laTeST - Music & Sound Retailer

April 15, 2010
Volume 27, No. 4
It’s in the Cards
You Must Have PCI-Compliant Terminals By July 1
By Brian Berk
Cash is no longer king. It hasn’t been for several
years. That little piece of plastic is in charge.
Credit cards are often what your customers use
to buy products. Technology has made it easier
to use credit cards. People are more comfortable
using credit cards online than ever before. But,
unfortunately, technological improvements also
make it easier for hackers to steal information.
On this topic, Payment Card Industry
(PCI DSS) Data Security Standards were
created and it’s something you must be familiar
with if you are not already. To make it easier,
we’re going to refer to PCI DSS as simply
PCI or PCI compliance throughout the rest of
this story because most retailers refer to it as
simply PCI.
PCI compliance is already required by credit
card companies. However, you must have payment-compliant
terminals by July 1. If you are not
compliant, you could face fines. Amounts of such
fines would vary. If you don’t meet compliance
standards, there’s a good chance you will need to
make a purchase or purchases to rectify the situa-
(continued on page 53)
Acoustic Guitar Sales
Sharply Rise in 2009
By Brian Berk
You’ve probably heard it ad nauseam. 2009 was a difficult year for most.
That certainly holds true for the guitar market. But thanks to the help of
MI Sales Trak, we’ve determined the industry did have strengths during
a difficult time. The biggest highlight belongs to acoustic guitars, whose
sales rose significantly.
Why did acoustic guitars sell so well? Did they take a significant chunk
of the pie from electric guitar sales? Did many colors and finishes of
acoustics sell well? Or did the traditional wood finish continue to be the
winner?
We’re going to answer all of those questions as we take our annual look
at the state of the guitar market. MI Sales Trak provided all of the data.
For all data, we’re looking at the 12-month period that ended on Jan. 31.
Let’s begin with the rise of the acoustic guitar. In February 2009, electric
(continued on page 50)
Have you seen it?
Recreational Music
Making takes
center stage P. 16
We travel to England to
interview Jason How of
Rotosound P. 30
The launch of a new
column: Appraisal Scene
Investigation! P. 43

LATEST
Crafter’s VP and GM Joe Arias (l) with Jim Greene, president of Music World
Crafter Crafts New Program
Crafter USA launched its Crafter Premium Stocking Program. The
first dealer to sign on to the program was Music World of Colonial
Heights, Va. “We have taken our top sellers and combined them with
a variety of sales support mechanisms and incentives that will create a
positive sell-through environment for the independent retailers,” said
Joe Arias, vice president and general manager for Crafter USA.
Focusrite Forms U.S. Subsidiary
Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd., the U.K. manufacturer of Focusrite
and Novation brands, has formed Focusrite Novation Inc., which
establishes a dedicated American presence for the U.K. company. Phil
Wagner, who held a similar position as president of Solid State Logic,
Inc., will head the new company. Focusrite Novation will concentrate
on growing Focusrite and Novation’s expanding product slate with the
addition of sales management, marketing and field training staff. The
U.S. operation will be located in Los Angeles, Calif.
Phil Dudderidge, Focusrite managing director, stated, “We want to
increase the recognition of and support for the Focusrite and Novation
brands in the vital U.S. market. Creating Focusrite Novation Inc.
enables us to enhance our presence with increased levels of dealer
support and various forthcoming marketing initiatives.”
Focusrite Novation Inc. will continue to work in partnership with its
U.S. distributor, American Music and Sound Inc., specifically its newly
established Music Creation Division. This division concentrates on
Focusrite, Novation and four other brands that will be managed regionally
by a new team of sales managers. AM&S’ team will provide field
sales support, sales administration and logistics capabilities.
In Memoriam: Charlie Wicks
Charlie Wicks, founder, owner and CEO of Pro Co Sound, Inc.,
died on March 11, 2010, due to complications related to his battle
with cancer. Wicks, 65, was a prominent member of the audio
industry. He formed Pro Co in the early 1970s to manufacture PA
speakers and shifted to manufacturing cables and interconnect
products in 1974. From that starting point, he led the company over
the next four decades to become a global presence in the audio
industry. He was known affectionately throughout the audio industry
by his non-traditional and self-proclaimed title of “The Captain of the
Universe.”
In recent years, his health became an impediment to his direct
involvement in the business. Debbe Stephenson, friend and president
of Pro Co, stated, “While our hope has always been that Charlie
would return healthy and able to run the company he loved so dearly
and put so much of himself into, he will remain in our hearts as we
continue to carry on his dream.”
He leaves behind his wife, Willie, and son, John. He was predeceased
by his son, Stacey.
Store Owner Shoots Robber
Allied Music of Ohio co-Owner Eric Bilger on March 12 shot a suspect
allegedly attempting to rob the store. According to Sgt. Phil Toney of the
Toledo Police Department, suspect Steve James entered the store looking
to obtain a job. James left but returned a few minutes later and allegedly
held a gun to the store clerk’s head. James then led the clerk into a back
room. The clerk yelled, “I need help!” and Bilger appeared with a gun.
Gunfire ensued. James was the only one shot. He was struck in the body
and hand. The suspect then fled the store and collapsed in a nearby Burger
King parking lot. He was transported to a hospital and James was issued an
aggravated robbery warrant. James was listed in serious condition.
Co-Owner Mark Bilger told the Toledo Blade the store has been robbed
three times since last summer. He was thankful his brother was safe.
Otamatone Creates A Buzz
A Japanese musical instrument is the talk of the Internet and is
being featured in myriad viral videos. Billed as “the world’s cutest
and weirdest musical instrument,” it is the Otamatone. Invented by
Novmichi Tosa for Maywa Denki, the Otamatone is a toy suitable for
kids or an addition to any musician’s collection of unique instruments.
To play the Otamatone, a user places his fingers along the length of
the stem. As he moves his fingers along the Otamatone’s surface, the
pitch and tone of the note changes. If he moves his fingers down the
stem, it raises the pitch; sliding them back up lowers it.
The user can also squeeze the “head” of the Otamatone, which
creates the illusion that the Otamatone is singing. Squeezing the head
changes the tone of the note being played, as well. The sound and playing
style used to experiment with the Otamatone has drawn comparisons
to the Theremin, another type of musical instrument.
The Otamatone is intended to look like a single musical note. The
instrument comes in two colors: black (which resembles an eighth
note) and white.
Music & Sound Retailer

VOLUME 27 NO. 4
Inside
F E AT U R E S
ON THE COVER
Unplugged!
Acoustic guitar sales grew dramatically in 2009 and the beginning
of 2010. Is this the beginning of a new trend?
ON THE COVER
It’s In The Cards
You need to have PCI DSS-compliant terminals to handle credit
card transactions by July 1. What are we talking about? Don’t
worry, we’ll explain.
c o l u m n s
Page 10
16 The Music & Sound
Independent Retailer
We talk to Debra Perez and Will Baily about the recreational
music making (RMM) movement. Should you offer RMM
classes in your store?
Page 20
30 Five Minutes With
We traveled to the county of Kent, in the United Kingdom, for
a talk with Jason How of Rotosound. Martyn How and David
Phillips join in. Rotosound plans for a huge push in the United
States this year.
Page 18
36 MI Spy
MI Spy took to Beantown shortly before the Red Sox hosted
the Yankees on opening day. Was service a home run or a
swing and a miss?
41 Dan the Man
Dan Ferrisi looks back at a NAMM session and ahead to a
possible return to playing an instrument.
43 Appraisal Scene
Investigation
A new column is born! Rebecca Apodaca, the matriarch of
music instrument appraisals, begins a new monthly column.
Appraising instruments is not only something you can do, but it
can earn you a pretty penny on the side, as well.
Page 43
45 Sales Guru
Gene Fresco teaches you how to be prepared as a salesperson.
b u z z
3 Latest Buzz
12 Dealer Buzz
13 People Buzz
18 Product Buzz
Page 22
47 Veddatorial
The “Great Recession” has changed many of us forever. Here’s
what Dan Vedda did, and what you have to do, to remain
successful.
54 Formidable Females
For the first time, we feature multiple people in this column.
We look at the genesis and growth of the all-women founded
business, Fusion Bags.
April 2010

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Alan Holdsworth
Chris Henderson
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Davey Johnston
Elton John Band
Jeff Waters
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editorial
More NAMM Thoughts
Brian Berk
Editor
I know I am late with more NAMM comments. Yes, it is
April already, but I just had to talk about Paul Specht last
month.
So much happened at NAMM in January that I didn’t
even get to present all of my thoughts in February. Here
goes….
I want to begin with the Guitar Accessories and Manufacturers
Association meeting. There was an interesting
discussion from a Microsoft executive about how companies
can advertise on video games and, since game operating
systems, such as its Xbox, of course, are connected to
the Internet, the ad can rotate to something else at a given
time. The demonstration also claimed that many gamers
remember the ads after they see them on a video game,
even if they are focusing on steering a car, for example.
Will it make kids go out and buy those products? Who
knows? Because I saw a Snickers ad on a video game,
does that mean I suddenly will crave a Snickers bar?
That’s an important question to answer.
Now, onto a bad thing that has nothing to do with the
show. Somebody has to explain to me why I couldn’t
check out the NFL playoffs for a few minutes at many
of the hotel bars. All of them were closed during the
first game. Are you kidding me? Closed during the NFL
playoffs? That includes a sport bar, folks. I finally watched
a little at the Sheraton. Its bar was also closed, but at least
there was a television with the game on. Unbelievable.
Now, back to the good. The Percussion Marketing
Council (PMC) desperately needed a celebrity to push its
agenda along. Now it has one. Brad Smith of the Red Hot
Chili Peppers is a fantastic choice. He gives the PMC a
great shot in the arm.
Finally, I know I do this every year, but it has to be
done. I want to thank all of you who came by to see me.
Some of you said “hello” or waved to me on the show
floor. That’s great to see. Your feedback about the magazine
was fantastic. You are the reason we have a magazine.
We are here to serve you. I always remember that. I
would not have a job without you.
I also want to give a special shout out to several people
in the industry I got to see off of the show floor. I hope
I didn’t leave any names out. If I did, I sincerely apologize.
If only you could have cloned me! I would have
seen many more people. Anyway, here’s the list: Ron
Manus and Rich Lackowski of Alfred Publishing; Tish
Ciravolo of Daisy Rock; Vicki Peterson of The Bangles;
Scott Davies, his wife and daughters of American DJ;
Joe Fucini; Dave Chiapetta and Michael Krumholz of
ToneGear; Josh Vittek; Leslie Buttenow of Korg; Dave
Dunwoodie of Graph Tech; Neil Altneu and the crew at
D&M Professional; the staff at Behringer; and retailers
Gordy Wilcher, Chris Lovell, Chris Basile, Harry Gillum
and Rebecca Apodaca.
April 15, 2010
Volume 27, No. 4
BRIAN berK
bberk@testa.com
Editor
Dan Ferrisi
dferrisi@testa.com
Assistant Editor
George Hines
Skip maggiora
Editorial Advisors
Rebecca Apodaca
gene fresco
jeffrey kyle, jr.
JANICE PUPELIS
Graphic Designer/Artist
STEVE THORAKOS
Production Manager
circulation
circulation@testa.com
Phil Taylor
Web Designer
Michelle Loeb
TRIpP underwood
Dan Vedda
Contributors
Robert l. Iraggi
riraggi@testa.com
Advertising Director
DOUGLAS YELIN
dyelin@testa.com
Art/Production Assistant
RObin hazan
rhazan@testa.com
Operations Manager
VINCENT P. TESTA
President/Publisher
Editorial and Sales Office: The Music & Sound Retailer, 25 Willowdale Avenue, Port Washington, New York
11050-3779. Phone: (516) 767-2500 • Fax (Editorial): (516) 767-9335 • Fax (Sales/All other business):
(516) 767-9335 • MSREDITOR@Testa.com.
Editorial contributions should be addressed to The Editor, The Music & Sound Retailer, 25 Willowdale Avenue,
Port Washington, New York 11050-3779. Unsolicited manuscripts will be treated with care and must be accompanied
by return postage.
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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Music & Sound Retailer, PO BOX 1767, LOWELL
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April 2010

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LATEST
Suspect Named
A man has been identified by police as the main suspect in two robberies
at California MI stores last month. According to Santa Cruz police,
Jorge Huante entered Offshore Music Store on March 1, grabbed
a bass guitar, threatened employees and grabbed cash from a register
drawer before escaping in a getaway car.
On March 2, Huante entered Sylvan Music Store, showed interest
in a vintage electric guitar and left the store. He returned shortly after
with a handgun and took the guitar at gunpoint. Police were able to
identify Huante per video surveillance and a discarded cell phone at
one of the crime scenes. Huante, 24, was arrested on March 6.
In Memoriam: Herb Newton
Music retailer Herb Newton died on February 11 at the age of 94. He
was a passionate music maker who, during his long career, took pride
in having played a role in bringing music to the lives of many thousands
of people. He cared deeply about the music industry and served on the
Board of Directors for NAMM, the International Music Products Association,
in 1967.
KHS America Relocating To Mt. Juliet
The American division of KHS, a Taiwanese musical instrument
manufacturer, will shift its corporate headquarters to Mt. Juliet, Tenn.,
according to a Nashville Post report. The company is relocating from its
present Austin, Texas, headquarters to the Wilson County city, erecting
a 100,000-sq.-ft. complex in the Beckwith Farms development along
Interstate 40. KHS supplies Jupiter wind instruments, Mapex drums,
Majestic concert percussion and Altus flutes. Its new building will serve
as a central warehouse and distribution point for operations in North
America. The building is scheduled to be completed in the early summer,
and all facilities will be fully functional by the middle of the year.

LATEST
2010 National Wanna Play Music Week Planned
NAMM has announced plans
for its fourth annual National
Wanna Play Music Week, taking
place May 3 to 7. The week’s
activities are designed to put the
media spotlight on the benefits
of playing music and to give
people new reasons to start or
re-start this activity. On May 3,
NAMM will join the Coalition of
Music Education in Canada in
its sixth annual Music Monday
event to demonstrate the
importance of music education
programs throughout North
America and to celebrate the
benefits of music making for
people of all ages. To sign up,
visit www.wannaplaymusic.
com/programs/music-mondayusa.
On Tuesday, May 4, to celebrate
the spontaneity of music
making and the fact that anyone
can do it, NAMM will organize a
series of “flash mob/flashjams”
across the country to be shared
on social media networks,
creating buzz for music making.
More information is available at
www.namm.org and www.wan
naplaymusic.com. On Wednesday,
May 5, the NAMM Foundation
will announce its “Best
Communities for Music Education,”
honoring schools and
communities that work hard to
make music a part of a complete
education for every child.
You might be surprised by
how many celebrities (including
actors, authors, sports stars
and politicians) also play music
just for fun. On Thursday, May
6, NAMM will feature many of
these “celebrity musicians” in
creative ways. Watch for media
updates from NAMM on this.
And, Friday, May 7, is Music
Store Appreciation Day. NAMM
will bring National Wanna Play
Music Week to a close by honoring
the hub of all things musical,
the local community music store,
and encouraging non-musicians
to pay these stores a visit to get
started.
If you have ideas or feedback
about how you’d like to participate
in National Wanna Play
Music Week, e-mail info@namm.
org or call (800) 767-NAMM.
Protesters
Flood Iowa
About 500 students from 10
schools flooded the Iowa state
Capitol on March 11 to protest
a Des Moines School Board
proposal to eliminate 60 percent
of the school district’s music, art
and physical education jobs. The
rally, called March for the Arts,
featured several protesters carrying
musical instruments.

LATEST
Helping Haiti
Sam Ash Execs Assist Ravaged Nation
By Brian Berk
Many Americans have come together to
donate a huge amount of money to help earthquake-devastated
Haiti. For most of us, that
meant sending a text, calling a phone number
or visiting a Web site. The money raised has
been nothing short of extraordinary. But
then, there are those who have really reached
beyond to provide even more.
Eric Spitzer and Barry Horowitz, Sam Ash
executives, along with their wives, took that
extra step. “Barry and I were discussing how we are involved in charity
events,” said Spitzer. “He told me he and his wife were providing
funding for selected families in Haiti. I wanted to be involved. We discussed
providing medical supplies, food and anything else [Haitians]
told us they needed. But we had a problem. How would we get the
food from Port Au Prince (Haiti’s capital) to Jacmel, many miles away,
where the families are located?”
Spitzer and Larry Thomas, former CEO of Guitar
Center, are partners in a helicopter business that
leases out helicopters throughout the United States.
(Spitzer worked at Guitar Center for 20 years before
joining Sam Ash). “We called Brian Parker, a pilot we
have in Florida, to see what the chances were of him
getting his helicopter to Haiti to provide assistance.
He happened to be nearby, so we were actually able
to arrange to have this helicopter pick up food in
Port Au Prince and deliver it specifically to these
families and neighbors practically on their front
yards in Jacmel. He was able to make several trips.
About 500 pounds of food was delivered on each trip.
It worked out great. It was unbelievable,”
said Spitzer.
The residents of Jacmel could not
get any food, water, etc., replenished,
making the efforts of Spitzer and
Thomas’ helicopter absolutely vital.
“The grocery stores were depleted,”
said Spitzer. “People were hurt and
in need of medical attention. They
needed to be taken by MedEvac to
the city. Brian was even transporting
mothers and infants back to the main city after delivering the food. Everything
fell into place and worked perfectly. Larry and I were thrilled
to donate the helicopter. Brian donated his time.”
Brian Parker, who also works in law enforcement, operates a business
called Samaritan Air. He operates three of Spitzer and Thomas’ helicopters.
Parker was in Haiti for a month, returned home to Florida and
then flew back to Haiti in March. An interpreter helped eliminate the
language barrier. She was the daughter of one of the families being assisted,
but was living in the United States. “Brian sent me several e-mails
from Haiti,” said Spitzer. “He said how unimaginable the disaster is.”
Despite literally having their lives turned upside down, the outpouring
of appreciation from Haitian families has been impressive. This
letter was sent to Barry Horowitz’s wife, Patricia Szriftgiser Horowitz,
who orchestrated many of the relief efforts. We’re presenting the letter
in full.
“Dear Pati and Friends:
I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for the generosity
you have shown toward me, my family and others who are in desperate
need due to the earthquake that hit Haiti. I can’t thank you enough
and I just want you all to know how much your act of kindness means
to me and my family.
When my friend Yasmin called me and told me there were people
who wanted to help me and my family in Haiti, I didn’t know what
to make of it. It was good to know there were those who cared and
wanted to help. We desperately needed the help. The earthquake
hit us in ways we couldn’t have imagined since many of my family
members live in Haiti. This includes siblings, my grandma, aunts,
10 April 2010

LATEST
uncles, cousins and many more.
The earthquake literally left them
all helpless. Those who survived
were left with absolutely no sense
of normalcy. Life wasn’t a breeze
for us before the earthquake, but
we made do. We had some sort
of routine. None of that existed
after the earthquake. My family
members and many others were
left sleeping on the streets, not
knowing what would become of them in the face of the numerous aftershocks. It was completely
chaotic, and still is to some extent.
You all came to our rescue like knights in shining armor and made a huge difference in
all the uncertainty. The main problem that we in the states have in trying to help our family
members in Haiti is being able to send them the basic necessities they need, especially food.
This was made possible just a few days ago in such a personal way with your trip to Jacmel.
You did as I was told and made sure my family received the stuff they needed.
I spoke with my cousin, Givelaure, the day after your trip and she told me how nice the
crew is. She went home and shared everything among the occupants of the yard. Everyone
is touched and grateful for such a personal gesture of kindness. Words can’t express how
much this means to me and my family. A simple thank you doesn’t cut it, so I’m sending you
all a great BIG thank you.”
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Harman Helps Haiti
Harman International also launched a huge effort to help Haiti. The company announced it
and its employees raised $260,000. Harman created a Web site dedicated to the cause in cooperation
with the American Red Cross. The company matched the charitable donations it received.
“The scale of these recent events is almost unimaginable and has touched hearts across our
team,” said Dinesh Paliwal, Harman chairman, president and CEO. “We are privileged to share
the good fortune that so many of us take for granted with the millions who have been affected.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the citizens of Haiti and other nations touched by tragedy,
and the dedicated relief workers who have rushed to their aid.”
(continued on page 27)
Made in
the USA

dealer
Marge Levin Passes
Behind every great man is great woman.
That can certainly be said when it
comes to Marge Levin, the wife of Chuck
Levin of Chuck Levin’s Washington Music
Center. Levin passed away last month
at the age of 81. She built the business
together with her husband while raising
three children. She was always the smiling
face behind the counter at the store.
In lieu of flowers, the Levin family asked that donations be made
to the Parkinson Foundation of the National Capital Area. Funeral
services and graveside services took place on March 5 in Silver Spring
and Adelphi, Md., respectively.
Times Square Store Closes
Morganroth Music Center, located in the Times Square section of
Great Falls, Mont., closed on Feb. 27. The store’s other location in Missoula
will remain open, however. “This is a decision we’ve been tossing
around for six months and analyzing,” Gary Bowman of Morganroth told
the Great Falls Tribune. “It’s something we didn’t want to do and held
off as long as we could. We had no idea when we (opened in Great Falls)
that the economy would tank like this. And with the cost of business
increasing, it was a decision we needed to make.”
The Great Falls store employed two people.
Music & Arts Donates
100 Instruments
Music & Arts, a retailer with stores in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake
and Kempsville, Va., recently surprised students, educators and families
with a donation of 100 string instruments to support the first Soundscapes
pilot program in Newport News, Va. Music & Arts’ representatives
hand-delivered violins and cellos to the program’s 65 first-grade
students in the Soundscapes program at Carver Elementary School as
part of their holiday celebration. “I was touched by the magic that was
in the room that day. The smiles on the faces of the children and parents
at the event were priceless,” said Music & Arts Regional Manager
Mike Ditonto.
Students participating in the Soundscapes after-school music education
and social change program meet for two hours, three days each
week. During the first year, students explore different musical instruments,
starting with bucket-drums and their own voices. Over the year,
they also will work with recorders, stringed instruments and horns.
Business is Born
Howard Brinson and Timothy Martuzas opened Musicology in
Watertown, N.Y., with a grand opening celebration on March 6. The
two friends performed together on stage for many years. The store is
located on 241 State Street. According to the Watertown Daily Times,
the store contains about 100 to 120 guitars, percussion products, amplifiers,
and more. A heavy focus will be placed on selling Canadian and
American instruments. Lesson rooms are located in the rear of the
store. Martuzas was the former owner of Martuzas Music. “We want
to have a sofa back here with some reading material, someplace for
parents to sit down and relax and maybe watch their kids while they’re
getting their lessons,” Brinson told the newspaper. “We want this to
be a place where anyone can come and enjoy the musical atmosphere.
We’re trying to create a community feel to the place.”
Letter to the Editor
Don McKenzie, president of Steam Music in Topeka, Kans., contacted
us to comment on a letter written by Larry Miller of Metronome
Music that appeared in the Music & Sound Independent Retailer column
in our January issue. The January letter regarded store break-ins.
Here is the full comment.
“Dear Music & Sound Retailer:
I concur with Larry Miller’s letter about the need to bar windows
and doors to prevent after-hours music store forced entrances. In my
38 years of conducting business in various locations, my store has
always been broken into without window barriers. My store has never
been broken into with window barriers installed.
I presently have a 16-foot chain link secured over my store windows
and half-inch steel tube stock over the door windows. The chain link was
purchased from the scrap pile of a local fence company, and the bar stock
was purchased cut to length from a local industrial supply business. It was
an inexpensive solution to the need for barriers and it works.”
Music Store a Gem
Working Class Music & Mineral has moved from Laconia to Portsmouth,
N.H. Owner Greg Walsh sells a full line of instruments at his
store and also sells gem stones, his other love. Walsh has played music
for 35 years. As for the reason for moving the store, Walsh told Seacoastonline.com:
“Portsmouth seems to be the only area of the state that has
an economy left. Last summer, my fiancé and I were visiting Portsmouth,
and this seemed liked a really cool town and place to be.”
The store is located on 90 Fleet St. Among the brands Walsh carries
are Peavey, Aria, Samson, Jay Turser, Tascam and Roland.
A Super Night
Music and the Super Bowl
have always gone hand-in-hand.
One needs to look no further
than the halftime show this year.
But the connection between an
independent music instrument
retailer and the Super Bowl is
much more distant. Until the
Super Bowl on Feb. 7, that is. One
of the commercials during the
New Orleans Saints 31-17 victory
against the Indianapolis Colts
featured an independent retailer:
Bob Turner, owner of Phoenix’s
Bizarre Guitar and Drum Store.
Turner was part of Miller Brewing
Co.’s “The Little Guys on the Big
Game,” a promotion highlighting
how small businesses are dealing
with the recession. Turner told the
Arizona Republic he received an
unsolicited call in late November
telling him he could perhaps be in
a Super Bowl commercial. Turner
understandably thought it was a
prank, or worse, someone trying to
steal his identity. It was no joke. “It
was like being struck by lightning,”
Turner said, when he described
realizing the promotion was not a
scam. “I felt like going out and getting
lottery tickets.”
Miller Brewing identified
Turner’s store from the Internet.
The company then sent Turner a
camera to film a video about the
store and was drawn by his engaging,
down-to-earth personality. “He
came across as a guy who started
his own business and worked his
way up,” Joe Abegg, national brand
manager for Miller High Life, told
the newspaper. “It was all about his
non-pretentious, no-BS attitude, and
that fits our brand values.”
Turner and three other small
business owners were flown to Los
Angeles in January to film the commercial,
which ran for 30 seconds
during the Super Bowl. “The whole
thing about this commercial, it’s
giving (the stage) back to the little
guy,” Turner told the Arizona Republic.
“They’re sick of Budweiser
spending all that money on talking
horses and dogs.”
The Super Bowl was the
highest-rated television show in
history.
12 April 2010

People
Adams Joins
WorldWide Music Family
WorldWide Music Services, a print
music distributor based in Chicago,
has hired Edna Adams as sales account
executive. An industry veteran,
Adams boasts 34 years of sales experience
in the music publishing industry
and has represented many companies
throughout her career, including Hanson
House/St. Louis-Peoria Music,
Columbia Pictures, Warner Brothers
Publications, and, most recently, FJH
Music. Currently residing in Florida,
Adams studied Music Education at
Illinois State University and is an accomplished
vocalist and soloist.
MakeMusic Makes Board Moves
MakeMusic added Trevor D’Souza and Andrew Stephens to its
board of directors.
D’Souza is managing director at Mason Wells, where he handles
venture investment activities. Stephens is a partner and managing
director at Artisan Partners, an investment management firm.
Congilio a Catch
Fishman has appointed Corey
Congilio as a marketing/artist relations
specialist, focusing on social
networking, online content, video
demonstrations, sales events and
training, marketing promotions
and artist relations. A part-time
employee based in Pittsburgh,
Congilio is a working musician,
composer, producer and guitar
teacher. A graduate of The Art
Institute of Pittsburgh in the Music
and Video Business program, he
has an Associate Degree in Specialized
Business with an emphasis in audio engineering. He began doing
projects for Fishman in 2008 as a demo artist and clinician before being
hired to handle a broader scope of responsibilities this year.
Dan Roberts, VP of sales, and Billy Bohanna, Musicorp sales rep.
And the Musicorp Award Goes to…
Musicorp sales representatives were recognized in February with
awards for their sales achievements in 2009. Those honored were
Billy Bohanna for Sales Rep of the Year and Fender Accessory Sales
Leader; David Findley for Proprietary Sales Leader; Tim Weaver for
Outstanding Sierra Guitar Sales; Rick Murray for Outstanding MBT
Lighting Sales; Mark Shadley for Best Account Growth; Mary Sandschafer
for Outstanding Sales; Christine Smith for Outstanding Sales;
Lori Neville for Outstanding M&A Sales; and Donez McNeely for
Outstanding Percussion Plus Sales. Dan Roberts, Musicorp’s VP of
sales, said, “We are proud to recognize our sales reps for their hard
work and dedication throughout the year.”
In our March issue, we ran an incorrect photo alongside
our write-up about Tech 21’s SansAmp VT Bass
Deluxe. We run the correct photo here. We apologize
for any
confusion
this error
might have
caused.
Music & Sound Retailer 13

News
ADVERTORIAL • APRIL 2010
visit us online at www.namm.org
Note
from Scott
National Wanna Play
Music Week
Kicks off May 3–7
NAMM believes that playing music is good for people of all
ages and talent levels. This is the driving principle behind
our Wanna Play? national public awareness campaign, and
it’s allowed us to share our industry’s pro-music message with
millions of people for the past four years through television,
radio, print and Web media coverage. In 2009 alone, this effort
generated $39 million in promotional ad value. As part of this
campaign, we’ve declared the first week in May to be NAMM’s
National Wanna Play Music Week.
Our 2010 weeklong celebration takes place May 3–7. The
activities during NAMM’s 4th annual Wanna Play Music Week
are designed to put the national, regional and local media
spotlight on the proven benefits of playing music in order to give
people new reasons to start or re-start this life-changing activity.
The most recent Gallup Poll conducted by NAMM indicates
that more than 85 percent of people who don’t currently play
a musical instrument WISH they did. During National Wanna
Play Music Week, our industry has the ability to grant some
of these wishes! At wannaplaymusic.com, aspiring musicians
can find news, information and resources, such as local music
teachers and even the location of their closest NAMM Member
music store, all in one place.
As May draws closer, we’ve reached out to all of our partners
and music-making friends to help engage the media, spread
the message about the proven benefits of making music and
maximize the exposure to all who, well, wanna play. Look for
music-related stories on the national news, during late-night
TV, at your child’s school, on Facebook and Twitter, and even
on a street corner in a neighborhood near you. NAMM and
our partners will be out in force promoting the idea of music
making as one of the most talked-about messages all week.
And we’ll end the week with a day of appreciation for local
music stores and all they do to inspire people to play music.
We hope you’ll join us in creating more music makers during
NAMM’s National Wanna Play Music Week!
Scott Robertson
NAMM DIRectoR of MARKetING AND coMMUNIcAtIoNS
NAMM’s Wanna Play Music Week Agenda
MUSIc MoNDAy, MAy 3
NAMM will join the Coalition of Music Education in Canada
in its sixth annual Music Monday event to demonstrate the
importance of music education programs throughout North
America and celebrate the many proven benefits of
playing music.
tUeSDAy, MAy 4
To celebrate the spontaneity of music making and the fact
that anyone can do it, NAMM will organize a series of surprise
events across the country to be shared on YouTube, Facebook,
Twitter and other social media networks, creating a viral buzz
for music making.
WeDNeSDAy, MAy 5
The NAMM Foundation will announce its “Best Communities
for Music Education,” honoring schools and communities that
work hard to make music a part of a complete education
for every child.
thURSDAy, MAy 6
You’d be surprised by
how many celebrities
(including actors,
authors, sports stars and
politicians) also play
music just for fun. NAMM
will feature many of these
“unexpected celebrity musicians” in creative ways on this day.
fRIDAy, MAy 7
As official Music Store Appreciation Day, we’re honoring the
hub of all things musical—the local community music store—
and encouraging non-musicians to pay these stores a visit to
get started playing.
Visit namm.org for “5 Simple Ways to Get Involved in
NAMM’s National Wanna Play Music Week.”
NAMM News April 2010
NAMM News is published by NAMM. To keep up-to-date on the
latest breaking industry news, sign up for our PLAYback Digital e-newsletter
at playbackdigital@namm.org.

Lieutenant Dan Rocks!
Lieutenant Dan Rocks!
“I got my first guitar when I was in fourth grade,
“I got my first guitar when I was in fourth grade,
and I was in bands all the way up into my early 20s.
and I was in bands all the way up into my early 20s.
I was torn between music and acting, but then the
I was torn between music and acting, but then the
acting took over.
acting took over.
“I didn’t play for many, many years. Then, about 12
“I didn’t play for many, many years. Then, about 12
years ago, I picked up the bass again and ended up
years ago, I picked up the bass again and ended up
founding a band with a buddy of mine called
founding a band with a buddy of mine called
Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band.
Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band.
“Music is something that’s been a part of my life for
“Music is something that’s been a part of my life for
many years, and getting back to it and just playing for
many years, and getting back to it and just playing for
fun has been a real kick.”
fun has been a real kick.”
Gary Sinise
Gary Sinise
Actor, CSI New York
Actor, CSI New York
Everyone has a story—what’s yours?
Everyone
Share your
has
music-making
a story—what’s
tale
yours?
on
Share your music-making tale on
www.wannaplaymusic.com
www.wannaplaymusic.com
Look for these PSA’s airing now on
Look for national these PSA’s television. airing now on
national television.

Thirty-seventh edition
The Future of Recreational
Music Making
By Brian Berk
Recreational music making’s (RMM) philosophy, as defined by
Karl Bruhn and Dr. Barry Bittman, is: “RMM refers to any form of
music making that is not based on mastery of performance. It encompasses
enjoyable, accessible and fulfilling group or individual
music-based activities that unite people of all ages regardless of
their challenges, backgrounds, ethnicity, ability or prior experience.
From exercise, nurturing, social support, bonding and
spirituality, to intellectual stimulation, heightened understanding
and enhanced capacity to cope with life’s challenges, the benefits
of RMM extend far beyond music. RMM ultimately affords
unparalleled creative expression that unites our bodies, minds and
spirits.”
There are several keys to making RMM a winner for our industry.
Positive research needs to be there (thankfully, we already
have it). Retailers must know about it. The general public must be
aware of its benefits, as well.
Dr. Bittman and Bruhn are behind the research effort. Among
the most important players for the other two aspects—in addition
to NAMM—are Debra Perez and Will Baily. Perez and her
husband Matt own Valley Keyboards in McAllen, Texas, and
Piano Gallery in Corpus Christi, Texas. Between the two stores,
the Perezes employ 10 people plus 25 teachers. Six hundred piano
students a week walk through the stores’ doors.
Perez realized long ago that there is a need to draw more
people into our industry. You do NOT need to be proficient at an
instrument to play one. Many children are discouraged at an early
age from playing an instrument. Band teachers tell them they are
not good enough to be musicians.
Sadly, many of these children give up on playing instruments.
Sure, they probably admire music from afar. They download Lady
Gaga to their iPod. They attend concerts or watch the Grammy
awards on television. However, they are not helping our business.
Then, there’s another group of individuals who are adults who
desperately want to play an instrument, but think they are just not
talented enough. Many of them are discouraged from playing, too.
These people don’t need to be discouraged, thanks to Perez’s
RMM classes. Her stores offer 24 adult RMM classes and seven
for teenagers. Among the programs she offers are “Musical Moments”
and “‘Way Cool’ Keyboarding.”
Perez doesn’t stop there. Her Pedagogy in Motion educational
business also teaches retailers, such as you, how to teach RMM
classes.
Baily took it one step further. He moved to Texas to work with
Perez. Baily taught in both of the Perezes’ stores. Now, he has started
his own program at Music & More, a retailer in Scottsbluff, Neb., a
town of about 14,000. Baily grew up in Scottsbluff and wanted to teach
RMM to his local community while being close to his family. The store
is owned by Diana Shaddick.
Perez started teaching RMM classes before there was even a
phrase for it. “For the past 15 years, I’ve been really drawn to the adult
student,” she said. “We called them ‘hobbyist’ classes. The materials
I used didn’t seem to work. Adults would get stressed. They couldn’t
play and they quit. I always wanted them to succeed by playing as a
hobby. At one point, I crossed paths with Will and we talked about it.
We wanted to create a blueprint others could use around the country.
Once we did that, everything changed in a wonderful way. We now
have RMM classes taught in 40 different states. Will and I have written
10 books, as well. (An 11th book is on the way.) I keep getting calls
from stores that want to teach our program.
“The feedback has been amazing,” she added. “Hands-on dealers often
tell me our program is the one they’ve been looking for. It’s everything
they wanted in an adult program. It’s a great way to get new people in the
store and build a new customer base. The feedback from the teachers is
wonderful. They are very pleased with the materials. They are easy to
use. The program makes sense. It’s a life-changing program. The students
have great feedback, as well. Many have told us they have tried many
times to play an instrument and they couldn’t. Now, they can.”
NAMM has formed the National Coalition for Recreational Music
Making. About 30 people attended the group’s annual meeting in January.
Perez is a vital participant in that group. However, she admitted
she didn’t even know what she was teaching was called RMM until the
group formed. “Once I found out about the group, I thought, This is
what I’ve been doing all along,” said Perez. “We thought it was a great
idea to be under the RMM umbrella.”
16 April 2010

Dealers travel to Texas to learn about how to teach RMM. Teachers
from many stores also attend Perez’s two-day workshops. “Many who
have attended the workshops have said they like coming to our store because
they get to see RMM in a working environment,” said Perez. “When
people go back to their stores after the sessions, they are all starting their
own programs. During the sessions, we spend a lot of time on philosophy.
Then we do a lot of hands-on training at the piano. Mock teaching, video
clips of Will and I teaching, and more take place. We also take time to
answer some questions: How do you market this? How do you build the
program? How do you form the program?”
Why Pianos?
RMM refers to playing instruments noncompetitively. That includes
all instruments, not just pianos. For example, percussion has become
a popular RMM instrument thanks to the advent of drum circles and
Remo’s HealthRhythms program. One might assume pianos would be
much tougher for RMM. After all, a barely proficient adult is probably
unlikely to pay several thousand dollars to buy a piano when
less expensive instruments flood
the market. Perez, however, has
a much different perspective. “I
believe adults want to buy a piano,”
she said. “Why wouldn’t they want
a piano in their home if they’re
drawn to that instrument? In our
program, the students have a positive
musical experience the very
first class. The main goal of this
first class is to have students walk
out believing that they will be able
to play. When Will and I look back
at all of the students who bought
pianos throughout the years,
they are not buying low-end pianos. For example, they start with the
Yamaha line by purchasing the CVP, which is $3,000 to $5,000. I have
students who are beginners and just bought grand pianos.”
“We’ve seen the same thing,” said Baily. “Students actually compete
about what piano they will buy. ‘I’m going to buy this.’ ‘I’m going to
buy that.’ Before you know it, they have spent $6,000 by their second
lesson. Other people want to trade up because they realize what they
have in their home does not suit their abilities anymore.
“As for the teenagers,” he added, “these people will become doctors
and lawyers. They will have a lot of disposable income.”
The Final Frontier
Dr. Bittman’s research has shown playing music in a recreational
manner can reduce stress. This is an important finding. According
to medical studies, well over half of doctor’s visits are stress related.
Wouldn’t reducing stress be something most people would be interested
in? There is probably not an American alive who does not exhibit
some form of stress at some time. Yes, that includes Bill Gates and
Warren Buffett.
Reducing stress can certainly improve the quality of life. It is indisputable
that stress is bad for the human kind. Reducing stress can
make a life not only better, but probably longer. So why doesn’t the
public know about RMM? If you stopped people on the street, would
anyone know what RMM is? Connecting to the public is perhaps the
most important part of RMM.
“I think that really pinpoints the problem,” said Baily. “I don’t even
talk about RMM to the public. I just talk about the benefits of playing
music. Our classes not only play music. We also stress stretching and
breathing. I call it our ‘Zen’ moment. We play music in the background.
We get our minds focused and our bodies focused. We think about how
music makes us feel. We don’t throw around the term RMM because
it’s kind of meaningless. Nobody knows what it means. I think the
term needs to be renamed. What does it mean? The word recreational
could mean a camping trip. It would be great if we could explain
what RMM is better.”
“It’s absolutely correct to say that if you stopped someone on the
street, they would not be likely to know what RMM is,” said Perez.
“But although they may not know what the name is, they do know
what they want. The general public—especially in the piano world—
has heard they can’t play an instrument. It’s too hard. You’re too old,
etc. But in their heart, there are all of these people who just love the
piano. When we describe what RMM is to them, they say, ‘That’s it.
That’s what we’re looking for.’”
Continued Perez: “As an industry, we have not even done a good
job of educating our music dealers about what RMM is. The music
teaching profession largely doesn’t understand what RMM is. The
music community is also confused. My husband Matt and I were talking
to a dealer recently who had seen us on the front of magazines.
He said, ‘Are you guys involved with RMM?’ I thought, Wow. That’s
amazing. We really haven’t done a good job of defining RMM. Part of
what Will and I are doing is so different people need to see what it is.
What we need in the advertising world is a visual recognition of what
we do. People need to see six teenage boys in a class playing piano
together and texting each other between songs. They need to see
what that looks like. They need to see a group of adults like the one
I teach on Tuesday nights. The youngest student is 19 and the oldest
is 65. We have all ages in between. They’ve been taking lessons for
four months together and have the most amazing experience. People
need to see what that looks like.”
As for the RMM Coalition meeting at the NAMM show, Perez is a
huge advocate of moving away from a small conference room with
breakfast flanked on the side. “We should be a main NAMM breakfast
meeting,” she said. “We should be able to present what we do in
front of thousands of dealers. We have to get out of a little room. But
RMM is bigger than Will and I. It’s going to take someone big to promote
it around the country. We’ve seen some RMM programs where
everyone is 65 or older. We keep telling people, ‘Hey, that’s not your
only customer.’
For more on Pedagogy in Motion, visit www.everylifeneedsmusic.
com. To contact Perez about how to start your own RMM teaching
program, e-mail MusicalMomentsRMM@gmail.com.
For more on Music & More, visit www.musicandmorescottsbluff.
com. There, right on the home page, you’ll see several YouTube
videos depicting piano lessons taught at the store.
Editor’s Note: Do you have a better name for recreational music making.
We’d love to hear from you. We’d like to print other ideas for what
RMM should be called. No name is too crazy to send us. Please send
RMM alternatives to Brian Berk at bberk@testa.com.
Coming up with the name RMM was a long process and even involved
NAMM’s commission of a prominent branding firm, Interbrand, to help.
NAMM’s Wanna Play? program incorporates many aspects of RMM.
Music & Sound Retailer 17

PRODUCTS
Drums & Percussion
Guitars & Amps
High Tech 21
Overview: Tech 21’s SansAmp Character Series Pedals
Specifics: Tech 21 added three pedals to its SansAmp Character
Series: Oxford, Leeds and U.S. Steel. The Oxford’s tones range from
’70s London glam to modern stoner rock. The Leeds spans from the
’60s classic UK rock to ’70s prog rock. U.S. Steel delivers tones from
’90s Valhalla to the aughts Nu-metal chunk. Following the same 100
percent analog design formula as the existing Blonde, British, California,
Liverpool and VT Bass pedals, each of the continuously variable
Character controls sweeps through an entire tonal range of possibilities.
From rare vintage classics to roaring modern icons, every variation
is delivered in the distinctive voicing of that amp style.
MSRP: $225
Ship Date: Call company
Contact: Tech 21 USA, Inc., 973.777.6996, www.tech21nyc.com
Full Tank
Overview: T-Rex Engineering’s
Fuel Tank Chameleon
Specifics: T-Rex Engineering
has introduced a member to its
Fuel Tank family of power supply
units: the Fuel Tank Chameleon.
Built for players with a large
number of diverse pedals, Fuel
Tank Chameleon offers the
features of the company’s other
Fuel Tank power supplies, plus
four separate voltage options.
Features: six separate outlets
(use up to five simultaneously);
user’s choice of 9V DC, 12V DC,
18V DC, or 12V AC power; isolated, 300mA outlets (1,500mA total);
switchable 115V or 230V mains; all the cables needed; compact, roadready
design; and T-Rex quality. The Fuel Tank Chameleon is the
newest addition to the T-Rex Fuel Tank family.
MSRP: $249
Ship Date: Now
Contact: Musiquip Inc., 866.832.8679, www.musiquip.com
Drop-Down Gorgeous
Overview: DR Strings’ Electric Guitar, Bass Strings
Specifics: DR Strings announced its line of electric guitar and bass
strings specifically designed for players who employ drop tuning,
named DDT. DR’s DDT line enables players to maintain stable and
consistent tuning under any alternate tuning situation. DDT strings go
right into tune and lock in. DR Strings has formulated specific technologies
to enhance the performance and tone with drop-down tuning
strings. According to DR Strings, DDTs are the first guitar and bass
string sets specifically designed to work for drop tunings. DDT Electric
guitar sets are available in various gauges for alternate tunings. DDT
bass guitar sets are available, as well.
MSRP: Call company
Ship Date: Now
Contact: DR Strings, 201.599.0100, www.drstrings.com
Alpha Male
Overview: AER’s Alpha Plus
Specifics: Audio Electric Research (AER) has begun shipping
the Alpha Plus in North America. Based on the Alpha (the smallest,
simplest acoustic amp in the AER range), the Alpha Plus incorporates
a bigger cabinet and increases the power output from 40W to 50W,
providing greater volume and extended headroom. The Alpha Plus
provides warmth, clarity and natural tone, and preserves much of the
original Alpha’s simplicity: a single eight-inch twin-cone speaker, a
single channel, three-band tone controls and digital reverb effect. The
Alpha Plus’ two inputs, when used simultaneously for guitar and vocals,
transform the amp into a compact PA that can handle small club gigs.
The Alpha Plus’ back panel houses the footswitch, effects send and
return, DI output, line output and headphone output sockets.
MSRP: $1129
Ship Date: Now
Contact: Audio Electric Research, 866.832.8679, www.aer-amps.info
18 April 2010

Guitars & Amps
PRODUCTS
Take it to the Bridge
Overview: Graph Tech’s
ResoMax NVS Harmonic
Bridge System
Specifics: Graph Tech
Guitar Labs has released its
ResoMax NVS Harmonic
Bridge System. Made of a
high-strength, lightweight
ResoMax alloy, it, according
to the company, maximizes
harmonic content and richness
in every note played.
Equipped with U.L.F (Ultra Low Friction) saddles and an AutoLock
locking feature. Exclusive to the ResoMax NVS System, AutoLock
magnetically secures the bridge and tailpiece at all times, making
restringing the guitar quick, without any tools to use or lose and no
threads to strip. When the strings are in place and tuned, there is more
than 200lb. of downward pressure to ensure a solid connection of the
bridge to the guitar’s body. U.L.F saddles are pre-loaded in the bridge
and engineered of the same harmonically rich ResoMax alloy.
MSRP: Call company
Ship Date: Call company
Contact: Graph Tech Guitar Labs, 604.940.5353, www.graphtech.com
Amped Up
Overview: Peavey’s Butcher Guitar Amplifier
Specifics: Peavey’s Butcher guitar amplifier is a 100-watt, all-tube
head that specializes in versatility and timeless, brutal British tone.
The Butcher is a two-channel amplifier with five 12AX7 preamp tubes
and four EL34 power amp tubes. Both the Clean and Crunch channels
feature independent three-band EQ, plus master volume and preamp
gain controls so guitarists can adjust the interplay between the preamp
and power amp on each channel for an array of gain possibilities.
Both channels include a separate, footswitchable gain boost, whereas
the Crunch channel also has a 12-way Punch selector that adjusts the
low-end attack of the amplifier—a feature that helps match the head to
various speaker enclosures.
MSRP: $1499.99
Ship Date: This quarter
Contact: Peavey, 601.483.5365, www.peavey.com
Introducing
the all-new solid top
AA40 & AA50 Series from Austin ® .
Great sounding acoustic guitars made from
seasoned tone woods and designed in St. Louis.
From $259.00 List, these guitars will blow you away.
R
AA Solid North American Sitka Spruce Top
Mahogany Backs & Sides
Mahogany neck
Rosewood Bridge and Fingerboard
Synthetic Bone Saddle and Nut
Maple Binding (AA50 only)
Premium Tuners
D’Addario Strings
Every guitar is shop adjusted and inspected
in St. Louis, U.S.A. So it arrives to you....perfect.
For further information please call your St. Louis Music
Sales Representative or Head Office at –1-800-727-4512.
Or email Rich Dumstorff at rich@usbandsupplies.com
www.stlouismusic.com | www.austingtr.com
St. Louis Music is a division of U.S. Band & Orchestra Supplies Inc.

Some Suppliers
Don't Offer You
Enough Choices
PRODUCTS
Drums & Percussion
Guitars & Amps
Tré Magnifique
Overview: LÂG’s Tramontane Guitar Line
Specifics: LÂG Guitars makes its U.S. debut with the Tramontane
line of acoustic and acoustic/electric guitars. The Tramontane
line includes both steel string and nylon string guitars. LÂG
Tramontane guitars use fine woods, quality craftsmanship and
finishes, beveled corner bindings and preamp/pickup systems.
Stepping up from the entry-level Standard Range, the Stage Range
offers instruments for the novice and casual player. The Master
Range guitars are appointed with fine details and select woods
to satisfy accomplished musicians. Each series includes both
acoustic and acoustic/electric models. Traditional Dreadnought,
Auditorium, and Jumbo body styles are offered (also in left-handed
models). 12-string guitars are available in acoustic/electric styles.
MSRP: $280 to $2,100
Ship Date: Standard and Stage Range: Now; Master range:
Spring/Summer
Contact: LÂG, (631) 390-6500, www.lagguitars.com
We Do
The freedom
of choice...
With over 500 lines to choose
from for all of your customers'
pro audio, video, & lighting needs.
Call us today!
800-828-0509
Put it on My i-Tab
Overview: i-tab Portable Guitar Tab Player
Specifics: The i-tab offers guitarists a pocket-sized unit
that scrolls chords and lyrics in perfect time. It allows users
to download backing tracks and video cover lessons from
a large library of fully legal tabs, tracks and lessons. Once
downloaded, the i-tab sits at the end of one’s guitar and acts
as a prompt, giving one a seamless, clear display of chords
and lyrics at the tempo of one’s choice. One can take one’s
tab library wherever one goes. Suitable for players of every
level, the i-tab helps to learn songs and remember lyrics
while storing hundreds of tabs, backing tracks and
reels of video. A 4GB memory gives plenty of room
to organize one’s songs into playlists and build a song library. If one is learning to play, one can
download i-tabs’ free tuition video modules.
MSRP: $199 Ship Date: Now
Contact: i-tab, 866.632.8346, www.i-tab.com
I Wanna Rock!
Overview: Orange Amps’ Rockerverb II
Specifics: Orange Amps has launched the Rockerverb II, which builds on the Rockerverb
formula and improves the specification and range available. The Rockerverb II series includes the
following specifications and changes: enhanced valve F/X loop offering a completely transparent
sound; improved reverb tone, which
delivers sound across all levels; new
middle control on the clean channel;
redesigned combos with new frontmounted
controls; range includes
Rockerverb 50 watt 1x12 model
with new spec 2xEL34 valves. The
Rockerverb 50 head, Rockerverb 100
head, and Rockerverb 50 (2x12 and
1x12) combos were launched with
the upgrades.
MSRP: Call company
Ship Date: Now
Contact: Orange Amps,
404.303.8196, www.orangeamps.com
20 April 2010

New ground rules.
The All New Expedition.
Our Expedition 510i delivers 500 watts of crystal clear,
Class D power in a compact, portable design. Listen and
hear how we’ve changed the rules for portable sound.
© 2010 Samson | samsontech.com

PRODUCTS
Drums & Percussion
Guitars & Amps
The Mod Squad
Overview: StutterKill
Dual-Purpose Pedal
Specifics: The StutterKill
from Modtone Effects is a
dual-purpose pedal. On one
hand, it is a kill switch that’s
suitable when changing
guitars or when a player just
needs everything shut off
for a second. The second
button is a momentary kill
switch that allows the player
to do on/off toggle switch
effects with his/her feet.
According to the company,
“It’s your own musical panic
button.” Like all Modtone pedals, it has an all-metal
casing and is True Bypass with a bright blue LED.
MSRP: $99.95
Ship Date: Call company
Contact: Modtone Effects, 317.780.0454, www.
modtone-effects.com
Mega Loaded
Overview: Marshall Amplification’s Dave Mustaine
Megastack
Specifics: Marshall Amplification has introduced
the Dave Mustaine special edition MG microstack
guitar amp, dubbed the “Megastack.” The threepiece
unit includes a 15-watt compact head with four
channels, plus two matching speaker cabinets, one
angled and one straight. Each cabinet is loaded with
a full-range 10-inch Celestion speaker. Available in
extremely limited quantities in the U.S., the amp looks
like a compact version of Mustaine’s full-sized touring
rig that he uses with Megadeth. The cabinets have a
more open-face look with a diamond-pattern, blackpowder-coated
steel kick grille to protect the speakers.
Covered in “Carbon Fibre” black patterned vinyl, the
cabinets are finished with high-impact-resistant cabinet
fixtures. Even in its micro format, the Megastack
can provide Mustaine’s tone out of the box.
MSRP: Call company
Ship Date: Call company
Contact: Marshall Amplification USA,
631.390.6500, www.marshallamps.com
Sir Mix-A-Lot
Tune Up
Overview: TuneTech’s One-Touch Chromatic
Tuner
Specifics: TuneTech released its new one-touch
chromatic tuner. It has one button and one mode
(A-440). The button is on the front in the center
and it turns itself off if the user doesn’t. This makes
it easier for the consumer, and saves money in
manufacturing. Two new features: A futuristic-looking
bright blue LED screen, and a new matte rubberized
scratch-resistant finish give the tuners a
classy look and feel. Available in midnight black and
hunter orange.
MSRP: $29.95
Ship Date: Call company
Contact: TuneTech, 317.780.0454, www.shsint.net
Overview: Morley’s ABY Mix Switching Device
Specifics: Morley released a new switching
device, the ABY Mix. Featuring independent level
controls for each input, it eliminates a major frustration
with ABY boxes on the market today: the
inability to mix input signals. It is equipped with
individual input level controls to guarantee the user
a good mix every time. With the click of a switch,
the two output sources can be used separately or
simultaneously to meet one’s exact requirements.
Conventional ABY boxes allow two inputs to be
routed to one output, but when you play both
inputs at the same time, there is no way to mix the
two input levels. It’s no longer a problem with the
ABY Mix, which has dozens of practical uses that
can’t be done with conventional ABY boxes.
MSRP: $129
Ship Date: Now
Contact: Morley, 800.284.5172,
www.morleypedals.com
22 April 2010

Publishing/Print Media
PRODUCTS
Funky Fusion
Overview: Rock House’s Creative
Fusion, Beyond Pentatonics & Power
Chord
Specifics: Rock House released
a two-set instructional DVD, Creative
Fusion, Beyond Pentatonics &
Power Chord, featuring Brazilian guitar
virtuoso Kiko Loureiro. Kiko is the
driving force behind the band Angra,
which has sold millions of CDs and
toured the world. In this new two-DVD
set, Kiko shows how to apply fusion
techniques to rock playing. Kiko shows
students a method for using arpeggios to craft leads and melodies. He
starts with major and minor arpeggios and triad voicings and builds
them into progressions. Then, he expands on this concept with major
arpeggio extensions, adding the seventh and ninth, and shows how
to deliver full dominant and diminished arpeggios in single and cross
string technique. Kiko explains and demonstrates how these all relate
as tools for creating a unique musical style.
MSRP: $24.99 Ship Date: Now
Contact: Rock House, 800.524.4425, www.rockhousemethod.com
A Novel Concept
Overview: Mel Bay Publications’
Advanced Lead Guitar Concepts
Specifics: Mel Bay Publications
debuted Advanced Lead Guitar Concepts
by Joshua Craig Podolsky: a new
method for learning and keeping up
with advanced lead guitar concepts.
It covers improvisation, mindset, approach,
and all technical and theoretical
foundations needed to play at the
top of one’s game in any style. Topics
covered include solo guitar approach,
mindset while improvising, thought
process while soloing, sequences,
arpeggios, modal approach and, perhaps most importantly, how to set
up a lead guitar section with these techniques. CD and DVD included.
MSRP: Call company
Ship Date: Now
Contact: Mel Bay Publications, 800.863.5229, www.melbay.com
The only plug-and-play solution
for solo MIDI bass.
King of Pop
Overview: Alfred’s Michael Jackson
Songbooks
Specifics: Alfred Music Publishing
remembers the legacy of Michael
Jackson with new songbooks for music
enthusiasts and professionals alike. The company released the
piano/vocal songbook from the music icon’s last work, Michael
Jackson’s This Is It, Michael Jackson Guitar TAB Anthology and
The Essential Michael Jackson, arranged for piano/vocal. Alfred’s
Michael Jackson’s This Is It piano/vocal songbook features some
of Jackson’s hottest hits as heard on the film’s official companion
album, allowing his fans to play the songs as they sound on the
recording with professional piano/vocal arrangements, including
guitar chord grids. Michael Jackson Guitar TAB Anthology features
17 of Michael Jackson’s greatest hits with complete authentic guitar
TAB, including the guitar work of Eddie Van Halen and Slash.
The Essential Michael Jackson features piano/vocal arrangements,
including guitar chord grids for 38 of Michael Jackson’s best-loved
songs.
MSRP: Call company
Ship Date: Now
Contact: Alfred Music Publishing, 818.891.5999, www.alfred.com
Universal Bass-to-MIDI Converter
The B2M is a simple-to-use, highly effective, bass-to-MIDI
converter. It is “Universal” because it doesn’t need a special
pickup mounted on your bass guitar, but instead simply connects
to your instrument like any other effects pedal or tuner.
It is a true plug-and-play solution for monophonic MIDI bass guitar
designed to give accurate triggering with very low latency. It can
be used to sequence bass lines and add an edge to your live
performances — it opens up many creative possibilities.
is exclusively distributed in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Latin
America, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and The Netherlands
by Peterson. Contact us today to become an authorized dealer.
Visit our YouTube Channel:
www.youtube.com/sonuusmusic
NOTATE • PERFORM • RECORD & CREATE • TUNE
• Any electric bass guitar can be used as a solo MIDI
controller.
• No instrument modifications or special pickups required.
• Robust note detection — minimizes wrong notes.
• Very low latency & very fast tracking.
• Fast, accurate MIDI pitch-bend or chromatic mode.
• Built-in tuner for standard bass guitar tuning (4–7 strings).
• Battery-powered with long battery life.
• Compact, lightweight and portable.
Distributed By:
www.sonuus.com | www.PetersonTuners.com | 11601 S. Mayfield Ave. Alsip, IL 60803 | 708.388.3311

Now available
Dealer Direct
800 675 2501
PRODUCTS
Drums & Percussion
Drums & Percussion
‘so good I use
12 at a time’
John Paul Jones
Them Crooked Vultures
Take the Stage
Overview: Yamaha’s CP Series Stage Pianos
Specifics: Yamaha introduced a redesigned
lineup of CP Series Stage Pianos. Beneath the
hood of the CP1, which features NW-STAGE
weighted wooden keys, Spectral Component
Modeling tone generation technology faithfully
recreates the sounds and nuances of
17 Yamaha acoustic and vintage electronic
pianos, including the CFIIIS, S6B, the CP80,
Rd1, Rd II, Wr and the DX7. This Spectrum
Component Modeling system replicates the
instrument’s physical components for ultra-realistic
tone generation, including the hardness
of the hammers, resonance of the sound board
and the striking position of the hammers. It
also relies on granular parametric data that
translates every nuance of the player’s touch
into an expressive tone. The CP models also
use Virtual Circuit Modeling to replicate the
effect units, amplifiers, compressors, EQ and
other equipment that were important in creating
many of those vintage sounds.
MSRP: CP1: $5,999; CP5: $3,299; and
CP50: $2,199
Ship Date: This month
Contact: Yamaha Corp. of America,
714.522.9011, www.yamaha.com/
musicproduction
Drums & Percussion
Pro Audio
The Perfect Mix
Overview: Stanton’s
RM.416 Rack Mount Series
Mixer
Specifics: The RM.416, in
Stanton’s RM (Rack Mount)
series of mixers, suits the
mobile or club DJ. With four
channels coupled with two
microphone channels—in addition
to an array of traditional connectivity—the RM.416 features a USB connection for either
playing music from one’s favorite application or recording one’s mix in real time. The RM.416
offers a subwoofer output with built-in crossover control, minimizing the need for an external
crossover while maintaining the ability to adjust the output to match a sound system. These
features are packed into a four-space rack unit with a rugged metal inner chassis, ensuring
that the components are protected from damage and enabling a long product life.
MSRP: Call company Ship Date: Call company
Contact: Stanton, 954.316.1500, www.stantondj.com
www.rotosound.com
Take It to the Bank
Overview: VocoPro’s V-BANK
Specifics: VocoPro’s V-BANK is a dual-deck multi-format DVD/hard drive system with a
built-in DVD/AVI/Mp3 Ripper. The two multi-format disc players will play DVDs, CDs, CD+Gs,
VCDs and Mp3 discs. The USB thumbdrive and SD card readers will play digital media files.
And the two hard drives can store thousands of media files. This dual-deck design allows the
user to play on one side while queing up the other side
for playback. To select a playback source, press the
device button to select between the disc player,
hard drive, SD reader or USB reader. The pitch
control sliders will adjust the speed
of a track without changing
the key of the audio.
MSRP: Call company
Ship Date: Call company
Contact: VocoPro,
909.593.8893,
www.vocopro.com
24 April 2010

Check Out the New
Lower Price from
Agility& Performance
$399.00
For a future-proof solution that scans
the environment and sounds great!
Don’t get stepped on –
step up to WMS 450.
• WMS 450 Best in Class Wireless Microphones
• Perfect for the Stage Featuring the D 5 Capsule
• AKG Just Sounds Better
• Auto Frequency Wizard makes setup a breeze
• Lean and Green with the best battery management
available
• 6 to 8 hours on 1 – AA battery providing 50
mW transmission for greater operating distance
• Professional accessories provide multi-channel
system configuration with remote antenna and
NiMH charging systems
THE AKG WMS 450 PROFESSIONAL WIRELESS
SYSTEM IS YOUR ULTIMATE CHOICE FOR ANY
WIRELESS SYSTEM NEED
ADV 682 / 1 / E
www.akg.com/us
A Harman International Company
AKG SOUNDS BETTER

PRODUCTS
Drums & Percussion
DJ & Lighting
Triple Threat
Overview: American DJ’s
LED-Powered Tripleflex
Specifics: American DJ’s
LED-powered Tripleflex is a
centerpiece effect that suits
clubs or discos. With three
scanning heads, and 96 red,
green, blue, and white 5mm
LEDs, its bright, colorful
beams twist, turn, glide, swirl,
and swivel, sweeping across
the dance floor. Each of its
mirrored scanning heads has
a beam angle of 20 degrees to deliver coverage. Equipped with a strobe
effect and built-in programs, the company says it will entice the crowd
with its smooth, quick moves, powered by 7.5-degree stepper motors.
And with LEDs as its light source (24 red, 24 green, 24 blue, and 24
white), the Tripleflex produces saturated beams of color that look good
without fog, making it a centerpiece for venues where smoke effects are
not desired.
MSRP: $279.95 Ship Date: Call company
Contact: American DJ, 800.322.6337, www.americandj.com
Bring the Mayhem
Overview: Chauvet’s Mayhem Fixture
Specifics: Chauvet’s newest fixture, the Mayhem, is an LED double
barrel, DMX scanner that creates multicolored beams of light with six
high-power 3W red, green and blue LEDs. This fixture offers individual
control of each color in each barrel as well as individual control of
strobing, motor direction and speed. Sync up the beams to scan across
the room, crisscross them or fire them one at a time. With its wide coverage
angle, the Mayhem is a suitable light to create some movement
on the dance floor.
MSRP: Call company Ship Date: Now
Contact: Chauvet, 954.929.1115, www.chauvetlighting.com
Drums & Percussion
Miscellaneous
The Black Crows
Overview: Deering Banjo Company’s ‘The
Crow’ Banjo Package
Specifics: Deering Banjo Company released the
new “The Crow” banjo package with everything
a user needs to start playing banjo. Following the
wave of banjo interest generated by Steve Martin’s
“The Crow” CD, this Goodtime banjo has a crow
embossed on the peghead with the words, “Goodtime,
the Crow, Proudly Made in the USA.” Deering
Banjos is including a package of accessories
that includes a gig bag, a tuner, a strap, picks and
the new “The Crow” book and CD. The features
include hardwood, bow-tie inlays, a traditional
Deering peghead profile, sealed geared tuners and
a geared fifth string tuning peg.
MSRP: $549
Ship Date: Now
Contact: Deering Banjo Company, 800.845.7791,
www.deeringbanjos.com
Taking Flight
Overview: Noteflight’s Crescendo Online Music
Notation Service
Specifics: Noteflight has launched Noteflight
Crescendo, an online music notation service. The
next generation of its Noteflight platform, which
enables individuals to write music online, Crescendo
provides musicians with features and improved
sound quality while still offering an easy means to
create and share scores. According to the company,
Noteflight Crescendo is a product you can sell
specifically to educators and schools. Noteflight
Crescendo users gain access to a set of features,
including collaboration, guitar tablature, and a
higher quality orchestral sound library provided
by virtual instrument manufacturer SONiVOX. The
Crescendo instrumental palette offers more than
40 professionally recorded wavetable instruments
from SONiVOX.
MSRP: Call company
Ship Date: First quarter
Contact: Noteflight, 978.314.6271,
www.noteflight.com
26 April 2010

latest
Music Making Might
Improve Reading
Neuroscientists have discovered that musicians experience increased
brain activity, which enables them to process information from
their eyes and ears more efficiently than non-musicians are able to.
They discovered that the region of the brain that interprets sound—the
auditory cortex—responds more quickly in individuals with musical
training and is better primed to discern subtle patterns from the vast
quantities of information that flood into the brain from our senses. Professor
Nina Kraus, a neuroscientist and amateur musician at Evanston,
Ill.-based Northwestern University, has also noted that this area of the
brain plays a vital role in reading.
Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science in San Diego, she recommended that music
become a more central part of school syllabuses to enable children to
develop better reading and language skills. Kraus and her team have
employed a method called electroencephalography, which measures
brain electrical activity, to review how musicians’ and non-musicians’
brains respond to various stimulus. She discovered that individuals
who are better at picking out harmonies and timing in sounds are better
at reading, as well. Preliminary findings, which have yet to be published,
have also demonstrated that musicians are better at reading.
The Ukulele Resurgence Begins
Canadian filmmaker Tony Coleman, traveling the world documenting
the growing popularity of the ukulele, has found his way to Santa
Cruz, Calif., the Santa Cruz Sentinel reports. Coleman and his wife,
Margaret Meagher, followed the resurgence of the instrument and
created a film about it that they’re calling “The Mighty Uke.” It was
screened at the Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz on Feb. 25. They traveled
all across the U.S., Japan, Europe, Canada, Hawaii, Israel and other
spots where the ukulele’s renaissance is in full swing.
They went all over the world looking at ukulele social clubs. They
found one of the longest running such clubs was the Ukulele Club of
Santa Cruz. After visitors experienced it, they would want to recreate
that experience in their own area. While in Tokyo, Coleman and
Meagher visited a Japanese ukulele club where the new aficionados
of the ukulele were all playing from a songbook published by the
Ukulele Club of Santa Cruz. The UCSC is prominently featured in
“The Mighty Uke,” as is another hallmark of Santa Cruz ukulele
culture, Ukulele Dick, a performer and musical archivist.
resomaxface.com
Chauvet Opens Office in UK
Chauvet has opened a full-service office in the UK with its own
dedicated inventory, technicians and sales team. Serving the UK and
Ireland, the branch is stocked with the latest luminaires, including LED
fixtures. All products are designed for 240-volt power and are fitted
with UK mains plugs. Product categories include lighting for the DJ
and club market; production lighting for stage, theater and touring; and
architectural lighting. “We felt it was time to put a face to Chauvet in
the UK,” said CEO Albert Chauvet. “Our business has grown substantially
in Europe and we want to make sure all of our customers can get
their products as quickly as possible as well as having their service
needs met.” Staffers include Michael Brooksbank, sales manager, and
Darren Jackson, southern UK territory business manager.
GE Money And Fender
Create Credit Card
GE Money has come out with a credit card for the exclusive purchase
of products manufactured by Fender Musical Instruments Corp.
With operations in Stamford, Conn., and part of Norwalk-based General
Electric Capital Corp., GE Money announced the introduction of
the GE Money Music credit card through a multi-year agreement with
the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based producer of guitars, speakers and other
musical gear. According to Paul Jernigan, Fender’s vice president of
global channel marketing, “The addition of GE Money Music card will
help individuals invest in one of life’s most rewarding hobbies, learning
and making music.”
The credit card, which may be used at 3,500 Fender dealerships
across the country under the management of GE Money’s Sales
Finance unit, is a revolving program offering music aficionados a convenient,
flexible way to finance Fender instruments with reasonable
monthly payments and fair interest rates, according to GE Money, the
provider of billions of dollars of consumer financing through 145,000
businesses across the country.
You can’t help how you look.
We can help how you sound.
Revolutionary harmonic bridge & tailpiece system.
Manufactured by
the Evolution
of Guitar Performance
Music & Sound Retailer 27
Client: Graphtech
File Name: 21010658 Trade Ad_Mark_MSR Publication: Music Sound Retailer
Actual Size: 4.125” x 6.75” File Size: 100%
Colours: 4C Revisions: 2

LATEST
Alfred’s Premier Support Program
Alfred launched the Premier Support program as part of an initiative
to give back to the music teaching community. Premier Support will
offer teachers the opportunity to choose one deserving student from
their respective piano studios to receive free course materials from
Alfred’s newest piano method, Premier Piano Course. The selected students
will also receive feedback and encouragement from the authors
of this course. Alfred is mailing an enrollment brochure to teachers this
month and posting an online teacher registration form at www.premier
pianocourse.com.
SABIAN Donates Cymbals
To Little Kids Rock
SABIAN has donated 100 SBr cymbal sets to Little Kids Rock, an
organization dedicated to bringing free musical instruments and
music instruction to under-served schools across the U.S. David Wish,
founder and executive director of Little Kids Rock, was on hand at the
Crafter Ad april:Layout 1 3/17/10 2:47 PM Page 1
NAMM show to accept the donation.
Emerald City Distribution Launches
Dan Gallagher and Douglas White announced the launch of their
new company, Emerald City Distribution, specializing in the pro audio
and MI industries, with distribution of ALTO Pro Audio. “We’re doing
what we do best—bringing quality product to the market, and ALTO
is a great fit with the rest of our product lines,” said Dan Gallagher, cofounder
of the new company. Emerald City Distribution is the second
company launched by Gallagher and White in the past six months. The
longtime business partners also launched the guitar amplification company
Jet City Amplification. “The ALTO Pro Audio product range…
complements our guitar amp business. Now we can offer our customers
a wide assortment of product and solutions,” Gallagher added.
Emerald City Distribution distributes ALTO Pro Audio to national
accounts, and to the eastern half of the United States, from Minnesota,
Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana and all states further east, as of
March 1.
JZ Microphones Launches Web Site
JZ Microphones launched its newly designed Web site, www.jzmic.
com. The new site design provides online visitors with improvements in
navigation, appearance and accessibility. The site incorporates a clean
layout with well-organized information offering easy navigation. It features
expanded content and streaming media, including different video
clips, picture galleries, feedback of artists and reviews of microphones.
To provide an easier way to get JZ mics for tryout, the company is offering
an opportunity to ask for a free demo unit of any JZ mic via the
site. Mics will be delivered from the nearest JZ dealer or directly from
the JZ warehouse.
Corner
Percussion
On the Mark
Pro-Mark launched the Billy Ward TX526W drum
stick. Nicknamed “The Bulb,” the autograph series
model is available now and retails for $15.25 per pair.
The sticks are made of American hickory and measure
16 1/8 inches long. Ward has played with many artists,
including B.B. King and Joan Osbourne. He has also
contributed to several movies, including “That Thing
You Do” and “Sister Act.”
PHONE: 888-798-2007
PLEASE VISIT OUR NEW AND
28 IMPROVED WEB SITE
WWW.CRAFTERUSA.COM
April 2010

LATEST
Shure, NHCA Release
Hearing Test Results
Shure Inc. and the National
Hearing Conservation Association
(NHCA) released the results of
recent hearing tests performed
at the 2009 Audio Engineering
Society (AES) Convention in New
York City. Shure sponsored the
free hearing screenings, which
the NHCA conducted for several
hundred AES attendees, many
of whom work in the professional
audio industry. The results
suggest that audio engineers are
at greater risk of hearing loss
than others are. The testing also
provided some evidence of the
effectiveness of hearing protection,
as regular hearing-protection users
had slightly better results than did
non-users.
Key findings of the testing
included: students had the best
hearing levels and those working
with audio and other related jobs
had the worst hearing results;
differences in audio test results
were noted among the different
job titles surveyed, suggesting that
some types of audio engineering
work might present a greater risk
of noise-induced hearing loss than
others; nearly one in four participants
reported difficulty hearing
in one or both of their ears, and
well over one-third of participants
reported experiencing tinnitus
(ringing or buzzing) in one or both
ears. More than one in three participants
reported normally working
in a noisy area without hearing
protection and more than one-quarter
reported having regular noise
exposure outside work. Average
hearing levels among participants
who reported using hearing protection
during work were 1 to 2dB
better than those who did not use
hearing protection.
Guitar App Debuts
Gibson’s Guitar App debuted for Apple iPhone and iPod Touch users.
The free app includes a chromatic tuner and more.
SSL Opens Office Location
Solid State Logic opened a new west coast office location at 3700
Wilshire Blvd., Suite 720, in Los Angeles. The building offers expanded
demonstration facilities to further showcase ‘C’ series digital consoles
and analog products including the Duality SE, AWS 900+ SE, Matrix
and the X-Patch.
P L AY - A L O N G W I T H N E W A N D F E AT U R E D P R O D U C T S
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2CDs
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2 CDs
93206EBCD
Steinway Numbers Good
Steinway reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of $4.3
million, or 44 cents per share. The company earned $3.4 million, or 40
cents per share, during the same period last year. Analysts expected
Steinway to report earnings of 11 cents on March 4.
Net sales were down for this year’s latest quarter to $81.4 million. Steinway’s
net sales reached $94.2 million during the same period last year.
E.K. Blessing to Relocate, Expand
Musical instrument manufacturer E.K. Blessing Company intends to
relocate and expand. According to Blessing’s application for tax abatement,
an additional 22 full-time jobs would be created in the move.
Blessing currently employs 20 people at its plant in Elkhart, Ind.,
although only seven of those employees work full time. Blessing wants
to shift to a facility at 2995 Paul Drive, previously occupied by Damon.
Blessing intends to spend $300,000 making improvements to the facility
and $1.5 million on new equipment. At present, Blessing makes
trumpets, trombones and other instruments at its Elkhart plant, and a
large proportion of those products are shipped overseas.
Music China Set
Musikmesse announced the Music China show will return to Shanghai
China from Oct. 12 to 15 at the Shanghai New International Expo
Centre. About 42,000 people attended the 2009 Music China show.
Korg, Music Sales and Samick are among those confirmed to exhibit.
RDR0298
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Music & Sound Retailer 29
MSR-Apr 2010.indd 1
3/5/10 1:56:59 PM

FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Jason How Chairman, Rotosound
By Brian Berk
Rotosound is making a big
push to have a greater influence
in the United States. That is
evidenced by not only its NAMM
presence, but also its contest
when the British-based company,
officially founded in 1958, just
sent two lucky dealers to visit its
headquarters.
Also visiting Rotosound’s factory
in the British county of Kent
was the Music & Sound Retailer.
We visited the company’s factory
and offices and enjoyed plenty
of British food with Rotosound
chairman Jason How and his wife,
Kathy. Yes, we even consumed
a few British libations. Our visit
included an interview with How.
Also joining us were his brother,
Martyn (who happens to be
a huge British NFL fan), and
David Phillips, who runs A&R
Marketing, which handles all of
Rotosound’s public relations.
How not only runs the business,
but he also designs many of
the machines his employees use.
It’s safe to say we covered a lot
of ground in the interview. Let’s
begin.
The Music & Sound Retailer:
Please tell us about the
history of Rotosound. How
did it start? Can you tell us
about your business?
Jason How: The company
started out when my father James
inquired about making guitar
strings in 1953. That’s the earliest
documentation we have of the
company. My dad was looking
for materials because he went
to see a film in 1951 called “The
Third Man,” which was a spy
thriller starring Orson Welles.
There was zither music. A zither
is an Austrian instrument so
big it has 50 strings on it. It has
what’s similar to a fretboard on a
guitar. You make the chords with
your left hand and pick with your
thumb. The accompaniment is
done with your forefingers. It’s
quite tricky to play. When my
father saw the movie and heard
the music, he was captivated by
it. He played the violin. After the
movie, he made it a point to learn
how to play a zither. He found
an instrument, bought it and it
probably had half the strings on
it. He eventually decided to make
strings for this instrument so he
could learn how to play. Right at
the start, my dad and his brother
Ron were going to make instruments.
My dad was an engineer.
He figured he’d make instruments,
make the strings for them,
and he could make some money.
That was in the mid-’50s. But my
dad learned that making strings
would be easier and perhaps
more profitable than making
instruments. So he bought a lot
of zithers and fitted them up with
strings. He started selling them.
That’s how the business got
started.
M&SR: How and when did
you get involved in the business?
How: In the mid-’70s, I was
being dragged out to the trade
shows. Frankfurt in particular. I
never really went to the American
shows. I was about 18 or 19. I
was always around the factory.
I was close to the business
from an early age. It’s a natural
part of what you do. I didn’t get
involved in a major way until
the mid-’90s. I went to college
for engineering and worked for
a couple of other companies. I
came back here in 1992.
M&SR: So you wanted to
experience some other jobs
before ultimately committing
to Rotosound?
How: Yes. I just didn’t feel
like I wanted to just work for
Rotosound and that was it. I
knew I could work for someone
else. I just wanted to have the
experience of working for an
instrument maker. When I say
instruments, I mean compasses
that went to the army. I worked
in instrument making for three
years. I learned that business
and came back in the early
’90s. At that time, my dad was
developing machinery. He said
to me, “If you come back, you
can help to finish building some
of these machines.” He did all
of the drawings. He said, “Here
From left to right: David Phillips,
Martyn How and Jason How.
are the drawings. Make me 10 of
those.” I would go into the workshop,
make some bits and give
them to my dad. He would tell me
to make more bits. We needed
better machines. The design
he came up with in the mid-’80s
was a brilliant design for string
making. Subsequently, I have
redesigned a lot of machinery
and brought it up to date.
M&SR: What do you make
strings for?
How: Seventy percent of our
production is guitar strings.
Electric and acoustic. Thirty
percent is bass strings. Although,
our company started out making
violin, viola and cello strings. In
the early ’60s, when all of the pop
music became popular, my dad
produced a string that changed
the sound of the bass. That was
the Round Wound bass string.
Every company has now copied
that. It was a pioneering sound
used by The Who, Yes, Rush, The
Police and many others. It gave
bass guitars a unique tone. We
were famous in America in the
’60s because of our bass strings.
30 April 2010

M&SR: As far as sales go,
what percentage is in the U.K,
what percentage in the U.S.,
and what percentage is in the
rest of the world?
How: It’s changing quite dramatically.
I’d still say 40 percent is
in the U.K. But about 40 percent
is export. America is only about
12 to 15 percent of our worldwide
business. It’s out of step with our
other worldwide markets. This
year, we’re having a big push
in America and are launching a
lot of new products. Part of the
reason for the lower U.S. number
is America has a lot of homegrown
string manufacturers. So it’s tough
for an outsider to break into the
market. But Guitar Center took on
our range of electric strings last
year. That was great. Now, we are
suddenly in more than 200 shops.
Guitar Center is doing a good job
promoting the strings. The growth
in America will come from guitar
string sales. I think more than 10
guitars are sold for every bass
that’s sold.
M&SR: Tell us about your
big push into America and the
promotion you had for U.S.
retailers.
How: We had a promotion at
the NAMM show. We offered very
competitive prices for the dealers.
We brought out two dealers to
England. We also have a new sales
effort in the United States. And
Dave Phillips is on board. He does
a lot of PR for us. Dom Fairbanks
is working for us in an artist relations
role. He will hopefully work
to get us some new American
endorsees. That’s a difficult job because
many are tied up with American
string companies. But I’m
confident we can make progress.
NAMM this year was the busiest
I’ve ever seen. I’m not sure if that’s
because we went more upscale
on our booth. But whatever the
reason, I’ve never seen our booth
humming for the entire show.
We’re mixing ingredients into our
pot that have been working. Last
year, our business grew by about
30 percent. I’m quite pleased with
that.
M&SR: You had 30 percent
growth in 2009, a very difficult
thing to do. Some who broke
even felt they were successful.
What were the keys to that
growth?
How: We have a lot of markets
around the world. In some cases,
we weren’t with the right partners.
The right distributors. As hard as
I’ve tried during the last 10 or 12
years to get those guys focused on
the brand, we couldn’t really do
it. So we had to make some key
changes in key markets around
the world. Those changes made
the floodgates open in certain
markets. It was as though we were
being held back due to distribution
we didn’t want. So we switched and
the results were pretty immediate.
In Spain, for example, we had
a 400 percent sales increase. But
having said that, we weren’t selling
anywhere near as much as we
should have been selling. You have
to put it into perspective. But for us
as a company, that was really good.
Improving the distribution led to
sales growth. A lot of our growth
has come from the six-string electric
and acoustic guitar.
M&SR: Another advantage
perhaps is you’re selling a
lower-price item. Not a multithousand-dollar
guitar. Is that
true? If so, how does that help
you?
How: We are by no means the
biggest string company, but for
the price point of our products,
we have a great product to work
with when they say the market is
down. We haven’t really been that
affected. People are still going
out to buy their strings. They are
not upgrading their guitars, but
accessories seem to be pretty
resilient when the market goes
south. The string market is a good
market. For a company like us
to grow in that market, we’ve got
a lot of work to do. We can have
great growth though. There’s a
lot of low-hanging fruit to pick up.
The other thing that has helped us
regarding exports is the strength
of the pound. Our government has
tried to keep the pound overvalued
for many years. Finally, the pound
has been under so much pressure
that it has gone to a price where
it should have been. That gives
British manufacturers and exporters
a great boost. Especially when
many of our competitors come
from America where they use
the dollar. Our prices have come
down. In some cases, we’ve been
able to raise our prices and still be
cheaper. It’s a trade off because we
buy some raw materials in dollars.
32 April 2010

So raw material prices have gone
up a bit. The key point is we’re
presented against that competition
more favorably with one pound being
worth about $1.60. It was at $2.
M&SR: On the other side,
most customers do not enter
a music store to buy strings
unless theirs broke. Otherwise,
buying strings is an impulse
purchase after buying a guitar,
for example. Is that a good or
bad thing?
How: I think all you can do to
keep the momentum going is to
work with David to boost online
and magazine marketing, as well
as PR. We’ve made up a lot of
ground. Something I should have
mentioned earlier is that a lot of
the recent growth we’ve been
seeing is due to the PR we’ve been
getting. These days, a lot of people
are being influenced by what they
are seeing online. Guitar magazines
will always have a place. But
perhaps that is not as important
a place to be as it was maybe 10
years ago.
David Phillips: I’d like to add
that with Rotosound, there’s a
great story to be told that some of
the younger kids coming through
haven’t heard. Jimi Hendrix,
Fleetwood Mac and so many of the
greats all used Rotosound. Many
people don’t know that. What I’ve
been doing is trying to re-tell the
story. If you look at the Rotosound
roster though, we’re not just older
bands. We’re signing a lot of upand-coming
bands. Dom Fairbanks
has a great reputation of bringing
in new artists. We’ve been relooking
at the whole company. We’re
building on the heritage, appealing
to a younger market and bringing
not just magazines, but everything
into the fold. That includes the Internet,
podcasts, videos and more.
How: It’s a mix of all of those
things. We also do e-marketing
now. So to get back to your question
about people walking into the
stores, all we can do is differentiate
ourselves from the competition.
We have a unique history. There
are not many string companies
who have pictures of Hendrix
holding a package of their strings.
Or Pink Floyd. We have a heritage
that dates back to the ’60s. We
want to shout that story out there
in a big way. It’s our ace. This is an
honest story to tell. A valid story.
Dinner and libations flowed from this traditional British outpost.
M&SR: Tell us about the new
products you recently debuted?
How: We have a number of new
products. We launched the Double
Decker twin-pack electric sets
in nine and 10 gauge. In the last
year, we also released the Nexus
coated strings for bass acoustic and
guitar; The Pure Nickels; the (Tru
Bronze) 80/20 bronze; and the British
Steels, which are new for the
American market.
Music & Sound Retailer 33

M&SR: Tell us about some
of the things you are building
in your factory to make it
better and more cost efficient?
How: I’ve worked from the
ground up on redesigning and
building all of the machines
that manufacture the strings.
My dad’s old machines were
great and worked well for 20,
30 or 40 years. But to take us
forward, especially with the
competitiveness of companies
in other countries, to keep our
company British, we needed
to have a production solution
here in the factory. The way we
manufacture the strings now is
that solution. It’s ongoing. We
have other ideas to improve
the throughput of the products.
Ultimately, we all want to keep
Since 1963
Paracho Elite
control of our manufacturing
base. I don’t think the American
companies want to go to China.
We don’t want to go to China.
Also, being honest, strings aren’t
the most complicated product to
make. The machines are much
more complicated to make than
the product. But there’s a possibility
there to keep improving our
productivity. I love walking into
the factory and hearing the machines
in use. It’s exciting to me.
We make all of our components
here. Another advantage we have
is if a machine breaks, we can fix
it. We can drag a machine into
the workshop and rebuild it or
redesign it. It’s all about having
everything in house.
M&SR: You’ve kept it a family
affair with your wife and
LPD Music
Where old is new again.
Danelectro
Retailers Source For All Things Musical
A look inside
Rotosound’s factory.
brother having major roles at
Rotosound. Tell us about what
they do.
How: My wife Kathy is absolutely
critical when it comes
to running the production and
organizing the throughput of the
work. When you have about 40
employees downstairs, there’s a
lot of management involved. Getting
everybody working together
as a team is a vital role. She does
an amazing job. I always like telling
her that. She’s probably more
Italia
Larson Bros.
• Prarie State
• Maurer
• Stetson
COMING
SOON
www.lpdmusic.com
email: sales@lpdmusic.com
in control of the business than
the rest of us. Martyn does a lot
on the sales side. He started the
business in America back in 1997.
Martyn How: I’ve been with
the company since 1965. (I’m 16
years older than Jason). I started
by making strings. I worked in
several different departments
of the business. I was at school
when my dad started making
strings at home. I used to come
home from school and see many
of the projects he was working
on. That was fascinating. I saw
the business take off. It was such
an exciting time for music with
The Beatles coming along in the
early ’60s. We supplied strings
for so many of the great bands.
My dad had a great relationship
with Tom Jennings at Vox. So we
made all of the Vox guitar and
bass strings before Rotosound
took off in 1963. Like Jason, I always
loved music. To be involved
in the music business and see
it grow was incredible. In 1974,
I started to go to the NAMM
shows with my dad in Chicago.
I was working in U.K. sales in
the ’70s, but started going to the
U.S. shows. Every year we went
to NAMM. So I started to get
involved with export with my dad.
He showed me many different
countries. I was very fortunate.
Our business really took off in
the United States in the 1970s.
M&SR: Martyn, since you’re
the company’s historian, what
is the genesis of the name
Rotosound?
Martyn How: My father first
thought of Top Strings. That
developed into Rotop. Then, soon
after, he thought of Rotosound,
34 April 2010

which meant “round sound.” He
thought that was better than Rotop.
He thought about that name
about the time he invented the
swing bass Round Wound. I can
remember my dad working on
the logo in the kitchen. I remember
him saying the term round
sound. Swing bass was a breakthrough
as Jason said because
everything was developed from
there. Black Nylon was another
big breakthrough.
Jason How: These products
came out at a time when, in
England, there weren’t too many
other string brands out there.
Jimi Hendrix had an English
manager, an English band and
came to England. There was
The Who in London. There was
Pink Floyd. Many brands were
around. We had a man working
for us named Alan Marcuson,
who was a director of the
company back in the ’60s. He
had this ability to get in among
the players and got the string
packets in the guys’ hands.
Jason How: There’s a massive
imbalance in the U.K. We’re
a debt-fueled nation. Everything
has been bought on debt. Our
country is out of context because
we are so financially led. We’re all
about selling insurance and paper
shuffling. Nothing’s been made to
export.
Phillips: We’re in a situation
where everything is on hold
here. There’s going to be an election
here. All of the parties say
they will turn things around and
take care of the huge debt we’ve
gotten ourselves into. If anything,
looking forward, the economy
here will probably get worse before
it gets better. Right now, the
government isn’t doing anything
because of the election.
Jason How: The British government
can’t get us out of this
downturn. The government has
no solutions other than to raise
taxes. Which means we will get
the country out of the recession.
The public will.
As for our company, though,
we have been doing well. We
have been taking staff on. We
have 50 employees. We’re very
fortunate. We have a great,
strong team here. We want to
achieve the same goal. We don’t
want disgruntled employees.
We want people that are happy
to be here and will work hard to
support the company.
The best acoustic tone is just one step awa
The best acoustic tone is just one step away
Pickups & Preamps
M&SR: In the U.S., we’re
hit really hard by the recession.
We are talking about the
Toneshaping
Pickups & Preamps
possibility of coming out of the
economic malaise now. What
have you seen economically
speaking on the British front?
Jason How: Our English reps
who are calling on the dealers are
all telling me it was the worst in
mid-February it has been since
Toneshaping
Acoustic Amplifiers
Christmas. Having said that,
it still seems like accessories
are moving through the shops.
Dealers may not be selling the
big-ticket items, but the smaller
items are selling. We had a good Acoustic Amplifiers
year in 2009 and had a good start
to 2010, but we don’t want to be
complacent. Deep down, I feel
confident all of the marketing and
efforts we have put in will keep
sales at a good level. So we’re in
a different situation than some
Visit us at NAMM booth 425
companies. Some are at the top
ACOUSTIC IMAGING
ACOUSTIC EFFECTS
of their game and have as much
AURA SPECTRUM DI
AFX REVERB
market share as they can get.
AURA SIXTEEN
AFX CHORUS
But if you’re growing into certain
ELLIPSE AURA
AFX DELAY
markets, like we are, it’s a good
ONBOARD AURA
situation to be in.
AURA PRO
fishman.com
Visit us at NAMM booth 4258
Phillips: The U.K. economy is
one of the furthest from coming
ACOUSTIC IMAGING
ACOUSTIC EFFECTS
out of recession. We’ve seen
AURA SPECTRUM DI
AFX REVERB
in other areas of Europe and
AURA SIXTEEN
AFX CHORUS
America that things are starting
ELLIPSE AURA
AFX DELAY
to turn around.
ONBOARD AURA
AURA PRO
fishman.com
Music & Sound Retailer 35

MI Spy
The Best of Beantown?
A Boston rainstorm during the winter months pierces the soul. And the mix of sleet,
rain and snow I faced that morning was as brutal as anything I’d ever endured, be it
from a sexy female target who just realized the man she’d fallen for was MI Spy or
from Mother Nature herself.
As I walked the streets of Allston—the area of Boston were the musicians live, work
and play any night of the week in one of the four or five clubs that exist in the town’s
two-mile radius—I caught myself wishing I was anywhere else on earth. The life of MI
Spy is a lonely one. Never in one place for long…just enough time to assess a target,
fall in love and, then, you’re gone. A ghost in the wind leaving nothing but a review and
the tear-stained pillow of a beautiful woman to prove you ever even existed.
But as MI Spy, I’m not one for sentimentality. This was the life I had chosen and no
amount of cold rain or regret could change that. Sure, I could have settled down and
raised kids. But that just isn’t my style. And how would that help you? I spoke with the
Chief from a dilapidated payphone (I forget to pay my cell phone bill), and confirmed
my assignment: finding a decent bass at a reasonable price.
As I approached Mr. Music, a 36-year-old independent music store in the heart of
Allston, I shook any misgivings I might have harbored about my life as MI Spy. I might
never know the warm embrace of a friend, or the joy of raising a family, but, for now,
the quest for the perfect scotch, a new bass guitar and the opportunity to leave just one
more tear-soaked pillow in my wake would suffice.
Mr. Music
128 Commonwealth Ave.
Allston, MA 02116
As far as basses go, the
selection at Mr. Music is mainly
Fender. Like a lot of indie music
stores, Mr. Music has a decent
mix of used and new gear. I was
happy to see such a well-stocked
used section because, as a player,
I think vintage is the way to go.
Modern guitars are nice, but,
in my opinion, they lack the
structural integrity and character
of a stage-beaten and well-played
guitar from the 1970s. With that
in mind, I perused Mr. Music’s
used section and was pleasantly
surprised, both by the quality and
quantity I saw.
The first thing that caught my
eye was a beautiful 1975 Fender
Music Man. The guitar was in
great shape, with only a few small
chips in its fire-engine red body
to let on that it had been around
since the Ford Administration. It
played beautifully, with no warp-
36 April 2010

ing or visible wear on the neck
whatsoever, making the vintage
bass’ price tag of $699 seem
more than reasonable.
As I made my way to the
store’s section of new bass
guitars, a metallic blue Fender
Aerodyne caught my eye. It
looked like a hybrid between
a Fender Precision Bass and a
Rickenbacker, or maybe an old
Mosrite. Either way, it had a distinctive
look and I was anxious
to see how it played. As I took
it from the wall mount, I accidently
banged the headstock
off a low-hanging ceiling vent,
creating a loud noise and attracting
the attention of a nearby Mr.
Music employee. (For a battletested
secret agent, I sure make
a lot of noise.)
The employee didn’t chastise
me for manhandling the equipment,
but did use my bludgeoning
of their instruments as an
opportunity to see if I needed
any help.
I asked him about the Aerodyne,
but the employee didn’t
seem to know too much about
it. Upon closer inspection, he
deduced it was of Japanese
origin. I thanked him for his
help and took out my cell phone
(I had finally paid the bill) and
did some field research. After
a quick search, I learned the
Aerodyne is indeed from the Far
East…and Mr. Music charged
$200 less for it than most online
retailers! Hats off to the employee
for taking my rough handling
of the guitar in stride, and for
being able to analyze the guitar
correctly just by looking at it.
(And an extra doff of the cap to
Mr. Music management for pricing
the guitar so low.)
After inspecting more of Mr.
Music’s basses, it became clear
that its prices were industry
standard or lower, and the
gear ran the gamut from nice
beginner guitars (Fender P Bass
Affinity for $200) to road-tested
classics like a ’78 Rickenbacker,
priced at a fair $1,799.
Daddy’s Junky Music
159 Massachusetts Ave.
Boston, MA 02115
Daddy’s Junky Music is located
right next to the renowned
Berklee College of Music, in the
heart of Boston. But if Daddy’s
selection is any indication, I’d
guess there aren’t too many
Hats off to the employee for taking my
rough handling of the guitar in stride,
and for being able to analyze the guitar
correctly just by looking at it.
bass players going to Berklee
these days. Then again, not every
store can have a huge selection of
all instruments.
Daddy’s bass gear consisted
mainly of new models, most being
made by Fender, Epiphone,
Peavey or Ibanez. Prices on the
newer guitars seemed in line with
typical chain prices—nothing
too expensive—but I found no
bargains, either.
I wandered the store looking
for any more basses, thinking
Music & Sound Retailer 37

that maybe I had overlooked a
more heavily populated used section,
but I found nothing. Trying
to look extra clueless, I hoped to
attract a Daddy’s employee who
could steer me in the right direction.
After five minutes of circling
without being approached by the
staff, I stealthily snuck out the
front door.
Based on my Daddy’s experience,
I think I can say my covert
operative skills are well-honed, as
nobody came up to me. Daddy’s
has a tremendous reputation. It
has won a barrelful of awards
from this magazine. I probably
got too impatient by walking
out after only five minutes. In
retrospect, I could have flagged
someone down. But I didn’t feel
I had to.
Guitar Center
1255 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02215
The Boston Guitar Center
recently changed locations and
now resides in the Boston neighborhood
of Kenmore, resting
comfortably in the shadow of the
legendary Fenway Park. Baseball
takes over Boston from early
April until late October if the
team is good enough. GC’s new
location might not be of much
interest to most Red Sox fans,
but it is a mere two-minute walk
from House of Blues Boston,
one of the biggest and busiest
Based on my Daddy’s experience,
I think I can say my covert operative
skills are well-honed, as
nobody came up to me. Daddy’s
has a tremendous reputation. It
has won a barrelful of awards
from this magazine. I probably got
too impatient by walking out after
only five minutes. In retrospect,
I could have flagged someone
down. But I didn’t feel I had to.
venues for live music in the city.
Considering there are almost 300
shows a year at Boston HOB, the
traffic from touring bands alone
probably helps keep this Guitar
Center afloat.
When I first entered the Boston
Guitar Center, I was struck by
how similar it was to every other
Guitar Center on the planet. The
bass section of this Guitar Center
immediately impressed me,
mainly due to the sheer volume
of the selection. Bass sections
are often a distant second to their
six-string counterparts in terms
of the amount of instruments
for sale, but it looks as if this GC
went out of its way to make the
guitars chunkier and meaner.
All types of brands lined the
walls: Fender, Music Man, Ibanez
and Schechter, just to name a
few—and they covered the full
spectrum, from cheap starter
axes to top-notch pro gear.
An employee came over and
offered to help me within my
first two minutes of looking, and
was friendly and helpful without
being pushy. When I told him I
was just looking, he graciously
backed off, but let me know his
name and where to find him if I
had any questions.
My favorite find at GC was a
brand new Geddy Lee signature
Fender Jazz Bass, with an industry-standard
price tag of $990.
Some of the used basses at this
particular Guitar Center were
on the lower side of the quality
ladder, but they were priced as
such and, therefore, seemed
more than fair (including a
small, generic looking Yamaha
for only $59! Great price for a
beginner bass, especially at a big
chain store.)
Overall, Guitar Center seemed
to have basses for every level of
player, but beginners and intermediates
will most likely have
more fun because the amount of
gear they have to root through
seems more diverse than the
guitars aimed at seasoned players.
And though my interaction
with the staff was limited, they
were upfront and visible at first,
but not breathing down your
neck to make a commission.
Guitar Stop
1760 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02140
For my final target, I moved
deep undercover, going all the
way to Cambridge, Boston’s
sister city across the Charles
River. Home to academic institutions
like Harvard and MIT,
Cambridge houses some of the
state’s most elite minds, and
some of its greatest indie music
spots, as well. Often known for
its artist-friendly vibes, Cambridge
caters more to smaller
venues and mom and pop music
stores, as opposed to Boston
music juggernauts like House of
Blues or Guitar Center.
Guitar Stop is a small, family-owned
music retailer that’s
been around since the early
1960s. Keeping in tune with
Cambridge’s liberal feel, the
store is split equally between
acoustic guitars for folkies and
electric guitars for those who
like a little power in their music.
When I entered the store, it
was laid back, complete with a
long-haired dude jamming away
on an acoustic and chatting with
the woman behind the counter,
and a nice store dog that came
up and greeted me almost as
quickly as the proprietor.
The selection of basses at
Guitar Stop was small, but, in
fairness, the store itself is tiny.
I felt the amount of basses on
display was more than adequate
when considering the lack of
physical space available to house
all the equipment Guitar Stop
has to offer.
There were only two used
basses available, but the 2007
Fender American Precision I
saw was handsome and reasonably
priced at $1,275. The newer
models were either Fender or
38 April 2010

Ibanez and, while nothing I saw
blew me away, all were quality
guitars at decent prices.
The woman who helped me
was friendly and knew the years
and makes of all the gear that
hung on the wall. As I browsed,
she let me know that all purchases
included a free strap and
hard case or gig bag, depending
on type of guitar. Not necessarily
a deal maker for me, but it
was a nice touch nevertheless.
The Verdict
After returning to the rendezvous
point—OK, maybe not,
I never see the Chief—I was
anxious for this assignment to
be over. The chill that had taken
hold after traversing all over
Boston in a thunderstorm was
hard to shake, and only a double
brandy from the equally rich
and smoky beauty that was my
local barmaid had any chance of
beating the cold.
“What’d you find MI Spy?”
said a voice from out of the
shadows.
Huh? Who knew I was here?
Was it the Chief? Worried for
my life—I’m afraid of being
approached in the dark—I
answered.
“Mr. Music on Harvard Ave in
Allston is the spot,” I said, still
unable to make out the features
of my incognito commander.
“Best selection of cool, used
gear, and most likely the best
prices in the city for new stuff.
If I was going anywhere to
browse, that’s the joint.”
“And the other targets?”
“Daddy’s was an incomplete
because I couldn’t judge the
service. A salesperson did not
approach me. Guitar Center
and Guitar Stop were excellent,
but couldn’t match Mr. Music’s
prices or balanced mix of old
and new basses. But more
importantly, I really appreciated
the salesman’s attitude.
He didn’t yell at me for mishandling
the equipment, was very
friendly and knew the gear.”
“Good work, Spy. You’ll
receive payment in the regular
fashion, but, in the meantime,
this should help take the edge
off,” he said, handing me a
wrinkled, soaking wet $100 bill.
“Thanks, Chief,” I said in a
questioning tone. Was it the
Chief? I’ll never know. I like
a good mystery. That’s why I
An employee came over and offered
to help me within my first
two minutes of looking, and
was friendly and helpful without
being pushy. When I told him I
was just looking, he graciously
backed off, but let me know his
name and where to find him if I
had any questions.
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Cable-Blue 1/8" (3.5mm) phone plug cable.
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watch “The Mentalist” on CBS.
The $100 bill looked real. I
know because I saw the watermark.
I slid the soggy Franklin
into my overcoat pocket. Before
a night of drinking scotch and
some good old beer, I had to fix
my hunger crave. I knew the
perfect place: Mike’s Pastry. If
you reach Boston’s north end,
the store’s boxes are omnipresent
on the street. I love the cannolis
there.
PA-9D Power-All ® Deluxe Kit
Everything you need to power 11 pedals out of the box.
Includes:
PA-9 Power-All ® Digital Power Supply.
Cable-11/R Daisy Chain Connector with spring-loaded
right-angle jacks.
Cable-Red/R reverse polarity (tip positive) cable with
spring-loaded right-angle jack.
Cable-Blue/R 1/8" (3.5mm) phone plug cable with
right-angle jack.
Cable-Green reverse polarity cable with 2.5 internal
diameter spring-loaded jack.
Cable-Green/R reverse polarity cable with spring-loaded
right-angle jack.
Cable-Grey battery clip cable.
Cable-Black/R extension cable with spring-loaded
right-angle jack.
Insulator Caps (5) for unused male barrel connectors
on the Daisy Chain.
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Music & Sound Retailer 39

Dan THe MAn
By Dan Ferrisi
Although, in April, it might be a
bit late to continue talking about
the NAMM show, it was such a
successful event, and there was
so much going on—and, with it
being my first NAMM experience,
it was so memorable—that
I will make an exception and
devote one more column to the
expo. One of my responsibilities
at the show was to attend a
couple of NAMM Breakfast
Sessions and, despite my relative
inexperience in this industry, I
found the information intriguing
and well-presented; if I were
a musical instrument retailer, I
would have stepped out of both
sessions feeling reinvigorated
and excited to get home to try
these new strategies.
On Friday, Jan. 15, John Gerzema,
of Young & Rubicam, presented
“The Post-Crisis Consumer,”
which discussed consumption
patterns that have emerged
in the wake of the devastating
economic downturn that began in
December 2007 and, even now, is
still taking its toll. Equally intriguing—and,
perhaps, for this column,
even more germane—was
the Breakfast Session convened
on Saturday, Jan. 16, presented by
George Whalin, of Retail Management
Consultants, and entitled
“Strategies for a Changing Retail
World.” Although Whalin’s advice
to retailers was by no means
limited to strategies for getting
non-musicians “off the freeway”
and into making music, his analysis
of the industry—including
challenges currently being dealt
with, potential keys to success
and ways in which to distinguish
one’s store—seemed to dovetail
quite well with some of the issues
this column attempts to address.
Whalin outlined several
challenges with which musical
instrument retailers are wrestling,
among them an extremely
difficult and often unpredictable
It’s Never Too Late
to Talk About NAMM
economy, conservative consumer
spending, fierce competition
and difficulty earning a profit
even when customers do walk
through the doors; in the face
of these hurdles, if store managers
want to expand the universe
of music makers, special effort
must be expended. After all,
if one is a dedicated guitarist,
drummer, bassist or keyboardist—whether
professionally, in
school or simply for recreation—
one is likely to continue buying
instruments irrespective of
economic conditions, whereas,
if one simply has vague musical
ambitions, tightened purse
strings might have much more
of an effect.
Although Whalin’s keys to success
are numerous and varied,
encompassing everything from
always operating strategically to
utilizing performance-improvement
tools, from striving for
constant improvement in all areas
to taking steps to distinguish
oneself and one’s business, a
couple stand out as particularly
relevant here. Under the “distinguish”
heading, retailers are
encouraged to make their staff
stand out, particularly vis-à-vis
their motivation, helpfulness and
product knowledge. Certainly,
my preferences with respect
to customer service cannot be
extrapolated to all non-musicians—whether
they, like me,
formerly (albeit briefly) played
an instrument or whether they
have never picked one up—but
I will explain the approach that,
hypothetically, would be most
appealing to me and, thus, would
present the greatest opportunity
for success.
First, upon entering the store,
I would be receptive to immediate
salesperson attention; if I had
to wait five, 10 or 15 minutes before
a sales associate noticed my
presence, I might be disinclined
to do business. Second, although
immediate service would be a
strong positive, high pressure
would be an equally strong negative
mark. It has been said that a
man does not step onto the lot unless
he wants to buy, and that, in
general, might be true, especially
for those who boast familiarity
with the products and the industry;
however, if someone is new to
the market, and considering dipping
his toes into the water, pressure
is the wrong choice. Third,
if you are a retailer that offers
lessons, make that opportunity apparent
in big, bright, bold fashion,
because the proverbial one-stop
shop would be more likely to earn
my business than one that only
provides gear. If you do not offer
lessons, I would feel more positive
about the experience if, when
I asked about getting them, you
had suggestions about teachers to
whom I could go.
Whalin’s presentation was much
more detailed and, again, did not
focus particularly on expanding
the MI universe, but, in these
harsh economic times, it makes
good business sense to try to
find sales wherever they might
be—from within the industry, and
from without.
Dan Ferrisi is the assistant editor
of the Music & Sound Retailer.
Tell him what you think at dferrisi@testa.com.
Music & Sound Retailer 41

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World Premiere of a New Column!
Appraisal Scene
INVESTIGATION is Born
By Rebecca Apodaca
As a qualified appraiser with the
American Society of Appraisers
and restorer of musical instruments
and their related accessories,
I come across many instruments;
one-of-a-kind oddities, or
perhaps even the prototype to a
model that became a standard in
our industry. Everyone has fun
watching “Antique Roadshow”
trying to second guess at what
price that Gibson Guitar might
be valued. This column will be
for those interested in seeing
some different instruments that
our industry has produced over
the last 300 years. I picked 300
years because that is the oldest
instrument I have worked on. This
column might give everyone a bit
more knowledge and pique some
interest in instruments most of us
have rarely seen. We keep a strict
privacy policy, but I received permission
to use my client’s name
and to reveal the value.
Brooks Anderson of Northern
California contacted me about
appraising this unusual machine
that was originally owned by his
father. Although not truly a musical
instrument, it was a related
accessory that was used by small
publishing houses and band directors.
His father originally owned
it. It is called the Keaton Music
Typewriter and is made in San
Francisco. Keaton applied for the
patent in 1933 and again in 1947.
It was finally approved in 1953.
The Keaton types on a sheet of
manuscript paper lying on the flat
plate under the machine.
One was sold in 2005 at famed
Bonham’s Auction house in
London. It is rare to find one in
workable condition with all the
keys. This one in particular was in
good working condition except for
one missing key. The owner was
looking to sell it.
As a legal appraiser, I must actually
see the instrument to witness
it exists and to note the condition.
If a client is unable or unwilling
to ship it to us, we contract with
the nearest reputable repair
technician in their area to be my
eyes and ears. The tech fills out a
detailed report and takes technical
photos. This is much
different that the inexpensive
online appraisals.
This appraisal was
accomplished with the
help of Mick Loveland
of Loveland’s Music in
Northern California.
According to the
instructions, this
machine was “long
awaited by music
writers and printers to
speed and ease their
tasks—a machine
designed solely to type
precise music notation
(not a refitted alphabet typewriter)
and to do it swiftly and inexpensively.”
One commentator wrote,
“Swiftly? The only way to make
this machine any slower would be
to douse it in molasses... in January...
in Maine! Inexpensively?! It
was $255 when new; a new 1956
17-inch TV was only $115 in the
Sears catalog! Had this machine
truly been swift and inexpensive,
it probably would have enjoyed
more success. Its lack of success
is probably why they are so rarely
found!” This machine would be
the predecessor to software such
as Finale or Sibelius. We’ve come
a long way, baby!
The Technical Side—The
typewriter has a handle, called the
scale shift handle, to the left of the
circular keyboard, which moves
over a notched metal arc. This
moves a long needle, adjacent
to the ribbon, which indicates
where the next symbol is to be
printed. The machine contains two
keyboards—one smaller, stationary
keyboard and the other larger,
moveable keyboard, which is
moved by the scale, shift handle.
The smaller keyboard contains
bar lines and ledger lines, which
remain in a fixed position to the
staff paper. (Preprinted staff
paper is used with the Keaton
typewriter.) The larger part of
the keyboard contains the notes,
rests, sharps, flats and other musical
symbols.
There are three spacing keys
used for different purposes, such
as adding spaces for accidentals,
grace notes or dots. The keys are
pressed straight down onto the
staff paper where the long needle
indicates the position. A printing
ribbon runs under the symbols,
which allow for the printing to
take place.
ONLY 10 LEFT!—Although it
was not as much of a success to
go into mass production, it was
a great attempt at a mechanical
device for printing sheet music.
Some sources show that there
are less than 10 left in the United
States that are in full working condition,
including one owned by the
Smithsonian Institution. This item
would be considered “Rare.”
After my appraisal, the Music
Typewriter was eventually sold
to a man in Dubai, United Arab
Emirates.
We are welcoming
readers who want to
find out more information
about the history
or other details
of a particular musical
instrument to send in
photos with any information that
they might have. Send digital photos
and information to Rebecca
Apodaca via e-mail at admusic@
cox.net. Contact us if you want
to know more about appraising
instruments. If we use your photo
and run a story, you will receive a
free A & D Music T-shirt.
The Fair Market Value was
$2,200.00 for the Keaton Music
Typewriter
Fair market value (FMV) is the
price that property would sell for
on the open market. It is the price
that would be agreed on between
a willing buyer and a willing seller,
with neither being required to
act, and both having reasonable
knowledge of the relevant facts.
Rebecca Apodaca, President/
CEO, Appraiser/Authenticator/
Conservator of Musical Instruments,
A & D Music Incorporated,
has been in operation for 32 years
in Laguna Hills, Calif. Now specializing
as an appraisal & restoration
business, including consultant
work for movies and television.
Music & Sound Retailer 43

44 April 2010

Sales Guru
By Gene Fresco
Preparation is the second “P” of
the eight “Ps” of selling.
Planning, PREPARATION,
Prospecting, Pre-approach, Presentation,
Persistence, Perpetuation
and Profitability.
How do you prepare to make a
sale? Let’s talk about your store.
Is it ready to make a sale? Are all
the instruments cleaned, tuned
and ready to play? Do the guitars
have all their strings? Are the
drumsets set up properly and
the heads tuned? Does the cash
register have enough money in it
to make change?
Are you prepared? Are you
neatly dressed? Do you have a
pen? Are you in a cheerful mood?
Is there a smile on you face?
Have you made any appointments
to see your favorite clients
today—in the store or at their
church or club or office?
Let me give you some good
advice. Keep a notebook on your
desk and write everything down.
Don’t depend on your memory.
I have a page or pages for every
day of the year, and I refer to it
constantly. I make sure I haven’t
forgotten something or somebody.
One of the most successful
music dealers I know has desks
for every one of his salespeople,
so they have their personal work
space. They have their own
phone and a place for them to
close their sales.
What else can you do to be
prepared? Learn all you can about
the products you sell. Read catalogs,
product spec sheets, the endorsees
that play these products,
guarantees and availability.
Read sales training books to
improve your knowledge of sales
techniques. I have read more
than 500 sales training books and
they have taken me from clerk to
professional salesman.
BE PREPARED…
A Boy Scout’s Motto
Planning,
PREPARATION,
Prospecting,
Pp
P
Pre-approach,
Presentation,
Persistence,
Perpetuation and
Profitability.
p
p
Don’t be a “May I help you”
sales clerk. Be a professional
salesman.
Have a briefcase and have
contracts and credit applications
in it. If you are going to a church
to sell them a sound system, have
literature and spec sheets of the
equipment you plan on selling
them.
If you are going to demonstrate
amps to a band, make sure the
amps are working perfectly and
you have cables handy to plug
them in.
Always have business cards
with you. Make sure you give one
to everyone you meet. Post them
on bulletin boards at your barber
shop, laundromat, church, restaurant,
club or anywhere there is a
bulletin board to put it on.
You have to know more about
your business—the products you
sell—than the customer. If you
don’t, you won’t control the customer;
the customer will control
you.
I recommend you don’t put
prices on your products. Put a
code number on every product.
Have you ever noticed when
you pick up a piece of jewelry, a
ring or a watch in a jewelry store
and it has a number that can’t
possibly be the price? It might
say 609450 on it. Huh? That can’t
be the price. What it means is
it was bought in June 2009 and
wholesale cost is $450. That’s
their code.
Make a code of your own.
If you put the sales price on an
instrument, the customer could
walk out, go to your competitor
and say, “I saw it at Joe’s Music
for $898. I will buy it from you if
you let me have it for $798.” Bummer,
huh?
You don’t know if the customer
has a trade in, or wants to pay
by cash, credit card or layaway.
You have to know all the factors
before you quote a price.
That is one thing that you know
that the customer doesn’t, and he
has to come to you and ask you.
Excellent preparation will get
excellent results.
It’s April. Are you accomplishing
your goals?
Goals are part of preparation.
You have to prepare the steps
that will help you accomplish
your goals.
Let’s say one of your goals for
the year is selling $200,000 worth
of electric guitars. In 50 weeks,
that would be $4,000 a week. Five
days a week, that’s $800 a day.
That could be two $400 guitars,
four $200 guitars or one $800
guitar per day.
The preparation to this is to
have an adequate amount of
guitars on hooks at all times to
accomplish your goal. Weekly,
you should check to see that you
p
P
order replacement guitars for the
ones that were sold. If you are
falling behind on your goal, you
could advertise a “Guitar Sale” to
ensure you will make your goal.
You should get all your salespeople
to participate, maybe offering
a spiff weekly for the best guitar
salesperson.
You can use this in every
department in your store: pianos,
drums, guitars and everything
else. Remember, there are three
kinds of people. Those who say,
“What’s going to happen?” Those
who say, “What happened?” And
those who “Make it happen.”
You can be the third kind with
excellent preparation. Probably
the most important “Preparation”
is in your mind. You must prepare
yourself to have a positive attitude
in all you do, and especially
in sales. I have said selling is 90
percent attitude.
Prepare yourself to succeed
and you will succeed.
You might or might not have
been a Boy Scout, but let your
motto be “BE PREPARED.”
I wish you good selling.
Gene Fresco is waiting to
hear about what topics you want
covered in his Sales Guru column.
Send all comments and suggestions
to Brian Berk at bberk@testa.com
and he will forward them directly
to Gene.
Music & Sound Retailer 45

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veddatorial
Topical Depression
By Dan Vedda
Like so many small businesses
today, we’ve tried to pare our
inventory, contain payroll and cut
expenditures wherever we reasonably
can do so. Even though our
customers are still buying—we
ran the thinnest of increases for
2009, albeit thanks to some strong
departments rather than overall
vigor—we know we, like many,
are likely to be on the proverbial
thin ice if anything changes.
That was illustrated forcefully
just before the banking laws
changed, as financial institutions
ran numbers and put spending
habits, credit limits and interest
rates under the microscope for
America’s small business community.
I’ve not only heard the
stories, I’m one of them. The old
joke—that the difference between
a road kill skunk and a road kill
banker is that there are skid
marks in front of the skunk—is
making the rounds again. Granted,
lawyers used to be featured
in this one, but outside of GC,
NAMM and a few other industry
litigation victims, bankers have
claimed the spotlight.
Not that our current belttightening
is that bad, of course.
As “great” as this depression is
supposed to be, and despite all the
tales of woe from pundits, economists
and media outlets, I don’t
think we as a society are as bad
off as the folks who lived through
the Great Depression of the 1930s.
My parents did and, even allowing
for colorful memories, it was grimmer
in many ways. One reason
was the relatively low standard of
living as compared to today. Food
quality—the availability of varied,
fresh foods—was an issue in good
times, without freezers, global
sourcing and quality standards.
My mom learned plenty of ways
to “save” substandard meat, and a
“convenience food” was an apple,
because it would keep for months.
(I heard someone complain about
the price of mangoes recently.
Really.) Modern conveniences—
phones, TV and even cars—were
rare or nonexistent. What that
meant was that there was no fat
in the lifestyle, so fewer dollars
meant fewer meals, not “We need
a cheaper cable package.” The
impact was immediately felt.
Certainly, there are many
people in dire straits in America
today, but, during the Depression,
it was endemic. Some of the rich
lamented about “letting the help
go,” but there wasn’t the large
Audi-drivin’, latte-sippin’, bigscreen
middle class cutting back
on vacations and dining out—it
was a huge population wondering
how they’d get food and keep a
roof over their heads.
So, although many of us are
hurting and there are those who
won’t be around for Christmas
2010, for more of us, it’s about
adapting. Now, if you can’t or
won’t adapt—or if your adaptation
isn’t successful—perhaps there’s
no hope. But at least there are
other options to try before you
throw in the towel.
Although cutting payroll is
quick and substantial, if you lay off
good, productive employees, it’s
the equivalent of losing muscle instead
of fat. This is when you see
the quality of your workforce. Do
you have people ready to take on
additional tasks, look for prospects
and payments, and help eliminate
waste, or are you saddled with
salespeople who refuse to do clerical
work or run the vacuum? I’ve
had both, willing and unwilling,
and I’ve made payroll cuts appropriately.
Although it’s wrenching
to lay anyone off, removing an employee
who has made it obvious
that your business survival isn’t a
priority has a lot less sting.
Two years ago, I really didn’t
think an eBay store was a good
fit for us, even though we’ve been
eBay members since 1999. We’ve
always been local and community-based,
and not “knowing” my
customers had less appeal for me.
But I changed my mind when we
had to unload dead stock from
franchises we’ve walked away
from. It worked, and the momentum
propelled us into a store that
actually acts as an extension of our
brick-and-mortar presence. I stand
corrected; it’s at least helping,
with minimal additional investment
other than time.
One thing I’ve tried to discipline
myself to do is choose my
battles. We have to serve our
customers profitably, and it’s
tough to turn down a repair that
a regular patron needs. But when
it costs more in productivity than
you could charge without being
accused of gouging, it might be
better to walk away and let the
competition “gouge” them or take
the hit to their productivity.
At the same time, if we have to
special order an item and spend
an extra $100 on other merchandise
to meet a minimum or justify
the freight, our cash flow might
not support it. An hour of research
finding a product that we make
$3 on might not be a good time
investment. There isn’t a categorical
answer to this, because
intangibles like customer loyalty
and future sales—particularly of
products that would be good additions
to the mix—factor in. But the
analysis has to be done.
No matter what you manage
to cut, though, you can’t stop
promoting and advertising. With
traditional advertising in a tailspin,
new and creative options surround
you. Perhaps the digital haiku of
a 144-character tweet isn’t for you
(I can’t imagine most of the piano
teachers who we see following us
on Twitter, for example), but it’s
time to explore other avenues.
Viral advertising, YouTube and
social networking are all successful
in some measure, depending
on the diligence and passion of
those who adopt them. The eBay
lesson showed me that I need
to try—really try, not just putz
around—anything low cost before
dismissing it.
Finally, the outreach you do
now is exponentially more important:
people are looking for signs
of fear and the stench of death
in the same way they slow down
for auto accidents to rubberneck.
They can’t help themselves. But
when we held our Mardi Gras
party recently, several moms
thanked me for still offering it
“despite the times.” Everyone’s
watching, and a clear eye and a
strong presence—and a regularly
vacuumed floor—send a message
of confidence and strength as valuable
as anything.
Dan Vedda is the owner of Skyline
Music in Westlake, Ohio.
Music & Sound Retailer 47

TheRetailer's Mall
For advertising rates and deadlines...
Call Rob Iraggi 516-767-2500 x519
or email at riraggi@testa.com
The American Great American Made Banjo Banjos Company
(800) 845-7791
www.deeringbanjos.com
Beautiful Rolltop Desks,
19” Racks & More!
What’s it worth?
We buy, sell, trade, consign
and appraise fine guitars,
banjos and mandolins.
629 Forest Ave. Staten Island, NY 10310
718-981-8585 mandolin@mandoweb.com
www.mandoweb.com
“the Rolltop People”
(574) 255-6100
www.hsarolltops.com
Fine Wood Furnishings for the Music, Audio &
Video Systems in Your Studio, School or Church
ExtrEmE IsolatIon®
314-845-7667
extremeheadphones.com
Perfect headphone
for serious musicians
and studio engineers.
Ultra-fidelity high input
speakers integrated with
29 dB of passive isolation
will not bleed sound into
live microphones!
An excellent choice for
project studios, personal
audio, and travel.
Using passive isolation
technology, this
headphone eliminates
25 dB of surrounding
ambient sound.
Outstanding affordable
hearing protection. Can be
used for practicing, sport,
or work to eliminate 25 dB
of surrounding sound.
Compact and lightweight
with many benefits--even
for kids.
48 April 2010

TheRetailer's Mall
For advertising rates and deadlines...
Call Rob Iraggi 516-767-2500 x519
or email at riraggi@testa.com
WANTED
YOUR PROJECTOR BUSINESS
and related products
ALL BRANDS g QUICK SHIP
FREE professional consultation
Call 800-528-3611
www.theprojectorplace.com
Business for sale!!
SmallGuitars.com
An online retailer specializing in
small sized guitars for kids,
travel, and small hands.
Will make a great addition to
a brick and mortar store!
For serious inquiries please
email inquiries@smallguitars.com
or call 866-322-1561
elderly.com
FRETTED
INSTRUMENTS
from all known makers
Buy • Sell
• Trade •
Consign
SINCE
1972
1100 N. Washington, Lansing, MI 48906
Toll-Free (USA only)
888-473-5810 Ext. 102
or 517-372-7880 Ext. 102
swerbin@elderly.com
Top Dollar Paid
For Band & Orchestra Instruments
and/or Rental Contracts
Selling your business? Retiring?
Need an exit strategy? Redirecting focus
and resources to other parts of your business?
We pay CASH for inventory in any condition:
New, like-new and used name brands.
We also buy and/or manage rental contracts.
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Contact Roger at 800-578-9724 Ext. 241
Email to: rogere@veritasrental.com
DON’T SELL YOUR FAMILY LEGACY BEFORE CALLING US!
Veritas Instrument Rental Incorporated
Music & Sound Retailer 49

Ad Index
Company
Pg
ACCESS BAGS & CASES 38
AKG 25
ALFRED PUBLISHING 53
AMERICAN DJ
C-IV
CAD AUDIO LLC 11
CHAUVET LIGHTING 8
CHEM-PAK 52
CRAFTER GUITAR 28
CREATIVE TUNINGS 51
CYCLONE CASES 3
D’ADDARIO 37
GEORGE L’S 41
GODIN GUITARS 40
GODLYKE 39
GRAPH TECH 27
EMD MUSIC
C-III
FISHMAN
TRANSDUCERS 35
FDW CORP 20
LINE 6 53
LPD MUSIC
INTERNATIONAL 34
MEL BAY 29
NAMM 14-15
ONBOARD RESEARCH 51
PEAVEY 31
PETERSON ELECTRO-
MUSICAL PRODUCTS 23
PRO CO SOUND 26
PRS GUITARS 42
ROTOSOUND 24
SAMSON
TECHNOLOGIES 21
SHS INTERNATIONAL 51
SIERRA 33
SOUND ENHANCEMENT
PRODUCTS 10
STRING SWING 6
TC ELECTRONIC 7
THE ROCK HOUSE
METHOD 44
TKL PRODUCTS C-II
TONEGEAR 13
U.S. BAND &
ORCHESTRA SUPPLIES 19
VOCOPRO 9
YORKVILLE 5
While every care is taken to ensure that
these listings are accurate and complete,
The Music & Sound Retailer does not
accept responsibility for omissions or errors.
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
MI SalesTrak
unplugged
(continued from cover)
MI MI SalesTrak
guitars comprised 47.3 percent
of your guitar sales. Acoustic
guitars comprised 33.7 percent of
sales and acoustic/electric sales
totaled 19.6 percent. However,
by December 2009 and January
2010, those figures changed dramatically.
For December, acoustic
guitar sales actually outsold their
electric counterpart, something
we rarely see. Acoustics totaled
41.3 percent of sales, while electrics
made up 40.9 percent of the
figure. Acoustic/electrics were
17.8 percent of the total.
In January, the scales tipped
back in favor of electric guitar
sales, but acoustics still had made
a major advancement. Electrics
comprised 42 percent of overall
guitar sales, acoustics stayed
strong at 37.7 percent, and acoustic/electrics
grew to 20.3 percent
of the total figure. “2009 was obviously
a tough year for retail sales
in general,” said MI Sales Trak
Color Trend - Unit Sha
January 20
Amber
Black
MI SalesTrak
Color Trend - Unit Share Blonde
January 2010
Blue
Brown
Burgundy
100% 100%
Gold
90% 90%
Amber Amber Gray/Silver
Black Black Green
80% 80% 100%
Blonde Blonde Natural
90%
Amber Blue Blue
70% 70%
Orange
BlackBrownBrown
Other
80%
Blonde
60% 60%
Burgundy Burgundy
Blue Gold Gold Red
70%
50% 50%
BrownGray/Silver
Gray/Silver Sunburst
60%
Burgundy
Green Green White
40% 40%
Gold
50%
Gray/Silver
Natural Natural
30% 30%
GreenOrangeOrange
Jan '09 Feb40%
Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan '10 Natural Other Other
20% 20% 30%
Orange Red Red
10% 10% 20%
OtherSunburst
Sunburst
Red White White
0% 0% 10%
Sunburst
White
Jan '09Jan 0% '09 Feb FebMar MarApr AprMay May June JuneJuly JulyAug AugSept Sept Oct OctNov NovDec Dec Jan '10Jan '10
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul '09 Aug '09 Sept '09 Oct '09 Nov '09 Dec '09 Jan '10
Amber
Jan '09 Feb
1.0
Mar
1.2
Apr
1.6
May
1.0
June
0.8
July Aug
1.0
Sept
0.8
Oct
0.8
Nov
0.9
Dec
1.0
Jan '10
1.0 1.0 1.1
Black 13.3 13.3 12.9 12.8 12.5 12.4 11.9 12.3 11.6 11.2 12.2 11.6 11.8
Blue 1.3 1.4 1.6 1.7 1.9 1.7 1.9 1.6 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.8 1.4
Brown 1.2 Jan 1.2Jan Feb 1.2 Feb Mar Mar 1.3 Apr Apr May 1.2 May Jun1.4 Jun Jul '09 1.5 Jul Aug '09 '09 Aug Sept 2.0'09 '09Sept Oct 1.2 '09 '09 Oct Nov '091.1 Nov Dec '09 '091.1 Dec Jan '09'10
Jan 0.8 '10 1.2
Burgundy Amber Amber 0.2 1.0 0.31.01.2 Jan 0.2 1.2 Feb 1.6 1.6 Mar 0.2 1.0 Apr 1.00.8 0.3 May 0.81.0 0.3 Jun1.00.8Jul '09 0.2 0.8 0.8 Aug '09 0.2 0.8 Sept 0.9 '09 0.9 Oct 0.2 1.0'09 Nov 1.0 1.0 '09 0.2 Dec 1.0'09 1.0 0.1 Jan 1.0 '101.1
0.1 1.1 0.1
Gray/Silver 0.3 Amber 0.3 1.0 0.2 1.2 1.6 0.2 1.0 0.3 0.8 0.3 1.0 0.80.3 0.8 0.20.9 0.2 1.0 1.0 0.2 1.0 0.31.1
Electric Guita
0.2 0.3
Black Black 13.3 13.3 13.3 13.3 12.9 12.9 12.8 12.8 12.5 12.5 12.4 12.4 11.9 11.9 12.3 12.3 11.6 11.6 11.2 11.2 12.2 12.2 11.6 11.6 11.8 11.8
Green Blue
Black
Blue 0.0 1.3
13.3
0.1.31.4 13.3
0.1 1.41.6 12.9
1.6 0.0 1.7
12.8
1.71.9 0.0
12.5 12.4
1.91.7 0.0 1.71.9 11.9 12.3
0.1.91.6 11.6
0.1 1.61.4 11.2
1.40.0 1.5
12.2
1.51.60.0 11.6 11.8
1.61.8 0.01.81.4
0.0 1.4 0.1
Blue 1.3 1.4 1.6 1.7 1.9 1.7 1.9 1.6 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.8 1.4
Natural Brown Brown 72.3 Brown
1.2 70.4 1.2 1.2
1.2 70.4 1.2
1.2
1.2 1.2
1.2 71.4 1.3
1.3
1.31.2 72.01.2 1.21.471.2 1.4
1.41.5 1.5 71.7 1.52.0 2.0 71.8 2.01.2 1.2
1.2 73.2 1.1
1.1 1.1
1.1
1.1 72.0 0.8
1.10.871.1 1.2
0.81.2
72.6 1.2 72.0
Burgundy Burgundy
Orange 0.3 Burgundy 0.2 0.20.3 0.3 0.3
0.4 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2
0.3 0.2 0.20.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.30.2 0.2 0.2 0.2
0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2
0.3 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1
0.2 0.1 0.1
0.20.1
0.1 0.1 0.1
0.2 0.2
Gray/Silver Gray/Silver Gray/Silver 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.20.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.30.20.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.30.2 Color
0.3 0.20.3
0.3Trend - Unit Sha
Other Green Green 0.8 Green0.0 0.60.00.1 0.0 0.5 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.7 0.0 0.00.1 0.10.5 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.4 0.10.0 0.00.4 0.0 0.00.5 0.0 0.0 0.60.1
0.00.1
0.5 0.1 0.4
Red Natural 72.3 70.4 72.3 Natural 1.9 Natural 2.0 72.3 70.4 1.8 70.4 70.4 1.7 71.4 71.4 72.0 72.0 71.2 71.7 71.8 71.8 72.0 1.5 71.21.6 71.71.7 71.7 71.8 1.5 73.2 73.2 72.0 1.3 72.0 71.1 72.6 72.6 72.0
71.1 1.8 1.9 72.0 72.6 1.8 72.0 1.5
Sunburst Orange Orange 7.4 Orange0.3 9.0.30.3 9.2 0.30.4 0.4 8.8 0.3 0.3 0.3 8.7 0.3 0.3 0.3 9.2 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 9.1 0.30.2 0.3 8.9 0.20.3 0.3 0.39.5 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 10.3 0.2 0.210.00.20.2
9.3 0.2 9.9
MI SalesTrak
0%
0.7 0.5
Other Other
Other
0.8 0.80.6 0.6
0.6
0.5 0.5 0.6
0.6
0.60.5 0.5
0.50.7 0.70.5 0.50.4 0.4
0.4 0.4
0.4
0.4 0.5 0.5
0.6
0.6
0.5
0.60.5 0.4
0.50.4
0.4
Red 1.6 1.7
Red Red
Sunburst
1.9
1.9
1.92.0 7.4
2.0
2.01.8 9.0
1.8
1.81.7 9.2
1.7
1.71.5 8.8
1.5
1.51.6 8.7
1.61.7 1.5
1.71.5 8.9
1.3
1.51.3 9.5
1.8
1.31.8 10.3
1.9
1.81.9 10.0
1.8
1.91.8 9.3
1.5
1.81.5
9.9
1.5
9.2 9.1
Sunburst Sunburst 7.4 7.49.0 9.09.2 9.28.8 8.88.7 8.79.2 9.29.1 9.18.9 8.99.5 9.5 10.3 10.3 10.0 10.0 9.3 9.39.9
9.9
MI MI SalesTrak
MI MI SalesTrak SalesTrak
100% 100%
Copyright © Copyright 2010 Marketing © 2010 Marketing Information Services, Inc. Inc. All Rights All Rights Reserved. Reserved.
Copyright Copyright © 2010 © Marketing 2010 Marketing Information Information Services, Services, Inc. All Inc. Rights All Reserved. Rights Reserved.
Acoustic Guitars Guitars
Color Color Trend Trend - Unit - Unit Share Share
Acoustic Guitars
January 2010 2010
Electric Guitars
Color Trend - Unit - Unit Share
Electric Guitars
Electric Guitars
January 2010 2010
Color Color Trend Trend - Unit Unit Share Share
January 2010 2010
90% 90%
Amber Amber
100% 100%
Black Black
80% 80%
Blonde Blonde
70% 70%
90% 90%
Amber
Blue Blue
Black
Brown Brown
80% 80%
60% 60%
Blonde
Burgundy Burgundy
70% 70%
Blue BlueGoldGold
50% 50%
Brown Brown Gray/Silver Gray/Silver
60% 60%
Burgundy Burgundy Green Green
40% 40%
Gold
GoldNatural
Natural
50%
Gray/Silver
50%
Gray/Silver
Green
Orange Orange
30% 30%
40%
Green
NaturalOther
Other
40%
Orange
Natural Red Red
20% 20% 30%
Other Orange
30%
Sunburst Sunburst
Other
Jan '09 Red
10% 10% Feb 20% Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan '10
White White
Red
20%
Sunburst
Sunburst
10%
White
0% 0%
10%
White
Jan '09 Jan 0% '09 Feb Feb Mar Mar Apr Apr May May June June July July Aug Aug Sept Sept Oct Oct Nov Nov Dec Dec Jan '10 Jan '10
0%
Jan '09 Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan '10
Jan '09 Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan '10
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul '09 Aug '09 Sept '09 Oct '09 Nov '09 Dec '09 Jan '10
Amber 0.5 0.7 1.0 0.8 1.1 1.0 0.8 0.8 0.6 1.0 0.7 0.5 0.9
Black 34.4 Jan 34.2 Jan Feb 34.1 Feb Mar Mar 33.3Apr Apr33.5 May May 31.7JunJul '09 32.4 Jul '09 Aug '09 Aug 32.5 '09 Sept Sept '09 32.4 '09 Oct '09 Oct '09 Nov 31.9'09 Nov '09 Dec 36.1 '09 Dec '09 Jan '10 39.9 Jan '10 32.8
Blonde Amber Amber 2.1 0.52.10.5 Jan
1.8 0.7 0.7
Feb
1.0
Mar
1.0 2.20.8 Apr
2.0 1.1 0.8
May
1.1
Jun
1.0 2.0 1.0
Jul '09
0.81.6 0.8
Aug
0.8
Sept '09
1.6 0.8 0.6
'09 '09 Oct
0.62.11.0 1.0
Nov '09
2.0 0.7
Dec
0.7
'09 Jan 1.50.5 '10
0.91.4 1.6
Amber 0.5 0.7 1.0 0.8 1.1 1.0 0.8 0.8 0.6 1.0 0.7 0.5 0.9
Blue Black Black 6.6 34.4Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul '09 Aug '09 Sept '09 Oct '09 Nov '09 Dec '09 Jan '10
Black 6.0 34.2 34.2
34.4 5.9 34.1 34.1
34.2 6.233.3 33.3
34.1 33.3 6.0 33.5 33.5 31.7
33.5 6.131.7 32.4 6.3 32.4 32.5 32.5
32.4 32.55.7 32.4 32.4
32.4 5.931.9 31.9 36.1 36.1 36.1 39.9
39.9 6.239.9 32.8
32.8 6.3 32.8 6.0
Blonde Blonde Amber Blonde2.1 0.5 2.1 2.1 2.10.7 2.1 2.1 1.81.01.8 1.82.20.82.22.2 2.0 1.1 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.0 2.0 2.0 1.6 0.8 1.6 1.6 0.8 1.6 1.6 1.6 0.6 2.1 2.1 2.1 1.0 2.0 2.0 2.00.7 1.5 1.5 1.50.5 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.6 0.9 1.6 1.6
Brown 2.0 1.6 1.7 1.4 1.8 2.2 2.0 1.7 2.0 1.8 1.5 1.3 1.9
Blue Black Blue Blue 6.6 34.4 6.6 6.0 6.634.2 6.0 6.0 5.934.1 5.9 5.96.2 33.36.26.2 6.0 33.56.0 6.0 6.1 31.7 6.1 32.4 6.3 6.3 6.3 32.5 5.7 5.7 5.7 32.4 5.9 5.9 5.931.9 6.1 6.136.1 6.2 6.2 6.239.9 6.3 6.3 6.3 32.8 6.0 6.0 6.0
Burgundy Brown Blonde Brown 2.9 Brown2.02.9 2.1 2.0 1.6 2.02.1 3.0 1.6 1.6 1.71.81.7 2.8 1.71.42.21.41.43.3 1.8 2.0 1.8 2.2 3.2 2.0 2.2 2.0 1.63.4 2.0 2.0 1.6 1.7 1.73.6 2.1 2.0 2.03.4 2.0 1.8 1.8 1.5 3.4 1.5 1.51.4 1.3 1.3 3.21.3 1.9 1.6 1.92.5 1.9 2.9
Gold Burgundy Burgundy Blue 0.6Burgundy 2.90.8 6.6 2.9 2.9 2.9 3.05.9 6.22.8 3.3 3.2 6.0.8 2.9 3.0.8 3.02.8 2.80.8 3.3 6.0 3.2 0.5 6.1 5.7 3.6 3.6 5.9 3.4 3.4 6.30.8 3.4 3.4 0.7 3.6 3.40.6 6.1 3.4 3.46.2 3.2 0.6 3.2 3.26.3 2.5 2.5 2.9 6.0 2.9
2.5 0.5 0.3 2.9 0.5
Gray/Silver Gold GoldBrown 2.5 0.62.5 2.0 0.6 0.8 0.61.6 2.5 0.8 0.81.70.8 2.5 0.8 0.81.40.80.82.3 1.8 0.8 0.5 2.3 2.2 0.5 0.8 2.02.5 0.8 0.8 1.7 0.7 0.72.9 2.0 0.6 0.62.9 1.8 0.6 0.61.5 0.5 2.6 0.5 0.51.3 0.3 2.50.3 0.5 1.9 0.52.4 3.2
Gray/Silver Burgundy Gray/Silver 2.5 2.9 2.5 2.9 2.5 2.53.0 2.5 2.52.8 2.5 2.3 3.3 2.3 3.2 2.5 3.4 2.5 3.6 2.9 2.9 3.4 2.9 2.9 3.4 2.6 3.2 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.4 3.2 2.9
Green Gray/Silver 3.2
GreenGold 0.2 Green 0.42.5 0.2 0.6 0.4
0.20.8 0.5 2.5 2.5
0.4
0.50.8 0.7 2.5
0.5
0.70.8 0.70.5 2.3
0.5 0.8 0.5 0.5 2.3
0.5 0.5 0.5
0.6 0.80.6 2.5 0.7 0.5
0.5 0.5 2.9
0.6 0.5
0.5 0.5 2.6
0.6 0.7 0.5 0.7 2.5
0.5 0.3 0.5 0.52.4 0.5
0.7 0.5 0.5 3.2 0.7
0.2 0.4 0.5 0.7 0.5 0.5 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.7 0.5 0.5 0.7 0.7
Natural Gray/SilverNatural 2.5 2.92.5 3.3 2.5 3.4 2.5 3.3 2.3 3.7 2.3 2.9 2.5 2.93.7 2.9 2.9 2.6 2.5 2.8 2.4 2.2 3.1
Natural 2.9 2.93.32.9 3.3 3.4 3.3 3.4 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.7 3.7 3.7 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.6 2.6 2.6 3.7 3.7 2.9 2.9 2.93.4 3.4 3.4 2.8 2.8 2.2 2.82.23.2
3.12.2 3.1 3.1
Green Orange 0.2 0.60.4 0.6 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.5 0.8 0.6 0.50.6 0.5 0.5 0.7 0.7 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.7
Orange Orange Orange 0.6 Natural Other0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6
2.9 3.1 3.3 3.3 0.6 0.6 0.4
3.4 3.40.4 0.4 0.6
3.3 4.5 0.6 0.6
3.7 3.9 0.8 0.8
2.9 3.4 0.8 0.5 0.5
2.6 3.5 0.5 0.6 0.6
3.73.2 0.5
2.94.0 0.5 0.5
3.4 5.2 0.7 0.7 0.7
2.8 4.2 0.4 0.4
2.2 4.30.4 0.4 0.4 3.6 0.70.4 0.7 0.7
3.1
Other Other Other 3.1
Orange
Red 3.13.3.1 0.6
13.3 3.4 3.3
0.6
13.0 3.4 3.4.5 0.6
13.9 4.5 4.5
0.4
14.6 3.9 3.9
0.6
15.3 3.4
0.8
16.3 3.4 3.5 3.5
0.5
15.7 3.5 3.2
0.6
15.43.2 4.0
0.5 4.0 4.0
0.7
14.6 5.2 5.2
0.4
14.2 5.2 4.2 4.214.54.3 4.24.3 0.4
14.7 3.64.3 3.6
0.7
Red Red Red Sunburst 13.3 13.3 13.0 19.8 13.0 20.5 13.9 13.919.5 14.6 14.6 19.3 15.3 18.1 19.8 16.3 15.719.6 15.4 19.1 20.713.7 14.6 18.6 14.619.4 14.2 14.2 17.8 14.5 14.5 19.714.7
14.7
Other 13.3 13.0 3.1 3.3 13.9 3.4 14.6 4.5 15.33.9 16.3 3.4 3.515.7 3.2 15.44.0 13.7 5.2 4.2 14.6 4.3 14.2 3.6 14.5 14.7
Sunburst Sunburst White 8.3 8.1 8.0 7.1 7.1 7.5 7.7 8.0 7.7 7.4 6.3 5.7 Sunburst Red 19.8
19.8
20.5 13.3
19.8 20.5
13.0 19.5
20.5 19.5
13.9
19.5
19.3
19.3
14.6
19.3
18.1 15.3
18.1 19.8 16.3
19.8 19.6
15.7 19.6
19.6
15.4
19.1
19.1 13.7
20.7 20.7
20.7 14.6
18.6 18.6
14.2 18.6
19.4 19.4
14.5
17.8
19.4
17.8
14.7
19.7
17.8
19.7
19.7
White Sunburst White 8.3 19.8 8.3 8.120.5 8.1 8.019.5 8.0 7.1 19.37.1 7.1 18.17.1 7.5 19.8 7.5 19.6 7.7 7.7 19.1 8.0 8.0 20.7 7.7 7.718.6 7.4 7.419.4 6.3 6.317.85.7 5.7 19.77.8
7.8
White 8.3 8.1 8.0 7.1 7.1 7.5 7.7 8.0 7.7 7.4 6.3 5.7 7.8
White 8.3 8.1 8.0 7.1 7.1 7.5 7.7 8.0 7.7 7.4 6.3 5.7 7.8
Copyright © 2010 Marketing Information Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright Copyright © 2010 © 2010 Marketing Marketing Information Information Services, Services, Inc. All Inc. Rights All Rights Reserved. Reserved.
Copyright © 2010 Marketing Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright © 2010 Marketing Information Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Co-Founder Jim Hirschberg.
“Purchases of musical instruments,
which are largely discretionary,
were impacted more severely
than many other consumer
products. As the anniversary of
the economic downturn came
around in late 2009, some of the
MI categories started to rebound.
Sales of acoustic guitars began
to show year-to-year increases in
November and December and
have continued to grow in early
50 April 2010
January 201
Amber
Black
Blonde
Blue
Brown
Burgundy
Gold
Gray/Silver
Green
Natural
Orange
Other
Red
Sunburst
White

2010. But electric guitars have
yet to emerge from the recessionary
doldrums. Whether it is
driven by a back-to-basics trend
among guitar players or the
ongoing economic issues, the
increasingly ‘unplugged’ product
mix has continued into 2010.”
“During times of economic
pressure, there are always products
and market segments that
are negatively impacted,” said
Andy Rossi, senior vice president,
Global Marketing, sales,
R&D, Fender Musical Instruments
Corp. “However, it is not
uncommon to see products and
segments that buck the trends
and actually grow during tough
times. We are noting the acoustic
segment is growing despite the
current market pressure, and attribute
this to the fact that people
want to play guitar and make
music. Acoustics offer musicians
a pure, simple and affordable
way to do just that, and we will
continue to offer consumers
great-playing and sounding instruments
at reasonable prices.”
“We do sell acoustic guitars
three to one compared to electric
guitars,” said Chris Basile of
South Jersey Music. “That is
partly due to price point and
also because we push acoustic
guitars to our students. It seems
acoustic guitars in the price
points between $99 to $399 sell
the best for us. Anything over
$600 is not selling at all.”
Now, let’s take a look at price
trends for all guitars. The sale of
guitars some might consider in
the “very expensive” category
continues to take place. Some of
that is due to affluent customers
wanting to buy what they feel are
the best guitars. Celebrities also
purchase guitars in this category.
And then there are collectors
who buy for personal collections
or with the hope of turning a
hefty profit as these guitars
become more desirable, perhaps
in better economic times, forcing
prices to rise. However, in many
other “intermediate” segments,
as you’ll see in the chart, guitar
sales have suffered. Less than
$200 guitars accounted for 42.2
percent of all guitar sales for the
12 months ending January 31.
That’s a considerable rise from
39.3 percent of sales, which was
the figure for the 12 months
ending January 31, 2009. Sales
Sales of acoustic guitars began
to show year-to-year increases in
November and December and have
continued to grow in early 2010. But
electric guitars have yet to emerge
from the recessionary doldrums.
in the $2,000 and over, $1,000
to $1,999.99, $500 to $999.99,
and $200 to $499.99 all dropped
compared to the 2008-09 period.
One might argue the percentage
losses in each individual category
were not humungous, but
nonetheless they are significant.
“Economic conditions have
created downward price pressure
for both acoustics and
electrics alike,” Hirschberg said.
“Over the past year, unit sales
declined in all price ranges.
Consumers have been leaning
more heavily toward under-$200
guitars, which accounted for
42.2 percent of all guitars sold by
MI retailers in the most recent
12 months. Weakness was more
pronounced in the mid- to high
price brackets.”
“In general, the guitar market
[is still] under a great deal of
pressure. While growth is not
impossible, it will be difficult,”
Rossi said. “We do see signs of
the market stabilizing and we
feel this is a good sign that the
worst is over and a rebound is
likely to begin soon. In fact, we
just had one of our best NAMM
shows ever, and overall one of
our best Januarys on record, so
we are optimistic about the year
ahead.”
We’d like to make a statement
that rolls off the tongue, such
as “Back in Black” regarding
electric guitar color sales trends.
But the truth is black was never
gone. It’s always been a popular
color regarding electric guitar
sales. In the past year, however,
black became even more
popular for consumers. This
was most evident in December,
when black accounted for 39.9
percent of sales during the
holiday season. MI Sales Trak
also monitors sales of 14 other
electric guitar colors: amber,
blonde, blue, brown, burgundy,
gold, gray/silver, green, natural,
orange, red, sunburst, white and
other. In December, sunburst
was the second-most color sold
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one-fifth of the total black electric
guitar sales, though.
By comparison, black accounted
for 34.4 percent of sales
in February 2009. January 2010
did a see a drop for black electric
guitar sales to 32.8 percent of all
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Music & Sound Retailer 51

Guitar Retail Sales Mix: Unit Share by Type
“Economic conditions
have created downward
price pressure for both
acoustics and electrics
alike. Over the past year,
unit sales declined in all
price ranges. Consumers
have been leaning more
heavily toward under-
$200 guitars, which
accounted for 42.2
percent of all guitars
sold by MI retailers
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Jan '09 Feb '09 Mar '09 Apr '09 May '09 Jun '09 Jul '09 Aug '09 Sep '09 Oct '09 Nov '09 Dec '09 Jan '10
Electric 44.4% 47.3% 45.6% 45.7% 43.9% 43.0% 42.9% 40.8% 42.2% 42.0% 45.1% 40.9% 42.0%
Acoustic/Electric 18.1% 19.6% 20.4% 20.6% 20.7% 22.0% 21.3% 20.7% 19.9% 20.2% 19.7% 17.8% 20.3%
Acoustic 37.4% 33.1% 34.0% 33.7% 35.4% 35.0% 35.9% 38.5% 38.0% 37.8% 35.3% 41.3% 37.7%
Source: MI SalesTrak®
The numbers represent US retail sales in music stores, based upon sku-level POS data from over 550 online and brick-and-mortar outlets.
For further information contact: info@misalestrak.com
in the most recent 12
months. Weakness was
more pronounced in the
mid- to high price
brackets.”
— Jim Hirschberg
Source: MI SalesTrak
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
Guitar Retail Sales Mix: Unit Share by Pricepoint
0%
12 Months Ending Jan '09 12 Months Ending Jan '10
$2,000 & Over 1.4% 1.3%
$1,000 - $1,999.99 5.0% 4.9%
$500 - $999.99 12.9% 11.1%
$200 - $499.99 41.5% 40.5%
Under $200 39.3% 42.2%
Source: MI SalesTrak®
The numbers represent US retail sales in music stores, based upon sku-level POS data from over 550 online and brick-and-mortar outlets.
For further information contact: info@misalestrak.com
sales. During the January 1 to
31 period of this year, sunburst
rose to 9.7 percent of sales and
white saw a nice rise to 7.8
percent of total electric sales.
“Last year (in this guitar update)
we made note that black is the
most popular color for electric
guitars and black guitars
typically become a bigger part
of the mix in December,” said
Hirschberg. “The preference for
black intensified last year during
the recession, reaching a peak
market share in December 2008.
Guess what? The market share
of black electric guitars spiked
again in December 2009.”
The story is completely different
when it comes to acoustic
color sales trends. Buyers prefer
“au naturale,” if you will. Acoustic
guitars with a natural finish
accounted for a whopping 72
percent of acoustic guitar sales
for the past several months. That
number has stayed quite consistent
over the past year. Sunburst
color finished second, but trailed
badly at more that 9 percent during
the past two months where
data had been compiled. Black
was the third highest-selling
acoustic color. “Acoustic players
continue to opt for natural
finishes 72 percent of the time
in spite of the many available options,”
Hirschberg said.
Other than the three colors we
just mentioned, MI Sales Trak
also records data for the following
colors regarding acoustic
guitar sales: amber, blue, brown,
burgundy, gray/silver, green,
orange, red and other.

It’s in the cards
(continued from cover)
tion. However, there are so many
retailers in the United States that
it would be difficult—although
certainly not impossible—to be
fined for a failure to be PCI compliant
unless you had a security
breach.
The payment card industry
was formed jointly by Visa,
MasterCard, American Express
and Discover to reduce dramatically
the possibility of security
breaches. To get the entire scoop,
we spoke to Jason Wagner, senior
national account manager for
Omaha, Neb.-based First National
Merchant Solutions, NAMM’s
recommended vendor. One of
the processor’s roles has been to
work with vendors to make sure
they are PCI compliant before the
July 1 deadline.
Let’s start with the most
important question. What is PCI
compliance and why should you
care about it? “The goal is to
make sure merchants are not improperly
storing any data so that,
if there were a security breach,
nobody’s card numbers would be
compromised,” said Wagner.
First National Merchant
Solutions currently is making
sure merchants are in tune with
the 12 PCI requirements. “The
validation has to be completed
by a qualified security assessor
(QSA), though,” said Wagner.
“So, at First National Merchant
Solutions, we combined forces
with a company named Trustwave,
which is a certified QSA.
First National Merchant Solutions
makes sure merchants
comply with PCI standards, but
also provides ongoing training as
requirements may change.”
For more on First National
Merchant Solutions, visit www.
fnms.com.
Wagner added there are four
levels of PCI compliance: Levels
1 through 4. Level 1 merchants
have more than 6 million credit
card transactions per year. Level
2 merchants have between 1
million and 6 million credit card
transactions per year. Level 3
refers to those with 20,000 to 1
million transactions, and Level
4 refers to those processing less
than 1 million transactions or less
than 20,000 e-commerce transactions
per year.
Being PCI compliant is intended
to ensure breaches cannot
occur from either the outside
and internally—meaning your
employees.
All four levels must become
PCI compliant. To become PCI
compliant, you must follow all of
these 12 steps:
1. Install and maintain a firewall
configuration to protect data.
2. Do not use vendor-supplied
defaults for system passwords and
other security parameters.
3. Protect stored data.
4. Encrypt transmission of
cardholder data and sensitive information
across public networks.
5. Use and regularly update
anti-virus software.
6. Develop and maintain
secure systems and applications.
7. Restrict access to data by
business need-to-know.
8. Assign a unique ID to each
person with computer access.
9. Restrict physical access to
cardholder data.
10. Track and monitor all
access to network resources and
cardholder data.
11. Regularly test security
systems and processes.
12. Maintain a policy that addresses
information security.
For more on this topic, visit
www.visa.com/cisp.
We also looked into another
aspect of PCI compliance. Merchant
Link, which is involved in
credit card tokenization. What is
tokenization? Merchant Link’s
Dan Lane and Tim Kinsella
will fill us in. “Merchants have
to trust vendors like Visa and
MasterCard to make sure money
gets into their accounts,” said
Kinsella. “Many times, that
works. But sometimes, it doesn’t.
What do you do then? Merchant
Link provides an answer. We
offer a gateway between a store’s
credit system and the banks to
make sure transactions go to the
right place and are tracked. It’s
become much easier for bad guys
to steal credit card data and turn
it into money for themselves.
As that risk accelerated, card
associations created Payment
Card Industry (PCI) compliance,
which is a requirement to protect
personal data. We saw an opportunity
to create a technology to
help merchants.”
“Credit card companies expect
you, the merchant, to protect that
data,” added Lane. “Our product
is called tokenization. It does that
for merchants. You know how difficult
it is just to protect information
on your home computer. It
gets much more complex on the
merchant level. It can be very
challenging. Even for small merchants.
Since broadband [Internet
service] became widely avail-
CD-ROM Book & DVD
able, bad guys immediately took
advantage of that and hacked into
merchant security systems more
easily.”
Merchant Link said the average
cost of using its service is
two to three cents per transaction.
For more, visit www.
merchantlink.com.
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• Summer NAMM Preview
• Five Minutes With: Ron Manus, CEO Alfred Publishing
• Formidable Females: Mary Ann Giorgio,
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• MI Spy Visits Sin City: Las Vegas
• The second edition of Appraisal Scene Investigation
And Much, Much More!

FORMIDABLE FEMALES
The Women Of
By Brian Berk
We’re well into our third year of
our Formidable Females column.
Every time, we’ve featured an
individual woman on this page.
Well, for this month only, that’s
going to change. Why? Because
British-based Fusion Bags was
founded by four women. An entirely
woman-owned MI company
is rare in this industry, to say the
least. Fusion comprises Amanda
Wheatley, Wendy Caldwell, Nicole
Szekeres, and Theli Renwick. The
two-year-old company manufacturers
gig bags for guitars, ukuleles,
cellos, keyboards, brass and woodwind
instruments, and DJ equipment.
In the early 1990s, Wheatley
was a trumpet player who felt
there were few choices in the gig
bag market. She decided to design
a bag for her instrument that was
practical, easy to carry, and had
a sporty look. In 1993, Wheatley
drew the first ideas for brass and
woodwind bags on paper. At the
time, she was running a design
consultancy with Caldwell for wellknown
sports and leisure brands.
Lack of MI experience was
a challenge for Wheatley and
Caldwell, however. Breaking
into the industry would be difficult.
“We had the designs,” said
Caldwell. “We knew a manufacturer,
but we felt we did not
possess all of the skills needed
to bring our own range of bags
into the music industry. We felt
we were at the bottom of this
massive hill and had no idea how
to climb it.”
Good fortune came for what
would be called Fusion Bags,
though. An MI manufacturer
saw the potential of Wheatley’s
designs. Doors were opened. A
relationship was built.
But the puzzle wasn’t complete.
Fusion Bags clearly had two design
experts, so the new products
would keep coming. However,
Fusion badly needed a logistics
manager and, of course, someone
to sell and market the product.
So Wheatley and Caldwell met
with Szekeres, a sales/marketing
whiz, and Renwick, an experienced
logistics manager. Szekeres
had been a long-time friend
of Wheatley and Caldwell. Meanwhile,
Renwick was employed
by a company that was a client of
Wheatley and Caldwell’s design
agency. Unfortunately, Renwick’s
position became redundant, and
she was invited to join the new
company.
Fifteen years after Wheatley’s
first pen-and-paper designs, Fusion
Bags was ready to manufacturer
its first products. Between
March and September 2008, four
series of gig bags were designed
and manufactured. The products
were first launched at 2008’s Music
China show in Shanghai. “The
personal sacrifice was immense,”
said Szekeres. “We ate, slept, and
drank Fusion for months, barely
having time to sleep. I remember
our focus was on providing an
excellent product and bringing
a concept of fashion into the gig
bag world.”
During Music China, the Fusion
women anxiously waited for
customers to visit their booth.
Would people visit the tiny booth?
Would the show be a success?
Would all of the long, sleepless
nights be fruitful? All are fair
questions. The first time exhibiting
at a trade show has to be
nerve-wracking for anyone.
Music China was fruitful for
the formidable foursome. Fusion
signed on six distributors.
Buoyed by the success, Fusion
decided to give the Winter
NAMM and Musikmesse shows
a shot. Those were also good
decisions. By April 2009 (when
the Musikmesse show ended),
Fusion Bags were being sold in
12 different countries. Definitely
not too shabby after only three
trade show booth appearances.
“When I think about what has
been achieved in such a short period
of time, it overwhelms me,”
said Renwick.
Fusion’s F1 series is its top-ofthe-line
gig bag. The hybrid bag
features backpack straps and
several large pockets. It comes in
four vibrant styles and, therefore,
is intended for a liberal musician.
The F2 series is available in
colors that are more subdued and
is intended for a more conservative
player. The F3 and F4 series
are entry-level products aimed at
student purchasers.
To say Wheatley had to wait
a long time to get Fusion Bags
to the market would be a massive
understatement. We are
in April 2010, after all. Fifteen
years can be an eternity for a
product developer to wait. A long
time for anyone to wait, for that
matter. Fusion Bags clearly has
accomplished an awful lot in just
two years. But was it all worth it?
“From the very beginning, I knew
I would have my own range of
gig bags,” Wheatley said. “It may
have taken longer than I would
have wanted, but I never gave up
on my dream.”
Fusion Bags exhibited at
NAMM again in January. The
company just signed on with a
U.S. distributor. AsFab Music
Company will be distributing
the product. In fact, Fusion Bags
sent its first product shipment to
California-based AsFab as you
are reading this story. For more
information on AsFab, visit www.
asfabmusic.com or contact Nick
Pyzow at nick@asfabmusic.com.
54 April 2010

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