Mi Pro November 2009 - Issue 114

MIA AWARDS BPF YAMAHA BPM SPONGEBOB MUSIC FORCE M-AUDIO

No. 114 • NOVEMBER 2009 • WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK PRINT • ONLINE • MOBILE

SmoothSoundSound Technology covers just about every aspectof MI and pro audio since its purchase of HarmanPro UK. But just how slick is its operation today?

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT PROFESSIONAL � FOR EVERYONE IN THE MI BUSINESS

1 MIP 114 Cover_v3 23/10/09 16:13 Page 1

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

Introducing the latest member of the Marshall family – the Class5. A tonally rich 5 Watt all-valve combo thatexclusively features true class A circuitry from input to output, plus an abundance of pure Marshall tone, feel andresponse. Conceived in the wake of numerous requests from both professional stadium fillers and bedroomwiddlers alike, this compact yet punchy 1x10" amp is the answer to your low wattage, big tone prayers!

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

full page 26/10/09 11:11 Page 1

Dave Marshall has had quite a year, having to co-ordinate not only

the purchase of a huge distribution business, but also relocate the

whole shebang to his Letchworth operation. How has he coped?

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

business and work being done on MI’s front line

NEWS 6D’Addario UK, Reverb Leicester, MusicChina, Lyons’ clarinet, Yamaha pianos

DRUM NEWS 15Zildjian deals, Barnes takes helm atRhythm, the black side of Aquarian

MIA AWARDS 14Gongs galore

BPF 17The piano market Lords it

YAMAHA 20Yamaha pianos get all multi-layered

BPM 23The phattest show in town

STARTER PACKS 37Last chance before Christmas

LAG 40Rock chic – but acoustic

MARSHALL 43Donning a new amp

AVID 54A new umbrella for some old favourites

MUSIC FORCE 56When distribution is Gold

MARSHALL LAW 31

RETAIL

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61 62

6

14

COVER STORY

ISSUE 114 NOVEMBER 2009

65

23

PRODUCTSPRINT 66

PROFILE • SPONGEBOB MI 27JHS describes the new SpongeBob range of musical instruments as its

most universally accepted, but how does one get the licence?

NEWS 61The Music Show Dublin shifts into a newgear and impresses the public with acombined supplier/retailer show

RETAIL WINNERS 62Six retailers explain why they werepicked out by the MIA

INDIE PROFILE 64JG Windows of Newcastle

FRONT LINE 65The horrors of theft

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT • ACOUSTICS 45Veritably bursting at the seams, the sub-£500 acoutic market has

more product than you can shake a pick at

3 mip114_FINAL 23/10/09 17:21 Page 1

TEAC 20/10/09 16:24 Page 1

Show us the money

The show season is now well and truly upon us again,with a veritable swathe of events throughSeptember and October conspiring to both inspire

me and keep me away from my desk (both a treat and ahorror – particularly as deadline approaches).

In this issue, we ease you into the flurry of reports witha quick round-up of the jolly that is the MIA IndustryAwards (page 14 – and congratulations to all the winnerson the evening) and swiftly on to the British Piano Fair(page 17), at which that particular sector of the tradeexperienced a slightly quieter show in terms of visitornumbers, but an increase in business. As MI Pro goes topress, the BBC is announcing the official emergence of theBritish economy from recession. Judging by the commentsfrom the piano suppliers, we probably could have pre-empted the official figures by a month.

Following that, we have a report on the BPM Show(page 23) at the NEC, where the DJ industry clearlyshowed its own personal emergence as a corner of thebusiness that is most definitely here to stay.

Next month will see a full report on the Music ChinaShow in Shanghai – another show that experienced a(possibly) lower turn out, but no complaints whatsoeveras regards business done (there is a brief news item on theshow on page 6 to tide us over).

But for me, the real headline stealer was the The MusicShow, Dublin – and I didn’t even get along to it (althoughI certainly will next year).

In its sixth year, The Music Show has established itselfas a ‘must-attend’ gathering for the Irish trade and for alot of the UK, too, with organiser Hot Press promising evenmore international attendance next year.

The beauty of the Dublin show is that there has beenone rule since its inception that has remained sacrosanct:no trading on the show floor – and it has remained trueto that. Dozens of suppliers and retailers covered theshow space and not one single item of gear was boughtor sold physically at the show.

Of course, names, numbers and addresses were taken,possibly even a tasty deal done here or there, but thetransactions are bound to take place in a store after theevent. And the public loves it – as do the exhibitors.

As Gerry Forde of Roland Ireland explained to me: “Theshow brings in the public and we tell the retailers, ‘there’syour public, how are you going to get them in yourshops?’ Radical – and not without a spot of genius.

Andy Barrett

[email protected]

Dozens of suppliersand retailers coveredthe show space and

not one single item ofgear was bought or

sold physically at the show.

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EDITORIAL

MANAGING EDITOR

ANDY BARRETT

[email protected]

EDITOR AT LARGE

GARY COOPER

[email protected]

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

ROB POWER

[email protected]

DEPUTY EDITOR

ROB HUGHES

[email protected]

ADVERTISING MANAGER

DARRELL CARTER

[email protected]

DESIGNER

CLAIRE BROCKLESBY

[email protected]

EDITORIAL PRODUCTION

MANAGER

HELEN FRENCH

[email protected]

PRODUCTION EXECUTIVE

ROSIE MCKEOWN

[email protected]

CIRCULATION

PAUL LITTLE

[email protected]

PUBLISHER

DAVE ROBERTS

[email protected]

MANAGING DIRECTOR

STUART DINSEY

[email protected]

MI PRO CONTACTS

LATEST NEWS STRAIGHT TO YOUR MOBILEBookmark us in your phone:

MOBILE.MI-PRO.CO.UK

5 mip114_FINAL 23/10/09 17:19 Page 1

Reverb Leicester closes its doorsREVERB LEICESTER shut up shop

on October 16th, becoming the

second store in the original chain

to close, following the demise of

Reverb Sheffield in September.

The Reverb chain was

established by former Arbiter

director Andrew Landesberg,

following the purchase of six

former Sound Control stores in

April 2008.

On the day that Reverb

Leicester closed its doors,

Landesberg, the company’s

managing director, explained the

state of the company and gave

his reasons why the branch had

to go: “Unfortunately, the

performance at this location

was not in line with expectations

and while various steps were

taken to try and improve, it

continued to be a loss making

site for the company.

“As with the closure in

Sheffield, the decision to close

the store was primarily taken

on the basis of performance and

the site’s long-term ability to

make money.

“It is common knowledge that

both these sites are freehold and

the funds will be re-invested in

Reverb in order to assist with the

future growth of the company.

While trading conditions have

certainly not been at expected

levels, over the course of the last

three months, the remaining

stores are now starting to grow

again and we expect this to

continue to improve.

“Our target by the year end is

to ensure that all areas of the

business are profitable and once

we can achieve and sustain that

position we will then begin to

think about the expansion of at

least one further new store.”

REVERB: 0870 067 1234

NEWS

MD cites performance and lack of long-term potential as reasons for shutting another of the chain’s shops

Music China comes of ageShanghai show completes its eighth year on a high – despite lower

international turnout, firms are happy with domestic interest

D’ADDARIO & COMPANY has

announced the imminent

launch of of D’Addario UK. The

new operation has been

established to assume the

marketing and distribution

leadership for all D’Addario

accessory brands in the UK.

D’Addario UK will also be

opening a new distribution

facility in Gateshead.

“Since the mid-1970s, we’ve

been fortunate to work with

reputable distributors in

developing a strong market

presence for our accessory

lines,” states John D’Addario III,

the company’s executive VP.

“While we’re looking forward

to continuing these

relationships, we need to be

more of a resource to our

customer base in the UK.”

The new entity will be run

by former Summerfield sales

and marketing director, Simon

Turnbull. Turnbull has 15 years’

of experience in the distribution

of accessories and played a

primary role in the marketing

of D’Addario in the UK market.

“I’ve worked with the people at

D’Addario for years and I know

the products intimately”, he

said. “This opportunity was too

good to miss.”

The new company will

supplement the existing UK

distribution network of

D’Addario brands and dealers

can continue to contact Barnes

& Mullins for Rico reeds and

mouthpieces, Strings & Things

for D’Addario fretted instrument

strings or Summerfield for

D’Addario fretted and bowed

strings, Evans Drumheads, Planet

Waves accessories, HQ and

PureSound percussion products.

The planned opening date is

January 2nd 2010. Find out

more at the D’Addario UK

website – daddario.co.uk.

D’ADDARIO UK: 0845 643 6464

Simon Turnbull to head up new ‘marketing

and distribution leadership’ operation

D’Addario UK to

launch in 2010

THE 2009 Music China show

saw tens of thousands flocking

to it, although international

visitors were down this year as

a result of continued financial

pressures abroad. In China, the

recession has resulted in a drop

in growth to seven per cent of

GDP. However, the overall

picture of crammed aisles and

reports from exhibitors of an

awful lot of business being

done gave the impression of a

large Oriental shrug, asking

‘what recession?’

This year’s show, which saw a

return to UK exhibitor figures of

numbers not seen for around

five years, is also seeing more of

a shift away from simply

meeting Pacific Rim clients and

instead a move towards a

genuine push into the Chinese

domestic market, as the

infrastructure in China’s leading

cities and regulations from

central Chinese government

grow more sophisticated and

‘user-friendly’.

“Yes, there were fewer

Pacific Rim customers this

year,” commented Stephen

Wick of Denis Wick. “This was

more than made up for,

however, with increased

interest from the domestic

market, so it was still a great

show for us.”

“We had a very successful

event, taking on new

distributors in Turkey and

South Korea and getting great

response to the new products

from our existing distributors

who visited during the show.

We were very pleased with the

whole show,” added Tony Flatt

of Tanglewood Guitars, which

was one of many UK

companies now importing into

the Chinese domestic trade –

which is where the bulk of

business for British companies

was seen this year.

The next (December) issue

of MI Pro will feature a full

report of the show.

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“The decision was primarily taken on

the basis of performance and the site’s

long-term ability to make money.”

Andrew Landesburg, Reverb

LANDESBERG: “The remaining stores are starting to grow again”

6,7 mip114_FINAL 23/10/09 15:25 Page 1

NEARLY 20 years ago, Graham

Lyons introduced the Lyons C

clarinet to the world – and pretty

much single-handedly

revolutionised the teaching world

for woodwind instruments. Now,

after 20 years of development,

Lyons has taken the concept

further with the Lyons Clarinéo

Nuvo, which replaces the Lyons C.

The new design virtually

eliminates the need for any

maintenance. The bore and

mouthpiece remain the same and

the only assembly required is the

bell and the mouthpiece on to

the main body.

Tomandwill.com distribution

has launched the Clarinéo in the

UK, while US Band & Orchestra

Supplies/St Louis Music is

launching the product at the

same time in America. In both

cases the manufacturer of the

Clarinéo, Nuvo Instrumental,

engaged the services of The Trust

Network (TTN) to establish the

distribution.

“What our industry has missed

out on until now has been a way

to offer continuity to literally

millions of recorder players who

acquired the skills of blowing and

fingering an instrument to

produce music,” commented John

Hughes-Chamberlain, MD of

Tomandwill. “Now, the Clarinéo

lets us keep hold of them.”

“If ever there was a win-win

scenario, this is it. The child wins,

the dealer wins, music education

wins,” added Lyons.

Brendan Murray of TTN

confirmed that the key to the

appointment of John Hughes-

Chamberlain and his team at

Tomandwill as the UK’s distributor

was an understanding and vision

of the impact the Clarinéo can

have, as well as the investment to

realise that vision. He said: “Look

out for a concerted campaign to

reach teachers, music services and

parents and show how the

Clarinéo can bring thousands of

new six to ten-year-olds to

instrumental music.”

TTN: 01633 441361

TOMANDWILL: 08450 945659

NEWS

Clarinet with heart of a Lyons Salt gets Premier

THE MANCHESTER-BASED

audio specialist supplier RW

Salt Communication has

taken on the distribution of

Premier Percussion’s drumkit

product range.

To accommodate this large

shift in activity, RW Salt has

created a new division

responsible for the distribution

of its drum and percussion

products.

“RW Salt is delighted to

take on the distribution of

Premier drum sets in the

United Kingdom and Ireland

and via our new dedicated

drums and percussion division

we will endeavour to deliver

high levels of customer service

and technical support to our

new drum and percussion

customers,” said Craig Buckley,

RW Salt’s managing director.

For over 20 years, RW Salt

has supplied customers

throughout the UK with pro

audio products, making this

move one that will doubtless

inspire some degree of

curiosity. For its part, RWS has

underlined its long-term

philosophy of ensuring its

customers are provided with

consistent levels of technical

support, proven advice and

outstanding customer service.

RW SALT: 0844 980 8800

Audio specialist to distribute Premier drum

products throughout the UK and IrelandSuccessor to Lyons C model, expected to get more children playing

instruments, introduced to UK and US through deals brokered by TTN

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© 2009 FMIE

“We will endeavour to

deliver high levels of service.”

Craig Buckley, RW SaltThe Lyons Clarinéo Nuvo

6,7 mip114_FINAL 23/10/09 15:25 Page 2

YAMAHA USED the British Piano Fair to

announce details of a new promotion in

which all Silent system piano models will

be shipped with a Yamaha M-430 hi-fi

system free of charge.

And during its dealer meeting on the

evening of the first day of the show, the

company announced a new ‘scrappage’

scheme that will allow end users to bring

in their old pianos, acoustic or digital, in

a part exchange for a new Yamaha or

Kemble model.

“We are giving people the opportunity

to bring their old piano or digital piano

and walk away with a discount on a

quality acoustic,” commented Charles

Bozon, Yamha’s piano product manager.

”We think this is going to be a big deal

in bringing our range of pianos to a

wider market.”

Yamaha's Leanne Hassan said: “We’ve

created the hi-fi promotion to highlight the

traditional nature of the Silent series and

reinforce the fact that the instruments are

100 per cent acoustic, as well as being able

to be played silently on headphones

without compromising on sound or touch.”

These two promotions combine with

Yamaha’s zero-percent finance on its

acoustic pianos, giving end users a

remarkable package of added value and

dealers the opportunity of stepping up the

selling points during the sales process.

The M430 hi-fi that is being offered

with the pianos is one of Yamaha's most

popular audio systems and includes CD

player, DAB radio and integrated iPod dock.

You can read more about the Yamaha

dealer meeting at the BPF on page 20.

YAMAHA: 012908 366700

NEWS

FOLLOWING THE success of EMD’s

warehousing operation in Foshan, China,

which has seen the Brussel’s-based

company providing import turnaround

times second to none in the industry,

the company has now announced the

opening of its second warehouse in

the region.

The new facility is set to be

operational by the end of 2009 and will

provide an additional 12,300 square

metres of warehouse space.

As well as the massive increase in

stock availability this will bring – EMD is

hoping to reduce waiting times on direct

orders from China significantly – the base

will also have a series of dedicated

workshops for checks and quality control

before shipping.

EMD has told MI Pro that all Stagg

products destined for Europe and the USA

will pass through the new facility

precisely for this purpose.

EMD: 01293 862612

Extended far eastern warehousing to include extensive

quality control and reduce order waiting times

VETERAN AMP specialist Steve Yelding

has joined The Music Force Distribution

to handle a dual role for the rapidly

growing company.

Yelding, for many years a mainstay at

Marshall and later with Headstock/Laney,

has been appointed area sales manager

for the Midlands and Wales, representing

the company’s growing portfolio of

brands, including Ashton, Sparrow, Indie,

Mariner, GigSkinz and Engl Amplification.

He has also been appointed as national

business development manager for Engl

Amplification.

Arthur Achard, Music Force’s director

of sales, said: “This is an exciting time for

our company and Steve has all the

qualities, experience and personal

attributes that will endear him to our

retail partners, ensuring that they

continue to receive the support that they

deserve. It will also enable our company

to build on the dramatic growth and

expansion we have experienced over the

past few years.

“In addition to this, his knowledge and

experience in the amplification sector

will prove especially beneficial with the

development of Engl, its customers and

impressive roster of artists.”

“I have been very fortunate to work

for some fantastic companies and brands

in my career and each one has given me

a great deal in terms of personal

development and experience,” said

Yelding, commenting on his

appointment. “Like everyone else in the

industry, I have seen the impact that The

Music Force has made in the UK

distribution market in a short space of

time, with its attention to detail,

customer service and marketing support

and I am excited at the prospect of

contributing further to this. I will do my

utmost to ensure that the company

continues its growth to the mutual

benefit of both The Music Force and

its customers.”

MUSIC FORCE: 01780 781630

Yelding finds the Force


Former Marshall and Laney man to head UK’s Engl team

The firm’s latest set of promotions combine to make

dealer and user appeal second to none

Yamaha takes piano

promos to new level

EMD doubles up in China

YELDING: “I will do my utmost to ensure

the company continues its growth”

BOZON: “This offer will bring our

pianos to a wider market”

8 mip114_FINAL 23/10/09 15:28 Page 1

UK Freephone: 0800 432 0486 email: [email protected]

DISTRIBUTION NEWS

Chromefrets treatment is now in production after prompting from eager MI retailers

CHROMEFRETS, a process for

cleaning and polishing guitar

strings and fretboards using

liquid PTFE, also known as Teflon,

is now being pushed out for

general sale to MI retailers across

the country, through a new

company established by Richard

Hinchcliff for the purpose.

Chromefrets Silky Strings was

launched at the July Guitarfest

and to date over 20 shops are

stocking it. The theory behind

the product is that a guitar with

polished frets will dramatically

improve the look, but more

importantly the feel of the

instrument. Chromefret achieves

this, as well as making string

bending much easier and the

neck ‘faster’. Hinchcliff developed

the product for his own use, but

very quickly other guitarists

asked if he could make their

guitars play as smoothly as his –

and when a local music shop saw

the results the comment was

‘produce this commercially and

we’ll stock it’.

“Fret polishing has always

been the preserve of luthiers,”

commented Hinchcliff. “It

required specialist tools and was

labour intensive, but now it’s a

quick, safe process that any

player can achieve.”

Apart from polishing frets, the

product also re-hydrates fret

boards and lubricates the nut

and saddle, cleans the strings

around 360 degrees and inhibits

corrosion, which preserves tone

and reduces breakages.

“The music trade has been

very helpful in giving me advice,”

concluded Hinchcliff. “I’ve

listened to what the independent

retailers have said and taken

their comments on board. For

example, we’ve designed a

demonstrator swing tag so

dealers can ask customers to try

out the product – it’s one way of

building customer rapport and it

combats internet sales.”

Player reviews are on the

Chromefrets website (which you

can find at chromefrets.co.uk)

and Hinchcliff continues to visit

shops. “This is the first time I’ve

said to my wife I’m going to a

guitar shop and she has said:

‘Good luck, let me know how

you get on’.”

UK discovers Silky Strings

Musictrack takes

on MXL micsEstablished mic brand now available in the

UK through hi tech supplier

Reader,

Selectron

marries

RochesterExclusive UK

agreement for

Whirlwind USA’s

new range

SELECTRON HAS announced

that it has been appointed as

the sole UK distributor of the

new Rochester range of effects

pedals by Whirlwind USA.

The new range is named

after Rochester NY (not the

Charlotte Bronte hero), where

the Whirlwind factory is based

and where the pedals are

being manufactured.

Whirlwind’s history dates

back to the 1960s when

founder Michael Laiacona, a

teenage bass/guitar player,

began tinkering with

electronics. By the time he was

15 years old he had, out of

necessity, hand-built his first

PA system complete with a

mixing console, monitors,

power amps and homemade

speaker enclosures.

It didn’t take long to go

from soldering homemade

gear in his garage to producing

pro-grade equipment and a

few years later he graduated

from the garage to a small

factory on Goodman Street, in

Rochester NY, where he co-

founded MXR.

The initial vision was to

build a mixing console, hence

the name MXR (mixer) but

ended up creating guitar

effects pedals instead.

For further information,

email Kelly Downes at

[email protected].

SELECTRON: 01795 419460

Red Dog goes LividEdinburgh indie to distribute boutique

American controllers

RED DOG Music, the Edinburgh

indie, which was established in

the wake of the Sound Control

collapse, has been appointed as

exclusive UK distributor for Livid

Instruments, an American

manufacturer of hardware

controllers for music software.

Livid Instruments likens itself

to a custom guitar maker for

digital performance and crafts all

its products from fine woods and

quality metals. All of its boutique

range of controllers, including

the Ohm 64, are designed,

manufactured and assembled

entirely in-house, at the firm’s

factory in Austin, Texas.

Alex Marten, the MD of Red

Dog Music, commented: “In a

music world dominated by

computer software, it is

becoming increasingly important

that the one piece of hardware

that musicians still use – the

controller – is ergonomic,

flexible, and solidly built. We

believe that, with the Ohm 64,

Livid Instruments is unique in

bringing such a product to

the market.”

Red Dog Music invites both

trade and retail customers to get

in touch with the firm directly

for pricing information.

RED DOG: 0131 229 8211

THE MXL range of mics and mic

accessories is now available in

the UK via Musictrack.

The MXL line is designed by

veteran American professional

audio and video company

Marshall Electronics and the

range spans mics for a large

variety of applications and

budgets, going from the Genesis

tube microphone, recommended

for vocals, acoustic guitar, string

and piano recording and priced

at £599, to highly affordable

recording kits such as the

550/551R microphone ensemble.

The latter includes the MXL 550

vocal condenser and the 551

‘stick’ instrument mic,

recommended for guitars, drum

kits, pianos, stringed instruments

and more.

The mics have matching,

distinctively coloured bodies

and retail at £99 for the two,

including carrying case and

mic-stand adaptors.

The MXL range as a whole,

the press release says, “Offers

musicians the chance to own

mics that not only stand out

from the crowd for their

distinctive and colourful styling,

but also provide professional-

level sound quality and

dependable performance”.

Full details of the MXL range,

are available at the MXL website

or direct from the company.

MUSICTRACK: 01767 313447


Chromefrets: for

making guitars

play smoothly

MICHAEL LAIACONA

10 mipro114_FINAL 23/10/09 16:18 Page 1

Year Established: 1989

Number of employees: Over 50

Is business up or down compared to

last year?

Despite the economic slow-down, business

is still up on last year.

How has the current economic climate

affected business?

We didn’t grow at the rate we would have

liked to compared with other years, but we

still took on more staff and had record

turnover for the year.

What are your bestselling lines and why

do you think they perform so well?

All our brands are doing well.

What are your criteria for selecting

new products?

As both a manufacturers and distributor, we

are careful to stick with a few brands that

complement each other well.

What distinguishes you from the

competition?

We spend a lot of money designing and

making good products and choose carefully,

so we only distribute fantastic brands.

How do you maintain a good relationship

with retailers?

Our sales team has worked the UK for

many years and has built up a good rapport

with retailers. Retailers are basically our

lifeblood and it’s vitally important to show

them some appreciation and develop good

relationships with them.

What would you say is the biggest

challenge facing the industry today?

Maintaining the highest quality while all the

time taking into consideration the pressure

to meet price points.

What are your aims for the next 12

months?

To continue bringing great products to market

at the right price.

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PROFILE • DISTRIBUTION

Address: Windsor House, Turnpike Road, High Wycombe, Bucks HP12 3FX

Phone: 01494 462246 Fax: 01494 459920

Email: [email protected]

Contacts: Marketing: Simon Halstead, Sales: Steve Beeston

CONTACT DETAILS

Simon Halstead talks to MI Pro about how Focusrite and

Novation stay at the forefront of the dealers’ minds...

“As a manufacturer and a distributor, we are careful

to stick with brands that complement each other.”

Simon Halstead

The team picking

up an MIA award

last year

11 Mipro114_FINAL 23/10/09 17:09 Page 1

full page 14/10/09 14:13 Page 1

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO NOVEMBER 2009 13

CHRIS BARNES (pictured) has

been appointed editor of Rhythm

magazine, Future’s monthly

drumming magazine publication.

Working on Rhythm since

2004, Barnes joined Future to

become staff writer on the title.

Developing his role on the

magazine, he has worked his way

through the editorial ranks,

becoming features editor in 2006

and was promoted to deputy

editor in 2008.

As editor, Barnes reports

directly to Rhythm’s associate

publisher, Rob Last, and is briefed

to continue building on Rhythm’s

successful redesign, working

closely with the industry to

attract new drummers.

Barnes will hope to sharpen

Rhythm’s editorial focus on core

drumming topics, while ensuring

Rhythm strengthens its links

with Future’s online network

for musicians,

MusicRadar.com.

Barnes, who replaces Phil

Ascott, announced his

appointment in a letter to the

trade: “I’m honoured to be

taking the helm of a magazine I

have worked on for more than

five years and I’m looking

forward to developing Rhythm’s

reputation as a first class

magazine for drummers,” he

commented.

“Thank you for your

continued support of

Rhythm and I look

forward to working

with you all in the

near future.”

FUTURE:

01225 442244

Chris Barnes appointed Rhythm editor

THE AVEDIS Zildjian company

has announced that a new two-

year warranty is now in effect,

covering every Zildjian cymbal

purchased as of now.

Zildjian CEO Craigie Zildjian

commented: “We are moving from

our old warranty of one year to

the new two-year policy because,

quite simply, the consistency and

quality of our cymbals continues

to improve due to our recent

capital investment program in

the factory.”

The change will be

implemented through Zildjian

dealers and distributors

worldwide, effective immediately.

In a separate announcement,

Yamaha Music UK is launching

added value incentives for Zildjian

products to ‘increase consumer

exploration’ and offer savings

across the cymbal and drumstick

range until the end of 2009.

As part of the deal, a ten-inch

ZHT China splash worth £79 can

be claimed free of charge for

purchases of six pairs of Zildjian

sticks through to December 31st.

“This is not only an exceptional

offer,” the announcement

explained, “but also a great way

to explore Zildjian’s range of

products and add to your

collection of equipment.”

After purchasing six pairs of

Zildjian drumsticks, end users

should fill out the application

form in-store and send copies of

proof of purchase into Yamaha

Music UK, which will post the

free cymbal directly.

Zildjian also has an offer on

some limited edition drumstick

packs – the purchase of three

pairs of sticks includes a fourth

pair free of charge. It’s available

on six styles, including the new

Travis Barker Black signature stick.

Yamaha is running a

promotion on the Avedis,

Armand, A Custom, ZHT, ZXT and

ZBT cymbal sets. Available in

stores now, these special

promotional box sets include an

additional free crash cymbal up

to 18 inches.

All of the above added value

offers run while stocks last.

YAMAHA: 01908 366700

New warranty, plus introduction of new special offers from Yamaha Music UK while stocks last

DRUM CITY, the recently

launched drum specialist

retailer in Romford, Essex has

announced that DW Drums

will now be available in store

from November 7th.

To celebrate this, the shop

will be holding a DW Drums

and PDP Drums launch day

with a selection of high

profile special guests.

These include: Mark

Heaney (Gang Of Four),

Adam Bushell

(Faithless/Sheryl Crow) and

David ‘Scully’ Sullivan of

Razorlight.

The store has also

promised that there will be

some special launch-day

offers for customers

attending.

DRUM CITY: 01708 747700

Two years of cover with Zildjian

DRUM NEWS

THE US drum head

manufacturer Aquarian has

announced all-black versions

of some its drum heads.

The Z-100 black coating is

available on Response-2 heads,

Hi-Velocity snare heads and

Superkick III bassdrum heads –

with no increase in price over

the traditional equivalents.

The UK distributor, The

Music Shipping Company

(MSC), explained that the new

black coating offers the same

durability, resonance and

projection as the standard,

white Z-100 Aquarian coating.

MSC pointed out that these

twin-ply heads are used on

snares and toms, generally for

heavier playing styles, and

deliver great attack and a

full sound.

Finally, Aquarian’s Superkick

III black heads, featuring a

patented muffling system,

are reportedly easily

miked, with no extra

external or internal

muffling necessary.

Aquarian black heads

are available immediately

throughout the UK.

MSC: 01562 827666

Aquarian offers cosmetic option for heads

Black is back

Drum City

becomes DW

main dealer

Barnes replaces Phil Ascott at the helm of Future’s

monthly drumming magazine

Retailer celebrates

its new offering

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

VISIT WWW.MIKEDOLBEAR.COM FOR MORE DETAILS.

Grab handfuls of drumsticks

with the Zildjian offers

CEO Craigie Zildjian

13 Mipro114_FINAL 22/10/09 17:35 Page 1

The 2009 MIA Music Awards was once again a gala bash for all the great and the good in

the industry. MI Pro was there to pick out the victors and join in the celebration…

October 7th saw hundreds of

guests gather in the Park Lane

Sheraton Ballroom to witness the

2009 MIA Awards and some 28 prizes

handed out.

Of note, as ever, were the retailer

awards (see pages 62-63 in the retail

section for more information) and the

suppliers, where Barnes & Mullins picked

up the gong for best supplier (medium)

and Roland for the best supplier (large).

It was also a very good day for the

Kemble family, with Brian Kemble picking

up a special award for his contribution to

the piano industry and his brother,

Andrew Kemble, receiving a lifetime

achievement award.

Andrew Kemble also presented another

lifetime achievement award to his father,

Robert’s partner in establishing Yamaha in

the UK, Denny Jacobs. Acknowledging the

lateness of the award (Jacobs retired from

the business in the 1980s), Andrew

Kemble pointed out that it was no less

deserved for that – just a little overdue.

There was a new prize for contribution

to education, which went to one of the

evening’s special guests, Howard Goodall –

and was presented by another, the radio

DJ Simon Bates.

14 miPRO NOVEMBER 2009 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

Thanking mum

BEST BRASSWIND PRODUCT

Yamaha YAS275e sax

BEST WOODWIND

Jupiter 511ESSC flute (Korg)

CONTRIBUTION TO THE

PIANO INDUSTY

Brian Kemble MBE

BEST CLASSICAL PUBLICATION

ABRSM songbook (Ross Campbell,

Robert Forbes, Lilija Zobens)

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION

TO MUSIC EDUCATION

Howard Goodall

LIFETIME CONTRIBUTION TO

MUSIC

Andrew Kemble

INNOVATION IN PRINTED MUSIC

PUBLISHING

Notecrackers (Music Sales)

BEST EDUCATION PUBLICATION

Stringpops series by Peter Wilson

(Faber)

RETAILERS AWARD FOR

DISTINCTION IN PRINTED MUSIC

PUBLISHING

Johnny Brading (Music Sales)

BEST EXPORT INNOVATION

World Rhythm Percussion

ROB WILLIAMS BUSINESS

ENTERPRISE AWARD

Nevada Music

INDUSTRY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Denny Jacobs

BEST NEW PRODUCT

Korg Nano series

BEST COMPUTER MUSIC PRODUCT

Akai APC40

HOME STUDIO PRODUCT OF

THE YEAR

M-Audio Axiom keyboard

BEST ACOUSTIC GUITAR

Martin 1 series (Westside)

BEST ELECTRIC GUITAR UNDER

£600

Fender Squire Classic Vibe

Stratocaster 60s

BEST ELECTRIC GUITAR OVER £600

Fender Road Worn series

BEST PERCUSSION PRODUCT

Tama Starclassic Performer

bubinga/birch kit (Headstock)

Bates singing Goodall’s praises

It was a good day for the Kembles, with Brian

Kemble picking up a special award for contribution

to the piano industry and his brother, Andrew

Kemble, receiving a lifetime achievement award.

EVENT REVIEW • MIA AWARDS

THE WINNERS IN FULL BEST AMPLIFIER

Marshall JVM410

BEST METAL GUITAR

Ibanez S320 (Headstock)

PRINTED MUSIC PUBLISHER OF

THE YEAR

Faber Music

BEST SUPPLIER (MEDIUM)

Barnes & Mullins

BEST SUPPLIER (LARGE)

Roland

PRINTED MUSIC RETAILER

Lynne Ackerman (Ackerman Music)

TAKE IT AWAY RETAILER OF

THE YEAR

Symphony Music and Technology

Centre

BEST POP PUBLICATION

Music Sales

BEST SPECIALIST RETAILER

Guitar Village

BEST RETAILER (INDEPENDENT)

Red Dog Music

BEST RETAILER (MULTIPLE)

PMTRoland’s Simon Griffiths and John Booth

The B&M team with co-MDs Bruce

Perrin (far left) and Brian Cleary

Andrew Kemble (left) picking up

the Lifetime Achievement Award

Brian Kemble MBE

14,15 mip114_FINAL 23/10/09 16:32 Page 1

MIA AWARDS • EVENT REVIEW


Denny Jacobs (left) and that ‘long

overdue’ award for his contribution

David Atkinson (left) and Ken

Dewar pick up M-Audio’s gongFuture’s Neville Marten and

Westside’s Jonny van der Schoot

The Headstock team ( James

Laney, centre) – very metal

Howard Goodall (left) – an

outstanding contribution

Best amp? There can be only one

winner: Marshall, of course

14,15 mip114_FINAL 23/10/09 16:32 Page 2

0%INTERESTFREE FINANCEON SELECTED YAMAHA PIANOS

Yamaha’s three-pronged attack

Difficult trading conditions call for positive action. That’s why Yamaha is putting millions of pounds into a series of initiatives designed to stimulatethe piano market. In addition to our already popular interest free finance offer, we’re giving away an award-winning stereo with every new Silent

Piano purchased and encouraging trade-ins of both acoustic and digital pianos with the Yamaha Upgrade Bonus scheme.Call your Regional Manager today for more details.

www.yamahapianos.co.uk

full page 26/10/09 11:15 Page 1

The British Piano Fair did not so much

rise from the ashes of the old BMF

as sprang, mushroom like, into the

space left by the uprooted old show in

2007. Back then, the news that the BMF

was to shift to a September date was

greeted by the piano suppliers and dealers

in the country with considerable approval.

The rest of MI was less willing to embrace

the idea and so Colin Holdsworth, eagerly

prompted by Brian Kemble, hastily rented

the Pillar Hall at Olympia, hired out the

space to eight or so suppliers – and the

piano dealers gladly attended.

A year later and with more companies

wanting to take advantage of the

laid-back, quieter environment of a

piano-only show, Holdsworth moved the

show to the Nursery Pavilion at Lords – to

even more murmurs of approval.

Third time lucky – and back at Lords –

this year’s show proved a tad quieter in

terms of visitor numbers, but no less

approval was forthcoming. In fact, when

dealing with such small numbers, the ten

or so dealers that didn’t come this year

barely impacted upon the overall feel of

the show, with the buzz added to instead

by the increase in educators and

technicians visiting.

“I don’t think it was even so much the

bad economic climate that kept people

away this year,” explains Holdsworth. “I

think it was more the unusually good

weather and the fact that the Jubillee Line

was not running that tipped the balance

for a few who were wondering whether to

come or not.

“In the end, the exhibitors were all very

satisfied with those who came, the visitors

were extremely pleased with the quality

of the show and I simply could not be

happier with the result.”

The show saw three new exhibitors this

year – Scalerail, Broughton Pianos and

Roland – three very different companies

to say the least.

Broughton Pianos is a West Midlands

retail operation that also imports a select

range of acoustics. Roland, of course,

brings a ‘digital-only’ flash of colour to the

proceedings and Scalerail adds an entirely

new dimension to the show.

The brainchild of Jeremy Russell of the

Royal College of Music (RCM), Scalerail is

an educational aid that eliminates bad

posture habits from the word go.

Essentially a rail with two sliding wrist

rests, the learner places his or her wrists

on the contraption and is in the ideal


“The exhibitors were all very satisfied with those

who came and the visitors were extremely

pleased with the quality of the show.”

Colin Holdsworth, British Piano Fair

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The British Piano Fair made it three out of three this year with a successful, albeit moderately quieter show at Lords

Cricket Ground. Andy Barrett gets bowled over by the news that pianos are doing very well, thanks very much…

BRITISH PIANO FAIR • SHOW REVIEW

EVENT: British Piano Fair

DATE: September 20th and 21st

VENUE: Nursery Pavilion, Lords

Cricket Ground

EXHIBITORS: 15

VISITORS: 152 (79 retail outlets

represented)

VERDICT: For the third year

running, the BPF has shown that

the piano market is a different

beast from the rest of MI and

needs its own space. With the

piano sector missing out on

Musikmesse this year, the show

gave the (fewer) retailers that

came along a unique chance to get

face to face with suppliers and

prove that business is still going

pretty well.

Hat trick

17,18 mip114_FINAL 22/10/09 17:43 Page 1

SHOW REVIEW • BRITISH PIANO FAIR

position for playing the entire length of

the keyboard.

The product was first shown at Winter

NAMM this year, following two years of

development. The new company has only

now found the right manufacturer for it

and should be shipping as this issue of

MI Pro hits the streets.

“Obviously, it is crucial to get the

teachers taking notice,” explains Russell.

“Our first task is to get it in front of them.

I think the best route will be to get some

good endorsements in the UK from

teachers at the RCM and other top

schools. The reaction has been very good,

so we’re hopeful.”

Roland dipped its toes into the event’s

shallow waters for the first time and had

just three pianos on show this year –

the new F-110 (launched through the

recent Roland Connect online initiative),

the DP-990 and the LX-10, the latter

aimed to ease acoustic-only retailers into

the digital market.

The LX has user-adjustable hammer,

escapement, resonance and tuning

configurations and looks at a glance like a

traditional upright acoustic.

“We went to talk to dealers we don’t

know – although we met some we know

very well, of course and that was just

fine,” says Roland UK’s keyboard product

manager, Sean Montgomery. “We’ll

definitely do this again. We found some

strong leads, it was of minimal cost and

turned out to be a really effective way to

reach out to piano dealers.

“Some dealers immediately saw that

the pianos could work alongside their

usual stock and not upset their acoustic

business. This is the real bonus of the

show. The cost to see these dealers

individually, with samples and so on, is

clearly impractical or if not, hugely

expensive. We’ll definitely do this again.”

Also doing some pretty good business

with digitals was Intermusic, currently

pretty chuffed with the response to its

Bentley branded models, which

doubled up in the acoustic market, too.

Some of these models were doing well

as ‘unbranded’ sales, on to which dealers

can add their own branding. There were

also the new Hoffman and Petrof models

on display.

“We did incredibly well at the show,”

says Richard Webb. “There weren’t that

many dealers there, but the ones that

showed up placed big orders – particularly

on the Monday. It reminded me of the

early days of Intermusic – big orders

across the brands, so I was very pleased.

“I think a lot of dealers are concerned

that there is no longer a British

manufacturer, so a lot of people came

specifically to look at the new Hoffmans

and Petrofs. It was also good to see a large

number of educators at the event. We

have garnered considerable interest with

some schools and conservatoires in the

Bechstein Model B. I think there will have

been some good business done there as

a result.”

Once again the busiest stand at the

show was that of HJ Fletcher & Newman,

with the technicians checking out all of

the bits and pieces essential to their trade.

Some nice, eye-catching accessories were

also on show.

“Business has been pretty slow recently

and everybody is going through some

tough times, but shows like this are really

good for meeting up with your customers,

getting to know them a bit better, putting

a face to a name and inspiring a bit of a

push on sales,” says the company’s

director, Emma Ford. “It’s really great,

so we were hopeful that we would get a

lot out of the show – and so it has proved

to be.”

It is all change at the Piano Warehouse

this year – well, in terms of its models,

anyway. The company was showing the

new Steinmeyer 127 Pro mk II (replacing

the old 126) and a quite delightful new

Gors & Kallman Bauhaus upright, an art

deco style cabinet – it’s very attractive,

with chrome and striking angles.

Weber has recently been employing the

services of the US piano guru Ralph

Andrew, who went along with some new

models for Yeung Chang, the

manufacturer. The 112 and 114 (taking

over from the 109 and 110) will be

available from January and, the UK

suppliers tell us, hit a new level of quality

for Chinese-made pianos. They use all-

imported components, such as UK felt,

German strings, US sound boards and the

company is taking orders now.

“We saw more dealers than we

expected, although numbers seemed

overall much the same as last year,”

Howard Martyn points out. “Initial orders

at the show were actually down, but the

following week we had a massive,

phenomenal response from those that had

come. The show had a really good vibe,

the retailers seemed very buoyant, the

new models created a good response –

altogether, it was very good. Three hits out

of three as far as we are concerned.”

Much of the show was quiet on the

Yamaha stand on the Sunday as the

company prepared for its big meet

regarding its piano dealerships for Yamaha,

Kemble and Bösendorfer (see report on

pages 20-21). Nevertheless, for a company

that could offer a selection of B-pianos up

to a smart grand, all with silent function,

all available on zero per cent finance, a

new scrappage scheme and a free hi fi

system thrown in for good measure (see

news pages), all on the one stand, there

was a lot of business to be done and some

good magnets to draw the dealers in.

Dr Robin Loat of Forsyths held court at

the show with a passionate discussion

about Schimmel and how he believes the

brand is a genuine alternative to

established concert grands. “A lot of the

established brands are, in relative terms,

quite brash and miss a lot of the most

subtle nuances,” he explained. “The

Schimmels are full of colour and warmth,

but not at the expense of achieving a

cutting brightness as well. A lot depends

on how you play, but again, Schimmel

wins on that front as it puts the control of

the tone in the hands of the player.”

If you want to know where the trends

are in terms of the acoustic market, there

is probably no better place to go than

Barry Caradine. The renowned piano

restorer sees just about any new flavour of

the month before anybody else – and the

word is that black is back. “Most definitely

back – but possibly because it is the

cheapest finish,” he says. “A lot of

manufacturers are looking to go a cheaper

route and black polyester covers (literally)

a multitude of sins.”

Caradines showed off its new retro-fit

pianola system, Live Performance LX,

which is being touted as the world’s first

high definition player system that can be

fitted to any piano. While something of a

luxury – it costs around £5,000 to fit –

Caradine points out that there are good

dealer mark-ups available and comments:

“The system is a lot more accurate than

MIDI. It can tell where the pedal has been

used to within one-tenth of a millimetre.”

From Scalerail, through digital, to the

Live Performance LX – who said the piano

market wasn’t very dynamic?


Simon Pegg (left) popped by as a surprise visitor, seen here with John Beckingham HOLDSWORTH: “Could not be happier”

17,18 mip114_FINAL 22/10/09 17:43 Page 2

Piano Warehouse 19/10/09 12:43 Page 1

COMPANY PROFILE • YAMAHA

It’s difficult to have any sympathy for

corporates. They pervade our lives daily,

whether on the High Street, in the

office or on the internet, their messages to

us are as relentless as British summer rain

and yet our recourse to them is nothing if

not knotty.

Coupled to that, they have a tendency

to merge and consume – rather like

bacteria in reverse. Fancy a Bacardi and

Coke? Well, if you want to spread the

wealth a bit, you’d better mix that brand

of white rum with a Pepsi, otherwise the

same people are profiting from both

measures. All the while, we are painfully

aware that they exist for one purpose

only: the bottom line. As I said, it’s difficult

to feel good about them.

This is one reason why we are lucky in

the MI business. Corporates that dominate

the business are fairly numerous (certainly

in comparison to the food, drink and

pharmaceutical industries) and tend to be

given a good run for their money by the

plethora of wannabes that sprout like

mushrooms. The personal touch remains

vital to our industry and the corporates

have to maintain some sort of amenable

access to the predominantly independent

nature of their customers – the retailers.

Hats off, then, to the biggest of them

all, Yamaha, which has managed to

simultaneously pull off a pan-European

rationalisation of its business, produce

a degree of certainty as regards pricing

and generally make some decisions that

other companies would have turned into a

political nightmare.

The new ‘European model’ of Yamaha is

taking shape and that was illustrated to its

most detailed degree so far at a dealer

meeting held on the evening of the first

day of the British Piano Fair. The reason

given for the shindig was, of course, the

closure of the Kemble & Co factory at the

end of October and the introduction of

the new Kemble pianos to be made at

Yamaha’s Indonesian factory.

The evening was opened by the

managing director of Yamaha Music UK,

Mike Matsamoto, who spoke of the One

Yamaha scheme, which he announced will

be fully operational by April 2010 (one year

after it was first announced at 2009’s

Musikmesse). It represents the biggest

change in Yamaha’s operations in Europe

since the company first began here in the

1960s and Matsamoto sees his company as

being the first to operate on the Old

Continent under a single corporate

umbrella. It’s pretty clear that he recognises

what is going on in people’s minds, though:

“I’m well aware of the concerns people

have that we might ignore local needs. All

I can say is that this is wrong. We

understand better than anybody the

importance of regional differences.”

Matsamoto concluded by reminding

those present that every company has

to change to survive, but that should

never mean that Yamaha and its dealers

stop growing.

Yamaha’s European president, Masato

Oike, took the podium next to talk more

about the One Yamaha initiative. He

explained that changes in the European

market, from the perspective of end-user

behaviour, lifestyle and way of thinking,

had been ongoing for the past ten years in

particular and it was from this that the ‘new’

European Yamaha structure had grown.

“One Yamaha means we can respond

and make make decisions much faster,”

said Oike. “Second, with the support

of a common policy, we can deepen

our local marketing efforts. Finally, a

unified European business will lead to

operational excellence.”

He also underlined the importance of

regional input for the centralised

organisation. “It would be a mistake to

think we are making some sort of

monotone business,” he explained. “The

German office will not be responsible for

all key decisions – all decisions will include

local input and involvement. Furthermore,

there will be no consolidation of all local

functions in Europe. Yamaha is a

manufacturer, which means we need to

have strong products to sell. We have to

recognise all local markets. We have

changed the business framework, but not

the philosophy of making more music.”

In terms of pianos, the new structure

boils down to one key phrase: multi-brand,

which, much like any dominant business,

gives consumers recognised brands across

the market – in Yamaha’s case, its own

Yamaha brand, the prestigious Bösendorfer,

and Kemble.

And it was what was going to happen

to Kemble that interested most of the

assembled guests, so the introduction of

Brian Kemble to the stage was met with

no little trepidation. There is undoubted

sadness in the UK at the news that a 100-

year-old manufacturer is finally to close its

doors for the last time and this was ably

expressed by the company’s co-managing

director, although not with any saccharin,

Tying together a company the size of Yamaha over a territory as varied as Europe is a task of Herculean proportions. That

said, success has never come from shying away from a challenge. Andy Barrett has a look at Yamaha’s piano business…

One roof


Yamaha UK’s piano sales manager Charles Bozon (left) and MD Mike Matsamoto (right)

20,21 mip114_FINAL 22/10/09 17:52 Page 1


YAMAHA • COMPANY PROFILE

but through cheerful anecdotes and the grateful

recognition that, had it not been for Yamaha, Kemble

& Co would have closed in 1981.

In the end, Kemble explained, it boils down to

economies of scale and he reiterated Oike’s outline

that with Yamaha manufacturing in Japan and

Indonesia (and Bösendorfer in Austria), the company

can compete on large-scale, high-volume

manufacturing, producing the highest quality

instruments like the heavyweight it is.

Brian Kemble related how he had been to

Yamaha’s Indonesian factory, where the new

Kemble pianos will be made: “I was very impressed,

not only with the quality of the pianos, but at how

they listened to everything I said. I can confirm that

the sound is Kemble’s. I found some problems with

the cabinets and with the colours. The walnut satin

was too dull, for example. All of this was taken on

board. I am delighted with the UK mahogany, which is

light and thoroughly unlike the darker, Asian

mahogany finishes.

“As this was an opportunity to improve the piano, I

insisted upon a new hammer and one embellishment

proffered by Yamaha I rejected. I am very pleased with

the pianos – and I am delighted with the sound.

Because of the economies of scale, Yamaha can spend

much longer on the voicing of the pianos than we

could have in the UK for the price – it’s bettered what

we could do here.

“Yamaha understands the importance of sound, as

we know from the Kemble grand, which Yamaha has

always made. It’s essentially a Yamaha, but it has a

different sound. The new Kembles sound slightly

different again – but they sound really good. It is the

unmistakable, mellow Kemble sound. I genuinely

believe Kemble pianos are getting better.”

After Harold Kinsky’s presentation on behalf of

Bösendorfer, taking in the manufacturer’s impressive

200-year history and its status as one the most

prestigious brands in the world, Yamaha Music UK’s

piano sales manager, Charles Bozon, had the unenviable

job of pulling together all the strands and outlining

what all of this means to the UK piano dealer.

In essence, little changes. The currency-driven price

hikes are over and the dealer agreements are in place

– and Kemble dealers will retain their agreements and

margins as before. But what has changed as a result of

the multi-brand policy is the degree of choice

available to the country’s piano sellers.

“The key to all of this is the multi-brand scheme,” he

said. “Yamaha is now covering all sectors and prices in

the piano market. In much the same way as the VW

Audi group took on companies such as Skoda – and

vastly improved it – Yamaha in Europe now has a piano

to cover every quality requirement from the customer.”

He explained that while the Kemble and Yamaha

offerings had been streamlined somewhat, the fact

that all three brands (Yamaha, Kemble and

Bösendorfer) are available from the single source of

Yamaha means the offering to dealers has increased in

real terms. To keep the automotive metaphor going a

little longer, Bozon also announced that Yamaha was

introducing a ‘scrappage’ scheme (which you can read

about in more detail on page eight).

Talking to Bozon afterwards, he stressed the

importance to him and Yamaha that the company

wants to work with and not against the dealer:

“Kemble dealers have an emotional attachment to the

brand,” he said. “With the help of Brian Kemble, who is

a primary source of that emotion, we believe we are

cherishing and maintaining the characteristics of the

brand. I think it’s also important to point out that

Kemble and Yamaha have been competing products

until now, but from here we are all in the same house

– with Bösendorfer there as well. Yamaha can put the

huge marketing clout behind these brands and put

them in the mainstream.”

Some may wonder if, once it has re-established

Kemble as its own brand, Yamaha could then absorb

the range into its general portfolio, or even see it

disappear. Bozon strongly refutes this: “This has to be a

long-term plan. Kemble dealers are listening to us and

they will make their own judgments. Yamaha realises

that loyalty can’t be bought – it has to be earned.”

Bozon also pointed out that the key to the success

of the ‘new’ Kemble pianos lies in the hands of the UK

dealer. “This really is all about the UK dealer as far as

Kemble is concerned and I know the UK dealers will let

us know whether we are doing things right or wrong.”

Which brings us back to the starting point again

and the fact that Yamaha behaves a lot more like a

musical instrument company than a global corporate.

Many of the decisions it makes are typical, hard-

hatted corporate decisions, but they are made with a

frankness (and a degree of planning) that has to be

admired. And it aims to be accessible, unlike many

companies a fraction of its size.

YAMAHA: 01908 366700

Brian Kemble (left), next to Yamaha’s European president, Masato Oike (right)

“The key to all of this is the multi-brand scheme. Yamaha in

Europe now has a piano to cover every requirement.”

Charles Bozon, Yamaha Music UK

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Graduating to the vast halls of the NEC for its third birthday, the 2009

BPM show was the best yet – by some margin. Rob Hughes grabbed

his cans and headed to Birmingham for a slice of the action…

Up toscratch

BPM • EVENT REVIEW

EVENT: BPM

DATE: October 3rd to 4th

VENUE: NEC, Birmingham

EXHIBITORS: 70-plus firms

representing over 100 brands

VISITORS: 3,897

VERDICT: A packed and vibrant

event. With 50 per cent more

visitors than last year, it has a

promising future ahead.

23,24,25 mip114_FINAL 22/10/09 12:18 Page 1

EVENT REVIEW • BPM

It was, quite literally, all hands on decks

at the National Exhibition Centre early

last month and I’m not just talking

about the mass of dance music

enthusiasts who made their annual

pilgrimage to sample the latest offerings

of DJ jiggery pokery. As I stepped onto the

show floor at this year’s BPM, it was

immediately apparent that everyone

involved had pulled together and got

behind the event with more enthusiasm

than the animated ‘turntablist’ who

greeted visitors at the entrance.

So awestruck was I at the levels of

production that had gone into the show

that I accidentally ignored the poor lady

who was desperately trying to check my

ticket, as I sauntered absent-mindedly

towards the glowing lights and warm

swells of bass that were beckoning me in.

It wasn’t until I felt a sturdy head teacher-

like prod in my arm that she got what she

was after and walked off shaking her head

and muttering.

But the NEC’s surly staff couldn’t

distract me from what was, visually and

sonically, the most impressive show I’ve

walked into in some time. Market-leader

Pioneer was an instant draw, with what

looked like a custom BPM booth and a

huge crowd, which had gathered to watch

a superhuman performance by James

Zabiela, rightly one of the world’s most

high-profile DJs and an ambassador for

the company. His presence alone was

testament to the pace that the show is

gathering, even in its infancy.

On my way to Birmingham I was

excited about getting to grips with the

numerous bits of kit being debuted at the

show, but I wasn’t expecting this much

live entertainment. I thought the sound

levels at the show would be harshly

controlled but, happily this was not the

case and conversations could still easily

be had.

TOPICAL PRESENTATIONS

The educational aspect of the show also

proved very successful, with seminars

covering all aspects of DJing as a career

and panel presentations tackling topics as

wide-ranging as music production,

promoting and club and mobile DJing. All

this came as a pleasant surprise, which I

think was shared by my fellow visitors: the

fact that the show had exceeded

expectations was written on their faces.

And not only were visitors impressed,

they also seemed to be in the mood for

spending cash and that meant the exhibitors

were equally as thrilled with the show.

After stopping by the Pioneer booth I

followed my ears to the next loudest

stand, which turned out to be that of

Adam Hall, which was hosting Pimp My

Ride DJ Richie Don, who played through an

assortment of the firm’s popular PA gear,

of which they had shifted a great deal.

A CRACKING SHOW

Adam Hall’s David Brown commented: “It

was a cracking show for us; the mix of

trade and consumer visitors was fantastic

and even though we had one of the

smaller booths, it was one of the busiest

at the show. Having Richie performing on

the stand no doubt helped – he really

pulled in a crowd and we sold nearly all

the gear, which was great for two reasons:

the business, of course, but also because it

meant that there was very little left to put

in the van once the show was over.

“The portable PA systems got a lot of

attention from retailers who tended to say:

‘why have I not got these in my shop?’ The

show gave us the chance to demonstrate

just how good they sound. It was also a

fine opportunity to show off the new LD

Premium lines, particularly the VA-4 mini

line array, which got a great response.”

A favourite with pro jocks for its Xone

series of mixers, Allen & Heath celebrated

the tenth anniversary of the range at the

BPM show and added yet another model,

the Xone:DX, a new plug 'n' play DJ

controller that was launched on the first

day of the event. The result of close

collaboration between A&H and Serato,

Xone:DX is a 20-channel USB soundcard

and features total integration of the brand

new four-deck Serato Itch software.

“Serato has always been an admirer of

Allen & Heath’s DJ hardware and we’ve

watched the development of the Xone:D

series of controllers with keen interest. In

our opinion, Allen & Heath designs some

of the best music production software

controllers in the professional field,”

explained Serato MD Steve West. “Rather

than a partnership to simply bundle our

products, we wanted to collaborate with

A&H at the drawing board stage, and

design a product that would fully

manipulate the new version of Itch.”

Another highly anticipated controller to

be unveiled at the show was Novation’s

Launchpad – billed as offering the most

interactive experience possible in Ableton

Live. Launchpad communicates

bi-directionally with the software to give

users real-time session feedback. It has

been jointly designed by Novation and

Ableton and is based around an 8x8 grid


Novation’s Launchpad was a big attraction at the show and pulled in the crowds Distributor 2Twenty2’s stand had lots of gear to show off

DJ Richie Don took to the

decks on Adam Hall’s

stand at this year’s BPM

23,24,25 mip114_FINAL 22/10/09 12:18 Page 2

BPM • EVENT REVIEW

of backlit buttons that address a

multitude of functions, with the help of

mode selectors that transport the user

around the Live interface. Its primary

function, however, is launch and stop clips

in Live’s session view.

INCREDIBLE RECEPTION

Focusrite’s Simon Halstead commented:

“BPM was the first public outing of the

Novation Launchpad which, together with

Ableton, places us firmly in the

consciousness of DJs. We knew this

product was going to generate interest,

but the reception we had prior to and at

the show was absolutely incredible."

On the M-Audio stand, Avid, with its

new DJ gear distributor, New Horizons,

showcased tools based around its Torq

software, which allows computer DJs to

mix, effect and otherwise manipulate

digital music files – and produce their own

sounds – using hardware controllers or

standard decks, either vinyl or CD. The

latest version of the software, Torq 1.5,

was being used to great effect by the DJs

present and among the hardware

highlights was the Torq Xponent

performance/production system, which

combines a full-size controller, designed

specifically for Torq, with an audio

interface and it even comes with the

software for complete hardware/software

integration.

AVSL, owner of the ever-popular DJ

brand Citronic, was also present with a

host of new gear including the slim line

Par64 led par can, LS-Aqua laser, MPSD-2

USB/dual SD card, mp3 player/mixer and

the SMFX-200 two-channel mixer with

USB and DSP.

“The BPM show was a great success for

the AVSL Group,” noted the firm’s

marketing manager, Becky Stanton. “We

showcased a wide variety of products

from our Citronic, QTX Light and QTX

Sound ranges, covering many aspects of

the sound, light and DJ industry. Our main

objectives were to sell our products to the

trade sector and create brand awareness

within the public sector. I feel we

succeeded in both aspects of this and

hope to see this positive response

continue over the following months. The

choice of venue, the NEC, was definitely a

positive move; our stand had a constant

and heavy footfall throughout the

weekend. The DJ and lighting areas in

particular seemed to be a hit with the

crowds and featured many of our new and

bestselling lines.”

The word from the organisers following

the show has been overwhelmingly

positive – not surprising, since their figures

demonstrate that the show was a

resounding success in terms of numbers,

with a record number of visitors. Footfall

was 50 per cent higher than last year, with

a total of 3,897 delegates from all corners

of the UK attending the event over the

weekend. Some made the trip from

mainland Europe and even further afield.

Visitors from the US and Nigeria were

recorded, too.

“BPM 2009 was a resounding success,

with each of the different aspects of the

event running smoothly throughout the

weekend,” said BPM marketing director

Eddie Short. “Making the move to the NEC

was a big step for us, but it was definitely

the right decision – we've received lots of

positive feedback from visitors, panelists

and speakers. We're already planning to

return to the NEC for next year's event,

which is set to be even bigger and better.”

In fact, Short and sales director Mark

Walsh have deemed the show to have

been such a triumph, that they have

planned to add an extra day to next year's

event. BPM 2010 has already been booked

in the diary, and will take place from

Saturday October 2nd to Monday October

4th, extending beyond the weekend for the

first time. In order to plan for this event,

the organisers are carrying out a visitor's

survey, which they hope as many people as

possible will complete. The survey can be

accessed on the show website.

“Electronic music seems to be enjoying a

revival,” added an exhausted but enthused

Mark Walsh. “The guitar is dead, and DJs are

the new kings of the music world.”

“BPM 2009 was a resounding success, with each

of the different aspects of the event running

smoothly throughout the weekend. Moving to

the NEC was a big step, but the right decision.”

Eddie Short, BPM

Trantec was racked and ready for custom Kam lights lit up the NEC, shining on the crowds of DJs and audio professionals that were visiting

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When I suggested to Dennis

Drumm, JHS’ MD, that it would

be worthwhile to take a peek at

the SpongeBob SquarePants phenomenon,

his response was unequivocal: “A peek? I

would think it’s worth a massive article.”

What followed was three pages of some

of the most enthusiastic pitching I have

ever seen. I was intrigued.

Speaking to those involved in

Nickelodeon’s licensing department

(which holds the copyright for

SpongeBob), I quickly realised that their

enthusiasm for being involved in the

musical instrument market equalled that

of Drumm’s for being involved with the

cartoon character. Something of a

marriage made in heaven, then.

“We are really proud of this range – it is

a perfect balance between the product

and the image and as these are real

musical instruments and not toys, it

makes for a stand-out range,” explains

Clare Piggott, Nickelodeon’s VP of

consumer products. “Both sides recognised

immediately that this could work and the

combination of desire and the real

enthusiasm that we both brought to the

project meant that things were able to

happen very quickly.

“We developed the relationship, starting

in mid-07 when the deal was first

negotiated, and then the first products

were out in November 07 – that is a

cracking pace. JHS has grabbed hold of

this and taken it forward really well.

“The fact that this has culminated in

the Product Innovation Award at the

Licensing Awards is a nice pat on all of our

backs and shows what can happen when

the product and the brand work well

together, as well as the teams that

represent them.”

Indeed – and this indicates considerable

desire to make the licence work. It turns

out that it was JHS that made the first

move in this particular case, but what is

important here is that once the

relationship and the branding had been

established, the scheme took off under an

energy all of its own. This very much falls

in the lap of The Sponge himself, it would

appear. “SpongeBob is interesting as a

character as he works in areas where such

brands haven’t worked before,” says

Piggott. “He manages to be both eclectic

and mainstream. He’s fairly unique… I

know, that is a terrible way to say that –

how can anything be ‘fairly unique’?

But in the case of SpongeBob, he’s a

cartoon character that is able to stretch

the boundaries of expected audiences. He

is so optimistic and accepting. He’s just

very likeable.”

Drumm concurs with this: “The

demographic involved is important – and

of course SpongeBob SquarePants is

gender neutral, in the way that, say,

Hannah Montana and Daisy Rock are not.

Make a product aimed at girls, and you

cut your market in half.

“Talk to girls who want to play a

musical instrument, especially

guitar, and you’ll discover

that they want to

‘rock’ and you’ll find

that a lot of them

do not want to be

pigeon-holed with

‘girly’ products; they

want to play

something they see

people playing on stages and

on TV. SpongeBob’s appeal

transcends this whole issue,

because it’s just such fun,

with a truly ubiquitous

appeal. Yes, the seven to ten-

year-olds love it – and these are

the kids who will carry on to play

JHS has been making a fair bit of noise about its SpongeBob

SquarePants branded range of musical instruments for a couple of

years now, but when the company won an innovation award for

the line, Andy Barrett felt a peek below the waves was due…

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS • BRAND SPOTLIGHT


The year of the

Sponge

27,28,29 mip114_FINAL 22/10/09 12:09 Page 1

BRAND SPOTLIGHT • SPONGBOB SQUAREPANTS

seriously in the future – but also he

appeals to 30-year-olds and way beyond

to the parents and grandparents who are

buying for kids and also love the

character.”

I had had experience of this, in fact,

when Intent Media’s chief designer caught

sight of the SpongeBob drum kit in an

issue of MI Pro. To say he was excited at

the prospect of getting his hands on one is

something of an understatement.

“That is exactly the reaction we are

getting the world over,” says Drumm. “Yes,

pester power is very important. Kids see

SpongeBob on the instruments and want

one – all the products are priced

competitively enough to be an impulse

buy in their various sectors – and don’t

ever forget, every one sold is still another

instrument in a child’s hands – but parents

love them, too, and will see a serious

instrument with appeal for their children

when they look at a SpongeBob guitar or

drum kit.

“The response from the education

sector bears this out, where we know that

teachers are seeing kids coming to learn

the guitar with a SpongeBob instrument,

which was bought because it had

SpongeBob on it”

Are you tempted yet? Find a good

brand, get it plastered on your gear

and away you go. Well, perhaps you

ought to hold on a bit before you dive

for the Cbeebies channel and google

the respective licence holders. The

Sponge would appear to be more

standout than his simple appeal across

the genders and the generations.

“This is the tenth year now of

SpongeBob SquarePants in the States,

and in the UK and Europe we are a few

months behind, but SpongeBob has

really gone from strength to strength,”

says Piggott. “One third of the UK

population watched him on TV last year

and his popularity is still growing. We

have had Johnny Depp putting his voice

to one of the characters and there are a

lot more well-known voices coming to

the show soon – these are seen as good

opportunities for the celebrities, too.”

It might seem to many as if we are

looking at something approaching the

iconic status of The Simpsons or even

Tom and Jerry. “Well, it’s very early days to

be talking about icons, but then again,

who would have thought a sponge living

under the sea in a pineapple would ever

have been so popular?” Piggott points out.

“That said, who would have thought a

mouse beating up a cat would last half a

century or more?

“In the end, though, licensing is not a

science. Our job is to capitalise on that

which is popular. The fact that SpongeBob

has the magic dust – and it is syndicated

in over 45 markets now – just makes our

job that bit easier.”

Not a science? Some might disagree.

First you need the brand, then you need to

seek (or be sought for) an application for

that brand, then there is the artwork,

which can come either from the licensor

or licensee – and in between all of that,

there is the negotiation for the licence

itself. This can result in a single fee or in a

royalty based on unit sales (or both),

before the fun of actually marketing a

range of products to a public keen on

parting with its money.

“The costing is a very analytical

process,” Piggot explains. “We look at the

range and try to work out the potential of

the products in the market they are in and

then we make conservative, but realistic

sales projections and the licence fee

depends on the results of that – I suppose

this is the one bit of science we utilise, to

contradict what I said before. The

payments that result depend on the

conclusions we come to regarding the

sales projections. There is always a

minimum guarantee payment, much like a

deposit, but after that we tend to earn as

the product sells.”

On top of that, while one can hopefully

cash in on a licensing deal, there are other

markets and industries all looking to use

the same branding. It is something of a

tightrope for anyone, but particularly for a

licence holder such as Nickelodeon. “In

terms of the development of a brand, we

have to bear in mind that you mustn’t

over-proliferate,” says Piggott. “We want a

good life-cycle from our brands and

SpongeBob Squarepants, like anything else,

needs very specific branding and we have

to have compelling product. Nickelodeon

never looks to double licence – and that is

not true of all licensing companies. I’m

not saying that in a negative way. Some

companies look to carve up categories

among a number of competing licensees,


“Licensing is not a science. Our job is to capitalise

on what is popular. The fact that SpongeBob has

the magic dust – and it is syndicated over 45

markets now – just makes our job that bit easier.”

Clare Piggott, Nickelodeon

27,28,29 mip114_FINAL 22/10/09 12:09 Page 2

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS • BRAND SPOTLIGHT


but we prefer to have long-term

relationships.”

But would Nickelodeon consider

making musical toys with another

company, which could conflict with JHS’s

real instruments? After all, we in the MI

trade take our instruments seriously and

tend to look upon toys as a no-go area.

“We might, but the John Hornby Skewes

range is very aspirational, sitting firmly in

the real musical instruments category and

at a price point commensurate with its

status. It is a standalone range that we

would not replicate for the toy arena.

While we would consider licensing our

properties to create alternative ranges of

musical toys that would be aimed at a toy

price point, instruments such as guitars

would not be a part of this offering.”

For JHS, however, the message is very

much ‘full steam ahead’. “Our leap of faith

in creating the real musical instruments

category and acquiring the rights to

licence SpongeBob SquarePants is turning

into a massive success for JHS,

domestically and in a growing number of

export markets,” says Drumm. (The

SpongeBob real musical instruments range

is now on sale in Austria, Australia,

Benelux, Canada, France, Germany, New

Zealand and Switzerland, with some very

serious, late-stage negotiations going on

at the moment – due to come to fruition

in early 2010.)

“This is quite possibly the most fun

we've ever had with a range and the

combined power of JHS, a truly terrific

licensed character and the worldwide

reach of Nickelodeon, MTVN and

SpongeBob is almost irresistible.”

So, where to next for the Garforth

Sponge? (That’s Bob, not Dennis, in case

you were wondering, although the two are

becoming almost inextricably linked.)

“This is the third season for SpongeBob

with us and looking at the way the ranges

have taken off, the speed with which

people have taken to it, this is an

exceptionally successful line with a terrific

future. Of course, we wouldn’t go into

these negotiations without an idea of what

might be demanded of us, and we have

always had a plan in place to maximise the

return, globally, from our licence. The good

thing is that distributors and dealers know

this isn’t a ‘here today-gone tomorrow

product’ and dealers recognise they can

make good money here.”

Drumm also points out that, perhaps

obviously, the branding is working well in

the education markets. “The branding is

really becoming big with education – it is

starting to drive the market. We are

rolling out new educational percussion

products in November, so that’s going to

continue, too.

“But for now we are very much in a

period of consolidation. After the

expansion the range has gone through

over the first two years – culminating in

those percussion products – any growth

from here will be improving sales abroad.”

For the hardened, axe-wielding, gigging

musician/retailer, however, Drumm must

surely have received no end of derisive

snorts of disapproval and disdain. “You

would think so, wouldn’t you?” he says.

“Oddly that is not the case – we have had

virtually no negative reactions at all. In

fact, I could go so far as to say this is the

most universally accepted product we

have ever had. The price points are key –

as are the product specs – the reaction

has been heartwarming. I’ve been in this

business for 35 years, and I have never

experienced acceptance like this and

honestly, I just cannot think of a single

reason any reseller would not want to

enjoy and benefit from selling SpongeBob

kit, unless maybe they’re just congenitally

miserable, but I don’t know anyone like

that in this industry.”

But who, then, is earning the money?

The bottom line still remains the most

important thing. JHS has always made

much of the fact that its customers, the

MI retailers, are making money from them.

Is it making money from Nickelodeon?

“It really is a win/win for us and the

licensees,” concludes Piggott. “We’re a

royalty-led business and so for us it is

great to see a product line growing as we

earn more from that, but we are only

earning more if the product is earning

more, which means the licensee is, too.

We are very careful about how we price

things to ensure there is a good balance.”

For Dennis Drumm, the phrase ‘win/win’

is not far away, either. “Everything is

overseen by the same designers and made

by the same factories that are responsible

for all of our other highly successful guitar

brands and we put a lot of focus on the

‘real musical instruments’ tag because

that’s what they are – and I am

determined to get a great response from

dealers, teachers, experienced players, the

press and the first-time players who make

up our audience,” he enthuses.

“We have deliberately avoided

compromising on quality, which I believe

is the mistake made with other licensed

character musical instruments, some of

which have already come and gone. Show

me another product that makes everyone

smile in the way this does. How much fun

can you have and stay sane?”

JHS: 0113 286 5381

JHS’ Alan Smith (centre) picking up the Innovation Award for its SpongeBob licence Nickelodeon’s Clare Piggott Dennis Drumm – now a SpongeBob fan

27,28,29 mip114_FINAL 22/10/09 12:09 Page 3

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full page 11/9/09 10:55 Page 1

There is no league table showing

which is Britain’s biggest MI

distributor and even if such an idea

were ever mooted, it would be hard to

devise. Do the giant Japanese companies

which also distribute other manufacturers’

products count? Would you include firms

with a pro audio element? But however

you call it, there’s no escaping the fact

that Sound Technology, having taken over

Harman’s UK distribution in May 2008,

leapfrogged over many competitors during

that year to become one of the biggest in

the industry.

And why that matters particularly now

is because Sound Technology is a perfect

barometer of how the industry is doing.

Sound Tech may not offer traditional

strings, drums, brass or woodwind – but

just about everything else is there in the

range. Which was why the first question

we asked managing director Dave

Marshall was how he sees the current

state of the industry.

“I’d be lying if I said it had been a

breeze this summer, but at the moment

we’re seeing some signs of recovery –

particularly on the pro side – though the

MI side is still pretty flat,” he says with a

refreshing candour.

That upturn in the sales of pro

equipment must come as a relief to

Marshall and the Sound Tech team,

because almost as soon as the company

absorbed the huge Harman catalogue of

professional audio products, budgets for

major projects began to be cut. Had that

been an issue for them?

“It had, but certainly from PLASA this

year, we’ve seen an upturn in the number

of projects being specified in the public

and private sector and that gives us some

cause for optimism.”

At the time of the Harman take-over,

industry Cassandras had opined that the

company had bitten off more than it

could possibly chew in attempting to

assimilate such a diverse operation. But

the Cassandras have been proved wrong as

the Harman portfolio seems to have settled

smoothly into the Sound Tech family, to

the extent that if you weren’t paying

attention, you might not even realise it had

happened. And, given the size of the task at

hand, that’s perhaps the biggest

compliment you could pay Sound Tech’s

chairman Robert Wilson and his team.

But has it actually been as painless as it

has seemed from the outside? And has

the process of assimilating Harman now

been completed?

“Yes, most definitely. Once we had

made the physical move from Potters Bar

to Letchworth, that was when it really

started to fall into place – and that

happened last August. Everyone has now

gone native to Sound Technology and it is

one company – one team, with many

sectors and many vertical markets, but it’s

one company.”

Gary Cooper chats to Sound Technology’s managing director, Dave Marshall, about the state of the industry and the

company’s place within it after taking over Harman UK’s distribution last year...

SOUND TECHNOLOGY • COVER FEATURE

“We’ve seen in an upturn in the number of projects

being specified in the public and private sector and

that gives us some cause for optimism.”

Dave Marshall, Sound Technology


A Sound offering

31,32,34 mip114_FINAL 22/10/09 17:47 Page 1

COVER FEATURE • SOUND TECHNOLOGY

Had the problems at the top-end of the

pro market been as bad as rumour had it?

“That market – the engineered sound

market we call it, was always private

sector-led, historically, for Harman Pro,

with football stadiums, shopping centres,

that sort of thing, and there has been a

lull in there. There wasn’t much, apart

from some projects we inherited, until

Burnley got promoted from the

Championship to the Premier League in

May and that created our first big project,

which was to give it a new sound system.

It was handled by a company called AMS,

which was the audio consultant. It was a

Crown, BSS and JBL install and was

undertaken in conjunction with AMS and

ETA Sound.”

If this seems a bit rarefied for MI, well,

it is – but it is also very important for

Sound Technology, because it represents

such a large potential part of the business

it does with Harman.

STREAMLINED LINES

Another aspect of the Harman take-over

was that it meant Sound Technology’s

portfolio of MI brands underwent a

modest degree of streamlining, prompted

by the need not to clash with Harman’s

own family. For example, as a

consequence of this, Samson moved

across to Korg. But the line-up has

remained very stable since then, the only

recent interest coming in August, when

Rudy Schlacher sold his US music business

to Canada’s Jam Music. Of particular

interest here were US Music brands,

Washburn and Randall. Will it mean

further changes?

“There’s not really much I can tell you,

because the impact on us has been

relatively small. When you’re dealing with

a brand like Washburn or Randall, you’re

buying months ahead, so in terms of what

effects it might have on products or

pricing, it’s too early to tell.”

Which brings one to another of Sound

Technology’s MI brands with an interesting

story – US/Canadian Larrivée guitars.

Sound Technology’s surprise loss of Taylor,

which came about when the Californian

guitar maker negotiated a worldwide

distribution deal with Fender, must have

been a bitter pill for the UK company,

which had done what is universally

regarded as a fine job promoting and

establishing Taylor in this country. When it

snapped up Larrivée as a replacement,

there were those who wondered how

Sound Tech could possibly do it all over

again, but Larrivée has quickly made

inroads into territory which had once been

Taylor’s. But how is that market for

premier acoustic guitars looking now, as

the recession bites?

“We got off to a flying start with

Larrivée and we did very well with it, but I

think there’s no getting away from the

fact that high-end acoustic guitar sales

have seen a bit of a drop and we’re

certainly seeing that in the UK market.

That’s down to market conditions and

we’re in a process of putting together

some ideas and projects to counter it.

“We’ve a very good demonstrator

called Pete Smith who has been out in

stores during the summer, doing Saturday

and evening workshops, so we’ve kept the

name out there. It’s a question now of

building on our core of good Larrivée

dealers and finding more dealers in those

towns and cities where we’re not

already covered.”

But isn’t the acoustic guitar market

currently overcrowded? Marshall believes

there is room for opportunity: “It’s a

market that has recently seen very good

growth and I think people look at it and

say ‘I’ll have a bit of that’. But Larrivée, we

believe, is actually the third biggest high-

end acoustic guitar manufacturer in the

States after Martin and Taylor, so it’s a

major player in that market. But there’s

certainly a lot of work to be done.

“One difference between Larrivée and

Taylor that we’ve noticed is that Larrivée

puts all its efforts into making the guitars

and they are quite often understated –

there’s not a lot of bling on a Larrivée and

it’s not a marketing organisation. Taylor is

fantastic at marketing and it’s always

understood the importance of that – it’s

always created very good marketing. So

our challenge with Larrivée is that we are

having to do the marketing completely

ourselves and that inevitably takes a bit

longer and requires more thought

processes from our end. We’re not afraid

of doing that, but it does take longer.

That is where we’ve found it harder.

There’s no doubt the guitars are extremely

good – more than a match for Taylor and

Martin – it’s the marketing side that we

need to create.”

Leaving guitars aside and moving to

the rich upland pastures of keyboards,

Sound Technology’s offerings here are

particularly distinctive – Nord and

Kurzweil. In a market traditionally

dominated by the big three Japanese

makers, it may have seemed unlikely that

anyone else could have created elbow

room, but Nord, in particular, seems to

have done just that. What can Marshall

tell us about that side of the business?

KEYBOARDS WITH POTENTIAL

“Nord and Kurzweil are very interesting

lines, not in the big league yet, and we see

them as quite different. For example,

Kurzweil has quite a few keyboards that

are more aimed at the home market,

whereas the Nords are very much more

studio/live – particularly live.

“With Nord you get a lot more in terms

of more traditional synthesis power, where

Kurzweils are particularly well known for

their sample libraries – their orchestral

libraries in particular. They’re the keyboard

of choice in a lot of the West End shows

because they can mimic so many different

instruments and do it so well – so they

actually sit together quite nicely and we

don’t find there’s a conflict there.

“Nord has been a revelation for us in

many ways. We’ve been doing it for just

about a year now. The previous distributor

had done a very good job, but with a small

number of dealers and we have extended

that number and have grown the business

considerably as a result.

“Kurzweil has been a slow grower for

us, on the other hand, but year on year it

has grown and this year it will again.”

Which takes us on to that vast stock of

products from the Harman acquisition –

ranging from the veteran Austrian mic

maker AKG, through Soundcraft, JBL,

Crown – too big a group to break down


“There’s no getting away from the fact that

high-end acoustic guitar sales have seen a bit of a

drop. That’s down to market conditions and

we’re putting ideas together to counter it.”


Nord keyboards have a

lot of synthesis power

31,32,34 mip114_FINAL 22/10/09 17:47 Page 2

Westside 22/10/09 11:48 Page 1

individually. So what are the highlights

from an MI point of view?

“Well with JBL, the Eon range was

basically renewed a year ago – they’re

great sounding, great looking, incredibly

light, powered boxes and they’ve

started to sell through very nicely. With

some of the other JBL PA products in

the MI range, there is some

international price adjusting going on

to get them into the right areas and

we’re starting to see the benefits of

that. With AKG, business is strong but

it is a product line where margins are

tight. That’s something we’re always

aware of – sometimes due to

competitive products, sometimes

under pressure form other European

markets, or from within our own

market. It is a challenge to make sure

the dealers can make a margin there.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Looked at as a whole, Sound

Technology is not only big – it has

one of the widest spreads of

products. Marshall says the company

deals with this diversity by not

having every person trying to

specialise in every product. There are

divisions within the business, even

down to the three man marketing

team. So what about at director level

– does he personally find it hard to

manage a business which is spread

across so much territory?

“Yes... but it certainly makes for an

interesting life. It’s great to be able to

talk to an acoustician about a stadium

project one day and the next day go

and see an MI retailer. You hear things

that are very similar and things that

are very different – so it keeps it all

very fresh. If I was looking for a

challenge about 18 months ago, Mr

Wilson certainly gave it to me.

“It’s fascinating and there’s still a

huge amount to learn, whether it’s for

me, or Greg Niven, our sales director, or

Ian Cullen, our marketing director –

we’ve all had a huge amount to learn,

not least about different vertical

markets. All three of us understand that

we don't know everything, but we also

have people within the company we can

call on who will do.”

Having – albeit sketchily – asked

Marshall about some of the numerous

lines Sound Tech offers, we returned to the

ever-present subject of margins. He had

raised the issue when talking about

microphone sales (which has long been a

notorious area in this regard), so does he

see any signs that the long-awaited return

to reality is beginning to set in as the

economy tightens?

“In the early part of the summer I

definitely detected an improvement in

attitude towards margins – we could

actually see them improving, but I think

the last couple of months have been so

tough for so many, that there has been an

element of it returning to the old ways.

It’s understandable, but that is the danger.

One thing I’m absolutely sure of is that

the industry can’t continue down the road

it has been on, with margins continually

being whittled away. I know retailers tend

to point the finger at distributors and say

it’s their fault, and vice versa, but the truth

of the matter is that everybody is

responsible for it in some shape or form.

Our margins are being eroded and the

dealers' margins are being eroded and it

can’t continue indefinitely.”

Asked how he would sum-up Sound

Technology’s offering to retailers, Marshall

says: “I don’t think there’s any one reason

why people should talk to us, but some of

the many reasons are the brands we have

– we’ve got years of experience and years

of high quality with every single line that

we do. There’s the fact that, for mainline

product, there aren’t many suppliers where

you can get a high quality guitar line and

a high quality microphone and a PA and

so on. I also think we’re good to do

business with and we support our

customers through excellent marketing,

support and service. We don’t always get

things right, but when things do go wrong

we work hard to put them right.”

STEERING THE SHIP

It’s not, perhaps, the snappiest sales pitch

you’d hear but it is a reassuring and very

honest one – qualities which come across

whenever you talk with Dave Marshall, a

man who has taken on a tremendous

challenge and who seems to have defied

the sceptics and doom-mongers by

steering Sound Technology to a position

no one could have predicted a few years

ago, as one of the UK’s most important

distributors. And, it must be said, one of

the most consistently interesting.

SOUND TECHNOLOGY: 01462 480000

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

COVER FEATURE • SOUND TECHNOLOGY

“The industry can’t continue down the road it

has been on, with margins continually being

whittled away. Everybody’s responsible.”


31,32,34 mip114_FINAL 22/10/09 17:47 Page 3

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With about as much space to

cover this enormous subject as

can be found in a retailer’s

stockroom in December, it’s important to

keep the flannel to a minimum and get

straight down to business. First, as if you

didn’t know, the quality available in the

most entry level of entry levels continues

to reach ever higher standards, while the

price, by and large, remains static.

The issues that arise from starter packs

– namely, that online has killed the market

and discounting makes it not worthwhile

– become less and less true the more

sophisticated these instruments (and their

amplifiers, where necessary) become.

Despite the price, these packs sell best

when the best people sell them. It’s

important to have someone who can talk

the beginner (and/or their parents)

through the pros and cons, alert them to

what they can expect and advise on the

‘essential’ upgrade a year down the line.

Dealers that turn their collective back on

starter packs could well be doing the same

on new relationships and new customers.

The wise are already stocked up.

FENDER SQUIER

I’m not sure whether Fender’s Squier

brand started the starter pack, but it is the

name in most people’s minds when they

think of them. Squier has pretty much

made its reputation on being a quality,

affordable way to start playing the electric

guitar, so when amps and other odds and

ends get thrown into the bundle, your

punters are on to a winner.

The Affinity pack, for example, contains

a guitar that can (and does) fulfil its role

on stage for years beyond similarly priced

axes, with its agathis body and maple neck

and all the Strat pickup and tone controls

one would expect. Add to that the Fender

G-Dec Junior 15-Watt amp, chromatic

tuner, gigbag, cable, strap and plectrum

and everything the learner needs is there.

The G-Dec amp is also an item that will

remain useful throughout the early part of

any player’s career, making the £269.99

retail price well worth it – although the

street price will reduce this figure

significantly. Other Squier packs are

available at considerably cheaper prices

with smaller amps involved.

Then, of course, there are the bass

packs and again these are a quality

instrument that will keep the learner more

than happy for years.

ARIA

Always a solid choice for any player at any

level, Aria comes in strong in the starter

market with the EGP (yes, that’s ‘electric

guitar pack’). The pack contains a great

lightweight, highly playable guitar that

comes complete with everything you need

to get started – ten-Watt amp, lead,

plectrums, gigbag, strap, instructional DVD

and tuner. These retail at £199 and come

in a choice of four colours.

There is also the Aria acoustic pack for

£119, and a variation on the theme: the

classical pack, which contains a footstool

and music stand.

ASHTON

Ashton has, of course, made its name by

making and selling starter packs – it’s what

the brand is and jolly well it has done out

of it. The Australian designed,

Chinese-made range

contains everything from

guitars and basses, through

drums (electric and acoustic)

brass and woodwind – with

a ukulele starter pack

thrown in for good measure.

Part of the beauty of

the Ashton brand is that

(through The Music Force

in the UK) it is only

supplied to indie stores

and thus does not suffer

from the online and

mega-store discounts

that many others are

subject to. It offers

dealers a branded, well

packaged alternative to

the bigger names and

appears to be still on the up.

With Christmas on the horizon, dealers are filling up their storerooms with anything and

everything that will shift during the festive season. Andy Barrett takes a whirlwind spin

around the kind of boxed quality that is now available with an amp and assorted accessories…

Start as you mean to go on

STARTER PACKS • SECTOR SPOTLIGHT


Beginners who buy

starter packs will come

back for upgrades in

the years to come

37,38 mip114_FINAL 22/10/09 17:30 Page 1

YAMAHA

While Squier claims the ‘original starter

pack’ label, it was undoubtedly the

Yamaha Pacifica that brought the word

‘quality’ to the phrase ‘entry-level guitar’.

The Pacifica took the double-horn look of

its major competitor and created a more

solid, cleaner sounding instrument, which

set the standard for those that had been

at the game since the beginning.

With a GA-20 amp and all the usual

accessories and DVDs, the Pacifica starter

pack has the 012 version of the Pacifica,

with the punch that comes from a bridge-

position humbucker plus two clear-toned

single-coil pickups, a vibrato bridge and a

quality bridge.

AVSL

The Manchester-based supplier of…

Well, pretty much everything you care

to think of, really. Included in the

company’s extensive warehousing are a

couple of handy starter packs – one bass

and one guitar.

The guitar pack is a complete set,

featuring a classic shaped six-string guitar

with three single coil pickups. The amp has

a six-inch speaker and features all the

necessary controls and a headphone output

to keep your neighbours happy. On top of

this you get a guitar bag, strap, leads,

tuning pipe and a spare set of strings.

The bass pack follows a similar format,

with a dedicated amp, of course and is

everything the starter needs to –

well, start.

P&R HOWARD

P&R Howard’s Boston Electric pack

consists of an S-type guitar with a ten-

Watt amp, electronic tuner, bag, strap,

strings and picks. As you would expect. The

pack is available with a black or sunburst

finished guitar and retails at £119.

The company is also doing a Westfield

three-quarter electric pack this year to

retail at £99. This will come in four

colours (black, sunburst, red and pink, no

less). It ships with a mini-battery amp,

bag, strap and picks.

JHS

You want starter packs? The lads and

lassies in Garforth have pretty much

anything you could wish for. Much could

be made of the Spongebob Squarepants

packs, of course, and these are bound to

be huge sellers this Christmas, but with

three pages of this mag already given over

to The Sponge, we’ll move swiftly on…

Among the Encore Blaster starter packs,

the E6 Blaster option now has even more

value thanks to the inclusion of a graffitti-

styled Facelift re-usable guitar body overlay.

The latest version of the Encore E6

Blaster has been upgraded by Trev

Wilkinson to be as comfortable,

ergonomic and balanced as possible with

a sculpted wuton tonewood body, which

is light, resonant and easy to wear – ideal

for the novice player.

The E6 pack also includes a BB Blaster

ten-Watt combo, GYC guitar lead,

Kinsman guitar stand, Kinsman guitar

carry bag, Qwik Tune tuner, Guitar Tech

guitar strap, spare set of Encore Strings,

plectrum, Encore tutorial DVD for electric,

acoustic and bass guitar and tutor listing.

All this for £185.00.

Encore Blaster packs are available in

E375 (three-quarter), E2, E4, E5, E6 and

E99 electric guitar formats.

IBANEZ

Ibanez (courtesy of Headstock) has a

pleasing spread of starter packs for both

acoustic or electric wannabes. On the

acoustic front there is the V50JRGB (in

natural finish for £89) a three-quarter size

dreadnought that ships with an electronic

tuner, gigbag, strap, picks and accessories

pouch or the full-sized V50JP (in natural

or black and retailing at £119).

On the electric side there is the

GRX70DXJE in black or ‘jewel blue’ for

£225, as the acoustic packs but with, of

course, a ten-Watt combo amp.

Bassists can delight in the GSR190J in

black or ‘trans red at £265.

MEL BAY

Since its emergence on the MI scene as a

standalone business, Mel Bay has dipped

its toes into areas of the market

previously untouched by publishers,

particularly in this important sector. This

year sees the company come up with

three new starter packs, aimed very much

at the infant education market.

My First Recorder takes the classic first

instrument, a soprano recorder in C and

adds a easy-to-read and easy-to-

follow music book (Little Recorder

Method) that makes learning and playing

easily accessible to kids and enables them

to start playing straight away.

Similarly, the My First Harmonica pack

contains a blues harp in C and the Little

Harmonica Method book, again enabling

the aspiring wee blues player to get

blowing straight away. Both of these are

for six-year-olds and above.

Targeting the even younger beginner –

from four years – the My First

Glockenspiel pack contains a colour-coded

glockenspiel and the method book. The

book places even more emphasis on

making playing fun and easy, with the

coloured notes used to ease the toddler

into playing correctly.

SUTHERLAND

Sutherland’s starter packs ship under the

Cruzer label (recently re-named – or

rather re-spelt – to ‘internationalise’ and

standardise the brand). The ST-120 sells

for a recommended £199 while the ST-80

sells for £164 and it is the ST-80 that is

worthy of special mention.

The ST-80 package contains an ST-type

guitar, a ten-Watt amp, carry bag, strap,

plectrums and lead, all contained in a single

rectangular carton, making it as compact

as possible to maximise storage. The box is

functional, with a carry handle, but without

frills, allowing the maximum value to be

spent on the guitar, which Sutherland says

is excellent quality at that price level.


CONTACTSFENDER ...................................................................................01342 331700

ARIA ........................................................................................01483 238725

MUSIC FORCE (ASHTON) .....................................................01780 781630

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

AVSL .......................................................................................0845 270 2411

JHS ..........................................................................................0113 286 5381

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

MEL BAY ................................................................................020 8214 1222

SUTHERLAND .....................................................................029 2088 7333

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT • STARTER PACKS

37,38 mip114_FINAL 22/10/09 17:31 Page 2

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for SpongeBob SquarePants

FOR INFORMATION ON STOCKING THE AWARD WINNING SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS RANGE OF INSTRUMENTS AND ACCESSORIES CONTACT YOUR JHS ASM OR OUR SALES OFFICE ON:

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Worldwide Trade Distributors

0113 2866 411

full page 26/10/09 11:21 Page 1

COMPANY PROFILE • LAG

It’s far from easy, bringing a new brand

to the guitar market. It’s a crowded

place, where the big boys fight it out

with myriad smaller manufacturers to

guarantee a piece of the pie. For Barnes &

Mullins, the decision to introduce Lag – a

French manufacturer with no track record

in the UK – into the market a few years

ago was perhaps a risky decision, but one

that has gone on to pay serious dividends.

“There’s no denying it; introducing a

new guitar brand into a market as

competitive and educated as the UK was

no mean feat,” says B&M’s Alex Mew. “But

we knew that there was something special

in Lag. We jumped at the chance to

establish the brand in the UK back in 2005

and, aside from a few teething problems,

we haven’t looked back since.”

“Michel Chavarria began producing

hand-built electric guitars in his Bedarieux

workshop nearly 30 years ago, offering a

uniquely French aesthetic to a handful of

professional musicians who could afford

his expertise. Having come from this kind

of exclusivity, it’s even more exciting for

us to be able to offer Michel’s vision to a

wider audience via the more affordable

acoustic guitar ranges of the Four Seasons

and Tramontane.”

Representing a step towards affordable

quality that retains the essential French

flair of the higher-end models, the range’s

combination of stylish design and exacting

build quality has led to an excellent

performance at retail.

“A real strength of the whole Lag ethos

is the ability to reinvent what could so

easily be just another bunch of guitars,”

continues Mew. “Great time has been

spent trying various combinations of tone

woods, bracing designs, pickup techniques

and final touches, such as binding and

soundhole decoration.

“When the Four Seasons acoustic

collection was launched it was the first for

many years to offer something so eye-

catching. The Four Seasons have a clear

design direction with each model range

reflecting the temperate implication of

that season, as well as having a unique

soundhole rosette also representing them.

The Spring models are the first step on the

journey with spruce and mahogany; the

Summer range has a warmer looking and

sounding solid spruce top; the Autumn

range uses solid red cedar to impart a

tonal contrast that is more mellow and

reflective; and the Winter models are crisp

and clear with a sparkling tone produced

by very blonde solid sitka spruce. “

“Within each season, there are a

selection of electro models which use

Shadow’s Nanoflex undersadddle pickup

matched to an exclusive Lag/Shadow

preamp – the Studio Lag. This Studio Lag

system is the first of its kind as it basically

offers the five essential sounds you would

ever need. By using professional studio

multi-band eqs – rather than acoustic

modelling – these five tones have been

lovingly created and are a true reflection

of the sounds necessary for natural folk,

blues, studio rhythm, fingerstyle, and jazz.”

Most recently, Lag has also introduced

the new Tramontane range of acoustics.

These models sit alongside the Four

Seasons without causing any conflict,

offering a unique take on a different area

of the market. “The new Tramontane are

just very cool,” says Mew. “Michel has

once again worked his design magic.

Taking the visual cues from the new

Imperator electric models, these acoustics

are stunning. There is a clear concept

running from beginning to end, which I

know will make the job of selling them

that bit easier. It’s all too easy for anyone

to get a guitar of whatever design and

spec, then stick their brand on it. Lag –

much like the car industry – understands

that all models of whatever

budget should all contain the DNA

of the designer. This is essential to a

maintaining a true brand.”

One of the most striking features

is the headstock. Clad in natural

finished Ebony

with a

contoured,

stepped centre

strip, the

Tramontanes are

sure to stand out

among the crowd.

There are three ranges

currently available – the 111,

222 and 333 – all with a selection of

natural and black finishes and retail from

£215 to £550.

“It’s important that products speak for

themselves,” adds Mew, “and I believe that

all Lag products do. I know from

experience that Lag acoustics – both the

existing Four Seasons and the new

Tramontane models – catch the eye when

hanging on the wall of a store, and that’s

half the battle for any guitar. If a product

can attract attention to itself without the

need for neon lights and shouting, then

that’s a great offering for anyone.”

Another big development for Lag is the

impending involvement of the USA

market. “This is great news for every

retailer involved with Lag. From 2010, Lag

acoustic guitars will be distributed in the

USA. With a market as artist-led and

demanding as the USA, it goes without

saying that the benefits will very quickly

become evident to the UK retailer as the

increased global presence builds upon our

ongoing work in Europe.”

BARNES & MULLINS: 01691 652449

Bringing a touch of French style to the market, Barnes &

Mullin’s work with Lag has done wonders to establish the

brand on British soil. Rob Power investigates…

Vive laFrance

Michel Chavarria: uniquely French


40 mip114_FINAL 23/10/09 16:27 Page 1

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full page 26/10/09 11:22 Page 1


miPRO NOVEMBER 2009 43

The MK Dons’ stadium was the perfect place to show off the new MA range of amps and combos from Marshall, with a

live event that really put the gear through its paces. Andy Barrett reports…

Ample sound

MARSHALL MA • PRODUCT LAUNCH

Having launched more amps this

year than you could shake the

most unwieldy of sticks at, the

summer launch of the impressive Class 5

combo by Marshall on July 28th would

probably have been the icing on the cake

for most companies. Not for Marshall. The

Bletchley manufacturer had a cherry for

on top as well, which came to pass in the

remarkable surroundings of the MK Dons’

stadium – a futuristic edifice that rises up

above the green banks, hypermarkets and

shopping centres of downtown Milton

Keynes like something from a science

fiction movie – on October 2nd.

The event was an unusual one,

essentially a live gig for up-and-comers

Kids in Glass Houses, supported by In Case

of Fire and local MK rockers Primal Device,

in front of a ticket-buying audience (who,

combined, went a long way to reminding

me just how old I actually am), but the

whole event was staged by Marshall and

in support of its own new act: the MA

series of amps and combos.

The thing that makes the MA different

is that Marshall has now gone down the

road of introducing a genuine budget

range, but valve driven from top to toe.

The easy route to take is usually to make

solid state or hybrid amps in the Far East,

but with the MA, Marshall has stuck its

neck out.

Well, cranked up on stage at the MK

Dons’ home, they certainly didn’t sound

like budget amps. They were loud and bold

and very clear. Lots of colour in the crunch

and generally very professional sounding

black boxes.

There are two heads, a 50-Watt and a

100-Watt, and two combos, a two-by-12,

100-Watt and a single 12-inch 50-Watt,

all comfortably snuggling ECC83 preamp

and EL34 power amp valves, dual, clean

and crunch channels, independent eq

sections and each with the same

feature-set.

The combos feature the recently

developed Marshall AX-75 speakers,

custom voiced to match the Marshall

MAs. The AX-75s also feature in the

specially designed M412A (angled) and

M412B four by 12-inch cabs.

The result is an exceptional spread of

tones, from the brightest and cleanest of

tones, right through to the hardest of

overdriven rock and pretty much

everything in between. For the soloist

looking to go a step further, there is also a

boost function for what the company

describes as ‘pounding metal madness and

fret burning solos’.

This variety is made possible by the

MA’s ‘crunch balance control’. This works

by increasing the crunch balance, which

moves the normal overdrive sound closer

to that of the ‘boosted’ tone. Alternatively,

backing off the crunch balance decreases

the amount of gain and volume in your

unboosted overdrive tone only, allowing

the jump from, say, crunch to metal

instantly, via either the front panel or the

(included) two-way footswitch. Used this

way, the crunch balance has the ability to

create a pseudo third channel from the

boost function, further increasing the MA

series’ tonal spectrum and versatility.

And that’s just on the channel controls.

The master section gives the user

presence, resonance and reverb control, as

well as the obligatory FX loop.

For a nice little flourish, the heads are

fitted with semi-transparent baffles and

an illuminated chassis, meaning that these

amps will genuinely shine in performance.

In all, this is a no-nonsense, functional,

while extremely versatile little collection

of amps, but with the 50-Watt head

starting the bidding at £439.99 and

climbing to the £599 100-Watt combo,

these are yet more Marshall amps that

will be on a stage near you very soon – or

rather, on many stages near you.

WWW.MARSHALLAMPS.COM

“Cranked up on stage at the MK Dons’ home, they

certainly didn’t sound like budget amps. They were

loud and bold and very clear. Generally, very

professional sounding black boxes.”

43 mip114_FINAL 22/10/09 12:40 Page 1

HC Music Distribution 22/10/09 11:54 Page 1


The acoustic guitar market is big – very big. As an illustration of just how big, we asked suppliers to send info on models

under £500 and promptly extended this article to five pages. Rob Power struggles under the weight…

Crowded house

ACOUSTIC GUITARS • SECTOR SPOTLIGHT

More crowded than the

underground at rush hour,

manufacturers need to have all

their wits about them to make any impact

at all in the acoustic market these days.

From old established names to new up-

and-comers, one man outfits and mass

manufactured Far-Eastern chancers,

getting your acoustic into the hands of

the customer has never been tougher.

Thankfully, MI Pro is at hand to provide

a sane guide through the bun fight that is

the acoustic guitar market. Keeping things

affordable in the run up to Christmas, the

focus here is purely on the sub-£500 price

band. Have no fear, it might well be a

jungle out there for retailers looking for

quality acoustics, but we’ve got a great

big machete to chop out a path and lead

you to unplugged nirvana. Onward!

WESTSIDE

There’s no shortage of products on offer

from Westside in this area, with both

Recording King and Martin having plenty

of guitars available under £500.

Recording King, with the classic Series 1

and Series 2 has a mouthwatering

selection of 1930s style instruments with

many vintage style features including

bevelled pick guards, classic butterbean

tuners, and (unusually for this price point)

forward shifted scalloped bracing for

greater strength and tonal balance. Series

1 features a solid Engelmann spruce top,

laminated mahogany back and sides

dreadnaught with a mahogany neck with

‘damask’ pattern mother of pearl

headstock inlay and abalone snowflake

position markers at £249.

The Series 2 has an Engelmann spruce

top, this time with solid mahogany (£369)

or rosewood (£449) back and sides, one

piece mahogany neck with traditional

style diamond volute, Recording King

crown mother of pearl inlay and abalone

snowflake position markings.

The popular Little Martin series

continues to sell well, thanks to its

compact guitars which sound – well, as

you would expect a Martin to sound. The

LXM model (£369) features HPL spruce

effect top and mahogany effect back and

sides, while for a little more the LX1

(£399) adds a solid spruce top.

BARNES & MULLINS

Barnes & Mullins is making its presence

well and truly felt with a number of

different brands in the acoustic sector.

Brunswick Guitars have been a staple

B&M house brand for nearly 15 years now,

and starts with the spruce topped BD200

dreadnought. Retailing around at £100,

the BD200 is available in natural (left-

handed too), black and sunburst, as well as

a natural and sunburst 12-string variant.

Similarly priced are the folk-sized BF200

(£103) models. Again available in natural,

sunburst and black, these little beauties

are incredibly popular, having great

projection with little bulk.

Lag remains an important brand for

Barnes & Mullins, and the Four Seasons

45,48,51,52,53 mip114_FINAL 23/10/09 17:02 Page 1

Tanglewood DPS 22/10/09 14:21 Page 1

Tanglewood DPS 22/10/09 14:21 Page 2

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT • ACOUSTIC GUITARS


were the first of Lag’s acoustic ranges,

comprising of Spring, Summer, Autumn

and Winter collections. Each specific

season uses specific woods types and

finish types to bring home the essence of

the time of year. Each season features a

classic dreadnought, with the staple being

the GLA4S100D (£175) Spring

dreadnought. Spruce topped with

mahogany back and sides, it also features

a unique sound hole decoration relevant

to the spring theme. Within each of the

ranges there are also jumbo cutaway, baby

jumbo and nylon offerings.

Lag‘s recently unveiled second

collection, Tramontane, is quite a visual

departure from the Four Seasons. The

entry model is the GLAT111D (£265),

which is a standard dreadnought shape

with a spruce top and mahogany back and

sides. The 111 series is available in either

natural or black finishes. The 222 series,

which feature auditorium or dreadnought

shapes, has solid red cedar tops and

mahogany back and sides and a black

finish. The budget pick of the bunch here

is the GLAT222D (£375).

SUTHERLAND

Sutherland’s Stonebridge brand, hand-

made in the Czech Republic, features a

number of models in the Durango series

which just scrape into this price range at

£499. The DS-40-CM and GS-40-CM are

dreadnought and grand auditorium models

respectively, with solid cedar tops and

mahogany backs and sides. A novel feature

is the dished back which removes the

necessity for back bracing, making the

instruments very loud as well as

economical to make.

This dished back technology is also

used in Crafter’s Age series, another

popular brand in the Sutherland stable.

The AGE400SP/VTG, the latest addition to

the Age series, has a solid spruce top with

maple back and sides and a vintage

sunburst finish. A very attractive looking

and sounding guitar for a recommended

£429. Crafter’s current bestsellers of the

moment are the TC-035 electro cutaway

and the T-035, its full-bodied acoustic

brother. Both feature solid Engelmann

spruce tops with rosewood backs and

sides and represent good value for money

at £429 and £309 respectively.

FREESTLYE

Bringing the retro stylings of the Italian

Eko brand to a market that is always on

the lookout for something with a tangible

link to the past, there are a number of

affordable options in across the range,

including the reissue of the classic Ranger

6, which retails at £179.95 and features

adjustable bridge, eye catching binding

and a laminated spruce top.

The Jumbo TJ7C gives Eko fans a full-

bodied option, with similar laminated

spruce tops and mahogany backs and

sides, which comes in at an extremely

tempting £179.95.

ARIA

First up from Aria is the AP standard, a

solid cedar topped treat with mahogany

back and sides that has a recommended

retail price of £229. Both this and the

AD28 follow Aria’s tradition for simple,

well crafted guitars that let the tone do

the talking. This emminently playable sitka

topped dreadnought comes in at £289.

At the very top of the pile in this price

bracket sits the AD35 at £349, a tonally

sweet and beautifully built acoustic that

would make any unplugged troubadour

feel quite at home.

JHS

Falcon Acoustics make an entrance at the

budget end of the scale from JHS, with the

FG100 series giving beginners a chance to

get their hands on a well made full-size

dreadnought for under £100. Available in

four different finishes with a left-handed

option also available, the range also

includes the folk-bodied F300 and the 36-

inch F200 acoustic at £69.99. A ¾-size,

the FL34PK, completes the Falcon range.

Vintage continues to go from strength

to strength, and there is plenty of variety

to be found across the range, from travel

acoustics to slot-head parlour guitars, as

well as a great many dreadnought

tonewood and finish options. A great

example of Vintage doing what it does

best is the elegant, abalone trimmed

V1800N parlour model, a winner of the

Best Acoustic Guitar Under £500 award in

Guitar & Bass Magazine.

YAMAHA

Yamaha is predictably strong in the sub-

£500 acoustic market, with the likes of

the ever-popular FG range – the

company’s first foray into steel-string

acoustics in 1966 – still going strong. With

models ranging from £185 to £359, the

current FG range offers Yamaha’s own

modified dreadnought body design,

tasteful cosmetics and thoughtful details

that make a difference.

Alongside the more obvious

specifications that include a solid sitka

spruce top and a choice of nato, rosewood

or sycamore back and sides, FGs feature

something Yamaha calls ‘3T construction’.

The ‘T’ in 3T stands for ‘thinner finish’ (less

than 0.25mm thick – the same as some

US boutique makers), ‘thinner neck’

(slimmed at the edges for playability and

comfort) and ‘thinner back and sides’

(2.5mm total thickness down from the

previous FG range’s 2.8mm) – all things

designed to maximise the resonance of

the guitar and get the most open and

natural tone possible.

Yamaha’s flagship L-series guitars also

creep in just under £500 with the 6 series

models carrying an retail price of £489.

More crowded than the underground at rush hour,

manufacturers need to have their wits about them

to make any impact at all on the acoustic guitar

market these days.

45,48,51,52,53 mip114_FINAL 23/10/09 17:03 Page 2

Barnes and mullins 22/10/09 11:31 Page 1

FREESTYLE 15/10/09 14:22 Page 1

ACOUSTIC GUITARS • SECTOR SPOTLIGHT


Available in a choice of body styles (the

modified dreadnought LL, the folk-size LS

or the mini-jumbo LJ) the 6-series guitars

feature a solid Engelmann spruce top

(chosen for its paler colour and rich,

mature tone), rosewood back and sides

and Yamaha’s usual smattering of subtle

construction features, making them well

worth a look.

PEAVEY

The JD-AG1 Jack Daniel’s guitar by Peavey

(£154) is fast acquiring a cult following

among hard-drinking acoustic players who

fully appreciate the link between whisky

and a bit of old school guitar pickin’.

These exclusively licensed guitars are

designed by luthiers in the US-

based Peavey Custom Shop and

feature the famous Jack Daniel’s

artwork on the headstock.

Each Jack Daniel’s acoustic is

put together with materials

including mahogany back and

sides and a spruce top

finished in a high gloss black.

Slightly pricier options are

available in the form of the Jack

Daniel’s JD-AG2 (£390) and AG3

(£390), combining a vintage

dreadnought-style body with

traditional X-bracing, a cedar top,

mahogany back, neck and sides and

custom Jack Daniel’s-approved artwork.

MUSIC FORCE

Ashton’s D300SEQ fits nicely into this

price bracket at £349 and demonstrates

the brand’s ability to bring a broad range

of instruments to the market. Featuring an

AA-grade solid sitka spruce top and all-

solid sapele back and sides, this guitar has

features beyond its price range, from the

bone saddle all the way to the deluxe

machine heads.

Elsewhere at Music Force, new brand

Mariner is making its presence felt with

the Masthead range.

The updated series builds on the

original designs while keeping

recommended retail prices under £500.

The DX-6N dreadnought and AX-6N

auditorium styled models have a

suggested selling price of just £475, quite

a feat considering their impressive specs:

mahogany bodies are topped with solid

sitka spruce tops, while the one-piece

mahogany neck shaft and headstock

construction is mated to the body with

the unique Mariner Locktail joint that

marries a traditional dovetail joint with

twin wood locking keys for enhanced

strength and sustain.

TANGLEWOOD

Treble chart toppers of the MI Pro retailer

survey for its acoustics, Tanglewood is a

big player in this area of the market

nowadays and its broad selection of

guitars reflects that. From £129 to £299,

the Evolution series offers the most

popular body shapes from super jumbo to

auditorium and dreadnought guitars, with

six left-hand variants also available.

Almost every Evolution model has a solid

Canadian red cedar top, offering a distinct

alternative to the majority of competing

entry level products, which tend to use

spruce. Stand out models include the

TW28CSN at £219, a great looker and a

steady seller.

Further up the price scale is the Premier

series, with prices from £269 to £469,

which features guitars that are almost

exclusively satin finished with solid tops,

backs and sides. There are a plethora of

well appointed models worth taking a look

at in what is quickly becoming a flagship

line for Tanglewood.

EMD

Neligan is fast becoming a key brand for

EMD in the acoustic sector, thanks to its

wide range of body shapes and sizes and a

spread of guitars priced from £165 all the

way up to £465. The NA57J super jumbo

at £240 is a pretty good representation of

the range, a good looking and well

appointed acoustic that has plenty of

class about it.

Elsewhere at EMD, the Art & Lutherie

range has gone from strength to strength,

as you might expect from a company that

45,48,51,52,53 mip114_FINAL 23/10/09 17:03 Page 3

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT • ACOUSTIC GUITARS

has already brought the likes of Seagull

and Simon & Patrick to the market. Hand-

made in the village of La Patrie, Quebec,

these guitars sport the same high quality

materials as their well known cousins,

while remaining aimed at the mid-priced

market, with models such as the AMI

starting from £395.

FRESHMAN

Continuing its impressive inroads into the

acoustic realm, Freshman has introduced a

number of new guitars for the end of

2009 that keep costs low, but build quality

as high as the market has come to expect

from the Scottish brand. The FA1DN,

FA1DTSB, FA1FTSB and FA1FN, coming in

at £199.95, are great examples of

Freshman’s high quality control and

dedication to the best possible tonal

results at affordable prices. Available in

folk and dreadnought sizes, the new

models are sure to further cement the

name of Freshman in the minds of dealers

and players across the country.

ADAM HALL

An acoustic that immediately catches the

eye in the Adam Hall line up is the

VM20CENAT, or if you’re after a snappier

title, the Ventures acoustic, which brings a

slice of the retro appeal of the Ventures

electric guitar line into the unplugged

arena. Featuring the same distinctive

headstock as its electric brothers, a curvy

scratchplate and mahogany back and

sides, at £225 it certainly offers something

different from the rest of the market.

P&R HOWARD

The Sheridan range of acoustics has been

performing well for flourishing Scottish

distributor P&R Howard since its

introduction in 2008. Models such at the

BF 180 make it easy to see why. Easy on

the eye with some nice rosette work

round the soundhole and a nicely

contoured body shape, while its solid

spruce top and rosewood back and sides

give this grand auditorium sized guitar a

nicely rounded tone.

Westfield is another brand that has

maintained a solid performance for the

company in the starter market and the

B200 dreadnought, which combines a slim

neck profile for easy fretting alongside a

range of colour options to suit any style of

player, continues to sell through well.

HC DISTRIBUTION

The Ireland-based distributor has been

doing some sterling work with the Cort

brand and 2009 has seen it go from

strength to strength. The likes of the Earth

200 have done Cort the world of good,

thanks to a canny combination of striking

design, top-notch build quality and

genuinely great sounding guitars.

The L500C is another good example of

Cort’s strong points – a nicely put-

together, concert-sized guitar that has the

look and feel of an instrument with twice

the amount on the price tag.

It’s worth noting that Cort guitars are

made in the same far-eastern factory as a

good number of high-profile brand names

you could easily mention.

GEAR 4 MUSIC

Bringing Alvarez to the masses is the fast

growing online retailer Gear4Music.

Kicking things off with the PD311AV, just

about making it into this price point at

£499, this is clearly a brand worth taking a

closer look at. Solid tops, an eye catching

satin antique violin finish and some nice

inlay and binding work all make for rather

a pretty package with plenty of attention

to detail and all the right boxes ticked.

Other highlights in the Alvarez range

include the AJ417 jumbo, which carries on

the pattern of nicely crafted, pretty

looking instruments with some style and a

reasonable £379 asking price.


CONTACTSWESTSIDE ...............................................................................0141 2484812

BARNES AND MULLINS ........................................................01691652449

SUTHERLAND .....................................................................029 2088 7333

FREESTYLE .........................................................................(0)1924 455414

ARIA .......................................................................................01483 238720

JHS ...........................................................................................0113 2865381

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

PEAVEY ....................................................................................01536 461234

MUSIC FORCE ........................................................................01780 781630

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

EMD ..........................................................................................01293 862612

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

ADAM HALL ............................................................................01702 613922

P&R HOWARD .........................................................................01355 236621

HC DISTRIBUTION .........................................................+353 59 913 4268

GEAR4MUSIC.COM

GREMLIN ...............................................................................01903 203044

SOUND TECHNOLOGY .........................................................01462 480000

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

FCN ..........................................................................................01892 603733

TOON ......................................................................................01242 224985

45,48,51,52,53 mip114_FINAL 23/10/09 17:03 Page 4

ACOUSTICS • SECTOR SPOTLIGHT


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GREMLIN

Front line folky Gremlin has plenty to shout about, not least

with its Blueridge range, which brings a vintage style flavour

to proceedings. The BG140 for example, coming in at £449,

features a rather attractive slope shoulder design, an old-school

sunburst finish, low profile neck, bone nut and saddle and some

open back tuners for additional vibe. Certainly worth checking

out for something a little bit different in the acoustic section.

SOUND TECHNOLOGY

One need look no further than the infinitely popular – and

with good reason – Washburn D10s to understand why Sound

Technology has been onto a winner with Washburn from day

one. Full of character, this is a guitar that is both instantly

recognisable and utterly its own beast. Distinctive looks plus

tone to die for make a guitar that will doubtlessly continue to

sell by the bucket load for some time to come.

THEY ALSO SERVED...

With such a crowded market, there was never

going to be enough space for everyone, but there

are plenty of other brands worth a look aside from

those mentioned. Fender’s California range of lovely

looking Sonorans have proved popular thanks to

distinctive Strat style headstocks and laid back

vibe. FCN’s work with Walden is going well,

with the Supernatura series in particular

demonstrating just what the fine little maker

is capable of, while Toon Guitars continues

to turn out spotless hand-built in the UK

instruments – check out its nylon strung

parlour acoustic. While no-one can squeeze

everything in, there is certainly something for

everyone – just pick up the phone and order.

Apply for a Trade Account Now!

visit www.gear4music.com

tel:0843 155 0800email:[email protected]

AJ417 Jumbo

Body Acoustic

£379.00RRP

PJ311CDVSCutaway

Jumbo ElectroAcoustic

£599.00RRP

RD4102CSB

Cutaway Electro

Acoustic

£319.00RRP

45,48,51,52,53 mip114_FINAL 23/10/09 17:03 Page 5

The brand, according to marketing

theory, is the key. Corporations spend

billions establishing, maintaining and

fighting to preserve their reputation,

ascribing to them an almost mythical

status. Which is why it was surprising

when the audio-visual giant Avid recently

announced it is going to start drawing its

disparate family of component brands

together as part of what it is calling the

‘One Avid’ programme.

Avid has what what some would

consider to be the crown jewels in its

chosen markets, with products from

Digidesign, M-Audio, Pinnacle Systems and

Sibelius. So why would you want to tinker

with such a championship line-up?

The answer, according to Avid, is for the

sake of integration and it will come as a

relief to retailers to learn that while

everything is being grouped under the

Avid umbrella, none of these major brands

is losing its identity. In fact, according to

Avid’s own FAQ: “One Avid makes Avid

stronger than it was as five separate parts.

By pulling together all its category-

creating technologies under one roof, Avid

is in a unique position to provide its

customers with the integrated,

interoperable, and open audio and video

offerings they are looking for.”

They key word there could turn out to

be ‘interoperable’, because what Avid is

doing is integrating not just the separate

companies it has accumulated through a

series of take-overs, but the products, too.

Readers will no doubt recall the strategy

has been successfully applied before by

Harman, which got its brands’ products

talking and working together as an

integrated system. Avid, it seems, has a

similar idea in mind.

Ken Dewar, Avid retail sales manager,

Northern Region-EMEA, offered to guide

us through the changes and what they will

mean to retailers. So what underpins this

One Avid drive?

“A number of things. Avid was a collection

after the acquisition of several brands and

it took quite a long time for the company

to engage in a complete consolidation.

The raison d’être was to create a new

brand that benefited from the sum of the

strength of five individual brands.”

The immediate thought here is that

Avid runs the risk of harming its own

considerable brand image.

“Well, the risk of dilution is always

there, but you could equally ask,

conversely, can you afford to stand still

and not take advantage of the

opportunities? So it cuts both ways. I

think our new leadership has an ‘onwards

and upwards’ approach and has made

some logical and rational decisions about

how to take things.”

COMPANY PROFILE • AVID

AV firm Avid has brought its brands together under one umbrella: One Avid, in fact. Gary Cooper talks to Ken Dewar

about what this means and discovers all the benefits integration has to offer your every-day multi-national…


“The raison d’être was to create a new brand

that benefited from the sum of the strength of

five individual brands.”

Ken Dewar, Avid

Avidly integrating

54,55 mip114_FINAL 22/10/09 12:35 Page 1

Of relevance to Dewar, therefore (and

us) is how the set-up works for the

European market and the UK.

“In the new operating structure, Europe

has been divided into four regions, based

around four hub offices. We are based in

Pinewood, in the UK and there are others

in Munich, Paris and Dubai. The Northern

region is the UK and Ireland, Benelux and

the Nordic countries. What we are doing

now is handling more brands, but in a

tighter space,” Dewar explains. “The UK is

unaffected by the changes in many

respects, because we still have our offices

in Pinewood and Pinewood is still the HQ

for the whole of EMEA.”

Another reassuring lack of change,

Dewar reveals, is that Avid’s UK sales team

remains largely unaffected, so retailers will

mostly be dealing with familiar faces.

It’s probably safe to say that shops

already selling Avid brands such as

Digidesign, M-Audio and Sibelius, will

likely feel quite comfortable with the

company and whatever changes it makes.

But how will the changes affect stores

which are not dedicated to this product

area and, indeed, do the changes generate

opportunities for those that are still

prodding at high-tech with a stick and

aren’t sure how they can integrate it?

“I think we’re an interesting

organisation in so much as we differ from

a musical instrument creation company,

because we’re also partly a technology

and IT company, which gives us a certain

bandwidth and an ability to cover

different markets. From a music store

point of view, they would look at a

company like Avid and say ‘yes, its

products are selling’, but does Avid marry

to their business model? Where do they

think they’re going with their business? If

they really see themselves as a traditional

musical instrument retailer, they might

find us an uncomfortable company to deal

with, because we are computer-centric.

But if they have a technology leaning, I

think they might find us very interesting.”

Nonetheless, it isn’t hard to imagine a

shop that could find a space for M-Audio,

or Digidesign, but for which, say, Pinnacle

was a bit of a stretch. So is it going to be

possible for retailers to pick and choose

between the brands?

“We’re in the process right now of

redrawing our contracts, so that’s

changing at the end of this year. We’re

going make sure we have a boilerplate

contract for different product groups and

that would make it a lot easier for a

company to pick the part of our range

that it wanted to deal with. It takes quite

a long time to align all the back end stuff

to the front end stuff, but that’s what

we’re working on now.”

Once a retailer’s decided which parts of

Avid’s portfolio it wants to sell, what about

the integration and interoperability which

the company says is one of its goals?

“That’s where it starts to get really

exciting. If you think about the brands we

have, most of them were developed in

isolation and as that comes together,

there’s definitely a set of goals in terms of

the products we will be bringing to market

– so the headline, on the pro side in

particular, is interoperability, making sure

products are designed to be included in

workflows for professional facilities or for

average musicians. So if I was working in

my bedroom, doing music for the internet,

we’d like to create a set of tools –

hardware and software – that would

enable me to do everything. Scaling that

up to a higher level, if you’re in a post-

production facility you want to work

seamlessly with Pro Tools, mix on an Icon

board and then have that work in a

smooth way with Media Composer.

There’s a roadmap ahead of us in terms

of bringing more emphasis to workflows

and interoperability.”

This brings us nicely on to the question

of how all this can be pitched to MI Pro’s

retailer readers?

“Take advantage of us and our sales

force and the people that are in the

company can come and talk to you and

explore the possibility of a fit. And make

sure you understand what Avid is, because

we’re not a traditional musical instrument

supplier. I do think, however, that we have

an awful lot to offer the music part of the

industry and I think if they come to that

discussion with an open mind and they’re

looking for opportunities to plan their

businesses and grow for the next four or

five years, we’d probably be one of the

companies that would have a unique

offering for them. There aren’t many firms

that can offer the product ranges and the

coverage that we can. It’s all about getting

the fit right – and we will make an effort

to help them.”

Still, there will be plenty of readers

concerned by a steep learning curve on

products that rapidly go out of date.

Above all, the need to learn about new

technologies that can seem quite alien

from what they signed up for as music

retailers. Avid is more than able to help

dealers in that position.

“We have lots and lots of training

opportunities, particularly if you’re looking

at MI or the audio part of the business. On

the higher end, it’s absolutely 100 per cent

of the package – part of the responsibility

of the dealer is to provide trained staff to

handle the product – but at the lower end

it’s up to the dealer to decide if that’s

what their staff needs. On one hand the

products are complicated, but on the

other they are class-compliant USB

devices – no more complicated than

installing a printer. All of our sales guys

play or have been involved in the business

for a long time – most of them have ten

years or more of MI sales experience, so

they can offer a lot. Beyond that, there’s a

package on offer, based on what’s done in

the US, which we are currently planning to

deploy in 2010.”

In its new incarnation, Avid promises to

be a very big fish – and Dewar reveals that

it is already bigger than many imagine –

Avid included. “What’s been interesting to

me has been when we’ve gone to see

some of the biggest companies and we’ve

looked at the sum of Avid business that

they do, as opposed to just the M-Audio

business, or the Digidesign business. For

many of the big high-tech retailers we are

now their number one or number two

supplier and we were quite surprised by

that, because we’d never actually summed

the business up. For that kind of dealer, it

has changed its perspective of Avid and

we hope other people will become more

aware of it, too. It’s really quite a shopping

list for a retailer.”

WWW.AVID.CO.UK


AVID • COMPANY PROFILE

Now available from GemFor more information contact your Gem account manager for more information or visit www.gem.co.uk

DEWAR: “Take advantage of us and our sales force. Explore the possiblity of a fit”

54,55 mip114_FINAL 22/10/09 12:35 Page 2

In June this year, Ashton Music UK did

one of the trickiest things a thriving

business can do – it changed its name.

Bigger outfits than Ashton have got

tangled-up in the requisite nifty footwork

(anyone remember the Post Office trying

to change its name to Consignia?), so

three months on we thought it was time

to ask MD Jon Gold how the company,

now reincarnated as The Music Force

Distribution, had managed the change and

what the future might hold for the

company’s customers and suppliers.

But first, why change the name at all?

Ashton had rapidly established itself in an

interesting niche in the UK market,

following former Peavey UK boss Ken

Achard’s decision to bring the Australian

company to these shores. Ashton had

grown to become just what Achard had

predicted – a house-brand for independent

stores and, following the purchase of the

business from owners Australis Music, by

Jon Gold and his business partner Roger

Seekings, it seemed to have been going

from strength to strength, gaining some

distinctive new lines.

That, apparently, was the problem, Gold

says: “When Ashton was launched in the

UK, it was obviously a subsidiary of

Australis Music and when my partner Roger

Seekings and I bought the business from

them, in July 2007, the whole business plan

was geared to the company evolving into a

full-blown distributor. We continued to

build the Ashton brand, but then we looked

for other brands to complement that

offering and this began with Sparrow

Guitars, with the other new lines following.

Yet it was clear that, though we were and

are very proud of Ashton, using that as our

name was a deterrent to other brands

coming on board.

“We needed to restructure and find a

name that best complemented and

described what we were about as a

business – but that’s easier said than

done. Anything with the word ‘music’ in

the name is registered these days and

even if you can register the name, you’ll

find the website domain name has gone.”

After taking soundings around the

trade, Gold and Seekings eventually

settled on The Music Force Distribution.

“If we’d let it go on any longer, it would

have been even harder,” Gold says. “But as

it turned out the transition was absolutely

seamless. The timing was perfect, because

we did it to coincide with the London

International Music Show, so we were able

to harness the media and retailers

together and I have to say it went

incredibly well.”

One other aspect of the

metamorphosis, and one not to be

underestimated, is arranging the complex

backroom business that is the hidden stuff

of name changes.

“It’s not just changing your name, as

your readers will appreciate,” Gold

comments. “It’s all the stuff that goes with

it – all the behind the scenes things:

invoicing, VAT, websites, stationery; the list

is endless. I have to say, our team was

immense in helping us get through all

that. But it was amazing. It was absolutely

painless, which was a surprise to me, I

must say.”

However, changing its name wasn’t the

company’s only bombshell this summer.

Just a few weeks later, it announced it had

signed the prestigious German amp maker

Engl to the Music Force roster and then

reinforced that acquisition with the

addition of former Marshall and Laney

amp guru Steve Yelding to the team. In the

right circles, where Engl needs to be seen,

Yelding’s name is highly influential and his

appointment is seen as a particularly

astute move on Gold’s part.

COMPANY PROFILE • THE MUSIC FORCE

A name change can be a risky proposition for any company. Gary Cooper talks to Jon Gold and finds out

how Music Force managed to sail through the stormy seas of a rebrand…


“The timing was perfect, because we did it to

coincide with LIMS, so we were able to harness

the media and retailers together.”

Jon Gold, The Music Force Distribution

Force of Music

56,57 mip114_FINAL 22/10/09 12:27 Page 1

The addition

of Engl delivered the proverbial

‘win-win’ for The Music Force. It

put Engl back on the map in the

UK and it took Music Force

into a new arena.

“Engl was a brand

I’d coveted for years

and had had a lot of

experience with

when I was with

Academy of Sound,

when it was one of

our strongest

brands,” Gold

says. “Since then

I’d noted that,

despite the fact

it had taken off

worldwide, it

seemed to have

gone backwards in the

UK. It’s a fabulously

well-made product and to

the rock and metal

fraternity it has become

the ‘must-have’ amp.”

Engl has scored

particularly well by signing

a list of endorsers that

includes many guitar icons

– from old guard warriors

like Tony Iommi and Ritchie

Blackmore, to Duff McKagan

(more on him later), Cradle of

Filth’s Paul Allender, Megadeath’s Chris

Broderick and enough metal heroes to

staff a foundry.

This won Gold over: “It has secured

partnerships with grade one, A-list

endorsers – it reads like the who’s who of

metal and rock. And that was the point. I’d

seen that going on around the world, but

not in the UK, so I was over the moon

that we were able to secure Engl.”

But had that helped increase sales for

his other brands, such as Sparrow, Mariner

and Ashton itself?

“Very much so. Part of the marketing

with Ashton was that it was an entry-level

product and some people quickly made

their minds up that it wasn’t for them.

However, there’s much more to Ashton

than that. The quality and value for money

endears it to a much wider market and

what adding the more obviously upmarket

brands has done for us, is open people’s

eyes to that side of Ashton. They’re saying

things like ‘I didn’t know it was that good’

and ‘I didn’t know you could make that

much profit from Ashton’, so yes, one has

definitely helped the other.”

Where Music Force goes from here is

going to be fascinating to see. Jon Gold is

perfectly frank that he and his team are

hungry for success and are very keen to

talk to companies looking for higher

profile distribution in the UK. He is

reluctant to set any limits as to the type

of brands or products he could be

interested in – though he says he thinks hi

tech is unlikely.

But I wonder whether he’d be

interested in another major guitar line to

ride alongside Engl? His eyes light up at

the prospect.

“One of the things that came out of

the change of name was that we didn’t

just rename the company, we invested in

better back-of-house systems – better

customer service systems and a heavy

investment in IT. This means we’re able to

give great customer service beyond the

point of sale.

“Our job doesn’t stop when we’ve sold

the product to the dealer. We need to be

there if there are any issues; we need to

support them with marketing, for

example, so we’ve invested to do that.

We’ve now got more staff in the office,

we’ve got a dedicated marketing person,

there is a dedicated sales team in the

office and a credit control team, which we

didn’t have fully before – so we’ve invested

heavily in human resources, as well.”

One of the areas the company has

moved into is artist relations, which flows

directly from its partnership with Engl, and

it has already secured a major scalp. While

supporting former Guns N’ Roses guitarist

Duff McKagan for Engl when his band was

on tour in the UK, it scored a valuable

second goal.

“Duff is one of the world’s biggest rock

stars and could play anything, but he saw

the Sparrow Guitars while he was with us

and asked if he could try them. We

prepared three for him and the band are

using them now. It’s a great coup for both

Sparrow and us – he loves them.

“As everyone knows, this has been an

extremely difficult year for the trade as a

whole, but the feeling I’m getting suggests

that there are opportunities out there.

You’ve got to be flexible and change your

business model quickly if you need to and

that’s something we are able to do. If we

wake up tomorrow morning and find we

need to turn right, then we can do that.

“It’s been a momentous year for us.

We’ve grown in a year when the economy

has been going backwards and I know

there are other business out there that

have been making progress, too –

distributors and retailers. It’s tough out

there, undoubtedly, but we do see progress

being made.

“People still want to play music and

people still want to buy product. It may

not be such expensive product, but they

still want to buy something and, of course,

that’s particularly good for a great value

brand like Ashton.”

So where does Music Force go from

here? “We’re young, we’re passionate, we’re

hungry and we care. The brands we’ve got

still have great potential in them – there’s a

lot more growth in all of them. I want to

consolidate what we have and there’s loads

of work to do with Engl, which has

potentially great growth in the UK. Beyond

that? Our infrastructure is such now that

we are on the lookout for other lines that

complement and will add value to our

existing lines. We’re looking to grow.”

MUSIC FORCE: 01780 781630


THE MUSIC FORCE • COMPANY PROFILE

Duff McKagan (left) and Mike Squires (right), from Duff McKagan’s Loaded, with their

Sparrow Rat Rods and Engl Fireball AmpMusic Force’s Jon Gold, who’s also the MIA

president, pictured here at the MIA awards

56,57 mip114_FINAL 22/10/09 12:27 Page 2

Iget up at 7:15 in the morning,

then it’s breakfast and the five

minute walk to work – we’re

based in Treorchy in Rhondda. I

get into work at about 8:30, have

a cup of tea with my colleague,

then sort a few things out before

we start work at around quarter

to nine.

I’ll check everything is all right

on the factory floor and running

smoothly, and iron any problems

out with the supervisor.

I’ll work on the machines as

well when it’s busy, mainly

working on double bass strings –

I don’t sit in the office all day; I

couldn’t do that.

I’ve been in this industry since

1961 – a good few years now. As

production manager it’s up to

me to make sure everything runs

properly and that everyone has

their work set out for the day.

Any special orders that come

in, I sort those out as soon as

possible, but basically it’s my job

to keep everyone working and

sort out any problems there

might be straight away.

There are only 14 of us in

total here, so we’re a small

company, but we do a lot of

stuff. We make strings that other

companies don’t, as they’re only

doing big production runs,

whereas ours are all done by

hand spinning.

We manufacture all sorts of

strings, from electric and acoustic

guitar through to all of the bowed

instruments strings and double

bass strings. We get people asking

for special gauges as well as

special lengths, which we can do

for them with no problem.

It’s been a very busy year;

the recession hasn’t really hit us

up here. I think it’s down to

quality strings and because we’re

not a big company – we’ve

ridden it better than a lot of

people have.

Our big thing at the moment

is a brand that we do called

Innovation – double bass strings

– and it’s been taking off

recently, in the States especially.

These are more specialised

than anything, as there are only

three of us that make them.

We’re been here for 26 years

in these premises. Picato was

originally a brand name of

General Music Strings, which was

based in South Wales, and Rod

Bradley, who is the director of

this company, bought it out

down there and moved it here.

The original company started

in the 1930s and was started by

a Jewish gentleman by the name

of Stein who came over here

before the second world war.

There’s a lot of heritage here.

For me, there’s too much

stuff being imported these days

and people seem to think

American products are better,

even though we all buy our raw

materials from the same

suppliers, which is odd.

I finish work at quarter to five,

and head home. I can’t play a

note and I’ve never been

tempted. I think being around

strings all the time has put me

off. I love working here though –

out of the 14 that started work

here 26 years ago, there are six

who are still here, so there’s a lot

of loyalty at Picato Strings.

I WOKE UP THIS

MORNING


PROFILE

MI Pro chats to Picato Strings’ Tony Roberts about the art of manufacturing strings and keeping the workflow going...

TONY ROBERTSProduction Manager, Picato Strings

58 Mipro114_FINAL 23/10/09 14:09 Page 1


MIA NEWS an update from your industry trade association

MIA call to retailers

‘What did the MIA ever do for me?’

Despite having had a trade association for

over 125 years, many retailers don’t really

know what the MIA does. The MIA has

one goal – to encourage more people to

make music. The more people who make

music, the more customers our industry

has and the more successful we all are.

There are many ideas and projects that

the MIA wants to launch, but these can

only be put into action if we have

sufficient membership numbers and

subscriptions to fund their activity.

Without an increase in the membership,

many of these great ideas to create more

musicians will simply not come to fruition.

So, we say: Retailers – the MIA needs you.

‘But I get all these benefits whether I’m

a member or not...’

Yes, this is true. Whether or not you’re a

paid up MIA member you’re getting the

benefit of all the hard work the MIA does

to create more musicians. There just isn’t a

workable way for the MIA to channel the

new customers they create exclusively to

MIA members. All the MIA can do is appeal

to retailers to look at the bigger picture

and realise that the relatively small

amount it costs to be an MIA member is

an essential investment for the future.

‘What if I saved money on my stock

purchases by being an MIA member?’

Ah ha! The golden ticket. What if by being

an MIA member you could get exclusive

supplier discounts that could well deliver

you an annual saving well in excess of

your MIA membership fee? This is an idea

that was first voiced about a year ago

when the MIA retail committee said

suppliers could do more to incentivise

retailers to join up.

Some suppliers have answered the call

and more will shortly follow now that the

first ones have made a move. We will be

encouraging all MIA retail members to

stay in close contact with MIA supplier

members as the offers are rolled out.

These new product savings are on top of

the existing money saving benefits

available to MIA members, such as free

business and legal help-lines, discounted

insurance, reduced credit card transactions,

special foreign currency rates and so on.

‘I have some ideas of my own. Can I get

involved in the MIA?’

Absolutely, yes. We need your ideas, input

and energy. The more retailers are

involved, the more music makers we can

create and the stronger the voice of retail

will be in the organisation. Join one of the

many working parties or email

[email protected].

‘OK, I’m interested – how much does it

cost to be a member?’

Subscriptions are based on annual turnover,

but any shop can join for an introductory

first year at £150 plus VAT. This can even be

paid via quarterly direct debit instalments.

It’s a small amount to pay to ensure that

our industry continues its united approach

to creating more musicians. Go to

mia.org.uk and click on ‘Join the MIA’ to

see all the details and apply on-line.

MIA: 01372 750600

The Association’s retail committee members, Lee Anderton, Paul Blease, Noel Sheehan

and Jason Tavaria, make the case for retailers to have a voice...

New customersCall 0800 731 8921*

Existing customersCall 0845 702 3344**

Making the most of the connections you already have.

Important notes�� !�� "#$$�"$#$$�$%#&�'"(��)� �� *��'�� +��,�!�� -� .��,�!��-�#��""�� /�"$��'�� /�"$��0�� /�� 1��

AC14575

Benefits to you� Preferential card processing rates� No set up fee� Free authorisation calls via your terminal� No refund fee

Lee Anderton

Noel Sheehan

59 Mipro 114_FINAL 23/10/09 14:12 Page 1



RETAILIrish show confirms status

NEWS, OPINION, DATA

THE SIXTH Music Show Ireland took place

on the weekend of October 3rd and 4th

and achieved something of a coup for the

republic’s MI trade and musicians,

increasing visitor attendance by some 17

per cent (11,822), representing all of the

country’s major suppliers and offering new

product launches and a wide range of MI

gear for an enthusiastic public.

On top of that, the island’s music

retailers were much in evidence as

exhibitors (including Perfect Pitch, X-

Music, The Sound Shop and Kilkenny

Vintage Guitars among others) or as trade

visitors to the show.

As well as increasing the show floor

space by some 15 per cent, the seminar

programme was up by a third on 2008

and Hot Press, the show’s organiser,

doubled the space used for themed

exhibitions and installations, including the

Rory Gallagher Guitar Exhibition and the

Irish Rock Photography installation.

“There was agreement among the

exhibitors that the crowd was really

interested in the gear,” said Niall Stokes,

Hot Press magazine’s editor. “There were

more band members, pros and semi-pros

in attendance than ever before.”

Tanglewood had Ireland’s country rock

diva, Imelda May, called to the Tanglewood

Ireland stand to collect her new TSB49

guitar and draw a good crowd there, as

well as to the live stage for her

performance. “Despite the economy, which

has been very bad in Ireland, the public

mood seems generally upbeat, and we

have had a lot of interest in our new

products on display here, plus positive

feedback,” commented Tanglewood

Ireland’s MD, John Halnon. “In terms of the

cost of being at this show versus business

written, that’s tough to quantify, but our

outlook is positive.”

Exhibiting for the first time was Lesley

Kane’s new operation, KMI Distribution.

“As a start-up company I questioned

whether KMI could afford to take part in

the show,” said Kane. “In retrospect, I know

that we couldn’t afford not to. The show is

open to the public with no trade-only

time and trying to get the formula right to

encourage dealers to visit and take part

has taken the six years that the show has

existed to get it right. It’s not perfect, but

the Irish Music Show has come a long way

since Irish Music Live 2004.

“The difference between this show and

the others that exist in the British Isles is

most definitely the atmosphere. There is a

tangible, excited buzz. It’s noisy, it’s

exhausting and it’s great fun.”

“There’s been a really fantastic crowd

coming through our stand compared to

previous years,” said Adam Leddy of The

Sound Shop, Drogheda. “We’ve collected a

lot of names for our mailing list and for

the competitions we’ve been running.

We’re all a bit exhausted – but it’s all

good as far as I’m concerned.”

This last comment is pretty crucial, as

The Music Show allows no sales

whatsoever from the show floor.

For Roland, the show has extra

significance, as Roland Ireland’s Gerry

Forde has been heavily involved in the

event from the beginning. “We have found

a whole new demographic for this show

and this has been an eye-opener for the

retailers,” he said. “The chance to see top

names, such as Imelda May, see master

classes from successful artists – the mix is

just about perfect.”

Hot Press’ ambition now is to cement

the show firmly on the international

music calendar, with a continued increase

in the number of international exhibitors,

delegates and visitors. “The Music Show

will refine its specialist offerings to

increase its attractiveness to industry

professionals, with more emphasis on the

MI and pro audio end of the business,”

concluded Stokes. “We aim to make it

even more of a pleasure for everyone.”

RETAIL AWARDSThe industry’s annual big night

out saw no fewer than six

retailers picking up awards, from

printed music to large multiples.

We look at why they won and

what the award means to them

BEHIND THE COUNTERThe grief caused

by thieves – our

own secret

retailer

describes the

feeling of loss

INDIE PROFILE

How has JG

Windows

carved such a

chunk of the

north east’s

business

The Music Show Dublin, organised by Hot Press, has proved itself once and for all to be a show of significance beyond the

Irish market – and all this while keeping show floor trading down to zero. Could there be lessons to be learnt?

“We have found a new demographic for this show,

which has been a real eye-opener for the retailers.”

Gerry Forde, Roland Ireland

61 MiPro114_FINAL 23/10/09 16:35 Page 1

THE PRINTED music award was once

again scooped up by last year’s winner

Lynne Ackerman of Ackerman Music, a

small chain with a sterling reputation

for customer service and a printed

music division that puts most retailers

to shame. “To win two years in a row, I

was over the moon,” says Ackerman. “I

really wasn't expecting it and was

absolutely sho cked when it happened. I

thought it was lovely to be invited to

the awards, but didn't think for a second

we'd win two years In a row.

“It's been a hard year – sheet music

is one of our core items, so it's fairly

steady throughout. We try to provide a

really good service on it, get it in from

the publishers and back out to the

customers, schools and teachers as

quickly as possible, which is what they

all want. It's been a bit harder on the

instrument side this year, but we've

been happy with sheet music and we're

growing all the time with more titles

and choice for people.”

Proving that hard work and attention

to the finer details can really lift a

business, Ackerman puts her success

down to the way the chain is run. “I try

to be fairly hands on and go round the

three shops as often as possible. We

have an area manager and managers in

the shops as well, so it's quite a hands-

on business. We take time and care to

sort the little things out which I think

makes all the difference.”


RETAIL • AWARDS

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.

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The MIA awards this year saw no fewer than six awards going to companies that really count – retailers. Rob Power and

Rob Hughes take the opportunity to get a few words from the best of British MI retail…

Best of the bestPRINTED MUSIC RETAILER OF THE YEAR

ACKERMAN MUSIC (LYNNE ACKERMAN)

A NEW award for this year, the Rob

Williams Business Enterprise award, in

memory of the co-founder of Dolphin

Music, whose tragic death earlier this

year sent shockwaves throughout the

industry, was won by Portsmouth’s

enterprising Nevada Music.

“It’s quite poignant really,”

commented Nevada managing director

Mike Devereux on the win. “Jason

(Tavaria, Dolphin co-founder) actually

presented it to us. We’d always seen

them as a major competitor and looked

up to them and, of course, when Rob

died it was a shock for everyone. You

can imagine how we felt with them

being the ones to present it to us.

“Any award is special, but this one

even more so. Jason was very impressed

with our website – he said to me

afterwards that they had watched

competitors come along and they’d

usually copy one another or present

some form of what already existed. He

said that what blew them out of the

water was that our site came up and it

was totally new with fresh concepts on

it. He, of all people, coming from a

web-based company, could appreciate

what we had done so it was really nice

to have somebody acknowledge that.”

As a well established presence on the

south coast, Nevada has managed to

keep itself at the cutting edge of online

retailing opportunities thanks to a team

that is constantly on the look out for

new and innovative schemes to drive

internet sales. “We’ve got a great team

– the other thing Jason said was that

they didn’t expect an old company to

do this. We’re 40 years old this year,

and I’d never thought about that as

managing director, but we’ve got such a

good team here of both software

developers and musicians and they are

giving us some leading edge products.”

ROB WILLIAMS BUSINESS ENTERPRISE AWARD

NEVADA MUSIC (MIKE DEVEREUX)

Mike Devereux (second right)

Lynne

Ackerman

(centre)

picks up

her second

award

62,63 MiPro114_FINAL 23/10/09 16:25 Page 1


AWARDS • RETAIL

THIS YEAR’S prize for the best Take It

Away dealer was won by the hard-

working and relentlessly pro-active

Wigan-based retailer Symphony Music

and Technology Centre. A family-run

shop that has been at the heart of its

local music scene for some time, its

championing of the Arts Council

scheme has been a runaway success.

“It’s the second time we’ve been

nominated and, to give you some

background, we’re a tiny little family

shop, so for us it’s the biggest night

we’ve ever had,” comments managing

director Dave Bamford. “It was a really

big thing for us – we went last year

with no expectations, and we weren’t

disappointed we didn’t win as it was

great to be in the top three, but this

has blown us away.”

The shop’s approach to promotion

locally, including sponsoring local

festivals, alongside its approach to one-

on-one sales, has seen the Take It Away

scheme turn into a roaring success.

“All of the customers think it’s a

great scheme. It’s a bit of a no-brainer

as it makes things so much easier to

purchase,” continues Bamford. “What

makes this year a bit more special is

that rather than the Arts Council

nominating, as they did last year, they

actually received nominations, so this

year’s award was based solely on the

feedback they got from customers.

“It made it more special and it told

us we’re doing something right in the

way that we’re operating, the way

we’re selling the instruments and the

way we’re promoting it as a scheme.”

TAKE IT AWAY RETAILER OF THE YEAR

SYMPHONY MUSIC AND TECHNOLOGY CENTRE (DAVE BAMFORD)

“I’M OVER the moon, ecstatic.

“For years, reps have been coming

and telling us how great they thought

the shop was and we thought we’d put

it to the test to see how well we would

do at the MIA Awards. It worked well.

“There are a few reasons why we

won. First, two years ago we bought the

rest of the building we’ve been trading

in for 20 years, which has resulted in a

large, period building, dating back to the

15th century, full of guitar gear. We

really took a punt – a million quid’s

worth of building, which then needed

to be renovated and stocked – It was a

real risk, but, touch wood, it’s all

working great.

“We specialise in guitars and we’ve

got an awful lot of rare, hard-to-find

and vintage guitars.

“We only shut four days of the year

and we’ve got a good online situation,

whereby we photograph every

individual guitar. If you sit at home in

Cornwall looking at a guitar on our site,

we will have it in stock – if it’s out of

stock it will say so.

“While it’s very easy to say that the

market is depressed, or complain about

the competition, the best idea is to get

behind the industry and work with

other people within it. We bought a

load of specialist guitars recently that

have now sold out, but we work with

another shop, Guitar Guitar, so we

mention them to customers. You should

get behind things in a positive fashion

and, when the reps come, try to buy as

much as you can reasonably afford, so

the customer sees a good range. Shops

should get behind each other so that

everyone is trying to push forward.”

BEST SPECIALIST RETAILER

GUITAR VILLAGE (DEREK EYRE-WALKER)

"THIS AWARD is a huge honour for us,

particularly considering we only opened

our doors just over a year ago.

It is also a tremendous morale boost

for the staff, who in May last year were

facing the prospect of the store closing

and the loss of their jobs. It’s a

testament to their hard work and

determination that we have turned the

business around and achieved so much

in such a short time.

“I'd also like to offer a huge thanks

to the suppliers, who had faith in us at

the beginning and helped get Red Dog

off to a flying start.

“The award is decided by votes on

‘the best presented and staffed shops,

with the best customer service’. I think

this embodies what we do; we’ve

focused on presenting a friendly face to

trade and customers.

We’ve got around 5,000 square feet

of floor space that we try to fill with

forward thinking products, including

computer music and recording

equipment, alongside the more

traditional guitars and keyboards.

“I don't claim to be in a position to

offer advice, but our guiding principle

from the start has been to treat all

setbacks as opportunities. When Sound

Control went bust and I was made

redundant, I tried to treat it as an

opportunity. It’s important to realise

that however bad things may seem,

there is always some way out.

“There are a lot of people who are

afraid of the internet, but from our

point of view the internet represents

another opportunity. Without it we are

limited to the local market; with it, the

whole world is our market.”

“ABSOLUTELY AND totally delighted.

It’s our fourth one now and nobody else

has won more than two. Now we need

to get a fifth because it’s our 20th

anniversary in 2010 so we’ll be putting

the thumbscrews on the industry for

next year. But we’re absolutely

delighted; it’s a great honour.

“I’d like to think we’ve got the best

retail stores in the country. When you

look at stores like Birmingham,

Manchester and Leeds, there’s nothing

to touch them and that’s not because

they’re ours, it’s because it’s the truth. I

would even hold them against stores all

over Europe and the US. There are

bigger ones, sure, but when you look at

what else there is (and there are not

that many multiples anymore), I think

we’re well ahead of the rest.

“We’re not resting on our laurels,

though. Next year we’ll have some very

strong competition.

“Is there anybody else actively

promoting our industry? Is there

anybody else putting on events like

Stick it to MS? Are there other multiple

retailers in partnership with schools,

promoting music? That’s what makes us

the UK’s number one.

“Do something that promotes music

in your area, something that makes

people want to play, then back it up.

Look after the teachers in the area and

get involved with schools.

“Our first store was 1,000 square

foot. It’s pathetic compared to now, but

that was a fantastic store with four

people in it everyday who loved what

they did and wanted to help.”

BEST RETAILER (MULTIPLE)

PROFESSIONAL MUSIC TECHNOLOGY (SIMON GILSON & TERRY HOPE)

BEST RETAILER (INDEPENDENT)

RED DOG MUSIC (ALEX MARTEN)

Guitar Village: million dollar baby

Red Dog: life after Sound Control

Once, twice, four

times a winner

62,63 MiPro114_FINAL 23/10/09 16:25 Page 2

How is business compared to

this time last year?

Having acquired a second shop

six months ago, overall it’s

significantly up. If you’d asked

me a month or two ago I’d have

said it was down. We’re

continually doing more and

more stuff to try and be on the

ball. We evaluate what we’re

doing and change or react

accordingly. The day that a rep

comes in and doesn’t say: ‘you’ve

changed this around’, will be the

day that figures stop going up.

How do you market the shop?

We’ve just taken on Paul

Donaldson as commercial

manager to really get stuck into

marketing. At the moment, if

I’m honest, we rely so heavily

on being a well-known set-up

that we don’t have to do very

much, but we are at the point of

wanting to do a lot more.

Having said that, from

September through to

December 24th we do run a TV

campaign on ITV, with ads going

out two to three times a day.

How do you compete with the

online competition?

Internet business and shop

business are two completely

different ways of life. While

we’re about to give our website

a complete overhaul, we’ve

spent all our time since we took

over from the Windows family

focusing on the bricks and

mortar business. So while we’re

not necessarily as cheap as the

web – although in some areas

we definitely are – the experience

that people get when they come

in the shop helps us compete.

What are your main strengths

and weaknesses?

Our name is a massive strength

and also the fact that we’ve

now got two shops within ten

minutes of each other on the

bus or in a car, but covering two

completely different sets of

customers. We’ve pretty much

got the north east covered in

terms of MI retail for the

products that we sell. If

someone wants to buy a digital

piano, there’s a 99 per cent

chance they’ll buy it from us.

How do you ensure a good

level of customer service?

Two weeks ago we sent almost

every staff member on a

customer service training course.

I’m in the business all the time,

so I’m in touch with what goes

on every day and I’m also very

hands-on. We stay aware of

what’s happening and we talk

about any issues we have.

What’s the one product that

you couldn’t live without?

That’s a question and a half! My

lunch is one product that I

couldn’t do without... We have a

very strong relationship with

Roland and we do very well with

electronic drum kits too,

particularly at Christmas.

How can the industry do more

to support retail?

Become more professional. My

biggest frustration – and this

would be angled at some

distributors and some retailers –

is that we all need to run

professional businesses rather

than operating like a cottage

industry. There are some

absolute basics that some of the

distributors don’t have in place

and certainly the same would

apply to many retailers.


INDIE PROFILE • RETAIL

JG WINDOWS,NEWCASTLE

FACTS & FIGURESAddress: Central Arcade, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 5BP

Phone: 0191 232 1356

Managing director: Rupert Bradbury

Established: 1908

Established: 35

Bestselling lines: Roland Microcubes and pianos

Rob Hughes talks to Rupert Bradbury,

managing director of JG Windows, about

the state of MI retail in Newcastle...

64 Mipro114_FINAL 22/10/09 15:08 Page 1


Our undercover retail reporter comes back from holiday

only to find an expensive guitar has gone missing...

The terrible tale ofthe six-string swiper

It’s not been the best of months for

our store. The gods have turned

against us and sent nothing but

waves of misfortune our way. Upon

returning from a week spent sunning

myself away from the hustle and bustle

of the shop floor, I was greeted by a

sullen fellow shop-hand whose slumped

shoulders and deathly pallor told me

that all was not well on our happy

little ship.

When he pointed to our

wall of high-end guitars, I immediately

noticed a sizeable gap. Surely a good

thing, I thought; the sale of such big-

ticket guitars can’t be bad. Alas, I was

mistaken. A few days before I had made

my way back to Blighty’s sunny shores,

a couple of lads had made their way

into the shop, sidled up to our prized

wall of top-notch six strings, and made

off with prime guitar goodness worth

nearly two grand. Theories abound as to

how they managed this, especially as

the instrument in question was no

more than ten feet from the staffer

manning the counter at the time, but

the fact remains that they got it out of

the shop and well away before anyone

noticed what had happened.

It’s a kick in the guts for anyone to

lose such an expensive item, especially

in the testing retail environment that

we’re currently in. It is, of course, easy

to throw accusations around willy nilly

after the event, taking the ‘how the hell

didn’t you see that’ line, or to bewail

our store’s trusting policy of not having

every guitar in the shop rigged up to an

alarm system, but ultimately the gear

is gone, and we will probably never see

it again.

As the details emerge, it would seem

that we are destined not to catch the

swine who made off with our precious

six string. Our CCTV system, usually so

dependable, had thrown a strop and

chosen not to work that day, while

cameras in the surrounding area caught

barely a half decent shot of the

dastardly bastards who ruined our

week. Of course, these things happen in

any retail environment, but knowing

that does little to sugar the pill.

On the upside, the kids are back to

school and lapping up new instruments

at an alarming rate. Such is the

demand that we can barely keep up,

but we’re bravely doing our bit and

ensuring the superstars of tomorrow

are given their chance to start on the

long road to musical success.

And now the inevitable march to

Christmas is beginning, which has us all

both rubbing our hands in delight and

trembling in our boots at the prospect

of a thousand confused mothers

playing Santa...

BEHIND THE COUNTER • RETAIL

Theories abound as to how they managed it,

but the thieves got it out the shop and well

away before anyone noticed.

65 Mipro114_FINAL 23/10/09 14:21 Page 1

David Courtney &Srinivas KoumounduriLearning the SitarTarget: Beginner Sitar players

Comment: While this reviewer is certain

there have been other beginner books for the

sitar, this is the first one he has come across

and, with over 30 pages before the first note is

plucked, he surmises that the instrument is as

difficult to learn as has been rumoured. Whole

aspects of Indian music need to be taken into

consideration, as well as Indian terminology

for the music theory. That said, this book is an

excellent grounding in the basics of playing

this most iconic of instruments.

MEL BAY: 020 8214 1222

EDUCATIONAuthor: Opgenoorth &Bessler (Voggenreiter)Guitar ChordsTarget: Guitar

Comment: Voggenreiter’s take on the chord

listings that are essential for any guitarist’s

book shelf. Over 4,000 chord voicings are

included in this brightly coloured edition. It’s

been designed for the studying guitarist with

its slant on the voicings in rock, pop and jazz.

Additional chapters have been included on

playing techniques, chord synonyms and power

and ‘slash’ chords.

MEL BAY: 020 8214 1222

Artist: Abby NewtonCastles, Kirks and Caves

Target: Cello

Comment: A delightful collection of

traditional Scottish music from the 18th

century, originally compiled by Newton in

2000 for a CD of the music. As a cellist,

Newton was intrigued by tunes that were

actually written for the instrument. The book

is separated out into ‘Tunes’, ‘Sets’ and ‘Duos’

and each piece has suggested bowings and

chords. Newton suggests players familiarise

themselves with the tunes before learning to

play them – which is a nice way to get people

to her CD, available from her website…

MEL BAY: 020 8214 1222

POPULARArtist: Various (arr Juchem)Pop BalladsSeries: Schott Saxophone Lounge

Target: Alto saxophone

Comment: Famous pop ballads (16 in all),

arranged by Dirko Juchem for alto sax with

piano accompaniment, taking in a wide

spectrum of pop classics, whether initially

intended for sax playing (Baker Street) or not

(A Whiter Shade of Pale). Juchem makes them

relevant and decidedly easy to play.

SCHOTT: 020 7534 0744

Author: David BarrettBlues Harmonica Accompaniment Playing

Series: School of Blues Target: Harmonica

Comment: The School of Blues series covers

harmonica, guitar, keys, bass and drums and is

designed to pass on the love of blues of the

list of authors used. In this edition, Barrett

(who is co-author on all the titles) begins

with intermediate level players and takes

them through various blues techniques,

recommending various recordings along the

way. The difference for this book is its focus

on accompanying others – something a little

alien to many players, but a must for those

serious about ensemble playing.

MEL BAY: 020 8214 1222

NEW PRODUCTS • PRINT


Target: General, guitarists

Comment: Doubtless hurried into a new

edition after the death of Les Paul a few

months ago, the questionable ethics of

publishers do not, thankfully, detract from

what is an excellent book written by

arguably the world’s leading authority on

guitar history.

The book covers the history of the

guitar, arising from the career and

engineering experiments of Les Paul and

the Gibson corporation at the time under

Ted McCarty. The result is the guitar that

stood at the very centre of rock music for

the next 20 years and is still seen as a

must-have for millions of guitarists.

The book looks at each innovation in the

guitar’s development (the invention of the

humbucking pickup, the ‘mystical’ 1959

Goldtop, the glamour of the golden era of

the 1970s) and the many stars that have

linked their image to that of the guitar.

The latest edition brings the timeline up

to date with the latest models introduced

and the appearance of a certain Joe

Bonamassa – almost certainly the

standard bearer of the guitar as it travels

towards the completion of its sixth decade

in production.

Great pics and flowing text – all-in-all

this is a book that sits easily on any

muso’s coffee table.

BACKBEAT: 020 7720 3581

BOOK OF THE MONTHAuthor: Tony BaconThe Les Paul Guitar Book

DVDMarshall Wilborn (with Murphy Henry)Slap BassSeries: The Murphy Method

Target: Double bass

Comment: This may be a niche market in the

UK, but there is a good deal here for aspiring

players. On this DVD, Wilborn takes players

through the single, double and triple slaps,

boogie woogie playing with single slap and a

couple of traditional songs to illustrate the

application thereof.

MEL BAY: 020 8214 1222

66,68 mipro114_FINAL 22/10/09 12:29 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 [email protected]

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

NEW PRODUCTS • PRINT


Artist: Kibisi DouglasAfrican Bass BibleSeries: The Boosey Voice Coach

Target: Bass guitar

Comment: Kibisi Douglas is a pretty big name

in African music circles and is frequently on

tour around the world with the likes of Kanda

Bongo Man (as seen on Jools Holland’s Later

show). While the patient and dedicated will

doubtless gain much from this DVD, it is hard

going with sometimes quite poor sound, but it

illustrates Douglas’ delicate technique when

playing rumba or soukouos.

MEL BAY: 020 8323 8010

Author: Peter BlechaSonic BoomTarget: General

Comment: Not to be confused with

John Alderman’s excellent analysis of

the Napster and MP3 boom, which

also has the same title, in this book

Blecha takes the unusual step of

looking at the musical heritage of a

particular region, the north west of

the US, most notably Seattle. From

Louie Louie to Smells Like Teen Spirit,

taking in the fledgling Jimi Hendrix

in between, Blecha’s research is

extensive and his style fluid. An

interesting history.

BACKBEAT: 020 7720 3581

GENERALAuthor: MixermanThe Daily Adventures of MixermanTarget: General

Comment: In an attempt to bring the ‘truth’

to an area of the rock business that wallows

in the realm of apocryphal anecdote (the

recording session) this anonymous author

spews up his own apocrypha, with all names

changed. The book is the result of a series of

blogs posted during a major-label album

production. While it offers nothing in terms of

revelation, this guy obviously knows his

recording and clearly has a great imagination.

A hoot.

BACKBEAT: 020 7720 3581

Artistr: Various (Weeks arr)The Piano Sessions:Contemporary BalladsTarget: Piano

Comment: Within the pages of this book are a

dozen popular tunes – but not so popular that

you would be sick of them – arranged for piano

with considerable aplomb and delicacy in a

smooth jazz style – and with the guitar chords

thrown in for good measure. This is not going to

be a massive seller, but pianists will appreciate it

as a recommendation from the more discerning

shopkeepers out there.

FABER: 01279 828989

POPULARArtist: MetallicaThe Complete LyricsSeries: Schott Discovering/Improvising series

Target: General

Comment: An unusual book and one normally

reserved for the likes of Bob Dylan or Paul Simon.

With nothing but the words, the words need to

be able to stand on their own. With Dylan and

Simon, they do. With Metallica they certainly

don’t. Fans will like this – no one else.

HAL LEONARD (MUSIC SALES):

01284 702600

DVDSArtist: Tommy EmmanuelEmmanuel LaborTarget: Guitar

Comment: There are three selections of songs

from Emmanuel’s albums, Only, Endless Road and

The Mystery, which he performs before talking the

learner through the structure and techniques of

each piece. Emmanuel has a fluid fingerstyle

method and this DVD will give any guitarist a lot

to think about and practice. Nice tunes, too.

MEL BAY: 020 8323 8010

Author: MatthiasPhilipzenCajon: A box full ofrhythmTarget: Percussionists

Comment: Philipzen takes the learner

through the fundamentals of playing the

Cajon and a variety of playing techniques.

He then takes the learner on an extensive

tour of solo and ensemble pieces. This is

guaranteed to last a player a lifetime,

from learning the basics to dipping into

as a hardened pro for reminders and tips.

VOGGENREITER (MEL BAY):

020 8323 8010

Author: Phillipp MoehrkeVoicing Concepts: JazzPianoSeries: Jazz Workbooks

Target: Piano, musician

Comment: A spectacularly good book that takes

as its premise the understanding and interpreting

of chord symbols as a fundamental requirement

of playing jazz. While mainly targeting the piano

as the easiest way to get an overview of harmonic

structures, the book recognises that the exercises

contained within make up an important aid for

any musician. Simply and clearly structured, the

book leads the student to explore improvisation

in typical and complex ways.

VERLAG (MEL BAY): 020 8323 8010

66,68 mipro114_FINAL 22/10/09 12:29 Page 2

full page 19/10/09 10:21 Page 1

70 NOVEMBER 2009 miPRO WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

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

MARKETPLACE INDEX

SU

PP

LIE

R S

PO

TLIG

HT

THE PLACE FOR BUSINESS

440 DISTRIBUTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01132 589599

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

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

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

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 AMPLIFICATIONS . . . WWW.MARSHALLAMPS.COMMCELLAND/GREMLIN MUSIC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01273 491333MELBAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0)20 8382 8010MUSIC SHIPPING CO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01562 827666

OOCARINA WORKSHOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01536 485963ORANGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8905 2828

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

TTEAC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01923 438 880TOM & WILL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 08450 945 659

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

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

JAM – it’s packedwith percussionTony Lucas and Graham Johns talk us through the

USPs their company has to offer the UK retailers…

Two heads are better than one…

That was the idea behind the

formation, seven years ago, of

Johns and Mushroom Percussion

(known as JAM Percussion) from two

small businesses already active in the

world of percussion retail. The founder

members of JAM Percussion, Tony

Lucas and Graham Johns, joined forces

and have quickly become one of the

UK's leading percussion retailers.

“We were sharing the same

customers, so it seemed a natural step

to put our two businesses under one

roof,” explains Graham Johns.

His co-director, Tony Lucas, took

the decision to up-sticks and move

north from Essex in 2002. “I was

looking for a change from my

professional playing career in London

and this opportunity presented itself

at exactly the right time,” he says.

JAM began in 2003 with a couple

of desks and computers in a rented

office. It now owns a newly built

office and warehouse space in South

Liverpool, just down the road from

Liverpool's John Lennon Airport.

“The move in 2007 was a catalyst in

our development,” says Lucas. “From

here, we have been able to increase our

stock of Adams percussion (JAM is the

UK and Ireland distributor for the

Dutch timpani and percussion brand)

and also take on the distribution for

Grover Pro-Percussion in the UK. We’ve

also been able to take on more lines on

our retail side.”

JAM tries to ensure that a large

amount of the most popular lines are

in stock and prides itself on ‘next-day’

availability. Percussion is often an

after-thought for some retailers and

customers sometimes need, for

example, a xylophone for a concert by

the end of the week. The customer's

delight at being told 'you will have it

tomorrow' is what gives the guys at

JAM the buzz of job-satisfaction.

“Expert knowledge is a key thing

for us,” says Johns. “At JAM, we are all

trained, active professional

percussionists, which brings a lot of

experience that we can pass on to

customers. We can take an instrument

off the shelf and play it. It’s an

invaluable sales tool.”

For any further information about

Adams Timpani and Percussion, Grover

Pro-Percussion and Mushroom Covers

get in touch:

0151 494 1492

[email protected]

www.jampercussion.com

70 mip114_FINAL 23/10/09 14:05 Page 1


MI MARKETPLACEACESSORIES AND GIFTWARE

ACOUSTIC DISTRIBUTION

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

71-79 mip114_v1 23/10/09 12:48 Page 1


DISTRIBUTION

…more than just a gig bag!

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

Distributed by+ 44 (0)1483 238720

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71-79 mip114_v1 23/10/09 12:48 Page 2


MI MARKETPLACEDISTRIBUTION

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Your Box

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71-79 mip114_v1 23/10/09 12:48 Page 3

DISTRIBUTION

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DISTRIBUTION

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

Order online or find a local dealer @:

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

GUITAR PARTS

71-79 mip114_v1 23/10/09 12:48 Page 4


MI MARKETPLACE

GHANA GOODSWEST AFRICAN PERCUSSION

WHOLESALE AND RETAIL

PO Box 95, Fishponds

Bristol, BS16 1AG

Tel: 0117 9354132

[email protected]

www.ghanagoods.com

DISTRIBUTION

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

DISTRIBUTION

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.

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GUITAR ACCESSORIES INSURANCE AND BUSINESS

71-79 mip114_v1 23/10/09 12:48 Page 5

OCARINAS

OCARINAS

Making Music in SchoolsSince 1983

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

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

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

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

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

www.ocarina.co.uk

tel: 01536 485 963fax: 01536 485 051

email: [email protected]

MI MARKETPLACE

MUSIC PUBLISHERS

PIANO MOVERS


71-79 mip114_v1 23/10/09 12:48 Page 6


MI MARKETPLACEPERCUSSION

PROMOTIONAL

PERCUSSION AND DRUMS

Rober t MORLEY Co Ltd

34 ENGATE St. LONDON SE13 7HA

020•8318•5838Grand & Upright Pianos by

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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.comPERCUSSION

71-79 mip114_v1 23/10/09 12:48 Page 7

WIND INSTRUMENT

SAXOPHONESREPAIRS


MI MARKETPLACE

CONTACTDARRELL CARTER

+44 (0)1992 535647

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GREAT ADVERTISINGOPPORTUNITIES

71-79 mip114_v1 23/10/09 12:48 Page 8


MI MARKETPLACE

RECRUITMENT RECRUITMENT

GBI MARKETING MANAGER

When most people think of Fender® guitars & amplifi ers, they think of our rich

history and legacy, after all the Spirit of Rock and Roll is our Company motto.

For us at Fender® it’s all about the future. We need to work hard today to MAKE

HISTORY tomorrow. Would you like to be part of our future legacy?

An exciting opportunity has become available for an experienced marketeer to

join the Fender GBI (Great Britain and Ireland) Marketing Team. Reporting to the

General Manager you will lead your team in successfully executing all marketing

activities across the UK and Republic of Ireland whilst supporting and

contributing to the strategic direction of our global organisation.

To be successful in this role you will have proven experience in a marketing

position with a genuine interest in the music industry and knowledge of Fender’s

brand profi le. You will be an excellent communicator with strong planning skills and

the ability to establish credibility in this highly competitive and fast moving

market.

If you wish to fi nd out more or apply for this exciting opportunity then please

contact:

Suzie Richardson Offi ce Services Manager Fender GBI Robert Denholm House Bletchingley Road Nutfi eld Surrey RH1 4HW

Tel: 01342 331730

Email: [email protected]

The closing date for applications is 13th November 2009

®

71-79 mip114_v1 23/10/09 16:58 Page 9

NOVEMBER 2006

Cover Stars: MIA industry awards with a big haul

for Roland and a lifetime achievement for John

Skewes, it was hailed as the best the MIA had

pulled together – ever

News: Ashton Music nicks Jon Gold from Carlsbro,

Arbiter revamps website, Clapton Strat re-issued,

Cliff Cooper collects Queen’s award from

Buckingham Palace

Features: Korg Italy dealer event, Christmas gifts,

the DJ market, Lick Library (you still owe me,

Kim), Dolphin Music, Tim Richards and Schott,

Neumann

Products: Parker P30, Ozark electros, Vintage V6

Icon, Phonic Helix 24, Samson VR88 ribbon mic,

AKG Perception 400 Audio Technica ATM 650,

Digigdesign M-Box 2, Korg PA800, Yamaha PSR-

S500, Scarlatti English concertinas

Number one singles: Westlife – The Rose, Akon

(featuring Eminem) – Smack That

Number one albums: Girls Aloud – The Sound of

Girls Aloud, Jamiroquai – High Times: Singles

1992-2006, George Michael – Twenty Five

RETRO

THE LAST WORD IN MI PRO

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

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

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

IN ASSOCIATION WITH


GONG-TASTIC

The MI trade gathered once again to

celebrate itself – and why not? Far too

little celebration going on as far as we

are concerned. At the tables this year

(clockwise from above) Alun Hughes

advises John Rogers to go to Specsavers.

Terry Hope gets perhaps a little too

smoochy with John Booth. Bob Wilson

tries to get a little smoochy with

Future’s Mia Walter – the thought of

which is just a little too much for

Headstock’s Lindsay Harvey. Chris Butler

of Music Sales, however, remains far too

dignified to get involved in such

shenanigans, but rather democratically

awards the awards a satisfactory seven

out of ten.

80,81,82 Mipro114_FINAL 23/10/09 17:26 Page 1

THE LAST WORD IN MI PRO

LATEST NEWSSTRAIGHT TO YOUR MOBILE

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

SEND YOUR PICTURES TO [email protected]


IN ASSOCIATION WITH

One of the few MI Icons ever to

have graced these pages that

has had a song named after it

– see REM's Ebow the Letter – there

can be little doubt that the Ebow has

changed the way many guitarists

approach their instrument and found

itself a place amongst the great

musical innovations.

First patented in 1969 by Greg

Heet, the Ebow has become a vital

addition to the arsenal of effects

available to guitarists, thanks to the

intriguing and often beautiful sounds

that it produces. Hand held and

battery powered, it's a small and

inauspicious little unit that is capable

of punching way above its weight.

Used as an alternative to fingers or

plectrums when playing the guitar,

instead of physically touching the

strings it creates an electromagnetic

field that vibrates the string and

creates a sound with infinite

sustain that is not unlike a bow.

Achieving something that

few effects are able to do,

the Ebow gives players

access to a whole new

bunch of tricks on their

instrument, tricks that are not

available on guitars played in a

conventional manner. The colossal

sustain alongside the ability to fade

in and out of notes has made

this little beast hugely popular

and it is a steady seller to this

day. The ingenius little black

wedge has appeared on any

number of records by artists

such as Led Zeppelin, Big

Country, Pink Floyd and more

recently Bon Iver on the highly

acclaimed For Emma,

Forever Ago where the

Ebow is prominent.

MI ICON Ebow

MI LUVVIES

(Clockwise from top) Jealous at the

relationship between John Booth

and Terry Hope, Simon Gilson

makes a move on Tim Walter.

Another lovely couple, Active’s

Paul Hagen (please note the

spelling) and wife Jo. On the Music

Force table, John Moore was

looking a little uncomfortable

without his West Brom shirt, but

Dawn Richards was in her element

among the glamour. Likewise, Mr

and Mrs Jacobs after Denny had

picked up his long overdue lifetime

achievement award. M-Audio’s

David Atkinson was not so Avid

about the dress code, although his

table was obviously very pleased

with the evening, giving it a

massive 25 out of ten.

80,81,82 Mipro114_FINAL 23/10/09 17:26 Page 2


With a second album and

accompanying film now out,

Noah and the Whale have gone

from advert music fodder to

bone fide indie superstars. Here's

what they use...

SOUNDALIKESNOAH AND THE WHALE

NEXTMONTHThe fullest of full Music China reports ever, a

sneak look at what will be happening at the

NAMM Show, the portable PA market and

up close and personal with db Technologies.

EDITORIAL: ANDY BARRETT

[email protected]

ADVERTISING: DARRELL CARTER

[email protected]

Company/job title:

Sutherland Trading – marketing manager

Years in the industry?

38 (Boosey & Hawkes, Peavey, Roland,

Hohner & Sutherland)

First single bought?

Jackie Wilson – Reet Petite. Actually my

cousin bought it and I didn’t have a

record player, but I’d go to his house and

play this record as loud as it would go

Favourite album?

Gary Moore, After Hours. I keep coming

back to this one. Gary Moore at his best

Currently listening to?

Bruce Springsteen with the Sessions Band,

Live in Dublin. Real music

Favourite musician?

It has to be Ray Charles. I used to see Joe

Cocker every Wednesday in the Sheffield

pubs. He was heavily influenced by Ray

Charles. That’s when I found Ray Charles

and his music has stayed with me ever

since. One unforgettable moment was

‘meeting’ Ray Charles in the car park

outside the Sheffield Fiesta. I asked him

for his autograph, only to be told he

didn’t write!

Which instruments do you play?

I’ve played a bunch of things over the

years, but I still play keyboard and uke

Are you currently in a band?

Piano in The Real Swing (four-piece swing

band) and ukulele in the Porthcawl

Ukulele Strummers Society

Alan Townsend

MI SPACE

© Intent Media 2009 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

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.

miPRO is a memberof the PPA

ISSN 1750-4198

UK: £50

EUROPE: £60

REST OF WORLD: £90

miPRO is published 12 times a year by Intent Media ~ SaxonHouse, 6A St. Andrew Street, Hertford, Herts SG14 1JA, UK

To order your subscription: call: 01580 883848 or

email: [email protected]. Please note

that this is a controlled circulation title and

subscription criteria will be strictly adhered to.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Charlie Fink - vocals, guitar:1963 Fender Jaguar, 1963

Fender Telecaster, Mesa Boogie DC3 Amp, Marshall 1x12

Guitar Cab, Fender 1965 Deluxe Reverb, Line 6 Digital

Delay Pedal, MXR Boost, Z Vex Wooly Mammoth Pedal,

Little Big Muff, Ibanez Tube Screamer, Ibanez AD9 Analog

Delay, Keeley Compressor Pedal, Electro Harmonix POG,

Electro Harmonix Holy Grail, ZVEX Distortron Digitech

Loop Pedal

Doug Fink - drums: Ludwig silver/white oyster finish kit,

22" Kick Drum (1966), Rack Tom 13"(1966), Floor Tom

16" (1970) Zildjian 21" Ride, 14" Hi-hats, 13" Hi-hats,

16" Crash, 17" Crash Ludwig Black Beauty Snare

Tom Hobden - fiddle: Violin (make unknown),

Roland 88 Note Stage Piano and x-frame stand,

electric toothbrush

Matt ‘Urby Whale’ Owens – bass: 1966 Fender P-Bass,

Vox F-Hole Bass, Amped B-15, Ashdown 2x10 cab

SMILES ALL ROUND

One final swoop around the tables at the MIA Industry Awards on October 7th

revealed Charles Bozon and Mike Ketley of Yamaha, clearly more than happy

with the quality of the wine (above), but what exactly has Peavey’s Clive

Roberts got on his mobile phone? Some things, I guess, we will never know...

80,81,82 Mipro114_FINAL 23/10/09 17:26 Page 3

NEW, EXTREMELY PROFITABLEAND IN STOCK NOW!

For the best prices speak to your area manager or call Kandy on 01293 862 612

More special offers and news at emdmusic.com

FAB-20/22Best Price £128.77

EUK Electric UkesBest Price £56.22

Angel Lopez EC3000Best Price £107.87

EX B8 Bronze Cymbal Set Best Price £57.21

MSHB-INSTRSheet Music Bag £2.03

SSAB-A Sax BagBest Price £15.30

PSU-9V1AR-UKPedal Power Supply £7.19

Remo Festival DjembesBest Price £44.73

New Straps from£2.18 to £53.96

Stagg Buying Plan Trade Price.

full page 26/10/09 11:25 Page 1

Thanks

to you

w w w . r o l a n d . c o . u kThanks to all the music retailers who voted Roland Best Large Supplier in this year’s MIA Awards. We couldn’t do it without you.

full page 26/10/09 11:25 Page 1

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Mi Pro November 2009 - Issue 114

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