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56 I MUSIC INC. I MAY 2011<br />
TREND SEGMENTS<br />
TUNERS<br />
The uLTimaTe aDD-oN<br />
a consistently strong<br />
accessory, tuners<br />
are gaining more<br />
traction than ever<br />
with new brands,<br />
models and features<br />
It’s something every musician needs and<br />
something every music retailer can sell:<br />
the almighty tuner.<br />
It has add-on power that makes it a<br />
sure-fire sale. And the recent surge in new<br />
brands, models and features has grown the<br />
market, which features tuners in every price<br />
range for every player.<br />
“Nearly every dealer has a customer for<br />
tuners,” said Joe Gilmartin, tuner product<br />
manager for Korg USA. “Tuners are an excellent<br />
high-margin attachment sale for a<br />
very broad customer base. Plus, as players<br />
gain experience, we find they graduate to<br />
more advanced tuner products. Our most<br />
successful dealers stock a variety of tuner<br />
formats and price points.”<br />
“Regardless of the type of instrument,<br />
players today use tuners,” said Brian Vance,<br />
D’Addario’s manager of product management.<br />
“Combo stores, band and orchestra<br />
dealers, even drum shops all should stock<br />
tuners, especially if you have lessons. Based<br />
on the types of customers or musicians a<br />
store attracts, there should be a mix of standalone,<br />
clip-ons, metronome tuners and pedal<br />
tuners to meet the various needs of your<br />
customers.”<br />
cliP-oN cRAZE<br />
Gone are the days of balancing bulky<br />
tuners on your knee. In the past year,<br />
the market for clip-on tuners has doubled,<br />
according to Vance. The simplicity and compactibilty<br />
of these models have made them<br />
hot sellers and ideal for musicians on the go.<br />
“[Clip-ons] are huge items,” said Myrna<br />
Sislen, owner of Middle C <strong>Music</strong> in Washington,<br />
D.C. “I sell boxes of them every week,<br />
close to about 30 or 40. They are a really,<br />
Ray Aleshire<br />
really easy and important way for people to<br />
enjoy their instruments.”<br />
Sislen said the Crafter TG-200H, which<br />
retails for $24.95, is a strong seller. The tuner<br />
offers a microphone and bright screen that<br />
features an orange-green color scheme when<br />
going from out of tune to in tune.<br />
For a music lessons-based operation like<br />
Sislen’s, tuners can also help strengthen relationships<br />
with teachers.<br />
“Retailers have quickly gained the support<br />
of teachers through tuners,” said Joe<br />
Arias, vice president and general manager of<br />
Crafter. “Giving a student, or any beginner,<br />
the ability to tune quickly and accurately<br />
focuses more lesson time on making music.”<br />
Neil Lilien of Meisel Accessories, maker<br />
of the MCT-8L clip-on, said the small,<br />
portable size of such tuners adds to their<br />
appeal, especially for traveling and gigging<br />
musicians.<br />
“Clip-on tuners are hot because of their<br />
easy-to-store size, speed, accuracy and reasonable<br />
price,” Lilien said. “Many are equipped
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