 30 years, it’s worth taking notice.

Since its debut in 1986, Fender’s American Standard Series has been one of the definitive electric guitar lines for hobbyists and professionals alike; however, the company decided to change things up for 2017. Enter Fender’s new flagship: the American Professional Series.

Featuring upgraded and reimagined versions of Fender’s most well-known electric guitars and basses, the American Professional Series freshens up these legendary instruments for a new generation, while remaining true to the spirit of the originals.

The American Professional Series introduces new variations of the Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jaguar, Jazzmaster, Jazz Bass and Precision Bass. However, rather than simply slapping a new coat of paint, or a few bells and whistles, on these well-established favorites, the American Professional Series marks a completely new approach to the overall design of the instruments.

“Basically, everything of consequence is different!” Justin Norvell, Fender’s Vice President, Electric Guitars and Basses, said. “We went about the task of looking at all the features that affect tone and feel. So, although, from 10 paces, the American Professional Series may not look radically different from its predecessor, the American Standard, it’s got a different neck, different pickups, different bridges and different electronics. That makes it a radically different, yet classic, Fender instrument. We call it a ‘revolution via evolution.’”

The various design changes in the American Professional Series resulted from extensive deliberation and testing, as well as from feedback from Fender’s stable of artists, and a 62

desire to capitalize on new trends in electric guitars and basses. “The product team has been working on this for the better part of two years,” Evan Jones, Fender’s Chief Marketing Officer, revealed. “Music is constantly changing, and players are constantly evolving with their needs. So, a big part of it was to serve the needs of players who are taking guitar to all sorts of interesting and different places.” He added, “With the trend toward offsets and increased adoption of alternative silhouettes, including the Jazzmaster and the Jaguar in the new flagship line was key for us.”

In addition to broader trends in the guitar market, Fender also wanted to capitalize on how electric guitars are used in contemporary music. “It was important for us to pick a name that was representative of where we see guitar in music—where we see guitar in culture—while also speaking to the expansion of what it means to be a guitar player today,” Jones explained.

“It’s about using guitars in diverse ways. We are seeing the traditional lines of genre blurring.

The definition of what it means to be a guitarist is expanding today, as music evolves. It’s critical for Fender to be at the heart of it.”

The standard features of the American Professional Series arose from Fender’s holistic, collaborative approach to product development. “We work very collaboratively, and we come into work every day thinking, ‘How can we make it better?’ Everything evolves from that ethos,” Norvell affirmed. “The design challenge of being Fender and having all of these iconic designs is also our greatest asset. So, it’s an exercise in stealth and subtlety. For us, it’s all about ‘coloring inside the lines,’ where we leave what players love and celebrate about our instruments intact, while making improvements in ways that only enhance what’s already there.”

The biggest change made to the American Professional Series probably centers on new neck shapes for all the models across the line. All American Professional electric guitars feature a “Deep C” neck shape. “The Deep C neck is a super-comfortable shape based off some early ’60s tapers, and it gets thicker and more substantial as you go up the neck,” Norvell explained.

“And then there’s added wood at the neck joint for increased stability and tonal transfer between the neck and body.”

The decision to incorporate the Deep C neck was the result of extensive testing at Fender’s Artist Relations Office in Burbank CA. “We had a ton of neck options that were served up,” Norvell added. “I think we had 10 or 12 different shapes that we had artists try out in sort of a blind taste test. There was a universal gravitation toward that Deep C neck, which we eventually went with.” Both the Jazz Bass and the Precision Bass also feature new neck shapes. “We have a super-slim neck on the Jazz Bass, and a nice, big neck on the Precision Bass, modeled after some of our most requested and popular shapes,” he noted.

In addition to the new neck shapes, all the new American Professional Series models feature narrow-tall frets (except for the Fretless Jazz Bass model) that enable easier fretting and string bending, as well as genuine bone nuts and redesigned pickups by Tim Shaw, Michael Frank and Michael Bump. “We were thinking about how most pickup sets use one uniform (continued on page 61) MARCH 2017

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