Mi Pro May

MI RETAIL CONFERENCE ORANGE PC MUSIKMESSE OVERWATER MDS HÖFNER RETAIL CHAINS

No. 120 • MAY 2010 • WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK PRINT • ONLINE • MOBILE

BEATING A PATHMarshall looks to bring the Natal brand to the global market once again

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT PROFESSIONAL � FOR EVERYONE IN THE MI BUSINESS

REGULARS: DRUM NEWS 10 RETAIL NEWS 59 INDIE PROFILE 68 FRONT LINE 69 NEW PRODUCTS 51-55 CODA 80

FEATURESDRUMS IN FRANKFURT 22John Newey looks over stuff worth thumping

HÖFNER 30Still growing after all these years

OVERWATER 33Tanglewood brings in the Chris May touch

MDS PUBLISHING 36How the German supplier is growing in the UK

SIGN UP FOR THE MI PRO NEWSFLASH SERVICE AT WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO MAY 2010 3

COVER STORY 26

ISSUE 120 MAY 2010

Well, it was only a little over a month ago that I wassettling down to write this leader. Musikmesse hadnot yet happened and we had just announced the

MI Retail Conference & Expo. If you recall, I was pretty excited.Now, Musikmesse is behind us – and a fine show it was. You

can see the report (and our attempt to cover as much of theshow’s news as possible, as hard as that always is) on page 19,followed immediately by John Newey’s report on the the drumand percussion market at the show. This used to be a regularcontribution from John, so it’s a real pleasure to welcome himback to MI Pro.

On top of that, the MI Retail Conference is all but filled. Aswe go to press, there are a couple of Partner Packagesremaining and a few retail visitor spots still available, but that’sabout it. A really big ‘thank you’ to everyone who has gotbehind the project. It is a pretty unique thing, surely, for abrand new trade event to have established itself so quickly inthe MI calendar. News of the big retail names coming alongcan be found on page 4 and the first of the previews can befound on page 17. For those last places, get in touch with JodieHoldway at [email protected].

Beyond that, once again we have achieved a really broadspread of interest in this month’s magazine, from drums andpercussion to guitars (page 30) and basses (page 33), fromsaxophones (page 41) to microphones (page 46), taking insheet music (page 36), the problem of retail chains (page 13)and retailing on the internet (page 65) along the way.

MI Pro has been knocking about your stores for well over tenyears now and during that time, we have developedrelationships and an understanding of what makes this industrytick. It has also taken that amount of time to hone themagazine and its website to the point that it serves themusical instrument trade better than any other publication wehave ever had. The brand has developed from a magazine toincorporate a website second to none in the world of MI andnow an event designed to bring the trade together. We’re proudof this and we’re equally keen, with your help, to continue theimprovement process.

Andy Barrett

NEWS

EVENTS

SECTOR SPOTLIGHTS

Marshall shocked the world

by announcing its purchase

of Natal at the Musikmesse

this year. Craigs Fenney and

Glover give us a peek insiude

the thinking

A NEW START

MI RETAIL CONFERENCE &

EXPO, PHILIP YORK, ORANGE

PC, SCHREIBER & KEILWERTH IN

ADMINISTRATION

MI RETAIL CONFERENCE 17What is there to talk about?

MUSIKMESSE 19The biggest show in the world... In MI, of course

SAXOPHONES 41Blowing the market away

VOCAL MICROPHONES 46Wired and ready for sound

4

19

33

41

RETAILMUSICROOM 59MI retail’s best kept secret?

GUITARS.CO.UK 65How Richard Chollerton spread the lerv

Once again, we

have achieved a

really broad spread

in this month’s

magazine

[email protected]

ANDY BARRETT

EDITORIALCOMMENT

Retail flocks to new tra

NEWS

High Street’s biggest names sign up to MI Pro conference and expo on June 29th at The Brewery in central London, as event

Clockwork Orange

a thing of the pastORANGE AMPS has announced

the establishment of a new

division named OMEC Personal

Computers (OPC). This is a

subsidiary of the Orange Music

Electronic Company and

has been set up specifically

for product development and

advancement in sound

technology and personal

computers.

Orange has used its

expertise in sound technology,

engineering and electronics to

build a new generation of

computers that incorporate the

latest computer technology

with ‘integrated tools for the

musician and music lovers’.

The first product launch will

be an all-in-one computer and

amplifier, the OPC, which is

designed and built in the UK.

The OPC is a fully integrated

computer with internal speaker,

which delivers playing,

recording, editing and

computing capabilities. This is

the first computer of its kind

that can connect the user and

their music to the digital

domain simply by plugging in

an instrument.

Orange also claims the OPC

is the first computer to have a

built-in high-power speaker,

delivering full range hi-fi quality

sounds, as well as vintage guitar

sounds and a universal input

jack, enabling users to plug in

a variety of musical

instruments, mics and

audio sources.

The first models

will include

modelling

software,

incorporating

computer

samples of

vintage and

current Orange

amps and

cabinets, and a

free, branded

recording software

package. The software is

included to create music or to

choose guitar sounds for

playing, recording and listening

through the computer.

“The OPC takes us in an

exciting new direction with

huge potential for growth,” said

Cliff Cooper, Orange’s chairman.

“This will help us appeal to a

wider audience and reach new

markets worldwide.” The OPC

is due to be released in June.

ORANGE: 020 8905 2828

Samick confirmsSteinway purchase

SAMICK MUSICAL Instruments

has finalised its acquisition of $27

million worth of Steinway shares

at $16 per share. The money will

be used to eliminate the

company’s existing debt, as well

as for general corporate purposes.

This move means Samick now

owns around 1.9 million of

Steinway’s ‘B’ shares. This makes

them the largest single holder of

Steinway's ‘B’ stock, owning

around 30 per cent. The company

is still owned almost outright by

Kyle Kirkland and Dana Messina,

who together hold some 90 per

cent of the manufacturer’s

‘A’ stock.

Share prices in the company

have risen in the last year from

around $14 to nearly $19

currently. If this increase

continues, Samick will be

considering the deal something of

a bargain.

Last year was a worrying one

for Steinway, with sales down 27

per cent for the second quarter

and a loss per share of $0.07.

With much of the company’s

pressing debt removed, the future

at least is looking brighter.

4 miPRO MAY 2010 SIGN UP FOR THE MI PRO NEWSFLASH SERVICE AT WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

THE UK’S MI retailers have

wholeheartedly welcomed MI

Pro’s new, tightly targeted, trade

event aimed squarely at boosting

their business.

The MI Retail

Conference &

Expo takes

place at The

Brewery in

central

London on

June 29th.

The event

was only

announced on

March 4th, but

already over

100 retailers

have registered to

attend, representing

around 150 shop fronts

throughout the UK. These include

two of the UK’s largest chains

and a raft of top independents.

Additionally, both of the sector’s

buying groups, Rocktronic

and Euromusic, have backed

the event and are rallying

their members.

“I see the conference as a

new opportunity for

everybody who is

actively involved

in the music

business to

communicate

openly and

honestly with

each other,"

said Tony White

of the multi-

award-winning

Bonners in

Eastbourne. "I am

especially looking

forward to forging closer

relationships with key

suppliers, and gaining new

ideas that I can take away from

the event which we will

implement within our own

business. The conference is

definitely a great idea and I am

very pleased that the initiative

has been taken to try something

different, yet very positive for

the MI business.”

"I think it is a great idea for us

to get together to discuss how

we can improve our industry,"

added David Briggs, the MD of

the Dawson's chain. "Particularly

at retail level, we all have to

paddle our own canoes, but I

really hope that if we can work

together, there can be benefit

for all."

“I am looking forward to

attending the MI Retail

Conference & Expo,"

commented Noel Sheehan

of Sheehan's in Leicester

– another award winning MI

outlet. "I am curious to see

what this new format of event

may deliver to exhibitors

and retailers.”

de event

NEWS

Schreiber & Keilwerthin administration

SOUNDBITESFCN with Mi-SiFCN Music has been appointed

as the UK distributor for Mi-Si

acoustic preamps and pickups.

Mi-Si has also announced the

release of a preamp that

requires no batteries at all. This

new approach involves using

low-power components and

compact circuits.

New clarinet woodHanson Clarinets has been

certified under the Forest

Stewardship Council (FSC) for

its decision to use sustainably

harvested African blackwood.

The UK’s largest clarinet

manufacturer has become the

world’s first FSC chain of

custody for the material. The

wood is currently being

processed at a sawmill in

Tanzania and will soon be

shipped to Britain

Tiny double bassStentor unveiled its smallest

ever double bass at this year’s

Musikmesse. The 1/16 model

was a result of claims

emerging that much younger

musicians who wish to learn

the instrument are not

currently able to. This new bass

is made from hand-carved

solid spruce, smaller machine

heads and measurements

made precisely to scale.

Bookmark us inyour phone:

MOBILE.MI-PRO.CO.UK

Natal re-birthMarshall returns to founder’s roots with

purchase of British percussion brand

AT ITS annual VIP dinner in

Frankfurt during this year’s

Musikmesse, Marshall

Amplification announced its

acquisition of the British

percussion company, Natal,

from its owner, Craig Fenney,

the founder of the Music

Shipping Company. The move

marks a dramatic entry for

Marshall into the rapidly-

expanding market and

provides the opportunity for

Natal to benefit from

Marshall’s financial,

manufacturing and marketing

strength. Marshall has brought

in Craig Glover, formerly of

PMT and the founder of

Drumfest, to be Natal’s brand

manager within the company.

Celebrating the venture, Dr

Jim Marshall (who recalls

selling Natal products in his

Ealing music shop in the

1960s) commented: “It

seemed only natural to invest

in a percussion company,

bringing my involvement in

drums full circle. Natal, like

Marshall, is a UK company

manufacturing high quality

products and has earned itself

an impressive heritage.”

A brand new student-level

range is already in

development and ranges such

as the Spirit, Fusion and Classic

are being updated. The

professional Cubana series is

now being manufactured at

Marshall’s UK factory.

“From Natal’s point of

view this provides a huge

new investment in the brand

and its products,” said Fenney,

who will continue his

involvement with Natal as

a consultant.

“We had taken Natal as far

we could and were determined

to keep it a British-owned

company, so Marshall is the

perfect choice. I will be

working with Craig Glover on

product development and

export sales, as well as

continuing to grow the Music

Shipping Company.” (See cover

feature page 26.)

MARSHALL: 01908 375411

LATESTNEWS

STRAIGHT TOYOUR MOBILE

inspires unprecedented response from trade

"In the last five years we have

invested heavily in rebranding and

refurbishing most of the stores

and put in place people,

structures, procedures, policies,

and the methodology to run the

very best contemporary music

stores," said Iain Davidson, the

chairman of the Musicroom chain

– the largest MI multiple in the

UK. "Consequently, we feel we

can now contribute to the

industry's debates and discussions

in full rather than just being a bit

part player."

"How could I refuse?" asked

Anil Patel of the Wembley Guitar,

Drum and PA Centres. "I am

interested to find out how we can

grow the musical instrument

industry by selling more products

and improving margins. I'm

hoping to meet a lot more trade

partners on the day."

On behalf of the Rocktronic

group of stores, John Hulke

commented: "I will be attending

the conference as I feel it is vital

in our industry to talk face to face

with other retailers, however large

or small, as we need to respond

to the changing demands and

wants of the consumer. It’ll be

good to share our common

experiences, issues and challenges.

As many MI retailers as possible

should attend the MI conference

to tap in to the considerable

knowledge available."

All MI Retail Conference &

Expo retail participants will

receive a goody bag containing

an iPod Touch. If you’re a retailer

and wish to register your interest

in the event, please email

[email protected]. But

spaces are running out, so get

in quick.

For details of Event Partner

packages, please email Jodie

Holdway or Darrell Carter or

call them on 01992 535647.


The two Craigs: Glover (left) and Fenney

”From Natal’s

point of view

this provides a

huge new

investment in

the brand and

its products.Craig Fenney

WIND INSTRUMENT specialist

Schreiber &

Keilwerth has

gone into

administration.

Company director

Armin Eckert registered

the company as insolvent

on March 12th at the

Regional Court in Darmstadt.

The administrator, Tobias

Hoefer, has taken over

the company.

The manufacturer’s

directors cited the impact

of the financial crisis and

narrow opportunities to

bring credit funds to

support the company as

the reasons for the firm

entering administration.

“The credit supply

to our company was

via a bank which,

through the financial

crisis, can be

described as a ‘bad

bank’. This caused us

many problems over

the past few

months,” Eckert

explained. “The bank

sought to reduce our cash

supply and as a result, no

sensible working environment

could exist within our

company. The seasonal

weak months of January

and February, coupled

with limited cash supply,

led us to place the

company into

administration.”

Hoefer is now at the

company in Nauheim and

is stabilising the business

and seeking solutions

for the future. He was

upbeat in his initial

analysis that a

long-term

future for the

instrument

maker could

be secured

and that most

of the 300 jobs at

the sites in

Nauheim and

Markneukirchen

could be saved.

SCHREIBER &

KEILWERTH:

+49 615 297580

AS OF April 1st 2010, Bösendorfer

pianos will be distributed through

Yamaha’s global distribution channels,

which Yamaha claims will open up

new commercial opportunities for

both brands.

The move will also see Bösendorfer

benefiting from Yamaha's

international marketing and PR and

gaining from access to the global

network of artist support facilities.

Yamaha is keen to stress that the

traditional qualities, materials and

Austrian piano building techniques

that all combine to maintain

Bösendorfer's position as one of the

world's most respected piano makers,

will be retained.

The news follows on from late last

year when it was announced that the

Bösendorfer factory in Austria had to

make a significant number of lay-offs

to its workforce following a difficult

trading year. The piano manufacturer

has effectively been supported by

Yamaha since the Japanese giant

bought the company in January 2008,

but the economic squeeze of 2009,

coupled with a strong euro, made

trading all the more difficult.

At that time (November 2009)

Yamaha announced that it would be

bringing Bösendorfer directly under

its 'multi-brand' strategy, offering

pianos from the entry level to the

very highest quality from a single

source – Yamaha.

Recognising that the Yamaha CF

series and Bösendorfer pianos are

both high-level performance

instruments, although distinct from

one another, the new arrangement

will provide opportunities for the

international dealer network. It will

also boost the piano offering from the

Yamaha group of companies.

Bösendorfer

goes global

with Yamaha

ASHDOWN ENGINEERING has recruited

Stuart Ascott as regional sales manager

for the south of England. He will deal

with the sale of Ashdown’s bass amps,

Lodestone guitars and basses, and the

Hayden guitar amp range.

Ascott, a guitarist taking his first

steps in the MI industry, came from the

audio-visual sector. He got off to a busy

start, joining the rest of his Ashdown

colleagues at Frankfurt’s Musikmesse

event last month.

“Appointing Stuart is part of a drive

to increase the service and support we

offer to our UK dealers,” said Ashdown’s

managing director, Mark Gooday. “We’ve

found a talented guitar player who

combines the essential qualities of

technical sales experience with a

passion for music.”

ASHDOWN: 01245 441155

New southern sales manager will be using his musical expertise across all three brands

Ashdown increases sales team

NEWS


PHILIP YORK, whose name was

synonymous with CF Martin guitars in the

UK throughout the 1980s and 1990s, has

died, following a long illness.

In 1981, when York acquired the Martin

line for the UK, premium acoustic guitar

sales were at a low ebb. Though always an

icon, Martin had not enjoyed the most

active representation in Britain and when

York’s Dreadnought Guitars company took

over, it came into the care of a former

professional musician who loved the

brand and had an extensive knowledge of

its history.

Despite York’s best efforts, the

keyboard-dominated 1980s weren’t much

kinder to acoustic guitar sales. However,

he persisted and when the instrument’s

fortunes began to turn, following the

success of MTV's Unplugged series, Martin

guitars were well placed to benefit.

A keen sportsman, York was a good

enough tennis player to have considered a

professional career. He was an avid cricket

fan and a member at Middlesex. In the

1960s he had worked as a guitarist in

Germany and later, Sweden, where he

settled for some years.

York’s loss of Martin's distribution in

2003 was the cause of some bitterness,

which unusually spilled over into the news

pages of MI Pro at the time. Those who

knew York well, however, were aware that

his behaviour was already starting to

appear erratic. What no-one realised was

that this was an early sign of a

neurological condition, which was

eventually to prove fatal.

In a statement to MI Pro, Chris Martin,

chairman and CEO of CF Martin, said:

“Philip and I spent a great deal of time

together promoting Martin in the United

Kingdom. I would visit at least once a

year and we would travel all over doing

in-store clinics. Phil was a friend and I

will always treasure the acquaintance. I

was saddened as his degenerative disease

progressed, but I trust now that he is

resting peacefully.”

Another long-term friend, Andy

Preston, founder of Andy’s Guitars in

Denmark Street, added: “Philip was

known to me as a person of determined

character and very much his own man.

While he operated Dreadnought Guitars

single-handedly for over two decades, he

was also deeply interested in psychology,

which he studied at the City Lit in

London, often combining his visits to the

guitar shops in Denmark Street with a

study session. He was also, especially

later in life, very centred on the Christian

way of life and often spent many hours

visiting churches in London and his

home base of Frinton.

“Although always his own man and in

some ways a bit of a loner, he very much

enjoyed company and going out.

“Solitary, but engaging; a loner, but

at the same time gregarious and

generous; always searching and

enquiring. I hope he found what he was

looking for as he confronted his final

difficult days with his family around

him.” York is survived by his former wife,

Eva and two daughters.

Philip YorkThe UK face of CF Martin guitars for over two decades has died after a long illness

“The Japanese giant

bought the

company in January

2008, but the

economic squeeze

of 2009, coupled

with a strong euro,

made trading all the

more difficult.

Happier days. L to R: Philip York, Chris Martin, Eric Clapton

Produc onSo ware

Audio & MIDIInterfaces

DesktopMonitors

V-Studios Plug-insController Keyboards

Here’s some news you’re going to love:

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Visit www.cakewalkbyroland.co.uk for the full 2010 lineup

Hardware and software from Cakewalk by Roland

Here’s some news you’re

going to love

Summerfield takes a stand125-year-old Ohio manufacturer available in the UK

SUMMERFIELD MUSICAL Instruments

has been appointed as exclusive UK

and Ireland distributor for Hamilton

Music Stands, with the company

announcing that comprehensive

stocks of all models in the range are

available immediately.

The Ohio-based Hamilton Stands

was founded in 1883 and has been a

leader in the design and engineering of

sheet music and instrument stands.

Many early products were patented and

featured at the St Louis International

Exposition in 1906.

The product line includes guitar

stands and accessories, wind

instrument stands, a bass viol stand

and symphonic, portable and folding

music stands.

Sean Murtagh, Summerfield’s sales

manager, said that the partnership

between Hamilton, with its long

history, and Summerfield, one of the

UK’s longest established musical

instrument distributors, creates a

synergy that will ensure success in

the UK.

SUMMERFIELD: 0191 414 9000

DISTIE NEWS


New US manufacturer, ZT, in UK through specialist supplier

Aria sings amp’s praise

THE ZT BRAND of solid-state guitar

combos is now available in the UK

through Aria Distribution, bringing what

could be the world’s biggest power-to-size

ratio combos to these shores for the first

time since their launch at the NAMM

show in January.

All three models in the range, which

comprise the Club, Lunchbox and

Lunchbox Acoustic, are capable of

delivering an impressive 200 Watts RMS.

The Lunchbox delivers through a 6.5-

inch, high-output speaker, while the bigger

brother, the Club, is driven through a

single 12-inch speaker.

The Club weighs in at 22lbs (ten kilos)

and can deliver an organ-moving 130dB

SPL, but keeps control simple with just

volume, gain, treble, bass, reverb, line

out/headphone level controls and

effects loop.

The Lunchbox and Lunchbox Acoustic

both benefit from an optional extension

cabinet, which will retail at £94.95.

“We’re delighted to add ZT Amplifiers

to our portfolio; we feel that it’s the

perfect fit for Aria Distribution,”

commented Aria Distribution’s MD, Martin

Hartwell. “They are incredible amps and

must be heard to be believed. We can now

offer the UK this superb range of

extremely portable and powerful

guitar amplifiers.”

ARIA DISTRIBUTION: 01483 238720


DISTRIBUTION PROFILE

Year Established: 1999

Number of employees: 13

Is business up or down compared to last year?

It’s up. We have started to establish ourselves well

in the UK and are constantly attracting new

customers. Freshman is still growing and of course

we hope it continues.

How has the economic climate affected business?

It has been tough, there’s no doubt about it. The

economic climate that has had a huge impact

globally, has hit the UK particularly hard and it has

been difficult. Nevertheless, we have had to simply

carry on and this has meant we’ve been working

harder. Promoting stores more is an area that we

have to work especially hard at.

What are your best-selling lines, and why do

you think they perform so well?

Freshman Guitars is by far our number one product,

but our best-seller in particular is the Apollo series.

It looks and sounds great, has received excellent

reviews and represents good value for money. It

just ticks all the boxes. The prices of this series has

been perfect too in attracting customers who aren’t

willing to spend vast sums of money. The price

range of £299 to £500 has appealed to a huge

number of people, which is why we have currently

sold out of them.

What are your criteria for selecting new

products?

We listen to what stores have to say. That is the

most important thing. They are the ones who sell

the instruments and meet the customers face to

face. We also follow market trends and try to react

to them as much as we can. When you have a

product that is already doing so well (like the

Apollos), you just have to try and expand on it and

continue to listen in order to make it even better.

What distinguishes you from the competition?

We have a variety of strengths that make us

brilliant competitors. We offer an exceptional UK

design and we use only high-grade materials. We

always ensure that all our products are made to the

very highest standard and of course good customer

service is very important to us.

How do you maintain a good relationship

with retailers?

We deal with any issues head on and support the

stores as much as we can and through any media

possible. Business is tough and retailers take the full

force during these times, so our good relationship

comes from the amount of support we provide.

What would you say is the biggest challenge

facing the MI industry today?

Getting through these times of financial hardship.

Another challenge is the threat of TV shows such as

X Factor, which pull in astonishing audience figures.

Never once do you see an instrument in sight and

this can be really damaging. Young people are

starting to think that music just happens and there

need to be similar shows that inspire youngsters to

try out new instruments, rather than just becoming

pop stars.

What are your aims for the next 12 months?

To be honest, we’re aiming for more of the same.

We need to solidify our growth and carry on

expanding as much as we can. We are also starting

to enter new marketplaces around the world and

this just shows how well we are doing currently.

GLASGOW

FRESHMAN GUITARS

Sean Kelly

describes how, in

difficult trading

conditions, having

a sympathetic ear

for those on the

front line is

crucial...

Address: 9 Glenfield Road, Kelvin Industrial Estate,

East Kilbride, Glasgow, Lanarkshire G75 0RA

Phone: 01355 228028

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.freshmanguitars.co.uk

CONTACT DETAILS

ZILDJIAN AND Hard Rock Cafe

welcomed various artists to an

afternoon of rock n roll

hospitality, offering the

opportunity to see and play all

the latest products from Zildjian.

This included some prototype

cymbals with creator Gavin

Harrison on hand to explain his

reasoning behind them.

Hosted by Zildjian’s Tina

Clarke (international artist

relations manager) and Bob

Wiczling (international marketing

manager), the event was also

enjoyed by associates from the

UK’s drum media, namely

Rhythm and Drummer magazines,

Mike Dolbear, as well as Yard

Gavrilovic (‘supertech’ to Steve

Gadd and Ginger Baker).

“It’s quite a feat getting so

many of our artists in one room

and word must be spreading that

this is an event not to be missed,

where everyone has a lot of fun

whilst checking out the latest

Zildjian offerings,” enthused

Clarke. “Once again, it’s great

to see established artists

mingling with some of our recent

signings and guys from

some of the UK’s hottest bands

right now.”

YAMAHA: 01908 366700

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

VISIT WWW.MIKEDOLBEAR.COM FOR MORE DETAILS.

DRUM NEWS


Zildjian’s UK Artist Session 2010Cymbal giant hosted its seventh UK Artist Session at London’s Hard

Rock Café in March, attracting its largest attendance of artists to date.

RHYTHM TECH is celebrating

three decades of

manufacturing percussion

instruments this year.

The percussion maker is

arguably most famous for

revolutionising tambourine

design when it created its

crescent-shaped model back

in 1980.

Richard Taninbaum, the

company’s founder, came up

with the idea during a

recording session when he

became tired with the effort

that went in to using a

traditional round

tambourine.

“I couldn’t keep playing

that heavy tambourine. I

became intent on

making a great-sounding

tambourine that would

be a lot easier to play,”

said Taninbaum.

He found that round

models, the only kind around

at the time, were difficult to

play for long because their

design placed all the weight at

the front. He found that

holding one in the middle

would offer improved balance.

This led to the creation of the

crescent-shaped tambo.

Rhythm Tech is distributed

in the UK through JHS & Co

JHS: 0113 286 5381

Rhythm Tech’s pearl anniversary


ANALYSIS NEWS

Following the collapse of Andrew Landesberg’s Reverb group and the recent problems at Music Ground, it seems the curse

that hangs over MI retail chains in the UK has struck again. So what is going wrong? Is it inevitable that building chains

in the UK is doomed to failure? Gary Cooper asks a group of people who might just know the answers…

Chain reactionI

n May 2008, when Sound Control went

into administration following months of

speculation and rumour, the collapse

shocked (even if it didn’t entirely surprise)

the MI industry. With 26 shops and 163

immediate redundancies, it was the biggest

retail failure in British MI history – though

2007’s loss of the 13 Williams stores was

hardly insignificant. Williams and Sound

Control were by no means the first MI

chains to fail, however. Though these

names are now largely forgotten, the UK

has a history of rapidly mushrooming and

equally folding MI multiples. Ask an

industry veteran about Southern Organs

and he will sit you down and tell you

blood curdling tales about the perils of

retailers ‘getting above themselves’.

Reaching for failure is how many in the

industry see it. The fact that other retail

sectors have their problems too, is often

overlooked – which is curious when you

consider that, in the past few years, far

larger concerns than Sound Control (Zavvi,

Adams, Borders and, as if one could ever

forget, Woolworths), have all bitten the

proverbial dust. So is it fair to single out

musical instruments, as if some curse

hangs over the sector, making it impossible

to grow beyond two or three shops?

All the same, the industry boffins say

MI chains just don’t work in the UK.

Admittedly, they have plenty of examples

to support their case.

So which is it? An ambition doomed to

fail, or just a very hard thing to get right?

Someone who should know the answers

is Keith Woodcock, the man who

developed the Academy of Sound chain

from Carlsbro retail and eventually sold

the group to Sound Control for a

considerable sum of money. Woodcock

had proved that a retail chain in the UK

can work. So what went wrong with

Sound Control and how good a chance

does he give anyone else of replicating

his success?

“The basics are that once you’ve gone

past two stores you have to have the

infrastructure in place – and that requires

a huge amount of investment,” he says.

“One of the reasons Sound Control

purchased Academy was because we spent

nearly £200,000 on a serious stock

management computer system, which

they then completely screwed up after

they bought it. It was a bespoke system

that enabled us to know every product,

every sale in each store, what margins we

had on all product groups and exactly

what the stores were doing turnover wise.

It also included well thought-out and in-

depth agreements of achievable budgets

for the stores. When we sat down and

looked at what we expected to do in the

next financial year, there was a lot of

fearing worst case scenarios, where we

thought the margins could go – and we

were able to keep a bead on that all

the time.”

Among other benefits, Woodcock says

this put him in the driving seat when

negotiating with suppliers. If confronted

with a demand that Academy stocked, say,

50 examples of a new product, Woodcock

and his team were able to show why they

couldn’t and wouldn’t do it. “It actually

made for good relationships with our

suppliers, because it meant they could see

we knew what we were doing. We were

able to say to them, ‘Look, this is what we

invested in, this is what we’re getting and

it’s not good enough’.”

Of course, being big enough to be

talking that way helped and it does make

Woodcock’s point that having the figures

puts him in the driving seat.

“People say they can’t afford systems

like that. The truth is they can’t not afford

them once you’ve gone down that

multiple route. I learned many years ago

that Laker Airways went broke while it was

making record profit. What went wrong

was it ran out of cash. You can run a

business for quite a long time without

profits, but you can’t run it for weeks

without cash. That’s why I had a full-time

accountant on hand to give us all the

figures we needed. These are the back-end

basics that aren’t really common in the

music industry.”

That said, Woodcock is the first to

admit that all this took place at a time

when the banks were being encouraged to

throw money at businesses. “That’s true,”

says Woodcock. “Some of what I’m saying

possibly isn’t relevant today because of

that, but certain points are true whatever

the climate. For example, before Sound

Control, we had other approaches and

“The basics are that once you’ve gone past two

stores you have to have the infrastructure in place

– and that requires a huge amount of investment.Keith Woodcock, formerly Academy of Sound

NEWS ANALYSIS


part of that was because of the branding

we had done. It was a professionally run

retail business and that’s why it attracted

the offers it did.”

Woodcock still smarts from the

suggestion that the price Sound Control

paid for Academy was part of the latter’s

undoing. “It’s not the price it paid - it’s

that they screwed it up after they bought

it,” he says. “They didn’t utilise what

they’d bought.

“That said, times have changed. Things

are much tighter now and people might

not be prepared to put those sorts of

controls in. Without them, though, I can

quite easily see it going wrong. I’m not

sure, today, whether chains are actually

the right way to go. If I was starting fresh

again, I don’t think I would. I was lucky

because I was one of the beneficiaries of

the banks throwing money at things. The

whole ballpark is different now.”

There remains, of course, the rumour

that Sound Control paid a huge sum for

Academy because its bankers had an eye

on an eventual sale to the US giant, Guitar

Center. Some believe that, without

swallowing another chain, the Scottish

retailer wasn’t big enough to attract the

Americans’ interest. True or not, it adds to

the uniqueness of the Academy story.

From a retailer who has been there and

done it, to one who is still very much in

the fray, David Briggs of Dawsons

continues to defy the odds with a

successful chain that doesn’t attract

rumours. How does he see the problems

facing the ambitious retailer?

“I think some people who grow from

one store to a second don’t realise how

difficult it’s going to be. The reason we

have been successful, particularly over the

past couple of years, has been getting our

supply chain and logistics seriously well

organised. We now have stock profiles for

every shop and a computer system that

tells us if any shop is below its profile with

anything. We never run out of key

products. You will not go to a Dawsons

shop and fail to find a 20-foot guitar lead,

for example.

“I don’t think it’s a big secret that the

other thing Dawsons have done – possibly

more than any of our competitors – is

source goods direct from Far Eastern

suppliers. We’ve now got more than 20

Korean and Chinese suppliers and because

we’ve sent musicians out there, we’re

thrilled with the quality of the products

we’re bringing in. We’ve been buying from

quality companies who make good kit. I

believe we give a really good offer to the

customer, because we can sell Chinese

products to them for less than branded

products and make more money ourselves.

“If you look at what’s happening in the

industry, some of our suppliers have

complex bureaucratic operations. They

might have the product made in, say,

Vietnam with a mark-up then added in

Japan and Europe’s mark-ups, then

another in their British headquarters. Then

the retailer has to add his mark-up and

guess what? They’ve priced themselves

out of the market.”

One of the problems faced by chains is

achieving consistent quality of service. It

was said, for example, that while some of

the Sound Control shops were good,

others were less so. How does Briggs

maintain quality across Dawsons?

“I personally recruit everybody. Nobody

is recruited to this business without me

being involved and I think that is

absolutely the key – you’ve got to have

good people. There are a lot of good

musicians out there, but a limited number

who are also good commercially.”

Personnel can make an enormous

difference too, Briggs adds. “One of our

shops has a new manager, who we’ve

moved from another shop. Here we are, in

the middle of what is not the easiest

period and yet we were 50 per cent up

last month on the previous March – and

that’s all about people. Running a music

shop is not rocket science, but my view is

that in order to make money on it, you’ve

got to have good staff and give great

service. When people come to a music

shop they expect service and having

friendly, knowledgeable people who are

enthusiastic about what they do. This is

the key.”

One of the other question marks that

hangs over retail chains is one of

geography. Some pundits believe that

transport is difficult in the UK for the sort

of hands-on supervision that is needed to

make a chain uniform and effective. Does

Briggs agree?

“I don’t think we give as much help to

our stores in the South as perhaps we

should because they’re 200 miles away,

but they’re both doing well. My view is

that it’s important that the central people

in a chain visit the stores and give them

support. That comes down to

communication, which is so important in

business. Despite modern technology,

nothing beats a face-to-face meeting, so

you need to visit the stores and if they’re

all over the country, then it’s hard.”

Which brings us to something of an

enigma: the burgeoning PMT. It appears to

be defying the state of the market,

shrugging off online competition and still

expanding – most recently, by taking over

the formerly Sound Control, later Reverb,

premises in Bristol.

PMT’s Simon Gilson is straight to the

point when asked why he thinks Reverb

failed. “Naivety,” he says. It’s hard to

argue, when recalling the statements

about expansion made by Andrew

L-R: David Briggs of Dawsons, Keith Woodcock, formerly of Academy of Sound and PMT’s Simon Gilson talk about chains


ANALYSIS NEWS

Landesberg in the past year, even as he

was closing stores. And Sound Control?

“Lack of financial control,” Gilson says.

That said, he isn’t entirely convinced by

Keith Woodcock’s insistence on the

primacy of infrastructure. “I have a huge

amount of respect for Keith, but I would

sit between him and Pat Kelly (Sound

Control) at a table and laugh at both.

Academy built far too much infrastructure

without the front end, while on the other

hand, Sound Control completely lost a grip

on finances and costs within its stores.

Academy was a very good company, but

didn’t have the sales drive to go forward –

though it did have the dexterity to sell for

a lot of money. It was a case of because

the banks could, they did.”

But what of PMT? Clearly, Gilson is

aware he and his partner Terry Hope are

now the subjects of speculation.

“I guess we’re causing a bit of disquiet

because were getting so big,” he says. “I

was always prepared for that, but what I

would say to our critics is that we’re 20

years old this year and we’ve spent a very

long time building what we have. This

hasn’t been built in a day and unlike

anybody else, we built from a position of

strength. We never borrowed very heavily,

when we did the Sound Control thing –

and a year from today we’ll be completely

debt free. We did a three-year deal with

the bank and we’re two years into it. If

someone wants to criticise us for building

a strong business, then criticise away.”

Gilson goes on to make a telling

point. “People don’t like success in this

country. Tough! I don’t get up in the

morning to fail.

“People lose sight of what it’s about. It’s

very hard. There are geographical

differences and if you’re not willing to take

those on board, you’re setting yourself up

for problems. Also, if you can’t have trust

in the people running those stores for you,

then you’ve got huge problems. If you

increase your size, but lose vision of why

you started, then you’ve also got problems.

It’s a very complex issue and I’m not

saying we’re getting it all right. However,

we are getting it more right than anyone

else ever has and, importantly, we do rule

financially with a rod of iron.

“We’re two years into the ex-Sound

Control project now. In the first year it was

heinous – the people didn’t know how to

do anything. Money was flooding out and

it took a good year to get it to go

anywhere. Now we’ve got it under control.

“Terry and I have built an awful lot of

strength in this company. We’ve never

done what so many around us have done:

milked it and taken stupid dividends.

Because of that we’re reaping the benefit.”

Of the three people interviewed, one

has built, run and sold a successful chain,

while the other two are currently defying

the doomsayers. It’s hard not to agree with

the consensus view that Sound Control

was the beneficiary and then the victim of

boom and bust – hyped beyond its ability

to control itself and with an eye on a prize

that never materialised.

Still, the spectre of ‘consolidation’ hangs

around the industry – MI being one of the

few retail sectors without a single major

retail chain with dozens of stores. If any

eagle-eyed venture capitalist thinks the

industry is ripe for his attentions, a

sobering antidote might lie in the camera

trade. Like MI, photography had become a

specialist hobby, served by High Street

single shops and small chains, trying to

compete both with online discounters and

other retailers who had moved into their

market. Then Jessops came along. Such a

hungry capitalist might ask himself

whether that is really where he would

want to be, once he had similarly digested

the MI market.

Which suggests, particularly in a

recession, and with Guitar Center having

enough to contend with in its home

territory, that good, single stores and small

chains are the way ahead. Until the next

boom, of course - when the banks and the

politicians will, once again, decide to forget

the basics. Watch this space.

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“If you look at what’s happening in the industry,

some of our suppliers have complex

bureaucratic operations. They’ve priced

themselves out of the market.David Briggs, Dawsons

Regardless of the

risks, large

manufacturers are

still willing to invest

in chain stores

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO MAY 2009 17

With spaces for supplier partners and retail visitors all but gone for MI Pro’s first trade event, Andy Barrett goes through

the value of talking things over. Take it as your last chance to get involved…

MI RETAIL CONFERENCE & EXPO EVENT PREVIEW

MI RETAIL CONFERENCE & EXPO JUNE 29TH, THE BREWERY, CHISWELL STREET (BARBICAN), LONDON

ALL DEALERS WISHING TO PARTICIPATE SHOULD CONTACT [email protected]

Why you should go to the MI

Retail Conference & Expo

There is a received wisdom that says

business is something you do, not

something you talk about – and like

any received wisdom it is most definitely

wrong. The assumptions here are that our

businesses somehow function in a

vacuum and that any new ideas that crop

up will somehow make their way to

us without any effort on

our part.

NAMM, of

course, has been

holding its

‘university

sessions’ at its

trade shows for

years now, with

literally hundreds

of dealers and

experts sharing

views and learning

from each other at

each event. The fact

that these sessions

grow more numerous

and more supported at

each subsequent show

should be evidence enough that

there is value in talking business, but

still the recalcitrants remain.

MI Pro, by its very nature, encourages

dialogue, which is why we have decided to

stick our neck out and say to the UK’s MI

trade at large, ‘let’s talk’. The result of this

is the MI Retail Conference & Expo, the

aim of which is to get the UK industry

together, suppliers and retailers,

associations and researchers, and create

some sort of snapshot of where we are,

what we are doing and why. The fact that

all of us are involved in business means

that business will inevitably be done, too –

it’s a win/win.

Interestingly, the two major issues that

have dominated MI business talk over the

past few years are fundamentally

connected. Bricks and mortar attempting

to compete with internet pricing and retail

chains versus independents are

intriguing discussions and

have had the effect of

pitting retailers against

each other, as well as

the more

‘traditional’

suspicion of dealers

for suppliers and

vice versa.

On the basis of

this, two panel

sessions will take

place at the MI

Conference where all

sides of these issues

will be discussed.

Confirmed panellists

on the e-commerce panel

include Jason Tavaria from

Dolphin Music and online

branding and commerce consultant

and former MI retailer Jon MacDonald.

Keynote talks will be given by Billy

Bragg, who will be recounting his personal

MI retail experiences as a customer, as

well as outlining the work of his Jail Guitar

Doors charity, which aids the

rehabilitation of prison inmates through

supplying guitars and offering tuition.

The leading market research company

GfK will be represented by Matthew Gibbs,

who will present some exclusive facts and

figures regarding MI sales across the

country and over the past three years,

showing some of the main product trends

appearing in our industry.

Paul McManus, the CEO of the MIA, will

outline just some of the benefits the trade

association can offer MI retailers, including

special credit terms, business consultation

and specialist insurance, as well as asking

the rhetorical question: what has the MIA

ever done for us? This will point out, for

example, how activities such as lobbying

Government, which resulted in music

education becoming enshrined in the

national schools curriculum, have resulted

in a tangible increase of end users.

The event has also been promised a

representative from the Department of

Children, Schools and Families – identity

to be confirmed owing to the uncertain

outcome of the general election on May

6th – to deliver a talk on music education

and how retailers can benefit from the

money available for musical instruments.

As MI Pro goes to press, there are still a

couple of Expo Partner packages available

– and with the number of retailers

attending now over 100 (representing over

150 outlets – see news, page 4) and

growing daily, these partnerships are

becoming increasingly valuable. Suppliers

and manufacturers interested in being an

Event Partner should contact Jodie

Holdway at:

[email protected] or on

01992 535647.

If all of this was not enough, after the

business of the day is complete, Roland is

hosting an after-show party, with food,

drinks, a live band and, of course, still

more opportunity to network among the

most important and influential people in

the UK’s trade.

Left to right: Jason Tavaria, Matthew Gibbs, Billy Bragg and Paul McManus

“There is a received wisdom that says business is

something you do, not something you talk about

– like most received wisdom, it is wrong.

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As this year’s Musikmesse

approached, any industry observer

would have been forgiven for being

concerned that, as 2010 showed signs of

the economy finally turning around to bite

the MI trade, it would be something of a

downer in comparison to recent years.

Come to that, any observer at all would

have been forgiven such thoughts, as even

the management at the Frankfurt Messe

was expecting a downturn.

“I would never have guessed it would

look as good as it did,” admitted

Musikmesse’s brand manager, Cordelia von

Gymnich. “We were 5,000 square metres

short of target at the sales deadline last

year and it wasn’t looking good. In the

end, we were two per cent down on

exhibitors, two per cent down on space

sold and two per cent down on visitor

numbers, so I have to be pleased, really.”

This was obvious to regular visitors and

exhibitors alike, as the slightly lower

numbers were accentuated by the wider

aisles. What would not have been

immediately obvious, however, is that

exhibitors were pretty much universal in

their approval of the show and the quality

of those visiting their stands.

Certainly as far as UK suppliers were

concerned, it was as good a show as any.

Barnes & Mullins, Denis Wick, JHS, Orange,

Wia Music, Shure, Laney and Marshall,

among many others, all reported excellent

trading on the show floor.

As sometimes happens, with the

climate tough, those that make the effort

are that little bit more determined to

make the show work for them. So, having

proved again that show statistics are very

relative, let’s take a look at them.

A smidgen under 110,000 visitors

(107,838, to be precise) perused the

products and services on show from 2,340

exhibitors (combined figures over both

Musikmesse and Prolight+Sound, which

separate to 1,510 and 829 respectively).

Of particular note this year, though, is the

increase of almost three per cent (to just

over 40,000) of non-German visitors. This

could be why the UK brands had such a

good time of it this year.

There had been a fair few reshuffles in

the halls this year, most notably in the

piano departments. With the German

piano exhibitors plumping for biennial

appearances at the show, this year saw

their return in a new space, namely the

site’s Forum building. This proved to be a

huge success, with a 100 per cent

approval rating – so successful, in fact,

that now the piano exhibitors are

considering whether it would be risky to

abandon the momentum achieved.

Discussions will continue through May

with a decision expected early in June.

Other successes included the ‘new look’

Hall 3.0, which saw a wider spread of

companies, most notable among them

being Korg, and the efforts of the

organiser to keep noise levels down. More

thumbs up there.

It is an indication of how good the

show continues to be and the standards

expected that the chief complaint from

exhibitors this year was about the carpets,

which in some halls were a foot or two

narrower than the aisles.

“It’s easy to dismiss this,” said von

Gymnich, “but the ambience of a hall is

important, so we take it very seriously. I

must say, we hadn’t really foreseen this

reaction. It is a small change to take on

board and the effect can be huge, but it’s

a question of what we can afford. We will

be looking to rectify this, however.”

Which, in a way, brings us back to those

wider aisles. On the face of it, keeping a

show looking busy can be easily achieved

with a touch of smoke and mirrors, but

von Gymnich is refreshingly frank on this

subject. “Of course we can move the halls


Musikmesse figures, almost across the board, were down this year, but exhibitor and visitor reaction was distinctly

upbeat. What could this mean? Andy Barrett finds that Musikmesse is still the show everyone wants...

Quietly confident

FACT FILE

EVENT: Musikmesse (&

Prolight+Sound)

DATE: March 24th to 27th

VENUE: Frankfurt Messe

EXHIBITORS: 2,340 (combined –

1,510 at Musikmesse)

VISITORS: 107,838

VERDICT: With visitor, exhibitor

and stand space all down by two

per cent, international visitor

figures were up nearly three per

cent – which is significant from

the standpoint of the British

market. All in all, probably a

better show than many expected

– and expectations are always

high at Frankfurt. Carpets aside,

another winner. Top marks.

MUSIKMESSE � EVENT REPORT

“Of particular note this year is the increase of

almost three per cent (to over 40,000) of non-

German visitors. This could be why the UK brands

had such a good time this year.

around,” she said. “For example, we could

have moved the violins from Hall 1 and

put them in another hall and created a

more crowded environment, but you have

to be aware that it would probably have

been the wrong place for them. We are

monitoring this situation very closely. If

the downturn continues for a few more

years, then we will have to reconsider. It is

expensive to open up a hall and we can’t

take that lightly, but at the moment, it

seems to be working okay. If the

companies decide to come, we won’t

need to replan, but when asking exhibitors

how they see the economic climate, the

vast majority are saying ‘bad’. We’ll see..”

Musikmesse is, of course, the world’s

largest MI show and even grasping a

fragment of what was on show is a

mammoth task. MI Pro, however, gets the

broadest of perspectives, so here is our

run-through of the hit makers this year.

KORG

Located for the first time in Hall 3.0, the

MI giant was on hand to showcase its

vast selections of new products.

The global manufacturer also had on

display an array of new launches including

synthesizers, recording equipment,

arranger keyboards and the much

anticipated Kaossilator Pro.

Korg’s other major showpiece was the

Monotron. Powered by two AAA batteries,

the compact synthesizer can be held in

one hand, but is capable of producing

thick and powerful sounds. Due to its size,

the Monotron only offers five knobs and

one switch, but concentrates on the most

important sound parameters.

VOX

The amp specialists saw this opportunity

to show off its new AC models, the S33

and 55 and new HDC77 guitars.

It also unveiled a new member of the

AC4 family, the AC4TVmini. Based on the

original models from the 1960s, these

practice amps come with a premium

transformer and select components for

optimum tone. The AC4TVmini also

comes equipped with a 6.5-inch speaker.

PEAVEY

The US amp giant pulled in huge numbers

of visitors with new additions to its Vypyr

range. An already successful series, the

Vypyr selection has been bolstered with

the arrival of the Vypyr Tube 120H and

matching 412 loudspeaker enclosure. The

head offers 24 amp channel models,

along with 11 editable preamp ‘stomp

box’ effects and 11 editable post-amp

‘rack’ effects.

HH ELECTRONICS

HH Electronics has been brought back by

the distribution company Headstock. The

HH brand had been owned by the

suppliers since the 1980s.

The reincarnated PA and amp

manufacturer will be remembered as

trusty equipment on the pub gig circuits

during the 1960s and 70s.

Duncan Boniface is responsible for the

revival and had been traveling to China in

order to find suitable manufacturing

partners. A new selection will include

products ranging from small practice

guitar gear to large scale PA enclosures.

JHS

An impressive range of JHS products

made their European debuts at

Musikmesse. These included the new Fret

King, Vintage, Santos Martinez and

Encore launches.

Its centerpiece was the new Ventura

Super 60 in Fret King’s Blue Label series.

Accompanying it were Vintage’s new

models, the Thomas Blug V6 and Mick

Abrahams VS6.

The close relationship between JHS and

Fishman, the electronics and audio brand

it purchased, was evident with the new

Santos Martinez guitars. New models are

fitted with Fishman pickups and preamps.

OVERWATER BY TANGLEWOOD

Overwater, a custom bass guitar brand

designed by Chris May, has teamed up

with Tanglewood Guitars.

Four new models in Tanglewood’s

Aspiration range were introduced at

Frankfurt. These products, on show in the

electric guitar hall, ranged from £329 to

£899, with a fifth model believed to be on

the way.

This was the first time Tanglewood had

booked a dedicated electric guitar stand

in Hall 4, owing to the launch of the

Aspiration series and the new Signature

series of solid-bodied electrics. These

guitars, which slot into the mid-price

range, are modelled on classic G-type

designs, offering an alternative to more

immediately obvious brands in this sector

of the market.

MACKIE

Mackie has released an affordable new

powered subwoofer, the TH-18s.

This new sub has been designed to

accompany the SRM450v2 PA speaker.

The combination of these two will be

sold at around $400 less than its

competitors. The HD Series powered subs

also made a debut this year, ideal when

partnered with the HD Series

loudspeakers launched last year.

ALESIS

Alesis introduced its new i02 Express

recording interface this year.

The system provides recording setups

for home, project and portable studio

scenarios. Compatible with both PCs and

Macs, the two-channel USB device allows

the user to record at up to 24-bit

resolution, for input into DAW, recording

and performance software.

PRESONUS

The studio specialist announced version

1.5 of its DAW software, Studio One,

which has a number of new features

including support for video playback and

sync for composing to picture, major

enhancements to the browsers drag-and-

drop capabilities, the ability to draw your

own automation waveforms, automation

points that are locked to events, a new

key-command editor, changing tempos

within a event without slicing the event

into separate events, and support for song

and album art.

ARIA

Although not on the Aria stand at the

show, the big news for Aria Distribution in

the UK is that the new ZT amp brand

(lightweight, but extremely powerful

solid-state models from the US) is

available to the UK through the

specialist supplier.

There are three models in the range,

The Club, the Lunchbox and the Lunchbox

Acoustic, all of which pump out some

200 Watts of power (amounting to SPLs

of 130dB) in diminutive frames and a top

weight of ten kilos.

AMPEG

Ampeg’s new Heritage models use JJ

valves for the preamp stage and Winged C

power valves. The SVT-CL has a capacity

of 300 Watts, which makes it perfect for

the companion cabinets. Both the SVT-

810E and SVT-410HLF come with

Eminence drivers that feature identical

specifications to the original SVT series.

The audio giant was under pressure by

fans to return to its US roots, after years

of manufacturing overseas. Loud

Technologies bought Ampeg back in 2005

for over $32 million, but has suffered in

the last year. This resulted in a decline in

manufacturing speed, which prompted the

decision to relocate and move back home

to the US.

LINE 6

Line 6, a pioneer of guitar modelling,

surprised this year’s by announcing it was

moving into microphone and guitar

wireless technology.

The XD-V70 and XD-V70L systems will

function in the 2.4 Gigahertz frequency

and will be sold throughout Europe. They

both offer 12 channels, a 100-metre

range and heavy-duty cast metal 1/2U

rack receivers. They will cost a little over

£500. The Relay digital wireless system is

20 miPRO MAY 2009 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

EVENT REPORT � MUSIKMESSE

”I would never have

guessed it would

turn out as well as

it did.Cordelia von GymnichFrankfurt Messe

The MI/pro audio crossover sector was significant this year

MUSIKMESSE � EVENT REPORT


also due to be released for guitars in the

very near future.

ROLAND

Roland kept up its tradition of launching a

number of new products at this year’s

Frankfurt event.

These include new digital recorders,

synthesizers, accordions and both upright

and grand pianos.

Among the highlights of Roland’s new

releases was the GAIA SH-01 modern

digital synthesizer. The SH-01 provides a

hands-on feel and draws comparisons to

Roland’s keyboards from the 1980s. Five

simultaneous effects can be layered,

resulting in dozens of variations. The three

complete synths allow for thick, powerful

sounds and 64 polyphonic voices ensure

the production of massive sounds.

KAM

Kam revealed new additions to its 2010

product range, much of it featured in the

interim Catalogue Additions, a supplement

to the full catalogue which keeps the

company up to date through to the

autumn launch of the new catalogue.

New products showcased included USB

Midi controllers, digital products for the

home studio, LED lighting, passive and

active speakers, switch mode amplifiers

and the award winning laser range.

Kam also exhibited its Kamkase

flightcase brand.

STUDIOMASTER

MI’s one-stop-shop for things audio, saw

over 30 new products this year, with the

noteworthy among them being the

company’s portable PA under the

Stagesound brand and the C4TX series of

modular mixers with twin DSP and

available as 19-inch rackable versions, or

as standalone models. Those that visited

the show and the Studiomaster stand

were also taking note of the JX range of

passive and active speakers, ranging from

eight-inch to 18-inch models.

FAITH

With success at the Music China event

over the last few years, this was Faith

Guitar’s first proper foray into the export

opportunities offered at Musikmesse.

Faith Guitars exhibited its Natural,

Higloss, Eclipse and Signature ranges, as

well as a few first-look upgrade previews

and new shapes.

On the booth in the Acoustic Hall along

with Faith were Patrick James Eggle’s own

guitars, accompanied by Eggle himself.

Barnes & Mullins has indicated that it

intends to exhibit at Frankfurt 2011.

firstimpressions

MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION

First Impressions allows Audio-Technica’s MI retailers to

offer something extra to their customers both in terms of

convenience and price.

To find out more visit www.audio-technica.com/firstimpressionsor to register your interest in participating in the scheme, contact your

area sales coordinator by phone on 0113 277 1441 or by email at

[email protected]

MIPA 2010 winnersTHE ANNUAL MIPA ceremony inspired

its usual collection of surprised

eyebrows and knowing nods, with big

winners this year including Korg and TC,

each with three awards. Hartley Peavey

picked up the Lifetime Achievement

Award (see below), bringing about the

loudest applause and the most

vigourous nods of approval. Here is the

full list of winners…

Most innovative product:

TC Electronic PolyTune

Bass amp: TC Electronic Rebel Head

450 Bass cabinet: TC Electronic

RebelStack 210/212

Electric bass: Warwick Starbass II

Acoustic bass: Warwick Alien

Bass strings: D’Addario EXL 170

Acoustic drums: Tama Starphonic

snare drums

Cymbals: Meinl Byzance Sand ride

Drum hardware: Pearl Eliminator

Demon Drive bass drum pedal

Drumheads: Vic Firth signature series

Electronic drums: Korg Wavedrum

W-DX

Percussion: LP One Hand triangle and

Meinl Taku Hirano signature handed bale

Drum education: Keith Harlock The Big

Picture (Hudson DVD)

Electric guitar: PRS 305

Acoustic guitar: Taylor Baritone

eight-string

Guitar amp combo: Peavey Vypyr 15

Guitar amp head: Marshall JMD:1

Guitar effects: Boss ME-25

Pickup: Seymour Duncan Blackouts

Acoustic guitar amp/LR Baggs

Acoustic Reference

Strings: Elixir Nanoweb

Synthesizer hardware: Dave Smith

Instruments Tetra

Stage piano: Yamaha CP1

Controller keyboard: Novation ReMote

SL Mk II

Software instrument: Synthogy Ivory II

Sound library: Vienna

Symphonic Library

Live performance tool: Korg

Kaossilator Pro

Portable sound: Fohhn Linea

Focus steerable

PA system: D&B T-series

Live microphone: Neumann

KMS 104 Plus

Sound system technology:

Optocore Sane

Mixing desk (live): Soundcraft Vi2

Studio microphone: Neumann TLM 102

Studio monitor (nearfield): Focal

CMS 65

Recording software: Cakewalk Sonar

V-Studio 100

Mixing desk (project studio):

PreSonus Studio Live

Mixing desk (high end): SSL Matrix

Audio processor (software): UAD-2

Field recorder: Zoom H4n

DAW controller: Cakewalk Sonar

V-Studio 700

Lifetime Achievement Award:

Hartley Peavey

Since building his own amplifier in his

parents’ basement in 1957, Harvey

Peavey has established himself as a

pioneer of amp and speaker technology.

His ambition to provide affordable amps

stems from the 1960s when he started

taking existing products apart and

realising they were too expensive.

Peavey Electronics was created in

1965, debuting with the Peavey

Musician amp. Today the company is

one of the world’s MI and audio leaders.

45 years on, with over 2,000 products

sold in 136 countries, there are few who

have not enjoyed music via a Peavey

product. Musicians are the main

contributors to musical advancement,

but there are few others influencing the

industry as much as Hartley Peavey.

Hartley and Mary Peavey

EVENT REPORT MUSIKMESSE DRUMS


Whoever said too much choice

can be a bad thing would have

a field day in the current drum

and percussion marketplace. Not so long

ago drums came in rock or fusion sizes in

three ranges: entry level, mid-price and

high-end, with a decent selection of solid

or wood grain lacquer finishes at the top-

end and wrapped finishes at the bottom.

Now, however, the humble dealer is faced

with such a dizzying array of styles,

woods, finishes and price points to suit

every possible music niche and sub-niche

that the early onset of choice paralysis

becomes another worry to add to the

Bumper Book of Anxieties, already on its

tenth reprint thanks to economic gloom,

the worst winter in 30 years and a long

wait until the next TV series of Mad Men.

Thankfully this year’s Frankfurt

Musikmesse saw the brake being gradually

applied, with manufacturers focusing on

improved quality and lower price-points

rather than a blizzard of new drumkit

launches. Not that the show lacked the

odd surprise or two.

Following Sabian’s purchase of the Gon

Bops percussion company at the NAMM

show, Marshall Amplification sprung its

own sizeable shock by announcing it had

acquired the legendary British percussion

company, Natal, started by Alan Sharp in

the mid-1960s. A move that’s not as

curious as it may appear considering Jim

Marshall started out as a drummer, sold

Natal from his first shop and that

Marshall’s CMI distribution arm was the

first UK distributor of LP congas and

percussion in the late 70s and early 80s.

Meanwhile, the question of Sonor’s

decision not to exhibit this year was

another hot topic, particularly considering

it’s one of Germany’s biggest instrument

manufacturers.

The word on the strasse, and apparently

in the Sudfaus bar, suggested it would be

back next year, joined no doubt by even

more new Turkish cymbal companies,

which took the total to over ten this year.

If they go on multiplying at this rate

they’ll have their own hall by 2012.

DRUMS AND KITS

Expect to see a lot more of Gretsch this

year as Fender rolls out a big push on the

UK market, particularly with its newly

updated Catalina Club and Renown Maple

ranges. With prices ranging from £500 to

£700, the Catalina Club is terrific value

with seven-ply mahogany shells, lacquer

or wrapped finishes, four shell pack

configurations, from 18-inch bass drum

jazz sets to 24-inch bass rock monsters,

shorter tom depth options, suspended

mounts and Evans heads.

The Renown Maple range, inspired by

Gretsch’s admired USA Custom range and

featuring six-ply rock maple shells with

die cast hoops and Evans heads, is also re-

styled for 2010, offering shorter, more

traditional depth tom sizes, four shell

pack configurations, four very sellable

new finishes and prices up to £1,200.

Watch out for the new Stanton Moore

snare featuring a one-piece 14 by 4.5-

inch birdseye maple shell and Gretsch’s

first snare drum with a maple shell

and hoops.

Ludwig is also on a roll with the new

mid-price, American-made Keystone

series, aimed squarely at the rock market.

Active Distribution should have them in

the UK by July. Blending traditional

touches with wild sparkle and pearl

Musikmesse this year threw up a good deal of news and even more new product – and the drum and percussion market

was no exception, although John Newey discovers something of a slow-down while pounding the tub thumpers’ aisles…

Drums along the Main

“Thankfully, this year’s Musikmesse saw the brake

being applied, with manufacturers focusing on

improved quality.John Newey

finishes, the Keystone has maple shells with outer

plies of American Red Oak, a dual 45-degree bearing

edge, Evans heads and new low-contact Keystone

lugs. The package, claims Ludwig, gives enhanced

volume with a bigger attack and quick decay. Higher

up the scale is the new Legacy Exotic series,

featuring exotic wood veneers, including African

black limba, Brazilian sumauma and Australian

lacewood – what no bubinga? – over maple and

poplar shells and a droolsome new limited edition,

engraved chrome over brass snare drum, constructed

like the 1920s’ Black Beauty.

The bubinga wood lover is well catered for at

Tama, which now offers all its Starclassic Bubinga

series, including Elite, Elite EFX, and Omni-Tune, at

lower prices, courtesy of the company’s new factory

in China. Vintage 1920s’ metal snare drums are also

the inspiration behind Tama’s new Starphonic

stainless steel snare drum, while the new Phoenix

Ergo-Rider and Wide Rider drum thrones bring

together comfort and embroidery for those after a

neat seat.

Premier announced its return (how many’s that?)

with an overhaul of its low to mid-price product

range with the Cabria PK, APK and XPK series,

renamed the Performance series, and design

updates on the APK and XPK including new lugs,

block suspension mounts and lacquer finishes, with

the option of short stack toms in addition to

standard sizes.

It’s back to the 1990s as the Genista series has

been re-introduced and is now available in either

maple or birch with its distinctive oval lugs and

impressive new finishes, including stainless steel and

blue sparkle, while the entry level Olympic line now

comes with a lacquered finish and Premier’s Classic

series is now available with bubinga shells and a

particularly desirable mid-price tag.

Pearl gets a taste for bubinga, too, with its

Masters Custom Artisan Bubinga kit featuring an

outer ply of this exotic grain wood, while lower

down the scale the Vision VSX series has an eye-

popping new ‘graffiti’ finish, but all eyes were on

Pearl’s E-Pro Live, the company’s first venture into

electronic drums since the 1980s.

The E-Pro combines real acoustic drums and

hardware with TruTrac electronic batter heads that fit

under the hoops like a regular head and E Classic

electronic brass cymbals. Its Redbox electronic drum

module has over 100 high definition kits, 1,000 drum

and percussion sounds, reverb, eq, flanger and other

sonic shapers as well as a USB computer interface

for downloading additional new sounds. It looks just

like a regular mid-range Pearl kit and if you fit

regular batter heads rather than TruTac heads it can

be used as a regular kit. Whether this is the kit of

tomorrow and unleashes copycats or proves too

cumbersome for converts to the compact size of

Yamaha and Roland’s electronic kits only time will

tell, but trying to predict drummers’ buying habits is

far from the easiest game in town.

Mapex look set to do good business at the quality

entry level with its Horizon series, offering five drum

kits with hybrid birch/basswood shells, suspended

mounts, lacquered shells, innovative hardware and

Remo heads at prices less than many competing

brands, while its new Falcon bass drum pedal range

is a winner, with incredibly smooth action and bags

of power. Stagg also up the entry level stakes with

the TIM6 five-drum kit offering poplar and maple

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO APRIL 2009 23

MUSIKMESSE DRUMS EVENT REPORT

”The dealer is faced with

such an array of styles,

woods, finishes and prices

to suit every possible niche

that the onset of choice

paralysis becomes another

worry to add to the

Bumper Book of Anxieties.

shells, lacquered finishes and Remo

heads for £499 and a TIM3 with wrap

finish for £349.

Affordability is the key word at DW

too, with the new 2000 series hardware

delivering DW quality at prices that

should propel punters into the stores: a

DW double bass pedal for just £170

anyone? The prices of the top end Custom

Shop kits have been rationalised with no

additional costs for the latest shell

configurations and innovations and the

company’s PDP Platinum series gets a new

look and a new lower price.

If dealers want an indicator of the

coming season’s fashion trend, then matte

on matte finishes looks a sturdy bet. Just

ask Yamaha, which debuted a cracking

new Rock Tour series, featuring eco-

friendly big leaf mahogany shells that

deliver big sounds with highly distinctive

matt hardware on matt metallic shells.

Traditionalists will swoon over the new

Limited Edition Vintage version of the

classic 9000 Recording series with

Hokkaido birch shells, a ‘vintage’ natural

finish that is said to age beautifully.

It’s rare to see a new drum company

launch at Frankfurt and impress in quite

the way that the German-based Drum

Craft did. Eco-friendly manufacturing,

birch and maple shells with highly

distinctive new lug designs, zero gravity

mounts, superb matt-satin chrome

hardware on matt lacquer finishes and

winner of the Red Dot Design Award.

What’s more, it reckons UK distribution

will be firmly in place by the summer.

CYMBALS

Out in cymbal land the cast bronze

furnaces are never quiet. Sabian has a

treat for jazz players with the 21-inch

Vault Artisan three-point ride, designed by

Jack DeJohnette, and a range of Artisan

crashes, while Fusion hats are added to

the HHX series and the increasingly

popular mid-price B20 cast bronze XS20

range now comes with a brilliant finish.

High-profile German drum meister

Benny Greb’s innovative new Byzance 14-

inch Sand hihats impressed from Meinl

with their combination of vintage looks

and contemporary sound that saw the

new Byzance Sand ride scoop a MIPA

award, while prototypes of the company’s

first ever cast B20 cymbal to be

completely manufactured in Germany, the

M series, promised much in terms of

sound and price.

Zildjian’s big new launches target both

the top-end jazz market, with the awe-

inspiring 22-inch K Constantinople Thin

Ride Overhammered, a 22-inch K

Constantinople Bounce ride and a 20-inch

K light flat ride, and forward looking rock

players with new cut-out EFX models for

K Zildjian and A Custom and multi-hued

eight and ten-inch ZXT Trashformers.

Big is the byword at Paiste with a

monster 2002 series 24-inch Reverend Al’s

Big ride, designed by Alex Van Halen and a

24-inch Rock Ride, Metal crashes and

Metal Edge hats for the Alpha series, all

now with a brilliant finish.

Highpoints among the

proliferation of Turkish

manufacturers were Istanbul

Agop’s 30th Anniversary ride

and hihats, which recalled

vintage dark Turkish-made K

Zildjians and the new Master

Vintage series from Bosphorous.

And watch out for British artisan

cymbalsmith Matt Nolan and his growing

range of handmade cymbals, gongs and

metal sound sculptures. He is the UK’s

only current cymbal smith and his range of

distinctive sounds and finishes deserve

wider attention.

PERCUSSION

Marshall’s acquisition of Natal looks set to

build on the legacy of this pioneering UK

manufacturer, expanding the percussion

range and opening up international

distribution. Already there is a new student

priced conga and bongo range, Fuego,

while the top-end Cubano series congas

will be made at Marshall’s HQ from the

original fibreglass moulds. Don’t be

surprised to see Natal move further into

drums, judging by a prototype stave wood

shell snare drum lurking in the wings.

LP launched a Top Tuning version of its

Classic Conga range with inverted lugs

facilitating easier tuning, a new mid-price

range of Aspire congas with Santana

graphics and brilliant new percussion

innovations such as the LP Percusso, a

hybrid that allows you to play tambourine

and claves using one hand, and the LP One

Handed triangle.

Sure fire winners from Meinl include

new Journey series rope tuned djembes

with lightweight fibreglass shells and new

synthetic heads that are perfect for the

outdoors, as is Remo’s new Apex key tuned

djembe with Acousticon shells and

Skyndeep black goatskin style head.

Gon

Bops confirmed

UK distribution through Westside and have

new Mariano series congas, inspired by the

traditional Gon Bops models and a new

PureCussion range of congas and bongos.

Sheila E signature series congas and

bongos were new at Toca, while djembes

continued to be the company’s biggest

seller with new Pro Africa carved shell

models and Antique Gold and Silver

synthetic shell Freestyle djembes

extending the range further.

Tycoon, distributed by FCN Music, is

one of the fastest growing Thailand

percussion companies, with a long history

in OEM manufacture for more famous

brands and Musikmesse saw it launch a

new lower priced Spectrum range of

congas and bongos as well as the world’s

first Acrylic cajon with a transparent body

and burl front plate.

With cajons having made their

breakthrough in the USA and Europe over

the last decade, they were all over this

show in myriad new ranges, yet the take-

up in the UK lags seriously behind. Maybe

a good summer is what’s needed and a

change in the draconian live music

licensing laws.

Jon Newey is editor and publisher of

Jazzwise magazine and is one of the

UK’s longest standing drum and

percussion writers.

EVENT REPORT MUSIKMESSE DRUMS


“If dealers want an

indicator of the

coming fashions,

then matte on

matte finishes

look a sturdy bet.

For dealer information, visit our dedicated UK website at www.daddario.co.uk/inkedInked by Evans available from D’Addario UK, A3 Eleventh Avenue, Gateshead, NE11 0JY T: 0191 300 3000

COVER FEATURE NATAL

26 miPRO MAY 2010 WW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

Whatever industry watchers

might have been expecting to

be the key announcement at

this year’s Musikmesse, it’s likely not to

have been that a venerable British

amplifier manufacturer had purchased a

small, but respected, British percussion

company. Indeed, early soundings taken

from Frankfurt returnees included a

sprinkling who still didn’t, as the saying

goes, ’get it’.

By now, it’s likely they will have read

and digested the Marshall plan for Natal

a bit more thoroughly and seen the

underlying premise: that for a company

like Marshall – at the top of the

international league in its chosen field –

to grow, it has to do it by doing

something completely different. As that

isn’t going to be Marshall air

conditioning and guitars have rarely

offered a happy hunting ground for

amplifier makers (Fender excepted),

percussion offers possibilities because it

leverages Marshall’s vast international

contacts, resources and experience and

offers one or two unexpected benefits.

The man charged with taking Natal to

the next stage under Marshall’s aegis is

former retail specialist Craig Glover, but

Natal’s former owner, Craig Fenney, who

acquired the business in the 1990s, will

be staying with the brand as a

consultant, while simultaneously running

his percussion distribution business, The

Music Shipping Company. I took the

opportunity to get them together to

explain this fascinating development and,

I hoped, drop a few hints about the

future as Britain’s biggest MI

manufacturer opens a new chapter.

MI Pro: Can we start at the beginning?

Who approached whom?

Craig Fenney: Craig (Glover) and I had

previously been talking about other

projects and he knew Marshall had

already thought about moving into drum

and percussion products. At the time,

Natal wasn’t up for sale, but we were

approached and the more we looked at

it, the more sense it made. What made it

really attractive was that Marshall didn’t

want to buy a brand and stick its name

on some dodgy Chinese congas – they

wanted to invest in the brand and build

it to the level it should be at.

MIP: What do you mean? ‘Should be?’

CF: People often don’t realise how far

Natal goes back. It predates LP and a lot

of others who have appeared since LP. In

fact the only major brand that has been

in existence as long is Gon Bops. That’s

Peri-Natal rejuvenationTo say that the world was surprised at Marshall Amplification’s announcement that it had bought the Natal

percussion brand at Musikmesse this year is the mother of all understatement. Looking at it rationally, however, one

sees the sense. Gary Cooper gets the message beaten out for him…


NATAL COVER FEATURE

important because it’s one of those

examples of a British brand that has never

really ‘had its day’. The brand deserves to

be one of the biggest in the world, but we

at Music Shipping simply didn’t have the

resources to let it become that big. It was

doing all right in the UK, but that was

about it. What Marshall wanted to do – to

produce in the UK at the Milton Keynes

factory, to allow some of the ideas we

already had on the drawing board to come

to fruition, to develop other ideas, that we

hadn’t even thought about at the time –

became the key factor in the acquisition.

MIP: It’s a common story: a small British

company can’t develop globally

because of a lack of finance.

CF: That’s pretty much how it was for

Natal back when it started. The things

Natal invented when it started in the

1960s were really impressive, but it never

had the business resources to patent or to

capitalise on them and, let’s be honest, a

lot of other people copied them and made

a fortune as a result.

A case in point is the Comfort Hoop

and the fact that Natal is the only

company that has perfected making

aluminium hoops. Plus the fact that

Marshall allowed me to stay involved as

well... I was swayed. It gives us the

resources and the power of a big

manufacturer, but the control of a small

manufacturer and the chance to keep it

British at the same time.

Craig Glover: That aspect – the

Britishness – was a key factor for Marshall.

If a large American company had been for

sale, it wouldn’t have been interested.

MIP: Craig (Glover), our readers will

know you from your time with PMT and

the huge success of the Drum and

Guitarfest shows. But for those who

don’t, could you fill in the background,

please?

CG: Prior to PMT, I had my own

dedicated drum store – The Drum

Company – in the centre of Birmingham

for five years and it was during that time

that the Drumfest event was born and

began to evolve. The only event that was

happening in drumming at the time was

the Modern Drummer festival in the

States, so the idea was to do a similar

thing in the UK.

The store was beneath the Birmingham

School of Music and that was the first

venue, with 300 people attending the first

one. After I sold the business to PMT, five

years later we expanded it so that it went

from one in Birmingham, to one in

Birmingham and one in Essex, then

Northampton was added and then

Sheffield. Finally, last year, we had the one

huge show at the Birmingham NIA:

Drumfest, Guitarfest and the Stick it to

MS event with the world record attempt.

MIP: Stick it to MS was a huge success.

CG: It was. We had coverage in just

about all the broadsheet newspapers and

I’ve just been nominated for Fundraiser of

the Year for the MS Society, because we

raised over £65,000 for them at that

event.

MIP: How long were you with PMT?

CG: Eight years, starting off managing

the Birmingham store, then as business

manager, promoting instore events as well

as external shows. I did that and I looked

after the event. Prior to that, I was with

Academy of Sound for eight years and

before that with Jones and Crossland.

MIP: How did the link with Marshall

come about?

CG: By doing the shows. I was working

very closely with Paul Marshall and Jon

Ellery, Marshall’s joint MD, on both the

Guitarfest shows and Music Live. We built

a relationship and it got to the point

where it became easy to walk into their

office and say ‘You make big rectangular

boxes with amps in them – how about

making round things that you hit?’ People

have asked how we persuaded them to do

percussion, but there wasn’t much

convincing. They’ve been so supportive.

MIP: Small MI manufacturers reading

this interview might be getting a bit

depressed by now. There seems to be

the suggestion that the only way for a

small UK company to reach an

international market is to sell out to a

giant. Is that really how it is?

CF: I think it is. I’d never say it’s

impossible, but it’s monstrously difficult.

You need that massive international

market to justify spending the money on

product development. If you’re talking of a

product offered to a market of 58 million,

you still have to spend the same amount

of money to get the product right. If you

do it for a world market – and Marshall is

distributed in 86 countries – that’s when

the sums make sense. You need the world

market to make it work.

MIP: And that raises yet another war

cry of small business: the banks aren’t

interested in financing them. Was that

your experience with Natal?

CF: Music Shipping Company could not

have raised the capital we needed to take

Natal worldwide. We’ve never had much

help from the bank. Maybe we could have

done for Natal what Marshall are going to

do, but it would have taken 50 years.

MIP: Whenever companies are taken

over, the marketing types like to dust

down that word ‘synergy’. Is there a

synergy here?

CG: Actually, there really is – and

beyond the obvious. Marshall has certain

bottlenecks in its production, where the

woodworking and electronics side don’t

quite match – and that has happened

historically. What Natal can offer is

something for the production staff to do

with wooden cajons or fibreglass congas

and bongos during those inevitable

bottlenecks. What this means is,

effectively, no additional staff costs for

“The things Natal invented when it started in the 60s

were really impressive, but it never had the business

resources to patent them or capitalise on them –

and let’s be honest, a lot of people copied them

and made a fortune as a result.Craig Fenney, Natal

Natal. The staff are really interested and

enthusiastic because they can see the

effect it has on their job prospects. There’s

a really massive buzz in the Marshall

factory about this. The people who work

there really care and they really want to

make UK products.

MIP: Percussion makers often say that

retailers are missing a huge market

with percussion – that many of them

don’t realise there are percussion circles

and casual buyers walking right past

their shop windows, not coming in

because they don’t stock percussion.

CG: The problem for large stores is that

percussion products can get lost among

the ranges of general kit accessories that

they stock. Natal will be addressing this.

Our sales team, which includes a

dedicated Natal key account manager,

who is a percussionist and has also worked

in high level drum retail, will also be

working to help stores, of course.

CF: That said, and I can say this with my

Music Shipping hat on, there are an awful

lot of dedicated drum shops out there

who do get it. Hand percussion is an

instrument that anybody can play to a

certain level and the sales to people who

are non-musicians are significant.

MIP: Were you surprised by the ‘I don’t

get it’ reactions from some?

CG: I think most people get the

connection with Jim Marshall being a

drummer, but for those who don’t, nobody

raised an eyebrow when Fender bought LP

and nobody was interested when Gibson

bought Slingerland. When people see what

he has in store for NAMM, then I think a

lot more of them will get it.

MIP: Are you saying that Natal will be

bigger than it seemed at Frankfurt? A

drum range on the cards?

CF: You’ll have to wait for NAMM. As to

what we have up our sleeves, we’ll leave it

to people’s imagination. All we can say at

this stage is that, at Frankfurt, Natal

launched a snare drum...

CG And there will be a complete range

of snare drums available, probably from

October – UK-built. There will also be a

major launch of products at NAMM – and

that’s really all we can say now.

MIP: You are saying that the Marshall

factory is going to be making

percussion products in addition to

importing cheaper models. Is there

really a future in making this sort of

equipment here?

CG: You’d be surprised how interested

Marshall’s international distributors are in

having UK-made products. The

Cubana range, which will be built in

the UK, got a huge amount of

interest, as did the cajons and when

we told them the snare drums will

be produced in the UK, they were

ecstatic. Because it’s made in the

UK, it is different and that is what

distributors are craving.

CF: The snare has its own design

lug boxes and its own snare throw

mechanism, all designed and

produced by Natal.

People still want British product

and the key to this is, because of the

way Marshall works, it’s going to be

available at an attainable price. It’s

not going to be as cheap as the stuff

that’s coming out of China, but it’s

not going to be a ridiculous price.

There’s a lot of American product in kit

percussion that people want and there’s

no reason why we can’t make British

percussion with the same appeal.

MIP: Is there a sense here that people

are getting a bit sick of Chinese-

sourced identikit products?

CG: Definitely.

CF: Nothing from Natal is going to be

Chinese, or anyone else’s, identikit

products. It’s full-on with design here...

CG: I’m having a T-shirt made with

‘non-generic’ on it. It’s a catchphrase here

with Natal.

MIP: There is great affection for Jim

Marshall, but he has been suffering

from poor health in recent years. Has

he been involved in this project?

CG: A lot of people ask that and the

answer is quite amusing. Jim is delighted

and is really behind it. If he didn’t want to

do this project, it wouldn’t have happened.

Let me give you an example of how on

the ball he is. At Frankfurt, I was standing

next to him and he quietly leaned over to

John (Ellery) and asked him to speak to

three of the staff, who he didn’t feel were

properly active on the stand. Jim knows

exactly what is going on and is in control.

MIP: With our readers in mind, is there

one thing you’d like to get across about

this Natal project?

CG: As I said, percussion can easily get

lost in stores so we’re going to be

spending a lot of time and effort in

making displays. We won’t dump stuff on

the retailer, we’ll be providing good POS

material and building that in the UK

factory, too, so if someone needs a certain

design display we can custom build it.

MIP: And the marketing side?

CG: There’s so much on the way: clinics,

endorsers and an education syllabus

scheduled for NAMM. There is also direct

marketing planned – that’s something

Marshall is getting into in a huge way.

CF: This project has been under wraps

and I only started to get introduced to

some of the Marshall staff at Frankfurt,

because it has been at director level only

for months. The thing that impressed me

was how long some of them have worked

for Marshall. People I met have been there

28 years, 20 years. Marshall prides itself

on being a big family and even for a

cynical bloke from Birmingham, like me, it

really is a family. Marshall is something

very special and what it has in store for

Natal is going to be very special too.

COVER FEATURE NATAL

“

28 MAY 2010 miPRO WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

You’d be surprised how interested Marshall’s

international distributors are in having UK-made

products. We told them the snares are made in the

UK – they were ecstatic.Craig Glover

Marshall

BRAND PROFILE HÖFNER

The name behind one of the most recognisable instruments on the planet, Höfner has plenty more to offer players

looking for something a bit different. Rob Power takes a look at what's in store...

Hassling the HofW

hen Karl Höfner founded the

Höfner company in Schönbach,

Germany in 1887 he had no

idea that his name would go on to share a

stage with the biggest band in the history

of popular music. Thanks to his company’s

dedication to quality and its strikingly

original instruments though, it’s no

surprise that Sir Thumbsaloft himself still

plays Höfner.

It was in 1956 that prestigious violin

and guitar maker Walter Höfner invented

an electrically amplified semi-acoustic

bass guitar. Five years later, a certain Mr

Paul McCartney came across his first

Violin ‘Beatle Bass’ in a Hamburg music

store, and has remained loyal to the

tonally distinctive and utterly beautiful

instrument ever since.

Having moved in 1997 to a modern

production facility near the village of

Hagenau, Höfner has maintained its

reputation for quality and innovation by

continuing to offer the hand-made jazz and

bass guitars to discerning musicians around

the world. However, its desire to make the

classic Höfner shapes and sounds available

to a wider range of players has seen the

more recent launch of the Contemporary

series, designed to keep the original

aesthetic but offer a more manageable

instrument.

Distributed in the UK by Barnes &

Mullins, Höfner has made a significant

comeback in the last few years with a re-

invigorated range of guitars that are

steadily building a new fan-base. Alex Mew,

B&M’s marketing manager explains the

impact they have had: “It’s been an

interesting experience. Höfner has long

been a desirable brand with a rich history,

but it has suffered from sometimes being

seen as a purely ‘heritage’ brand. That said,

having the support of somebody like Paul

McCartney is an enormous benefit to

Höfner and all retail partners, as I really do

not think there is another bass in the world

that has the iconic status of the Höfner

Violin Bass. In recent times though I have

been involved in supplying some of today’s

best bands with Höfner guitars, most

notably Noel Gallagher and Bjorn from

Razorlight, who have both been swayed by

the unique appearance and tone of the

Verythin models.

“It’s essential that in the future we focus

on expanding the appeal of Höfner guitars

beyond the established bass and jazz guitar

markets, and I believe that the introduction

of new re-issues and modernised versions

of classic designs will lead to an ever

growing number of young and established

bands choosing Höfner Guitars. We’re

fortunate to be involved with Höfner at

this time in its history and we’re confident

that more and more retailers will take the

opportunity to add this unique and exciting

brand to their portfolio.”

MI Pro recently scoured the halls at the

2010 MusikMesse, and found Höfner

showing its famous Violin Basses, Club

Basses, Verythin semi-acoustics and many

other favourites alongside a host of new

guitar models.

Products on show from the

Contemporary range included the

HCT-J17 Jazz models based on the ‘Cello’

guitars of the 1950s. Available in either

one or two pickup variations with or

without a cutaway, these models are

spruce-topped with a flamed maple

back and sides. A great entry into

the world of semi-acoustic, big

bodied guitars, they will retail for

around £600.

The HCT5007SB Verythin Bass

is another exciting addition to

the range. Based on the Verythin

six-string body, this model has a

shorter 30-inch scale length,

a centre block for added

sustain and reduced

feedback, and comes with

Höfner’s original ‘Staple’

pickups. The Verythin bass is

expected to cost around £650

and will be available in the UK

from June 2010.

Höfner also introduced the

HCTVTH3SB Verythin3 model. This

sunburst, spruce-topped guitar is one of a

new breed that features the classic 1960s’

fingerboard pearl stripe inlay. Equipped

with three original Höfner ‘Bar’ pickups

with individual on and off switches, this is

a marked departure from standard Verythin

models, which feature regular humbuckers.

Coming in slightly higher than the existing

Verythin guitars, the Verythin3 will be

available around June for £600.

From the German facility comes a

much anticipated Verythin: the HVSCBKO

SingleCut. This model features a Bigsby

trem system which is sure to make this

guitar immensely desirable. Available in

black or sky blue and supplied in a deluxe

Höfner hard case, the expected price of

£1,200 is highly reasonable. Verythin

SingleCut models are set to arrive in the

early summer.

Lastly in the Verythin range is the

Verythin Special. The spruce top and

highly flamed maple back and sides are

finished in a dark cherry or sunburst finish

and it’s armed with two Höfner Mini

Humbuckers with an unusual master

volume control, as well as individual

volume and tone controls. The look is

finished off with the 1950s’ accented F’hole

design which sets this and the SingleCut

model apart from their contemporary

series siblings.

“We’re fortunate to be involved with Höfner at this

time in its history and we’re confident that more

retailers will take the opportunity to add this

unique and exciting brand to their portfolio.Alex Mew

Barnes and Mullins


‘It’s rare for a guitar to feel truly effortless

(especially when you pick it up for the first time)

but the V6 is a joy to play.

‘It’s rare for a guitar to feel truly effortless

(especially when you pick it up for the first time)

but the V6 is a joy to play.

‘This guitarlooks andfeels like a real old rocker.’

REISSUED REISSUED

‘Any pigeonholing of Vintage at the budgetend of the guitar marketplace is looking

increasingly unjustified’Louis Thorne

‘Any pigeonholing of Vintage at the budgetend of the guitar marketplace is looking

increasingly unjustified’Louis Thorne

Designed in association with

Trev Wilkinson Design Associate

s

New 2010 models*

equipped with

Gear

'The award-winning, critically-acclaimed range

of Santos Martinez classical and electro-

classical guitars offers analluring combination of

sweet-toned performanceand easy playability.'

Tony Simmons

'The award-winning, critically-acclaimed range

of Santos Martinez classical and electro-

classical guitars offers analluring combination of

sweet-toned performanceand easy playability.'

Tony Simmons

New 2010 models*

equipped withNew 2010 models*

equipped with

Thomas BlugV6MRTBG Signature

‘Putting it through a wah and fuzz pedal induced instant Hendrix, with

authentic feel and tone’Huw Price

‘Putting it through a wah and fuzz pedal induced instant Hendrix, with

authentic feel and tone’

“Classic vintage feel,awesome authentic tone

and a cool vibe”

Geoff Whitehorn

Geoff WhitehornSignature Series Geoff WhitehornSignature Series

Features

‘ We live in an aspirational world, and there is no more aspirational product than a guitar. Myth and mystique surrounds the instruments of old we think of as ‘Holy Grails’.

My objective with Fret-King Blue Label series™ instruments is to bring all the best attributes of our shared heritage together and produce modern classics.

A lifetime of research carried out into what makes an electric guitar ‘tick’, combined with wide experience of guitar building in many production facilities on every continent, has enabled me to use my knowledge to create a range infused with the subtleties which blend style, tone, clarity and power to make a truly world-class guitar.

New to the Fret-King® Blue Label range in 2010 are the Ventura and Elan Super 60 models, which are available in various finishes and pickup configurations. A Ventura 80 bass has also been introduced.

© 2

010

JHS

& C

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td.

Fret-King Blue Label Series.com

BLUE LABELNEW 2010 MODELS

Worldwide Trade Distributors:

www.jhs.co.uk

FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON JHS PRODUCTS AND DEALERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

CONTACT YOUR JHS ASM OR OUR SALES OFFICE ON:

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REGISTERNOW!

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Ask your JHS ASM for details or call 0113 2865 381

Includes the new state of the art DM10 brain with a massive 1047 uncompressed, fully editable, 24-bit individual classic drum sounds, covering all music genres – we dare you to take the sound challenge!64 note polyphonic and 128 MB internal ROM, 100 preset kits, 100 user kits The world fi rst expandable drum brain with external 3rd party sound sets downloadable via USB – and from the worlds most respected drum sound houses (BFD and ToonTrack amongst others)

75 x real audio demo sequences, editable drum recorderVast array of fully editable FX, incl. reverbs, delays, compressors12 pad inputs for extra pads/cymbalsIncludes real alloy, but silent SURGE CYMBALS = one 12“ hi-hat, one 16“ triple-zone ride with choke, one 13“ dual-zone crash with chokeHeavy-duty chrome drum rack with professional mounting hardware Rugged steel continuous hi hat controller

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We are appointing main dealerships now! Interested in making some MARGIN?

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and 30 other great e-percussion related products


Hall 4.0 at the Musikmesse this year

witnessed something of a quiet

revolution – if one can use that

adjective when talking about anything in

the electric guitar hall – as Tanglewood

Guitars took a stand dedicated to electric

instruments for the first time. And while

the new Signature series was more than

evident, it was not the six-stringers that

were making the biggest buzz

(unfortunate pun not intended).

No, the big news on the Tanglewood

electric stand was the appearance of the

Overwater by Tanglewood brand of bass

guitars, which sees Chris May’s Overwater

designs finding their way into the mid-

price bracket for the first time. It is

something of a coup for both parties.

May has been looking to broaden his

appeal for some years now and

Tanglewood gets to jump into the bass

market with one of the most respected

bass makers in the world.

“I have done some stuff for other

companies in the past and I have

been approached by various others

to do some work – mostly as a

consultant,” reveals May. “Having

had experience working abroad, I

now know that working in the Far East

is like walking through treacle, so I’ve

tended to steer clear.”

When Tanglewood’s Tony Flatt

approached Overwater in February 2009,

however, May’s desire to reach out finally

met with an operation that ticked all

the boxes.

“For a start, Tony was really

excited about the possibilities. On

top of that, Tanglewood is a British

business and is based relatively

close to me and I’ve known the

guys for years. Add to that the

fact that it has a huge amount of

experience of mass

manufacturing in the Far East and

that you never hear a bad word said

about its guitars, I was pretty

interested from the start.

“I suppose the clincher came when Tony

said ‘you’re the bass person – you tell us

what to do.’ I have never been interested

in entering into a badging operation, so

when someone tells you that you should

simply design the guitars and they will

cost them afterwards, you know your

principles are not going to be

compromised. I am determined to keep

the ethos of my custom basses and have

the Tanglewood models as the baby

brothers. We’ve called the Tanglewood

basses the Aspiration series – that sums

up exactly what we are trying to do.”

Flatt and Tanglewood’s work with May

closely follow the work the company

undertook with the Swedish luthier,

Michael Sanden that resulted in the

Master Design series of electro-acoustics –

guitars whose design and manufacture

was overseen by a worthy craftsman, but

on a scale and with an outreach that goes

a whole world further than the luthier

could hope to achieve. The result is

Tanglewood making guitars of

unimpeachable pedigree, while designs

that would never have reached a mass

market find themselves in the hands of

players from all walks and who might well

begin to dream of playing ‘the real thing’.

It’s a smart model.

The principle of May’s designs is simple:

Make an electric bass guitar as though it

were an acoustic instrument first. The

fundamental tone comes from the woods

(and the combinations thereof), so May

has spent decades (his business began in

1979) testing and sourcing the very finest

examples. The next step is to get the

electrics right.

“It’s not cutting edge technology, but

you’d be amazed at how many people get

it wrong. My basses are quiet – really

quiet – but I don’t do anything differently

from anybody else. I just engineer them

properly. The internal wirings, for example,

use copper mesh shielding and are neatly

laid out. This doesn’t cost any more,

doesn’t take any more time, it’s simply

knowing that it makes a difference – but a

lot of people don’t seem to know this.

The darlingbass of MayChris May has been making some of the finest bass guitars

on the planet for over 30 years now, but has been looking

for ways to increase availability. Andy Barrett discovers

that Tanglewood had the know-how and the outreach…

Overwater by

Tanglewood starts the

aspiration chain

OVERWATER BY TANGLEWOOD BRAND PROFILE

You don’t need spaghetti under the cover.

It only makes for trouble later on and adds

to the noise the instrument will make.”

For those of you assuming that May is

talking about his custom-made

instruments – top marks, but the same

wiring and care is being taken on the

Tanglewood models, as well (see picture,

right). “We are using the same two and

three-band eqs on the Tanglewood models

as we do on the custom instruments.”

May is probably being a little modest

when he says that there is nothing cutting

edge about what he does. Among his

credits are the first active bass, the first C-

register bass, the first five string, six string

– the list is pretty impressive.

“I’ve been pretty fortunate,” he says,

with no hint of irony. “I started making

basses for pro players and kind of

stumbled into making them for session

and freelance players. From there, all sorts

of ideas and suggestions began to crop up,

including the growing interest in reaching

lower notes. In 1985 I made a 36-inch

scale, C-register bass for one customer – it

was meant to be a one-off, but then a

chance meeting with David Gilmour (I had

no idea who he was and I asked him what

he did) revealed that he was looking for a

low bass, so I made him one, then more

for Guy Pratt and John Entwistle and

others. By the time Mick Knopfler said he

needed a five-string model, the

technology was already there.

“This is how we keep a step ahead of

the game,” continues May. “We work with

and listen to the players and act

accordingly. Of course, it is all very well

coming up with a design for a five-string

or six-string bass, but then you have to

design the pickup and the electrics.”

Squeezing the Overwater ethos into the

Tanglewood brand is not, May is very keen

to point out, a one or two

man job. The project team

includes some of the top

people in electric guitars.

There is Alan Entwistle –

another Tanglewood

‘regular contributor’,

having designed the

pickups for many

Tanglewood electrics –

Overwater luthier and

CAD expert Haydn

Williams, bass electronics

expert John East and

production engineer Jim

Donahue (himself a luthier) all

working under May’s direction.

The fact that this is the

same team that designs

and makes Overwater’s

boutique basses again

shows the utter lack

of corner-cutting in

the creation of the

Tanglewood brand.

“Each of these

guys speaks a

particular dialect of

the manufacturing

language that factories understand,” May

continues. “The factories can only do what

you tell them to do. If you want a pickup

to work properly or a bridge that is just

right, you are going to need the right

tools. So many so-called makers just get

their components off the peg, but these

new models are designed – and essentially

made – by top luthiers.

“This means I have a range of basses

that slots in perfectly under the

handmade Overwater models.”

This, of course, is not to say that it has

all been plain sailing. May describes the

frustrations of getting messages across

and incorrect prototypes delivered as akin

to herding cats. “It’s a huge learning curve

for all of us,” he admits. “We’re only now

getting the models that sound and feel

right after over a year of work, but we’re

nearly there. We’re down to getting the

finishing touches right – you know, having

the fingerboards buffed to give them a

hand-made feel.” At this point, May

laughs. “It’s funny, I was in China looking

over a couple of prototypes and I noticed

that the fret ends had been smoothed, so I

asked them how they had done that. The

chap rather shamefacedly said that he had

a worker on the line filing them by hand. I

was delighted! That’s just what I do. It is

just these finishing touches to production

that need to be made and we are ready to

go into production. Once they have the

full schedule, they can repeat it over again

and get it right each time.”

For the dealers, the new Overwater by

Tanglewood basses will be shipping

sometime during May and will be hitting

the shops around June – at the latest July.

There are four basic models in the range

to begin with, starting out with the J-

series model, which is the only passive

model of the four, at an impressive £329

retail. The other three have the more

distinctive Overwater Progress styling and

come in at the £499 (Standard), £549

(Deluxe) and £899 (Elite) price points. The

latter is a full-blooded, neck-thru-body

instrument with two pickups and gold-

finished hardware, fitting, as May points

out, snugly under the starting price of

around £1,400 for a handmade Overwater.

“Custom bass guitars is what I do,” he

concludes. “I’m not replacing anything

with anything else. Doing this with

Tanglewood simply gives me the chance

to get to more people.”

The final message is that Overwater by

Tanglewood is not a range of Overwater

copies, it is a series of bass guitars aimed

at a more budget conscious player. “If I

could make my own guitars like this, I

would,” says May. “This is spreading the

word of the custom instruments, but more

than that, I believe that the one will feed

off the other. We have learned a lot on

this project and there will be

techniques and innovations that both

sides of the business will benefit from. I’m

not trying to start a turf war or anyting

like that with the brands that are already

on the market, I’m just looking to get into

the mainstream.”

With the Tanglewood sales and

marketing machine behind the project,

mainstream is certainly what it will be –

and a most welcome newcomer to the

sector it is.

TANGLEWOOD: 01937 841122

”It’s not cutting edge

technology, but you’d

be amazed how many

people get it wrong.Chris MayOverwater

Keeping wiring tidy

reduces interference

and aids maintenance

BRAND PROFILE OVERWATER BY TANGLEWOOD


Retailers wishing to attend should email [email protected] details of Event Partner packages, email [email protected] or phone 01992 535647

10:30 – Coffee/Registration

11:00 – Conference

13:00-14:00 – Lunch

13:00-18:00 – ExpoExclusive meeting opportunitiesfor Event Partners and over 75of the UK’s leading dealers

18:00-23:00 – After Show PartySponsored by Roland. Beer andThe Fabulous Beatles at theadjacent Parker McMillan bar

Confirmed speakers include:

BILLY BRAGGThe veteran singer-songwriterand activist talks about theimportance of music, the role ofMI retailers at the hub ofcommunities and the progress ofhis Jail Guitar Doors scheme.

MATTHEW GIBBS, GFKThe man heading up the MIdivision at one of the biggestresearch companies in the worldpresents exclusive data on thecurrent state and possible futureof the UK market, highlightingthe key trends and outstandingopportunities.

JASON TAVARIA, DOLPHINThe Dolphin founder and directorwill be part of a panel discussingthe challenges and rewardsinvolved in the rise of e-commerce.

PAUL MCMANUS, MIAHow the trade body can help allretailers do more business andmake more money.

Further panel sessions will beannounced shortly.

Plus, a representative from theDepartment of Children, Schoolsand Families will outline what thepost-May 6th Government’s plansare for music education.

EVENT PARTNERS

AFTER SHOW PARTY SPONSOR

In recent years, classical music has

mutated from the passion of the

privileged to a genre with true mass

market appeal. While TV and radio

exposure both have their part to play, at

the sharp end of the classical world, it’s

sheet music providers like MDS that have

proliferated classical scores into thousands

of stores across the country.

These days, anyone who overlooks

having a decent classical selection in store

risks alienating a large and growing

customer base, something MDS has known

for some time now. “MDS was founded on

July 1st, 2004, as a limited liability

company (GmbH) and is a wholly owned

subsidiary of Schott Music,” explains

general manager Andreas Pawlenka.

“However, the distribution centre on the

outskirts of Mainz has existed since 1974.

“Over the last ten years, MDS has

pursued a particularly dynamic growth.

“In 1999, the warehouse complex was

significantly expanded. With the

integration of the sheet music distribution

of MDS Ltd, Ashford in 2001, the company

started to provide a comprehensive,

flexible spectrum of distribution and

warehousing services worldwide.

“We offer titles from a huge selection of

classical music publishers, including Schott

Music, Boosey & Hawkes, Universal Edition

and Carl Fischer, with more than 100,000

titles from over 100 publisher partners and

suppliers, to thousands of trade partners all

over the world.”

Don't be fooled into thinking this is a

purely classical outfit though. MDS has

got fingers in many parts of the publishing

pie and is a company with a keen eye

for expansion.

“MDS is a distributor of all types of

printed music,” says Pawlenka. “Therefore,

we do not specialise in particular niches

and with the exclusive distribution of

Schott Music, Boosey & Hawkes, Universal

Edition and Doblinger we cover almost the

complete range of sheet music.

“Moreover, in the last five years we

gave a lot of thought to product lines,

generating additional turnover for the

trade besides printed music. The most

successful examples are the high-quality

music accessories of Vienna World and the

products of Star Notenschreibpapiere

(manuscript papers). Therefore, the

diversity and breadth of our portfolio is

also reflected in the bestsellers of the last

months. As well as the focus on Christmas

music there is a wide diversification

throughout all genres and instruments.”

There are plenty of reasons for retailers

to look in MDS’ direction when searching

for a new sheet music supplier. In recent

years the company has grown to become

one of the leading names in this area of

the market.

“MDS offers a fast and efficient service,

with orders taking on average three

working days from placing the order to

despatch and delivery from our German

warehouse,” says Pawlenka. “More and

more customers are placing their orders

online through the website and in the UK,

all orders placed online over £175 are sent

carriage free. We also maintain a UK

service centre, catering for the UK trade

and offering a direct contact. There is also

our UK sales representative, David Barker,

who travels throughout the UK.”

With the global economy still weak and

the entire MI sector feeling the strain,

MDS has found a positive spin on things.

“Times of economic stress bring people

closer together,” asserts Pawlenka. “ In

recent months, we have been in close

contact with many publishers. All of us

realised that each music publisher can

only exploit its full market potential if we

succeed to anchor the music industry

deeply as a whole and deliver our message

of active music making in the public and

political consciousness. I think of this

financial and economic crisis as a chance

to abandon old competitiveness and to

work on co-operation.

“Of course, MDS benefits from the

investment opportunities of our parent

company Schott Music. Those capable of

reacting and investing in economic turmoil

increase their chances for a successful

future. That’s why Schott Music has proved

successful in Mainz for 240 years and in

London for 175 years.”

So what does the future hold for this

industrious sheet music specialist? “One

subject lies particularly close to my heart,”

says Pawlenka. “We made significant

technical investments and constantly work

to improve our online database at mds-

partner.com. Meanwhile, most music

publishers realise that high-quality master

data is a prerequisite for successful

business. Therefore, we support the

endeavours of the Music Publishers

Association in the UK to provide a uniform

database like the International Database for

Printed Music and Musical Products system

of the German Music Publisher’s

Association in Germany.

“Of course, there will be time for

networking and exchanging ideas with our

partners. Creative and innovative ideas are

always welcome. I am particularly looking

forward to this active exchange of ideas.”

MDS: +49 6131 50519

“Times of economic

stress bring people

closer together. Andreas Pawlenka

General manager, MDS

There are rich pickings in the world of music publishing, something that successful German

publisher MDS knows only too well. Rob Power takes a look at the Teutonic titan...


COMPANY PROFILE MDS

The MDS touch

EVENT PARTNERS

AFTER SHOW PARTY SPONSOR

Retailers wishing to attend should email [email protected] details of Event Partner packages, email [email protected] or phone 01992 535647

Over 100 dealers representing over 150shops (900 if you count all the Argosstores) have registered to attend the MIRetail Conference & Expo. They include:

AbsoluteAckermanAdvance MusicAmazonArgosBaird Sound SystemsBeckett’s MusicBonnersBrittensBruce MillersChappell of Bond StreetChas FouldsCoda

Cooke’s Band InstrumentsCounty Music SuppliesDawkesDawsonsDolphinDuck, Son & PinkerEric FurzeEric LindseyFoote’sGamlinsGardonyi’sGreensleevesHard To Find RecordsHolmes MusicHW AudioJ.G. WindowsKnock On WoodMillers Music Centre

MOR MusicMusic RoomMusicians CentreNewtonsNormansNorthern MusicPlay Away GuitarsPMTProduction RoomPurple Turtle MusicRose MorrisSharon MusicSheehansSoundsLiveTiverton Music ShopTower MusicUmbrella MusicWembley Drum/Guitar/PA Centre

The MI Retail Conference & Expo is also supported by the UK’s two main buying groups


PROFILE

I WOKE UPTHIS MORNING

Iusually get up at seven and the first thing I do

is check for any emails on my Blackberry. Then

it’s a case of having a bit of breakfast followed

by a nice, relaxing 40-minute drive from my home

in Kilsby to my workplace in Rothley.

My job as sales manager involves spending half

my time in the office and the other half on the

road. If I’m in the office I’m usually doing a bit of

research and development or sourcing and if I’m

out and about, I’m usually traveling around the

Midlands, at the

moment mostly

helping set up

dealerships for Dream

Cymbals, which we are

exclusive UK

distributors for.

I also go all over the

country, to places like

Manchester and it’s

nice to get on the road.

I started at Soar

Valley in February 2009

after having worked at

Arbiter for 21 years and

I spent 15 years

building Sabian up in the UK. I do a lot of work

with Ryan Swift from our art and graphics

department, particularly on products and adverts.

I enjoy working here; it’s located in a nice

village and on my break I often head off for a pub

lunch or go and eat down by the river.

One problem with being on the road is that

sometimes I end up working a 12-hour shift from

eight until eight, whereas on a normal day I’ll get

in just after six.

As for my free time, I like to do a bit of daily

meditation to classical music and I’ve recently

taken up learning the cajon. I’ve been playing for

about a year and I’m currently doing my best to

work up to the level where I can play at one of

the local open mic nights around here, aimed at

alternative instruments.

As you’d probably expect, I have a drum

background and I’ve played in a band for 20 years.

We did our last gig about two months ago, after

we got fed up with carting all the gear around.

I also have two teenagers (a son and daughter)

and sometimes I’ll have a go with my son’s new

Smith & Wesson BB gun that he’s currently

obsessed with. I’m at the age now where I

always try and

maintain a healthy

balance of work,

family and leisure.

Work is really busy

at the moment. The

business is based

around education and

traditional

instruments from

around the world, but

there are severe

education budgeting

cutbacks on the

horizon. This is one of

the reasons why we

have started moving more into more rock n roll

style percussion.

We also have Techtonic, Soar Valley’s own

electronic drum kit, as well as Dream Cymbals. All

of this means there is a lot to keep me busy at

the moment.

I’m looking forward to getting back to Bulgaria

soon, as I have an apartment there and I love the

country. I’m thinking of heading over in May and

again in August, I try to get over there a couple

times a year. The rest of the time I rent it out, so

this is another nice little moneymaker. I also have

a little pug that I enjoy taking for a walk every

day. That might not be very rock n roll but it

makes me happy.

Darran Bramley, Soar

Valley’s sales

manager, gives MI

Pro insight in to his

balanced lifestyle of

hectic sales and Zen-

like relaxation

techniques…

Sales Manager, Soar Valley

DARRAN BRAMLEY

”I spend half my time in the

office and the other half on

the road. If I’m out and

about, I’m mostly setting

up dealerships for

Dream Cymbals, which

we are exclusive

distributors for.

With 30 years of experience in digital pianos, the Privia collection from Casio

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hammer action keyboard that replicates the true feel of an acoustic instrument.

Beautifully styled for today, Privia is the Piano of the future.

Celebrating 30 Yearsof Musical Instruments

To experience the innovative and true expressiveness of Casio’s new pianos, visit www.casiomusic.co.ukOr call 0208 208 7829 for your nearest stockist.

The model shown is the beautiful PX-730. The Privia range starts from £599.99

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CASIO Electronic Musical Instruments

YE

A

R WARRAN

TY


SAXOPHONES SECTOR SPOTLIGHT

The problem with dynamic trends in

consumer markets is that the more

meteoric the boom, the harder the

bust hits. Home organs is a prime

example, although there it was keyboard

technology that shifted the market, but

guitars, too, suffered hugely during the

synth and DJ crazes of the 80s and 90s.

Guitars have, of course, fought their

way back to the hearts of the instrument

buying public, but not before a good few

scares and bankruptcies had traumatised

that portion of the trade.

From the vantage of the second decade

of the second millennium, the whittling of

the saxophone market to a stable plateau

took place so long ago that sales have

remained pretty consistent through the

living memory of most dealer outlets and,

as a result, those that have got themselves

settled in this smart corner of the trade

wouldn’t swap it for the world.

Saxes are much like any other MI

product, fitting into the entry-level, mid-

priced and high-end categories, and across

musical genres, but spanning as they do

the woodwind and brass instrument

families, the complexities of materials and

construction make them a tricky

maintenance option for the player and

thus a stocking option filled with pitfalls.

While it is true that Far Eastern

manufacture has opened up the

saxophone market to unprecedented

levels and equally true that the standard

of these instruments has reached a level

that couldn’t even be dreamed of 20 years

ago, there is a lot of gear out there that

could prove more trouble than it is worth.

The first issue is one of being in tune –

important from pretty much any

perspective when talking of music.

Now, before some of you vintage

Selmer players start drafting your letters

about how perfect tuning on a sax is

impossible and hitting the note is an

essential element of the art of playing the

instrument, let me tell you that I know.

But that doesn’t change the fact that

there are some instruments out there that

patently do not keep tune with

themselves, let alone with others. A

dodgily tuned instrument is not much of a

hindrance, actually, when learning in

isolation – as many do – but it is the

ensemble playing that makes such

instruments all but useless.

The other thing to watch out for is the

build quality. Substandard assembly and

keywork increases the likelihood not only

of things going wrong, but also the ease

(or even the point) of repairing. It can be a

headache for the retailer. Dodgy

instrument goes wrong, customer brings it

in, it is repaired, customer pays… Now,

when it goes wrong again, the customer is

most likely to question your service rather

than the quality of the instrument.

Of course, the margin on cheaper

instruments is not going to match that of

the higher-priced models, either, so if you

are going to stock cheaper saxes, you

want to be sure you are getting your own

value for money as well as the customer.

The need, therefore, for a specialist

technician is vital. You don’t need to

employ one full-time in your shop, of

course, but you will need to develop a

good relationship with someone locally. If

you do, it’s a real win-win. More business

for the tech and a new stream for you.

“Those that have

got themselves

settled in this

smart corner of

the trade

wouldn’t drop it

for the world.

Saxophones have remained a staple of the MI trade for nigh on a century now and while the products peaked in terms of

growth a long time ago, the consistency of the instrument makes it something of a temptation for many MI retailers…

The joy of sax

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT SAXOPHONES


Saxes – particularly alto saxes – are big

on the education side of things and this is

where a lot of dealers have made good

business from renting instruments to

uncertain parents, which brings in a nice

touch of cashflow and will mean that

there will be a sale, or at worst a resale.

The problem with the rental market for

some is that cheaper instruments and

increased Government funding for

instruments means that a) parents are

more likely to buy, particularly when b)

schools are buying more of their own

instruments and often selling on. The

specialist education retailers out there

(and there are surprisingly few) are doing

good business from this situation – and

good luck to them – but it means that

the rental market is on something of a

decline at the moment, leaving the best

slice of the market in the mid to high-

end. Not an area one can jump into easily.

Little wonder, then, that the majority

of instruments we have been asked to flag

up for this article fall squarely in those

two brackets.

Staying with teachers for a moment,

Yamaha is probably their single most

recommended brand. The instruments are,

of course, very good and although a lot of

the pros like something a little darker

and dirtier, the crystal sound of a Yamaha

is also liked and the stability of the

instruments makes them perfect

for students.

Yamaha alto and tenor saxophones are

characterised by a highly expressive tone,

comfortable playability and extremely

accurate intonation, while the sopranos

are considered by many to be the very

pinnacle of the instrument, featuring

considerable warmth for an

upper-register instrument.

Yanagisawa has been making

saxophones in its specialised Japanese

workshops since 1954 and is regarded by

a great number of professionals as the

ultimate player’s instrument. Add to that

a history of genuine innovation and

Yanagisawa’s position among elite

musicians is most definitely secure.

Yanagisawa’s appeal begins at the

advanced student level with the popular

A901 and T901 models (£2,235 and

£2,525). These brass lacquered

instruments lead into the bronze

lacquered 992 series and subsequently

into the 9930 silverplated series.

Yanis arrive in the UK (supplied to the

UK through Barnes & Mullins) in sealed

boxes, following set up in Japan. Dealers

prefer to receive them like this, too –

untouched since leaving the factory.

Yanagisawa saxes can be seen in action

all over the world by artists such as

Tommy Smith, Peter King, Snake Davis,

Ingrid Laubrook and Gilad Atzmon.

Manufactured in Taiwan, Antigua

models were initially launched only in the

US market, but having seen the positive

results across the pond, Reliance Corp (the

manufacturer) chose to refocus its efforts

on building Antigua into a global brand.

Having spent its recent history OEM

manufacturing saxophones for some of

the biggest names in the business, the

company had experience that was second

to none. Like Yanagisawa, Antigua is

Antigua TS4230 tenor£1,313

Of Antigua’s extensive range, the most exciting at the

moment are the TS and AS4230s, which benefit from

the projection and tone of the Powerbell and really

look the business thanks to a rather tasty antique

finish, more usually the preserve of antique violins or

vintage guitars.

Very much in the high-end of the

sax market, Yanagisawa is still an

unbelievably popular brand, and the

A901 alto is one of the reasons

why. A rich, clear tone combines

with ease of blowing and a

superlatively smooth action to

make this the choice of many

pro players. Other features

include an adjustable front

F key, Teflon inner octave

system, C#-Bb connected table

key, airtight waterproof pad. The

A901 is hand-engraved with a

lacquer finish.

Yanagisawa A901 alto £2,235

Jupiter JAS-567GL alto£634.49

This alto sax is one of the most

popular student instruments and

this model has been awarded the

MIA Best Woodwind Instrument

accolade twice. Built in China, the

567 has an excellent spec, but is

made lighter than the JAS-769GL

to accommodate the needs of

children. Strong but light bracing

means even a small child has very

little issue with weight.

5 reasons to stock Windcraft instruments

To join our network of Dealers & for a 30 day FREE trial please contact:Vaughan Bower on 07934 411 186 or by email: [email protected]

www.staggmusic.com

BRUSSELS, 1840.ADOLPHE SAX DREAMS UP

A NEW INSTRUMENT.

BRUSSELS, 2010.STAGG INTRODUCES THE ALL-NEW

77-SA ALTO SAXOPHONE.

FEATURES:

F/F# link leverFull regulation screws for left and right hand

Blue steel springsUpgraded felts

Stop bumper on crook key

All Stagg woodwind instruments are fully checked and professionally set up by Stagg’s in-house technicians

prior to shipping.

Please call the UK sales team on 01293 862612, contact your area sales manager, or log on to our dealerwebsite at www.emdmusic.com for more details.


Everybody knows Stagg as pretty

much the premier entry-level

brand for… Well, just about

everything – and that includes

saxophones. What many might

not know about, perhaps, is the

extensive technical department

in Brussels that sets up each

instrument before shipping.

These hand-made instruments ship in a

variety of coloured and natural lacquers

and with a lightweight hard case.

Stagg 77-ST tenor£605

Odyssey OAS25L alto£399

JHS’ Odyssey OAS25L alto sax pack

has been a first-choice option for

student players for years, with a

polished gold clear lacquer brass body,

forged keywork, reinforced mounting

posts, stainless steel springs and

leather pads with reflectors for

brightness and tone. The body

features drawn tone holes,

wire reinforced bells and

removable decorative key

guards. This pack contains

a plush-lined hard case,

mouthpiece and woven sax

sling with safety clip.

distributed in the UK through Barnes &

Mullins, giving the Shropshire supplier an

enviable coverage in this sector for

students to the best of the pro market.

On the alto and tenor side of things, all

the Antigua Pro range feature a Powerbell

design, which provides increased

projection and tonal clarity. The starting

point for these models is the alto AS4240

(£835) or tenor TS4240 (£969), which

feature a clear lacquer body and keys,

extensive hand-engraving, premium

leather pads with domed metal resonators

and a hard shell wood case.

Jupiter manufacturer KHS puts great

emphasis on quality in both materials and

manufacturing, but the company is also

committed to environmental protection

and employee welfare across its factories.

Jupiter uses premium nickel silver and

brass from Japan on its saxes, unrivalled

coating metals from the UK, refined

polishing compounds from the USA,

mouthpieces engineered in Germany, cork

from the wine regions of Italy and France,

specialised adhesives from Canada and

lubricating compounds from Switzerland.

That’s an impressive component spec.

The JAS-769GL is the mid-range

instrument in the Taiwanese-made range

with subtle differences to the JAS-567GL

(see page 42) and this model has been the

backbone of the Jupiter saxes for at least

20 years. It is recommended for the

more advanced child or adult wishing to

learn. It is an instrument for life, and

feedback to Jupiter continuously tells the

tale of instruments being passed from

parents to children, proving Jupiter is

very much standing the test of time.

JHS’s Odyssey brand sees the

Garforth supplier/manufacturer doing

what it does best: taking experts in the

field and using them for R&D to create

value-for-money instruments that

include features from more expensive

models. Odyssey brass and woodwind

topped the retailer vote in MI Pro’s 2008

retailer survey.

Odyssey alto saxophones feature

(as seen above) a top notch spec and

come with a good selection of

accessories. There is also a wide range

of Odyssey accessories available for

the whole family of brass and

woodwind instruments.

All of the above, of course, merely

ripples at the surface of the huge

amount of saxophone options available

from the mighty (and mightily priced)

Selmer down to the most humble of

models, across soprano, alto, tenor,

baritone and even the odd bass model,

for beginners, students, semi-pros and

pros. It’s a big business, competitive,

but big.

Among those worthy of more comment,

but where we have unfortunately run out

of space, there is the J Michael line-up

available through FCN. This range includes

all of the features one would expect, as

well as a wide variety of finishes, aimed

predominantly at the entry-level market.

On the student to pro side, Trevor

James’ The Horn continues to hold its

respectable portion of the market.

The big news of the past few years

among the pro players, particularly jazzers,

has been the P Mauriat range of saxes.

Hand-made from start to finish, P Mauriat

offers players great response, a full sound

and intonation, and superb key action.

Finally, the last spot is reserved for the

new kid on the block. Windcraft, which has

been supplying the trade with quality

accessories and replacement components

for some years now, has launched the

Series I range of instruments, with an alto

sax that has a strong USP.

With music services around the UK

buying into cheaper, Far-Eastern made

instruments, the problem of repair and

maintenance grows as technicians are

faced with saxes of no known origin – thus

a problem finding spares. Windcraft has

taken the baton on this one with a new sax

that takes up the claim of being built for

quality, not to fit a budget. Possibly, but the

important issues are that the sax comes

with a five-year warranty from a company

with quality technicians and all of the right

spares and replacements to give each

instrument the longest possible playing life.

So keen is the supplier to get the news

out there that it is offering dealers a 30-

day free trial.

Windcraft Series I alto£471.02

The Series I saxophone is free blowing

with good construction, intonation and

solid sound and comes with a Windcraft

student mouthpiece. It is also supplied in

a lightweight back-pack style case with

accessories, Gonzalez reeds and a five-

year warranty. With Windcraft’s

experience of supplying quality

accessories and components, this is a

student sax with some serious back-up.

Check ‘em out.

CONTACT DETAILS

BARNES & MULLINS(YANAGISAWA/ANTIGUA)01691 668310EMD (STAGG) 01293 862612YAMAHA 01908 366700KORG (JUPITER) 01908 857100WINDCRAFT 01628 778377JHS (ODYSSEY) 0113 286 5381FCN (J MICHAEL) 01892 603733WORLDWIND (P MAURIAT/TREVOR JAMES)01622 859590

Yamaha YAS275 alto£968

A real favourite among teachers, the

YAS275 alto is a free blowing, well

intoned sax that can take the student

right up to pro-playing level. The 275

has a left-hand seesaw key that’s been

redesigned to facilitate playability as

well as feel more comfortable and like

all Yamaha saxes, an adjustable thumb

hook for comfort and ease of playing.

The finish is gold lacquer and the

outfit ships with a hard case and a

Yamaha mouthpiece.

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT SAXOPHONES

Considering just how central a good

set of microphones is to achieving a

decent live sound, it’s astonishing

how many artists simply use the first thing

at hand. How many gigs have you seen

with the singer clutching a house mic that

has been hollered into by every halitosis-

ridden metal singer to have passed

through? I’m betting it’s quite a few.

Microphones for live use are crucial to

presenting an artist, no matter what style

or genre, in the best possible light.

Thankfully, there are plenty of products to

suit most price points out there that don’t

sacrifice quality for value.

SENNHEISER

The award-winning Evolution series

continues to sell extremely well for

Sennheiser, with a number of hand-held

models, including the e840, e935 and e965

in particular, all performing well. The

cardioid e935 shows what Sennheiser does

best. Its tough metal body contains an

advanced shock mount design and hum

cancelling coil, and comes complete with a

protective pouch and microphone clamp.

RØDE

Røde has a great reputation for excellent

sound, a sturdy and solid feel and very

reasonable prices. In the live arena, the M

series is swiftly becoming an established

line in this area of the market. The dynamic

M1 is built to take a nuclear blast (or a

particularly careless roadie), whilst the M2

condenser features integrated shock

mountings and a feedback rejecting super-

cardioid pickup pattern.

PEAVEY

Peavey has long been interested in the

microphone market and has a few

interesting options for under £200. The

PVM22, for example, is a high output

dynamic mic with coated diaphragm and

neodymium magnet and is available for

£195. The hypercardioid PVM46 comes in

slightly cheaper at £179.

SAMSON

Samson has two handheld condenser mic

models which have found a solid following

in the live market. First up is the CL5, a

handheld dynamic available in black or

nickel finish, which alongside its brother the

CO5, is a strong performer. Elsewhere at

Samson is the Q8, another handheld

dynamic designed for live and studio use. It

is well suited to regular gigging thanks to its

well thought out construction and inherent

feedback rejection. A shock mounted multi-

axis neodymium element and super cardioid

pickup pattern make this a clear sounding,

versatile microphone.

AUDIX

With a host of new products unveiled at

Frankfurt, Audix is clearly going all out to

expand in this area of the market. Jeff Beck

is on the road with a full complement of

mics, including the D2, D4, the i5 for snare

drums and the SCX25 as overheads. Beck

also has an i5 on his Marshall Cab and uses

an OM7 for vocals.

The OM7 is known for its ability to

provide unprecedented gain before feedback

on concert level stages, without sacrificing

sound quality. It is also extremely resistant

to feedback on loud stages.

The newly designed Fusion series consists

of four models – the F2, F5, and F6

“Thankfully, there

are plenty of

products to suit

most price points

out there that

don’t sacrifice

quality for value.

With musicians happily blasting their hard-earned cash on expensive instruments, few seem to realise that a good

microphone can be just as important. Rob Power takes a look at what’s currently on offer in this understated sector...

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT MICROPHONES


Hot Chip use Shure

microphones

(picture Jo

McCaughey)

Vocal dexterity

dynamic microphones and the F9

condenser. Each of these products is

available individually or collectively in

three new mic packages: the FP4, FP5,

and FP7.

Suited for both live and studio, the F2,

F5 and F6 include low mass diaphragms

for excellent transient response and high

output neodymium magnets. Precision

cast zinc alloy bodies and durable steel

mesh grills complete this impressive list of

specs. The F9 condenser is designed for

overheads, cymbals and acoustic

instruments. It features a 16mm gold

vapor diaphragm and an impressive

dynamic range of 115 dB.

JHS

The GYC brand from JHS has gone from

strength to strength in recent months and

has a number of clear best-sellers. The

1950s’ style GM55 stand mounted

microphone comes solidly constructed in

a chrome-plated die-cast casing. Also

featuring a self tensioning swivel base, this

is an eye-catching and affordable

microphone, coming in at £109.

The robust and reliable GS56S uni-

directional microphone is priced at just

£17.99. It’s traditionally styled, featuring a

sensitivity rating of -72dB and is supplied

with 4.5m of cable and standard mono

jack plug.

AUDIO TECHNICA

There is plenty currently on offer from

Audio Technica, particularly in the Artist

Elite and Artist series. These ranges are

covered by a lifetime warranty. They also

fall into the first impressions trial scheme,

where customers can try them for two

weeks free of charge.

The excellent Gallows are using the

AE6100 for vocals, the AE2500 for guitars

and the AE5100, AE300 and ATM350 for

various drums.

More affordable AT live mics include

the Pro Series and entry level Midnight

Blues ranges, both covering dynamic and

condenser models. A couple of ‘packaged’

drum mic sets in the MB range – the

DK5 and DK7 feature the previous set,

plus a pair of MB4k condensers for

overheads.


MICROPHONES SECTOR SPOTLIGHT

Shure Beta 27£389.00

A new addition to Shure’s range is

the side-address Beta 27, featuring a

large diaphragm and extremely low

self-noise. Its supercardioid polar

pattern targets the sound source,

allowing for extremely fine detail no

matter how demanding the acoustic

environment may be.

Stagg MD-007 £51.00

A mic designed to bring out the

inner Elvis, this is a great looking

50s’ style condenser that both

looks and sounds the part

without costing the earth. A

must for nifty fifties throwbacks

or anyone looking for something

a bit different.

Audio Technica AE2500 £540

An unusual dual use microphone,

featuring both dynamic and electret

capsules. This is an innovative and

highly adaptable microphone with a

number of application including

kicks drums and, if you're Metallica,

guitar cabs.

Kam KDM550S£39.95

Quality ergonomic design combined

with an affordable price makes this

Kam mic perfect for musicians taking

their first steps out into the big bad

world of live performance.


The M1-S combines the

sound quality of the M1 with

a fully lockable On/Off

switch, high-output

neodymium capsule and

feedback rejecting pickup

pattern, as well as a ten year

Røde guarantee.

Røde M1S£TBC

Sennheiser e 965£492.99

The e 965 is a hand-held vocal

microphone with true condenser

capsule that is able to cut through

high on-stage levels with ease.

Additionally, the e 965 is the best-

selling model of the award-winning

evolution 900 Series.

“Audio-Technica’s innovative approach

is highlighted with products like the

AE2500 and the new AT4080 and 4081

microphones. Their unique dual ribbon

design means they are robust enough for

use on stage as well as in the studio, unlike

ribbon mics of the past,” said Audio

Technica’s UK marketing manager, Harvey

Roberts.

SHURE

When it comes to stage mics, Shure is the

first name that springs to many minds. The

SM58 remains the industry standard

dynamic mic and is likely to be found at

your local venue. With this and the SM57

setting the standards in build quality, sound

and overall performance, Shure remains at

the top of the microphone tree.

A new addition is the side-address Beta

27. This model’s supercardioid polar pattern

targets the sound source, allowing for fine

detail. With its large diaphragm and

extremely low self-noise, the Beta 27

defines sound quality and high-calibre

performance.

KAM

Kam has an impressive value range of

dynamic stage and studio vocal

microphones, offering a fine balance of

performance and price.

The KDM series includes the Kam

KDM580S, a professional grade vocal

microphone with on/off switching. Next is

the KDM580, which is the same as the

580S but without the switching facility.

After that we have the 550S and 550B, two

high quality dynamic mics with on/off

switch and anti-roll rubber collars.

Suited for the education market is the

KDM500, a chrome finish model with

on/off switch and rigid carry case. Finally

there are the KDM400 and 200 models,

which also offer fantastic value for

money. All come with an XLR to 1/4 inch

jack microphone cable as standard.

STAGG

The Stagg range does a great job of

providing quality gear that is both

affordable and reliable. Take for example

the MD500BKH and the MD1500BKH,

a pair of ruggedly built dynamic mics

from the MD series that both look and

sound great for just £16.00 and £29.00

respectively. With hardshell carry cases

and XLR leads, that’s quite a bargain.

For another example of Stagg’s

astonishing value for money, take a look

at the DMS-5700 set of seven drum

mics, with five dynamic condensers, all

for £193.

CONTACT DETAILSSOURCE DISTRIBUTION020 8962 5080PEAVEY01536 461234KORG (SAMSON)01908 857100AUDIX - SUPERLUX020 8418 1470JHS01132 865 381AUDIO TECHNICA0113 277 1441 SHURE01992 703058KAM01582 690600SENNHEISER01494 551551

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT MICROPHONES

Peavey PVM480 £199.00

This supercardoid condensor has

a wide dynamic range, with flat

frequency response under its

powder black finish and comes

with a reassuring two year

guarantee from Peavey.

GYC MUD525£25.99

Hugely popular due to its wide

frequency response, which

offers high quality sound

reproduction at an affordable

price, the MUD525 features a

hard steel mesh with built-in

foam screen and pop filter. It

can also protect the element

from strong bumps and shock

without damage.

Superlux D112/C harmonica mic£41.13

The Superlux D112/C is a

dynamic microphone

specifically designed for

harmonica players. A

detented volume control is

perfectly placed underneath

the mic that is easy to

access while playing. The

tailored frequency response

is ideal for reproducing that

classic blues sound many

harp players are looking for.

Audix OM7£217.38

The OM7 is known for its

ability to provide

unprecedented gain before

feedback on concert level

stages. In addition, the

OM7 is extremely resistant

to feedback on loud stages

and for performers who

tend to ‘cup’ the

microphone with both

hands.

Exclusively distributed in the UK & Ireland by Source • www.sourcedistribution.co.uk/rode • T: 020 8962 5080

Only one manufacturer has the confidence to back its entire range of microphones with a 10 yearwarranty and a full money back guarantee. All of which makes it even easier to love your Røde.

Find out more at www.rodemic.com/moneyback

MONEY BACKGUARANTEE

Offer ends June 30th 201010YEAR

WARRANTY

With an outstanding heritage of musical instruments, the Celviano range

from Casio offers an authentic playing experience with a classic, inspired

appearance. With remarkable sound quality, 88 keys, authentic AiF sound

source and hammer action keyboard that replicates the true feel of an

acoustic instrument, let the magnificent sound of the Celviano range fill

you with classical inspiration.

Celebrating 30 Yearsof Musical Instruments

To experience the innovative and true expressiveness of Casio’s new pianos, visit www.casiomusic.co.ukOr call 0208 208 7826 for your nearest stockist.

The model shown is the elegant AP-420. The Celviano range starts at £769.99

www.casiomusic.co.uk

CASIO Electronic Musical Instruments

YE

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NEW PRODUCTSACCESSORIES � BACKLINE � BASS & GUITAR � DRUMS � PRINT

1. DUNLOP

HEAVY CORE STRINGS £8.99They say: The result of close co-operation

between Dunlop’s strings department and

many of its endorsed artists.

For: Guitarists

Range: Dunlop strings

Spec: Made in California, nickel-plated,

hex-core strings, three gauges (heavy,

heavier & heaviest) 10 to 48, 11 to 50

and 12 to 54, each with different core-to-

core wrap ratio. High tension standard

tuning or standard tension dropped

tuning.

From: JHS 0113 286 5381

Strings & Things 01273 440442

2. PLANET WAVES

TRU-STROBE PEDAL TUNER

£110They say: The ultimate stage tuner.

For: Musicians

Range: Planet Waves tuners

Spec: +/- 0.1 per cent accuracy, die-cast

casing, back-lit LCD display, Buzz Feiten

Tuning System offsets, six de-tuned

modes, adjustable calibration from A400

to A499, true bypass wiring.

From: D’Addario UK 0191 300 3000

Summerfield 0191 414 9000

4. MIGHTY BRIGHT

9 LED ORCHESTRA LIGHT

£59.99They say: Addresses many common

illumination needs of traveling and

professional musicians.

For: Musicians

Range: Mighty Bright lights

Spec: Nine-LED clip-on music light, four-

page coverage beam, adjustable gooseneck

arm, back shade for beam direction, AC

adapter (supplied) or three AA battery-

powered, ships with carrying case.

From: JHS 0113 286 5381

5. RICO

CLASSIC RESERVE CLARINET

REEDS £25 PER BOXThey say: Designed for clarinetists by

clarinetists.

For: Clarinetists

Range: Rico clarinet reeds

Spec: Lower-internode cane reeds,

developed using 3-D modeling software,

increased warmth and lightened

articulation from new tip radius, 3.5+ and

4.0+ strengths, cane treatment for reed

warping reduction, ten reeds per box.

From: Barnes & Mullins 01691 652449


ACCESSORIES NEW PRODUCTS

6. ROTOSOUND

DOUBLE DECKERS £10.95They say: Top selling strings

now available in superb value

twin set packaging.

For: Guitarists

Range: Rotosound electric guitar

strings

Spec: R9 and R10 nickel on steel

guitar strings available in double

packs for 20 per cent price saving,

coded R9-2 and R10-2, packaging

reduced by 70 per cent

(compared to buying two packs).

From: Rotosound 01732 450838

ACCESSORY SPOTLIGHT

ORIGINAL

AIRLINE SERIES

GIGBAGS FROM £16.95They say: Exciting new designs

now available in the UK

For: Guitarists, bassists

Range: Original gigbags

Spec : Three ranges: Red, Blue and

White Label. Red Label: 30mm superlight

padded bags, with oversized padded rear

carry straps, all metal strap clips, full

area zip front pocket for books and

accessories, weatherproof 600 denier

lightweight colour-coded material.

Incorporating suitcase-quality zippers.

Five in range: Classic, electric, bass,

acoustic and super jumbo. £34.95.

Blue label: As above with 20mm

padding and also for G banjo, tenor

banjo and universal mando. £24.95.

White Label: 10mm superlight padded

gig bags, with rucksack style rear carry

straps, full area zip front pocket for

books and accessories, weatherproof 600

denier lightweight colour-coded material.

Available for 3/4 classical and full sized

classical. £16.95.

From: Tanglewood 01937 841122

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3. MARKBASS

BASS BAGS £POAThey say: Designed to improve the lives

of bass players.

For: Bassists

Range: Markbass

Spec: Bass Bag 24 for two basses (or bass

& clothing), Little Mark hard case, Super

MoMark bag for two heads or head and

laptop, accessories, etc.

From: Proel 020 8761 9911

2


DRUMS SPOTLIGHT

MEINL

M SERIES CYMBALS £POAThey say: Meinl has revolutionised

the production techniques of its B20

bronze cymbals.

For: Drummers

Range: Meinl cymbals

Spec: After a five years of

development, every aspect of

production for the M series takes

place in Meinl's German cymbal

factory using computer controlled

production methods.

Hand hammered B20 bronze

cymbals (80% copper and 20% tin).

With the full support of corporate

management, development leader

Stefan Müller brought a great deal of

patience and an innovative mindset to

the project.

Working in co-operation with

mechanical engineering firms, an

industrial furnace was developed,

which is an indispensable component

in processing B20 bronze.

With the new M series, not only

has Meinl set another milestone in

modern cymbal making, but is

sustainably positioning itself in the

world market.

The range contains full spec

splashes, crashes and rides in various

sizes and medium weight.

From: Active 020 8693 5678

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

VISIT WWW.MIKEDOLBEAR.COM FOR MORE DETAILS.

2

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NEW PRODUCTS DRUMS

3

4. RHYTHM TECH

STICKBALL £19.99They say: For those who like something a

little different.

For: Drummers, percussionists

Range: Rhythm Tech sticks & beaters

Spec: Two-piece, stick-mounted shaker

attached to shaft of stick by two bands

(o-rings), dry shaker sound, functions as

standalone shaker, mallet head or

stick accessory.

From: JHS 0113 286 5381

5. TECHTONIC

DD502J ELECTRONIC KIT £399They say: If you are in the market for an

entry level electronic kit, read on as this is

aimed at you.

For: Drummers

Range: New Soar Valley product

Spec: Standard five-piece set up, kick,

snare, three toms, two cymbals and hi hat,

215 drum, percussion and cymbal

samples, 20 preset kits, ten user-assignable

kits. Ships with maple 5B sticks.

From: Soar Valley 0116 230 4926

6. VIC FIRTH

STICK BAG £49.95They say: A new bag from Vic Firth, but

with a funky twist.

For: Drummers, percussionists

Range: Vic Firth stick bags

Spec: Hold up to 24 pairs of sticks,

accessories pockets, retractable clips (for

kit suspension), four outer zipped pockets,

detachable shoulder strap, double stiched

vinyl outer, available in plaid‚ digital camo

and skull & crossbones patterns.

From: Korg 01908 857100

6

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1. MEINL

DRUM MATE £94.40They say: A touch of flair and a whole

heap of professionalism.

For: Drummers

Range: Meinl accessories

Spec: Woven synthetic top side in zebra-

skin finish, soft rubber underside, 160cm

(5.25ft) x 200cm (6.5ft), ships with

custom travel bag.

From: Active 020 8693 5678

2. KORG

WAVEDRUM £469They say: Hang on tight; the power-

packed, affordable Wavedrum is here

today and ready to make musical history.

Again.

For: Percussionists, drummers, musicians

Range: Korg electronic percussion

Spec: Head and rim pickups, pressure

sensor, sensitive to hitting, rubbing,

scratching etc, 36 DSP algorithms, PCM

sound engine with 200 samples, user-

assignable patches, 12 storable programs

in Live Sound mode, 100 loop phrases.

From: Korg 01908 857100

3. PROTECTION RACKET

NUTCASE SINGLE CASES £POAThey say: A range of sizes to be purchased

individually, providing greater choice and

flexibility for customers.

For: Drummers

Range: Protection Racket cases

Spec: Available for toms: 8”x8”, 10”x9”,

12”x10”, 13”x11”, 14”x12”, 15”x13” &

16”x14” (large enough for suspension

mounting systems). Floor toms: 14” & 16”.

Bass drums: 20”, 22” & 24” (16”

to18”depths). 14” x 5” & 14” x 6 snares.

Racketex polyester outer.

From: Protection Racket 01208 815055

“Made in co-

operation with the

best in

mechanical

engineering.

1. ARIA

A-50 NYLON STRUNG GUITAR

£319They say: For decades, Aria has been

recognised the world over as a maker of

high quality classical guitars.

For: Guitarists

Range: Aria acoustics

Spec: Traditional Spanish design, rosewood

back & sides, solid spruce top,

mahogany neck, bone nut & saddle,

black & gold machineheads,

rosewood fingerboard.

From: Aria 01483 238720

SPOTLIGHT GUITAR

JACKSON

JS SERIES GUITARS FROM

£279They say: Jackson is proud to

welcome the new JS Series models to

the dark domain of the Bloodline in

2010.

For: Guitarists

Range: Jackson guitars

Spec: The eight guitars comprising the

entry-level JS Series are affordable

takes on classic and instantly

recognisable Jackson designs.

JS1R Dinky: The bare-bones edition

with a reverse headstock, dual Jackson

JE10 humbucking pickups and fulcrum

bridge.

JS22R Dinky: Dual high-output

humbucking pickups and a fulcrum

bridge.

JS23 Dinky: Same as the JS22R, but

with a single humbucking bridge

pickup and scalding single-coil neck

and middle pickups.

JS32RT Dinky: One of the original

Jackson innovations. Two high-output

Jackson CVR2 humbucking pickups,

string-through body design and JT390

adjustable bridge.

JS32T Kelly: Two high-output Jackson

CVR2 humbucking pickups, string-

through body design and JT390

adjustable bridge.

JS32T King V: Two high-output

Jackson CVR2 humbucking

pickups, string-through

body design and

JT390 adjustable

bridge.

JS32T Warrior:

Two high-output

Jackson CVR2

humbucking pickups,

string-through body

design and JT390

adjustable bridge.

JS32T Rhoads:

Two high-output

Jackson CVR2

humbucking

pickups, string-

through body

design and

JT390 adjustable

bridge.

From: Fender

01342 331700

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6. VOX

HDC-77 SEMI-HOLLOW

ELECTRIC GUITARS £POAThey say: Featuring many of the same

design cues and distinguished

components as the esteemed Vox Virage.

For: Guitarists

Range: Vox electric guitars

Spec: Maple-ply top & back, mahogany

sides, two coaxe pickups, inverse heel

joint, MaxConnect aluminum bridge, Vox

Super Smooth tuners, siennaburst,

blackburst, trans red & solid ivory finshes.

Ships with hard case.

From: Korg 01908 857100

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4. TANGLEWOOD

SIGNATURE BY TANGLEWOOD

ELECTRICS FROM £299.95They say: The timing seems to be

perfect for a new, profitable solid body

electric brand.

For: Guitarists

Range: Tanglewood electrics

Spec: TSB58 (LP Style: £359.95):

mahogany body, flame maple veneer,

mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard,

two Entwistle Alnico HV58 pickups.

TSB58 Custom (£419.95):

as above with front and back binding,

three pickups, gold hardware. TSB58 C

Ltd (£449.95): as TSB58 with

crotch walnut veneer top. TSB

67 (SG Style: £299.95):

double cutaway, solid

mahogany body,

mahogany set neck,

rosewood fingerboard,

two Entwistle Darkstar

ceramic pickups.

From: Tanglewood

01937 841122

BASS & GUITAR NEW PRODUCTS

2. ARIA

IGB-77 BASS £979They say: Combined beauty and

performance, with a bass that excels in

sound quality, flexibility and aesthetics.

For: Bassists

Range: Aria Integra series basses

Spec: Spalt maple carved top and

headstock face, rosewood fingerboard,

alder body, maple bolt-on neck, two

Seymour Duncan AJJ-1 Pro active

pickups, master volume, balance,

active treble and active bass

controls, BB104 tailpiece.

From: Aria 01483 238720

3. ARIA

A19C-200N 19TH CENTURY

NYLON £799They say: Offers meticulous workmanship

and attention to detail both with regards

to playability and appearance.

For: Guitarists

Range: Aria acoustics

Spec: European ‘Romantic’ styled guitar

(circa 18th/19th century), 'V' headstock,

mahogany neck, ebony fingerboard

( joining body at 12th fret), solid spruce

top, rosewood back & sides, ebony bridge,

630mm scale.

From: Aria 01483 238720

5. VINTAGE

V6JMH FILLMORE £249They say: Designed to give you an

authentic taste of Jimi’s ‘right hand

guitar flipped’ tone.

For: Guitarists

Range: Vintage electrics

Spec: Right-hand body with

Wilkinson staggered pole, alnico-

powered single coil pickups and

neck set ‘leftie’, mid-depth C-

section neck, Wilkinson chrome

hardware, American

alder body, hard

maple bolt-on neck,

rosewood

fingerboard.

From: JHS

0113 286 5381

4


BACKLINE SPOTLIGHT

ORANGE

ROCKAVERB 50-WATT HEAD

& COMBO £1,299 & £1,549They say: Smooth, clean and

articulate to quite simply outrageous

gain – liquid fire.

For: Guitarists

Range: Orange Rockaverb

Spec: All valve, 50-Watt, channel

switching head with valve FX loop

and valve driven reverb. This amplifier

utilises a two-stage clean channel

and a four-stage dirty sound. The

clean channel on this amp is one of

the smoothest and cleanest ever

produced and creates a unique

power valve overdrive when pushed to

the max.

This four-stage gain machine can

produce anything from an articulate

clean chime, through all the classic

rhythm and crunch sounds with

original Orange character, all the way

up until you reach a gain level that is

quite simply outrageous. The quartet

of 6V6 output valves and a new

exclusive F8 output transformer

design help give the Rockerverb 50 its

uncompromising tone.

The Rockerverb 50W combo

incorporates the Rockerverb head in a

quality constructed cabinet using 13-

ply, high-density 18mm birch

plywood. Loaded with one (£1,399) or

two 12-inch Celestion Vintage 30 loud

speakers, it incorporates the new F8

concept in output transformer design.

From: Orange 020 8905 2828

2

NEW PRODUCTS BACKLINE

4. ROLAND

KC-110 BATTERY POWERED

KEYBOARD COMBO £359They say: Roland adds another great amp

to its lineup as well as another ‘World’s

First’ title to its pedigree.

For: Keyboard players

Range: Roland amps

Spec: World’s first AA battery-powered

stereo keyboard amp, AC adaptor

(included), 30 Watts, two 6.5-inch

speakers, built-in stereo digital effects,

three independent channels, tilt stand,

pole mountable.

From: Roland 01792 702701

5. VOX

PATHFINDER BASS COMBO £65They say: A bass amp that faithfully

carries on the Vox sound, look, and

tradition.

For: Bassists

Range: Vox amps

Spec: Ten-Watt combo with two five-inch

Vox Bulldog speakers, drive, treble, bass &

volume controls, bright switch,

phones/line out.

From: Korg 01908 857100

6. VOX

AGA70 ACOUSTIC AMP £299They say: Vox presents the unmistakable

sound of the acoustic guitar.

For: Acoustic performers

Range: Vox amps

Spec: Two channels (normal and tube-

pre), two inputs (guitar & mic) per

channel, Lo-Z and Hi-Z level switch per

input, three-band eq per channel, ‘colour’

control for overall sound, 6.5-inch speaker,

line in, XLR out.

From: Korg 01908 857100

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1. FENDER

RUMBLE BASS AMPS FROM

£99.99They say: A giant step forward that

significantly raises the line’s power

and profile.

For: Bassists

Range: Fender Rumble series

Spec: Now available in 15, 30, 75, 150 and

350-Watt configurations, Fender Special

Design speakers, all (except Rumble 15)

with adjustable overdrive blend, 30 & 75

models with tilt-back construction, 150 &

350 with eq and XLR outputs.

From: Fender 01342 331700

2. HAO

OMEGA DRIVE SIXTEEN $POAThey say: The culmination of several

years of research and development.

For: Guitarists

Range: HAO Premium Workshop models

Spec: Incoming nine-Volt DC power

supply converted to 16 Volts DC for

improved headroom and dynamic

response, true bypass, volume, gain & tone

controls, battery or AC adaptor powered,

three-year warranty.

From: Godlyke +1 973 777 7477

3. ORANGE

TINY TERROR TT15C-10

COMBO £399They say: Its own distinctive tonal

flavour and an alternative to the existing

12-inch model.

For: Guitarists

Range: Orange Tiny Terror

Spec: Ten-inch speaker version (Celestion

G10 Vintage), 15-Watt, Class A, two-stage

preamp, two 12AX7 preamp valves,

two EL84 power valves, volume, gain &

tone controls.

From: Orange 020 8905 2828

“The clean channel

is one of the

smoothest,

cleanest ever

produced,

creating a unique

overdrive when

pushed

3

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PRINT NEW PRODUCTS

BOOK OF THE MONTH

ARTIST: OSCAR PETERSON

10 CLASSIC TUNESSeries: Jazz Playalong

Target: Bb, Eb, C and bass clef instruments

Comment: Another unusual choice for

book of the month, but with jazz

publications worryingly sparse at the

moment and books concerning those few

individuals who can be labelled ‘jazz

royalty’ even scarcer, this small volume of

ten pieces by Peterson immediately stood

out from the other publications on the MI

Pro reviews desk this month.

Set out in a ‘semi-fake-book’ style, with

printed notation marked with ‘handwritten’

clefs, rests and chord sequences, this is a

worthy book for repertoire for the

advanced player, but it also doubles as a

valuable education tool, thanks to the

accompanying CD.

Each of the different registers has its

own score and the CD has a demo track

(without melody) and a split

melody/backing track for soloing.

The split tracks include melody cues

with proper style and inflection,

removable bass and piano parts and

additional choruses for extended soloing.

The scores and CDs get to the heart of

what jazz (and Peterson, for that matter) is

all about and offers many hours of

enjoyment and, perhaps more importantly,

development.

There are now over 100 books in the

Jazz Playalong series, making a

considerable library for both the jazz

aficionado and student.

HAL LEONARD (MUSIC SALES):

01284 702600

EDUCATION

AUTHOR: LONGWORTH &

WALKER

GUITAR BASICSTarget: Young beginners

Comment: Touted on the cover as a

‘landmark method for individual and

group learning’ and aims to take young

learners from absolute beginner to

initial/preparatory grade for classical

guitar. The book, which is attractively

illustrated and moves with ease through

the lessons, getting to grips with rhythm

and then simple notation, building to the

beginnings of repertoire, featuring original

and selected tunes.

FABER: 01279 828989

AUTHOR: STEVE KAUFMAN

MY FIRST BLUEGRASS GUITAR

PICKING SONGSTarget: Beginner guitar

Comment: Another book for the absolute

beginner, this time for the steel strung guitar

and with the aim of raising up new bluegrass

players, thus the emphasis is on melody or

lead lines. Kaufman takes a ‘no pressure’

approach, which is pleasing and prepares the

learner for those days when nothing goes

right – which are frighteningly often, of

course. Enjoy the journey and don’t think too

much about the destination, he says. Amen

to that. Accompanying CD included.

MEL BAY: 020 8214 1222


RETAILNEWS, OPINION, DATA

WHEN MUSICROOM opened its new

store in Portsmouth in November 2009, a

couple of potential headlines were created

– although unfortunately, none of them

were publicised.

For a start, it was Musicroom’s first

wholly new store premises for over five

years and second, it became the blueprint

for a very forward-looking plan of unifying

the Musicroom brand and expanding it.

The Bristol store has recently re-opened

along the same lines.

A third headline could’ve been added

too. The Portsmouth store brought the

total number Musicroom premises to 14

(not counting the three in-store franchises

in Kenny’s, Dundee, City Music, Truro and

McCullough Piggot in Dublin), making it

by far the largest MI chain in the UK and

Ireland (contrary to received wisdom).

Given Musicroom’s background,

evolving from the Music in Print franchise

(which still functions as a sheet music

racking service open to any and all

dealers), it is also interesting that of these

14 stores, just the London stores, Rose

Morris and Argent’s, are sheet music only

– the rest are all full-line stores.

“We’ve been very quiet about

ourselves,” said the chain’s general

manager, Simon Pollard. “But the

Portsmouth and Bristol stores mean it is

time to show what we are up to.”

If anyone is surprised that Musicroom

has grown to such proportions without

attracting any attention, it will probably

make sense that both Fox’s and Williams

were heavily involved with Music in Print

when they went under (in 2005 and 2006

respectively). Musicroom scooped up

some of the stores and kept them going.

“A few years ago, the London stores

(Rose Morris and Argent’s) were our best

performers. They haven’t dropped off, but

now they sit seventh and eighth. Our

Nottingham site, which was part of the

Fox’s chain, now does twice that.”

The Bristol store had been running with

the Hobgoblin franchise inside, but now,

with the business model bringing in

pianos, keyboards and electric guitars

(among others), the two no longer fit.

“It became obvious some time ago that

we could do a lot more in Bristol,” said

Pollard. “We took over the whole store

and Hobgoblin has moved. The two

businesses complement each other, so

we’re looking to growing the market.”

Hobgoblin isn’t the only neighbour.

After the closure of the Reverb store, PMT

has now moved in – a more direct

competitor than Hobgoblin. “I think it’s

really good that PMT are there,” revealed

Pollard. “Yes, we compete, but we also

complement each other. Bristol is too

large a city not have a wide choice.”

That complement is the result of

Musicroom’s USP – sheet music. While the

chain stocks guitars from Fender, Taylor,

Ibanez and Martin, as well as pianos from

Roland and Yamaha, it sees itself as an

entry-level to mid-range store. “We go

from the bottom to the top with

instruments, explained Pollard. “For us it is

important to have the ability to help

people begin playing and then progress,

but print is the biggest thing. It generates

footfall and gives us opportunities to cater

to anyone and everyone.”

Further growth for Musicroom is

unlikely to occur in any sort of tidal wave

of expansion. For a start, the chain covers

the country pretty well already.

“There are a couple of areas a bit thin

on the ground and we are always looking

at new locations, but we are very careful

to consider the impact a store might have.

You have to think of others and the good

of the trade. With the Portsmouth and

Bristol stores, we now have the range of

products, the systems and infrastructure in

place to roll out to other locations. Our

stores are well merchandised and inviting

– we have spent a lot of time with our

shop fitters and continue to find

improvements to our stores making them

more accessible and interesting.”

MUSICROOM: 01284 702600

More good news for BristolMusicroom expands city store and cements blueprint for any possible future ventures

NEWSPMT Bristol,

HTFR

Birmingham,

Euromusic

AGM,

Rotherham

Piano Centre

MIA

What have

the Romans

ever done for

us... Or the

MIA for that

matter?

LOCATION REPORTConcrete

cows to

major

supplier, with

a healthy

selection of

fine stores in

between

ALL INSIDE THIS MONTH

INDIE PROFILE

The

Rotherham

Piano Centre

explains how

to survive in

the hard

times

BEHIND THE COUNTERA fond

farewell... Or

is it just au

revoir?

Simon Pollard and Iain Davidson

RETAIL NEWS


EXTRA SEATING had to be

arranged for the annual

Euromusic Conference at the

Glynhill Hotel and Spa in

Renfrew, near Glasgow, as some

55 delegates from 42 music

stores descended from as far

afield as Thurso and Plymouth

for the consortium’s business

and networking event.

Dealers were shown new and

exclusive products and given a

rundown of the latest deals

exclusively available to

Euromusic members.

This year saw more than half

a dozen new members in

attendance enjoying the

business of the day, as well as

traditional Scottish

hospitality in the evening and a

dram (or two).

Day two saw the formal AGM

taking place and the

introduction of more products

and exclusive lines before lunch

and goodbyes.

One new member, Rob

Mulliner from the new Academy

of Sound in Stoke, was clearly

pleased. “The event was really

well organised and I’m glad I

came along,” he said. “Of

particular interest to me is the

container import programme,

which I am eager to take

advantage of.”

Euromusic is a not-for-profit

company, limited by guarantee

and owned by its members that

grew out of the SMIRA buying

consortium. The organisation

imports and resells exclusive

lines such as On Stage Stands,

Peerless, Perez and Jim Deacon

Guitars and has its head office

in Glasgow.

EUROMUSIC: 0141 577 5330

Deals for Euro dealers

SIMON GILSON and Terry

Hope’s Professional Music

Technology MI retail chain (PMT)

has taken over the premises in

Bristol formerly held by Sound

Control and, latterly, Reverb

before the respective closure of

the two businesses.

Gilson told MI Pro that he and

his team had been making

moves for the store for about a

month before securing the deal.

It is the second time the

business has tried to secure the

city-centre premises.

The store was closed for

refurbishment, but is now up and

running. Gilson added that the

opportunity for the former staff

to apply for vacancies was taken

up and many of the previous

employees are now on board.

“We spruced the place up,

inside and out and made it

recognisably a PMT store,” said

Gilson. “This is the culmination

of the negotiations we started

when Sound Control went out of

business. We have always

wanted the Bristol store, but it

was the one that got away. Now

the circle is complete and we are

very, very happy.”

When asked about the

reputation of a store that has

now effectively gone out of

business twice, Gilson pointed

out that it had never been the

Bristol store itself that had gone

under. “The businesses it was a

part of had difficulties, but this is

an excellent store, with excellent

staff in a top location. It’s part of

PMT now, so let’s move on.”

PMT: 01702 436501

Former SC and Reverb store now in the hands of third major chain

PMT takes over Bristol store

MI PRO IS pleased to point out

that the Rotherham Piano Centre

is very much open for business.

Some confusion arose after MI

Pro featured fellow Rotherham

MI retailer, Rockem Music in its

Indie Profile section in the

December 2009 issue. Rockem,

which operates out of the same

building as the piano centre, sent

an image for the feature that

showed the shop front of

Rotherham Piano Centre. The

image was unfortunately

captioned: ‘What was Rotherham

Piano Centre is now Rockem

Music’, although it transpires

that neither business has either

closed or moved out of the

building and both still enjoy

good trade there.

“We share the same building

with Rockem Music, but both

businesses are still going strong,”

pointed out David Kenyon, the

owner of the Rotherham Piano

Centre. “We are a family-run

business of over 35 years and

have handled literally thousands

of pianos. We always have a

stock of over 65 pianos on

display and are agents for

Yamaha, Kawai, Kemble,

Schuman and Bentley to name

but a few.”

For more on the Rotherham

Piano Centre, see this month’s

Indie Profile on page 68.

Rotherham PianoCentre going strong

HARD TO FIND Records

opened its first music

technology superstore in

Birmingham during April,

coinciding with an

announcement detailing new

partnerships with Korg, Roland,

Akai, Alesis and Focusrite as

part of the launch.

The 6,000 square foot

showroom will be displaying

and selling a large selection of

music technology and pro

audio products, as well as

facilities for in-store

demonstrations.

The UK’s second Korg Pro

centre was also unveiled at the

opening and alongside this is a

Roland and Boss zone. The first

ever Akai and Alesis demo

station also premiered.

“For a while we have been

one of the MI industry’s best

kept secrets and have gone

about our business almost

under the radar, but it now

makes perfect sense for us to

increase our presence,” said

David Black, the new HTFR

store’s supervisor.

The shop will be located on

Birmingham’s Upper Gough

Street. For more information,

visit the HTFR website at

htfr.com.

HARD TO FIND RECORDS:

0121 687 7777

Hard to Find Records opens MI superstore

in Birmingham focusing on hi tech

HTFR easy to spot

A few drams later: the Euromusic dealers at the event

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MIA NEWSan update from your industry trade association

What has the MIA done for us?

Moving into 2010, the

MIA is working hard to

try and offer dealers an

even stronger portfolio of

membership benefits that will

save them money and support

their businesses in this

challenging climate. The

association has just added a

whole new range of services and

would like to update all MI Pro

readers about them, especially

those that are not yet members.

CURRENT KEY MEMBERSHIP

BENEFITS

The free business helplines are

available to offer advice on legal

issues, employment law, tax,

health and safety and much

more. Since its introduction, this

has proved to be one of the

MIA’s most popular benefits.

Discounted debit and credit

card rates with HSBC – half the

MIA’s retail members use this.

Discounted insurance services

from MI insurance specialist,

Cover Notes. This company is the

industry specialist and makes a

point of saving dealers money.

Discounted advertising with

Yellow Pages – again, over half all

the MIA retail members have

used this service.

THE NEW BENEFITS (ALL

SPECIALLY DISCOUNTED)

Vehicle services – this benefit

just launched, from one car to a

whole fleet, a total range of

leasing and purchase services.

Clothing services – a massive

range of clothing, no order too

small, no order too large for all

of your business needs.

Training courses – a huge

range of professional courses for

all levels of staff and

management and all of them are

discounted for MIA members by

ten per cent.

Foreign currency services with

SGM-FX. This company has saved

MIA members over £52,000 in

the last year alone.

ASC Finance for Business – a

company that specialises in

helping smaller businesses

expand without red tape. Comes

highly recommended by the

Federation of Small Businesses.

AIMS Accountancy services,

the largest independent network

of UK accountants. AIMS is

offering the first hour of

consultations free, as well as

fixed price services – again,

highly recommended.

On top of this, you may have

seen the MI Pro newsflashes

about some MIA supplier

members (such as Sound

Technology and Peavey) offering

special deals and offers especially

to MIA retail members. If you

have not been a retail member

of the MIA before, your first year

is only £200 plus vat. To find out

more, go to mia.org.uk and click

on ‘join the MIA’, or call Clare on

01372 750600 (or email

[email protected]).

The more members the

association has, the more

benefits it can offer dealers and

the more it can do to support

and grow the musical instrument

industry as a whole.

WHAT HAS THE MIA EVER

DONE FOR US?

Learning a musical instrument in

this country is a statutory

entitlement for all school

children. The MIA was part of the

lobby that secured this. It is the

envy of most other countries in

the world.

The VAT-free, instrument-

purchase scheme for school

children was set up by the MIA.

Thousands of school children

have been given the opportunity

of buying an instrument as a

result of the system.

The MIA is a partner with the

Take it Away scheme and Arts

Council England. Over £26

million of instruments have been

sold with the scheme. 50 per

cent of the customers would not

have been able to buy their

instrument without it.

The MIA is the founding

sponsor of Music for Youth, the

world’s largest children’s music

making charity. 40 years later,

it is still supporting MfY’s

extensive activities.

The MIA secured £40 million

of spending from the

Government on new school

instruments over a four-year

period. Specific advice was

provided by the MIA for using

this money on quality musical

instruments above all.

Shops do not have to pay a

fee for demonstrating musical

instruments thanks to the MIA’s

negotiations with the PRS.

The MIA is the partner in the

Government rollout of new

rehearsal rooms across the

country. MIA members are

supplying the instruments.

The biggest music making

event in the UK, the London

Music Show, is wholly-owned by

the MIA.

The MIA partners with the

market research leader, GfK, to

produce the only annual industry

statistics available.

The MIA runs the industry

charity, Music for All. All activities

are directed towards the mission

of ‘Making More Musicians’. The

MIA especially concentrates

efforts on those that do not have

access to making music. This

includes special support for

schools and the young.

Everything the MIA and Music

for All do is to get everyone

playing an instrument.

An association such as the

MIA needs everyone in the

industry to be a part in order to

get more and more people

playing an instrument. Joining

will make you a part of the

future success of the industry.

MIA: 01372 750600

The Music Industries Association outlines its activities and all the reasons why MI retailers in the UK should be a part

of the only association for the industry in this country…

In a period in business life where

enthusiasm is hard to come by, talking

to Richard Chollerton of Richard’s

Guitars in Leamington Spa can be

something of a shock. There is

enthusiasm – and then there is Richard

Chollerton. If one can radiate a positive

state of mind, then Chollerton does it in

spades. It’s not as though he doesn’t have

a reason to be negative, either.

His Muzonet initiative, which was

designed to run as an online hub for the

UK MI trade was in many ways a success.

He gave small suppliers and retailers the

chance to co-ordinate online enquiries

on a national level, to respective regional

benefit. Chollerton looks back at Muzonet

with fondness, but accepts he was

perhaps a bit naïve.

“I don’t believe the backlash Muzonet

suffered was the result of genuine

cynicism or bad feeling,” muses

Chollerton. “I genuinely believe that

people simply didn’t understand what I

was trying to do – nor could believe that

it was a genuinely altruistic attempt.”

It is tribute to his belief in the business

that Chollerton is back again, hoping

to expand his website (guitars.co.uk) out

to dealers around the country, offering

them extremely high value classifieds and

profiles on the site for as little as two

quid for an ad, or £365 for full access

across the site for a whole year – it turns

out to be very little for quite a lot.

“Dealers need effective advertising –

and during a recession all the more so,”

he says. “For a pound a day, they can get

enormous online profile, promoting their

shop and the brands they sell. On top of

that, I will give any dealer that signs up

my full support.”

Opening his website out to other

dealers might appear odd to some, but

his thinking seems pretty sound. The idea

is that, using mechanisms that push

items high up on Google, making the

probability of user ‘hits’ more likely,

smaller, independent dealers can get the

sort of online presence normally reserved

for big manufacturers and e-tailers. If

enough dealers sign up, guitars.co.uk

could easily become a centre of guitar

selling activity.

“Big online stores with reams of

products to upload often don’t have the

ability to do so regularly and listing items

one by one is way too much effort. Even

if they do, these stores are selling on

price alone. On my site, a dealer’s

proactive efforts and specialisation in

selling particular brands will shine

through. My system will naturally reward

anyone who puts the effort in to

maintain a good turnover.”

This will prompt a welcome push on

online prices, helping specialist guitar

dealers to maintain respectable prices

and thus decent margins. He also plans

to highlight the dangers of paying too

little for instruments and the effect that

can have on after-sales services.

“Of course, it is imperative that

competition exists for the consumer, but

it is also important that dealers can have

confidence. For this they need systems

that are supportive and that do not lead

to a destructive cattle market, selling on

price alone.

“I have already had customers talking to

dealers and that has resulted in some

really positive feedback. I am already seeing

the development of a really good online

shopping experience via specialists that

appear at the top of Google searches.

“This is not a faceless site – it has

real dealers at the end of the line that

customers can talk to and visit. From here

onwards, people will always shop online.

We have to accept this fact. What is

important, though, is that the customer

will often take a route that leads to

personal contact if they can find it. That’s

what guitars.co.uk does. It’s an online world

of personalised contacts – and they are all

specialists. Customers are going to love it.

For the sceptic, Chollerton reiterates

his ‘small-but-specialist’ credentials. “I

grew my business to the point where

I was selling eight to ten guitars a day –

and I didn’t enjoy it. It was a pressure

environment that pretty much

destroyed me. I’m not trying to create a

superstore for myself here. I genuinely

believe that a united, independent presence

can compete with the big online

discounters – but that means dealers have

to work together.”

Chollerton has created the basis of

this – the rest depends upon the response

from dealers.

WWW.GUITARS.CO.UK

GUITARS.CO.UK RETAIL


Richard Chollerton has spent his career in two spheres simultaneously – MI retail and web development – and he

believes the two are intrinsically linked, or should be. Andy Barrett takes a look at his latest project…

The gift of presence

”Dealers need

effective

advertising – and

during a recession

all the more so.Richard ChollertonRichard’s Guitars


RETAIL LOCATION REPORT

Concrete cows and roundabouts might not scream rock n roll, but scratch beneath the surface and there are plenty of

shops waiting to keep the local up-and-comers in all the gear they’ll ever need. MI Pro investigates...

Milton KeynesHOBGOBLIN

Although strictly speaking this branch of

leading folkie chain Hobgoblin is in nearby

Newport Pagnell, its MK postcode makes

it fair game for the strummers and

pluckers in the local area. Although not

the biggest shop in the world, it’s nicely

located just off a busy High Street and the

hand-painted shop front echoes the rustic

charms that lie within.

As is befitting of a chain that has built

its reputation on catering for the largely

unamplified folk circuit, this branch is a

walk-in wardrobe of unplugged

wonderment. Most impressive is the large

selection of mandolins that occupies most

of the back of the shop, with prices to suit

everyone from beginners to pros. A

similarly comprehensive stock of ukes rubs

shoulders with a respectable acoustic

guitar section, featuring a range of

products from Yamaha, Blueridge and

Recording King. A specialist book section

covers a broad range of traditional and

contemporary folk music that could prove

difficult to track down elsewhere and no

doubt provides plenty of encouragement

for the local finger-in-ear brigade. Scottish

and Irish pipes were both in stock, while a

display cabinet packed full of tin whistles,

pan pipes and all sorts of mysterious and

beguiling blowables caught the eye. Throw

in helpful staff that know the value of

personal space in a smaller store and

enough intriguing nooks and crannies to

keep the curious coming back for more,

and you’ve got another excellent example

of a Hobgoblin branch.

HOLLYWOOD MUSIC

As soon as you open the door into

Hollywood, it’s blindingly obvious that this

is a store on the up and up, and with good

reason. Lots of high-end gear in the form

of an eye-watering selection of Gibson

and Fender goodies are immediately

noticeable, making pretty much every

punter stop in their tracks before they’ve

even taken two steps. The main room,

home to electric guitars, amps and effects,

is pretty cosy at the moment, but stuffed

to the gills with goodies none the less.

An expansion into the adjoining shop

was underway during MI Pro’s visit, a good

move which will make things much more

manageable and give the staff a chance to

really show off their wares to full effect.

With a clutch of new brands on the way

to bolster the current selection there is

clearly plenty more on the horizon for

Hollywood Music.

However, even as it is now there are

still plenty of reasons to visit, not least

some nice stocking choices that sit

outside of the obvious and show the staff

here to be a knowledgeable lot that know

the value of filling the walls with gear that

you don’t see everywhere. It’s nice to find

a business that is showing that although

times are tough, there is still plenty of

room for enterprising shops with the right

forward-thinking approach to flourish.

With lots more to come from this

enterprising store, the good people of this

city can count themselves lucky.

ROCK HARD MUSIC

Although it might be hidden away from

passing trade with its industrial estate

location, it’s definitley worth making the

effort to go to Rock Hard. A nicely sized

retail space with an attached rehearsal

and recording studio, it’s clear that this

business is intended as an all-in-one

solution for the enterprising musical youth

of Milton Keynes.

All of the major brands are represented,

with new and second-hand stock sitting

happily side by side. A few acoustic kits

were on display amongst the numerous

guitars and basses, although for drummers

the main attraction here lies in a corner

dedicated to a large number of electric

Yamaha kits. Smiling, eager-to-please

staff are added to the mix, and questions

varying from ‘what year is this Hofner’

to ‘what’s your recording set up’ are

met with boundless enthusiasm. Rock

Hard might lay a little off the beaten

track, but it is without a doubt well worth

the bus fare.

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How is business compared to this time

last year?

Business is definitely down this year due

to the impact the recession has caused.

Despite this, we have to try our best to

remain competitive.

How do you market the shop?

We do a lot of our marketing through the

website and take out adverts in local

newspapers. We tried radio advertising

before, but this was not successful. We

have marketed well, because we have

satisfied thousands of customers across

the UK and we are able to supply and

deliver to anywhere in mainland Britain.

How do you rise to the challenge of

online competition?

Well, of course it’s difficult to keep up

with online retailers, but we have to try

and compete. A lot of stores like us are

simply used by people to try out new

pianos, who then go home and buy them

on the internet. It makes a mockery of

places with showrooms when people just

sample the products and purchase them

elsewhere. The best we can do is try our

hardest to compete.

What are your biggest strengths?

We offer excellent customer service and

the best products by ensuring we sell

most of our pianos on recommendation.

We also offer extra incentives like

throwing in free stools, for example, to put

us ahead of the competition.

I am also very proud of the family-run

aspect of the business. I own the building

and we do all our own deliveries, as well.

How do you ensure a good level of

customer service?

Customer service is crucially important to

the business. We offer a personal service

and give customers the peace of mind

that allows them to go away satisfied.

Our no quibble policy and money back

guarantee also ensures that our customers

go away happy.

What is the one product you couldn’t

live without?

I couldn’t possibly choose one overall, I’m

just very proud of our selection of

Yamahas, Kawais, Kembles, Schumans and

Bentleys, in particular.

We are agents for these manufacturers

and always ensure there are at least 65

pianos on show, in order to achieve as

good a display as possible.

How can the industry do more to

support retail?

There needs to be more emphasis on the

promotion of acoustic pianos rather than

the dominating digital piano market.

Pianos are being bought for next to

nothing these days and when young

people play these poor instruments, it puts

them off playing for life.

We only deal in quality new and

second-hand instruments here and people

need to be aware that pianos should not

be bought cheaply.

RETAIL


INDIE PROFILE

FACT BOXAddress: The Old Chapel, Chapel Lane,

Westgate, Rotherham, Yorkshire S60 2JB

Phone: 0800 0832 317

Owner: David Kenyon

Established: Over 35 years (as an

exporter), but as a retailer for ten years.

Employees: Three

Best-selling lines: Yamaha, Schumans

and Kawai. We seem to be more

successful with selling pianos in the

£500 to £1,500 range and second-hand

David Kenyon stresses the

importance of good

customer service and the

threat that online MI

retailers pose…


RETAIL

WE NEED A NEW BREED OF BRAVE TRADERS

Our man behind the scenes delivers his heartfelt farewell and a rallying call to all you budding retailers out there...

In this industry, perhaps more than

others, we know only too well how

precarious the delicate balance

between gainful employment and

heavy hearted unemployment can

be. Sure, the first few days spent

lounging on the sofa eating crisps

and shouting at Jeremy Kyle, while

waiting for Columbo to arrive and

make everything better, might seem

okay, but soon the reassuring

luminescent glow of daytime

television pales and reality starkly

punches you in the face.

It's a situation not unknown to any

musician that has ever pursued

stadium sized dreams, only to discover

the harsh reality of an unimpressive

wider world. Jobs, like gigs, come and

go. Some are great, some are shit

beyond comprehension, but in the end

it's the fact that you went out and

gave the whole rock star thing a go

that makes it all worthwhile.

What we must never do, my

plectrum pawning, string selling

brothers, is ever give up hope.

Similarly, shops open and close, rising

and falling on a tide of lean months

and bumper Christmases, internet-

fuelled popularity and term time

rushes, which also let us know that

players need their shops as much as

shops need their players. So don't be

afraid to start new ones, to laugh in

the face of economic hard times and

bravely launch your vintage

guitar/piano/kazoo emporium on a

world that, at worst, can only say no.

This country and its starward-gazing

musicians need brave shop folk like

you and I to make dreams a reality.

And so, it is with a heavy heart

and a weary pen that the time has

come for me to leave you. This final

entry aims only to deliver a simple

message: do the best you can, with the

tools you have and make yourself

happy. Work hard to make your dreams

happen, and you never know, they just

might. If they don't, at least you'll be

able to look yourself in the eye in 20

years instead of bitterly braying at any

young buck that passes your way with

a twisted, cynical sneer.

Good luck to you all; maybe

one day I'll leave my own slice of

High Street heaven and come and visit,

bestowing questionable wisdom upon

you like a crap Jesus. Until then,

toodle-pip one and all, and I'll see you

on the other side. Peace.

“What we must

never do, my

plectrum pawning,

string selling

brothers, is ever

give up hope.

BEHIND THE COUNTER

THE FUTURE’S BRIGHT

Product Support Co-ordinator

Korg UK is the UK and ROI distributor for Korg, Vox, Jupiter, Mapex, Paiste,Vic Firth, Samson, Hartke and (from May 1st)Behringer.

An exciting opportunity exists for someone with the relevant skills andcapabilities to play a major part in all aspects of helping KORG owners toget the utmost enjoyment and inspiration from their products.

The role will involve engagement with the KORG user community across awide range of channels including social media, website updates, forums,telephone and email support. You will be responsible for creating andsharing news of product updates, tips, FAQís and other technical supportwith both our dealer network and end users. There will also beopportunities for involvement in exhibitions and field training activity.

We are looking for someone with a passion for music and musicproduction, a technical understanding of synthesizers, computer musicmaking and guitar amps, together with a natural affinity for providinghelp and support to customers.

Applications are particularly welcome from candidates who haveexperience in a similar position within the electronic musical instrumentsindustry.

A competitive salary and benefits await the successful candidate.

To apply for this position, please send your CV together with your currentsalary details to Alan Scally, UK Marketing Manager [email protected]

All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Written applications only please.

No agencies.

KORG (UK) Ltd. 9. Newmarket Court, Kingston, Milton Keynes, MK10 0AU

REGIONAL SALES MANAGERSouthern Region

D’Addario & Company, the world’s largest manufacturer of MI accessories, has opened for business and is already making waves. We are looking for a professional sales representative to develop our UK business in the south and complete our team.

Working with your Internal Sales Representative, you will be responsible for achieving sales targets for your region across the D’Addario UK portfolio of fretted & bowed strings, Planet Waves accessories, Evans Drumheads, HQ Percussion and PureSound Percussion.

You will be experienced, highly organised, and computer literate with a demonstrable ability to plan and manage the sales strategy for your region.

We are offering a competitive salary/bonus package and car. If you have the skills, personality and professionalism to represent the world’s leading MI accessory company then please send a copy of your CV to:Simon Turnbull, Managing Director, D’Addario UK Ltd [email protected].

visit www.daddario.co.uk for more

RECRUITMENT


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

MARKETPLACE INDEX

SU

PP

LIE

R S

PO

TLI

GH

T

TO ADVERTISE CALL DARRELL CARTER OR JODIE HOLDWAY ON 01992 535647

Bag couture collection joined by two guitar ranges

MADAROZZO HAS Introduced its

2010 Gigbag Couture, a unique

range of guitar and fretted

instrument gigbags designed and

manufactured by Martin Ritter –

well known in the gigbag industry.

Designed from the ground up, the

Madarozzo 2010 collection of

instrument bags now comprises 85

products, available in a variety of

designs, price points and colours.

These include bags to fit everything

from banjo, mandolin and ukulele to

all guitar shapes. There are also bags

for acoustic bass, v-shaped guitars,

semi-acoustic guitars, headless

models, super-size jumbos, and bags

for even more unusual shapes.

Players wanting to transport more

than one guitar are also catered for

with bags that accommodate two

electric guitars or two basses.

All bags, which offer headstock,

bridge and endpin protection zones,

are made from luggage grade

polyester. Other features include a

luxury padded handle and mobile

phone pouch, while some offer a

professional backpack system. In

addition, they carry the Madarozzo

‘fashion factor’ – a fusion of design,

functionality, and instrument

protection.

You knew this, but perhaps you

didn’t know that Madarozzo now

has some radical guitars and basses.

Developed over two years and

launched at NAMM in January, the

Madarozzo guitar range features

‘advanced guitar architecture’ –

custom designed hardware that

complements futuristic designs. Four

models are available: the Madrose

guitar and the Madchilli bass were

launched at NAMM, while the Vidaa

and the electro-acoustic Princess

were first seen at Frankfurt.

Ritter’s company has also

purchased the Hoyer guitar brand

and trademarks and Musikmesse

saw the European launch of the

stunning Hoyer electric guitars,

which comprise the Ern, Eagle,

Arrow, White and Black Lady models,

as well as the Hoyer Eagle bass.

“We are very pleased at the

prospect of Hoyer being a significant

part of our future development in

the MI business,” says Ritter. “We

have great respect for the heritage

of the Hoyer brand and the work the

company has put in to revitalise the

brand during the last few years. We

aim to bring Hoyer Guitars to the

global market and endeavour to

build on its long heritage.”

THE PLACE FOR BUSINESS

MIMARKETPLACE

440 DISTRIBUTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0113 258 9599

AARIA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01483 238720ALLPARTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0870 442 3336AVSL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0845 270 2411

BBILL LEWINGTON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01268 413366

CCOVERNOTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0121 327 1977 CBAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8816 8368

DDADDARIO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0800 234 2848

FFCN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WWW.FCN.CO.UKFOCUS MERCHANDISE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8245 9035

HHC DISTRIBUTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 00 353 5991 34268HERGA MUSIC SERVICES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8861 1590HOT ROX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0115 987 3163

JJAM PERCUSSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0151 494 1492

LLEISURETEC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01525 850085

MMARSHALL AMPLIFICATION. . . . . WWW.MARSHALLAMPS.COMMCELLAND/GREMLIN MUSIC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01273 491333MEL BAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8382 8010MUSIC SHIPPING CO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01562 827666

OOCARINA WORKSHOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01536 485963

PPROEL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8761 9911

RRICHARD GUITARS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 07531 935 399ROBERT MORLEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8318 5838ROTHWELL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01204 366 133ROTHWELL AUDIO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01204 366133SSAXOPHONE UK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01892 662533 SOAR VALLEY MUSIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0116 230 4926

TTEAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01923 438880

WWIND PLUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0116 243 1698WORLD RYTHM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01242 282191

Madarozzo

PROMOTIONAL

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


ACCESSORIES AND GIFTWARE

IRELAND & N.IWalter Hennessy087 2596183

SCOTLAND &NORTH EAST

Steve Clinkscale07958 351712

NORTHERNENGLANDChris Hind

07958 830072

SOUTH WESTCENTRAL ENGLAND

& WALESSteve Preston

07554 454054

LONDON &SOUTH EASTIan Collins

07836 237337

For full dealership details contact yourlocal area representative

HC MUSIC DISTRIBUTION LTD

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

ACOUSTIC DISTRIBUTION

DISTRIBUTOR

Call Tom Harrison on 01132 589599 or email - [email protected]

MI MARKETPLACE


MI MARKETPLACEDISTRIBUTOR

0845 270 2411

0845 270 2433

[email protected]

www.avslgroup.com

A leading distributor within the Audio Visual, Sound & Light, Public Address and MI trades.

GRO

UP

Order online

Friendly sales team

Over 4000 products in stock

DISTRIBUTOR

Active & passive speakers Line array InEar & Wireless Public adress

The sound of experience

a member of

dBTechnologies UK16 Whitebeam CloseNewhey, RochdaleOL16 4NDDirect: 07595 672157Freephone: 0800 234 2848mail: [email protected]

www.dbtechnologies.com

www.dbtechnologies.com

DISTRIBUTOR

@

DISTRIBUTOR

DISTRIBUTOR


Listings Plus 2010 - Now Available

bringing brands together

www.leisuretec.co.uk

Sound • Lighting • Special Effects • Established 1990 • Distribution Power - Squared

DISTRIBUTOR

MI MARKETPLACE

DISTRIBUTOR

DISTRIBUTOR

...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


MI MARKETPLACE

INTERNATIONAL LTD

The UK’s fastest growing supplier of Professional Audio and MI equipment direct to the industry!

Supplying you with our ever expanding range from

As well as premier UK distribution for these leading brands

Tel: 020 8761 9911Fax: 020 8761 9922

Email: [email protected]

www.proelint.co.uk

DISTRIBUTOR DISTRIBUTOR


INSURANCE AND BUSINESS

MI MARKETPLACE

MUSIC PUBLISHERS

If you answer yes to any of the following questions,

Guitars.co.uk WILL be of value to your business...

Want your shop SEEN?

Want your service APPRECIATED?

Want your Products SOLD?

We believe in power in numbers and want the UK’s

specialist stores to be seen, appreciated and most of

all get their rightful place BACK at the heart of guitar

sales in the UK.

DON'T be a sceptic.

SEE that positive things can happen!

Make it happen by calling us at your

earliest opportunity

07531 935 399

GUITARSGUITAR AND ACCESSORIES

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


MI MARKETPLACEMANUFACTURER

PERCUSSION 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]

PIANOS

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


PERCUSSIONPERCUSSION AND DRUMS

MI MARKETPLACE

PROMOTIONALPERCUSSION


REPAIRS

MI MARKETPLACE

CONTACT

JODIE HOLDWAY

CALL: (0)1992 535647

ADVERTISE IN

MI MARKETPLACE

GREAT ADVERTISINGOPPORTUNITIES

WIND INSTRUMENT

SAXOPHONES

MAY 2005Cover Stars: Aria UK. Martin Hartwell insists that

his entire team appears on the cover and he

follows the same tack through the interview. It’s

not about him – it’s about working as a team

News: Musicians Channel ceases broadcast, Warner

Music on Wall Street, Steinway and Pearl River

collaborate, D’Addario wins trademark case over

Gibson, Napster loses $24.3 million

Features: London Guitar Show at Wembley,

Musikmesse drum report, BMF preview, Wiii

electrical recycling legislation

Products: Elixir anti-rust strings, Ashdown Essex

Blonde, Fallen Angel & MAG 600, Laney VC15

combo, Gretsch G6073 bass, Höfner President

Thinline, Line 6 Variax 300, Blue Cardinal & Raven

mics, E-mu 1616 sound card, Conn Selmer 88H

trombone & Dizzy Gillespie King trumpet

Number one singles: Akon: Lonely,

Oasis: Lyla, Axel F: Crazy Frog

Number one albums: Bruce Springsteen: Devils

and Dust, Akon: Trouble, Steve Brookstein: Heart

and Soul, Faithless: Forever Faithless – The Greatest

Hits, Gorillaz: Demon Days

RETRO

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]...


THE LAST WORD IN MI PRO

MUSIKMESSE’S SOCIAL SIDE

No trade show in the world offers such breadth of choice

for the trade to find nice corners to get together and chill

out. Clockwise from above, Mel Bay treats staff and guests

(l to r) Jeff Ponte, VP of sales, Rodney Branigan’s German

press photographer and his German agent, Rodney

Branigan, Bryndon Bay, Mel Bay president, Maria

Evangelou and Chris Statham (with MI Pro) and Noel

Delaney, German sales rep for Mel Bay Music. Brian Cleary

of Barnes & Mullins graced the Lag Guitars dinner with a

shirt that hurt. Algam’s boss, Gerard Garnier gets up close

and intimate with MI Pro’s editor, Andy Barrett (sporting

more hair than is good for him) and sales manager Jodie

Holdway. Barrett had the distinct feeling that the close

attention from such an important man had little to do

with him. Below, Garnier again, greeting the guests with

Lag’s founder and chief luthier, who has (to the joy of sub-

editors everywhere) changed his name to Michel Lag.

PARTY TIME

LATEST NEWSSTRAIGHT TO YOUR MOBILE

Bookmark us in your phone:

MOBILE.MI-PRO.CO.UK

SEND YOUR PICTURES TO [email protected]


Those outside the brass fraternity

might be surprised to consider

that, aside from percussion, the

horn is the oldest instrument known

to mankind, as our prehistoric

antecedents were getting notes from

the hollow horns of animals tens of

thousands of years ago.

Taking this into account, it is not at

all surprising that horns are among the

most complex in terms of

construction, owing to the millennia of

evolution they have gone through.

Of them all, the most complex and

– acknowledging the letters of

complaint that will arrive – most

beautiful is the French horn.

Originally known as the hunting

horn, the French horn’s circular shape

came from the need to have a deeper

sounding and louder tone, while being

manageable on horseback. The

lengthened tubing was thus shaped to

this manageable shape.

By the mid-17th century, the

hunting horn was being used in

orchestras by the likes of Jean-Baptiste

Lully and Pietro Cavalli. Within a

hundred years of this, they were

commonplace for composers such as

Handel and JS Bach. It was also around

this time that ‘crooks’, small pieces of

tubing added to the instrument to

change the key, were developed. Valves

followed in 1813, bringing about the

instrument we recognise today –

although many composers refused to

allow these instruments into their

orchestras for some time as they

were considered to be harsher

sounding than their

forebears.

While the trumpet is

by far the most

popular brass

instrument, it is the

French horn that

has the most

music composed for it. The tone of the

instrument is mellower and blends

more easily with the strings and

woodwind sections, its tenor register

having an almost human quality.

From the time of Mozart to the

present, the French horn sections of

many compositions are among the

most mellifluous and no-one could

imagine the sound of a orchestra

today without the rich tone

of the French horns holding

things

together.

MI ICON The French Horn

AND MARSHALL, TOO

THE BIRTH OF A BRAND?

Marshall chose its annual VIP dinner in

Frankfurt to announce its purchase of the

Natal percussion brand. There to witness

the event were (clockwise from above)

KMD’s Lesely Kane, considering the

benefits of either a yashmak or that Ulrike

Meinhoff look, Jason Hunt, looking

suitably grizzled and rugged for doing a

shift on the Indie Guitar stand, Jon Gold,

the MIA’s president, showing Hunt the

benefits of some slick razor work and the

stunning percussion work before the

jangling jaws after the Marshall team had

announced the Natal deal. Finally, the

lovely Jackie from Marshall, who sat with

the MI Pro team and delighted them with

tales from the backroom and reminders to

go and wash our hands.

The hard-rocking Scottish

trio are finally making

waves in the mainstream,

much to the knowing

relief of their army of

hardcore fans.

Here is a rundown of the

tools they use to raise

the roof...

SOUNDALIKESBIFFY CLYRO

NEXTMONTHA veritable fest of market overviews in the

June issue, with perspectives on the acoustic

guitar, percussion and sheet music sectors.

On the cover will be one of the most

interesting (and fastest growing) business

models in the trade: AVSL.

EDITORIAL: ANDY BARRETT

[email protected]

ADVERTISING: JODIE HOLDWAY

[email protected]

Company/job title:

DJPR (shameless plug: www.djpr.co.uk)

Boss

Years in the industry?

20 years

First single bought?

Sylvia by Focus (or Caroline by Status Quo)

Favourite album?

Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky,

not the ELP version – unless I’ve had a

drink, in which case that’s better

Currently listening to?

Oddly enough, religious choral stuff

Favourite musician?

Varies – currently Chopin

Which instruments do you play?

Piano

Are you currently in a band?

Not yet

MI SPACE

© Intent Media 2010 No part of this publication may be

reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission

of the copyright owners. Printed by The Manson Group, AL3 6PZ

Enquiries to MI Pro, Intent Media, Saxon House 6a St.

Andrew Street, Hertford SG14 1JA.

Tel: 01992 535646 (Editorial)

Tel: 01992 535647 (Advertising)

Fax: 01992 535648

miPRO is a memberof the PPA

ISSN 1750-4198

SIMON NEIL: guitars – Fender 1960

Custom Relic Stratocasters, 50s

Stratocaster Relics, Gretsch White Falcon,

Squier Simon Neil Signature Stratocaster,

Taylor GS8, Taylor 714CE, Boss TU-2, DS-1,

MD-2, HM-2, MT-2, DD-6, LS-2 & RC-2,

Hayden MoFo 30 head & Classic 412 cab,

Marshall 1959SLP head & 1960A cab,

Peavey Classic 30 combo, Fender Deville

combo, Ernie Ball Skinny-Top, Heavy-

Bottom strings, Dunlop Custom picks

JAMES JOHNSTON: basses – Two Fender

Jazz USA five-string basses (one with with

upgraded pickups), Fender Jazz (American

Standard), Fender Jazz (American Deluxe),

Squier James Johnston Signature Jazz bass,

Tech21 SansAmp bass driver, DI Preamp,

Boss LS-2, ODB-3, TU-2, Ashdown BTA-400

(x 3), ABM-900, four Classic 810 cabs,

Hayden 7/15, Dunlop Custom green/pink

.96mm bass picks

BEN JOHNSTON: drums – Saibian HHX

ride, 14" Stage/Fast hi-hats, 16" AAX Stage

crash, 17" AAX Stage crash, AAXtreme

china, Pearl Eric Singer Signature snare

drum, Pearl Masters kit, 22x18" bass, 12x8"

rack tom, 14x14" and 16x16" floor toms,

Pearl Eliminator double bass pedal, Aqarian,

Pearl and Remo heads, two-octave,

chromatic xylophone

MI PRO Magazine. Saxon House, 6a St. Andrew Street.

Hertford, Hertfordshire. SG14 1JA

ISSN: 1750-41980 Copyright 2010

Printed by The Manson Group, AL3 6PZ

the international monthlymagazine for musicinstrument professional andeveryone in the MI business

MI Pro has a monthly circulation of well

over 6,000. It is distributed to all MI

retailers and industry professionals plus

carefully selected pro audio executives

and resellers.

UK: £50 Europe: £60 Rest of World: £90

SUBSCRIPTIONEnquiries, please email: [email protected]

Telephone: 01580 883 848

Charges cover XX issues and 1st class postage

or airmail dispatch for overseas subscribers.

MI PRO is published 12 times a year, reaching well over

6,000 readers throughout the UK and international market.

Managing EditorAndy Barrett

[email protected]

Editor at LargeGary Cooper

[email protected]

Associate EditorRob Power

[email protected]

Staff WriterAdam Savage

[email protected]

Advertising ManagerDarrell Carter

[email protected]

Sales ExecutiveJodie Holdway

[email protected]

DesignerClaire Brocklesby

[email protected]

Production ExecutiveRosie McKeown

[email protected]

CirculationPaul Little

[email protected]

Editorial Production ManagerHelen French

[email protected]

PublisherDave Roberts

[email protected]

Managing DirectorStuart Dinsey

[email protected]

82 miPRO MAY 2010

DavidJones

Sound • Lighting • Special Effects • Distribution Power Squared • Tel: +44 (0) 1525 850085 • www.leisuretec.co.uk

bringing brands together

The Leisuretec Listings Plus 2010 • Call us to Order Your Copy • Experience • Choice • Value • Service

Mi Pro May

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