LONDON MUSIC SHOW NAMM BEHRINGER KMI FAITH MARKBASS HARDCASE

No. 117 • FEBRUARY 2010 • WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK PRINT • ONLINE • MOBILE

One of MI’s most inventive companies shows that

innovation isn't just in the products

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT PROFESSIONAL � FOR EVERYONE IN THE MI BUSINESS

D’Addario for the UKJo

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1 MIP 117 Cover_FINAL 27/1/10 17:15 Page 1

A N E W C L A S S O F A M P L I F I E R

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Ideal for use at home, the studio, rehearsal or small gig, the Class5 is all-valve Marshall tone at its best – pure,audacious and inspiring!

To find out more about the Class5 contact:Marshall Amplification plc Denbigh Road, Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK1 1DQ or visit the official Marshall website: www.marshallamps.com

MI Pro C5 ad:Layout 1 14/9/09 16:22 Page 1

SUPPLYBEHRINGER 20The enigmatic Uli talks of growth and plateaus

FAITH 22Barnes & Mullins’ guitar brand moves up

MARKBASS 24A big noise in bass amps – what went right?

KMI DISTRIBUTION 26Lesley Kane talks through her impressive start-up

HARDCASE 28The plastic case maker takes control

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COVER STORY 16

ISSUE 117 FEBRUARY 2010

CONTENTSREGULARS: DRUM NEWS 10 RETAIL NEWS 49 INDIE PROFILE 52 FRONT LINE 53 NEW PRODUCTS 40-47 CODA 64

On the day MI Pro went to press, the national mediawere hailing the official exit of the UK’s economy fromrecession. I say ‘hailing’, but the reality (a third month

of growth in the GDP amounting to 0.1 per cent) meant thateven the most gleeful of reports were tepid, to say the least.

It adds more weight to the argument that MI simply doesn’tfit into the general swings of macro-economics. At the NAMMShow in mid-January (report page 12), the Americans, whohave really had a pretty awful time of it through 2009, werehell bent on making 2010 a damn sight better, althoughwhether such a goal is in our hands is arguable.

Among the Brits at the show, the question everybody askedwas ‘how’s business with you?’

The answer was generally a timid ‘pretty good’, as thougheither a miscalculation had been made or there was somethinga little shameful in such an admission.

The fact is – and you can ask any economist or financier youbump into – we still don’t know what is going to happen. Theeconomic growth that is being experienced is so slight that thetiniest bump to the market’s confidence could have us fallinginto a secondary recession.

It is also equally possible that while the MI trade in the UKhas come through so far relatively unscathed, as the marketsbegin to grow again, the spend on musical instruments,accessories and equipment could be redirected into otherleisure activities, such as video games, gyms, restaurants – youname it. The recession for MI might still not be upon us...

Now comes the ‘but’... Another fact is, as Joe Lamondpointed out when he opened the NAMM Show at the Breakfastof Champions, we are all still here. The fact that you arereading this magazine means you are still in business and thushave survived the horrors of the past two years.

Whatever it is you have done to get to this point, it wouldappear that it has been the right thing, so, while keeping youreyes open for new opportunities, keep on doing it.

Our secret retailer (page 53) thought that the bad weatherwould mean an empty shop. In fact, it turned out to be thebusiest January for ages. We just don’t know.

Andy Barrett

NEWS

EVENTS

SECTOR SPOTLIGHTS

D’Addario opened its first

subsidiary for 22 years in

January. The fact that it

chose the UK is proof that

the accessories giant sees

this market as

something special

GETTING CLOSE

FUTURE TAKES ON LONDON MI

SHOW, NAMM SUCCESS,

BEHRINGER SEEKS SPEAKER

NAMM 2010 12Back to its best and soaking up the praise

ACOUSTIC GUITARS 33There’s a lot going on in the £500-plus market

NEW PRODUCTS 40-47

12

20

33

49

RETAILNEWS 49Guitarguitar in Birmingham, Richard’s classifieds

LOCATION REPORT 51MI retail likes it beside the seaside

INDIE PROFILE 52Mark’s Music puts the customer first

FRONT LINE 53The snows came... And so did the customers

The tiniest bump to

the market’s

confidence could

have us falling into a

secondary recession

mipro@intentmedia.co.uk

ANDY BARRETT

EDITORIALCOMMENT

03 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 17:54 Page 1

Future takes on MIA’s Lon FUTURE PUBLISHING has

announced a deal with the MIA

to run what was the London

International Music Show (LIMS).

Apart from the dropping of

the word ‘international’ and the

trade day, the new London Music

Show is effectively being licensed

to Future for five years to take

the format forward in the long

term and the MIA is hoping to

cash in on Future’s ability to

motivate non-musicians through

its leisure magazine portfolio.

The absence of a trade day

essentially falls in line with the

consensus of opinion from

exhibitors after last year’s show

that the weakness of UK dealer

attendance at such events

makes effort not worthwhile.

The MIA and Future were,

however, keen to stress that

trade is welcome at the show on

all days and that facilities are

available for a ‘trade area’ or

meeting rooms away from the

noise and bustle of the show.

The show is penned in for

October 8th to 10th, which suits

the public better, although the

date does place the show in

direct competition with the

Music Live show (placed at the

NEC this year between

November 4th and 7th).

In fact, as the inset reveals,

many others have concluded an

October date to be a good time

for a consumer show, as there

are eight shows (two trade) in as

many weeks around the LMS

(although as MI Pro goes to press,

Oyster House Publishing’s

proposed London Drum Show at

Olympia and Sheehan’s Acoustic

Avalon are not yet confirmed).

Reaction from the trade was

mixed, although bearing in mind

the date of the announcement,

most of the UK suppliers were

out in California for the NAMM

show when the news emerged.

The responses ranged from

Tanglewood’s assurance that,

despite being committed to

Music China, it would find a way

to be represented at the show, to

Rotosound’s stance that, with

commitments to the Shanghai

show, Manson’s Guitar Show,

Sheehan’s Acoustic Avalon (held

last year on November 14th and

15th) and Music Live, it would

not be able to exhibit.

In between were the masses

of companies that said they

would wait to hear the pitch

before making a decision. Many

others have said that they were

looking to review their show

budget in 2010 anyway, as

marketing budgets are squeezed

in the current economic climate.

In Future’s favour is the fact

that most companies have still

to organise budgets for 2010,

giving the organiser and the MIA

time to put pressure upon

prospective exhibitors.

FUTURE: 01225 442244

MIA: 01372 750600

NEWS

Consumer media giant teams up with MI’s trade body � Trade day dropped following 2009’s low turnout � Eight shows in

Artist relations key for D’Addario UK branchSimon Turnbull heads up first wholly-owned subsidiary for accessories giant to bring US and Britain closer together

D’ADDARIO HAS opened its first

European subsidiary in

Gateshead with an aim to

increase its sales and marketing

activities, as well as introduce a

full artist liaison department for

the UK and Europe.

The operation will be headed

up by Simon Turnbull, formerly

the sales director with

Summerfield Music – itself a

D’Addario distributor.

D’Addario is already handled

in the UK by Summerfield,

Strings & Things and Barnes &

Mullins, but the New York

manufacturer made it very clear

that these relationships would

remain unaltered.

“This is not part of an overall

global plan,” D’Addario’s CEO,

Jim D’Addario, told MI Pro. “We

saw an opportunity to get closer

to the UK market and Simon is

someone we trust – the timing

was right.

“We operate direct sales and

have third party distributors in

North America and throughout

the world we have a multi-

distributor policy. It’s all about

giving the dealer the best access

to our products.”

“D’Addario UK will give us the

chance to cover targeted

advertising and marketing

activities, as well as

merchandising and artist

relations,” said Turnbull. “We will

be able to cover the sorts of

things that distributors might

not be able to do.”

This is only the second time

D’Addario has opened a wholly

owned branch, after the

establishment of D’Addario

Canada in 1988.

The interview with Turnbull,

D’Addario and D’Addario’s

president, Rick Drumm can be

seen on page 16.

D’ADDARIO UK: 0191 3003000

”The MIA is hoping

to cash in on

Future’s ability to

motivate non-

musicians

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

Jim D’Addario and Simon Turnbull honing the details at the NAMM Show in January

4,5 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 17:47 Page 1

Los Cabos ‘a hit’ for

the UK’s drummers

don show

NEWS

JHS picks upeducation brandUK supplier hoping to make a hit with

Boomwhackers tuned percussion

SOUNDBITESStrings & Things

clicks through USThe UK distributor for Ernie

Ball Musicman has launched a

new Musicman UK website,

designed in conjunction with

the Musicman US site.

The new site features

instrument demonstrations

and photographs of Strings &

Things stock, along with a

run- through of the products

and full warranty information.

MUSICMANUK.CO.UK

Shure and ICMP

collaborate Shure and the Institute of

Contemporary Music

Performance (ICMP) have

announced the launch of the

2010 Shure Songwriting

Award. The competition will be

judged this year by the

singer/songwriter Paloma

Faith, with a first prize of a

year’s study at the Institute.

GfK’s December

figuresThe retail audit of MI sales in

December from GfK showed

the most positive figures for

months. Sales increased by

seven per cent in December

2008, compared to an increase

of one per cent in 2009.

Bookmark us inyour phone:

MOBILE.MI-PRO.CO.UK

CANADA’S LOS Cabos

Drumsticks has reached an

agreement with UK distributor

Summerfield Musical

Instruments, giving exclusive

distribution rights to the

north-eastern supplier in the

UK and Ireland.

“I’ve handed out some

samples to retailers and as

soon as they touch them, they

comment on the quality,” said

Sean Murtagh, Summerfiled's

new sales manager.

Murtagh went on to say

that he knew it would take a

little time to establish the line

in the UK. “People in the UK

are creatures of habit and a

new product has to be

exceptional before they will

accept it. Los Cabos offers

sticks made from red hickory,

something unique to the

market which I’m confident

drummers will love.”

Red hickory is taken from

the heart of the tree, a part

that has been overlooked by

other manufacturers due to

availability and cost. The wood

is more durable than others

and is aesthetically pleasing.

SUMMERFIELD:

0191 414 9000

Red hickory drumsticks now available in

Britain through Summerfield Music

NAMM returnsto its bestInternational visitor figures down, but

unanimous thumbs up for January show

FROM THE very outset of this

year’s NAMM Show, it was

clear that the organiser,

exhibitors and visitors were

absolutely determined to

make 2010’s event as upbeat

and memorable as possible.

This was largely seen as a

successful effort.

From Joe Lamond’s opening

Breakfast of Champions

session, where the NAMM

president insisted that ‘growth

starts now’, to the universal

approval of the show from its

exhibitors and visitors at the

show’s close, this was a trade

event to remember.

Genuinely innovative

products were rather thin on

the ground this year, but there

was no shortage of new gear

to keep dealers and

distributors happy.

“It was really upbeat,” said

Marshall’s Paul Marshall.

“There was a vibe that a

corner had been turned.”

“Best NAMM I have done,”

said Rotosound’s Jason How.

“We invested heavily in the

show for USA and export.”

“Not as well attended by

UK dealers as previous years,

but attendance in general

seemed higher,” said Chris

Statham of Mel Bay.

Staham’s comment falls

into line with the general

figures: 87,569 visitors, with

international attendance two

per cent down on 2009,

although some, including Tom

Robinson of EMD, claim to

have seen more UK dealers

than ever before.

The story of the show was

the drastically reduced

appearance of Gibson and

Epiphone on the Monster

Cable stand on the main show

floor – as opposed to the

usual suite of rooms. Rumours

abounded, but the word from

the company is that this was

a deliberate, strategic decision.

SIGN UP FOR THE MI PRO NEWSFLASH SERVICE AT WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 5

LATESTNEWS

STRAIGHT TOYOUR MOBILE

as many weeks for busy autumn show calendar

SEPTEMBER

9th to 12th

Music & Sound, Paris

12th to 15th

PLASA, Earls Court, London

OCTOBER

2nd to 4th

BPM, NEC, Birmingham

8th to 10th

LMS, ExCel, London

12th to 15th

Music China, Shanghai

(16th to 17th London Drum

Show – unconfirmed)

23rd to 24th

Manson Guitars Show

NOVEMBER

4th to 7th

Music Live, NEC Birmingham

(13th to 14th Sheehan’s

Acoustic Avalon –

unconfirmed)

JHS & Co has scooped the UK

distribution for Boomwhackers,

an educational instrument that

employs rhythm, melody and

harmony. The brand is owned by

Rhythm Band Instruments.

Boomwhackers are tuned

plastic tubes that play a specific

note when striking the hand, leg

or other object. The tubes can

also be arranged and hit in the

same way as a xylophone, too.

Each note, in whichever octave,

has the same colour coding and

the series can grow to include a

full five octaves.

Inexpensive, 100 per cent

safe and environmentally

friendly,

Boomwhackers’

colours are based

on the Chroma

Notes

coloured music system, which

allows for rapid identification of

music notes.

Boomwhackers also have

accessories and tuition aids

available, with CDs, songbooks

and an educational software

programme coming soon,

developed by the inventor of

Boomwhackers, Craig Ramsell.

JHS: 0113 2865381

Last year’s LIMS wasn’t

universally loved, but the

MIA is hoping the

partnership with Future

will provide the show with

a new lease of life

4,5 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 17:47 Page 2

NEWS

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

IN AN interview held during the NAMM

Show, Uli Behringer disclosed his intention

to acquire a professional loudspeaker

brand. Such an acquisition would be made

by the Music Group, the holding company

he created to maintain a distance

between his entry-level brand and his

surprise acquisition of Midas.

“Behringer is a market leader in the low

end and there’s no point pushing to be

what it isn’t,” he said. “Midas is very high

end and will continue to be, so next for us

is to find a line of loudspeakers. We’re

looking now – that’s what we want next.”

A source close to the firm indicated,

however, that the Music Group was in fact

in negotiations with a leading brand and

that a deal was imminent.

In related news, Behringer has also

signalled its intention to establish a ‘centre

of excellence’ for R&D in the UK, possibly

in Kidderminster, the home of Midas

Consoles, where it will employ ‘the very

best’ audio electronics engineers.

“This is part of our investment in

Midas,” said Behringer. “This will give them

the chance to develop as they deserve.”

Finally, to add to the surge of activity

from the Far Eastern-based company,

Behringer is also looking to establish third

party distributors around the world.

Among the first of these is the Belgium-

based sales company Ampco Belgium,

which has become fully independent from

the Ampco Flashlight Group in order to

handle distribution work.

Quiet rumours are now circulating that

the appointment of a UK distributor of

Behringer’s catalogue is also imminent.

See the full interview on page 20.

PERFORMING MUSICIAN, the live sound

consumer magazine owned by Sound on

Sound publisher SoS Publications, closed

during the first week of January with no

further issues being produced.

In a statement to MI Pro, Ian Gilby,

SoS’s managing director, explained that,

having bought Music Mart magazine

from Trinity Mirror Group in 2006, its re-

launch in 2007 as Performing Musician &

Live Sound World magazine (PM) had

been well-received and encouraged.

“As PM entered its third year, the

global recessionary climate meant

that significant manufacturers,

distributors and retailers indicated

that they would be unable to honour

well-meaning commitments to

include PM in future marketing

budgets for 2010. A high quality,

148-page magazine requires a

minimum level of advertiser

support and without this SoS

Publications feels it would be better

placed to deploy investment

resources into its core Sound On

Sound print magazine, digital

editions and website, freeing up

staff and management to focus on

SoS’s 25th year in business.

The February 2010 edition of

Performing Musician was not

printed or distributed and Gilby

said that advertisers, subscribers,

freelancers and circulation

recipients were notified.

PM’s editor, Dave Lockwood,

remains as publisher of Sound on

Sound and PM editorial staff

have been redeployed on existing

publications.

The loss of PM reinforces the view in

publishing that consumer titles are likely

to come under pressure in the coming

months, due to the recession and a

switch to online advertising. The closure

of PM will pose particular problems for

companies selling sound reinforcement

products, however, who now find

themselves without a single news-stand

publication covering their market areas.

SOUND ON SOUND: 01954 789888

Performing Musician closedSoS announces immediate demise of consumer title

The Music Group in search for pro speaker line, R&D centre imminent and rumours of UK distribution on cards

Behringer ups the pro ante

WARWICK HAS announced that it is now

handling the Europe-wide distribution of

two etablished lines: the Bigsby tremolo

system and the Ebow.

The Bigsby vibrato tailpiece was

famously designed by Paul Bigsby, which

single-handedly solved the problem of

whammy bars putting strings out of tune

on electric guitars. Bigsby trems are still

factory-installed on electric guitars, such

as those manufactured by Fender, Gibson,

Gretsch and Guild (among many others),

as well as by luthier companies. Electric

guitars can also be retrofitted with a

Bigsby as the system requires no routing

of the body and there are different

varieties of the unit designed to fit

different styles of guitar, such as a hollow

or solid body guitar. Bigsby units ship

with their own rocker bridges, though

there are adjustable alternatives such as

the Tune-o-matic style bridge or the

Jazzmaster style bridge.

Warwick will be handling the

distribution for Germany, Austria,

Switzerland, Great Britain, Ireland, Poland,

Czech Republic and Slovakia with

immediate effect. In addition to the

Bigsby licensed vibrato, spare parts will

also be offered as part of the

distribution programme.

Warwick is also now distributing the

Ebow with immediate effect and to the

same countries from the manufacturer’s

Markneukirchen facility in Germany. The

Ebow has been making music since

1976, with scores of guitarists using

the tool to excellent effect, working

to create a magnetic field which

vibrates steel strings without the

need for plucking and with an

infinite sustain. Powered by a

nine-Volt battery, the Ebow

is held in place of your

pick, giving you instant

access to violin, cello,

flute and horn sounds as

well as unique sounds of

its own. The recommended

retail price in the UK is

£99.90 including VAT.

WARWICK: +49 3742 2555 3150

Getting the Ebow in EuropeWarwick picks up exclusive distribution on the old

continent for ‘magnetic pick’ and Bigsby tremolo

06 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 15:42 Page 1

TEAC full page:bb18 20/1/10 15:08 Page 1

PERSONNEL NEWS

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

D’ADDARIO UK has established its sales

team, following its official launch on January

18th. Bruce Falconer is the most recent

appointment, taking up the rep position for

the northern region and working in

partnership with John Miller, D'Addario's

internal sales manager (North).

Falconer joins D’Addario from WL Gore,

where he was European sales manager for

Elixir strings and cables, having been

instrumental in the brand’s growth across

Europe during the last six years. Prior to that,

Falconer was involved in a number of other

consumer brands outside MI.

Miller joined as the Northern region

internal sales manager, bringing with him 15

years’ MI sales experience, having worked for

Windows and CBS Arbiter, among others.

Finally, Pete Moffat joined to take care of

southern region internal sales, comprising

London, the home counties, Southern and

South West England. He brings many years’

experience working in the music industry,

having previously been with Summerfield MI

and before that in retail – also with

Windows of Newcastle.

D’Addario UK’s managing director, Simon

Turnbull, is obviously pleased about his new

appointments. “I know Pete well from our

time together at Summerfield and he’s a

great account manager. John has a lot of

experience working in both retail and

distribution. I’m looking forward to working

with them both.

"Bruce has great experience directly

applicable to MI accessories. We plan to

utilise his expertise in sales, merchandising,

training and brand building to the fullest

extent. D’Addario UK will be focusing

strongly on marketing, merchandising and

supporting its products, so to have Bruce on

board is extremely pleasing.” Falconer can be

contacted on 07786 528020.

D’ADDARIO UK: 0191 300 3000

Meanwhile, back at LaneyAmp maker hires familiar face of Roger Williams as brand’s chief export sales manager

New UK operation settles in team after January launch with both internal and field sales

Team in place for D’Addario

New position for MI

Pro to help grow

brand and work with

key clients

Holdway

joins mag

sales team

MI PRO HAS hired Jodie

Holdway to work alongside ad

manager Darrell Carter as the

brand looks towards significant

growth in 2010.

Holdway joins from PR and

event specialist Barrington

Harvey. She previously spent

five years in the broadcast

industry. Her remit is to work

with Carter to look after a

growing roster of clients in

print and online, as well as

looking at expanding the brand

into new areas.

“MI is an unusual world, so

I’m always pleased to see

someone take the leap and get

involved with it,” commented

Andy Barrett, the managing

editor of MI Pro and sister title

Audio Pro International. “She

has already begun to make her

mark and I am certain she will

not only be a highly valuable

member of our team, but also

someone the MI trade will

come to know and like.”

“This is a big year for both

MI Pro and Audio Pro

International as we look to

invest more and establish

ourselves as the most

influential and forward-thinking

trade titles in these sectors,”

said Intent’s managing director,

Stuart Dinsey. “Jodie's

appointment means that our

MI Pro clients will get more

detailed account management,

plus Intent Media will be able

to focus more on the fast-

growing Audio Pro brand.”

INTENT MEDIA: 01992 535647

ROGER WILLIAMS has rejoined Laney as the

amp manufacturer's export sales manager

after over three years away at HC

Distribution, selling, among other things,

Cort Guitars.

The vacancy came about following Steve

Yelding's departure to Music Force, where he

is overseeing the distributor's work with the

Engl brand.

Williams describes himself as 'very much

a Laney man', which is probably something

of a prerequisite for a role that sees him

managing the sales and export of the amp

brand to Europe, North America, the Middle

East and Africa.

In his first weeks in the job, he has been

meeting up with the company's distributors

in Europe and preparing for the Musikmesse

in March.

"The Frankfurt show is a very intense one

for us," said Williams. "I'll be seeing the

Middle eastern, African and Eastern European

distributors and trying to ramp up business

there – when it boils down to it, my job is to

make sure the factories have enough to do."

LANEY: 0121 508 6666

Freshman expands sales teamUK guitar manufacturer appoints experienced sales man for South of England region

FRESHMAN HAS welcomed what it

describes as 'a significant addition' to its

sales team with the appointment of Steve

Ruck to manage the South West and South

Coast area of England.

“Steve comes armed with a wealth of

experience of over 20 years in the music

industry and I see his level of

professionalism as a major asset to

Freshman guitars and a continuance of our

high level of service and support to all our

existing and new customers in the area,"

commented Freshman's founder and

managing director, Sean Kelly. "I am very

pleased to welcome Steve.”

FRESHMAN: 01355 228028

Left to right: Bruce Falconer, John Miller and Pete Moffat

WILLIAMS: Good to be back

Ruck and Kelly:

major assets

08 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 17:49 Page 1

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DISTRIBUTION PROFILE

Year Established: 2006

Number of employees: Five

Is business up or down compared to last year?

I think the market has contracted, but our business

has been up. During 2009 we introduced some

new brands to our catalogue in line with our

growth targets.

How has the current economic climate affected

your business?

Of course it’s been tough for everybody; it takes

longer to get paid, which affects cash flow, and

many dealers have reduced their stock levels, which

means smaller orders.

What are your best-selling lines, and why do

you think they perform so well?

All of our eight brands have had increased sales this

year, especially DR Strings. But probably most

exciting is the new range of DBZ Guitars from Dean

Zelinsky. Dean’s experience has brought some real

innovation to the designs, and the production

quality is just incredible. DBZ will be huge this year.

What are your criteria for selecting new

products?

Quality first. If you have great quality from a

strong brand then you can’t go far wrong, as great

value always follows.

What distinguishes you from the competition?

I think my years of experience in retail mean I’m

always thinking from our customers’ perspective.

Everything starts with the customer. It might

sound like a cliché, but we really believe in good

customer service. If our customers are not happy,

then we look for the reason why

and what we can do to fix it. I also

personally check each product we

sell and ask ‘would I buy this?’

How do you maintain a good

relationship with retailers?

Understanding the problems

they’re facing, trying to be flexible

with payments, and working hard to

maintain good relationships with

them. A smile helps, too.

What would you say is the

biggest challenge facing the MI

industry today?

Right now, probably unforgiving

banks, squeezing dealers who

otherwise could really start to

flourish again.

What are your aims for the

next 12 months?

Steady growth and

improving procedures so

we can help our dealers

strengthen their sales

through 2010.

Heathfield, Devon

FIRST LINE MUSIC

When it comes to

selecting new

products, quality

comes first for Jay

Henson from First

Line Music. When

he’s dealing with

people, he tries to

see things from

their perspective –

and he finds a

smile helps, too...

Address: 18, Teignbridge Business Centre, Cavalier

Road, Heathfield, Devon TQ12 6TZ

Phone: 01626 830336

Email: enquiries@firstlinemusic.co.uk

Web: www.firstlinemusic.co.uk

CONTACT DETAILS

09 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 17:04 Page 1

HUDSON MUSIC has released

Rhythmic Designs: A Study of

Practical Creativity by Gavin

Harrison and Terry Branam.

The book and DVD package

has been created to provide

contemporary drummers with

a method for developing the

technical and musical skills

required to perform today’s

drumming styles.

Rhythmic Designs expands

on the polyrhythmic,

polymetric concepts covered

in Harrison’s Rhythmic

Illusions, Rhythmic Visions and

Rhythmic Horizons books and

videos by offering detailed

analysis of 20 drum tracks

from the recent Harrison and

05Ric collaborations Drop

and Circles.

Along with the 204-page

book of note-for-note

transcriptions and exercises,

the double-sided DVD

features two and a half

hours of video with

descriptions and discussions

of the drum parts, set-ups,

tuning and recording

processes, plus six ‘minus-

drums’ playalong tracks.

Branam is a drummer,

educator and author who

has made a name as a drum

transcriber. His articles and

meticulous transcriptions have

been featured in print and

electronic drum media,

including Modern Drummer

and drummerworld.com.

Harrison has performed and

recorded with Porcupine Tree

and King Crimson, appeared at

major drum festivals around

the world and topped the

Progressive Rock category of

the Modern Drummer Readers

Poll from 2007 through 2009.

Harrison designs rhythms

THE NAMM Show this year

opened to sad news for the

drumming fraternity, with the

death of Ed Thigpen, the erstwhile

drummer with the Oscar

Peterson Trio.

Born in Chicago in 1930,

Thigpen was renowned for his

exemplary musicianship, artistry

and flowing technique with wire

brushes, as well as his effective

teaching methods.

Following in the footsteps of

his father, Ben Thigpen, he pursued

his early career with jazzers such

as Dexter Gordon, Chico Hamilton

and Art.

In 1959 he joined the Oscar

Peterson Trio together with bassist

Ray Brown. This trio is still

regarded by many to be the

greatest piano-bass-drums trio.

Thigpen recorded more than 50

albums with Peterson before he

left the group in 1965 to tour

with Ella Fitzgerald.

He had a natural flair for

lecturing, having been invited to

The Advanced School of

Contemporary Music, founded by

Oscar Peterson, among others.

He lived there for a while

before continuing his career with

the likes of Johnny Mathis, Pat

Boone, Andy Williams, Peggy Lee,

Oliver Nelson and Gerald Wilson.

1972 saw him move to Europe

to settle in Copenhagen, where he

was a hit with the European jazz

scene. He continued to collaborate

with such luminaries as Kenny

Drew, Sven Asmussen, Ernie

Wilkins, Clark Terry, Monty

Alexander and Thad Jones.

He wrote and published five

books based on music and

drumming, the first being Talking

Drums and recorded a couple of

instructional videos, one of which

is the acclaimed The Essence of

Brushes.

In later years he lectured at the

Musicskolan in Sweden and the

Rhythmic Conservatory in

Copenhagen. He travelled the

globe and would often be seen at

NAMM, PASIC and Musikmesse.

“He was a humble soul with a

big heart who encompassed life,”

said Mike Dolbear. “The saying ‘the

person you are is the drummer

you’ll be’ applies to Ed – a gentle

man who expressed his

personality through his instrument

– he will be sorely missed.”

MIKE DOLBEAR, the man behind

the website, was to be seen

pounding the aisles at this

year’s NAMM Show, with the

aim of bringing all the drum

news to his website. The result,

MI Pro thinks, is the single most

comprehensive run-through of

everything relevant to the drum

and percussion fraternity,

whether retail or end-user.

Mikedolbear.com features a

day-by-day catalogue of brands

and their product launches as

well as show news, from

Sabian’s traditional 10am meet

on the opening day, through to

Meinl’s colossal offering for

2010 and concluding with

Yamaha, Brady and the ever

esoteric Matt Nolan.

Further to all this, Dolbear

has made videos for each brand

featured, all of which can be

accessed via links alongside the

written reports.

“Over the past ten years I

have been, in this order, ignored,

considered and finally accepted

by the manufacturers,”

commented Dolbear. “It’s taken

some time, but now the show

exhibitors can’t wait to get their

products up on the website;

having the video camera makes

them that more enthusiastic.”

MIKEDOLBEAR.COM

Drum specialist website offers up the most comprehensive run-through of new products from the Anaheim event

Mikedolbear.com at NAMM Show 2010

New book and DVD from prog drummer

delves into polyrhythmic concepts

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

VISIT WWW.MIKEDOLBEAR.COM FOR MORE DETAILS.

DRUM NEWS

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

Ed Thigpen 1930 to 2010

The exhibitors

can’t wait to

get their

products on

the site.Mike Dolbear

10 Mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 16:35 Page 1

full page:bb18 27/1/10 11:16 Page 1

In what could be a world first, an MI

trade show received a universal thumbs

up from exhibitors and visitors alike.

That’s right – not a single dissenting voice

could be heard as NAMM rolled up its

sleeves and got down to doing what it

does best with a tangible determination.

The marching bands were playing that

little bit more furiously, the message from

the upper-echelons of the NAMM

associations was ‘the recovery begins here’,

and while international visitor figures were

down a couple of per cent, there was more

than enough business to be done and the

following month or two will reveal whether

there is genuine substance to the show of

enthusiasm. Many believe there will be.

“This year I had more meetings than

ever,” revealed EMD’s Tom Robinson.

“Normally Sunday is a quiet day when

you sort out what has happened over the

previous three days, but this year I filled it

up with meetings. We all know that the

days are over when you’d write business in

your order books at the show, but I had a

lot of people who failed to commit last

year admitting that they had made a

mistake and would be sure to commit to

container loads this year. It has been the

busiest NAMM ever for me.”

Obviously, many UK businesses use

NAMM to co-ordinate and build on

international trade. There was no less

success here.

“It was a very successful show for JHS,”

confirmed Dennis Drumm. “We were

looking to appoint new distributors around

the world and increase our impact in the

US. Well, we were flooded. Both goals

were achieved. We have appointed

distributors and the stand was a constant

stream of US dealers. There has been a

good word-of-mouth wave going on for

Fret King, Vintage and Encore and the

dealers are responding to that. They see

the genuine value for money our brands

represent and are taking advantage. It was

a really great show.”

In terms of new product, after a couple

of years of reduced R&D there was

nothing revolutionary on show, but there

were an awful lot of tweaks and upgrades.

For many, the Jam Hub ‘silent’ rehearsal

unit was probably the winner in terms of

top product of the show (with SCV

London cheerfully announcing that it will

be supplying that for the UK).

Below is the round-up of the best of

the rest…

MARSHALL

It’s always a bit odd seeing Marshall

hooked on to the Korg stand at NAMM,

but such is the Stateside distribution

arrangement. Actually, the two sit quite

comfortably together and once in the

Marshall section, there is no

mistaking where you are.

The big launch for the Big

Noise in the noise industry

was the JMD-1. The concept,

Marshall says, is simple: Take the

equipment, technology and tones

of professional guitar rigs and fuse

them together into a single amplifier

series, adaptable to any style and any

situation. Less gear to transport,

reduced setup and take-down

time and, most importantly of

all, an enhanced and

uncompromised performance.

There are four models in

the launch range: the

JMD100 100W head, the

JMD50 50W head, then two

‘matching’ combos, the

JMD102 dual 12-inch and the

JMD501 single12-inch.

EVENT REVIEW � NAMM

Which means it’s back to business – and in a big way. As NAMM returns to its delightful best, the UK MI industry

is unanimous in its approval. Andy Barrett reports…

The buzz is back

12 miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

12,13,14,15 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 17:38 Page 1

Further to that, Saturday saw none

other than Slash making a surprise

appearance on the stand to

announce the imminent arrival

(some time in the summer of this

year) of the AFD-100, as faithful a

reproduction as possible (in the

absence of the original) of the Guns

n’ Roses’ guitarist’s modified JCM

800 2203 amp used on the Appetite

for Destruction album in 1986. The

whole research and design

process is being followed on a

dedicated website:

afd100.com.

LANEY

Reporting ‘an average UK

attendance’, the Laney

stand saw the arrival of

the new Cubs series,

comprising a head and cab

and a 15-Watt 12-inch combo, which was well

received, as was the impressive sounding Lionheart

L20T, a gig worthy 20-Watt combo. Away from the

stage, the new L5T offers some great tones, but not

quite loud enough for the road – more suited to the

studio or home. From the stage to the studio to the

street and to the Linebacker, a battery powered

option that’s very much a work in progress, but the

concept was well received by potential customers.

For the UK, the Headstock brands, Ibanez and

Tama had stronger offerings this year to match the

heavier traffic at the show.

Ibanez brought in lots of nice Prestige models,

some great new colours and models and, centre

stage, the legendary UV77REMC at around £7,000

retail – not for everyone, but a good show piece.

ASHDOWN

The double-decker that adorned Ashdown’s stand saw

the UK amp maker launch its new Valve series of bass

amps to the US. No fewer than seven heads and

combos make up the range, from the 550 Spyder

head and 550 Touring dual ten-inch combo (guess

the Wattage) to the impressive 30-Watt Little

Bastard head. This pro range adds valve warmth and

grunt to the traditional Ashdown sound. Really very

nice. Sister company and guitar amp brand Hayden

saw the launch of the new Mini-Mofo, a 15-Watt,

Chinese-made version of the Mofo, which is sure to

be a popular toy for the smaller gigging guitarist.

Also on the stand were the new Lodestone

Standard series of guitars and basses.

ORANGE

The Orange stand saw the launch of new Tiny Terror

amps, Crush and Crush Pix amps and the Rockerverb

II, as well as the new Thunder 30 combo and head.

The Thunder 30s are designed to replace the Rocker

30 series and are expected to hit the shops around

April. Both models are 30-Watt, twin channel amps

(classic vintage and overdrive), powered by four EL84

valves (two more than the Rockers), with the combo

being loaded with a 12-inch Celestion speaker.

Delivering more punch and with the addition of an

FX loop, this series is being touted as the ideal

regular gigger’s partner.

FENDER

Fender revealed a joint venture with eJamming in the

shape of Audiio, eJamming’s software technology.

Audiio provides synchronised live streaming audio

over the internet in real time, enabling musicians and

singers anywhere in the world to play and record

together, while experiencing no discernible latency on

their instruments. This means any musician can

perform and record music with other musicians and

singers in a real-time online session.

On a more conventional theme, Fender has

launched the American Special series, US-made

guitars that slot into the price gap between the Mex

Fenders and the US Standards.

When it comes to amps, Fender is keen to make

much of the G-Dec 3 Fifteen, a modelling amp with

over 100 amp and effects presets, as well as user-

programmable patches and on-board MP3 and wav

file storage and playback. There is a multi-function SD

card slot for storage of presets and audio content,

Ableton Live Lite 8 Fender Edition recording software

for creating and editing additional backing track

content and AmpliTube Fender LE software for

practicing, playing and recording on a computer.

On the general guitar front, Fender’s multiple

brands had far too much to list here, but of note (on

the impressive, clearly branded and compartmentalised

‘booths’) were the eight guitars comprising the entry-

level Jackson JS Series. These are affordable takes on

FACT FILE:

EVENT: The NAMM Show

VENUE: Anaheim Convention Center,

California

DATE: January 14th to 17th

EXHIBITORS: 1,373

VISITORS: 87,569

VERDICT: If you had a penny for

everyone who said that this was the best

NAMM Show ever, you’d have at least

two quid… And that’s pretty impressive

for a trade show. A lot of the buzz was

the result of a conviction before the fact

that this would be a good show. The

great news is that it worked.

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 13

12,13,14,15 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 17:38 Page 2

instantly recognisable Jackson designs, all

with the company’s unique compound-

radius fingerboard beloved by Jackson

shredders worldwide.

YAMAHA

Much news on the guitar front from

Yamaha. Specified in line with the FGX

and FJX720 and 730 models, the new FSX

guitars offer the dependability, acoustic

and amplified performance and

playability for which the FG range is

known, coupled with the more focused,

subtler sound of the smaller body style.

On the classical side, the CG series has

been completely redesigned to offer what

Yamaha describes as ‘simply the

best classical guitar at an eminently

affordable price’.

As part of Yamaha’s Generation

Rock direction for electric guitars and

basses, 2010 sees the launch of three

new SG models specced with the

custom-shop parts and finished with

new simpler cosmetics. Also part of

the Generation Rock initiative, the

new BB2024 Super BB bass guitar,

features through-neck construction,

active electronics and exotic woods.

STAGG

Appreciating the difficulties many

experienced in 2009, EMD’s Stagg

brand focused on ‘products to

stimulate business’. First up was a

more affordable electro-acoustic

guitar. The trade price for the

SW-A6 is 60 per cent that of the

SW-206 and features eq with

built-in tuner.

The new SMS speakers were tested and

approved by two of Stagg’s distributors

that specialise in PA. A great reaction was

reported at the show, particularly

considering a possible retail price of well

under £150.

Three new good-looking 40-Watt amps

were on the stand too, one for keyboard,

one for electronic drums and the third for

acoustic double-bass. There was also a

new 20-Watt battery-powered MOB-20

amp on the way.

There was great reaction to the new

drum kits, with the Tim 3 and Tim 6 (with

heavy duty hardware and Remo heads)

seeming to be great value for money.

14 miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

EVENT REVIEW � NAMM

12,13,14,15 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 17:38 Page 3

X Deluxe cables are made in

Lichtenstein and feature ‘real’ Neutrik

connectors (EMD’s quotes, not mine) –

they prompted considerable attention

from dealers at the show.

Finally, Benz Reeds are precision made

in Switzerland and were EMD’s surprise hit

at NAMM. Reports from users point out

that generally one only uses 25 per cent

of the reeds in a box, but with these all

come out perfect. EMD has secured

worldwide distribution and believes this is

a product that could fly.

ROTOSOUND

The UK’s answer for everything strung

announced the imminence of Double

Decker packaging, which will be available

from March, where the manufacturer puts

two sets of strings into one pack, offering

value for money for both the retailer and

the customer. They’re initially available

only for the nickel wound, steel core 009

and 010 gauges of electric guitar strings.

“Best NAMM I have done,” said Roto’s

chairman, Jason How. “We invested heavily

in the show for the USA, our export

business and a new booth. Our export

business last year grew 49 per cent in a

market that declined overall by 8.4 per cent,

so we are really pleased with our results.”

ROLAND

Roland introduced 11 new products. These

include the HP-Series Super Natural digital

pianos with V-Piano technology, the V-

Piano Evolution system upgrade, the

Octapad drum controller, the TD-12KX in

the V-Drums V-Stage series, the KC-110

and AC-33 stereo keyboard and acoustic

guitar amplifiers, V-Combo VR-700 stage

keyboard and VP-7 vocal processor.

Of particular note are the HP-Series

SuperNatural Pianos. Combining elements

of the revolutionary V-Piano with Roland’s

multisampling-technology, the HP-307,

HP-305, and HP-302 SuperNatural Pianos

promise to deliver the sound and playing

experience of an acoustic grand piano.

KORG

Korg used the Winter NAMM show to

release at least three key new products for

2010, as well as a selection of new tuners,

with pride of place going to the new

Kaossilator Pro.

The latest in the series of

Kaoss pads, the Kaossilator

Pro works as a track-making

tool as well as a powerful

live performance unit. As a

trailblazer among the

instrumental gadgets that

allowed anyone to create

melodies and phrases easily,

the Kaossilator gained a

strong and dedicated user

base, even among those

without performing

experience.

Vox introduced the

AC30 C2, described

by the company as

‘an AC30 with The

Works’. The Vox AC30

combo amp has been an

icon for decades, known as

the sound that powered the 1960s’ British

Invasion. Based on the classic AC30 design,

the all-new Custom series AC30C2 and

AC30C2X offer numerous up-to-date

enhancements, delivering what Vox says is

the most versatile AC30 in Vox history.

MEL BAY

“Certainly not as well attended by UK

dealers as previous years,” was Chris

Statham’s take on this year’s show,

although it must be said that Mel Bay’s

core US business was flooded with interest

from domestic traders. “It’s always worth

attending due to brand new markets and

exciting opportunities further afield.”

Those that did get along to the stand

were keen on the new Steve Gadd

drumming transcriptions book. The book

includes 30 stylistically varying

transcriptions of Gadd’s style of playing.

The music is clearly notated and easy to

read. Attractive quotations, biography, an

extensive discography and videography are

an extra bonus in this book.

SONTRONICS

The Time+Space distributed brand displayed

the new Saturn multi-pattern condenser

(pictured, bottom left), the STC-10 pencil

condenser, STC-20 large-diaphragm

condenser, STC-2X omni/cardioid condenser

and the STC-Pad/Phase inline switch. They

are designed by Trevor Coley and will be in

the shops within a couple of months.

The Saturn is inspired by the classic

vocal mics of the 1940s and ‘50s and while

it was originally designed for vocals, it is

reported to give good results on anything

you put in front of it. With five switchable

polar patterns plus dual pad and filters, it’s

Sontronics’ most flexible mic to date. It

has been beta tested over the last year by

various artists, producers and educators

including Flood and Alan Moulder and

everyone is saying it’s a real all-rounder.

WASHBURN

Washburn Guitars previewed an all-new

acoustic guitar range, consisting of 30 new

models. The new range comprises a variety

of body shapes and wood combinations

and will be available in the UK from June

2010. Each of the new 10, 20, 30, and 40

acoustic series features different

tonewoods with models available in

dreadnought or mini jumbo body styles. A

prefix of WD denotes dreadnought body

and WMJ denotes a mini jumbo body.

Washburn has also remodelled its Idol

series of electrics, adopting a more classic

design and a narrower lower bout

silhouette. The range will have 13 new

models, all available around June 2010.

MEINL

The sheer weight of Meinl gear launched

at NAMM makes it impossible to even

scratch the surface here. Check out the

new products section (page 41) and go to

meinlcymbals and meinlpercussion.com. In

the meantime, check out the German

manufacturer’s new leather look

aluminium djembes. There are four finishes

on these amazingly bright-sounding

instruments that still project very resonant

lows. A lot more from Meinl next month...

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 15

12,13,14,15 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 17:38 Page 4

COVER FEATURE D’ADDARIO

Having built itself up to be the world’s largest manufacturer of MI accessories, D’Addario is now looking to have its

products in every MI shop in the world. A big step along that that path is the establishment of a new sales and

marketing hub, D’Addario UK, only the second-ever direct-owned branch the company has ever opened. Jim D’Addario,

Rick Drumm and Simon Turnbull cornered Andy Barrett to explain how it all works…

New York state of mind

16 miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

Joe Satriani plays D'Addario

strings – pic by LeAnn Mueller

16,17,18 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 16:16 Page 1

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 17

D’ADDARIO COVER FEATURE

One of the biggest news stories for

the UK’s MI trade came to fruit

on January 18th this year, with

the launch of the D’Addario UK sales and

marketing operation, based in Gateshead

and headed up by the former Summerfield

Music sales director, Simon Turnbull.

It is news that turns heads for a couple

of reasons. First, questions immediately

arise regarding the existing distribution

outlets in the UK, namely Summerfield

Music, Barnes & Mullins and Strings &

Things; second, because running its own

distribution branch internationally is

something D’Addario does not

traditionally do.

It was, then, something of an intriguing

prospect to be able to talk to Jim

D’Addario, the chairman and CEO of

D’Addario & Company, Rick Drumm, the

firm’s president and Turnbull in one of

those delightfully cramped and somewhat

noisy meeting rooms on the D’Addario

stand at the NAMM Show. Being

confronted by three clear-minded,

articulate businessmen is pretty daunting

when armed only with a pen and

notebook, but thankfully all three were

most certainly thinking along the same

lines. This made for a lively series of

interjections, each over the other, that

left, hopefully, no stone unturned.

THE NATURAL WAY OF THINGS

The first thing that became apparent,

apart from the obvious excitement the

three were enjoying at the prospect of the

new UK business, was that this is in no

way part of a new global strategy.

“No, not at all,” says Jim D’Addario. “This

is part of a natural succession. Maurice

Summerfield is nearing retirement, we

trust Simon and saw the opportunity. The

timing is right. No more than that. I don’t

know if there are any nervous distributors

out there because of this move, but if

there are, they don’t need to worry.”

In fact, it turns out, this is something

that has only ever happened once before.

“In 1988, in Canada. And the UK model

is based on that,” explains Drumm. “Then,

as now, we saw it as a chance to come a

little closer to that particular market.”

“This is a key message,” interjects

Turnbull… (You see what I mean?)

“Not uncommonly, we wanted to up

our market share in the UK, so the chance

to get a little closer was not one to miss,”

concludes D’Addario on this point. “It’s

worth remembering that we operate a

multi-distribution model in many areas,

including the US, where we sell direct to

dealers and use a distributor. Summerfield

and Strings & Things will continue to sell

for us in the UK alongside D’Addario UK.

The thing is, whether we use a partner or

distribute ourselves, we still have to invest

in the operation.”

“In the US we sell to some 3,700

dealers – and so does Kaman and the

other distributors,” adds Drumm. “The

important thing is accessibility.”

The D’Addario company sees dealers

and end users having easy access to its

products as another key issue. “Our aim is

to have our strings in every store,”

D’Addario says. “Once you start limiting

your channels, you start creating

obstacles. It’s possible that a particular

dealer might want to maintain a

relationship with an old distributor. It’s

never our ambition to do anything other

than give people access to our products.”

This means that D’Addario UK will be

one of three distributors on the British

Isles – which must pretty well tie up the

‘sales’ element of the new company’s

responsibilities, but D’Addario UK is also a

marketing outfit, which means some sort

of ‘division of labour’ in the structure.

“It’s not finalised as yet,” says Turnbull.

“First we’ll get the business open and we

will take it from there.”

“Of course, artist relations is central to

what we do,” says D’Addario. “In this area,

the UK is often a launch pad into Europe.

You have a lot of great artists coming out

of Britain.”

“This is very important,” says Turnbull.

“In terms of activities in the UK, we are

going to be looking at merchandising,

artist relations, clearly targeted ads and

marketing initiatives that the others might

not be able to do.”

“It can be very hard for a smaller

company to offer the sort of back-up to

the products that we can,” adds D’Addario.

“More than that, we want to make

investments in marketing.”

“This includes the technology,” Turnbull

continues. “For example, soon the UK

company will be able to use the B2B

website. In America, 35 per cent of dealers

use this and now the site is being

converted to the UK market.”

The B2B website is an old-fashioned

initiative entered into in a thoroughly

modern way, offering online training for all

D’Addario products via streaming video.

Dealers that successfully complete a

product training element can earn credits

towards ‘rewards programme’ gear

including iPods, surround sound systems,

Amex gift cards and the like. New training

videos are being added all the time.

Further to this, there is the

Shopatron.com website, which allows local

dealers to service their punters with less

widely available products. Other

manufacturers are able to use this site and

this has been working in the UK for a year

now. “It’s something that runs along in the

background, adding that bit more service

from us to the dealer and from the dealer

to the customer,” explains Turnbull.

D’Addario UK aside, the past couple of

years have been a period of consolidation

for the accessory giant after the purchase

of Puresound Percussion in January 2008,

but, as is ever the case with a company as

ambitious as D’Addario, one must never

say never.

“If something comes along, we’ll

consider it, but it has to be right,” admits

D’Addario. “It is never our ambition to do

anything other than accessories, so we’re

pretty well covered, but you never know.”

Not integrating another new brand into

the set-up, however, does not mean that

D’Addario has been anything other than

extremely busy. The company is a huge

operation, with most of it taking place in

the States – and, surprisingly for some,

more is being brought back to the New

York facility all the time.

“The vertical integration within the

manufacturing process is really impressive,

from manufacturing our own wire

products, through to manufacture,

packaging and out,” enthuses Turnbull.

“Now, with the introduction of Toyota’s

Lean production system, even more

is possible.”

“By adopting the Lean system, we have

been able to bring strap manufacture back

to the New York factory and we are

looking to bring cables and other small

accessories back into the US operation,

too,” adds D’Addario. In an era when the

world and his wife are shifting to the Far

East, this is impressive.

LEAN MACHINES

‘Lean’ is the latest buzzword in

manufacturing circles, although the idea of

it goes right back to the earliest years of

mass production – more particularly in

post-war Japan. In 1990, James Womack

wrote a book called The Machine That

Changed The World, which looked at the

history of automobile manufacturing and

its assembly plants. He coined the phrase

‘Lean manufacturing’.

The idea is a simple one: keeping

manufacturing processes lean or with the

minimum of waste. You would probably

call it common sense, but when a plant

has been developing and growing for

decades, inefficiencies creep in and it

takes an almost philosophical overview to

see where waste is occurring.

This starts by dividing each production

activity into two: value adding and

non-value adding and then stripping back

the latter.

“For example, the bowed string

manufacturing area performs a lot of

”Once you start

limiting channels,

you start creating

obstacles. We want

to give people access

to our products.Jim D’AddarioD’Addario

Left: Jim D’Addario and Simon Turnbull both know exactly what it is they want to achieve with D’Addario and its UK operation. Far right: Rick Drumm

16,17,18 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 16:16 Page 2

18 miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

changeovers because of small runs for

specialised strings,” explains Drumm. “A

changeover from one job to the next was

taking an average of two hours. We

reduced this to 15 minutes. It turned out

that there were only a few people who

had the skill to changeover the machine,

so we trained the operators to do the job,

too. We can now get some 20 to 30

changeovers in a day.”

“Through adopting Lean, we have

reduced waste, which means lower cost

and that allows us to be more

competitive,” reveals D’Addario. “More

competitive means more business and

more business means we have had to hire

more staff.”

Creating jobs in a western

manufacturing plant has to be worth a

round of applause. Indeed, CNN has

recently filmed a report based on the

D’Addario factory and its adoption of Lean.

All this brings to mind the man sitting

directly in front of me during the

interview. Jim D’Addario and his brother,

John D’Addario Junior, are the third

generation company owners, with Jim very

much the face of the company, as well as

integral to pretty much every aspect of

the business. One is hesitant to ask the

predictable question about finding time,

but in Jim D’Addario’s case it seems valid.

“I have an excellent team around me,”

is the short, simple answer. “My first love

is the R&D, for sure. I’d rather work on

product than human resources or things

like that. Today, the most infuriating thing

is time spent on legal issues and frivolous

law suits. Someone will throw a trumped

up suit at you and then you have three

days to get an opinion from a lawyer. We

try to identify all the road blocks that

might occur in anything we do, but

getting down to the product development

and production is the part I enjoy the

most. I look after the fretted products

mostly and Rick does the percussion

products. I stick my nose in, of course, but

he’s the drummer. We both help out with

the woodwind products at Rico.

“I manage some things on a day-to-

day basis, but it’s worth mentioning that

John III gets very deep into this part of

the business, too.

“I also really enjoy getting involved in

projects such as Simon’s and getting that

underway,” D’Addario comments. “I don’t

have any figures in front of me now, but

the UK is important to us, so with Simon

coming on board, we – and he – can now

realise our full potential.”

TURNBULL’S TURN

Simon Turnbull could easily appear an odd

person to get into the MI business. A

graduate of politics at Newcastle

University, followed by a stint at the DSS is

not the usual route into the trade. But then

again, what is? He was in the job centre

after his contract at the DSS had ended

when his then girlfriend (now wife) saw an

ad for an assistant trainee manager for a

music company. At the interview, Turnbull

met Maurice Summerfield, who was then

running his publishing and distribution

company from a converted house, with

the garage acting as a warehouse.

“That was 15 years ago,” says Turnbull.

“At the time, the publishing business was

the larger part, but I like to think that we

made some good decisions and moved

things forward a lot. We started to promote

the D’Addario brand just as D’Addario was

growing itself by acquiring Planet Waves

and so on. The timing was perfect.

“When Jim got hold of Evans

(drumheads), I knew that we would have

to campaign really strongly. I convinced

Maurice that we should do this and

Summerfield Music has been growing

ever since. It now has a 12,000 square

foot warehouse. It’s been a lot of fun and

I’m really proud of what we achieved. The

fact that it is part of the music industry

makes it all the sweeter. I love music and

I love being part of this business.”

And the future? It’s hardly worth

asking. D’Addario UK is the beginning of a

news story rather than the conclusion.

The manufacturing business is looking to

bring more product lines back under its

New York roof and there’s the ambition to

be in every MI store in the world.

“In terms of strings in the developed

world, I think that is pretty much already

the case,” says D’Addario. “There is still

work to do on the other brands and there

are a lot of developing countries where

we can improve, but I’m pretty happy

how things are going.”

“One of the biggest things is product

devlopment,” adds Drumm. “Whatever we

do, we have to make sure that we are

adding value in some way or other.”

“Yes, being socially responsible, for

instance, using solar energy and being

environmentally conscious with everything

we do,” returns D’Addario. “This adds value

for us and for the world generally. It is

important to be responsible.”

STRING THEORY

D’Addario’s history is a lot

longer than you might think...

While Jim and John D’Addario represent

the third generation of family owners

of the D’Addario company in the

States, the D’Addario tradition of

making instrument strings goes back a

mind-boggling 340 years – at least –

to the village of Salle in the Italian

province of Pescara.

Following an earthquake in 1905,

brothers-in-law Rocco and Charles

D’Addario packed up and emigrated to

New York. Charles’ father, Giovanni,

remained in Salle manufacturing

the strings that Rocco and Charles

would import.

By 1918, Charles had begun

manufacturing his strings stateside in a

tiny garage shop. As this was a family

business, the kids learned the trade,

completing whatever was needed.

John D’Addario Senior began

working for his father in 1936

(interrupted by enlistment during the

war), was soon looking into synthetic

alternatives to ‘catgut’ strings and

later developed a method of polishing

the nylon monofilament used for

nylon strings (adopted by the company

in 1947).

Continuing this foresight, John

Senior also pushed for the

development of guitar strings and,

later, steel strings for electric guitars

and basses, as well as for acoustics,

made in conjunction with sister

company (also run by John Senior)

Archaic Musical String Manufacturing.

Following the retirement of father

Charles, John Senior merged the two

and created Darco Music Strings.

In the late ‘60s, John Junior and

James (Jim) began their input into the

company, having, like the generations

before them, worked in and around the

business as they grew up.

After a brief period merged with the

CF Martin Guitar Company, the

D’Addario family split off and, in 1974,

after at least eight generations of

string making, musical instrument

strings bearing the name D’Addario

were finally marketed.

COVER FEATURE D’ADDARIO

16,17,18 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 16:16 Page 3

19 mipro117:19 mipro 26/1/10 12:27 Page 1

INTERVIEW BEHRINGER

Sometimes the most articulate people are the most

difficult to interview. There is a lot that goes on in

any person’s mind, so the ability to communicate it

means a plethora of information is forthcoming that

needs to be sieved and analysed. That means more work

for the reluctant hack.

Combine that with nearly 25 years of business success,

a single-minded ambition that is as strong today as it was

in youth, an ego to match and statements such as “there

is no future in printed media,” and you can see why

journalists and Uli Behringer tend to hold each other at

arm’s length.

This success and ambition, however, now sees the two

camps – the journo and the businessman – flung into

each other’s worlds, each with a need from the other,

because Behringer ended 2009 with one hell of a news

story when it purchased Midas/Klark Teknik from Bosch.

For the press, it’s a big story: purveyor of entry-level

audio and musical kit scoops probably the single most

prestigious large format, live sound console and outboard

manufacturer from multinational electronics titan. For

Behringer, moving into a world where people care about

quality to the degree they are willing to pay tens of

thousands of pounds for a single unit, there is a distinct

need to establish the right image and underline the

right motives.

The first step was to set up a holding company that

owned the mother company and the step-child to ensure

separation and autonomy. The second step is ongoing.

Behringer never really needed to worry about its

reputation in the past. It is a privately owned company

that gives people what they want and has made hundreds

of millions of pounds doing so. Now, though, that

reputation of old could hinder plans to become a

major player in the professional audio world, so it

needs to be addressed.

Truth be told, Behringer could probably have done this

years ago – but needs must…

“I made so many mixers, it became boring,” explains

Uli Behringer when we caught up at NAMM in January.

“Behringer had been a company that followed. So I

started to look at how I could make mixers in a better,

more efficient way. That’s what excites me now:

processes. How much can you automate? How far can

we take our systems? This is what excited John Oakley,

too. He had a choice of suitors, but he chose Behringer to

buy his company because he saw the investment in our

processes and what they could give his own R&D.”

If it’s true that John Oakley ‘chose’ Behringer rather

than the other way around, then there is no doubt that

Behringer is a kosher outfit. Oakley is far too shrewd and

rightly proud of Midas to allow one of the finest

reputations in pro audio to be tarnished. Both Behringer

and Oakley are also adamant that never the twain shall

meet. Both are clearly as delighted with the benefits of

this deal as the other.

“This will be great for Midas,” continues Behringer. “We

are going to establish an R&D centre of excellence in the

UK that will give it the chance to develop as it deserves.”

The benefits of the deal for Behringer are even clearer.

“We are never going to produce a £99 Midas console.

That would be ridiculous, but the fact that we can find

ways to use Midas technology in Behringer products will

further improve the Behringer brand. What is important is

to recognise what each brand is. Behringer is a market

leader in the lower end and there is no point in pushing it

to be what it isn’t. Midas is very high end and will

continue to be very high end.”

So, what does the founder of the most successful

entry-level audio brand do with a brand that sits

comfortably at the greatest venues in the world? One

simply needs to look at pretty much any other audio

giant to find out.

“Next for us is to find a line of speakers,” says

Behringer. “We’re looking now – that’s what we want

next.” As MI Pro goes to press at the end of January,

Behringer’s purchase of Midas at the end of 2009 shook the audio world, but Uli Behringer explains to Andy Barrett

that this is just the beginning of some pretty high aiming ambitions…

Powered driver

20 miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

”It’s important to recognise

what each brand is. Behringer

is a market leader in the lower

end. Midas is very high end

and will continue to be so.Uli BehringerBehringer

20,21 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 16:51 Page 1

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 21

BEHRINGER INTERVIEW

people close to the Behringer company intimate that

such a deal could well be near completion. This makes

for interesting speculation. One can only assume that

down the line there will be a power amp brand, DSP

and maybe even a microphone company. Following

on from that, even Behringer-developed software to

link them all together, a la Hi Qnet… Just a thought.

Uli Behringer’s thoughts on the digital/analog

debate are as succinct as his ideas on print

journalism, which indicates where the vast majority of

the R&D will be directed. “The R&D has to be digital.

Analog is fading now and the future is digital. It’s a

fascinating field. There is so much processing power

out there that the problem is fast becoming the end

user. It is getting difficult to see everything that is

possible at the end-user level. This is why I’m looking

to create virtual educational tools that people can

enter virtually, they can get in into them and see how

to use things – they can be trained. I’ve got a team

working on this now in the Phillipines. Digital is the

way. By the end of 2010 I want to have a $1,500

digital console.”

Behringer’s success in the past is undeniable, so

there is absolutely no reason to suppose that his

success in the future is anything other than nailed on.

“People who continue to learn live longer,” he says.

“It’s great to keep learning. That’s why I do – and

Behringer does, too. The way we do this is by having

the right people working for us. In the same way we

aim to get the most out of our systems, we get the

most out of our staff. People who are driven catch the

drive that Behringer has and they push themselves,

and therefore the company, forward. Some thrive and

stay, others plateau and move on. And again, a

business is the same. It will always plateau at some

point, but you have to push on. It is a big part of our

success. We choose people that can take an idea and

develop it. This is why Behringer is a great company.”

Behringer refers to his company’s greatness three

times during the interview. He genuinely believes it;

that much is certain. The important thing, however, is

that he wants you to believe it, too.

It is difficult when talking to Uli Behringer to avoid

the thought that he really wants to be famous. He is

a self-made man to the tune of some $200,000,000,

it is rumoured; he is a classically trained pianist who

delights in jamming on stage with his heroes. He

would delight in the coverage afforded A-list

celebrities, the chance to expound his philosophies,

his plans and his achievements. Unfortunately,

national and international media tend not to take

audio and MI entrepreneurs to their hearts and he is

left with trade hacks that are only really interested in

getting a buck or two from him.

Posterity will probably decide that Behringer was a

major force in the MI and audio worlds and we are

going to see some pretty exciting stuff issuing from the

offices in Manila over the next year or so, but one can’t

help thinking that it will never be quite enough for Uli

Behringer. Hence the drive. Hence the ambition.

Top: John Oakley, happy to join forces with Behringer

Bottom: The ever-ambitious Uli Behringer

20,21 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 16:51 Page 2

The Barnes & Mullins-owned Faith

Guitars brand has made quite an

impact since the launch of its Series

1 concept in 2001, which aimed to

bring a cased, all-solid acoustic guitar

to the market at an affordable price

point. Now with distribution across

Europe and Asia, and with the

invaluable design expertise of Patrick

James Eggle on board, the home-

grown Faith Guitars brand looks to

be expanding ever further.

“It’s been quite a ride so far,”

explains Faith Guitars’

international brand manager, Alex

Mew. “The Series 1 models were

a success, but had a certain

number of niggles that needed to

be ironed out before the brand

could become what it is today. It

was thanks to the chance re-

acquaintance of Brian Cleary

(B&M’s joint managing director)

and the highly respected British

luthier, Patrick James Eggle that

things really got moving.

“Patrick returned to the UK from

North Carolina

and

moved his

workshop into the B&M headquarters. His

expertise was then called upon to address

these little issues with Series 1 Faith guitars

and from there the relationship blossomed,

with Patrick taking a permanent role as

Faith Guitars designer and technical

consultant. In essence, what this means is

that nothing happens in design or concept

without Patrick being involved in every step.

“This has led to the subsequent Series 2

guitars being largely in a league of their

own, plus there’s the psychological

assurance to all players that the Faith

guitar that they own was designed by a

true professional – rather than it just

being a generic Asian guitar with a

random name on top.”

The Series 2 guitars were launched in

2006, and have gone from strength to

strength ever since, with a number of

additional customer-led models being

added along the way. “We’re looking

forward to the Frankfurt show,” adds Mew.

“With our success at reaching Asia and

Australasia through regular attendance of

the Music China event, this year is the

right time to cement the distribution

network throughout Europe. Currently,

Faith Guitars are available throughout the

UK, Benelux, France, Greece, Spain and

Norway, but clearly there are some

omissions, which we’d like to address.”

Faith promises to have first-look new

models and new concepts announced at

Frankfurt, information about which will be

made available to the UK trade shortly

afterwards. “We will also be showing the

highly acclaimed Faith Signature Standard

models for the first time in Europe, which

will create a great buzz around the brand.

“Patrick has designed these three models

and they reflect his own feelings about

what makes a great guitar. Once again,

whereas many other brands may smother

their higher-end guitars in copious

amounts of abalone, intricate inlays and

massive marketing budgets, our belief is

simply that the instrument should do the

talking. The Signature series uses only AAA-

grade solid European woods and the very

finest build techniques. We have seen to

create a visually elegant and tonally rich

set of instruments.”

The three European-made models (000,

OMC and jumbo) will all retail for around

£1,800 and be supplied in a Hiscox case.

“One other area that we are always keen

to build upon is artist relations. I’ve had a

good deal of success with a number of

bands and artists such as The Hoosiers, The

Enemy and most recently the incredibly

talented Attack Attack. We also have good

relationships with regular, working

musicians who are keen to communicate

their individual needs and desires and I

think ultimately it’s these guys who are the

most important. Many brand owners forget

about this core market and been

appropriately stung, so we’re committed to

listen and act wherever we can.”

With the Indonesian-built Natural, Hi-

Gloss and Eclipse series retailing from

around £600 to £800 and the European-

built Signature series costing around £1,800,

Faith Guitars has its feet very firmly in two

highly competitive markets. With the

current level of success and big ambitions

for the future, clearly Faith Guitars have a

great long-term outlook across the world.

BARNES & MULLINS: 01691 652449

Making serious waves among discerning unplugged

players, Faith Guitars is becoming a force to be reckoned

with. Rob Power finds out what 2010 has in store...

Gotta have

Faith

22 miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

COMPANY PROFILE FAITH GUITARS

22 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 17:06 Page 1

ROADREADY HHHHH

HHHHHROADREADY

‘Our snobbery led us to assume that we’d be forced to lay in to these guitars. We were wrong, and you should ensure you don’t make the same mistake.’

Designed in association with

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‘There’s innovation everywhere you look.Classy tones and playability

and amazing value too.Nigh-on impossible to fault.’

David Greaves

‘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.

REISSUED REISSUED

Your next guitar is here...

www.fret-king.com

An Original Design Concept

Trev Wilkinson Design Associate

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Designed in association with

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‘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

'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

Blue Label Super TMetallic Light Blue

‘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’

Designed in association with

Trev Wilkinson Design Associate

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Green Label Corona 60 HB Original Vintage Burst

Fitted with optional gold hardware and vintique 24 carat gold pickguard.

HAND MADE IN THE UK

FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON JHS PRODUCTS AND DEALERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

CONTACT YOUR JHS ASM OR OUR SALES OFFICE ON:

0113 2866 411www.jhs.co.ukWorldwide Trade Distributors:

Designed by

Trev Wilkinson

MI Pro NAMM Feb 2010_Layout 1 18/01/2010 17:09 Page 1

INTERVIEW MARKBASS

MI Pro: How long have you distributed

Markbass in the UK and how did you

first discover it?

Paolo Burocchi: Proel (International) also

distributes B&C loudspeakers – very much

top-end professional speakers – and had

mentioned it to me. Then, discussing the

Italian bass amplifier market with Proel in

Italy and others, they brought up

Markbass too, saying it was incredibly

successful in that market – this was five

years ago.

Did you approach them on the basis

of that?

I went to Frankfurt and stopped at the

Markbass stand to have a few words with

Marco De Virgillis, the founder. Though I’m

not a bass player, I am used to working

with very high quality sound systems and

speakers and immediately realised that

the Markbass products I was hearing

sounded remarkably good. Then, when I

left the stand that day, I happened to walk

past another stand demonstrating a major

brand of bass amplifiers and the contrast

was amazing – especially as what I had

been listening to on the Markbass stand

was from just a single 12-inch speaker.

Even so, I didn’t do anything until a year

later, when I took all our reps to Frankfurt

and told them I was keen to look at it

more closely and wanted to know what

they thought.

Presumably they jumped at it?

Not at all. You can understand it – they

didn’t want another line to have to sell.

But I was determined and it was obvious

to me that if I didn’t take it at that point

somebody else would and would have a

real success on their hands. So I backed

my own judgement with it.

Proel in the UK had a reputation at the

time more as a distributor of PA and

audio gear with brands like Proel, FBT

and Alto, didn’t it? Was it hard to

introduce an MI line?

It was at the time of the London Guitar

Show at Wembley that year and Marco

suggested he send us the gear for the

show – we already had a stand booked –

and he said if we didn’t want to distribute

it afterwards we could send it back. We

did the show and at five o’clock on the

second day I phoned Marco and said we

wanted to be his distributor. There was a

distinct reaction on the two days. On the

first day people were making quite valid

remarks, like they were worried about

buying a brand they didn’t know much

about, or which might have a low resale

value if they bought product and then

wanted to sell it a while later. But on the

second day, people were really starting to

listen to the sound and get excited and I

knew it was going to work.

That was consumer reaction, though.

How did the dealers react?

From day one it began to take off. Within

a couple of months we had two or three

of the biggest bass specialist dealers - very

reputable shops – selling it. I remember

going to see one specialist with five

samples in my car and once he’d heard

the first one, he asked me how many I had

with me, I told him, and he wrote a

cheque on the spot for all five. With a

start like that, it really began to take off.

You seemed to have a good reaction

from the consumer press too, didn’t you?

Yes, we had some excellent reviews and

they’ve continued. The specialist reviewers

haven’t been slow to understand what

Markbass is about and their support has

certainly helped spread the word. The only

negative comments we got was when the

yellow speaker cones were introduced –

some people felt they stood out too much,

but they were accepted very soon and

now they’ve become almost a trademark.

So how successful is Markbass?

It’s hard to know what anyone else is

selling but we know that for several of our

retailers, Markbass is their biggest selling

line in this market. You can tell how well a

product like this is received when the staff

start trading in their own amplifiers to buy

yours and with Markbass that has

happened a lot.

Having managed to make a success of a

completely new brand in a difficult

market, haven’t you had to almost

do it all over again, with the

modular MoMark

concept? Has that been

difficult to get going?

Apparently retailers need

testing stations for

customers to audition

different combinations of

the plugin components.

It was launched at

Frankfurt last year and it

has actually gone down

It took just a few years for Italy’s Markbass to become one of Britain’s best-selling specialist bass amplifier brands.

Markbass’s UK distributor, Paolo Burocchi, MD of Proel (International), explains to MI Pro why Markbass rapidly

became so successful and how it intends to keep that going for the future...

Making a Mark

24 miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

24,25 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 16:26 Page 1

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 25

MARKBASS INTERVIEW

very well. Now, four other Markbass

models that were made in the

conventional way are going to be available

in the same MoMark format from this

March. Eventually, I think, apart from the

F1, the Classic and the Little Mark series,

all the Markbass amps will be available in

the MoMark format. Obviously, not every

retailer has the space to stock the

MoMark testing station, or the capital, but

with the new models on the way, that

problem will be overcome. In my opinion,

by doing this, I think it will help the sales

of the MoMark itself, as it will get people

used to the idea of being able to, say, plug

in a graphic equaliser or a new pre-amp.

You’ve also introduced a range of bass

effects pedals too, haven’t you?

Yes, and they have gone down

fantastically well too. New models are

arriving all the time and just today I was

talking with one of our dealers about the

new distortion pedal and he was saying

it’s one of the best on the market. We’re

very, very pleased with the pedals.

Was it your success with Markbass that

led you recently to take on MTD basses

– the Mike Tobias range?

Oh yes, we already knew the dealers who

were serious about bass and most of them

already knew about MTD and were just

looking for someone to distribute it over

here. In a way it was an easy decision to

make, because it already has a name over

here, so it wasn’t like trying to introduce

something that was completely new – not

even to the end-users, as a lot of them

had heard of MTD and even if they hadn’t

they know who Mike Tobias is. We haven’t

stocked the American series yet, but

already we are starting to get calls about

it and the interest is certainly there.

Going back to Markbass for a moment –

a lot of people say it is almost

impossible to introduce a new brand to

a market as crowded as the amplifier

business, but you’ve proved it can be

done. What do you think the secret is?

It can be done and others have done it

too, if you look back to Line 6, say. But the

the product has got to be innovative. It’s

not always about price – you’ve got to

have a product that offers something that

nothing else does – high quality,

interesting gear, with innovative features.

Then people will start discovering it,

appreciating it and buying it. Coming to

the market with something that is more

or less the same as everything else just

doesn’t work these days. The secret is that

you’ve got to have a truly innovative and

exciting product.

Markbass has some fantastic endorsees

too. Have they helped?

Endorsements help but, again, you wont

get the endorsements without having a

great product. Top musicians won’t

associate their names with just average

products. There is also one other very

important thing that has helped Markbass

succeed – and I’m sure of this. The

company has people who can deal with

questions – technical enquiries about

products, help on how to use the products,

help with problems and general advice –

and they are available online, virtually 24

hours a day, seven days a week. They are

only a small company, but having gone to

the trouble to offer this has, I’m sure,

begun to pay big dividends for them.

Users feel they have help and support

available at any time and that has been

very beneficial.

Is Proel still looking for Markbass

dealers?

We’re always happy to talk with people

but we are just about complete with

Markbass, now. We've had great support

and we hope soon to fill in the last

remaining gaps with a major dealer we

are talking to at the moment and that

will be about it.

”It’s not always about

price. You’ve got

to have a product

that offers

something that

nothing else does.Paolo BurocchiProel International

24,25 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 16:27 Page 2

Since KMI was founded by the

enterprising Lesley Kane last January,

things have been pretty tough across

the sea in Ireland. While the recession hit

hard in the UK, it has had a disastrous

effect on the Irish economy, something

that has been reflected throughout the MI

industry there.

However, thanks to a product roster

that can boast some of the biggest names

in the British Isles, KMI has gone from

strength to strength, pushed along

through these tough times by the

irrepressible Kane. “I started KMI last

January and began trading at the end of

February,” she explains. “I’d worked at my

previous employer for 21 years and the

time had come for me to move on. The

demographics had changed, the industry

had changed and you have to change with

it. Sales and marketing is what I do, so it

was time to be courageous.

“I represent lines including Marshall,

Ashdown and Casio, which was new for

me, a real challenge and an interesting

company to work with because of the

changes that have been going on there.

“I’m also working with Pearl. It pulled

out of Ireland in 2008, and I was broken-

hearted when it went, but it was a

Japanese directive to go direct in Europe.

When I set up KMI I approached Pearl

about the possibility of becoming its agent

in Ireland, because I think with smaller

markets you have to work for every sale

and have a relationship with every single

dealer. It worked out really well, so we’ve

got Pearl back where it should be and it

has a lot of the market share.”

With so many big names under the KMI

banner, it’s clear that 2010 is going to be

an exceptionally busy 12 months for the

company. “After NAMM and seeing how

much new product is coming, it’s looking

like a hell of a year to be doing Marshall

on my own. It’s great to work with such a

progressive company, but I regularly

question my sanity – what was I thinking

setting up a company in the middle of a

recession?”

Of course the economy is never far

from the mind of any Irish businessman at

the moment, but thanks to Kane’s

dedication and relentless energy KMI is

managing to navigate through some

pretty dangerous waters. “We depended so

much on multi-nationals and there have

been so many challenges that I think it’s

going to take Ireland a long time to get

out of the recession,” she explains. “The

banks collapsed in April, so there was no

lending, which means we have to fight for

every sale.

“It’s firms like X Music that have tipped

the balance in the right direction. It’s a

20,000 sq ft retail operation in Dublin, and

I think that because it had the courage to

set that up and put its money where its

mouth is, it made a lot of dealers step up

and improve. If you’ve got a good

relationship with your dealers, you’ll get

there in the end. They do a lot of business

with us and they’re all great sales guys

doing a great job.

“The thing about Ireland is that there is

a huge amount of innovation and a lot of

young progressive people. For example,

the itab was a big hit at NAMM; it’s a

little product that is made in Ireland and

was one of the hottest products there,

which was great to see. Music is an

important part of our culture and no

recession is going to change that.

“It is quite a similar market to the UK,

with a lot of the business around the

seaboard. A huge amount of business is

done in Dublin, Belfast and Cork and there

are a lot of small dealers that own their

businesses and have a real personal

relationship with their customers.

Overheads are higher and dealers need to

make a margin, but it’s not hugely

different from the UK, there’s the same

sort of trends.

“The traditional market is huge as well

and is helping to keep music going in

schools – we’re all busy fighting to keep

the industry alive here.”

With brands like Grover Allman,

Woodies invisible wall hangers and

Australian guitar brand DSL alongside the

likes of Marshall and Casio, it’s clear that

KMI has the products, the ambition and

the determination to become a leading

light in Irish MI circles.

KMI: +353 1 835 9431

A lot of hard work, some fine products and boundless enthusiasm for the industry have

rocketed KMI to the top of the distribution tree in Ireland. Rob Power takes a jaunt

across the Irish sea to find out more...

Staying alive on the

Emerald Isle

“ Music is an

important part of

our culture and no

recession is going

to change that.Lesley Kane

KMI

26 miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

COMPANY PROFILE KMI

26 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 16:29 Page 1

Blueridge have taken America by storm withtheir authentic vintage style guitars, and nowwe have made them available in the UK. Thisrange, renowned for spectacular value formoney, continues to receive excellent reviewsin all the best known guitar press, includingGuitar & Bass, Guitarist, Guitar Buyer, AcousticMagazine...

The leading brand of resonator guitars, with along US heritage, available in the UK exclu-sively from Gremlin Music. Saga Music, haveapplied the same dedication to quality to theseguitars as they have to the Gitane andBlueridge guitars, and the results are spectacular.

SK120 Rated ‘Exceptional’ in AcousticMagazine. “A wonderful little amp designedby people who understand what musiciansneed”. Also Guitar & Bass have awarded the

SK60 a massive 82%.We distribute these ShireKing Acoustic Ampsalong with Headway’s very popular pickupsfor acoustic instruments, including the Snake3 and SA1 pickups, and the ‘Band’ violin andcello pickups.

The best selling aluminium whistles inthe UK. Renowned for their clear sound,they appeal to whistle players of all stan-dards. Though ideal for beginners, theyare professional instruments and areused on stage by many leading players.

For the Gypsy in your soul!These beautiful guitars pay

homage to the Selmer andMaccaferri guitars of the early

20th century. They have solid tops,are a joy to play, and look andsound like the real thing, right

down to the excellent reproduction of the orig-inal tailpiece. More to the point, they are veryaffordably priced.

The Kentucky mandolins are the pinnacleof affordable bluegrass instruments, andoffer exceptional quality at excellentprices. These mandolins are a very wel-come addition to our growing section ofgreat quality bluegrass instruments,which includes mandolins, banjos,dobros, guitars and more.

A professional quality range of AcousticGuitars, Mandolins, Banjos & Fiddles, Basses,cases, electrics and more. This is the largestrange of mandolin family instruments, banjosand ukuleles in the UK, and the Ashburyname is associated with high quality andexcellent value.

A competitively priced range of stu-dent squeezeboxes, including PianoAccordions from 12 to 120 Bass,B/C, D/G and Cajun one-rowmelodeons, and Anglo and Englishconcertinas, all ideal for beginners.

As well as being the first point of call for all the hard to find traditional musical instruments your customers are askingyou for, Gremlin Music is a one stop shop for any musical instrument retailer. We can supply a massive range of acousticmusical instruments, spares, accessories, strings, books and DVDs. Become a Gremlin Dealer and give your customersa better choice! We pride ourselves on the personal touch - you can always reach us by phone during work-ing hours, and we’ll always send your order as fast as possible, no matter what the size. If you’re a dealer,you can browse our website for prices (retail and wholesale), contact us by email, and place orders online! We’ve beenin the business for over 25 years, and can offer you an experienced, friendly and professional service.

www.gremlinmusic.co.uk post@gremlinmusic.co.uk

Just a few of our Leading Brands...

Tel: +44 (0) 1903 203044 (9.30 - 5.30 Mon - Fri) | Unit A, Easting Close, Worthing, West Sussex, BN14 8HQ

MI Pro grem ad A4 Sept 09:full page grem ad.qxd 15/09/2009 15:28 Page 1

COMPANY PROFILE HARDCASE

The recession may have hit hard, but

not everyone is suffering from its

iron grip. Take Derbyshire’s very own

Hardcase, for example. Not only is it one

of the small band of British manufacturers

managing to hold their own against Far

Eastern imports, but Dave Eyre, the

company’s UK sales manager, reports that

business has actually been booming in

recent months – so much so that

Hardcase has just announced a major

investment in production and a change of

its business model.

The result, Eyre says, is going to be yet

more of a good thing for end-users and

retailers alike: “Originally, we were just a

marketing and sales organisation for our

associate company, Amber Plastics, which

a lot of retailers will remember dealing

with in the past. Over the last five years

Hardcase has come on in leaps and

bounds and we now do everything except

mould the actual plastic cases – this is

done by Amber, which is about 100 yards

away. But now, our MD has decided to

make us totally autonomous and we are

having a brand new machine built at this

very moment, which means we will be

responsible for everything that we do.”

One of the immediate effects of this is

that because Hardcase is now in total

control of its own production, it can

expand its range as the market dictates

and Eyre says plans are already well under

way for new models and ideas.

“In the last article MI Pro wrote about

us, you mentioned that we’d introduced

new colours for our cases and this new

development means that we will be able

to take that further, but what it also

means is that, although we are already

known in the UK for our fast turnaround,

we are going to be able to improve

even more.

“We always emphasise in our

advertising that we are British made and

extremely proud of that – and we are, but

this new development takes it one stage

further. We were always 100 per cent

made in the UK, but now we will be

100 per cent in control of our own

production, too.”

The source of the decision to keep

investing is the best of all reasons –

success, Eyre says. “It has been quite

phenomenal – we seem to be growing

exponentially. January, for example, has

been the third month in a row that we’ve

gone over our forecast and that’s both for

the UK and export.”

Ironically, however, Hardcase’s export

market doesn’t include the USA, Canada

or South America at present – though Eyre

says they receive many enquiries from

end-users wanting to buy the products

they hear about in magazines, websites

and via Hardcase’s extensive endorsee list.

The problem, he says, is the high cost of

shipping a product which, though light in

weight, takes up a huge physical volume.

This makes cases prohibitively expensive

to ship to, and then across, North America

– while South America is plagued by

import tariff barriers. Europe, fortunately,

doesn’t suffer the same problems and the

list of countries in which Hardcase is

active is just about complete.

So to what does Dave Eyre attribute

Hardcase’s success? It’s taken for granted

that the company makes a fine product,

but presumably there is more to it success

than that?

“A great product is the main thing. I’m

a player and I know what I want to see

when I walk into a shop and it’s that

For every instrument sold, a case can be the perfect add-on sale. As Hardcase expands its lines, Gary Cooper chats to

UK sales manager Dave Eyre about how the company has met the challenge of making a simple plastic case into an

invaluable and best-selling accessory for musicians...

Just in case...

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

”We were always 100

per cent made in the

UK, but now we will

be 100 per cent in

control of our own

production, too.Dave EyreHardcase

28,29 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 16:47 Page 1

HARDCASE COMPANY PROFILE

which we try to put into our products.

We’re a small company and that enables

us to be very focused on what we are

doing and apply more attention to detail.

What we’re making isn’t rocket science –

it’s a simple plastic case in essence, but

because we listen to what people say and

do what they request if we can, it makes

the cases very tightly focused to what

users want.”

Hardcase also has admirable customer

support policies, Eyre reveals. For example,

if a customer needs a spare part and gets

in touch, it is supplied free of charge.

“There aren’t many companies which do

that, I realise, and people sometimes say

‘don’t you lose a lot of money that way?’.

But look at the waste of raising an invoice

for one rivet or a clip – and think of the

goodwill. We get so many emails from

customers thanking us for the fantastic

service and usually saying ‘by the way, I’m

just off to buy another Hardcase’. That’s

worth its weight in gold. We always say to

people that we’re only a phone call away

– and we are, although one thing we don’t

ever do is sell directly. We’re a

manufacturer and that’s all we are – we

aren’t retailers. We’re there to support the

product and they’re there to sell it.”

Another important recent change has

been the decision to revamp Hardcase’s

marching band products. “We’ve expanded

that range from about nine cases to just

short of 40 models and we’ve only got

two more models left to do, which will be

coming on board as part of our switch to

manufacturing the entire product ourselves.”

NOT JUST FOR DRUMS...

While perhaps most MI retailers will be

familiar with the Hardcase kit drum

products, Eyre says that the marching, pipe

band and bugle corps markets are also

tremendously active. “The pipe band

market, in particular, has been absolutely

fantastic for us. We’ve got Jim Kilpatrick on

board as an endorsee and he has spread

the word to such an extent that we can’t

keep up with orders from marching bands.”

How big a range does Hardcase actually

offer, we asked?

“Beside kit drums, for which we’re best

known, we also do marching bands, ethnic

drums, a bit for orchestral and we’ve

recently gone into the brass band market.

We do a mute case now and we’re looking

to introduce another two styles of mute

cases. Then there are music stand cases

and sound and lighting cases and both of

those are likely to be expanded in the near

future, as well.

“We are also looking to expand our

amplifier cases and we’re working on that

right at the moment, so expect to see

some more information at Frankfurt.”

Even though Hardcase is promising it

will soon be able to improve its

turnaround time for orders, Eyre says that

its current delivery time for most products

is just a few days. “We sometimes get

calls asking if delivery is five to six weeks

and I say ‘No, you’re probably looking at

three to five days’. If we can’t do it, we’ll

tell you and the maximum it will be is

two weeks.”

This is particularly important for

smaller retailers who simply don’t have

the space to stock more than a token of

Hardcase’s enormous range, Eyre says.

“If you take a really small store with a

shop frontage of, say, eight foot by ten,

he’s got to put what’s going to be the

most valuable products on the floor –

that’s where the money is. So we say treat

us as your warehouse. Relay to your

customers what we can do for you –

they’ve all got brochures, we’ve got a

great website, so just keep, say, a cymbal

case or a snare drum case in the corner to

give the customer a reference and order

what the customer wants from us. That

said, most people are familiar with

Hardcase when they go into a shop,

anyway, but people often make the wrong

assumptions – that we’re expensive, or

that we can’t deliver quickly and they’re

wrong on both counts.”

As a shop that sells any product

without at least offering a case to put it in

is missing a serious profit-generating

opportunity, and as Hardcase is now

setting its sights on the wider world of

cases of all kinds, it is clearly going to

become an even more important supplier

to an even wider range of retailers.

“It is a beautiful position to be in,” Dave

Eyre admits cheerfully. “The product

almost sells itself and our job is to support

it. We're here to try and help you and if

there’s anyway we can help you, we’ll do

our damnedest to do it.”

You might be surprised at just

how many different types of

case Hardcase produces

28,29 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 16:47 Page 2

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the PULSE series of sound & lighting equipment delivers power,

portability, versatility and quality for all your requirements.

To see how the Pulse range can improve your sales and profitability call Dave Swindlehurst. Tel 01772 664873 email: dave@pulse-audio.co.ukPULSE, Faraday Drive, Fulwood, Preston, PR2 9PP. Coming Soon - www.pulse-audio.co.uk & www.pulse-light.co.uk

GREAT

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HUGE MARGINS!UNBEATABLE TRADE PRICES!

Rackmount MP3 player Ref: MP3 MasterAccepts SD cards or USB drives. Balanced microphone input completes the

unit making this ideal for entertainers of all kinds.

Studio Monitor Headphones Ref: Studio CansMade for the studio these headphones

provide a well balanced frequency

reponse, tough build quality and are

retail packed ready for instore display

Speakon Leads Ref: PLS00159

Speaker cables featuring Genuine Neutrik

Speakon connectors and tough,

flexible 2.5mm cable

Ultra-portable PA System Ref: PA-40

Packing an impressive 40Wrms output this

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Supplied complete with a 16CH UHF radio

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XLR multicores Ref: PLS00035

Handy cable reels ideal for gigging musicians.

Pulse_Ad_Final_Dec09 9/12/09 12:08 Page 1

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 31

PROFILE

I WOKE UPTHIS MORNING

Iget up at about 7:30, and am unable

to speak until I at least get in the car.

I share a lift with a friend who lives

around the corner and works in the

same office. When we arrive at our

picturesque industrial estate in High

Wycombe I open my laptop and grab

some porridge and coffee.

Then it's a power struggle with my

office manager about what music we'll

have in the office. If he wins, it's the

Rocky theme tune punctuated by press

ups, which is a vain attempt to get fit

again after Christmas. Then I'll read all

the magazines and mail-outs – of course

the MI Pro newsletter is a crucial part of

my morning.

After that, I tend to ring up our sales

team, who are very driven and

competitive, and torment them with

news of our competition, and then I'll fill

out my media spread, check all the

reviews we've had, confirm advertising

and read any news items that have

emerged. Emails are the next thing,

which is always a perennial nightmare.

Then I'll give our artists and press

relations guy a ring to discuss anything

that's emerged or is in the pipeline.

Prior to my job here, I used to run a

little studio in south London. I did a PhD

which lasted seven years and was very

much an all-encompassing project. I

landed this job about 18 months ago. It's

a fantastic industry, and I couldn't have

asked for a more appropriate job at a

better company. It was a bit intimidating

to begin with, not knowing any of the

faces, but as people are so friendly and

it's a pretty small community of people

that go round the shows, it's been very

welcoming. As I have an academic

background and knew a fair bit about

the gear because I'd been involved in

running a studio, all the background for

this job was there for me, so I only had

to learn a few skills and become familiar

with the ins and outs of marketing.

The biggest project we've undertaken

here has been the Novation Launchpad.

We knew it was going to generate a lot

of excitement as anything to do with

Ableton usually does, so we had to do a

lot of groundwork before announcing it.

After trying to get emails nailed, I'm

on phone calls – I try to give store

managers and store marketing guys at

our key retailers a ring. I'm always really

happy when they ring me as it means

they're happy with our brands.

I generally leave work at about half

six. I play the cello and get a lot of

opportunities to play live, and I play the

drums, too, although not very well. I gig

quite a lot, but it's more for fun than for

money. I play in this DJ Shadow tribute

thing which has been doing very well, and

we got to play all the festivals last year.

Wars over music and

torturing sales are

just part of a day’s

work for Focusrite’s

Simon Halstead. He

also manages to

answer emails, ring

stores and market lots

of gear...

UK marketing manager

SIMON HALSTEAD – FOCUSRITE

”I ring up our sales

team, who are

driven and

competitive, and

torment them

with news of our

competition.

31 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 16:55 Page 1

Farida Full page:bb18 14/1/10 10:19 Page 1

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 33

There is always plenty to get excited

about at the higher end of the

acoustic market and 2010 looks

sure to be a bumper year for players who

prefer their guitars resolutely unplugged.

Kicking off with a brand that, for many,

defines quality acoustics, Martin has

reintroduced the hugely popular 1 series,

music to the ears of many players on a

budget who pine after the fabled tone.

An affordable solid wood instrument in

the tradition of the Style 15 and Style 17

guitars that were unveiled during the

Great Depression, they feature a spruce

top, and sapele back and sides.

Available in dreadnought or OM sizes,

this is a range that is sure to prove

successful in the current tough climate.

Elsewhere at Westside, Dell’Arte has

introduced a new range of gypsy jazz

guitars that includes the DG-P1 Pigalle at

a tidy £549 and a Robin Nolan signature

model, the DG-RN1 at £769, both of

which feature all-solid construction and

some eye-catching finishing.

Music Force's Mariner brand has

plenty to offer in this area of the market,

such as the E-6AR at £799. An

auditorium-style guitar with an abalone

bound rosewood veneer headstock,

grover machine heads and a spliced

mahogany with maple and rosewood

neck, it's a great looking guitar with

plenty of tasty features.

As home to any number of brands

nowadays, it’s no surprise that Fender

has lots on offer to acoustic players with

plenty of cash lining their pockets. The

Takamine TN10, a natural satin finished

solid cedar top dreadnought, that

features sapele sides, chrome hardware

and a rosewood fingerboard, alongside

some rather nice looking decorative

touches such as the rosewood and

ovangkol rosette, has a MSRP of £807.16.

While Baden Guitars may be a new

brand to some, ex-Taylor man TJ Baden's

guitars have received critical acclaim

both here and the US for their dynamic

tonality and modernist styling. The Baden

A Style employs a unique ‘non cutaway-

cutaway design’, while the D Style

manages the impossible with a fresh take

on the ubiquitous dreadnought. Prices

start from £699 and rise to £1,599 for an

all-solid handmade instrument including

hard case, an impressively affordable feat.

440 Distribution also carries K Yairi

guitars from Japan, which has been hand-

making guitars in Gifu for over 75 years.

“A brand that, for

many, defines

quality acoustics

is Martin.

CONTACT DETAILSWESTSIDE0141 2484812MUSIC FORCE01780 781630FENDER01342 3317114400113 258 9599JHS0113 286 5381FRESHMAN01355 228028TANGLEWOOD01937 841122IBANEZ0121 508 6666SOUND TECHNOLOGY01462 480000YAMAHA01908 366700BARNES & MULLINS01691 668310EMD01293 862612STRINGS & THINGS01273 440442CORT00353 5991 34268FARIDA01925 632591STENTOR01737 240226 SUTHERLAND029 2088 7333

Faith Signature Series 000:£1,839

Designed by Patrick Eggle and

handcrafted in central Europe, the

Faith Signature series 000 is

made from AAA-grade solid

timber and is supplied with a

Faith/Hiscox UK-made hardcase.

The clamour for a stronghold in the acoustic market continues, with a seemingly endless line of models being introduced

on a monthly basis. From the highest end down to the entry level, there is something for everyone, but what about those

that fall in the middle? Rob Power takes focus…

Tanglewood TW1000 N:£569.95

A nicely put together solid spruce

topped dreadnought from the MI Pro

retail-survey-topping brand that

cements the company’s place at the

table amongst the best acoustic

manufacturers around.

ACOUSTICS SECTOR SPOTLIGHT

Acoustic chamber

Martin 1 Series OM-1:£999

An affordable, all-solid Martin

for the masses that looks and

sounds every inch the part,

the OM-1 is available

alongside a dreadnought

shape and is already proving

a canny re-release.

33,36,37,38 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 14:24 Page 1

NOW BUY DIRECT in THE UK0191 300 3000

A3 ELEVENTH AVENUE TEAM VALLEY GATESHEAD NE11 0JY email:SALES@DADdarIO.CO.UKcontact us to open an account

full page:bb18 25/1/10 13:03 Page 1

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT ACOUSTICS

36 miPRO FEBRUARYY 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

They are especially well known for

smaller body sizes, as well as some

baritone and bass models. Starting from

£749, Yairi guitars include traditional

vintage appointments, such as dove

tailed neck joints, bone saddles and

bridges and scalloped tops. Yairi only uses

naturally seasoned woods and it is this,

alongside the company’s long established

craftsmanship, that makes for a unique

position in the marketplace.

JHS’ line of Vintage acoustics has

been impressing players all around the

world and its V1700 series looks a sure

bet to win even more over. The V1700

vintage sunburst, for example, comes in a

£589 and packs an impressive list of

features, including flame maple back and

sides, multi-layer ivory and black binding,

mahogany neck with a rosewood

fingerboard and gold Grover

machineheads. A natural finish along

with a 12-string option are also available.

Fast becoming one of the leading UK-

based manufacturers, Freshman is a

brand on the up with an air of confidence

that is reflected in its latest products.

The Open Plains series, built from

graded tonewoods and aiming to remove

any bells and whistles in order to

concentrate purely on the tone, looks like

a sure-fire hit. Only unveiled in January,

keep your eyes peeled for this range as

its simple aesthetic and dedication to

tone is sure to hit the mark with a wide

range of players.

As you'd expect from a brand that has

performed consistently well in the MI Pro

surveys, Tanglewood has a number of

models that perform particularly well in

the over £500 area.

The TW15 H is a solid spruce topped

dreadnought with mahogany neck, gloss

Kluson-style tuners, some striking walnut

and herringbone binding and retails at

£629.95. The parlour-bodied, cedar

topped TW73 is a sweet finger picker

with solid mahogany back and sides, a

one-piece volute neck and ivory ABS

binding that has sold through nicely for

Tanglewood.

Ibanez has a big presence in the

acoustic world as well as the electric, and

one only need take a look at the likes of

the EP9-RRB to see that it knows exactly

what it is doing. All solid and with a

beautiful finish, it retails at £949.

Sound Technology is also home to the

Larrivee line and its 03 series models.

Manufactured in Vancouver, these guitars

have many features in common with

higher end models, including all-solid

construction, Sitka spruce soundboards,

single piece mahogany necks and ebony

fingerboards and bridges. As with all

Larrivee guitars, the 03 neck is made with

a dove-tail joint. The 03 also features the

Graphtec TUSQ nut, saddle and bridge

pins for superior tone, synthetic tortoise-

shell pickguard and 18:1 chrome tuners.

Body shapes include the hugely popular

auditorium-type Larrivee shape,

Vintage VS1800:£549

A nice addition to the Vintage line

of acoustics, the VS1800 is a well

appointed and nicely built

instrument featuring a solid spruce

top, rosewood back and sides and

some eye-catching binding. A

slotted headstock and gold Grover

tuners make for a stylish treat.

33,36,37,38 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 14:20 Page 2

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 37

Dreadnought, OM and even an

acoustic bass.

Yamaha’s handcrafted L-series is its

biggest player in this area of the market.

With models played regularly by the

likes of Jimmy Page and Joe Bonamassa,

these guitars are built to satisfy the

expectations of some of the biggest

names around.

Available in a choice of body styles:

the modified dreadnought LL, the folk-

size LS or the mini-jumbo LJ, it's a

comprehensive range with something to

suit pretty much every style.

The 16-series models carry a retail

price of £700 and feature a solid

Engelmann spruce top and solid

rosewood back and sides. The 16-series

guitars also ship with a semi-hardcase

which bridges the gap between gigbag

and hardshell case.

Sitting at the top of the L-series are

Yamaha’s finest in the form of the 36-

series acoustics. These guitars feature

some impressive craftsmanship and a

price tag to match at £3,264.

With Mexican abalone binding, a

maple bound fingerboard, snowflake and

cat eye position marks and an ultra-thin

nitrocellulose lacquer, these are nothing

short of premium guitars.

Barnes & Mullins is lucky enough to

have two high profile acoustic brands in

the form of Lag and Faith.

Lag’s most recent addition to the

acoustic range is the Tramontane. Taking

a visual cue from the new Imperator

electric models, these acoustics are great

to look at, with striking headstocks clad

in natural finished ebony with a

contoured, stepped centre strip. There are

three ranges currently available – 111,

222, 333 – all with a selection of natural

and black finishes.

Hand built by Godin Guitars in the

remote village of La Patrie, Quebec,

Seagull and Simon & Patrick guitars are

constructed from indigenously sourced

eco-friendly materials and are tonally

superb instruments that sell through

extremely well for EMD.

Simon & Patrick RM Folk:£1,439

From the Showcase series, this

solid spruce topped folkster is a

beautifully crafted instrument

featuring a compound curve

design, mahogany neck and fully

compensated tusq saddle.

“ The Lag

Tramontane is

great to look at,

with its striking

headstock in

natural finished

ebony.

ACOUSTICS SECTOR SPOTLIGHT

33,36,37,38 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 14:20 Page 3

38 miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

The Seagull S6 model remains one of

the best-selling guitars in the US, while

the sister brand Simon & Patrick enjoys a

wider popularity in the UK.

The S6 CED, retailing at £519, has won

several awards and is perhaps the

instrument that best represents the

Seagull philosophy, offering entry level

players the opportunity to experience

great feel and tones often associated with

much more expensive instruments.

Strings & Things' range of hand-crafted

acoustic is Timberline, with the 80 series

sitting nicely in this price category at

£599.95. With dreadnought, concert and

auditorium sizes available, this is a range

that, thanks to its high quality

construction and attractive gloss finishes,

is sure to catch a few eyes.

Sutherland weighs in with the

Stonebridge brand, manufactured by

Furch in the Czech Republic. The Furch

company was founded in 1981 by

Frantisek Furch, a bluegrass player who

found it impossible to buy decent

instruments in the restrictive conditions of

the then communist Czechoslovakia. Furch

first made an instrument for himself and

then for friends, gaining a respected

reputation, so that, when the political

climate changed, he started his own

company.

The Stonebridge brand (named after the

stone Charles Bridge in Prague) was

created as an easier word for English-

speaking customers.

Stonebridge is, according to Sutherland,

“a very nice niche product in the UK, sold

through selected dealers as the value for

money is outstanding when compared to

similar performing products from the USA.

We look for knowledgeable, specialist

acoustic guitar dealers and work with

them to promote the product.”

The Canadian guitarist Antoine Dufour,

playing the GS23CR, has done a lot to

raise awareness among guitarists, making

it the UK’s best-selling Stonebridge model.

For something a little to the left field,

don’t forget that Stentor is the home of

the popular Ozark range. While Ozark’s

acoustics tend to hit the sub-£500

market, the maker’s resonators cost a little

more. Of note here is the wooden bodied

tri-cone model, with its flamed maple top

in sunburst finish, lyre inlaid fingerboard,

lizard head inlay and gold plated fittings.

”The Stonebridge

brand by Furch is a

nice niche brand

sold through

selected dealers.

Freshman FOP 3DN:£699

Forsaking elaborate frills in favour of a

straightforward, tone-oriented approach

to guitar building, the 3DN sits proudly

atop of Freshman’s all-new Open Plains

series, and looks destined for great

things. AAA spruce tops, mahogany

backs and sides and chrome teardrop

style machine heads all help make this a

guitar worth checking out.

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT ACOUSTICS

Larrivee -03:£914

A great looking all-solid

addition to the Larrivee line,

the 03 series features the

Graphtec TUSQ nut, saddle,

and bridge pins for superior

tone, synthetic tortoise-shell

pickguard and chrome tuners.

T80D:£529

A smashing looking guitar

that represents the cream

of the Timberline 80 series,

the T80D features solid

Javanese rosewood back

and sides, Canadian

Engelmann spruce

soundboard and deluxe

grover machineheads.

Baden A Style:£1,599

A genuinely beautiful looking

guitar that reflects the huge

amount of acclaim Baden

guitars have been receiving

on both sides of the Atlantic.

Well worth checking out.

Farida R-52eRRP: £579.99

A guitar that is in the hands

of a number of high profile

players, the R-52e combines

an Engelmann Spruce

soundboard with mahogany

back sand sides and a grand

auditorium body in a highly

versatile guitar.

33,36,37,38 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 14:20 Page 4

westside:bb18 27/1/10 10:01 Page 1

NEW PRODUCTS ACCESSORIES

40 miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

GRIP CLIP

STRAP AND CABLE CLIP

£3.50They say: Are you tired of constantly

treading on your guitar cable and

having to kick it out of the way while

you are playing?

For: ‘Cabled’ performers

Range: New product

Spec: Moulded plastic strap clip with

cable clip, the Grip Clip eliminates the

possibility of kinking while protecting

against the likelihood of a stepped-on

or snagged cable. By clipping high on

the strap behind the player’s back, it

produces a wide, gentle loop which

reduces stress on both the strap and

input jack and keeps the guitar cable

out of the way of your feet.

It allows users to position the

guitar cable out of harm’s way and

prevents the inadvertent unplugging

of guitars, basses, and other strap-

worn instruments.

Fits almost all guitar straps up to

three-inches wide and holds nearly all

guitar leads.

This product was awarded Best in

Show guitar accessory at 2009’s

Summer NAMM in Nashville.

From: Wildchild Distribution

01273 702224

“By clipping high

on the strap

behind the

player’s back, it

produces a wide,

gentle loop

13

4

5

6

2

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

ACCESSORIES SPOTLIGHT

1. FISHMAN

AURA SPECTRUM DI PREAMP

£469They say: The pristine sound of a studio-

miked instrument to undersaddle and

soundhole pickups.

For: Electro-acoustic players

Range: Fishman electronics

Spec: 128 acoustic ‘image’ presets, three-

band eq, compressor, volume, blend and

image controls, automatic feedback

suppression, built-in tuner (with bypass),

effects loop, balanced XLR DI.

From: JHS 0113 286 5381

2. GATOR

GM-1W SINGLE WIRELESS

SYSTEM BAG £29.99They say: The same innovative concept of

the GM-1W bag – this is a new robust and

more compact version.

For: Wireless system users

Range: Gator bags

Spec: Holds most half rack wireless units,

receiver, handheld mic, power supply,

beltpack transmitter, lapel mics, slim, rigid

5mm EVA rubber foam construction,

zipper access allows antenna to be in

place and functional while in bag.

From: Freestyle 01924 455414

3. SNAPJACK

SNAPJACK CABLES FROM £22They say: An ingenious solution for

guitarists and bassists, reducing the risk of

damage to their equipment.

For: Musicians

Range: Snapjack cables

Spec: Precision magnetic design for jack

to detach from cable under excess

tension, now available for wireless

systems, pedal boards and XLR with ID

tag, in 15ft, 25ft, 30ft and 35ft cable

lengths. Guitar cables available with

locking and silencer systems.

From: JHS 0113 286 5381

4. CRUZ TOOLS

GROOVE TECH STRING

CUTTERS £9.99They say: Ordinary cutters have difficulty

cutting strings made of hardened stainless

steel or nickel.

For: Guitarists, bassists, wire-strung

instruments

Range: Groove Tech accessories

Spec: Cutter blades made with induction

heat treatment process, cuts any string

(even bass guitar low B strings) without

damaging cutting edges, high-leverage

handle, vinyl grips, under six inches length.

From: Westside 0141 248 4812

5. MADAROZZO

2010 RANGE GUITAR &

FRETTED INSTRUMENT BAGS

£POAThey say: Designed and manufactured by

Martin Ritter – a name you surely know in

the gigbag industry.

For: Fretted instrument players

Range: Madarozzo gigbags

Spec: Now 85 products available in a

range of designs, price points and colours,

incl banjo, mandolin, ukulele and all

standard guitar shapes. All with headstock,

bridge and endpin protection, luggage

grade polyester, padded handle, mobile

phone pouch.

From: Sutherland 029 2088 7333

6. REUNION BLUES

CONTINENTAL GUITAR CASE

FROM £165They say: Designed to outperform

common wood and plastic cases.

For: Guitarists

Range: Reunion Blues cases

Spec: Water-resistant exterior around

lightweight flexoskeleton of high-density

foam and EVA impact panels, velvet tuck

interior, solid-cell neck brace, soft mesh-

lined side panels, hideaway backpack

straps, exterior pockets.

From: Summerfield 0191 414 9000

40 Mipro116_FINAL 27/1/10 14:30 Page 1

DRUMS SPOTLIGHT

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 41

SABIAN

SBR BRASS CYMBALS £POAThey say: A higher quality of brass

cymbals made specifically for the

entry-level drummer.

For: Drummers

Range: Sabian cymbals

Spec: Responding to the universal

demand for quality cymbals at all

price points, Sabian has introduced

SBr, a new series of brass cymbals

designed to offer improved quality

and value for the entry-level

drummer.

Produced from a special formula

brass alloy, the budget-priced SBr is

available in a full range of popular

sizes and models, each featuring deep,

large-peen hammering and pinpoint

lathing. SBr is available in natural

finish only.

The SBr series includes hi-hats,

splashes, crashes and rides, as well as

sonically matched pre-packs,

including the Performance set (14" hi-

hats, 16" crash, 20" ride), the First

pack (13" hi-hats, 16" crash) and the

2-Pack (14" hi-hats, 18" crash ride).

From: Westside 0141 248 4812

”The special brass

alloy offers

improved quality

and value for the

entry-level

drummer.

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

VISIT WWW.MIKEDOLBEAR.COM FOR MORE DETAILS.

DRUMS NEW PRODUCTS

4

21 3

4. SABIAN

VAULT ARTISAN CRASH

£386.22They say: A remastered sound for

Sabian’s premium crash.

For: Drummers

Range: Sabian Vault Artisan

Spec: B20 bronze, extra-thin to thin

weights, natural or brilliant finishes,

high-density hand hammering,

available in 16, 17, 18 and 20-inch

sizes, two-year warranty.

From: Westside 0141 248 4812

5. SABIAN

HHX FUSION HATS

£449 & £499They say: One of Sabian’s most popular

cymbal innovations is now available in the

company’s Modern Dark series.

For: Drummers

Range: Sabian HHX

Spec: Lathed medium top and heavy,

unlathed, hand-hammered bottom,

available in 13 and 14-inch sizes, B20

bronze, two-year warranty, natural or

brilliant finish.

From: Westside 0141 248 4812

6. ZILDJIAN

ORIENTAL CHINA TRASH

CYMBALS £TBCThey say: The addition of two new

cymbal models to Zildjian’s extensive

effect cymbal offerings.

For: Drummers

Range: Zildjian cymbals

Spec: 15 and 13-inch Oriental China trash

cymbals, ‘trashy’ Chinese sounding,

additions to the 12 to 20-inch models,

both with proprietary hammering and

brilliant finish.

From: Yamaha 01908 366700

1. MEINL

MARCHING CYMBALS £POAThey say: A new line of professional and

student marching cymbals is now

available.

For: Marching bands

Range: Meinl band & orchestral

Spec: 16, 18 and 20-inch tonally matched

hammered cymbal pairs made from either

B12 or B10 bronze in medium weight. B12

bronze with dark tonality. B10 bronze with

brighter character. Student range pairs in

14 and 16-inch from bronze or brass.

From: Active Music 020 8693 5678

2. MEINL

SYMPHONIC CYMBALS £POAThey say: Designed with Jens Herz,

principal percussionist of the Bamberg

Symphony Orchestra.

For: Orchestral percussionists

Range: Meinl band & orchestral

Spec: Nine different cymbal pairs in three

weights: thin, medium and heavy, with

diameters of 18, 20 and 22-inch in each

category. Also five suspended cymbals in

14, 16, 17, 18 and 20-inch.

From: Active Music 020 8693 5678

3. ZILDJIAN

22-INCH K BOUNCE RIDE £TBCThey say: Designed in conjunction with

jazz legend Kenny Washington.

For: Drummers

Range: Zildjian K Constantinople

Spec: Medium thin weight, 22-inch ride,

traditional hammering with pronounced

lathe grooves, eight cluster over-

hammered marks on top for ‘trash’ sound.

From: Yamaha 01908 366700

6

5

41 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 15:09 Page 1

HI TECH SPOTLIGHT

GENELEC

8260A MONITOR £3,780They say: The latest addition to the

TEC Award-winning 8200 series.

For: Studios

Range: Genelec monitors

Spec: Frequency response of 29Hz to

21kHz with maximum SPL of 120dB,

the 8260A features the revolutionary

Genelec MDC Minimum Diffraction

Coaxial mid/high driver technology.

Like all models in the 8200 series,

the 8260A features internal Genelec

DSP signal processing responsible for

all loudspeaker functions, such as the

crossover filters, driver equalisers,

driver position alignment, room

response alignment, calibration, and

equalisation related filters, as well as

distance compensating delays. The

Genelec Loudspeaker Manager

software manages all these functions,

allowing the 8260A to be used

together with other 8200 series DSP

monitors and 7200 series subs in the

same setup.

The Genelec AutoCal room

calibration and system alignment

method provides consistent and

accurate frequency response for a

multichannel audio system in widely

varying room environments.

From: Source Distribution

020 8962 5080

”Provides a

consistent and

accurate

frequency

response for a

multichannel

audio system.

13

6

42 miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

2

1. ABLETON

MAX FOR LIVE £229.99They say: Puts the power and potential of

Max MSP inside Ableton Live.

For: Ableton users

Range: Ableton Cycling 74 software

Spec: Software tool for making new

devices (audio and MIDI effects and

instruments), API to control Live sets,

tracks, clips, loops, parameters etc,

extended hardware connectivity,

simultaneous Live play/Max edit.

From: Focusrite 01494 462246

2. AKAI

MPC 2500 SE

SEQUENCER/SAMPLER £949.99They say: Special edition available in

white with carbon panelling; it comes

equipped with extra RAM and CD-R drive.

For: Musicians, producers, DJs

Range: Akai samplers and sequencers

Spec: Black MPC pads, slider caps, knob

caps, data wheel and buttons, blue LCD

screen, white painted body, 128MB

memory expansion, DM-25 CD/DVD drive,

carbon fibre sidecaps and front panel.

From: Numark Alesis 01252 341400

3. TOONTRACK

SDX CUSTOM & VINTAGE

EXPANSION PACK £125They say: Extensive stick and brush

recordings of a unique collection of drums

and cymbals.

For: Superior Drummer 2.0 users

Range: Toontrack plugins

Spec: Recorded at 2Khz in London on EMI

TG desk, drumming by Chris Whitten,

produced by Peter Henderson, recorded

using classic kits from 1920s to today.

From: Time + Space 01837 55200

NEW PRODUCTS RECORDING AND HI TECH

4. MUSIC LAB

REAL LPC VIRTUAL

INSTRUMENT £202.30They say: Covers practically all sounds,

articulations and techniques a professional

guitarist can produce on his Les Paul.

For: Computer musicians, producers

Range: Music Lab plugins

Spec: Multi-channel layering technology

taken from every fret of all six strings,

Unique Floating Fret Position technology,

Guitar Touch technology to imitate basic

guitar techniques, Sound Humanise

technology to reduce ‘machine gun’ effect

on note repetition.

From: Time + Space 01837 55200

5. SAMSON

Q2U RECORDING PACK £TBCThey say: Fulfils all your live sound and

digital recording needs.

For: Studios

Range: Samson mics

Spec: Dynamic handheld mic with XLR

output and USB I/O, simultaneous live

performance and computer recording,

built-in 3.5mm stereo headphone jack

with volume control, 16/48 A/D converter.

From: Korg 01908 857100

6. NATIVE INSTRUMENTS

SCARBEE JAY BASS £POAThey say: The latest release in the

partnership between Native Instruments

and sampling expert Thomas Hansen

Skarbye.

For: Computer musicians, producers

Range: NI plugins

Spec: Software instrument built on Fender

Jazz bass tones, built on Kontakt 4

sampler, over 4,000 individual studio-

grade samples, Player Profiles for various

genres, eq, effect controls.

From: 2Twenty2 0845 299 4222

4

5

42 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 16:57 Page 1

24 – 27. 3. 2010 mission for musicmusikmesse.com

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NEW PRODUCTS PRINT

44 miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

BOOK OF THE MONTH

AUTHOR: COHEN/YANDELL

(EDS)

ALL SORTS

Series: Trinity Repertoire

Target: Viola/cello

Comment: Two new books in the All Sorts

series, covering repertoire for viola from

beginner to Grade 3 (over two books) and

cello to Grade 3 in a single volume. The

styles range from ‘easy classic’ to original

scores, all specifically arranged to suit the

technique and abilities of the young

learner. Simple piano accompaniments are

included for the teacher.

TRINITY: 020 7820 6100

AUTHOR: BRIAN

WHITEHOUSE

THE RAMIREZ COLLECTIONTarget: Interest, guitar

Comment: Every now and then a book

comes along that has been researched

and written with a passion that

surpasses interest and need and Brian

Whitehouse has produced one of those

with this attractive edition.

As the owner of the Anglo Spanish

Guitar Company (and thus the UK

distributor of Ramirez guitars), one could

easily be cynical about the book, but

that would be a mistake. Once you start

looking into the pages, it becomes

instantly clear that this is not an

attempt at marketing, it is a work of

love. Whitehouse goes through the

collection of antique guitars at the

Ramirez Museum one-by-one and not

only photographs them and describes

them in detail with history, luthier

methods and modern comparisons, but

also then plays each one.

The result is an accompanying CD of

carefully chosen music, each piece

selected to best represent the

guitar in terms of sound and

era. The two combine to make

a quite unique journey through

this remarkable collection,

where one can see, read and

hear, simultaneously, a master

crafted instrument – a few of

them well over 200 years old.

They say there is at least one

book in all of us and Brian

Whitehouse has certainly proved

that to be true here.

ASG MUSIC: 0121 561 3811

EDUCATION

AUTHOR: ALAN BULLARD

JOINING THE DOTS

Series: Joining the Dots

Target: Piano

Comment: This (initial) five-book series is

designed to help piano students gain

confidence with sight-reading. This

approach uses ideas of key familiarity and

improvisation to help pupils learn the skill

more quickly and easily. Each volume

includes warm-ups, technical exercises and

some original pieces for sight-reading

practice. The books cover Grades 1 to 5 of

the ABRSM’s sight-reading tests.

ABRSM: 020 7636 5400

ARTIST: CARR/OSBORNE

SOUND AT SIGHT FRENCH

HORN/DOUBLE BASSSeries: Sound at Sight

Target: French horn/double bass

Comment: A new series from Trinity

Guildhall introducing a number of short

pieces aimed specifically at each of the

eight grades of Trinity’s sight-reading

requirements. As the title indicates, sight

reading is the interpretation of the lines and

dots and transferral into playing sound.

These two books contain pieces that are

designed to help students develop skills and

build confidence.

TRINITY: 020 7820 6100

AUTHOR: RALEIGH GREEN

JAMAICASeries: Guitar Atlas

Target: Guitar

Comment: Alfred extends the Guitar Atlas

series with the guitar styles of Jamaica,

notably ska, reggae, mento and

rocksteady, taking the student through a

chronological development of music on

the island. This book is a wealth of

information, as well as tabulation and

ends up with a chapter in the style of Bob

Marley. Some fine tips and tricks in this

one to improve any player’s mental library

of riffs and licks.

ALFRED (FABER): 01279 828989

AUTHOR: VARIOUS (COMPILED

SLATFORD)

TIME PIECES FOR DOUBLE BASSSeries: Time Pieces

Target: Double Bass

Comment: Rodney Slatford continues the

Time Pieces series with a collection of era-

spanning pieces aimed at giving students a

taste of a range of styles from the 16th

century to the present day. The

arrangements are crafted to practice the

keys and note ranges found in Grades 1 to 3

(book one) and 4 to 6 (book two). Piano

accompaniments are included, making this

an essential for bassists and their teachers.

ABRSM: 020 7636 5400

AUTHOR: JERRY SNYDER

BASIC INSTRUCTOR: GUITAR

VOL 1 & 2Target: Guitar beginners

Comment: There are only so many ways

one can learn to play an instrument, thus

this book (originally published in the

1970s) is something of a timeless classic.

This latest reissue contains new songs,

exercises and photos designed to inspire

the player from the onset. Each of the two

books is divided into two parts: chords

theory and accompaniment, and notation

solos and ensemble.

ALFRED (FABER): 01279 828989

44,46 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 14:37 Page 1

Every band has the same problem: rehearsing is too loud for most locations and studio space is expensive. But now you can play anywhere, anytime virtually silent to the outside world: quietly enough for your bedroom, at Uni, in your apartment or hotel room. JamHub® was created to let you play more, and the experience rocks. Just pick a color section and plug in your

instruments, mics and headphones. Then control your own individual mixes with new clarity, and no volume wars. You’ll hear yourself like never before, and improve faster. JamHub is also portable and affordable. And whether you’re a garage band or

touring professionals, there’s a JamHub model designed for you. So start jamming more without disturbing the peace.

the silent rehearsal studio

Introducing

Play anywhere, anytime.

Neighbours can’t hear it. Parents can’t hear it. Cops can’t hear it.But you won’t believe what the band can hear.

Distributed in the UK by SCV London. Call 020 8418 1470 for your nearest dealer. www.scvlondon.co.uk©2009 BreezSong LLC.www.JamHub.com

GreenRoomUp to 7 Musicians

24-bit Digital EffectsUSB Recording Output

BedRoomUp to 5 Musicians

24-bit Digital EffectsAnalogue Recording Output

GreenRoomUp to 7 Musicians

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TourBusUp to 7 Musicians

24-bit Digital EffectsWith Built In RAM Card

Recorder & USB Recording Output

®

JamHub Ad 230x315 MI Pro 16-12-09.indd 1 16/12/09 04:42:38

NEW PRODUCTS PRINT

46 miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

POPULAR

ARTIST: RODNEY BRANIGAN

LIVE IN INDIATarget: General

Comment: Mel Bay UK’s pride and joy

with a DVD of footage of his 2008 tour of

India, featuring footage from Mumbai and

Jaipur, with additional material taken from

the City of Westminster College. Branigan’s

unique style can easily be mistaken as

novelty, but this is a serious and clearly

talented young guitarist who speaks with

a voice that is both accessible and

challenging. A clever mix.

MEL BAY: 020 8214 1222

ARTIST: VARIOUS

PROG METAL GUITAR TABSeries: My Tunes 4x4

Target: Guitar

Comment: Enjoying something of revival

(great in the ’70s, crap in the ’80s, now

good again) Alfred comes up with 16

songs from four US proggers, Rush, Dream

Theater, Killswitch Engage and Mastodon.

A complex style, this book of tablature fills

up over 150 pages of complex noodling

and time signatures and will delight the

new generation of guitarist, which is

looking again to virtuoso challenges,

rather than strum-along songs.

ALFRED (FABER): 01279 828989

EDUCATION

AUTHOR: RUDOLPH &

FRANKEL

YOUTUBE IN MUSIC

EDUCATIONTarget: Education

Comment: The website that is famed for

its ill-thought ‘broadcasts’ by the

untalented and the stupid, it turns out,

can be utilised as a tool in the classroom.

Educators Thomas Rudolph and James

Frankel go through the basics of using

YouTube and then find ways of teaching

audio, video and musical lessons with it. A

real shot in the arm for teachers a bit at

sea with the digital wizardry of pupils.

HAL LEONARD (MUSIC SALES):

01284 702600

AUTHOR: HUGO

PINKSTERBOER)

FLUTE/TRUMPET TIPBOOKSSeries: Tipbook

Target: Flute, piccolo, trumpet, trombone

Comment: The Tipbooks continue – and is

it me, or are they bigger? These latest two

in A5 format offer a reference guide for

everything one could need to know about

the instruments. Purchasing, maintaining,

playing and a comprehensive list of

further resources, these books make an

ideal companion and reference for

everyone but the most advanced players.

HAL LEONARD (MUSIC SALES):

01284 702600

ARTIST: DAVE GILMOUR

(HUMPHRIES ED)

SLOW BLUES/PINK FLOYD

THE SOLOS

Series: Quick Licks/Learn to Play

Target: Guitar

Comment: Three DVDs from Lick Library’s

collection of ‘how to’ lessons take the

learner through the style of Dave Gilmour.

One of the most melodic rock guitarists

(and thus one of the most underrated),

one can learn bucket loads from Gilmour’s

harmonic awareness and his unparalleled

use of space as well as notes. A real must.

LICK LIBRARY (MUSIC SALES):

01284 702600

AUTHOR: DON MOCK

MASTERING THE DOMINANT

CHORD

Series: Audio Workshop

Target: Guitar

Comment: Sub-titled ‘Real-world

concepts and techniques for improvising’,

Mock takes the idea that the dominant

7th adds movement, energy and tension.

Most players understand the value of the

V position 7th, but this looks at secondary

dominants and a variety of 7th voicings.

The lessons deal with usage and greatly

expand a player’s understanding and

negotiation of complex chord changes.

ALFRED (FABER): 01279 828989

AUTHOR: DAWN RICHARDSON

BEGINNING ROCK DRUMTarget: Drums

Comment: Another of Mel Bay’s

pamphlet-style publications, comprising a

three-page table of practice elements that

make up a reference tool for the learner.

This one takes 36 rhythms and lists them

in easy-to-read notation and tablature,

combining to give the learner a good basic

collection of technique layers.

MEL BAY: 020 8214 1222

ARTIST: GAIL SMITH

PIANO FOR SENIORSTarget: Mature pianists

Comment: Smith has spent her career

teaching piano to students aged from

three to 96 and sees no barrier to learning

when it comes to age. This book is

designed to give older learners a selection

of varied styles that they will (hopefully)

find appealing. The book is mostly original

works, although the likes of Vivaldi and

Debussy make cameo appearances.

MEL BAY: 020 8214 1222

44,46 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 14:37 Page 2

Adam hall 20/11/09 11:50 Page 1

full page 20/8/09 09:43 Page 1

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO FEBRIARY 2010 49

RETAILNEWS, OPINION, DATA

LEADING GUITAR retailer and brainchild

of Scottish retail pair, Graham Bell and Kip

McBay, Guitarguitar has announced the

addition of a fourth guitar store in the

heart of Birmingham.

As with the existing stores, the aim of

Guitarguitar in Birmingham is to cater to

all guitarists from first-time buyers to

existing and experienced players.

The new 4,000 square-foot premises

will offer a substantial selection of

instruments, similar to that already

offered by the branches in Edinburgh,

Glasgow and Newcastle. It will aim to

provide the same extensive selection of

high-end guitars and amps, many of

which, the company insisted, will never

have been seen before in the region.

Steve Mills, who previously worked for

Line 6 and the Fender Custom Shop, will

be running the new store.

“We’re extremely excited to be

introducing the Guitarguitar experience

into the midlands and look forward to

welcoming our existing and new

customers into the store,” he said.

The store will be opening in the spring

of 2010 and job applications are already

being taken. There are currently vacancies

available for sales advisors and all CVs

should be sent to jobs@guitarguitar.co.uk.

In related news, Guitarguitar has also

announced another expansion plan to

create Scotland's first dedicated hi tech

store under a new brand called GG-Digital.

Based in Glasgow, the 6,000 square-foot,

state-of-the-art complex will feature

Scotland's largest Roland Planet and has

been created with the remit to provide

customers with the latest technology for

enjoying and creating music.

“We have an awful lot going on during

2010,” Mark McKenzie, Guitarguitar’s

marketing manager, told MI Pro. “The

Birmingham store and GG-Digital is all

part of that, of course, but watch this

space for some other excellent news

stories through the year. It’s going to be a

really exciting time.”

GUITARGUITAR: 0141 552 9896

Guitarguitar to open Birmingham store4,000 square-foot shop aiming to offer customers ‘products previously unseen in the region’

NEWS$64,000 to

MS Society,

Richards

Guitars,

Christine

Churchill

LOCATION REPORT

Our intrepid

journeyman

takes to the

lanes and

discovers the

joys of

Brighton

INDIE PROFILEMark’s

Musical

Instruments

of Melksham,

Wiltshire has

its say on the

business

ALL INSIDE THIS MONTH

”We are extremely

excited to be

introducing the

Guitarguitar

experience to the

Midlands.Steve MillsGuitarguitar Birmingham

Business is

good, but

while the

secret retailer

sells strings,

some bastards

are enjoying

Californian

sunshine

BEHIND THE COUNTER

49 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 16:36 Page 1

YAMAHA’S HYBRID piano, the Avant

Grand, has enjoyed no little success since

its launch in 2009, but now, following

news of Paul Carrack’s use of the piano on

his recent UK tour, the product has found

even more prestigious users.

Artur Pizarro, one of the world's most

renowned concert pianists, is joined by

jazz legend, composer and bandleader

Julian Joseph as an endorser of the piano.

“How do you recreate the touch and

tone quality of a concert grand piano in a

baby grand sized piano?” asked Pizarro

(pictured). “How do you practise on a

concert grand quality instrument without

bothering your neighbours? The answer to

both questions is the Avant Grand. Do I

want one? Yes, I do.”

Joseph added that this is an instrument

he can work with: “Of course, I still love

the acoustic piano, but the Avant Grand is

a new genre of piano – it’s an instrument

sensitive to the musician.”

YAMAHA: 01926 833389

RETAIL NEWS

50 miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

Hybrid piano a hit with classical, jazz and pop artists

Avant Grand across the board

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

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

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

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

RICHARD’S GUITARS has further

opened up the classified adverts section

of its website, giving the general public

the chance to advertise their second-

hand instruments for free (with up to

nine images accompanying) and other

retailers also having the opportunity to

upload new and used guitars for sale –

again for free.

The key to the new site, however, is

that any shop in the UK can sponsor

the site for a single brand that is

important to them, with, for example,

Hartnolls having taken the Gibson slot,

MB Music advertising Fender and World

Guitars plumping for PRS.

To remain a ‘sponsor’, the shop must

simply keep its adverts up-to-date, with

the supplier in agreement that the store

is the authorised dealer that it says it is.

Each shop has a profile page with

several images available where it can

tell the consumer why it chooses to sell

this specific brand.

One reason Richard Chollerton,

Richard’s Guitars’ owner, feels the idea

should be successful is that rather than

offering a free service for dealers to use

when they feel like it, he can now point

out that there is a line of shops who

would give their right arm for the brand

being represented.

This will ensure those ‘sponsors’ will

maintain their levels of online quality

on the site. “I think the concept of

losing the position for the brand should

keep shops active,” he said.

RICHARD’S GUITARS: 01926 833389

Retailer extends online to competitors brand-by-brand

Richard’s Guitars extends site

TERRY HOPE and Simon Gilson have

handed over a cheque amounting to

£64,000 to the MS Society, having

collected the moneys from the Stick it

to MS world record attempt held at

PMT’s Drum Fest and Guitar Fest event

in Birmingham in the summer of 2009.

The event saw a total of 582

drummers – including a number of

celebrity musicians – smash the

previous world record of 533

drummers, set in the United States

quite some time ago.

Drummers as young as five and as

old as 50 (which, of course, isn’t old)

travelled from across the UK to take

part in the record bid, believed to be

the UK’s first attempt.

PMT bosses hand over takings from the world record

Cheque sticks it to MS

ALAN CHURCHILL, the co-founder and

former partner of MI Direct has

announced the death of his wife Christine.

After nearly two months in a Cretan

hospital she was flown back to the UK,

where she was admitted to St Peters

hospital in Chertsey, but sadly lost the

fight against her illness two weeks later.

Alan and Christine had been married

for over 35 years. She is survived by the

couple’s two children, Claire and Stephen.

Alan Churchill left his partnership in MI

Direct in September 2008 and started a

new life in Crete with Christine.

He had been in the music business

since 1971 and had built up very good

relationships with many dealers over

nearly four decades.

The couple made lots of friends in a

new venture and both enjoyed their last

year together.

Many of the UK dealers who had

associations with the company would

have spoken to Christine on the

telephone. She handled most of the

accounting and also tended to sales calls

and queries that the dealers may have

had, in an efficient and friendly manner.

The couple met while working for

Hohner in the early 1970s. Alan Churchill

would like to take the opportunity to

thank everyone in the trade who has sent

best wishes and flowers for Christine.

He can be contacted by email at

church_illa@hotmail.com or by phone

on +30 697 706 7363.

Christine Churchill1948 - 2009

50 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 16:32 Page 1

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO FEBRIARY 2010 51

LOCATION REPORT RETAIL

Liberal heaven on the south coast, home to endless candyfloss, slot machines and the stoniest beach known to man,

Brighton is one of the UK’s most popular seaside resorts. With plenty of excellent MI shops around, it’s also a haven

for all varieties of muso. Rob Power sees whether anything out there tickles his fancy...

Brighton

3. AGUILERA GUITARS

Tucked away on a side road not too

far from the sea front, Aguilera

Guitars is a homely little shop

focusing on the acoustic side of

things. A bright and attractive

shopfront beckons you in and no

doubt attracts a lot of passing

custom as the premises is situated on

a busy road. Once inside, it’s a one-

room store with plenty of variety,

from battered vintage instruments

through to brand new starter guitars

and ukeleles. Friendly staff and a laid

back atmosphere make for an

extremely pleasant visit.

5. ACKERMAN MUSIC

Recent winners of its second MIA

Award, Ackerman Music has quite the

reputation and thankfully it is no

letdown. A well organised and

thorough printed music section is the

main feature, with pretty much every

base conceivable from vocal to

bassoon arrangements covered off.

Extremely pleasant and approachable

staff are on hand to answer anything

you can throw at them and a wide

selection of instruments makes this a

nicely rounded store. Electric and

acoustic guitars line the walls, and

plenty of brass and woodwind is on

show alongside a couple of cases

stuffed full of music gifts. All in all,

this is a clearly well run shop that

covers a lot of bases.

2. BRIGHTON GUITARS

Situated in the heart of the bustling

Laines shopping area above a suitably

cool retro clothing shop, Brighton Guitars

is a slice of vintage guitar nirvana. Walls

chock full of everything from 1930’s

Gibsons to the weirdest-shaped sixties’

beauty reveal that this is a shop run by

folks with a real passion for the guitar.

Crammed full of curious eyes and serious

buyers, this is the sort of store where a

real bargain could easily be discovered.

Plenty of second-hand effects and

amplifiers help fill out the space, while a

content looking dog nestled by the sales

desk adds to the laid-back air. Beautifully

positioned, full of beautiful kit and with

plenty of charm, there are not enough

guitar shops like Brighton Guitars

out there.

4. GUITAR AMP KEYBOARD

As one of the biggest online retailers in

the UK, you’d be right to expect a highly

impressive shop front from GAK. There’s a

staggering amount of kit packed into the

store that is nestled on the edge of

Brighton’s main shopping area. There are

comprehensive displays from pretty much

every manufacturer you can think of,

including Gibson, Fender, Gretsch, Dean,

Rickenbacker, Epiphone, Martin,

Tanglewood and Boss, making this the

perfect spot to while away the hours

dreaming about the perfect rig. An

adjoining recording and keyboard shop

and a nearby drum centre cater for

anything that’s not in the main store.

Plenty of keen staff prowl the space,

proffering help to all and sundry. A quite

simply phenomenal shop.

1. ADAPTATRAP

Just round the corner from guitar-based

competition Brighton Guitars and GAK,

Adaptatrap is a slightly different beast.

World percussion is the name of the game

here, and boy do these guys know their

way around ethnic noise makers. The

perfect destination for musicians looking

for something interesting sounding or

simply fun, the walls are packed with

digeridoos, banana shakers, various

glockenspiels and a whole host of other

weird and wonderful devices with equally

exotic names. There is so much in here that

demands to be hit, squeezed, tapped or

twanged that Adaptatrap is a huge amount

of fun to browse, and with some of the

friendliest and most knowledgeable staff

encountered in Brighton (no mean feat)

this is certainly one to visit if you are

heading down to the south coast. 2

1 5

4 5

51 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 15:37 Page 1

RETAIL

52 miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

Mark Peaple of Mark’s

Musical Instruments,

Melksham, says big

brands need to think

about the smaller shops...

How is business compared to this time

last year?

December sales were exactly the same as

last year on paper, but there seem to be

little upturns. Although the figures are the

same, business is gradually creeping up, so

there are still one or two people out there

with money.

How do you market the shop?

Through the website, local advertising and

the BT phonebook. Most customers find us

on Google because we come up on the

first page. I get people phoning me up

telling me they can get me on the first

page for £2,000. I tell them: ‘don’t worry,

I’m already there and it cost me nothing’.

There’s a local gig guide called The

Scrumpy we advertise in. That works well.

How do you compete with the online

competition?

We offer a service – information,

knowledge and experience. We do free

setups and customers are more than

welcome to play our instruments before

they decide to buy them. You don’t get

any of that online. And you can’t just drop

into a website for a chat.

What are your biggest strengths?

Customer relations are our biggest

strength. All of us here are good at dealing

with people and helping out. That’s our

biggest thing really.

How do you ensure a good level of

customer service?

By listening to the customer and finding

out what they want – spending a bit of

extra time with them. This is my living, so

I have to offer good service.

What is the one product you couldn’t

live without?

Guitar cables. We can’t sell enough cables

and picks. I’ve just ordered a load more.

How can the industry do more to

support retail?

The big manufacturers such as Fender,

Marshall and Gibson should look at the

smaller retailers and not force them to

spend so much just to get an account. I

could sell one or two high-end guitars and

it would help me have a bigger range. The

smaller shops are the ones that are

keeping on going, while a lot of the bigger

ones are going under. These brands should

pay more attention to us.

INDIE PROFILE

FACT BOXAddress: 11 Bath Road, Melksham,

Wiltshire SN12 6LL

Phone: 01225 899046

Owner: Mark Peaple

Established: 2005

Employees: Four

Best-selling lines: Westfield,

Enigma, Ashton

PEAPLE: Business is creeping up, so there are still one or two people out there with money

52 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 16:24 Page 1

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 53

RETAIL

music distribution services 7-12 Raywood Office Complex, Leacon Lane, Charing, Ashford, Kent, TN27 0EN, UKTelephone: +44 1233 712233 | Fax: +44 1233 714948 | Email: orders.uk@mds-partner.com | www.mds-partner.com

music distribution services:ten years of experience in the print music distribution business in the UK.

Fast, efficient and reliable. Professional and knowledgeable customer service staff based in the UK.Convenient and easy-to-use online ordering via: www.mds-partner.com.

Distributing more than 100,000 titles from over 100 sheet music publishers.A world-leading specialist in classical sheet music distribution, including: Boosey & Hawkes, G. Henle Verlag, Schott Music and Universal Edition.

SNOW WAY WEATHER CAN BEAT THE MUSIC

Our undercover retailer gets NAMM envy as he toils away in the British chill. At least the customers keep coming...

As the country ground to a halt

thanks to Jack Frost’s overly

enthusiastic sprinkling of

seasonal snow, our little musical

outpost remained defiantly open,

laughing in the face of extreme

weather and keeping our customers

stocked up with strings and plectrums

just when they needed them the most.

With a surprising amount of local

shops taking the chance to close and

stay closed for a few days while the

weather showed us all who’s boss, we

found that the arctic conditions were

nowhere near enough to keep local

musicians indoors. As opposed to the

deadly quiet time that was expected,

we found ourselves having a frankly

staggering few days. Maybe it’s because

everyone took a day off and decided

they could treat themselves to a new

guitar, maybe it’s God’s way of

rewarding shops that stay open when

all around are closing, who knows, but

whatever it was, we like it. It’s made

2010 a rather successful year thus far

and given us all a healthy glow of

optimism that even well below zero

temperatures can’t remove.

In a nice bit of ‘screw you’ timing, as

we were all freezing our bits off in the

harshest winter for many thousands of

years (probably), the luckier side of the

industry decamped to LA for NAMM.

Nice for them, I’m sure, but as ever it

will be interesting to see which new

products will actually have any impact

on the High Street. It’s a difficult one

to call, because of course everything

looks good when it’s bathing in the LA

sunshine, surrounded by scantily

clad, out-of-work porn actresses

and models and hyped to the

heavens by relentlessly enthusiastic

American PR folk.

In the cold light of a British winter’s

day, however, things can be a little

different, so hopefully this year’s show

will bring us products that will sell

through and help us all make 2010 a lot

easier than last year was for many.

Of course, we won’t know what is

and isn’t going to work until new gear

has started arriving in the UK and

reps have had a chance to get it all

to us, but it will certainly be

interesting to see. In the meantime, it’s

probably best to concentrate on making

the winter months fruitful while trying

not to get too bitter about the lucky

sods lapping up the LA sunshine...

“While we froze

our bits off, the

luckier side of the

industry decamped

to LA for NAMM.

BEHIND THE COUNTER

OPEN

FOR BU

SINESS

53 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 15:45 Page 1

54 miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

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

The generic sourceTascam put the word ‘Portastudio’ in the dictionary

30 years ago and hasn’t looked back since…

AT THE 1979 AES in the New York

Waldorf Hotel, Teac unveiled a

product that would change the

nature of recording and the

relationship between the musician

and the recording industry – forever.

The Teac 144 cassette

multitracker was the world’s first

Portastudio. Integrating a miniature

mixing console, tape transport, and a

mix bus that enabled two or three

tracks to be bounced across

internally, or four tracks to mixed

down to another stereo cassette

deck, into a single compact box, was

a major leap in design and

engineering. The 144 provided the

blueprint for the most important

home recording product ever: the

first of a long line of ‘porta’

products, now in its 30th year.

Tascam is the professional

products division of the Teac

Corporation, a $1.2 billion

electronics company based in Japan.

Founded in 1953, Teac is a market

leader in various technology sectors

including data storage, consumer

electronics and industrial products.

Tascam was formed that same

year and all subsequent products

bore the Tascam badge. While

Portastudio is a Tascam trademarked

term, it rapidly fell into common

use – a generic description for

cassette multitrackers.

Tascam began supplying open reel

tape recorders over 55 years ago,

and subsequently developed pro

cassette, CD, DVD, MD, DTRS, mixers

and flash memory systems as well

as amps and control devices.

After 22 years with Teac, UK

division manager, Tony Gravel,

stated: “I’ve seen Tascam become a

must-have line for UK dealers and

end users since we started in 1987.

“Earning a reputation for

innovative products offering years of

unfaltering service, Tascam today

provides that same level of quality

and value for every new generation

of media. 2010’s solid-state

products are designed to exploit to

the maximum the advantages of

file-based digital media networking

and connectivity in MI and AV

installations.” www.tascam.co.uk

THE PLACE FOR BUSINESS

MIMARKETPLACE

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

AALLPARTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0870 442 3336AVSL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0845 270 2411

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

CCOVERNOTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0121 327 1977 CBAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0208 816 8368

DDADDARIO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SALES@DADDARIO.CO.UKDBT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0800 234 2848

FFOCUS MERCHANDISE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8245 9035FCN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01892 603730FUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0113 320 0304

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

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

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

LLEED REPRESENTATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01243 378050LEISURETEC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01525 850085

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

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

RRICH ART . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WWW.RICH-ART.CO.UKROBERT MORLEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8318 5838ROTHWELL AUDIO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01204 366133

SSAXOPHONE UK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01892 662 533 SOAR VALLEY MUSIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0116 230 4926STEVE CLINKSCALE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01573 225 885

TTEAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01923 438880TOM AND WILL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0845 0945 659

WWIND PLUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0116 243 1698

54 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 15:01 Page 1

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 55

MI MARKETPLACEACOUSTIC DISTRIBUTION

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

ACCESSORIES AND GIFTWARE

ABROAD REPRESENTATION

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

AMPLIFICATION

55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63 mip117_v1 27/1/10 13:33 Page 1

56 miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

DISTRIBUTION

0845 270 2411

0845 270 2433

sales@avslgroup.com

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

DESIGNCLASSICAL GUITARS

MI MARKETPLACE

DISTRIBUTION

55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63 mip117_v1 27/1/10 13:33 Page 2

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 57

MI MARKETPLACE

DISTRIBUTION DISTRIBUTION

…more than just a gig bag!

Saxy!Visit us online at www.fusion-bags.com

Distributed by+ 44 (0)1483 238720

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55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63 mip117_v1 27/1/10 13:33 Page 3

58 miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

Your Box

Ready to Snatch01525 850085 www.leisuretec.co.uk

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

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

Order online @:www.allparts.uk.comor email us: info@allparts.uk.com

Pick a part

• Amp Cabinets • Capacitors • Hardware• Resistors • Transformers • Tubes

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55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63 mip117_v1 27/1/10 13:33 Page 4

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 59

MI MARKETPLACE

DISTRIBUTION

DISTRIBUTIONDISTRIBUTION

DISTRIBUTION

55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63 mip117_v1 27/1/10 13:33 Page 5

60 miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

INSURANCE AND BUSINESS

MI MARKETPLACE

GUITAR 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

Call Tom Harrison on 01132 589599 or email - tom@440distribution.com

DISTRIBUTION ETHNIC AND FOLK

55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63 mip117_v1 27/1/10 13:33 Page 6

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 61

MI MARKETPLACEMUSIC PUBLISHERS

PERCUSSION PERCUSSION AND DRUMS

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: sales@ocarina.co.uk

55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63 mip117_v1 27/1/10 13:33 Page 7

62 miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

REPAIRSPROMOTIONAL

MI MARKETPLACE

PERCUSSIONPERCUSSION

55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63 mip117_v1 27/1/10 13:34 Page 8

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 63

WIND INSTRUMENT

MI MARKETPLACE

CONTACT

JODIE

HOLDWAY

CALL:

(0)1992

535647

MI MARKETPLACE

GREAT ADVERTISINGOPPORTUNITIES

WIND INSTRUMENT

PIANOS (RH)

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

55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63 mip117_v1 27/1/10 13:34 Page 9

www.staggmusic.com

N SeriesProfessional cables designed for the

busy working musician doing live and studio sessions, who must adapt to each playing

situation and requires premium quality gear that can be relied on to deliver at all times.

Stagg. Quality cables for all applications, budgets and requirements.

X SeriesHigh performance cables featuring

genuine Neutrik™ connectors for the ultra discerning audiophile, seeking the highest

possible fi delity and endurance.

S SeriesHigh quality rugged workhorses that are

the quintessential companion for your rehearsal room, jam session, open mic or

sweaty club gig.

MARCH 2005

Cover Stars: Jason How’s Rotosound is The

Incredble String Brand – and what’s more, with

the world and his wife running scared from

European manufacturing, How is intent on

keeping it British

News: Sound Control buys Turnkey, Loud Tech buys

St Louis Music, Numark Alesis buys Akai, Future

buys Highbury House Publications, Roland sues

Behringer, Hendrix Estate wins copyright

Features: Yamaha/Lloyds TSB direct to education,

Piens’ Music Planet, Silclear, Freestyle Music

Products: Digitech Hendrix Experience pedal, JJ

Retro Lux guitar, Peavey 6605, Parker Mojo

Singlecut, Taylor T5 Koa Custom, Peavey PV series

mixers

Number one singles: Stereophonics: Dakota,

McFly: All About You/You've Got a Friend,

Tony Christie featuring Peter Kay: Is This the Way

to Amarillo

Number one albums: G4: G4, 50 Cent: The

Massacre, Stereophonics: Language. Sex.

Violence. Other?

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 mipro@intentmedia.co.uk...

64 miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

THE LAST WORD IN MI PRO

AT THE CHAIRMAN’S BASH

No sooner have the doors closed

on the opening day, than

NAMM’s organiser gathers the

great and the good of the world’s

MI trade. The Chairman’s

Reception is one of highlights of

the networking itinerary.

To the left is either a great

advert for all the fine food and

drink on hand or a dreadful

promotion for the latest

California weight loss fad.

In this (hardly candid) shot we

see Barnes & Mullins’ co-MDs

Brian Cleary and Bruce Perrin

flanking Wolfgang Lücke of

Musikmesse and some ugly

gate-crasher who had no right

being there.

S’MORE FACES

The great thing about international trade

shows is having the chance to bump into and

catch up with people you would only normally

see at... Er, well, international trade shows.

Clockwise from the right, we see Kevin

Bolembach of (would you believe) Godlyke

Distribution looking pretty chuffed with his

SuBo edition of MI Pro.

Trying to run away from California, we

couldn’t escape Andy Jones and Oz Owen of

Feedback PR in the Jetsons bar at LAX.

Jason Tavaria of Dolphin was back into gear,

keeping all his meetings at his exclusive office

at the show.

Keeping up with the Joneses is always tough,

expecially if it’s Ian and Howard of HHB and

Source. Ian Jones has sent MI Pro’s editor to

Coventry after missing his Christmas dinner.

Barrett has promised he’ll make the next one.

NAMM SPECIAL

64,65,66 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 14:53 Page 1

LATEST NEWSSTRAIGHT TO YOUR MOBILE

Bookmark us in your phone:

MOBILE.MI-PRO.CO.UK

SEND YOUR PICTURES TO CODA@INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO FEBRUARY 2010 65

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Introduced in 1957, the result of a

successful collaboration between

Gretsch and Chet Atkins, the

Country Gentleman is a rare guitar

that lays claim to having immense

playability, a distinctive sound and an

undefinable air of class.

Originally featuring a single

cutaway and fake f holes (a concession

to Atkins who wanted to cut down on

feedback), it moved towards its more

recognisable double cutaway shape at

the beginning of the 60s, when it also

acquired a slimmed down body. It was

a 1963 Country Gent that was picked

up in London's Sound City by the

guitar's most famous owner, The

Beatles' George Harrison.

An established Gretsch fan who had

already played a variety of Gretsch's

throughout the Beatles’ early career

and Hamburg days, it was to be the

Country Gent that was to become

most closely associated with Harrison

in the US, thanks to the band’s 1964

appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show.

The guitar continued to go through

minor cosmetic and electrical changes

and became a huge success.

While production hit a stumbling

block in the 70s as Gretsch, now under

the control of Baldwin, began dropping

features in order to cut costs, the

Country Gent was destined to return.

Sitting near the top of many

guitarists’ wish lists, we should thank

Chet Atkins for his achievement of

creating a true MI Icon.

MI ICON Gretsch Country Gentleman

SAVING THE BEST ‘TIL LAST

Clockwise from top: The MIA’s Paul McManus and NAMM’s Joe Lamond flank an, as yet,

unnamed member of the US trade. MI Pro’s ad manager, Darrell Carter, utilises his super

power (the inability to get a hangover) to disconcert the competition (Nick Beck also

learned from Carter and Steve Connolly that in order to get ahead in mag ad sales, he

will need to do something about that haircut). Marshall endorser Joe Bonamassa is

apparently also using Palmer effects pedals and DI boxes these days – whatever next?

Ignoring that, Paul Marshall and Steve Greenwood finally decide to stop working and

celebrate Greenwood’s birthday... or do they? Mia Walter of Future, Lee Worsely (with his

MIA hat on), Paul McManus and Claire Dove (also of Future) are surely not discussing the

London Music Show... or are they? The mighty Lemmy digs out his favourite hat for a

lengthy sitting and signing on the Marshall stand on the Friday. Turn it up, Lemmy...

CONTINUED...

64,65,66 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 14:53 Page 2

The super group to end all

super groups, featuring

members of Led Zeppelin,

Queens of the Stone Age

and Foo Fighters, rock fans

are still getting used to the

fact that such a monstrous

entity even exists. Here’s

how they make their noise...

SOUNDALIKESTHEM CROOKED VULTURES

NEXTMONTHThe first in a three month series looking

forward to, being at and reporting on

Frankfurt’s Musikmesse, the prestige electric

guitar market, the world of electric drums

and none other than the mighty Dunlop on

the cover. Don’t you dare miss it...

EDITORIAL: ANDY BARRETT

mipro@intentmedia.co.uk

ADVERTISING: DARRELL CARTER

darrell.carter@intentmedia.co.uk

Company/job

title:

440 Distribution/

owner

Years in the industry?

I started in 1991, so that's quite a long

time, 19 years now

First single bought?

That was Fun Boy Three featuring

Bananarama – It Ain’t What You Do, It’s

the Way that You Do It. It was cool ‘cos it

had Terry Hall, so I win points on that,

but lose them for Bananarama

Favourite album?

I'm very tempted to say 'Best of the

Beatles' but I don't think everyone will

get the reference, so it'll have to be Pet

Sounds or Holland by the Beach Boys

Currently listening to?

An mixture of Fountains of Wayne, Calvin

Harris and Eagles of Death Metal

Favourite musician?

Brian Wilson

Which instruments do you play?

Just the guitar

Are you currently in a band?

Not at the minute with two young kids

TomHarrison

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

JOSH HOMME – Guitar and vocals –

Various custom Maton electric guitars,

Fender Black Face Bassman, Vox AC30,

Dunlop QZ-1 Crybaby Q-Zone, Electro

Harmonix POG, Electro Harmonix Bass

Micro Synth, Lovetone Meatball, Boss

GEB-7 equaliser, Boss SD-1 Super

Overdrive, Aqua Puss analog delay,

MXR Phase 90, Whirlwind Selector,

Smart People Factory overdrive, Smart

Peoples Factory distortion and fuzz

box, Ernie Ball volume pedal

JOHN PAUL JONES – Bass and keys –

Fender Precision fretless bass, Fender

Bass V, Custom made Pedulla Rapture

bass, Acoustic Control Corporation 360

bass amp, Hammond organs, Hohner

Clavinet, Hohner Electra-piano, Fender

Rhodes, Mellotron, Korg Kaossilator

DAVE GROHL – Drums – DW

Collector's series kit, 24x 16 bass

drum, 13x 9 mounted tom tom, 16x

16 floor tom, 18x 16 floor tom, 14x

6.5 DW stainless steel/aluminum

snare, 22" or 23" DW gong drum, LP

tambourine, hi-hat tambourine,

Zildjian 15" K Light hi-hats, 24" Sound

Lab Prototype ride, 18" A Custom EFX,

20" A Custom crash,19" or 20" K Dark

China, 20" A Custom ReZo crash

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

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

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: mipro.subscriptions@c-cms.com

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

mipro@intentmedia.co.uk

Editor at LargeGary Cooper

gary@garycooper.biz

Associate EditorRob Power

rob.power@intentmedia.co.uk

Deputy EditorRob Hughes

rob.hughes@intentmedia.co.uk

Advertising ManagerDarrell Carter

darrell.carter@intentmedia.co.uk

Sales ExecutiveJodie Holdway

jodie.holdway@intentmedia.co.uk

DesignerClaire Brocklesby

claire.brocklesby@intentmedia.co.uk

Production ExecutiveRosie McKeown

rosie.mckeown@intentmedia.co.uk

CirculationPaul Little

mipro.subscriptions@c-cms.com

Editorial Production ManagerHelen French

helen.french@intentmedia.co.uk

PublisherDave Roberts

dave.roberts@intentmedia.co.uk

Managing DirectorStuart Dinsey

stuart.dinsey@intentmedia.co.uk

66 miPRO FEBRUARY 2010

64,65,66 mipro117_FINAL 27/1/10 14:54 Page 3

Visit Us:Visit Us:Visit Us:

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The Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo - Cantos de Españaperformed by Michael Newman & Laura OltmanDVD • 97550DVD • £17.99 • €25.95

Tarrega in Tablatureby Ben Bolt Book/CD set • 95689BCD • £19.95 • €28.95

Francisco TárregaHis Life and Musicby Stanley Yates & Graham Wade DVD • 21754DVD • £17.99 • €25.95

Marcin Dylla: GFA International Competition Winner 2007performed by Marcin Dylla DVD • 21932DVD • £13.99 • €19.95

Martha Masters GFA Winner 2000performed by Martha Masters DVD • 99786DVD • £13.99 • €19.95

Guitar Foundation of America Int'l Guitar Competition Winners, Vol. 1performed by Denis Azabagic, Martha Masters, Lorenzo Micheli, Judicaël Perroy, & Fabio ZanonDVD • 21366DVD • £17.99 • €25.95

Classic Guitar Artistryperformed by Denis Azabagic DVD • 98407DVD • £13.99 • €19.95

Judicaël Perroy in Concertperformed by Judicaël Perroy DVD • 98386DVD • £17.99 • €25.95

Fabio Zanon Classic Guitar Solosperformed by Fabio ZanonDVD • 97280DVD • £17.99 • €25.95

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Albéniz:Albéniz:Albéniz:

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