Music & Sound Retailer August 2021, Vol 38 No 8

August 2021 July 2021 Volume38, 38, No. No.78 Volume

THE NEWS MAGAZINE FOR MUSIC PRODUC TS RETAILERS

NASMD MARKS MI’S RETURN TO IN-PERSON EVENTS

Summer NAMM Is

BACK!

First in-person NAMM Show in 18 months brought high spirits.

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Menchey Named NAMM Chairman

At the recent NAMM Board of Directors meeting, the NAMM Board elected a new Executive Committee to continue the organization’s legacy of service to the industry at large. The board of directors elected Joel Menchey, CEO of Menchey Music Service and previously NAMM’s vice chair, to the position of Chair of the NAMM Board of Directors. The Board also elected Tom Sumner, president of Yamaha Corporation of America, to vice chair, where he will serve in an ex officio role as chair of The NAMM Foundation Board. Chris White, president of White House of Music, was elected treasurer, and Barbara Wight, CFO of Taylor Guitars, was elected secretary of the Executive Committee.

“It has been an honor to serve as NAMM’s vice chair for the past two years, and while many things have changed, I look forward to continuing to work with the Board of Directors to serve the organization’s mission, vision and objectives, and to bolster the industry and continue to share the joy of music-making with the world,” said Menchey.

Menchey welcomed Wight to the Executive Committee stating, “Barbara was the obvious candidate to serve in this leadership capacity at NAMM. Her deep industry knowledge, financial acumen and expertise will help lead the Executive Committee and the industry at large.”

Upon the announcement, Wight said, “It is a great privilege to serve the industry in this official capacity. At this pivotal time, I look forward

(L-R) Joe Lamond, NAMM president and CEO; Joel Menchey; Barbara Wight; Chris White; and Tom Sumner

to working alongside the Board of Directors and contributing on behalf of all NAMM members worldwide.”

During the board meeting, outgoing NAMM Board Chair and Executive Chairman of C.F. Martin & Co., Chris Martin IV, was honored and thanked for his many years of service on the Executive Committee and to the industry.

Music & Arts Acquires Mississippi Music product, lessons and school music services.”

In transitioning to Music & Arts, all of the Mississippi Music retail staff, education reps and repair techs have the option to remain in their current positions. Five dedicated education reps will continue to work based out of these locations: one apiece at Hattiesburg, Biloxi and Meridian, and separate primary and secondary education reps at Flowood.

These reps maintain an intensive strategy of meeting one on one with every music educator possible in their communities.

Music & Arts acquired the four Mississippi Music stores located in Flowood, Biloxi, Hattiesburg and Meridian. These acquisitions represent the first Music & Arts locations in the state of Mississippi.

Mississippi Music has had a rich history in these communities serving families and schools, and the locations have now been welcomed into the Music & Arts family of stores. The agreement was finalized and went into effect on July 21. Terms were not disclosed.

“After 75 years, it was time to come up with a plan to transition Mississippi Music’s business in a way where it could continue to scale and grow to keep up with the demand of our beloved and loyal customers,” said Rosi Johnson, owner of Mississippi Music and former NASMD president and NAMM board member. “This acquisition is the best of all possible outcomes as Music & Arts will bring more diversity, more options and continue to be located across our areas to serve our musicians, school music programs and customers. This is not the end but a new beginning.”

Mississippi Music is a NAMM top 100 MI retailer with an extensive presence covering most of the state of Mississippi. As Music & Arts, the stores will continue to proudly serve the needs of students and the strong music programs in these areas by providing musical instrument lessons, rentals, sales, repair and accessories.

“What a pleasure to join forces with Rosi and her teams to carry on their rich 75-year legacy of serving the Mississippi music community. We look forward to serving local musicians for generations to come,” said Jeff Gottlieb, president of Music & Arts. “We have been so impressed with the local teams and are honored that so many have chosen to continue their careers with Music & Arts. Customers can expect the same exceptional service with an emphasis on great MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

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THE NEWS MAGAZINE FOR MUSIC PRODUC TS RETAILERS

VOLUME 38, NO.8

COVER 18 FEATURES

18 Music & Sound Awards Dealer Division Winners 28 Five Minutes With

Cordoba Music Group (CMG) is a manufacturer and distributor of acoustic and electric guitars, ukuleles and musical instrument accessories. Its brands include Cordoba Guitars, Guild Guitars, HumiCase and DeArmond, which are globally distributed. Other CMG brands include Savarez and Aquila strings, of which CMG acts as primary importer and U.S. distributor to retail stores.

Joining us is CMG marketing director Taylor Buck to talk to us about the company and the MI industry, plus more.

30 Five Minutes With

Lyman Guitar Co. made a big splash at the Summer NAMM show last month. Five members of the team join us from South Carolina to talk about the company.

32 MI Spy

MI Spy’s mission this month takes us to picturesque Hawaii. OK, not really. Instead of visiting the Aloha State in person, the Spy filed an online report about Hawaiian MI stores’ websites and Instagram profiles.

20 Summer NAMM is Back!

First in-person NAMM Show in 18 months brought high spirits to Nashville’s Music City Center.

26 NASMD Marks MI’s Return to In-Person Events

Whitney Grisaffi, president of NASMD and Ted Brown Music, kicked off last month’s event by stressing that it is especially important for people to gather in person after such a difficult year.

COLUMNS 34 In the Trenches

For a lot of MI retailers, the biggest challenge at the moment is getting inventory to sell. Allen McBroom addresses this challenge in his latest column.

36 Veddatorial

One lesson learned within the music products industry during the pandemic is that people not only want to play music, but that it’s the first thing people turn to when faced by stress, an unexpected increase in leisure time or the impetus for self-improvement, states Dan Vedda.

BUZZ

3 Latest 10 People 12 Products

38 Shine a Light

For more than two decades, Brian Hansen has been serving the music community in and around Mt. Pleasant, Mich., first as a salesperson at Cook’s Music Shop and then, since 2002, as the owner of B’s Music Shop. It was the original owner of Cook’s Music Shop, Rob Cook, who convinced Hansen to open his own store when he was only 20 years old.

46 Under the Hood

PRS Guitars has “let Jimi take over” with the announcement of a new tone family to its lineup with PRS HX amps, which were inspired by one of Jimi Hendrix’s personal amps.

Pictured on the cover in the back row from left to right are: Robin Sassi of San Diego Music Studio and her daughter, Monet Huffman; Jeremy McQueary of W.H. Paige Co. Inc.; Gator Cases’ Crystal Morris; Kimberly Deverell of San Diego Music Studio; and Lana Negrete of Santa Monica Music Center. In the front row are Melissa Ceo of C.A. House Music and Alfred Music’s Ron Manus.

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30 AUGUST 2021

0-23, 2022 2 Y R A U N JA CALIFORNIA SOUTHERN

Exhibits, innovations and product launches

Education and inspiration from industry thought leaders

Entertainment, award shows and networking events

Join us in sunny Southern California for a celebration like no other

The Crossroads of Music, Sound and Entertainment Technology Returns. namm.org/attend

EDITORIAL

Worth the Wait What a long 18 months it has been since we have seen an in-person MI trade show. That drought finally ended last month, as a slew of events took place in Nashville, including the National Association of School Music Dealers (NASMD) show, a Retail Print Music Dealer Association (RPMDA) event, as well as Summer NAMM, of course.

Flat out, these events were all tremendous successes. I have never seen spirits run so high at any trade show.

People were extremely happy to see each other in person, as opposed to only on a computer screen. I know because many people told me these exact words.

The education sessions at both NASMD and Summer NAMM were fantastic, but what I will remember the most are the things we could not do for a long time, namely attend events and parties. On July 14, this included the RPMDA event, followed by the Smart Women in Music event in the same exact room; my first trip to the Gibson Garage; and then the NASMD gathering at the Assembly Food Hall, yet another recently opened addition in the City of Nashville featuring tons of food vendors surrounded by retail shops. And on July 15, I enjoyed the always-awesome NAMM Top 100 event, which took place at the Music City Center, as well as the NAMM YP (Young Professionals) party at The Flying Saucer, a bar featuring an impressive array of beers on tap.

But what made the trip even more memorable than the events themselves were the people I got to talk to at all of these events. I hope I do not miss anyone, but I want to give a shout out to all the MI retailers whose team members I got to chat with, whether briefly or for long periods of time, including Showtime Music, Heid Music, Instrumental Music Center (Arizona), San Diego Music Studio, Backstage Music, Santa Monica Music

Center, Dietze Music, C.A. House Music, Ted Brown Music, Mike Risko Music, Middle C Music, Menchey Music, Nick Rail Music, Sam Ash Music, Music on the Hill, West Music, W.H. Paige & Co., Springfield Music, Antonio Violins and Ukes, and Willis Music. It was an absolute pleasure to see all of you.

Now to my thoughts on Summer NAMM itself. I would call the number of manufacturer booths “limited,” but here is the good news: the buyers, some of whom I just mentioned, were out in force. Manufacturers who did exhibit and whom I spoke to were extremely pleased with buyers submitting purchase orders right then and there at the show. Walking around the show floor, the first thing I thought of was how I am certain the next home-run-hitting manufacturer was exhibiting at Summer NAMM, and retailers likely had more time to spend with that company than ever before. Companies offering quality products with excellent margins for retailers were absolutely accounted for at the show, and dealers took advantage.

I am looking forward to all the glitz and glamour of The NAMM Show in five months, with all the new product releases, parties and much more. I expect an incredible vibe. But Summer NAMM provided me everything I could have wanted: time to spend with the readers of this magazine.

August 2021 Volume 38 No. 8

BRIAN BERK Editor bberk@testa.com ANTHONY VARGAS Associate Editor avargas@testa.com CHEYENNE CHAO Integrated Media Manager cchao@testa.com DONOVAN BANKHEAD ROBERT CHRISTIE KIMBERLY DEVERELL JEFF KYLE JR. ELLEN LEVITT

JANICE PUPELIS Art Director STEVE THORAKOS Production Manager CIRCULATION circulation@testa.com FRED GUMM Digital Art Director MICHELLE LOEB WILL MASON ALLEN MCBROOM GABRIEL O'BRIEN MIKE & MIRIAM RISKO

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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.

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AUGUST 2021

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ACT Entertainment Brings Together ACT Lighting and RHC Holdings ACT Lighting (RapcoHorizon/ ProCo Sound/RHC Holdings) has launched ACT Entertainment, a new entity formed by bringing together the brands of the ACT Lighting and RHC Holdings family of companies.

“Offering exceptional products and services, ACT Entertainment gives the most exciting and valuable entertainment technologies in the world a single home in North America,” said Ben Saltzman, CEO of ACT Entertainment. “We are exclusively focused on empowering our customers with the tools and support they need to enhance their and their clients’ creative visions. ACT Entertainment enhances live experiences by discovering, developing, and delivering products that create value for our customers while supporting our products with industry-leading service and education.”

Headquartered in Jackson, Miss., ACT Entertainment will operate from its facilities in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Texas and Massachusetts; these strategic locations provide an outlet for service and education opportunities across North America.

According to Dale Williams, president and chief operating officer of

ACT Entertainment, “Given the challenges faced by the entertainment industry in the past year, it was clear to us that we needed to be a more unified and efficient organization, a more nimble and agile entity that works more effectively together. The need for internal change grew organically as our industries evolved and changed. By unifying all of our companies into a single solution, ACT Entertainment positions ourselves to better service each of our markets as their industries rebound.”

ACT Entertainment brands include MA Lighting, Ayrton, Robert Juliat, Luxibel, ProCo, RapcoHorizon, Lava Cable, RAT, AC Power Distribution, Zactrack, MDG and ChainMaster.

Customers and their clients/end users span multiple markets: concert touring and live experiences, music retail and e-commerce, pro AV-installation-broadcast, house of worship, film and television, and industrial wire and OEM. “As ACT Entertainment, we will be better able to match our product brands with customer needs while servicing each end market in the way that makes sense to them,” noted Saltzman. “We’re building something bigger to universally address the entertainment industry in a new and exciting way.”

Lzzy Hale Named First Gibson Female Brand Ambassador

Gibson announced that Lzzy Hale, frontwoman of the GRAMMY Award-winning hard rock band Halestorm, will join Gibson as its first female brand ambassador.

Hale’s new collection will span acoustic and electric guitars across Gibson, Epiphone and Kramer. Hale has partnered with Gibson and Epiphone luthiers to design two sold-out guitars including the Gibson Lzzy Hale Explorer and the Epiphone Lzzy Hale Explorer. Hale was officially welcomed into the Gibson family as a brand ambassador onstage by Cesar Gueikian, brand president, Gibson Brands, at the Gibson Garage in downtown Nashville. Hale will also help drive the culture of giving back as part of the Gibson Gives Artist Advisory Council, where artists present philanthropic opportunities that fulfill the Gibson Gives foundation’s mission of creating, developing and supporting non-profit organizations to advance musicians, youth-focused education and wellness initiatives.

“I am beyond honored to be named a Gibson ambassador,” said Hale.

“Ever since I was 16 years old, it was my dream to someday be a part of the Gibson circle. It’s an incredible feeling to know that this dream has become a reality. Something magical ignites within me when I hold a Gibson guitar in my hands, the same guitars that my forefathers and foremothers of rock slung over their shoulders. With Gibson, I am the rockstar I’m meant to be. It is a privilege to represent my genre, my gender and the incredible power of music that unites us all, with my beautiful Gibson family.”

As the frontwoman of Halestorm, Hale has become a champion of women in rock, hosting the 2020 She Rocks Awards and serving as a judge on the upcoming Hit Parader show “No Cover” alongside Alice Cooper, Gavin Rossdale and Bishop Briggs. At the release of Halestorm’s latest album, “Vicious,” which earned the group their second Grammy nomination, Rolling Stone said of her, “Lzzy Hale cements her status of one of hard rock’s most vital voices.”

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AUGUST 2021

PEOPLE

THERE’S A REASON WHY PLAYERS CHOOSE LP. AUTHENTIC AND INNOVATIVE, IT’S THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS.

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Randy Robertson

Dave Palazzolo

Tag Team

Littlite appointed Randy Robertson as sales manager for the Littlite brand of gooseneck task lights and accessories. Robertson spent 10 years in the Littlite sales department before taking a position as a manufacturer’s rep, a position he held for seven years. Robertson’s growing family responsibilities prompted a career change that allowed more at home time.

Littlite also welcomed Dave Palazzolo to the Littlite team. He will be handling sales orders, customer service inquiries and trade show appearances. Palazzolo spent 30 years in Leprecon production and testing. He enjoys spending time with his teenage daughter and going to live concerts.

In Memoriam: Tom Imparato

KORG USA (KUSA) shared the news of the passing of a true legend, Tom Imparato, KUSA’s national service and facilities manager. Imparato passed away at the age of 73 on March 22, due to complications from COVID-19.

With more than 40 years of service to KUSA, Imparato was a pioneer and innovator in the MI industry, establishing a network of more than 600 service centers. He was a visionary and a driving force behind creating an online bill of materials and parts list, helping to make service centers around the country more efficient.

Quality customer service was of top priority to Imparato, and making sure the service-center technicians were provided with all they needed to be successful was always front of mind for him. After visiting one of the first Home Depot locations while in California for a NAMM Show back in the 1990s, Imparato became inspired by and embraced the ‘self-help’ philosophy. Instead of having to delay the repair by calling into a service department for assistance, his innovative system elevated the repair experience.

“I cannot put into words what a tragedy this loss was for Tom’s family, friends and our company. Part of the KUSA family for over 40 years, Tom was a beloved, kind, thoughtful and warmhearted person who loved helping others. All you had to do was ask,” said Joe Castronovo, president of KORG USA. “We lost a wonderful soul, and we will never be the same without Tom in our lives. We AUGUST 2021

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LPMUSIC.COM

In Memoriam: Kurt Witt

Music & Arts announced the sudden passing of director of merchandising Kurt Witt. A beloved member of the Music & Arts family since 2010, Witt leaves behind his wife Jennifer (a Music & Arts Marketing Associate) and their two children.

Next to his family, music was Witt’s passion. He began his career as a student of music at North Dakota State University, where he graduated with a degree in Secondary Music Education with a focus on piano and trombone. In 2010, he relocated to South Bend, Ind., to take on the director of merchandising and ultimately the general manager role for Music & Arts sister company Woodwind & Brasswind. In this role, Witt was active in developing the entire online and offline merchandising presentation and was the recipient of a Guitar Center President’s Award for excellence in 2012. Taking over as director of merchandising for Music & Arts in 2017, he oversaw the entire multi-channel merchandising business, including school and consumer sales, and was nominated for another President’s Award in 2021 based on the impacts of his contributions during the pandemic.

“Our hearts are broken, and we send our love and support to his family, friends and community,” said Jeff Gottlieb, Music & Arts president. “As a leader at our organization, Kurt helped foster a culture of positivity, and his warm personality was infectious to all that came into contact with him. He was a member of the Music & Arts Brass Quintet and well known for being our favorite DJ for company events.

In many ways, he represented what we strive to be as a team. He is an iconic figure in the industry, having impacted countless leaders during his time at Woodwind & Brasswind, Music & Arts and Yamaha.

He was warm and generous and shared his knowledge and passion for music with all of us.”

Previous to his work with Music & Arts, Witt worked for Yamaha, where he was responsible for the product marketing and development of the full range of wind instrument products in the United States, and he was awarded the prestigious Yamaha Global President’s Award for excellence in marketing in 2008.

Well respected and loved throughout his community, Witt was a proud band director at his church, an Eagle Scout Leader, a respected marching band adjudicator and an active freelance musician.

can only hope to keep his memor y alive and always strive for excellence like Tom.” Imparato was a natural educator. Utilizing his vast knowledge of circuit design and tube amplification, he established service seminars for techs around the country. In addition, he created a mentoring program at KUSA where aspiring engineers from the Island Drafting and Technical Institute in Amityville, N.Y., could learn hands on, side-by-side with KUSA’s service and repair team. Under his supervision, the next generation of technicians was able to learn about vacuum tube theory, different classes of keyboards and amplifiers, the importance of biasing, and more. The program was split into two parts: general theory and hands-on training.

A master woodworker, Imparato used his carpentry skills to bring joy to those around him, especially during the holiday season. He loved Christmas and decorating his Hicksville, N.Y., home and front yard for the holiday.

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

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Funk Force Five

Fishman introduced the Fluence Greg Koch Gristle-Tone Signature Series P90. The intrinsic player benefits of Fluence technology become immediately apparent with the Gristle-Tone P90 set: no hum, no noise and no feedback, stated Fishman. Unlike stacked “humbucker” P90 variants, which can actually aggravate certain problems while curing others, with Fluence all of those issues are eliminated, leaving pure, unadulterated, Fluence Multi-Voice tone, added the company.

Fluence Greg Koch Gristle-Tone Signature Series P90 pickups are available as aftermarket, body-mount, drop-in replacements, or as original equipment in Greg’s Gristle 90 Signature Reverend guitar.

Like all Fluence pickups, the P90 can be powered by either a standard nine-volt battery or a Fluence Rechargeable Battery pack. fishman.com/fluence

KAT Scratch Fever

Continuing the revamp of its legacy electronic drum line, KAT Percussion introduced two new models: a new entry level model, the KT-100, and a follow-up to its KT-200 electronic drum kit, the KT-300. The KT-100 comes with a kick tower and a rack, and the kit is portable yet adjustable. It also comes standard with one two-zone snare and three single-zone toms that feature high-quality pads.

The cymbals include a single zone hi-hat, a crash and ride, which are dual zone, all of which come standard with choke. The KT-300 keeps the look of the KT-200 model but adds a significant amount of new features and REMO mesh heads. Enhanced by the latest Dual-Triggering technology, with zones at the head and at the rim, the KT-300’s 10-inch KT-30010S snare and the eight-inch KT-3008T toms provide accurate triggering and a large strike area. The tone changes depending on where and how hard players strike, ensuring the most realistic playing feel. halleonard.com

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First in Class

ddrum released its Studio Class Isolation Headphones. Engineered specifically for drummers, the closed-back design has superior dB attenuation and studio quality fidelity, all in a comfortable design, stated the company. While other isolation headphones provide protection from harmful sound levels and the ability for audio playback, ddrum Studio Class Isolation Headphones take performance to a new level, added the manufacturer. These professional headphones (available in black or white) utilize comfortable ear cushions that house 40mm drivers, producing high-precision audio. They also provide 36.7 dB of passive attenuation. ddrum.com

Time to Split

Hosa Technology Inc. added to its catalog of breakout and splitter cables with a TRRS breakout designed for headsets and microphones.

The Hosa YMM-107 Headset/Mic Breakout Cable splits a TRRS connection into separate TRS outputs, making it ideal for gaming headsets requiring a connection to computers using separate jacks for microphone and headphones, stated the company. Simply plug an existing TRRS headset cable into the breakout, and it will provide separate male connectors for headset and microphone on the other end.

The Hosa YMM-108 flips the connector configuration with a TRRS plug and two TRS female connectors designed for microphone and headphones. It can be used to combine separate mic and headphone outputs into a single TRRS connection. When using a professional balanced microphone, simply add a Hosa XVM-100F series cable to complete the connection. Both breakouts use the CTIA wiring standard for the TRRS jacks, making them compatible with most TRRS inputs. Each of the dual plugs is color-coded and identified as microphone and headphones. hosatech.com AUGUST 2021

PRODUCT

Bang on the Drum All Day

Amahi introduced the SD9 24-inch Handpan Drum, following the success of its steel-tongue drum line. The SD9 24-inch Handpan Drum is constructed of high-quality nitrogen steel material and tuned in D minor with nine notes. With a highly unique and meditative sound, the handpan drum can be played with the hands and fingers to produce soft and warm tones, stated the company. A backpack-style carrying bag is included. amatisonline.com

Tuned In

D’Addario announced that its Micro Violin Tuner is now available specifically for viola.

The D’Addario Micro Viola Tuner features an easy-to-read, full-color display in an attractive compact design. A non-marring, lever-lock clamp holds the tuner securely to the instrument while allowing easy application and removal. The precision viola tuner is not only perfect for tuning, the unique mounting system and fast pitch response allow it to be used as an effective practice tool for referencing and improving intonation while playing, stated the company. daddario.com

Getting Warmer

Pirastro has introduced its PERPETUAL CADENZA strings for violin. According to the company, these strings are easier to play than competitor products, while providing the musician with a warm and deep sound, as well as a great wealth of colors. The strings also offer brilliant, clear and powerful sound, as well as optimal response without resistance, the company added. The left-hand feel is light and soft due to its lower string tension. Shifting positions can be played with noticeably less finger pressure. pirastro.com MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

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All About Waiting

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) released the Dhani Harrison Ukulele, marking Harrison’s first collaboration with the iconic musical instrument brand. Designed for live performance, the Dhani Harrison Ukulele is built with aesthetics that include custom inlay work and unique stained finishes, plus Fender electronics with a tone knob allowing players to EQ their sound.

Dhani has carved a unique career path as a multi-instrumentalist, composer and singer-songwriter, with a versatility that has led to collaborations with artists as varied as the Wu-Tang Clan, UNKLE, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Pearl Jam and Jeff Lynne’s ELO, to name but a few. The ukulele is available in two different finishes, each with its own unique fretboard inlays and engraved designs on the back of the instrument. Designed for live performance, the tenor-sized ukulele features a solid ovangkol wood top, with ovangkol back and sides, providing a warm sound, as well as a 3/4 depth, upgraded Fender electronics, distinctive build and eye-catching aesthetics, stated the company. fender.com

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Made in Hamburg, MI USA www.littlite.com sales@littlite.com

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Game, Set, Match

Austrian Audio announced OC18 Dual Set Plus, a kit centered around two of its OC18 large-capsule condenser microphones as well as a host of accessories. It includes two OC18 large-diaphragm condenser microphones with cardioid polar pattern, two OCS8 microphone shock mounts, two OCW8 foam windscreens, two OCH8 mic clips and one SB1 stereo bar. All components are housed in a protective carrying case. austrian.audio

Instant Classic

KRK expanded its CLASSIC line of studio monitors with the addition of seven- and eight-inch models. KRK’s CLASSIC active two-way studio monitors are packed with a multitude of features, including bi-amped Class A/B amplifiers with a built-in automatic limiter and a low-resonance enclosure for minimized distortion and colorization.

With the optional ability to engage the +2 dB KRK Bass Boost, the CLASSIC line of studio monitors can hold true to the KRK sound that music creators desire, the company stated. Like the CLASSIC 5, the new CLASSIC 7 and CLASSIC 8 utilize a one-inch textile, soft-dome tweeter paired with either a seven-, or eight-inch glass aramid woofer, depending on the size of the monitor selected, delivering a clear midrange and tighter bass. KRK CLASSIC monitors feature a front-slotted bass port, which reduces boundary coupling and allows for flexible positioning within a room. It also is designed with a preinstalled high-density foam pad to decouple the speaker enclosure from the surface, helping with clarity and accurate frequency response. krkmusic.com AUGUST 2021

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Enough for You?

Less than a month after the release of Olivia Rodrigo’s much-anticipated debut album “Sour,” Hal Leonard has published its matching songbook. The album was released on May 21 and immediately topped the Billboard 200 chart, becoming one of the biggest debut releases of all time.

It also recorded the second largest week ever for a streaming album for a female artist. The album’s first single, “Drivers License,” was released in January 2021 and became an instant sensation, blowing up the charts and TikTok and debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The Hal Leonard songbook features piano/vocal/guitar arrangements for all 11 songs from the album including “Drivers License” plus “Déjà vu,” “Enough for You,” “Good 4 U,” “Happier,” “Hope Ur OK,” “Jealousy, Jealousy,” “Traitor” and more.

In addition, Hal Leonard has editions for easy piano and ukulele also in the works. halleonard.com

Would You Like a Sample?

IK Multimedia released Electromagnetik, which brings together four new SampleTank sound libraries, each focusing on a specific and rare electric piano. Though available separately, together these instruments offer significant savings and will provide the composer and musician with an inspiring collection of distinctive keyboard sounds from over 4.5GB of sample content and 80 SampleTank 4 instrument presets. Electromagnetik features four meticulously maintained instruments specifically chosen for their individuality. Spanning four decades of electric stage piano history, the keys in this collection each offer their own distinct sound and vibe, which is not avaiable in any other SampleTank collection. What they share is the beauty of their design — one that uses electromagnetic pickups and the vibrations of hammers hitting metal strings, tines or reeds to deliver pleasing tones to the listener, stated the company. Electric Grand C70P is based on a Yamaha CP70B electric grand, which was developed in the ‘70s for stage pianists desiring the depth of expression of hammers hitting strings, but at volumes that could compete with the rest of any band.

Stage 73 Mark V is a deep sampling of the Rhodes Mark V electric piano, the last “real Rhodes” model that was produced by Harold Rhodes in the mid-1980s. Electric Piano Bass is based on the Rhodes Piano Bass, which appeared in 1960 as a way for keyboard players to cover the bass part on a dedicated instrument, its 32 keys covering the most widely used range of a bass. The Piano Bass employed the same design as the Rhodes Piano, using hammers to strike metal tines. For Electric Piano Bass, the model is a stunning red sparkle edition, which IK captured to convey all its low-end mojo and responsiveness, the company said. And Wurly Model 120 is based on the Wurlitzer Model 120 portable electric piano from the 1950s, one of the earliest electric pianos to find its way into the pop music charts. ikmultimedia.com

It’s in the Bag

The Music People, a division of Jam Industries USA, LLC, has added to OnStage’s lineup of Striped Bags. The new models include the GBE4770S for electric guitar, the GBB4770S for bass guitar and the GBA4770S for acoustic guitar.

The full line of bags features weather-resistant exterior that defends against moisture, ensuring safe storage and transportation, stated the company. The cases also feature 0.4-inch padding that prevents impact damage and a smooth lining safeguarding the instrument’s finish. Two accessory compartments provide convenient access to supplies and tools. Backpack-style straps enable hands-free transportation, and a cushioned top handle makes for balanced, comfortable carrying, the company added. For ease of loading and unloading, a two-pull zipper fully opens and closes at either end or any point between. The exterior is crafted of linen, and the interior is made of 190T polyester. musicpeopleinc.com

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AUGUST 2021

PRODUCT

I’m All Ears Baby Driver

Celestion debuted the CDX1-1412 one-inch exit neodymium magnet high-frequency compression driver. The unit’s ultracompact size makes it ideal for small two-way cabinet designs and other highly portable applications, at a very attractive price point, stated the company. The CDX1-1412 is the latest of Celestion’s high-frequency compression drivers and features plenty of output for a driver this size: 35W (AES standard), 70W (continuous) power rating and 107dB sensitivity across a 1500 to 20kHz frequency band. Designed and developed at Celestion’s headquarters in Ipswich, England, the CDX1-1412 features a 34mm/1.4-inch-diameter edgewound copper-clad aluminum voice coil and a 25mm/1.-inch exit size. The new driver provides 70W power handling and delivers a 107dB sensitivity performance over a frequency range of 1,500-20,000Hz, with a recommended crossover frequency of 2,000Hz. The unit features a single piece Polymide film diaphragm and surround, and is fabricated using a rigid engineering thermoplastic with a standard 2xM5 bolt fitting. celestion.com

z z u B

Audix is now shipping the A10 and A10X Earphones. The A10 Earphones are engineered to deliver studio-quality performance for live sound monitoring and critical listening with excellent imaging and isolation. The A10 features a dynamic, low-mass moving-coil assembly and titanium-alloy diaphragm with a frequency response of 10 octaves and accurate phase coherence due to its point-source design. The A10X Earphones are designed for the ultimate immersive listening experience, stated the company. At the heart of the earphone is a dynamic low-mass moving-coil assembly and composite beryllium diaphragm.

Both models feature lightweight and durable injection-molded shells that are internally textured and ported for acoustic control and accuracy throughout the frequency range. The included small, medium and large pairs of silicone ear tips attach securely for optimum comfort and sound isolation, the company added. Gold-plated MMCX connectors allow for 360 degrees of rotation for ease of placement. Silver-plated, oxygen-free copper cable is equipped with a reinforced wire wrap near the connector to further ensure that the earphones will stay securely in place. audixusa.com

MULTI-STORE DEALER DIVISION Best Guitars & Basses Alto Music (NY)

1 Best Keyboards C.A. House Music (OH, WV) Best Instrument Amplifiers Ken Stanton Music (GA) Best Sound Reinforcement Blues Angel Music (FL, AL) Best Recording-Related Products Portman’s Music (GA) Best Percussion Ted Brown Music (WA) Best DJ Equipment

2

Alto Music (NY)

1 Best Multi-Store Dealer, Sales Staff: Springfield Music

Best Clinics

2 Best-Single Store Dealer, Clinics: Mike Risko Music

Skip’s Music (CA)

3 Best Multi-Store Dealer, Keyboards: C.A. House Music

Best Customer Service

4 Best Multi-Store Dealer, Customer Service: Menchey Music

Menchey Music (PA, MD)

Springfield Music (MO)

5 Best Single-Store Dealer, Customer Service; Single-Store Dealer of the Year and Outstanding Community Service Award: San Diego Music Studio

Multi-Store Dealer of the Year

6 Best Multi-Store Dealer, Percussion: Ted Brown Music

Best Sales Staff

Alto Music (NY)

18

3

4

7 Best Single-Store Dealer, Keyboards: Middle C Music (Brian Berk of the Music & Sound Retailer with owner Myrna Sislen)

SINGLE-STORE DEALER DIVISION Best Guitars & Basses Corner Music (TN) Best Instrument Amplifiers Chicago Music Exchange (IL) Best Keyboards Middle C Music (DC) Best Sound Reinforcement Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center (MD) Best Recording-Related Products Island Music (MD) Best Percussion Drum Center of Portsmouth (NH)

5

Best DJ Equipment Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center (MD) Best Clinics Mike Risko Music (NY) Best Customer Service San Diego Music Studio (CA) Best Sales Staff Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center (MD) Single-Store Dealer of the Year San Diego Music Studio (CA)

6

7

Outstanding Community Service (multi-store or single-store retailer) San Diego Music Studio (CA)

35TH ANNUAL MUSIC & SOUND AWARD WINNERS, DEALER DIVISION

Lifetime Achievement Award (individual person at a multi-store or single-store retailer) Keith Grasso, Island Music

Here are all the winners of Music & Sound Awards, including the Outstanding Community Service Award, which is new this year.

Also included are some photos of winners at Summer NAMM last month.

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

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Summer NAMM Is

BACK! First in-person NAMM Show in 18 months brought high spirits.

By Brian Berk

T

he Summer NAMM Show, which took place from July 15 to 16 at Nashville’s Music City Center, delivered “Good Vibrations,” as the Beach Boys so famously sung. A large contingent of MI retailers attended the event, with many saying they were so happy to see their peers for the first time in 18 months since NAMM last hosted an inperson event, The NAMM Show in January 2020 in Anaheim, Calif.

NAMM hopes to continue the good vibrations when its hosts The NAMM Show, set to take place in person at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif., from Jan. 20 to 23, 2022.

NAMM president and CEO Joe Lamond

The State of the MI Industry

Music on the Hill’s Lindy Campbell (left) and NAMM president and CEO Joe Lamond, as he Instrumental Music Center’s Leslie Stirm customarily does, kicked off the Summer NAMM event on July 15 with the “State of the Industr y Address.” He brought onstage some MI professionals who have handled the COVID-19 pandemic with aplomb, including Sam Ash chief operating officer Sammy Ash, Nick Rail Music’s Laura Penrose and Deering Banjo CEO Jamie Deering. Lamond’s address also featured an “exit inter view” with C.F. Martin’s Chris Martin IV, outgoing NAMM chairman. The end of the show marked the end of Martin’s tenure as NAMM chairman, and he was replaced in that role by Menchey Music’s Joel Menchey.

“As we think about the future, we are going to be building a stronger ecosystem of musicmakers,” said Lamond. “Last year proved that when people are tested, they turn to music, as they always have. Our work is vital. Thank you for being part of that vision.”

Lamond added it was “crazy to think” it had been two years since Summer NAMM last took place in person. “Our end zone was to bring everyone back together for the first time since the pandemic started,” he remarked. “We are an association. We associate. But everything is different from 2019 and January 2020. That’s why we felt it was so important to put a stake in the ground and be together.

“Every retailer who got through the pandemic is a hardened general ready for anything.

Ladies and gentlemen, I think you are the new greatest generation,” Lamond added. “What you have survived is incredible.”

NAMM’s CEO noted, however, that everything today is different compared to before the

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Hal Leonard’s David Jahnke (left) and Alfred Music’s Ron Manus

AUGUST 2021

“If there is any one word that I can use to sum up 120 years [of NAMM], it is passion. We are all unsuited for any other occupation.”

—NAMM’s Joe Lamond (right) speaking to Gibson CEO “JC” Curleigh.

Gibson president and CEO JC Curleigh and Joe Lamond at the Gibson Garage.

pandemic, so it is best to step back and gain some insight from our fellow MI professionals. Sammy Ash was first to describe his pandemic experience. “The first thing we had to do was get over ourselves,” said Ash. “Customers could not come in, and stores had to close. Before you know it, 85 percent of the business was shut down. We had to have a positive mindset. ‘We will get out of this. We will take care of it.’ But we had 1,000 people on furlough. That was very tough. I had worked with some of these people for 20 or 30 years.”

But Sam Ash’s COO stressed that his company made it through the worst of the pandemic. “We are here, 18 months later, at a NAMM show,” he said. “Who thought this would happen? Did you think in January we would be sitting here?”

One of the saving graces for Sam Ash during the pandemic was its online business. “Our online business went up threefold,” said Ash. “[But] can we ship out in time? Can we meet the challenge? It was great until the inventor y started to shrink.”

Ash stressed no manufacturers were to blame for a lack of inventory, as they were caught MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

Robin Walenta (left) and DeDe Heid sp

Shane Nolan, Aviate Audio

Jonathan Spangler, Ciari Guitars

in a never-before-seen situation. “It went from ‘the world is ending,’ to ‘no it isn’t,’ to ‘I cannot get anything,’” relayed Ash. “It was very simple.

If I had more gear, I could sell more gear. Profits went up because deals went down. If you had an instrument, you sold it. People were not saying, ‘I can get it elsewhere for 10 percent less.’ Since everyone was buying everything, we moved stuff we have not moved, like certain high-end instruments. They were gone.”

Regarding lessons learned during the pandemic, Ash said nobody is larger than life. “[We] are not some elusive, rarified-air company,” he said. “… Understand that your customers are your life force.

Without them, you are nothing. I think we met the challenge. Many customers have thanked us for meeting the challenges.”

Ash handles many of these customer compliments himself, as well as any complaints the 96-year-old retail company may receive.

“Many customers are impressed we respond the same day — not a chat box,” he noted. “We are a family business. Somebody with the last name of Ash has to be directly involved with customers. Right now, there are six Ash boys in the fourth generation of the company — five of them full time, making it their career. I have to make sure there is a business for them like my father made sure there was a business for myself and my brothers.

“This was the world’s greatest hiccup,” Ash continued. “We suf22

Crystal Morris delivers a Smart Women in Music (SWIM) speech.

fered the pain financially as well as emotionally.”

Nick Rail Music’s Laura Penrose also offered her perspective on the pandemic. In September 2019, Penrose took over a chain a California MI stores. Six months later, the world changed forever. “For the first six months, we compared it to drinking from a fire hose. There was so much information, growth and fun,” said Penrose. “I knew it was exactly what I wanted to do with my life. [Nick Rail himself] was by my side. We were planning a six-month anniversary party. I was planning food trucks. But then, the governor shut everything down.”

When California schools were closed, Nick Rail Music lost all of its school music rental income, so the retail chain had to pull off a complete 180-degree pivot in its business model. “We said we are doing sales training, product training, management training and leadership training,” said Penrose. “We focused on a lot of things we never focused on before. It was hard. We really pushed our staff. They had to change the entire way they thought of their jobs. For the most part, they stepped up to the challenge.”

Penrose noted that the return to schools this fall will vary by state and region, but she thinks school music will make a comeback. “I have four kids. Any activity I can sign my kid up for to get them out of the house is great,” she joked. “I think people are excited to be in a group again. I love just coming here [to Summer NAMM] to see friends.”

D

eering Banjos' Jamie Deering recalled the past year, stating she had been through everything a CEO could possibly experience in their entire career in just 12 months. “You have to become a medical expert and a law expert, all at the same time,” she said. “… We had a focus of whatever happens, we are going to work our butts off and survive. Banjos is not an easy industry. My folks never gave up, and I watched them my whole life. It was inbred in me.”

Banjos and related products saw immense demand during the darkest days of the pandemic. “Everyone was at home with nothing AUGUST 2021

peak during the SWIM event.

Chris Martin and West Music’s Robin Walenta

Heid Music’s Kristin Masarik (left) and DeDe Heid

THE NEWS MAGAZINE FOR MUSIC PRODUC TS RETAILERS

to do,” said Deering. “We got so many calls from people who had brought their banjo out for the first time in a year and asked how they could tune it. We also had a lot of new customer calls and dealers because people were doing the things they always wanted to do. It was their joy and what was getting them through [the pandemic]. It was almost therapy.”

Chris Martin IV also discussed lessons learned during his “exit interview.” “I don’t think we have the ability to move the market,” Martin stressed. “But if the market moves in a direction, pay attention.” The longtime CEO of iconic acoustic guitar manufacturer C.F. Martin added, “When ‘MTV Unplugged’ happened, that wasn’t my idea, but it was a great idea [for my business].”

Martin remarked that during his 35-year career, he has been impressed seeing how much better the quality of guitars at all price points has become. “My early fear was [customers] were going to go to a discount department store and buy a guitar-based object, get extremely frustrated and not take the time to actually learn how to make it work.”

Martin also addressed how the past year has led to a huge boom in guitar sales. In a prior interview with the Music & Sound Retailer, Martin speculated that this boom was fueled by lockMUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

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Joe Lamond and Nick Rail Music's Laura Penrose

West Music won NAMM's Dealer of the Year during its Top 100 Awards.

Lamond with Taylor’s Barbara Wight

Sabian’s Andy Zildjian delivered the last Summer NAMM speech on July 16.

Lamond with Deering Banjos’ Jamie Deering

Lamond with outgoing NAMM chairman Chris Martin IV

Lamond with Sam Ash COO Sammy Ash

24

Alan Friedman predicted the future of MI.

down-induced boredom, but he joked that he should have added the statement, “I hope I am wrong.” During Summer NAMM’s opening session, Martin elaborated on this idea. “I think I am wrong,” he said. “I think most people are sticking with [playing guitar despite the end of lockdowns]. I have had some conversations with people saying some of the COVID ‘bought-on-the-internet’ guitars are going to end up in the closet or under the bed [once COVID is behind us]. Our job is to make sure fewer people quit.”

In addition to vacating his post as chairman of the NAMM Executive Committee, Martin also announced his retirement as CEO of C.F. Martin. Thomas Ripsam will be taking on the role of C.F. Martin CEO, with Martin remaining as chairman of C.F. Martin. “It was such an honor to serve on the NAMM Executive Committee,” Martin said. “I thought about, How can I top that? I thought about how I could go back after this extraordinary opportunity that was bestowed upon me and go back and do it again. I thought I couldn’t, and it was time for me to be a mentor.”

Martin looked back on the biggest challenges of his career, in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic. “In the late 1970s, during the height of the folk era, we sold 23,000 guitars. Three years later, we struggled to sell 3,000 Martin guitars. That was the company I took over.” He continued, “People said Martin guitars from the ‘70s were [just OK]. That’s when I said it is not about how many guitars we are making. We have to make the best guitars we can. That resonated with my colleagues in the shop. It was not about the volume. It was about the quality. If we do not have the quality, we are not going to get the volume.”

Martin concluded with some advice for Ripsam. “Listen, especially AUGUST 2021

NAMM’s Top 100 Award Winners West Music took home the coveted NAMM Top 100 Dealer of the Year award during a two-hour event at the Music City Center on July 15.

“It is absolutely an honor to be among so many retailers who made it through,” said West Music’s Ryan West. “Congratulations on such a fantastic job. To all the team members watching [on Zoom], this one is for you.” West Music’s Robin Walenta added, “We have 200 of the greatest people on the planet.”

The other Top 100 award winners announced during the star-studded night included: Best Community Retail Store: Mike Risko Music Best Customer Service: Righteous Guitars Best Marketing and Sales Promotion: Dietze Music Best Online Engagement: AMRO Music Best Store Design: Cosmo Music Innovation Award: Bertrand’s Music Enterprises Music Makes A Difference Award: West Music Co. “In the past year, we saw the world come to a near standstill, yet the heart of the independent music retailer stood at the ready to serve its community and help to inspire, console and provide joy at a time when so many aspects of life were changing,” stated NAMM's Joe Lamond. “We applaud all music retailers for the vital role that they serve in their communities and beyond.”

The Future of MI Retailing

Although predicting the future can be next to impossible as recent history has shown, certified public accountant and MI aficionado Alan Friedman took out his crystal ball on July 16 during his speech titled: “The Next Decade: The Biggest Trends in Music Retail.”

“Admitting you’re wrong is not a sign of weakness,” said Friedman. “It is a sign of strength. With that being said, I don’t think I am wrong about any of these next 10 predictions. But I could be.” Friedman’s 10-year prediction for the 10 biggest trends in music products retailing are: 1. Yup, online sales will continue to grow … along with killer social media market campaigns. “Next year, online sales are expected to reach $5.4 trillion in the United States,” said Friedman. “Do I think brick and mortar is dead? Hell no. I think online and brick and mortar are complementary. You cannot have one without the other.”

2. The successful music retailers of the future will have adopted an omnichannel approach to their retailing model. “Physical stores will have self-help access to low-priced accessories, plus one-onone customer engagement for higher-end products,” he said. “Online store activities will use a vibrant ecommerce website, virtual sales calls, videoconferencing, artificial intelligence and launch social media campaigns specifically designed to connect with their target customer.”

3. The updated brick-and-mortar retailing model will strive to be an integral part of the community by providing all of the music products and ser vices their community yearns for. “Services like music lessons, instrument rentals, repairs and tunings, home and school deliveries, product education, instrument storage, and studio recording services will become a must,” stated Friedman.

4. Band and orchestra dealers will remain strong as long as there are well-funded school music programs and serious attention to health and safety. “The indestructible segment of music (continued on page 42) MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

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early on,” he said. “You read stories about when new leadership comes in, [and] they think they have a better plan. They may, but they may want to find out what the lay of the land is first.”

Following Martin’s interview, Lamond welcomed Taylor Guitars’ Barbara Wight to the NAMM Executive Committee. Wight expressed gratitude for the opportunity to pass on her knowledge of the MI industry. “I feel like I have been very blessed in my personal career.

I have had wonderful mentors throughout my entire career. I want to give back as a mentor,” she said.

www.jjbabbitt.com

Marks MI’s Return to In-Person Events

By Brian Berk

“I have heard the comments that retail is dead. Retail is not dead, and I hope it will never be dead.”

—Gayle Beacock

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(L-R) Gator Cases' Crystal Morris speaks while Hal Leonard's David Jahnke and Cannonball Music's Tevis Laukat look on.

Spirits ran high on July 13 at the Hilton Nashville Downtown as many in the MI industry saw each other for the first time in 18 months as the National Association of School Music Dealers (NASMD) show commenced.

Whitney Grisaffi, president of NASMD and Ted Brown Music, kicked off the event by stressing that it is especially important for people to gather in person after such a difficult year. “Some of the best business is done when people sit around the table where vendors and retailers meet,” she said in her opening remarks. “You have a chance to make those connections you would not make other wise.”

Following a Power Hour breakfast, the retailer-manufacturer connection was further solidified via “Vendor Partnerships: Working Together Makes Us All Stronger,” a breakout session moderated by Beacock Music’s Gayle Beacock.

Before even discussing these all-important relationships, she expressed discontent with any notion that retail’s future is bleak. “I have heard the comments that retail is dead,” said Beacock. “Obviously, retail is not dead, and I hope it will never be dead if you are good [at what you do]. We can be good with the help of our vendor partners.”

Joining Beacock on the panel were Hal Leonard’s David Jahnke, Gator Cases’ Crystal Morris and Cannonball Music’s Tevis Laukat. Jahnke was asked what Hal Leonard does to help their retailer partners. “We have two programs,” answered Jahnke. “One is called PROF-IT (Preferred Retailer Online Fulfillment Through Technology). It allows people to order products on our website and support the music retailer of their choice. It was a way, when the pandemic hit, to support the retailer. We also have a fulfillment provider program, also for online. We are a firm believer: we want our sales to go to retailers.” Jahnke added Hal Leonard also has a Digital Retailer Program, which gives retailers access to a huge amount of digital content online at their stores. “So there is never a product that is out of stock, because it can be downloaded digitally,” he said.

Laukat noted when he and Sheryl Laukat founded Cannonball 25 years ago, brick-and-mortar retailers were their main focus and have been the “backbone” of the business ever since. “We totally believed the school music dealer is going to be there forever,” said Tevis Laukat. “When I was a kid, there was a hardware store on every corner. You could get a hammer and a set of nails. But that changed. A hammer is a hammer. You can find it anywhere. But a musical instrument is an individual, personal item. People name their instruments because they are so personal.

“People have always been amazed we do not sell online,” Laukat continued.

“We only sell to music instrument retailers, and to this day, that still is our philosophy. Brick and mortar is here to say.”

If retailers still have any difficulty selling Cannonball products, Laukat stressed they should pick up the phone and call him. “Those that know me know I have a passion for this,” he said. “I can get on the phone and help you close that sale. You cannot have something on the wall and hope it sells. Feel free to reach out to me.”

If all else fails, retailers should ask manufacturers for anything they need, Beacock relayed. “Ask manufacturers how they can make step-up season more successful or rental season more successful,” she said. “That’s what dealers not here [at NASMD] are missing. They do not have that connection. That is why is important to still meet in person.”

“What can we do to support you and make your business grow?” added Laukat.

“As manufacturers, we have to be flexible to make it work for your situation.”

Looking ahead, Morris said Gator Cases is focusing on what it can do as a AUGUST 2021

NAMM's Zach Phillips (right) interviewed NAMM president and CEO Joe Lamond.

Bill Phipps of Willis Music (left) and Manhasset Specialty's Dan Roberts

Jimmy Blackmon delivered an entertaining speech.

company both virtually and in person. “We found there are a lot of things we can really do well virtually,” she said. “For example, we have put on shows where we debut new products. We found we did that very successfully virtually. But the personal relationships and conversations you have are things you cannot do virtually. So, we are actively discussing how we can blend the two to continue relationships and networking. We want to focus on relationship building while also taking advantage of all of these new ways to conduct business.”

Gator Cases is additionally focused on the challenging supply chain.

“As suppliers, we have to make sure [retailers] have products to sell.

We have make sure everyone does well every year. The hurdle keeps changing every year, but we need to come up with creative solutions.”

NAMM’s president and CEO equated the experience to flying an airplane. “In a plane, altitude is your friend,” he stated. “I use the analogy that if both of your engines go out, you want to be 10,000 feet in the air. I don’t want to be at 1,000 feet. I want to have plenty of time to look for a safe place to land. The altitude for us was to make the right decisions at the right moments and know that we will live to fight another day.”

Early on in the pandemic, news headlines were scary, and if you watched the news often, “you were often led down wrong places,” stated Lamond. “The media was seldom right, but never in doubt. I heard there will never be live events again. There will never be a reason to go to a trade show again. To believe that, I would have to believe that 8,000 years of human experience had suddenly changed.

I would have to believe people would not want to come together for trade. … I figured some of these things could be true, but not all of them are true. This setting is the perfect example. We all came together in Nashville not (continued on page 43)

Lamond Talks Leadership

In his first in-person interview since the beginning of the pandemic, NAMM president and CEO Joe Lamond on July 13 spoke at the NASMD meeting to offer his take on leadership. He first remarked that he highly respected people who appeared at the event. “We could not be here last year,” he said at the Hilton Nashville Downtown. “A lot has changed since then, but it took a lot of bravery to be here.”

Lamond reflected back to a year ago, when NAMM had to cancel The NAMM Show for the first time since World War II. “First, you have to get your ego out of the way about how bad it is to cancel the show,” he recalled. “But then you realize this is going to happen. We then proceeded to get everyone back their money instantly and make sure we took care of all of our members.”

Once the decision was made to cancel the show, Lamond said NAMM quickly pivoted to hosting a virtual show, something he acknowledged it had no knowledge or experience of, nor any financial budget for. “When we shut down the winter show, it was a loss of 90 percent of our revenue,” he said. “Always make sure you can recover if you have something catastrophic happen.”

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

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FI V E M INUTE S W ITH

TAYLOR BUCK Marketing Director,

Cordoba Music Group

By Brian Berk Cordoba Music Group (CMG) is a manufacturer and distributor of acoustic and electric guitars, ukuleles and musical instrument accessories. Its brands include Cordoba Guitars, Guild Guitars, HumiCase and DeArmond, which are globally distributed. Other CMG brands include Savarez and Aquila strings, of which CMG acts as primary importer and U.S. distributor to retail stores. The company’s corporate headquarters are located in Santa Monica, Calif., and distribution and manufacturing facilities are located in Oxnard, Calif. Joining us is CMG marketing director Taylor Buck to talk to us about the company and the MI industry, plus more.

The Music & Sound Retailer: Please tell us about ever ything CMG does and the brands it is responsible for.

Taylor Buck: Cordoba Music Group is the parent company, and it oversees Cordoba Guitars, Guild Guitars and DeArmond, the pickup brand. We distribute brands as well: Savarez and Aquila. Cordoba is the largest nylon string manufacturer in the world. We have a big global presence. Guild has been around for decades, [since] 1953. We took on that brand in 2014 from Fender.

A mission of ours has been to get that brand on track as a brand that everyone knows and loves. It has been fun getting that brand going again. We are at the Oxnard headquarters, where we build the USA guitars. So, we see the guitars every day.

My role here is as marketing director. I oversee all the brands on a global level. I work with the European teams and distributors throughout the world.

I joined here in 2019.

The Retailer: Can you tell us more about your background and why you joined CMG in 2019?

Buck: I have been in the music industry for a while. After completing school, I started working for Musician’s Friend as a designer. I became the art director there and took over the creative direction for the company. In 2011, Guitar Center merged with Musician’s Friend and moved the facilities to Westlake Village, Calif., where its headquarters are now. I was offered the opportunity to go to Westlake Village. I was overseeing the Musician’s Friend brand there as the creative director for years. I became creative director at Guitar Center up until 2018. I moved to Live Nation Entertainment, overseeing creative branding. That was a nice jump into a similar industry, but more on an entertainment level.

After a year, I had this opportunity to come to Cordoba, which I had been in a contact with a bit. I had worked to promote its instruments at Guitar Center for years. I really got into [CMG’s] branding. My background is visual creative branding. I remember 28

AUGUST 2021

back in 2007 when I was at Musician’s Friend, seeing the Cordoba branding, and how it was separating itself as this lifestyle company. I was always drawn to it, and this position came up to oversee all the brands. I reached out to them, and I connected with Tim Miklaucic, the CEO, and John Thomas, president of CMG, and we had a great conversation. They brought me onboard, and now I am overseeing the marketing department, and we are building a team here.

The Retailer: You mentioned rebuilding Guild. It is certainly a well-known name. But we have seen MI brands rebuilt successfully, and others not so successfully. So, what were your top priorities when you set forth to rebuild Guild?

Buck: For some people, starting to build a brand is hard to do in an industry this big with so many key players. So, it is a bit daunting.

You have a legacy brand like Guild, that at one point was one of the top three acoustic makers in the world that everyone was playing through the ‘70s and ‘80s. If you were trying to build a new brand now, it would

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

be difficult. But because there is so much legacy to tie into this brand, for me it is about connecting the dots the right way. Guild are some of the best-crafted guitars in the world. There is a reverence there. When people think about the best-built guitars, they think of Guild. For me, I look at a brand that has been around for a long time and has a great legacy to tap into with an artist roster of most any name you can imagine. How do you get that back into the spotlight again?

For us, we wanted to make sure we were still making guitars as good or better than they did back [in the ‘70s and ‘80s]. That took us a few years to get to. We moved so much of the factory machinery over here and had to get that working again with all the right people in place. We needed to make sure everything was carefully crafted and built to the Guild name and specs. We needed to make sure we were confident releasing the product. That took some time to do. We set up that process in 2014. We are confident now that we are making some of the best guitars Guild ever created. We wanted to make sure we were at that point before opening Guild to the doors of the world. We are absolutely at that point now. (continued on page 44)

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FI V E M INUTE S W ITH

LYMAN GUITAR CO.’S STAFF

By Brian Berk South Carolina-based Lyman Guitar Co. had an excellent Summer NAMM show, with some MI retailers seeing the company for the first time and subsequently placing purchase orders. We reached out to the company to hear about its Summer NAMM success, the company itself, plus much more. In return, five members of the Lyman team joined us: founders Art Tantiyawarong and Sophia Woods, as well as marketing and sales representatives Marina Xaykosy, Jordan Atkins and Jake Hammett. Let’s learn much more about Lyman Guitar, which is actively seeking MI retailers to sell its products.

from China. We took the neck off and started over here [in the United States], because the quality control from China to the U.S. was not what we wanted. Anyone who plays our guitars will see we try to make the necks the best we can. We want to make sure beginning guitarists do not stop playing the guitar.

Our guitars are easy to play and they fly off the shelves. They have been selling great for us. We are doing everything here in South Carolina.

The Music & Sound Retailer: Let’s start off with how the company got started: Sophia Woods: We got started as retailers.

We have been in the MI industry for 15 years.

Four years ago, we decided to try something new. First, we decided to distribute accessories. But alongside of that, we thought, What if we make amps? In order to do that, we had to put a lot of thoughts together involving manufacturing and more. We also came up with the name Lyman, which is the name of the town [in South Carolina] we work and live in. We wanted to name the company Lyman to contribute back to our community. Many supporters in town helped us during times of difficulties. Here we are now. In addition to making amps, we decided to make guitars to match the amps.

The Retailer: Having enough supply has been a problem for several companies. Do you have the supply ready to send to MI retailers?

Woods: Yes, we definitely have the supply.

The Retailer: The guitars were on full display at your booth at Summer NAMM. Can you tell us more about them and what makes them cool?

Art Tantiyawarong: We initially imported guitars 30

The Retailer: What were your thoughts about Summer NAMM and how did you do as a company during the show?

Woods: We did great. It was our first NAMM together as a team. We have been to Summer NAMM [separately] three times, but this was our best Summer NAMM. We were just hoping to meet and greet people at the show to introduce the guitars and the amps. We did not expect so many people to come to us. It was a wonderful experience all around. Marina, Jake and Jordan were there as our marketing team, and we were looking for feedback.

We wanted people to let us know what we can do better.

We got great feedback from many dealers.

Tantiyawarong: And we got great feedback from many [NAMM] Top 100 dealers. Eighty percent of the Top 100 dealers who visited us signed up with us.

Marina Xaykosy: Marketing-wise, the feedback AUGUST 2021

allows us to brand ourselves more. I took the NAMM experience as a learning experience and a way for us to connect to people, especially with COVID. Going to Summer NAMM was very special for us. It brought us closer to our customers. Just being there was incredible.

The Retailer: Marina, now that you had a successful NAMM show, how will you get the Lyman name out more?

Xaykosy: The goal right now is to use the experience we all had at NAMM to push the reconnection to our customers. Being able to meet with all of those people let us take the feedback, learn about their experiences and learn what they think of our guitars, and use that feedback when we make our products. We will use that information to create and remodel our products.

The Retailer: Can you give us some information about your specific products?

Xaykosy: We went to NAMM with three new releases, including our USA model guitar. That product has actually become much more popular than we thought it would. We featured the LT400H, an archtop model. We also had our LT200, our newest model, which is basically a second entry-level product. We also have the LS-300.

Woods: We built everything with the idea of making Teles and Strats first. We have entry-level and intermediatelevel models that roughly have a base price between $200 and $350 MSRP. We recently visited a guitar dealer in North Carolina, Guitar Wishes. We were supposed to be there for two or three hours and we ended up staying there the entire day. We really got to connect.

Tantiyawarong: They said [at Guitar Wishes] that after trying the neck, the guitar could easily sell for $600.

Woods: A lot of people at Summer NAMM thought our guitars would sell for $600 also. They were [surprised in a good way]. They thought they could sell it right now. As Art mentioned, it is about making products that are affordable and of great quality and playability for musicians. And make sure they do not need to get it fixed; they do not need to go to a luthier and spend another $200 or $300 to do so.

The Retailer: At Summer NAMM, there were not a lot of the largest MI manufacturers exhibiting.

Was that a plus for you, as you got to spend more time with retailers?

Woods: Most definitely. Our little company got to shine [laughs].

The Retailer: In addition to supply of course, MI retailers are looking for excellent margins when they sell your products. Can you tell us your goals in terms of margins?

Woods: Regarding supplies, we do have inventory. We want to make sure the quality is very high and the products are ready to sell once retailers receive them. It takes about a week to get everything going. From the MAP price, we provide 35 points of margin. We are revamping our website so everything has a list price. Retailers definitely can make money from selling our products. We have the supply, and our products are providing a better margin than most [competitors]. We also do not have a MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

big buy-in. You order six pieces to start, and we go from there. We are family owned. Our team is right here [on the call]. We also have a luthier who is not here today.

We work as a team to make it all happen. We work with the customer and build a long-term relationship versus short-term. The relationship works both ways. We help each other. We always listen to what our customers have to say. That is the key.

The Retailer: The pandemic has brought on more guitar players. Have you been able to sell more products as a result?

Woods: Yes. During the pandemic, we all worried about what would happen. Everyone was getting antsy, as they should. When our governor said we had to close, we asked, What do we do? Our online presence really shined. We were also delivering to customers’ doorsteps in our local areas. Things we had in the warehouse, we had to reorder quickly. We started by advertising for beginners about our $100 guitars.

Tantiyawarong: One month, we sold 50 guitars just on deliveries we made to people’s doors.

Woods: Things have really soared since then. We are blessed we had the opportunity to sell our products.

The Retailer: Are you optimistic about the future of the guitar industr y? How do we keep the new guitarists involved?

Jordan Atkins: As far as keeping players involved in the industry, I do not see it as an issue, especially in our area. With our storefront, we have events and really support the community around us. With our guitars, honoring the Lyman name is really important. Going forward, as long as things do not shut down again, I definitely think we will keep many of the guitarists.

Woods: So many musicians want to go out and play live too. We have always been optimistic. We push for ward and keep ourselves busy while interacting with ever yone. Even though we are a luxur y industr y, I see people who want guitars, and I think it will keep going. Whether it is playing at concerts or at home as a hobby, people want to play.

Tantiyawarong: I have attended The NAMM Show for 14 years. I was never worried people will stop playing the guitar. AI [artificial intelligence] can replace a lot of things, but not the feeling of putting your hands on a guitar.

Woods: During Summer NAMM, I was surprised to meet a lot of music schools in addition to retail stores. It is really good to know that we are teaching the younger generation.

The Retailer: Looking to the future, are your working on any new products? How about exhibiting at Winter NAMM? Woods: What do you guys think?

Xaykosy: We are going to Anaheim!

Woods: We are getting a lot of inquiries about new guitars and amps.

Tantiyawarong: We have received orders for future products that have been more than we expected.

31

M I SPY

ALOHA TO HAWAII Greetings, MI Spy fans! Although I’ve been ecstatic about my return to in-person store visits, I mentioned in a prior MI Spy feature that I would still be taking occasional breaks from the road to visit stores online. So, this month’s report will be an internet-focused report (but don’t worry, I’ll be back on the road next month).

Now, about my assignment this month, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that, thanks to the wonders of the internet, your MI Spy can visit places that HQ would never foot the travel bill for, like this month’s destination: Hawaii. The bad news is, of course, that I won’t actually be in Hawaii.

After all, who hasn’t daydreamed about visiting Hawaii — relaxing on the beach with a cold cocktail in hand, munching on fresh pineapple, peering at distant volcanoes and listening to the sweet sounds of an ukulele?

Your MI Spy has! Yes, a Hawaiian vacation would truly be magical.

(Speaking of magic, sometimes I wish I could make like Harry Potter and instantly apparate to a place like Hawaii.) But for now, with pandemic restrictions still making long-distance travel more than a bit difficult, yours truly will have to settle for a virtual visit to this island paradise by checking out musical instrument store websites and social media.

Although nothing quite compares to an in-store visit, I have been thinking a lot lately about the importance, especially in this day and age, of how stores use not only their websites but also their social media capabilities. Stores can get a lot of mileage from utilizing Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other platforms (Twitch? TikTok? YouTube? Pinterest?)

Social media is a low-cost and fairly easy way to document and publicize your business, and some musical instrument stores are making their posts and curating their social feeds accordingly. Social media is also easier to update than your typical commercial store website.

So, let’s take a look at the online offerings of some of the 50th State’s music stores and see if they are as dreamy as I’ve imagined. Since Instagram has become one of the preferred platforms for retail stores, I decided to gather intel on each store’s Instagram profile. And, given the setting for this month’s report, I was particularly interested in seeing how these stores promote the guitars and ukuleles that they sell.

Strum along with me.

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Easy Music Center easymusiccenter.com Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @easymusiccenter

Your MI Spy appreciates a website that is colorful, easy to navigate and serves snacks … wait, I suppose the last requirement isn’t necessary (especially since I do have a bag of veggie chips handy). I also like a website that offers a clear price range guide, such as the one offered on the Easy Music Center website.

Click on any product category on the Easy Music Center homepage, and you’ll be taken to a page listing the store’s offerings in that category. Look to the left of the page, and you’ll see options to limit your search results by brand and product type, as well as other categoryspecific filters like number of strings for stringed instruments, etc.

You’ll also find the price range guide, which lets you enter the lowest and highest prices you’re willing to pay. Once you’ve set your search parameters, you just click on the product pic in which you’re interested, and you’ll be taken to a page that shows multiple photos and specifics about the product. If an item is sold out, the store can email you when it’s available.

Easy Music Center offers items in a wide range of prices, so if you’re a beginner with limited funds or a wealthier musician, you can find something here for sure. There is also a sizable clearance section to poke through.

Are you in the market for an acoustic guitar or an uke? There are plenty on offer here. The least expensive acoustic guitar the store had in stock was a Yamaha Folk model for $159.99, and the priciest in-stock guitar was a Taylor acoustic-electric at $5,499. As far as ukuleles, Easy Music Center offers a soprano uke bundle (including bag, strings, DVD and a tuner!) for $84.99, and at the other end of the spectrum, they sell two Kamaka ukuleles for over $2,000 each.

Overall, the Easy Music Center website is really nice. The store logo is a cute guitar drawing, and the website offers a very wide selection of instruments, accessories, studio and pro-audio equipment. It’s a bright and clear website, and easy to use. According to the website, the store offers lessons, repairs and rentals in addition to retail sales. You can also click “Our AUGUST 2021

Story” for a brief history of the store, which has been around since 1939.

Instagram Stats (as of 7/19/21): 404 posts, 1,262 followers Easy Music Center’s Instagram is about three-quarters photos of products (not all of which were necessarily taken by them) and about one-quarter in-store photos (featuring displays from the sales floor and staff posing with instruments). I thought the in-store photos were interesting because they offer a snapshot of the store and the workers. But the product photos are appealing and show the variety of musical instruments Easy Music Center stocks (including guitars, keyboards, brass instruments, recording equipment, amps, mics, lighting and more). There were also a few pictures of when the store was closed at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. There were similar pictures and text on the store’s Facebook page, and to a much lesser extent, on Twitter. You can even find a Pinterest pin for this store. But Easy Music Center seems to post most frequently and most effectively on Instagram. Overall, their social media complements their website very well.

Dan’s Guitars dansguitars.com Instagram @dansguitars Facebook.com/Dans-Guitars-299184836861135

The homepage of Dan’s Guitars offers many options, but the most prominent data when you open the page is their pandemic-modified store hours. At the top of the site, you’ll find a navigation bar with links to pages for various product categories, as well as an “About” page and a page for booking instrument lessons or contacting the store via phone or email. Scroll down further to see links for services, repairs, lessons (again) and accessories (shouldn’t this be in the nav bar at the top of the site with the other product categories?).

A major point to note about the Dan’s Guitars’ website is that when you click on many of the product listings, a message comes up saying “This item is not available for purchase online. Please call 808-942-2900 to order.” This could be frustrating for people who are shopping from further away. The website seems more useful for local customers who want to look online to see what the store has in stock before they can stop in, although the product information is sometimes limited, and even product images aren’t guaranteed, with several items listed as “Image Not Available.” Hmmm.

Another issue with the website is that some pages are not completed: Click on either of the two links for “Lessons,” and you’ll be taken to a disappointing page that simply says “More Information Coming Soon.”

Overall, it’s a website that has some nice features but needs more development and more photos to be uploaded.

Instagram Stats (as of 7/19/21): 169 posts, 805 followers I liked the Instagram feed for Dan’s Guitars; it has lots of attractive photos, including many close-up, detailed product shots. Most of the feed is photos of guitars, effects pedals, amps and accessories. In fact, the Instagram page offers a much more appealing set of photos than the actual store website. The feed also included posts about holiday sales, pandemic-related items, changes in store hours and more. There were also some timely one-off posts, like a tribute to the departed

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

Eddie Van Halen. And several posts prominently feature the store’s resident pup, Shibi. (Remember, folks: Pets are always a hit on social media, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a better mascot for your store than your own furry friends).

On Facebook, Dan’s Guitars posts every few days (the store is probably mirroring its Facebook and Instagram posts; if you’re not already aware, there are settings that allow you to add the same post to Facebook and Instagram simultaneously). The Facebook feed also featured some YouTube videos that looked interesting.

I also noted one post on the Facebook feed that a customer had replied to with an adorable photo of his young son playing a guitar about two times his size; it was captioned “My little man tearing it up back in 2015.

Your store is like home to us.” (And of course, the customer signed off with a Hawaii-appropriate shaka or “hang loose” emoji.) Dan’s Guitars responded “You’re family to us. Thanks so much for letting us be a part of your lives.” These kinds of interactions are what social media is made for, and they can help your store win customers for life.

Goodguys Music & Sound goodguysmusic.com Instagram and Facebook @goodguysmusic

The Goodguys Music & Sound homepage has a nice assortment of eye-catching photographs, and the welcome text immediately gives a casual, local feel: “Holding it down on Kapahulu Ave since 1999.” A photo of the store’s front windows and entrance that is posted near the top of the homepage makes the website seem like an extension of the store and not a totally different entity. And I like the store’s logo, which has a G clef in place of the first letter of the Goodguys name.

Goodguys Music & Sound actually puts a few of its Instagram posts right smack dab on the homepage of its website, a blending of online platforms that is so very 2021. It’s another element that makes the website grab your attention right away. And it works, because it’s an easy way to put video demonstrations of instruments or equipment and attractive photos of products in a prominent place (although it could be placed further up on the homepage). The site also has an “Extras” section with some short blog posts enhanced with lots of photos and an Instagram-based video blog.

The focus here is on new and used guitars, ukuleles, sound systems and other items. A large photo slider at the top of the page offers links to product pages for the store’s featured brands, including Fender and Tagima guitars; Kala, Kamaka, Koaloha and Leolani ukuleles; and Roland, Boss and Xotic effects and accessories. Interestingly, the store is showcasing new instruments on its site for online sales, but for used gear, you do have to go into their brick-and-mortar location.

Hence, there is a limited selection of guitars and ukes, but they are presented well on the website.

Instagram Stats (as of 7/19/21): 219 posts, 572 followers Goodguys Music & Sound’s Instagram feed is interesting; there are many more photos with people in them compared to Easy Music Center and Dan’s Guitars. The sight of so many smiling faces and (continued on page 45) 33

I N T H E T RENCHE S

By Allen McBroom

STAYIN’ ALIVE

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“Stayin’ Alive” was one of the omnipresent anthems of the disco era, and a song that I really hated to play when it came up in the rotation at the radio station. The persistent “ahah-ah-ah- stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive” grated on my nerves after a few hundred plays, and I had pretty much blocked that song — along with the whole disco experiment — from my brain ... until yesterday.

Yesterday, I was driving to an appointment, uncharacteristically put the car radio on a pop station, and suddenly the Gibbs were on my radio, singing about staying alive. I never got a lot of sense out of those lyrics, but hearing the song got me to think about the topic of staying alive, and the struggle to keep music stores pumping as we exit what we hope is the darkest part of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For a lot of us, the biggest challenge at the moment is getting inventory to sell. What a challenge that has become.

While I’m writing this column well before it hits print, of course, I’m pretty sure inventory availability will still be an issue as you read this. So, let’s talk about some ways to get the increasingly elusive great sellers back on the shelves and how to make as much money as possible while doing it.

Goal No. 1 is to increase margin as much as possible. Believe it or not, most manufacturers (and some distributors) have better margins available in several forms. They don’t refer to it as a better margin, but in reality, that is what it is, and here are some ways to get it. Let’s say you buy a lot from XYZ, an accessory manufacturer. Call your XYZ rep and ask where the discounts are. Maybe there is a two-percent early pay discount. Two percent doesn’t sound like a lot, but if you take advantage of it, your 35-point margin suddenly becomes 37 points. Maybe they have caselot prices and you can save a few points there. Ask about shipping deals. Any time you can shave a few points off your cost by getting discounted (or free) shipping, your margin goes up.

Look at your sales records. If you don’t have records broken out by items sold, look at your XYZ purchase invoices for the last year. You’re looking for the best-selling items you get from XYZ. Maybe by ordering a sixmonth supply or even more, you can pay shipping on that product once in six months, rather than once a month for six months. If you know you are going to sell it if it’s in stock, why wouldn’t you stock AUGUST 2021

deep and save the shipping?

Lower shipping costs equates to higher margins. Repeat this process across all suppliers, and your cost of goods sold goes down, and your margin creeps up.

Talk to your reps, especially the inside reps, and ask if there are any off-the-sheet deals you can use to your benefit. One of our suppliers gives a much better price on case quantities of a good-selling item, and another supplier gives extra discounts for buying a wider selection of SKUs. If you’re really focused on this, call your rep on the last day of the month and see if there is a better deal for a big order that day. Sometimes folks are more willing to help if it pumps up their monthly numbers at the last minute.

Massaging the margin isn’t something to do once and then you’re done. On the contrary, it’s something you should be doing every month. Since every supplier has their own program, it’s easy to overlook

a discount or shipping advantage, but if you stay on top of it, your margin will go up.

Let’s talk about our other goal, getting inventory in the store. This can be a toughie, but with some creativity, you can bring up your product count. We stay in close touch with one of our suppliers who has been struggling to get raw materials, and inventory from them has been scarce. Two approaches have helped us keep their products in stock.

First, we send them orders on a regular basis, whether they have stock or not. I can’t emphasize how important that is. Most suppliers send product out in the order it was requested, so if you have five backorders for a best-selling SKU, you’re a lot more likely to be in line to get that SKU when it becomes available.

Having multiple orders in place means every time they have that SKU in stock, you’re in line to get some.

One of our reps told me recently that he got a call from a customer who was kind of hot under the collar, because he was seeing online that several stores had a hot SKU in stock, and he couldn’t get any. The customer had ordered some last week, and he didn’t have any shipped yet, and he was railing that the bigger store was “getting all the product.”

The cold truth was the bigger store was getting the product it had ordered six months ago. The bigger store sent in a regular order and kept its orders in line to be filled when inventory was available. The store that sends in one order and hopes they’ll get some,

and then reorders when they are out or low on stock, may well end up perpetually low or out of stock.

Another tactic for getting stock is to ask your rep if they have anything similar to what they are out of. One of our suppliers called recently to say it had a lot of “almost the same thing” in stock, if we wanted some. We ordered a six-month supply of the “almost the same thing,” and selling it won’t be a problem.

Another move is to move up the food chain and get a better grade of gear than you usually stock. It’s a lot easier to sell a

$599 mixer that you actually have in stock than it is to sell a $399 mixer that’s 120 days out from getting to Long Beach.

Whether you’re looking for the better margin or looking for the elusive product to stock, the linchpin is your rep.

They need to move product just as much as you do, so when you can’t get the stuff you want, ask instead about the stuff they have. Talking to your reps and asking some of the questions mentioned here can help you meet your ultimate store goal, which is staying alive.

Happy trails.

V E D D AT O R I A L

CAPITALIZING ON GAINS

By Dan Vedda

Most of us learned a lot from the pandemic year 2020. Depending on the market and position of our businesses, we learned our strengths and weaknesses; the loyalty of our customers, suppliers and employees; and the amount of creativity we can muster under existential pressure.

One lesson learned specifically within the music products industry — to the delight and (sometimes) surprise of those of us who dwell in the trenches — is that people not only want to play music, but that it’s the first thing that people turn to when faced by stress, an unexpected increase in leisure time or the impetus for self-improvement. We started getting calls last February, before Zoom-binging, gardening and even sourdough baking had their moments. Common refrains included “At last I can get back to the guitar!” and “I’m going to need more piano music!” and “I’ve always wanted to play the violin!”

Sure, the desire to play more music or learn a new instrument could have been an impulsive reaction later tempered by harsh reality. Except ... it wasn’t. Of course, families supported the kids in their music studies. But the real news was the surge of adult hobbyists who were galvanized by the change in their circumstances to begin (or resume) making music.

First of all, savor what this means for music: the Gallup polls commissioned by NAMM over several years always pointed out that over 90 percent of the respondents would like to play, if the barriers of time and expense could be removed. Well, last year the barrier of time was removed, and the barrier of expense was weakened because people weren’t able to spend the money they budget for entertainment in the usual ways.

So now we have definitive proof: Dang right they want to play!

Even better, 18 months later, the majority of those pandemic 36

players are not putting their instruments down as the pandemic ebbs. At least in my experience, they’ve found they like and value their musical activity, and following the trends within our society at large, they’re making decisions about what’s important to them and their quality of life. We hear

and, in many cases, distrust the easiest path while focusing on long-term goals.

Here’s what I mean about distrusting the easiest path.

Given the surge in players, it would be tempting to sit back and let things take care of themselves.

After all, we have plenty to keep

constantly about people moving away from cities to telecommute, changing jobs and even industries to pursue goals they could barely verbalize pre-COVID. I fully believe recreational musicmaking is part of that trend, and it has proven its potency. Having introduced music into — or back into — their lives, people want it to stay. I hear stories of families playing music together, parents joining community bands (or even punk bands!), and it’s wonderful. So, the question arises: what do we do about it?

The worst thing we can do is mop our brows, say, “Glad that’s over!” and shift our focus back to the kids while abandoning all our other new players.

Of course we’ll be busy with school programs, unlike last year.

But unless you think the school programs will provide you with all the money you’ll need, you’re shortsightedly ignoring plus business. I’ve always said this market of adult players existed, and not only is that proven now, but the market is mobilized. Why would we turn it away?

So, how do we retain and grow this freshly active market segment? I think we need to tailor our approach to new realities

us busy already. But it would be foolish on our part to expect the trend to sustain itself. One of two things would likely happen: the trend will either peter out if we leave it unnurtured, or someone else (aka corporate America) will co-opt it for their own benefit.

Think of this like planting a garden. You can’t plant your seeds and then just sit back and wait for the harvest, trusting that there will be enough rain and that pests won’t destroy things. An active gardener reaps the best harvest, both in yield and quality.

Here are some things you can do to actively cultivate these new players into a permanent fixture of your business.

• Listen to people who talk of being sick to death of Zoom and screen time, craving first-person experiences. Sure, people could get or continue online instruction and surf the YouTube rabbit hole, but what will really excite them is face-to-face mentoring, touching and hearing products, and hanging out with like-minded people.

Um, kind of like what got most of us started. At least we know how that works! Making your store a welcoming environment where people can learn and grow is the imperative. Think of our job as

tour guides, ready to share our knowledge and enthusiasm.

• Remember the excitement we all feel hearing live music. While in-store performances are ideal, they’re not practical for every location. The good news is that people still get excited about live music streamed via Facebook or other platforms. There’s still some measure of magic in knowing that what you’re watching is happening in real time. Also, making your store a nexus for info on great live opportunities is really effective. Let folks know about upcoming performances, faculty gigs, students or customers appearing live, whether in a club or at a coffee shop or gallery.

People will appreciate you as a taste-maker (or influencer), and the performers will appreciate the promo. No cost to you, either.

• Advocate for opportunities for these hobbyists to play and congregate. Hosting something at your store is perfect, but again, not always practical. But your support of community groups — particularly less common ones like jazz ensembles or songwriter forums — can help foster the sort of environment where musicmaking at all levels can thrive.

Most of what I’m suggesting doesn’t require money, at least not on the most basic level. What it does require is sweat equity: your steady involvement and energy. It won’t pay off until harvest. You’ll have to spend extra time and put some thought into it.

But I truly believe that the hobbyist market isn’t just a “segment,” I think it’s the best case for our strong future. After all, those school kids will graduate. It used to be that we’d wave “bye-bye” to them and turn to the next batch of young students. But what if the school market became the hobbyist market as the kids age out — year after year, for a lifetime?

I think it can happen. I’m working to make it happen. What about you?

AUGUST 2021

S HINE A LI GHT

THE BUZZ ABOUT B’S MUSIC SHOP

By Michelle Loeb

For more than two decades, Brian Hansen has been serving the music community in and around Mt. Pleasant, Mich., first as a salesperson at Cook’s Music Shop and then, since 2002, as the owner of B’s Music Shop.

It was the original owner of Cook’s Music Shop, Rob Cook, who convinced Hansen to open his own store when he was only 20 years old. “I started a little store with a tiny business loan and about 19 guitars in stock,” Hansen recalled.

Over the years, thanks to an expert product mix, a growing roster of services and top-notch customer service, Hansen has been able to grow the business, which now occupies 10,000 square feet across two buildings in quite possibly the most convenient location in town. “Most stores around here are an hour or more away from us,” said Hansen, “so we like being a destination in the center of the state.”

Today, B’s Music Shop stocks upwards of 400 guitars from some of best-known brands in the industry, including Ibanez, Epiphone, Yamaha, Schechter, Peavey and Reverend, which Hansen is proud to have carried for a long time. Customers who walk into the store are immediately wowed by sheer number of guitars hanging from bars on the walls and the ceilings. “It’s solid guitars!,” Hansen exclaimed.

B’s Music Shop is not only a destination for guitars but also for pedals, as Hansen’s self-proclaimed fascination with pedals has resulted in an extensive offering of approximately 500 models.

“There’s a real renaissance now with pedals, and we’ve gotten into some of the weirder brands,” said Hansen. “It’s kind of fun to have a little bit of everything.”

One thing that surprised Hansen is that “a little bit of everything” has come to include vinyl records. This store within a store currently stocks thousands of the LPs coveted by the local college population, among other vinyl aficionados. “That blows my mind that I have a vinyl record store right now,” said Hansen, who said he, personally, only owns about 10 vinyl records. “But it makes people happy, and that’s what I want to do.”

Hansen has also gotten into selling merchandise, with T-shirts emblazoned with the store’s logo proving more popular than ever.

“I’m a weird dude with five cats who owns a music store. That’s why my logo is a cat,” he mused. “We sold a ton of pride tanks with a rainbow and the cat logo. We just have fun with it. We’re an industry that’s supposed to be fun, so let’s have some fun.

To help customers navigate the deep and rich inventory, both musical and otherwise, at B’s Music Shop, Hansen currently employs 10 salespeople. Hansen makes sure that his staff is diverse enough to meet the needs of anyone who might walk through the door.

“We don’t want to put people in boxes,” he said. “We work hard not to be a bro shop — one of those places where a woman walks in and is automatically assumed to be buying for her boyfriend. I 38

always thought of those places as creepy. It’s important to make the store better than that and, I think, the industry overall has evolved from that.”

The main thing Hansen looks for when hiring is someone who can not only fill the role but also do right by the customer, helping them out without making a hard sell. “Customers can tell when you’re leaning on their shoulder as opposed to having a real conversation,” he said.

“We’re a talking place, and my staff has to be able to talk to people and make connections.”

Making those connections became more difficult as COVID-19 took most of the store’s interactions online. The pandemic forced Hansen to get serious about his online presence, overhauling the store’s website and hiring a professional photographer. “Photos are everything online,” he explained. “You can’t touch or play the instrument online, but you can talk specs and show them the photos.”

Hansen also began leaning more toward limited-edition and hardto-find models, “things we know only a dozen or so dealers have, because it puts us in a better position to pop up and get the sale,” he explained. “It’s important to stand out and do a good job. It’s too easy to be a carbon copy of what the most popular thing is.”

With half of store sales now originating over the internet, Hansen and his team have had to work harder than ever to keep up the level of communications and customer service that long-time patrons have become accustomed to in-store. “We over-communicate to make sure our online customers are happy,” said Hansen. “But if they are buying from us, it’s because they want to buy from a real store with real people. We’re still a neighborhood store, even if you’re in Texas or California.” He added, “The fact is, if they wanted to buy on Amazon, they would.”

The pivot toward online sales has helped B’s Music Shop have its best year yet, even as so many of its contemporaries are struggling.

“We’d be down if we didn’t swing into online,” said Hansen, who also moved his store’s lesson program online, with nine teachers giving lessons to approximately 100 students over Zoom.

As disruptive as COVID-19 has been for the industry, Hansen AUGUST 2021

B’s Music Shop 613 N Mission St. Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858 (989) 773-0777 www.bsmusicshop.com Mon.–Sat. 11a.m.–8 p.m.

Sun. Noon–5 p.m.

Brian Hansen, owner

noted that the pandemic has had the benefit of creating new musicians who sought at-home joy to get them through the quarantine. “This is one of the biggest demands for gear since the Beatles were on [‘The Ed Sullivan [Show’],” he said. “We’re an at-home activity, so the pandemic opened us up to a lot of new players.

Our job is to shepherd them and make sure they stick with it, because new players are the lifeblood of the industry.”

Hansen concluded, “Music is a good, fun hobby. We help people create fun. The more people we can inspire to try it helps the industry grow.”

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

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AUGUST 2021

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SUMMER NAMM IS BACK!

(continued from page 25)

Ad Index Company

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AMAHI UKULELES.......17 ARMADILLO ENTERPRISES.............C-II CHAUVET LIGHTING....8 CHAUVET LIGHTING....9 DRUM WORKSHOP.......10 DRUM WORKSHOP.......11 HOSA TECHNOLOGY....35 JJ BABBITT.....................25 JMAZ LIGHTING............6 KHS AMERICA...............7 LITTLITE.........................14 MANHASSET SPECIALTY COMPANY.......................3 MCMILLAN MUSIC.......43 NAMM..............................5 ODYSSEY INNOVATIVE DESIGNS..........................21 TMP / THE MUSIC PEOPLE!......................C-IV TONEWOODAMP C-III VOCOPRO........................13 ZEPPELIN DESIGN LABS................................27 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.

42

retailing has always been school music dealers, until COVID-19 showed up,” Friedman stressed.

“Rest assured, school music will once again return to its wellknown profitability as long as precautions are taken to keep students and faculty operating in a safe and healthy environment.”

5. Online music lessons are neither a last resort, nor a passing fad. They are here and now. “Online lessons may have recently grown out of sheer necessity, but the technology exists to teach music in real time, with zero latency,” relayed Friedman. “Online lessons will surely become the preferred practice for many students and teachers alike.”

6. There will be a continued huge increase in professional home studios for music recording, podcasts, movie editing and other music production. “DAWs (digital audio workstations) will keep getting more powerful,” Friedman said.

“Plugins are rivaling expensive audio processing effects, and virtual instruments do everything and more.”

7. There will be a continued migration away from buying big-expense acoustic pianos to electronic weighted keyboards. “Given the cost, capability, sound quality, portability, software upgradeability and space-saving ability of electronic keyboards, is there really any wonder why acoustic pianos have been on a steady decline?”

Friedman asked.

8. As technology grows at an exponential pace, so do the truly innovative products. This is decreasing the demand for once-coveted objects of sonic analog beauty.

“Sampling rates are getting so good, you cannot tell the difference. I have studio engineers telling me you can’t hear the difference,” noted Friedman.

“What does that mean for these things of beauty that I love?

Amps will not go away entirely, but technology is unbelievable and will put a dent into ‘things of beauty.’”

9. As Baby Boomers die off, so do our guitar heroes … and our financially reckless buying of pricey instruments driven by brand brainwashing. “The reason why we

bought all of those beautiful vintage guitars was because of our guitar heroes, their music and ‘psychological imprinting,’” stated Friedman. He offered examples of Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney and Jimmy Page as examples of “older” guitar heroes.

10. Consolidations and survival of the fittest. “There will be consolidations among both manufacturers and retailers and a continued trend for manufacturers to sell direct to consumers,” Friedman revealed. He also noted the following future trends: there is a growing shortage in the music retailing pool; companies that embrace diversity will win; and continued disruption in the supply chain will lead to greater levels of inventory, which means only companies who can afford it will stock it.

Gibson Opens the ‘Garage’

Gibson Brands hosted a special event on July 14, the night before Summer NAMM began, to introduce the Gibson Garage on 10th Street in downtown Nashville.

“What Orville Gibson started 127 years ago was something even he could not have imagined,” James ‘JC’ Curleigh, CEO of Gibson, said during the event.

“One of the things we often talk about at Gibson is how can we make Orville proud? I am pretty sure if he were here now, he would be proud of what we have all accomplished. … We had a mission: restore Gibson back to its iconic glory. We did not take that lightly. There were times we took a left when we should have taken a right, but we kept on track. Our mission was to be the most loved and played guitar brand again. That’s who we were. That’s who we are.”

Curleigh brought out a special guest to join the Gibson Garage celebration: Joe Lamond. While Gibson is 127 years old, NAMM clocks in a similar 120 years of existence. Curleigh asked Lamond to sum up the past 120 years for NAMM. “If there is any one word I can use to sum up 120 years, it is passion,” said Lamond.

“We are all unsuited for any other occupation — except you [JC].

The rest of us are hopeless,” Lamond joked. “This is what we love, do and believe in,” Lamond

added. “Passion and change are the two things that have stuck with us the whole time.”

Lamond also said how great it was to see a large audience at the event that had made it through the worst parts of the pandemic.

“The end of last March, many [retailers] probably said, ‘Oh my, we are in trouble.’ We are now all together,” he affirmed. “We put a stake in the ground. We put the band back together. We came back to Nashville. The pandemic is not over yet, but we are here.

The family is back together.”

Curleigh then noted that the MI industry has both an opportunity and an obligation to keep the energy for guitar buying that was brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic going. “If someone told me in 2020 that there would be a terrible situation that would lead to a dynamic shift of energy for your industry, your fans and every guitar brand, I would not know what that would look like,” he said. “We now know what that looks like. We have more guitarists engaging in guitar in the last 15 or 16 months than probably the last 15 years. How do we take advantage of that, not just in the music industry, but how do we become culturally relevant across industries? We have a chance to do that.”

Everyone in the MI industry is transformed by being a part of it, Lamond responded. “We are creating a changed human being for every person whom we put an instrument in their hands,” he said.

“Everyone likely has a story and can remember to this day when they first played an instrument or opened the case. … We have an opportunity to create a lifelong music-maker at that moment. We also have the opportunity to turn someone off. Choose the former.

“We can change a human being every time we put a guitar or drum sticks in their hands. We get to do that every day. That has to be the coolest job in the entire world,” Lamond continued. “That is the future. No matter if there are pandemics or economic recessions, every day we get to do that, regardless of the conditions. For 5,000 years of recorded history, people have made music. Based on that, we have a really good shot of this continuing a bit further if we do our jobs right.”

AUGUST 2021

NASMD MARKS MI's RETURN TO IN-PERSON EVENTS

(continued from page 27) because we had to. It was something we chose to do. I banked on human nature probably being unchanged post-COVID.” Leadership involves excellent planning, and NAMM has long-term plans regarding how The NAMM Show could grow.

But COVID-19 threw those plans out the window. “What did Mike Tyson say? ‘Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth,’” relayed Lamond. “Right now, our goal is to get through the next phase.”

Lamond offered an analogy of martial artists often “doing their thing” and acting on instinct.

However, Bruce Lee would continually assess a situation and adjust to it. “That’s what we need to do,” he said. “We have seen lots of challenges in my time in the music industry. I expect we will see a lot more of them.”

One positive the pandemic has brought MI retailers is the ability to handle crisis management. “I think everyone now has a master’s if not a Ph.D. in crisis management,” concluded Lamond. “I can picture someone coming into your office in the future and saying, ‘There is a huge crisis. We have a big problem.’

You will say, ‘Crisis? Sit down. I will tell you what a real crisis is.’”

Jimmy Takes Over

Jimmy Blackmon, who has led high-risk military missions all around the world, including serving as the air mission commander on the operation that netted No. 2 and No. 3 in the “Iraqi Deck of Cards,” on July 13 delivered the closing keynote session at the NASMD show at the Hilton Nashville Downtown.

Blackmon spoke in-depth about his highly dangerous combat missions and then correlated what he learned on these missions to the business world. He called today “The Age of Disruption” and acknowledged there is one big problem: an ability to prepare for the competition, something that provided a huge advantage in the past, is gone.

“In the Cold War, we had all the knowns. We knew the enemy was the Soviet Union,” said Blackmon. “We knew the size of their army. We knew their GDP (gross domestic product). We knew the budget MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

that they gave to defense. We knew their ‘big seven’ weapons systems. We knew we were going to fight them in the plains of Eastern Europe.

“If you have all the knowns, you can create a strategy for overmatch,” he added. “If I know how many competitors I have in business; how many shifts they have, how many employees they have and what their margins are and the markets they are in, I can create a strategy to beat them. But we do not have those knowns anymore. So, we have to fundamentally change the way we define the environment.”

One thing business owners cannot do is predict the future, because everyone is terrible at it, Blackmon stressed. The unknowns always change. The environment always changes.

“We have to align to a common purpose and vision, and we have to understand the talent, potential, maturity and judgement of everyone on the team. And the smaller you are, the more important it is,” he said. “If you have 20,000 employees, you can afford to have a bad day. If you have 12, you better get it right.”

One mistake businesses make is promoting employees due to performance, as opposed to demonstrated potential for increased responsibility. “If you do the latter, you are a global unicorn,” asserted Blackmon.

“People promote because someone did a good job and they say they can do another job. So, they promote to incompetence.

It is alive and well at every business out there. There are a lot of ways to promote performance, but we have to ask, what are the skill sets required for this job? Then, pick the people based on the skill sets required.

Instead, we encourage incompetence day in and day out. You have to optimize the potential of your organization.”

Blackmon offered examples of businesses who have gotten it right and ones who have gotten it wrong in terms of business strategy. He started with a company who got it wrong: Nokia.

“They are an engineering company that made the best phone out there,” noted Blackmon.

“They were so good that in 2007, they owned 46.8 percent of the

market. What happened in 2007?

Steve Jobs walked across a stage and pulled an iPhone out of his pocket. But Nokia had a strategy for the long term. They said they made the best device, and that will win the day. In 2010, Nokia owned 23 percent of the market and still did not hire one software engineer. They did not get it was not about the phone, but the apps. In 2012, they owned 2.8 percent of the market share and Microsoft bought them at a bargain. Nokia’s CEO Stephen Elop’s famous quote was, ‘We didn’t do anything wrong, but somehow, we lost.’”

Blackmon offered Blockbuster Video, BlackBerry and Kodak as other companies that failed to innovate correctly. “Getting ideas right and constantly innovating is vitally important,” he said. “If you get caught on your heels, you are going to get outmaneuvered.

That is true in pretty much every industry because things are changing quickly.”

On the other side, Blackmon offered up Intuit as a company that made the right strategic moves. “They did not originally brand themselves as Intuit. You and I knew them as Quicken, TurboTax and QuickBooks,” Blackmon said. “But they transitioned their programs from desktop software to the cloud.

They went from a closed platform to an open platform. You want to talk about risk? You’re talking about people’s finances here, and you are going to let third-party companies have access to their apps? Abso-

lutely, because it is essential for reaching the objectives they had.

Intuit went from a North American company to a global company. They rebranded, sold off Quicken, and every year since 2007, they have maintained a 12.6 percent annual growth rate.

If that is not enough for you, they are Fortune World’s ‘Most Admirable Company to Work For’ 14 years in a row.”

The closing-session speech ended with interesting anecdotes, as well as a discussion of the characteristics of successful 21st-century companies. Blackmon said these successful companies share six characteristics: they have a clear vision and strategy, they are performance-oriented, they enforce accountability to standards, they pursue relentless innovation, they have a passion for growth and they are collaborative.

“Performance-oriented” refers to measuring objectives and key results. “Accountability and standards” means the company on a daily basis lives up to what it says it is going to be. And regarding “relentless innovation,” “passion for growth” and “collaborative,” Blackmon said as companies scale, they need to expect to face complex challenges and know how to overcome them.

And regarding “a clear vision and strategy,” Blackmon stated “Have a vision. What do we look like today? What are we going to look like in five years? What are the milestones we need to reach to get to where we want to be, knowing we will have to adapt along the way?”

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FIVE MINUTES WITH: CORDOBA MUSIC GROUP

(continued from page 29) Now that we have rebuilt the brand, we are the point of, how do we build the brand back up [on the marketing side]? We are going through a website redesign and a bit of a branding redesign. We are doing a lot more on social media now. As far as marketing goes, there is so much to be gained from content marketing. That is where we are making a big effort. We are getting our guitars into the hands of artists. We are creating content pieces. We launched this series called Guild Factory Sessions, where we have artists come in and perform in the factory and the machinery areas where we are building these guitars. It is a nice intimate take on performance. Content pieces like these go a long way. Shareable content is great on social media.

Guild is an exciting brand to tap into. The more I learn about Guild, the more and more I am impressed by it.

The Retailer: Is content creation a way to help replace the in-person experience we unfortunately have not had without trade shows like Winter NAMM? Buck: It is hard to replace anything in person. The tangible aspect of that event still goes a long way. [On the internet,] you can show something as beautiful as you can and create an environment where you can almost touch it, but you still cannot touch it. The big thing we are missing out on without trade shows are the relationships you build, the communication you have with people on the floor and showing people the guitars and letting them play them. There is a connection involved with ever y guitar you pick up. You know it when you pick it up. That is hard to simulate. There are things we are doing like the website build and content pieces that get you as close as you can to the guitar. We are also doing ever ything we can to launch experiences and show the product in different environments. We have also worked to dial up the audio environment so you can really hear the guitar too, which is as important as looking at it. We just launched an eight-string baritone, and it is hard to replicate the feeling of playing it. But we are tr ying to bring some lifestyle elements into our products. Product demos are also huge. We are really putting a lot of work into them.

But of course, we are missing the aspect of seeing a product and picking it up. Hopefully we can do that again soon.

The Retailer: You mentioned a new product. Can you mention any other products you have coming out or will launch soon?

Buck: On the Cordoba side, we recently released the Matiz series.

They are colorful guitars that are very cool. The C1 model in our Protégé series also offers a low-end price point. They sound great for an entry-level classical acoustic. They also come with a gig bag that matches the color of the top of the guitar. There is a notion that classical guitars look all the same. You might say that if you saw a wall of classical guitars, but that isn’t the case here. It bucks the trend and really stands out. This [new product] launched in Pale Sky, Classic Blue, Aqua and Choral. Those colors really stand out on a guitar wall. The gig bag is made from ocean recycled material too, which is great.

We will also have more Cordoba launches later this year. I can hint at a few of them. One of them will be a game-changer that will bridge the gap between stage-performance classical nylon-string electricacoustic guitars. That will be launching closer to The NAMM Show.

We also have some exciting ukulele products coming out tied to our sustainable efforts with recycled ocean plastics. We are working to tie those plastics into making instruments and gig bags.

At Guild, there are no shortage of products coming out. Everyone there is working nonstop and having a lot of fun. There is a solid-body launching around Winter NAMM that will be a gamechanger in the electric guitar side. We will also have a big artist launch later this year. I cannot let the details out of the bag quite yet, but I can say we are very excited about it. We are expecting that to launch in October.

44

The Retailer: Most every guitar, ukulele and guitar accessory manufacturers have told us sales were good during the pandemic, and many new players joined our industry. If that was true, how do we keep these players involved in MI when we reach a postpandemic period and they have other entertainment options?

Buck: We certainly saw an uptick in the number of people picking up guitars for the first time during the pandemic. Ukuleles as well.

One thing we are focusing on is education. Before, we did not have a lot of educational material to keep people playing. We had a few demos online, but as far as actually learning, and continuing training, we were not offering a lot. Right away, we said, “OK, we can solve it. But we also want to help people grow throughout their journey. We want to have them keep playing.” We are offering free educational courses on YouTube now for intermediate players. Our beginner courses launched with four classes. These courses teach songs, chord progressions and how to hold a ukulele on the beginner side, and then it goes up to intermediate and advanced courses, which we will launch as well. We have about 12 videos that help continue that [musical] journey.

The good thing about ukulele is that if you have any kind of training, it can be easy to learn, especially if you played a guitar. If not, getting a few chords down is easy to do, and you can learn how many songs you can play with two chords, which is great, because it can keep you motivated to continue playing the ukulele. So, it is all about education.

I mentioned social media earlier. We are doing a lot of giveaways. We have done fun challenges like when we have had people do covers of a particular song. We will be doing a lot more of that.

The mini guitar market also is continuing its trajectory. There are more and more mobile musicians and options for people to bring them wherever they are. Our Mini line grew a lot during the pandemic.

We hope people continue playing. Our take is, keep them educated and become a resource for them. We are really increasing the editorial content on our website to help with this as well. We need to have people keep coming back [to music].

The Retailer: To follow up on the last question, during the pandemic, the MI industr y faced an issue it rarely ever faced before: more demand than supply. How, as a manufacturer, did you adjust to make both MI retailers and consumers happy?

Buck: We definitely ran into that. There have been supply issues globally. If it were just the MI industry or certain brands that were affected by this, it would be a big problem. But there was a bit of acceptance of the fact that everyone is suffering from this right now. People were more open to some of the issues we ran into. People who put in orders knew they may not see it for six months. That is a long time to wait, but if you want the guitar badly enough, you might wait that long or longer. Speaking for our supply chain, I know they have done everything they can to find any opportunities, including expanding the staff and the factories we work with to fulfill the demand.

We also made sure we communicated as much as possible with our distributors and dealers to explain what we can fulfill. We did not sugarcoat anything. We were clear with our customers what is available right now and what is not.

On the advertising side, it is hard to advertise anything when you know there is no inventory. So, you get stuck in a tough spot. But the opportunities we had were less product-focused and more brandfocused. It gave us an opportunity to highlight products people may not have known we carried or that we did not place a lot of focus on previously. We saw people purchase guitars that were in stock instead of something they may have been initially focused on. It was an interesting year, but we took it as an opportunity to build our brands.

The Retailer: Anything you would like to add?

Buck: We are very excited about what we are doing with the Cordoba and Guild brands this coming year. Keep coming back to our website. You will see us more actively promoting our products. We will be active on social media and will give away a lot of fun stuff. We also are very excited about our new product launches coming out later this year and early 2022. Stay tuned.

AUGUST 2021

MI SPY

(continued from page 33) shaka signs is welcoming, for sure. (You can even find a picture of none other than Jimmy Buffet smiling and flashing the shaka during a recent in-store appearance.) The feed mostly included photos of guitars, ukes and a few amps, but there were also photos of the inside of the store and its entrance and windows, which were nice to see for someone who was virtually visiting from so far away; it helped me to imagine what the store must be like to visit in person.

As I mentioned before, Goodguys Music & Sound also has an IGTV video blog, which you can access on the store’s Instagram page and website. Instagram makes it easy to host the kind of video content Goodguys Music & Sound is producing here, and it’s a great way to show off your store’s personality.

Island Guitars islandguitars.com Instagram @island_guitars Facebook @islandguitars

Island Guitars has been around since 1984. Its website has a laidback setup, offering straightforward photos and stats for the products available with not a lot of gloss.

The website has a slightly nostalgic feel to it (although obviously not as vintage as its 1984 founding). Most of the photos on the homepage have an old-school look as far as the color quality and composition, and they come off a bit kitschy. Even the store logo of musician, dancer and palm tree in silhouette gives off a throwback vibe; it would make for a great design on a vintage ringer tee.

Now, your MI Spy is a good-natured sort, but there are a few things that I get picky about, and one of them is misspelled words on a website.

(I had a few really harsh editors once upon a time.) In the last paragraph on the homepage, which advertises online music lessons via Zoom, there was a misspelled word that caught my eye, and it irked me a bit.

Minor nitpicks about its level of polish aside, the Island Guitars website is easy to navigate. You can explore the store’s inventory of acoustic and electric guitars, basses, ukes, and accessories. The products are displayed in unadorned photos with accompanying text, and prices are listed clearly. The “About Us” page features friendly short bios of the store’s four staff members. Another interesting feature is the “Resources” page, with links to helpful websites.

Instagram Stats (as of 7/19/21): 461 posts, 629 followers Island Music’s Instagram feed is much more modern in spirit and a real contrast with its website. It’s a mix of product displays, some artsy pics and a series of videos of Pete from the store cheerfully speaking to us and demonstrating various instruments — mostly acoustic and electric guitars, but also a banjo, a lap steel and a few collectible stringed instruments. These types of videos are very effective, if a tad corny; they’re an excellent way to hear and see the instruments, and they offer a personal touch that works great for a neighborhood music store. (Island Music also posts these videos with enough frequency and consistency of composition that you can track the growth of Pete’s pandemic hair just by scrolling through the feed.) The Facebook page offers similar posts (again, Island Guitars is likely mirroring posts between Facebook and Instagram, which is a good move for ensuring that you cover both audiences).

The Ukulele Store ukulelestorehawaii.com Instagram @theukulelestore Facebook.com/profile.php?id=100039830966025

What would an MI Spy story about Hawaii be without a report on The Ukulele Store? If you have ever wanted to feast your eyes on a serious selection of ukes, then you have to browse this website.

According to the homepage, The Ukulele Store offers “The Finest Hand Selected, Hand Crafted, Hawaiian Ukulele” (I’ll have to take the owner at his word). This website and the store itself are as much a tribute to the ukulele and Hawaiian musical culture as anything else.

And dig that store logo of an uke surrounded by palm trees and a big wave — does it get more Hawaii than that?

Your MI Spy has been to many musical instrument stores in the

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

continental United States and seen plenty of ukes for sale under $100, but this website doesn’t feature those types of ukuleles. The ukes displayed for sale here are pricey, for the most part. Several are listed as “Call for Price.” These are serious instruments, and quite a number of collectibles are included among the pack here. If you’re in the market for a high-end, professional model, this is a great destination.

Instagram Stats (as of 7/19/21): 500 posts, 1,836 followers Some of the posts and videos on The Ukulele Store’s Instagram feed feature the owner (even including some cute pictures from when he was a kid). Scroll through the feed, you can see how the posting style has changed over time: more recent posts include multiple pictures, while older posts feature album-style layouts where all the pictures are included in one slide. One thing that has remained consistent about the posting style is the use of appealing closeups to accentuate the details of each instrument. The videos of the owner playing are a really nice touch; you can watch him play a Stratolele or cover “Take On Me”

by A-ha! There are also posts featuring vintage, collectible ukes and intriguing factory production photos. This is definitely an enjoyable and entertaining Instagram feed.

The Sale

Sigh … I really want to go to Hawaii someday. Until then, browsing through these store websites and social media accounts was a treat, and a musical, cultural and historical learning experience, too!

Overall, while I was impressed by a lot of what I saw, I think these stores could be utilizing social media in an even more savvy manner.

It doesn’t take a great deal of effort to post more regularly and with enticing photos, and most of these stores are already on the right track. One thing I noticed was a lack of essential information at the top of many of the stores’ Instagram pages, such as the address and contact data, store hours, and the like. However, they did include links to their websites, where that information could be easily found. The stores also used their Facebook pages fairly well, but there is a greater impact in certain ways with an Instagram feed.

The best store website for my money was Easy Music Center; it’s a slick site with a great deal of appeal. I found the site easy to use, and it displays the products, and their specs and prices, very well. As for the best Instagram page, Island Guitars has a really good feed that does a way better job of promoting the store than the actual website. A lot of that is thanks to Pete, whose cheerful and skilled demos make the store’s Instagram page exceptional.

UNDER THE HOOD: PRS HX AMPS

(continued from page 46) objectives Hendrix and the amp techs explored. We have married our part-selection process with historical research and the Museum of Pop Culture amplifier to create an amp with the same great tone, feel and reliability.”

PRS HX amps bring power and balance in both 100- and 50-watt formats. According to PRS, the HX amps are designed to push the high end so it is very clear, but not so much that it’s harsh, and HX allows for aggression that can be backed off for smooth, sweet tones. PRS HX amps are also designed with internally bridged channels with individual volume controls. This eliminates the need for a jumper cable and allows players to more easily dial in their distortion level and tone through blending the lead and bass channels, bringing

more modern convenience to the amp. PRS has also designed matching 2x12 and 4x12 cabinets for the HX Amp family. Modified Celestion G12H-75 Creamback speakers are intended to “push” and “punch” to complete the package.

“Designing the PRS HX was not an exercise in over-engineering; it’s a fairly straightforward build with the right parts and circuit. We kept historic specs where it made sense, and we made substitutions based on availability, safety and experience. In the end, I think we have made a great-sounding amplifier with exceptional build quality and enough power to blow your pantleg when you play it,” concluded Paul Reed Smith.

The new lineup of PRS HX Amps is available now.

45

U N DER T H E HOOD

PRS HX AMPS

By Brian Berk

PRS Guitars has “let Jimi take over.” The company is adding a new tone family to its lineup with PRS HX amps, which were inspired by one of Jimi Hendrix’s personal amps. While not an exacting historic reproduction of Hendrix’s amp model, PRS HX amps are designed to capture the circuit, as well as the flexibility and power, of late 1960s Britishinspired Hendrix tone in a straightforward design.

“When the HXDA first came out, we were able to look at one of the amps used by the Allman Brothers for ‘Live at the Fillmore.’ Now, we’ve had the opportunity to examine one of Hendrix’s touring amps and understand not just the circuit but the modifications and the parts choices that were made as Hendrix continued to use the amp,” said Paul Reed Smith. “These HX amps are intended to sound exactly the same as Hendrix’s touring rig, not look exactly the same. But we know this is hallowed ground. We feel privileged to reach back into history and bring something special into the current music landscape.”

A continuation of PRS’s popular HXDA amplifiers, PRS HX amps feature a refined control layout and a newly documented Hendrix Touring Circuit. This circuit is heavily inspired by one of Hendrix’s personal amps purportedly used at Woodstock, which Paul Reed Smith and PRS amp designer Doug Sewell were able to study in 2018 with permission from Paul Allen and the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, as well as Janie Hendrix, the legendary guitarist’s sister who serves as president

46

and CEO of Experience Hendrix LLC and Authentic Hendrix LLC and is the founder of the Jimi Hendrix Park Foundation.

The historic amp, which was housed at the Museum of Pop Culture, had been significantly modified by “Amp Doctor” Dave Weyer of the West Coast Organ and Amp Co. Not only did the amp need to work on American power and through the rigors of touring in the 1960s, but Hendrix and Weyer were also dialing in Hendrix’s signature sound.

Still, making an exact clone of the original was not possible or desired, as Sewell explained. “This is not a painstakingly historical re-creation of the amplifier Hendrix used, but a snapshot in the development of a series of modified amps he came to use on tour and in the studio. Consideration was given to reliability, compatibility with his effects and guitars, the tones he achieved, and the feel and response of the amp,” Sewell noted. “We have made an exhaustive search for all the critical parts that would enforce the original (continued on page 45)

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