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ESP Celebrates 45 Years
The ESP Guitar Co., the international multi-brand instrument manufacturer based in Japan with subsidiaries and distributorships around the world, celebrates its 45th anniversary in 2020. The company was founded in 1975 by Hisatake Shibuya as a small shop in Tokyo that created custom replacement parts for guitars. The shop, called Electric Sound Products (ESP), eventually grew into a large manufacturer of electric guitars and basses. “ESP’s growth into becoming one of the world’s top guitar makers has been based on our commitment to listening to and serving the needs of our customers. It’s been an honor to be part of that process,” said Matt Masciandaro, president and CEO of the ESP Guitar Co. “ESP proudly offers highquality instruments for every level of musician from beginner to professional.” The global awareness of the ESP brand grew quickly after the company opened a U.S. office based in New York City in 1983, and over the next few years began creating custom instruments for high-profile players such as James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett (Metallica), Vernon Reid (Living Colour), Page Hamilton (Helmet), Bruce Kulick (KISS) and Ronnie Wood (The Rolling Stones). In 1986, George Lynch of Dokken designed the very first ESP Signature Series model with his “Kamikaze” guitar. In 1993, ESP relocated its U.S. headquarters from New York City to Hollywood, first on Sunset Boulevard and later to its present location in North Hollywood. It was in 1995 that ESP’s greatest expansion happened with the introduction of the LTD Series guitars and basses at prices that musicians at every level could own, stated the company.
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(L-R) Tarik Solangi, vice president of sales and Roni Nevo, president RCF USA; Aurturo Vicari, CEO RCF Group; Matt Pogorelc, sales rep, Quest Marketing; Justin Brock, retail sales manager and Jim Reed, product specialist, RCF USA
On the Right Quest
RCF USA Inc. named Quest Marketing of Miami Beach, Fla., its Rep Firm of the Year. RCF USA also named Matt Pogorelc of Nashville, Tenn., Sales Rep of the Year. “It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Quest,” said Tarik Solangi, vice president of sales and marketing at RCF USA, Inc. “They had an incredible year, and we’re grateful to have them as an extension of our sales team. Matt also had a tremendous year, closing a few major deals for RCF which helped us elevate our brand even higher. We look forward to what’s ahead in the coming year.”
Earthworks Honors 25 Years
Earthworks Audio accidentally started 25 years ago when David Blackmer began building hi-fi speakers. This was well after he sold dbx — the company known for audio noise reduction that he founded in 1971 — and well before the rise of high-resolution audio. Blackmer always believed in a world beyond 20kHz, and much of his pioneering work revolved around the role of ultrasonic frequencies in sound reproduction. He knew that something was missing in the signal chain, and he wanted to make speakers that viscerally sounded like what he felt when he sat in the front row of the symphony. As he began measuring the speakers he was building, he noticed that what he was hearing and experiencing was different than what he was graphing. He noticed that different components affected not just how he perceived the high frequencies, but also how they affected the overall sound — even though on paper, everything read the same. So, he built measurement microphones to capture and understand those discrepancies. “David enjoyed live music and interacting with the musicians” said Heidi Robichaud, co-founder of Earthworks Audio. “And some of those musicians took David’s measurement microphones to a gig — just for fun. Just to see what they could do. When they came back, they begged to buy them on the spot.” MARCH 2020
