VISIONARY - Music Inc. Magazine

BRICKHOUSE MUSIC I CONTEST
Burleigh-Bentz
Wins Bigsby
Jen Burleigh-Bentz from
Brickhouse Music in
River Falls, Wis., recently
became the lucky winner
of a limited-edition Bigsby
BYSW Double Florentine
Cutaway guitar, valued at
a list price of $3,000. The
instrument was the prize
in a giveaway sponsored
by Hal Leonard and Bigsby
at this past NAMM show.
The giveaway was
Jen Burleigh-
Bentz shows
off her Bigsby
prize guitar
part of a promotion for Hal Leonard’s new book and
CD pack The Story Of Paul A. Bigsby: Father Of The
Modern Electric Solidbody Guitar. The coffee-table
book illustrates the builder’s influence on Fender and
Gibson, along with numerous other guitar makers, in
the design and construction of electric guitars. It also
comes with an audio CD of Paul Bigsby, recorded in
the late 1950s, telling stories about his business.
TRIBUTE
Thank you for your contributions to the
music industry. You will be missed.
Arthur Griggs
Arthur Griggs of Griggs Music in Davenport,
Iowa, passed away on May 29,
a few months shy of what would have
been his 100th birthday on Sept. 26.
Griggs was a pioneer of the
post-World War II music products
industry. His father established
Griggs Piano in 1903, where Arthur
would later spend every Saturday
and summer sweeping the store
until he was old enough to run it.
In 2003, he took part in the centennial
anniversary of the store,
which is now called Griggs Music.
“Arthur was truly one of the most
interesting people I have ever had
the pleasure of knowing, and I could
and should write a book [about him],”
said Steve Judge, the current president
and owner of Griggs Music. “I
don’t think I ever have met anyone
in the industry who stayed on top of
every product category as he did.
“He was very consistent in his
philosophies, and I always was impressed
with his honesty and integrity
and his desire to learn new things.”
JULY 2011 I MUSIC INC. I 21