Mi Pro July 2009 - Issue 110

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT PROFESSIONAL FOR EVERYONE IN THE MI BUSINESS

LIMS CASIO FENDER STRINGS & THINGS MI DIRECT AUDIO TECHNICA

No. 110 • JULY 2009 • WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK PRINT • ONLINE • MOBILE

A GOOD

VintageHow JHS copes with anever-changing market– and stays on top

1 MIP 110 Cover_FINAL 25/6/09 10:03

Portable, pure valve, studio quality tone is what the brand newHazeSeries is all about. Loadedwith natural valve tone, integrated effects and intuitive footswitchingtechnology, theUKdeveloped and engineeredHazeSeries takes your studio sound out on the road. Comprising the two channel Haze40 andHaze15, the series offersa rugged, gig-ready 40Watt combo and a peerless 15Watt head respectively. CombinedwithMHZ112AandMHZ112B speaker cabs, theHaze15 becomes theepitome of guitar amplification – a valve-drivenMarshall stack, but one that fits easily into either the lounge or boot of the car.

To find outmore about theHaze Series contact:Marshall Amplification plc DenbighRoad, Bletchley,Milton KeynesMK1 1DQor visit the official Marshall website: www.marshallamps.com

ClassicTone,Contemporary Control

- Doug Aldrich Whitesnake

“The Haze has a killer lowend bark.That’s some tone! ”

MI Pro ad:Layout 1 15/5/09 11:19 Page 1

John Hornby Skewes & Company is forging something of a path these

days: growing internationally with its own brands, while maintaining a

general MI distribution operation. Dennis Drumm explains how

MI Pro’s unique collection of news and interviews concerning the

business and work being done on MI’s front line

NEWS 6LIMS achieves goalsCarvill joins CasioV-Expo commended

DISTRIBUTION 10JHS takes on ItaliaActive wins Steph

DRUM NEWS 12Music Shipping and Big DogLudwig at 100

LIMS 09 14Industry reaction to the second London show

CPC 34Sound & FX open day in Preston

FENDER 36If I had a Hamer

GODLYKE 38He’s got the power

STRINGS & THINGS 41How to keep it real after over 30 years

AUDIO TECHNICA 42The art of customer service

LANEY 44The truth about preamp overdrive

MAKING THE MOST 18

RETAIL

SIGN UP FOR THE MI PRO NEWSFLASH SERVICE AT WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO JULY 2009 3

47 50

14

41

COVER STORY

ISSUE 110 JULY 2009

51

36

PRODUCTSBACKLINE 54

ACCESSORIES 55

BASS & GUITAR 57

TRADITIONAL 59

PRINT 60

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT • ACOUSTICS 27If you’re selling acoustic guitars over £500 (or if you want to) you’re

going to want to have a look at this

NEWS 47JHS Event, credit card regulations

INDIE PROFILE 50Mark 1 Music in Kent tells us how they do it

FRONT LINE 49If you can’t stand the heat

LOCATION REPORT 51What’s new in the sunny metropolis ofof... Swindon

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT • GIGBAGS 22Since Ritter burst on to the scene, the humble gigbag has gone

through a revolution, making it one of the most competitive markets

3 mip110_FINAL 25/6/09 10:15 Page 1

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United rules

An interesting mix this month, with more focus onindividual companies than we’ve had for someyears. This is because (one could easily assume) MI

is refusing to hang its head in front of the economicsqueeze and manufacturers and suppliers continue tooffer new products, services and angles aimed atnavigating the most painless path through the troubles.

Fender (page 36) is reminding us that Hamer is aquality brand of guitars offering something a littledifferent, Strings & Things (page 41) is bigging up MusicMan’s efforts to bring its fine guitars and basses to awider audience (through the new brand, Sterling) andLaney (page 44) has an interesting take on where ampdesign has gone wrong over the past 15 or so years – andhow, of course, it has got it right.

Further to that, Audio Technica took the brave step ofasking people (anonymously) what they thought of thevarious microphone brands available and howmanufacturers and retailers backed up sales (page 42).Many of the statistics that resulted pointed towards ATdoing things pretty well, but the company not onlypinpointed weaknesses and addressed them, it alsodiscovered its strengths – and improved them, too.

One really has to doff one’s cap to such strength ofcharacter. The truth can often hurt as much as a maliciousuntruth, but an understanding of what one’s company ismeans that these two can be separated and the realissues dealt with.

On page 34, a new name to the MI market (althoughnot a new company at all), CPC, has announced it will betaking the in-house trade show route to introducing itselfto the market later this year and, at the other end of thescale, JHS is completing its 13th Event as MI Pro goes topress (page 47).

The UK’s industry, then, is still looking pretty healthy –or is at least putting a very brave face on it and this wasperhaps well illustrated by the second LIMS show (page14). Having only six months to prepare a national industryshowcase is by no means enough, but the organiserdefinitely pulled through against the odds. Next time,with a full year to get the show on the road, perhaps allof the individual companies in the country will be able tosee the benefits of a united front and contribute to a trulyrepresentative show. It will, however, mean that a numberof home truths will have to be heard and dealt with.

Andy Barrett

[email protected]

MI is refusing to hangits head in front of

the economicsqueeze.


EDITORIAL

MANAGING EDITOR

ANDY BARRETT

[email protected]

EDITOR AT LARGE

GARY COOPER

[email protected]

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

ROB POWER

[email protected]

DEPUTY EDITOR

ROB HUGHES

[email protected]

ADVERTISING MANAGER

DARRELL CARTER

[email protected]

PRODUCTION MANAGER

HELEN FRENCH

[email protected]

PRODUCTION EXECUTIVE

ROSIE MCKEOWN

[email protected]

DESIGNER

CLAIRE BROCKLESBY

[email protected]

CIRCULATION

PAUL LITTLE

[email protected]

CONSULTANT

GRAHAM BUTTERWORTH

[email protected]

PUBLISHER

DAVE ROBERTS

[email protected]

MANAGING DIRECTOR

STUART DINSEY

[email protected]

MI PRO CONTACTS

LATEST NEWS STRAIGHT TO YOUR MOBILEBookmark us in your phone:

MOBILE.MI-PRO.CO.UK

5 mip110_FINAL 25/6/09 10:13 Page 1

Carvill to head up Casio MIIN WHAT was the biggest news

story to break at the recent

London International Music

Show, Casio announced that its

MI division is now headed by

Andy Carvill, the long-term

Yamaha EKB manager.

The news was announced on

the opening day of LIMS and

makes up the major element in a

whole raft of personnel changes

at the electronics giant here in

the UK.

The former head of MI, Reece

Cummings, has moved to the

newly created position of

strategic sales manager across all

four of Casio’s consumer

divisions in the country

(including MI), while Lakshna

Rathod takes the position of

marketing communications

assistant and Lucy Phillips

becomes Casio MI’s national

accounts manager.

“After 22 years with Yamaha it

was time for something new,

time for a real challenge,” Carvill

told MI Pro in a brief

conversation at the show.

With Casio and Yamaha in

direct competition in the

electronic keyboards and entry

level digital pianos, the move is

something of a coup for Casio as

the division plans to move more

strongly into a broader

distribution of its instruments

across Britain.

The move is also significant as

Casio is looking to introduce

what it describes as ‘stunning’

new instruments later this year.

On top of that, the LIMS

event saw Casio introduce two

new keyboards, the CTK 2100

and the LK 230.

CASIO: 020 8208 7829

NEWS

Former EKB number two leaves Yamaha after 22 years, prompting personnel changes in Casio’s instrument division

RATED IN a recent anonymous

survey (conducted by Music

Tech magazine) as having the

best website of any microphone

manufacturer, Audio Technica is

moving to consolidate its

position with the launch of an

improved website.

Before the site went live, the

company invited MI dealers

throughout the UK to preview

the English version of the new

site (French, German and

Spanish will come online later

in the year) and report their

comments and user experience.

Highlights of Audio Technica’s

improved on-line presence

include features aimed at

making the website a vital

resource for both dealers and

end users. A searchable,

location-linked dealer and

distributor database, exhaustive

technical information, MP3

audio clips of microphones in

use and personalisation of the

site courtesy of the ‘My Audio

Technica’ section

are all benefits of the site.

In addition, new design and

navigation combine to make

the interactive experience more

rewarding, faster and more

efficient for visitors.

Audio Technica’s senior

marketing manager Harvey

Roberts said: “Rather than rest

on our laurels, we are

determined to continually

better our internet presence. It

is of vital importance that the

new site acts as more than just

window-dressing and functions

as a powerful tool for both

dealers and end users alike,

aiding sales and giving them an

in-depth knowledge base for all

Audio Technica products.”

AUDIO TECHNICA:

0113 277 1441

Audio Technica upgrades

website after surveyOnline beta testing carried out with help from MI retailers as

microphone giant refuses to rest on laurels

Schreiber & Keilwerth

appoints Markus SailerCurrent freelancer to replace Andreas Gafke

as sales and marketing director

WOODWIND AND Saxophone

manufacturer Schreiber &

Keilwerth has announced that

Markus Sailer has taken up the

position of sales and marketing

director at the company,

replacing Andreas Gafke.

Sailer is already closely

connected with Schreiber &

Keilwerth, having been

involved in a number of

different projects with the

company during his studies in

business administration.

Following his graduation in

2005, he began working for the

company as a freelance

consultant. He has also given

advice to several institutions

within the music industry,

adding to his experience and

appeal to the manufacturer.

A company spokesperson

commented: “We are pleased

that Mr Sailer will take over

the sales and marketing

activities of Schreiber &

Keilwerth and wish him all the

very best in his new position.

Andreas Gafke will leave our

company at the end of August.

We would like to thank

Andreas Gafke for his

contribution and wish him all

the very best for the future,

both personally and

professionally.”

Schreiber & Keilwerth

woodwind and saxophones

are distributed in the UK

through Rosetti.

ROSETTI: 01376 550033

“After 22 years with Yamaha, it was time

for something new, time for a real

challenge.”

Andy Carvill, Casio

Markus Sailer

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6,7 mip110_FINAL 25/6/09 10:19 Page 1

NEWS

SKYTRONIC, the owner of

brands such as Citronic, Adastra

and QTX Audio, has undergone a

corporate name change and is

now trading under the name of

the AVSL Group.

The change is a UK only

strategy and will not affect

either Skytronic BV in the

Netherlands, nor the contact

details, save the website address.

Skytronic began trading in

January 1999 and since that

date has grown to become a

significant player in the UK

consumer electronics and DJ

markets, through both organic

means and acquisition.

In an official statement, the

company stated: “This re-brand

of our company name is simply

a continuation of our ongoing

strategy to further develop and

grow our business.

“Apart from the name change,

all other functions and processes

will be the same. There will be

changes to the way we answer

the telephone and also our email

and web addresses will be

changed to reflect the new

company name.”

The changes will all be printed

on any new invoices, delivery

notes and promotional literature

that customers receive. The old

web addresses and email

addresses will continue to work

for the foreseeable future.

AVSL GROUP: 0845 270 2411

London show does the jobVaried reaction to second LIMS, but mitigating circumstances tip the balance to ensure a thumbs up for 2010

BROADLY SPEAKING, the London

International Music Show

received a thumbs up from the

industry, as numbers of trade,

education and public visitors

held from last year’s show,

despite the obstacles of a tube

strike on the trade day (June

11th) and the more general

problems the show had following

the inaugural event, which

meant that the MIA had just six

months to prepare.

Over 21,000 people attended

the show, which comprised 1,550

trade, 5,550 on the education

day and 14,100 paying public.

The education and public days

were seen by most as being

pretty successful, with numbers

good and educational events

well attended.

Divisions in opinion appeared,

however, when considering the

trade element, with comments

ranging from ‘disappointed’ to

‘overwhelmingly positive’.

It would appear that the

suppliers that had made the

extra effort to ensure their

dealers attended the show had

the better of the experience. “We

took over 100 people from 44

dealers ourselves and we were

still surprised at how many other

dealers turned up – particularly

on the Thursday,” said Clive

Roberts, MD of Peavey Europe –

one of the companies that has

got right behind the show since

its inception last year. Roberts

went on to point out where he

saw room for improvement.

“There were only two weak

areas, in my opinion. We could

do with a bigger retail

attendance and more support

from our friends in the drum

business. But that's about it. It’s

by far the best show we’ve had

in the UK and I’m sure we will

see an ever bigger and better

LIMS in 2010.”

Korg’s Rob Castle reflected

Roberts’ view. “LIMS was a

fantastic achievement. We at

Korg were pleased with the show

and had a good level of trade

and consumer visitors. The

retailing section was an

experiment that worked and

can be improved in future. It

allowed consumers to buy at the

event without it looking like a

car boot sale.”

Praise was high from everyone

regarding the efforts made by

the Music for Youth charity on

the Friday, including the ‘Big Gig’

event that saw hundreds of

school children playing a

specially prepared piece in the

Live Hall.

The initial LIMS show report

appears on pages 14 to 16 of

this issue.

Digital Britain: Ofcom

publishes final report

THE GOVERNMENT has

published its final Digital

Britain report, in which the

future of the 800MHz

spectrum is laid out. Part of

this frequency band is channel

69, used by Programme Making

and Special Events (PMSE) and

on which current wireless radio

technology operates.

The previous Digital Britain

Report proposed a Spectrum

Modernisation Programme,

which included the release and

auctioning of the 800Mhz

band. The Government

appointed an independent

spectrum broker to facilitate a

solution. His report was

published in May. The

Government now accepts his

report, namely the clearance of

the 800MHz spectrum band.

The final report noted:

“There is a role for

Government intervention in

releasing new radio spectrum

for a rapid roll out of mobile

'Long Term Evolution' networks,

ensuring the balance of radio

spectrum holdings optimises

competition and extracts the

best infrastructure for the

country in terms of coverage.”

The Government insists that

the 800MHz auction should

take place at the earliest

possible date – believed to be

mid 2010 – and that this is

crucial

for the continued development

of mobile technology.

The report also reveals that

the Government intends to

support Ofcom in taking all

practical measures to expedite

the clearance of 800MHz. It

believes that the extra costs

incurred in accelerating the

clearance of channels 61 and

62 of television usage and

channel 69 of PMSE usage

would serve to increase the

value of the spectrum at

auction.

Electronics, DJ, audio and lighting company

consolidates image with new name

Skytronic re-brands

The change is a UK-only strategy and will

not affect Skytronic BV in Holland.

Plan to clear channel 69 backed with pledge to cover all costs


6,7 mip110_FINAL 25/6/09 10:19 Page 2

YAMAHA MUSIC UK’s EKB

division has appointed two new

sales managers, responsible for

the south of England and for

Scotland and Ireland.

Terry Murphy, a former Piano

Warehouse retail manager,

assumes responsibility for EKB

business in the south of England,

a position vacated by Malcolm

Hardie, who was recently

promoted to sales manager

replacing Richard Ashby, who is

now heading up sales

management of the hi-fi and AV

product portfolio.

The former Danfay sales

representative, John Dawson, is

now the regional sales manager

for Scotland and Ireland. The

announcement was made at the

EKB conferences held recently in

Dublin and Limerick, during

which Yamaha’s largest division

laid out its plans for future

market development and

dealership partnerships.

“We have recently completed

our 2009 conferences in Ireland,

which proved very popular and

have learnt that there is great

potential for developing and

expanding the market for music

makers,” commented EKB’s sales

manager, Malcolm Hardie.

“John will ensure that dealers

receive a high level of personal

business service and will be key

in devising long term joint

promotional opportunities, while

ensuring our levels of service are

increased following the transition

from Danfay.”

YAMAHA: 01908 366700

NEWS

YAMAHA'S VIRTUAL exhibition

event, V-Expo, received official

recognition from the Marketing

Society as it was awarded a

high commendation after being

nominated for the best online

marketing campaign, on June

8th at Mayfair's Park Lane

Hilton in London.

This was the 50th

anniversary of the prestigious

awards evening and attracted a

capacity audience where

Yamaha found itself rubbing

shoulders with some of the

UK's biggest spending brands

including Sony, The 02,

Procter & Gamble, Sainsburys,

UPS and Reuters.

Nominations were judged

across a wide range of factors

and, as the chair of the judges,

Dianne Thompson (chief

executive of Camelot) stated:

"The winners of the awards will

know that their work has been

evaluated by the sharpest

minds in the business."

Yamaha Music UK had

previously been selected as a

finalist and on the night, eight

companies were competing for

the top award. In the end, UPS

won first prize with Yamaha

named a runner-up with a high

commendation from the panel

of judges who were extremely

impressed with both the

concept and execution of the

V-Expo event.

The judges also specifically

acknowledged the significant

success of the online event

despite running it on a

marketing budget of a fraction

of other nominees.

V-Expo debuted in

September 2008 and was

widely seen as an instant

success. The interactive three-

day 'virtual' dealer exhibition

featured online product sales

and artist demos, all supported

and showcased through a

dedicated website

“I'm delighted that the panel

of judges recognised the

success of the event,”

commented Ricci Hodgson,

director of Yamaha UK’s pro

music division and creator of

the V-Expo concept.

“12 months ago we made

the difficult decision to

abandon the traditional Expo,

risking millions of pounds

worth of business. Thanks to

Julian Ward's web skills and the

collective marketing and sales

prowess of Yamaha UK, we

achieved increased sales while

reducing costs to a tenth of

previous years.”

This year's V-Expo event will

run from September 9th

through to the 11th at

vexpo.co.uk There will be a

preview on the September 8th.

YAMAHA: 01908 366700

Yamaha's virtual show wins acclaim from Marketing Society’s golden

jubilee event as 2009’s event plans get under way ABRSM’S RESPECTED teaching

certificate has two forthcoming

‘taster’ courses, one each for

Manchester and London, which

will take place in July and

September respectively.

ABRSM motivates musical

achievement through the

globally authoritative assessment

of students and the professional

development of instrumental and

vocal teachers. Its range of

courses and online learning

opportunities for teachers

enhances its reputation as the

world’s leading authority on

musical assessment.

The Certificate of Teaching (CT

ABRSM) course is the most

prestigious of ABRSM’s courses,

and taster sessions for teachers

interested in enrolling on the

2009–10 course will take place

on Saturday July 11th at the

Royal Northern College of Music

in Manchester and Saturday

September 12th at the ABRSM

head office in London.

The CT ABRSM taster sessions

provide an opportunity to gain

insight into the structure,

contents and benefits to be

gained from the course.

Participants have the chance to

meet and discuss their

professional development with

an ABRSM course leader and to

take part in an actual CT ABRSM

session. There is a nominal

charge of £10 to attend a taster

session.

ABRSM: 020 7636 5400

ABRSM teaching

course tasters


John Dawson (left) and Terry Murphy

Most prestigious music teaching courses

announced for London and Manchester

“There is great potential for developing

and expanding the market.”

Malcolm Hardie, EKB

Yamaha’s keyboard division appoints two new salesmen to key regions in England, Scotland and Ireland

New appointments for Yamaha EKB

“The winners of the awards will know

that their work has been evaluated by

the sharpest minds in the business.”

Dianne Thompson

CEO, Camelot

V-Expo commended

and dates announced

8 mip110_FINAL 25/6/09 10:18 Page 1

full page 22/6/09 11:44 Page 1

ACTIVE MUSIC has announced

that it has been appointed the

exclusive UK distributor for

Steph Accessories, including

Stephi guitar straps.

Made in Canada, Steph

products offer leather guitar

strap products in unique and

interesting designs, along with

its own retail POS options,

making it easier for the retailer

to sell.

All Steph products will be

shipped with these display

systems, as well as bar coding,

and will be pre-priced for UK

recommended prices. With

what Active describes as ‘a

good discount structure’, the

whole package allows the

retailer to make strong

margins, with simple process,

on a traditionally high turnover

accessory product.

“We are very excited about

this new relationship,”

commented Lee Worsley of

Active. “Steph products fit

perfectly with our portfolio of

quality products that offer

good margin opportunity with

full retail support”.

The full range of Steph

products was launched at LIMS

09 and initial reports from

Active indicate that the take-

up has been encouraging.

Steph Accessories

(previously known as Stephi

Straps) has been a crafter of

leather accessories since 1984

and products are entirely

crafted in Canada.

ACTIVE: 020 8693 5678

JHS HAS added Trev Wilkinson’s

Italia line of guitars to its

catalogue. The range was

launched by JHS at its annual

Event in Garforth, Leeds.

Conceived and designed by

the man behind the launch and

development of Fret-King and

the JHS Vintage, Vintage Icon,

Vintage Advance and Encore line-

up, Italia instruments take

inspiration from the individual

guitar designs of the ‘50s and

‘60s and are priced competitively.

“It’s been such a blast to work

with Trev on Fret-King, Vintage

and Encore that we were

delighted to be able to add

another of his truly masterful

concepts to our range,” enthused

JHS MD Dennis Drumm. “Italia is

a brand with such style, flair,

verve and panache, with guitars

and basses which are so cool, so

desirable and just so good to

play, it’s going to be as much of

a pleasure to sell them as it is for

guitarists to own and play them.”

Italia instruments have already

won fans of the calibre of Chris

Rea, who recently purchased an

Italia Maranello guitar during a

shop visit on London's Denmark

Street. Rea commented: “I found

this blue sparkly guitar and that

was it for me. I thought it was an

old guitar; I didn't know it was

new. In terms of me playing and

listening to it, it sounded almost

identical to Pinky [Rea's Fender

Stratocaster], but with no buzz,

not a sausage.

“Italia guitars haven't always

had the heavy duty push behind

them in the past that you need

to really make an impact on the

market these days,” added

designer Trev Wilkinson. “They

offer something different to the

standard fare while still being

well-made, extremely playable

instruments in their own right. I

think they'll get the attention

they deserve with the JHS team

behind them.”

JHS: 0113 286 5381

DISTRIBUTION • NEWS

Active Music

signs Steph

SOUND TECHNOLOGY has

acquired the distribution rights

to JoeCo’s 24-channel Blackbox

Recorder in the UK.

The Blackbox is a multi-track

recorder aimed at the live music

market. It has the ability to

record up to 24 channels of hi-

res audio directly to a USB2

drive. It can be plugged into the

insert points on any console

and provide Virtual Sound

Checking capabilities.

Blackbox records to standard

external USB2 disks formatted

with FAT32 in Broadcast WAV file

format (BWAV), thus allowing

any material to be used in a

studio Digital Audio Workstation

without the need for file

conversions or transfers.

Blackbox was designed and

developed Sadie founder Joe Bull,

who left the company last year

to start JoeCo.

Bull commented: “It’s great

that we’ve been able to team up

with such a professional

distributor as Sound Technology.

I’m confident that we and our

customers are in good hands.”

“With the strength of our

existing portfolio of brands in all

areas of live performance, we

feel Sound Technology is

uniquely positioned to rapidly

establish the Blackbox Recorder

in these markets,” concluded

Sound Technology’s managing

director, David Marshall.

Sound Tech is the UK supplier

of Harman Pro audio products.

SOUND TECHNOLOGY:

01462 480000

UK guitar specialist supplier wins re-launched US classic

ARIA UK has secured an

exclusive distribution agreement

for Larson acoustic guitars for

the British Isles.

Larson was established in the

1890s by the brothers Carl and

August Larson, who spent the

next 50 years establishing a

wide variety of different styles

of guitars and fretted

instruments under a number of

trade names, such as Maurer,

Prairie State, Dyer and Stahl.

The brothers invented some

unique features, including

laminated bracing – a system of

building tops and backs under

tension – and a number of other

innovations set them apart from

other builders.

The Larson brand was unique

among pre-World War II guitar

manufacturers as it represented

the only non-industrially

produced range of flat-top,

steel-string instruments that are

still widely recognised as being

of high-quality and high value.

In 2006, a strategic alliance

between European luthier,

Roman Zajicek of Rozawood

guitars and Imusicnetworks’s

Toni Götz, re-launced the Larson

brand, utilising the Larson

brothers’ innovations and design

concepts – crucial to capturing

the unique tone of the old

Larson instruments.

ARIA: 01483 238720

Aria for Larson Guitars

Glitz and glamour: the Italia range has proved popular before

Harman distributor to represent the innovative recorder in the UK as JoeCo prepares for wider reach

Sound Technology takes on JoeCo’s box

Trevor Wilkinson’s modern retro line showcased at JHS Event before return to market

JHS gets Italia by defaultCanadian accessories

company now

available in UK


10 mipro110_FINAL 25/6/09 10:21 Page 1

Year Established: 1986

Number of employees: Six

Is business up or down compared

to last year?

There are signs that dealers have

reached the point in destocking when

they need to buy, which is definitely

translating into higher sales. Also, the

recent LIMS show was a huge success

for our Bentley digital pianos and

drums, which is very positive.

Which are your best selling lines?

Pianos by C Bechstein, Petrof,

Bentley and Pearl River, guitars by

Samick, Pearl River and Shine,

Bentley digital pianos and drums,

Knight stringed instruments and

Bentley brass and woodwind.

Apart from your products, what

are your strengths as a

distributor?

First off, we have probably the

lowest overhead costs as a

percentage of turnover for the

industry. We also have four family

members that can make instant

decisions, which is crucial in any

business environment. Additionally,

Richard Webb and David Rushworth

have years of retail experience and

are sympathetic to the difficulties

their dealers face, so we like to

ensure that dealers make the

highest margins from Intermusic

instruments. We have extremely

quick delivery due to high stock

investment, and finally our low

overhead allows us to supply

containers of own brand products

with proven reliability at lower

prices than dealers can buy direct.

Do you think it’s been a tough

year for retailers?

Yes, but there are signs of recovery.

Company results show the recession

started three years ago in the music

industry and the number of failures

has now receded.

Is the internet the biggest

challenge facing the industry?

Yes. The internet has enabled traders

to dictate margins to the whole

industry, forcing the closure of good

High Street businesses.

Encouragement has been given by

suppliers seeking to reach sales

targets set in Japan and the USA.

Distributors and retailers have to

adapt to the new order or face

closure. Intermusic has been the

most active supplier in helping

dealers to stay in business.

In a perfect world, what product

lines would you add to your

portfolio?

We have been appointed distributors

for the new European W Hoffmann

piano factory. This fills the gap left

for medium priced European pianos

due to recent factory closures. It

complements our current range and

enables us to be competitive in all

price ranges.

What are your aims for the next

12 months?

Firstly, to pick up market share left

by the recent closure of several

piano factories. Intermusic is the

only supplier left for medium priced

European pianos. We also aim to

continue in our domination of the

low end digital piano market, and

consolidate our position in the

digital drum business, as well as

consolidate our position in strings

instruments, brass and woodwind

and guitars.


PROFILE • DISTRIBUTION

Address: 9 Cabot Business Village, Holyrood Close, Poole BH17 7BA

Phone: 01202 696963 Fax: 01202 696964 Email: [email protected]

Contacts: Acoustic and Digital Pianos - Steve Hammett

Musical Instruments – Oliver Webb

CONTACT DETAILS

MI Pro talks to Intermusic about piano distribution, the challenges ahead and

the benefits that a family business can bring to the industry...

11 Mipro110_FINAL 24/6/09 17:38 Page 1

DRUMSENSE, THE education and

resource drum-learning

programme, has announced a

clinic given by Simon Phillips to

take place at the Brit School,

Selhurst, (near Croydon) on July

14th at 7pm. Drumsense

founder Colin Woolway will

open the show and drummers

Simon Mellish and Martin

Ranscombe will be on hand to

explain their latest DVDs on

technique and tuning.

Tickets are £12.00 and can be

obtained from drumsense.com

or by calling 020 8288 0863.

Simon Phillips is a renowned

and respected drummer, who

plays rock, fusion and jazz and

has played with a huge number

of top-flight musicians and

bands including Toto, The Who,

Jeff Beck, Mike Oldfield, 10cc

and Joe Satriani, to name a few.

Phillips has been an endorser

of Tama drums for many years.

His carefully tuned and dynamic

drum sound is highly identifiable

– he uses large drums and

incorporates octobans and a

gong drum in his kit.

Colin Woolway is founder and

director of Drumsense, probably

the world''s most widely used

drum teaching programme. The

author of two student texts, he

is a regular clinician and highly

regarded educator.

DRUMSENSE: 020 8288 0863

Renowned clinician and session drummer team up for display at Brit School courtesy of major drum education source

ROBIN DIMAGGIO has joined

the Paiste stable of endorsing

artists. The drummer has

toured and recorded with

music veterans such as Paul

Simon, David Bowie, Jackson

Browne, Diana Ross, Dr Dre,

Luther Vandross, Sean Lennon,

Johnny Cash, and Chris Isaak,

as well as with acclaimed

world musicians,

sitarist/composer Ravi Shankar

and violin maestro L Shankar.

He has also appeared on David

Letterman and performed at

the Grammys, American Music

Awards, World Music Awards in

Monte Carlo and the MTV

Awards.

His current project is

Earthsong, a CD compiled of

tracks from top artists in every

country around the world.

Spearheaded under the United

Nations and Humanitad.org,

Earthsong is part of a larger

effort to save the environment

and promote world peace.

Phillips clinic with Drumsense

DRUM NEWS

12 miPRO JULY 2009 www.mi-pro.co.uk

Ludwig celebrations continue LUDWIG HAS continued its

centenary celebrations with the

release of a DVD of the film it

premiered at the NAMM show

this year: A Century of the Most

Famous Drum Company.

In this 100-year retrospective,

the Ludwig legacy unfolds

through exclusive footage and

interviews with the artists and

craftsmen that helped create it.

Features include commentary

from noted historians, collectors

and members of the Ludwig

family and staff, as well as

performances by key players that

built the Ludwig reputation.

The announcement of the

Ludwig Centenary snares is

bound to cause interest, with a

1928 Gold Triumphal reissue, the

100th Anniversary hand-

engraved Black Beauty, a laser-

engraved Black Magic model and

two titanium Supraphonic

models, known as The Chiefs.

The manufacturer has also

made the Anniversary Edition

Stainless Steel Pro Beat kit, of

which only 100 will be made,

with the first 50 featuring a

polished chrome steel finish and

brass hardware and the second

50 with brushed stainless finish

and chrome hardware.

ACTIVE: 020 8693 5678

Top session drummer adopts classic brand

MUSIC SHIPPING (MSC) and

Bigdog Drumstuff are joining

forces, with MSC taking over

Bigdog’s UK distribution with

immediate effect, allowing the

manufacturer to concentrate

on product development and

export markets.

Bigdog’s percussion products

include Bigdog pedals, stands,

thrones and other accessories,

all of which will now be

available from MSC’s next-day

service to UK retailers.

“We are excited to be able

to offer such a high quality

range of hardware, whose

presence we believe we can

really expand in the UK

market,” said MSC’s managing

director Craig Fenney.

“The Bigdog range fits

perfectly with our other lines.”

Speaking for Bigdog, MD

Keith Mann added: “Joining

forces with Music Shipping

means that we can concentrate

on our core business –

developing quality,

competitively priced products

that drummers want to use. I’m

confident that Craig and his

team at MSC will give dealers a

first class sales service and

together we can make Bigdog

more available and keep up

with growing demand.”

MSC: 01562 827666

Percussion accessory company goes with Kidderminster supplier to

concentrate on product development and export markets

Simon Phillips showing

how it’s done

Big Dog sniffs out MSCDiMaggio endorses Paiste

THIS PAGE IS SPONSORED BY MIKEDOLBEAR.COM, THE LEADING ONLINE RESOURCE FOR EVERYTHING DRUMS.

VISIT WWW.MIKEDOLBEAR.COM FOR MORE DETAILS.

MSC’s Karen Pawley and Matt Longbottom and (far right) Craig

Fenney flank Bigdog’s Keith Mann

12 Mipro110_FINAL 25/6/09 09:34 Page 1

soar valley 17/6/09 11:47 Page 1

Alot of issues were raised at the

second London International Music

Show (LIMS) and all of them

concerned the MI trade. By and large,

everyone saw the public and education

days as well attended and valuable in

terms of brand profile, with the added

attraction of thousands of kids getting all

enthusiastic about being in a large hall full

of musical instruments. (“I wish we’d had

days out like this when I was at school,”

was how Peavey’s Clive Roberts put it.)

Gripes from the 14,000-odd public

visitors were confined to the

disappointment from the drumming

fraternity that so few drum specialists had

decided to exhibit. From the trade

perspective, this left the likes of Roland,

Yamaha, Korg, Sutherland and Active

Music to mop up where the no-shows

had spilt.

Of those that raved about the show,

Bose and Intermusic stand out, both

because of the business done on the trade

day and the fact that they sit at opposite

ends of the MI market. “In the depths of a

recession, it’s remarkable that the show

happened at all,” said Intermusic’s David

Rushworth. “For us it was a very successful

show. We are very pleased.”

Another big thumbs up came from

industry stalwart and Mariner Guitars

chief Ken Achard: “As a follow up to last

year's inaugural event at ExCeL, I thought

the exhibition was another superb effort

by the entire industry. Despite the difficult

trading conditions, manufacturers and

suppliers presented themselves

professionally with notable investments in

terrific displays. The MIA and the

organising committee should be proud of

a job well done.

“For us and our distributor, The Music

Force, the show fulfilled its purpose

absolutely. We successfully introduced

Mariner guitars to a wide audience, sold

product to retailers and were able to share

our passion with many musician

consumers. The MI industry is obviously

alive and well. Bring it on for 2010.”

But for many, the trade day didn’t quite

do it and Chris Statham of Mel Bay’s

comment was typical. “Although we were

very disappointed with the trade presence

on the Thursday and Friday, it was great to

interact with the consumers on the

Saturday and Sunday,” he said. “You get to

hear their opinions on our product and as

we only supply the trade it is always nice to

get the feedback from the end-user direct.”

Orange’s MD, Damon Waller, pretty

much concurred, while raising a few other

concerns as well. “My honest opinion is it

was better than expected, but not good

enough,” he said. “The trade day needs to

be better organised. It is very frustrating

having public wandering about when it

should only be trade.

“The retail area worked relatively well

being separated, although I agree with

them that it needs to be in a more

prominent position. Frankly, I find it a

disgrace that certain distributors were

selling directly to consumers by the end of

the show, simply because they had no

retail partner. I have said before we would

not support another car boot sale.”

Roland’s John Booth, however was

bullish. “Roland’s experience of LIMS was

overwhelmingly positive, he says. “On the

trade days, we saw all our major dealers

and quite a few medium sized ones we

didn’t expect. We didn’t see many small

ones, but that must be considered work in

progress for all of us. We did great

business on Thursday – it was way over

our target. We did some trade business on

Friday, but we’d like to see more dealers

on this second day.”

Perhaps understandably, the reactions

to the show received by the MIA were

generally full of praise, although Paul

McManus is very aware of the popular

comment that LIMS doesn’t actually seem

to know what identity to put forward.

“After years of the BMF, we knew that

there was only one way to establish any

sort of trade show in the UK and that was

by using the consumer,” he pointed out.

“Dealers didn’t come to the BMF because

a lot of big suppliers stayed away.

Suppliers stayed away because they

wanted public exposure. If there is one

thing we have to do, it is to get the

message across that LIMS is a consumer

show. The bonus is that there is a special

day – a preview day, if you like – for trade.

Of course, dealers can come on any day

SHOW REVIEW • LIMS


By and large, everyone saw the public and

education days as well attended and valuable in

terms of brand profile.

A light shines

Bose did big business on the trade day Fusion added design expertise to the mix

For the second time, the Excel centre in London’s Docklands hosted the London International Music Show, an event that delivers a

14,15,16 mip110_FINAL 24/6/09 17:12 Page 1

www.mi-pro.co.uk miPRO JULY 2009 15

LIMS • SHOW REVIEW

they want, but the first day will have a

quieter, more businesslike atmosphere.”

In order to further establish this facet

of the show, McManus will be pushing for

the abandonment of any special ‘preview’

tickets at a premium price for the public.

As for retailing from the stands,

McManus would like to hear from anyone

who thinks the £25 merchandising limit

from stands was abused. “This shouldn’t

happen. We were watching as closely as

we could and didn’t see anything

untoward. I know some exhibitors had no

representation in the retail village and this

is something we will be trying to address

to make it an even playing field, but there

cannot be retailing from the stands.”

One seemingly intractable issue that has

arisen from the two shows, however, is the

problem with the drum specialists.

Some say the problem was not the

exhibition space, but having side

attractions that would pull the public in.

Others seemed to think the combined

stand method worked well, but the

drumming public weren’t keen on sharing

their space with other musos. “This could

be a no-win situation,” admits McManus.

“What is important, though, is for

exhibitors to get in touch and explain how

they want to exhibit.”

One thing is for certain, however, and

that is that the retail village will be a

permanent fixture for any future LIMS.

While the four retailers who sold at the

show were a little disappointed with the

retail village’s location (as were the

exhibitors trying to sell through them), the

MIA is determined to keep this element of

the consumer show. “It brings us back to

the original point,” said McManus. “To get

the exhibitors, you need the public. To get

the public, you need retail. This is how we

can continue to keep the trade day going.”

“Our business is about more than

shifting boxes,” comments Rob Castle at

Korg. “We have to encourage people and

one way we can do this is by firing them

up with the buzz that they get from a

show like this, seeing products, demos,

artists and performances. The show will

never please everyone and we have plenty

of ideas about how we can improve things

for next year but there were a lot of

consumers who loved it and will go away

and spend the rest of the year saving up

for their next instrument and hopefully

spending it in their local music shop.”

RETAILING WOES

The retailing element is a tough one to

swallow, particularly for the dealers

themselves. “Many music retailers I have

spoken too are not happy that there is

retailing at the show – thus some of the

retailers will not go to the show,”

commented John Hulke of The Firm.

“Musikmesse and NAMM work well as

trade shows and the public do attend, but

there is no retailing and it works with big

names attracting crowds. As soon as

retailers get involved, the public expects

everything to be heavily discounted.”

As we all know, the shows throughout

the year are generally trade or consumer

shows. Mixing both has its problems.

Location has been a point raised by

those that did not attend, but anyone

could easily argue that when the BMF was

in central Birmingham, the trade

complained about that location, too. The

fact that some 45 Irish dealers turned up

at LIMS speaks volumes. If you wanted to

go, you would have gone.

In the end, with the limited time

allowed, the MIA and its show organisers

did just about enough to keep LIMS alive

and to make the 2010 show happen. With

a full year to make the next one happen,

everybody will be watching closely to see

how the shortfalls are addressed. With the

SoS-sponsored Sound Recording

Technology show appearing as busy as the

guitar and amp element of the event (not

to mention the standing-room-only SoS

seminars), the danger is that the drums

and traditional instrument elements might

find themselves marginalised as the show

concentrates further on the positive and

profitable guitar market.

As Barnes & Mullins MD Bruce Perrin

put it: “As a trade show there weren’t

enough dealers to make the effort and

cost worthwhile. As an international show,

there was little public interest in anything

other than guitars. As the London Guitar

Show – great. Next year we will plan our

exhibit focused on consumers interested

in guitar and allied products. Do we as an

industry actually require a trade show?”

To which the answer might be‘no’. But

is there room for trade to hook on to the

buzz of a public show? That can only be

‘yes’, surely?

in the eastEVENT: London International

Music Show 09

DATE: June 11th to 14th

VENUE: ExCeL, London

EXHIBITORS:106

VISITORS: 21,200 (1,550 trade,

5,550 Education Day, 14,100

public)

VERDICT: Given the limited time

the organisers had to pull the

show off, it was a success, but

trade particularly is unforgiving

as regards mitigation. Generally,

with a handful of glowing reports

and a few condemnations, the

show is largely seen as having

done just enough to make its

continuation certain, but next

year will need to be better.

Mel Bay endorser Rodney Branigan

LIMS was a useful place to network

Taylor Guitars put a great stand together

trade day, a consumer show and a barrage of publicity. Andy Barrett gathers opinions from key players…

14,15,16 mip110_FINAL 24/6/09 17:12 Page 2

PACING THE AISLES

Wandering round the hall at ExCeL on the

education day, there was a palpable sense

of, well, a day off school to be frank, but

the excitement of the unleashed hoardes

of musically minded youngsters certainly

gave the place an air of excitement. LIMS

felt busy and full of life and by all

accounts there was plenty of business

going on beyond the screaming kids

hunting down free plectrums to make the

whole thing worthwhile.

The Marshall stand was big and busy,

with some natty recent new products (the

Haze mini stack for one looks and sounds

particularly tasty) on show to tempt in

the passing throngs. Signings were taking

place and the ever-ready Jim Marshall was

once again manning his post, pen in hand,

welcoming in another long queue of

grateful young Marshall fans. The gossip

around Marshall all pointed towards some

significant developments at the amp giant

later in the year, so keep yours ears peeled

come September.

Not far off from Marshall’s set up was

the newly re-branded Music Force, which

made its presence felt with some

attractive eye-catching displays

showcasing some of the many products

that now accompany Ashton under the

company’s banner. Of particular interest

were the Sparrow guitars, which added a

touch of rockabilly design flair to some

classic guitar shapes.

Elsewhere at ExceL, Korg was well on

the way to capturing some creative young

minds thanks to the stacks of synths and

Kaos pads it had on display. The constantly

busy stand made it difficult for MI Pro to

muscle through to get a swift couple of

minutes on the Microkorg XL, but it was

well worth the wait.

A familiar stack of Orange amps was a

constant draw for guitarists looking for the

classic British tone (and of course a photo

opportunity beside the biggest wall of

Orange amps ever seen), which meant a

busy day for Damon Waller and the team.

Meanwhile, Freestyle showcased its

latest addition: Hiwatt. With a display that

rammed home just how many of the

greats had or indeed still have a Hiwatt

behind them, it’s clear that this is a

partnership that will benefit both

companies greatly. Freestyle kept its other

key brands up front and centre as well,

with Eko, Gator and Minarik all getting

plenty of attention.

Finally, the prize for the busiest stand of

the day was pretty much a dead heat

between Roland and Yamaha. Both had an

excellent array of chatty and entertaining

demonstrators and both had a staggering

amount of product on show. Roland’s V-

Drums were a huge draw, with queues

stretching back pretty much all day as

eager young hands tried to get a chance

to beat the life out of various models

including the TD-12KV and the impressive

TD-20K. A teaching area with a number of

kits out for lessons was also a constant

source of attraction, while the Boss pedals

also drew their own crowds. Roland

announced two new products at the show:

the Juno-Di mobile synthesizer and the

Boss FRV-1, a recreation of the classic

1963 Fender Reverb combo.

Yamaha had electric kits on display too,

as well as the new S90XS and S70XS

synthesisers on constant demo and

drawing good crowds. The two new

models share the same sound engine and

internal operating system and are only

differentiated by the keyboard lengths of

88 and 76 keys.

SHOW REVIEW • LIMS


SPREADING THE WORD

The marketing and PR campaign of LIMS

ran over six months, with its aim to

create awareness and excitement around

the exhibition. There were many specific

objectives, including reaching out to the

trade, the education sector and all the

instrument and computer markets, as

well as students, musicians and

mainstream consumers – in fact

anyone interested in music, gear and

a fun day out.

The project encompassed the whole

marketing mix and there were specific

campaigns in London (coverage was

secured in The Evening Standard with a

ticket offer, the London Paper, London Lite,

Time Out, XFM radio, Visit London and

more), several promotions ran locally,

including a feature in the Newham

residents paper (105,000 circulation),

Tower Hamlets websites, Britannia Village

and BBC promotions, as well as using the

marketing databases of ExCeL. There were

several national promotions, such as with

Tesco Clubcard and Network Rail. More

than 60 regional papers, with a combined

circulation running into millions, featured

the show.

Future Publishing was announced in

early 2009 as a media partner. It has

consistently supported the show with a

lengthy marketing campaign through

various mediums including a portfolio-

wide advertising campaign for the event

in its music titles. Online support was

provided on Musicradar.com, which saw

a site takeover for three months with

regular news features, on-going

promotion in the newsletters and a live

blog produced just for LIMS (updated

throughout the course of the show).

Media partnerships with Sound on Sound

helped bring in the music recording

audience and further partnerships were

developed with Rhinegold and Oyster

House Media and, of course, MI Pro,

whose support and coverage has been

instrumental in raising the show’s profile

to the trade.

There were over 500,000 leaflets

placed in mainstream consumer music

press, together with a significant

advertising campaign taking in the likes

of Q, Mojo and Kerrang. LIMS show

promotions and new stories ran in Stuff,

Mojo, Classic Rock, Kerrang, Q, Metal

Hammer, NME, Rock Sound, Terrorizer and

many more. In addition, an on-going

campaign on the internet created

coverage helping to direct people to the

LIMS website, particularly Guitar Idol,

which had 140,000 voters around the

world for its final and millions of hits

during the heats.

Commenting on the marketing,

David Phillips from A & R marketing

said: “Overall, more than 600 press

cuttings were generated and we have

achieved widespread coverage

both locally, across the UK and

internationally. The support from

exhibitors donating gear for promotions

has been fantastic and I would like to

thank them for both their generosity and

support in helping to promote the show.

I can announce that journalists from

more than 100 publications attended

this year’s exhibition.”

The prize for the busiest stand of the day was

pretty much a dead heat between Roland and

Yamaha. Both had lots of product on show.

14,15,16 mip110_FINAL 24/6/09 17:13 Page 3

John Hornby Skewes – the ubiquitous

JHS – holds a special place in the UK’s

MI industry. It isn’t the country’s oldest

wholesaler/distributor and it’s not the

biggest, but it is the core supplier to so

many retailers, particularly independents,

that what it does has far-reaching effects

for the trade.

Started by the eponymous John Hornby

Skewes, who still plays an active and vital

part in guiding the company, today the

business is also being steered by Dennis

Drumm, who has made some distinctive

contributions to the JHS style – not least

the development of the increasingly

potent Vintage range, but also the

nurturing of a thriving pro audio side, with

brands such as HK, Lab.Gruppen and, most

recently, Allen & Heath.

Simply offering a wide range of

products is not enough though, as the

number of wholesalers that have risen and

fallen down the years testifies. What got

JHS to the top, and has to be maintained

to keep it there, is a good reputation.

I begin by asking Dennis Drumm what

sets JHS apart from its competitors.

“‘The Family Company’ is an interesting

concept,” he replies, “which is just what

JHS is, always has been, and hopefully

always will be.

“We’re an ‘independent’, just like the

majority of our music trade customers.

In fact it’s arguable that the musical

instrument distribution and retail business

is the last remaining unconsolidated

consumer goods sector in the UK

marketplace and it’s best served by

enthusiastic, knowledgeable, independent

distributors and resellers, selling to like-

minded, independent consumers.

“JHS comes from the same humble

beginnings as most of our customers; we

were all ‘start ups’ once, and over the

years we’ve suffered all of the same ups

and downs and trials and tribulations as

our customers tell us they face. We’ve

used, and continue to use, those

experiences to respond positively and

sympathetically as we are growing our

business. We work with our customers to

help them to grow their businesses, and

it’s been terrific to have contributed to the

growth of so many great ones over the

last 45 years.”

Fine words, but what does this actually

mean for the retailer struggling in an

increasingly tight business environment?

“We employ great area sales managers,

who have terrific relationships of trust

with our customers. Through our field

sales force, we listen intently to what our

customers tell us they want, and, by and

large, we give it to them. The message

that comes back to us is that stability,

fairness, transparency, value, and above all,

trust, are all

hugely

important.

“Offering a

programme of

high-profile

distributed and

proprietary brands

with high demand,

great value to the

consumer and strong

benefits to our customers in

terms of service levels, product

quality and, of course, high

dealer margin are also paramount.

“I know some will take issue with

some of those claimed attributes, and

satisfying 100 per cent of the audience,

100 per cent of the time can only ever be

a goal, but our stability is built upon 45

years of trading. We are a feature of the

international music business landscape,

and in the UK and Ireland, and we’re the

supplier of first choice for many dealers,

for very good reason.”

Which doesn’t, Drumm admits, mean

that JHS never makes mistakes. “Do we

foul up occasionally, get things wrong,

cause upset, say or do something

incorrectly, ship the right thing to the

wrong place, ship the wrong thing to the

right place, tread on someone’s toes, fail

to live up to a promise, or someone’s

expectations? Sure, of course we do –

show me an organisation that doesn’t.

“But do we care? Deeply. Do we learn?

Absolutely! Do we respond adequately,

and with humility? You bet we do. All of

this is a result of a business ethic

which pervades our organisation,

emanating from the top of our

COVER FEATURE • JHS

18 miPRO JULY 2009

John Hornby Skewes might appear to be much the same as it’s ever

been, but the changes the company has seen recently (not least Dennis

Drumm being managing director), have been fundamental and wide-

ranging. Despite this, Gary Cooper discovers, it is an independent, family

business first and foremost…

“The industry is best served by enthusiastic,

knowledgeable, independent distributors and

resellers, selling to like-minded consumers.”

Dennis Drumm, JHS

TalkingDrumm

18,19,20 mip110_FINAL 24/6/09 14:26 Page 1


JHS • COVER FEATURE

company and our chairman and founder

John Skewes. Our ethic is predicated on

the fundamentals of good business

practice: play fair, support the community

you serve, listen to your customers and

give them what they want.”

Much of this, of course, would be said

by anyone trying to persuade a retailer to

do business with him but, it has to be said,

JHS does have a reputation in the MI trade

for honest, plain dealing. This matters

particularly in the area of pricing, where

the issue of discounting remains the

hottest of potatoes. How important does

Drumm think that is?

“Fairness and transparency are deeply

ingrained in our business model, with a

very clear and ethical trading policy, a

level playing field pricing structure, visible

in plain sight to all. Our customers know

where they stand and I believe our policies

are able to bring a measure of equilibrium

to a sometimes turbulent and ultra

competitive market.”

Drumm also sees a cost advantage

for retailers in JHS’s product breadth.

“We’ve got the award-winning

Odyssey brass and woodwind, Antoni

stringed instruments, Performance

Percussion, Kinsman cases and

accessories, Guitar Tech, GYC – these

are all products which help a dealer

use us as a one-stop shop,

reducing costs, saving them time,

making their lives easier, and

making them more margin.”

To an observer interested in

how the MI industry works,

one of the most interesting

developments at JHS in recent

years has been charting the

growth of the Vintage brand, in particular

the company’s efforts to leverage it way

beyond the traditional role of distributors'

‘copy lines’ to being an aspirational brand

in itself. It’s an enormously difficult task,

but the company has made some

significant headway in that direction.

“The value we build into our proprietary

brands is probably best evidenced by

Vintage, which we’ve grown from a small

‘me too’ range, launched ten years ago, into

a major international brand, sold in some

60 markets. This has been achieved by

building in true value – the blend of

specification/price/profit – yet many of the

brands with which we compete seem

unable, or unwilling to do so.

“Our motivation with Vintage is simple:

players, especially at the beginning of their

careers, deserve the best our industry can

provide to them, not a compromised

product built down to a price. It’s often

said that ‘knowledge is power’, so we use

our knowledge to build the absolute best

instrument for the price, for the benefit of

the consumer and the seller.”

Drumm says that with nearly 500

‘Vintage Plus’ dealers in the UK and

Ireland, the formula is clearly working.

“We support those dealers and the Vintage

brand with extensive consumer press

advertising, a very effective PR machine, a

great online presence, strong in-store

point of sale material, good catalogues, a

strong endorser roster and a full-time

demo guy, who does dozens of free clinics

a year, all to help our dealers sell more

Vintage product.”

Vintage isn’t JHS’s only success with

own brands, Drumm says, pointing to the

introduction of Wilkinson’s Fret-King

brand: “One of the most interesting things

we’ve done of late has been the co-

operation with Trev Wilkinson, to

significantly sharpen up the Encore

electric range. It’s great working with Trev

and his magic wand, plus our

determination to produce the best entry-

level guitar in the market – not just the

cheapest – has created musical

instruments which elicit a response of

pure disbelief from guitar players, at how

something so inexpensive can be so good.

“Trev’s often said, and I agree, that it’s a

piece of cake to make a great guitar for

two or three thousand pounds, but to

make an instrument that’s a great guitar

in its own right for a hundred quid or so is

a real challenge worth taking on, to which

we’ve risen and succeeded ”

It’s not always simple, of course, to

translate that into sales. “It’s taking a little

longer to convince some of our trade

customers,” Drumm admits, just a little

ruefully. “But I challenge any dealer to pick

up an Encore E6, keep any prejudices they

might have well under control, and make

a balanced assessment. The result will be

the same: astonishment at how good the

product is. We make them this good

because we can, we should, and those

first-time guitarists deserve the best the

industry can give them.”

As any reader who has struggled with

an unplayable guitar in the past (in other

words, anyone over 40) will tell you, this is

good – not to say long overdue – news.

But it isn’t all relentless struggle in

Leeds, Drumm says: “Possibly the most fun

we’ve had in the history of the company

though, is with SpongeBob SquarePants

Real Musical Instruments.

Recent times have seen a co-operation between

Trev Wilkinson (left) and Dennis Drumm (right)

18,19,20 mip110_FINAL 24/6/09 14:26 Page 2

Nickelodeon, the owner of SpongeBob,

is terrific to work with, the brand is, well,

outrageous, with so many possibilities and

we’ve now grown it from the original two

products, rushed out for the 2007

Christmas season, to an exciting range

that includes the new full-size electric and

acoustic outfits, to picks, ukes, drum kits,

and the super SpongeBob Facelifts.

“So many licensed goods in many

sectors concentrate on brand and price and

let quality suffer, because they think the

power of the licensed property concerned

will cover a multitude of sins. As the

licensee for SpongeBob SquarePants Real

Musical Instruments, we can take the same

approach as we do with all our proprietary

brands. These are musical instruments,

they’re going to be played, they need to be

right, and they are.”

But the effort JHS has been putting into

its own brands hasn’t meant any

slackening of interest in its distributed

lines. Given how they tend to shift around

these days, has Drumm never felt tempted

to step back from the merry-go-round of

distributed brands?

“Not at all – and a healthy balance of

proprietary and distributed brands is a

very important part of our strategy. In

2008 we took on Fishman, the world’s

number one transducer brand, teamed up

with it to load Fishman into our entire

Vintage acoustic line, and helped it launch

the awesome Fishman Solo acoustic amp

to the UK market. This is the kind of

synergy we are looking for with

distributed brands. Likewise, when we

added Allen & Heath in 2008, synergy

played an important part – for us and for

Allen & Heath.

“JHS is as opportunistic as the next

company and there are brands in the

marketplace, which the brand owners, our

dealers, and the present distributors all

know are ‘under-represented’. It’s up to the

brand owners to want, or be driven to a

change, and have a view of JHS as a

company which can drive their brands

forward. My door is always open, we have

conversations with companies, we have a

wish list, but I’m a realist. If a brand is

happy where it is and can’t see the

opportunities that everyone else can see,

or want to appoint some other company

for reasons best known to itself, then who

am I to make a fuss? There’s enough to

get on with.”

All the same, you don't need a pair of

gypsy earrings and a crystal ball to sense

that the international MI business is

undergoing some major turmoil, at

present. How does Dennis Drumm view

these developments?

“On a macro level, one can sense the

beginnings of potentially seismic shifts,

with the global economic turmoil

reportedly creating havoc amongst major

international players in many sectors,

including musical instruments. Companies

which have taken on an incredibly high

level of financial gearing at the peak of

the recently departed ‘good times’ are

now struggling to cope with massive

commitments, have diminishing revenues,

are shedding labour, divesting themselves

of liabilities, closing production facilities,

and exhibiting clear signs of distress.

“I’d expect to see more brands on the

move, maybe the disappearance of some

companies, or disappearance of some

brands, before we are out of the woods.”

It is in JHS’s interest of course to help

retailers survive in these tough times. One

thing to consider doing, Drumm says, is to

promote like crazy and it is undeniable

that few companies in the industry spend

as much money advertising and

promoting its products as JHS. This is just

as true of its participation in exhibitions –

JHS just about does them all and then

goes that extra mile by organising its very

own, which, Drumm says, is a major part

of not just its self-promotion, but also its

attempt to help retailers.

“Possibly the most important occasion

in the entire JHS calendar, from a show

perspective, is our JHS Event, with 2009

being the 13th year of a trade occasion

which has become a fixture in the

calendar, and a fundamental contributor

to the business success of many of

our customers.

“At the JHS Event, the hundreds of

dealers who join us enjoy our hospitality,

and cement their relationships with the

people at JHS they deal with on a daily

basis. Visitors have an exclusive first look

at a host of new products, have the

benefit of some very advantageous

promotional pricing, have offers and deals

exclusive to JHS Event visitors and, of

course, our now traditional and very

generous interest-free, six-month

financing on all JHS Event business, which

enables many to get through the summer

months with a terrific range of hot, new,

profitable products, helping them to keep

their businesses well stocked and even

more vibrant.

“I have to be honest and say that

sometimes we struggle to understand why

more customers don’t take advantage of

what is, quite simply, the best deal in the

trade, but at least those who do attend

JHS Event go away with a distinct

competitive advantage.”

Drumm concludes by talking about

perception and the future: “Overall, we want

JHS to be seen as a company which is easy

to do business with – fun even – and

although I might have been company

trumpet-blowing a little, we have a clear

understanding of our mission, which is to

serve our customers and provide, on time,

every time, well designed, well specified,

well priced, well marketed, in demand

products, which bring our customers profit.

“Personally, I count myself very lucky to

have joined this company in 1980 and to

have been given the opportunity to

contribute to its growth and direction. I’m

also exceptionally lucky to have a terrific

family to keep my feet on the ground. My

wife Linda is a director and part of the

Skewes family, so she understands the

demands of the job. JHS is a team – 90

people in all – that works diligently to

make everything seem easy, seamless and

efficient to our customers.”

COVER FEATURE • JHS

JHS has seen a variety of well-known UK endorsers including, left to right, Geoff Whitehorn, Jarrod Noire and tribute act ZZ Tops


18,19,20 mip110_FINAL 24/6/09 14:26 Page 3

Ten years ago, had someone

responded to the demand: ‘name

one of the most competitive

markets in MI today’ with ‘gigbag’, he or

she would probably have been laughed

out the pub. Today, the answer would

receive sage nods, as the world is inundated

with more brands than you can shake a

shoulder strap at.

And the reason for this turnaround

inside a decade? There are probably

several factors – including the idea to use

high density foam in cases – but

ultimately the revolution was brought

about by one company: Ritter.

The Swiss team actually made its name

in terms of gigbags in County Durham. So

successful was its ‘gigbag as lifestyle

product’ philosophy and image, that the

company soon found itself with a global

brand, and today can count itself not only

as the most recognisable name in gigbags,

but also as the source of no fewer than

three other modern gigbag ranges.

Tribal Planet, Fusion and Madarozzo all

have their design and concept roots

shooting from the north east of England –

although all three of them would be very

swift to point out the current differences

rather than the historical similarities.

The result, though, is a plethora of good

quality bags. In much the same way as

Levy’s Leathers (which also does a range of

gigbags) proved to the world that a

customer buying an expensive instrument

is more than willing to pay a bit extra for a

strap to match the pride and joy, Ritter and

the subsequent brands have shown that

the price is not the issue when it comes to

bags, either. It’s all about style and value –

and protection, of course. Today’s gigbags

keep instruments very secure.

In summary, then, there have never

been so many good looking, high quality

instrument bags on the market as there

are now, and they’re a useful add-on sale,

too. Fill yer boots…

RITTER

As mentioned above, Ritter is responsible

for the gigbag market being as it is today,

so what better place to start? The brand

has three ranges – Junior, Classic and

Revolution – made for a wide range of

musical products including guitar and

fretted instruments, keyboards, percussion,

brass, woodwind and classical instruments.

The Classic range covers many different

shapes and styles, from ¾ classical guitar

designs to more radical Explorer styles. For

an example of specification, the Classic

RCG models feature 15 to 20mm soft foam

padding, a new, ergonomic backpack

system with fully integrated MP3

player/phone pouch and a built-in polyester

bridge, headstock and end pin protector.

The high-end Revolution series features

ultra thick 40mm padding for maximum

protection for instruments.

FUSION

The tale of Fusion gigbags is nothing

short of breathtaking, with the company

having come into existence less than two

years ago and already causing ripples,

with distribution established in almost

20 countries.

Aside from the impressive looks and

concepts behind the range, a further

surprise comes from the fact that Fusion

was founded by four equal partners

investing their life savings. The fact that all

four are women should probably not be an

issue, but in the MI world, no-one would

deny it is very unusual.

Of all the markets to produce fierce competition based on brand image and design innovation, the humble gigbag is

certainly one of the most unlikely. Andy Barrett has a look at why this should be, while pointing out that there is a lot of

money to be made on products that, these days, look pretty amazing…

Price is not the issue when it comes to bags. It’s all

about style and value – and protection, of course.

Today’s gigbags keep instruments very secure.


SECTOR SPOTLIGHT • GIGBAGS

In the bag

Left: The Fusion team looks proud of its creations. Right: Fusion products at work

22,23,24 mip110_FINAL 24/6/09 14:38 Page 1

The inspiration behind the company is

Amanda Wheatley, a 3D designer who

started out with Dunlop and Slazenger

sports products. In 1992, together with

colleague Wendy Caldwell, she formed her

own design consultancy where she created

products for other leading brands in the

sports world including Gilbert, Jaguar and

Gray Nichols.

In the early ‘90s she combined her

experience in the leisure industry with

that of being an accomplished musician

and designed a range of musical

instrument bags that became Tom Rees’

Gig brand. These bags were the first to

combine a sports bag with an instrument

bag. For the following ten years she

designed gigbags for Ritter Outdoor.

There are four ranges under the Fusion

brand, starting with the high-end F1 and

working down to the entry-level F4.

F1 features include the Flow System

lumber support for comfort and

ventilation, the ability to use the Fuse-On

attachment bags, reflective panels, quality

inverted zips with chunky rubber zip pulls,

Jacquard water-resistant polyester with

rip-stop material panels, MP3/mobile

phone pocket, backpack straps,

comfortable, chunky and riveted handles,

guitar neck supports, and hard-wearing,

anti-crush moulded bases for protection.

The Fuse-On concept is a great

example of Wheatley’s problem solving

abilities – an ingenious system which

allows users to add (fuse on – do you see

what she’s done there?) bags to the main

instrument bag. Various options are

available, including large and small back

packs, all of which can be detached and

used as individual bags. They are

interchangeable with different instrument

bags which means, for example, that a

clarinet bag can be fused on to, say, a sax

bag – genius.

TOM & WILL

Another relatively new start up is the

Surrey-based Tom & Will web supplier,

which has been trading for just three

years. The company was born when its

founders recognised that there was a need

for a good quality gig bag that didn’t

break the bank. As such, the bags are,

indeed, top quality and reasonably priced

and also up-to-date in terms of design.

Since its inception, the range has

expanded to include over 100 gigbags for

a huge range of instruments, with new

lines being designed and introduced all

the time.

For the doubters among you, Tom &

Will bags were used for the Extreme

Cellists Four Peak Challenge, which

involved three cellists climbing the tallest

mountains in Scotland (Ben Nevis),

England (Scafell Pike), Wales (Snowdon)

and Ireland (Carrauntoohill) in aid of the

Aspire and Mountain Rescue charity. The

cellists climbed with their cellos and

performed on top of each mountain.

The cases, Tom & Will reports, coped

extremely well and the challenge was a

resounding success. The instruments (while

in cases) took the odd knock on the way

up and on one mountain were exposed to

consistent rain. The cellos, of course, were

completely unharmed by any of this.

REUNION BLUES

Anything but a new company to the

market, Reunion Blues has been wowing

the US market since 1976 with its all-

leather gigbags for guitars, brass,

woodwind, orchestral – the whole

caboodle. Whether all-leather or leather

and fabric, Reunion Blues bags feature a

dual-layer, high-density foam padding,

string protectors (when necessary) at the

headstock and bridge, a soft fabric lining,

smooth lock clasps and a limited lifetime

warranty.

The advantages of the all-leather

products are two-fold. First, nothing has

such timeless good looks as leather, and

the sleek designs of these bags will turn

heads. Second is the fact that these are

cleanable. Yes, musos like that well worn,

king-of-the-road look, but leather has its

own, inimitable way of looking well worn.

The ability to use a spot of saddle soap

means one doesn’t have to be unhygienic

to be cool.

LEVY’S LEATHERS

Talking of leather, Levy’s Leathers has a

large selection of pro quality gigbags for

all styles of fretted instruments, as well as

percussion, trumpet, flute and sax – not to

mention mixers, keyboards and

accessories. The CM series has high build

quality in a variety of sizes, and also

features double guitar bags in various

combinations. For example, for the multi-

instrumentalist among your customers

you could offer two electrics together or

one electric and one acoustic.

The boutique range has distinctive styling

and quality finishing for those after a gigbag

that’s a bit different, and at the high-end of

the market, Levy’s makes all-leather and

suede luxury gigbags. SSP £449.99.

The CM series includes a 600 denier

polyester acoustic guitar bag featuring

one-inch foam padding, plush lining,

internal bridge and string protectors, saddle

bag accessory pocket, twin shoulder straps

and genuine leather trim, while the

Boutique range includes a Chenille cheetah

gigbag for various guitar shapes. There is

also an internal bridge and string

protectors, designer accessory pocket and

twin shoulder straps. Leather guitar bags

have leather trim and appointments, a

large saddle bag accessory pocket and twin

shoulder straps.

GIGBAGS • SECTOR SPOTLIGHT


22,23,24 mip110_FINAL 24/6/09 14:38 Page 2

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT • GIGBAGS

KINSMAN

JHS’ stalwart line has seen a lot of other

brands pass by over the years, but it keeps

its head well above the water line, thanks

to top-notch functionality and a starting

price that not only puts the simpler

models in the impulse-buy section of a

store’s stock, but could easily be labelled

‘I’ll have two’.

There are four ranges in the collection:

Premium, Deluxe, Regular and Standard,

with the latter starting at £9.99.

The top of the range, Premium electric

guitar bag retails at £41.99, and features

1,200 denier, heavy-duty fabric outer,

body cover with super-size zipped padded

magazine/music pocket, concealed outer

body net accessory pockets, neck

accessory pocket, adjustable (and

storable) shoulder straps, a protective grip

strip on bottom of the bag, plus a black

and two-tone contrasting design.

Inside the 25mm padding, there is a

soft lining, neck support block with Velcro

fastening, leatherette protective pads for

headstock and bridge and a support block

for strap button protection.

WESTFIELD

Another name that goes back as far as

most retailers is Westfield, the P&R

Howard brand that covers just about

any angle in the MI business you care to

think of.

Westfield has a range of sturdy deluxe

gigbags featuring heavy duty, 20mm

padding, chunky gauge 20 zip, a pedal

pocket (why others don’t think of that,

we’ll never know) and a large pocket for

music, cables and so on. There are also

padded back straps that can be zipped

away if not in use.

Colour finishes available are black and

red or black and grey and the range is

available for electric, bass, jumbo and

classical guitars, five-string banjo and one

for acoustic bass, too.

TGI

Staying with the bread and butter of UK

supply, Barnes & Mullins’ TGI range, as

with Kinsman and Westfield, fills the

entry level gap perfectly, while still

managing to nod towards the ‘lifestyle’

brands with good designs and high

functionality.

Three lines make up the TGI collective:

the Budget, the Transit and the Extreme,

with bags for most guitars, as well as

banjos and mandos.

The Extreme series is made with black

woven nylon with contrasting blue piping,

featuring a 30mm double heavy padding,

70 denier, ‘no-scratch’ lining and strong

coloured zip chords. For safety during

portability, the bag has two extra strength

webbing back straps with rubber shoulder

supports and heavy-duty chrome clips and

rings. It’s ideal for those with instruments

of higher value. Complete with a sheet

music pocket and two zipped accessory

pockets.

ROKSAK/GATOR

Freestyle’s bag range, Roksak, also comes

in four ranges, starting with Economy 100

(again at a remarkable starting price of

£9.95) and moving up through the

Standard 10 and Deluxe 20 and topping

out with the Premium 20 series at £34.95.

This bag has a waterproof, dustproof and

tear-resistant nylon outer and extra thick,

well balanced, padded carrying handles. All

straps are stitched around the bag and

riveted and there are a variety of

accessory pockets on and in the jacket

and the headstock sections.

Interestingly, the Premium has a

reinforced carbon fibre base with nylon

protectors, as well as the expected bridge

and headstock protectors and 30mm of

high-impact padding throughout.

Also from Freestyle is the Gator

Extreme bag, which has a 600 denier

nylon exterior and 420 denier nylon

interior, ten millimetre internal padding,

the reinforced interior at the headstock

and bridge and all the straps and pockets

you would hope for.

The bag is designed to fit any (and all)

of the likes of Flying V, Explorer, Dean ML,

Warlock and pretty much any of the other

extreme and unusually shaped guitars you

can think of.

MADAROZZO

Back into the world of the Ritter spin-offs

and even the name ‘Ritter’ makes an

appearance here, as it is Martin Ritter who

has set up the Madarozzo gigbag and case

couture range, after spotting a gap in the

market.

“The Madarozzo couturier range is a

premier collection of individually designed

musical instrument bags, cases and

accessories that offers the discriminating

player a fusion of fashion design,

functionality and instrument protection,”

says Ritter.

The full gamut of musical instruments

is catered for by Madarozzo, with some

120 bags in the range for all guitars, brass

and woodwind, drums and percussion,

orchestral strings and keyboards.

The distinctive, eye-catching design

belies the serious protection offered

by these bags, with high quality foam

padding throughout, giving top

performance protection without

making them heavyweight.

GIG

Tom Rees’ Gig bags in Huddersfield

not only pulled off something of a

coup by registering the name Gig

(which sits very comfortably

alongside the generic word

‘bag’), but was also the first

to go into direct competition

with the work being done by

Ritter, way back when.

Rees originally set up the

business to run alongside his

successful tech, repair and retail

operation, to offer brass and

woodwind players an attractive

alternative to canvas and vinyl

covered wooden boxes – and the

brand has since grown to global

proportions and now has models

for strings and guitars, as well as

brass and woodwind.

There are two ranges, Student

and Advanced, each of which

comes either stitched 600D

polyester and microfibre or as

moulded EVA materials.

CONTACTSRITTER (HEADSTOCK) ........................................................ 0121 508 6666

FUSION (ARIA)...................................................................... 01483 238725

TOM & WILL ....................................................................TOMANDWILL.COM

REUNION BLUES (SUMMERFIELD) ....................................0191 414 9000

LEVY’S LEATHERS (WESTSIDE) ........................................0141 248 4812

KINSMAN (JHS) .....................................................................0113 286 5381

WESTFIELD (P&R HOWARD) ................................................01355 236621

TGI (BARNES & MULLINS) ...................................................01691 652449

ROKSAK/GATOR (FREESTYLE) ...........................................01924 455414

MADAROZZO (SUTHERLAND) ..........................................029 2088 7333

GIG ...........................................................................................01484 431725


Ritter has bags for most

instruments, including

trumpets

22,23,24 mip110_FINAL 24/6/09 14:38 Page 3

…more than just a gig bag!

Quality!Distributed byTelephone + 44 (0)1483 238720

Visit us online www.fusion-bags.com

Mi Pro Advert June Final:Layout 1 16/6/09 15:15 Page 1

©2009 FMIEDistributed by Fender GBItel: 01342 331 726.

Hamer Advert.indd 1 15/6/09 16:23:21

HIGH-END ACOUSTICS • SECTOR SPOTLIGHT


For any guitarist worth his salt, a

decent acoustic guitar is not a luxury,

but rather an absolute necessity.

Whilst making a mighty rock and roll based

racket with an electric set up is always

alluring, the power of the acoustic lies not

in its volume, nor in its ability to shake a

room, but in the subtle nuances that make

being a musician genuinely enjoyable.

The higher end of the market, at £500-

plus, is home to a mix of well established

and popular brands – the Martins and

Taylors of this world – alongside a growing

number of up-and-coming manufacturers

determined to stake a claim. So, here in all

its glory, is the cream of the crop of the

acoustic market at the moment. Enjoy…

MARTIN/RECORDING KING

Home to arguably the best known name in

acoustic guitar-land in the form of Martin,

Westside has plenty to offer those looking

to spend their hard-earned ash on a new

instrument. The return of the popular 1

Series, first introduced in 1993, is sure to

prick up a few ears. Four new models are

available, with the intention being to

provide affordable solid wood guitars that

reflect the spirit of the Style 15 and Style

17 instruments that were first introduced

by Martin during the Great Depression.

Sitka spruce tops with hybrid scalloped

bracing sit alongside rosewood fingerboard

and bridges, bound and inlaid tops and

backs and a hard shell case for good

measure, with RRPs starting from £999.

Further developments at Martin include

a collaboration with Roland that has

resulted in the production of a new

preamp, the Roland AP-1, which will now

be available on several new Martin models

including the 00C-16DBGTE, DC-16OGTE

and the OMC-16OGTE. The AP-1 utilises

Roland’s advanced Composite Object

Sound Modelling technology to produce

three body-specific tone variations

designed to emulate that of a miked guitar,

and includes a programmable seven-band

eq, anti-feedback control, digital chromatic

tuner, digital reverb and LCD display.

Elsewhere at Westside, Recording King

continues to perform well, with the Classic

II Series proving especially popular. These

guitars are the most authentic pre-war

style acoustic guitar available, with

everything from the select woods to the

vintage-style bevelled pick guard.

Featuring a solid Engelmann spruce top,

solid back and sides in mahogany or

rosewood, and a one-piece mahogany

neck, each guitar is handcrafted and has a

loud, expressive acoustic tone.

MARINER

Mariner, a new brand and brainchild of Ken

Achard, looks set to do a good job for

Music Force as the company seeks to

establish its new identity with some

striking new product. The L-6N Super

Jumbo is a Korean luthier-built super jumbo

from Mariner’s Archive Series of premium

acoustics. The range, which starts at £685,

includes dreadnought, auditorium and drop

shoulder jumbo models that feature the

Open Arch mahogany swell back. With

solid mahogany sides and selected Sitka

spruce tops, maple bindings, mother of

pearl inlays and Grover Rotomatic tuners,

these instruments meet the high specs one

might expect of a pro guitar. The L-6N sells

for £710 RRP, complete with Deluxe

shaped, plush lined, hard shell case.

At LIMS 2009, Mariner unveiled new

and updated models in its Masthead and

Eso series. Of particular note is the all-

new Eso E-6AR, an auditorium style, top-

end model featuring book matched solid

Indian rosewood back and sides and AAA

grade Sitka spruce top. Figured maple

bound and purfled with abalone, a

mahogany neck, centre spliced with maple

and rosewood and topped off with gold

Grover tuners, it’s something of a feast

and well worth checking out.

Thewooden

topsHere we go again – it’s time to take a fresh

look at what’s new in the mid to high-priced

sector of the paradoxically most conservative

and most dynamic market within MI. Rob

Power sees the wood through the trees…

27,28,30 mip110_FINAL 24/6/09 17:27 Page 1

FENDER

With a number of big names including

Taylor and Takamine now under Fender’s

ever-expanding wing, it’s no surprise that

there is plenty to be found in the

company’s lines.

Takamine’s 2009 range aims to offer

performers a mixture of good looks and

classic tone. The LTD2009 features a NEX,

small jumbo body with solid spruce top

and solid mahogany back and sides.

Finished in a gloss Vintage Sunburst, its

top is intricately decorated with a MOP

inlayed pick guard and abalone rosette.

Other noteworthy features include an

ebony fretboard with deluxe shell inlays,

ivory cab fretboard binding, mahogany

neck and rosewood pin bridge. Electronics

are powered by Takamine’s award-winning

and state of the art CTP-2 Cool Tube

preamp, and a hard case is included.

At the very high end, Taylor continues

to dominate as one of the biggest

acoustic manufacturers in the

world. Its 814ce Grand

Auditorium Cutaway, retailing

at a mighty £3,189.99,

showcases perfectly what the

company does best, bringing

together an unmistakable

rosewood tone, Taylor styling

and the versatility of the of a

Grand Auditorium body. A

Venetian cutaway and

Expression system pickup

complete a desirable

picking package.

TJ BADEN

First becoming involved

with 440 Distribution in the

wake of Arbiter’s collapse, TJ

Baden is a name that, although

unfamiliar to some, looks like it

will make itself known very soon. The

company was established by Baden, an

ex-Taylor employee of 18 years

standing, who set out to establish

a company to build modern, clean

looking and sounding guitars that

offer great margins for dealers.

These designs are handmade in

the old school way – all solid, with

nitro-cellulose finishes, bone nuts and

saddles, with individual attention paid

to every guitar and each one

shipping in a hard shell case. There

are two body shapes available, five

wood options and two pick up

options in the form of the

Fishman Aura and Matrix Infinity.

Prices range from £759 to £1,649.

VINTAGE

There are only a few Vintage acoustics

that sneak over the £500 mark, but

those that do are of an extremely high

spec and offer excellent value at this level.

One brand new addition is the

V1700VSB Jumbo, with solid spruce top,

solid flame maple back and sides, Indian

rosewood fingerboard & bridge and a

Vintage Sunburst finish, which clocks in at

£579.00 RRP. A natural finish is also

available at the same price.

The other is the remarkably popular

V1800N, which features a solid spruce top,

solid rosewood back and sides, flame maple

binding with abalone purfling and a slotted

headstock design for a snip at £539 RRP.

FRESHMAN

The Scottish firebrand has plenty to offer

in this area of the market, beginning with

the widely acclaimed 350 series. Solid

Canadian AA graded Sitka spruce tops,

solid mahogany back and sides, rosewood

fingerboards and Grover Machine Heads

with black buttons and a satin Finish make

for a high spec first entry into the £500-

plus area, with an RRP of £599.95.

Next up is the 500 series. The choice

and combination of high grade timbers,

married together with care and attention,

have produced lovely looking instruments

that sound quite equally impressive. The

guitars in the 500 Series are individually

hand sprayed for a perfect gloss finish,

with ivoroid binding and herringbone

purfling to add subtle finishing touches.

TANGLEWOOD

At the top of the tree for Tanglewood is its

MasterDesign range, designed and built in

collaboration with renowned Scandinavian

luthier Michael Sanden. Sanden builds

luxury boutique guitars at his workshop in

Sweden and has designed a range

incorporating some of his most functional

and stylistic handcrafted features into six

models – three mahogany and three

rosewood – which have all been made to

a precise Sanden blueprint. They include

the famous Sanden Ebony Japanese

brushstroke bridge, the delicate rosewood

face unbranded headstocks, the zero fret

to offer precise intonation, and the

charming and tasteful ‘T’ emblem

fashioned in green abalone on the 12th

fret of all models, the only visible sign of

branding on each instrument.

Each guitar is quite unique in its

handcrafted manufacture and the

understated elegance of MasterDesign by

Sanden really is worth taking the time to

check out, with prices starting from £1,199.

IBANEZ

Ibanez has some interesting acoustic

models in this price bracket, including the

Ibanez Artwood Studio range, which

delivers strong, resonant tones. The finest

craftsmanship, state-of-the-art electronics

and new features such as FAST (Fast

Action Set-Up Technology for easy neck

adjustments) and Flying Top construction

make the Artwood Studio models some of

the highest quality acoustic instruments

Ibanez has ever produced.

The Flying Top construction was

developed by Swiss luthier Lukas Brunner,

and this construction has been applied to

Brunner’s own unique instruments. Instead

of an X-bracing pattern, the top is

reinforced with a thin piece of spruce that

is graduated towards the edges, and

supported at a single point by a ‘flying

brace’ attached to the sides. This provides

an ideal combination of strength, weight,

stiffness and flexibility. The Artwood range

starts from £765 RRP.

WASHBURN

Sound Technology has plenty to offer

players looking for their next acoustic.

First up is the Washburn Cumberland

Jumbo Series, which is made up of three

full-bodied jumbo models, each with

various options. The solid spruce topped

J28S DL is available in both six and 12-

string configurations, and features a

quilted maple back and sides. The J28SCE

DL adds a cut-away, B-band A15 preamp

and the option of a standout transparent

black finish. The J27CE is a striking looking

guitar with Java Ebony top, back and sides,

and is sure to catch roving eyes with one

hand on the wallet.

The latest Festival Series model – the

EA21HM (Heavy Metal) – is aimed

squarely at the metal connoisseur who

demands the same pointy looks from their

acoustic guitar as they do their electric. It

features a Florentine cut-away, six-a-side

slanted headstock and B-Band A15

preamp. The EA21HM is available in Black,

White and Trans Red.

Larrivee is also available from Sound

Technology, with a range that includes the

USA made, ‘Larrivee’ shaped L-10,

featuring a solid Sitka spruce top and

stunning Indian rosewood back and sides.

Deluxe abalone inlays decorate the ebony

fretboard and bridge. Abalone also

enhances the purfling around the

soundboard and sound hole, and all

models are available left handed at no

extra cost. Various electric options are

available including both LR Baggs and

Fishman Aura preamps, whilst all come

with hard cases.

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT • HIGH-END ACOUSTICS


At the top of the tree for Tanglewood is its

MasterDesign range, designed in collaboration with

renowned Scandinavian luthier Michael Sanden.

27,28,30 mip110_FINAL 24/6/09 17:27 Page 2

acess all areas 17/6/09 15:32 Page 1


YAMAHA

Yamaha’s £500-plus acoustic guitar line-

up features a number of models from the

APX, CPX and L-Series ranges, with the

biggest news for the company this year

arriving in the form of the new NX series.

Billed as ‘nylon string guitars for non-

nylon players,’ the nine model range

(£575-£3,135 RRP) features a choice of

models, including the ‘crossover’ NTX with

an APX-style body, 48mm nut width

(slightly wider than a steel string but

narrower than a classical) and radiused

fingerboard. There is also the distinctly

more traditional NCX model with its flat-

radius 52mm nut width and ‘CG’ style

classical body, whilst the entire range

benefits from a nylon-specific two-way

ART pickup system using Yamaha’s

proprietary contact pickups.

Yamaha is positioning the series to

appeal to guitarists across the board, way

beyond the traditional realms of the nylon

string players. “We’ve seen a growing trend

for people playing crossover nylon string

guitars – that is using nylon strings way

outside of what convention says nylon

strings should be used for,” says Yamaha’s

Julian Ward. “The NX design was very

much about crossing the line between

steel and nylon strings,” continues Ward.

“We looked at it from the point of view of

a long-established classical guitar

manufacturer but also having the

perspective of one of the leading

performance electro-acoustic

manufacturers thanks to our massively

successful APX and CPX ranges. And our

ART system is incredible for nylon.”

FAITH/PATRICK JAMES EGGLE

Faith has become an important brand

for Barnes and Mullins, representing a

foot firmly planted in the world of

high-end acoustics. Patrick James

Eggle has teamed up with one of

the finest European workshops

around to create three models

that use only the finest AAA-

grade tonewoods, and meet with

his own guitar-building mantra of

‘Quality over all’. The Signature

concept was launched at the recent

LIMS 2009 show, and is sure

to win fans quickly. Prices start from

£1,850 for the Orchestra model, rising

through to £1,999 for the JMB. ”For a

guitar to carry my signature I have to be

completely confident in its ability to

perform,” comments Eggle on the range.

“When Faith asked me to create three

models that would go head-to-head with

the most prestigious guitars around, I

decided to keep to what I know the best –

the quality of tonewood and meticulous

craft. I have spent my whole life building

guitars for some of the most demanding

musicians around, and I would have no

hesitation in recommending Faith Signature

guitars to every professional I know.”

SEAGULL/SIMON & PATRICK

Two key brands for EMD fit into this

category. First up is Seagull, which with its

S6 has a bone fide award-winning guitar

that is well regarded by a number of top

flight players. A solid cedar top, wild

cherry back and sides, silver leaf maple

neck, Indian rosewood fingerboard and

bridge plus a semi-gloss lacquer finish are

all part of the package at £509.

The second important acoustic brand

for EMD is Simon & Patrick, which with

the Showcase series has a genuine top

flight contender. With an RRP of £1,289,

you would expect a top quality guitar, and

that is exactly what you get. With a

compound curve design, and solid spruce

top, this is a guitar that screams quality all

over and is well worth a punt for players

looking for something away from the

usual names in this part of the market.

COLLINGS

Regarded as some of the finest flat tops

out there, Collings has an extensive range

of tonally wonderful guitars that are built

to exacting standards. The 12 fret 00 series,

with its dimensions similar to a typical

classical guitar, slotted headstock and

small pyramid bridge, certainly has

resonance with a certain type of guitarist.

The comfortable size and timeless

appearance of the Collings 00 is matched

by the ease of playing a wide neck and

shorter string scale affords. The tone is

balanced and precise, and it has been

adopted by players for a wide range of

playing styles from simple vocal

accompaniment to ragtime solos. A

versatile performer indicative of the high

quality throughout Collings’ ranges.

TIMBERLINE

The Timberline brand gives Strings &

Things a toe in the acoustic market, and it

is doing a solid job. One need only take a

look at the 80 series, which, starting from

£839, offers both quality and value for

money. A solid Engelmann top with

abalone edging is complemented by an

ebony fingerboard and bridge and all gloss

finish, not to mention a rather dashing

Timberline hard case.

BLUERIDGE

With Blueridge, Gremlin has a brand that

is extremely alluring to players after

guitars that have the look, feel and tone of

pre-war instruments, but don’t want to

have to re mortgage the house to afford

one. The GR5240 is a great example: a

parlour bodied guitar with a solid Sitka

spruce top, solid mahogany body and a

slotted headstock. It’s a connoisseur’s

guitar from an era when they really knew

how to make them, and retails at a pretty

affordable £699.

The ‘50s-styled, slop shouldered BG-140

is another Blueridge guitar worth a look. Its

vintage sunburst finish, Dalmatian tortoise

pickguard and exclusive ‘Century Wreath’

peghead and fingerboard are nicely

complemented by a carved mahogany, low

profile neck. Complete with a short scale

and solid mahogany backs and sides, this is

an awful lot of guitar for its £699 RRP.

NORMAN

Straight out of Quebec, Canada, Norman

Guitars is one of the big names in Active’s

catalogue. Comprising of three series – the

Protege, Studio and Encore – Norman’s

guitars offer straightforward, clean designs

which utilise high quality tonewoods and

aim to provide players with a guitar that

will only improve with age. The B18

features a semi-gloss polished finish and a

select pressure-tested solid cedar top. The

back and sides are a three-way cherry

laminate, whilst the rosewood fingerboard

and Graphtech nut and saddle finish

things off nicely. It has the option of

Fishman Classic 4T electronics and a case,

and is of course designed and

manufactured in Canada.

CONTACTSMARTIN (WESTSIDE) .............................................................0141 2484812

MARINER (MUSIC FORCE) ...................................................01780 781630

FENDER .....................................................................................01342 331711

TJ BADEN (440 DISTRIBUTION) ........................................0113 258 9599

VINTAGE (JHS) ......................................................................0113 286 5381

FRESHMAN ............................................................................01355 228028

TANGLEWOOD ..........................................................................01937 841122

IBANEZ (HEADSTOCK).........................................................0121 508 6666

WASHBURN (SOUND TECHNOLOGY) ...............................01462 480000

YAMAHA ................................................................................01908 366700

PJ EGGLE/FAITH (BARNES & MULLINS) ...........................01691 652449

SEAGULL/SIMON & PATRICK(EMD) ...................................01293 862612

COLLINGS ............................................................................+1 512 288 7776

TIMBERLINE (STRINGS & THINGS)....................................01273 440442

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT • HIGH-END ACOUSTICS

27,28,30 mip110_FINAL 24/6/09 17:27 Page 3

Barnes and Mullins 17/6/09 15:36 Page 1

Whenever you talk to a general MI

dealer (and a lot others, too)

and ask ‘what’s your bread and

butter business?’ the answer is usually

‘accessories, bits and pieces, the little

things, the impulse buys’. Hardly

surprising, then, that some of the biggest

names in UK supplies are very conscious

of – and focused upon – the little things

that keep a retailer’s business ticking over.

While not exactly one of the big boys

(yet), MI Direct is this year celebrating its

fifth anniversary of bringing value and

exclusive products to the market. “When

we set out, our original mantra was to

provide the independent music dealers

with quality products from overseas

manufacturing facilities, which gave

greater than average profit opportunities,”

explains one of MI Direct’s founders, Paul

Whelan. “It was important that these

products could not be found at the click

of a mouse, therefore giving the dealer a

fairly exclusive product for their shop.”

The company’s first line was the Cable

Guys brand of cables, which, with its

original marketing and obvious quality,

was soon creating a buzz for Whelan and

his co-founder, Bob Edwards. Interestingly,

the next step was to grow into a very

favourable partnership indeed – with the

Australian company Grover Allman.

“We see partnerships with customers

and suppliers as the most important

aspect of our business and we have

developed these relationships over the last

five years to a very personal level, which

has helped build the business to where it

is today,” explains Whelan. “The Grover

Allman relationship has really flourished.

“It contacted us early on with the

Simpsons range of plectrums. It had been

involved in the UK before, but had not

really received the penetration for their

products that it had wanted. We naturally

jumped at the opportunity.”

Whelan and Edwards were well

prepared for such a product. They had

been involved with licensed products in

the early ‘80s when they worked in the

toy industry and knew right away the

impact licensed images can have on

product sales. There was, Whelan explains,

an immediate chemistry between his

company and the Australians and a lot in

common in the way each side viewed

business relationships. From the beginning,

the two sides have worked closely,

developing a range of products under the

Simpsons brand – guitar straps, manuscript

bags, ukuleles and classical guitars

(targeting both boys and girls).

Other licensed products followed, with

South Park picks and straps and now the

latest addition to be developed and

coming soon to the UK will be Family Guy

– thus making an impressive triumvirate of

irreverent cartoons. Family Guy, as with

the others, will hit the streets with a range

of guitar picks and develop from there.

Today with Whelan and Kevin Grover as

complementary managing directors, MID

is developing other ranges of accessories

with Grover Allman, including MI Direct’s

Guitar Buddy brand, which will also

incorporate the GA branding. Grover and

Whelan believe that brand building is

important to the development of their

respective products and Whelan points to

the success of Cable Guys guitar and

audio leads as an example. “We have built

a brand that people now ask for by name.

These cables are manufactured to a very

high quality and offer profit opportunities

of 200 per cent mark-up.”

The relationship between GA and MI

Direct has not stopped there and further

partnerships have been born, like when MI

Direct introduced GA into new countries

such as Norway. MID has benefited from

expanding contacts in Australia through

GA, developing the growing range of

Renegade straplocks and leather straps

from Colonial Leather. These relationships

have allowed the individual businesses to

dovetail and the collective strength will

help, MID believes, to build some strong

product brands in the future.

The latest development for MID has

been the agreement with Lesley Kane’s

new Irish distribution operation, KMI.

“A fortuitous meeting in Frankfurt this

year between us, Lesley and Kevin meant

we could move forward with expansion,

with someone we knew and who we

believed would become an important

partner,” relates Whelan. “Both Kevin and I

recognise the difficulty covering these

areas and we see sub-distributors as an

integral part of a growing network of

partners.” (The company has had a similar

relationship with Steve Clinkscale in

Scotland over recent years.)

The firm has also gone through some

personnel changes and has become a

limited company, with Whelan and

Edwards as directors and Denise Whelan

becoming company secretary.

“We never underestimate the small

products,” says Whelan. “These are

impulse buys and can only enhance

retailers’ sales, and profits.”

Amen to that. And with so many small

companies working together to create

something that is bigger than the sum of

the parts, understanding each other’s

business and what each business

demands, all working together to get

value-for-money products to the end user,

everyone involved can feel very good

about making more than a little money.

Amen to that, too.

MI DIRECT: 01543 473762

COMPANY PROFILE • MI DIRECT

With some of the most sought-after licences in the industry and a new distribution deal in Ireland, MI Direct is a

company that is going places fast. Rob Power finds out more…

Direct and to the point

Bob Edwards (left) and Paul Whelan


32 mip110_FINAL 25/6/09 09:36 Page 1

summerfield full page 23/6/09 11:54 Page 1

After a successful four years, 2008

sadly marked the end of the DJ

Show North, after organiser Paul

Arnett observed a drop in enthusiasm

among DJs for non-retail events, such as

his. It was a great shame for the North to

lose its only DJ-focused show, but for the

electrical and related product distributor,

CPC, it provided a golden opportunity to

build some awareness of its steadily

increasing presence in the MI market.

Established in 1967, CPC has over 40

years experience of serving a large and

diverse customer base. The company

stocks more than 100,000 products from

over 1,200 manufacturers and adds a

mind-boggling 10,000 new lines every

year. A growing percentage of this stock

includes sound and light equipment and

this has recently led to the addition of

musical instruments.

Chris Beesley, product manager for AV

and installation, explains: “We pretty much

cover all markets, but at the moment

we’re playing a big role in the sound and

light markets and that extends into the

musical instrument sector. We stock a

reasonable range of budget instruments –

we don’t go into the higher-end branded

instruments, but we’re starting to import

more and more MI products ourselves. This

allows us to give music shops cracking

deals, from which they can resell at very

reasonable prices, give the end-user a

great deal and still yield a good margin.”

CPC is a relatively new player in MI

distribution and this, combined with its

philosophy of spreading thinly across a

huge number of markets, has meant that

it is still unknown to many potential

customers. To remedy this it has decided

to host an open day/trade show aimed at

the sound and light sector in general,

where those who could benefit from its

services can find out more about the

company and the products it sells. The

date is set for the last weekend in July, on

which DJ Show North was previously held.

“For us it’s about being better known in

the industry,” notes Beesley. “We cross

over a very wide range of products, so if

we open our doors and let them in, they

can come and meet us and find out

exactly what we do. The cancellation of

the DJ show left a free date as far as

Northern MI shows are concerned. We

figured that a good proportion of people

who would have gone to that show would

also have an interest in what we had to

offer. So we jumped on the back of that

and decided to hold our own show the

same weekend – it’s already one that

people recognise as having a sound and

light show. It seems like the best chance

to generate a bit more awareness of CPC

in the industry.”

The option of employing an external

venue was considered, but CPC decided

that the more personal environment of its

own offices was preferable. It is important

for trade visitors to have a look around

and get a feel for how it operates.

As Beesley says, CPC has an enormous

site – hundreds of thousands of square

feet – so there is ample room to fit

everyone in.

Called Sounds and FX Live, the show is

to be based around CPC’s new catalogue

of the same name, which details the

1,100-plus MI-related products that the

firm stocks. The event will bring together

25 manufacturers, showcasing more than

65 brands, many of which are recognised

industry heavyweights, such as Kam,

Sennhesier, Adam Hall and many more.

Exhibitors will be on hand to provide live

demonstrations of the latest products and

offer expert advice and guidance.

“The open day is designed to let

industry people know who we are and

what we do,” concludes Beesley. “From the

end-user, through education, right up to

trade level, where we already have

dedicated account managers dealing with

music shops all over country. We have a

lot to offer MI and this is set to grow.”

CPC’s Sounds and FX Live show takes

place on Sunday July 26th at the firm’s

offices in Fulwood, Preston. Information

and registration can be found at

http://cpc.farnell.com.

CPC: 01772 664832

COMPANY PROFILE • CPC

Taking a growing interest in the MI market, CPC has decided to publicise its diversification with a trade show. Rob

Hughes finds out how the demise of the DJ Show North has opened up the prospect of new business…

Informal introduction


34 mip110_FINAL 24/6/09 17:52 Page 1

Project1:Layout 1 20/2/09 16:03 Page 1

Filling the gap

COMPANY PROFILE • FENDER

With what is probably the broadest collection of guitar brands on its books, Fender is approaching each

one on a step-by-step basis. Hamer is at the forefront at the moment and Gary Cooper discovers that

the team has a very clear idea as to how this famous US brand will slot in…

When MI Pro sits down to quiz

Fender GBI’s Mark Ramsay

(Jackson/KMC brands manager),

Neil Whitcher (marketing communications

manager) and Graeme Mathieson (general

manager – pictured above), about their

plans for Hamer, we can’t help but be

reminded of our December 2008 interview.

When we spoke to Mathieson back

then, one of the first ‘off the record’ issues

we wanted to discuss with him was the

vacuum left in the UK guitar market by

Gibson’s decision to sell exclusively

through a small number of appointed

dealers. It had proved to be possibly the

most controversial move in British guitar

retailing for a decade or more and, for all

that those appointed by Brand G will tell

you how well they are doing as a result,

there is still anger and frustration among

others, some of whom had been doing

excellent business, particularly with the

affordable and popular Epiphone range.

Why should this bother Fender? Because,

when it acquired the Kaman stable it took

on, in the form of Hamer, one of the few

guitar ranges which could comfortably fit

into some of that empty space – what has

been called the ‘Gibson gap’.

Though a bigger name in its native USA

than here, Hamer’s vaguely Gibson-like

designs have tremendous cachet at the

top end of the market, while its Far

Eastern sourced XT range could potentially

save a lot of retailers from having to turn

away business when customers come

looking for Epiphone models they can no

longer supply. It’s not that the XTs are

copies – it’s that they do similar jobs and

come with a recognised US brand pedigree.

Fender GBI is far too professional to talk

publicly about going head-to-head with

another major manufacturer and really

would prefer not to mention the

competition by name at all, but that

inhibition doesn’t apply to commentators

– so we can say that the company’s

recent decision to ‘go for it’ with Hamer is

likely to be the source of some serious

interest to retailers. Particularly at a time

when they are looking forward to the

buying season getting under way in the

autumn and are wondering whether

anything has yet come along to fill the

gaps on their walls.

“We’ve taken some time to

identify where Hamer sits in the UK

market,” Ramsay says. “The XT

range fits quite nicely in the lower

to intermediate level, with prices

ranging from £229 to almost £600.”

Ramsay sees the potential XT

buyer in quite definite terms: “It’s the

general player, but with a slight bias

toward the younger end – say those

aged from ten to their early 20s,

“What sets Hamer XTs apart is the quality of

them. There are models that cater for a number

of needs in terms of the style.”

Mark Ramsey, Fender GBI


36,37 mip110_FINAL 24/6/09 17:17 Page 1

who want a first or intermediary guitar and who are

looking to spend that bit extra more than they perhaps

did on the entry level guitar they bought first time.

“What sets Hamer XTs apart is the quality of them.

There are models there that cater for a number of

needs in terms of the style and they are all very well

made. We’ve got guitars with Floyd Rose tremolos

on them; we’ve got guitars with high spec Seymour

Duncan and EMG pickups. There’s something for

everyone – it’s quite a wide range.

“You pick up a Hamer XT and you don’t think

you’ve picked up a Far Eastern guitar – you think

that you’ve picked up a really good quality guitar.”

Ramsay says it would be wrong, however, to think of

Hamer simply as a substitute for anything else. “That

would be the wrong way to think about it. It’s a brand

that exists in its own right and has a reason to exist

because of the quality, the range and the price points.

BUILDING THE BRAND

Good though the guitars might be, there is certainly no

shortage of good, cheap guitars on the market today. A

retailer has any number of options and even a few

significant brands in their own right aren’t unheard of in

this price range. But what Hamer offers is a name that

has serious American pedigree.

However, though Hamer is undoubtedly a well-

respected brand among older cognoscenti, it has had a

troubled history in the UK. Only in the past few years

has it achieved anything like its potential and it’s never

having received its promotional dues. Fender has had,

therefore, to plan carefully to establish the name with

the younger players.

“There’s a definite vibe that we need to get going

with the XT series,” says Whitcher, whose job it is to re-

establish Hamer under the Fender banner here. “We’re

pitching it right in there for the people who don't just

want the obvious shapes like a Strat, a Tele or a Les Paul.

In the XT range you’ve got a wider choice of styles to

choose from, with a V-shape, an Explorer-like and a

double cutaway model, and we need to pitch it for

those potential buyers.”

“It won’t happen overnight, we know that,”

adds Mathieson. “Players of 30 years and older

will know about Hamer, but an 18-year-old

probably won’t even know who Cheap Trick

was, whose Rick Nielsen was such a big

endorser for Hamer. So our first priority is

to get some ads out there to make them

aware of the brand and to get them into

the stores to give dealers the

opportunity to sell them.

“We think our first step with Hamer

is getting the product out on show,

which is what we are doing right

now. When people see them in the

stores and see what price they

are, they can reach their own

conclusions and we’re pretty sure the reaction is going

to be, ‘Blimey – is that that price?’”

“In terms of the marketing, we’ve created a new

catalogue with a fresher look and there will be

advertising in the consumer guitar magazines, but our

focus is very much based on the product itself,” adds

Whitcher. “We haven’t been working on the artist side

of Hamer yet – in fact we’re really at the first stages

with it and that means getting it to the dealers so that

they can see the opportunity that’s there for them.”

That said, Fender isn’t the only guitar maker bidding

to fill this market gap, so what is it that makes Fender

the place for a dealer to put his business, over and

above the appeal of the guitars themselves?

“We’re becoming a bit of a one-stop shop for some

retailers,” says Mathieson. “We’ve got the brands and it’s

all part of a single cash-flow stream with those dealers.

It becomes easier to handle when it’s all under one

account, so dealing with us is very easy. And it’s

important to realise that we’re not trying to cast our

net very wide with Hamer. We’re not looking for 500

dealers. We’re in the first stages of brand building and if

we end up with 50 dealers or 100 dealers, then that’s

what it will be and we’ll grow the line gradually, as we’re

doing with some of the other brands we took over, such

as Genz-Benz and SWR.”

SUPPLY AND DEMAND

Which brings us to the question of supply, although,

perhaps predictably, Fender is more than confident that,

should Hamer suddenly become flavour of the month, it

could supply in the sort of quantity that could be

demanded. “That’s not going to be a problem,”

Mathieson promises.

“There is definitely a gap that has emerged in the

market and we can only put that down to a lack of

availability to the end user,” he continues. “If you’re

looking to buy a product that costs £1,500 to £2,000,

you don’t mind travelling a bit, but if you’re looking to

spend £200 or £300 you don’t want to travel any

great distance.

“This is really our first toe in the water with Hamer as

a brand and we’ve taken our time working out what we

are going to do with it. We think now is the time and

that there are a lot of smaller and medium-sized dealers

out there that haven’t got a suitable product in this

market area.”

With a strong enough consumer push and some

mining of the brand’s heritage, it’s hard not to see

Hamer’s XT series as being in with a serious chance. It

certainly has competitors in its price range, but some of

the more serious of those with US connections are

aimed squarely at the heavy metal market and Hamer is

broader in its appeal than that. Whether Hamer’s hour

has finally come in the UK remains to be seen, but a lot

of retailers will be considering its attractions very

seriously over the next two or three months.

FENDER GBI: 01342 331726

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36,37 mip110_FINAL 24/6/09 17:17 Page 2

Make a better mousetrap and the

world will beat a path to your

door. Or maybe not. Ralph Waldo

Emerson certainly thought so, but his

fellow American, Kevin Bolembach, though

he certainly builds impressive gear, has

had to hustle pretty hard to get it into the

UK market – though the dam might now

be about to burst.

Bolembach’s company, Godlyke

Distribution, makes the well regarded

digital Power-All step-down power system

for effects pedals, distributed here by

Rocky Road. It has a lot going for it – not

least because it is transformer-less, thus

hum-free, can work on any international

mains and can supply more than 20 9V

devices from a single outlet.

It has taken a while for the Power-All to

get going, but now Bolembach has novel

ideas on the way and he is looking to find

further UK outlets for some of them.

Goldlyke is unusual for a boutiquey

manufacturer in that, as its name

suggests, it is also a fully fledged

distributor in its own right in the USA,

handing products including Guyatone,

Emma, Maxon and Hao pedals. Indeed, it

has made analog boutique effects pedals a

speciality and is now becoming a

manufacturer, with its innovative Little

Dipper, under its own TWA brand.

“Over the past ten to 20 years there

have been great advances in digital

technology,” Bolembach says. “One of the

best applications has been in power

supplies. The copper coil transformer that

has been the industry standard since there

has been an industry is now going the way

of the dinosaur. Copper is expensive, it’s

heavy, costs are rising and, on top of that,

transformer-based power supplies are

incredibly inefficient. Much of the energy

is lost as heat. About ten years ago they

developed digital switching technology

and that’s what we are using in Power-All.

It’s incredibly efficient, there’s no heat loss

and it can take any line voltage and bring

it down to nine Volts DC, so it’s usable

anywhere and it meets all the

international safety ratings.”

Aside from its technical merits, there is

another factor that makes the Power-All a

hot sales prospect – it’s an affordable toy

in a recession. “Maybe a musician can’t

afford to go out and spend £500 on a new

guitar or amplifier, but £100 on a new

effect pedal is a different proposition and

what we have with Power-All is an

accessory to the accessories. It also means

the retailer just needs to stock this one

power supply, which will handle any effect

his customer has. It’s a one-stop shop for

power supplies – the Power-All will do

absolutely everything.”

Sold in two forms – as a power supply

only, or with multiple leads for daisy-

chaining up to 11 pedals with a variety of

jumper cables to suit any pedal (even

vintage and obscure ones), it’s an

affordable purchase for the musician who

likes to buy good quality gear, but isn’t in

the mood for a new Les Paul. Also in the

Power-All range are a ground reverser,

making vintage UK pedals more easily

usable in modern multi-pedal arrays, and a

variety of other geeky accessories for the

still strong pedal market.

Godlyke’s latest product, the Little

Dipper pedal, sees the company heading

directly into the boutique pedal market,

though at present has no UK distributor.

“TWA is our new brand name – Totally

Wicked Audio – and the first product is

the Little Dipper, an envelope controlled

filter designed to emulate the vowel

sounds from human speech, which it does

using a velocity sensitive dual filter matrix.

It’s very reactive to picking dynamics from

the guitar player and as the filters sweep

across each other they create frequency

notches, then follow the note envelope. It

creates ‘AEIOU’ vowel sounds and some

really interesting dynamic effects –

emulating talk boxes, phase shifters, auto-

wahs. It’s got a lot of applications.”

Having distributed some interesting

Japanese pedal brands for a decade,

Bolembach has done his research and says

there is a definite gap in the market for

the Little Dipper, something he has

enhanced by making it as cool to look at

as he says it sounds.

“We’re currently looking for a UK

distributor for TWA and Little Dipper,”

Bolembach says. “It’s not a cheap product

– in the States it will retail on the high

street for $300, so it could be around

£300 in the UK, but it is a really unique

product, 100 per cent made in the USA,

not aimed at a price point. It’s for pros,

boutique guys and it’s the first of a range

with a second unit now in prototype stage

which we hope to be able to release

before the end of the year.”

And available when in the UK? Watch

this space.

GODLYKE: +1 866 246 3595

COMPANY PROFILE • GODLYKE


Spare a thought for the smaller manufacturers, often one-man bands toiling away in workshops to get the quality they

believe in – and it is usually about quality. Gary Cooper finds out what makes Godlyke's Kevin Bolembach tick...

Godlyke supplies

BOLEMBACH:

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38 mip110_FINAL 24/6/09 16:36 Page 1

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Music Trades '08 5/12/08 10:12 Page 1


There are some companies that have

become part of the MI furniture.

They seem always to have been

around, they continue to be so and we

assume they always will – until you stop

and think about it for a second, that is.

Staying in business (in MI particularly),

requires a constant vigilance just to keep

apace. Anyone that has survived more

than 30 years is always worth revisiting in

order to assess what is new.

Strings & Things’ story, beginning with

how it sprouted from the head of the

near-legendary Top Gear retail operation

on Denmark Street in the 1970s, has been

told many times. But with founder Rod

Bradley celebrating his 65th birthday the

day before I spoke to him, it seemed an

ideal time to get the latest chapter.

For a start, forget about retirement.

Bradley simply doesn’t have the time.

“Chance would be a fine thing,” he says. “I

get to see a bit more cricket now than I

used to, but there’s still lots to do here.”

Strings & Things started out, as the

name implies, selling strings and

accessories to the trade – and this is still a

major part of the company’s business,

with the main contract being Ernie Ball, as

well as joint distribution deals for

D’Addario and Dunlop and its own Picato

brand. But when Ernie Ball took over the

Music Man brand in the ‘80s, the company

found itself at the very heart of the music

business. (The fact that Ernie Ball and, by

default, Music Man is still the core of

Strings & Things business is another

tribute to the staying power of Bradley

and his team.)

The recent news from the stable is the

new Sterling by Musicman range of mid-

to-high priced guitars and basses. “They

have been trying to do this for a while

now,” explains Bradley. “Originally, there

were the Subs – all US made, but because

of that it was difficult to compete. Then

they tried the OLP range, made in the Far

East. These went quite well, but the

diversity of the sources eventually brought

the whole thing to a halt. The Sterling by

Musicman instruments are made in the

Far East too, but everything goes to

California for quality control. The launch

of these has been pretty impressive.”

Dealers had only received initial

shipments as MI Pro went to press, with

the second shipment due later in July.

“We’ve got some big back orders already,”

he adds.

Sterling is not an entry-level brand, by

any means, but it enables the end users to

get their hands on a genuine Music Man

design for half the price.

Another major brand for Strings &

Things is the Hercules range of stands.

“We have been doing XCG stands for a

while now,” explains Bradley. “It’s a

Taiwanese company we have a very close

relationship with, so when they came up

with Hercules a few years ago, we got first

shout. It’s an excellent product with some

really good features – it’s all part of the

bread and butter of our business.”

The company will also be taking on

Paiste and Vic Firth – it handled the Paiste

brand for many years, and has recently

entered into an agreement with Korg to

sub-distribute these brands.

All of this means that Strings & Things

has seen considerable growth over the

past year and will need to expand to keep

up. “We’re in the process of taking more

space,” he says. “It’s the good fortune we

have of having such good brands – they

grow and we grow with them. And it’s

good to have Paiste here again, too. With

Pete Lunney (general manager), Mark

Snelling (director and purchasing

manager) and me all having been around

for a while, we know how to talk to the

right people and keep things changing –

and that is so important for business.”

Despite success over the years, Bradley

has kept his feet on the ground. When I

ask him if things have changed since the

days when he wanted to change the

world, he says that was never on his mind.

“We didn’t think like that. Music changes,

so we change, too. We are a cog in that

wheel and our job is to help musicians get

out and create as they want to. You don’t

come across many innovators in MI – but,

for want of a better word, we are here to

service music makers. That’s the beauty of

this industry – who knows what we’ll be

doing next year.”

STRINGS & THINGS: 01273 440442

COMPANY PROFILE • STRINGS & THINGS

Strings & Things has been the staple of MI retail consumption for well over 30 years now since its well documented

beginnings. Andy Barrett discovers that the only consistent element in such a stable history is change…

“Music changes, so we change, too. We are a cog

in the wheel to help musicians create.”

Rod Bradley, Strings & Things

Left to right: Mark

Snelling, Peter Lunney and

Rod Bradley – talking to

the right people

Sterling efforts

41 mip110_FINAL 24/6/09 16:50 Page 1

Although the art of re-invention is

central to the popular music

business, it is something of an

oddity in business – and virtually non-

existent in MI business. Thus Audio

Technica’s activities of the past three

years have stood out as something of a

showcase when it comes to re-branding

and then re-examining and tweaking that

branding on a regular basis.

Behind it all is AT’s senior marketing

manager, Harvey Roberts, a man with an

unimpeachable pedigree, having worked in

similar ways with both Fuji and Psion

before joining the Leeds mic operation.

Since giving the Audio Technica brand a

complete facelift in 2006, Roberts and his

team have been analysing every aspect of

the business, even going as far as running

an anonymous survey through Music Tech

magazine late last year. The results were

pretty encouraging.

“We wanted a warts-and-all perspective

of how we are seen, by both end users and

retailers,” explains Roberts. “Obviously, we

get feedback from the sales team that is

pretty accurate, but that will never reveal

any little home truths. It’s all very well

sitting in your office and believing this or

that, but every now and then it’s better to

get the information first hand.”

Interestingly, from the dealers, the

prime reasons for recommending a mic

were the customer service available,

product availability and speed of delivery.

Audio Technica was encouraged to see

that it came top in these areas.

“Over 80 per cent said our customer

service was ‘good’ or ‘very good’ – 52 per

cent saying ‘very good’,” says Roberts.

“This proved to me that the product is not

just the microphone, but that and

everything around it.”

At this point, a lot of companies might

have been tempted to say: ‘well, that’s all

right then’ and carry on. Audio Technica,

on the other hand, saw it as an

opportunity to strengthen its positives.

“Some of the changes we have made

have been on-going, such as restructuring

the field sales team and co-ordinating

them with a team member in the Leeds

office – all of this was happening anyway,

but it still fits the scheme in that it is

important to have the left hand knowing

what the right hand is doing.

“On top of that, we have extended our

opening times for the customer service

department to be more in line with the

hours the retailers work – 8am to 5:30pm

– and we will be opening over Christmas

in future, just as the retailers have to. The

Christmas break can be as much as two

weeks and it is a busy time in the shops

with lots of queries and even returns.

Forcing the dealer to say ‘I’m sorry, there

won’t be anyone at Audio Technica until

January 3rd’ simply isn’t good enough.”

Further to that, the entire office-based

sales team is taking an NVQ in customer

service. Some might argue that sales

people need good customer skills anyway,

but it transfers to the office workers, too.

It’s no-one’s job to simply answer the

phone and then pass the buck.

Then there is the new regime of weekly

calls to check on back orders, a new

website (partly beta tested by the UK

retailers). It all goes towards making Audio

Technica an accessible company and not

one that, through the sort of growth that

all companies aspire to, becomes slowly

more corporate and faceless.

“We are a family company at heart,”

insists Roberts. “So, yes, you’re right to say

we aim to be more accessible. This comes

from asking ourselves why we do

something and how customers see us.”

Taking this into account, the Music Tech

survey put AT at the top as regards mic

companies’ websites. “The figures weren’t

good, though,” he admits. “A third of

respondents said the site was adequate or

poor, so this is why we have gone out to

make it better, more user-friendly, more

interactive and with easier, broader search

functions. Users customise their pages to

fit their interests and specialisations. I’m

really pleased with the results.”

Despite this, Roberts says there will be

further tweaks and additional functions to

the site over the next year or so.

Perhaps the most significant fact of all

of this, however, is the fact that none of it

has happened in a vacuum. Each element

has an effect or an influence on every

other one, co-ordinating the sales teams,

warehousing, IT and customer service to

bring an integrated system to dealers and

end users, while all the time projecting the

image of a single, considerate company.

“It’s nothing ground-breaking,” says

Roberts. “It’s simply making the best use

of what we have and making sure that it

works together.”

AUDIO TECHNICA: 0113 277 1441

COMPANY PROFILE • AUDIO TECHNICA


While few companies have made more impression upon its end-user community than Audio Technica recently, the

company is keen not to rest on its laurels. Andy Barrett discovers that, for good service, you have to run to stand still...

“We are a family company at heart. So, yes, you

are right to say we aim to be more accessible.”

Harvey Roberts

Servicing needs

Audio Technica’s office-based sales team in Leeds (left) and Harvey Roberts

42 mip110_FINAL 24/6/09 17:33 Page 1

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folk boom:Layout 1 10/06/2009 11:41 Page 1

Guitar players have developed an

unhealthy fascination with preamp

distortion... Well, that’s the line

being put forward by Laney at the

moment – and the closer you look, the

more you might find yourself agreeing.

Where did this obsession come from?

Talking to Headstock’s sales manager,

Lindsay Harvey, and marketing manager,

Simon Fraser-Clark, the answer is clear. It

boils down to the actions of one Mr Eddie

Van Halen.

“Adding an extra preamp tube to his

amps sounded the death knell for a

significant part of our guitar playing

cultural heritage,” asserts Fraser-Clark.

“That of power amp distortion.”

Up until this point, the argument goes,

our musical cultural heritage had reflected

the sound of amplifiers being driven hard

– both preamps and power amps wound

up to give guitar players that golden

sound of rich harmonic compression.

This preamp obsession did not go

unnoticed by Laney and, a few years ago,

the company decided to do something

about it.

“It’s important in the amp business to

be seen as cool,” muses Harvey. “To have

that you need a good reputation,

definitely, but you have to make sure you

stay the course as well.”

Laney has certainly done that. The

manufacturer has been producing valve

guitar amps continuously since 1967 and

has enjoyed considerable success for the

past decade. Over those years the

emphasis on bigger amps and increased

preamp distortion became the dominant

factor in amp production – ‘more gain,

please’ seems to have been the

resounding battle cry of the MTV and

weekend warrior generation.

Combine this with the vast

improvement in the availability of quality,

affordable PA and you can guarantee that

the first thing a sound engineer will say to

a guitarist at sound check is ‘you can turn

that down for a start’. Setting good tone

at low volumes means preamp overdrive.

“We came to realise that we, and that’s

guitar players in general, were losing a

major part of our tonal heritage,”

continues Fraser-Clark. “Reversing this

trend became a bit of an obsession and

resulted in a mission to allow players to

rediscover the sound of a small amp being

pushed hard – an amp where you are

listening to both parts of the amplifier, the

pre amp and the power amp being pushed

hard and being made to work.”

Enter the LC15 in 1996, a highly

affordable low-Watt valve amp and the

first to tap into this trend of realisation

that small can be beautiful when it comes

to tone. The LC15 has gone on to sell over

10,000 units and remains one of the

definitive small valve amps on the market.

This small is beautiful philosophy is

something that is still closely associated

with Laney products.

“Small really is beautiful when it comes

to Laney,” says Harvey. “The Lionheart and

the newly launched Cub ranges have all

taken on board the low Wattage idea and

resulted in great sounding and very

appealing amplifiers. The Cub 8 and Cub

10 offer players amazing sounds and very

competitive prices and make real valve

tone available to everyone now.”

With the products most definitely right,

Harvey believes, and the products ticking

over nicely, the next step is to get the

message across to the dealers. “It really is

the dealers that make the difference,” he

points out. “Having them onside and

understanding the principles at work here

can make an immense difference. Yes, the

hi-gain sounds are popular, but those in

the know can point out where the best

sound comes from.

“Laney has over 40 years of heritage, so

a lot of people know what we are about

anyway, but the Cubs are something new

that also embrace that heritage, not turn

away from it. There is a good selling point

there.” For Laney – and hopefully for the

dealers and end-users, too, beautiful things

really do come in small packages.

HEADSTOCK: 0121 508 6666

COMPANY PROFILE • HEADSTOCK


Preamp distortion, it would seem, has become something of a pre-requisite in amp design of late, but try telling that to

the folks at Laney. Andy Barrett takes a look at the famous manufacturer’s latest take on the oldest of traditions…

Lindsay Harvey (left) and Simon Fraser-Clark believe in Laney’s small beauties

The power and the glory

44 mip110_FINAL 24/6/09 17:34 Page 1

We’re based in Rothley in

Leicestershire, basically about as

central in the UK as you can

get. I travel every day from Nottingham,

but the travelling is pretty good for me as

all the rush hour traffic is going in the

opposite direction.

Days can be pretty varied – I don’t tend

to do the same thing from day to day.

Once I get in of a morning one of my

main responsibilities – as I’m head of

advertising and graphics – is to get stuck

into that side of things straight away. A lot

of it is branding and advertising within

Soar Valley Music. The advertising side of

it is all about trying to present the

company in a true light through liaising

with magazines and dealing with the right

people. For example, as far as Soar Valley

goes, it is important that dealers are clear

where we stand as a company with our

positive ethical trading on our drums.

Around midday I can start to

concentrate more on the day-to-day

running of the company. I have a rich

diversity of responsibilities in my daily

routine, and at Soar Valley it’s over and

above simple importation and distribution

– it’s more than it says on the tin in some

respects. We all have responsibilities that

cross over, and it’s very much a team

effort here, which is reflected nicely in our

relationships with dealers.

I put together costings and Samba kits

for our dealers, who often get enquiries

from schools that don’t know what they’re

looking for but have a wad of cash allocated

to invest in Brazilian or African gear. One of

my responsibilities is to put together kits

that let customers know what is out there.

We’re quite a small company: there are

five people in the office and three in the

warehouse who prepare everything to get

out of the door. It’s all hands on deck here

– the company has been going for 25

years and has managed to build up a good

reputation which keeps us going. I’ve been

here for 15 years now, and it’s a great

place to work. It’s a nice atmosphere to

work in and our new building is

overlooking a really nice countrified view.

I’m heavily involved in the branding –

we develop new brands for the UK market

with our manufacturers. We have a new

range of electronic drums coming soon

that I’ve been working on – called

Techtonic. I’ve produced logos, marketing

support material, adverts and POS

information for our dealers. I’m trained as

a graphic designer and I’ve been able to

hone those skills here which has been very

handy, both personally and professionally.

We’ve also got a new range of drums,

which have been produced specifically for

Soar Valley by Remo, and I’ve been doing

graphics for that. As a wholesaler, we can

do a lot of extra things as we have the

resources here to be able to do that.

When I get home, there’s also plenty

going on. It was my own personal interest

in music that got me involved with Soar

Valley in the first place. I play in a band

called In Isolation. We’re a new wave band

– we recently headlined Club NME in

Derby, which was great. I have also

devised a promotional tool for bands and

punters on Twitter called Follow an Indie

Band Wednesday which allows bands and

listeners to recommend bands, so I’m

pretty busy.

I WOKE UP THIS

MORNING

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO JULY 2009 45

PROFILE

RYAN SWIFTSoar Valley Music

Ryan Swift of Soar Valley Music takes us through his day, beginning with the commute and ending with a gig or two...

45 Mipro110_FINAL 24/6/09 17:37 Page 1

LOCATION REPORT

A return to

sunny Swindon

RETAIL13 proves lucky for some

NEWS, OPINION, DATA

As MI Pro went to press, the 13th JHS

Event was in full flow (June 21st to

24th), with (as ever) the sun shining

and enthusiastic comments from both

sides of the order book.

Full figures will be reported in the next

issue, but needless to say, attendance was

impressive on the opening Sunday, giving

dealers the chance to get some of the

best deals of the year, while enjoying a

pint and a plate of food, some relaxed

chatter and a nice day out for the family

to boot. There really is nothing like it.

Of note this year was the quantity and

quality of exhibitors that had taken

advantage of the in-house trade show.

These included the online, e-tailing expert,

Retail Up, Manchester’s print distributor,

Music Exchange and Future Publishing,

which was at the show to flag up the

Music Radar website and its music titles.

Gordon O’Hara of Retail Up was

extremely pleased with the results of his

attendance. “It’s been good, very up-beat

and a lot of business done,” he said. “I’m

impressed with the blend achieved.”

Talking to JHS’ MD, Dennis Drumm, at

the end of the Monday, his satisfaction

was palpable. “It’s been fantastic. Sunday’s

sales look to be well up on last year and

with two days still to go, it’s

fingers crossed for a record year.”

On top of the exhibiting ‘guests’, JHS

had brought in a record number of its own

suppliers – of particular note being Larry

Fishman and Joe Barbieri of Fishman

Acoustic, talking dealers through the

impressive Fishman Solo portable PA.

Other suppliers of interest included

Kustom Amplification’s Ted Burger, Erjan

van der Laan from Dunlop Manufacturing,

Allen & Heath’s Bob Goleniowski and

Martin Daley, US Danelectro clinician and

demo artist, Danny Dugan and Manuel

Rodriguez Junior of Rodriguez Guitars.

As well as some impressive looking new

Vintage models (acoustic and electric, the

latter featuring some additions to the

Vintage Icon range), JHS is now the

exclusive distributor for Trevor Wilkinson’s

Italia guitars. “It probably won’t come as a

surprise to anyone,” said Drumm, “but

we’re very pleased to have these guitars

here. They fit into a very special niche in

the market and there are a lot of fans out

there – dealers, as well as end users.”

JHS Event again brings the best of MI business in relaxed atmosphere with own brands and extensive exhibitor attendance

NEWSCredit card

regulations,

Headstock

latest, Cliff

Owen

BEHIND THE COUNTERNever mind the

economy, it’s

hot in here

INDIE PROFILE

Mark 1 Music,

Kent

The JHS band led by Geoff Whitehorn (centre) accompanied business and pleasure

47 MiPro110_FINAL 24/6/09 17:54 Page 1


RETAIL • NEWS

Credit regs affect MICard companies’ extensive requirements now moving ‘downmarket’

RETAIL UP’S Gordon O’Hara, in

the latest of his online features

with MI Pro, has flagged the

updated requirements of credit

card companies on retailers and

other providers of card facilities.

A consortium of credit card

companies – having already

successfully imposed strict e-

commerce credit card processing

rules on major companies – are

now moving ‘downmarket’ to

impose the same strict

requirements on mid-sized and

smaller businesses, explains

O’Hara in his piece, which can

be read on the MI Pro website.

In order for stores to continue

to accept Visa, MasterCard,

American Express and other

cards, the Payment Card

Industry (PCI) Data Security

Standards (DSS) now require

proof of compliance.

These include a 240-question

survey of internal policies,

programming, hosting

arrangements and management

controls that apply to the site

and a quarterly scan that

includes (on average) 25,000 or

more tests of retailers’ site’s

ability to prevent hacker and

programming attacks that allow

unauthorised access to card

numbers and security codes.

“The requirements are

substantial and should not be

underestimated,” said O’Hara.

“They require a highly detailed

programming policy that can be

examined at any time, strict

management controls over how

new programming is produced,

tested and approved, and insist

that hosting facilities will no

longer (in essence) be

maintained in the store due to

requirements for controlled

access and firewalls.”

The article outlines all of the

requirements, as well as

solutions to achieving

compliance, not least, of course,

by utilising a new program from

Retail Up itself.

RETAIL UP: 020 7096 4216

Headstock’s new

products and dealers

HEADSTOCK DISTRIBUTION

has announced two new amp

ranges from Laney and a raft of

new members for its Tama

dealership network.

The first of the new Laney

ranges, named Cub, comprises

two tube amps with a

traditional look and sound in a

small package.

The single-ended, Class A

Cub 8 features an eight-inch

Celestion driver and produces

five Watts RMS from a single

6V6GT equipped power

section. Its straight-ahead pre

amp features tone and volume

and is loaded with a single

ECC83 pre amp tube.

The Cub 8 houses an

extension speaker socket on

the rear panel so it can be used

to drive a larger speaker if

necessary. (An article profiling

the company’s marketing

positioning for these new amps

can be found on page 44 of

this issue.)

Also new from Laney is the

Prism range of digital

amplifiers. Previewed at the

Frankfurt Musikmesse, these

are digital amplifiers that take

inspiration from combinations

of amplifiers and effects used

to create classic guitar tone

recordings and authentically

reproduce these to provide the

player with guitar tone

‘building blocks’.

New additions to the Tama

Elite dealership network have

been announced and are as

follows: Wembley Drum Centre,

London, Anglia Drum Centre,

Norfolk, Andertons, Guildford,

Drumwright, Reading,

Percussion House, Cardiff, PMT,

Southend and Salford,

Scheerers, Leeds, and Rhythm

Base, Glasgow.

HEADSTOCK: 0121 508 6666

New amps released by Laney and Starclassic

� Elite dealers access exclusive Tama products

A Lifetime of SatisfactionIn 2007, we introduced a unique Lifetime Warranty* across our 40 Series studio microphonesand in 2009 we are going a step further and extending this offer to include both our Artist Eliteand Artist Series ranges of wired microphones.

Unsurpassed in the market, our Lifetime Warranty offers genuine added value to every sale andreinforces our commitment to unbeatable customer service.

Call us today on 0113 277 1441 – and experience more.

*Terms and conditions apply. Visit www.audio-technica.com/warranty for full details.

Cliff Owen 1929 to 2009CLIFF OWEN, the founder and

owner of Cliff Owen Music in

Seven Kings in Essex, died on

June 11th after a short illness.

According to his son, Max,

Owen had always wanted to run

his own musical instrument

shop, having played saxophone

since his teens.

While doing his National

Service, he swapped two tickets

to a local dance for an old sax,

and began learning after lights

out under his bed covers.

“It was always his ambition to

open a store,” explained Max

Owen. “He had been a publican,

a greengrocer and an electrician,

but it was always his dream to

work in MI. He finally opened his

store in 1977.”

The first shop was a small

affair, but after two years, he

opened up the shop on the site

it is today, with some 7,000

square feet. The shop is now

managed by Max Owen.

Cliff Owen is survived by his

wife Sheila, Max, daughter Rifka

and three grandchildren.

The funeral was held on

June 16th.

O’HARA: Substantial requirements

48 Mipro110_FINAL 24/6/09 18:00 Page 1


13 – 16 October 2009 Shanghai New International Expo Centre, China

live for the music

International Exhibition for Musical Instruments and Services

For information, visit www.musikmesse.com Or email [email protected]

• over 40,000 distributors, dealers, retailers and musicians from 91 countries

• over 1,100 exhibitors showing a broad product mix of both western and traditional Chinese instruments

• set against the backdrop of one of the world’s most exciting and rapidly-developing music product markets

BEHIND THE COUNTER • RETAIL

...don’t take off all your clothes. That’s the message from our undercover reporter as MI retail takes a hit in the summer

It’s getting hot in here...

It’s getting hot out there.

Really very hot indeed. Not

hot in an ‘economic

meltdown’ kind of way, though.

This is more of a ‘why can’t we

have a paddling pool in the

shop’ situation. Customers have

begun taking it upon

themselves to parade their

shocking white limbs around

the place, as if wearing shorts

in public was acceptable

behaviour for an Englishman in

the summer time, while lobster-

faced weekend sunbathers look

nothing short of proud that

their tan was achieved in dear

old Blighty.

While all this is great news

for ice cream vendors, sun

lotion merchants and people

who sell those handy little

portable fans, it’s not such

great news for us humble MI

retailers. Summer can be a

harsh time for us, as people

spend less time indoors,

practising their instrument like

good musicians should and

spend more time frolicking –

yes, that’s right, frolicking –

about outside, chasing girls

who shed their winter layers

to display acres of flesh for all

to see.

Dark days indeed. We’ve

already seen a bit of a drop off

as the frenzied excitement that

accompanies the first truly hot

days of the year puts Joe Public

into a kind of hot weather

panic, where a whole summer’s

worth of activities must be

packed into what could turn

out to be just a few warm days.

In order to counter the sun’s

devilish plot to sink us, we’ve

been doing a bit of planning of

our own. Marketing and being

resolutely pro active will

hopefully provide the key for us

in these long, sweltering

summer months.

Phase one has been an

entirely new and improved

window display. We all know

how important the window

dressing is and now, thanks to a

concerted effort involving quite

a bit of drilling, some

hammering and a lot of

swearing, our windows look like

portals into some heavenly

music kingdom, promising

untold treasures to any passing

muso. Thankfully, all our labours

are paying off as increasing

numbers of passers by have

begun drooling at the displays,

with an awful lot of them

coming in the shop as a result.

Take that, seasonable good

weather.

Phase two has been the re-

launch of our website and

establishment of our e-

commerce wing. Nothing short

of a leap into the unknown for

us, our online adventures will

no doubt lead to wonderful

things. For now though, we’re

spreading the word and finding

out about things like this

‘Google’ machine everyone

keeps talking about. There will

no doubt be more to report on

this once things really get

going, but for now it’s nothing

short of a hop, skip and a jump

in the right direction.

One thing that is for

absolute certain is that summer

is no time for relaxing, not for

our kind anyway. Efforts must

be doubled and at our place

ideas abound as to how we can

keep customers coming

through the doors in these

scorching times. Hopefully

some of them will pay off…

NEXT MONTH...I’ll be taking a look at the

terrifying world of online

retail, as our shop takes its

first lamb-like steps into the

wider world of e-commerce.

Until then…

49 Mipro110_FINAL 24/6/09 14:32 Page 1

50 miPRO JULY 2009 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

RETAIL • INDIE PROFILE

MARK 1 MUSICKENT

Is business up or down

compared to this time last year?

It’s difficult to say – we expanded

recently, so we are up on last year

marginally, but because we moved

into a premises that’s three times

as big, it’s difficult to ascertain

what we should be doing.

Generally the trend is slightly

down, but we won’t really know

until next year.

Do you advertise the shop

locally?

Yes – we do various promotions in

football club magazines, in the

paper and in various programmes

for festivals, as well as listings.

Do you have an online

presence?

Yes. We don’t trade through it, but

it’s good to have it up there.

What do you consider to be

your main strength?

Pretty much the same as

everybody that’s in retail –

customer satisfaction. The

customer is the most important

thing. We look after our punters

and we have a loyal and regular

customer base because we do our

best for them and try to make

sure they are always kept happy.

What do you think is the most

important lesson you’ve learned

in the business so far?

That would be looking after the

customers.

What is the biggest challenge

facing you?

Online business. It’s had a massive

impact. One obvious issue is that

we end up sorting out other

people’s shit – they buy something

online and we have to fix it for

them as the online retailers can’t

do it. People don’t know what

they’re buying and it’s a big

problem. Someone will buy a kit

online and when it’s delivered they

find out it’s actually a mini drum

kit. It’s also difficult to compete

because the online people are

often simply shifting boxes, which

means their margins are lower.

Given the power, what would

you change about the industry?

I don’t really know – I guess I’d

bring in retail price policing.

FACTS & FIGURESAddress: Mark 1 Music, 12 - 16 Victoria Road, Deal, Kent, CT14 7BN

Phone: 01392 496379

Owners: Terry and Mark Cutting

Established: 1996

Employees: Eight including part timers

Best selling lines: Hard to say as we cover such a broad variety of

instruments and accessories.

50 Mipro110_FINAL 24/6/09 14:31 Page 1


KEMPSTER & SON

Well placed along a High Street with a lot

of passing traffic, Kempster & Son is, first

and foremost, a guitar shop, with a broad

selection of excellent quality acoustic and

electric instruments.

A decent amount of floor space makes

browsing the tempting treats on display

nice and easy, while extremely friendly

and highly knowledgeable staff are both

on hand and eager to help.

The store is well stocked with Fender, as

well as a dashing of Tokai and the odd

Epiphone. The electric guitar section is

well presented and competitively priced.

In terms of acoustic, Tanglewood

dominates, but there are a few treats in

store for eagle-eyed shoppers, such as the

odd Guild. Upstairs is a drum room that’s

not quite as tempting as downstairs, but

once again it’s well presented and nicely

stocked up with Zildjian cymbals and a

couple of Pearl kits.

The general feel of the place is that of a

homely store, the type that has taken all

of the best bits of the last generation of

MI shops – the service, in depth musical

knowledge, and comfortable surroundings

– and married them to the best in modern

retail. All told, it’s a great place and well

worth a visit.

HOLMES MUSIC

On the other side of the city centre from

Kempster and Son is Holmes Music.

Holmes Music has been selling MI ware to

the people of Swindon for over 40 years

now and has established itself as a real

hub in the muso community.

As well as the wide-ranging educational

facilities at the store, the Holmes family

organises events and has recently been

involved in a busy charity campaign in aid

of the Goldenhar Family Support Group.

A busy place, with a constant buzz

around it, Holmes Music has a bit of

everything on hand – organs, pianos, sheet

music, electric and acoustic guitars, and a

very decent selection of drums. Each

department has its own manager, so

expert help is only ever a question away.

Plenty of big brands have been covered

off, with Marshall, Fender and Tama all

getting plenty of floor space, while an

acoustic section features a good few

Freshman guitars on display.

Once again, friendly and helpful staff

populate the shop floor, and the whole

place gives off a positive air.

ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC

Around the corner from Holmes Music lies

Rock and Roll, a shop that used to be

awkwardly located in a knocked-through

house on the outskirts of town. Its new

home is much better, although the

proximity to the other shop must be a

shade uncomfortable for all involved.

A smaller store than its nearest

competitor, it makes up for it by ensuring

it has plenty of alternatives to its

neighbours’ gear on offer. An attractive

bunch of Orange and Hiwatt amps in one

corner compete with an array of Yamaha

guitars erring on the side of ‘metal’. Half

of the shop is given over to drums – in

particular a large Zildjian cymbal display

and a stand full to the brim with Tama

pedals and various other mouth-watering

accessories for the drummer.

Whilst certainly smaller than its

competition, it would seem that Rock and

Roll Music has plenty going on to demand

its own presence, and it ensures Swindon’s

musos are left with plenty of choice when

it comes to picking up new gear.

BRIAN TAYLOR MUSIC

Just outside of Swindon, in the flag-waving

town of Wooton Bassett, is Brian Taylor

Music, an interesting little place that looks

like somewhere Harry Potter would go for

his musical instruments.

A small shop front with plenty of Olde

Worlde charm leads to a space crammed

full of sheet music for every conceivable

instrument. Standard accessories such as

strings and straps mingle with musical

gifts – think ties, clocks, that sort of thing

– as well as an intriguing mix of instruments.

A set of junior bagpipes, flagiolets,

various weird and wonderful percussion

devices, as well as a guitar or two, are all

to be found among the various nooks and

crannies. It’s the sort of shop where one

might pick up a mandolin, having never

played one before, and buy it, simply

because it is well placed and feels like a

bit of a find.

Wooton Bassett can be rightly proud of

its interesting and heartwarming MI outlet.

The long drive down the M4 will eventually take all who travel it to glorious Swindon, home of many things, not

least the most confusing roundabout in southern England, but also a smattering of rather fine musical emporiums.

MI Pro takes a gander at what the town has to offer its musos…

Swindon

LOCATION REPORT • RETAIL

Holmes Music has a bit of everything on hand

and each department has its own manager, so

expert help is only ever a question away.

These stores ensure the

residents of Swindon can

always scratch the MI itch

51 Mipro110_FINAL 24/6/09 14:42 Page 1


MIA NEWS an update from your industry trade association

MIA says thank you to all the tradeTHE INDUSTRY-owned London

International Music Show was, the MIA

says, a great success and attracted over

21,000 visitors during the four days.

In a difficult climate that had seen

many other events and shows cancelled,

the music industry managed to pull

together and delivered a fantastic

showcase for the industry.

“We would like to thank every

exhibitor, sponsor and contractor who

made all this possible, we could not have

done it without you,” enthuses the

association’s CEO, Paul McManus.

“The trade day on the Thursday was

not helped by the Tube strike, but we still

saw over 1,500 of you at the show. It is

great to see that many of you came in

more than once as well.

“The Education Day brought in over

5,500 children and Music for Youth

facilitated a superb series of events

including the Big Gig (pictured).

“This was considered a great success

and we will definitely do more of this

next year. NAMM kindly helped us to

bring 1,000 local, underprivileged children

to the event.

“Peavey generously gave us a brilliant

industry party featuring the music of

The Commitments and a great time was

had by all.

“The dedicated public days (Saturday

and Sunday) were attended by over

14,000 people and visitors were treated

to seeing the best instruments in the

industry, together with some superb

performances from top musicians from all

over the world. The Steve Vai master-

classes were a particular success.

“For the first time, we were able to

track comments from the public as to

how they enjoyed the show (using

computer questionnaires) and we have a

very high satisfaction level from them

and they clearly like the format.

“So, success in a tricky climate, but we

know there is still lots to make better for

next year. We have asked all the industry

for comments about the pros and cons

from the show in order that we can take

all this on board before we start selling

the 2010 show. Please contact me on

[email protected] if you have any

thoughts, they are all welcome.”

MIA: 01732 750600

Industry association takes the opportunity to express gratitude to all at LIMS and calls for comments

“We saw over 1,500 trade visitors – it is great

to see so many came in more than once, too.”

Paul McManus

The Big Gig, organised by

Music for Youth

52 Mipro 110_FINAL 24/6/09 18:02 Page 1

DBT 17/6/09 15:16 Page 1

NEW PRODUCTS

HAYDEN

SPEAKEASY £1,349They say: This exquisite amp delivers a

versatility that equips it well for the

modern stage or studio.

For: Guitarists

Range: Hayden amps

Spec: 50-Watt, two-channel

(footswitchable) valve amp, separate

signal paths ahead of tone shaping stage.

Channel 1 (clean) with valve driven spring

reverb. Channel 2 with extra gain.

From: Hayden 01245 441155


LANEY

CUB SERIES VALVE AMPS

FROM £169They say: A traditional looking and

sounding small amp package, born

out of Laney's 40-year heritage.

For: Guitarists

Range: Laney combos

Spec: Two in range. Cub 8: 8"

Celestion driver, 5W, 6V6GT valve

(ECC83 preamp valve). Cub 10

(£219): 10" Custom Celestion driver,

two 6V6GT valves, Class A/B

circuitry, extra gain control.

From: Headstock 0121 508 6666

PEAVEY

PENTA ROSSINGTON

EDITION AMP £1,767.55They say: The result of a

relationship that has thrived for

more than 30 years.

For: Guitarists

Range: Peavey Penta

Spec: 140W, five mode amp on

single channel, four matched EL34

and four matched 12AX7 valves,

ceramic valve sockets, five preamp

settings with individual gain and

tone settings.

From: Peavey 01536 461234

Still catching up with

the sheer weight of

products from NAMM

and Musikmesse –

particularly in

backline

ACCESSORIES � BACKLINE � BASS & GUITAR � DRUMS � PRINT

PRODUCTS • BACKLINE

ENGL

E635 FIREBALL 100 £1369They say: Satisfies the needs of the modern

guitar player - even on the biggest stages.

For: Guitarists

Range: Engl Fireball

Spec: 100W, two-channel head, clean & lead

channels with separate gain control, bright

switch on clean channel, bottom switch for

low-end boost, passive, three-stage eq, lead

volume control, footswitchable mid boost,

master A & B volume control, power valve

monitor (LED).

From: Music Force 01780 781630

LANEY

PRISM SERIES DIGITAL

AMPS £TBCThey say: Gives the player

inspirational building blocks to

produce truly stunning guitar tones.

For: Guitarists

Range: Laney amps

Spec: Three models: P20, P35 and

P65. Each with Hero mode (Live

WISYWIG), four user channels, up to

22 tone spectrums, studio quality

programmable effects bank.

From: Headstock 0121 508 6666

ORANGE

TINY TERROR HARD WIRED

AMP £649They say: For the more discerning

guitarists, something extra is needed.

For: Guitarists

Range: Orange Terror series

Spec: Point to point, all hand wired

head, high spec transformers, carbon

comp resistors, mustard capacitors,

wider frequency response and lighter

than production version Tiny Terror.

From: Orange 020 8905 2828

MARKBASS

MOMARK MODULAR BASS

AMP SYSTEM FROM £622They say: A revolutionary system,

designed to allow players to build the

amplifier of their dreams.

For: Bassists

Range: Markbass amps

Spec: Two-unit rackable chassis in

250W, 500W & 800W versions, three

modules per amp, nine modules.

Three preamp, three eq and three

master modules.

From: Proel 020 8761 9911

54 Mipro110_FINAL 24/6/09 17:58 Page 1


QUIKLOK

SL820 KEYBOARD STAND £209.50They say: The perfect solution for home

studio and live performance.

For: Keyboard players

Range: Quiklok stands

Spec: Solid steel construction, patented

foldable design, fully adjustable tiers, nine

height positions, four angle positions,

telescoping depth for universal usage, uneven

floor compensation.

From: Freestyle 01924 455414

NUMARK

NS7 CASE £229.99 (STREET PRICE)They say: So DJs can perform with the NS7 in the

case for safety and security.

For: Numark NS7 users

Range: Numark accessories

Spec: Coffin-style flight case designed for NS7,

wood construction, metal reinforcement, two

casters and handle for transport, removable front &

back panels, fits laptop stand.

From: Numark Alesis 01252 341400

ACCESSORIES • NEW PRODUCTS

BOSS

TU-1000 TUNER £239They say: A huge, striking, high-

intensity LED metre for visibility

on dark stages.

For: Musicians

Range: Boss tuners

Spec: Floorboard tuner, powers

up to six effects processors, two

audio outputs (one with direct

signal flow), open and

alternative tunings.

From: Roland 01792 702701

FUSION

F3 GIGBAGS £45They say: This bag offers far

more than other regular lower

end gigbags.

For: Musicians

Range: Fusion F3

Spec: 15mm high density padding,

water resistant outer, large pockets,

padded back-pack straps with

MP3/phone pouch, cushioned rear

panel, available for cello, keyboards,

brass and woodwind.

From: Aria UK 01483 238720

GATOR

GPA SPEAKER COVER

£39.99They say: Ideal for outdoor live

performances.

For: Bands, performers, engineers

Range: Gator bags

Spec: Speaker cover with

hideaway rain cover, fits while on

speaker stand, zippered access to

speaker front, access to handles

with velcro cover, access to rear

panel and sockets.


55 Mipro110_FINAL 24/6/09 17:56 Page 1

Project1 6/16/2009 1:14 PM Page 1


WASHBURN

NUNO BETTENCOURT N1 &

N2 RELIC £299 & £499They say: Both stunning guitars are

‘aged’ to look like Nuno’s iconic

Washburn N4 Relic.

For: Guitarists

Range: Washburn electrics

Spec: Bill Lawrence L500 bridge

pickup, push/pull coil tap, alder body,

natural finish maple neck, rosewood

fingerboard.

From: Sound Technology

01462 480000

STERLING BY MUSIC MAN

STERLING SERIES £POAThey say: Ernie Ball Music Man

licensed, Indonesian made basses and

guitars.

For: Guitarists, bassists

Range: New Music Man range

Spec: : Music Man designs, parts and

components, four guitar models

(AX20, AX40, Silo20 & JP-50 John

Petrucci signature) and three bass

models (Ray34, Ray35 and SB14).

From: Strings & Things

01273 440442

BASS AND GUITAR • NEW PRODUCTS

ARIA

DIAMOND SERIES £199They say: The 60s are back once again as a

seriously affordable, alternative guitar choice.

For: Guitarists, bassists

Range: Aria solid bodied guitars

Spec: Reversed body shapes, German Carve

design, pearloid scratchplate, diamanté

studded headstock. DM380 guitar with APS-9

single coil pickups, alder body, maple bolt-on

neck, rosewood fingerboard, VFT-2 vibrato.

DMB380 bass with FB-1 single coil pickups.

From: Aria UK 01483 238720

IBANEZ

RG09 PEGASUS LIMITED

EDITION £379They say: With legendary playability

and traditional Ibanez RG features.

For: Guitarists

Range: Ibanez RG

Spec: Edge III double locking bridge,

three-piece Wizard II neck, Infinity

humbuckers. Royal blue or pearl

white finishes available.

From: Headstock 0121 508 6666EKO

RANGER VINTAGE 12

£219.95They say: The 12-string dreadnought

guitar with the perfect blend of

elegant, classical proportions.

For: Guitarists

Range: Eko acoustics

Spec: 12-string dreadnought,

adjustable rosewood bridge, double

action truss rod, die-cast chrome

tuners, laminated spruce top,

mahogany back & sides, linden neck,

rosewood fingerboard, zero fret.


57 Mipro110_FINAL 24/6/09 17:42 Page 1


ROLAND

V-PIANO £5,199They say: The next step forward in V-

Technology.

For: Pianists

Range: New Roland product

Spec: Non-loop-based emulation

technology, ‘vintage’ and ‘vanguard’

modes, string, hammer, tuning, voice

and frame adjustments for ‘bespoke’

piano stylings.


W SCHREIBER

7130 SERIES OBOE £1,650They say: Once again there are four

oboes available from Schreiber.

For: Oboists

Range: S&K woodwind

Spec: French fingering system,

grenadilla wood with natural wood

surface, stable key mechanism, epoxy

resin lining in bore, solid nickel-silver

mechanism, extra heavy silverplating,

five-year guarantee, made in Germany.

Ships with case and extensive

accessories.

From: Rosetti 01376 550033

TRADITIONAL • NEW PRODUCTS

KORG

LP-350 DIGITAL PIANO £919They say: Featuring rich and expressive,

realistic piano sound based on the latest

Korg sampling technology.

For: Pianists

Range: Korg digital pianos

Spec: 88-note real weighted hammer

action keyboard, touch control (light,

medium, heavy), stereo sampling system,

60-note polyphony, 30 voices, tempo,

reverb, chorus.

From: Korg 01908 857100

ROLAND

LX-10 DIGITAL PIANO £3,999They say: Uncompromised piano quality

in a small footprint – an attractive

addition to any home, school, or studio.

For: Pianists

Range: Roland digital pianos

Spec: PHA II Ivory Feel keyboard with

escapement, six-speaker sound system,

open/close lid sound differential, USB

port, polished ebony and satin black finish.


KEMBLE

CHOPIN ANNIVERSARY

SPECIAL EDITION £7,703.85They say: Celebrating the 200th

anniversary of the birth of Chopin.

For: Pianists

Range: Kemble uprights

Spec: 121cm frame, hand-wound

Bösendorfer bass strings, high-spec

hammers, ‘grand’ grade soundboard, solid

brass accents, burr walnut key blocks.

Available in three polyester finishes:

black, mahogany and American walnut.

From: Kemble 01908 371771

Wrongpic

new onein current

issue

59 Mipro110_FINAL 24/6/09 17:30 Page 1

Target: General

Comment: There are probably few people

who know anything about guitars that do

not know the name Bigsby. After all, how

many people have a patented vibrato arm

named after them? What most of them

don’t know, I would wager, is very much

about about the man behind the name,

Paul Bigsby. A modern-day renaissance

man, Bigsby was a champion motorcycle

racer, engineer, inventor, poet, 32nd degree

Scottish Rite mason, a musician and a

luthier. Combined, these skills (well,

perhaps not the mason bit) led Bigsby to

creating, contrary to popular belief, the

first solid-bodied electric guitar, years

before Les Paul and Gibson came up with

the more enduring model we know today.

Ironically, it was the success of the

tremolo arm that put paid to Bigsby’s

guitar making, as demand for production

took over his life, but this stunning book

should be left out on the coffee table for

all to see and learn. Bigsby guitars today

are very valuable collectors’ items, while

the vibrato is almost as ubiquitous as the

electric guitar itself. This delightful tome

tells the tale of both.

Hal Leonard (Music Sales):

01284 702600

BOOK OF THE MONTH

GENERALAuthor: Bill BrufordThe AutobiographyTarget: General

Comment: In a book that deserves to go far

beyond the expected Yes and King Crimson fan

base, Bruford looks back over his life and career

with wit and a candid demeanour that is worthy

of the best storytellers. How a man has survived

so much of the crap the industry has thrown at

him, but remains as enthusiastic as on the day of

his first pay cheque, is nothing short of a wonder.

Jawbone: 020 7720 3581

NEW PRODUCTS • PRINT


Author: Andy BabiukThe Story of Paul Bigsby

Author: VariousRaising an AmazingMusicianTarget: Parents

Series: You’re the Voice

Comment: The (newly re-branded) ABRSM has

come up with an extremely useful companion

for parents that would like to know whether

their child (or children) have any capacity for

musical participation or appreciation, how to

spot the signs, how best to encourage musical

growth and a run through of the sort of music

making opportunities that are out there for

kids. Hopefully, this book will get the the sort

of exposure it deserves (and will need).

ABRSM: 020 7636 5400

Author: AR DuchossoirGibson Electric SteelGuitars: 1935 to 1967Target: Guitar, general

Series: Authentic Guitar Tab Edition

Comment: Guitar geeks of the world rejoice.

If ever there were a niche market in the

history of a musical instrument, this book slips

into one of the most specialist nooks one

might care to think of. Gibson only made steel

or Hawaiian guitars for 32 years, but many

have forgotton that until the 1950s, the steep

lap guitar was the most popular and forged

the path for the solid bodied electric. This

coffee table edition looks at everything

Gibson did with this guitar.

Hal Leonard (Music Sales): 01284 702600

Author: RichieUnterbergerWhite Light White Heat:The Velvet UndergroundDay-by-dayTarget: General

Comment: Billed as ‘the most comprehensive,

immensely detailed work about one of the most

influential bands in the history of rock’. And it’s

hard to argue with that. Unterberger draws on

more than 100 interviews to produce the day-

by-day history of the band during its short

existence, as well as a monthly diary of events

before and after, running from 1958 to 2001.

Velvet-heads will be falling over themselves to

get a copy of this.

Jawbone: 020 7720 3581

60,61 Mipro110_FINAL 24/6/09 17:49 Page 1


PRINT • NEW PRODUCTS

Author: Bill WoodsBodhran: The BasicsTarget: Beginner percussionists

Series: Mel Bay’s The Basics

Comment: It’s in the wrist action – and in this case, it really is. Woods

takes the learner through the essentials of stick control for this

wonderfully expressive piece of percussion, which, it turns out in the

introduction, is not even needed when one is getting a handle on the

techniques needed to master it.

Mel Bay: 020 8323 8010

Author: Ollie Weston (with MarkArnstrong, trumpet)Exploring JazzFlute/Saxophone/TrumpetTarget: Jazz wind

Comment: Schott’s new ‘Exploring’ series opens up with three books in the

jazz genre, with each chapter in the books containing tunes and exercises

designed to improve technique, reading, creativity and theory, as well as

adding a history of the genre and its innovators. With a demo CD, the book

takes the learner through harmonic and theory and brings the player to a

very high level from a ‘false beginner’ level.

Schott: 020 7534 0744

Artist: Drew AndrewsUkulele First JamsTarget: Uke players

Series: Mel Bay First Jams

Comment: The First Jam series is designed to give beginners (of any

instrument and of any age) a collection of tunes to learn and play, thus

establishing a repertoire from the word ‘go’. Further than that, the books

also encourage improvisation from the very earliest stages. These simple

tunes are the ideal basis upon which such improvisation can take place.

Mel Bay: 020 8323 8010

Artist: Massimo PalermoEncyclopedia of Bass ArpeggiosTarget: Bassists

Series: Mel Bay Encyclopedias

Comment: Bass playing is all about arpeggios and this book has

hundreds of them, covering the whole gamut of triads and seventh

chords/scales. For the learner, this is as good a way to get to know the

fretboard and the basics of bass harmony as any and for the more

established player, a handy reference for those little exercises that slip

out of awareness from time to time.

Mel Bay: 020 8323 8010

Author: Eva CassidySomewhereTarget: PVG

Comment: This could well be the last of the collections of Eva Cassidy

songs from her tragically short career. A selection of her more esoteric

arrangements and a few self-penned numbers, this book confirms once

again the talent that she was and the ability she had in taking almost

any song and making it her own. Fans will love this one.

Faber: 01279 828989

EDUCATION

POPULAR

60,61 Mipro110_FINAL 24/6/09 17:49 Page 2

62 JULY 2009 miPRO WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

CLASSIFIEDS: MINIMUM 12 MONTHS - ONE ANNUAL CHARGE QUARTER PAGE £1,295

MARKETPLACE INDEX

SU

PP

LIE

R S

PO

TLIG

HT

THE PLACE FOR BUSINESS

AALLPARTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0870 442 3336

BBARNES & MULLINS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01691 652 449BILL LEWINGTON. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01268 413 366

CCOVERNOTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0121 327 1977

FFOCUS MERCHANDISE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8245 9035FCN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01892 603730FUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0113 3200 304

GGHANA GOODS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0117 955 8668GUITARRAS DE ESPAÑA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0117 973 3214

HHC DISTRIBUTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 00353 5991 34268HERGA MUSIC SERVICES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8861 1590HOT ROX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0115 987 3163

LLEED REPRESENTATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01243 378050LEISURETEC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01525 850 085

MMADAROZZO™/CBAC LTD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8816 8368MARSHALL AMPLIFICATIONS . . . WWW.MARSHALLAMPS.COMMCELLAND/GREMLIN MUSIC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01273 491333MELBAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0)20 8382 8010MUSIC SHIPPING CO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01562 827666

OOCARINA WORKSHOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01536 485963ORANGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0208 905 2828

PPIANO LOGISTICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0208 561 4321

RROBERT MORLEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8318 5838ROTHWELL AUDIO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01204 366133

SSAXOPHONE UK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01892 662 533 SOAR VALLEY MUSIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0116 230 4926STEVE CLINKSCALE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0157 225 885

TTEAC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01923 438 880

VTOM & WILL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 08450 945 659

VVARSITY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0131 557 4310

WWIND PLUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0116 243 1698WORLD RYTHM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01242 282 191

TO ADVERTISE ON THESE PAGES CALL DARRELL CARTER ON 01992 535647MIMARKETPLACE

Breaking throughthe brass ceilingP. Mauriat brings an exciting vintage sax to Sax.co.uk.

MI Pro sees what’s on the jazzy horizon...

The pro saxophone market was

dominated for decades by ‘The

Big Four’ – Selmer, Keilwerth,

Yamaha and Yanagisawa. All great

saxes, but they don’t always meet the

expectations of players who have

grown up and fallen in love with the

classic horns of years gone by.

Several Taiwanese manufacturers of

good student instruments tried to

produce and market ‘professional’

models, but with limited success.

Then, along came P. Mauriat,

exploding through the brass ceiling

and sending out a sonic boom that hit

America in 2004 and reached Europe

in 2006.

The talents of vintage sax

enthusiast Alex Hsieh and US college

professor Roger Greenberg combined

to produce an instrument that the US

Jazz Times described as: “A monster

saxophone that plays so effortlessly

that you might be fooled into thinking

you are a better player than you

really are.

“The company has taken the best

of yesteryear, modified it and taken it

to a whole new level of playing

enjoyment. If you are smart you will

try these saxophones out – and you

will be glad you did.”

This new ‘vintage’ sax creates many

fresh retail opportunities. P. Mauriat

saxes appeal to players who would

never play a ‘shiny new instrument,’

instead preferring to continue

patching up their degenerating old

classic. Their ‘differentness’ appeals to

young players looking for something

that stands out from the crowd.

The P. Mauriat broad tone puts a

smile on the face of the most

demanding player – a welcome sight

for the sax salesman. As leading UK

sax player Andy Sheppard says: “There

is that woody/grainy thing in the

sound that I’ve only previously found

in my old Selmers. Fantastic.”

For leading UK saxophone retailer

Sax.co.uk, P. Mauriat has not only

challenged the dominance of ‘The Big

Four,’ it’s also out-sold them for the

past three years.

An easy sale, a good profit margin –

is there anything missing? It could be

a P. Mauriat saxophone if you haven’t

got one in stock yet. You can change

that by phoning 01892 662533 or by

visiting www.mauriat.co.uk.

62 mip110_FINAL 24/6/09 14:40 Page 1


MI MARKETPLACEACOUSTIC DISTRIBUTION

IRELAND & N.IWalter Hennessy087 2596183

SCOTLAND &NORTH EAST

Steve Clinkscale07958 351712

NORTH WESTENGLAND &

WALESRoger Williams07816 298925

EASTERNENGLAND &MIDLANDSMark Hedge

07776 167336

SOUTH WESTENGLAND

Gary Charman07787 517007

LONDON &SOUTH EASTIan Collins

07836 237337

For full dealership detailscontact your local arearepresentative

HC MUSIC DISTRIBUTION LTD

00353 5991 34268sales@hcdistribution.comwww.cort-guitars.co.ukwww.myspace.com/cortguitars

AMPLIFICATION

To find out more about the JVM Series and other Marshall products contact: Marshall Amplification plc Denbigh Road, Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK11DQ www.marshallamps.com

ABROAD REPRESENTATION

ACESSORIES AND GIFTWARE

63-71 mip109_v1 24/6/09 14:44 Page 1


DISTRIBUTION

DISTRIBUTIONCLASSICAL GUITARS

DISTRIBUTION

MI MARKETPLACE

63-71 mip109_v1 24/6/09 14:44 Page 2


MI MARKETPLACEDISTRIBUTION

DISTRIBUTION

DISTRIBUTION

DISTRIBUTION

63-71 mip109_v1 24/6/09 14:44 Page 3

DISTRIBUTION

MI MARKETPLACE


DISTRIBUTION

...bridges, necks, bodies,

electronics, frets, inlay dots, pickups, knobs,

switches, pickguards, tools scratchplates, strings, screws,

nuts, saddles, tailpieces ...and much more!!!

The UK’s Premier Guitar & Bass Parts Supplier

Pick a partABM, Badass, Bartolini, Bigsby, CRL, CTS,

Danelectro, Earvana, Electrosocket, Fender,

Gotoh, Graphtech, Hipshot, Hofner, Jim

Dunlop, Lace, Leo Quan, Moses, Razor,

Schaller, Sperzel, Sprague, Switchcraft

& Wilkinson.

To order call 0870 442 3336Low call rate 0845 345 5951

Order online or find a local dealer @:

www.allparts.uk.comor email us: [email protected]

GUITAR PARTS

63-71 mip109_v1 24/6/09 14:44 Page 4


MI MARKETPLACEDISTRIBUTIONDISTRIBUTION

ETHNIC AND FOLK ETHNIC AND FOLK

GHANA GOODSWEST AFRICAN PERCUSSION

WHOLESALE AND RETAIL

PO Box 95, Fishponds

Bristol, BS16 1AG

Tel: 0117 9354132

[email protected]

www.ghanagoods.com

63-71 mip109_v1 24/6/09 14:44 Page 5

INSURANCE BUSSINESS

MUSIC PUBLISHERS

Excellence in Music

Office 2.05, Argentum 2 Queen Caroline Street Hammersmith, LONDON W6 9DX UK Sales Freephone: 0800 432 0486

Fax Number: +44 (0)20 8323 8306 E-mail: [email protected]

MI MARKETPLACE

GUITAR ACESSORIES

Rothwell effects pedals are trulyhand-made here in the uk and built to thehighest standards. The cases are handpolished and the electronics carefullyassembled by skilled uk workers. The circuit designis innovative and original (we don't do clones, repros ormods) and the sound is the sound of classic rock guitar - pure tone.Our pedals are quickly gaining a reputation for superb quality and are being played on some of theworld's biggest stages. The Hellbender (overdrive) and Switchblade (distortion) are currently beingheard by thousands of fans on Justin Timberlake's world tour, played by Mike Scott (also Prince'smain guitarist), who says "you make truly great, great pedals".

Why not join our growing list of uk and international dealers and stock Britain's finest boutiqueeffects pedals.

BRITAIN'S FINEST BOUTIQUE EFFECTS

WWW.ROTHWELLAUDIOPRODUCTS.CO.UK01204 366133

OCARINAS

Making Music in SchoolsSince 1983

UK made rainbow ocarinas fromOcarina Workshop are easy to playand great fun to teach with.

These pocket-sized instrumentsare popular with kids & well-tuned.Together with 'Play your Ocarina'music books, they are the key tosuccessful music-making in manyschools around the country.

Make sure school ocarinas are onyour counter-top and availablewhen customers request them!

Quote ‘MI Pro’ when you order12 Ocarinas & 12 Books and beamazed at the ocarina’s potential...

Trade orders are sent by return:free delivery & no minimum order

www.ocarina.co.uk

tel: 01536 485 963fax: 01536 485 051

email: [email protected]


63-71 mip109_v1 24/6/09 14:44 Page 6


MI MARKETPLACEPIANOS AND HARPSICORDS

Rober t MORLEY Co Ltd

34 ENGATE St. LONDON SE13 7HA

020•8318•5838Grand & Upright Pianos by

Elysian, Grotrian-Steinweg, Bechstein,Monington & Weston

and other famous makers

John Morley Clavichords, Spinets,Harpsichords, Virginals & Celestes

Antique, Modern & New, Rental, Repairs,Sales lists & colour brochures on request.

Robert MORLEY & Co Ltd.Piano & Harpsichord Makers

Established 1881

www.morleypianos.com

[email protected]

MSC ONLINE

Extensive Product Information

Secure Dealer Only Section

Public & DEALER Forums

Online Ordering

www.musicshipping.co.uk

01562 827666

NEXT DAY DELIVERY

Drum and Percussion Accesories

THE MUSIC SHIPPING CO.

www.musicshipping.co.uk

PERCUSSION

PIANO MOVERS

PERCUSSION AND DRUMS

63-71 mip109_v1 24/6/09 14:44 Page 7

SAXOPHONES

TOP 10 BEST SELLERSNASHVILLE ACOUSTIC GUITARS . . . . . . . . . . . . £50.00 retail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £27.50 trade ex vat

NASHVILLE ELECTRIC GUITARS . . . . . . . . . . . . . £99.95 retail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £54.97 trade ex vat

ARK HEAVY DUTY MUSIC STAND. . . . . . . . . . . . . . £18.50 retail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £10.18 trade ex vatDOLMETSCH DESCANT RECORDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . £6.99 retail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £3.84 trade ex vat

STEINHOFF 108B UPRIGHT PIANO . . . . . . . . . . £1795.00 retail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £987.25 trade ex vat

RAVEN STUDENT TRUMPET OUTFIT . . . . . . . . . £140.00 retail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £77 trade ex vatNASHVILLE ELECTRO ACOUSTIC BASS . . . . . . . £125.00 retail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £68.75 trade ex vat

STERN VIOLIN OUTFIT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £75.00 retail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £41.25 trade ex vatMAXTONE BONGOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £29.95 retail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £16.47 trade ex vatNASHVILLE 5 STRING BANJO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £99.95 retail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £54.97 trade ex vat

WHOLESALERS

REPAIRSPROMOTIONAL

www.focusmerchandise.co.uk


MI MARKETPLACE

63-71 mip109_v1 24/6/09 14:44 Page 8

To advertise callDARRELL CARTER+44 (0)1992 535647

Acess All Areas ........................................................29

Anglo Spanish Guitar ................................................5

Aria ...............................................................................5

Ashton.........................................................................17

Audio Technica.........................................................48

Barnes & Mullins .......................................................31

CPC .............................................................................75

DBT Technology .......................................................53

EMD...............................................................................4

Fender ........................................................................26

Fusion.........................................................................25

Gremlin ......................................................................43

Hardcase ...................................................................58

Headstock .................................................................50

House Music .............................................................45

HSBC ..........................................................................52

JHS .............................................................................39

Leisuretec .................................................................46

Marked Events..........................................................56

Marshall........................................................................2

Messe Frankfurt .......................................................49

MI Direct ....................................................55,57,59,61

New Moon..................................................................62

Peavey........................................................................35

Retail Up!...................................................................47

Roland ........................................................................76

S.Johnson ....................................................................3

SCV.............................................................................40

Soar Valley .................................................................13

Sound Technology .......................................................1

Summerfield..............................................................33

TEAC.............................................................................9

Tom & Will..................................................................23

Trinity Xtras ..............................................................37

Westside..................................................................11,21


MI MARKETPLACE

ADVERTISERS INDEX

WIND INSTRUMENT ACCESSORIES

TO ADVERTISE IN MIPROCALL

DARRELL CARTER ON 01992 535 647

63-71 mip109_v1 25/6/09 10:11 Page 9

SEND YOUR PICTURES TO [email protected]


JULY 2005

Cover Stars: 20 years after Ian Gilby found

himself out of work and (together with his

brother, Paul) started up what was to become the

UK’s top hi tech music magazine, he and Dave

Lockwood consider why Sound on Sound is better

than having a day job.

News: Apple picks Sound Technology, IAG buys

Mission, Yamaha and Nexo collaborate.

Features: The ninth JHS Event report, Cornford

amps – Paul Cornford reveals that you should

never call his products ‘boutique’.

Products: Red mics, Randall RM100C combo,

Mark Bass Little Mark amp, BC Rich Evil Edge

Mockingbird, Metric Halo Mobile I/O V2.

Number one singles:

James Blunt, You’re Beautiful.

Number one albums:

James Blunt, Back to Bedlam.

RETRO

THE LAST WORD IN MI PRO

MI Pro prides itself on bringing you hard-hitting news and analysis, but, we reckon you’d also enjoy seeing your peers in

their more ‘off duty’ moments. So, we’ve expanded CODA to include a permanent pictorial spread of the month’s social

highlights. If you have any snaps from an event you’d like us to include, please send them to [email protected]...

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

PARTY DOWN WITH PEAVEYThe exhibitor’s bash after the opening, trade day of the

London International Music Show was laid on, for the

second year, by Peavey Europe.

Now we should probably have got a picture of Clive

Roberts (Peavey’s MD over here) in gratitude for

throwing such a splendid bash – but he somehow

managed to avoid our photographer’s efforts to corner

him. Instead, then, welcome to the strange world of

Peavey’s marketing manager, Andy Rust.

Exactly what was going through his head at this

time (apart from a few too many Peroni beers) is open

to speculation, but it looks as though it was worth

every ounce of effort he put in.

Nice one Andy, nice one Peavey, cheers – and here’s

to next year...

GOOD LORDIDuring February and March Lordi were

on a European headlining tour. Following

that they went to Japan. If you missed

them, then get yourself to Finland for the

Rockperry festival in Finland on July 18th.

Since winning the 2006 Eurovision

song contest, Lordi have been working

hard on the metal scene and gaining a

reputation for hard hitting metal

combined with a horror show and they

have been gaining fans around the world.

Amen stopped the show just after his

guitar solo to salute his favourite

amplifier… A Marshall, of course.

Now that’s pretty cool.

MOORE, MOORE, MOOREA long standing member of the Marshall family, Gary

Moore, was playing at Hammersmith, so we had to take

the opportunity to go down and say hello. We arranged

to go and see his tech during the afternoon and managed

to get a couple of photos of the stage before sound

check. It wasn’t just Gary’s amps that were Marshall, as

the bass rig was Marshall VBA 400s, so it was a complete

backline of Marshall.

At this stage no-one was really sure what Moore was

going to be using, as on the stage there were two 1987s,

a handwired 1959, as well as a DSL 100, on top of two

1960BX 4x 12s, loaded with vintage 30 speakers..

We should have known he wouldn’t want to use

anything less than the two 100-Watt amps.

In fact he started playing through the 1959HW and

then switched to the DSL 100.

Moore was full of passion, as he always is when he

plays and that flowed through the guitar and could be

felt by the audience. A blues/rock guitarist at his best, a

true master.

72,73,74 Mipro110_FINAL 24/6/09 17:45 Page 1

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LATEST NEWSSTRAIGHT TO YOUR MOBILE

Bookmark us in your phone:MOBILE.MI-PRO.CO.UK

SEND YOUR PICTURES TO [email protected]


IN ASSOCIATION WITH

There are few instruments,

especially those that were

unveiled in the early eighties,

that gain swift and easy access to the

hallowed halls of the MI Icon, but the

Juno 106 does so with ease.

Introduced to the world by Roland

in 1984, the Juno 106 was the third in

a series of synths dreamed up to fuse

together the best available digital and

analog technology, making the Juno

both bang up to date for its time and

slightly anachronistic.

With full MIDI control, it was on

the cusp of the newest trends around,

yet with all of its controls mounted

on a faceplate, it was the last of a

dying school of design. The most

important aspect of the 106, though,

was not its looks, but the sounds it

was capable of producing. Perfectly

tuned pitch alongside the warmth

brought to the table by the analog

heart at the centre of the synth made

it a perfect addition to any studio

looking for cutting edge sounds that

managed to sound ‘real’ as opposed

to entirely synthetic.

Its distinctive tonal qualities, often

attributed to its -24dB/octave analog

lowpass filter, with adjustable

resonance, allowed players to wrench

sounds from the 106 that simply

weren’t available in any of its

contemporary competitors. An on-

board analog stereo chorus effect was

also included and while it was capable

of making quite a racket, it only

added to the character of the sound.

A large band of memory slots for

patch storage, alongside a through

MIDI system demonstrated a synth

that, although seemingly backward

looking in its inclusion of analog parts,

was actually forward looking and

stood out from the crowd.

Although age is now creeping up

on the old warrior, it remains a

consistantly popular choice for synth

affectionados looking for that extra

something. The list of artists that have

used the 106 shows how versatile an

addition it has made to the musical

landscape, with everyone from Dr Dre

to Franz Ferdinand, Sigur Ros to Daft

Punk using its distinctive sounds.

UTMOST COMMITMENTWhen it comes to partying, there are few that do it better than the MI

trade and Peavey’s after-show party (featuring live entertainment from

The Commitments) was buzzing from start to finish.

Clockwise from top left: Finding a space at the bar was job number one

– although nobody ever seemed to be without a drink. Brownie points for every

face you can put a name to. (Answers on a postcard, please, to anyone you

fancy, but not us.)

A classic, Class A pairing, two MI stalwarts, Cliff Cooper (the founder of

Orange) and Peavey’s sales director Eric Lund, get amplified about business.

Tom Harrison – better known to many as 440 Distribution – and Jon Green

of Freestyle Music, doubtlessly talking acoustic guitars and other such things

that are indigenous to Yorkshire and the North East...

Last, but by no means least, keep your friends close and your string supplier

closer. Bass guitar virtuoso Doug Whimbish collars Rotosound’s Jason How,

doubtless in talks for that new range of signature bass strings he’s been

hankering after.

IS THAT A REALPONCHO?Or is it the latest in maternity wear for

window cleaners? No, in fact, Petrol, a

Vitec Group brand, has launched the

Petrol Rain Poncho, a piece of ‘audio

clothing’ designed to comfortably cover

a user carrying a mixer and fully loaded

sound bag.

While sound men at the BBC and

other outside broadcast-type people will

doubtless be thrilled by this, we at MI

Pro are making this compulsory office

wear from now on.

MI ICON Roland Juno 106

72,73,74 Mipro110_FINAL 24/6/09 17:45 Page 2


The North East’s premier hip

shaking, pop-post-punkers

extraordinaire, Maximo Park are

on album three and retaining a

position at the top of the UK

guitar band tree. As the first act

at this year's Glastonbury, there

will be new fans won over by

their intense live act.

Here's the kit they use...

SOUNDALIKESMAXIMO PARK

NEXTMONTHWe take a look at what remains of British

manufacture in MI, as well as scrutinising

the market for rental for schools. Also,

alongside a PLASA preview, we’ll be looking

at the sort of live mixing consoles MI stores

might be selling.

EDITORIAL: ANDY BARRETT

[email protected]

ADVERTISING: DARRELL CARTER

[email protected]

Company / job title:

Headstock Distribution / sales

manager for UK and Ireland.

Years in the industry?

21 years behind the bell and proud

of it. I had 16 very good years with

Yamaha before flying the nest.

First single bought?

The first record was an album by

Free – Free Live. Albums seemed

better value for money as only one

single was generally released from an

album back then. Oh... and Dog of

Two Head by Status Quo.

Favourite album?

Lying on a beach it would have to be

Pink Floyd, The Wall, amazing

production. For driving or skiing, you

can’t beat AC/DC, Back in Black.

Currently listening to?

Maximo Park, The Killers, Gorillaz –

I am mellowing in my old age.

Favourite musician?

Robben Ford, a great solo guitarist.

Which instruments do you play?

Electric guitar badly, I have several

Gibson Les Pauls and play them all

every day for about two minutes.

Are you currently in a band?

No, too busy being a Dad. I am

waiting for my 1985 set to come

back into fashion, I can still play All

Over Now and Message in a Bottle in

the wrong key.

LindsayHarvey

MI SPACE

© Intent Media 2009 No part of this publication may be

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Really Commited

AND THE PARTYING GOES ON

Yes, as the MI Pro team made its way to Alka

Seltzer and bed, the hardcore party animals

were still going strong at the Peavey

Commitments party – and by this time, the

bar had stopped accepting the free beer

vouchers. That really is commitment.

On top we see Adam Hall’s LD Systems girl,

Haley (surname witheld to protect the guilty,

namely) Dave Brown and Andrew Richardson

(having sensibly taken a seat).

Below left is the show organiser, Clive

Morton, standing on a box next to Freestyle

Music’s boss, Phil Pilsworth,

Bottom right, we finish off where we

started, in Peavey Europe’s marketing

department, namely Claire Catchpole – clearly

relieved that everything has gone smoothly,

everybody is happy and she can finally relax...

Now, where’s that Pinot Grigiot?

Paul Smith – vocals – Shure SM58, bowler hat

Duncan Lloyd - guitar – Rickenbacker 330,

Faith acoustics, Marshall Vintage Modern 2466,

Marshall cab

Archis Tiku – bass – Black Music Man Stingray,

Ampeg SVT head, Ampeg cab

Lukas Wooller – keys – CFE UF8, CFE UA7

Tom English – drums – Tama Star Classic kit –

22"x18" bass drum, 13"x10" tom, 16"x16" floor

tom, 14"x5.5" Tama Bronze snare, Iron Cobra

Power Glide bass pedal, Iron Cobra Lever Glide

hi-hat stand, 1st Chair drum throne. Zildjian

cymbals – 20" A thin crash, 17” A custom

projection crash, 14" A new beat hi hats

72,73,74 Mipro110_FINAL 24/6/09 17:45 Page 3

New for 2009, Sounds and FX LIVE brings together 25leading manufacturers, showcasing over 65 TOP BRANDS at anintimate CPC venue.Register your attendance and make sure you don’t miss ourexclusive offers on the best equipment for:

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roland full page 23/6/09 11:51 Page 1

Mi Pro July 2009 - Issue 110

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