Your first look at the new year's must-stock musical products

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FEBRUARY 2010 I MUSICINCMAG.COM

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FEBRUARY 2010 I VOL. 21, NO. 2

4 I MUSIC INC. I FEBRUARY 2010

PUBLISHERFrank AlkyerEDITORZach Phillips ASSOCIATE EDITORJenny DomineCONTRIBUTING EDITORSEd Enright, Aaron CohenWEST COAST CORRESPONDENTSara FarrADVERTISING SALES MANAGERJohn Cahill WESTERN ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Tom BurnsCLASSIFIED AD SALES Sue MahalART DIRECTORAndy WilliamsCONTRIBUTING DESIGNERAra TiradoCIRCULATIONKelly GrosserBOOKKEEPINGMargaret StevensINTERNKatie KailusPRESIDENTKevin MaherOFFICESPh (630) 941-2030 • Fax (630) 941-3210 e-mail: [email protected] SERVICE(877) 904-7949

Jack Maher, President 1970-2003

SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $50 one year (11 issues). $90 twoyears (22 issues) to U.S.A. addresses. $75 one year (11 is-sues), $140 two years (22 issues) to Canada and other for-eign countries. Air mail delivery at cost.

SINGLE COPY (and back issues, limited supply): $9.95 to anyaddress, surface mail. Air mail delivery at cost.

We cannot be responsible for unsolicited manuscripts andphotos. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part withoutwritten permission from Maher Publications Inc.

Copyright 2010 by Maher Publications Inc., all foreign rightsreserved. Trademark register pending.OTHER MAHER PUBLICATIONS:DownBeat, UpBeat Daily

CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Please allow six weeks for yourchange to become effective. When notifying us of your newaddress, include your current MUSIC INC. label showing yourold address. MUSIC INC. (ISSN 1050-1681)

Published monthly, except April. Printed in U.S.A. by MaherPublications Inc. 102 N. Haven, Elmhurst, IL 60126-2932.Periodical Postage Paid at Elmhurst, IL and at additionalmailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MUSIC INC., 102N. Haven, Elmhurst, IL 60126-2932. Printed in U.S.A.

2008 2008

MEMBERBPA

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February 2010

THE 2010GEARGUIDE


56 I GUITARS, AMPS & ACCESSORIES

77 I AUDIO & RECORDING

89 I DJ & LIGHTING

93 I DRUMS & PERCUSSION

101 I BAND & ORCHESTRA

107 I PIANOS & KEYBOARDS

113 I PRINT & MULTIMEDIA

13 I PROFILESX Sheet Music Plus’ growth strategyX West Music profits from technology

18 I NEWSX Parrish Music opens full-scale shop

25 I PROFILESX Korg takes on Lâg GuitarsX Hal Leonard expands Jazz Play-Along line

28 I NEWSX Manus named Alfred CEO

37 I ASK ALANX Friedman tackles Internet sales tax reform

40 I INDEPENDENT RETAILX Eschliman looks at retail adaptability

42 I THE CUSTOMER WHISPERERX Billings on Apple Stores, gelato shops and vibe

46 I THE LESSON ROOMX Gamber coaches teachers to sell gear

48 I STREETWISE SELLINGX Smith lays out guidelines for effective meetings

50 I LESSONS LEARNEDX Rosenbloom on the true value of a business

52 I MY TURNX Miller explores the benefits of distance learning

122 I ASK THE RETAILERX Music dealers discuss their top gear choices

Cover photo by Karen Solem

Phot

o by

Kar

en S

olem

A sneak peek at the new year’s soon-to-be best-sellers

ON THE COVER >>>

1. Antigua’sAS4240CB Pro PowerBell alto sax; 2. LP’s AspireSantana Abraxas Angel conga; 3. Fleabass’Water Bass; 4. LP’s Aspire Santana Abraxas Angel bongos;5. Fender’s Passport 500 Pro P.A. system; 6. Stagg’s EXcymbals; 7. Yamaha’s CP1 stage piano

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It’s 2010, but you’d think it was 2005 judging from the status of Internetsales tax reform. The wheels of progress have barely turned on this issue,and in my opinion, it should’ve been fixed the moment Amazon meantanything other than a South American river (or brawny female).

It’s time to put the issue back on the table.Music retail financial guru Alan Friedman has given his final word on

this topic in “Sales Tax Demystified,” beginning on page 37. Not surpris-ingly, Friedman’s vehemently in favor of a uniformtax collection policy for all retailers, whether they’rebrick and mortar, catalog or Internet.

Let’s be clear: Friedman and online sales taxreformists are not advocating a new or special tax forInternet sellers and their customers. They’re askingthat online retailers carry out the same sales tax col-lection responsibility as brick-and-mortar retailers tomake sure every consumer pays his or her rightfulsales and/or use tax.

Ironically, California came close to leading theInternet sales tax reform movement, only to take ahuge step backwards this past summer. CaliforniaAssemblywoman Nancy Skinner proposed a bill thatwould require Internet retail affiliates in California

to collect tax on their sales to state residents. (An affiliate is a businesswith a contractual agreement to advertise an online retailer and receives acommission from that retailer.)

New York had passed a similar law successfully in 2008. And inCalifornia, the bill would’ve added up to an estimated $150 million inpotential sales tax revenue — this for a state with an epic budget crisis.

Sounds reasonable, right?Amazon.com and Overstock.com weren’t having it. Both threatened to

cut their California affiliates, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed thebill, citing opposition to new taxes.

It would’ve flown under my radar if Frank Hayhurst, owner of ZoneMusic in Cotati, Calif., hadn’t spoken up. He sent an e-mail blast to thepress and fellow California-based music retailers, urging them to call thegovernor’s office at 916-445-2841 and ask Schwarzenegger to reconsiderSkinner’s bill.

“It’s time we stood up and, with one voice, put a stop to this seriousinequality,” Hayhurst wrote. “There’s no way to sugarcoat the differencein our consumers’ minds. We charge 10-percent more for the same itemthey can get online for 10-percent less. That’s how it looks to them.

“Please take action. We’re the only ones who can change this inequal-ity, and together, we can do what New York state did.”

Realize, this is not a knock on e-commerce. This is about states collect-ing taxes that are already owed to them. If you’re a California retailer andshare Hayhurst’s persuasion, why not make the phone call? Everyonedeserves a more level playing field. MI

PERSPECTIVE I BY ZACH PHILLIPS

THE PLAYING FIELDIS STILL NOT LEVEL


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Time to Reflect

Thank you very much forhighlighting our company

on the cover of your Decemberissue (“Deeper Into Lessons”).“The 2009 Year in Review”issue was so interesting. Itwas great fun to reflect on thepast year.

As always, your articles trig-gered some ideas for us to workon in the coming year. Thankyou for your continued supportand fantastic magazine.

Gayle BeacockBeacock Music

Vancouver, Wash.

A Longtime Dealer’sTake on Pianos

M aybe it’s time for a long-time piano dealer’s reply

to “What Went Wrong Withthe Piano Industry”(June2009). I’ve been in the musicbusiness for more than 50years, and I have been a mem-ber of NAMM for almost thesame amount of time. At onetime or another, I have carriedmost manufacturers’ lines.

I always naively felt thatthe manufacturers’ problemwas also the dealers’ problemand vice versa. This has been acostly decision for me in manycases.

However, I do feel the pianoindustry needs the most honestrelations between the dealer andthe manufacturer. In some cases,it’s not necessarily the manufac-turer’s policies that are the prob-lem, but someone within thatcompany might favor one dealerover another and grant specialincentives. This creates animos-ity in dealer relationships.

Better dealer communica-tion would increase the grossprofit of our declining salespotential, and being friendlywith your competitors does notalways mean price fixing.

OBSERVATIONS ON DIGITAL KEYS

My relationship with digitalpianos began with Casio.

It took many years to get teach-ers to accept the digital piano asa replacement for used uprightpianos. This has not been fullyaccomplished. However, thedigital piano has decreased themarket for used spinet and con-sole pianos to the point wherethey are hardly worth showspace on a dealer’s floor.

THE REAL WIN IN COLLEGE SALES

The article by Terry Lewis(“What Went Wrong With

the Piano Industry: AnAlternate View,” September2009) discussed the win-win-win-win situation of collegesales. He claims the sales givethe manufacturer the opportu-nity to gain more business and

more market share. Also, pianosthat may have sat in the ware-house are out in the commu-nity. I have never felt this wasthe real “win” for the manufac-turer. Rather, a college studentwill see the manufacturer’s logoin front of him on the fallboard,and this provides subliminaladvertising that will last a life-time with someone who may beresponsible for many piano rec-ommendations in the future.

Lewis also discussed skittishprospects. I always felt theintegrity of the university wasthe primary concern of anydealer doing a college sale. Thisfact is one more guarantee to apotential customer that he willnot be taken advantage of.

I have been in the top 200dealers with just piano and key-board sales since the initiation

of these programs. It takes manyoutside promotions, such asbringing pianos to golf outings,home shows, warehouse showsand teacher conventions, todrive sales. Sometimes, I’vereceived financial help from themanufacturer, but most of thetime, I am on my own.

GENERATING PIANO SALES

We have found three thingsare necessary to generate

sales: a large display of pianos, afront desk with the ability tohandle any problems a customermay have and a price structureto fit every customer’s budget.Two of the problems that mustbe overcome by any piano dealerare competent piano servicesand careful, timely delivery. Wehave solved these problems withthe in-house training of morethan 10 piano tuners and thecareful consideration of ourcontract piano movers. We feelthe future of the piano businesswill depend on all of the above,plus an active role in 21st cen-tury technology, integrity and ahopeful feeling that those whorepresent manufacturers dealhonestly.

J. Michael DiehlFreehold Music Center

Freehold, N.J.

CorrectionMusic Inc. mistakenly listedthe dealer net prices of the RSBerkeley 6102A violin and7192A viola (Gear, December2009) as MSRPs. We regretthe error.

EDITOR’S NOTE: MUSIC INC.

ENCOURAGES LETTERS AND

RESPONSES TO ITS STORIES.

E-MAIL LETTERS TO

[email protected]; OR

WRITE TO 102 N. HAVEN RD.

ELMHURST, IL, 60126; 630-941-2030;

FAX: 630-941-3210.


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> Cascio Interstate MusicDonates to cancer-relief effortPAGE 18

> Parrish MusicOpens folk instrument shopPAGE 19

> Donn Bennett Drum StudioAcquires classic kits for museumPAGE 20

> TributePeter ‘Duke’ Heid, Ray JentPAGE 21

FEBRUARY 2010 I MUSIC INC. I 13

Type the phrase “sheetmusic” into Google,and sheetmusicplus.com will top thesearch engine’s

results. As one of the largestonline print music retailers inthe United States, Sheet MusicPlus boasts more than 55,000titles and earned $25 million inrevenue last year.

Charged with expandingthis Emeryville, Calif.-basedenterprise was CEO KeithCerny. In 2008, he took thereins from company founderNick Babchuk, who wanted tostep back from actively run-ning the business. (Babchukhad previously brought inSverica, a private equity com-pany, which purchased a par-tial stake in Sheet Music Plus.The new board namedBabchuk chairman and hiredCerny as CEO.)

Cerny came to the tablewith degrees in music andphysics from Berkeley, an MBAfrom the Harvard BusinessSchool, and a Ph.D. in econo-metrics and development pol-icy from the Open Universityin the United Kingdom. Healso has experience with com-puter technology from servingas senior partner at Accenture,which specializes in systemsintegration.

“[Sheet Music Plus] seemed

like a great fit,” Cerny said. “Ihave been a musician and aconsumer of sheet music formore than 35 years. It’s great tomarry these different interests.”

PERFECT INTERNET BUSINESS

Carrying more than twiceas many sheet music titles

as its nearest competitor andrepresenting more than 1,000publisher names, Cerny cred-ited Sheet Music Plus’ success

to its vast selection and clean,easy-to-navigate site.

“It’s such a perfect Internetbusiness because it allows cus-

tomers to search our catalogonline, find whatever they arelooking for, whether it’s a pop-ular work or an obscure one,and we will ship it to them,”Cerny said.

Sheet Music Plus has spentthe last 10 years developingcontent for its site’s database.This includes music descrip-tions, difficulty levels andlook-inside views. Its searchengine was also upgraded lastyear, making it easier for cus-tomers to sort through infor-mation quickly.

THE FUTURE OF SHEET MUSIC

Despite the recession andthe growing buzz of digital

alternatives, Cerny said he’sconfident in the continuedgrowth potential of traditionalprint music.

“Sheet music is often esti-mated to be a $1.1 bi l l ionindustry,” Cerny said. “Wehave a lot of opportunity togrow.”

Last year, the site continuedto achieve national growth.During the holiday season,Cerny said site traffic typicallyjumps 50–70 percent, relativeto the summer. Internationalrevenues have also grown from40–50 percent, year-on-year.Cerny noted growth in thecompany’s educator business,as well, with a program that

SHEET MUSIC PLUS I BY JENNY DOMINE

InsideRETAIL

SHEET MUSIC GIANT

Sheet MusicPlus earns

$25 million in revenue under

new leadership

Sheet Music Plus’CEO Keith Cerny

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bbSEARCHABLESheet Music Plus’ Web site fea-tures a comprehensive databaseof music classifications, difficultylevels and cover art, making thesite’s massive selection easy tonavigate.

bbCONNECTEDCerny said customer support isessential to online sales. Teacherrebates, plus customer feedbackand newsletter sign-up optionson the site, help create a per-sonal connection.

bbTRENDYTying sales to movie releasesand pop culture hits keeps thesite up-to-date and relevant.

“We have titles, such as StarWars, Indiana Jones andTwilight,” Cerny said. “Often,these publications have funphotographs and CDs inside.”

lets teachers earn an 8-percentrebate on purchases. Morethan 18,000 teachers are cur-rently registered.

“We’re looking at a lot ofenhancements to our existinge-mail marketing and pay-per-click-marketing to continue todrive sales,” Cerny added.

He also acknowledgedmusic publishers for offeringproducts connected to popularculture — some of SheetMusic Plus’ top sellers are tiedto movie releases. Using full-color photographs, CDs andother exclusive content hasalso improved sales.

“Publishers have foughtback quite successfully againstthe tide of just printing on ahome printer,” Cerny said. “Italso helps keep the young peo-ple engaged in learning.” MI

bb SHEETMUSICPLUS.COMWeb Walk-Through

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West Music’s staffused to spendfive hours aweek processingpurchase orders

from one of the company’smajor suppliers.

These days, the job takes30 seconds.

It began in 2007, whenRobin Walenta, president ofthe Coralvil le, Iowa-baseddealership and a member ofNAMM’s Ad-Hoc TechnologyCommittee, implemented thecommittee’s new XML stan-dards at her company.

“It’s pretty amazing becausewe [previously] had to enterorders into our system, thensend it to the supplier via fax,e -mai l or phone order,”Walenta said. “Then someoneon the other end has to entereverything again into theirsystem. Now, through the elec-tronic XML code, it allows usto send our request electroni-cally directly into suppliers’systems.”

IMPROVED ORDER ACCURACY

The NAMM Ad-Hoc Tech-nology Committee is made

up of technical experts from allcorners of the music retail, sup-ply and software industries.According to its mission state-ment, the group aims to developand promote best-practice stan-dards for electronic commercethat improve efficiencybetween trading partners in themusic products industry.

The technology commit-tee’s latest initiative, P.O.Detailed Acknowledgment,lets music retailers not onlysend purchase orders via XMLbut also receive a detailedacknowledgement from thesupplier, confirming whether

it can fulfill an order, down toquantity, pricing and fill date.(Previously, suppliers couldonly send a verification thatthey received an order.)

“It helps dealers communi-cate with staff and, in turn,our customers , especia l lywhen dealing with special

orders,” Walenta said.Aside from the dramatic

decrease in t ime her staffspends processing purchaseorders, Walenta said imple-menting XML has alsoimproved order accuracy.

“Every time a human isinvolved in something, youopen yourself up for error,”she said.

“We paused one day to lookat item discrepancies and howmany people were involvedbecause somebody sent us thewrong item. You literally haveto stop everything you’re doingand either e-mail or call themanufacturer and say, ‘ Iwanted X, and you sent me Y,’and then they have to makeadjustments on their end. Wehave to determine whetherwe’re going to send it back orkeep it.

“And if we’re going to keepit, we have to create anotherpurchase order. If we send itback, we have to create returndocuments. It’s mind-bogglinghow inefficient item discrep-ancies are.”

Now, it’s just two systems— the retailer’s and supplier’s— communicating with eachother via XML. They’ll auto-matically pick up errors thatl ikely wouldn’t have beencaught with the old systemuntil the supplier entered adealer’s purchase order into itssystem.

“If I send a UPC code to asupplier and they don’t recog-nize it, the system lets meknow immediately that there’san error there,” Walenta said.“There are a great deal of effi-ciencies that are found throughe-commerce.”

ADDING PROFITS

Walenta said West Musicis currently trading XML

documents with six suppliersand hopes more will jump intothe fray. But that will alsorequire more interest frommusic retailers.

“Dealers shouldn’t be fear-ful because it’s technology-related,” she said. “Sometimes,I think because our industry isso small that the term ‘tech-nology’ itself makes peoplenervous. You don’t need an ITperson on staff to implementthis stuff.”

Walenta said it’s especiallyimperative to find ways to bemore efficient given the cur-rent economic climate.

“Time is money. It’s notabout selling more. You canfind greater efficiencies withinyour organization that aregoing to add profits.” MI

WEST MUSIC I BY JEFF CAGLE

30-SECOND PURCHASE ORDERS

West Music’s Jacci Brandt(left) and Robin Walenta

West Musicslashes

expenses,finds profits by

adopting newXML standards

from NAMM’sTechnologyCommittee

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PERSONNEL

Promotions at FCFull Compassof Madison,Wis., recentlypromoted twolongtimeemployees totop positions.SamanthaPiernot hasbeen namedvice presidentof procurement.She began at the company in 2000and most recently served as pur-chasing manager. ShawnMcLoughlin has been promoted tosales manager of FDW, FullCompass’ wholesale division. Hehas been with the company since1998, and in his new role,McLoughlin will manage the dailyoperations of the FDW sales group.

LINES

New Mason &Hamlin DealersMason & Hamlin has added fourpiano retailers to its U.S. dealer net-work. These include Jordan Kitt’sMusic of College Park, Md.; KeyboardConcepts of Van Nuys, Calif.;Piedmont Piano of Oakland, Calif.;and Carlson’s Piano World inMinneapolis.

“We are very pleased to addthese highly regarded, veteran retail-ers to our Mason & Hamlin net-work,” said Tom Lagomarsino,Mason & Hamlin’s executive vicepresident. “They are strong perform-ers with excellent reputations, bothwithin their communities and ourindustry. We look forward to ourmutual success in the months andyears to come.”

CLOSURE

Hamlin’s Shuts DownAt press time, Hamlin’s Music Storeof Elmira Heights, N.Y., was plan-ning to close its doors for good onDec. 31, 2009. According to RonHamlin, the dealership’s second-generation owner, his retirement willcoincide with the store’s closure.

“My retirement is not because ofa lack of business,” he said to Star-Gazette in a Nov. 30 article. “We’vekept a good relationship with thepublic and the school districts, andwe have been very fortunate in thesupport we’ve gotten from thecommunity.”

Cascio Interstate Music andArcher Guitars pitched in to the

charitable activities during the 33rdAnnual Milwaukee Bucks MACCFund Game, held Oct. 23, 2009, atBradley Center in Milwaukee. Theevent benefitted the MACC Fund,Midwest Athletes Against ChildhoodCancer, a charitable organizationthat supports research into the treat-ment and cure of childhood cancerand blood disorders.

Both Milwaukee-based compa-nies sponsored guitarist Tallan Latz,who performed throughout thegame and at halft ime with theBucks’ house band, Streetlife WithWarren Wiegratz.

Cascio Interstate Music also pro-vided an interactive music station inBradley Center’s lobby as part of thepregame Kids Day Festival, wherekids of all ages were able to try outdifferent musical instruments usingheadphones on Player’s Pod sta-tions. They were able to jam ontheir choice of four different Archerelectric guitars and a Line 6 guitarmodeling processor; an Archer elec-tric bass and a Line 6 bass modelingprocessor; a Roland keyboard work-station; and a Yamaha digital drumprogrammer. There was also aUnion drum kit set up.

“This Bucks/Kids game is reallyspecial to us,” said Michael Houser,Cascio Interstate Music CEO andMACC Fund honorary board mem-ber. “We not only get a chance tohelp aid childhood cancer researchbut also help to inspire and encour-age young people who may be play-ing a guitar for the first time throughour interactive Pod stations.”

The main beneficiary of MACCFund support is the MidwestChildren’s Cancer Center withresearch conducted in the MACCFund Research Center of the MedicalCollege of Wisconsin. Additionalresearch is conducted in the MACCFund Center for Cancer and BloodDisorders at Children’s Hospital ofWisconsin.

CASCIO INTERSTATE MUSIC I OUTREACH

CASCIO, ARCHER PITCHIN TO AID CHILDREN’SCANCER RELIEF

SamanthaPiernot

A Player’s Pod stationinside Bradley Center

Cascio, Archersupport children’s

cancer researchwhile inspiring

young people toplay guitar

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V iroqua, Wis.-based ParrishMusic recently upgraded

from a music lessons centerwith by-appointment-onlyretail to a full-scale folk instru-ment dealership. Owned byTed and Catherine Parrish, theshop opened for business onNov. 25, 2009.

The new location featuresacoustic and electric guitars,banjos, mandolins, ukuleles,violins, violas, cellos, flutes,drums and accessories. ParrishMusic also carries less-com-mon instruments, such as dul-c imers , harps , tanpuras ,djembes, octave mandolins,exotic percussion, and stringedand wind instruments from

around the world.Additionally, the company

offers instrument rentals andmusic lessons.

Ted previously served asthe director of retail opera-

tions at the Old Town Schoolof Folk Music in Chicago andhas taught guitar for 20 years.Catherine has taught vocal,flute, guitar, dance and move-ment for more than 20 years.

“People often hear about orread about unusual instru-ments,” Catherine said. “Here,they can actually try thoseinstruments for themselves.

“We have a great studiospace for lessons and haveroom to create a recital/smallperformance space, as well.”

“I have focused on findingthose lines of instruments thatoffer the best value for themoney,” Ted said. “It has to bea quality instrument that Iwould play myself, and it hasto be affordable. So, you won’tfind any $2,000 boutique gui-tars here, but you will findvery good instruments for lessthan $400, for example.”

PARRISH MUSIC I OPENING

Parrish Opens Full-Scale Folk Shop

Parrish Music’s TedParrish inside hisnew digs



Sweetwater of Fort Wayne, Ind.,and local radio station WAJI,

Majic 95.1, joined forces again torelease Majic Miracle Music, VolumeFour this past holiday season. Thecompilation CD features new record-ings by national musicians and willbe sold locally, with all proceeds tobenefit Riley Hospital for Childrenin Indianapolis.

The CD, priced at $10, is availableat Anne’s Hallmark stores, Borders,Cookie Cottage, Tampa WellnessOasis, Lutheran Hospital Gift Shop,all Wooden Nickel locations, andSweetwater’s retail store and Web site.

Nationally recognized artists,including Ingrid Michaelson, UncleKracker, John Tesh, Aimee Allen,Matt Kearney and State of Man,

appear on the CD with new acousticversions of their hits. Most of the CD’s20 songs were recorded at SweetwaterProductions, Sweetwater’s in-houserecording studio.

Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro),GC’s outside sales division for pro-

fessional users, recently expanded itsInstallation initiative with an affiliateprogram.

By clicking on the Installations link atgcpro.com, customers can access compa-nies and individuals specializing in proaudio systems design, integration andinstallation. They’ll be able to see a briefdescription of each company and godirectly to that company’s Web page togather further information about a proj-ect. GC Pro will act as the coordinator

for these services toform a turnkeysolution for musicand recording stu-dios, post-produc-t ion houses , l ivesound venues, andhouses of worship.New companies willbe added regularlyto GC Pro’s list ofaffiliates.

“These newe n h a n c e m e n t smade to the GC ProInstallations serv-ice further positionus as the centra lresource for anykind of audio proj-ect, from a music

studio to a club to a church,” said RickPlushner, director of GC Pro. “Our cus-tomers can be assured that any of theindividuals represented on our Web siteare the best in their fields.”

GUITAR CENTER PRO I SERVICES

GC Pro DebutsAffiliate Program

Donn Bennett Drum Studioin Bellevue, Wash.,

recently added drum setsused by drumming legendsHal Blaine and Elvin Jones toits in-store drum museum.They join gear used by TheBeatles, The Who, RollingStones, Buddy Rich, GeneKrupa, Yes, Cheap Trick andBad Company.

The Hal Blaine exhibitincludes three of Blaine’s drumsets used between the early1960s and late ’80s. It alsohouses a large collection of his Phil Spector-era “Wall ofSound” percussion instruments. The centerpiece of theexhibit is Blaine’s “Monster Set,” a 10-drum Ludwig kit.

The Elvin Jones exhibit grew with recent acquisition ofGretsch, Tama, Camco and Yamaha drums, as well asZildjian and Istanbul cymbals, used throughout Jones’career. It includes his early-’70s yellow Gretsch set andan array of his sticks, brushes, mallets and cymbals.

GC Pro client JourneyChristian Church ofOdessa, Fla.

bb52,981CANS FORTHE HUNGRYGuitar Center has completedits four-week nationwidefood drive with 52,981 cans.Between Nov. 1–30, 2009, GCstores collected non-perish-able items from local musi-cians. These items weredelivered to food banksacross the country. GC sup-ported the local communi-ties’ efforts with amultitiered marketing cam-paign, including a promo inits buyer’s guide. The com-pany also conducted in-storeand online promotions, aswell as a PR push to boostparticipation.

SWEETWATER I OUTREACH

MAJICREKINDLED

DONN BENNETT DRUM STUDIO I DISPLAY

Bennett Adds Blaine, JonesDrums to In-Store Museum

Hal Blaine’s drum kit



ADec. 2, 2009, American PublicMedia report discussed the phe-

nomenon of shopper’s guilt — feel-ing bad about spending moneywhen others are struggling. So thispast holiday season, several major

retailers used a charity angle todrive customers into stores. Forexample, for every letter to Santa achild brought to Macy’s, the retailermade a donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

RETAIL I TRENDS

Overcoming Shopper’s Guilt

Fred Von Gogh, owner of VonGogh Pianos and Organs in

Kennewick, Wa., died inSeptember 2009, but his friend,Allan Willis, recently began run-ning the dealership.

According to a Dec. 7 article inThe Seattle Times, Von Gogh’sestate administrator asked Willis tomanage the store. While the agree-ment is essentially about convert-ing the company’s inventory intocash for the estate, Willis told TheSeattle Times that he may takeover Von Gogh Pianos and Organsafter all the existing merchandise issold.

He had previously managed thestore while Von Gogh was awayand had a long career with theBonneville Power Administration.

Von Gogh Pianos and Organswas founded in 1976 inRichland, Wa.

VON GOGH PIANOS AND ORGANS I OWNERSHIP

VON GOGH’SNEW HEAD

k Peter ‘Duke’ HeidPeter “Duke” Heid, the founder of Appleton, Wis.-based HeidMusic, died last year on Dec. 14. He was 91.

Prior to opening his music dealership in 1948, Heid playedwith dance bands throughout the 1930s and ’40s. Heid Musicis currently run by Todd Heid, the company’s third generationof leadership. Peter’s son, Paul, also served as NAMM chair-man from 2003–05. According to Todd, Peter still made dailyvisits to Heid Music’s Appleton store up until his death. Hewas preceded in death by his wife, Margaret.

TRIBUTE


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Korg USA execs wereso eager to s tartspreading news oftheir company’sexclusive distribu-

t ion agreement with LâgGuitars last fall, they invitedthe press on a junket to Francefor a full product preview.

There, they announced thatKorg USA will distribute thecomplete range of Lâg guitarsin the United States, startingwith the Tramontane line,which makes its debut at TheNAMM Show in January.Based in the Occitania regionof France, Lâg has been build-ing highly crafted guitars formore than 25 years under theguidance of master luthierMichel Lâg Chavarria. Thebrand is owned by Algam, aFrance-based distributor.

According to Korg execu-tives, Lâg is an ideal comple-ment to Korg’s guitar-relatedofferings — Marshall and Vox.“Lâg guitars have been one ofEurope’s best-kept secrets, andnow, we are proud to be bring-ing the product to the U.S.,”said Joe Castronovo, presidentof Korg USA.

THE LÂG RANGE

The Lâg Tramontane line,which includes both steel-

string and nylon (classical) gui-tars, is distinguished by its use

of fine woods, quality crafts-manship, beveled corner bind-ings and proprietary pre-amp/pickup systems. Stepping upfrom the entry-level StandardRange, the Stage Range offerspremium instruments for thenovice and casual player. TheMaster Range guitars areappointed with fine details andselect woods to satisfy theaccomplished musician.

Lâg offers traditional dread-nought, auditorium and jumbobody styles, along with left-handed and 12-string versions.All instruments feature adetailed rosette design highlight-ing the distinctive and highlysymbolic Occitan Cross. Lâg’s

acoustic/electric models includeDirectLâg and StudioLâg pre-amp systems, which offer a vari-ety of sound possibilitiesthrough user-friendly preset EQcurves. Magnetic and piezo Lâgpickups vary depending on themodel range.

WELL-TIMED LAUNCH

The opportunity to distributeLâg comes at a good time

for Korg, according to MitchColby, Korg USA’s executivevice president and chief mar-keting officer, who noted thatthe U.S. acoustic guitar marketis currently faring better thanmany other MI segments.

“Lâg is very successful in

Europe, appreciated by distrib-utors, dealers, artists and con-sumers already,” he said.

For customer and dealer sup-port, Korg has launched laggui-tars.com in the United States.The new Web site includesproduct information, photos,artist performances, videodemos and a dealer locator.

Colby said that Korg aims tomake it easy for its dealers toget involved with Lâg. “KorgUSA offers an assortment ofscalable dealer programs,” hesaid. “We have different require-ments for different types ofdealers — small, medium andlarge. And we’re going to dothat for Lâg, as well.” MI

KORG USA I BY ED ENRIGHT

KORG’S GUITAR ENTRY

> Guruz MediaBrings social media to MIPAGE 28

> Alfred PublishingNames Ron Manus CEOPAGE 30

> TributeSKB’s Carl MassanoPAGE 31

> YamahaDebuts new flooring programPAGE 33

InsideSUPPLY


From left: Korg USA’s AllanPearlman, Mitch Colby, Joe

Castronovo, MichaelBradley and Eric Sands

MI1002_25_Korg.qxd 12/29/09 3:01 PM Page 25


Hal Leonard markeda milestone withits Jazz Play-Alongseries, releasingthe 100th volume

in October last year. The Jazz Play-Along series

was introduced in 2002 as aperformance aid and learningtool for jazz musicians. Thebook and CD packs are for allC, B-flat, E-flat and bass clefinstruments. The 100th volumepresents 10 classic songs madefamous by Louis Armstrong,such as “Ain’t Misbehavin’,”“Hello, Dolly!” and “What AWonderful World.” It has anMSRP of $15.99.

“This signifies that the serieshas taken hold very well,” saidHal Leonard Chairman andCEO Keith Mardak.

And the Jazz Play-Alongseries shows no signs of losingsteam, with more recentreleases featuring the music ofOscar Peterson, Bill Evans andCount Basie.

TWO TRACKS, BETTER THAN ONE

H al Leonard distinguishesthe Jazz Play-Along series

from similar products — suchas Jamey Aebersold’s jazzplay-alongs — with the CDtracks, which first play a songwith the melody, followed bythe same song with just thebacking track.

“If a jazz musician isn’tvery familiar with the song andwants to hear how that melodyis treated, he or she can listento it, rather than trying to findoriginal recordings,” said JeffSchroedl, Hal Leonard’s vicepresident of pop and standardpublications. “Beyond that, theaudio is open for improvisa-tional practice.”

Music retailers said the CDshelp drive print sales.

“They are great accompani-ment tracks,” said RobFardellone, sheet music buyerfor Colony Music in New York.“You play along with them,and you feel you’re a little bet-ter than you actually are.”

“The quality is very high,”said Ben Huntoon, the jazzeducation consultant forStanton’s Sheet Music inColumbus, Ohio. “Another big

selling point is the consistencybetween volumes.”

That consistency and qual-ity have been achieved via acore group of jazz musicianswho perform in the majority ofHal Leonard’s recordings.

Under the leadership ofarranger and producer MarkTaylor, members of the ArmyBlues — the jazz ensemble ofthe U.S. Army — perform theplay-along arrangements.According to Taylor, the grouphas played together for 20years and has made 130 CDsfor the Play-Along series.

Schroedl said one way themusicians have created aresponsive backing track is byplaying with an unmikedsoloist.

“That way, the band buildsand ebbs and flows along withthe soloist, which helps the

end-consumer build his or herimprovisation,” Schroedl said.

In some cases, Hal Leonardhas received permission to use

masters from the originalartists , as was thecase for the Gerry

Mull igan volumes.Sometimes, the original

musicians have evenwanted to perform the

tracks, such as with theChick Corea volume. And

the play-along tracks forThelonious Monk were per-formed by his former band-mates, including Don Sicklerand Ben Riley.

“T.S. Monk and Don Sicklerloved the idea of this productand wanted to do the record-ings themselves,” Mardak said.

BEYOND GENRE

Among the top-sellers in theseries are volumes that

feature Broadway, Latin andDisney tunes, plus jazzarrangements of unexpectedtitles from such artists as JimiHendrix and The Doors.

“Jazz has historically bor-rowed from other genres,” saidJett Cheek, who handles jazzpublication purchasing forPender’s Music in Denton,Texas. “Many of what we con-sider jazz standards actuallycame from Broadway. Jazz musi-cians, recognizing the richnessof the music’s compositions,used those songs to improviseover. So, it’s not unprecedentedin jazz to borrow from orexplore other genres.”

“The Jazz Play-Along seriesgives players of all genres arefreshing new take on famoussongs they love and the hands-down best tracks to play alongwith,” Mardak said. MI

HAL LEONARD I BY JENNY DOMINE

HAL’S JAZZ HITS 100

Hal Leonard’sgrowing Jazz

Play-Alongseries finds

broad appeal

MI1002_26_HalLeonard.qxd 12/30/09 1:19 PM Page 26


PROMOTIONS

65amps MadnessBoutique ampcompany65amps recentlyenlisted MadSun Marketing,an agency spe-cializing in the music and audioindustries, to promote its products toguitar players internationally.{65amps.com}

ANNIVERSARY

‘Acoustic Guitar’ Turns 20Acoustic Guitar magazine is cele-brating its 20th anniversary inFebruary. Since 1990, the magazinehas been a voice for all guitar play-ers. Its anniversary issue will focuson how guitarists’ lives havechanged during the past 20 yearsand will look ahead to the future.{acousticguitar.com}

LICENSING

Loud, Avid Team UpLoud Technologies signed an agree-ment in December 2009 with Avid thatlicenses the use of Mackie’s newOnyx-i series Firewire recording mixerswith Avid Pro Tools M-Powered 9 soft-ware. In order to use Pro Tools M-Powered 8, users will need topurchase the Mackie Universal Driverupgrade at Mackie’s Web site.{mackie.com}

MEDIA

D’Addario on CNND’Addario was recently showcased inan episode of CNN’s “Your Money.”In the past two years, the companyhas cut inventory, streamlined factoryfloor operations, updated technologyand saved jobs at its Long Island,N.Y.-based facility. The CNN piecefocused on D’Addario’s recent adop-tion of Toyota’s Lean practices andits 35-year commitment to factoryautomation. {daddario.com}

EMPLOYMENT

Gibson: Worst Workplace?In a Dec. 16 Reuters report of the 50best and 50 worst places to work,Gibson Guitar ranked first among theworst places to work. The survey wasconducted by glassdoor.com, anonline jobs site, which collected andcompiled reviews from U.S.-basedcompany employees throughout2009. Southwest Airlines ranked firstamong the best places to work.{reuters.com}


Today’s world of socialmedia presents marketingopportunities throughFacebook, Twitter andYouTube that advertisers

used to only dream of.Guruz Media is an MI industry

marketing firm that specializes insocial media and online video market-ing, and it’s looking to take advantageof the changing marketing landscape.

The firm, based in Clearwater,Fla., was founded in 2009 and has ateam of eight marketing specialistswith plans to add three more posi-tions. The firm provides services tomusic retailers, global distributorsand manufacturers.

“I am not aware of any othermedia company that has such a spe-cific focus on the musical instrumentindustry as Guruz Media does,” saidTracy Hoeft, president and founderof the company.

Hoeft, a 30-year industry veteran,and his team recognize the uniqueway that social networking sites canengage potential customers.

“Too many people view thesemediums as a one-way communica-tion,” Hoeft said. “They are still talk-ing at consumers instead of talkingwith them. Posting content thatinvites a dialogue and then takingthe time to monitor and leverage thatdialogue is something that very fewpeople in our industry are doing.”

VIDEO FACTOR

Hoeft said video is the idealmedium to showcase musical

instruments and music-related gear.“Video presents a tremendous oppor-tunity for our industry,” he said.

He cited a campaign Guruz ran

for Sabian. The YouTube video fea-tures a drummer playing a drum setwith Sabian cymbals and identifieseach cymbal as it’s being played.This let viewers see and hear thecymbal before they decide to make apurchase. Within the first 30 days ofbeing posted, the video received10,000 views.

SOCIAL FACTOR

Hoeft suggested connecting withcustomers who walk into your

store using Facebook and Twitter.“Have a computer on your frontcounter where customers can signinto their accounts and immediatelystart to follow you on the social sites.”

This two-way communication canstrengthen the bond between the cus-tomer and retailer, according to Hoeft.He also suggested using social net-working sites to promote the local livemusic scene and customer gigs thatmight spark interest from musicians.

“Each month, we work with mul-tiple brands to get new products orpromotional items in front of tens ofthousands of people in a way that ismore efficient than anything availableto us before,” Hoeft said. “Everyoneshould be doing this.” MI

Guruz Medialeverages social

media, onlinevideo content asa new marketing

strategy in the MIindustry

GURUZ MEDIA I BY KATIE KAILUS

THE MARKETINGGURUZ PLAN

MI1002_28_33_SupplyNews.qxd 12/29/09 5:47 PM Page 28


This year marks theNAMM Foundation’s

11th annual BestCommunities forMusic EducationSurvey, a nation-wide search forcommunities with pro-grams that show a strong com-mitment to music education. The2010 survey begins on Jan. 14 and willremain open through March 12.

Each school district or community isallowed to fill out one survey that mustbe completed by a school administrator orteacher who has access to school and dis-trict demographic and budgetary informa-tion. {nammfoundation.org}

Daisy Rock is turning 10this year.

The idea for the girl gui-tar company came from adrawing by founder TishCiravolo’s daughter in 2000.

“She drew a daisy, I turnedit into a guitar and decided tocreate a better experience forher in the music industry,”Ciravolo said.

Since that day, Ciravolo hasattended museum inductions, receivednumerous awards and given motiva-tional speeches to millions of girls.

The Daisy Rock brand nowencompasses guitars, basses, instruc-tional books, CDs, DVDs and apparelwith a rock empowerment messagefor girls.

The slim and narrow neck design

of the company’s guitars fits smaller,feminine hands. And more than 400professional female artists endorsethe brand. Daisy Rock has alsobecome a leading sponsor of girlrock camps. The company estimatedit has helped more than 150,000girls play guitar.

“We’ve only just begun,” Ciravolosaid. {daisyrock.com}

DAISY ROCK I ANNIVERSARY

Daisy Rock Becomes a TweenNAMM I EDUCATION

Best MusicEd. VotesDaisy Rock President

Tish Ciravolo


TECHNOLOGY

Hohner Harmonica AppHohner hasreleased its firstiPhone applicationfor the harmonica,“How to Blow theBlues.” This applets users learn howto play a 12-barblues lick on har-monica by followingon-screen anima-tion and audio/video demonstrations.Users can use the newly learnedlicks to jam along with eight includedgrooves. The app also features livesampled harmonic notes on a virtualon-screen harmonica.{hohnerusa.com}

BUYOUT

Creative Bags BuysHoyer Guitar BrandCreative Bags and Casesrecently purchased the Hoyer gui-tar brand name and trademarks.

“We are very pleased at theprospect of Hoyer being a verysignificant part of our futuredevelopment in the MI busi-ness,” said Martin Ritter, CEOof Creative Bags and Cases.Hoyer also launched newHoyer electric guitars, includ-ing the Hoyer Eagle, Flying Arrow,White and Black Lady, and the HoyerEagle bass. {hoyerguitars.com}

GEAR

DJ Tech Comes to U.S.Mixware has introduced DJ Tech tomarkets in the United States. DJ Techhas a full line of DJ products, includingMIDI controllers, multimedia players,turntables and mixers.

“DJ Tech has maintained a steadyrate of growth in Europe and Asiasince its inception four years ago,and we are very excited to have theopportunity to introduce the youngbrand to the U.S. market,” saidLaurent Cohen, founder of Mixware.{mixware.net}


DJ Tech’s DJ Mouse

Ron Manus has assumed the roleof CEO of Alfred Publishing

from his brother, Steve Manus, whohas moved to Spain with his wifeand daughter.

“Alfred is the industry leader ininstructional methods for everyinstrument, and we continue to leadwith exciting, cutting-edge tech-nologies,” Manus said. “And, aspart of the recapita l izat ion ofAlfred, we have established a minor-i ty interest Employee StockOwnership Plan for our employees.This fits the personality and inde-pendent spirit of Alfred and reflectsour open and progressive thinkingas it relates to employee participa-tion in the growth of our business.”

ORCHESTRAL INNOVATIONS

One of the new instructionalmethods Manus mentioned was

unveiled at a press conference dur-ing the Midwest Clinic in Chicago onDec. 16, 2009. Sound Innovations isa method for concert bands andstring orchestras that’s customizableto a director’s teaching style andclassroom situation. Written bymusic educators Robert Sheldon,Bob Phillips, Dr. Peter Boonshaftand Dave Black, the method will be

available in two formats: theStandard Edition and Director’sChoice edition. {alfred.com}

ALFRED I MANAGEMENT, EVENT

MANUS NAMED CEO,INNOVATIONS UNVEILED

Alfred CEO Ron Manus

New Alfred CEORon Manus

launches corporate, new

product initiatives

The Music Group signed a deal onDec. 8, 2009, to acquire the

Midas and Klark Teknik brandsfrom Bosch CommunicationsSystems. The sale is subject to regu-latory approval, and the terms havenot been disclosed.

The Music Group owns theBehringer brand and a number of

other associated companies. It’smanaged by Uli Behringer andMichael Deeb.

The company plans to retain all106 employees currently working atMidas and Klark Teknik. The brandswill continue to operate independ-ently with the added resources of theMusic Group. {music-group.net}

THE MUSIC GROUP I ACQUISITION

Midas, Klark TeknikJoin the Music Group



Mi-Si Electronics Design recently launched aredesigned Web site. The new site gives visi-

tors an overview of the company’s environmen-tally friendly Green by Design products andconcepts. It also provides a dealer locator andproduct information. Video content is currently indevelopment that will assist with the installation andimplementation of Mi-Si’s products. {mi-si.com}

MI-SI I WEB NEWS

Mi-Si Promotes Eco Online

k Carl MassanoCarl Massano, creative director at

SKB, passed away on Dec. 2,2009, after a lengthy illness. Massanostarted Massano Advertising Designwith his wife, Carolyn, where hebegan producing graphics for SKB. In1992, Massano Design was acquiredby SKB and became the in-houseagency that produced all of SKB’sadvertising, product literature, Website and trade show material.Massano is survived by his wife, sis-ter, three stepchildren and five grand-children. The family requests thatdonations be made to the NationalMarrow Donor Program.{marrow.org}

TRIBUTE

CONN-SELMER I CLINIC

HORNAPALOOZAOn Jan. 18, The Cleveland Orchestra,

in partnership with C.G. Conn, willhold Hornapalooza, a day of clinic ses-sions for French horn players of all skilllevels. The event will take place from 9a.m. to 2 p.m. at Severance Hall inCleveland.

In addition to clinic sessions held bymembers of The Cleveland Orchestra,participants can also visit with expertsfrom C.G. Conn to learn about horn careand maintenance. Hornapalooza will cul-minate in a main stage group perform-ance at 1 p.m. The performance is part ofthe free 2010 Martin Luther King DayCommunity Open House, which runsfrom noon to 5:15 p.m. that day.{clevelandorchestra.com; conn-selmer.com}

The Cleveland OrchestraFrench horn section

Photo by Roger Mastroianni


SHOWS

Musikmesse GetsVintageThe firstInternationalVintageShow willrun fromMarch 26–28 at Musikmesse 2010 inFrankfurt, Germany. This show will bean exhibition and sales forum for oldand rare instruments and memorabilia.The Vintage Show will also provide anopportunity to buy and sell vintageguitars, basses, amps, drums and key-boards, as well as hear live music.{messefrankfurt.com}

PARTNERSHIPS

Ultrasone’s New RepsUltrasone has selected DigitalRevolution Marketing as its new salesrepresentative for seven states in theWest and Midwest. Digital RevolutionMarketing will be responsible for sell-ing the Ultrasone Pro, HFI, DJ, Zinoand Edition headphone lines to proaudio and MI stores in those states.{ultrasone.com}

AWARDS

Mix Foundation Changes NameThe Mix Foundation for Excellencein Audio, presenters of the TechnicalExcellence and Creativity Awards(TEC), recently changed its name tothe TEC Foundation for Excellencein Audio. The TEC Foundation isactively seeking partners to providefinancial support for the TEC Awardsand other programs.{tecfoundation.com}

SUPPORT

Support for Small BizRick McClendon has formed Pro

Sales Management, a companythat provides mid-sized firms andmanufacturers with services, includ-ing sales strategies, promotionalcampaigns, product launches, train-ing and dealer relations.

McClendon has held positions atRoland, Tascam, Seymour Duncanand the Harman Group.

“Our clients have told us that oneof the biggest advantages of bringingin an outside company like ours isthat it gives them a much more broadperspective on the industry than theywould have with an in-house salesmanager,” McClendon said.{prosalesmgmt.com}


Blue Microphones has namedDino Virella as director of global sales.

Carolyn Manley has returned toConn-Selmer to direct the educa-tional programs of the Conn-SelmerInstitute. Mike Kamphuis has beenpromoted to the company’s seniordirector of product marketing.

Harman Music Group has pro-moted Craig Paller from vice presidentof domestic sales to group-wide vicepresident of worldwide sales.

KMC has appointed ThomasRicksgers as senior marketing man-ager for Fender accessories.

Lectrosonics has chosen France-based Jim Bakker to represent thecompany’s sales in Europe, the MiddleEast and South Africa.

MV Pro Audio has named BradStrickland as director of sales.

Mark Pinske has been appointed asthe executivedirector of salesand marketingfor RadianAudioEngineering.

Regal Tiphas hired DickMarkus as salesmanager forEurope, Asia, Africa and North America.

Steinway & Sons has appointedAnthony Gilroy as director of marketingand communications.

Xantech has named Tom Harveyas director of sales.

APPOINTMENTS

Musiquip has hired MI industry veteranJohn Kelley as its general manager.

With more than 15 years of MI industryexperience, including stints at Fender,Gibson and, most recently, as vice presidentof sales and e-commerce at U.S. Music,Kelley brings his knowledge to the Montreal-based company.

“We’re thrilled to have John on-board,”said Jeff Sazant, Musiquip’s vice president.“The addition of such an experienced individual is a profoundenrichment of our company.” {musiquip.com}

John Kelley

>>> Dick Markus

Kelley Named GeneralManager of Musiquip

GROVER PRO PERCUSSION I AWARDS

PAS HONORSGROVERGrover Pro Percussion

President Neil Grover hasbeen awarded the PercussiveArts Society’s OutstandingSupporter Award. The honorrecognizes an individual eachyear who has significantly pro-moted the society through his orher professional and educationalactivities to increase visibilityand awareness of the society.

“I am deeply touched by thepresentation of this award frommy colleagues at the PercussiveArts Society,” Grover said.{groverpro.com}

Neil Grover (left)with PAS

President SteveHoughton



D’Andrea is now the worldwide distribu-tor of Ken Smith Designs (KSD)

Basses. D’Andrea will be responsible forworldwide distribution, marketing and cus-tomer support of KSD basses, whichincludes the Proto J and Burner Select lines.The Burner basses are reproductions of KenSmith’s BSR B body and neck designs, pow-ered by hum-cancelling Soapbar pickupswith defeatable two-band active EQ.

“Teaming up with D’Andrea brings agreat established company in the musicproducts industry to distribute the KSDline of basses,” said Ken Smith, KSDfounder. “I could not be happier aboutthis.” {dandreainc.com}

D’ANDREA I KEN SMITH DESIGNS

D’ANDREA,KSDPARTNER

Sponsored by ukemaker Kala, the

Ukalaliens have beenleading workshopsfor aspiring ukuleleplayers at Kala deal-ers throughout theUnited States. The Ukalaliens are duo KatePower and Steve Einhorn, who have writ-ten The Ukalaliens Songbook: A Beginner’sGuide To Ukulele Fun.

The Ukalaliens completed a fall tour inDecember 2009 and are now bookingdates for a cross-country tour this spring.{kalaukulele.com}

KALA I PROMOTIONS

UkalaliensInvade Stores

From left: D’Andrea’s CharlesLusso, Ken Smith Basses’ Ken

Smith and D’Andrea’s FredDiTomasso

Yamaha has entered into keyboarddealer inventory flooring. The

company’s customer financial servicesdivision has established the new floor-ing program to support Yamaha’sretail network.

Offering competitive rates and anonline payment system, EasyPay, theflooring program will be made avail-

able to qualified dealers for financingYamaha pianos, Disklavier, Clavinova,AvantGrand and Modus products. Allaspects of this program will be man-aged by Yamaha’s customer financialservices, which will work with inter-ested dealers. Yamaha started pro-cessing orders on flooring terms inJanuary. {yamaha.com}

YAMAHA I SERVICES

YAMAHA’S NEW FLOOR PLAN




Project20 12/28/09 11:15 AM Page 1

In the 12 years I’ve writtenfor Music Inc., there’s oneimportant topic I’ve missed:sales tax. Maybe I did this onpurpose. One could write a

book on sales tax, and it wouldonly scratch the surface — notto mention everything would’vechanged by the time it cameout. Maybe I skipped sales taxbecause it’s boring and wouldput readers to sleep. But boringor not, it’s important, relevant,ever-changing and often misun-derstood. And it can cause aworld of hurt if misapplied.

Since a discussion of salestax could cure anyone’s insom-nia, let’s dedicate a whopping10 minutes to the topic andlook at why it needs to beaddressed by all music retailers.

SALES TAX DEFINED

Basically, a sales tax is a con-sumption tax — meaning

it’s a tax levied on a consumer’sspending on goods and services— and it’s assessed at the pointof purchase. It’s usually set as apercentage by the state, countyand/or municipal governmentand gets calculated by applyingthat set percentage against theprice charged for taxable goodsand services. Often, variousgoods and services aren’t sub-ject to sales tax, but these vary

from state to state. While cloth-ing may be exempt from salestax in New Jersey, it may besubject to sales tax in neighbor-ing New York or taxable overcertain dollar amounts.

Most sales taxes are col-lected from the customer by theproduct sel ler or serviceprovider and remitted to thestate or local government.Generally, the sales tax’s eco-nomic burden falls on the end-user of the product or service.For most products sold in themusic industry, the end-user isthe retail customer.

Some younger or newermusic store owners may bethinking, “Cool, I’ve got it —charge my customers the appli-cable tax on whatever they buy,

send it to the government andI’m done.” But we older, battle-weary retailers, bookkeepersand accountants who’ve beenthrough sales tax audits knowcompliance with sales tax lawsis nowhere near that simple.

WHERE THE FUN BEGINS

Let’s look at the complexitiesof sales tax collection in our

industry. The first sale of anymusical instrument or productreally isn’t a sale to the retailcustomer. It’s actually a salefrom the supplier to the retaileror from the supplier to a distrib-utor that sells it to the retailer,which then sells it to the end-user. Sometimes, the end-userisn’t even the music store’s cus-tomer, as it could be a contrac-tor buying a sound system tosell to and install in a nightclub.

So, if the product’s end-useris responsible for paying thesales tax, how do all the compa-nies not selling to an end-useravoid the responsibility of col-lecting and remitting sales tax?They must obtain (and pro-duce under audit) a resale cer-tificate from their customer.Otherwise, these companieshave to charge and remit salestax on each taxable item theysell to a customer who can’tproduce such a certificate,

whether that customer is theend-user or not. Or worse, thesales tax plus interest andpenalties may get levied againstthese companies during a salestax audit. Lovely.

WHAT’S THIS ‘USE TAX’?

There are actually severaltypes of sales taxes. Some

governments charge a grossreceipts tax on all sales, whichtaxes an item more than onceas it makes its way from pro-duction to final retail sale.There are also consumer excisetaxes on such items as gasolineand alcohol, often imposed onthe producer rather than theseller. And there are value-added taxes, where tax ischarged on all sales to avoid theneed for resale certificates.

But a popular, yet oftenignored, sales tax is the use tax.It’s imposed directly on theend-user who hasn’t paid his orher rightful share of sales tax atthe point of sale. How does anend-user avoid paying this taxat the point of sale? Make thepurchase in another state orover the Internet.

While use taxes are imposedby most states, they’re difficultto enforce and result in billionslost to state and local govern-ments. Here’s where this topic

ASK ALAN I BY ALAN FRIEDMAN

SALES TAXDEMYSTIFIED

> Indie Retail Page 40 > The Customer Whisperer Page 42 > The Lesson Room Page 46 > And More ...>>> Inside IDEAS


MI1002_37_38_AskAlan.qxd 12/29/09 3:05 PM Page 37

gets downright ugly, and I’mgoing to make it even uglier.

SALES TAX ON THE INTERNET

There has been a growing,heated discussion about the

uneven playing field betweenbrick-and-mortar retailersrequired to collect sales tax ande-retailers that aren’t. In 1992,the Supreme Court ruled inQuill Corp. vs. North Dakotathat a state government can’tmake companies without aphysical presence in a state col-lect that state’s sales tax. Thatmeans Amazon.com may onlybe required to collect sales taxin such states as Washington,where it has an office and ware-house. It’s up to Amazon.com’scustomers to pay their rightfulshare of use tax.

Many state governments aretrying to change sales and usetax laws, given the billions lostfrom an inability to enforce usetax compliance. You can monitortheir efforts at the StreamlinedSales Tax Project (SSTP) Website, streamlinedsalestax.org. Itaims to assist states in adminis-tering a simpler, more uniformsales and use tax system.

And while online retailershave been fighting proposedtax law changes for years, noone appears to be more vocalthan eBay. Brian Bieron, thecompany’s senior director offederal government relationsand global public policy, madethe following comments onInternet-related sales taxes:

“To be clear, theStreamlined Sales Tax govern-ing board does not proposeestablishing a uniform sales taxrate among the states, nor doesit even require a single sales taxrate within each state. Instead,the Internet sales tax regimeenvisioned by the SSTP wouldbe a very complex set of rulesand rates, with many thou-sands of state and local tax

jurisdictions across the coun-try. Requiring small businessretailers to collect and remittaxes based on thousands ofdifferent jurisdictions, keep thedetailed records for every dif-ferent transaction and taxjurisdiction for years, and besubject to audits by each stateis a long-term negative forsmall business retailers tryingto use the Internet. If the stateswere to ever come to Congresswith a proposal where ‘allstates were to agree on a uni-form tax rate,’ eBay and eBaysellers would carefully reviewthat proposal. But make nomistake: That is nothing likethe complex and ever-changingInternet sales tax proposalbeing promoted by some statesand giant retailers.”

CAN YOU SEE THE STEAM

RISING FROM MY HEAD?

Mr. Bieron’s remarks angerme. Am I the only person

who thinks he’s pretending toprotect the interests of smallretailers and really trying toavoid burdening eBay’s businessmodel with sales tax collection?

I’d figured Mr. Bieron andeBay would’ve stated their sup-port for a simple system thatcloses the unfair and ulti-mately damaging Internet salestax loophole, instead of review-ing a proposal on a uniformtax rate. Yes, I am vehementlyin favor of imposing a simple,uniform sales tax collectionpolicy on all retailers, whetherthey sell via the Internet, cata-logs, brick-and-mortar storesor out-of-store events.

A short story. Last year,immediately after a NAMMUniversity session on the statusof Internet sales tax collection,two retailers approached me.One, an online retailer, begancomplaining about my “narrow-minded” support of an “Internettax” and how it would hurt his

business. The other retailer, abrick-and-mortar, came to myrescue, asking the online retailerif he sold products to studentsand young, aspiring musicians.The online retailer admittedthey made up a big part of hisclientele. The brick-and-mortarretailer replied, “How wouldyour business be doing if states,towns and schools that teachand support your musician cus-tomers no longer had the rev-enue to promote musicprograms and musicianship?”Dead silence. Point made.

In short, shame on you, Mr.Bieron, and other narrow-minded online retailers for notseeing past your self-servinginterests and considering thelong-term effects of theseunfair tax-collection loopholes.

THE FRIEDMAN PROPOSAL

Why don’t we simply let allretailers collect sales tax

on all transactions at theirstate’s prevailing rate and remitit to their state governments? Itwould level the playing fieldand pump billions in revenueback into our state and localgovernments and, hopefully,our school music programs.We’d probably save on state andtown law enforcement servicesby keeping kids off the streetsand in meaningful, mind- andspirit-expanding activities. Letthe states figure out how todivvy it up. For heaven’s sake,

no matter who gets what, thesestate governments will be bil-lions ahead, fiscally speaking.

I believe all Internet saleswill eventually be taxed thesame way as sales at brick-and-mortar stores, but that daycan’t come fast enough. Irepeat: This isn’t about a newInternet tax. This is about fix-ing our inability to track andcollect taxes from end-users onInternet transactions.

DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY

I ’ll end on a somewhat positivenote by offering a couple things

you can do to structure yourbusiness transactions to reducefuture sales tax burdens. If yourstore operates in multiple juris-dictions, the way you deliverproduct or structure invoicescan affect an entire transac-tion’s taxability. Check youroperating expenses to determinewhich assets and services mayqualify for overlooked exemp-tions. (These are often listed ona state’s sales tax Web site.) Aperiodic review of procedures,relating to the gathering of salesand use tax data and the reten-tion of exemption and resalecertificates, will go a long wayto protect you in the event of asales and use tax audit.

Lastly, contact your attorneyto make sure your instrumentrental contracts are in compli-ance with state and local salestax laws. If ever you find your-self in hot water with a salestax auditor, seek a sales tax pro-fessional’s advice. We’ve foundsales and use tax audits to bemuch more intrusive, time con-suming, complicated and costlythan income tax audits.

OK, you can go to sleepnow. MI

Alan Friedman, CPA, provides accounting andfinancial services to music industry clients. Heis a frequent speaker at NAMM U. seminarsand can be reached at 860-677-9191 [email protected]. Visit his Web site, fkco.com.


‘Shame on younarrow-mindedonline retailersfor not seeing

past your self-serving

interests.’

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Consider a film actor’s job stability. He’s perpetually unemployedor working a temporary job until contracted to be in that nextproduction. Each project is a new opportunity, but everythingbefore and after, no matter how much he rationalizes “being inbetween jobs,” is basically dressed-up joblessness. He’s inces-

santly waiting for that next opportunity, and when he’s fortunate enough tofind it, he dives in — only to be unemployed again. The process is designed tomake actors maintain connections, assemble a network of potential opportu-

nities to minimize these breaks and enjoy a steady stream of work.Music retail has gone through exponential changes during the

last two decades, and it will continue evolving at this vexingpace. From the advent of mass catalogs in the 1980s to theInternet’s world cyber supermarket, we’ve seen customers gofrom researching their wants and desires at the local indie tosurfing the global commerce stage. We’ve seen musical tastesmorph and shift with new technology and the latest personalrecording exchanges (i.e. portable audio and video formats).These have created dizzying transformations in how our cus-tomers create and learn music, and we’ve had to adapt our busi-nesses one wave after another to survive the tsunami.

We’re not alone. According to former Secretary of EducationRichard Riley, “the top 10 in-demand jobs in 2010 didn’t exist in2004, we are currently preparing students for jobs that don’t yetexist, using technologies that haven’t been invented, in order to

solve problems we don’t even knoware problems yet.” Why should ourindustry be immune? The U.S.Department of Labor estimates thattoday’s learner will have 10–14 jobsby age 38. That’s a pretty good indi-cation of the upcoming whirlwindof workforce change.

CREATING BLOCKBUSTERS

Each retail transition is muchlike a movie production when

you get down to it. We assess the script (our inventory), hire the cast andcrew (our management and staff), and build the set (out store layout) withthe big show in mind. Its quality depends on the caliber of acting, theauthenticity of the stage and marketing effectiveness. Commercial successis determined by how well we stick to budget. Sometimes, it’s a real block-buster, and other times, it’s a bomb, but the one thing we are assured of isthe fragile, perishable nature of allure.

Products run their courses. Accordions were big at one time — so were

iceboxes for refrigeration.Organs took up half our show-room floor, and at one time,ukuleles were only seen inTiny Tim’s and ArthurGodfrey’s hands. These days,we can hardly keep ukulelesin-store, and people pay goodmoney to have the organshauled from their homes.While it can be argued thatmusic making itself is a time-resistant, primal human desire,the tools to participate haveevolved throughout eras.

And the instruments aren’tall that has changed. Today’sdistribution channels are radi-cally evolving. When I enteredthe industry in 1980, I would-n’t have imagined that I’d becompeting with a linen storefor guitar sales or that fluteswould be displayed acrossfrom the optical department ina large-format store. I neverwould’ve predicted my cus-tomers would be able to buybass strings, at home, in theirpajamas at 3 a.m., either.

We can still compete, butwe have to look at each year ofbusiness as an entirely newshow. In the future, we’ll bebarking some familiar lines(pun intended), but we’ll havedifferent costumes and newset designs. If we’re good,they’ll want our autographsand applaud for more. MI

Ted Eschliman is a 30-year veteran of musicretail and co-owner of Dietze Music inSoutheast Nebraska. Mel Bay published hisbook, Getting Into Jazz Mandolin.

INDEPENDENT RETAIL I BY TED ESCHLIMAN

Lights, Camera, Action

Music retail is as trendy and transient as the film industry. Doyou treat it that way?


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Last May, when our economic problems were at their worst and Iwas seriously wondering how I would generate enough cash tokeep my business afloat until fall, I stopped by the Apple StoreGenius Bar on the way to work for a quick fix to my MacBook.

Naples, Fla., is a seasonal town, and after Easter, about a third(the wealthiest third) of its population disappears. But at 8:30 on aTuesday morning, in a mall that doesn’t open until 10, there were 25 peo-ple in the Apple Store. Three were there for technical help. A few weregetting one-on-one instruction. Most were in one of two ongoing group

support sessions. Several people were perusing the well-stockedwall of high-priced accessories.

What struck me as odd wasn’t just the number of people inthe store at that early hour but how happy they were. Theywere smiling. They were interested. They were involved. In themidst of economic doom and gloom, I’d found an oasis of pros-perity. A store full of customers willing to pay full price foreverything, willing to purchase added-value service packagesand anxious to participate in programs. And these weren’t justyoung people — there was a lot of white hair, too.

My migration to Apple was encouraged by my kids. Since videoediting and audio recording became a large part of how I spent mycomputer time, moving to a Mac made sense. It only took 10 min-utes on the Internet to figure out that, as with Bose products, itdoesn’t matter where you shop: Apple prices are the same every-

where. Maybe it’s old age, but Ifound this oddly reassuring.

At the Genius Bar, I wasgreeted by a smiling tech whosaid, “Hi Greg. What’s up?” Beingrecognized by a friendly person,who appears happy to see you, hasa powerful effect. And when thatperson has a genuine interest inhelping, the effect is amplified.

The techs at the Genius Barhave a knack for helping confused

customers solve their problems without making them feel stupid. You hear alot of gentle reassurance at the Genius Bar. It makes you want to come back.

The strangest thing about the Apple Store is its limited selection. It sells afew primary products and a carefully culled group of add-ons and accessories.Still, everything one could want is there. Stranger still: no checkout station orcash register. Staff is casually dressed in color-coded Ts with name cardsroped over their necks. Everyone is smiling, everyone is helpful, everyone isknowledgeable and no one looks like a salesperson or clerk. It’s a store full of

customer whisperers.Apple has a transnational

strategy of creating a vibe in itsretail stores. Most of us can’tdefine vibe, but we know itwhen we feel it. Wikitionaryhas a pretty good definition:The atmosphere or aura of aperson or place as communi-cated to and felt by others.Apple’s got vibe. Circuit Citydidn’t. And Apple has managedto get vibe on a grand scale.

TECLA’S SMILE

Across town, in an alley justfar enough off the main

streets to be invisible, residesFreddo Gelateria. The tinyreception area seems crowdedwith even a half-dozen cus-tomers. Like the Apple Store,the selection is limited. Mostly,the shop offers whatever fla-vors the staff made that day, ina cup or cone. No sundaes,floats or shakes. No T-shirts orbaseball caps. No candy.

For an ice cream merchant,Naples is the boulevard of bro-ken dreams. Less than a hun-dred yards from Freddo, onthe main highway across fromthe hospital, is the ghost of thefailed Carvel Ice Cream. Weused to call Carvel “grumpy-guy ice cream.” The ownernever smiled, and there werehandwritten signs everywhereletting customers know whatthey shouldn’t do. His badmood may have been causedby the angry talk radio dron-ing in the background.

THE CUSTOMER WHISPERER I BY GREG BILLINGS

Apples & Ice Cream

What we can learnfrom the success ofthe Apple Store and a local gelato shop


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Carvel moved a few blocksaway to a location that hadhoused a failed Baskin-Robbinsacross from the main city park.Grumpy guy was replaced by agroup of sullen goth teenagers.It closed for good about a yearlater. Sweet Treats, which hada complicated system of blend-ing various candies and nutsinto a giant ice cream process-ing machine, moved into theold Carvel location and closedafter one season. Just a fewblocks away, in our most chicshopping district, the Naples5th Avenue Pharmacy, whichhad come to rely on its icecream bar to support exorbi-tant rent, closed a year ago.

One wonders how it couldbe so difficult to sell ice creamin a town full of tourists, wherethe temperature rarely dipsbelow 70 degrees. And giventhe high rate of frozen treatcasualties, why would Marco

and Tecla Filardo open FreddoGelateria at all, let alone insuch a challenging location?

But Marco and Tecla sellout almost every flavor, everyday. They had to create a minipark with lawn furniture toaccommodate guests whocouldn’t fit in their shop. Theircustomers come in severaltimes a week and bring friends.A few fans have convincedtheir favorite restaurants tooffer Freddo Gelato. FreddoGelateria is Naples’ most-talked-about secret.

What does Freddo Gelateriahave to do with the Apple Store,and why is its business thrivingwhen so many before it, in bet-ter venues, failed? The gelato isreally fresh and wonderful, butthe ice cream at all the otherplaces was good, too, and less-expensive. My guess is thatFreddo Gelateria’s No. 1 assetis Tecla’s smile. And No. 2 is

Marco’s engaging personality. Ifyou hang around a while, andalmost everyone does, you’ll seereturning customers greetedlike old friends and new cus-tomers welcomed as honoredguests. Freddo Gelateria hasvibe. Baskin-Robbins didn’t.Grumpy Guy Ice Cream actu-ally had a bad vibe.

Starbucks has vibe; Dunkin’Donuts doesn’t. Barnes andNoble has vibe; Books-A-Million doesn’t. Home Depothas vibe; Sears doesn’t. DoesGuitar Center have vibe? DidMars Music? Does your storehave vibe? Is it a good vibe?

The thing about having avibe is that it’s really easy to dowhen you’re small. And it’spretty easy to do when busi-ness is good. You are eithersmiling at your customers, ven-dors and staff, and makingthem feel welcome, or youaren’t. It comes from the top

down. That’s why vibe is sohard to maintain as a businessexpands and ages. And that’swhy vibe is such a powerfulcompetitive advantage whenyou’re the small guy, especiallyif the big guy is headquarteredout of town.

DENNY’S VIBE

Which brings us to musicstores. A few months

ago, my big bass amp died. Iunplugged it from the speakerand took it to the music store afew blocks from my house. It’sa pretty typical MI store. It’sabout 5,000 square feet. Thewindows have been perma-nently covered with galvanizedhurricane shutters, creating theimpression of impending disas-ter. The only outside lightcomes through the glass door,and it’s obscured by severaldozen brand decals and fadedgig posters, creating the feeling


Apple Stores


of a dark cave full of musicalinstruments. The stage-liketrack light spots have beenreplaced with compact flores-cent bulbs — a bizarre effect.

This store has all the major

brands, and its employees havematching logo’d polo shirts.I’ve introduced myself to theowner a few times, but on therare occasions when he comesout of his office, he doesn’t rec-

ognize me. His staff is veryyoung, poorly trained and con-stantly turning over.

You wouldn’t think that fix-ing a bass amp would be a bigproblem for the biggest MI storein town. When I visited shortlyafter it opened on a Tuesdaymorning, there were alreadythree customers in the store,none of whom were receivinghelp. When I told the younglady behind the counter that Ineeded my bass amp fixed, herfirst question was, “Where didyou buy it?” I was taken aback.It’s very different being on theother side of the counter andhearing that question. Theimplication was that if I hadn’tbought it there, I was in trouble.When I told her I’d bought it along time ago in another city,she fixed her eyes on her com-puter screen trying to find themanufacturer’s Web site, pre-sumably to direct me to anotherdealer. I struggled to regain herattention by asking if they hadan amp tech. When she said“no,” I asked what they didwhen they needed a repair forbrand Y or P. She told me theysend it back to the manufac-turer. Really? They pack andship amps back to the factoryfor simple repairs? Bad vibe!

I pass another specialty gui-tar shop on my way to work.I’ve also introduced myself tothat owner a few times, but henever recognizes me and rarelyputs down the phone as he sitsbehind the counter. His store ismore vertical than horizontal,

and most of the basses I’vewanted to play were 8-feet up.No one ever helps me get themdown. I didn’t bother stoppingthere. No vibe!

It’s not like I’m not a cus-tomer. I own nine basses; sevenamps; three keyboards; twoukes; a classical guitar; an auto-harp; an accordion; a melodica;lots of hand percussion; andmore mics, cables, stands andlittle black boxes than I cancount. But I can’t get anyone toeven say “hi” when I entereither of these music stores.There’s also a big chain store 40minutes away where I can go tobe ignored.

Finally, I went to NaplesPark Music. When I walked in,Cindi Scott shouted, “Denny,Greg’s here with an amp.”Denny got up from his work-bench and came out to greetme. He asked how I was doin’and about business. He tookthe amp and said, “That’s anold one. I’ll get her fixed foryou. When do you need it?”

Naples Park Music isn’tfancy and isn’t much biggerthan Freddo Gelateria. Theyhaven’t graduated from slat-wall, and the lighting is strictlycool-white fluorescent squares.Denny is proud that he hastold most of the major brandsto take a hike but more proudof his 10 great teachers and his200 students. Ask any musi-cian in town about DennyScott, and they’ll smile. NaplesPark Music has a vibe, the spe-cialty store has none, and thebig store has a bad one.

Denny likes to say he’s a sur-vivor, and he has certainly seenhis share of competitors comeand go. Like Steve Jobs, Marcoand Tecla, Denny’s got vibe.How about you. Got vibe? MI

Greg Billings whispers to customers at theSteinway Piano Gallery in Naples, Fla., andwelcomes questions and comments [email protected]. Also, join his discussion group at pianorecoveryplan.org.


‘Having a vibeis really easy

to do whenyou’re small ...

and businessis good.’

Top: Freddo Gelateria’sMarco and Tecla

Filardo; below: NaplesPark Music’s Cindi and

Denny Scott



It’s common practice to get product feedback from your sales team. Theirthoughts matter when it comes to hot, new gear and what to stock. Doyou let them take a piece of gear to band rehearsal for a test run? I’ll betyou do — their knowledge of gear drives sales and better service.But what about your teachers? Do you do the same with them? Your

teachers are a great resource. They build a unique trust with students andparents. Sometimes, teachers have an even better sense of new trends in

gear and print music because they’re further removed fromthe retail operation. Your teachers often have more playingexpertise than your sales staff and can offer an expert opin-ion when evaluating new products. Use this resource anddevelop it.

WHAT DO TEACHERS WANT?

What small goods do your teachers want to sell to theirstudents? Ask and find out what print music would ben-

efit students, and give it a try. When a new product comes in,let teachers know. You’ll probably hear, “Great, I’ll tell my stu-dents.” Next, inform the other teachers. Say, “Hey, guitarteacher Joey talked to us about stocking these. Can your stu-dents use them?” Then, tell your staff which books guitarteacher Joey is using with his students, so they can incorporatethat into sales presentations to other customers.

Got some new music books in? Pass an extra copy aroundto the teachers. Tell the teacherswhy you’re stocking the book andwhy it will benefit their students.Once again, use the drill I men-tioned above.

I did this with Christmas play-along books this past October. Igot the teachers’ input (most ofthem didn’t know the booksexisted), ordered what theywanted and ended up selling moreChristmas books.

Also, ask your teachers what books they have in their personallibraries, that you don’t have in stock. Many times, teachers don’t realizeyou can get these books. This will help curb photocopying and PDF trans-fers to students. It will also curb their excuses for handing out copies.

This process works with accessories, too. Just got a new tuner? Pass itout among the teachers. Ask them what they think of it. If they like it,they’ll sell it to their students. If the product’s a dud and several teachersdislike it, don’t reorder.

DEALING WITH BRAND ISSUES

When it comes to largergear, you’ll need a differ-

ent approach. You won’t be ableto stock all the brands teacherswant. You need to explain tothem why that brand isn’t inthe store. In today’s Internetage, your teachers probablydon’t realize you can’t go tobuyallgear.com and stock everyimaginable brand they want.Instead, have your teachers trythe brands you carry. Every gui-tar teacher should have a loanerguitar from your store.

Find out what their stu-dents’ needs are, and showthem the appropriate productyou carry that fits those needs.You may not even know whatstudents are looking for.

When company reps comeout to show you new prod-ucts, invite your teachers.Make sure each one gets therep’s card and catalog. If therep leaves samples, have theteachers check out the prod-uct, and get their input.

Take these steps, and teach-ers wil l better know yourproducts and store. They’llfeel better about recommend-ing your products to their stu-dents. That’s powerful.

You may not see benefitsimmediately, but it works.Watch what it yields nextFebruary. MI

Pete Gamber is the owner of Alta LomaMusic in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.He welcomes questions and comments [email protected].

THE LESSON ROOM I BY PETE GAMBER

Get Teachers Selling

Introduce new gearto teachers, and theywill feel better about making recommendationsto students


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If your store looks like a scene from Lord Of The Flies, you might not be hav-ing enough regular meetings. Whether you have two or 20 employees, don’trely on osmosis to communicate your messages, goals and concerns. Nothingworks better than a staff meeting to speak with everyone at once, so takeadvantage of this time to strengthen your team and recharge the store.Successful meetings won’t magically happen. They need to be planned,

organized and properly executed. This means they can’t be boring, andultimately, they need to accomplish something.

Plenty of things happen during the week, and it’s easy toforget important events if you don’t write them down. Keep arunning list, and after a few days, you’ll have ample contentfor a meeting outline.

Follow a time-segmented format — this will keep the meet-ing moving forward and from getting snagged on a particularissue. Ask attendees if they understand before you move on tothe next topic. That said, remember that questions and com-ments can derail a meeting, so keep them to a bare minimumor explain that you’ll go into greater detail later.

You’ll save time prepping for meetings by using a templatethat you can reuse every week. Consider the following out-line. (I’ve also included general time frames for each step.)

1. Recap the last meeting. Update everyone on any staffannouncements, such as new hires. (Three minutes.)

2. Explain what will be covered in today’s meeting.(Two minutes.)

3. Discuss your main topic.This could be anything from pol-icy changes to ads to promotionsto rep presentations. The cleareryour message, the better it will beunderstood. People tend to goalong with a plan when it’s spe-cific. Articles, reports and hand-outs are important takeaways foremployees. They show you’re seri-ous and help staff remember the

facts. (Fifteen to 20 minutes.)4. Voice concerns. Here’s where your list comes in handy. Bring up

what happened during the past week — the good, bad and ugly — and offerboth positive feedback and constructive criticism. This helps keep the samemistakes from happening over and over again. (Five minutes.)

5. Review housekeeping. Meetings are a key opportunity to remindeveryone to keep the store clean and the displays ready for business. Toomany retailers lose deals because they fail to maintain and change their

displays. (Five minutes.)6. Work on telephone

skills. The telephone is stillyour strongest link to customersin the outside world, and manyemployees don’t use it correctly.Review good answering tech-niques during every meeting.You never know who might becalling. (Five minutes.)

7. Offer ongoing salestraining. Like it or not, every-one at your store is in sales. Itnever hurts for teachers, repairpeople and office staff to getsome sales training. It alsohelps them understand howthey need to interact with cus-tomers. (Five minutes.)

8. Talk about quirks. Istole this from Eric Denton,owner of Guitar Trader in SanDiego. He goes around theroom and asks each employeewhether he or she had anyquirks to bring up. “It might bea suggestion, something that’smissing or a problem,” Dentonsaid. “We would put our headstogether and come up with adecision, or I’d have to takeaction.” (Ten minutes.)

9. Repeat your marchingorders quickly, and thankeveryone for being there.

If you’re not having regularmeetings, I urge you to do so.It can be the most importanthour of the week. It’s the onlytime you get to recharge thestore. MI

Kenny Smith is an industry veteran and con-sults for both retailers and suppliers. He canbe reached at [email protected].

STREETWISE SELLING I BY KENNY SMITH

Recharge Your Store

Regular staff meetingscan strengthen the team and recharge a store, but they need to be done right


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As 2009 wound down, a stream of sad articles occupied thepages of the trade press, telling tales of longtime music retail-ers going out of business. One such story even contained newsof the dealership’s owner taking his own life — an event thatmay or may not have been related to his company’s demise.

As with the end of our time here on earth, the end of our business livesgive us reason to reflect on the value and meaning of both our personal

and professional existence.For me, it’s easy enough to relate to the stress of closing a

music retail business. I was a second-generation owner. I wascharged as the caretaker of a respected family business startedby my parents and the head of a company assumed to providea living for subsequent generations.

When it became clear that continuing to operate the 54-year-old business was senseless, my ego took a major blow. Itmeant that my vision for the future was proven irrelevant.And it led me to ask, “Is that all there is?” when, at the end,there was little value left in the business other than the inven-tory on hand.

IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE FINAL PAYOUT

Such a weighty question about your business is enough toshake a person’s foundation. It would’ve been nice if

there was a big payoff at the end of my business’ life cycle, butthe final payout is not the onlymeasure of a business’ success.

Whether you’re planning tosell or retire, or if you’re simplygauging your ongoing perform-ance, the following measures of acompany’s value are worth seri-ous consideration.

Think of the salaries you’vepaid through the years. Considerthe personal benefit to you, yourfamily and your employees. Then,

follow that forward and think of the goods and services paid for because ofthe money made available by the salaries you paid.

Consider the fringe benefits enjoyed by you, your family and your employ-ees. Figure out their value through the years. Have you saved a family fromfinancial ruin because you provided an employee with health insurance?

How much have you paid in professional fees through the years? Whilethey’re an expense, they’ve also benefited people — your lawyer, youraccountant, and their employees and families.

Consider the manufacturersthat earned revenues based onyour purchases and their repswho earned livings because ofthe orders written in yourdealership. This is anotherexample that provides second-ary value, as those people thenspent your money elsewhere.

Recall the careers launcheddue to your business. Howmany former employees havebecome successful due to yourexpert tutelage?

Think of the lives you’vemade richer because they weretouched by you and your busi-ness. You’ve made family lifemore meaningful with the addi-tion of music. You’ve plantedthe seeds for a lifetime of happi-ness in a musical hobby.

Do you know of stars thatwere born because someonein your store touched them orbecause an instrument pur-chased in your store inspiredthem? And how many peoplehave those artists affected?How many other artists havethey influenced?

In the end, your business isworth more than the numberson a financial statement. It’swonderful if your life’s toilsbring you wealth or security.But the balance on theUltimate Ledger is what reallycounts. MI

Gerson Rosenbloom is the president ofSpectrum Strategies, a consulting firm serv-ing the music industry. He’s former presidentof Medley Music and a past NAMM chairman.E-mail him at [email protected].

LESSONS LEARNED I BY GERSON ROSENBLOOM

What’s Your Biz Worth?

‘Have you saved a family from financial ruinbecause you provided anemployee with healthinsurance?’


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One of my greatest challenges as a professional jazz pianist andinstructor has been balancing my career between performingand teaching. I’ve had the good fortune of playing a steadylunchtime gig since the mid 1980s, but for years, I wanted tofind an efficient, cost-effective way to teach in the mornings.

Technology has enabled me to realize that desire.Back in 1996, when the Internet became more widely accessible, I

thought, “What if a piano student from Europe or Asiawanted to study jazz?” I could send them one of my cus-tomized lead sheets almost instantly over the Internet. Thiswas the start of my Distance Learning Jazz Piano Institute.

Soon after, my brother informed me of a long-distancephone company that would let me call overseas for about$2.50 per hour. So, I built a Web site, pianoweb.com, andbegan teaching my first “distance” student in April 2002.Since then, I’ve taught students over the phone using land-lines and headsets.

In 2007, Skype and iChat began offering video capability,letting me and my students see each others’ hands during les-sons, combining the audio and visual components of learning.Today, my mornings are full teaching students from sevencountries on three continents, and my teaching systemenables me to go from one student to the next in the time ittakes to hang up the phone and dial a number.

MARKET EXPANSION POTENTIAL

The incredible technology thatmade distance learning possi-

ble has also made it easier for dis-abled people to learn piano. Forexample, one of the biggest hur-dles for any visually impaired stu-dent is getting to and from lessons.Distance learning has eliminatedthat hurdle for the blind studentsI am privileged to teach. Bringing

music into the lives of those who thought they’d never be able to play hasbeen my ultimate reward as a teacher.

Distance instruction also eliminates the cost and time of transportation.Neither the student nor the teacher spends time or gas money driving toand from lessons.

Piano retailers are another music industry segment with much to gainfrom increased use of distance instruction. Today’s technology makes learn-ing to play piano easier and more convenient. This increased convenience

and accessibility will makelearning to play the piano areality for more individualsand lead to greater piano salesfor retailers.

Advances in technologycontinue increasing distancelearning’s cost-effectiveness. Ican now cal l s tudents inEurope for $1.69 per hour,and Skype and iChat are free.YouTube lets me post instruc-tional videos on the Internet,highl ight ing my unique,chord-based teaching method.Videos can be categorizedunder music, instruction orentertainment to maximizeviewership.

THE NEXT PHASE

T he future o f musicins truct ion i s the

Internet. Universities alreadyof fer onl ine courses —Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology has more than900. And with more than 20million pianos in Americaand likely twice that manyelectronic keyboards, there’ssignificant demand for pianoinstruction.

If teachers want to teachmore students in a creative,time-saving, cost-effectivemanner and piano retailerswant to sell more pianos, theycan look to Internet-basedteaching as a way to reach theworld. MI

Mark Miller is a professional jazz pianist andinstructor. He can be reached at 847-382-6346 or [email protected].

MY TURN I BY MARK MILLER

Distance Learning

Teaching piano viatelephone, Skype andiChat has the potentialto create an upsurgein piano players


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{THENEWDEAL}


GEARGUIDE2010

Planning a stock order? Looking to add a new rental hornline? Just scoping out guitar accessories?You’ve come to the right place.The 2010 Gear Guide is the industry’s biggest preview of

this year’s soon-to-be best-sellers. We’ve sifted through hun-dreds of press releases and Web sites to bring you a gener-ous spread of the newest wares, from all corners of theindustry. You’ll also spot a few trends that are sure to makenoise in 2010: USB mics, an acoustic guitar resurgence,tone-shaping plug-ins and — surprise! — more ukuleles.

Happy buying.

b GUITARS, AMPS & ACCESSORIES PAGE 56b AUDIO & RECORDING PAGE 77b DJ & RECORDING PAGE 89b DRUMS & PERCUSSION PAGE 93b BAND & ORCHESTRA PAGE 101b PIANOS & KEYBOARDS PAGE 107b PRINT & MULTIMEDIA PAGE 113

INSIDE:

Photo by Karen Solem


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THE MUSIC LINK I FLEABASS

MeetFleabassFlea, the bassist for Red

Hot Chili Peppers, hascreated the Fleabass line ofbasses.

The Fleabass comes in twosizes, the full-size model 32 andthe 3/4-size junior bass with a 30-inch scale length. The fullyadjustable cast-metal bridge andtailpiece with a large bridge-to-bodyfootprint give the instrument a reso-nant coupling to the solid alder body.It can also be strung at the bridgedepending on the player’s preference.

Every Fleabass comes profes-sionally set up with clean, lowaction. Each bass also includes aninstructional DVD starring Flea, ablack tweed gig bag, an inputcable and adjustment tools.MSRP: $399.99.{fleabass.com; themusiclink.net}


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DBZ Guitars has unveiled the BoleroBanneret. It’s the first model in the com-

pany’s Regalia guitar series, which featuresornate metal embellishments. Utilizing CNCtechnology combined with old-world handcasting, the decorative metal highlightsare designed with great detail andfinished in 24-karat gold andnickel. To complement thebody’s metal casting,each guitar has amatching truss rodcover at the head-stock. MSRP: $849.{dbzguitars.com}

DBZ GUITARS I REGALIA SERIES

In Full Regalia

B.C. Rich has created four new ArtistSignature guitar models, including the

Marc Rizzo Signature Seven-String Stealth.The company teamed up with Rizzo ofSoulfly to create a guitar for players thatwant to take their music to extremes. Theinstrument features a classic B.C. Richneck-through construction, an ebony finger-board, Grover tuners, a Floyd Rose originalseries seven-string tremolo and EMG pick-ups. MSRP: $899.99. {bcrich.com}

B.C. RICH I SIGNATURE GUITARS

Extreme Rizzo

All Austin basses have beenredesigned from scratch.

The new Austin APB200 elec-tric bass from St. Louis Musicis a solid P-style with a clas-sic shape, solid hardwoodbody and maple neck.

It features a rosewoodfingerboard, traditionalsplit pickups andchrome machineheads. The APB200includes a vintage-style saddle bridgeand is fitted withD’Addario strings.

The bass lineis available infour colors:black, red,white andsunburst.MSRP: $259.{stlouismusic.com}

ST. LOUIS MUSIC I AUSTIN APB200

AustinRedesigned



IN

1 DUNLOP LEATHERSTRAPS These modelsare made of premiumfull-grain leather anddesigned to break in fast.Each strap is crafted of adeer cow leather top forflexibility and saddlestitched to a pigskinback for comfort andgrip. This helps keep aplayer’s guitar in placebut doesn’t tire out his orher shoulder. The strapsare available in a varietyof widths and styles tosuit all types of guitarists.{jimdunlop.com}

3 COPPERPEACEEXCLUSIVE DESIGNSCopperpeace straps aredistinguished by a signa-ture red pick pocket.Musicians and bandsstrapped by Copperpeaceinclude Brian Bell ofWeezer, Lil’ Wayne, KevinSkinner and SteveStevens. These strapshave also made cameoson TV shows and in films,such as “America’s GotTalent,” “The DavidLetterman Show” and the2009 movie Fame. {copperpeace.com}

4 SOULDIER WILCOSTRAPS Souldier Strapshas unveiled a line of sig-nature, limited-editionguitar straps in collabora-tion with Wilco. Eachmember of the bandselected his own uniquepattern to use and besold as part of the series.Each strap features aband member’s auto-graph. All of the strapsare handmade using vin-tage fabric sewn on recy-cled seat belts andsalvaged leather. MSRP:$65. {souldier.us}

5 GET’M GET’MCROCODILE STRAPSThe new Crocodileaccessory collectionincludes unique man-dolin and guitar straps.The line comes in apalette of plum,espresso, indigo andonyx shades, as well asleopard print. Nail headsand silver or brass hard-ware with zippers add amodern edge. Get’mGet’m straps and acces-sories are made in theUnited States.{getmgetm.com}

2 LEVY’S LEATHERSROCKABILLY STRAPSLevy’s has added someglamour to one of its newRockabilly-style guitarstraps. This model fea-tures a jeweled, enam-eled gold buckle set,which complements the5/8-inch carving leatherstrap. A 2-inch moveableshoulder pad with foamlining and soft leatherbacking comes with thestrap. Pictured is modelM37 in two of the manyleather colors available.{levysleathers.com}

STRAPPEDStraps make astatement. Rangingfrom heavy metal-styled leathers tohandmade ecomodels, this newroundup offerssomething forevery taste.




Daisy Rock has expanded its Debutanteline of entry-level girl guitars with a

Butterfly electric guitar in Daydream finish. Itfeatures Daisy Rock’s signa-

ture lightweightdesign, slim andnarrow neck profile,and a 22 1/2-inchscale, which isideal for pint-sizedbeginners.

The newButterfly includes amaple neck, rose-wood fingerboard

and Daisy Rock hum-bucker pickup. It’s also

available in a Fantasy fin-ish. MSRP: $249.

{daisyrock.com}

DAISY ROCK I DAYDREAM BUTTERFLY

Winged Dreams

Madarozzo’s new W-010 andW-020 archtop series guitar

cases feature multi-ply woodshell construction and blackvinyl exterior with white trim.The W-010 (pictured) has acontoured, padded inte-rior, and the W-020has a luxury plushinterior. They aredesigned to fitdreadnought, clas-sic, electric andelectric bass gui-tars, as well asmandolins, ban-jos, v-shapedelectric guitarsand semiacoustics.{madarozzo.com}

MADAROZZO I W-010, W-020

CaseCouture




The new SE Singlecut Korina from PRSGuitars is a versatile, lightweight guitar. It

features a solid korina body, three-piecekorina neck with 22-fret rosewood fretboard,25-inch scale length and moon inlays. Otherappointments include two humbuckers, mas-

ter volume and tonecontrols, and athree-way toggle.The Korina iscurrently avail-able in vintageamber. {prsguitars.com}

PRS I SE SINGLECUT KORINA

Solid KorinaAmerican-made Strictly 7 guitars

address the needs of seven-string players. The new seven-stringVenom guitar features a solidAfrican mahogany body, 25-inchscale length, 24 stainless steelfrets, and a rosewood andmaple bolt-on neck.

Deep bevels createan intense shape that’sideal for metal players.The guitar has Sperzeltuners, an EMGactive 707 neckhumbucker andEMG active 81-7bridge humbucker.It also includes anoriginal FloydRose tremolo withlocking nut.MSRP: standardseries, $799.99.{strictly7.com}

STRICTLY 7 I VENOM

Take a Risk




CATCHERSP.O.P. EYEFour companies present packaging and displayresources that make their gear an irresistible grab.

1 LANIKAI KOHALA P.O.P. Lanikai is now shipping the Kohalaukulele P.O.P. Retailers who purchase 24 Kohala soprano ukesreceive the display for free. The Kohala is designed to entice entry-level uke players, and the small-footprint cardboard P.O.P. makesselling them easier. MSRP: $54.99. {lanikaiukes.com}

2 CORE ONE CREATIVE CORE X2 PACKAGE Created foracoustic guitars, the Core X2 cable is finished with gold-plated jacksencased in wood connectors. This warm, acoustic feel is enhancedby its packaging, which mimics the wood and sound hole of anacoustic guitar. MSRP: $59.95 and $79.95. {coreoneproduct.com}

3 SKB SKB-PS-8 SKB has delivered the new SKB-PS-8 poweredpedalboard in a colorful, easy-to-display box. The pedalboard pro-vides a durable but lightweight platform for guitarists’ effects pedals.All cables are included, in addition to a ballistic nylon carry bag withadjustable shoulder strap. MSRP: $99.99. {skbcases.com}

4 STRING SWING CC01K String Swing’s new CC01K GuitarKeeper has a deep cradle designed to prevent the guitar from beingimproperly placed in the hanger. This promotes safer instrument han-dling. The yoke pivots to cradle the headstock but is free of mechani-cal moving parts that wear over time. {stringswing.com}




Kala Brand Music has added a new soprano uke to itsportable slim Travel series. The soprano ukulele fea-

tures a liquid-filled compass in the headstock. Despite the1 1/4–1 3/4-inch body depth, Kala’s travel series has beendesigned with an arch back that produces a full sound.The uke boasts a solid spruce top, flame maple back andsides, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, die-cast tunerswith black buttons, maple binding, and black and whitepurfling. {kalaukulele.com}

KALA I TRAVEL SERIES UKE

Travel a New Direction

At just 29 1/2 inches long, thenew Traveler Guitar EG-2

stows easily in airline overheadcompartments and weighsless than 5 pounds. Theelectric guitar featuresa compact double-cutaway body shapeand classic three-plypickguard. Two sin-gle-coil pickups feedinto the EG-2’s built-inPocket RockIt head-phone amplifier, whichis designed to pro-duce classic cleanand distortionsounds throughheadphones orwhen pluggedinto an amplifier.{travelerguitar.com}

TRAVELER GUITAR I ESCAPE EG-2

A MusicalEscape




FENDER I SUB-LIME

Sub-LimeSounds

The new FenderSub-Lime bass fuzz

pedal resurrects classicFender fuzz tone fromthe 1960s and ’70s.Added to the signalpath between a player’sbass and speakers, theSub-Lime bass fuzzpedal provides easilydialed-in classic Fenderfuzz. {fender.com}

ROCKTRON I REACTION CHORUS

Join theChorusThe new Rocktron Reaction Chorus

pedal offers warm, analog, multi-voiced chorusing. It utilizes the classicBBD and is a true-bypass pedal. Thecontrols include rate, which operatesthe speed of the LFO waveform usedto modulate the delay; depth, whichcontrols the delay line’s maximumtravel time; and intensity, which con-trols the amount of chorus that getsadded to the signal. {rocktron.com}

GODLYKE I PROVIDENCE EFFECTS

StampedingEffectsGodlyke has been named the

exclusive North Americandistributor for Providencebrand effects and acces-sories. Currently availableeffect models include theSOV-2 StampedeOverdrive. This pedaldelivers natural, trans-parent overdrive andfeatures single-contacttrue-bypass switching.MSRP: $249.{godlyke.com}



FISHMAN I AURA SPECTRUM DI

Sound-Imaging AuraThe recently

released AuraSpectrum DI fromFishman features128 preloadedimages of acousticinstruments, athree-band EQ,automatic feedbacksuppression, aneffects loop and abalanced XLR DI. Ithas 16 user-config-urable image loca-tions, which areloaded from theAura image galleryvia a USB interface.{fishman.com}

DIGITECH I RP SERIES

RP UpgradeDigiTech recently released five

pedals to upgrade its RPseries. The RP multi-effect proces-sors offer tone and effects librariesand user-programmable presets, aswell as 24-bit A/D/A conversion.They also include library and edit-ing software for PC and Mac. Thebase level RP55 (pictured) features80 presets, a built-in drum machineand chromatic tuner. It has 12 ampand acoustic guitar models andcan produce 10 effects at once.MSRP: $79.95. {harman.com}

VOX I V845 WAH WAH

Talking Tone ReturnsVox has debuted the V845 wah wah pedal.

Designed to withstand travel, the V845 fea-tures a solid, lightweight, die-cast alu-minum housing. Cosmetically, theV845 creates a vintage1960s look with itsauthentic blackcrepe finishand black-on-blackpedal sur-face.MSRP:$155.{voxamps.com}



MARTIN I M-30 JORMA KAUKONEN

Jorma BluesThe new Martin M-30 Jorma

Kaukonen custom artist editionfeatures an Italian alpine sprucetop and forward-shifted scalloped

braces for full, saturated toneand dynamic range. The top

is paired with East Indianrosewood back and sidesfor rich, warm bass andstrong projection. It alsofeatures an enlarged sound

hole for enhanced midrangeand treble response.

{martinguitar.com}

Crafter’s new 38thAnniversary series

includes The WildwoodFlower rosewood andbubinga models. Theyfeature a wildwoodflower with themedposition markers onthe fingerboard.{crafterusa.com}

CRAFTER I WILDWOOD FLOWER

Flowered Acoustic

Jay Turser is now shipping JTA-530 and JTA-560 solid top

acoustic guitars. The JTA-530 (pic-tured) features a solid quarter-sawn Alaskan sitka spruce topwith catalpa back and sidesand high-gloss finish. Abound rosewood finger-board, double-acting trussrod and dovetail neck jointensure playability and reli-able sound. The JTA-530is available in vintagecherry sunburst andtobacco sunburst fin-ishes. {jayturser.com}

JAY TURSER I SOLID TOP ACOUSTICS

ReliableSolid Top



TAKAMINE I EF450DXL

DelicateRamblerTakamine’s new EF450DLX

is built with a high-gradesitka spruce top and solidflame maple back andsides. A vine inlayadorns the ebonyfretboard and pick-guard. Poweredby the TakamineTLD line driver,the guitar isstage-ready. It’savailable in naturalblond or deepebony black finish.MSRP: $3,999.{takamine.com}

MAJOR MUSIC SUPPLY I REVIVAL

Revived!Major Music Supply has

revamped its line of Revivalacoustic guitars. The instrumentsare made of fine tone woods andfeature x-bracing on the top with

dovetail neck joints. These gui-tars are constructed of select

woods that have been agedfor at least 18 months. Eachmodel comes with a Tusqnut and saddle, as well as

D’Addario strings. MSRP:$359.99. {majormusic

supply.com}

TANGLEWOOD I ROSEWOOD RESERVE

Tanglewoodin the U.S.Tanglewood Guitar, a United

Kingdom-based acousticguitar brand, has brought itsRosewood Reserve series toNorth America. The line fea-tures solid sitka sprucetops and rosewood-veneered backs and sideson all models. Most mod-els are available in naturalgloss and vintage sunburstfinishes. MSRP: $529–$739.{tanglewoodguitars.com}



ORANGE AMPS I CRUSH PIX

Black CrushThe Orange Crush Pix amp range is now

available in a black finish. The lineincludes the CR35LDX, CR20LDX, CR20Land CR12L. All except the CR12L feature anauxiliary input for MP3 and CD players. TheDX models also feature a built-in guitar tunerand 16 digital FX programs that provide awide range of reverb, delay, chorus, flangerand vibrato presets. {orangeamps.com}

KUSTOM I THE DEFENDER

Defend and ServeKustom Amplification has rolled out a new

lineup of tube guitar amplifiers, The Defender.Designed in the United

States, DefenderV100 and V50(pictured) ampli-fiers feature EL34power tubes thatprovide definedlows, rich midsand a top end thatcuts through themix. The ampspartner classicCelestion Vintage30 speakers andcabinets craftedwith void-freebirch plywood.MSRP: V50,$699.99; V100,$899.99. {kustom.com}



SHS INTERNATIONAL I SUNDOWN

Sundown ClassicSHS International has released

Sundown guitar and bass amplifiers,which range from 15–40 watts. The linecombines classic features with modernamplifier technology. For a sleek look,the cabinets feature black tolex with abroad white racing stripe. The side pan-els are accented with white rolled piping.A silver mesh grill cloth and chickenhead control knobs add to the vintagelook. All Sundown amps come with afive-year warranty. MSRP: $79.95–$179.95. {shsint.net}

MARSHALL I MA SERIES

Authentic MarshallMarshall Amplification has announced its

new MA series guitar amplifiers. Eachamp’s clean and overdrive channels featureindependent volume control and their ownthree-band EQ fortone shaping. Theoverdrive channelis equipped with anadditional gainknob, a boostswitch and crunchbalance knob. Thepower amp stagefeatures two EL34pentode valves inthe 50-watt modelsand four EL34 pen-tode valves in the100-watt models.The pre-amp stageuses three ECC83dual triode valves.MSRP: $950–$1,250. {marshallamps.com}


ESP recently expanded its LTDDeluxe line with six new

models. These include aredesigned version of the H-1001 (pictured) and H-1001FR. These modelsincorporate ESP’s Fseries headstockstyle, and the guitars’binding is now blackwith abalone purfling.The H-1001 is avail-able in black and see-through black cherrywith a flamed mapletop. The H-1001FRincludes a FloydRose original styledouble-lockingtremolo. {espguitars.com}


GIBSON GUITAR I DUSK TIGER

Tiger’s RoarThe Dusk Tiger is the next gen-

eration of Gibson robot guitartechnology. The combination of

magnetic and piezo pickupsproduces traditionalacoustic tones, while sep-arate outputs for eachstring let players createsounds from classic tofuturistic. A multichan-nel FireWire interfacecreates even morepossibilities. All thetones and 18 user-pro-grammable alternatetunings are easily acces-sible through a stage-friendly interface.{gibson.com}

ESP I LTD DELUXE LINE

DeluxeExpansion



GHS I FRESH PACK

Pure EnduranceGHS Strings’ coated Boomers for

electric and bass guitar are nowbeing presented in new GHS FreshPack airtight packaging that locks outair and moisture to prevent stringcorrosion. This foil-wrap packagingensures that the strings haveextended performance life and main-tain powerful tone. {ghsstrings.com}

PLANET WAVES I RENEW

String Tone RenewedThe Renew string cleaning system is Planet

Waves’ latest addition to its care product line.The patented string cleaner squeegees both thetop and bottom of the strings, removing dirt andbuild-up. Renew comes with two cleaning tools,one cleaning solution and 12 replaceable clean-ing pads. MSRP: $11.99. {planetwaves.com}


Project17 12/28/09 10:02 AM Page 1


Fender has added new fea-tures to improve the func-

tionality of its Passport portableP.A. system. At 44 pounds, thePassport 500 Pro is 9 poundslighter than the earlier Passport500 model. Its smaller physicaldimensions, plus a redesignedspeaker system with a 10-inchwoofer, make this P.A. ideal foreducational, sporting, worship,presentation or performanceapplications. The eight-channelPassport 500 Pro has a portthat lets users record their per-formances with CD-quality WAVfiles directly to a USB flashdrive. It also features CD-qualityWAV and MP3 file playback anda sub-out jack for an externalpowered sub-woofer.{fender.com}

FENDER I PASSPORT 500 PRO

The PlacesYou’ll Go


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Mackie’s new HD powered subwoofers,the HD1501 and HD1801, offer many

of the same benefits as the top boxes,includingClass-D fast-recoveryamplifier tech-nology, whichdelivers up to1,600 watts ofpeak power.The HD180118-inch sub-woofer is idealfor use witheither theHD1521 orHD153. MSRP:HD1501,$1,099.99;HD1801,$1,249.99.{mackie.com}

MACKIE I HD SERIES

Knock the Bottom Out

Wharfedale Pro has started shipping thenext-generation EVP-Neo series. Seven

models are available in the range. The EVP-12M Neo and EVP-15M Neo are low-profilestage monitors with the EVP-12Neo, the EVP-15Neo and EVP-215Neo completing the fullrange lineup. The EVP-18Sub and EVP-15Subsubwoofers provide low-end reinforcement.MAP: starting at$249. {americanmusicandsound.com}

WHARFEDALE PRO I EVP-NEO SERIES

New Gen Neo

Bag End now offersWeatherproofing-

Plus on all of its prod-ucts to protect themfrom the elements andextend their perform-ance life.Weatherproofing-Plusincorporates years of field-testing under rigorous condi-tions. Cabinets are completelysealed inside and out, and all thehardware is upgraded to stainlesssteel and aluminum. The driversare sealed with advanced poly-mers for improved corrosionresistance. Weatherproofing-Plusis added by Bag End at its facilitybefore delivery. {bagend.com}

BAG END I WEATHERPROOFING

ExtremeExposure

Designed tomeet the

needs of userswho require highsound pressurelevels over wideaudiences, thenew Alto Revo-Array is a fixedsplay line arraythat’s suitable for bothportable and installed sound.The heart of the Revo-Arrayis a proprietary wave-guidelens, which disperses highfrequency across a wide buttight 100-degree horizontalplane. Each satellite alsohouses two 8-inchneodymiumwoofers,enabling thecabinet tohandle up to800 watts ofpower in itscommonlyused full-rangemode. Thesatellite canalso be bi-amped.{yorkville.com}

ALTO I REVO-ARRAY

Wide Ranger



Adam Audio’s new SX seriesreference monitors feature

redesigned transducers, driversand electronics to provide trans-parent reproduction. All Adam SXseries monitors feature the new X-ART tweeter, which provides 4 dBhigher efficiency, increased maxi-mum SPL of 3 dB and anexpanded frequency response, upto 50 kHz compared to its prede-cessors. It includes an ultra-low-distortion broadband A/B amplifierwith 1 MHz internal bandwidthand new Hexacone woofers.{adam-audio.com}

ADAM AUDIO I SX SERIES

TransparentSound

TransAudio Group has intro-duced Lehmann Audio’s Black

Cube linear headphone amplifier tothe U.S. market. The Black Cube isideal for computer mixing, livemonitoring, studio recording or anyprofessional application. Its cir-cuitry and adjustable maximumoutput gain optimizes performancefor headphone impedance or sen-sitivity. The Black Cube’s frequencyresponse extends from 10 Hz to 35kHz. {transaudiogroup.com}

TRANSAUDIO I BLACK CUBE

The Black Box



1 SOLID CABLESELEPH SPEAKERCABLE The new Elephspeaker cables fromSolid Cables utilize apure copper 10-gaugeconductor of differentdiameters to better carryany amplifier’s full-fre-quency sound spectrum.The conductors are in ahelical wind pattern toresist electrical andmechanical noise andhoused in a 6000 PSItear resistant armor.MSRP: $135. {solidcables.com}

3 THE MUSIC PEOPLEPERFECT PAIR Therevitalized Hot Wires brandnow offers models withSpeakon connectors,banana connectors andpatch cables. Its newPerfect Pair combo cablescome in several configura-tions and offer combinedXLR audio and IEC powerlines to connect audiomixers to self-poweredspeakers. It has alsoadded new lengths andgauges to its mic, instru-ment and speaker cables.{musicpeopleinc.com}

4 ALLIANCE RUBBERCABLE WRAPZ, GEARSTRAPZ AllianceRubber’s new CableWrapz and Gear Strapzare designed to securecables and cords. Theycan be written on andare weather resistant,stretchable and reusable.Gear Strapz are availablein 4- and 25-foot lengthsto secure snakes, casesand large bundles tohelp users stay organ-ized. They are availablein black and camo.{alliance-rubber.com}

5 NEUTRIK SPECIALEDITION Neutrik’s newSpecial Edition XX and PXseries cable connectorsfeature special velour-chrome plating, silvercontacts, chuck-typestrain relief and lasergraphics. The seriesincludes three-polefemale and male XLRconnectors in one pack-age. Designed to cele-brate musicians andindustry professionals,laser-engraved singers arefeatured on the customhousings. {neutrik.com}

2 AMPHENOL AUDIOT-SERIES AmphenolAudio now offers the rightangle T-series 1/4-inchplug. Featuring a die-castribbed housing that facili-tates quick, easy connec-tions, the right angleT-series also offers acable clamp that hasbeen designed to grip inmultiple positions. Theprecision-machined one-piece tip contact servessuch applications as gui-tars, speakers, audiocables and amplifiers.{amphenolaudio.com}

STAYCONNECTED

These new go-to audioaccessories connectmusicians to theirgear, so they can betterconnect with theiraudiences.



PeaveyElectronics

has a new IPRDSP series ofpower amplifiersthat use theWaves MX5010semiconductor.IPR series ampli-fiers aredesigned with aresonant switch-mode power supply and a high-speedClass D topology. Four DSP-equippedmodels feature 32-bit, floating-point digitalsignal processing with program-specificEQ presets. {peavey.com}

PEAVEY I IPR POWER AMPLIFIERS

Peavey Serves Easy EQ

Tascam’s SS-R05 solid state recordercaptures to compact flash media with

no moving parts for extra reliability. Theentry-level recorder takes features from theSS-R1, such as balanced audio and RS-232C control, to create a new low-pricemodel. It records in WAV or MP3 format toa CF card and provides 44.1 kHz and 48kHz recording at 16- or 24-bit. MSRP: lessthan $500. {tascam.com}

TASCAM I SS-R05

Entry-Level, Same Quality

Crown’s newly redesigned XLS series of ampli-fiers consists of four models. They feature an

integrated variable state crossover that lets usersselect a crossover point from 50–2,000 Hz.Increased control is also highlighted by the selectionof three different channel modes and clip limiters,which can be turned on and off by channel,designed to protect loudspeakers. {harman.com}

CROWN I XLS SERIES

Amplifiers Redefined



Yamaha has intro-duced the Pocketrak

W24 portable recordingdevice. The W24 comeswith a wireless remote con-troller and a scene memoryfunction, which automaticallyrecalls the settings for a partic-ular recording session or loca-tion. It can also record for 27hours in MP3 mode. Its peaklimiter avoids distortion on sud-den loud passages, and thespeed change function speedsup or slows down MP3 play-back without changing pitch.{yamaha.com}

YAMAHA I POCKETRAK W24

In thePocket

MIPro now offers the new ACT-seriesfor professional and commercial

audio applications. Three diversityreceiver models are available: the half-rack ACT-717 single-channel, one-rackACT-727 dual-channel and one-rack ACT-747 quad-channel. Proprietary RF filtersand circuitry designs improve interfer-ence-free technique and RF reliability.Advance PC-controllable software pro-vides user-friendly, real-time control andmonitoring. {mipro.com.tw}

MIPRO I ANALOG ACT-SERIES

Time to ACT

Lexicon’s new Omega studio desktoprecording bundle is an integrated

computer package. It combines thecompany’s Omega Studio USB record-ing interface with Steinberg Cubase LE4 multitrack audio and MIDI recordingsoftware, the Lexicon Pantheon VSTreverb plug-in, an AKG D 88 S leadvocal microphone, and a mic cable. Thebundle transforms any PC or Mac into a24-bit recording studio. {lexicon.com}

LEXICON I OMEGA STUDIO DESKTOP

Instant Studio




JZ Microphones has intro-duced the first micro-

phone in its Vintage series,the V47. It features a flask-shaped design with built-inshock-mounting system and

swivel mount. The microphonehas a double diaphragm capsule,

which is created using JZ patentedGolden drops sputtering technology. TheV47 offers improved electronics withoutlosing its vintage sound. JZ provides a

five-year warranty for eachV47 purchase.{jzmic.com}

JZ I V47

New Classic

Audix’s newly designed Fusion seriesconsists of four models: the f2, f5

and f6 dynamics, as wellas the f9 condenser.Each is available indi-vidually or in threenew mic packages:the FP4, FP5 andFP7. Models f2, f5and f6 feature low-mass diaphragms fortransient responseand directional hyper-cardioid polar pat-terns. The f9 condenserhas a 16-mm gold vapordiaphragm and cardioidpolar pattern, as well as adynamic range of 115 dB.{audixusa.com}

AUDIX I FUSION MICS

Fusion SoundsAKG is now offering

the Perception 120USB microphone. It pro-vides studio-qualitysound performance with-out requiring any installa-tion or drivers.

This plug-and-playdevice lets users createpodcasts, voiceovers andstudio-quality rehearsalrecordings quickly andeasily.

It works with WindowsXP, Windows Vista, MacOS X and the newWindows 7. ThePerception 120 comeswith a tripod table stand,swivel mount and USBcable. {akg.com}

AKG I PERCEPTION 120

DesktopPerformance

The new CadAudio/Astatic

Commercial 1600VP and1700VP are continuouslyvariable pattern con-denser recording mic systemswith a remote polar controldesign. Intended to hang from aceiling, the 1600VP (pictured) isideal for choirs, stage productionsand conference rooms. It enables easypolar pattern control without requiringladders for access to the microphone.

The 1700VP is supplied with alow-profile 56-inch carbon fiberboom for mic stand mounting and iseffective for miking instrumentswhere a traditional sus-pended microphone isinappropriate.{cadaudio.com}

CAD I 1600VP, 1700VP

Stage Mic



Samson Technologies now offersthe Q2U recording pack with

HP20 headphones. The Q2U is ahigh-quality mic designed to meetlive sound and digital audio record-ing needs. It features both an XLRoutput and a USB I/O that can beplugged directly into a live soundconsole or a computer with a USBinput. The Q2U also features a built-in 3.5-mm stereo headphone jackoutput with volume control for no-latency monitoring during recording.MSRP: $89. {samsontech.com}

SAMSON I Q2U RECORDING PACK

Go Live

Audio-Technica’sAT4050ST is a

stereo side-addressexternally polarizedcondenser mic withindependent cardioidand figure-of-eight ele-ments. It offersrecordists the choiceof a left-right stereooutput (wide 127degrees or narrow90 degrees)via themicro-phone’sinternalmatrixing sys-tem or discretemid-side signals forlater manipulation. Themicrophone isequipped with aswitchable 10 dB padand a switchable 80Hz high-pass filter.MSRP: $1,625.{audio-technica.com}

AUDIO-TECHNICA I AT4050ST

A-T in Stereo



Waves Audio is now shippingWavesLive MultiRack, a plug-in

platform designed for live sound.MultiRack is a software host that letsfront-of-house and monitor engineersrun multiple simultaneous instancesof the same Native Waves plug-insused in recording studios and mixingrooms. Armed with a laptop, I/O boxand MultiRack, users can shape theirlive sound with precision and doaway with racks of effects units. Itfeatures easy setup with advancedpreset capabilities and an intuitiveworkflow, which facilitates a smoothtransition from traditional hardware-based systems to the live digitalrealm. {waveslive.com}

WAVES AUDIO I WAVESLIVE MULTIRACK

New WaveLive Sound

Studio Devil hasreleased the

Amp Modeler Pro.This plug-in featuresauthentic tube guitaramplifier realismbundled with effectsand a low-process-ing impulse modeler.It has 15 pre-ampmodels for a rangeof playing styles.

The plug-in alsoprovides a seven-band graphic EQwith master level,three modes andpre/post switch toposition EQ either atthe input of the ampor in the send-returnloop for pre or postdistortion. A built-Inchromatic tuner andlevel meters stay intune and help maxi-mize the signallevel. MSRP: $99.{studiodevil.com}

STUDIO DEVIL I AMP MODELER PRO

Tone From Hell

iZotope and eMediahave launched

iZotope Music andSpeech Cleaner, anaudio cleanup suite.The intuitive, step-by-step interfaceguides users throughthe cleanup process.It works with soft-ware, such as AppleiMovie or AdobePremiere Elements.Cleaned files canalso be imported intoiTunes to create MP3or AAC files and thenburned to an audioCD. MSRP: $39.95.{izotope.com; emediamusic.com}

IZOTOPE, EMEDIA I MUSIC & SPEECH CLEANER

Call the CleanerThe latest

addition toFabFilter’s Proplug-in range isan EQ thatdelivers cleansound with anintuitive, clut-ter-free inter-face. WithPro-Q, it’s easy tocreate and edit up to 24 EQ bands withmultiple curves. The Pro-Q offers theoption to switch to a linear phase modewith adjustable latency. There’s also abuilt-in, real-time frequency analyzer thatgives instant visual feedback of your sig-nal’s frequency content. The plug-in canbe used on Windows and Mac OS X inVST and VST 3, RTAS, and Audio Unitsplug-in formats. {fabfilter.com}

FABFILTER SOFTWARE I PRO-Q

Clutter-FreeInterface



TC-Helicon hasimproved on

the VoiceToneHarmony-G vocalpedal with morefeatures andimproved har-monies. Theresult is theVoiceToneHarmony-G XT.It’s specificallydesigned for the singing guitarist. Whethercreating vocal harmonies that automati-cally follow a guitar input, smoothingvocal performances with the live engineereffects or applying one of the 18 combi-nations of specifically tailored combina-tions of effects, Harmony-G XT cantransform any vocal showcase into a fullyproduced performance. {tc-helicon.com}

TC-HELICON I VOICETONE HARMONY-G XT

Finding PerfectHarmony

Applied Acoustics Systems hasunveiled the Entangled Species

sound bank for String Studio VS-1,created by composer and sounddesigner David Kristian. This is thecompany’s second sound bank titlefor String Studio VS-1. The 128 pre-sets cover arpeggiators, pads, loop-ers, synthesizers, keyboards, noisesand sound effects. MSRP: $39.{applied-acoustics.com}

APPLIED ACOUSTICS I ENTANGLED SPECIES

Sound Species




The i-Mix Reload MKII from DJTech is a new DJ control surface

that contains everything DJs need toplug into any club’s house P.A. andperform. This high-quality, lightweight,rugged DJ device is a hardware con-troller for a DJ’s preferred software.It’s also fully optimized to work withTraktor Pro and Deckadance. All themoving parts and controls deliver pre-cision performance. A clean, high-quality sound card feeds pristineaudio signal to two stereo outputsand the performer’s headphones. Theunit’s resistant ABS housing stays inplace even when fast-scratch tech-nique gets aggressive. MSRP: $379.{djtechpro.com}

DJ TECH I I-MIX RELOAD MKII

Plug In & Scratch

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Korg has added the Kaossilator Pro toits Kaoss line. This touchpad-based

synthesizer offers built-in sounds for arange of genres.PCM sampleshave been addedto the DSPengine, yielding20 drum hits and25 preset drumpatterns. In all,there are 200programs avail-able, including15 vocoderprograms thatcan processan externalaudio signal.{korg.com}

KORG I KAOSSILATOR PRO

Professional Kaoss

MBT Lighting now offers a newsnow blower machine, the

SM1 Li’l Snow Blower.The SM1 is a full-powered

snow machine that features acompact, lightweight plastic case.It creates simulated snowflakeoutput and comes with an on/offremote on a 30-foot cable. Thesnow machine uses SMFG snowfluid, which is not included. TheSM1 offers a unique special effectfor dance floors or can be used intheater productions and movies.MSRP: $119. {mbtlighting.com}

MBT I SM1 LI’L SNOW BLOWER

BlizzardForecasted

Stantonhas

launchedthe afford-able M.207mixer. TheM.207 takesthe clean faderarea of the SA-5mixer and com-bines it withadvanced post-fader, BPM-synchro-nized digital effects.Those effects are con-trolled by the FX glidecontrol surface — thesame touch-sensitive technologyused in the SCS.3 series of MIDIcontrollers.

Performance of all three faderscan be completely customized,with variable curve control, faderreverse, channel reverse, faderstart and hamster switch. TheM.207 fits DJs of all experiencelevels. {stantondj.com}

STANTON I M.207 MIXER

DJ RavesDenon DJ is now shipping the DN-HP500 profes-

sional headphones. The DN-HP500s are stylish,entry-level DJ headphones that, like Denon DJ’s

HP1000 and HP700 models, produceclean, vibrant audio while

withstanding DJs’high-volume

demands. The DN-

HP500 features1,300 mW inputpower, a 40-mmdriver, 40 ohmsimpedance, 103

dB output, 10–28kHz frequencyresponse and a90-degree swivelmechanism. It alsooffers comfortableearpads and head-

band. {denondj.com}

DENON DJ I DN-HP500 HEADPHONES

Endurance Listening

MI1002_89_91_DJs.qxd 12/29/09 3:37 PM Page 90


Elation Professional has intro-duced an intelligent spot/wash

moving head, the PlatinumSpot 5R. Producing richcolors, it includes eightdichroic colorswith eight rotat-ing and 14 staticgobos. It alsohas a rotatingprism effectand motorizediris and focus.Along with newlight sourcetechnology, the5R has superioroptics for aflat, even lightfield. {elation lighting.com}

ELATION I PLATINUM SPOT 5R

IntelligentDesign Chauvet’s new Intimidator Spot

XYZ fixture uses three axis ofmotion to create unique positionsand effects. This moving yoke spotlets the operator angle the light inany position, including diagonally. Itcomes with a 60-watt white LEDand 11 or 16 channels of DMXcontrol. The unit has built-in sound-activated programs viamaster/slave. It also offers user-selectable basic or advancedoperating modes. Pan and tiltare user-assignable, offeringmore precise coverage byadjusting the range ofmovement towithin 180, 360 or540 degrees of thetwo pans and tilt.{chauvet lighting.com}

CHAUVET I INTIMIDATOR SPOT XYZ

Intimidating Angles

MI1002_89_91_DJs.qxd 12/29/09 3:38 PM Page 91



Stagg’s new EX cymbal range usesB8 bronze alloy, which is 92-percent

copper and 8-percent tin. Hand-hammered andhand-lathed to exacting specifications, the cymbalsprovide a consistent, bright, rocky sound. The EX

range offers an ideal upgrade for a starter kit orcan be used as an add-on pack for an

intermediate kit. {staggmusic.com}

STAGG I EX CYMBALS

EX-tremeRange


MI1002_93_99_Drums.qxd 12/29/09 3:41 PM Page 93


LP is celebrating its relation-ship with Carlos Santana

via the new Aspire model con-gas and bongos (pictured),which feature artwork from his1970 album, Abraxas. LP’sAspire Santana AbraxasAngel congas feature 28-inch-tall Siam oak shellsin a 10- and 11-inchconga set. They arefitted with naturalrawhide heads. The8-inch bongosoffer the sameconstruction featuresas the congas. MSRP:$80–$339. {lpmusic.com}

LP I ASPIRE SANTANA ABRAXAS

Abraxas-BrandedGear

MEINL I FX HATS

Tribal HatsMeinl has added an 8-inch

and 10-inch FX hat toits Generation X line ofcymbals. The hi-hatsprovide a sharp,cutting sound.Made from FX9alloy, they fea-ture a brilliantfinish andlaser-engravedtribal design.MSRP: 8-inchpair, $276; 10-inch pair, $314.{meinlcymbals.com}

SABIAN I VAULT THREE-POINT RIDE

Tri-Tone RideThe new Sabian 21-inch Vault Three-Point

Ride offers a dark, smokey tone withvarying nuances across three distinct playingsurfaces. An unlathed control ring around thecenter produces tight, glassy sounds whilethe lathed area between the ring and the belldelivers more point. {sabian.com}




PAISTE I PST PACKAGING

PaisteBoxed Up

REMO I DOUMBEK

Remo Goes Skyndeep

Paiste has launchedupdated packaging for

its PST series boxed cymbalsets. The design features thelook of a road hardcase dec-orated with Polaroid-stylepictures of Paiste artists andbackstage passes from theirtouring concerts. The newlook is intended to capturethe imagination of youngplayers. {paiste.com}

Remo’s new External TuningSoloist doumbek features

the company’s Skyndeep FishSkin graphic drumhead seateddirectly on the Acousticon drumshell bearing edge. This contactwith the drum shell produces apronounced doum-bass toneand bright tek tone. The newmodel is available in three sizes:8-inch, 9-inch and 10-inch.Each comes with a unique met-alized finish. MSRP: 8-inch,$370.75; 9-inch, $386.50; 10-inch, $402.25. {remo.com}

TYCOON I CONCERTO SPECTRUM

Color-ChangingCongasTycoon Percussion has

launched the ConcertoSpectrum series congas.They feature a high-glosspearlescent finish in achoice of red, blue andgreen color options. The fin-ish appears to change col-ors depending on theviewing angle and lighting.The drums are 30 inches tall.{tycoonpercussion.com}



YAMAHA I ROCK TOUR

On TourYamaha Drums’ new Rock

Tour drum set is constructedwith mahogany shells in sizesthat are ideal for rockers. The kitoffers pro features, such asYamaha’s staggered diagonalseam air seal system construc-tion. This ensures that each shellis perfectly round and eliminatesgaps in the bearing edges. Aspart of its roll-out, Yamaha willgive kits to selected young,unsigned drummers who willpost online videos of the kit inaction along with other content.{yamahadrums.com}

PEARL I E-PRO

The RealDealPearl’s new E-Pro Live is

an electronic drum setthat looks, feels and soundslike real drums. The authenticlook of the E-Pro Live startswith the real sizes of thedrums. The set features 10-,12- and 14-inch toms, a 14-inch snare drum, and a 20-inch bass drum.

Real wood shells, drumhardware and drum finishesadorn both versions of E-ProLive. The rich drum and per-cussion sounds are generatedfrom the r.e.d.box drum mod-ule. Its 128 MB RAM capacityaccommodates 1,000 high-definition sounds, 100 kits,plus space for 100 user-cre-ated kits. {pearldrum.com}

GIBRALTAR I CHROME RACKS

ChromeToughGibraltar has

expanded its profes-sional Road series withchrome racks andclamps. The new Two-Post Road series chromerack employs curved ver-tical bars along with hori-zontal bars for maximumplacement options andimage. Two curved wingextensions provide addi-tional mounting space forextra cymbals andmounted accessories.MSRP: $550. {gibraltarhardware.com}



BRADY I SPOTTED GUM PLY KITS

Dense TimbreAustralia’s Brady

Drums has intro-duced the Spotted Gumrange of ply shell snare drumsand drum kits. The newrange is handcrafted fromthin shells of spottedgum, a very dense euca-lypt timber species withan interlocked grain. AllSpotted Gum drums areonly available in theirnatural timber finish.{bradydrums.com.au}

MAPEX I VOYAGER SERIES

A New Voyage Mapex’s Voyager series includes a

full set of new Mapex 330 serieshardware, a padded throne, an

optional set of Mapex cymbalsand an instructional DVD. The

Voyager features 7.2-mm bass-wood shells with newly designed,

low-mass lugs. These small-pro-file lugs are mounted to theshell using only a single pointof contact, minimizing theholes drilled into the shell. TheVoyager series comes withRemo drumheads, including aself-muffling bass drum batterhead. MSRP: starts at $729.{mapex.com}

GRETSCH I CATALINA CLUB ROCK

Club PlayerGretsch’s new Catalina Club

Rock four-piece shell packfeatures mahogany shells and30-degree bearing edges for awarm, classic rock sound. The13-inch tom includes a miniGTS tom suspension system tomaximize tonal resonance. It’smounted onto the bass drumwith Gretsch’s ball-socket sin-gle tom mount for placementand stability. The UV gloss lac-quer produces a glassy, ebonygloss finish. MSRP: $1,230.{gretschdrums.com}



EVANS I POWER CENTER

The PowerCenterEvans drumheads

has introduced newPower Center tomheads. This headoffers full-bodiedtone with idealattack, increaseddurability and focus.Evans’ Power Centertom heads featuregraduated film thick-ness of 10-mil film forheads sized from 6–12inches and 12-mil filmon 13–18 inches. Like

Evans’ EC snare heads,the Power Center tom heads

utilize the same stress-relievedmetalized dot on the underside,letting the head flex and vibratemore naturally. MSRP: $26–$48.{evansdrumheads.com}

KORG I WAVEDRUM

Ride the WaveKorg’s new Wavedrum can be used

as a standalone instrument or inte-grated into an existing drum kit or per-cussion rig. Unlike digital trigger-basedsystems, Wavedrum uses a real drum-head as the playing surface. This letsthe performer use sticks, brushes,mallets or traditional hand drum tech-niques. By combining 36 digital signalprocessing synthesis algorithms with200 PCM samples, Wavedrum pro-vides a wide palette of sounds, rang-ing from traditional percussion tosound effects. There are 100 presetprograms and 100 user programsstored in its memory. {korg.com}



Dixon has given its pedal boarddesign a facelift for 2010.

Featuring a slim design, the updatedpedal board provides smooth actionwith a clean, simple feel. New pedalboards can be found on the 711,711DB, 811, 811DB, 911 and911DB bass drum. MSRP: 711,$88.25; 711DB, $234.99; 811,$109.99; 811DB, $289.99; 911,$164.99; 911DB, $349.99; 911DB-LLefty, $349.99. {dixondrums.net}

DIXON I PEDAL BOARDS

Smooth Design

The new KickPort offersoptimum tone control,

tuning and mic placement,and it’s easy to install. Theunit slows the air exitingthe drum by restricting andcompressing the airflow through its tube,and then allows the rapid expansion orrelaxation of the air through its flaredopening. At the same time, it enhancesthe low frequencies and dampens thevibration of the head. {kickport.com}

KICKPORT I BASS DRUM AMP

InstantImprovement

Vic Firth’s Bill Bachman Billy ClubSignature is a new multi-tenor stick

crafted from Sta-Pac for strength and den-sity. The short length makes it easier to movein and out of crosses all around the drums,and the additional weight creates a quickrebound. MSRP: $38.50. {vicfirth.com}

VIC FIRTH I BILL BACHMAN SIGNATURE

The Billy Club


Project17 12/28/09 10:02 AM Page 1



The new Antigua AS4240CBPro Power Bell alto saxo-

phone offers a contemporarydesign, premium materials androadworthy reliability. It featuresa large bell flare and fully ribbedconstruction with double keyarms on the low B, Bb and Ckeys. The sax also has con-toured palm keys and leatherpads with domed metal res-onators. Each Power Bell ishand-engraved and available ina variety of finishes. It comes ina classic tweed-covered hard-shell case. {antiguawinds.com}

ANTIGUA WINDS I AS4240CB

Power toCommand

MI1002_101_105_Band.qxd 12/29/09 3:47 PM Page 101


MAJESTIC I CONCERT TIMPANI

MovableTimpaniThe new Concert series is the

lightest series of Majestictimpani. The block pedal offerssmooth, light action over theentire range of nearly oneoctave due to a newly designedspring-assisted mechanism.This pedal, in combination withthe retractable four-leg design,enables an extended range ofheight adjustability that’s idealfor drum set use in pit orchestrasettings. {jupitermusic.com}

Sonaré Winds hasintroduced a new

500 model interme-diate trumpet. Thismodel features aBlackburn-designedbrass leadpipe andMicroLok adjustablevalve guide system. Itcomes in a lacquer finishand features black pearl but-tons. MSRP: $899.{sonarewinds.com}

SONARÉ WINDS I 500 MODEL

TrumpetSounded



DUSTY STRINGS I CRESCENDO 34

Student HarpDusty Strings has released the

Crescendo 34, a new mid-pricedlever harp. Intended for teachers,students and enthusiasts, the harpfeatures a bright and resonantsound. The Crescendo 34 offers anoctave range of four and three quar-ters that’s well-suited to meet thegrowing recreational market. MSRP:$2,995. {dustystrings.com}

Jupiter now offers two configurations of its XO bass trombones. The1240L-T (pictured) features a .571-inch bore and open-wrap design.

It also incorporates an independent Dual Thayer rotor valveassembly. The XO 1242L bass trombone features a

.562-inch bore, open wrap, offset dependentrotor and mechanical-link tapered

rotary valves. {jupitermusic.com}

JUPITER I XO BASS TROMBONES

New Jupiter Bass Bones



Yamaha has released the YAS-875EXWsaxophone, which features white and

gold lacquering in honor of thecompany’s 50th anniver-

sary of making instru-ments in the United

States. The YAS-875EXW offers asmooth, fastresponse along with

a deep, refined sound. Itcomes with a quick and nim-

ble action, a wide dynamicrange, greater projection, andan authoritative tone. Only 50models of the YAS-875EXW willbe produced, and the saxo-phone will be available for a lim-ited time. {yamaha.com}

YAMAHA I YAS-875EXW

White Diamond

KMC Music has debutedBeck Symphony Satin

stringed instruments inlarger sizes. They’recrafted from agedtonewoods withsolid spruce topsand lightly flamedmaple backs andsides, then finished ina brown satin lac-quer. These instru-ments are availablein several outfit con-figurations with achoice of a woodhorsehair or Glasserhorsehair bow.{kmconline.com}

KMC MUSIC IBECK SYMPHONY

Super-Sized



Phaeton Trumpet recently rolled outa new version of its PHT-2500

flugelhorn. This instrument features thestraight air column design within thepiston cluster. Its free-blowing hornprojects a full sound with a solid focus.The large rose brass bell has remainedunchanged, along with the Phaetonbracing throughout the horn. MSRP:$1,485. {pjlamusic.com}

PHAETON I PHT-2500

Retooled Flugel

D’Addario has teamed up withNed Steinberger to create the

new NS electric strings. They offerrich tone and expressive nuanceand will work well for subtleexpression in acoustic instruments.The strings are available for stan-dard electric bowed instruments,such as violin, viola and cello. Thetraditional double bass set offerswarm tones, while the contempo-rary double bass produces a brightsound and features lower tension.{daddariobowed.com}

D’ADDARIO I NS ELECTRIC STRINGS

Strung Up

Super-Sensitive Musical String has introduceda colorful collection of hypoallergenic rosin.

Made from a synthetic hydrocarbon resin com-pound, Clarity Spectrum improves the perform-ance of rosin, producing better grab and stringresponse. It’s non-corrosive to instrument varnishand can be used on all instruments. MSRP:$16.21. {supersensitive.com}

CAVANAUGH I COLORED ROSIN

Colorful Clarity




Yamaha has introduced a completely redesigned lineupof CP series stage pianos. This line includes the CP1,

CP5 and CP50. The flagship CP1 (pictured) features newNW-Stage weighted wooden keys and spectral componentmodeling tone-generation technology, which recreates thesounds of 17 Yamaha acoustic pianos. MSRP: CP1, $5,999;CP5, $3,299; CP50, $2,199.99. {yamaha.com}

YAMAHA I CP SERIES

Acoustic Recreated


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WYMAN I ORLA SERIES

GrowingFamilyWyman is now offering two

new Orla Ensemble digitalpianos, expanding its Ensembleseries to a total of three models.The Orla CDP45 is an Ensemblepiano in a traditional digital pianocabinet. The Orla Grand 450 is anEnsemble piano in a digital grandcabinet. Both new models featurean 88-note graduated hammeraction keyboard; 476 authenticorchestral sounds, including Orla’sXM sound library; and an exten-sive style section with 260 styles.Other styles can be loaded via theUSB port, and the player can alsouse a USB memory stick torecord musical data or play backMIDI files. {wymanpiano.com}

YOUNG CHANG I X-PRO

Extreme ProYoung, Chang and Weber

have released the X-Proseries of professional digitalpianos. This series features thePC 3 X system and providessynthesizing functions unlikemost digital pianos. The X-Proseries also boasts Fatar GP 40Lkeyboards, 800-plus program-mable sounds, 16-trackrecorders and 881 presets. Thepianos are available in baby andmini grand, as well as upright.{youngchang.com}

WESSELL, NICKEL & GROSS I COMPOSITE PIANO

Consistent ActionWessell, Nickel and Gross is currently

seeking pianists to play and evaluateits new composition actions. WNG actionparts offer strength and consistency that’sunaffected by climate changes. This newinvention is intended for any pianist whoselivelihood depends on a responsive action,clarity of tone, fuller sound andgreater soundprojection. {wessellnickelandgross.com}



SCHIMMEL I C116 MODERN CUBUS

New BrotherSchimmel has released the C116 Modern

Cubus. A sibling to the company’s C116Modern model, the C116 Modern Cubusboasts new manufacturing technologies andmaterials, such as anodized aluminum.{schimmel-piano.de}

STEINWAY I BOSTON PERFORMANCE EDITION

Boston PerformsThe Steinway-designed Boston Piano line

was recently enhanced with the newPerformance Edition series. PerformanceEdition pianos feature improvements in mate-rials, specifications and performance in amid-level price range. A maple inner rimincreases structural integrity andimproves the tone by isolating thesoundboard. The patentedOctagrip Pinblock pro-vides a smootherpin turn. {steinway.com}



STUDIOLOGIC I NUMA NANO

Portable PianoStudiologic has released the Numa

Nano portable, professional 88-notecontroller. Thismobile controllerfeatures Fatar’sGrand Touchhammer actionkeyboard,assignableaftertouch andmultiple velocitydynamic curvememory locations.{americanmusicandsound.com}

SKB I 1SKB-44AX

Travel WiseSKB has added the 1SKB-44AX to

its line of keyboard cases. Thisnew addition is a hardshell modelthat was designed specifically forthe Roland AX-Synth.

The case features a patentedfiberglass-reinforced nylon trigger-release latching system with a TSA-recognized locking latch. The lockenables users to lock their casesbut still be inspected for airlinesecurity. {skbcases.com}

ROLAND I VR-700

All-in-One VRRoland’s new V-Combo VR-700

features the company’s VirtualTonewheel organ and 88-key multi-sampled piano and pro synthesizersounds. It’s intended for playerswho need an all-in-one keyboard fora variety of genres. The amplifierand rotary simulator reproduce thesounds needed for jazz, rock, funkor gospel, while the 76-key waterfallaction captures the feel of a vintageorgan. With the D beam, playerscan create organ-specific effects.MSRP: $2,329. {rolandus.com}



KURZWEIL I PC3LE SERIES

The Wait is OverKurzweil’s PC3LE6, PC3LE7 and

PC3LE8 performance controllerkeyboards are now shipping. The key-boards feature Kurzweil’s PC3 with anew streamlined, intelligent user inter-face. The 61-, 76- and 88-note pro-fessional keyboards provide natural,semi-weighted actions with velocity-and aftertouch-sensitive keys.

Their user interfaces are designedfor a quick learning curve and easeof use. Move any knob, button orwheel and the LE will display thename, value and parameter beingcontrolled. All changes are tracked inreal time, including changes toeffects chains.

Keyboard setup is fast and flexi-ble. Setup mode enables the LEs toact as MIDI controllers, with 16 inde-pendent, fully programmable arpeg-giators that can be mapped to 16zones and 16 simultaneous riffs.{kurzweil.com}

GATOR CASES I ATA KEYBOARD CASES

Revised CaseGator Cases has revised its entire line of

polyethylene ATA keyboard cases. Fromthe new adjustable interior to the sleek exte-rior style, Gator has given the series a com-plete overhaul. It has also upgraded toTSA-approved latches for traveling musicians.The cases come in sizes ranging from the 49-note model to the 88-note model. The newadjustable interior is customizable to the vari-ous contours and shapes of each keyboard.{gatorcases.com}

PIANODISC I IQ PACKAGES

Bundles ofTechnologyPianoDisc now

offers iQPackages, bun-dles of popularand emergingmedia deliverydevices, hard-ware and soft-ware, that let adealer customizeiQ to suit his orher customers.DVD players,Oppo Blu-rayplayers, netbooksand iPods arejust some of iQ’s performance part-ners. The iQ DVD package featuresan iQ DVD player, television andPianoVideo pack. {pianodisc.com}


Project17 12/28/09 10:03 AM Page 1


Kendor has releasedClassics For Clarinet

Quartet Volume 2. Thisbook offers a variety ofmusical styles to stimulateand challenge second- tofourth-grade clarinet quar-tets. The full-score bookincludes a CD performedby the Potsdam ClarinetQuartet containing fullversions of all 13 titles inthe collection. Theseinclude “The HappyFarmer,” “Mazurka,”“Waltz,” “Beau Soir” and“Molto Lento.” MSRP:$5.50–$32.95.{kendormusic.com}

KENDOR I ‘CLASSICSFOR CLARINET’

ClassicClarinetChallenge

MI1002_113_116_Print.qxd 12/29/09 3:53 PM Page 113

Compose, arrange andnotate professional-qual-

ity sheet music that playsback with MakeMusic’s Finale2010. This latest softwarerelease offers more than 300customizable and printablemusic education worksheets.It features a free, download-able Finale Reader that letsmusicians share Finale fileswith anyone. Finale 2010 sup-ports Windows XP/Vista andMac 10.4 and 10.5. {makemusic.com}


Rock House, now dis-tributed by Hal

Leonard, has releasedThe Rock House MethodBlues Guitar, Advanced.

This DVD builds on thetechniques learned in theearlier edition. GuitaristJohn McCarthy instructsplayers on how to masterblues skills, such as bluesendings, turnarounds,melodic blues, the circleof fourths and slide tech-niques. The DVD alsoshows rakes andadvanced bending.MSRP: $19.99.{rockhousemethod.com}

ROCK HOUSE I ‘BLUES GUITAR’ DVD

Rock House of Blues MJS Music andEntertainment has

revamped its beginnerguitar DVD with an all-acoustic instructionmethod. The latest edi-tion to the Easy Guitarseries is the EasyAcoustic Guitar DVD:Beginner Basics AndBeyond. It instructs onhow to read music withnotation, tab and charts,as well as individualnotes, chords andsongs. MSRP: $12.95.{mjspublications.com}

MJS MUSIC I ACOUSTIC INSTRUCTION METHOD

Take It Easy

MAKEMUSIC I FINALE 2010

2010 Has Arrived

eMedia has releasedGuitar Method 5.0. It

comes with audiorecognition softwarethat can listen to a stu-dent playing and showwhether or not the cor-rect notes are being hit.The software featuresmore than 180 lessons,50 videos and morethan 70 popular songsby such artists as BobDylan and Rolling Stones. MSRP:$59.95. {emediamusic.com}

EMEDIA I NEW GUITAR METHOD

Smart Software



Lick Library’sLearn to

Play—The Solosseries nowincludes a titlefrom ZakkWylde, guitaristfor OzzyOsbourne. TheDVD includes aCD of profes-sionally recordedguitar jam back-ing tracks andfull solo perform-ances that canbe played at three differ-ent speeds. It also breaksdown the solos into easy-to-learn sections. {licklibrary.com}

LICK LIBRARY I THE SOLOS SERIES

Wylde Solos

Homespun MusicInstruction has

released The Crow: NewSongs For The Five-String Banjo by come-dian, actor and musicianSteve Martin.

The 40-page bookfeatures tablature, tran-scriptions and commen-tary from Martin forplayers who are inter-ested in learning thesongs off his award-win-ning Rounder album.{homespuntapes.com}

HOMESPUN I BANJO SONGBOOK

At HomeWithMartin



Guitar technique andcontemporary compo-

sition teacher JanetMarlow has released herown book, Guitar PracticeTips And Techniques:What Every Great GuitaristKnows About Practicing.Marlow offers shortcuttraining methods to cut tothe core of the player’spracticing problems andcreates a solution to mas-ter necessary skills. Topicsinclude evaluating prac-tice, the first principle ofgreat practice and thethree stages of practicing.{janetmarlowmusic.com}

JANET MARLOW I PRACTICE METHOD

PracticePerfect

Cherry Lane has released aPlay-It-Like-It-Is guitar folio

of Blooddrunk, the latest albumfrom Finnish death metal bandChildren of Bodom. The bookprovides notes and tabs for all ofthe songs on Children ofBodom’s CD, including “Die ForNothing,” which is featured inGuitar Hero 5. {cherrylane.com}

CHERRY LANE I ‘CHILDREN OF BODOM’

Play Metal

CarlFischer

has teamedup with CampJam, a sum-mer rockcamp for bothkids andadults, to cre-ate the RockSolid series.This line isdesigned toguide aspiringrock musi-cians from thebeginner level to playing in arock band. The series fea-tures Rock Solid: Guitar,Rock Solid: Bass, RockSolid: Keyboard and RockSolid: Drums. MSRP:$19.95–$24.95. {carlfischer.com}

CARL FISCHER I CAMP JAM SERIES

Rocker Ready


X RATES: CLASSIFIED DISPLAY: $25 PER COLUMN INCH. READING NOTICES: $1.00 PER WORD; $15 MINIMUM CHARGE. ALL ADS ARE PREPAID.X PAYMENTS: SEND CHECK OR CHARGE IT ON MASTERCARD, VISA OR DISCOVER.X DEADLINES: ADVERTISING CLOSES THE 15TH OF THE MONTH, SIX WEEKS PRIOR TO ISSUE DATE—I.E. THE MAY ISSUE WOULD CLOSE MARCH 15.X SEND YOUR ADVERTISEMENT TO: MUSIC INC., 102 N. HAVEN ROAD, ELMHURST, ILLINOIS, 60126: OR FAX YOUR AD TO: (630) 941-3210.X QUESTIONS? CALL SUE MAHAL AT (630) 941-2030, EXT. 121.


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BUYERS WANTED

POSITIONS AVAILABLEPOSITIONS AVAILABLE

BRAND MANAGERKorg USA is looking for an experiencedprofessional to manage MarshallAmplification plus a complete line ofacoustic and electric guitars for anestablished brand. For completedetails, visit korg.com/brandmgr

NATIONAL SALES MANAGEROrange Amplifiers are seeking a National

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CHECK OUTTHE NEWIDEA VAULTmusicincmag.com/resources.html

Where the MI IndustryIdeamakers Share All Their

Good Practices Ideas

Knorr Beeswax Products is offering aline of music-themed candles. Thesehand-rolled and painted candles are100-percent beeswax. The designsinclude the Double Flair Piano Keys (pic-tured, left), the Treble Clef (middle) andthe Double Flair Musical Notes (right).These candles are ideal for musical dis-plays and home decor. All three are soldin pairs and gift boxed. MSRP: TrebleClef, $20; Double Flairs, $19.

KNORR BEESWAX PRODUCTSMUSICAL LIGHTING

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Call Sue Mahal to join the Marketplace630-941-2030, x121

Access Bags & Cases ..................................................................................66

AIM ................................................................................................................98

Allparts................................................................................................................8

American Music & Sound ............................................................................68

Aristides ........................................................................................................110

Audix ................................................................................................................49

Avant Electric ..................................................................................................91

Bedell ................................................................................................................53

Behringer..........................................................................................................88

Big Bends ......................................................................................................116

Black Star ........................................................................................................19

Brazen Guitars ................................................................................................62

BreezSong ......................................................................................................85

Carl Fischer ..................................................................................................115

Chonwoo........................................................................................................110

D’Addario ............................................................................................11, 95, 97

Dava ..................................................................................................................81

Drum Workshop ............................................................................................92

Dunlop ..............................................................................................................54

Dusty Strings ..................................................................................................79

Eastwood Guitars ..........................................................................................62

Eldon ..............................................................................................................103

Elixir Strings ....................................................................................................12

Fender ..............................................................................................................59

Fishman Transducers ....................................................................................36

G7th ..................................................................................................................79

George L’s ..........................................................................................................4

Graph Tech ......................................................................................................60

Hamilton ............................................................................................................4

Harman ............................................................................................................83

Hunter Musical Products..............................................................................60

JJ Babbitt ......................................................................................................105

Jody Jazz ..........................................................................................................8

Korg USA ........................................................................................................39

Kyser ................................................................................................................31

LAG Guitars ....................................................................................................67

Latin Percussion ............................................................................................99

Levy’s Leathers ............................................................................................123

Lewitt ..............................................................................................................111

Loud Technology ............................................................................................51

Major Music Supply ......................................................................................72

Mapex ............................................................................................................100

Messe Frankfort ..........................................................................................116

Mi-SI................................................................................................................109

MJS Music & Entertainment......................................................................114

Muse ................................................................................................................87

Musicorp ............................................................................................................9

N-Tune ..............................................................................................................79

NAMM ........................................................................................................22-23

NEMC..............................................................................................................104

New Sensor Corp...............................................................................27, 34-35

Olympus ..........................................................................................................24

Peace Drums ..................................................................................................19

Pearl Drums ....................................................................................................17

Peterson ............................................................................................................5

Phonic ..............................................................................................................32

Pioneer ............................................................................................................76

Promark............................................................................................................45

RockBox ..........................................................................................................21

Rockhouse ....................................................................................................112

Roland ................................................................................................................2

RPMDA ..........................................................................................................115

Samson ..........................................................................................................124

Schecter Guitar Research ............................................................................73

Shubb Capos ..................................................................................................81

Shure ................................................................................................................41

Sony ....................................................................................................................7

STK ..................................................................................................................75

String Swing .................................................................................................. 74

Studio Devil......................................................................................................29

Sundown Amp ................................................................................................29

Tanglewood Guitars ......................................................................................65

Taylor Guitars ..................................................................................................15

Traveller Guitar................................................................................................75

Trem King ........................................................................................................64

Vandoren ..........................................................................................................14

Wick ................................................................................................................102

Winkler Woods................................................................................................33

Zildjian ..............................................................................................................3

MI1002_117_121_Marketplace.qxd 12/30/09 2:06 PM Page 121

>>>Fred SchiffAll County MusicTamarac, Fla.

The best new product is theBodyBeat by Peterson Strobe

Tuners. This metronome attaches toa person’s belt and vibrates andpulses, giving the musician a truefeel for tempo.

We’ve sold numerous units toschools via our road staff, especiallyfor drum majors and lead percus-sionists. Indoors, the BodyBeat isparticularly good for drummersbecause they can’t drown out theclick of a normal metronome.

>>>Reese MarinBellevue American MusicBellevue, Wash.

People come to us because theyknow they get great information.

Yamaha is doing extremely wellbecause it has a good-quality guitarwith a great value. It’s a great guitarfor the dollar. The Christmas seasonsaw low- to mid-range shopping, sothis instrument is perfect for thattime of the year.

Peavey has been talking aboutits new power amps, the IPR poweramplifiers, for a long time. I haven’tseen them yet. There are many vari-ations on the scene, and it has beenthat way for a long time. The IPR issupposed to be incredibly light-weight and very efficient, so it willbe great when it comes out.

>>>James BetheaThe Perfect Bass/The PerfectGuitarBaton Rouge, La.

The Music Man Dargie Delight IIseries of guitars and basses has

done really well. Being a limited-edi-tion and a follow-up to a successfulfirst run a year or so ago, it has beena fast seller for us.

Aguilar came out with theOctamizer and Tone Hammer pedals,and I hope to see more effects fromthem. It’s a great company with greatproducts.

I think the most important con-tributor to our success with gear isthat our staff really knows our prod-uct offerings. We don’t just sell gear,we are a resource for our customers.

What new gear ortechnologies havegot you fired up?Without a doubt, the

hottest product of2009 for Skip’s Music wasthe QSC K series poweredspeakers. The quality sooutperformed other com-parative products that itcompletely excited myemployees to the pointthat they were demonstrat-ing the speakers to cus-tomers who weren’t evenshopping for speakers.

I enjoyed sales thatwere being stimulated bywant and desire, not justneed. I also found thatduring the tough economythose customers who werecoming in planning to buylesser-priced speakerswere easily convinced ofthe higher value of the

upgraded product andcomfortably justified theirhigher expenditures.

Another brand that hasbeen a great seller for us isTC-Helicon. Once again,our staff was very excitedto demonstrate the newesttechnology in vocal effectprocessors and was proudto tell customers just howaffordable they are. Thetop performer for us hasbeen the Harmony-G, butall their Voicetone prod-ucts sell well.

One of the most uniqueand surprising productsthat surfaced this year wasthe Morpheus Droptunepolyphonic pitch pedal,which effectively dropsyour guitar to your tuning

of choice. There is no com-petition that I know of forthis product, and it’s only$199.

While new technologyhas played a big role inexciting new sales atSkip’s Music, there justdoesn’t seem to be enoughbeing introduced.

I can only hope thatmore manufacturers inour industry will see thatreinvesting in new productdevelopment and technol-ogy during tough times ismore important than everfor our industry’s successas a whole. It is the newproduct introductions thatwill drive consumers towant and spend in thetough years ahead.

>>>SkipMaggioraSkip’s MusicSacramento, Calif.

Photo by Marianne W

illiams

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