The Big Bash in nash - Music & Sound Retailer

June 15, 2009 

Volume 26, No. 6 

Have you seen it? 

Talking 

Heads 

Top Industry Execs 

Take on Top Topics 

The Big Bash 

in Nash 

After Rave Reviews Last Year, 

Summer NAMM Returns to Nashville 

By Brian Berk 

You’re sitting in your store right now thumbing 

through the pages of this magazine. You’re thinking, 

If only times were better. I’d love to go to Summer 

NAMM but our economics are tight. 

Invariably, this is a dilemma many of you face. 

However, there are many 

reasons to make Summer 

NAMM a top priority this 

year. Where else can you 

see all of your peers in one 

place? Where else can you 

learn every great token of 

advice from the industry’s 

best? Where else can you 

see the latest product offerings 

during the summer? 

Summer NAMM has a lot 

to offer. To learn more, we 

enlisted the help of NAMM. 

“Everything’s changed 

this year and for just 

about every company out 

there, ‘business as usual’ 

(continued on page 37) 

By Brian Berk 

Considering how many 

things are going on in the 

world today—as well as our 

industry—there probably 

could have been 100 important 

questions we could have asked 

executives for this year’s version 

of our Talking Heads feature. But, 

for space purposes, we narrowed it 

down to two questions. Here is what 

we asked this year: 

1. What are you doing to ensure 

that when the economy comes out of 

this malaise that your company will 

come out on top in your category? 

2. Do you think the current number of MI independent 

dealers will rise, fall, or stay the same 

in the near future? Please explain your answer. 

Without further delay, let’s dig right into the 

answers, shall we? 


Three Companies 

Who Love Indies 

P. 18 

Alfred Publishing in 

Five Minutes With P. 22 

Guitar Hanger Hangs 

Out in Stores P. 28

Bottom line: the ModTone line is one of the best-sounding 

affordable lines on the market today and very well could 

establish a new standard in their price point (and a good bit 

above it as well). - Guitar Edge Magazine 

“Modtone has redefined what guitarists can expect in inexpensive effect 

pedals while it has established a new plateau in effect performance. 

The Dyno Drive and Speedbox Distortion are very capable pedals in 

their respective arenas, but the Aqua Chorus, Vintage Analog Delay 

and Atomic Phaser produce tones and levels of definition 

that compete or hands-down whip the high-dollar competition.” 

- Guitar World Magazine 

NEW TONES! All True Bypass! 

New sonic territory is explored with the three newest additions to the ModTone line! Clean 

Boost, Deep Dive Octave Plus and Funk Filter Enveloper expand the landscape. 

POWERED PEDALBOARD 

The ModTone Powered Pedalboard powers up to 8 

effects in one self contained package! 

VINTAGE WAH True Bypass! 

The ModTone MT-WAH is a faithful reproduction 

of the classic wah wah pedal used on stages, 

studios and jam rooms all over the globe. 

Power Plant: Variable Voltage Energy Station 

Powers almost all pedal brands and features variable 

voltage for 9, 12, 18 and 24 volt and 

includes all cables! 

Includes heavy duty 

nylon road bag! 

For dealership info contact SHS International @ 800.475.7686 

modtone-effects.com

LATEST 

N2IT Sues M-Audio over Torq 

N2IT Holding, B.V., the patent holder of Final Scratch, is suing 

M-Audio for alleged patent infringement. N2IT claims M-Audio’s Torq 

Conectiv product “functions the same” as Final Scratch. N2IT is seeking 

an injunction preventing sales and marketing of Torq Conectiv and 

seeks punitive damages. Final Scratch is designed to allow DJs to use 

a time-coded record on a record player to manually control and play 

digital music from a computer. The lawsuit was filed on April 17 in the 

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Norfolk, Va. 

M-Audio parent Avid Technology declined comment. 

Avid Unveils New Logo 

Avid Technology 

revealed 

a new brand 

identity that 

brings together 

what had previously 

been a 

family of independently-operating brands—Avid, Digidesign, M-Audio, 

Pinnacle Systems, and Sibelius. To go along with this, a new logo was 

introduced that’s composed of “simple geometric shapes derived from 

the buttons, icons, and markers that consumers and professionals 

recognize as fundamental to the digital audio and video solutions they 

use every day.” 

Amy Peterson, Avid’s manager, corporate and segment public relations, 

told the Retailer on May 5 that Avid will be making a concerted 

effort to ensure the public knows that it owns the brands mentioned 

above. However, at least for now, products will remain known as 

Digidesign, M-Audio, etc. It has been rumored all brands would be 

known as Avid. That is not out of the realm of possibility for the future, 

but will not occur now. 

Mardak Wins Dorothy Award 

Hal Leonard 

Chairman Keith 

Mardak received 

the Dorothy 

Award, bestowed 

by the Retail 

Print Music Dealers 

Association 

(RPMDA) last 

month. The 

award was 

given during the 

closing banquet 

during the 

RPMDA show 

and recognizes a 

lifetime of service Dan Del Fiorentino (left) and Keith Mardak 

and achievement 

in the music industry. NAMM historian Dan Del Fiorentino received 

the 2009 Sandy Feldstein Service Award during the show. 

RPMDA drew more than 200 attendees to the show in Salt Lake City. 

Next year’s RPMDA will take place in Oklahoma City from April 14 to 17. 

Harman Reports Bigger Loss 

Harman International Industries lost $63.9 million, or $1.09 per share 

for the quarter ending March 31. Wall Street analysts predicted the 

owner of JBL, Lexicon, and Harman-Kardon would lose 44 cents per 

share. Harman said if not for one-time items, it would have lost 84 cents 

for the quarter. The Connecticut-based company lost $3.3 million, or six 

cents per share during the same time frame in 2008. 

Music Interest 

Thrives in Down Economy 

A NAMM-commissioned poll found that interest in music is growing. 

The telephone poll reached 1,000 people, nearly 60 percent of whom 

said at least one person in their household played a musical instrument, 

compared to 52 percent in 2006. Ninety-four percent of respondents 

said playing an instrument was relaxing, and music was considered a 

very important part of the lives of 87 percent of those polled. Of those 

who didn’t play an instrument, 85 percent wished they did, though the 

poll found that 59 percent of people said lack of time and work commitments 

stopped them from getting involved in music. 

New Nashville Convention 

Center in 2013? 

A new Nashville convention center could open in time for the 2013 

Summer NAMM. “We’re pleased to say that under the direction of 

Mayor Karl Dean and the Metro Council, the Metropolitan Development 

and Housing Agency is moving forward with predevelopment 

activities, planning, and design for the construction of Nashville’s new 

state-of-the-art downtown convention center—the Music City Center,” 

said Kevin Johnstone, NAMM’s trade show director. “A bill that would 

set up an independent authority to build and manage the proposed 

downtown convention center is moving through the state legislature.” 

Music & Sound Retailer

VOLUME 26 NO. 6 

Inside 

F E AT U R E S 

ON THE COVER 

Talking Heads: 

Top Industry Executives 

Take On Top Topics 

Fourteen of the industry’s heavyweights tackle two big 

MI questions. 

ON THE COVER 

The Big Bash in Nash 

After a successful return to Nashville last year, Summer 

NAMM is back in the Music City. Find out why you should 

attend. 

Page 8 

b u z z 

3 Latest 

8 Industry 

10 Dealer 

11 People 

12 Products 

Page 9 

Page 16 

Page 12 

c o l u m n s 

Page 16 

18 The Music and Sound 

Independent Retailer 

A former navy pilot turned music store owner? Yes, it’s true 

as we feature Blues Angel Music in Pensacola, Fla. Also, want 

indy-friendly brands? Chris Lovell features three: Crafter, 

Tanglewood, and Godin. 

22 Five Minutes With 

Ron Manus and Bryan Bradley of Alfred Publishing give us 

a complete rundown about the publishing industry and MI in 

general. 

26 MI Spy 

Will Spy find it easy finding a guitar in the Big Easy? Only one 

way to find out. 

28 Birth of a Product 

Your customers can now hang guitars in their closets thanks to 

one man: Chris Samu. His Guitar Hanger ships this month. 

29 Sales Guru 

Gene Fresco describes the AIDA approach to sales? The what? 

Trust us, it’s good info. 

31 Veddatorial 

Good economy or bad, Internet competition or not, you must 

know good, old-fashioned sales techniques to be successful 

today. 

38 Formidable Females 

Believe it or not: NAMM’s Melanie Ripley formerly worked for 

the NBA and even answered Star Trek fan mail. Believe it or 

not: Ripley interviewed with Janet Godin of Godin Guitars before 

obtaining her current job. Believe it or not: There’s plenty 

of more things to learn about Ripley and her NAMM gig. 

June 2009

DEALERS & WEBMASTERS 

GET RECOGNIZED 

FOR YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS! 

The RØDE Microphones Online Awards is an exciting new initiative, designed 

to reward the retailers who are making the biggest efforts to represent 

RØDE Microphones effectively online. Your company’s web site is an extension 

of your storefront, and we’re proud to acknowledge the most innovative and 

comprehensive dealers with the industry’s first online awards. With seven 

different awards up for grabs, there’s something for retailers of all sizes and 

capabilities. Hurry! Entries close Tuesday June 30th. 

Site of the Year 

The site that best represents RØDE across the entire internet. 

Winner receives a trip to Sydney, personalized plaque and trophy! 

Most Improved Site 

Awarded to the site that makes the largest improvement between initial submission 

and final judging. Winner receives a trip to Sydney, personalized plaque and trophy! 

Major Dealer of the Year 

The best overall representation of RØDE Microphones by a retailer with more than 

three stores. Winner receives mic pack valued at $2000, personalized plaque and 

trophy! 

Independent Dealer of the Year 

The best overall representation of RØDE Microphones by a retailer with three or less 

stores. Winner receives mic pack valued at $2000, personalized plaque and trophy! 

Online Store of the Year 

The most effective implementation of a shopfront for online transactions. 

Winner receives mic pack valued at $2000, personalized plaque and trophy! 

Best Use of Video and Multimedia 

Best interactive content, including video, animation or other creative appeal. 


RØDE University Award 

The site that best leverages RØDE’s education initiative, RØDE University. 


Simply sign up at www.rodemiconlineawards.com and you’ll be given access to all 

the latest RØDE assets to ensure your site is up to date. Then get your site ready for 

initial judging from July 1st! 

ENTER NOW AND YOU COULD 

WIN 1 of 2 

FOR AN EXCLUSIVE TOUR OF RØDE HQ 

TRIPS TO 

SYDNEY 

IF AWARDED SITE OF THE YEAR OR MOST IMPROVED SITE! 

www.rodemiconlineawards.com

editorial 

Brian Berk 

Editor 

I’m Stubborn About It…But Social Networking is a Must 

I could care less that “John Smith” just returned from 

what was certainly an exciting trip to the supermarket. 

And I definitely don’t care that “Amy Jones” just had a 

great abs workout. Facebook is a ridiculous Web site. So 

is Twitter. But I’m a member of both and even make activity 

status update posts. Or posting “tweets” on Twitter. 

(Saying the word “tweets” is crazy to me, but OK). 

I have to admit, both sites have grown on me. I’m 

happy when I get new friends on Facebook or learn that 

someone is “following me” on Twitter. 

Have no idea what I’m talking about? If you don’t, then 

you’re clearly not a member of these sites. Initially, I was 

stubborn and didn’t want to join these sites. However, I 

enjoy networking. It’s fun to find out what that person 

from high school I haven’t spoken to for 20 years is doing. 

Unfortunately, you need to join these sites. Yes, maybe 

they seem dumb. Sure, they may seem like a waste of 

time. But trust me, you are NOT wasting your time. As 

a store owner, you need to try to reach out to customers 

in any way possible. Social networking sites are a fun 

way to do so. Believe me, your customers are definitely 

on these sites. Well, the teenagers or young adult ones 

anyway. Just imagine how many people you can promote 

your store to? I have about 130 friends on Facebook, 

and I always thought I didn’t even know more than 100 

people. If you can find one person who is a fan of your 

store and is willing to say so, that statement is a walking 

advertisement for your business. The best part: It’s free. 

In fact, if I can help you in any way at your store via 

Facebook, please take advantage. I’m already friends 

with about seven retailers on the Web site, and am happy 

to take on many more if it helps in any way. 

“Friending” me of course doesn’t mean customers will 

walk into your store though. But I’m going on the Kevin 

Bacon game idea. If you haven’t heard of the game, 

which was developed by three friends at Albright College 

in Reading, Pa., it is believed “six degrees of separation” 

can link Kevin Bacon to any actor. For example, 

I tried what I thought was a hard link to Bacon, Elvis 

Presley. Of course, he was an actor too. I lost. Presley 

starred in the 1965 movie Harum Scarum with Suzanne 

Covington, who starred with Bacon in the 2005 film 

Beauty Shop. You can play the game yourself at www. 

oracleofbacon.org. By the way, Kevin Bacon has a link 

to MI. He and his brother Michael kicked off “Wanny 

Play? Music Week” on May 4. “We wanted to show our 

support for what NAMM and others are doing to help 

encourage people to get out and play music,” said Kevin 

Bacon. “Music is obviously a huge part of our lives. Playing 

a musical instrument can help drive a passion that 

can last a lifetime and play an integral part in maintaining 

a healthy mind and body.” 

But I digress. Posting on your social networking page 

something like, “Bring your used instrument in now 

for a credit on a new purchase,” or “Check out the XXX 

guitar that just arrived. You have to see it!” is worth it if 

ANYONE new walks into your store. 

At a time when your dollar is more important than 

ever, you must utilize social networking sites. They may 

be childish, even dumb. 

But try these sites. You’ll like them. 

June 15, 2009 

Volume 26, No. 6 

BRIAN berK 

bberk@testa.com 

Editor 

Michelle loeb 

mloeb@testa.com 

Assistant Editor 

George Hines 

Skip maggiora 

Editorial Advisors 

gene fresco 

jeffrey kyle, jr. 

hENRY pARDO 

DAN VEDDA 

Contributors 

JANICE PUPELIS 

Graphic Designer/Artist 

STEVE THORAKOS 

Production Manager 

circulation 

circulation@testa.com 

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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The Music & Sound Retailer (ISSN 0894-1238) (USPS 0941-238) is published 12 times a year for $18 (US), by 

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Periodicals postage paid at Port Washington, N.Y. and additional mailing offices. 

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Music & Sound Retailer, PO BOX 1767, LOWELL 

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June 2009

latest 

Digidesign Unveils SC48 

Avid Technology unveiled the Digidesign VENUE SC48 during a 

press conference in New York City on May 5. The digital console, available 

now, is geared toward mid-sized live sound settings, utilizes TDM 

plug-ins, runs on VENUE-D-Show software, and retails for $26,495. “We 

wanted to bring live sound to a wider audience,” said Sheldon Radford, 

Avid’s senior product manager, live sound audio product management. 

“Bottom Line: It can look great and be reliable, but we had to make sure 

the sound quality was great. Just because we lowered the price (from 

previous VENUE products) doesn’t mean we lowered sound quality. The 

SC48 will be great for houses of worship and night clubs. It’s the first 

digital mixing console for live sound that includes Pro Tools.” 

Robert Scovill, Avid’s senior market specialist for VENUE Live 

Sound Sales, explained many of the bells and whistles of the console 

and re-lived many of his experiences including the 2008 Super Bowl 

when he mixed for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. “This is our first 

fully-integrated solution,” said Scovill. “All I/O. Everything is included 

in the actual console frame.” 

MakeMusic Loses $145K 

MakeMusic lost $145,000 for its first quarter ending March 31, or 

three cents per share. The loss was $4,000 better than during the same 

period in 2008. SmartMusic subscriptions rose 19 percent to 110,318. 

GC Enters Lesson Biz 

Guitar Center held a grand opening on April 16 for GC Studios, 

which offers musicians with rehearsal space and lessons on guitars, 

drums, bass, keyboards, vocals, and Pro Tools. GC Studios opened on 

Owensmouth Ave. in Woodland Hills, Calif. 

Deatherage Faces More Legal Woes 

In addition to the charges of insurance fraud and forgery that already 

face Thomas Lee Deatherage, the former High Sierra Music Company 

owner could now have to pay $2 million in fines and spend up to 60 

years in prison. Deatherage was indicted by a federal grand jury in 

Reno, Nev., after pleading guilty to using fraudulent documents in his 

father’s name to get loans for his business. Deatherage will be sentenced 

in July. 

Steinway Reports Profit 

Steinway earned $1.05 million, or 12 cents per share for its quarter 

ending March 31. That compares to a gain of $1.975 million, or 23 cents 

during the same period in 2008. Sales reached $70 million for the quarter, 

down 26 percent compared to 2008, and Steinway’s gross margin 

dipped to 26.6 percent from 29.1 percent last year. However, Steinway 

CEO Dana Messina expected it to be a “very challenging quarter” 

given the current economic environment. 

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Music & Sound Retailer

industry 

Kevin Bacon, left with brother Michael Bacon, right and Yoko 

Ono, center, at the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of 

Music & Art and Performing Arts. 

Rick Maiman/AP Images/NAMM, The Trade Association of the International 

Music Products Industry 

New Advocacy, Education 

Efforts at NAMM 

NAMM hosted its first Virtual Advocacy Day, giving members a 

chance to participate in NAMM’s annual advocacy efforts in Washington 

D.C. A live webcast lasted the whole day, with the day’s agenda 

available online. Among those participating in briefings were Tennessee 

Congressman Jim Cooper, Democratic Leadership Council CEO 

and founder Al From, and Charlie Cook of the Cook Political Report. All 

of the presentations were also archived for later viewing. 

In other NAMM news, NAMM kicked off its Wanna Play? Week on 

May 4 with an appearance by Yoko Ono and the Bacon Brothers at 

the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing 

Arts in New York City. Wanna Play? Week encompassed a variety 

of events and initiatives aimed at building awareness for the benefits 

of playing music, including a short film contest and the launch of an 

iPhone application that features a game to test player’s “musicality,” as 

well as a music store locator to help people who “are looking to take 

the next step toward playing a real instrument.” 

Peavey Takes Initiative 

Peavey implemented a Lean Manufacturing Initiative at its 33 facilities. 

“By embracing lean practices, we can better understand the flow 

of production from plant to plant and come up with more efficient ways 

of doing business,” said Courtland Gray, Peavey’s chief operating officer. 

“Our goals are to apply skills efficiently, deploy freed resources 

where needed, and ultimately become more competitive.” 

News Briefs: 

• Atlas Sound acquired all assets of ETA Systems, including all 

trademarks and inventory. The purchase price was not disclosed. 

• Best Buy is demoting up to 8,000 senior sales associates, and 

slashing their salaries up to 50 percent, reported the Business Courier. 

Up to 1,000 assistant store managers may also be laid off. 

• D’Addario launched thelessonroom.com, a site designed to 

bring music teachers and students together. The site offers more 

than 1,500 educational resources such as videos, lessons, artist and 

tech interviews, and interactive tools. 

• Adam Hall is expanding its 18-year relationship with Eminence 

Loudspeakers by becoming the company’s exclusive distributor in 

MI and pro audio markets in Europe. 

• Fender launched its Custom Care program for those who own 

Custom Shop instruments. Customers get a priority hotline, life- 

NAPBIRT’s 2009 clinicians 

NAPBIRT Holds Conference 

The National Association of Professional Band Instrument Repair 

Technicians (NAPBIRT) held its 33rd Annual International Conference 

in Louisville, Ky. The event, which took place April 3-6, offered 18 seminars 

by trade experts, musical instrument manufacturers, and other 

business specialists for the 260 members in attendance. NAPBIRT also 

held elections during the annual business meeting. Pearl Corporation’s 

Joe Butkevicius was named executive vice president. Charter member 

and twice past president Jeff Vovakes was awarded Life Member status. 

Also, five people were named to the board of directors—Ellen Opel, 

First Act Inc; Jim Gleason, Old World Music, LLC; Dave Ferens, Swicegood 

Music; Jeff Peterson, Yamaha Corporation; and Frans Philippens, 

Adams Musical Instruments. 

Museum Electrifies 

It’s electric! The Museum of Making Music began presenting “ON! 

The Beginnings of the Electric Sound Generation” in April and will 

run through March 31. The exhibition includes rarely seen examples 

of early electrified instruments from 1900 to 1965. The museum is at 

the NAMM headquarters at 5790 Armada Drive in Carlsbad, Calif. 

General admission is $7. 

Industry Vets Form Quadrant 

A new company has emerged to bring “comprehensive quantitative 

information and analytics” to the cultural, commercial, educational, 

and governmental sectors. Quadrant Arts Education was founded by 

Mike Danforth and Bob Morrison, who both have years of experience 

in music and arts education. A major component of the company’s 

services is the Arts Education Data Center, a comprehensive visual 

and performing arts education database. 

time limited hardware and electronic warranty, worldwide repair and 

service options, and more. 

• Harman Professional CEO Blake Augsburger received the Edward 

E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering Distinguished Engineer 

Award from Texas Tech University. 

• Completely Oblivious, creators of Pointless Picks, sponsored 

The Assembly Line Concert, an event that benefitted the domestic 

auto industry and also attempted to break the Guinness record for 

the longest continuous concert. 

• Schecter’s C-1E/A guitars are now equipped with the ghost 

ResoMax bridge from Graph Tech Guitar Labs. 

• Sennheiser made a donation to St. Jude Children’s Research 

Hospital in The Music People! Inc.’s name to thank the Berlin, 

Conn.-based company for being its 2008 distributor of the year. 

June 2009

industry 

Thin Mint 

Warwick Audio Technologies developed the “Flat, Flexible 

Loudspeaker,” a speaker that is only 0.25mm thick. According 

to Britain’s Daily Mail, the loudspeaker resembles a sheet of 

tin foil. It “uses a bendy laminate made up of thin, conducting 

and insulating materials, which when vibrated by an electrical 

signal produces a clearer, crisper noise,” according to the 

newspaper. 

Warwick 

CEO Steve 

Couchman 

holds the 

Flat, Flexible 

Loudspeaker. 

In an Instant 

MBT Lighting launched its 

Instant Lighting Department 

“to help retailers get started in 

the exciting, profitable world of 

lighting products.” The package 

includes six LED effect lights 

displayed on a 12-foot portable 

truss system. A universal controller 

is included for demonstrating 

the lighting products, plus 

dealers get a fog machine, police 

lights, par can combo kits, strobe 

lights, a disco ball kit, and the 

company’s LEDPROPACK LED 

par system. According to the 

company, a “special dealer discount” 

is available. 

B.C.Rich 

Turns 40 

B.C. Rich Guitars 

is marking its 40th 

anniversary with a 

series of handcrafted 

guitars designed 

as a tribute to company 

founder Bernardo 

(Bernie) 

Rico. The four 

Handcrafted 

Anniversary 

Guitars 

represent the 

first original 

designs 

offered 

by B.C. 

Rich: the 

Seagull, Eagle, Mockingbird, 

and Bich. Only 40 of each model 

will be produced, and all of the 

models come with a 40th anniversary 

commemorative logo on the 

back of the headstock, a special 

serial number, and certificate of 

authenticity.

DEALER 

Economy Takes Out Ace 

The brutal economy has claimed the life of yet another MI store. Ace 

Music Superstore, who for 35 years was a key component of Dayton, 

Ohio’s, Belmont District, shut its doors in late April. Store owners 

Larry and Caroline Brandenburg plan to sell the building, but will 

pass on many store items to their son, who owns a separate MI store, 

reported television station WHIO. 

C&G Music of Baldwinsville, N.Y., hosted Singer Songwriter Showdown II 

at Mohegan Manor. Twelve contestants performed for judges Dave Frisina, 

Stacey Waterman, dXn, Lisa Gentile, and Adem Bingham. C&G Music 

owner’s Gerri and Christopher Veith are pictured with (l-r) third-place winner 

Billy Martin, second-place winner Jason Bean, and first-place winner Danan 

Healey. Prizes totaling more than $2,000 were given out. 

Roaring Twenties 

Richmond Music Center celebrated its 20th anniversary with a free 

in-store event. Musician Jimmie Mack performed, and guests were 

also treated to a student musical showcase with a special video filming 

session. 

(l-r) Frankie Banali (Quiet Riot), Jon “Bermuda” Schwartz (“Weird Al” 

Yankovic), Todd Trent (Ontario Music/Drum Oasis), and Corey Miller (LA Ink). 

Todd Trent Opens Drum Oasis 

Todd Trent, former president of Ontario, Calif.’s, Ontario Music, 

opened up Todd Trent’s Drum Oasis, a new music store 30 miles east 

of Los Angeles. The store offers sales, rentals, lessons, repairs, and 

restorations. “Throughout my career I’ve had the good fortune to be 

able to visit many of the world’s greatest drum shops and I’ve seen not 

only what it takes to be successful but also what a professional drum 

shop can bring to the drumming community it serves,” said Trent. “My 

goal is make Drum Oasis that comfortable stop along the road for local 

and traveling drummers.” 

Fire Away 

Owensboro Music Center presented the Owensboro Fire Department 

with five Samick Greg Bennett guitars, one for each of its five firehouses. 

Dean Markley added a year’s supply of guitar strings for each guitar 

and an Ultra Sound Acoustic Guitar amplifier to the offering, which was 

made during NAMM’s Wanna Play? Week. “It just seemed natural that 

the stations could use these guitars to provide some stress relief for the 

city’s firefighters,” said store owner Gordy Wilcher. 

Adrian Belew 

debuted his 

signature 

Parker guitar at 

Sweetwater in 

Fort Wayne, Ind. 

The King Crimson 

and Talking Heads 

guitarist played 

for Sweetwater’s 

sales engineers, 

and then took 

the stage at 

Sweetwater’s 

Performance 

Theater for a free, 

open-to-the-public 

concert. 

Pa. Dealer Moves 

snk music moved to a new location in Everett, Pa., after five years. 

The new store has nearly double the floor space of the old location, plus 

three teaching studios. The store plans to utilize the extra space for 

programs like BYOG (bring your own guitar), jam night, a preschool 

music group, and 9 for $9 in 09; an introductory group lesson program 

for guitar and piano. 

Alto Hits New Notes 

Alto Music updated the pro audio departments of two of its locations. 

The store installed a fully-operational control and live room for 

customers to demo audio gear like microphones, preamps, compressors, 

and effects processors in what Alto Music calls “a real world 

studio situation.” The customers can record these demos onto a CD to 

take home and listen to how the different gear combinations sounded. 

The store also became Rain Recording’s first official Rain Authorized 

Integrator. After completing a certification process, Alto Music 

can now custom configure Rain computers for its customers with a 

process that includes integrating Rain audio workstations with audio 

production software and hardware, according to Rain. 

10 June 2009

People 

In Memoriam 

Ernesto Gittli, owner of Gittli Music in Louisville, Ky., passed 

away on April 7. He and his wife, both music teachers, opened their 

store in the mid-1960s “with a strong focus on providing parents 

with an education regarding why music is important to their child 

long before ‘music makes you smarter’ was ever a slogan,” said 

NAMM historian Dan Del Fiorentino. 

Ed Garbett also passed away on May 2 in a Houston, Texas nursing 

home. Garbett “helped form the retail store Progressive Music 

in the late 1940s,” according to Del Fiorentino, and he served as 

the store’s instrument repairman for several years. He went on to 

have a long career in MI, during which he served as a salesman for 

Gretsch and as part of the product development team for Yamaha, 

where he also taught classes. “One of his many students was Bill 

Schultz, who later became the chairman for Fender Musical Instruments,” 

added Del Fiorentino. 

Neutrik Names 

New MD 

Pete Milbery is the new managing 

director of Neutrik USA. He’s been 

with the company since 2005, during 

which time he’s served as western regional 

sales manager. Milbery spent 

15 years in sales and sales management 

before coming to Neutrik. 

Steading, Haas Join Sennheiser 

Patrick Steading 

Scott Haas 

Sennheiser’s professional products sales team welcomed two new 

members: Patrick Steading and Scott Haas, both serving as area sales 

managers. Steading handles North Carolina-, South Carolina-, and 

Georgia-based accounts; Haas handles those in the Alabama, Mississippi, 

and Tennessee territories. 

Via Promoted 

D’Addario & Company tapped David Via to fill the role of vice 

president of sales and marketing. He’s been at the company since 2006, 

and previously held positions at companies like Yamaha Corporation of 

America, Sabian, SKB Corporation, and the Percussive Arts Society. In 

addition, Via is an experienced adjunct professor of music business and 

percussion. 

Going for the 

Goldheim 

Ralph Goldheim was named American 

Music & Sound’s national sales 

manager for Focusrite and Novation 

products in the United States. He’s 

been in the industry for 25 years, during 

which time he co-founded Line 6 

and served as vice president of sales 

and marketing at Alesis Corporation, 

national sales manager at M-Audio, and 

vice president of sales at 360 Systems. 

TASCAM Singles Out Blout 

TASCAM appointed Jay Blout its new central regional sales manager, 

putting him in charge of a territory that includes Texas, Florida, 

Upstate New York, and much of the Northern Central States. Blout is a 

graduate of the Berklee College of Music and most recently served as 

North American distribution manager and domestic sales manager at 

Fishman Transducers. 

Mark Barrett 

Yamaha 

Hires Three 

Three new hires joined Yamaha 

Corporation of America’s Keyboard 

Division. Mark Barrett and 

Moses Levy now serve as district 

sales managers. Barrett’s territory 

includes North and South Dakota, 

Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. 

He brings 12 years of experience to 

the role, including sales positions 

at Wilmington Piano Company and 

Taylor Music Co., and management 

David Pocock 

Moses Levy 

positions at The Steinway Piano Gallery and Ward Brodt Music Mall. 

Levy handles the Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky territories. 

His 14-year industry tenure includes time as a sales associate at 

California’s Keyboard Concepts and two years as Yamaha’s West Coast 

Costco program manager. 

David Pocock was also tapped to be the new academic and institutional 

sales representative. He works with academic and institutional 

relations, Keyboard Division district managers, and Yamaha dealers to 

“develop and implement an academic and institutional Keyboard Division 

sales strategy.” 

Music & Sound Retailer 11

PRODUCTS 

Drums and Percussion 

Going, Going, Gong 

Overview: Remo’s Tunable Gong Drum 

Specifics: The drum features an aluminum 

and ABS large-frame ring, as well as Remo’s 

Renaissance drumhead film. It’s mounted 

on a steel frame that sports three-inch wheel 

casters. The frame can also be taken apart for 

travel. There is a stand for each of the three 

available drum sizes—32 inches, 46 inches, 

and 60 inches. 

MSRP: $3,095 (32-inch model), $3,495 (46-inch 

model), $4,595 (60-inch model) 

Ship Date: Now 

Contact: Remo, 800.525.5134, www.remo.com 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Locked in the Vault 

Overview: Artisan Traditional Symphonic 

Cymbals from Sabian 

Specifics: Available in a variety of sizes 

ranging from 16 inches to 20 inches, the 

Artisan Traditional Symphonic Cymbals are 

the first orchestral cymbals in the company’s 

Vault Collection. The cymbals are made from 

B20 bronze, sport a natural finish, and feature 

high-density hand hammering. 

MSRP: Call company 

Ship Date: Call company 

Contact: Sabian, 800.81.SABIAN, 

www.sabian.com 

Shell Shock 

Overview: Ludwig’s Epic Series Drums 

Specifics: Ludwig’s Epic Series drums sport six-ply birch/maple/birch shells that “vibrate 

at a more even rate,” according to the company. There are five different configurations available. 

The drums come with Classic Keystone Lug, 2.5mm snare hoops and vintage bronze 

hardware, plus come in a choice of four high-gloss lacquer finishes. 

MSRP: $1,270 Ship Date: Now 

Contact: Conn-Selmer, 800-348-7567, www.ludwig-drums.com 

 

 

 

Tanglewood Guitar Company UK is not affiliated with 

the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Tanglewood Music Festival. 

12 June 2009

DJ and Lighting 

PRODUCTS 

My Precious 

Overview: American DJ’s Tri 

Gem LED 

Specifics: This three-watt 

LED effect offers a lamp life 

of 100,000 hours. Each lamp 

contains red, green, and blue 

LEDs that create up to seven 

different colors when the 23 

sound-activated colored beams 

are blended together. The 

stand-alone unit also comes 

with a knob for adjusting its 

sensitivity to sound. 

MSRP: $89.95 


Contact: American DJ, 

800.333.0644, www.americandj.com 

Denon Arrival 

Overview: Denon’s DN-X1100 Four-Channel Matrix Mixer 

Specifics: The DN-X1100 is a 12-inch, tabletop rack-mountable 

unit equipped with eight input sources freely assignable 

to any channel. The unit comes with four VCA channel faders, 

a “Flex Fader” with tension adjustment, and a three-band EQ. 

MSRP: $799.99 


Contact: D&M Professional, 630.741.0330, www.denondj.com 

YOUR #1 RESOURCE FOR 

Instruction 

Artists 

Play-Alongs 

WORLD-CLASS IN-DEMAND EXCLUSIVE THE BEST 

Songs 

Eat Your 

Vegetables 

Overview: Chauvet’s LED 

Mushroom 

Specifics: The LED Mushroom 

offers floor-to-ceiling and 

wall-to-wall coverage with the 

help of crisscrossing colored 

beams in red, green, and blue. 

The three-watt LEDs offer 130- 

degree floor coverage, and the 

unit comes with built-in sound activation 

programs that are available 

via DMX or master/slave. 



Contact: Chauvet Lighting, 

800.762.1084, 

www.chauvetlighting.com 

BAKER’S DOZEN SPECIAL! 

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Order any 12 books featured in this ad and get one free! 

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13

ADVERTORIAL 

News 

 

JUNE 2009 

Wanna Play? Drives More People to Make Music—Every Day 

NAMM’s mission is to create more music makers and drive them into your stores. It’s our daily focus, as we develop and 

execute marketing initiatives, speak our minds on Capitol Hill and engage the media in events that tell our story. The end 

result: customers walking through your doors, asking how they can make music. Have we achieved our goal? Our recent 

Gallup Poll shows we are getting there—but our job will never be done! 

week 

music may 

4–8, 

2009 

Note from Joe 

To those of us in this great industry, there are only 

two kinds of people in the world: those who make music 

and those who wish they did. 

That is what NAMM’s Wanna Play? campaign is all about. 

Our goal is to make it easy for people of all ages to pick up an 

instrument and begin fulfilling their dream of playing. Put 

another way, we want to get them “off of the freeway” and into 

our Members’ stores! 

The Wanna Play? program received great media coverage last 

month for Wanna Play Music Week. NAMM’s pro-music making 

message was on television, in newspapers, in magazines 

and on the Internet. Many Members capitalized on this 

promotion, holding events of their own that helped drive traffic 

and increase sales—all welcome news during these difficult 

economic times. Your business can benefit too. 

of people who don’t currently play 

a musical instrument wish they 

had learned to play one. 

Highest Ever! 

SOURCE: “Attitudes Toward Music” 

2009 U.S. Gallup Poll commissioned by NAMM 

Wanna Play? Lesson Locator 

Makes Starting Easy 

NAMM launched the most comprehensive 

database of music educators on the Web, featuring 

NAMM Member stores, MTNA (Music Teachers 

National Association) and TakeLessons.com. 

This tool will connect prospective players with a 

teacher. More players equals a stronger music 

products industry! To take advantage, be sure your 

lesson program is included in the locator—e-mail 

us at info@namm.org. 

To find out more, go to www.namm.org or 

www.wannaplaymusic.com and see how you can get 

more people in your community playing music today! 

Joe Lamond 

NAMM President/CEO

National Wanna Play Music Week Gets the Public’s Attention 

On May 4, the Bacon Brothers and a group of LaGuardia High School students kicked 

off Music Monday in New York. That same day, a simultaneous concert connected 

more than 130 schools, organizations, music educators and music lovers from across 

the country—even the NAMM staff—at exactly 10 a.m. Did you hear it? 

The week of music making was featured in national media including Fox News, USA 

Today and Wall Street Journal Market Watch, driving our industry’s message into 

millions of American homes: Now is the perfect time to start playing, regardless of 

your age or skill level! 

Wanna Play? Driving Customers Virally! 

It’s the way the next generation communicates and where they’re spending their 

time—Facebook, MySpace, YouTube—and NAMM is there promoting music making 

and driving customers into your stores. 

The Wanna Play? Film Contest capitalized on the 

crossover between the music and film enthusiasts and 

spoke to them within their social communities. This film 

content is now being shared on social networking Web 

sites, building a buzz 

and creating more active 

music makers. 

Wanna Play? at the White House 

The Blue Man Group and NAMM Members carried the 

Wanna Play? message to the front steps of Capitol Hill. 

The battle cry was heard loud and clear: Every child in 

America deserves to receive a complete, well-rounded 

education that includes music and arts. 

NAMM News June 2009 

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.

PRODUCTS 

Pro Audio 

Euro Good Man 

Overview: The Peavey Euro Series 

Specifics: Three models make up the 

Peavey Euro Series—the Euro 115 and 

Euro 112 enclosures, plus the Euro 218 

subwoofer. The two enclosures, measuring 

15 inches and 12 inches respectively, 

feature Peavey’s RX 22 titanium compression 

driver, as well as asymmetrical 

Quadratic Throat Waveguide technology 

that help eliminate distortion. The 

subwoofer includes two 18-inch neodymium-loaded 

loudspeakers and Neutrik 

Speakon input connectors. 

MSRP: $819.99 (Euro 115), $769.99 

(Euro 112), $1,149.99 (Euro 218) 

Ship Date: Q3 2009 

Contact: Peavey Electronics, 601.483.5365, www.peavey.com 

Batting 2000 

Overview: 

Sennheiser’s 2000 Series 

Professional Wireless 

Microphone System 

Specifics: The system 

includes a handheld transmitter, body-pack transmitter, receiver, and 

MMK 965-1 microphone head. Components of the system offer a 

frequency response of 25 or 80Hz to 20,000Hz, which allows for “full 

sound” from a bass guitar. The instrument cable is fitted with Neutrik’s 

silentPLUG and the receiver has a built-in guitar tuner. Depending on 

the UHF range, the units have a switching bandwidth of up to 72MHz, 

the company said, and an antenna loop-through socket and an integrated 

active splitter allow up to eight rack receivers to be daisy-chained. 

MSRP: Call company Ship Date: Call company 

Contact: Sennheiser Electronic 

Corporation, 860.434.9190, www.sennheiserusa.com 

Let it V89 

Overview: MXL’s V89 Studio Condenser Microphone 

Specifics: The V89 has a custom body design that MXL says minimizes 

body resonance, as well as a tuned 

grill cavity that reduces harmonic distortion. 

Designed for recording vocals, acoustic 

guitar, piano, and other instruments, the V89 

features a gold-sputtered diaphragm, high 

sensitivity, and low-noise circuitry. It ships 

with a shockmount and a wood case. 

MSRP: $399 


Contact: Marshall Electronics, 

800.800.6608, 

www.marshallelectronics.net 

House of Cardioids 

Overview: Shure’s SM27 and SM137 

Specifics: The SM27 is a large-diaphragm, sideaddress 

cardioid condenser microphone designed 

for vocals and instruments. It features a one-inch 

ultra-thin Mylar diaphragm and a self-noise of 9.5 

dB SPL. The SM137 is a cardioid probe microphone 

designed specifically for instrument recording. It 

has an “ultra-thin” diaphragm, as well as a 15 dB 

attenuator for handling sound pressure levels up to 

154 dB SPL. 

MSRP: $299 (SM27), $179 (SM137) 


Contact: Shure Incorporated, 847.600.2000, www.shure.com 

Study A-Broadcast 

Overview: The GM-Broadcast Bag from Gator 

Specifics: The GM-Broadcast bag features one section that fits a 

smaller handheld micro-recorder and another for larger-format field 

recorders. Additionally, there are pockets for external cable entry and 

an adjustable shoulder strap. Users can see the recorder control panel 

while it’s in the bag thanks to the viewable window. 

MSRP: Call company Ship Date: Call company 

Contact: Gator Cases, 813.221.4191, www.gatorcases.com 

Auntie M 

Overview: TASCAM’s 

M-164 Series 

Specifics: The line 

includes three 

analog mixers, 

beginning 

with the 

M-164. That 

model includes 16 

channels and six mic inputs. 

The M-164FX adds digital effects 

such as reverb, delay, and chorus; the M- 

164UF adds built-in USB. All models feature three-band EQ on the mic 

channels, two aux sends, sub and main output busses, and a built-in 

meter bridge. 



Contact: Tascam, 323.726.0303, www.tascam.com 

Clip Your Wings 

Overview: Point Source Audio’s Reversible Dual Ear Microphone 

Clip 

Specifics: The Reversible Dual Ear Microphone Clip lets the user 

adjust the microphone for any of four different wearing styles—singeear 

left microphone, single-ear right microphone, dual-earset left microphone, 

and dual-earset right microphone. The clip comes in beige 

and folds flat to fit with the mic inside its case. 

MSRP: $60 


Contact: Point Source Audio, 415.226.1122, 

www.point-sourceaudio.com 

16 June 2009

Pro Audio 

PRODUCTS 

Smart People 

Overview: Sabine’s SWM6000 Smart Spectrum Wireless Microphone System 

Specifics: In light of the FCC’s recent “White Spaces” ruling, the 

SWM6000 operates in the license-free 915 MHz ISM band that Sabine 

says is free of Wi-Fi interference. The unit runs for eight hours on 

rechargeable AA batteries. Features include mix modeling, FBX feedback 

exterminator, effects presets, and an RF scanner. 



Contact: Sabine, 386.418.2000, www.sabine.com 

Making Me Digi 

Overview: The RP1000 Multi-Effects Processor from DigiTech 

Specifics: DigiTech marked its 25th anniversary with the release 

of the RP1000, which the company calls “the first multi-effects processor 

with an integrated effects switching system.” It features an amp 

loop and stompbox loop that puts the user’s favorite stompboxes and 

amps at the core, and then 

lets the player add new 

effects to them, 

according to the 

company. 

MSRP: $699.95 


Contact: DigiTech, 

801.566.8800, www.digitech.com 

Guitars and Amps 

Whatever You Godlyke 

Overview: The PA-9D Power-All Deluxe Kit from Godlyke 

Specifics: The PA-9 Power-All is a 2,000-milliamp, single-outlet 

power supply designed specifically for use with guitar effects. It has 

a ferrite-core filter built into the output cable in order to reduce noise 

and hum. With the Deluxe Kit, players can power up to 11 pedals. 

The kit includes a variety of jumper cables for connecting phone plug, 

reverse polarity, digital, and battery-only pedal types. 



Contact: Godlyke, 866.246.3595, www.godlyke.com 

Wall of 

Visual Sound 

Overview: Visual Sound’s Open 

Road Overdrive 

Specifics: Visual Sound 

describes the pedal as offering 

a more open sounding, amp-like 

overdrive but without a dominant 

mid-range. Open Road features 

an interactive tone circuit that the 

company says effects “not only 

high-end roll-off but gain structure 

as well.” 



Contact: Visual Sound, 

931.487.9001, www.visualsound.net 

More. 

Profit. 

Now. 

Right now, profit equals survival. ACCESS is the industry’s 

most profitable line of bags and cases. Sure, our quality, 

value, service, guarantee and fulfillment are outstanding. 

But it’s our profitability that will help you weather the storm. 

Let us prove it. 

(877) 288-7881 www.accessbagsandcases.com 

©Copyright 2009 Access Bags and Cases 


twenty-seventh edition 

Florida Store 

Takes Off 

By Brian Berk 

So you’ve served the U.S. Navy as a fighter pilot for 25 years. 

It’s time to retire soon and become a “civilian.” What should you 

do now? Well, you could make an obvious transition to working for 

an airline. Makes sense. 

Or, you could decide to open a music store. Wait a minute. Open 

a music store? 

There’s no connection between being a pilot and owning a 

store. But Jim DeStafney, owner of Blues Angel Music made that 

very transition. “The two things that always interested me as a kid 

were guitars and airplanes,” he said. “I’m very fortunate to have 

had careers in those two fields. I tell people I’ve never needed 

to have a résumé to apply for jobs. That’s unusual. I got struck 

by The Beatles, like so many other people in my generation. In 

fact, I play George Harrison in a Beatles tribute band now. [But] 

I decided I wanted to be a navy pilot. I spent 25 years in the navy 

flying F14 and F4 planes.” 

In 1994, DeStafney first thought about his retirement from the 

navy. He didn’t want to work for an airline because it just didn’t 

provide the same excitement as being a fighter pilot. DeStafney 

didn’t venture into music retail immediately, however. He considered 

becoming a real estate developer first. “In 1985, I was 

getting refresher training in a F14,” he said. “I was flying with an 

instructor who was a friend of mine. He mentioned something 

about guitars. I mentioned I had a great Fender Telecaster when I 

was a kid. I always thought about playing guitar. He said, ‘I’ve got 

a mint condition ’79 Stratocaster. I bought it new. I haven’t picked 

it up twice. If you want it, I’ll sell it to you.’ He brought it in and 

I bought it. That started me out on collecting guitars. I bought a 

Peavey T60. People talk about how bad guitars were in the ‘70s. 

That T60 was the best of the lot. 

“I always thought it would be a neat job to own a music store, 

but I never took it too seriously,” continued DeStafney. “After a 

year thinking about conventional jobs, I met a guy who owned a 

store in Panama City, Fla. 

He let me help out and work 

on guitars. I decided to own 

my own shop in Pensacola.” 

DeStafney originally 

planned to have a partner 

in his business, but his potential 

co-owner bailed out 

because that person’s wife 

did not want to move from 

Panama City to Pensacola, 

which are 125 miles apart. 

So DeStafney opened the 

store with the help of two 

of his sons. His philosophy 

was to open the store by 

paying for everything up front. No debt. That guideline was certainly 

something DeStafney took from his military days. “You had a budget 

in the navy and you had to meet it,” he said. “And you should have 

seen how tight that budget was at times.” 

Fortunately, DeStafney did not need to fight in his fighter jets. 

But he did get to see many exotic places. “My first deployment was 

a Mediterranean cruise in 1976,” he said. “We hit all of the glamour 

ports. Monte Carlo, Majorca, Barcelona, Genoa, Naples, and more. 

All of my subsequent deployments were to the Western Pacific. When 

the Gulf War happened, I was stationed in Pensacola for a two-year 

tour. By the time I finished that tour, the war was over.” 

Many people think of Florida as a place on the east coast with 

beaches. Miami, Orlando, Tampa Bay. But Blues Angel Music is 

nowhere close to those cities (six hours and forty-five minutes to Orlando 

is the closest). It’s located in Pensacola, on Florida’s panhandle. 

The city is located in the Central time zone and is actually closest 


18 June 2009

Alternative Brands: Part One 

How to make money and have fun too? 

By Chris Lovell, Strings & Things 

Alternative brands are products that are well suited for independent dealers’ needs and desires. Brands that are high in quality, high in 

profit, and low in profile on Google, in terms of distribution and price. Alternative brands also seem to mean nice people who appreciate 

your business. THAT’S KINDA DIFFERENT! Here are 3 great alternative acoustic guitar brands for your consideration. 

Joe Arias 

CRAFTER GUITARS: www.crafterusa.com 

“Do the right thing. That’s been our company policy from day 

one,” said Joe Arias Sr., the company’s CEO, about Crafter’s decision 

in the very beginning to stay away from big box stores and 

build its future on the independent dealers. Indies are the “heartbeat” 

of our industry, said Joe. They are our future. 

Crafter Guitars are extremely beautiful and have a very noticeable 

customer appeal. I bought this line at the January NAMM 

Show and was shocked at how customers were attracted to them. I 

have sold several and made a ton of money. At 45 to 48 points 

at MAP, it’s not hard to get happy when you’re selling these. 

I have priced several Crafters at higher than MAP prices and 

still sold them easily. 

An example is the Crafter TCO 35. Awesome 000 looking 

body with cutaway, solid top, rosewood back and sides, and 

an L.R.Baggs element and preamp tuner. MAP is $509. Cost 

to us: $262. You make 48.5 points of precious profit. I sell this 

guitar for $559 and make 53 points. 

Crafter offers tons of models, styles, and colors and some 

very cool vintage stuff like the TAO 80 that looks like my 

son’s Martin 00-42 built in the late 1800s. Lots of guitars are in 

the $200 to $300 price range, but the sweet spot for me is the 

$400 to $600 range. Cutaway electric models. Great line, easy 

people. You should definitely be carrying these guitars. 

TANGLEWOOD GUITARS: www.tanglewoodguitars.com 

Tanglewood Guitars, a British-based company, is distributed 

in the U.S. by Musiquip, whose parent company is SF Marketing 

of Canada. 

All Tanglewood guitars are designed in England by industry 

veteran Dirk Kommer. The line has been the No. 1 seller in 

England and Scotland for the last three years, according to 

M.I. Pro. And it’s competing against the likes of Yamaha, Takamine, 

and Alvarez. “We are committed to the independent dealer network 

and we don’t see any big box stores in our future,” said Jeff Sazant, 

VP of the MI division. “We don’t give off-the-page deals and we 

patrol the Internet.” 

I then Googled “Tanglewood guitars for sale” and found a MAP 

infraction, which Erik Lind, the company’s product manager, assured 

me would be dealt with immediately. I’ll follow up on that 

soon. 

Buying Tanglewood is easy with 12 pieces netting 38 to 40 points. 

It’s working to realign MAP to offer 40 points plus on all guitars. 

The Tanglewood line comprises four sections. The Evolution, 

Premier, Sundance, and Heritage Series. The Evolution Series 

MAPs from $189 to $299. Many models have solid tops plus bone 

nut and saddle. I haven’t carried Tanglewood in my store yet, but 

after sampling five models including a TW-28CSN that had a MAP 

of $229—with a cost of $139 to us—I will be. 

The Premier and Sundance Series MAP from $329 to $929 and 

feature solid tops, one-piece necks, Grover tuners, and many models 

with solid backs and sides. I played a TW-49, a black cutaway 

acoustic/electric, and it was awesome. The neck was slim and had 

a great feel, as do most of the necks. The quality was incredible 

and the tone was all there at a MAP of $749.00. The Heritage Series 

MAPs from $829 to $1,199, comes with deluxe hardshell, and features 

solid wood throughout. 

Tanglewood is a very interesting guitar line. The guitars have exceptional 

quality, unique appointments, great necks, and way above 

average tone. Play them as soon as you can. Tanglewood will be 

Erik Lind and Jeff Sazant of Musiquip are flanked by guitarist Gary Morse. 



(continued from page 18) 

to Mobile, Ala. (about an hour 

drive). And it’s not even far from 

Biloxi, Miss. (about a two-hour 

drive). 

Blues Angel has taken Pensacola 

by storm since its opening 

in August 1997. It just expanded 

for a second time to 6,000 square 

feet. Despite the bad economy, 

DeStafney said he had his best 

year ever. December was his best 

month ever, when he recorded 

more than $100,000 in sales. “The 

interesting thing was that during 

that month, we couldn’t give anything 

away that cost more than 

$1,000. But we sold tons and 

tons of $200 to $600 guitars.” 

DeStafney hopes to log more 

than $1 million in sales this 

year. “Every month has been 

a record-setting month for us. 

The concept of the store from 

the beginning was used equipment. 

That’s what we did until 

four years ago, when we added 

a small drum department. The 

store expanded in 2000 to 2,500 

square feet. In February of 2008, 

the owner of a piano store, who 

was also my landlord, retired, so 

we occupied the main part of the 

building. Our second expansion 

concluded in [May],” said 

DeStafney, who honored Earth 

Day by bicycling two and a-half 

miles each way during the week 

of April 20. 

Now that Blues Angel occupies 

6,000 square feet, it has 

become a full-line store with 

band and orchestra rentals, pro 

audio sales, an expanded drum 

line with ddrums and Ludwig, 

and importantly, it built a performance 

stage where the store 

showcases lighting products and 

pro audio equipment. “The biggest 

transition in this store is going 

from a place where you just 

sell people stuff to a place where 

people come to affect their 

music lives,” said DeStafney. “Of 

course, we have to sell products 

to remain open, but you must 

have events. To survive today, 

an independent dealer needs to 

have service and lessons.” 

DeStafney had his best year 

ever in 2008, no small feat. And 

2009 is looking like gangbusters. 

But DeStafney has faced a major 

challenge when it comes to selling 

used instruments. “The volume 

of used stuff is increasing 

and that has me a little bit concerned,” 

he said. “Craig’s List 

is the thing that really intrigues 

me. I look on that site three or 

four times a day. What I see is an 

ever-increasing number of listings 

from a ‘music store.’ People 

say they have Fender, Marshall, 

Gibson, etc. That’s troublesome. 

People can get cash that day 

for their used gear. If you need 

money today, you can’t sell your 

instrument on eBay.” 

DeStafney explained that eBay 

generally requires auction-style 

listings that can take three to 

seven days. Also, eBay charges 

a listing fee as well as a commission 

when a product sells. 

“Craig’s List has had a significant 

impact on our business,” 

said DeStafney. “But I’ve taken 

the offensive and bought some 

stuff listed on Craig’s List. If 

a person is asking $500 for a 

guitar, I might e-mail them and 

offer $400 in cash for it today. 

We’ve bought a lot of items 

that way and turned a profit on 

them. But Craig’s List can be 

detrimental to a business that 

relies on used equipment.” 

Praise for iMSO 

“Absolutely the single best 

thing I did for my business was 

join [iMSO],” said DeStafney, 

who became a member about a 

year ago. He said the independent 

dealer group is worth joining 

alone because of the member 

forum located at www.musicstoreowners.com. 

“It’s worth 

10s of thousands of dollars to 

someone like me,” said DeStafney. 

“You could spend $10,000 

or $20,000 on a consulting firm 

to tell you how to run your business. 

Save your money. If you’re 

an independent dealer in this 

country and don’t belong to this 

organization, you’re missing the 

boat. The best way to describe 

[iMSO] is what Gordy Wilcher 

[of Owensboro Music] posted. 

He said, ‘For 11 years, I operated 

as an independent owner 

absolutely autonomously. I had 

no consultants and no advice 

other than what I could read in 

trade magazines.’ You’re alone. 

When a manufacturer calls me 

and tells me, ‘This is what you 

should do. This is the best deal 

for you.’ I don’t know if that’s 

true. I can ask people what they 

think of the deal. They might 

tell me, ‘You’re crazy, here’s a 

better way to do it.’ To me it’s a 

powerful organization for information 

sharing. 

“One line I added this year 

which filled a void, because of 

iMSO, is Crafter Guitars. I had a 

huge void of acoustic guitars in 

that price range. I could never 

get enough of them used. I got 

12 Crafter Guitars and the floodgates 

opened. We have literally 

sold hundreds of Crafter Guitars 

since then. That one bit of advice 

I got from MSO made me 

thousands of dollars in profits. 

And that’s just one key piece of 

information that helped me.” 

20 June 2009

(continued from page19) 

exhibiting at Summer NAMM. 

SEAGULL GUITARS: 

www.seagullguitars.com 

It’s almost a little strange to 

call Seagull guitars an alternative 

brand when you think 

about how long they have been 

around. But they meet all the 

criteria of an alternative brand. 

Seagull is high quality and 

extremely profitable at 45 points 

across the board. I’ve known 

Robert Godin for many, many 

years and he is a “guitar guru” 

in my opinion. Godin Guitars 

builds many brands of acoustics 

including Seagull, A & L, Simon 

& Patrick, and La Patrie classicals. 

I have carried and sold 

them all for several years and 

have always made money. 

Seagull guitars are handmade 

in Canada in one of Godin’s four 

factories using mainly Canadian 

woods. “Godin is still family 

owned and operated,” said Mario 

Biferali, Godin’s national 

sales manager. “We are green 

and have been green for years.” 

The new Seagull Performer 

Series was a hit at Winter 

NAMM and features a solid top, 

flame maple back and sides, and 

comes in both dreadnaught and 

mini jumbo body styles. This 

guitar MAPs at $689 and costs 

$377 with gig bag. It competes 

with guitars at $1,000 and up. 

The newly updated Maritime 

Series now feature “all” solid 

wood with MAPs as low as $599. 

It received rave reviews. Also, 

the A&L line is incredible with 

solid tops and MAPs starting at 

$279. 

Good guys, good guitars. Get 

‘em! 

I believe that “alternative 

brands” can change the perception 

and profitability of your 

store. Certainly there are more 

brands that I didn’t cover that 

deserve a look, but these are 

definitely three exceptional 

guitar lines. 

Selling at 30 points profit in 

today’s environment is a formula 

for disaster in my opinion. 

40 plus points have become the 

new benchmark for independents 

to thrive and survive. 

The power of a few points is 

best displayed in this simple 

comparison. 

Invest $10,000 @ 

30%gm=$14,400. 

Robert Godin 

GE Money 

Hit the right note 

Mark Kephart 

Owner 

Spotts Music Center 

imagination at work 

Invest $10,000. @ 

45%gm=$18,500. 

Invest in alternative brands 

and enjoy higher returns and 

something to talk about with your 

customer other than price, price, 

price. 

See you soon for part two, 

which will cover Pro Audio gear. 

To make a suggestion for independently-friendly 

companies Chris 

Lovell can cover in this article, e- 

mail him at clovelli4i@gmail.com. 

“Financing is the key if you want to compete with the big guys.” 

Ninety-five percent of Spotts Music Center customers say “yes” when offered deferred 

payment options through GE Money’s Music Program for NAMM members. 

Sell more by offering flexible financing options from GE Money. When you offer customers 

the option to pay with low minimum monthly payments over time, you’ll attract new 

customers, help them make quicker decisions, and sell more music products without having 

to discount prices. 

Find out how to increase your sales with financing. 

Call 1-866-210-1646 or visit www.gemoney.com/music to get started. 

Music & Sound Retailer 21 

07-01749 Mark Kephart_6.25 x 8.75.indd 1 2/9/09 12:24:59 PM

FIVE MINUTES WITH... 

By Brian Berk 

Everybody in MI knows Alfred Publishing. So we won’t bore you 

with a long preamble. Let’s ask Ron Manus about everything going 

on at the company and the industry. How was the RPMDA Show? 

Why is education so important? 

And let’s talk to industry veteran Bryan Bradley, who just joined 

Alfred. He brings a fresh idea and approach. Of course, we’ll get into 

much, much more. 

The Music & Sound Retailer: Ron, tell us about your background. 

Ron Manus: Being the son of Morty Manus, I grew up as a 

musician. I was exposed to a lot of music from an early age. I believe 

trombone was my first instrument. But my arm was not long enough, 

so they switched me to trumpet. From there, I played clarinet in 

Manus (L) smiles alongside Bradley. 

school band. Then I switched to piano for several years, but nothing 

ever took with me until I was 12 years old and started playing guitar. 

Ron Manus, 

I learned guitar with school group instruction. There was something 

magical about guitar for me. The way it vibrates in your hands; how 

you can feel it resonate. I’ve been playing the guitar since I was 12. So 

I’ve been playing for a long time. I’m 46 now. I still play in bands. In 

fact, I played at [famous Los Angeles venue] The Roxy with our band 

chief Executive officer, & sASSafrASS. Rich Lackowski from Alfred, and Tish Ciravolo and 

Tommy Norton from Daisy Rock Guitars are also in the band. 

Bryan Bradley, 

When I went to college, I knew I was not a good enough guitarist to 

become a professional musician. But I wanted to be in the industry. 

So I went to San Francisco 

State, which was one of the 

Chief Operating Officer, Alfred Publishing first schools to have a recording 

program. That was in the 

early ‘80s. I got a broadcasting degree from San Francisco State with 

an emphasis on audio production. That was awesome. I came back 

to Los Angeles and worked as a recording engineer for a recording 

studio named Kren. I was there for about two and a-half years. That’s 

a hard life. I got frustrated about making minimum wage. I was really 

depressed. My dad said to me, “Hey, come work at Alfred, at least 

until you decide what you want to do. You’ll have some income. Stay 

for six months, and you’ll figure out what you want to do for the rest 

of your life.” That was in 1988, and I’m still trying to figure that out. 

[Laughs] After about six months in the Alfred sales department, I 

knew I was set. This industry is so great. I was talking to dealers on 

the phone all day long. I developed lifelong friendships. Our mission 

then, as it is now, is to help people learn, teach, and play music. 

That’s a great thing. I always felt good about what we did. I love 

Alfred’s mission. Today, I’m still doing the same thing. 

M&SR: How are sheet music sales holding up? Also, is Bluray 

becoming a hot new technology you are utilizing for your 

products? 

Manus: What we provide is educational products, whether they 

are on books, CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, CD-ROM, downloadable iTunes 

files, or downloadable sheet music. Business is good. Of course, it’s 

not a great time for anyone. But historically, education doesn’t get 

hit as hard as more luxury items. So during boom times, we’re not 

at the head of the class. And during declines, we’re not at the head 

of the decline. It’s a steady business. Right now, people are going 

back to business and focusing on education and the core principles. 

Our first quarter was ahead of last year’s sales. And in 2008, we beat 

2007 sales. We didn’t hit our dream goals, but we beat previous years’ 

numbers. It’s great. We’re really happy with that. 

When it comes to new technologies, I always love the cutting edge. 

I think Blu-ray is awesome. I have a Sony PlayStation 3. The image 

and picture quality are amazing. After watching Blu-ray, I wondered 

how we ever watched VHS tapes. For us, we have our hand in the 

22 June 2009

Blu-ray market. We have a handful 

of titles out. It hasn’t caught 

on yet. The prices of Blu-ray 

players are still really high. But 

if you put the product out there, 

it’s only going to help grow the 

market. If we don’t all jump and 

provide products for it, nobody 

is ever going to buy the players. 

We’re into Blu-ray. Anything we 

can do to make learning music a 

more fun and enjoyable experience, 

we will invest in. Blu-ray is 

definitely one of those. Some of 

the titles we have out in Blu-ray 

are: The Who at Kilburn 1977, 

Rush’s Snakes & Arrows Live, 

Foo Fighters’ Live at Wembley, 

and the Woodstock 40th Anniversary 

is hot off the presses and hit 

the street June 9. 

Bryan Bradley: It comes 

down to the hardware side. 

There’s only about 10.5 million 

Blu-ray players in the country, 

and that’s if you count the 

PlayStation 3. If you just count 

[standalone] players, it’s dramatically 

less. To Ron’s point, we’re 

positioned with enough titles 

to make it worthwhile and the 

ability to ramp it up early as hardware 

sales catch up. There are 

a lot of great promotions going 

on right now, like the one with 

Warner Bros., where you can 

trade in an old HD-DVD format 

title for the same one in Blu-ray 

for only $5. That’s the type of 

thing that creates some noise in 

this market. 

take some money we earmarked 

toward marketing to the dealer 

and actually give it to the dealer, 

so they can market to customers. 

We’re going to work on 

programs to help dealers drive 

traffic into the stores. For us, it’s 

easy to do because we constantly 

have new titles coming out. We 

can piggyback on massive marketing 

campaigns to help drive 

traffic. For example, Green Day’s 

new album just came out and 

we’re having all of our Green Day 

products come out right behind 

the album release. It’s something 

the dealers can have customers 

come check out. 

Manus: RPMDA was really 

well attended. The sessions were 

great. There was a lot of insight 

given about how to deal with 

tough times. The subject matter 

of the sessions really focused on 

growing your business. It wasn’t 

a “gloom-and-doom” atmosphere. 

It was the exact opposite in fact. 

Everyone was upbeat during the 

banquet. We threw a cocktail 

party beforehand and had a lot 

of fun. We came up with special 

humorous drink titles. We named 

one after my dad: the “Mortini.” 

And for my mom, who’s well 

known in the industry, we had 

the “Long Island Iris Tea.” “Print 

Music on the Beach” was probably 

the most popular drink. 

Keith Mardak of Hal Leonard 

won the Dorothy Award. Keith 

gave a great speech. It was really 

nice to see him honored that way. 

He greatly deserved that recognition. 

It was a special moment. 

M&SR: You have a program 

called Total Sheet Music. Can 

you tell us about that? 

Bradley: Total Sheet Music 

is essentially digital delivery. 

You can go online and buy sheet 

music and print it out directly 

on a printer. It is online now 

and we’re pushing to get a lot 

M&SR: You attended RP- 

MDA right before this interview, 

so it’s definitely fresh 

in your mind. Please tell us 

about your thoughts on the 

show and what the general 

vibe was? 

Bradley: RPMDA is one of 

our favorite shows because it 

offers a lot of time dedicated to 

interaction with the dealers. It’s 

one of the only shows where the 

educational sessions don’t coexist 

with the exhibits. So both 

dealers and manufacturers can 

attend the sessions. The sessions 

are tremendously educational. 

The main thing we wanted to 

communicate at RPMDA was 

our support of the dealers. We 

realized that we spent a lot of 

energy and time marketing to 

the dealers about what our latest 

products are, deals we offer, 

etc. But we recently decided to 

change that strategy and instead 

www.gatorcases.com 


of content on there. We hope to 

have about 15,000 titles in the 

next 30 days. It’s important for a 

couple of reasons. First, it makes 

it easy to get a replacement part 

when one piece of a large marching 

band or choral arrangement is 

lost or destroyed. Second, it really 

improves the speed to market on 

new releases. It’s also important 

to note that our system involves 

the dealers and allows them to 

participate in the revenue. And the 

dealer doesn’t need to do much on 

their end. We think it’s the best solution 

for what the customer wants 

as well as the dealer network, 

which is very important to us. 

M&SR: Bryan, you joined 

Alfred recently. Please tell us 

about your background? 

Bradley: I went to Colorado 

State University where I received 

a liberal arts degree and was a 

music minor. I was a jazz pianist. 

I have an MBA from California 

Lutheran University. Out of 

college, I worked for Disney 

Music Publishing, managing its 

print music business for about 

five years. I then went into the 

TV and film music industry and 

worked for a division of Spelling 

Entertainment. I later was one 

of the two music directors on 

The Young and the Restless while 

working for Columbia Television. 

For the last seven years I worked 

for Guitar Center. I started as the 

print music buyer for the chain. I 

worked my way up from different 

divisions. I oversaw pro audio 

merchandise buying, professional 

marketing, technology product 

marketing, and finally worked in 

the Strategic Planning Group. 

I’ve know Ron for many years 

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at Disney and as a Guitar Center 

buyer. We’ve wanted to work 

together for a long time. The 

opportunity came along and it’s a 

great fit. 

M&SR: There’s still such a 

large percentage of people in 

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our country who don’t play 

an instrument. In what ways 

can we grow the market? In 

what ways can your products 

help achieve those goals? 

Bradley: I believe one of the 

keys to growing the market 

is education. Getting over the 

learning curve when trying to 

play an instrument is a difficult 

thing to do. A lot of people learn 

things in different ways. Alfred 

plays a key role in that because 

we are teaching the general 

public to play music in a variety 

of ways. If people can get past 

that learning curve, our industry 

will really start to grow. Apple is 

a big example. If you look at its 

strategy, the company started 

with iTunes, a limitless distribution 

of content. It’s the ultimate 

way to deliver content. Then 

they took one step back in that 

lifecycle and said, “OK, to really 

feed this distribution system, 

we need to have a lot of content 

created.” So they bought eMagic 

and created “GarageBand,” 

which became free with any 

Mac you purchase. So anyone 

who owns a Mac technically 

has the ability to record and 

create CD-quality music. Then, 

just recently, they focused on 

another step back in the process 

and announced an educational 

component. You now get free 

guitar and keyboard lessons with 

your “GarageBand” application. 

On top of that, they are selling 

individual lessons—for example 

Sting—using the “GarageBand” 

application on video teaching you 

how to play “Roxanne.” Apple’s 

now involved in the entire 

process, from learning to play, 

all the way through to creating 

music that they can distribute on 

iTunes. 

Manus: The reason we purchased 

Warner Bros. print was 

to help grow the market. We are 

the leading educational music 

publisher. But we felt we had 

gone as far as we could with our 

“Piano” and “Band Method” series 

without using Pop songs. We 

really wanted to jump into the 

pop business because ultimately, 

the goal is to get more people 

playing and more people excited. 

We thought we’d get people 

involved much longer if they 

learned songs they loved early 

on. We felt we could do that better 

than anyone else. It’s taken 

a little longer than we thought 

24 June 2009

to close the circle on that. We’re 

four years into the Warner acquisition 

and we feel we’re hitting 

on all cylinders. I think we are 

getting people to stay with their 

instruments. At Alfred, we want 

to partner with anyone who’s created 

a great product that can help 

grow the market. 

M&SR: Ron, can tell us 

about some of the latest 

products Alfred offers? 

Manus: In the pop area, we 

have the Ultimate Play-Along for 

Rush. It’s play-along tracks using 

the greatest hits of Rush. The 

tracks sound amazing! We’ll have 

the new Green Day right about 

the time your issue hits the market. 

We have the new folio for 

Diana Krall’s Quiet Nights. Her 

new album is awesome. We also 

rearranged and engraved From 

This Moment On and The Very 

Best of Diana Krall. I’m really 

excited about the Billboard Hot 

100. Last year, we came out with 

the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest 

Songs of All Time. We’re doing 

the same thing now with the 

Billboard Hot 100. It’s the 50th 

anniversary of what Billboard 

labeled the “Top 100” of all time. 

We have it in piano/vocal with 

guitar chords and easy piano. 

We think those books will be 

monsters. We also have the 

latest in the best-selling and 

award-winning On the Beaten 

Path series by Rich Lackowski. 

That’s a kick ass metal book that 

comes with book and CD. From 

our piano area, we’ve got some 

great new supplemental books 

we are really proud of. Dennis 

Alexander came out with a new 

series, Especially in Romantic 

Styles. And we have Celebrated 

Jazz Solos by Robert Vandall. 

There are five books in that 

series. Also, we are very excited 

about Alfred’s Essentials of Music 

Notation and Alfred’s Essentials 

of Orchestration. Not to mention, 

we updated all of the books in 

the Suzuki series, which come 

with book and CD and are great 

for students. We’ve got something 

new and exciting for every 

musician. 

M&SR: The publishing 

industry is very competitive. 

What do you do differently 

than other companies and 

how can you keep the success 

going? 

Manus: Each publisher has 

its strengths. We look at everything 

from an educational point 

of view. That’s our focus. Our 

other advantage is we feel we 

have the best editors in the industry. 

We have great longevity 

on our staff. We have people who 

have been here for more than 

20 years. We’re really proud of 

the staff we assembled through 

the Warner acquisition and the 

ongoing Alfred staff. It really is 

the people that make us great. 

We’re in partnership with other 

publishers, which allows us to offer 

even more. But it’s all about 

our people. Adding Bryan makes 

us that much stronger. 

Bradley: Alfred has had one 

of the best strategies in terms 

of our worldwide presence. 

We have offices in pretty much 

every foreign territory we do 

business. The Alfred philosophy 

of education-based product 

development is happening at a 

local level. We don’t hand off our 

foreign sales to other companies. 

We have our own people on the 

ground. It’s more expensive to 

do things that way, but we feel 

it provides a great advantage for 

us. 

M&SR: What do you recommend 

regarding placement 

of your products in stores 

and how can you get customers 

to be excited about walking 

into dealerships? 

Manus: Having all of your 

print in the browser bin in the 

back of the store or in a filing 

cabinet will not increase impulse 

buys or get people excited. If you 

are a combo store, get the hot 

guitar products out near where 

the guitars are or by the register. 

If you are more of a piano-based 

store, put sheet music up on 

the pianos. Show them what’s 

available and new. Yes, you want 

to have a print area in your store. 

But also, you want to get the 

books placed throughout the 

store. 

Bradley: Also, make sure the 

publishing products are organized 

so they are findable. Some 

people will buy our products as 

an impulse buy when they originally 

came in looking for a guitar. 

But others will purposely come 

in looking for the new Green 

Day books for example. When 

I was the print buyer at Guitar 

Center, we literally planned out 

every pocket of the store and 

knew exactly what was supposed 

to go where. There were people 

in every store whose job it was to 

spend a certain amount of time 

each week making sure those 

books were organized correctly. 

When I started working for Guitar 

Center in 2002, print music 

was so important to the company 

that it had recently created a fulltime 

position just to purchase and 

focus on those products. Guitar 

Center has had that ever since. 

That definitely says something 

about the value of print products. 

M&SR: Anything to add? 

Bradley: We have more than 

45,000 active titles and I’d say 

on average, we release 100 new 

products a month. Every dealer 

knows they’ll have a selection of 

not just one new product coming 

out every month. There’s plenty 

of stuff for dealers to talk to customers 

about. 

Manus: If you have fresh 

products each month, it gives 

customers reasons for coming 

back into your store. We’re partners 

in this industry. We always 

want dealers to call and ask questions. 

An example is if you call 

and say, “Hey, I’m having trouble 

moving this product. What do 

you recommend?” We’ll come up 

with a plan to help our dealers 

succeed. You probably won’t have 

10 new guitars every month, but 

we’ll always have plenty of new 

products to keep people excited 

and coming back to your store. 

That drives traffic. And when 

customers keep coming into the 

store, they look for accessories 

and plenty of other items. 

Bradley: We conduct about 

400 in-store events where we fly 

the arranger/composer, artist, 

etc., to the store. Those are big 

traffic drivers too. 

Music & Sound Retailer 25 

1/2 Pg Junior PDF Template.indd 1 5/1/09 9:28:52 AM

mi spy 

Searching for an acoustic 

guitar in The Big Easy 

The alarm buzzed violently at 

9 a.m., waking me from a deep 

and much needed slumber. Only 

a sliver of sunlight shone through 

my heavy black curtains. The city 

of New Orleans does not really 

operate on the standard 9 to 5 

routine, and my MI spy duties 

rarely require me to be up at 

such an hour. As I attempted to 

hit snooze and dive back down 

into sleep, the television turned 

on without warning. “Spy, wake 

up!” the television said. I turned 

to look at the tube, and wouldn’t 

you know it, my boss, the Chief, 

filled the screen. 

“You know Chief, some of these 

gadgets and gizmos you have can 

really be an invasion of privacy,” 

I said, still attempting to hide 

beneath the covers. 

He ignored me. “Spy, you have 

a different sort of mission today, 

so I suggest you get up and start 

working. I’m sending the data 

over to you now. Godspeed.” 

New Orleans 

Music Exchange 

3342 Magazine St. 

New Orleans, LA 70115 

The first stop on my checklist 

was the New Orleans Music 

Exchange, right in the middle of 

bustling Magazine Street. Surrounded 

by restaurants, vintage 

clothing outfitters, and some 

of the city’s most popular bars 

among young people, this store 

was sure to have everything for a 

musician...or so it seemed. Upon 

entering, I was greeted with a 

genuine familiarity by one of the 

two employees working. However, 

once greeted, it seemed as 

though the employees were too 

busy taking care of some other 

business. What that business 

was, I’m not too sure, as there 

were no other customers around 

that I could see. 

I began to fumble around with 

a few acoustics I saw hanging on 

a wall in a corner of the store. But 

the more and more I played, the 

more and more I began to feel as 

though I had somehow wandered 

into the repair area...which I had. 

It was then that I was finally 

prompted with a, “Can I help 

you with something?” I inquired 

about acoustic guitars and was 

pointed in the opposite direction, 

still not quite sure where to go, 

even in this small, cramped store. 

Once I made my way over to 

amplifiers and speakers, I finally 

found the acoustic alcove, which 

was indeed more impressive than 

the rest of the store would have 

you believe. There was a decent 

selection of acoustic guitars 

there, covering the lower and 

middle price ranges. I picked up 

an interesting looking guitar, a 

Recording King RD17, which I 

had never heard of before, and 

began to pick out a few notes 

on this mystery instrument. It 

sounded clean, and looked beautiful, 

with an ornate headstock 

and unique fret markers. Upon 

further inquiry, the salesman 

informed me that these were 

overseas-made models, and 

insisted that they sold a lot of 

these (though this spy can spot a 

salesman’s fib a mile away). 

As enamored as I was with the 

instruments, I remembered I was 

a professional, and had a job to do 

here. While the acoustic guitars 

were set up in a semi-private area, 

which was great for testing them 

out, there was a serious disconnect 

between the layout of the 

store and the store’s ability to 

sell. Cramped and confusing with 

minimal customer assistance, it 

seems that this store may be a bit 

more about the repair business 

and less about the sales. Nevertheless, 

the clerk assured me, 

“We’ll match any price you can 

find, so don’t go spending your 

money at the big stores. We’ll 

take care of you.” Not a bad parting 

gesture, to say the least. 

Todd’s Music Express 

3411 Metairie Road 

Metairie, LA 70001 

I headed out of New Orleans 

proper for a bit to visit the next 

stop, Todd’s Music Express. Metairie 

is a suburb of New Orleans, 

right on the other side of one of 

the levees that failed during Hurricane 

Katrina. As such, Metairie 

is abound with shopping centers 

and retail businesses because of 

its advantageous location. With 

an equally advantageous location 

within Metairie, I figured Todd’s 

would have just what I needed. 

I focused on my mission, and 

began to create a profile of this 

store from top to bottom, and 

beginning with my entrance, 

encountered two issues. While I 

was immediately impressed by 

the quality of instruments and its 

neat display, I was also extremely 

disappointed by how long it took 

anyone to even notice my presence. 

I stood in the front of the 

store for nearly three minutes 

before I so much as saw anyone 

else. 

A few minutes later a man 

stepped out from a side doorway 

and greeted me with a firm handshake 

and introduction. “How’s 

it going? I’m [name withheld], 

26 June 2009

what can I help you with today?” 

I suppose his amiable demeanor 

made up for the timeliness of his 

introduction, and I told him about 

my search for a quality acoustic 

guitar. “We like the Breedloves 

and the Eastmans,” he replied as 

I picked up an Eastman AC510 

CE. He showed me a wall full of 

each brand, with different models 

and finishes, though mostly in 

the higher price ranges. “You can 

play any of them you like, just be 

careful, some of the finishes are 

light...” he said as he trailed off. 

I could tell he was a bit nervous 

about me test driving these axes, 

but nevertheless, he fulfilled his 

promise—I played every acoustic 

in stock! 

As I played and hung out in 

the store, I felt a general sense 

of community existed here. 

Students of various ages arrived 

and left for their lessons, and 

some old timers stopped by with 

the excuse to buy strings, when 

all they really wanted to do was 

talk music. Even I, who had more 

or less laid low this whole time, 

felt welcome in the store. That 

welcoming feeling really meant 

a lot, especially when doing comparative 

shopping. I’d definitely 

want to come back to Todd’s, if 

for nothing more than a set of 

strings. 

Allied Music 

4417 Bienville Ave. 


Allied Music, in stark contrast 

to Todd’s, lies on the other side of 

the levee. Many small businesses 

in the Mid-City area of New 

Orleans have not returned since 

Hurricane Katrina, but Allied is 

an exception. Allied Music, which 

opened in 1966, has been open 

for longer than any other music 

store in the New Orleans metro 

area. 

I entered the store cautiously, 

and saw no signs of life anywhere. 

There were barely even 

any instruments in sight. Silence 

permeated the air. My spy training 

kicked in, and immediately I 

began to think I had been set up. 

This was a trap! I called out to the 

unknown, expecting some sort of 

answer...nothing. Finally, several 

minutes later, a figure emerged 

from the back. 

I once again inquired about my 

need to purchase an acoustic guitar, 

and was casually brought to a 

wall which held about six guitars. 

Crafter seemed to be the only 

brand it carried, and they were 

all acoustic. I did see a couple of 

electrics off to the side, but those 

six guitars, which seemed to be 

about 75 percent of the guitar 

inventory, were acoustic. I played 

around on a Crafter CTS150, 

which had a small and thin body 

with a beautiful blue finish, and 

then asked the owner about his 

business. “Do you guys mostly 

do repairs?” He replied, “Yea, 

repairs and custom work mostly. 

Amps and such.” He told me his 

family had been in the business 

for years, and I suppose it was 

fairly obvious from the surroundings 

that guitar sales were not its 

specialty. 

International Vintage 

Guitars of New Orleans 

646 Tchoupitoulas St. 


Going undercover on top-secret 

spy work has some psychological 

effects. Occasionally, you’ll 

forget who you are and become 

your decoy. We are trained to 

prevent this from happening, but 

it does get to the best of us, and it 

absolutely happened by the time I 

stopped by International Vintage 

Guitars (IVG). 

IVG sits in downtown New 

Orleans, just blocks from the 

famous French Quarter, and 

close to some of the city’s biggest 

music venues. I wasn’t sure what 

to expect as I entered this corner 

store. Was it going to be more of 

a guitar museum, or would it actually 

have affordable guitars that 

still maintain quality? The answer, 

oddly enough, was both. 

I entered the store and was 

immediately impressed by the 

overall feel. Incense had been 

burning, there were pictures of 

guitar gods on the walls, some 

autographed. You could feel 

that music lived here, that every 

single piece of equipment, ranging 

from the strings to the Stratocaster 

was nothing but the best; 

not only the best, but the best in 

different price ranges. 

I was promptly greeted by 

an employee, and was shown 

directly to the acoustic selection. 

“We have something in every 

price range, from $120 on up,” he 

said, and actually took me to the 

different price ranges and qualities. 

My eyes were initially drawn 

to a ‘73 Gibson SJ, with road worn 

features and a tone to die for, 

but the price of $1,699 was a bit 

higher than this spy’s pocketbook 

can handle, although the clerk assured 

me that they could “come 

down on it a bit.” I continued to 

play on a particularly eye-catching 

Fender Vince Ray Model, 

which at $349 seemed like a great 

buy for the artwork alone. Then 

there was a classic Martin DX1 

boasting a slightly higher price of 

$519.99. I played anything and everything 

I could touch, including 

a few electrics that just beckoned 

to me from across the racks. 

The clerk was extremely 

knowledgeable, and even made 

some suggestions after hearing 

my play. “You know, with those 

kind of licks, you should really go 

for a semi-hollow electric,” and 

proceeded to show me a few other 

kinds of guitars I hadn’t even 

thought about. He could tell me 

all there was to know about each 

one: wood, year, price, reason for 

the price, how long its been in the 

store, the list goes on. Not only 

was this technical knowledge 

impressive, but he also just made 

me feel like he wanted me to play. 

“You gotta try this Gibson-175,” 

he said. “Its beautiful and will 

make you want to cry!” Play this, 

play that, try this guitar in that 

part of the room—he was genuinely 

concerned with my satisfaction 

in the store. 

IVG had an incredible selection 

of vintage axes that were priced 

only for the collector, but they 

also had student models for every 

level, and any guitar store that 

carries such high-end gear knows 

to get the best low-end gear. They 

wouldn’t sell a bad $150 guitar. 

The guitar gods just wouldn’t 

approve. 

Mardi Gras? 

I headed to the French Quarter 

to grab a drink and make my 

decision. I went over and over 

my reports, my findings, the 

secret surveillance tapes and 

evidence, and slowly came to 

a conclusion. I ruled out Allied 

Music first because of the lack of 

selection. I then crossed the New 

Orleans Music Exchange off my 

list. While it maintained a pricematch 

guarantee and did have 

some cool equipment, its staff 

seemed a bit unconcerned with 

my presence and inquiries. It 

came down to Todd’s Music and 

International Vintage Guitars. On 

the one hand, Todd’s had a good 

selection and good prices, with a 

great community around it. On 

the other hand, IVG had some 

incredible gear, a knowledgeable 

staff, and a mysterious aura of 

greatness. 

In my report, International 

Vintage Guitars will go down as 

the victor in this competition. 

Since none of the stores really 

carried the same lines, price 

was not a point of interest in 

this competition. That leaves 

the determining factor up to the 

vibe. That unique feeling you get 

when walking in the store and 

breathing in the music. IVG was 

the only store that really had a 

“style” about it. The colors, lighting, 

even the smell of recently 

burning incense made the store 

special, and it left an impression 

of professionalism and “coolness” 

that has surrounded the 

guitar world since its inception. 

I’d be hard pressed to find any 

musician or aspiring musician 

who wouldn’t mind spending 

a few hours in there, with its 

wide selection of quality gear, 

pleasing aesthetics, and a very 

knowledgeable and encouraging 

sales staff. 

Completing the report, I sent 

the information back to Chief. 

“Good work, spy. I knew I could 

count on you to get the job 

done,” he said over the phone. 

Was the Chief taking something? 

He never says good work. 

He’s never grateful. 

I didn’t pursue that thinking 

and decided to accept the 

compliment. “All in a days work, 

Chief,” I replied. “Oh, Chief, 

there’s one more thing.” 

“What’s that, spy? I’m in a 

good mood today and am all 

ears.” 

Huh? What is up with him 

today? He’s a weird dude. 

“I have a rendezvous with a 

beautiful young lady I met outside 

one of the stores this morning, 

so if you wouldn’t mind, 

please refrain from contacting 

me via my television set tomorrow 

morning.” 

“Rendezvous? Since when 

do you talk like that? You drive 

around in old, beat-up Toyota 

and use big words like that? 

“Will you help or not?” 

“Yes, you can have tonight and 

tomorrow morning free. Just 

don’t use that line about ‘heaven 

losing an angel,’ OK?” 

“Yeeeeeeees Chief.” 


irth of a product 

The Birth of 

The Guitar Hanger 

By Brian Berk 

Chris Samu 

Hanging in your closet right now: A bunch of shirts, 

a few pants, and a couple of guitars? Guitar Hanger allows your 

customers to do just that. It can be especially helpful for those who 

live in smaller spaces and can’t keep a guitar in the corner of the 

room, or those who want easy access to their guitar, as opposed to 

perhaps reaching under the bed to find it. 

The idea was dreamed up by Chris Samu. “I originally was a 

musician with a band who was signed in the 1980s to 

a small label,” said Samu. “I’m part-owner of a studio 

where we do soundtrack work and sound editing. I 

also worked in financial services for years. Like most 

musicians, I have a ‘third bedroom’ in the back of the 

house. It’s a music room and all of my guitars were in 

the closet in cases. It would take me four minutes to 

switch cases and by that time the kids were interrupting, 

etc. I figured there had to be some way to hang the 

guitars in the closet. I thought the product must exist. 

I searched online trying to find it. I walked the NAMM 

Show. I couldn’t find it. So I went to Bed, Bath & Beyond, 

bought some hangers, cut them apart and starting 

welding parts together. It worked. I went straight to the 

patent attorney and went from there. You can switch 

guitars literally in 15 seconds.” 

Samu added that he thought a product similar to 

Guitar Hanger didn’t exist because it didn’t work. “But 

after going to Bed, Bath & Beyond, I realized I had 

something. It did work. When people came by our booth 

[when we launched out product at Winter] NAMM, everyone 

thought, Duh, what a good idea. I let the public 

tell me what their vision was for this product.” 

Guitar Hangers are sent to dealers in boxes of 20. The first shipments 

were sent this month. The company is seeking European 

distributors and is looking for a host of U.S. dealers interested in 

selling the unique accessory. According to Samu, two more main 

advantages are that customers will often want to buy more than one 

Guitar Hanger and they come with a low price tag. “We’re shipping 

them now because I feel it will make for a great holiday gift,” 

said Samu. MSRP on Guitar Hanger is $30.99, MAP is $21.99, and 

Samu said he expects them to often be sold for about $24.99. “The 

price point is excellent for the store,” said Samu. “I think Guitar 

Hanger could carry a bit of a premium for the retailer because it’s 

a new item that has a value-added element of being a space saver 

while giving quick access to the guitar. With some dorm rooms at 

college, students must have a Guitar Hanger considering how little 

space they have. And it’s great for a studio person who has four 

guitars.” 

Guitar Hanger can hold up to 200 pounds of weight, so customers 

need not worry about it ever collapsing, said Samu. Even the yoke, 

the part that clasps to the guitar itself, is made of fiberglass. Said 

Samu: “I designed the yoke so that the guitar neck slides in sideways 

and pivots to be locked in place. I wanted an elegant design 

that functioned easily and was economical to make.” 

The parts of Guitar Hanger can 

be placed flat for those who want 

to travel with it. One size of Guitar 

Hanger fits all guitars. Samu did say 

however that the Bay Area company 

will probably come out with a wider 

hanger for six-string basses in the 

future. “Of course, some classical guitars 

might not fit. But most do,” Samu 

said. “Guitar Hanger works for 95 

percent of the guitars out there. It’s 

especially great for beginning guitar 

players. If a 13 year old has a guitar 

in a case, he or she is not playing it. I 

can easily see parents buying Guitar 

Hanger when they purchase a guitar. 

When the 13 year old’s friends come 

over, there’s the guitar hanging with 

their clothes.” 

Samu has brought on an industry veteran to work on Guitar 

Hanger’s packaging. Tracy Hoeft, of Hanser Holdings International 

fame, is in charge of that aspect. On the marketing front, 

the company did a promo that the product was coming, as well as 

a demonstration video on its Web site. According to Samu, 8,000 

checked out Guitar Hanger’s Web site in the first week. 

Recession Resistant? 

It’s safe to say that today may not be the best time to start a 

new company given the economic slump. But a recession has 

not deterred Samu. “I think Guitar Hanger is the perfect product 

today,” he said. “It’s priced for today’s market. I’m not selling a 

$1,600 amp. Those are the things that may not be flying off of the 

shelves. Right now, I think accessories like Guitar Hanger are the 

things that will keep dealers in business. It’s a $20 item. Accessories 

keep the lights on.” 

According to Samu, Hoeft is designing the package so that customers 

can just walk into the store and pick up a Guitar Hanger 

without any hesitation. “Of course, dealers can also display a 

Guitar Hanger by placing it on a hook as well. That can easily be 

done.” 

28 June 2009

sales guru 

Work Smarter, 

Not Harder 

I’m sorry to say I will not be at 

the Summer NAMM Show this 

year. 

I hate to break my attendance 

record and I really enjoy the 

summer show, but ESP won’t be 

exhibiting this year. 

I like Nashville and have many 

friends there. Steve Wariner, 

Fred Newell, and Hoot Hester are 

only some of the country stars 

I’ve met in Nashville. 

Years ago I travelled with Little 

Roy Wiggins doing promotions 

for the Ampeg company promoting 

Emmons Steel Guitars. Little 

Roy played steel guitar for Eddie 

Arnold for many years. 

I have been backstage at the 

Grand Ole Opry many times. 

I was there when Barbara 

Mandrell had her debut on the 

“Porter Wagner Show” with Dolly 

Parton. String Bean was there, 

Minnie Pearl and the Geezinslaw 

Brothers. Barbara was real young 

and all she did was play the steel 

guitar. I’m sorry, I just got to 

remembering the good old days. 

Some of you are saying to 

yourselves, “Who are these 

people?”… 

The title of my article is “Work 

smarter, not harder.” 

I learned to do that from Elmer 

Wheeler (The greatest salesman 

who ever lived). I found 

out recently that Dr. Taylor, 

who showed companies how to 

be more efficient, said it first. I 

guess Elmer got it from him. 

If you think about it, we waste a 

lot of time every day doing things 

the hard way instead of the smart 

way. Someone said, “Time is 

money.” 

I’ve seen salesmen spend an 

hour on a sale that could have 

been made in five minutes. A 

sales presentation has to be organized. 

There is a sales formula 

called “AIDA.” 

It is sometimes called the magic 

sales formula. When I learned 

it, it was definitely magical. 

The first “A” stands for attention. 

You must get the customer’s 

undivided attention if he/she is 

distracted. If someone is answering 

a cell phone call or has a 

young child tugging at his/her 

pant legs, then you don’t have 

his/her attention. 

You make or lose the sale in 

the first two minutes. You must 

make that customer like you and 

trust you. If you feel the customer 

doesn’t like you or trust you, turn 

him over to another salesperson. 

Ask him/her their name, tell 

him/her your name, and use 

his/her name often. Never, never, 

never ask, “May I help you?” 

Why? Because he/she will say, 

“I’m just looking.” 

The “I” stands for interest. 

Find out why he/she came to 

your store. You do this by asking 

qualifying questions. “What 

instrument do you play?” “Is this 

for you?” “Do you play in a band?” 

Find out if he/she has the ability 

to buy. For instance, if he/she 

says they are looking for a sound 

system, ask him/her if they are 

buying it for themselves or for a 

church or a band. If he/she says 

the band is buying it and he/she 

needs to talk to them before he 

buys…Stop selling......ask when 

you can meet with the band. 

Sometimes you can save time by 

not selling. If he/she says they 

are buying it, proceed ahead. 

The “D” stands for desire. You 

must create a desire for what 

the customer needs to buy. You 

do this by letting him play it and 

point out the advantages of the 

products you have selected. You 

point out the benefits, the guarantees, 

savings, and easy financing. 

The last “A” stands for action. 

By action, I mean you ask him/ 

her to buy it. In other words, you 

close the sale. Some approaches 

are to say, “Did you want the red 

one or the blue one?” “Will that 

be cash or charge?” Or, “I have 

two other people looking at this 

product. Did you want to put 

some money on it to hold it?” 

This process can take five 

minutes or an hour depending on 

the value and importance of the 

product. 

You need to know how to judge 

how long it should take to complete 

the presentation. 

Of course, it takes longer to sell 

a $25,000 sound system than a 

set of strings. However I’ve seen 

a salesman take an hour to sell a 

set of strings. 

I hope this formula helps you 

to work smarter, not harder, and 

gives you more time to make 

more sales. Working smart can 

apply to everything you do, not 

just sales. It can help you in your 

advertising, your inventory control, 

your buying, and even getting 

better results at the NAMM 

Show. There are lots of wonderful 

things to see at the show, but 

before you go, make a plan to get 

the most out of it and spend your 

time wisely. 

Have each of your personnel 

attending the show write down 

their individual goals. What products 

should they check out in 

their respective fields? The keyboard 

salesman should check out 

new keyboard lines or models, 

the guitar salesman new guitars 

and guitar accessories, etc. 

There is a great feeling of accomplishment 

when you feel you 

are using your time effectively 

and you have to make it a part of 

you. We are our habits. Everything 

we do is out of habit. You 

put your socks on everyday the 

same way. I always put my left 

one on first. Get in the habit of 

working smarter, not harder, and 

life will be a lot more fun and a lot 

more rewarding. 

If you have any questions about 

sales or advertising or promotions, 

write my editor Brian Berk 

and he will forward it to me. I am 

always happy to hear from you 

and will answer your questions 

personally or include it in my 

column. 

Editor’s Note: Gene Fresco probably 

should have been a comedian 

if he hadn’t become so successful 

in MI product sales. Even more 

important, he is a good guy. If 

you want Gene’s advice on a sales 

topic, please contact Music & 

Sound Retailer editor Brian Berk 

at bberk@testa.com. We will send 

your questions directly to Gene. 


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veddatorial 

Brand Change 

By Dan Vedda 

I’ve been in music retail just 

over 25 years now, and rather 

than simply marking me as “old 

school,” it also means I have 

(perhaps) learned a few things. 

Anyone, given interest and time, 

can learn the facts of MI retail— 

products, features, companies, 

histories, etc., just as one can 

learn batting averages or playoff 

game scores. 

As an observer over that much 

time, though, I’ve also learned 

that patterns often repeat if you 

know what to look for. Complaining 

about cheap band instruments 

showing up in general 

merchandise stores? So did dealers 

when they opened up the old 

Sears catalog. Bugged because 

your once-exclusive brand shows 

up everywhere, thanks to the 

Internet? Years ago, it was pretty 

easy to scab a product in, regardless 

of franchise. When I worked 

at a Fender dealer in the ‘80s, a 

lot of energy went into tracking 

the guitars that came from nondealers. 

The perspective gained from 

hanging around the industry 

all those years helps, too. If you 

complain about the low quality 

of overseas manufacturing, you 

should have seen the low end 

back in the day. Guitars came in 

with necks so twisted you could 

play around corners. If you lament 

that it’s hard to get product 

now, think of the dealers during 

WWII that couldn’t get anything 

to sell, as rationing and repurposed 

manufacturing facilities 

sidelined all production. Angry 

about cut-throat competition? 

Read a trade magazine archive issue 

from 1909. This industry has 

been through a lot, and in many 

ways (no, not all) is better than 

it’s ever been. 

One thing I hope I have 

learned, though, is less tangible. 

I sincerely hope that I have 

learned to adapt. Even if I am 

aware of parallels in our history, 

even though I realize it could be 

worse, my strategy to deal with 

change has to be right for the 

times, rather than cribbed from 

the old days. 

Certainly, there have been 

plenty of “training exercises” 

to hone that skill, particularly 

in the last 15 years. The rise of 

national chains, the Internet, 

and other trials have kept us 

all on our toes. The rapidity of 

change makes it harder. So too 

does the incessant addition of 

new layers. Even if you drop 

Yellow Pages, you have to add a 

Web site, MySpace or Facebook 

page, and what, a Twitter account? 

And those update all the 

time, not just once a year. Being 

able to “roll with it” is a skill as 

important as any today. Adapt or 

die is the Darwinian imperative 

everywhere these days, regardless 

of industry. 

The most important thing 

I’ve learned, though, is so old 

school that I think many people 

forget about it outside of the 

big-ticket segments of the industry. 

Despite Web sites, store 

redesigns, or any other aspect 

of our market presence, every 

one of us needs to know how 

to sell. 

Oh, there are plenty of selfhelp 

books, newsletters on 

closing techniques, motivational 

speakers…a whole industry devoted 

to sales expertise. All fine, 

but mostly devoted to selling a 

larger item that requires what I 

think of as an “assisted decision” 

before the purchase. Instead, I’m 

speaking of the plain old connection 

with a customer, the “how 

can I help you?” task. 

I think that in this day of 

instant gratification, faceless 

ordering over the Internet, 

and “race to zero” pricing approaches, 

the concierge-like 

experience of working with a 

salesperson focused on your 

needs—however small—is still 

the paramount task, because that 

approach erases or minimizes 

the difficulties of the “me-freenow” 

mentality. 

Another reason this will 

become more important soon is 

the dilution of brand within our 

industry. There are too many 

brands, and the differences 

from one to another are blurred 

or minimal in many cases. Add 

to that the number of brands 

housed together via mergers, 

and the shift in fortunes as others 

change hands and are poorly 

managed, and the landscape has 

the potential to change dramatically. 

Even the iconic brands in our 

industry feel the strain. Most of 

them have been working with 

the chains, and often that has 

compromised their identity, 

because smaller dealers have 

dropped the franchise while the 

boxes only cherry pick the line 

for the fastest-selling SKUs. Further, 

their products have often 

not been represented as they’d 

wish. They haven’t been given 

the desired floor space and merchandising, 

and customers have 

been steered to other brands 

that may be more profitable. 

Some of these companies are 

looking for small dealers to reestablish 

what they feel is their 

“proper” brand presence in the 

marketplace…and that is how I 

know. Whether this is happening 

because they’re finally fed up or 

because their numbers frighten 

them is impossible to say, as is 

their chance for success. Some 

of these companies have burned 

enough bridges or remain 

unrealistic enough that independents 

won’t let them across the 

threshold of their store. 

At the same time, the small 

dealers have sought out less iconic 

brands they can sell profitably, 

and as a result there’s almost a 

generation of young players who 

started on whatever their local 

dealer was carrying, iconic or 

not. Just as in the old days, brand 

identity is being established at 

the grass roots level. 

That is why the ability to sell 

in person is so important. Unlike 

the heady days of the 1980s, consumers 

no longer flock to a store 

that has a landmark product. A 

simple franchise does not make 

you a “destination” store. Your 

ability to engage a customer, 

determine their needs (not your 

need to move a particular product), 

and make them comfortable 

enough to purchase from 

you is Job One. 

The payoff is that when you 

can do this, an old-fashioned 

value kicks in: they become your 

customer, with all that used to 

mean. Of course, you still need 

to remain competitive, present a 

nice store, and make sure their 

comfortable experience is replicated 

every time they visit. The 

initial rapport is the only way the 

rest of that plays out, because 

the important brand is you. 


The 

Retailer's Mall 

For advertising rates and deadlines... 

Call Rob Iraggi 516-767-2500 x519 

or email at riraggi@testa.com 

Company 

Ad Index 

Pg 

ACCESS BAGS & CASES 17 

A.I.M. GIFTS 3 

ALFRED PUBLISHING 13 

AMERICAN DJ 

BASSMAXX 6 

CHEM-PAK 36 

GATOR CASES 23 

GE MONEY 21 

GRAPH TECH 34 

JODAVI 20 

KAMAN 16 

MUSICORP 25 

NADY SYSTEMS 37 

C-IV 

NAMM 14-15 

NEMC 7 

PETERSON ELECTRO- 

MUSICAL PRODUCTS 24 

RØDE MICROPHONES 5 

SHADOW ELECTRONICS 35 

SHOREVIEW 

DISTRIBUTION 34 

SHS INTERNATIONAL 

C-II 

TANGLEWOOD GUITAR 

COMPANY UK 12 

TREGAN GUITARS 37 

VOCOPRO 9 

YORKVILLE 

C-III 

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. 

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32 June 2009

TheRetailer's Mall 


Call Rob Iraggi 516-767-2500 x519 

or email at riraggi@testa.com 

HELP WANTED 

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talking heads 

(continued from COVER) 

Question #1: 

“eMedia is currently developing several new products and establishing 

new distribution partnerships to build our catalog. We are 

also updating our flagship products with new features and content. 

Instead of downsizing, we are growing our product line to ensure future 

growth. When the economy turns around we will have a larger share of 

the music software and music instruction market. We are also working 

closer with dealers and trying to tailor promotions and merchandising 

programs to their needs.” 

—Dave Kurtiak, eMedia 

“Hohner Inc. is marketing more aggressively than ever and we’re 

really focusing on building our brands. The state of the economy forces 

us to ‘raise the bar’ on the quality of our promotional efforts and to be 

more critical of our own planning. The margin of error is smaller than 

ever as we really need to get the biggest bang for each marketing buck 

spent. When the overall business climate improves, we hope to be well 

positioned for additional growth.” —Scott Emmerman, Hohner 

“Audix is now going into its 25th year, so we have experienced 

several up and down markets. The current economy 

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because it is global in nature and affects every part of 

the supply chain. Like most companies who are stable, 

conservative, and well-managed, we are trying not to overreact. 

We have not in any way had to downsize, and in fact we have hired 

some new people recently who would not have normally been available. 

We are reaching out to our MI dealers more emphatically to show our 

support. We are getting more creative as far as stocking levels, pricing, 

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and tools to help sell through. We have recently expanded our Web site to 

be a more valuable resource for dealers, contractors, and end users. During 

these uncertain times, retailers are forced into looking at the brands 

that they want to support. We are pleased that many independent dealers 

look at Audix as the kind of company they want to do business with, and 

when the smoke finally clears and the economy turns as it always does, 

Audix will be among the top in our category.” —Cliff Castle, Audix 

“The answer is contained in what we are not doing. We 

are not radically pulling back on activities. We are not panicking 

by slashing R&D. We are not retreating from consumer 

promotions and other marketing events to increase 

our products’ awareness and consumer desirability. What 

we are doing, is re-evaluating our legacy activities to reconfirm 

the value they bring to customers. If money is being 

spent where the value to our customers cannot be identified and in most 

cases quantified, we are re-evaluating the expenditures. However, rather 

than ‘saving’ the money, we are seeking ways to invest it in ways that 

will provide greater value to our customers. We also look for promotions 

that will increase dealer traffic in their stores.” 

—David Via, D’Addario 

“Since we sell our Greg Bennett brand only to independent music 

stores, our programs and promotions must be tailored and scaled to a 

diverse group of retailers. We are pushing our Music Educator Program 

to help dealers promote our brand and the minimum 50 percent MAP 

margin through their teachers and studios. In addition, we have new 

product and sales training videos on our Web site for store owners to 

use with new employees – and yes, I know it may not look so rosy today, 

but we will see head counts grow at quality independent stores in the 

future. I ask dealers if they are working with local schools, civic groups, 

churches, summer camps, clubs, radio stations, local guitar heroes, and 

anywhere groups of people congregate. There are cheap opportunities 

to promote in every market.” 

—John Hawkins, Samick Music Corp. 

“I think the biggest thing we’ve done to help prepare for the eventual 

recovery of the economy has been to rethink our processes and intently 

listen to feedback on our products. Even before the economy took a 

nosedive, we had already started to streamline all of our processes across 

the board, basically rethink what we needed to do to get the job done most 

effectively at our high expectations. This rethinking has included all areas... 

manufacturing, marketing, research and development; basically all facets of 

our business, and like I said we started this early on so we have been ahead 

of the game. Another thing to note is when I say ‘streamline’ I mean exactly 

that, not skimping! By continually adapting our production processes we’re 

able to build the same quality product in a quicker and more effective manner, 

thus reducing overhead. As part of this we also refocused day to day 

expenditures, created better inventory control across the board, and generally 

looked at all the ways we’ve done things and see if there were simply 

better ways of doing it.” 

—Chris Catero, Krank Amps 

“We are assured to come out on top when the economy 

comes out of this malaise, because we stayed on 

top or even picked up ground through it. During this 

downturn, we have worked to streamline our practices 

in shipping, receiving, and warehousing. While we were 

moving warehouses, we were working on expanding and 

updating our product mix. We passed the savings on to 

our dealers, and I believe we have more of our brands in 

stores at better prices than ever before. By the time the economy picks 

up again, we will have the best new items available, none of the old 

stock, and a faster and more efficient shipping system in place than we 

have ever had before.” 

—Troy Richardson, Tornavoz 

“Obviously, the current state of the economy is affecting every corner 

of the world. But we’ve found that, historically, people look to music to 

help boost spirits during trying times. That said; we’re doing everything 

34 June 2009

in our power to do what we’ve traditionally done, even 

better—which is, reaching out and continuing to bolster 

our connection with our consumers through our dealer 

network. By increasing that ‘connection’ via sales, marketing, 

advertising, public relations, and consumer relations 

efforts, we’re looking to drive consumers to their local 

Fender dealers in an effort to build interest in our brand 

portfolios, and ultimately help stimulate the MI economy as a whole. 

Some of these methods include: artist and clinician tours, in-store ‘test 

drives,’ rebate programs, and our ‘Fender Days’ events.” 

—Andy Rossi, Fender 

“Going back to grassroots marketing never fails. Now 

more than ever, it is imperative that companies use all 

of their resources and work smarter. Maintaining a 

presence on the web via Web sites, forums, MySpace, 

Facebook, YouTube, etc…is cost effective and it reaches 

the biggest audience. It has forced myself to be the most 

creative I have ever been.” 

—Jody Dankberg, U.S. Music Corp. 

“In the current market situation, it’s more crucial than ever to come 

up with distinctive products that exactly meet the needs of customers, 

including the right price tag. The great price-performance ratio of 

computer-based music gear combined with a strong brand also makes 

us less susceptible to an overall market downturn. Complementing this 

with highly efficient organization and distribution not only allows us to 

prevail in such a challenging climate, but even to achieve strong counter-cyclical 

growth.” —Daniel Haver, Native Instruments 

“MXL continues to keep a strong marketing/PR budget 

even in this economy. A lot of companies sacrifice marketing 

and PR in a slumping economy, which we believe is a 

mistake because when the economy comes back, and it 

always does, they’ll be running to catch up. MXL is also 

fortunate because we can control the manufacturing and 

quality engineering and can build the highest quality products 

for the best price possible.” —Jim Mona, MXL Microphones 

“This period has been small business boot camp for us. Before the 

economic shenanigans, we put our 

focus on production streamlining 

and creating the highest-quality 

products possible. While we have 

not lost focus on those crucial 

things, we have been forced to 

look for spare change under the 

couch cushions. We have had the 

time to go through our expense 

reports, and find a lot of areas to 

cut costs, and offer better service 

to our dealers. Our lead times 

have decreased, and we are able 

to turn around most orders on the 

same day, instead of one week. We 

will come out of this with a leaner, 

meaner company, and we will be 

the go-to company for getting a 

high-quality product, quickly.” 

—Nial McGaughey, Solid 

Cables 

to market and in terms of the market’s awareness and acceptance of 

our promise of value. We are fortunate enough that we still have the 

resources to continue investing in new technology and new product 

development, which should consolidate our image as an innovator in 

professional entertainment lighting. We are also running against the 

current trend of layoffs by actively seeking and hiring talent. At the 

same time, we’ve always operated as a lean company so there is little ‘fat’ 

to trim. We’ve sped up the removal of excess inventory in slower-moving 

or less current items with special offers and promotions. If anything, 

these challenging times have helped us get better at what we do best: 

increase efficiency and speed of adjustment to market fluctuations, and 

offer value.” 

—Berenice Chauvet, Chauvet 

“Of course there are no guarantees that anything you do 

or don’t do will give you the edge as business improves. 

However, I believe the strategy we have put in place gives 

us the best opportunity to grab market share and grow our 

business. The basic concept is to be flush with inventory, 

have those hard-to-get SKU’s in stock and ship in a very 

timely fashion. Companies that do not have a certain model 

in stock risk the customer going from source to source until 

the product is secured. We have been very diligent about not only maintaining 

inventory levels of all high-velocity product, but still stocking the 

not-so-active models which is critical to any contractor/MI dealer when 

the need arises. An area that we have actually increased somewhat is 

our message through print ads and our Internet presence with banner 

ads. ” 

—Buzz Goodwin, FDW Corp. 

Question #2: Do you think the current number of MI 

independent dealers will rise, fall, or stay the same 

in the near future? Please explain your answer. 

“Unfortunately I feel it will fall. Given the current trend of more consumers 

buying online, not only for MI products but in general, I think 

there will be a continued shift from brick and mortar retail to online. 

This will mean the closing of more retail stores. I think MI independent 

dealers that do grow their businesses will be those that continue to 

diversify and offer the products and services, repairs and lessons for 

example, that online dealer can not offer.” —Dave Kurtiak, eMedia 

“When all is said and done, 

Chauvet will emerge as a much 

stronger company in terms of 

staffing, and as a much stronger 

lighting brand in terms of our 

ability to bring products fast 


“Over the past few years, strong independent music dealers have 

survived in the face of many challenges. Every time someone counts 

them out, they seem to bounce back and new music stores continue to 

open, so I think that the number of stores will remain the same overall. 

There is no doubt that it takes a more sophisticated business approach 

to succeed in 2009 than it has in past years and some dealers aren’t 

willing, or have not been capable of changing with the times. These 

stores will not survive. The local music store has an advantage over 

many other retail businesses. Unlike almost every other business, music 

making can be part lifestyle, part hobby, part dream, and a part of 

the community. Cater to the local market, understand that you have to 

aggressively find ways to bring customers into your stores, and make 

wise business-based decisions and music stores can prosper even in 

these tough times.” 

—Scott Emmerman, Hohner 

“I think the number of good independent dealers for the most part will 

stay fairly steady and could actually rise depending on the fate of the big 

box stores, which seem to have a bigger struggle with increasing overhead 

and inventory of older and generic lines. I’ve spoken to many independent 

dealers, who while they admittedly barely survived the past several months, 

are now seeing a decent increase in business by carving out a niche of having 

unique brands and better service. Many mom and pops have gone with 

lines that are hipper and more in tune with the buying public in their respective 

areas, and most of these lines they carry aren’t necessarily in big box 

stores. And even though the economy has been bad, the interest in playing 

music has really escalated, which bodes well for dealers as the economy 

continues to recover.” 

—Chris Catero, Krank Amps 

“Obviously many businesses in many industries are being challenged 

to survive in this industry. Our industry is no different. However, music 

retailers have always shown great resiliency and by nature are entrepreneurial 

survivalists. So, when all is said and done, I don’t think we’ll see 

significant overall changes.” 

—David Via, D’Addario 

“In the very near future, I believe the number of independents will 

stay the same, but will be on the rise a little while later. I believe a lot of 

people are seeing the holes left by the big box stores and taking advantage 

of the opportunity. Even in this down economy, I have never seen 

as many stores add repair people as I have in the past. Also, there are 

a lot of schools and academies that are adding some kind of retail to 

their business models. Right now is an excellent time for someone to 

start up, as I am sure most manufacturers 

are offering smaller buyins 

to keep their products moving. 

I see boutique and specialty shops 

growing quickly. Just used gear; 

just acoustic. These shops offer 

an environment for their customers 

that none of the chains will 

ever touch.” 

—Troy Richardson, Tornavoz 

“While many brands have 

pushed large minimums and force 

fed dealers, we do not. We believe 

the dealers that stick to brands 

that offer nominal margins and no 

protection from big box retail or 

Internet discounters are not the 

retailers that will be in business 

one, three, five years from now. 

Our dealer base has grown by 

over 30 independent dealers since 

January NAMM. We added over 

100 dealers—and lost a few—during 

2008. My crystal ball tells me 

there will be fewer dealers who do 

not educate their future customers 

and sit, just waiting for somebody to walk through the door. I like being 

a part of their world and their community, helping promote where we 

can. I call these dealers The Hustlers—and they will continue to grow 

and thrive.” 

—John Hawkins, Samick Music Corp. 

“The current number of retailers will most likely fall over the near 

future. First of all, there is always attrition regardless of the economy, so it 

is natural that we will lose dealers. However, we have hit critical mass right 

now with the ratio of dealers to consumers. Add to this the vast amount of 

products flooding the market, the slowing economy, and the trend to buy 

online, and I do not believe there will be any new retailers coming on the 

scene to offset the attrition. The keys to future retailing lie in developing 

music education programs in the schools and the community. Manufacturers 

and retailers alike are going to have to learn to partner with music 

programs if we are to expand our industry.” —Cliff Castle, Audix 

“I think the number of independent dealers may rise in the near future 

due to a new breed of younger guys opening their own shops and 

making a go at it. It’s a pretty exciting time even though the economy 

has been rough. As some dealers fail, they will open a market space for 

a new entrepreneur.” —Jody Dankberg, U.S. Music Corp. 

“Initially, I believe that the current number of independent music 

dealers will fall in the short term, as down economies tend to ‘weed out’ 

weak businesses that are oftentimes out of touch with their customer 

bases. However, over time, as the economy stabilizes and begins to 

grow, so too will our industry. The dealers who will weather the storm 

are the ones who provide exceptional customer service and those who 

have built a solid relationship with—and perhaps more importantly, an 

understanding of—their customers. Dealers who are out of touch with 

their customers will have a much steeper hill to climb. However, once 

Wall Street stabilizes, there’s no doubt in my mind MI will once again 

continue on as a solid growth industry.” —Andy Rossi, Fender 

“Interesting question. I do not think we will see any dramatic change 

regarding the number of independent stores in the short term. During 

the last 10 years that segment of the industry was challenged by the 

consolidation led by the MI power houses. Now with the slowdown 

caused by the economic climate, there seems to be a slight void in 

certain markets that a large box house is attempting to fill. Trying 

times have a way of thinning the herd and the independent dealers that 

dug in and put a stake in the ground will continue to do better than just 

survive. As far as new store fronts and entrepreneurs capitalizing on 

the moment, I believe that will not likely happen in the near future.” 

—Buzz Goodwin, FDW Corp. 

“Indie dealers will fall, but new ones will take their place. That’s what 

evolution is all about, and the market is not immune to change. The 

whole retail market was up in the air with eBay, online, and global competition 

before all of this started. The pieces still haven’t fallen back 

to Earth yet. The dealers who focus on providing high-quality service, 

and great goods at a fair price will always have opportunities. People 

with entrepreneurial spirit will be able to do even better.” 

——Nial McGaughey, Solid Cables 

“The number of MI chain stores in the U.S. is still on the rise and 

this requires independent retailers to maintain their unique value 

proposition in order to stay competitive. At the end of the day, dealers 

with a unique edge, superb customer service, and a thorough 

understanding of and passion for our industry will prevail, and this will 

assure that they remain an important aspect of manufacturers’ distribution 

networks.” 

—Daniel Haver, Native Instruments 

“Dealers who buy into the fear and media doom and gloom will fall; 

those who do not fall victim to the fear will rise to the top. If you stay 

competitive, customers will come and MXL has a big focus on helping 

the independents stay competitive.” —Jim Mona, MXL Microphones 

36 June 2009

Namm 

(continued from COVER) 

is definitely out the window,” 

said NAMM president and CEO 

Joe Lamond. “Because of that, 

it’s more important than ever 

for NAMM members to gather, 

see new products, and learn 

As for the education aspect, 

NAMM University sessions never 

disappoint. Here’s a look at this 

year’s schedule. “NAMM U is 

offering sessions throughout 

each day that deliver ideas for 

to participate in the show including 

The Club and tabletop booths. 

In the end, we want the manufacturers 

to do what is in their best 

business interest.” 

Last year’s Nashville show earned 

several rave reviews. Will The Music 

City become Summer NAMM’s 

permanent home? “NAMM will 

always try to listen and do what’s in 

the best interest of our members,” 

said Lamond. “And we heard that 

message loud and clear last year that 

Nashville should be the home 

of Summer NAMM.” 

Lack of space has often been 

mentioned as the biggest con of 

the Nashville Convention Center. 

That may remain the case in the 

near future. However, according to 

Johnstone, a new convention center 

has an excellent chance of opening 

in 2013. Check the Latest Buzz section 

for more on that topic. 

new things that will ensure their 

success in the third and fourth 

quarters. For exhibitors, we’ve 

lowered floor space costs and 

continued to provide new options 

for participation including The 

Club and tabletop booths. For 

our buyers, we’ve lined up over 

30 NAMM U sessions that will 

directly benefit their business immediately.” 

The theme of this year’s show 

is “Opportunity Rocks.” “That’s 

what this event is all about—opportunity,” 

said Scott Robertson, 

NAMM’s director of marketing 

and communications. “It’s hard 

to control what the economy is 

doing, but in every economic 

downturn there are companies 

who emerge stronger and ready 

to capitalize on the inevitable upswing. 

And the best way to be one 

of those companies is not to hide 

away, but to get out of your four 

walls and invest in your success. 

We’ll also be continuing our celebration 

of the importance of local 

community music stores throughout 

the show. We’ll be kicking 

things off right with our annual 

Pre-Show Party featuring Weekend 

Warrior bands from NAMM 

member companies and enjoying 

all of the great live music that 

Nashville has to offer. Take a walk 

through the city and stop in any of 

the clubs to hear some great live 

music. There’s the Country Music 

Hall of Fame and Musician’s Hall 

of Fame and you can’t miss the 

historic Ryman Auditorium, the 

original home of the Grand Ole 

Opry. For a complete listing of 

Nashville attractions, please visit 

www.visitmusiccity.com.” 

both coping and growing in this 

unprecedented economy,” said 

Robertson. “Unlike business 

books, articles, and other printed 

materials that don’t address the 

current climate, these solutions 

are presented in real time and 

relate to members’ needs, with 

sessions about timely topics 

including how to generate more 

‘recession-proof’ income through 

lessons, how to get more customers 

coming through the door 

and also how to keep your staff 

motivated during difficult times.” 

Some have heard rumors 

about which manufacturers will 

be exhibiting at Summer NAMM 

and which might not be. NAMM, 

knowing times are tough, has 

made strides to make it even 

easier for manufacturers to be 

in Nashville this year. One such 

effort is NAMM has trimmed exhibitor 

space costs by 20 percent 

this year. Said Kevin Johnstone, 

NAMM’s director of trade shows: 

“NAMM’s goal in producing 

this show is to provide a good 

venue for the NAMM members 

who want and need it, so as long 

as we do that, we’ll consider it 

successful. With so many local 

community music stores coming 

to Nashville for this event, we’re 

concerned that large manufacturers 

may miss out on those sales 

or inadvertently send a message 

that they don’t care about those 

dealers. Especially since we’ve 

worked to reduce our operational 

expenses and pass that savings 

onto our exhibitors in terms of 

lower floor space costs. Also, 

we are again offering extremely 

low-cost ways for manufacturers 

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5/21/09 10:54:11 AM 


FORMIDABLE FEMALES 

Melanie Ripley 

Associate Director, 

Member Services, NAMM 

By Michelle Loeb 

If you’ve called NAMM in the 

past 12 years, there’s a good 

chance you’ve spoken to Melanie 

Ripley. As associate director 

of NAMM’s Member Services, 

and a founder of the organization’s 

Contact Center, Ripley has 

built relationships with people in 

all parts of the industry and put 

down roots that today would be 

impossible to unearth. 

“I’m fascinated by this industry,” 

she said. “It goes really 

beyond the professional part of 

dealing with the programs. You 

really become invested in the 

people who make up the industry 

themselves. That would be 

tough to leave. 

“I’m a lifer now,” Ripley 

continued with a laugh, “I never 

would’ve thought it.” 

When Ripley first came to 

NAMM, she interviewed with 

Janet Godin of Godin Guitars, 

and Judy Dodds. “The really 

nice part was that they were 

both value-based professional 

females. That was kind of nice.” 

Ripley herself had come from 

the world of entertainment public 

relations, where she worked 

with the NBA Players Association 

and BMG Music, and even 

handled the fan mail for Star 

Trek. And while she enjoyed 

it, she was hoping for a more 

altruistic purpose. 

“I wanted to feel like I was 

making some sort of difference, 

and that led me to an open 

position here at NAMM in the 

membership department,” she recalled. 

“NAMM was really small 

back then. We were in our small, 

small building down the street. 

We had about 20 employees and 

5,600 members. Gosh, we’ve 

tripled that today.” 

Ripley certainly achieved that 

higher purpose with the Contact 

Center, which she helped to form 

four years ago. “We wanted to 

make sure [members] had one 

point of contact and one call resolution, 

and that we had consistent 

messaging,” Ripley said about the 

origins of the Center, which later 

begat the NAMM Idea Center. 

“We tried to take the Contact 

Center principles we were using 

in the office and extend them out 

to the show. That allowed us to 

have people look at the association 

as everything we do and not 

just the trade show and the show 

floor. Hopefully, we’re able to 

raise their value of the services 

we offer.” 

A Fresh Perspective 

Targeting communications 

isn’t easy to do at an organization 

like NAMM. With approximately 

9,000 members, each day is sure 

to bring something different. 

Having grown up in places like 

Africa and India, Ripley has a lot 

of experience to draw on when it 

comes to understanding different 

walks of life. 

“My dad always had businesspeople 

over for dinner and they 

were from all over the world,” 

said Ripley, who enjoys bringing 

that international perspective 

to her job today. “To be able to 

come into work every day and 

talk to 10 different countries in 

one day and be able to communicate 

with them is just wonderful. 

I probably love that part of my 

job the most,” she continued. 

“You get to hear all their different 

experiences and how music 

is touching each of their lives.” 

Learning to listen is a perk 

that’s come with the job, according 

to Ripley. In fact, one of the 

biggest lessons she’s learned 

over the years is that sometimes 

it’s best to not say anything at all. 

“A lot of times I find with our 

members that they don’t want 

action from us. They really just 

want to be heard. So what I 

really try to do is just listen to 

them, analyze each contact with 

them…It’s amazing how much 

you can diffuse a frustrated 

caller by just staying quiet until 

they get everything off their 

chest,” said Ripley 

“I’ve learned to not always feel 

like I have to offer solutions,” 

she continued. “Early on in my 

career I probably would’ve had 

my sheet in front of me and 

said, ‘Oh you’re having a hard 

time bringing customers in the 

door. Let me send you a sheet of 

paper. You go ahead and figure 

out what you need.’ After all the 

years I think I’ve learned to…not 

just blankly send them a sheet 

of paper with every program we 

have but work with them a little 

bit more and tailor the program.” 

It also helps that Ripley is 

connected to the music industry 

in her personal life. “My parents, 

they just made everyone in my 

family—my sisters and brothers—pick 

an instrument to play,” 

said Ripley, who began playing 

the piano at age 6 and today 

plays music with her two sons. 

“I think I spent the first years 

crying and complaining about 

it, as my kids do with me now. 

[Laughs] It’s funny because now 

I really rely on it a lot, especially 

on the weekends or at nighttime 

when I just need to relax. I’ll go 

to my piano, play for an hour 

or so, and be back in that great 

frame of mind.” 

That shared passion is something 

that helps Ripley relate to 

her members, and also helps add 

a real-world perspective to her job. 

“I feel really proud when I’m 

out there, outside of work, and I 

see music messaging and I know 

we had a play in that as an industry. 

That’s pretty satisfying,” she 

said. “Or when I go to my son’s 

band recitals and they’re handing 

out NAMM brochures, just 

by chance, and it talks about the 

value of playing musical instruments. 

That’s really rewarding.” 

Looking toward the future, 

Ripley hopes to affect the lives 

of NAMM members around the 

world just as profoundly as they 

have hers. “I’ve been here so 

long and talked to thousands of 

members. I hope I’ve made an 

impact on some of them. The 

good stories, the bad stories, 

the challenging members… 

They all make an impact on me, 

honestly.” 

38 June 2009

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• Jensen P12Q Alnico Magnet Speaker • Illinois Metalized Polypropylene Capacitors 

• Switchcraft Jacks & JJ Supply Caps • Hand Selected Electro Harmonix 12AX7 Preamp Tubes 

• JJ EL84 Output Tubes • Vintage Amplitude Bias Tremolo Circuit • Accutronics Long Spring Reverb Tank 

• Custom Vintage Grill Cloth (Sourced from the Original Supplier) 

• Solid Plywood Cabinet & Steel Box Chassis 

• Hand Made in Canada 

Visit www.traynoramps.com for more information on the YGM-3 or any Traynor product. 

Distributed in north america by Yorkville Sound

The Big Bash in nash - Music & Sound Retailer

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