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anced, adding to their appeal.”<br />
For Martin, Boak said the<br />
plethora of vintage-inspired instruments<br />
was spurred on by its<br />
custom shop in the early 1980s.<br />
“We began to see custom<br />
orders coming through for the<br />
same types of models over and<br />
over again,” Boak said. “They<br />
were basically recreations of our<br />
own guitars from the pre-war era,<br />
or the Golden Era, as [Martin]<br />
trademarked it.”<br />
In addition to its custom shop,<br />
Martin offers many vintage models,<br />
including the D18 Golden<br />
Era, which includes an Adirondack<br />
spruce soundboard like those<br />
used on pre-war Martins.<br />
Affordability gives consumers<br />
another reason to turn to retroinspired<br />
gear and reissues when<br />
looking for a vintage fix.<br />
“People are more interested<br />
50 I MUSIC INC. I MAY 2011<br />
TREND SEGMENTS<br />
VINTAGE-INSPIRED GEAR<br />
in the vintage market now more<br />
than ever,” said Ashley Atz, PR<br />
manager for The <strong>Music</strong> Link,<br />
which offers vintage models in<br />
its Recording King and The Loar<br />
guitar lines.<br />
“However, not everyone can<br />
afford to buy a guitar from the<br />
1950s, but many still recognize<br />
that vintage instruments<br />
are prized for their sound and<br />
build quality. The modern manufacturer’s<br />
response has been to<br />
build instruments that are trueto-spec<br />
reproductions of those<br />
classic instruments.”<br />
Bobby Boyles, owner of Oklahoma<br />
Vintage Guitar in El Reno,<br />
Okla., agreed that affordability<br />
is a major selling point for inspired<br />
gear.<br />
“For us, promoting the<br />
vintage-based new products<br />
is easy because we are Okla-<br />
homa Vintage Guitar,” Boyles<br />
said. “People come to us from<br />
around the world to see vintage,<br />
and we show them both. Lots<br />
of times, they buy the vintageinspired<br />
items because they have<br />
the look they like and the sound<br />
they like but also the price they<br />
like.”<br />
Cost aside, getting customers<br />
to play the guitars and honing<br />
in on their vintage qualities and<br />
components are ways American<br />
Guitar & Band’s Lake approaches<br />
selling vintage-inspired pieces.<br />
“We insist on getting guitars<br />
into people’s hands,” he said. “If<br />
someone wants to buy a guitar<br />
that looks identical to a vintage<br />
instrument, we focus on the design<br />
details and explain exactly<br />
what features are the same as<br />
the original and which elements<br />
are updates.”<br />
icoNic SKiNS<br />
T he drum industry has been<br />
ahead of the curve in the vintage<br />
market. Most manufacturers<br />
have always offered a vintage set<br />
or vintage finish in their lines.<br />
“Ludwig, for example, has<br />
never gone away,” said Rej<br />
Troup of Dale’s Drum Shop in<br />
Harrisburg, Pa. “It’s hard to get<br />
a more vintage-inspired drum set<br />
than its Classic Maple or Legacy<br />
kit in a vintage wrap.”<br />
Grestch Drums also continues<br />
to turn out vintage shells every<br />
year. “Having something classic<br />
and vintage is different,” said<br />
John Palmer, product manager<br />
for Gretsch Drums. “It’s been<br />
so far removed in many cases<br />
that it looks like it is a fresh<br />
perspective.”<br />
Gretsch recently released its<br />
Renown57 kit, which incorpo-
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