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Musical Instrument Professional. For Everyone in the MI bussiness.
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FOCUSRITE ORANGE MUSIKMESSE BACKS MI RETAIL CONFERENCE & EXPO LARSON WINDCRAFT
No. 121 • JUNE 2010 • WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK PRINT • ONLINE • MOBILE
STRIKING THE RIGHT CHORDAVSL’s MI brand is looking to open up a whole new world of business
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT PROFESSIONAL � FOR EVERYONE IN THE MI BUSINESS
REGULARS: DRUM NEWS 10 RETAIL NEWS 70 INDIE PROFILE 76 NEW PRODUCTS 60-66 CODA 88
FEATURESLARSON 22The tale of an acoustic brand behind a number ofdesign innovations
ORANGE 25How one young lad created a breakthrough
FOCUSRITE/NOVATION 30Iain Horrocks explains the strengths of Focusrite’smajor brands
WINDCRAFT 33New saxophone sure to get dealers interested
SIGN UP FOR THE MI PRO NEWSFLASH SERVICE AT WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO JUNE 2010 3
COVER STORY 18
ISSUE 121 JUNE 2010
You’ve probably noticed that we’re excited about the MIRetail Conference & Expo at the moment. Assuming thatyou have, you will hopefully also have noticed that we
are making a pretty big deal about that the fact that it’s aretail event. It’s been guided by retailers in order to be relevantto retailers. The conference is full of content that targets waysdealers can make more money and subjects of discussion thatthe vast majority want to see aired.
The expo element is the more traditional aspect of theevent. A chance for suppliers and dealers to meet and talkbusiness. The meetings and talking continue into Roland’s AfterShow Party, where the emphasis is less on business and moreon networking, but all the same, a crucial part of being aprofessional in the world of MI. We are a small crowd here inthe UK, so the chance to meet as equals is a valuable one.What’s more, you won’t be seeing that glazing over of the eyesthat is so common for all of us when people ask us what we dofor a living and we have the insensitivity to tell them.
For me, the resounding vote of approval for what we aredoing came the very day this issue of MI Pro went to press,when Musikmesse announced that it would be the event’sheadline sponsor.
Musikmesse is a trade show – the biggest in the world, incase you haven’t noticed – and it reaches out to the tradeevery year to make its show second to none.
The fact that the show has seen fit to put its name to MIPro’s very ‘umble little offering tells us we are doing somethingright, of course, but also, taking the above into consideration, itsays that Musikmesse really values the UK retailer. Theorganisation wants to get face to face with the UK’s MI dealers,to find out what you want from the trade and from it.
It is also, I believe, a statement of faith in the UK’s MIindustry as a whole and a recognition that, in terms of music,music making and the industry that stands behind it, the UK isa key player.
Andy Barrett
NEWS
EVENTS
SECTOR SPOTLIGHTS
With sky-high ambitions and
the intention to spread out
all over the MI spectrum,
AVSL (formerly Skytronic)
could just be a good reason
for the industry’s big guns to
be a little bit worried
BRANCHING OUT
MUSIKMESSE JOINS MIRC,
YAMAHA’S JULIAN WARD,
SUSTAINABLE MARINER, JET
CITY IN THE UK, YORK STAYS
STRONG
MI RETAIL CONFERENCE & EXPO 13With not long to go now until its debut, this eventhas been consistently adding huge names to its line-up, making it an essential addition to the MIindustry’s diary
ACOUSTIC GUITARS 37A look at the latest strummable equipment
PERCUSSION 48Investigating what’s new in the rhythmic sector
SHEET MUSIC 55The way through the recession on paper
4
22
25
48
RETAILHOBGOBLIN EXPANDS 69Plus more retail news, an MIA update, a Surreylocation report and Mann’s Music in Colchestergets the Indie Profile treatment
Muiskmesse values
the UK retailer and
wants to get face to
face with you to find
out what you want
from the trade and
from them
ANDY BARRETT
EDITORIALCOMMENT
Musikmesse joins forces with new
NEWS
Top level alliance struck between MI Retail Conference & Expo and world’s biggest MI show � Conference includes e-commerce,
Yamaha’s guitar man goes globalIN A move Yamaha is flagging
up as a milestone, Yamaha UK’s
guitar product manager, Julian
Ward, has been promoted to a
newly created global position,
which marks the first time that
a non-Japanese member of staff
has been transferred from a
subsidiary territory directly to
Japanese head office.
Ward’s new title is
international guitar marketing
and product planning manager
and the role sees him taking
responsibility for a range of
international functions,
including product and
promotional planning and
training. He will manage these
and co-ordinate
communications and market
research information between
the European and US markets
and the head offices in Japan.
Reporting directly to the
head of guitar and drum
marketing in Japan, the
appointment illustrates an
expanding recognition within
Yamaha Japan of the significant
role and influence that the UK
and US markets need to play in
ensuring the continuing
success of Yamaha guitars in the
global marketplace.
The new role also recognises
the importance that Yamaha
Corporation now places on
deploying international skills to
better integrate and develop
marketing programmes, thus
ensuring that the detailed
knowledge and skills of key
Western staff are used to
maximum effect.
“I am really excited about the
new role,” said Ward. “I’ll still be
UK-based, but I now have a
global role. It’s very significant
that Yamaha Japan has added
global marketing to the existing
artist relations and R&D
functions that can be more
effectively influenced and
strategically developed by the
highly influential markets of
Europe and North America in
partnership with our Japanese
head office.”
YAMAHA: 01908 366700
4 miPRO JUNE 2010 SIGN UP FOR THE MI PRO NEWSFLASH SERVICE AT WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
THE INAUGURAL MI Retail
Conference & Expo has received
a major boost, with Musikmesse
signing up as Headline Sponsor
as it looks to attract even more
UK dealers to what is already the
biggest MI event in the world.
The Frankfurt show will play a
leading role in what now officially
becomes the MI Retail Conference
& Expo in association with
Musikmesse. It’s a long title, but
then it’s a hugely significant deal,
as Musikmesse recognises the
potential of the event and looks to
communicate directly to UK
retailers via a conference and expo
established with the specific aim
of putting them top of the agenda
and presenting a variety of ways
to improve their businesses.
Details of how dealers can
maximise Musikmesse and gain
practical benefits from their visit
will be outlined at the MI Retail
Conference & Expo, which takes
place at The Brewery in central
London on Tuesday, June 29th. The
team behind the German show
will also be on hand to help
dealers plan their trips.
Musikmesse 2011 takes place
in Frankfurt from April 6th-9th.
MI Pro publisher Dave Roberts
commented: “To gain this level of
backing from the world’s leading
MI event is a huge vote of
confidence in the MI Retail
Conference & Expo and we’re
delighted to have such a
prestigious headline partner. Even
more significantly, it shows how
seriously Musikmesse takes its
relationship with UK dealers and
how keen it is to get more of them
than ever to Frankfurt in 2011.”
Meanwhile, details of the
conference agenda have also
been announced. It will include
new research from GfK, a retail-
focused presentation from the
MIA and panel sessions featuring
industry leaders discussing online
selling and the lessons learned
from the collapse of Sound
Control, Reverb and other chains.
AFTER SHOW SPONSOR
GOLD PARTNERS
PLATINUM PARTNERS
Julian Ward breaks new ground by moving up to Japanese head office for guitar promotions and training
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
11:00 – Welcome
Stuart Dinsey, MI Pro
11:05 – Where We’re At, Where
We’re Going
Matt Gibbs, GfK
Exclusive data from one
of the world’s biggest
research companies.
11:30 –
Reverberations
(Panel session)
Chairman: Andy
Barrett, MI Pro
Panelists: Noel Sheehan,
Sheehans; Simon Gilson,
PMT; plus two leading
suppliers TBC.
What has the industry
learned from the
collapse of Sound Control, Reverb
and others?
11:55 – What Has The MIA Ever
Done For Us?
Paul McManus, MIA
How the trade body can help
retailers sell more product and
make more money.
12:10 – Music For All
Tim Walter, Roland
News on the industry charity’s
latest initiative.
12:15 – Online Selling: Threat
or Opportunity?
(Panel session)
Chairman: Peter
Heath, Roland
Panelists: Jason
Tavaria, Dolphin;
David Briggs,
Dawsons; Harvey
Roberts, Audio
Technica; Paul
Marshall, Marshall.
The single biggest
shift in the MI retail
landscape comes
under the spotlight.
12:40 – Music Matters
Billy Bragg
The legendary singer, songwriter
and campaigner talks about the
importance of music and the role
of retailers across all aspects of
the community – and updates us
on his Jail Guitar Doors project.
EVENT PARTNERS
AND SPONSORS
retail event
NEWS
Sustainable Mariner
SOUNDBITES
Bookmark us inyour phone:
MOBILE.MI-PRO.CO.UK
Jet City gets to
Source in UKNew US valve amplifier brand launches in
the UK through Source Distribution
SOURCE DISTRIBUTION has
announced its appointment as
the exclusive UK distributor for
the new US valve amp
manufacturer, Jet City
Amplification.
Established in September
2009, Seattle-based Jet City is
the brainchild of MI veterans
Doug White and Dan
Gallagher, alongside the valve
amp design guru, Mike
Soldano. Both White and
Gallagher have extensive
experience in the MI industry,
having between them
occupied key roles with
Gibson, Ampeg and Alesis
among others, while Mike
Soldano has carved himself an
enviable reputation as a
designer of high gain tube
amps with unmatched
overdrive tone. The company’s
philosophy is to offer
premium-quality boutique
tube amps at very affordable
prices – by applying a volume
manufacturing approach to
Soldano’s legendary boutique
amp designs.
Commenting on the
appointment, Source’s director
of distributed brands, Howard
Jones (pictured right with
Source's northern area sales
manager, Richard Powell), said:
“Four of us at Source – me
included – are experienced
guitarists and it’s been an
established goal of ours to
increase our presence in the
UK MI market. I can’t think of
a better amp than Jet City to
help us achieve that. There’s a
real buzz about Jet City in the
US that has now reached
Europe and the excitement
that these amps have
generated has been quite
amazing. We can’t wait to
introduce them to the UK.”
Jet City’s co-president, Dan
Gallagher, added: “The UK is a
key market for Jet City and
we’re thrilled to be working
with Source. No other UK
distributor offers the same
professionalism, customer
support and sheer marketing
muscle as these guys and we
look forward to welcoming
many UK guitarists as Jet
Citizens in the next few years.
SOURCE DISTRIBUTION:
020 8962 5080
LATESTNEWS
STRAIGHT TOYOUR MOBILE
collapsing chains, exclusive research and charity
SIGN UP FOR THE MI PRO NEWSFLASH SERVICE AT WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO JUNE 2010 5
”I can’t think of
a better amp
than Jet to
help us
increase our
MI presence.Howard Jones
Source
Distribution
MARINER, THE distinctive UK-
designed acoustic guitar brand, is
claiming a breakthrough in the
quest for sustainable tonewoods.
After two years development,
the company is unveiling a new
‘Green’ series, built from
paulownia. Mariner is calling the
newcomers its Vertys range.
“Although MI’s overall use of
exotic tone woods from
endangered species is relatively
small, it is highly reliant upon
them,” said Mariner’s founder,
Ken Achard. “Ever since the
brand’s conception, we have
been concerned about this and
have devoted our efforts to
producing an environmentally
friendly guitar.”
The backs and sides of these
instruments are built from
paulownia, while the
fingerboards and bridges are
made from sonokeling, a
sustainable South East Asian
species of rosewood.
The necks are made from
nyatoh, a non-threatened
hardwood, and the tops are solid
sitka , another managed timber
Paulownia grows to harvest in
just seven years, compared with
40 to 45 years for mahogany.
When the tree is harvested it
regenerates from the existing
rootstock, so it can be coppiced
rather than felled. It is also
grown successfully with other
crops for the economically
effective use of land.
The wood weighs in at one
third the weight of
mahogany, meaning guitars
constructed from it are lighter
and comfortable to play over
long periods.
MUSIC FORCE: 01780 781630
MARINER GUITARS: 07710
842989
For details on Event Partner Packages, please
contact Jodie.Holdway@intent media.co.uk
or phone 01992 535 647
Thomastik
exclusive for B&MBarnes & Mullins has revealed
that it is the sole supplier of
Thomastik Infeld strings for the
UK. Although B&M – through
the Hidersine Company – has
had the exclusive distribution
rights for a long time, until
now Thomastik Infeld products
have been sub-distributed
through a number of other
companies.
Bruce Perrin, B&M’s joint
managing director explains the
reasons behind this change:
“Thomastik Infeld is
undoubtedly the brand leader,
and as such it deserves clear,
focussed attention.”
Stageworks matStageworks has launched its
Non-Slip Pedal Mat, suitable
for various instruments,
particularly keyboard, guitar
and drums (see page 70).
The product is an alternative
to gaffa taping pedals down, a
common annoyance for
musicians until now.
Infinity GuitarsInfinity Guitars, a partnership
between Jaden Rose Guitars
and The Monkey
Lord/Chapman Guitars has
now been formed, with new
designs already being planned.
HEADLINE SPONSOR
SARAH YULE has been handed the role
of international sales manager by
Numark Industries. She will be
responsible for a number of important
accounts, as well as helping to expand
the business.
Yule has been involved with music
from a young age and left Liverpool’s
Institute for Performing Arts with a BA
in Sound Technology. After graduation,
she began working for Dolphin Music
Enterprises, which she helped achieve
immense growth.
This led to her moving to TL Audio,
a long established manufacturer of
pro audio equipment.
Here she was required to expand
and organise the distribution
structure, as well as helping to re-
brand the company and the Fatman
brand. Her success in these areas
caused her to become sought after
across both industries, leading to this
new career progression.
Yule is also a keen blogger and is a
columnist for MI Pro’s sister
magazine, Audio Pro International.
Numark Industries was established
in 1971 and is recognised as a global
leader in professional DJ and audio
equipment.
NUMARK: 01252 341400
Yule joins
Numark
YORK, ONE one of the world’s leaders
in brass instruments, is continuing
business despite the request by
Schreiber & Keilwerth, its parent
company, for the opening of insolvency
proceedings recently.
York has maintained its presence at
brass events, such as the European Brass
Band Championships in Linz at the end
of April. A number of renowned brass
bands, including The Cory Band and The
Black Dyke Band, which have endorsed
York for many years, have also got
behind the company.
“My players rely on the advantage
York Musical Instruments give us. In
addition to the quality of the
instruments, the company itself has
built a reputation in the brass band
world for reliability and sincerity and I
look forward to working with the new
owners as soon as possible,” said Dr
Robert Childs, musical director of the
Cory Band.
Successful brass brand remains positive despite Schreiber & Keilwerth financial problems
York continues to stay strong
NEWS
6 miPRO MAY 2010 SIGN UP FOR THE MI PRO NEWSFLASH SERVICE AT WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
HANSON CLARINETS has been certified
under the Forest Stewardship Council
(FSC) for its decision to use sustainably
harvested African blackwood.
This makes Hanson, the UK’s largest
clarinet manufacturer, the world’s first
FSC chain of custody for the material.
This chain links all handlers of the wood,
from the harvesters in Tanzania right
through to the instrument manufacturers
and retailers, ensuring that it originates
from a sustainable source.
“We are proud to become the world’s
first FSC-certified maker of woodwind
instruments,” said Alastair Hanson, co-
founder of the UK clarinet maker.
Neil Bridgland, Sound & Fair campaign
manager, added: “Very soon clarinet
players will be able to make purchasing
decisions based on ethical considerations
as well as quality.”
The wood is currently being processed
at a sawmill in Tanzania and will soon be
shipped to Britain. Hanson is expecting to
release its first product using this new
source later in the year.
HANSON CLARINETS: 0870 7440015
Hanson’s to use sustainable woodUK-based clarinet manufacturer world’s first to use environmentally friendly material
“After graduation,
she began working
for Dolphin Music
Enterprises, which
she helped achieve
immense growth.
DJ gear specialist appoints
international sales
manager from TL Audio
FCN MUSIC has been appointed as the
UK distributor for Mi-Si acoustic preamps
and pickups.
Mi-Si has recently announced the
release of a preamp that requires no
batteries at all. This new approach
involves using low-power components
and compact circuits.
To utilise the preamp’s
eight-hour battery life,
the user must simply
power up the device
for 60 seconds. This
new design also
means no more irritations that are
common with previous battery
products, such as extra wires, battery
compartments and RF interference.
The Acoustic Trio, a simple Jack and
power charger with L.R. Baggs acoustic
guitar pickup, is priced at £125. The
Acoustic Duo Soundhole pickup
includes this battery free
technology, as well as the
Mi-Si power charger, all
for £185.
FCN MUSIC: 01892 603733
FCN becomes Mi-Si distributorInnovative battery-free system also introduced by preamp and pickup specialist
+44 (0) 1483 [email protected]
Hiwatt shows
off TubeSync
HIWATT FIRST DISPLAYED KBO
Dynamics’ TubeSync technology at
Musikmesse this year. This device
provides a number of benefits for guitar
users, including reliability and
performance in tube amps.
TubeSync combines with an amp’s
circuitry, testing and monitoring its
inner workings, without affecting tone
or sound. It also prevents the need for
bias current matching, enhances tube
life and can even run an amp at half
power in the event of tube failure.
Hiwatt is the first major amp
manufacturer to incorporate TubeSync
into its products.
“Our amps have proved their
reliability,” said Mark Lodge, Hiwatt’s
general manager. “Incorporating
TubeSync technology has allowed us to
raise the bar further. The benefits are of
great value to us and our customers,”
KBO is currently looking for more
buyers for its technology and is aiming
to get TubeSync included in more amp
products by the end of the year. It is
also in the process of designing variants
that can be fitted by technicians and
even guitarists themselves. Hiwatt is
distributed in the UK thorugh Freestyle.
FREESTYLE: 01924 455414
DISTIE NEWS
08 miPRO JUNE 2010 SIGN UP FOR THE MI PRO NEWSFLASH SERVICE AT WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
London supplier and speaker maker partnership the result of new portable PA series
SCV becomes Turbo drivenSCV LONDON has become the UK
distributor for Turbosound’s MI product
range. Turbosound is best known for its
touring PA and installation products, but
has now entered the portable PA market
with the Milan range.
At the top of this new series is the
MI5, which offers an onboard 450-Watt
Class D amp with two-channel mixer,
offering flexibility for mobile performers.
Turbosound has also recently released
its Aspect and Flex Array systems, aimed
at the live and club markets.
Distribution of the Milan range started
at the beginning of May this year, along
with the new Compact series, launched at
Frankfurt’s Prolight+Sound.
“The appointment of SCV London to
handle the retail channel of our
expanding portable sound product
line is the next step in connecting more
effectively to an even wider
Turbosound customer base,” said
Turbosound managing director
Simon Blackwood.
SCV distributes a number of other
brands in the UK, including Fostex,
Audix and Jamhub.
SCV LONDON: 020 8418 0778
French distributor Saico joins JHS’ worldwide network along with new American supplier, taking the global list to 57
JHS appoints new partners in France and US JOHN HORNBY Skewes & Co has
appointed Saico as the exclusive
distributor for its most popular brands
in France.
Saico, based in Colmar, becomes the
latest supplier to join JHS’ extensive list of
worldwide distributors, now totalling 57.
“The sales team of our Musico
department is really excited to be able to
offer these fantastic guitars to all our
customers,” said Saico’s managing
director, Serge Abraham.
The news came shortly after a separate
announcement stating that JHS has also
set up with a new distributor for the US.
The Musical Distributors Group (MDG)
is now the exclusive US distributor for the
JHS guitar brands, previously handled in
the area by MIDC, based in Toronto,
which will continue as the supplier of Fret
King, Vintage, Encore and Santos Martinez
in Canada.
JHS will be attending the MI Retail
Conference and Expo on June 29th, as well
as exhibiting its products with its new US
partner at Summer NAMM in Nashville on
June 18th to 20th and with its French
distributor at the Paris Music Show from
November 19th to 22nd.
JHS: 0113 286 5381Left to Right: Dennis Drumm, Jack Thompson, Trev Wilkinson, Steven Savvides
New acoustic product enhances guitar sound with no electronics
O-Port docks with D’Addario
D’ADDARIO HAS secured a worldwide
distribution agreement with Dare Music
Group for its new product, the O-Port.
This new gadget is claimed to enhance
an acoustic guitar’s sound without
electronics. The increases in sustain and
harmonic range are even more effective
when the guitar is plugged in and
amplified. This, a D’Addario statement
said, leads to a fuller sound, a stronger
signal to the internal pick-up and
significant feedback control.
It will be sold in two sizes as an
aftermarket, self-installation device,
compatible with virtually any acoustic
guitar model.
“The O-Port is a great new product,”
said Jim D’Addario, CEO of D’Addario &
Company. “We’re always looking to offer
musicians the tools they need – even
tools they didn’t realise they needed. The
buzz around this product is already
stirring, and we look forward to finding
continued success with the Dare group.” D’ADDARIO UK: 0191 300 3000
“The appointment of
SCV is the next step in
connecting to a wider
customer baseSimon Blackwood,
Turbosound MD
SIGN UP FOR THE MI PRO NEWSFLASH SERVICE AT WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO JUNE 2010 9
DISTRIBUTION PROFILE
Year Established: 1999 (1989 in the US)
Number of employees: 72 in total for the UK, six
in the MI division.
Is business up or down compared to last year?
Up, due to improved manufacturing volume,
exciting new product launches and investment into
improving service and support.
How has the economic climate affected business?
This is the third recession I have been through and
each time I’ve found that business always comes
back. There was a definite dip last year but we are
seeing UK business starting to build again. Our
attitude is just to keep our heads up and get on
with the job in hand.
What are your best-selling lines, and why do
you think they perform so well?
Mackie and Ampeg are our best sellers, due to
innovation and heritage.
Mackie is renowned for introducing the affordable
pro-quality mixer with the CR1604, followed by the
iconic Mackie 8-Bus recording console.
With Ampeg, it’s also a case of history. It
invented the bass amp and went on to produce the
renowned Ampeg B15 in the 1960s. It also released
the first SVT Amplifier, and this went on to be used
by most top acts at the time.
The Mackie Thump 15A has just been a runaway
success. The key is down to EAW technology and
Mackie design at an unbeatable price point.
How does Loud feel the UK market differs from
other global markets?
It clearly is a mature market so creating real waves
isn’t going to be easy. Having said that, the changes
in the retail side of the market that have occurred
over the past couple years have really opened
things up, leaving business a little more balanced.
We do not see a great difference between the UK
and other similar economies in terms of the mix of
products sold.
What distinguishes you from the competition?
Our EMEA division is based in the UK so we have
close contact with our colleagues in the different
European countries. As we sell directly to dealers in
Germany, France and Benelux we can all operate
from the same price sheet. This gives us a strong
advantage over some UK-only distributors.
I think the breadth of our product portfolio
surprises many customers. With Ampeg, Mackie,
Alvarez and Blackheart as well as Martin Audio &
EAW in the pro-audio market, we have strong
brands delivering great quality and good value.
How do you maintain a good relationship with
retailers?
Legwork. I think good relationships are maintained
at the personal level. I also think not being afraid to
accept honest criticism helps.
What would you say is the biggest challenge
facing the MI industry today?
The UK market is now open to the rest of Europe,
with the internet providing transparency of pricing
and service to consumers. Retailers of the future
will need to have a strong focus on IT and logistics
to be successful.
What are your aims for the next 12 months?
To build on the progress we’ve made over the past
year. Our new production facilities have greatly
improved some of the supply issues we had last
year, so now it’s time to build on that foundation.
We are offering our customers products with good
profit potential and a real point of difference.
High Wycombe
LOUD TECHNOLOGIES
John Kaukis and
Gemma Andrews
explains the
reasons behind
Loud’s global
success and offers
some advice to
smaller suppliers...
Address: Unit 2, Century Point, Halifax Road,
Cressex Business Park, High Wycombe,
Buckinghamshire HP12 3SL, England
Phone: 01494 557398
Fax: 01494 557396
Web: www.loudtechinc.com
CONTACT DETAILS
DRUMMER MAGAZINE’S London
Drum Show, which will take
place on September 4th and 5th
2010 at Olympia in London has
already pulled together an
impressive line-up in terms of
both exhibitors and artists for its
inaugural happening.
Companies from the
distribution side of the trade at
the show include Korg (Paiste,
Mapex and Vic Firth), Remo,
Pearl, MI Direct (Silver Fox
Drumsticks), Hardcase and Alfred
Publishing, with Premier, Marshall
(Natal), Meinl, Istanbul, Ahead
Drumsticks, Soultone Cymbals,
Ford Drums, Tama, Dream
Cymbals, Sound Attack, Rosetti,
Pro-Mark and Yamaha also
signing up. On the retail side,
there will be the Wembley Drum
Centre, London Drum Company
and Percussity.
MI Pro’s sponsor of all things
drum and percussion related,
Mikedolbear.com, will be
presenting a series of high profile
artists in a master class situation
in a 300-seater suite. The Live
Stage auditorium will feature
plush tiered seating and
excellent acoustics, ensuring that
both artists and audience have
the utmost experience over the
two days.
On the artist front, Benny
Greb, Mike Mangini and Pete
Lockett have all been confirmed
to appear at the show.
Greb’s global status amongst
drummers has risen
phenomenally with appearances
at major drum festivals around
the world and in 2009 he
released The Language of
Drumming: A System For Musical
Expression DVD on the Hudson
Music label, showing his unique
approach to drumming.
Mark DeCloedt, Pearl’s
European artist relations
manager, confirmed that
American drummer Mike Mangini
will be present, performing on the
Saturday (September 4th).
DeCloedt has performed and
recorded with a host of artists
and has successfully applied his
Rhythm Knowledge learning
method to all styles of music. He
is a full-time faculty member at
Berklee College of Music along
with being appointed to its
educational committee and as
advisor to the percussion
students. He is the recipient of
several signature products
including Zildjian’s Trashformer
EFX cymbal, Mike Mangini
signature sticks and the Pearl
Mike Mangini Golden Ratio
snare drum.
Positive statements from the
industry have been numerous,
with Marshall’s new purchase,
Natal, backing the event. “Natal
is entering a new age in 2010 so
it’s perfect for us to be exhibiting
at the London Drum Show,” said
Craig Clover, the worldwide sales
and product manager for the
brand. “Natal prides itself on its
long British heritage and as this
era begins for the company,
under the new ownership of
Marshall Amplification, it seems
fitting to be involved with a
major UK event such as this. The
show will provide an excellent
platform to display and
demonstrate the new Natal
product ranges and to meet and
talk to Natal players and
customers, old and new.”
The organiser, Drummer
magazine’s publisher Oyster
House, stated that more artists at
the show will be unveiled soon.
THIS PAGE IS SPONSORED BY MIKEDOLBEAR.COM, THE LEADING ONLINE RESOURCE FOR EVERYTHING DRUMS.
VISIT WWW.MIKEDOLBEAR.COM FOR MORE DETAILS.
DRUM NEWS
10 miPRO JUNE 2010 SIGN UP FOR THE MI PRO NEWSFLASH SERVICE AT WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
Drum show starting to take shapeOyster House announces increasing exhibitor list and initial artist roster with more to follow in the near future
STUDENTS FROM Birmingham
and Derby Yamaha Music
Schools hit a high note with
Childline founder Esther
Rantzen, when she visited
Yamaha’s head office in Milton
Keynes to congratulate Yamaha
Music Schools for creating the
Childline Rocks fundraising
campaign, which offers free
music lessons in return for a
small donation in aid of
Childline.
The number of musicians
backing the scheme continues
to grow with The Enemy, Carl
Barat and Reverend and the
Makers recently performing a
Childline Rocks gig at the
Shepherd’s Bush Empire.
Gary Seeney and Gail
Dallali, owners of the
Birmingham and Derby Yamaha
schools, each presented Esther
Rantzen with a cheque for
£1,000. “These cheques are
just the first of the many we
hope to raise from free lessons,
concerts and various activities
within the school and with our
colleagues around the
country,” said Seeney.
Childline Rocks aims to raise
awareness of Childline, which
currently can only answer two
thirds of the 2.3 million calls it
receives every year.
Esther Rantzen bangs
drum for Childline
Left: Benny Greb and
Below: Pete Lockett
Zildjian Mission from Gadd rescheduledYAMAHA MUSIC (UK), Zildjian’s
distributor in the UK and Ireland,
has announced the rescheduled
dates for the Mission from Gadd
European tour, which was
postponed due to the grounding
of flights into the UK after the
volcanic eruption in Iceland.
The replacement dates are
September 3rd, 6th & 8th, and
due to the new position in the
calendar, it has been possible to
add a further date on the tour,
which will be in Manchester on
September 7th.
Details for the dates are:
Friday 3rd (Hexagon, Reading:
0118 960 6060), Monday 6th
(The Helix, Dublin: +353 1 700
7000), Tuesday 7th (Royal
Northern College of Music,
Manchester: 0161 907 5555) and
Wednesday 8th (Corn Exchange,
Edinburgh: 0844 415 5221).
“I was very disappointed that
we had to postpone the first few
dates of the tour due to the
volcano, but I’m excited to come
to the UK and Ireland in
September and meet all the
drummers,” commented Steve
Gadd in the announcement.
“We heard that the unaffected
dates in Holland, Germany, Italy
and Spain were an amazing
success, so I am really grateful to
Steve that he has been able to
find time to re-arrange
everything,” added Gavin
Thomas, the product manager for
Yamaha Drums and Zildjian.
“With the addition of the new
date in Manchester and moving
to a larger theatre in Dublin, it is
wonderful to know that even
more people will now get the
chance to experience the show.”
YAMAHA: 01908 366700
Above: Steve Gadd is looking forward to the UK and Ireland dates
0845 270 2411 0845 270 2433 www.chordmusic.co.uk
OD-50 OverdriveRef: 174.204UK
HM-50 Heavy MetalRef: 174.207UK
MT-50 Metal DriverRef: 174.210UK
SD-50 Super DistortionRef: 174.213UK
CM-50 CompressorRef: 174.216UK
GE-50 Graphic EQRef: 174.219UK
PH-50 PhaserRef: 174.222UK
FL-50 FlangerRef: 174.225UK
CH-50 ChorusRef: 174.228UK
DL-50 DelayRef: 174.231UK
BOD-50 Bass OverdriveRef: 174.234UK
BEQ-50 Bass Graphic EQRef: 174.237UK
BCH-50 Bass ChorusRef: 174.240UK
TU-50 Pedal TunerRef: 174.243UK
DS-50 DistortionRef: 174.201UK
These authentically styled ‘Chord’ pedals all come housed in a heavy duty die-cast case to withstand stage abuse and stay put underfoot.
They have a pure analogue signal chain combined with up-to-date features to satisfy the demands of today’s guitarists, without the exclusive price tag.
... with our NEW range of eff ects pedals!
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Find the perfect stomp pedal for your needs by listening to the sounds and eff ects that can be created at www.chordmusicuk.com
You may feel you’ve had quite
enough of manifestos. Totally
understandable. But, if you’ll indulge
us, here’s one more.
The good news is there will be no
mention of electoral reform or ‘frontline
services’. Instead, we’re presenting a set of
guiding principles behind the MI Retail
Conference & Expo. It’s our 12-point plan
for an event that we hope will become a
regular fixture in our industry’s calendar
and deliver tangible benefits
for all sectors.
We hope we can
count on your
support come the
big day...
1) IT’S ALL ABOUT
RETAIL
The clue’s in the
name, of course. The
MI Retail Conference
& Expo has been
created with dealers at
the top of the agenda.
The vast majority of
delegates will be retailers
(currently over 150
confirmed – see
separate box). The
conference content
has been designed
specifically to help them run better
businesses and make more money. The MI
Retail Conference & Expo is the brainchild
of this magazine. And, just as dealers are
the lifeblood of MI Pro, they are the raison
d’etre behind the event.
2) FREE TO RETAIL
The MI Retail Conference & Expo is, of
course, free to all retailers. In fact, they
have been specifically invited and
incentivised through goody bags that
include an iPod Touch.
3) IT’S NOT A TRADE SHOW
Our feeling was that there isn’t the
appetite for a fully blown, bells and
whistles, two or three day trade show. No
one really wants to trudge aisles, hopefully
chuck around some business cards, eat
slightly limp sandwiches in plastic
containers and end up not entirely sure if
the whole thing’s been worthwhile. Trade
shows can be a little... unfocused. They
become all about selling space and filling
time. At the MI Retail Conference & Expo,
space and time are very deliberately
limited and both will be used smartly.
4) OPEN TO ALL (1)
Hundreds of dealers have received
personal invitations from MI Pro based on
lists supplied by our Event Partners. But
the event is open to all dealers,
regardless of size, location,
stock profile, etc. The
majors such as Dawsons,
Dolphin and PMT will
be represented, of
course, but the vast
majority will be
independent stores.
Some have been around
for decades, others are
yet to open.
5) OPEN TO ALL (2)
Our Event Partners
represent pretty much every
corner of the catholic business
of MI supply (see separate
box for full details). There
are long-established
mainstream distributors,
world-beating
manufacturers, acoustic specialists, pro
audio crossover brands and even insurance
companies. All will be given one of two
tightly defined levels of prominence at the
Conference & Expo and within MI Pro’s
guide to the event (bundled with next
month’s issue). None will dominate any
element. All will get great exposure, time
with dealers and opportunities to do
business. Which brings us to...
6) BUSINESS, NOT SHOW BUSINESS
A key goal is to provide a professional
environment conducive to doing business.
The MI Retail Conference & Expo is about
exchanging ideas, learning, discussing,
meetings and networking. It’s not public-
facing in any way and isn’t a platform for
corporate willy-waving.
7) (CONFERENCE) CONTENT IS KING
The Conference programme (page 14 box)
has been designed in close co-operation
with our Event Partners and, to an even
greater degree, the dealers. All attending
retailers were sent a questionnaire, and
one of the things we wanted to know was
what they’d like discussed. The most
common responses were to do with online
selling and the ramifications of the Sound
Control/Reverb collapse(s). They’re also by
far the most (and most passionately)
discussed subjects via the comment
section on our website. So, the two
centrepiece panel sessions will tackle both
these topics, with input from leading
figures representing all sectors of the
industry.
8) BE INCLUSIVE
The event is being launched by MI Pro, but
it’s absolutely not about MI Pro or for MI
Pro. It’s about the trade and for the trade.
To that end, we’ve involved the MIA and
both retail buying groups, Rocktronic and
Euromusic. We’ve also invited an MI-based
charity along – Jail Guitar Doors.
9) LOW COST, NO HASSLE
The MI Retail Conference & Expo is
designed very deliberately to create more
business, not more work for our Event
Partners. The simple, shell scheme stands
are pre-built and ready to use. They can all
literally just turn up on the day. And it is
just a day. We know time out of the office
is a push for all businesses, retailers and
suppliers, so we’re keeping it tight and
making it focused.
10) IT’S NOT JUST ONE DAY
The event itself is, of course, just one day
(see point 9), but the build-up and the
coverage means that the reach is far more
sustained than one day and far wider than
the physical audience. The conference
content, the key discussions and
opinions as well as our Event Partner
messages and branding will all be
amplified hugely though the pages of MI
Pro and on our website.
11) BRING THE TRADE TOGETHER
There are good reasons why there’s no
dedicated trade show anymore and why
there’s no trade day at this year’s London
Music Show. But it does mean that there
are probably fewer opportunities than ever
for the trade to get together. So, at a very
basic level, the MI Retail Conference &
Expo is at least one opportunity, one day,
when the market’s most pro-active,
successful and forward thinking retailers
can spend time with manufacturers and
distributors that believe co-operation and
communication can only do good.
12) EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY
A peripheral benefit of limiting the
numbers of delegates and Partners is that
the intimate nature of the event makes it
far easier to network and socialise, and
eats and drinks can be an integral, civilised
part of the day rather than mere fuel
stops. A top quality lunch will be served in
a separate room adjacent to the expo,
providing the first opportunity to pick over
the main points thrown up by the
conference, before heading off to meet
Partners and discuss business. Then, when
the Expo closes, the After Show Party,
sponsored by Roland, starts at a bar
directly over the road and, again, there’ll
be some food, some drinks and another
opportunity to chat with friends and
partners before The Fabulous Beatles take
to the stage and give it some Yeah Yeah
Yeah to close proceedings.
WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO JUNE 2009 13
MI Pro’s first ever trade gathering is less than a month away and already promising to be a ‘must-attend’ date in the MI
calendar. MI Pro’s publisher, Dave Roberts, and managing editor, Andy Barrett, take you through what it’s all about…
Trading place
MUSIKMESSE � EVENT REPORT
“The clue is in the name. The MI retail
Conference & Expo has been created with dealers
at the top of the agenda. Just as they are the
lifeblood of MI Pro, they are also the raison d’etre
behind the event.
MI RETAIL CONFERENCE & EXPO EVENT PREVIEW
MI RETAIL CONFERENCE & EXPO JUNE 29TH, THE BREWERY, CHISWELL STREET (BARBICAN), LONDON
After consultation with all of the retail
delegates and Event Partners, the subject
matter for the crucial conference section
of the event is now in place, with every
talk and session targeting aspects of our
industry that can improve our
relationships, focus our efforts, and boost
our business, while we air our views.
From stats and associations to
charities and business, the speakers and
participants have been specifically chosen
for the role they play in our trade.
11:00 – Welcome
Stuart Dinsey, MI Pro
11:05 – Where We’re At, Where
We’re Going
Matt Gibbs, GfK
Exclusive data from one of the world’s
biggest research companies.
11:30 – Reverberations
(Panel session)
Chairman: Andy Barrett, MI Pro
Panelists:
Noel Sheehan, Sheehans
Simon Gilson, PMT
Plus two leading suppliers TBC.
What has the industry learned from the
collapse of Sound Control, Reverb and
others?
11:55 – What Has The MIA Ever Done
For Us?
Paul McManus, MIA
How the trade body can help retailers sell
more product and make more money.
12:10 – Music For All
Tim Walter, Roland
News on the industry charity’s latest
initiative, Three Men on a Bike.
12:15 – Online Selling: Threat or
Opportunity?
(Panel session)
Chairman: Peter Heath, Roland
Panelists:
Jason Tavaria, Dolphin
David Briggs, Dawsons
Harvey Roberts, Audio Technica
Paul Marshall, Marshall.
The single biggest shift in the MI retail
landscape comes under the spotlight with
input from all sectors of the trade.
12:40 – Music Matters
Billy Bragg
The legendary singer, songwriter and
campaigner talks about the importance
of music and the role of retailers across
all aspects of the community – and
updates us on his innovative Jail Guitar
Doors project.
14 miPRO JUNE 2009 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
firstimpressions
MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION
First Impressions allows Audio-Technica’s MI retailers to
offer something extra to their customers both in terms of
convenience and price.
To find out more visit www.audio-technica.com/firstimpressionsor to register your interest in participating in the scheme, contact your
area sales coordinator by phone on 0113 277 1441 or by email at
EVENT PREVIEW MI RETAIL CONFERENCE & EXPO
From Ackerman to Wembley via Dolphin
and Dawsons, just about every type of
MI retail store is to be represented at
the MI Retail Conference & Expo;
whether independent, multiple, bricks
and mortar or online, the delegates at
the gathering will be as complete a
cross-section of MI’s front line as one
could wish for.
In fact, it isn’t too much to say that
we at MI Pro have been blown away by
the response from the dealer segment of
the industry, so much so that we have
had to move the conference into a larger
room to accommodate the interest.
Our original target of 200 delegates
has been easily surpassed and we now
have over 150 retail businesses
represented by senior directors, owners,
managers and buyers on behalf of
literally hundreds of store outlets – not
only because of the store chains
represented, but also thanks to the
participation at the event of the
Euromusic and Rocktronic buying
consortiums, which between them have
well over 100 stores.
As we have said, this event is all
about MI retail and MI retailers – these
are the people that have shaped the
conference and who are the motivation
for it.
RETAILERS
Key speakers Billy Bragg (far left) and Matthew Gibbs (far right) alongside panelists David Briggs and Jason Tavaria
Simon Gilson, Paul Marshall, Peter Heath and Noel Sheehan will all be panelists at the inaugural MI conference
Conference content
16 miPRO JUNE 2009 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
EVENT PREVIEW MI RETAIL CONFERENCE & EXPO
SCHEDULE10:30-11:00: Registration
11:00-13:00: Conference
(see page 14)
13:00-14:00: Networking Buffet
13:00-18:00: Expo
18:00-23:00: After Show Party
(sponsored by Roland at the Parker
McMillan Bar directly across the
road from The Brewery). Delegate
goodie bags, including an iPod
touch, will be given out at the
After Show Party.
GETTING THERE, STAYING THERE
The Brewery is situated at 52
Chiswell Street, London EC1Y 4SD
just down the road from the
Barbican tube station on the Central,
Hammersmith & City and
Metropolitan lines, but is also within
walking distance of Moorgate
(Central, Hammersmith & City,
Metropolitan and Northern lines)
and Old Street (Northern line).
Those arriving by car can take
advantage of nearby parking
facilities. The Finsbury Square
Underground (London, EC2A 1AD –
0845 050 7080) is an underground
car park, just 200 metres from The
Brewery, with 258 parking spaces
and a tariff of £36 for 24 hours (£6
per hour).
Aldersgate Street Car Park (158-
170 Aldersgate Street, London EC1A
4HY – 0845 050 7080) is another
underground facility and is 800
metres from the venue. The charge is
£30 for 24 hours (£6 per two hours).
Both car parks allow motorcycle
parking for £4 per day.
If you are attending the event
from further afield and haven’t
already booked yourself into a local
hotel, then have a look at the
special offers that are available at
the following.
HotelProximity to
The BreweryRoom Type Full Rate Special Rate
Thistle CityBarbican
10 minute
walk single
Single
Twin
£263.20
£299.75
£175.07
£186.83
The Kingsley 5-10 minute
taxi ride
Single
Twin
£320.85
£332.25
£143.50
£153.75
Park Inn
Russell Square
10 minute
taxi ride
Single
Twin
£234
£279
£140
£150
Ambassadors
Bloomsbury
10 minute
taxi ride Single
Twin
£255
£275
£140
£150
Strand Palace
Club Rooms
5-10 minute
taxi ride
Single
Twin
£235
£235
£117.50
£141
Travelodge London
City Road Lodge
5-10 minute
walk single
Single
Twin
£89
£89
£89
£89
St Giles
Bloomsbury
10 minute
taxi ride
Single
Twin
£135
£155
£82
£102
President
Russell Square
10 minute
taxi ride
Single
Twin
£73
£97
£73
£97
These rates are inclusive of English Breakfast. All rates are per room per night
including service and VAT and are subject to availability. Please note that full
payment by credit card is required for the Travelodge at the time of booking To
book your accommodation at these special rates contact us quoting MIRC 10
PLATINUM PARTNERS
AFTER SHOW SPONSOR
GOLD PARTNERS
For details on Event Partner Packages, please contact [email protected] or phone 01992 535 647
HEADLINE SPONSOR
For dealer information, visit our dedicated UK website at www.daddario.co.uk/inkedInked by Evans available from D’Addario UK, A3 Eleventh Avenue, Gateshead, NE11 0JY T: 0191 300 3000
COVER FEATURE AVSL
18 miPRO JUNE 2010 WW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
If the name AVSL currently means little
to you and, by and large, the debut of
a new entry-level range of MI products
doesn’t exactly set your pulse racing, now
might be a good time to make a cup of
coffee and find out what is on the way –
and why. Manchester-based AVSL is a
sizeable company with a wealth of
experience. How come you’ve never
heard of it then? Well, you almost
certainly have, but under its previous
name – Skytronic.
Most associated with DJ, PA and
electronic products, Skytronic has
undergone a major reorganisation and re-
branding operation in recent years. Now
called, somewhat anonymously, AVSL (the
umbrella name for the entire group), a
new brand – Chord – has been created as
the home for a range of MI products. This
will ultimately encompass keyboards,
guitars, wind, drums and percussion to PA
and even high-tech, to run alongside
established AVSL brands such as Miditech
and Nu-X Technology. It’s an ambitious
programme, with a major new catalogue
appearing this month. AVSL is absolutely
confident it can establish Chord as a
major MI brand with music shops across
the UK and, eventually, internationally as
well. The company’s marketing manager,
Becky Stanton, and AVSL’s product
manager for music products, Andy Elly,
explained why.
MI Pro: To start at the beginning, most
MI Pro readers will already know
Skytronic and particularly some of
your veteran brands, like Citronic. Why
have you morphed into AVSL and what
does this mean for retailers?
Becky Stanton: The change to AVSL was
so that we could globally market our
brands. The AVSL name allows us to do
that and develop the brands on their
own. Previously, Skytronic was the
company name as well as a brand of ours,
so AVSL has become the mother brand,
with Chord, Citronic and the others as
sub-brands. On a smaller scale, of
course, it’s a bit like Proctor and Gamble,
which is the company, with its other
brands under that umbrella.
Andy Elly: Alongside that, with some of
the acquisitions and changes we’ve put
in place, we’ve actually made the
transition from being a company to
being a group of companies, which is
also one of the reasons behind the
change of names.
There’s always a risk when you
change names. How have you
approached that from a marketing
and brand awareness point of view?
AVSL strikes a new chord It’s not often that a new big beast enters the UK’s MI jungle. But what if the newcomer isn’t really new? What if it has
connections and experience? And what if it plans to take on the current big beasts and beat them at their own game? Gary
BS: Obviously, we let all our existing
customers know exactly what was going
on and we managed the transition by
putting ‘formerly Skytronic’ on the website
and all the other places where the AVSL
name was being used, so people always
knew what was happening. Now, after a
year, we’ve started taking that off, as
people have got used to it. But even
before that, we had already started
developing some of the brands – for
example, we started taking products that
had previously been in the Skytronic
range and using the Chord name or the
Mercury range, or QTX, Adastra or Citronic,
as appropriate.
Chord seems to be AVSL’s main MI
brand and we’ve already seen some
impressively priced effects pedals
from you under that name, with
guitars and basses following. How was
the brand created and what are your
plans for it?
AE: We knew that we wanted to move
more into the musical equipment and
instrument market and we
already had quite a high
profile with other
brands like
Citronic and
Adastra, but
we decided
that it
warranted
an actual
brand, so
after
much
wrangling
we came
across the
word ‘chord’,
which just
said it all for us.
We’ve now begun
to use that to build a
proper MI
product base.
Some of our readers may be surprised
by anyone choosing to move into the
MI field at the moment, as the
conventional wisdom seems to be that
MI is a very challenged market sector,
under a lot of pressure. There is also a
widely held view that it is quite
seriously oversupplied with products
and brands as it is, so what made you
think you could make headway in such
a market?
AE: I realised a lot of companies are
finding it difficult and struggling and you
could say we’re either brave or foolish,
but we feel we know enough to make a
success out of this. We know the market
we want to aim at and there will always
be an MI business out there, which needs
serving in the correct way. We feel we can
do that, we’ve always had a certain degree
of success in all the product areas we’ve
gone into and we feel quite confident that
we can serve this market well.
When you decide to start an MI brand,
like Chord, how do you go about it? Do
you go to the international trade shows
and buy what’s on offer? Do you design
your own products and have them
made? How did it happen?
AE: It’s something that we already do.
From work with our Citronic and other
brands we’ve constantly been going to
trade fairs and promoting our products, so
it’s almost been a seamless transition into
the MI trade.
Obviously, with electronic products,
that makes a lot of sense as they are
fundamentally similar, but what about
actual musical instruments? They
require a lot of specialist knowledge
and can be difficult to get right. How
did you go about that?
AE: Essentially, that was why I was
brought into the company, because I have
had experience within the MI industry in
both retail and installation. We backed
that with research and decided the areas
we wanted to approach first – in
particular from my point of view, guitars
and accessories. And, of course, we already
did a lot of the accessories under our
other brands. With the guitars, we seem to
have hit the nail on the head from the
outset – they’ve been very well received.
Again, from our readers’ point of view,
it would almost certainly be true that
they’d say the guitar market was the
most oversupplied of them all, with
literally hundreds of brands competing
for their business, so why should they
look at the Chord range as opposed to
any of the many others on the market?
AE: I appreciate there are a lot of different
brands out there - certainly in the budget
to midrange, where we are at the
moment, but basically it’s been about
looking for the right features, how to
improve an instrument and understanding
what people are looking for. It’s watching
out for things like poorly finished
fretboards, offering a better variety of
colours and, for us, the big one – catering
for the huge lack of left-handed models
out there.
This is certainly an area that needs
attention and a common complaint.
AVSL COVER FEATURE
“I realised a lot of companies are finding it difficult
and struggling and you could say we’re either brave
or foolish, but we feel we know enough to make a
success out of this.Andy Elly, AVSL Product manager
for MI
WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO JUNE 2010 19
considerable resources, international
Cooper meets AVSL - a big beast with big plans...
What are you doing here?
AE: The simple fact is that there is a
retooling charge every time you want to
do a production run of left-handed guitars
and what we decided to do, after a fair bit
of discussion, was to take that on the chin
and absorb the retooling costs. As a result,
our trade prices in the UK are on a level
for left and right-handed guitars and I
don’t think there are many other budget
ranges available that are doing this. In
terms of the models in the range, we’ve
gone for the standard fare in designs, but
we’ve gone at a bit of a different angle
because we’ve included a lot of different
finish options. We are working currently
on some quite unique design ideas but it
is pretty much the copy/traditional
market for now, with retail prices from
£90 upwards. Currently, we’ve got
electrics, basses and one electro-acoustic,
but all of that is expanding. There are only
seven different items at the moment, but
with so many variations of colour and so
on it comes to about 40 options in total.
Where does Chord go from here?
AE: We’ve just released a range of Chord
amplifiers and pedals and the selection
has already begun to expand. We started
off with a couple of guitar amps and now
we have five. We started with 15 different
Chord pedals and that has now jumped to
20 different models – again with pedals
they’re very well priced – starting from
SSP £21.99 up to around £75.
That’s heartland starter territory – up
against some huge brand names, so
how do you establish Chord in the mind
of the dealers and the general public?
In fact, do you even try to establish the
name Chord with the public, or does
brand not matter as much with entry-
level products, because customers at
tend to buy what the dealer
recommends?
AE: Essentially, we’ve concentrated on our
dealers, who are already buying other
products from us. Hopefully, the dealer
will help us with the users, but we are
going to start being more informative for
those users, as well.
All the same, most retailers have a
procession of reps calling on them with
entry-level accessories. Why should
they stock Chord in preference –
especially considering well
established names?
AE: It would be easy to say ‘because ours
are better made’ and that may be the
case, but the simple fact is the SSPs I’ve
quoted include really good profit margins
for the retailer. His incentive is that he can
sell a very well-produced instrument, but
one that he can make a proper profit
margin from. Also, our service is second to
none and that’s an important aspect of
our business, too.
Presumably, once a retailer has started
dealing with you, assuming he isn’t
already, he has access to quite a wide
family of other brands as well?
AE: Definitely. There’s Citronic, which is a
well established brand in the disco area,
but what people possibly don’t realise is
the value for money in the PA side of
Citronic. We’ve just released some serious
power amps from Citronic, for example –
the MA series – and if you want big install
cabs, we’ve got the CS and CX series. It’s
really not difficult to sell our products if
people know about them and that’s the
point of the exercise, to help the retailers
know what we have to offer them.
What other product types can you
offer retailers?
AE: Wireless microphones is another area
that is big business for us and we have
wireless transmitters for musical
instruments too, in UHF, VHF and
tuneable UHF. There are also other areas –
transit cases, stands, cables – we have a
wide range of products and they all offer
good profitability.
That’s already quite a breadth of
products. Are you considering
broadening it into other MI areas?
AE: We’re already in MIDI and high-tech
and we’ve already got Chord branded
hand percussion with drums soon to
follow, with kits already on the way.
Then we’re going to move into the
high-tech and studio area. We
want to have a good
music industry offer
that covers
all areas.
Would you consider
distributing other
manufacturers’
products as well as
your own?
AE: We already do, with pre-
branded products like Miditech, Neutrik
connectors and GP batteries, so yes – if
someone has a product that they think
we might be interested in, we’re very
willing to look
at it.
BS: The Chord brand is still in its infancy
and there’s a lot we plan to do with it in
the future – not just with the products,
but also in terms of the marketing of it,
eventually to the end-user. In early June
we’re introducing our very first music-
only catalogue and that will feature
mainly Chord branded products, with
some items from
Citronic and some of
our other brands. The
catalogue is a big
thing for us and we
think it will
be very
helpful
for our
customers to have all the music products
together. Beyond that, we’re also hoping
to develop POS products for shops,
including posters and the like. We’re also
planning informative guides to our
products for customers as well, so there’s
a lot on the way. All that is backed by a
good online support system for our
customers too. Because you can’t see
prices unless you have an account,
retailers can guide their customers to our
site for more information and there’s a lot
they can download as well as, with the
Chord brand in particular, they can do
things like hear the effects pedals online.
We’re also just about to put up some
video for the percussion products, too.
Is there any area that AVSL/Chord
wouldn’t look at? For example, would
you consider keyboards?
AE: Well, we’re certainly looking into the
high-tech and recording area. Beyond the
horizon we are looking at wind
instruments and other stringed
instruments, with samples being made as
we speak - though that’s for some way in
the future. We want to establish what we
have and make sure that all is right before
we move on, but we are intending to do
that in the future.
BS: One thing that is very important is the
Chord branding. For example, we have a
completely new range of leads and cables
just about to arrive and they will feature
some very effective packaging that will
use the same theme that will run
throughout the range, from percussion to
guitars and everything else. Whatever it is
that we’re offering, whether it’s a
percussion product, a guitar or an
accessory, you can see the distinction of
the Chord branding and we do think that
helps retailers. A lot of work has gone into
the packaging and that is part of the mix,
too. It’s a great product, well priced
and well packaged so that, even if
the end-user doesn’t necessarily
know the brand, they will pick up
on it. This all makes for a very
convenient service for the
retailer, not least
because they can buy
so much from us and
because we are easy to
do business with.
AVSL: 0845
270
2411
COVER FEATURE AVSL
“Whatever it is that we’re offering, whether it’s a
percussion product, a guitar or an accessory, you
can see the distinction of the Chord branding and
we do think that helps retailers.Becky Stanton
AVSL marketing manager
AVSL product manager Andy Elly and marketing manager Becky Stanton.
20 JUNE 2010 miPRO WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
COMPANY PROFILE LARSON
Across the English Channel (or
should I say La Manche), the name
High Tech Distribution is as well
known as, say, Barnes & Mullins is on this
island. It is the second largest distributor
in France, having built up its business over
some 30 years. With one notable
exception, French distributors do not have
the habit of setting up shop in Blighty,
but thanks to Ben Whatsley, who during
his time with Percy Prior’s in Salisbury
and the Wembley Guitar Centre built up a
close relationship with Patrice Vigier, High
Tech has taken that leap.
High Tech in France handles a number
of brands, including Vigier Guitars and the
Rapco Horizon cable and routing
products, so after a conversation with
Vigier, Whatsley approached High Tech to
set up an arm in the UK, which happened
in 2007.
“I did it because I like Vigier guitars so
much and I wanted to get that brand out
to a wider audience,” explains Whatsley. “I
started doing two or three models in as
many stores and have built it – in three
years – to over 100 models in a dozen
stores.” Which is very much where
Whatsley is happy to be.
He drew himself up three-year, five-
year and 15-year plans for the UK
business, with the first three years
dedicated to taking Vigier to where he
wanted it to be. The five-year plan
(now underway) involves replicating
that effort with the new Larson
Brothers guitars – hand picking a dozen
or so specialist stores to handle the
reborn brand.
The Larson story is an interesting one.
Founded by Carl and August Larson in
Chicago in the 1890s, the Swedish
immigrants were always keen to keep
their heads below the parapets, making
guitars, mandolins, ukuleles and the like
under whichever brand name their
customers preferred (and they preferred
names such as Maurer, Prairie State,
Euphonon, Dyer and Stahl).
Beavering away in the shadows,
however, the Larson brothers created a
number of design innovations – not least
coming up with a steel string guitar some
20 years ahead of CF Martin & Co. The
luthiers developed a parabolic top and
back, making the instrument more like a
violin in terms of construction.
“It was because of this design that the
brothers never went for mass produced
guitars,” points out Whatsley. “The
construction is very complex, but the end
result is astonishing.” On top of this, the
Larson Brothers patented laminated
bracing and utilised an artificial ageing
technique that had been used by
harpsichord makers for over 200
years. Not only does this make the
wood look better, but it also adds
longevity to the instrument.
And so the company
chugged along, happy to be
making superlative guitars
until, in 1948, the
family shut up shop
in Chicago and
returned to
Sweden, taking
their designs with
them and leaving the
existing guitars to
gather price as others
might dust.
Original Larson
Brothers guitars
can sell for tens
of thousands
of pounds and
collectors
(including the
likes of Bob
Dylan, Jimi
Hendrix and Eric
Clapton)
coveted them.
Brotherly loveLarson Brothers’ Guitars has an interesting history – but, oddly perhaps for a current trade magazine, one
that all but ended over 60 years ago. Andy Barrett looks into an unexpected rebirth…
“Anyone can get their hands on a good brand
name, but you have to have the quality to back it
up. I think we have got that.Ben Whatsley, UK sales manager for High Tech
Distribution
22 miPRO JUNE 2010 WW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
LARSON COMPANY PROFILE
Nearly 60 years later, in 2006, two
luthiers, the German Toni Götz and Czech
Republic native Roman Zajicek, somehow
(as yet unexplained) got their hands on the
designs and the name and began making
Larson guitars once more.
The pair approached High
Tech with a view to getting
the brand established in
Europe, although with such
a niche product, the
company was keen to see
how the instruments would
go down in the USA first.
“I was concerned that there
might be problems and I wanted
to see those smoothed out first,”
reveals Whatsley. “It wasn’t a
problem with the guitars, but
with peripheral issues. And sure
enough, there were some
problems here and there – with
the cases, for example. I have to
hand it to Larson, though. The
firm was on top of everything
and acted on every issue
immediately. I saw a company
that relies on feedback – and
not just paying lip
service, either, but
genuinely taking
matters into
consideration,
creating
relationships.
“In this I saw
a business
working how I like
mine to work. I like to go into a store
personally, put the guitars into people’s
hands. It’s the only way really.
“With all the problems sorted, I was
happy to bring Larson guitars to Britain
and with my approach, I think Larson is
pretty happy to be here too.”
The new guitars are available from two
sources: a factory in Vietnam (where a
special Larson department has been
created), which supplies the £1,000 to
£1,300 guitars and a Czech factory, which
will be responsible for the £1,900 to
£2,100 models.
Whatsley is looking for his select group
of dealers to take the brand forward to
complete his five-year plan.
“The first orders are coming in now,”
he says. “I’m aiming to get the dealers
really fired up about this and I’m pretty
hopeful too. Anyone can get their hands
on a good brand name, but you have to
have the quality to back it up. I think we
have got that.”
As for the 15-year plan, well, we’ll have
to come back to that at a later date, but
mention of the Rapco Horizon brand
should be sufficient to indicate that High
Tech Distribution is going to be around for
some time to come.
“Vigier and Larson guitars aren’t flash in
the pan brands – they are serious,
professional instruments. As we expand
and begin to do Rapco Horizon the sort
of justive it deserves, we’ll be on our way
to building a really strong foundation.” So,
do note down the number.
HIGH TECH: 01722 410002
‘Playing’ Live is so much more than just launching clips.
Find out how 64 buttons can put Ableton completely at your fi ngertips, visit:
www.novationmusic.com/launchpad
Above: Patrice Vigier and Ben Whatsley
miPRO JUNE 2010 23
WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO JUNE 2010 25
Charlie Cooper, son of Orange’s Cliff,
is a man with a passion –
computers. A recent honours
graduate in computer visualisation and
animation from Ravensbourne University,
Charlie is the brains behind the OPC –
Orange’s revolutionary marriage between
a PC and a guitar amp.
It stunned when it was shown at this
year’s Frankfurt and has probably earned
the venerable British amplifier
manufacturer more media attention than
anything ever in Orange’s colourful
previous history. But what is it? And why
would anyone want a PC and a guitar amp
in a single box?
“A few years ago my dad bought back
some really old 1970s Orange cabinets
and we didn’t really know what to do with
them. But one of my hobbies is building
computers into... Well, into just about
anything you can think of – that and
building media centres. So I came up with
the idea of building an entire computer
into this massive Orange cabinet and
putting a TV on top of it. It was a nice
looking media centre.
“At the same time, a lot of my friends
at university were into home recording
and were often scratching their heads at
how difficult it can sometimes be to get
all the components working smoothly
together. They’d often call me in to help
and when they came to our house and
saw the Orange cab media centre they
said how much they liked the idea. It
flowed from that.”
What Cooper had spotted was a gap in
the market. Though young and relatively
tech-savvy, his musician contemporaries
were still sometimes struggling with home
studio technology and they were bowled
over by the sheer cool of having a fully
fledged Windows PC in a definitively rock
n roll package.
“In essence the OPC is a home studio in
a box, pre-tweaked by me so that it works
really, really well from the moment you
switch it on,” he says.
The original version, as shown at
Frankfurt, featured a single JBL speaker
(“It’s loud enough to annoy the
neighbours,” Charlie says with a laugh),
but since its debut and in the run-up to
Orange bytesThe international response to a British computer innovation has been overwhelming, Orange says. Gary Cooper speaks to
Charlie Cooper, the brains behind the idea and Orange’s Cliff Cooper – the man who backed this unique creation...
ORANGE OPC COMPANY PROFILE
”The way I see it is a computer for a specific
purpose – just as you have PCs for gamers, for
example – this one is a computer for musicians.Charlie Cooper
Creator of Orange’s OPC
Charlie Cooper (left),
who has
masterminded the
Orange OPC and his
father, Cliff.
COMPANY PROFILE ORANGE OPC
the commencement of production, the
package has already undergone a
significant refinement. The single speaker
has been replaced by a pair of 5-inch
JBLs, so it now delivers stereo and a
sound quality that will be a light-year
ahead of the sort of tinny racket usually
dispensed by laptops – and even most
tower PCs. Another advantage – again,
particularly over notoriously
unupgradeable laptops – is that it takes
standard PC components, so it can be
easily expanded and kept up to date. It
also won’t suffer from some of the
latency and noise issues that can plague
computers designed for general purpose
use, nor the compromises called for by
the low power requirement of laptops.
Having been designed from the start as a
tool for music, the OPC, Cooper says,
won’t be a compromise.
“The way I see it is a computer for a
specific purpose. Just as you have PCs
made for gamers, for example, this
is a computer for musicians.”
The moment news of the OPC was
released, interest started flooding in, says
Orange’s founder, Cliff Cooper – a
statement backed-up by Orange’s press
officer, who says he has never seen a
reaction like it. As the news shot
around the world, some US
companies associated with the
PC market, envious of the
street cool of Macs,
immediately realised that here
was a way of making the PC a lot less
utilitarian. As a consequence, though they
are currently tied-up in silicon valley
non-disclosure agreements, Orange has
been talking with some of the biggest
names in the computer world, who are
keen to get on board and become
involved. One immediate effect will be on
the software being bundled with the
OPC. Though names can’t yet be named,
Charlie Cooper says the package they are
now able to put together will make the
OPC a turnkey product with everything
on board that a home recordist
would need to get going – including a
guitar tutor.
“For a musician, instead of buying an
ordinary PC, the Orange PC will be a
better buy,” Charlie says. “Running
Windows 7 X64, it will do what a desktop
will do but it will be properly optimised
for creating music. It’s going to be ideal
for people who aren’t totally clued-up on
home recording and yet they will also be
free to install other professional audio
programmes, because it is a fully-fledged
Windows PC.”
The full production model will be
taken to NAMM in Nashville this June
and by that stage, Orange says, it will
have tied-up all the software deals it is
currently negotiating. By then, there will
finally have a price (something
that can’t yet be quoted) though it is
stressed that the OPC will not be a
particularly expensive product – it’s
designed to appeal to average musicians,
not millionaires.
Cliff Cooper, meanwhile, deserves
tremendous credit for having backed a
project which it’s not hard to imagine
many other amp makers balking at. True,
it was devised by his own son, but many
a father’s reaction would have a been a
clip round the ear followed by a lecture
on the necessity of a few decades’
experience before taking such a
commercial risk. Cliff Cooper doesn’t see
things that way and his enthusiasm for
the OPC seems as great as his son’s.
“I immediately understood what
Charlie was saying about his friends’
experience with recording, having tried it
myself,” he says. “They’d buy an interface
for a PC and find it didn’t match for
some reason. They’d buy software that
didn't work properly and even when they
bought expensive recording software,
they’d often find it very difficult to use –
and I’ve experienced that too. So what
we’re putting together now is a package
that works well enough for a professional
to be able to use but, which will also be
easy enough for a complete beginner.
“The same goes for the
modelling software, which we will be
packaging with the product. We’ve been
able to pick and choose and Charlie has
come up with some exceptionally good
software products for the bundle.”
With his long commercial experience,
Cliff Cooper sees the market for the OPC
very clearly – embracing not only keen
young musicians, but also older players
who have deeper pockets, but have been
scared-off because of the daunting
learning-curve associated with the ever-
changing software market. Not, he
insists, that the OPC will be expensive.
“In fact, it will be cheaper than buying
the individual components,” he says.
“And it’s a great product for
singer/songwriters, too. They will get
everything they need to record and
produce a track, then push a button and
upload it straight to Youtube via wi-fi.”
Technically, the OPC does seem to be
an ideal all-in-one package. “This is one
of the ways that Charlie has been clever.
He’s got all the components into a very
small box, but has spent a lot of time –
and spent a fortune on test equipment –
getting the airflow right, so that it is
properly cooled. It’s silent, there are no
interference or noise problems, it’s
upgradeable and it is a conventional
Windows PC as well, so it will do
everything else that a PC should.
“I’ve never seen so much interest
generated by a new product. In the few
weeks since it was announced there have
been literally thousands of articles, all
over the world and a huge amount of
interest on the web. Our problem now is
that we’ll soon be starting to put them
into production, but we don't know how
many to make. I think we’re on top of
the situation, but we are trying to gauge
the number of units we need. The music
business is very large, but the actual
number of people who make music is
relatively small. That said, we've been
approached by several major American
PC companies, so we’re really not sure
how big this could get. ”
Which is, in the great scheme of
things, quite a nice problem to have in
this day and age – and it’s a tribute to
Orange’s bravery to be different.
26 miPRO JUNE 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
”What we’re putting together now is a package
that works well enough for a professional to be
able to use, but which will also be easy enough
for a complete beginner.Cliff Cooper
Founder and chairman of Orange
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28 miPRO JUNE 2010 WW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
COMPANY PROFILE THOMASTIK-INFELD
Cricket references will probably be missed by your average Austrian manufacturer, but for the mere fact that Thomastik-
Infeld has been around for nearly 100 years means that (whatever your sport) this is a company to which the UK should
be paying a lot more attention. Andy Barrett winds his way through the details...
91 not outO
ne of the most central products
to the MI world is the humble
string. With apologies to the brass,
woodwind, percussion and keyboard
worlds, there is little that keeps your
average mom-and-pop store going like a
set of strings.
When Gordon Brown made his ‘no
more boom and bust’ speech, he could
have added the qualifier ‘in the musical
instrument string business’. The product
rarely goes through any huge surge of
growth on the world market, but then
again, it doesn’t get hit when times (as
now) get tough.
One of the stand-out brands in the
world of strings is Thomastik-Infeld, an
Austrian company that has been hand-
winding its orchestral and steel strings for
over 90 years. Over such a long period,
you would expect a manufacturing
company to come up with a few bright
ideas of its own, but Thomastik-Infeld
pretty much started out by revolutionising
the industry.
When violin maker Dr Franz Thomastik
and engineer Otto Infeld got together in
1919, they already had a product that was
to revolutionise the music industry: the
steel string.
For the first time in history,
conventional gut had been challenged by
a ‘new’ material that offered quality of
tone, precision and reliability. It was
instantly lauded by players worldwide.
Not content with one revolution, the
Austrian pair then came up with a mass-
produced nylon (or perlon) string and
string core, thus virtually single-handedly
creating the instrument string market as
we know it today. Little wonder, then, that
the company is now approaching its
100th anniversary.
“Well, it’s not quite that simple,”
explains Thomastik-Infeld’s sales and
marketing director, Wolfgang Weiss. “To
survive 100 years, you need a good
product, the methods of making that good
product, the best quality materials,
technical innovations, consistency over
the years and good management to
ensure the continuation of that
consistency. It takes a lot of effort.”
Even before the company started, there
was innovation in the foundation as
Thomastik had patented a couple of violin
patents for sound post innovations and
ever since the company’s inception, it has
designed and made its own winding
machines – a tradition that continues to
this day for all string makers. ‘In house’, it
seems, stands for ‘under control’. There is
not a glimmer of temptation to move
manufacture to cheaper climes.
“It’s very important to keep an eye on
things,” says Weiss. “There is a lot of
know-how involved, which means a lot of
training. Our workforce knows how to
make the very best strings and we can
maintain this with everybody here.”
T-I’s leading product is the Dominant
series of bowed strings for violin, viola,
cello and bass, although, Weiss contends it
is very likely the world leader in this
specific sector. “The market is small, so
there are no official figures, but our own
estimates show us to be the world leader
for violin strings,” he says. “Our main
segment around the world is from our
synthetic core strings – we didn’t invent
nylon strings, but we have perfected the
use of the nylon core, making our strings
among the most durable.”
Some 97 per cent of the string maker’s
products are exported and its markets
divide almost equally between the
Americas, the European Union and
Asia/Pacific. “Guitar strings are slightly
different,” Weiss points out. “There the
American and European markets tend to
dominate, but I think you’ll find that any
string maker for bowed instruments will
have a pretty even spread around the
world – it’s normal.”
In the UK, Thomastik-Infeld is
distributed by Barnes & Mullins, a
relationship that Weiss believes mirrors his
products. “Musicians need a reliable string
on their instruments – and it’s the same
with business. You have to have a reliable
partner. Barnes & Mullins is exactly that.
We have been working together for a long
time now – they are doing great and they
always have done.
“The UK market is pretty stable, as is
Europe generally. The MI industry is a little
unusual – and strings particularly – in that
it doesn’t experience big surges of growth
when the economy is good. Similarly, it
doesn’t slump when things are not going
well – like now. This is a small, niche
interest market. What will cause
something like a five per cent growth in a
year will be a government investing in
music education or similar activities.”
Weiss – and one guesses Thomastik-
Infeld as a whole – is pretty phlegmatic
about business, although do not mistake
that with standing still. Rather, the
company continues to tweak and improve
its methods and products in an effort to
maintain its position at the top.
While the company enjoys a prime
position in the bowed instrument market,
its guitar strings (which it has been
making since the 1960s) have a richness
of tone and a longevity that make them
second to none. If you haven’t tried them
out yet – you should. And with Barnes &
Mullins supplying, you know that margins
are going to be tempting to say the least.
BARNES & MULLINS: 01691 652449
The late Dr Peter
Infeld, the man
behind the
modernisation of
the company
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COMPANY PROFILE FOCUSRITE/NOVATION
30 miPRO JUNE 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
Focusrite/Novation’s product
specialist, Iain Horrocks, is a man
who clearly loves his job. Perhaps
unexpectedly for someone at the sharp
end of high-tech products and software,
he’s a drummer – and a drummer with
retail experience too (including time
spent with Sound Control’s Oxford Street
store in London) and he has a real love
for music shops. So how did he wind-up
out on the road as a missionary for
products such as Focsurite, Ableton,
Novation and KRK?
“I’ve been with Focusrite for three years
in June and I was in product support for
two years, which means I’ve been doing
this job since the beginning of this year. It
was quite a smooth transition for me as I
just started by going out and doing
workshops, training sessions and so on. I
must say, at the moment it’s looking
pretty good out there. I’ve got a real soft
spot for music retailers because ever since
the age of about ten, when I started
playing drums, music shops have always
been a haven for me, somewhere to check
out the latest gear and talk to the guys. I
feel quite at home with the retailers.”
In just six months Horrocks hasn’t had
time to visit every Focusrite/Novation
dealer, but he has made a pretty good
start, putting in an average of about four
days a week and returning to base just to
catch-up with the inevitable admin and
paperwork that accompanies any job.
So, who has he visited so far and how
has he found the trade?
“I’ve got a number of people still to see,
but I’ve visited all the PMT stores and
pretty much all the DVs now and
everyone I’ve met seems to have been on
top of their departments. The stores all
look good and I think, overall, it’s very
positive. In addition to those people, I’ve
also visited a few of the independents,
including Dolphin, and they were all really
good, too. There was also GG Digital, in
Glasgow, which is a brand new store that
looks really exciting – I think that’s going
to be a blinding store.”
So how does Horrocks see his job?
What is it exactly that he tries to bring
to retailers?
“When I go into a store, I’m there to
train the staff on the full product range, so
what I’ve done is put together a hard copy
guide for all our products and use that as
a template for the training session. I go
through it and talk about the products
that we offer from all four brands:
Focusrite, Novation, Ableton and KRK.
Then I try to allow enough time at the
end of the session, so that if there are
some Ableton enthusiasts, for example, we
”I think it’s good to get hands-on. There’s
nothing like walking into a music store and
seeing everything displayed nicely and with
things on demo.Iain Horrocks
Focusrite/Novation product specialist
Horrocks’ storyHow do you go about getting product knowledge? So what’s it like in the high-tech market? How well do dealers cope
with high-tech gear? Gary Cooper asks all this of Focusrite’s Iain Horrocks and discovers some of the tips he has to offer.
FOCUSRITE/NOVATION COMPANY PROFILE
WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO JUNE 2010 31
can go off on a bit of a tangent. Beyond visiting, I’m
a point of contact for the staff too, so if they ever
have any problems in the future, they know they can
contact me to get help and they can also use me for
any feedback they want to give us about the
products. In my opinion, there’s always more to
learn, so I make a point of going in with an open
mind because I’ll often learn things from the staff.”
The four brands he represents pretty much cover
the bases of what has become an essential facility
for today’s musician, Horrocks says. “There’s been
such a boom in home recording studios and people
doing their own production at home that Focusrite
fits perfectly. It’s good quality hardware but it’s
affordable and very compatible as well. But you do
have to have the product knowledge to be able to
sell this sort of thing. Sometimes, it’s the difference
between making a sale and not, particularly when
the customer has already checked out a few bits of
gear beforehand, which is often what happens. They
go into a store to get some professional advice and
it’s the guy in the store’s job to sell the right product
for them and that can’t be done unless you've got
the product knowledge.”
This, of course, is one of the areas where bricks
and mortar stores can really score. A good, well-
equipped sales person can easily close a deal that
would be left hanging in an online environment,
where there is only the limited information on
screen and little chance of feedback or interaction.
“The other thing is that if you are sold the right
product by a shop, you’re going to go back to them
the next time you need something. This is why
people in shops need to know what they are
talking about and to understand what the customer
wants to do. I’ve seen this from several angles – as
a musician myself and then when I worked in
stores. It’s a skill to ask the right questions, find out
what the customer needs and make sure they get
the right product. I’ve been lucky to have worked
with some brilliant salesmen in the past who taught
me that.”
Of the four brands he represents, which is the one
that is really on fire, does he think?
“That’s a hard one but the RP series of the KRK
monitors are at an excellent price point. For the
money, they are really, really good monitor speakers
and they fly out. Ableton – well, you're talking to a
complete Ableton fanatic here and I think it’s an
amazing software sequencer that has opened so many
doors. Then there are the small USB interfaces. People
really need those. They could have bought a good
quality pair of monitors, but they need good quality
balanced outputs and they might not want to spend a
fortune getting that, because they’ve already spent a
lot of money on their speakers. The Focusrite
interfaces are perfect for that. But I’ve got a genuine
passion for all four of our brands – I believe in them
and that helps me do my job. So, I’d say they’re all
hot and if you add the Novation Launchpad, you’ve
got a perfect home studio.
“What I find interesting when I go around to visit
stores is sometimes how it’s the little things that
make a big difference. You sometimes find that,
although it says what it does on the box, people don’t
always realise what it can do and that comes out
during the training sessions.”
Although he is relatively new to visiting stores, has
he formed any overall impressions yet, which will be
guiding the way forward?
“I think it’s good to get hands-on. There’s nothing
like walking into a music store and seeing everything
displayed nicely and with things on demo. If I was
going to go to a store, the main reason would be to
try something out – that’s what excites you and
that’s what ultimately will make a sale. If people get
hands-on, that’s when they say ‘I’ve got to have this. I
want to take this home’.
“So it’s important to have the right products and
have them up and running, so that customers can use
them. That will be the next phase of my training –
putting together some demos so that where possible
in stores we can have Ableton running with Lauchpad.
“I would also have some demos, so I could show
the staff their way around. The plan is to have demo
stations set up so that people can just come into the
stores, try the products and get excited – to feel like a
kid again.” FOCUSRITE: 01494 462246
Left: Horrocks in demo mode and a KRK monitor. Above: Ableton Live and Novation Launchpad controller,
Below: Focusrite Saffire and Liquid processors
WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO JUNE 2010 33
WINDCRAFT COMPANY PROFILE
Windcraft’s new Series I saxophone is poised to revolutionise the world of entry-level saxes in the UK – not through new
design as much as through careful planning and logistics. Andy Barrett discovers that dealers get a say, too...
Series-ly folksW
ith a long history in brass and
woodwind technical services –
an operation that evolved into
Maidenhead’s Dawkes’ Music retail
operation – Jon Dawkes’ Windcraft
distribution company slowly evolved by
supplying the trade with spare parts
and, more recently, instrument brands
such as Cannonball. But it is thanks to
the company’s specialisation in the
repair and technician side of the
business, that the need for a new kind
of student saxophone was discovered.
Dawkes saw the opportunity to satisfy
that need.
Now, before we go any further, let’s
not get ourselves unnecessarily excited
about some new shape, mechanism,
material or model (a piccolo sax
anyone?). The saxophone business doesn’t
work that way. The instrument that
Adolphe Sax patented in 1846 has
remained pretty much unchanged to the
present (although the subcontra bass sax
never did quite catch on).
What Dawkes and his team saw was a
problem in the supply of Far Eastern
instruments to the UK and the
subsequent control over the spare parts
side of the service.
Enter the Windcraft Series I.
“The inspiration for the Series I came
from our work as a specialist retailer with
a team of eight highly skilled
technicians,” explains Dawkes. “We
noticed that many of the Chinese models
– which come from a wide assortment of
factories – came with no easily
accessible spare parts, which meant
months of searching for where the
product came from and then months of
waiting for the parts to arrive. It simply
wasn’t worth it for many.”
The result is a saxophone made in
China under careful supervision and
backed up by a healthy stock of spares.
“Student instruments get broken and
damaged most of all – we expect this, so
it is important to be able to get them
fixed and working as quickly as possible.
We now have a good stock of instruments
and parts and are ready for business.”
Dawkes goes on to say that his
company’s experience on the technical
side of things will help retailers get
behind the brand, particularly with
guaranteed spare parts available. More
than that, however, he also hopes to
initiate a return to dealer feedback on
products will give them a deeper faith in
the product.
“There was a time when manufacturers
turned to the dealers first for product
feedback, but that has all but disappeared
recently,” he says. “We really want dealers
to give us their advice on the instruments,
so any of them that want to call me are
more than welcome.”
On the manufacturing side, the
Windcraft team has kept a careful eye on
quality control, too, creating a video that
goes through the set-up process that the
Chinese manufacturer uses with its
workforce and overseen by Windcraft’s
agent in China and Dawkes himself.
“We have created check lists, where
the workforce has to sign for each
instrument serviced. It’s this sort of thing
that takes up all the time. I have my fifth
trip to China coming up soon,” Dawkes
continues. “We have set up a workshop
over there that is based very closely on
our workshop here. It’s been hard work,
but I can’t say it hasn’t been fun.
“I think it is important to point out
that everyone has benefited from this
process. We have an instrument we like
and can get behind in every way and the
manufacturer is growing from us sharing
knowledge. The next step – after getting
the instrument absolutely right – will be
to find customers in the domestic Chinese
market. It’s really exciting.
“Testing has been going on here in the
UK and we have been getting customer
responses – we can see that this is going
to work, so that means we have to be all
the more certain to do it properly.”
For sales in the UK, Windcraft has
brought in Vaughan Bower as sales
manager – Bower has worked previously
with the Yamaha and Jupiter brands and is
well known among the brass and
woodwind fraternity.
“Vaughan was always my favourite
rep,” says Dawkes. “When we saw this
project coming to fruition, I started
talking to him straight away. I’m really
pleased to have got him on board. I think
it is a good challenge for him, too.”
Dawkes is also planning to have the
brand at Musikmesse in 2011 and expand
the brand out globally.
WINDCRAFT: 01628 778377
“Testing has been
going on here in the
UK and from
customer responses,
we can see that this
is going to work.Jon Dawkes
Windcraft
34 miPRO JUNE 2010 WW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
PROFILE
I WOKE UPTHIS MORNING
On an average day, I’ll get up at about
seven, take a shower and have a strong
coffee. As an Italian, I can’t leave the
house without one of these! I’ll then leave the
house at around eight and usually get to work
for half past. Everybody else starts at nine but
being managing director, there are never enough
hours in the day
otherwise and I’ll
spend a bit of time
going through
e-mails.
Most of the time I
spend all day in the
office, but sometimes
I’ll head out to a
local shop or into the
west end. If I’m in
the office, I’ll quite
often see to any
customers that come
in, show them the
latest products and
see what they think, in order to improve the
business. This is important because I can get
information and feedback from the customers,
without having to travel.
In my spare time I like to do a bit of
gardening and I enjoy listening to music. I also
like watching football and have been an Inter
Milan fan all my life. I didn’t do a lot of it last
year, but sometimes I go down to Brighton to
visit my friend who has a boat and we’ll do a
bit of fishing. I like to eat out, but cooking at
home is another passion of mine. At weekends
I occasionally try to head abroad or go out for
a meal.
I was in the catering business for eighteen
years before I entered the world of MI. I
realised there were plenty of opportunities in this
sector, which was why I came to England in the
first place.
I worked at a well known club in the west end
and then over time I got tired of it due to it
being hard work and
the wages were not
very good. I then
worked self-employed
for a few years, doing a
variety of different
jobs, before I got my
big break.
In 1990, I was
introduced by an old
friend to Proel Italy,
which was looking to
recruit in the UK.
Although I didn’t play
an instrument, I had a
love for music and one
of the other reasons I originally moved to the UK
was for the music scene here.
I started off in an agent style role when I
joined Proel, going between distributors and
manufacturing companies. It was in this job
that I started developing an understanding of
the business.
I always go home at different times, depending
on how busy I am. Usually it’s between half six
and half seven, except for last night when I went
to watch Inter reach the European cup final.
I don’t have too many plans for the future at
the moment, although I’m going to visit my
mother and brother soon back in Italy.
Proel’s Paolo
Burocchi explains
why he decided to
swap the sun, fine
food and undeniable
beauty of his native
Italy for Blighty and
what got him to
where he is today...
Managing Director – Proel International
PAOLO BUROCCHI
”I was in the catering
business for eighteen years
before I entered the world
of MI. I realised there were
plenty of opportunities in
this sector, which was why
I came to England in the
first place.
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WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO JUNE 2010 37
ACOUSTIC GUITARS SECTOR SPOTLIGHT
It’s an odd thought, but just 70 years
ago, when someone mentioned the
word ‘guitar’, the image of a hollow
sound box with a sound hole, neck and
(probably) nylon strings would have
entered their heads. Even going back 50
years, that image would have remained
for most, with the occasional mention of
an ‘electric guitar’ amounting to the very
forefront of music technology and still
something of a rarity. Today it is almost
obligatory to include the retronym
adjective ‘acoustic’ to be sure people
know what we are talking about.
Even then, when asking manufacturers
and suppliers to send in models and series
of guitars, many of them asked the
question: ‘is that pure acoustics or
electro-acoustics?’ Pure acoustics, came
the reply – meaning yet another qualifier
has to be added to the guitar to
differentiate between acoustics with
built-in pickups and preamps (technology
that is all but de-rigueur these days).
Our answer was ‘pure acoustics,
please’, but still some got it wrong.
All of this implies that pure acoustic
guitars are something of a waning market
– possibly even an anachronism – but no.
Acoustic sales are as buoyant as ever and
while the younger electro-acoustic
siblings are certainly carving out more
and more of the market, there are still
important places for the pure acoustic.
Interestingly these places tend to be poles
apart, resting with the beginner and the
pro/semi-pro recording artists.
WHO WANTS ONE?
The beginner would always be wise to
buy a pure acoustic for a couple of
reasons. First, an acoustic instrument will
always sound better producing its natural
sound. As soon as electric signals are
transferred to an amp, the sounds will
change – and that’s even before the user
starts messing about with the
equalisations available on most acoustic
amps. The amplified acoustic sounds
different and can be altered. This, really, is
the last thing a beginner needs to worry
about. What they need is an instrument
that sounds good and plays well so they
can concentrate on learning mastery.
The second reason follows on. Without
the expense of electrickery, the learner
can buy a much better instrument for the
same amount as for an electro model –
and we all know that the better the
instrument one learns on, the more
chance of seeing it through to a lifetime
of playing.
For the recording artist, there is real
value in having a naturally resonating
instrument that can be picked up by the
microphones, keeping the space’s
ambience and the purity of a quality
guitar. For those of us terminal
intermediates, there is still value in having
a pure acoustic to strum on in the house,
but those small gigs are notoriously
difficult to mic. Best make sure you have
a good electro to plug in on open mic
night. The sound man will love you for it.
SHARING THE MARKET
As you will see from this sector spotlight
– the biggest MI Pro has run for many
“ Today it is
obligatory to
include the
retronym
adjective
‘acoustic’ to be
sure people
understand
what you are
talking about.
The advent of the electric guitar 60 years ago and the electro-acoustic 20 years ago have combined to make life as
difficult as possible for the humble acoustic. Despite the onslaught of technology, however, the acoustic guitar holds an
important and stable position in the guitar market. Andy Barrett turns off the power and gropes around the market…
Pureacoustics
SECTOR SPOTLIGHT ACOUSTIC GUITARS
38 miPRO JUNE 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
years – there is no shortage of brands
jostling for a bit of elbow room on your
walls and in your shop windows. There is
barely a supplier in the country that
doesn’t have a brand or two to tempt
you with and, of course, the past 15 years
have seen the arrival of a couple of guitar
specialist supplier/manufacturers in the
UK, and the big four keep on going:
Fender, Gibson, Taylor and Martin.
Spending 500 quid is not such a big
deal these days – credit crunch or no –
and picking up a guitar for, say, £469
means the punter is getting a pretty
bloody good axe that will last them many
years – this makes the retailer’s life that
bit easier. The fact that customers are still
getting unprecedented quality in the
£150 to £300 price bracket makes it
more difficult again. Those buying on
price will still be getting a perfectly good,
solid topped instrument and it is down to
the ability of the salesman to point out
the benefits of paying that little bit more
for a good deal extra.
Margins, too, appear to be holding
their own in the world of acoustic guitars
and the sheer spread of brands available
means that the most densely gathered
shops can still compete without having
to do silly things with the price.
THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM
Which brings us into the rundown of
what there is on offer at the moment.
Well, it’s a lot… A lot, a lot. We have over
20 brands to get through – and not a
single naff one among them – but to do
justice to them all would take up the
entire magazine. All we can do is flag up
points of interest and big sellers and hope
to whet your appetite…
One cannot talk acoustics without
starting with Martin and despite the
high-end reputation of the brand, it has
in recent years been making the Little
Martin series, which starts at a smidgen
over £250, thanks to modern ‘wood-
making’ and laminating technology. The
LXM model (£369) features an HPL
spruce-effect top and mahogany effect
back and sides and is a fine beginner
model. For a little more an LX1 (£399)
adds a solid spruce top.
For the more mobile the Backpacker
range offers a Martin guitar in an ultra
compact format with solid top and
laminate back and sides, and comes as a
standard steel string nylon string (both
£269), both with an electro option.
The young pretender to the Martin
crown is Taylor – the company that raised
the bar in acoustic guitars, taking
acoustics to the new generation of
electric players, and pretty much single-
handedly threw the market open by
developing cutting-edge luthier
technologies. The introduction of the
Baby Taylors (page 42) a little less than
ten years ago saw the company stepping
into the fray of the plethora of
competing Asian-made brands and
getting its guitars into the hands of
beginner players.The beauty of the Babys
is that the very highest spec (solid tops
and ebony fingerboards for starters) is
available to players that would normally
have to sigh longingly at such features.
Starting at around the £300 mark, it
would take a brave beginner to dive in at
the Martin/Taylor end of the pool, but for
those that do, there is no looking back.
Starting with these two brands is
logical in more ways than one. Naturally,
they are the aspirational brands for
acoustic players, but also they are linked
by their suppliers in the UK to other top
guitars. Taylor is now distributed
throughout Europe by Fender and Martin
by Westside – the latter also supplying
the intriguing Recording King brand.
Fender holds a unique place in the
world of guitars, not only for the iconic
designs of its electrics, which dominate
the guitar world, but also because of the
means of that domination.
The MI giant has long held the policy
of making a guitar for everyone, and
straddles the market from the entry-level
right through to unique models from its
Cort Luce seriesFrom £279.95 to £499
Cort recently introduced its award-winning
Luce series, a collection of eight acoustic
models, offered in parlour, concert and small
folk cutaway body styles, crafted from exotic
tone woods, including solid cedar and spruce
tops, ebony fingerboards, and trimmed with
abalone and maple bindings.
This dreadnought beauty is something collectors, musicians
and name brand enthusiasts will all want to own. These
exclusively licensed guitars are designed by expert luthiers in
the USA Peavey Custom Shop and adorn the famous Jack
Daniel’s artwork on the headstock. Each Jack Daniel’s acoustic
has mahogany back and sides and a spruce top finished in a
high gloss black.
Aria AD28£279
Remarkable features for the
price, with body, sides and
neck constructed from high
grade mahogany, rosewood
fingerboard and bridge, bone
saddle and nut, and a solid
sitka spruce soundboard, all
contributing to the AD28’s
detailed low frequencies and
sparkling high end.
Lag T100 seriesFrom £299 to £420
Offering premium red cedar solid tops, the
T100 brings together a world of woods to
create superb-sounding instruments.
Available in natural, black, and brown
shadow high-gloss finishes, each model
looks superb and individual. Finely crafted,
these instruments are ideal for the
enthusiast or the professional.
Peavey JD-AG1 Jack Daniel’s £169
40 miPRO JUNE 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
It’s been a treat to see Eko back on
the market and the classic Ranger
model especially. Its classic black
finish (although the natural finish is
available too) and carved back give it
a unique look, together with a
(surprisingly good) laminated spruce
top, mahogany back and sides, a
linden neck, rosewood fingerboard
and the famous adjustable bridge…
Nostalgia freaks, this way, please.
Eko Ranger 6 reissue£183.95
custom shop. Acoustics, too, are available
to all with the famous logo on the equally
famous headstock and one should never
forget the mother of all entry-level
guitars, Squier.
Squier’s SA-100 Acoustic Pack includes
a dreadnought with a laminated spruce
top, rosewood bridge and fingerboard,
nickel-plated frets and die-cast tuners,
and plays as well as, if not better, than
anything else in the sub-£100 bracket.
Recording King’s classic Series 1 and
Series 2 guitars are built from 1930s
designs and have many vintage style
features including bevelled pick guard and
classic butterbean tuners. Unusually for
this price point, they also sport forward
shifted, scalloped bracing.
The Series 1 guitar has a solid
Engelmann spruce top, this time with
solid mahogany or rosewood back and
sides and a one piece mahogany neck,
while the Series 2 adds a traditional style
diamond volute. Both come in
dreadnought and 000 styles.
Tanglewood has established its name
on making quality acoustics, mostly for
the entry-level and mid-range, but has
since grown into the upper end of the
market, as well as introducing electric
guitars and basses. Its roots, however,
remain in the sub-£500 bracket and its
product reflects the importance of this.
Each of the ranges offers the full
spectrum of body shapes, 12-strings and
lefties, with a couple of them containing
acoustic basses, too. The Premier series
features ‘aged’ Canadian cedar or spruce
tops and mahogany necks, while the
Rosewood Reserve series takes the solid
spruce top and combines it with Indian
rosewood back and sides.
The Evolution series sticks to the
popular dreadnought and auditorium
shapes for the laminate topped models
for those on a tight budget, while all
models and shapes are available with
solid tops. Bringing up the rear, but still a
hugely important part of business, are the
Discovery packs, which are available as
dreadnoughts and folk versions.
Crafter is another brand that does
pretty much everything – and again
particularly in the sub-£500 market.
Worthy of mention here is the Hilite
series, which at £239 is Crafter’s least
expensive range. It is made in Korea and
represents excellent value thanks to its
emphasis on sound and playability rather
than cosmetic frills. The dreadnought has
a solid spruce top while the T-body option
has a solid cedar top for a warmer tone.
Both have mahogany back and sides and
are finished with a distinctive gloss
vintage-burst effect.
Rosetti’s Adam Black range has been
making a good name for itself through
models such as the S-5, a solid spruce
topped dreadnought with mahogany
laminated back and sides and a price tag
of just £169. An extra £130 will get the
player the jumbo J-8 (page 46) and the
brand also offers a cool selection of
electro models, too.
While leading the way in the UK with
its resonator guitars, Ozark has a lot more
to offer to any player of any style. The
Ozark Deluxe series is a collection of
distinctive quality guitars at amazing
prices but with a sound comparable to
other more expensive guitars. Ozark
Deluxe models feature all solid
construction from selected AAA grade
timbers and are supplied in a hard case.
The Deluxe models come in four body
shapes: dreadnought, small, cutaway and
parlour. Solid spruce tops and mahogany
back and sides start at a very affordable
£355 for the 3750, a dreadnought with a
warm, fluid tone and good resonance.
While very much a guitar range in the
classical vein, Ortega guitars have been
Freshman Apollo 20£359.99
The UK-designed brand
continues to make waves in
the guitar market by keeping
it simple and maintaining
quality. The Apollo series has
epitomised this and, for
example, the Apollo 20
jumbo sports a solid AA
grade premium sitka spruce
top, rosewood back and
sides, genuine abalone
purfling and rosette,
rosewood fingerboard and
bridge, snowflake inlays and
gold Grover machineheads.
The ROS-16 is a 12th fret OOO-style guitar built from a 1902 design. With a solid
AA-grade Sitka spruce top and mahogany back and sides, this guitar has the warm
sound expected from a 12th fret. Add to this the rosewood fretboard, ebony pyramid
bridge, bone nut and saddle and you have a guitar that sounds as great as it looks.
Recording King Century Studio ROS-16£259
Walden D350£178
FCN’s Walden brand is one of
those workhorse range of guitars
that punches well above its weight.
The entry-level D350, for example,
promises a spruce top with
mahogany back and sides, a
rosewood fingerboard and bridge
and die-cast chrome tuners. This is
the starting point for the range,
which is extensive and has an
impressive roster of endorsers.
SECTOR SPOTLIGHT ACOUSITC GUITARS
Fender Kingman£439.34
Part of the California series,
the Kingman is a single
cutaway dreadnought with
a solid spruce top and
mahogany back and sides, a
‘vintage’ soft C neck of
maple and a rosewood
fingerboard. All quite
familiar, but at this price
point, the Kingman goes
quite a bit further, with
superb playability and, of
course, that name on the
headstock, which is a
guarantee of both quality
and re-sell price.
42 miPRO JUNE 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
SECTOR SPOTLIGHT ACOUSTIC GUITARS
included here simply because they are
probably not as well known as they
should be in the UK. Made by the
percussion specialist Meinl and
distributed over here by Active Music, the
Ortega guitars are attractive, well built
instruments that start at £239 and are a
step up from the pure beginner models,
but ideal for those just starting out.
Whenever one is talking about guitars
these days, the JHS brands will always
have a significant need for a mention and
the Vintage brand’s solid reputation for
providing astonishing quality and high
specification is further strengthened with
the new 2010 range. This represents JHS’
determination to raise the bar, offering
high standards, built with premium
materials, high specifications and
excellent build quality. Vintage acoustic
instruments offer professional attributes,
consistently high levels of playability and
true to the Vintage ethic, keep the most
demanding player happy.
Yamaha’s acoustic range under £500 is
mostly popularised by the FG range. This
was Yamaha’s first venture into making
steel strung acoustic guitars and one even
found itself in Country Joe McDonald
hands for a performance at some hippie
festival known as Woodstock…
Modern FG acoustics are based on a
‘3T’ construction idea that incorporates
thinner back and sides and thinner finish
and allows for greater resonance,
increased volume and a wider frequency
response. The third ‘T’ is the thinner neck
for a more comfortable playing guitar.
Under the hood, the bracing on the FG
guitars is inherited from Yamaha’s
handcrafted L-series guitars with a 90
degree non-scalloped X-bracing design. A
hand-fitted, wood to wood dovetail neck
joint attaches the neck to the body
through the L-shaped neck block. This
combined with a larger bridge gives the
guitar greater stability and optimum
transfer of string vibrations.
All FGs have solid sitka tops and
rosewood fingerboards, with back and
side woods and cosmetics varying as you
go up through the range.
Indie’s Sound guitar is made with a
standard soundhole and strategically
placed ‘sound outlets’ in the lower bout
of the solid cedar soundboard, which
allows the low frequencies to resonate
and escape through the soundboard along
with the highs for a balanced output. The
inside of the back of the body has been
lacquered to accelerate the sound waves
back out through the multi-sound holes,
making a huge projection and increasing
the sensitivity of the guitar’s response. All
this for £379? Got to be a bargain.
Ibanez is another of those brands that
has made a name for itself on the electric
front, but should be overlooked on the
acoustic front at your peril. The Japanese
giant makes some seriously good pure
acoustics. Of note is the RVV Resonant
Vintage Violin low gloss guitar that uses
an Ibanez AEL body with a solid spruce
top and flame maple back and sides. The
advantage of the low gloss (as has been
discussed) is that the woods get the
chance to resonate more freely and thus
create a more even balance of highs and
lows and improve projection.
While maintaining the utmost
impartiality, the author’s second ever
guitar (and the first one that could
actually be played) was a second-hand
Eko Ranger in gloss black – a guitar that
survived the owner’s first ever set-up and
customisation and went on for nearly 20
years more before being handed over to a
struggling Bulgarian guitarist… It might
still be going.
The re-introduction of the Eko brand
has brought back that workmanlike
functionality and a few unique design
features, epitomised by the Ranger 6 re-
issue and the Chetro 6 Deluxe, which has
a selected Val di Fiemme solid spruce top
and rosewood back and sides.
Ibanez A300E£479
The Ibanez arched-back Ambiance
series promises ultimate stage
performance instruments constructed
with outstanding design. Quilted
maple tops, backs and sides,
mahogany neck, abalone rosettes and
gold Grover tuners, all masterfully
combined, ensuring you are both seen
and heard. Those stepping up to an
Ibanez Ambience will find a guitar
capable of serving them right through
to stadium gigs.
Indie Pure£369
Indie’s Pure model, like the Sound, is
aimed at delivering a natural resonance
from source, sporting what Indie calls a
first-stage production, where the body
woods are left unaffected by any stains
or lacquers, allowing the guitar to
breath and the natural tones to flow. As
a result, bass and treble frequencies are
balanced and extremely clear. Indie
dares to be different where most
manufactures wouldn’t gamble on an
unfinished acoustic.
At ¾-scale, the Baby Taylor is Taylor’s ultra-
portable, dreadnought travel mate that
belies its size with a full voice and great
tone. It’s remarkably versatile for special
applications, whether played in alternate
tunings or high-strung, with a capo or a
slide. Top of the list for many, though, is
that it’s the perfect starter guitar for young
kids. Sapele laminate back and sides, a sitka
spruce top and a mahogany neck combine
to make this a real sweet sounding guitar –
and the ebony fingerboard will spoil
learners for ever.
Taylor Baby£326.95
Blueridge BR-143 000Historic£629
18 style with solid sitka top and
solid mahogany body, rosewood
fingerboard and black binding, the
Historic is really a guitar that does
it all, whether folk or fingerstyle or
anything in between. The solid
mahogany and spruce combined
with the smaller body size make it
a truly enjoyable and versatile
guitar to play.
Today’s drummer needs the ability to
adapt to every playing opportunity.
Whether in the studio or on the road,
Renown Maple offers you the versatility
and quality that’s pure classic Gretsch.
Available in a choice of four colours and
four confi gurations, it’s certain to suit
whatever your next gig demands.
See and hear more at: MyGretschDrums.com
RENOWN MAPLE
© 2010 FMIE. All rights reserved.
“ MY SOUND HAS TO CHANGE FROM DAY TO DAY, MY DRUMS DON’T. GRETSCH HANDLES IT ALL.”
Karl Brazil – Robbie Williams / Feeder
Distributed Exclusively in the UK by Rosetti LTD. 4 Blackwell Drive, Springwood Industrial Estate, Braintree, Essex. CM7 2QJ Tel: 01376 550033 Web: www.rosetti.co.uk
WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO JUNE 2010 45
ACOUSITC GUITARS SECTOR SPOTLIGHT
Cort is, some might be surprised to
hear, the world’s biggest manufacturer of
both solid-bodied electrics and acoustic
guitars, producing well over a million
guitars a year from its Indonesian and
Chinese factories – the biggest guitar
plants on the planet. The beautiful SFX
Range, which includes the venetian
cutaway SFX 5 (£429) and SFX 6 (£469),
is constructed from solid tone woods
and, as with all Cort acoustics, is
brimming with quality features as
standard that are often only found on
other brands costing far more.
With a deep-gloss finish, the affordable
T66 Standard range from Lag looks as
good as it sounds. The spruce tops and
mahogany back and sides are accented
by distinctive black and ivorine binding
and the necks are finished in French satin
for feel and comfort. Prices start at £165
for the basic T66D dreadnought model.
Barnes & Mullins’ house brand,
Brunswick, has been delivering great
instruments for the budget conscious for
over 15 years now. Based upon simple,
but important concepts, the brand has
found space in most music stores.
Starting with the entry level, the £109
BD200 models have spruce tops with
mahogany back and sides and do what
you would expect – deliver remarkable
tone and playability for the money.
All models within Aria’s AP series of
parlour-sized acoustics embody many of
the best tonalities akin to the original
small bodied instruments for a sound
that’s warm with a singing mid-range and
a smooth roundness to the trebles. The
AP-STD parlour includes a solid red cedar
soundboard with a decorative soundhole
rosette. Mahogany is the chosen wood
for the neck, back and sides, with
rosewood for the fingerboard and bridge
This guitar is alive with response and the
volume is loud and lively with an
excellent legato quality for just £199.
Walden from FCN Music has five
ranges, the Concorda, Standard, Natura,
Supra Natura, and Madera – all with their
own USPs. The Concorda is a line of gloss
finished, solid wood instruments of
quality, while only solid spruce and cedar
soundboards are used on Natura guitars.
The Supra Naturas add all-wood binding,
trim, bridges and end pins. A narrow-
profile neck allows for execution of the
most complex fingerstyle. The all-solid
wood Madera line is built with 100 per
cent certified FSC-Pure traditional guitar
tonewoods, guaranteeing sustainability.
Freshman guitars start at a mere
£149.95 for the half-sized FA1 TRAVN,
but even this has a solid spruce top and
mahogany back and sides. While the
series goes up to the £700 mark, there
are some top guitars in the sub £400
bracket, such as the FA25 0DLH, a
dreadnought with a Canadian sitka top,
mahogany back and sides,
rosewood fingerboard and bridge and
gold machineheads.
The Vintage brand’s
solid reputation for
providing astonishing
quality and a high
spec is further
strengthened in 2010
with a new collection
of all-mahogany
guitars. The V300MH
is one such, with (of
course) mahogany top,
back and sides, an
eastern mahogany
neck, rosewood
fingerboard and
bridge, and
chrome
hardware –
and the look
is at once
unusual and
completely
irresistible.
Vintage V300MH all-mahogany guitar£179
At the top of Turner’s mid-
range sits the 80s series, a real
treat of a guitar with solid
spruce top and East Indian
rosewood back and sides. The
model claims a new bracing
system that increases
projection and gives a full,
round sound. Bone nut and
saddle, nickel fret wires and
gold plated machineheads add
to the luxury feel, which is
topped impressively with a
mahogany neck and an ebony
fingerboard and bridge.
Turner 80s series£499
46 miPRO JUNE 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
This all-solid construction
instrument is made from
from selected AA grade
timbers and is an enticing
choice – particularly among
fingerpickers. A flawless
construction makes for the
fullest of projections
(important for the
fingerstyle players). An
impressive endorser for the
Deluxe Parlour model is
Andy Partridge of XTC
fame. “I just had to have
this gem of an instrument
even though I hadn’t
intended to buy anything, it
was simply love at first
strum,” he said.
Ozark 3135 parlour£325 Crafter DV-200/N
dreadnought£479
This model incorporates all of
Crafter’s best tonal features at a most
reasonable price. The back and sides
are solid mahogany with a solid
Engelmann spruce top, while Crafter’s
patented T-bracing reduces the overall
weight of the guitar. This system
offers more resonance, tone and
volume than the traditional A-brace. If
you’ve never tried a Crafter before –
the time has surely come.
Adam Black J8 jumbo£299
Possibly the newest kid on the block, Adam Black
guitars offers an extremely wide range of quality
guitars and the chance to find something a little
away from the main pack – so often appealing to
guitarists. The J8 jumbo has a solid spruce top, full
scalloped bracing, laminated koa body, mahogany
neck, rosewood fingerboard, Grover tuners, chrome
hardware – and seriously good looks.
SECTOR SPOTLIGHT ACOUSTIC GUITARS
WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO JUNE 2010 47
ARIA 01483 238720WESTSIDE(MARTIN/RECORDINGKING) 0141 248 4812BARNES & MULLINS(LAG/BRUNSWICK) 01691 652449HC DISTRIBUTION (CORT)+353 599 134268PEAVEY 01536 461234FREESTYLE (EKO) 01924 455414
FCN MUSIC (WALDEN)01892 603733FENDER(TAYLOR/TAKEMINE)01342 331700FRESHMAN 01355 228028HEADSTOCK (IBANEZ)0121 508 6666GREMLIN (BLUERIDGE)01903 203044INDIE 01235 851189JHS (VINTAGE/ENCORE)
0113 286 5381STENTOR (OZARK) 01737 240226ROSETTI (ADAM BLACK)01376 550033SUTHERLAND (CRAFTER)029 2088 7333TANGLEWOOD 01937 841122TURNER GUITARS 01253 798370ACTIVE MUSIC (ORTEGA)020 8693 5678YAMAHA 01908 366700
Tanglewood TW130orchestra£249.95
Exactly how Tanglewood came up
with this model is not really a
mystery, but the quality to price
ratio is such that, one suspects,
there must have been some luck
involved. The TW130 plays like a
guitar twice its price (even
tempting ‘master-design’ luthier
Michael Sanden). It’s all mahogany
top, back and sides, gives an
interesting dark quality and the
construction finds that happiest of
balances between tightness of
construction and looseness of
projection.
Ortega is a brand with its light somewhat under a bushel, coming from the cymbal and percussion
specialist Meinl, but this range of classical guitars is a great ‘step up’ for the beginner looking for
something a little ‘more’ as he or she begins to take playing seriously. At the top end of the pure
acoustic range is the R200 with its solid cedar top with palo-roja back and sides and a Spanish-
heeled mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard. This is a brand well worth a look.
Ortega R200 SN nylon string£469
Freshman’s claim to fame
comes from its ability to source
premium graded woods from
throughout the world, adding its
own designs and paying special
attention to the quality of sound
and tone. All materials are sourced
and selected personally by the
Freshman team and all the guitars
are built to an exact specification.
Before leaving the UK factory, each
guitar is inspected and tested by
experienced luthiers. The end result
is a great sounding quality
instrument at an affordable price.
At the top of the Freshman range
comes the impressive Apollo
Collection, which offers the perfect
combination of quality sound and
an appearance to match.
Gremlin’s Blueridge brand has
cornered a really nice little niche in
the market, fitting perfectly with
Gremlin’s ethos of folk for the
masses. With the Historic series
(page 42) taking a cool stance for
‘guitars of old’, there are also the
retro-looking slope-shouldered BG
series, the Contemprary series
with authentic forward X bracing,
solid sitka spruce tops and carved
mahogany low profile neck and the
Adirondack series, with models
from the Contemporary series
featuring a late 1930s style
sunburst gloss finish.
Peavey has a couple of acoustic
ranges of note, namely the
extensive Briarwood range and the
exclusive Jack Daniel’s models. The
latter benefit from the cool of the
branding – although make no
mistake, these are top quality
guitars. Mahogany back and sides
throughout, the JDs have spruce
tops (page 38) or in the case of
the JD-AG2 and 3, cedar. Satin
finishes and quality components
make these ultra-cool models a
treat to play. The Briarwood series
starts at a mind-boggling £79 with
the Stage Pack starter outfit.
It’s not often that a guitar
maker makes much of being
machine-made, but Terry Pack’s
Turner Guitars does just that.
Turners are fine axes, but with
prices that tempt the most
budget-conscious customers. Each
instrument is individually checked
and set up to play as good as it
ever will, straight out of the box.
The ranges (starting with the 20
series, then working up to the 90s)
start with models at £179 and
finish at the high-end 94 and 95C
at £1,079 – and everything in-
between in a variety of shapes and
made from selections of woods.
ACOUSTIC GUITARS SECTOR SPOTLIGHT
The majority of musical instruments
have impressive histories. Pianos, as
we know, go back many centuries
and the first stringed instruments came
about thousands of years ago. The
complexity of some of these instruments
makes these facts all the more impressive,
but there is one category that makes the
rest look like they were all released
yesterday and that is percussion.
This sector of MI originates from so
long ago that nobody knows when it really
started. A neanderthal bashing a stick
against a rock with unintentional rhythm
would be an educated guess.
We’ve come a long way since then,
with our mp3 players and electric cars and
yet we still love nothing more than
occasionally revisiting our less civilised
roots by pounding animal hides when the
mood takes us.
It’s strange, when you think about it,
that in the time it’s taken the human race
to go from cave dwelling to its current
state, percussion instruments have evolved
at a much slower rate. Despite this, they
continue to sell extremely well and are a
source of rare optimism in these tough
times. So why is this?
Percussion has many advantages over
other MI sectors. Anyone can pick up a
tambourine and whack it in time with the
band, who may have spent years of
dedicated practice getting to their level.
Of course, to become an expert
percussionist, similar levels of training to
that of other musicians is needed, but
there is no doubting that tapping along to
a catchy tune is a lot easier than
attempting to master a monster riff.
Educational establishments are one of
the major consumer brackets for
percussion companies and this is
unsurprising due to how easily they can
spark musical creativity. A s these products
appeal to a wide range of other
demographics, why are so many retailers
reluctant to stock them?
One of the reasons is knowledge. These
retailers may fear a situation where a
customer asks questions about their new
“With ease of play
being the major
selling point for a
lot of lines, it’s
surely not too
much of a
surprise that
djembes are doing
so well currently.
Coping in recession-hit Britain has become tough for MI, but percussion companies have got by surprisingly well, with the
future looking even more promising. Adam Savage looks into why percussion is such a dark horse in this industry...
SECTOR SPOTLIGHT PERCUSSION
48 miPRO JUNE 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
The beat goes on…
timpani or cajon range, prompting a rambling,
nonsensical response, or worse, a blank, confused
stare. In reality, it doesn’t take nearly as long to
become a percussion boffin as it does with electric
guitars, for example.
What might also be putting retailers off is that
quite often percussion isn’t displayed effectively.
Many music stores treat these instruments as an
after-thought or put them in a corner and then
wonder why they’re not flying off the shelves like
they’d hoped. Creating an impulse buy, instant
purchase display is important for selling percussion,
because the mass appeal and lower price tags mean
people are more likely to buy one spontaneously
compared to a grand piano, for example.
MI Pro was quick to react to one of the biggest
news stories at this year’s Musikmesse, the
acquisition of British percussion specialist Natal by
Marshall. This of course gives Natal access to
Marshall’s enormous distribution network, as well as
significant new investment and financial incentives.
On the other hand, a business deal of this scale acts
as a case study for the direction the international
percussion market is currently moving in.
The Fuego series is the first in an influx of new
products and the existing lines are all receiving a
makeover. One of these is the Thailand-
manufactured Spirit series, consisting of congas,
bongos and timbales. The Fusion series, made from
premium ash wood, contains tumbas and quintos
and the Classic range pays homage to Natal’s
fibreglass offerings from the 1960s and 70s. To top
it off is the Cubana series, a UK hand-built product
with aluminium Comfort Hoop rim, with durable
tuning bolts and natural hide heads.
Several have decided to branch out into
percussion recently. One of these is Chord,
distributed by AVSL.
Originally an audio specialist, Chord (see cover
feature, page 18) has released a whole range of
drums, shakers, tambourines and more, as well as
venturing into a number of other MI categories. The
new wooden agogos are an example.
Agogos started off in West Africa and were
originally made from metal, making them similar in
appearance to cowbells. The edges on the Chord
model also make them usable as a guiro, a Cuban
instrument that produces a ratchet-like sound.
Cowbells, of course, are a drum accessory that
everybody knows well. With most percussion
manufacturers starting to focus on the more exotic
products, it’s good to see Tama bringing out a new
range of these instruments. Simply named Black
Cowbells, they are just one of a number of new
products from a company that is often thought of
as a solely drumkit specialist.
There are many in the industry out there that
predicted that percussion would ride out this
economic storm fairly well, but few would have
foreseen the immense boom that has occurred in
the sale of cajons in recent years.
Originally thought of as an obscure Peruvian
import instrument, they are now a hot topic among
musicians. Their simplicity, practicality and price
have caused them to become a must-have for
drummers, who want something quick and easy to
take to parties, practices and acoustic sets or open
mic nights.
An instrument that is essentially a box seems the
perfect target for experimentation with visual
design and this is exactly what Meinl has done with
its Headliner Designer series. Ranging from skull
motifs for rock fans to a flower power design to
attract the female market, Meinl has provided a
series that effectively modernises a traditional
instrument from a different cultural background.
WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO JUNE 2010 49
PERCUSSION SECTOR SPOTLIGHT
A pair of agogo bells on a wooden
handle, their serrated edges allow the
surface to produce a rasping sound
with use of the wooden beater. A
simple, low priced product that sets
the tone for many of the new Chord
percussion releases.
Natal Fuego SeriesBongos£65
The Fuegos are intended
as an entry-level option
for new percussionists.
These bongos, congas, and
conguitas feature heads
made from natural hide, a
Siam oak structure and
chrome plated rims and
hardware.
Chord Wooden Agogos£5.99
50 miPRO JUNE 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
Made with natural rawhide heads
and EZ Curve rims for enhanced
playing comfort, these congas
produce deep tone and volume,
offered at a price that will appeal to
students and other cost conscious
individuals. The lightweight but
durable chrome hardware makes
these drums easier to transport
than other similar models.
Gon Bops California series55th Anniversary Edition£TBC
Made from quarter-sawn red
Appalachian oak, via a build process
that takes nearly a year, those who
invest in these products know they’re
getting quality drums made with
immense care. Traditional design and
craftsmanship is blended with rigidity
and build quality, provided by the best
materials and robust steel side plates.
Available in three finishes, the
Marathon series timbales represents the
other end of the ability scale. Aimed at
more experienced percussionists, these
Cuban inspired drums can be played on
their own or as part of a kit set-up. The
heavy-duty brackets are an essential
addition to an instrument that can be
expected to take a fair bit of abuse. The
adjustable cowbell holder and tripod
stand will cater for percussionists of
different size set-ups and preferences.
Although most cajon manufacturers
have opted to stick with tradition, there
are those out there trying to push the
boat out that little bit further and offer
something entirely different. The E-cajon
from Tycoon certainly falls into this
category with its electronic capabilities.
The TTI-1415C timbales are another
addition to Tycoon’s extensive percussion
range. Stainless steel, chrome-plated
shells sit atop an adjustable tilting stand
with cowbell mounting. Also thrown in
are a tuning wrench, TW-60 cowbell and
pair of sticks. Established in 1985, this
company wholly-owns its factory in
Bangkok and has developed a great
reputation in Europe, Asia and South
America over the years.
Another interesting point about
percussion is that new products are far
more likely to come in the form of
variations of what is already out there,
rather than radically new designs and
ideas. There are only a limited number of
ways, of course, to bang a drum or shake
a tambourine and this works in the favour
of all parties concerned.
This is also the case with tuned
percussion – instruments in the orchestral
category, such as xylophones. They need
very little updating over time and
continue to sell well. Some companies,
such as Jam Percussion on Merseyside,
consider xylophones to be its best-selling
products and they have remained similar
in design to early models. Other products
will occasionally claim breakthroughs,
usually in terms of enhanced practicality.
An example of this would be the
Revolution timpanis from Dutch
orchestral percussion specialists Adams. A
new approach in this case is a removable
bowl function for easy transportation,
while maintaining head tension.
With ease of play being the major
selling point for a lot of lines, it’s surely
not too much of a surprise that djembes
are doing so well currently. Remo, known
mostly for being the world leader in
drumheads, has the Designer series, a
colourful array of djembes fitted with
Remo’s Skyndeep drumhead. A wide
variety of other djembes and congas are
available, as well as more obscure
products from tiny shakers through to
gigantic Japanese Taiko drums and gongs,
for customers that way inclined.
Congas have for years been at the
forefront of percussion lines and have
always sold particularly well worldwide.
Gon Bops is a specialist in this field and
has been busy since being announced as
a wholly owned subsidiary of Sabian
earlier this year. Its California series
congas sell especially well, prompting Gon
Bops to add a 55th anniversary limited
edition product to this range.
Another jewel in the Gon Bops crown
is the Tumbao series of bongos. These
drums feature a plied stave Siam oak
shell, with teardrop-shaped counter
hoops. Options include a choice of the
popular tobacco burst, tobacco fade or
natural finishes.
Latin Percussion, a Fender brand, also
has an impressive selection of congas and
bongos. To commemorate its lengthy
relationship with Carlos Santana, LP has
the Aspire Santana Abraxas series, a range
decorated with artwork from the guitar
legend’s 1970 album, Abraxas.
The bongos include identical
construction features to the congas,
achieving comparable sound and build
quality. With the same angel design as
its bigger brother, this product
completes a range that looks great, as
well as offering great sound and value.
SECTOR SPOTLIGHT PERCUSSION
Adams RevolutionTimpanisFrom £1,899.33
Great versatility is ensured through a built-
in fine tuner, even better for those wanting
to use calf heads. Available in 20”, 23”, 26”,
29” and 32” sizes, these timpanis also
come with a choice of fibreglass, smooth
copper and hand-hammered copper bowl
materials. This lightweight range’s
practicality is enhanced by double locking
swivel casters and third wheel assembly.
Meinl Headlinerseries£134
Two of the six designs are
cloth covered, creating a drier,
crisper sound and they are all
made from eco-friendly
medium density fibreboard.
With internal snare wires and
adjustable top corners, these
cajons are sure to appeal to a
wide variety of musicians.
Latin PercussionAbraxas congas£389.99
Tama BlackCowbellsFrom £22.99
These nice additions to a kit
come with eyebolts,
ensuring the bells sit firmly
and securely in place,
avoiding swinging while
playing. Available in three
sizes, this range is a great
choice for any drummer
looking to add some variety
to a kit’s sound.
Soar Valley DeGreogorio Jaqui£199
Its birch plywood structure
creates a modern, strong
sound with compressed,
controlled basses and high
tones. Anti-scratch paint is
applied to maintain quality
and a set of jingles vibrate
slightly when the bass tone
is played.
With many of these instruments
coming from far off lands, it seems that
there are plenty of fair trade
opportunities in this business. Knowing
that your purchase has been hand-made
in its country of origin without
exploitation makes it that little bit
more satisfying and is something that
appeals to a great number of us.
World Rhythm Percussion follows this
business model, using master craftsmen
from a Spanish manufacturer to produce
its new cajon range, for example. With a
multitude of lower priced products (a
vast selection under £10), World Rhythm
seems to primarily target impulse buyers
and entry level musicians.
Displayed at Musikmesse, the Hydro-
Beat djembe is one that the company
has a lot of confidence in. One of the
more unusual instruments is the plain
coconut karimba, a part of its range of
many products that have clearly
maintained traditional qualities.
Also called an mbira, this polished half
coconut shell amplifies the notes by
creating a sound chamber. The player
plucks the karimba with their finger or
thumb, which is where it gets its other
alias, the ‘finger piano’.
Soar Valley is another company that
offers a plethora of percussion loveliness
of all kinds. Having focused mainly on
Celtic, African and Brazilian products, the
firm has also started covering more
modern, western instruments.
Its impressive range of djembes
includes the Bucara series. With wood
coming from sustainably managed
forests, Soar Valley also seems to take
environmental and ethical factors
seriously. Kambala Professional and
Bassam djembes complete this highly
pleasing variety of African drums.
The De Gregorio Jaqui proves this is
another specialist that has reacted to
the cajon boom. Fandango and Sweet
Spot professional cajons have also been
added to the Soar Valley catalogue.
Continuing with the appeal of
simplicity, the new Stickball from
Rhythm Tech is about as straightforward
as it gets. A ball that attaches to a
drumstick, this shaker came after
collaborating with renowned session
drummer, Billy Ward.
Rhythm Tech’s most famous product is
the one that brought it on to the scene
in the first place, the crescent-shaped
tambourine. Thirty years on, it’s still
going strong and is available in a variety
of colours and the option of either nickel
or polished brass jingles. A cushioned
grip provides further improvement to
the comfort and playability that
caused this model to take off three
decades previously.
Gremlin Music, a leading UK
distributor in folk and acoustic
instruments, is yet another to submit to
the growing pull of the cajon.
Gremlin recently set up distribution
with Katho Cajons, manufactured at a
workshop in Spain. A selection of woods
are available (rosewood, pine, calabo and
birchwood, for example) and the Katho
range includes the calabo bodied
rosewood basik and pine plate rumba
models, and a calabo plated option in red
or black.
Completing the series are the ebano
and cebra cajons, which include a 7mm
wenge back plate, with 17mm and
27mm sound holes respectively.
SECTOR SPOTLIGHT PERCUSSION
CONTACTSFENDER (LATIN PERCUSSION) 01342 331711JHS (RHYTHM TECH)0113 286 5381WESTSIDE (GON BOPS)0141 248 4812EMD (REMO)01293 862612SOAR VALLEY0116 230 4926WORLD RHYTHM01242 282191NATAL01908 272605ACTIVE MUSIC (MEINL)020 869 5678JAM PERCUSSION (ADAMS)0151 494 1492AVSL (CHORD)0845 270 2411FCN (TYCOON)01892 603730HEADSTOCK (TAMA)0121 508 6666JHS (RHYTHM TECH)0113 286 5381GREMLIN01903 203044
52 miPRO JUNE 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
RemoDesigner series£105
Appeals to those going for
either an authentic, African
sound or something simple
to tap away on when the
mood grabs. This drum is
key tuned and features a
Skyndeep drumhead and
Adinkra finish.
Tycoon E-Cajon£279
The first of these instruments to come
with a built-in amp and speaker, this cajon
can be plugged into any speaker set-up and
is powered by a single 9V battery. This
allows bass and slap sounds to project
louder than any other cajon. Also includes
an mp3 connectivity option.
This calabo plated cajon with
10mm birchwood body comes
with four V-shaped strings. This
model is tuneable and
represents the middle of the
Katho range. A warm, clear
sound from the front plate
combines well with a crisp, top
end tone and thudding bass.
A fine combination of traditional know-how and modern
materials and techniques. A pre-tuned mylar head helps achieve
a great tone and its lightweight, fibre-glass structure makes it
perfect for more mobile percussionists and schools. The batik
pattern gives this drum its striking appearance.
World Rhythm PercussionHydro Beat djembe£59.99
This two-piece shaker is basically a ball attached
to a shaft by two bands that can be used as a
shaker, stick accessory, or mallet head. The dry
sound makes it an ideal alternative to maracas
or other similar shakeables.
Rhythm Tech Stickball £19.99
Katho Calabo Black£209
ORDER 24 MIXED TITLES FROM EITHER OF THE TWOCOMPLETE SERIES AND GET 5% EXTRA DISCOUNT!MUSIC SALES TRADE SALES HOTLINE: +44 (0)1284 705050 EMAIL: [email protected]
MORE VALUE FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS – BIGGER PROFITS FOR YOU!
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• Ideal for sing-a-longs, gigs, rehearsal or professional auditions • Every book includes lyrics, melody and chord symbols • Each CD contains performance and separate backing tracks • Singers can transpose the songs to any key by using the
CD in a PC or Mac!
• Every book includes parts for ALL C, B Flat and E Flat instruments• The CD includes features such as split tracks with melody cues,
professional rhythm tracks, choruses for soloing and removablebass & piano parts
• Ideal for learning, practice and performance
…training DVDs are an excellent choice for musicians, songwriters, engineers,producers and newcomers to the field of audio recording, providing high-quality,cost-effective training for the burgeoning DIY pro-audio sector…
For special deals on Alfred DVDs contact
Alfred Publishing: heralding a new era in educational music publishing…
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www.alfredUK.com
Tel: 01279 828960 | Fax: 01279 828961Email: [email protected] | www.alfredUK.comAlfred Publishing is distributed to the Music Trade throughout th e United Kingdom and Ireland by FM Distribution Ltd
WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO JUNE 2010 55
SHEET MUSIC SECTOR SPOTLIGHT
If you haven’t noticed by now (and I’m
certain you have), there are a couple of
product ranges you can stock that will
keep you going through thick and thin –
and let’s face it, things are unlikely to get
much thinner than they are now… Unless
of course that worrying term ‘double dip’
comes into play. Even if it does, and we
find ourselves, in macro-economic terms,
in a second recession in as many years,
the rule still applies. Sales of musical
instrument accessories and sheet music
remain pretty stable through the very
worst of times.
Perhaps obviously, by that very fact,
you can deduce that even when business
is flourishing, you are unlikely to make
your fortune and retire on accessory and
book sales alone, but what you can do is
create a small market for yourself that
remains constant, whatever the pounding
the economy takes generally or the tidal
shifts that fashion creates specifically.
It doesn’t happen by itself, however,
and simply stocking books and strings will
never guarantee people walking into your
shop, but by maintaining a level of pro-
activity – and even pushing it a bit harder
at times such as now – you will doubtless
see regular customers and passers-by
alike making little or no adjustment to
their accessory and sheet music budget
despite the economic difficulties.
For publishers, too, it would be a
disaster to sit back and hope that
everything will be okay. Customers and
dealers will always be wanting more for
their money, so book makers must
constantly tweak presentation and add
elements to their products. The latter is
possibly the easier of the two thanks to
the accessibility of CDs and DVDs, both in
terms of manufacturing and production,
and the universal usage of these formats.
The tweaking is a little more complex.
Of course, as time passes, certain
elements of long-term best-sellers
become outdated and these need to be
addressed, but, particularly in the world of
popular music, it is not simply a question
of putting into print the music of the
latest hot item, but also being able to
jump the gun a bit as to where the next
source of heat will be. In this age of 15
minutes of stardom, that is a constant
trek through the (sometimes) murky
world of the recording and live music
scenes, via agents and managers.
Thanks to the latter, even once
identified, these desirable subjects for the
printed music page can be difficult to pin
down thanks to contracts and loyalties,
and once the publisher has finally
cornered the subject, the artists
themselves can prove to be enormously
difficult to work with. (The Arctic
Monkeys, for example, are said to be
almost maniacally ‘hands-on’ with their
sheet music books, insisting upon
approving each and every page and
supplying all their own illustrations and
graphics for use, as well as going through
each note on the folio under a proverbial
electro-microscope.)
It’s as ongoing and filled with as many
banana skins as the FA Cup – although, in
fairness to the publishers, at least the FA
Cup gives clubs a few months off each
“As retailers rely on
sheet music and
accessories for
their bread and
butter when times
are hard, so the
publishers look to
the safest possible
bets in terms of
consumer appeal.
Talk to people from either book publishers or record companies and you will quickly get the impression that sheet music
is the least sexy of either industry, being neither a proper book, nor a real representation of an artist’s music. Andy
Barrett points out that, for those in the know, sheet music can be the difference between success and failure…
Under the sheets
SECTOR SPOTLIGHT SHEET MUSIC
56 miPRO JUNE 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
year. There is no such luxury allowed in
the world of music publishing.
So, what are the printed music boys
and girls up to in the year 2010? As you
will see on the following pages, the
effects of the economic climate are the
same for everyone. As retailers rely on
sheet music and accessories for their
bread and butter when times are hard, so
the publishers look to the safest possible
bets in terms of consumer appeal. There
are lots of musicals around, a lot of
more established names on the popular
scene and a lot of tried and tested
educational methods – with, of course,
CDs and DVDs.
With its roots very much in the
contemporary classical sphere, Faber
Music has made a meteoric rise in the
popular music market, particularly since
its purchase of the IMP franchise five
years ago, bringing with it the music of
Warner Brothers and initially much of
the EMI catalogue.
This wave continues with recent
releases of new names, such as Marina
and the Diamonds and more established
composers and performers in the shape
of Corrine Bailey Rae and Amy
MacDonald – not to mention the scoop
of having Ian Dury and the Blockheads
on its books, which makes for the timely
release of the bands’ top hits alongside
the recent bio-pic of Ian Dury (above).
“Pop is a good market to be in,” says
Faber Music’s Phillip Littlemore, “but
these titles can be quite pricey. In times
like these we want to be price sensitive,
too, which is why we have brought out
the Six of the Best series.” Six of the Best
features artists on Faber’s books, but in
smaller publications (the clue is in the
title). To date, there have been several
PVG versions of this, containing a
handful of hit songs form the likes of
Stevie Wonder, Paolo Nutini and Glee
(the TV series), but now there is the
imminent release of some tablature
versions for guitarists alone. The first of
these will see Nirvana, Foo Fighters and
Green Day on the pages. These books all
retail at £8.99.
On the education front, where Faber is
also a major player, the publisher is
looking to ‘enhance’ its catalogue,
developing key series, such as Pam
Wedgwood’s Jazzin’ About (above),
adding piano accompaniment and a
backing CD – again for £8.99.
“Adding CDs to books is something we
simply have to do these days,” says
Littlemore. “It makes things a little more
expensive, but we make sure that this
squeezes our margins and not the
dealers. The added value and our care in
pricing these books correctly means that
dealers will be able to make more out of
our products.”
Faber is also creating some repertoire
books for Grade exam students (up to
Grade 5), two new books in Joanna
McGregor’s Piano World series and, of
course, new ukulele song books (now six
in the colour-coded series).
Mel Bay (as can be seen from the
featured books on page 50) has made
some interesting moves into the world
of popular music, but at the same time
maintained its fundamental role in the
sphere of music education. The Podolski
and Filipski tutors (guitar soloing and
Steve Gadd drumming respectively) see
the publisher taking a couple of
impressive steps into the realm of rock
and pop tutors, which Mel Bay Music’s
Chris Statham describes as “two of the
biggest releases for us in 2010.
“These are huge personalities for us
and mark a couple of very different
genres for us to be going into.”
To illustrate the points made in the
introduction to this piece, Statham
reports over a 25 per cent growth year
on year for his company in the UK and
does not see this trailing off in the
foreseeable future. “We have just had the
PublisherFaber
ARTIST: IAN DURY & THE
BLOCKHEADS
SEX & DRUGS & ROCK &
ROLL £15.99Ian Dury was a wordsmith, artist and
entertainer who gave the English
language two of its most famous
phrases drawn from the song titles, Sex
& Drugs & Rock & Roll and Reasons To
Be Cheerful. Now a major British film
Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, starring
Andy Serkis as Ian Dury, focuses on his
personal relationships during his rise to
fame. It is ten years since Dury's gig at
the the London Palladium, but this
new collection serves as a timely
reminder as to how great his songs
were and how the recordings have
stood the test of time… 30 years on
PublisherFaber
ARTIST: PAM WEDGWOOD
JAZZIN’ ABOUT £8.99Cool syncopation, funky riffs and
smooth, stylish tunes from dynamic to
nostalgic, Pam Wedgwood’s series has
it all. Jazzin' About is a vibrant
collection of original pieces in a range
of contemporary styles, tailor-made for
the absolute beginner (Grade 0 to 2).
So take a break from the classics and
get into the groove as you cruise from
blues, to rock, to jazz. Now sold with
accompanying CD through the range
(available for flute, clarinet, trumpet,
violin, cello and alto sax) and with
piano accompaniment.
PublisherHal Leonard
ARTIST: STEPHEN SONDHEIM
INTO THE WOODS £69.992010 is Stephen Sondheim’s 80th
birthday year and Hal Leonard has
recently signed a worldwide exclusive
agreement to represent the print
publishing for more than ten of
Sondheim's musicals. This month
(June) Hal Leonard Europe releases
new, revised vocal selections for
Sweeney Todd, Into The Woods,
Assassins, Passion and Sunday In The
Park with George. These new editions
all have new engravings, additional
songs and photographs. Great timing –
particularly as Sondheim performance
activity around the country is hitting
overdrive right now, including a run of
Into the Woods at Regent’s Park in
the summer.
PublisherHal Leonard
ARTIST: ROGERS &
HAMMERSTEIN £TBC
THE SOUND OF MUSIC
(SING WITH THE CHOIR)Musical publication sales are also
being boosted by the UK national
tours of Sound Of Music and Hairspray
for which Hal Leonard represents the
exclusive print rights. The Sing with the
Choir series is a new format that
supplies a professional choir singing
the songs (in this case, of The Sound of
Music), for which the enthusiast can
select their voice of choice and sing
along – the Hairspray book is also
available. With the popularity of
musicals as dominant as ever (and
choirs enjoying similar popularity, too)
this is a real safe bet for publisher and
dealer alike.
MUSIC FOREVERYONE
CORINNE BAILEY RAE: THE SEAPIANO/VOCAL/GUITAR £13.99
YOU’RE THE VOICE: JAMES BLUNTPIANO/VOCAL/GUITAR/CD £16.99
6 OF THE BEST: PAOLO NUTINIPIANO/VOCAL/GUITAR £8.99
6 OF THE BEST: GLEEPIANO/VOCAL/GUITAR £8.99
6 OF THE BEST: NIRVANAGUITAR TAB/VOCAL £9.99
To order: Faber Music Limited, Burnt Mill, Elizabeth Way, Harlow CM20 2HXTel: 01279 828989 Fax: 01279 828990email: [email protected]
IAN DURY: SEX & DRUGS & ROCK & ROLLPIANO/VOCAL/GUITAR £14.99
THE GRUFFALOPIANO SOLO £8.99
MARINA & THE DIAMONDS: FAMILY JEWELSPIANO/VOCAL/GUITAR £14.99
6 OF THE BEST: GREEN DAYGUITAR TAB/VOCAL £9.99
PIANOWORLD REPERTOIREPIANO SOLO £5.99
THE BEST OF CLARINETCLARINET/PIANO/CD £9.99
JAZZIN’ ABOUT PIANO SERIESPIANO SOLO/CD £8.99
THE BEST OF FLUTEFLUTE/PIANO/CD £9.99
MUST-HAVEEDUCATIONAL &
POP TITLESFOR YOUR STORE
58 miPRO JUNE 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
busiest April since I began this business –
and this is not connected to the work we
did at Musikmesse, either. The show was
very successful for us, but the subsequent
business has been the result of our efforts
here in the UK. The two combined make
me very optimistic.”
Statham was, of course, very keen to
point out the exclusive deal with
Vöggenreiter in the UK, “alongside some
other exciting additional European third
party catalogues, which we are in the
process of signing.” He also hinted at
there being a new rep on the road for the
publisher in Britain – so watch this space.
“Having a rep meeting dealers in the
shops is still by far the most popular
method of selling in this business,” claims
Statham. “It’s mine, too. Once we have
this in place, I am certain we can grow
our business still further.”
The publishing giant that is Hal
Leonard, which is supplied to British
stores through the giant that is Music
Sales, is arguably one of the most pro-
active companies in sheet music
publishing, using its size and clout to
make itself a leader in pretty much every
aspect of music making.
The publisher’s growth in Europe, says
the European sales and marketing
director, Mark Mumford, is the result of
work across the board from educational
publications, guitar, personality, films and
musicals and, from numerous series.
Hal Leonard’s playalong series are now
well established in the UK, offering
musicians a considerable quality and
diversity of music, such as the Jazz,
Guitar and Piano Playalongs, and the Pro
Vocal series. “We are finding musicans
coming back again and again to purchase
the latest releases,” says Mumford.
A well timed deal to publish new vocal
scores for Stephen Sondheim musicals in
the composer’s 80th anniversary is
another predictive coup for the company.
Sondheim generates huge interest in the
amateur, as well as professional circuit of
performance and this year will see more
productions than ever being staged
around the country by the more
adventurous groups.
Musical publication sales are also
being boosted by national tours of Sound
Of Music and Hairspray (page 56).
On a slightly different note, June sees
the Hal Leonard piano teacher workshop
tour kick off, with workshops at
Matchetts in Belfast, Ackerman's in
Chichester and Music Notes in
Liverpool. Teachers will get an insight
into the new Hal Leonard All-In-One
Student Piano Library books as well as
ideas for integrating jazz, film music,
musicals at various grade levels to
support student learning.
“There's also a special insight into our
Schirmer Performance series, the latest
release being the Complete Beethoven
Piano Sonatas,” adds Mumford. “I see this
as a unique musical experience and a
really effective way to get teachers into a
store. Our special workshop terms also
give dealers an excellent stock display
with extra discount. Put simply, it’s an
ideal, no-risk-more-profit package for
dealers.” Dealers should contact Mumford
directly for details of how to participate.
SECTOR SPOTLIGHT SHEET MUSIC
FABER MUSIC 01279 828989MEL BAY 020 8214 1022SCHOTT 020 7534 0744MUSIC SALES 01284 702600HAL LEONARD EUROPE01494 730143
PublisherMel Bay
ARTIST: JOSHUA CRAIG
PODOLSKI
ADVANCED LEAD GUITAR
CONCEPTS £22From his prolific solo work as a
producer, writer, video game music
composer and author, to his prominent
memberships in many influential hard
rock and metal groups, Podolsky has
displayed one of the most fiery,
creative personas and influential
approaches to lead guitar playing ever.
This new method and approach of
personal self-discovery on the guitar
will let players achieve the goal of
taking an advanced playing background
and going further still. This
book/CD/DVD set is a must-own tool
for the modern day contemporary rock,
metal and shred guitar enthusiast alike.
PublisherMel Bay
ARTIST: STEVE GADD
TRANSCRIPTIONS BY
KRZYSZTOF FILIPSKI £19.95The Steve Gadd drumming
transcriptions book honours the talents
of one of the greatest drummers the
world has ever known – the amazing
Steve Gadd – in a book that includes
30 stylistically varying transcriptions. It
is a note for note, accurate
interpretation of Gadd’s style of
playing the drums. In some cases there
are only fragments that present the
most interesting parts of the given
song. The music is clearly notated and
easy to read. Attractive quotations,
biography, an extensive discography
and videography are all extra features
of this book. For drummers, quite
simply, a must.
PublisherSchott
ARTIST: OLLIE WESTON
EXPLORING JAZZ
SAXOPHONE (ALSO TRUMPET
AND FLUTE) £16.99This book is designed for the
intermediate saxophonist looking for an
introduction to the world of jazz.
Renowned jazz saxophonist Ollie
Weston introduces key concepts step
by step, explaining clearly and simply
throughout, with the minimum of
musical jargon. Improvisation is featured
from the start, with authentic live jazz
trio recordings on the accompanying
CD. Key subjects covered include
modes, swing playing, melodic
development, the 2-5-1 progression,
jazz blues progressions, pentatonic
scales, jazz chord extensions, stylistic
development and unique sax sounds
among others.
PublisherSchott
ARTIST: NICK BESTON
IMPROVISING BLUES SAX
£16.99The latest addition to this series is
designed for the intermediate
saxophonist looking for an
introduction to the blues. Experienced
saxophone teacher and performer,
Nick Beston, presents straightforward
explanations of different playing styles
and techniques, and covers topics such
as basic blues harmony, chords, riffs,
and effects such as glissando and
‘growling’. Original compositions
support each chapter, and ‘sax advice’
sections offer guidance on the finer
points of saxophone playing. High
quality demos and backing tracks on
the accompanying CD encourage the
learner to apply these techniques to
his or her own improvisations.
MEL BAY distributes to the World!
Something for EVERYONE!Excellence in Music R
Offi ce 512, Fortis House • 160 London Road • Barking, Essex IG11 8BB
Telephone No: +44 (0)20 8214 1222 • Fax Number: +44 (0)20 8214 1328
UK Sales Freephone: 0800 432 0486E-mail: [email protected]
NEW PRODUCTSACCESSORIES � BACKLINE � BASS & GUITAR � DRUMS � PRINT
4. PALMER
PAN 01 PRO DI BOX £82.84They say: The deluxe version of Palmer’s
top selling passive DI box, the PAN01..
For: Engineers, musicians
Range: Palmer DI boxes
Spec: Ground lift, 2mm steel housing,
upgraded transformer with larger magnet
and shielding, metal switches, parallel out
doubles as extra input (summing stereo
signal), balanced XLR out.
From: Adam Hall 01702 613922
5. ROLAND
CB-37SY SOFT-SHELL
KEYBOARD CASE £99They say: The perfect fit.
For: Keyboard players
Range: Roland Accessories
Spec: Fits 37-key instruments,
soft-shell case, carry handles, ‘beltpack’-
style strapping.
From: Roland 01792 702701
ACCESSORIES NEW PRODUCTS
6. ROLAND
CB-61W KEYBOARD BAG
£79.99They say: A soft-shell carrying
case specially designed for
musicians on the move.
For: Ax-Synth E-09, Prelude
GW-8 players
Range: Roland Accessories
Spec: Movable interior pads, large
outer pocket, innerpocket for
music rests, inner pouch for
pedals (damper pedals, volume
pedals, expression pedals etc).
From: Roland 01792 702701
ACCESSORY SPOTLIGHT
T REX
FUEL TANK CHAMELEON £155They say: The most versatile power
supply T-Rex has ever produced.
For: Effects pedal users
Range: T Rex floor units
Spec: Built for players with a large
number of diverse pedals, Fuel Tank
Chameleon offers all the advantages of
our other Fuel Tank power supplies, plus
an unprecedented four separate
voltage options.
The Fuel Tank Chameleon is the latest
addition to the T-Rex Fuel Tank family.
The original Fuel Tank Classic features
five outlets and is ideal for medium-
sized pedal boards. It comes with lots of
single patch cables and a multiple link
cable. The Fuel Tank Juicy Lucy powers
five 12-Volt pedals and offers extras,
such as multiple unit linking. The baby of
the family – Fuel Tank Junior – is a good
choice for a small
number of 9-Volt pedals.
It offers both currency
doubling to 240 mA
and voltage doubling
to 18-Volts.
The Chameleon has
six separate outlets
(up to five
simultaneously), a
choice of 9V DC, 12V DC, 18V DC or
12V AC power, isolated, 300mA outlets
(1,500mA total), switchable 115V or
230V mains, all cables, compact, rugged
design and, of course, T-Rex quality.
From: Westside 0141 248 4812
1
3. MI-SI
ACOUSTIC DUO & TRI SOUND
HOLE PICKUPS FROM £125They say: A high-performance, fully active
preamp that does not need batteries.
For: Guitarists, OEM
Range: Mi-si pickups
Spec: Low-power components, power for
60 seconds for eight hours performance
(Simple Jack 16 hours), no ‘fading’,
interference free, available as Simple Jack
(£125, with LR Baggs pickup) and
Acoustic Duo (£185, Flux 2.0 pickup).
Mi-so power charger.
From: FCN Music 01892 603730
2
6
3
1. FRESHMAN
DLX GIGBAG £44.95They say: Guitars deserve the best.
For: Guitarists
Range: Freshman accessories
Spec: heavy duty, 30mm padding,
multi-accessory pockets, rucksack
straps, carry handles, available for
dreadnought, 12-string, folk, grand
auditorium & classical.
From: Freshman 01355 228028
2. DARE
O-PORT £21.99They say: Proven to enhance the
sound of any acoustic guitar without
the use of electronics.
For: Acoustic guitarists
Range: Dare accessories
Spec: Sound hole/internal pick-up,
feedback control, retro-fit, two sizes
(four inches and 3.5 inches), available
in blask or ivory finishes.
From: D’Addario 0191 300 3000
4
5
60 miPRO JUNE 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO JUNE 2010 61
RECORDING SPOTLIGHT
BOSS
BR-800 £399They say: Makes the recording
process fast and easy.
For: Musicians
Range: Boss BR recorders
Spec: Boss continues its top-selling
tradition of portable, affordable multi-
trackers with the new BR-800 – a
battery-powered studio to go. The
sleek new design is made possible by
touch-sensor switches and SD-card
recording media. Up to four tracks can
be recorded or eight tracks played
back simultaneously, plus an
additional stereo track dedicated to
the built-in rhythm generator.
New EZ Recording mode that
interactively guides you through the
recording process. Other helpful
features include the convenient Retry
function, which re-cues automatically
to fix mistakes, and song sketch
recording for instant, one-touch
capture. Built-in stereo condenser mic,
plus a DR-880-quality rhythm
generator for adding drum.
Vocal effects from the VE-20,
COSM guitar/bass effects from the
GT-10 series and modeled acoustic-
guitar body effects from the AP-1
preamp. AC transformer powered (or
six AA batteries.
From: Roland 01792 702701
2
RECORDING NEW PRODUCTS
4. TC HELICON
VOICE TONE CREATE XT
£246.75They say: Multi-effects and perfect tone
in one compact pedal.
For: Vocalists, studios
Range: TC Helicon vocal processors
Spec: 100 presets, Hard Tune effects, FX
on/off, Voice Live 2 reverb, tone button,
tweak parameters, USB connection, delay,
modulation & transducer effects, XLR I/O.
From: TC Electronic 0800 917 8926
5. TASCAM
DR-2D PORTABLE DIGITAL
RECORDER £POAThey say: Brings high-resolution recording
to a compact, affordable package.
For: Musicians, general
Range: Tascam portable recorders
Spec: 96/24 resolution, Wav or MP3 to SD
card, stereo condenser mic, 74dB signal to
noise ratio, dual recording mode
(distortion prevention), internal effects,
metronome, variable speed audition
tempo control, AA battery powered, built-
in speaker.
From: Tascam 01923 438880
6. ROLAND
V-STUDIO 20 £259.99They say: Record guitar and vocals with
tones you have only dreamed about it
until now.
For: Musicians
Range: Roland V-Studio
Spec: Audio interface, control surface,
recording software, COSM effects, record
& playback of 32 tracks, arrange, edit, mix,
11 effects, Roland TTS-1 synth, 1GB of
loops, songs and backing.
From: Roland 01792 702701
1. BLUE SKY
EXO2 NEARFIELD MONITORS
£TBCThey say: Combines true, full-range
monitoring with the convenience of a
desktop remote control hub.
For: Studios
Range: Blue Sky monitors
Spec: Full-range stereo monitoring system,
two 3" two-way satellites, soft-dome
tweeter, 8” subwoofer, 160 Watts total,
XLR, TRS, RCA & mini-jackinputs, wall
mount options.
From: Polar Audio 01444 258258
2. ROLAND
CD-2I SD/CD RECORDER £549They say: Point, record, play and burn.
For: Musicians
Range: Roland recorders
Spec: Stereo mic, stereo speakers, CD
drive, XLR, TRS & RCA inputs, six AA
battery powered, records to CD and SD,
rehearsal function (auto level
recording), key and tempo change, music
practice functions.
From: Roland 01792702701
3. TASCAM
DR-08 PORTABLE DIGITAL
RECORDER £POAThey say: Packs serious audio quality into
a pocket-sized, handheld dynamo.
For: Musicians, general
Range: Tascam handheld recorders
Spec: Portable digital recorder, 96/24 Wav
& MP3 recording, 2GB micro SD card, two
cardioid mic with variable angling,
variablke speed playback, sound level auto
recording, gain control, low cut filter, noise
cancel, foldable stand, mini-jack I/O, built-
in speaker.
From: Tascam 01923 438880
“Boss continues its
top-selling
tradition of
poartable,
affordable multi-
trackers with the
BR-800
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BACKLINE SPOTLIGHT
ORANGE
THUNDER 30 COMBO & HEAD
£749 & 649They say: A thundering replacement for
the Rocker 30.
For: Guitarists
Range: Orange amps
Spec: All-valve, class A, 30-Watt twin
channel amp, powered by four EL84
power valves (two more than the Rocker
30). It will be available in head and 1x
12 configurations and includes an FX
loop (not featured on the Rocker 30)
and the 1x 12 is front loaded.
A brand new design incorporating the
best of the Rocker and Thunder series,
the new amps have two channels. The
first is a classic vintage channel which
has crystal clear clean sound and when
turned up delivers a vintage power amp
overdrive. The second
overdrive/distortion channel, features a
shape control as seen in the Thunderverb
models and has a British tone crunch of
numbing
proportions.
The Thunder 30
combo offers a
balance
between power
and portability
and is ideal for
regular gigging.
It's small and
light enough to
be portable, while offering a wide tonal
range for use in the studio
environment. Delivering more punch,
more features and more power, the
Thunder 30 will blow you away when
you here the sound.
From: Orange 020 8905 2828
2
NEW PRODUCTS BACKLINE
3
4. ORANGE
CRUSH PIX RANGE AMPS £319They say: Upgraded to pack more punch
and offer more great value for money.
For: Guitarists, bassists
Range: Orange Crush Pix
Spec: CR100 BXT bass combo, 100W, 15”
speakerbuilt-in tuner, line out, aux in.
Stereo Micro Crush 6 practice amp
(£59.95), two speakers, line out, aux in,
gain control, built-in tuner, 18-Volt
power supply. Also, black finish available
on all models.
From: Orange 020 8905 2828
5. ZOOM
G2NU MULTI-FX PEDAL
£119.99They say: Takes the performance and
functionality of the popular G2 and
incorporate years of innovation.
For: Guitarists
Range: Zoom effects
Spec: 20 amp and stomp box models, 100
preset sounds (20 patches by Steve Vai),
G2.1Nu with expression pedal, USB
connection,
From: Zoom UK 01462 791100
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1. RANDALL
RT SERIES VALVE AMPS £POAThey say: Pro caliber and at a price point
that would normally be considered solid
state territory.
For: Guitarists
Range: Randall amps
Spec: Three heads (RT103, RT503 & RT50),
one combo (RT50C) and two matched
cabs (RT412XC & RT212XC) in range.
RT103: three-channel (clean + two
overdrive) 100W, reverb. RT503 50W
version. RT50, two-channel 50W combo.
From: Sound Technology 01462 480000
2. JMI
EFFECTS PEDALS £POAThey say: With two new engineers on
board, the waiting time for JMI is greatly
reduced.
For: Guitarists
Range: JMI effects
Spec: Six pedals, all metal cased, Studio 2
fuzz, MkI Tonebender, MkI.5 Tonebender,
Mk II Tonebender, Pro Mk II Tonebender,
Treble booster.
From: Hiwatt 0113 243 8165
3. MAXON
SM-9 PRO+ SUPER METAL & ST-
9 PRO+ SUPER TUBE PEDALS
$POAThey say: Has been resurrected with
improved circuitry and new features.
For: Guitarists
Range: Maxon Nine series
Spec: Die cast zinc chassis, battery &
AC/DC powered, LED indicator for battery
life, mechanical true bypass switching.
SM-9 Pro+: gain, level and scoop
controls, 9/18 Volt switching via internal
voltage-doubling circuit. ST-9 Pro+:
separate mid control midrange boost,
mode switch for two diode types,
9/18 Volt switching.
From: Godlyke +1 973 777 7477
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6. VOX
AMPLUG CAB £25They say: Transform any of the Vox
Amplug headphone amps into a
tabletop mini-stack amp.
For: Guitarists
Range: Vox Amplug
Spec: Three-inch speaker cab, 0.7-
Watt output, 9V battery powered
(AC adaptor not supplied), up to
approx ten hours battery life, ships
with battery.
From: Korg 01908 857100
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1. FRAMUS
PANTERA SUPREME £2,239They say: Blends traditional elements
with modern details and design.
For: Guitarists
Range: Framus electric guitars
Spec: Mahogany neck and body with
arched AAA flamed maple top, original
Seymour Duncan pickups, 3-way switch,
push/pull tone control for humbucker
splitting, TonePros tune-o-matic bridge,
Warwick security locks, chrome hardware,
high gloss finish.
From: Warwick +49 0374 225550
SPOTLIGHT GUITAR
INDIE
SHAPE SEMI-HOLLOW
ELECTRIC £599They say: A supreme blend of hollow-
body bark with solid-body bite.
For: Guitarists
Range: Indie guitars
Spec: The Indie Shape double-cut-
semi-hollow is constructed from top
quality tone woods and hardware
with high-grade mahogany for the
body, cream binding and capped with
a figured maple top, seen through a
translucent wine-red finish. Retaining
Indie's distinct Shape profile, the black
gloss headstock is three-sided,
housing chrome Grover tuners.
With a natural satin finished maple
set neck for smooth playing, heel-less
neck join, graphite nut, smooth 22
fret, bound rosewood fingerboard,
inlaid with crown position markers,
the Shape is a sheer delight for the
performing guitarist.
Electrics and hardware include a
Tone Pro adjustable bridge assembly,
volume and two tone controls, three-
way selector switch and pair of alnico,
GR8 Zebra open humbuckers with
matching cream surrounds.
As a half-chambered semi-hollow
guitar, the Shape has an array of
resounding, percussive acoustic
overtones that emanate within the
body in tight patterns. This, along with
the guitars solid body half acting as a
mahogany/maple sustain block, allows
the guitar to handle high gain amps
without unwanted feedback.
From: Indie 01235 851189
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WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO JUNE 2010 63
4. WALDEN
MADERA FSC GUITARS
£895They say: All woods on the new
Madera line are sourced from
sustainably managed forests.
For: Guitarists
Range: Walden acoustics
Spec: Certified FSC-pure tone
woods, including sitka spruce,
South American mahogany and
western red cedar, five models
(natural & tobacco burst
dreadnoughts and grand
auditoriums, classical). Ships with
hard case.
From: FCN Music 01892
603730
BASS & GUITAR NEW PRODUCTS
6. FRET KING
BLUE LABEL VENTURA SUPER
60 HB3 & SSH £749 & £729They say: A no-compromise
instrument in terms of total build
quality
For: Guitarists
Range: Fret King Blue Label
Spec: 22 fret maple neck, 25” scale
length, 10” radius rosewood finger-
board, Gotoh Magnum locking
machines, Wilkinson WVP wave leading
edge fulcrum vibrato, stagger-drilled
block, Wilkinson PAF-style WHHB
humbuckers, Vari-coil rotary control.
From: JHS 0113 286 5381
3. OZARK
3146 CELTIC GUITAR
£460They say: Carrying on the Celtic
influence.
For: Guitarists
Range: Ozark electro-acoustics
Spec: Solid cedar top, rosewood
faced back & sides, mahogany
neck, rosewood fingerboard,
bridge & head veneer, flamed
maple bindings, rtec transducer,
Edge-TN eq with built in tuner,
and endpin jack socket, satin
finish, ships with gigbag.
From: Stentor 01737 240226
5. WASHBURN
NX 100 & 50 ELECTRICS £TBCThey say: Affordable guitars don’t need to
compromise on loofs or playability.
For: Guitarists
Range: Washburn NX series
Spec: NX100 with mahogany body, solid
flame maple top, mahogany set neck,
ebony fingerboard, two humbuckers,
Grover tuners, chrome hardware. NX50:
mahogany body, quilt maple top, maple
set neck, rosewood fingerboard, chrome
hardware, two humbuckers.
From: Sound Technology 01462 480000
4
2. YAMAHA
SUPER BB BASSES £2,249They say: Part of Yamaha’s
Generation Rock direction.
For: Bassists
Range: Yamaha BB basses
Spec: Three-piece alder body,
Acoustic Resonance Enhancement
pre-aged woods, five-ply bolt-on
neck, nickel silver nut, Alnico split
coil neck pickup, ceramic single coil
bridge pickup, thru-body stringing,
four & five-string models.
From: Yamaha 01908 366700
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4. PROTECTION RACKET
TRIPLE AAA DRUM CASE RANGE
FROM £48.99They say: From knocks and dints, to falls
and spills, these cases will keep your
drums safe.
For: Drummer
Range: Protection Racket drum cases
Spec: Lightweight polymers, poly-
carbonate frame, Protection Racket Rocket
Foam padding, 10mm inner, 5mm outer
closed cell foam lining, fleece lining, 600
denier polyester Racketex outer,
poyester/plastic/neoprene handle, double
stitched heavy duty spiral chain zips.
From: Protection Racket 01208 815055
5. REGAL TIP
EX SERIES STICKS £10.99They say: An exciting new addition to the
X series sticks.
For: Drummers
Range: Regal Tip X series sticks
Spec: Designed for fast metal playing,
gloss finish hickory sticks, ribbed black
nylon tips, three models in range.
Death EX: 16 by 0.6-inch.
Grind EX: 16x 0.58-inch (5A or 5B).
Speed EX: 16x .525-inch.
From: JHS 0113 286 53781
6. TYCOON
SIGNATURE GRAND SERIES
CONGAS £POAThey say: Classic congas made from the
highest quality materials and components.
For: Percussionists
Range: Tycoon percussion
Spec: Hand selected American ash
construction, 30-inches tall, Classic Pro
hoops, reinforced side plates with 3/8"
diameter tuning lugs and backing plates,
die-cast handle, calfskin head, high gloss
finish. Available in 10", 11", 113⁄4" and
121⁄2" diameters.
From: FCN Music 01892 603730
5
1. BIG DOG
DRUM THRONES FROM £115.99They say: Rock solid, offering the ultimate
in strength and reliability.
For: Drummers
Range: Big Dog thrones
Spec: Throne style, vinyl or cloth.finishes,
double braced legs, high-grip feet, heavu
duty seat top clamps, Pro models with
double threaded height adjustment, CNC
machined aluminium leg clamps. Saddle
style: £129.99.
From: MSC 01562 827666
2. CYMPAD
OPTIMIZER FOAM CYMBAL
PADS £POAThey say: World-renowned drum artists
are replacing their old cymbal felts with
new Optimizer foam washers from
Cympad.
For: Drummers, percussionists
Range: Cympad foam cymbal washers
Spec: 40mm foam washers in 8, 12 and
15mm thicknesses, increased cymbal
balance and sustain, suitable for all
cymbal sizes.
From: FCN Music 01892 603730
3. LUDWIG
KEYSTONE SERIES KITS £POAThey say: A more focused tonality and a
dramatic look and feel.
For: Drummers
Range: Ludwig drums
Spec: Three-ply maple shell core,
American red oak inner and outer ply, dual
45-degree bearing edge, low-contact
Keystone lug and mounting bracket. Two
shell packs: 22/16/12/10 and
24/18/16/13.
From: Active 020 8693 5678
DRUMS SPOTLIGHT
TYCOON
DRUMKIT PERCUSSION
£POAThey say: Now offering a wide variety
of mountable percussion specifically
designed for drumset applications.
For: Drummers
Range: Tycoon percussion
Spec: Two-dozen cowbells, six
mountable tambourines, several hi-
hat tambourines, synthetic ‘lip’ blocks,
wood blocks, aluminum bar chimes.
Among Tycoon’s many cowbell
choices, the Black Pearl models are
popular with contemporary drumset
players due to their durable steel
construction, distinctive finish,
penetrating tone and affordable price
point. The Black Pearl series consists
of three bells; the 5” Cha-Cha (TWBP-
C), 7” Mambo (TWBP-M) and 7”
Standard (TWBP-R), favoured for its
lower pitch and deeper tone. All
Tycoon cowbells come equipped with
angled clamps featuring captive eye-
bolts and wingnuts for fast, secure
mounting and comfortable
positioning.
Drummers can choose from several
mountable tambourine options,
including bright and dark sounding
models with brass or steel jingles, as
well as bright and dark models with a
mixture of brass and steel jingles.
Brass jingles are a bit more resonant
while steel jingles have drier, crunchier
tone. One of today’s most versatile
and widely-used accessory percussion
instruments, Tycoon’s durable, double-
crescent, plastic tambourines all
feature double rows of jingles for
maximum volume and articulation
and, due to their exclusive design, all
use Tycoon’s advanced,
interchangeable TXTB-B tambourine
mounting bracket to facilitate quick
and easy conversion between hand-
held and mounted applications.
Tycoon drumset percussion is
recommended for a complete
spectrum of contemporary live and
studio musical situations. The full
range of mountable percussion
instruments, as well as Tycoon’s
accessory clamps, mounts, racks and
stands, are available at local and
online dealers everywhere.
From: FCN Music 01892 603730
THIS PAGE IS SPONSORED BY MIKEDOLBEAR.COM, THE LEADING ONLINE RESOURCE FOR EVERYTHING DRUMS.
VISIT WWW.MIKEDOLBEAR.COM FOR MORE DETAILS.
DRUMS NEW PRODUCTS
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66 miPRO JUNE 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
TRADITIONAL SPOTLIGHT
ROLAND
DP-990 DIGITAL PIANO £1,799They say: Seamless variations in tone from
pianissimo to fortissimo.
For: Pianists
Range: Roland
digital pianos
Spec: V-Piano Super
Natural sound engine,
ivory-feel keys with
escapement, available in
medium cherry, satin
black, or polished ebony.
The breakthrough
sound engine delivers seamless variations
in tone from pianissimo to fortissimo,
decaying sounds that linger and fade
naturally without looping, and authentic
sound transition from note to note across
the keyboard.
The DP-990F is a sophisticated,
streamlined piano with
amazing sound and touch
that also serves as a
functional piece of
furniture.
The new LX-10F, DP-
990F, RG-3F, and RG-1F
digital pianos all feature
the new Super Natural
piano sound engine,
uniting Roland's state-of-
the-art V-Piano technology and 88-key
stereo multi-sampling technology.
From: Roland 01792 702701
NEW PRODUCTS TRADITIONAL
“A sophisticated,
streamlined
piano with
amazing sound
and touch
1
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1. ASHBURY
AB-35 PLECTRUM BANJO £189They say: Stunning value for a banjo of
real quality.
For: Banjo players, guitarists
Range: Ashbury banjos
Spec: Four-string plectrum banjo,
mahogany neck, 14-inch resonator, cast
metal rim, 11-inch frosted head, 30
tensioners.
From: Gremlin 01903 203044
2. ASHBURY
AB-55 S SHORT SCALE TENOR
BANJO £499They say: For the finger-picking guitaristr
who wants to head further in the country.
For: Banjo players, guitarists
Range: Ashbury banjos
Spec: Short scale tenor banjo with 17
frets, openback, walnut neck & rim, Whyte
laydie tonering, engraved arm rest and
tension hoop, 24 tension hooks, quality
plantery banjo pegs, double co-ordinater
rods.
From: Gremlin 01903 203044
3. FRESHMAN
STARGAZER UKULELES £24.95They say: Fun, colourful range of
pluckables offers simplicity and great
value.
For: Beginners
Range: Freshman acoustics
Spec: Geared machine heads, colour-
coded bag, available in red, blue, yellow,
pink and natural, aimed at entry-level
musicians.
From: Freshman 01355 228028
4. OZARK
2246 EIGHT-STRING GUITAR
BOUZOUKI £460They say: A unique design attracting the
attention of both guitar and bouzouki
players.
For: Guitarists, bouzouki players
Range: Ozark electro-acoustics
Spec: Eight-string bouzouki, solid cedar
top, rosewood back & sides, rosewood
fingerboard, Artec eq and transducer with
built-in tuner, Celtic knot sound hole and
fingerboard inlays, enclosed Grover tuners,
ships with gigbag.
From: Stentor 01737 240226
6
55. ROLAND
FR-3X V-ACCORDION £2,399They say: Loaded with great accordion
sounds.
For: Accordion players
Range: Roland V-Accordions
Spec: New bellows pressure-sensing
circuitry with resistance regulator,
accordion sounds include jazz, folk,
musette and bajan, orchestral sounds, tone
wheel organ sounds, USB connection, MIDI
compatible, also available as button-style
model.(£2,499)
From: Roland 01792 702701
6. STAGG
77TT BB TENOR TROMBONE
£235They say: Remarkable quality – a great
student instrument designed for beginners.
For: Student trombonists
Range: Stagg brass instruments
Spec: Bb tenor slide trombone, .547-inch
bore (13.9mm), 8.5-inch bell, chrome-
plated inner slide, lacquer finish, ships with
fitted hard ABS case.
From: EMD 01293 862612
WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO JUNE 2010 69
RETAILNEWS, OPINION, DATA
FOLLOWING THE news of the collapse of
the Reverb chain of stores – and with it
the closure of the Bristol store, the retail
news coming out of Bristol has been
pretty ceaseless, proving that the city has
an extremely vibrant music scene and a
very stable customer base.
The closure of Reverb was followed by
the news of PMT buying the store (which
opened on May 15th following a thorough
renovation) and then the news of
Musicroom’s expanded shop (see Retail
News, MI Pro, May 2010). The latter was
made possible by the decision of
Hobgoblin and Musicroom to go their
separate ways from the store at College
Green they shared.
Hobgoblin moved up the road to 36
Park Street, a shop that is twice the size of
the space it had previously and makes the
Bristol branch the largest in the Hobgoblin
chain. This allows, of course, for more
stock on show, but also for special areas
for trying out the instruments.
In the past year Bristol has become
known for its unique and exciting live
music scene, in which all the Bristol
Hobgoblin shop staff are involved. A
survey published this week by the
Performing Rights Society found Bristol to
be Britain's most musical city. Shop
manager Cris Pierssene, who is a guitarist
in folk and roots band Malarchy, said: “We
have seen an increase in the number of
people interested in learning instruments
and teaching themselves to play. People
are returning to the days of playing
traditional live music – and it’s great.
“We’ve been open a couple of months
now and things are moving on very nicely.
The folk scene in the surrounding area –
Somerset, Gloucester and Devon – is really
vibrant and as the only specialist folk and
traditional music store in the area, we
have a very broad catchment.”
Pierssene went on to describe how folk
music has achieved a tremendous roll in
recent years and that it shows no sign of
slowing. “Five years ago, you would have
been forgiven for thinking that a folk
musician would spend all his playing days
in the backrooms of folk clubs, but now
we have artists winning Mercury prizes
and really making a name for themselves.”
He puts the wave down to artists such
as Seth Lakeman, but also to the surge of
singer/songwriters a few years ago, from
the Coldplay mould, digging a bit deeper
into the craft and discovering music and
styles more influenced by the folk scene.
“In Europe, when people first hear folk
music, it tends to be Celtic –
predominantly Irish – and they love it.
Who doesn’t? From there, players will look
towards their own traditions and find
something that relates to them, to their
identity more.”
In terms of product trends, Pierssene
confirmed what we all knew anyway: that
the ukulele is the single biggest
phenomenon in MI over the past few
years. “I don’t know what it is,” he
confessed. “But it’s interesting to see that
the same thing happened in the early part
of the 20th century, too. I don’t know if
there is a link.
“Aside from that, banjos and mandolins
are very much on the up, as are
concertinas and melodeons. There’s a lot
of growth all round.”
Pierssene certainly hopes that that
growth will continue for his new store well
into the future.
HOBGOBLIN BRISTOL: 0117 9239 0902
Hobgoblin spreads its wingsNew store in Bristol adds to colourful setting and confirms the trend for traditional acoustic
instruments in the growing folk scene not just in this city, but all over the country
NEWSPedal mats,
Umbrella
Music’s new
manager,
Manson’s
pickups and a
tone lifter
from East UK
MIA
Moneyway
signs up to
MIA, to
become a
new retailer
benefit
LOCATION REPORTPart one of
MI Pro’s stroll
through
suburbia,
uncovering a
couple of
nice stores on
the way
ALL INSIDE THIS MONTH
“Banjos and mandolins
are very much on the
up, as are concertinas
and melodeons. Chris Pierssene
Shop manager and
guitarist
INDIE PROFILE
Mann’s Music
in Colchester
tells us how
to keep a
music store
running for
over 150
years
RETAIL NEWS
70 miPRO JUNE 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
EAST UK is introducing its Tone
Lifter, a stack knob for Fender
Stratocasters that replaces the
middle pickup control, offering
mid or combine bass and
treble boost, as well as variable
frequency adjustment.
A switch on the upper knob
activates a relay that bypasses
the electronics, working
automatically in the event of
low battery. The Lifter also
features a bespoke lithium
battery, providing 40 hours of
power, even at full-gain.
“Many famous Strat players
have upgraded their
instrument electronics to
create their individual sounds;
the Tone Lifter helps to imitate
many of these and adds
enough scope for players to
create their own classic
sounds,” said the Tone Lifter’s
designer, John East.
It is available from the East
UK website, as well as a
number of guitar outlets,
priced at £169.95. Also
available from East UK is the
P-Retro bass preamp equaliser,
costing £179.95, or £194.95
with Vintage style knobs.
Formerly E-Pro (East-
Professional), East UK was set
up by John East in 1998 to
market the drop-in, retro-fit
preamp, the J-Retro 01 for
J-style basses.
EAST UK: 01869 346301
East UK develops Tone Lifter
STAGEWORKS GEAR Company
has launched its non-slip pedal
mat, suitable for various
instruments, particularly
keyboard, guitar and drums.
This product is useful as an
alternative to gaffa taping
pedals down, a common
annoyance for musicians, until
now. The mats have received
great reviews from a number
of professionals, who have
tested the product over the last
few months.
The material consists of three
pieces of durable material,
designed to offer a firm hold,
even on challenging surfaces.
These layers work together,
offering absorption, diffusion
and grip.
“Best invention since sliced
bread,” said Melvin Duffy, who
plays pedal steel guitar in the
Robbie Williams Band.
A pack of two costs £14.99
and a ‘buy 12 packs get one
free’ introductory offer is also
being introduced to retailers.
They are the only mats of their
kind on the market and can take
up to three months of hard use
on average.
Stageworks was set up to
help eliminate a number of
common problems faced by
musicians and was started by
Matt and Rick Chambers. This is
their first product, with two
more set to follow in the
coming months.
STAGEWORKS: 01438 730540
Hertfordshire company introduces first of problem solving products
Stageworks releases pedal mat
MANSON’S GUITAR Shop has
partnered up with UK pickup
manufacturer Bare Knuckle, to
release a range of unique
pickups. The MBK-3 set features
more kick than the current
MBK-1 and MBK-2 models.
Manson has been
experimenting at its Devon
workshops to create the MBK-3,
aimed primarily at hard rock,
metal and punk guitarists.
Manson’s is targeting players
looking for tight tone, powerful
output and huge bass response.
The MBK-3 set will work on any
humbucker-equipped guitar and
comes with three ceramic
magnets in the bridge and an
Isotropic Alnico V in the neck.
Bare Knuckle makes the
pickups by hand, using either its
own materials, or those from
local sources. The MBK-3
pickups are available from the
Manson’s website and are priced
at £229.
MANSON’S: 01392 496379
Manson’s adds toMBK pickup range
SHONA MACMILLAN, well
known in the music
equipment business following
stints with Turnkey, Arbiter
and Reverb, is the new shop
manager at Umbrella Music in
East London.
“I’m very excited by this
role at Umbrella Music, which
has one of the largest shop
display areas in London,” said
MacMillan. “Umbrella Music is
a rapidly growing company,
having traded at
Walthamstow Music for over
20 years.”
The Walthamstow
premises features the
Umbrella Music School,
offering lessons to both
children and adults, but the
retail space recently moved to
Leyton in East London.
Umbrella specialises in
various instruments,
particularly digital pianos,
brass and woodwind, stringed
instruments, as well as having
music technology and guitar
departments.
UMBRELLA MUSIC:
0845 500 2323
London-based company appoints highly
experienced new shop manager
Shona MacMillan joins
Umbrella Music
WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO JUNE 2010 71
MIA NEWS an update from your industry trade association
Retail Finance from MIA member, Moneyway
The Retail Finance market
has changed significantly
over the last two years,
with many lenders such as HFC,
Black Horse, Hitachi and Able to
Buy either puIling out of the
market or only offering finance
facilities to the largest of multi-
national corporates.
With this in mind, it is
becoming increasingly important
that retailers choose the right
lender. In today’s market place it
is not only vital to select a lender
which will work in partnership
with each of their businesses to
develop the right approach to
suit all of the individual needs,
regardless of size or turnover. It is
also crucial that such a partner
has access to sufficient funds.
“Happy customers are the
retailers’ bread and butter and
enabling them to purchase the
item they desire,” commented
David Nield, Head of Asset
Finance and Lending for
Moneway. “Using a favourable
finance deal will enhance their
purchasing experience and lead
not only to a completed sale, but
potential recommendations and
repeat purchases. This is
why we have
invested
heavily in
our
systems
and
service
which we
believe is
second to none.
“Having worked in
partnership with the Arts Council
England (for the Take it Away
finance scheme) and equally
closely with the MIA, we believe
that we have developed the right
package to suit the needs of
each retailer and have seen
business growing month on
month, amounting to more than
600 music retailers now using
our service.
“We love this sector and are
fortunate that as part of a retail
bank
we are not dependent on
wholesale credit lines in order for
us to grow the business further.”
“Retail Finance is an
important part of our business
and it is essential that we are
able to process deals easily and,
more importantly, receive the
funds quickly,” explained Rupert
Bradbury, the managing director
of JG Windows in Newcastle and
Gateshead. “The partnership we
have developed with Moneyway
enables us to offer
products to suit
both our
business
needs as
well as
the
needs of
our
customers."
It is clear to see
that finance is an
attractive proposition to
customers and can increase
footfall which in turn, will
increase sales.
“There are various finance
packages available and it is
important that retailers
understand each product and the
benefits to the customer as well
as when to offer which product,”
added Julie Sheward, National
Account Manager for Moneyway.
“Interest free credit is a great
product for increasing footfall,
however, offering a low to
medium rate ‘interest bearing’
product can also help dealers in
their efforts to convert and
upsell on the shop floor.
“Training is the key,” she went
on. “A lender should be there to
offer guidance and support, not
only to show how to complete
the forms, but also to explain the
benefits of each product and
how it can help with conversion.
“Once retailers are confident
and understand the products’
pros and cons and are able to
process the deals quickly and
easily, the skill of offering any
number of financial packages
becomes second nature.”
MIA: 01372 750600
New association benefit service looks to help dealers with finance packages and training to aid upselling in the shop
Let’s jam!Become a Moneyway Music Finance retailer
Moneyway make retail finance simple:Flexible, straightforward loans
Automated underwriting
Quick, easy online applications
Instant credit decisions
Fast payout
Offer your customer flexible finance options with interest rates of 0% or 19.5% APR!Moneyway is a trading name of Secure Trust Bank plc. Registered in England and Wales 541132. Registered Office: One Arleston Way, Solihull, B90 4LH. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
Call us now on 0845 111 7109 or visit www.moneywaymusic.co.uk
GOLD PARTNERS
PLATINUM PARTNERS
AFTER SHOW SPONSOR
DEALER DELEGATES:
Absolute Music Solutions LtdAckerman Music Advance Music limitedAllegro MusicAmazonArgosBaird Sound Systems LtdBalaam’s Music Bass GearBecketts Music Bonners Music SuperstoreBrittens MusicBruce MillersCC MusicChamberlain MusicChappell of Bond Street Chas FouldsCity MusicCliff Owen MusicCODA MusicColbecksCompton PianosConnevans Cookes Band Instruments County Music Supplies Ltd
Dawkes MusicDawsonsDigital Village - Music VillageEducation DivisionDolphin Enterprises Europe LtdDolphin MusicDouglas TelfordDuck Son & Pinker Duke of UkeEast Coast Musicebgb MusicEric Furze Guitar & SonEric Lindsey MusicEuromusic LtdFoote’s LtdGamlins Music Centre/Euro MusicGardonyi’s LtdGear4MusicGigbags in City MusicGreensleeves Guitar VillageHard To Find RecordsHarmonics MusicHeybrook MusicHogan MusicHolmes MusicHW Audio
idrums.co.ukimuso.co.ukJ.G. Windows JBS MusicJG WindowsJohn Packer Keyboard KavernKnock on Wood London PA Centre Mann’s MusicMarkson Pianos McCormacks Mickleburgh Millers Music Centre Minim MusicMOR MUSICMusic RoomMusic StationMusicians CentreMusicland UK Morlings NevadaNewcastle Drum CentreNewtonsNormansNorthern Music OnlineOne Man Band
Park MusicPlay Away GuitarsProduction RoomPromenade MusicPurple Turtle Music Red Submarine Limited - Gear4MusicRimmers Music LtdRock And Roll Music RockboxRocktronic Music StoresRosehill InstrumentsSharon MusicSheehan’sSheet Music Hound Sounds of FromeSoundsLive.co.ukStageBeatSymphony Music & TechnologyCentreThe Music StopThe Music Trading CompanyTiverton Music ShopTower Music Trago MillsUmbrella MusicVivace PianosWembley Drum/Guitar/PA
The MI Retail Conference & Expo is supported by the UK’s two main buying groups
For more details of Event Partner packages, [email protected] or phone 01992 535647
10:30 – Coffee/Registration
11:00 – Conference
13:00-14:00 – Lunch
13:00-18:00 – ExpoExclusive meetingopportunities for EventPartners and over 100 ofthe UK’s leading dealers
18:00-23:00 – After ShowParty Sponsored by Roland.Beer and The FabulousBeatles at the adjacentParker McMillan bar
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE:11:00 – Welcome Stuart Dinsey, MI Pro11:05 – Where We’re At, WhereWe’re GoingMatt Gibbs, GfKExclusive data from one of theworld’s biggest researchcompanies.11:30 – Reverberations (Panelsession)Chairman: Andy Barrett, MI Pro. Panelists: Noel Sheehan,Sheehans; Simon Gilson, PMT;plus two leading suppliers TBC.What has the industry learnedfrom the collapse of SoundControl, Reverb and others?11:55 – What Has The MIA EverDone For Us?Paul McManus, MIAHow the trade body can helpretailers sell more product andmake more money.
12:10 – Music For AllTim Walter, RolandNews on the industry charity’slatest initiative.12:15 – Online Selling: Threat orOpportunity? (Panel session)Chairman: Peter Heath, RolandPanelists: Jason Tavaria,Dolphin; David Briggs, Dawsons;Harvey Roberts, Audio Technica;Paul Marshall, Marshall.The single biggest shift in the MIretail landscape comes underthe spotlight.12:40 – Music MattersBilly BraggThe legendary singer, songwriterand campaigner talks about theimportance of music and therole of retailers across allaspects of the community – andupdates us on his Jail GuitarDoors project.
74 miPRO JUNE 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
RETAIL LOCATION REPORT
Part one of MI Pro’s journey into the wilds of the English suburbs, this month
sees our intrepid location reporter taking a leisurely stroll around Woking and
the surrounding areas...SurreySURREY MUSIC STORE
In the heart of Paul Weller's hometown
of Woking (and a stones throw from the
fortunately named Stanley Road) sits the
Surrey Music Store, a relatively small
outfit with a nicely open shop floor that
lends itself to uncluttered browsing.
Sitting amongst a nest of young and
suitably cool retail businesses, including
some sort of extreme snow/ski/skate
board shop, this is clearly a good location
with plenty of passing pedestrians and
ample opportunity to lure in passing
music enthusiasts.
The inside of the store features a fairly
general spread of instruments, with a
smattering of pretty much everything
from digeridoos to trombones, but a
specialisation in nothing in particular.
There are enough accessories dotted
around the place to keep anyone in need
of roisin, straps of all shapes and sizes,
cleaning products for brass, strings or
cymbals, guitar bits and pieces or
miscellaneous percussion items happy,
whilst a broad selection of sheet music
dotted around the place has enough
variety across rock, pop and classical to
satisfy the casual browser.
New and second-hand brass sits in
the window, making for an attractive
display, whilst a clutch of classical
acoustic guitars line the walls along
one side.
The electric guitar display finds a
motley selection of new and used
instruments populating one corner of the
shop, and though nothing here goes
above the £250 mark there's plenty to
keep first timer buyers and entry level
musicians interested.
There are an awful lot of musical
gifts on display here as well, from treble
clef socks to mini busts of Mozart, piano
ties and mini ornamental guitars. Maybe
it's not quite rock and roll, but this kind
of merchandise is a decent money
spinner for these tough times.
RIPLEY GUITARS LTD
Sat in the middle of a picturesque market
town, Ripley Guitars is the sort of shop
that’s worth travelling to. Housed in what
one can only presume was once some
conscientious post master's cottage, as
soon as you step inside it's clear that this is
a shop run by people that really love their
guitars. The front half of the store is home
to a counter (populated by some friendly
folks that suit the village green vibe of
Ripley perfectly) surrounded by mountains
of guitar accessories and a wide enough
selection of strings to keep even the most
anal of guitar geeks happy for the rest of
their incredibly specific string plucking days.
It's when you venture further into the
store that you really get to the heart of
Ripley Guitars though. The second-hand
selection alone is enough to justify a day
trip out to the Surrey countryside. If you
like your guitars pre-loved and with a bit of
character to them, then this is a shop that
needs to be on your list of must-sees. With
a heavy leaning towards Gibsons, including
some spectacular Les Pauls from the 90s,
the selection also includes the sort of thing
that gets your average retro-loving 60s
addict hot under the collar. Think mint
Watkins Rapiers, gorgeous Hofners, that
sort of thing. A stunning late 70s Precision
was the centre of attention upon MI Pro's
visit, highlighting the community spirit that
pervades the shop, as strangers stood
around chewing the fat about the relative
merits (or not) of early 80s Fenders.
All told, this is the sort of shop that
makes working in this industry such a
pleasure. Run by people who combine an
obvious love of what they do with some
genuine business acumen and, perhaps
most importantly of all, buckets of
enthusiasm, you can't help but feel that
everyone deserves a local music shop this
good. Maybe if those struggling at the
moment took a leaf out of Ripley Guitar's
book, there wouldn't be quite as many
store closures, who knows?
Blueridge have taken America by storm withtheir authentic vintage style guitars, and nowwe have made them available in the UK. Thisrange, renowned for spectacular value formoney, continues to receive excellent reviewsin all the best known guitar press, includingGuitar & Bass, Guitarist, Guitar Buyer, AcousticMagazine...
The leading brand of resonator guitars, with along US heritage, available in the UK exclu-sively from Gremlin Music. Saga Music, haveapplied the same dedication to quality to theseguitars as they have to the Gitane andBlueridge guitars, and the results are spectacular.
SK120 Rated ‘Exceptional’ in AcousticMagazine. “A wonderful little amp designedby people who understand what musiciansneed”. Also Guitar & Bass have awarded theSK60 a massive 82%.We distribute these ShireKing Acoustic Ampsalong with Headway’s very popular pickupsfor acoustic instruments, including the Snake3 and SA1 pickups, and the ‘Band’ violin andcello pickups.
The best selling aluminium whistles inthe UK. Renowned for their clear sound,they appeal to whistle players of all stan-dards. Though ideal for beginners, theyare professional instruments and areused on stage by many leading players.
For the Gypsy in your soul!These beautiful guitars payhomage to the Selmer and
Maccaferri guitars of the early20th century. They have solid tops,are a joy to play, and look andsound like the real thing, right
down to the excellent reproduction of the orig-inal tailpiece. More to the point, they are veryaffordably priced.
The Kentucky mandolins are the pinnacleof affordable bluegrass instruments, andoffer exceptional quality at excellentprices. These mandolins are a very wel-come addition to our growing section ofgreat quality bluegrass instruments,which includes mandolins, banjos,dobros, guitars and more.
A competitively priced range of stu-dent squeezeboxes, including PianoAccordions from 12 to 120 Bass,B/C, D/G and Cajun one-rowmelodeons, and Anglo and Englishconcertinas, all ideal for beginners.
As well as being the first point of call for all the hard to find traditional musical instruments your customers are askingyou for, Gremlin Music is a one stop shop for any musical instrument retailer. We can supply a massive range of acousticmusical instruments, spares, accessories, strings, books and DVDs. Become a Gremlin Dealer and give your customersa better choice! We pride ourselves on the personal touch - you can always reach us by phone during work-ing hours, and we’ll always send your order as fast as possible, no matter what the size. If you’re a dealer,you can browse our website for prices (retail and wholesale), contact us by email, and place orders online! We’ve beenin the business for over 25 years, and can offer you an experienced, friendly and professional service.
www.gremlinmusic.co.uk [email protected]: +44 (0) 1903 203044 (9.30 - 5.30 Mon - Fri) | Unit A, Easting Close, Worthing, West Sussex, BN14 8HQ
Musical Instrument Co.
A new range of Ashbury ukuleles, tenor guitars andmandolin family instruments have been designedby British Luthier Phil Davidson and are hand madein Vietnam.Ashbury also has a professional quality range ofAcoustic Guitars, Mandolins, Banjos & Fiddles,Basses, cases, electrics and more manufactured toa high standard in China and Indonesia.
“I was amazed and Impressed”Build Quality: 5/5, Sound Quality: 4.5/5,
Value for Money :5/5.Acoustic Magazine reviews the AU-24T
Ashbury solid koa Tenor Ukulele
Just a few of our Leading Brands...
How is business compared to this time
last year?
I would say it’s about the same. Last
month we were slightly up and the month
before a little bit down, so at the moment
it seems to be bobbing along at around
the same level.
How do you market the shop?
We are a High Street store, which puts us
in a better position than other music
retailers, who have to cope with being
situated down back streets, for example.
We have a great website that helps a
great deal with the business, of course. We
also do a lot of work with schools through
our Music in Education business, dealing
with around 25,000 teachers and schools.
How do you compete with the online
competition?
We’re constantly monitoring prices, to
ensure we’re not being undercut too
much. We don’t offer a price promise
because we always ensure we offer the
best possible prices. We also compete with
online retailers by offering an online
catalogue ourselves that is constantly
expanding and always being updated with
new lines.
What are your biggest strengths?
In some ways the fact we are independent
is our biggest strength. With a lot of chain
companies, it is very difficult to get
through to someone in overall
management, but I am always available to
deal with enquiries and help customers. I
am a very hands-on director, as well as
the rest of the staff and I believe this is
the best way. Secondly, there is the family
side. When you know your business has
been passed down through generations, it
gives you a real passion to do a great job.
How do you ensure a good level of
customer service?
Again, customers can benefit from the fact
that I am constantly on the shop floor and
we all put in a lot of time and effort to
ensure we’re on hand to deal with any
issues. We simply make sure the customer
is happy and if there are any problems, I
want to hear about them. We also ensure
we have as good a display as possible.
What is the one product you couldn’t
live without?
Stagg is probably our best-selling brand,
but to be honest I couldn’t live without
any of our products. If manufacturers
decide not to give me access to products,
I’ll find others instead and that’s part of
the beauty of being a smaller business. We
are an all-rounder, so we don’t specialise
in a particular type of instrument either
How can the industry do more to
support retail?
By following what some manufacturers
have done recently and that’s adopting a
correct marketing policy. This encourages
dealers to stock, sell and show their
product and give them a fair margin by
doing so.
RETAIL
76 miPRO JUNE 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
INDIE PROFILE
FACT BOXAddress: 123 High Street, Colchester,
Essex, CO1 1SZ
Phone: 01206 572783
Owner: Mann family; Tim Mann is
managing director.
Established: 1854
Employees: Ten
Best-selling lines: Stagg products in
general have proven to be some of the
most profitable in this shop, but there
are numerous great sellers across the
board. Too many to list and no particular
lines noticeably outshining the rest.
Tim Mann explains the
benefits of being an
independent retailer,
particularly one that’s
been in business for over
150 years…
Sound • Lighting • Special Effects • Distribution Power Squared • Tel: +44 (0) 1525 850085 • www.leisuretec.co.uk
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CLASSIFIEDS: MINIMUM 12 MONTHS - ONE ANNUAL CHARGE QUARTER PAGE £1,295
MARKETPLACE INDEX
SU
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TO ADVERTISE CALL DARRELL CARTER OR JODIE HOLDWAY ON 01992 535647
Website makes it easy to buy and sell guitars online
GUITARS.CO.UK is essentially a
unique market place for guitars.
Utilising one of the most
memorable and powerful domain
names in our industry, the
Guitars.co.uk classifieds rank
extraordinarily well for new and
used guitar searches on sites such
as Google and Yahoo.
The ethos of Guitars.co.uk is to
provide highly effective (and
affordable) advertising to private
and trade sellers with no sales fees
or hidden costs. In fact,
Guitars.co.uk would like to believe
it provides the most powerful
advertising medium pound for
pound in guitar retail.
Why not test the water with just
one advert? It will cost just two
pounds, or list your entire inventory
of stock for 45 days for just £50.
Unlike many classified sites or
even online stores, Guitars.co.uk
takes a very pro-active role in
marketing the information
submitted to its readers and
subscribers.
Focus is on quality, reliable, up to
date adverts, which the end user
can have faith in and be
encouraged to make contact with
the seller through a range of
channels (person to person, phone,
website or email).
The layout is designed to make it
as simple to use as possible, with
categories for new and used guitars,
as well as brand specific sections,
for those who know exactly what
they’re looking for.
Richard of Richards Guitars, who
has been using the internet since its
conception to promote guitars,
manages the site. He is widely
trusted by guitarists and so
information provided is taken
seriously and appreciated by the
subscribers.
Guitars.co.uk provides
unquestionable profile for anyone
who wishes to sell a guitar, whether
it be trade or private. A forum
makes it easier for fellow surfers to
interact with each other, by
allowing them to discuss guitars
they are interested in, selling and
various other topics.
Advertising at Guitars.co.uk
starts from £2 for trade or private
sales so if you are looking for an
effective and affordable
new route to customers, get
in touch with Richard at
Guitars.co.uk today.
www.guitars.co.uk
THE PLACE FOR BUSINESS
MIMARKETPLACE
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OOCARINA WORKSHOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01536 485963
RRICHARD GUITARS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 07531 935 399RITTER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8816 8368ROBERT MORLEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8318 5838ROTHWELL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01204 366 133ROTHWELL AUDIO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01204 366133SSOAR VALLEY MUSIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0116 230 4926
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Guitars.co.uk
CONTACT
JODIE HOLDWAY
CALL: (0)1992 535647
ADVERTISE IN
MI MARKETPLACE
GREAT ADVERTISINGOPPORTUNITIES
ACCESSORIES AND GIFTWRE
80 miPRO JUNE 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
AMPLIFICATIONS
To find out more about the JVM Series and other Marshall products contact: Marshall Amplification plc Denbigh Road, Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK11DQ www.marshallamps.com
DISTRIBUTOR
Call Tom Harrison on 01132 589599 or email - [email protected]
MI MARKETPLACE
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82 miPRO JUNE 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
www.gremlinmusic.co.uk
Acoustic, Celtic and TraditionalMusical Instrument Specialists
Become a Gremlin Dealer and giveyour customers a bigger and betterchoice! We pride ourselves on thepersonal touch - you can alwaysreach us by phone during workinghours, and we’ll always send yourorder as fast as possible, no matterwhat the size. We’ve been in thebusiness for over 25 years, and can
offer you an experienced, friendly andprofessional service.
Email: [email protected]: +44 (0) 1903 203044 (9.30 - 5.30 Mon - Fri)
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DISTRIBUTOR
Rothwell effects pedals are trulyhand-made here in the uk and built to thehighest standards. The cases are handpolished and the electronics carefullyassembled by skilled uk workers. The circuit designis innovative and original (we don't do clones, repros ormods) and the sound is the sound of classic rock guitar - pure tone.Our pedals are quickly gaining a reputation for superb quality and are being played on some of theworld's biggest stages. The Hellbender (overdrive) and Switchblade (distortion) are currently beingheard by thousands of fans on Justin Timberlake's world tour, played by Mike Scott (also Prince'smain guitarist), who says "you make truly great, great pedals".
Why not join our growing list of uk and international dealers and stock Britain's finest boutiqueeffects pedals.
BRITAIN'S FINEST BOUTIQUE EFFECTS
WWW.ROTHWELLAUDIOPRODUCTS.CO.UK01204 366133
GUITAR ACCESSORIES
MANUFACTURER
84 miPRO JUNE 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
MUSIC PUBLISHERS
MI MARKETPLACE
MANUFACTURER
Find out more at www.fender.com/gdec3Fender® and G-DEC® are trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. © 2010 FMIC. All rights reserved.
Like no other guitar amplifi er you’ve ever experienced.
ALL NEW
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MI MARKETPLACEINSURANCE AND BUISNESS
PERCUSSION AND DRUMS
OCARINAS
Making Music in SchoolsSince 1983
UK made rainbow ocarinas fromOcarina Workshop are easy to playand great fun to teach with.
These pocket-sized instrumentsare popular with kids & well-tuned.Together with 'Play your Ocarina'music books, they are the key tosuccessful music-making in manyschools around the country.
Make sure school ocarinas are onyour counter-top and availablewhen customers request them!
Quote ‘MI Pro’ when you order12 Ocarinas & 12 Books and beamazed at the ocarina’s potential...
Trade orders are sent by return:free delivery & no minimum order
www.ocarina.co.uk
tel: 01536 485 963fax: 01536 485 051
email: [email protected]
PIANOS
Rober t MORLEY Co Ltd
34 ENGATE St. LONDON SE13 7HA
020•8318•5838Grand & Upright Pianos by
Elysian, Grotrian-Steinweg, Bechstein,Monington & Weston
and other famous makers
John Morley Clavichords, Spinets,Harpsichords, Virginals & Celestes
Antique, Modern & New, Rental, Repairs,Sales lists & colour brochures on request.
Robert MORLEY & Co Ltd.Piano & Harpsichord Makers
Established 1881
www.morleypianos.com
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86 miPRO JUNE 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
PERCUSSIONPERCUSSION
MI MARKETPLACE
PROMOTIONALPERCUSSION
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REPAIRS
MI MARKETPLACE
ADVERTISE YOUR VACANCIES AT
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NEW RECRUITNMENT ADVERTISING POSITIONS NOW AVAILABLE
CONTACT [email protected] FOR
DETAILS OR PHONE
01992 535647
WIND INSTRUMENT
JUNE 2000Cover Stars: The Competition Act is looked at
through the eyes of the OFT’s director
general, John Bridgeman, and examines what the
act is intended to achieve and some of the
activities it outlaws
News: QSC sues Behringer, Yamaha levels EKB
pricing, Woodchester Pianos merges with
Whelpdale Maxwell Codd, Music Sales deal with
Sibelius for online sheet music, MIA snubs BBC’s
‘instrument amnesty’ initiative
Features: NSCA report, the piano market, Music
Shipping Company, Dave Widdicombe, e-
commerce, Altec Lansing, JHS Event
Products:Yamaha Disklavier Pro 2000, Ovation
2000 Ltd, Danelectro mini pedals, Ashdown RPM-1
bass preamp, Line 6 Flextone II, Trace Elliot V8
head, Dean Avalanche 7, Fender Hank Marvin
Strat, Yamaha bamboo snare
Number one singles: Sonique: It Feels So Good
Number one albums: Bon Jovi: Crush, Tom Jones:
Reload, S Club 7: 7
RETRO
MI Pro is the only place the UK’s MI trade turns for the news and analysis of everything going on in the industry. Aside
from that, we appreciate the fun that lies at the root of everything we do, so this is the section to crack open a beer, put
your feet up and have a laugh. If you have any pictures you’d like us to include, send them to [email protected]...
88 miPRO JUNE 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
THE LAST WORD IN MI PRO
THE BEATLES: PLEASE PLEASE ME
IN THIS age of mind-boggling
technology and every man, his wife,
dog, children and mates’ ability to
get their hands on it, the question
of ‘how did they do that?’ will
normally result in a list of computer
programs, interfaces, plugins and
(probably) some anecdote about
how they forgot to switch the
compression on (snigger) ‘but we
liked the result so much we left it as
it was’ (guffaw).
Let us, then, take a swift swoop
back 50 years to when The Beatles
first entered the EMI Studios.
The band’s producer, George
Martin had wanted to record the
band live at The Cavern in Liverpool,
but Parlophone, the record
company, was anxious to get the
album out as soon as possible
following the successes of Love Me
Do and Please Please Me in the
singles charts.
Thus at 10am on Monday
February 11th, 1963 the mop tops
entered the EMI Studios (now Abbey
Road) and recorded three, three-
hour sessions (for the pedantic
among you, it amounted to a total
of 585 minutes).
“It was essentially a recorded
broadcast,” Martin recalled years
later. “A straightforward
performance of their stage
repertoire.” By the end of the day,
Martin is reported to have said: “I
don’t know how they do it. We’ve
been here all day, but the longer we
go on, the better they get.”
It is a tribute to the band’s
abilities that the album still sounds
so fresh today.
Martin’s job was, relatively simply,
to set up the band, place the mics,
thread the tape on the reel to reel
and press record. The album was
recorded on a two track BTR (British
Tape Recorders) machine, with the
instruments on one track and the
vocals (recorded simultaneously) on
the other. The ‘mix down’ to mono
used a little reverb to blend the
tracks and the stereo version simply
transferred the instruments to the
left and the voice to the right –
again with added reverb.
The session cost about £400,
with the members of the band
earning MU rates of £22, 10s each –
roughly what a professional football
player would earn in a week. My,
how times have changed.
HOW DID THEYDO THAT?
THE FUTURE OF MI ICONS?
JUST OVER a year ago, in February
2009, in fact, the Georgia Tech show in
Atlanta debuted its ‘centre for music
technology’ and the inaugural
Guthman Musical Instrument
competition. All well and good so far…
Well, maybe not. These two
instruments were entered into that
first competition, but no further
information can be found as to what
happened at the competition, what
won, what was commended or how
the hell these two contraptions might
conceivably fit into the category of
musical instrument.
Answers on a postcard, please…
PIC OF THEMONTH
LATEST NEWSSTRAIGHT TO YOUR MOBILE
Bookmark us in your phone:
MOBILE.MI-PRO.CO.UK
SEND YOUR PICTURES TO [email protected]
WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO JUNE 2010 89
Going back 20 years, affordable
music making was tough to
come by and it was this
product, introduced in 1990, that
sparked a creative music revolution.
This 16-channel mixer not only
offered immense build quality, but also
several features that were unheard of
at the time, including its own internal
power supply and Rotopod chassis
with multiple connections. What made
this product such a success, though,
was that it was suitable for a wide
range of musos and performers.
Its price appealed to bands on a
budget and any musically motivated
individual, but also leading studios
would use them as sub-mixers. It
undoubtedly set the bar for other
manufacturers, by offering a mixer
that offered specs that were only
found in larger consoles of that period.
Less experienced musicians also
benefited from its ease of use and
multiple functions. Thousands of
people used nothing but a 1604 to
track and mix their recordings – and
with impressive sound quality.
Perfect for situations where a
number of mics and other audio
sources could be mixed together with
ease, the 1604 also became known for
the type of distortion it could produce.
Well known users include Liam
Howlett from The Prodigy, who feels
Mackie desks are the best for dance
production. The time finally came
when Howlett decided that he
ought to move on and use
a newer product, but
when he
couldn’t get
a good
sound out
of his new
purchase, he
found himself going
back to his old Mackie.
Reliability was another key to its
success. A cheaper product
usually means less longevity, but
instead this Mackie gained a
reputation for soldiering on for
considerably longer than its more
expensive rivals – even those that
were released several years after.
Since then, Mackie has been
updating the 1604 and with the 1604-
VLZ3, has been striving to keep up
with technological advancements, but
also maintain the qualities and
reputation of the
original.
MI ICON Mackie CR-1604 mixer
1972-79The Fat StratVan Halen built his first ‘working’ guitar
from a body and neck made by Lynn
Ellsworth of Boogie Bodies guitars and
bought from Wayne Charvel. He fitted a
single humbucker in the bridge position,
giving the guitar its name.
1979 CharvelIn what was to be a year of indecision,
the super noodler experimented with a
number of guitars, all decorated with
insulating and gaffa tape – the Charvel
taking a yellow and black appearance.
1979 Ibanez DestroyerWhile the Charvel was the main guitar
of 1979, he also used his (gaffa-taped)
Ibanez for tracks such as You really Got
Me and Runnin’ with the Devil.
1980-83 The FrankenstratUndoubtedly Van Halen’s most famous
guitar, this model was made from the
Fat Strat, changing the neck, removing
part of the scratchplate and adding a
Floyd Rose tremolo system.
1983-91 Kramer 5150Beginning to see the value of putting his
name to a guitar, EVH signed up with
Kramer to ‘recreate’ the Frankenstrat as
a signature model. The 5150, as it later
came to be known, was rear loaded and
had the Floyd Rose, was a hot-rodded
Kramer Pacer. It was later a signature
model with both Music Man and Peavey.
1992-03 Music Man EVHThis guitar is still commercially available
under the Axis name, and retains all of
the original features of the Edward Van
Halen model. The guitar showed
something of a mellowing in EVH’s taste
for look and tone – and he named the
series Wolfgang, after his son.
2003-04 Peavey WolfgangIn 2003, the man who would now like to
be known as ‘Edward’ teamed up with
Peavey to produce the Wolfgang range of
guitars, in what was to prove to be a
tempestuous relationship. These axes
were made for just a year by Peavey and
the split between the two is rumoured to
be because EVH started selling his own
guitars online.
2005-presentFender EVHThe notorious noodler is now back in the
Fender fold, making his guitars and amps
under the exclusive EVH brand, with new
replicas of the Frankenstrat, Wolfgang
Guitars and the EVH 5150 III amplifier.
On stage and in the studio, Van Halen
seems more than happy to use his
prototype Wolfgangs.
THE STARS AND THEIR GUITARSEDDIE VAN HALENNot only a pioneer in guitar playing, but also in getting
involved in the guitar making business. What a guy…
1979 1992 -03
1979 2003-04
1980-83 2005-present
1972-79 1983-91
Championed by BBC Radio
2 and NME, and with a
highly anticipated debut
album Animate on the
way, these Dublin rockers
could easily find
themselves in the
limelight before too long.
Here’s the gear that
punters are bound to be
asking for in the not too
distant future...
SOUNDALIKESBLACK SOUL STRANGERS
NEXTMONTHA veritable fest of market overviews in the
June issue, with perspectives on the acoustic
guitar, percussion and sheet music sectors.
On the cover will be one of the most
interesting (and fastest growing) business
models in the trade: AVSL.
EDITORIAL: ANDY BARRETT
ADVERTISING: JODIE HOLDWAY
Company/job title:
Westside
Distribution – drums and percussion
product specialist.
Years in the industry?
Only four years – unbelievable for a guy
that looks this old.
First single bought?
I think it might have been Friggin’ in the
Riggin’ by the Sex Pistols. Not sure why,
because I was never into punk.
Favourite album?
Too many to name just one. Eat to the Beat
by Blondie, Domino Theory by Weather
Report, So by Peter Gabriel.
Currently listening to?
Dave Matthews Band, Big Whiskey and the
GrooGrux King, Rage! by Lettuce.
Favourite musician?
Dave Matthews (horror – not a drummer!)
Which instruments do you play?
Drums and a bit of percussion.
Are you currently in a band?
Yes, my first ever rock/blues cover band.
MI SPACE
© Intent Media 2010 No part of this publication may be
reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission
of the copyright owners. Printed by The Manson Group, AL3 6PZ
Enquiries to MI Pro, Intent Media, Saxon House 6a St.
Andrew Street, Hertford SG14 1JA.
Tel: 01992 535646 (Editorial)
Tel: 01992 535647 (Advertising)
Fax: 01992 535648
miPRO is a memberof the PPA
ISSN 1750-4198
PHILIP JUSTIN WYER – guitar – Gretsch
Power and Duo Jet (both with Bigsby),
Martin 000-16SGT acoustic, MXR Micro
amp, Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer, Electro
Harmonix Cathedral, Electro Harmonix
Stereo Memory Man, James Murray
Hadron Collider fuzz, Elixir 10-46 electric
strings, Elixir 12-52 acoustic strings,
Dunlop Nylon .72 picks, Elixir cables, Diago
pedal board, Fender Blues Deluxe, Vox
AC30 amps
BARRY GOREY – guitar and vocals – 1976
USA Fender Telecaster, USA Fender
Telecaster Standard, 1963 Airline Bobcat
Twin, Martin D-15, MXR Distortion+, Line
6 DL4, Boss DD20, Boss GE7, Elixir 10-46,
Elixir 12-52 (acoustic), Dunlop nylon 1.0
picks, Elixir cables, Diago pedal board,
Synths – Korg MS20, Suzuki Omnichord,
Moog Little Phatty, Micro Korg, Akai MPC
500, Fender Hot Rod DeVille, Vox AC30
amps & 4x10, Marshall Power Break
JAMES O' BRIEN – bass – 1973 Fender
Precision, Sans Amp bass driver DI, MXR
Bass DI, Elixir 45-100 strings, Elixir cables,
Dunlop nylon 1.0 Picks, Diago pedal board,
Paxman French horn, Yamaha Bb trumpet,
Ashdown ABM 500 EVO III Head, ABM 4-
10 T Cabinet, Ashdown ABM 1-15 T Cab
BRENDAN O' MAHONEY – drums –
Gretsch USA Maple Custom, Ludwig
Black Beauty snare, Ludwig LM402 snare,
DW 9000 pedal, Various Zildjian Ks,
Sticks – ProMark 2B Hickory, Favourite
colour – blue (?)
MI PRO Magazine. Saxon House, 6a St. Andrew Street.
Hertford, Hertfordshire. SG14 1JA
ISSN: 1750-41980 Copyright 2010
Printed by The Manson Group, AL3 6PZ
the international monthlymagazine for musicinstrument professional andeveryone in the MI business
MI Pro has a monthly circulation of well
over 6,000. It is distributed to all MI
retailers and industry professionals plus
carefully selected pro audio executives
and resellers.
UK: £50 Europe: £60 Rest of World: £90
SUBSCRIPTIONEnquiries, please email: [email protected]
Telephone: 01580 883 848
Charges cover XX issues and 1st class postage
or airmail dispatch for overseas subscribers.
MI PRO is published 12 times a year, reaching well over
6,000 readers throughout the UK and international market.
Managing EditorAndy [email protected]
Editor at LargeGary [email protected]
Staff WriterAdam [email protected]
Advertising ManagerDarrell [email protected]
Sales ExecutiveJodie [email protected]
DesignerClaire [email protected]
Production ExecutiveRosie [email protected]
CirculationPaul [email protected]
Editorial ProductionManagerHelen [email protected]
PublisherDave [email protected]
Managing DirectorStuart [email protected]
90 miPRO JUNE 2010
ANDYGILLESPIE
www.staggmusic.com
BRUSSELS, 1840.ADOLPHE SAX DREAMS UP
A NEW INSTRUMENT.
BRUSSELS, 2010.STAGG INTRODUCES THE ALL-NEW
77-SA ALTO SAXOPHONE.
FEATURES:
F/F# link leverFull regulation screws for left and right hand
Blue steel springsUpgraded felts
Stop bumper on crook key
All Stagg woodwind instruments are fully checked and professionally set up by Stagg’s in-house technicians
prior to shipping.
Please call the UK sales team on 01293 862612, contact your area sales manager, or log on to our dealerwebsite at www.emdmusic.com for more details.
Produc onSo ware
Audio & MIDIInterfaces
DesktopMonitors
V-Studios Plug-insController Keyboards
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Visit www.cakewalkbyroland.co.uk for the full 2010 lineup
Hardware and software from Cakewalk by Roland
Here’s some news you’re
going to love