MUSICAL INSTRUMENT PROFESSIONAL FOR EVERYONE IN THE MI BUSINESS

BARNES & MULLINS YAMAHA JHS NAMM TAYLOR FRESHMAN HARDCASE

No. 111 • AUGUST 2009 • WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK PRINT • ONLINE • MOBILE

It’s not just flag-waving...We look at the companiesthat swear by the‘Made in Britain’ label

To find out more about the MG range contact:Marshall Amplification plc Denbigh Road, Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK11DQ or visit the official Marshall website: www.marshallamps.com

Innovation, functionality and tone – just a few words that help sum up the brand new range of solid-state MG amplifiers from Marshall.Combining years of experience in analogue amplification with cutting-edge digital technology has resulted in the creation of an

all-encompassing amplifier series, ideal for the beginner and gigging pro alike. Specially voiced digital effects, intuitive footswitchingtechnology and four adjustable and storable channels are just a few of the features to be found in the new MG range.

From a punchy 10 Watt combo through to an effects-laden, soul-pounding 100 Watt head, this series has it all.

With Far Eastern manufacture now seemingly the norm, Gary Cooper

takes a look at those who brave the economy to maintain production

in Blighty and finds that it works pretty well

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

business and work being done on MI’s front line

NEWS 6B&M buyout, Yamaha V-Expo, MusicChina, Roland mystique

DISTRIBUTION 10The latest deals from Active, De Haskeand Westside

DRUM NEWS 12Drumfest, Techtonic and Ludwig

JHS EVENT 14Another stormer from Garforth

NAMM 33Joe Lamond and Betty Heywood big upthe importance of the global market

YAMAHA 36How One Yamaha has set a new standardfor the multi-national

FRESHMAN 41Still going, still growing, Sean Kellyreveals how he does it

TAYLOR 42Making the Euro-model work

HARDCASE 44How to keep British production strong

I WOKE UP 45Andrew Richardson gets on his bike

MADE IN BRITAIN 17

RETAIL

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47 50

6

14

COVER STORY

ISSUE 111 AUGUST 2009

51

36

PRODUCTSBACKLINE 54

ACCESSORIES 55

BASS & GUITAR 56

DRUMS 57

TRADITIONAL 58

PRINT 60

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT • MIXERS 22Live or studio? Active or passive? It seems the old questions about

which mixers to stock are no longer valid – USB rules

NEWS 47Music Live latest, Beatles straps

LOCATION REPORT 50A few furlongs around Cheltenham

FRONT LINE 49Make hay while the sun shines

INDIE PROFILE 51You gotta – Knock on Wood

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT • RENTALS 29As the back to school market kicks into gear, we take a look at the

very best gear to stock – but not for sale

The bigger picture

Gary Cooper opens his piece on the Best of British(page 17) with the famous quote from DrJohnson: ‘Patriotism is the last refuge of the

scoundrel’. That’s as may be, but then again, show me the

nation that doesn’t value its own manufacturing and the

government that doesn’t try to persuade its citizens to buy

home-made products.

We British tend to be a bit more cynical than most, of

course, but its not really an attitude to recommend. Look at

the Winter NAMM show – a global powerhouse of an event.

Why? Because the sheer amount of valued brands that are

made in the US demand our attention.

Joe Lamond, NAMM’s CEO, bigs up Britain and the London

International Music Show in this issue (page 33) and again,

the cynic might argue that he is looking to improve the

markets where US products sell. It turns out to be no such

thing. Lamond sees his role as a pretty borderless mission

these days. He sees NAMM as a vital vehicle to make more

music makers around the world. Yes, growing the global

market will profit American companies (the cynic would say),

but it will profit everybody else, as well. It’s a question of

having a broader vision.

Highlighting the Best of British is not a call for everyone to

start manufacturing here, but it is a celebration of those that

do and it flags up the fact that it is not impossible to make a

good product and even a good living, however difficult the

economic or bureaucratic obstacles might try to make it.

Perhaps this reason alone is enough to prompt people into

taking more care as regards supporting British-made goods.

As well as the cover feature, we also talk to Hardcase

(page 44), another company that has found a smart niche

that enables it to keep the flag flying.

But we are a global industry and the reality is that we

cannot avoid product from overseas if we are to make our

own businesses as successful as possible. In this issue we also

talk to two very large companies (one American, the other

Japanese) about how they are managing their businesses by

looking at Europe as a whole.

There have been various attempts at pan-European sales

and marketing over the years, but it would appear from the

successes of Fender-distributed Taylor Guitars (page 42) and

Yamaha (page 36) that the wrinkles of early attempts are

finally being ironed out.

Britain is important, of course, but not just to the British –

we are also, these days, part of a much larger entity.

Andy Barrett

mipro@intentmedia.co.uk

Highlighting the Bestof British is not a callfor everyone to startmanufacturing here,but it is a celebration

of those that do.

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EDITORIAL

MANAGING EDITOR

ANDY BARRETT

mipro@intentmedia.co.uk

EDITOR AT LARGE

GARY COOPER

gary@garycooper.biz

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

ROB POWER

rob.power@intentmedia.co.uk

DEPUTY EDITOR

ROB HUGHES

rob.hughes@intentmedia.co.uk

ADVERTISING MANAGER

DARRELL CARTER

darrell.carter@intentmedia.co.uk

PRODUCTION MANAGER

HELEN FRENCH

helen.french@intentmedia.co.uk

PRODUCTION EXECUTIVE

ROSIE MCKEOWN

rosie.mckeown@intentmedia.co.uk

DESIGNER

CLAIRE BROCKLESBY

claire.brocklesby@intentmedia.co.uk

CIRCULATION

PAUL LITTLE

mipro.subscriptions@c-cms.com

CONSULTANT

GRAHAM BUTTERWORTH

buttsie@mbmediagroup.co.uk

PUBLISHER

DAVE ROBERTS

dave.roberts@intentmedia.co.uk

MANAGING DIRECTOR

STUART DINSEY

stuart.dinsey@intentmedia.co.uk

MI PRO CONTACTS

LATEST NEWS STRAIGHT TO YOUR MOBILEBookmark us in your phone:

MOBILE.MI-PRO.CO.UK

Perrin and Cleary buy out B&MBRUCE PERRIN and Brian Cleary

have successfully achieved a

management buy-out of the

Barnes family, becoming the

majority shareholders of Barnes

& Mullins. Sally Golder (company

secretary) and Peter Emuss

(retired director) retain their

interest in the business.

With immediate effect, Perrin

and Cleary have become joint

managing directors of Barnes &

Mullins and are clearly delighted

to be once again working

together for the long-term

security of the firm.

“We’re very much back

working as we were two years

ago,” explained Cleary. “We

recognise each other’s strengths

and weaknesses and complement

each other well. Bruce

concentrates on the purchasing

side of things and I focus on

sales and together we share all

the major decisions.”

Cleary left the company in

2007 after he and Perrin had

made two unsuccessful bids to

buy the company from the

Barnes family, which had been

trustees of the business following

Mark Barnes’ death in 1986.

Despite these bids, the Barnes

family made it clear that they

still intended to sell their

controlling interest in the

company. With the pressures of

the credit crunch and the

ensuing recession kicking in,

however, the trustee’s

expectations were lowered to the

extent that Perrin and Cleary

could once again table an offer.

“I’d been at Tanglewood (as

sales director) for about a year

when the whole thing reared its

head again,” continued Cleary.

“I’m very fortunate in that I was

working with my best friend,

Tony Flatt, who completely

understood the situation and

supported me. There was no

issue there.” Cleary has now

resigned his directorial position

with Tanglewood.

The buyout brings Cleary back

to a company he had

considerable influence over,

particularly in terms of the sales

team and, of course, the Faith

brand of acoustic guitars,

although he was quick to stress

that during his 20-month

absence, others have taken on

responsibilities that had been his

and he has no intention of

treading on any toes.

As for any plans for the

company, the joint MDs insisted

that it is to be business as usual.

“The company has been trading

very well,” Cleary concluded, “so

now is a time to focus on

keeping that going by doing

what we do. We’re really happy

and relieved that the company is

finally back in the hands of a

team which cares deeply about

its future success.”

B&M: 01691 652449

NEWS

Partnership reformed with controlling stake of major distributor as Barnes family trustees’ hand forced by recession

YAMAHA MUSIC UK’s virtual

expo, V-Expo, will take place

again this year on September

9th, 10th and 11th at the

dedicated website,

http://vexpo.yamaha-

europe.com. Following on from

the success of the virtual dealer

event last year, the company

has made very few changes to

the format, preferring instead to

concentrate on the elements

that worked so well for Yamaha

last year.

“We found a winning formula

last year, so we didn’t want to

tinker too much,” commented

Ricci Hodgson, director of

Yamaha’s pro music division

and the instigator of the virtual

expo. “There is more to look at

this year, such as demo videos

and artist areas, which

information about the artists

and how Yamaha works with

them, but the key ingredients

are the obvious ones: the deals

and the extended terms.”

The website event has an

improved, dedicated section for

the purchase of seconds, where

dealers can see photographs of

the instruments for sale and see

the flaws before making an

educated decision as to

whether they want to buy.

“Central to the whole ethos,

though, is the fact that dealers

can enjoy the benefits of an in-

house trade show without

having to leave their computers

and at a time that suits them,

rather than having to haul

themselves to Milton Keynes,”

Hodgson added. Last year,

Yamaha sent participating

dealers a mug, some tea bags

and a pack of biscuits to

underline the ‘at your leisure’

aspect of the scheme.

Something similar is promised

this year, too.

The V-Expo will run across all

three divisions (pro music, EKB

and acoustic) and is open to all

UK and Ireland dealers.

At present, the website has a

holding page, but a preview day

on September 8th (requested

from dealers) will happen this

year before the site goes live.

Participating dealers will be sent

a username and password some

48 hours before this.

Hodgson was keen to stress

the importance of MI Pro in the

build up to the expo, with the

banner on the magazine’s

website as well as taking

advantage of the email

newsletters. “MI Pro has been

crucial to the success of V-

Expo,” said Hodgson. “It is

critical to raising dealer

awareness.”

YAMAHA V-EXPO SUPPORT:

0870 444

5595

Yamaha sticks to winning formulaPreview day added for dealers, but V-Expo to remain largely unchanged for 2009 following success of previous ‘event’

“We’re very much back to working as we were two years ago.

We recognise each other’s strengths and weaknesses”

Brian Cleary, co-MD Barnes & Mullins

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HODGSON:

A winning formula

PERRIN AND CLEARY: Back as they were

NEWS

ROLAND HAS announced (with

no little mystery) a global

product launch and ‘event’

online, set to go live from

September 1st.

A preview period of one

month (starting August 1st) will

add to the intrigue by giving

away no further information, but

allowing dealers to download a

computer desktop gadget that

will provide a link to the website

(rolandconnect.com) and a

countdown to the event going

live in days, hours, minutes

and seconds.

The virtual event

will debut over ten

new products from

professional stage

instruments to

desktop home-

studio gear covering

the entire range of

Roland’s product

categories, as well as

musical genres.

“We want people to visit the

website and feel the build up to

this unique event,” said a

spokesperson for the company.

“It’s a worldwide launch of ten

products and it will cover all of

our product categories. These will

be significant launches and we

think dealers will see them as

important. Other than that,

there’s nothing else I can say.”

ROLAND: 01792 702701

Music China gears up for 2009 showStrong support for international pavilions sees overseas growth as exhibitors appear bullish about the market potential

at the show – companies also taking opportunity for cultural promotions and events underlining show’s importance

MUSIC CHINA, considered by

many to be Asia Pacific’s most

important musical instrument

show, will take place October

13th to 16th at the Shanghai

New International Expo Centre

(SNIEC), Shanghai, China.

The trade show will bring

together hundreds of music

product suppliers with a broad

mix of products including

musical instruments, sheet

music and accessories from

around the world.

According to Evan Sha, deputy

general manager, Messe Frankfurt

Shanghai, over 90 per cent of

last year’s Music China exhibitors

have reconfirmed space for the

2009 event. “We are very happy

with the results to date, which

show we already have 700

exhibitors – past and new – from

19 countries and regions.”

International pavilions

continue to show strong support

for Music China’s international

contingent. Nine countries have

already signed up, namely the

Czech Republic, Finland, France,

Germany, Italy, Spain, Taiwan, the

Netherlands and the UK.

In the sheet music publishing

sector, the UK pavilion is

expanding its zone by almost 60

per cent, thanks in great part to

the governmental grants made

available through the MIA, while

the Scandinavian sheet music

publishers will be represented for

the first time by the Finnish

Music Info Centre (FIMIC).

Nicolas Jouvenceau, the

general manager of Warwick

Shanghai, which has been

exhibiting at Music China since

2002, is optimistic about the

music business despite the

current financial crisis. “There are

flourishing days ahead,” he

explained. “A lot of cultural

expansion is on-going and more

and more consumers and young

people are interested in music

and making music. Although it is

still a music industry newcomer,

China represents the biggest

future potential.”

Zuzana Ceralova-Petrofova,

president of Czech piano

manufacturer Petrof, said that

Music China is an important

marketing tool for her company.

“China is one of our most

important international partners

and its role will grow steeply,”

she said. “China will not only be

the strongest exporter, but also

the strongest import partner for

EU countries.”

To celebrate its 145th

anniversary, Petrof will present a

series of short recitals at Music

China with the audio luminary

and jazz musician Mark Levinson

playing a new Petrof grand piano.

Music China 2009 is organised

jointly by the China Music

Instrument Association (CMIA),

Intex Shanghai and Messe

Frankfurt and runs concurrently

with the entertainment industry

show, Prolight+Sound, Shanghai.

WWW.MUSIKMESSE.COM

Shure enters headphone fray

SHURE DISTRIBUTION has

launched the Shure Pro

Headphone range in the UK,

marking the mic giant’s first

foray into the headphone

market. The products range

from entry level and home

recording offerings to premium

quality professional

headphones. The phones are

available immediately.

The SRH240 headphones are

the entry-level series and are

designed for general listening,

offering powerful bass response

and clear highs. Weighing just

181 grams, the SRH240s are

among the lightest in their

class and incorporate a closed-

back, circumaural design, which

ensures good sound isolation.

The SRH440 headphones are

for professional home

recording and studio

monitoring applications,

providing an enhanced

frequency response. The

detachable single-side cable,

collapsible construction and a

unique closed-back,

circumaural design guarantee

comfort and sound isolation.

The flagship model is the

SRH840, which offers the

widest frequency response.

These headphones target

studio monitoring and

recording applications.

The SRH840 is supplied

with a carrying bag and an

additional set of ear pads and

retails from £69.99 to £139.99.

“Shure is well known in the

professional audio and

consumer audio market for our

range of in-ear earphones”

explained Paul Crognale,

marketing manager at Shure

UK. “We’ve drawn on our

experience with pro audio

monitoring systems and sound

isolation technology and

applied it to a whole new

range of headphones.”

SDUK: 01992 703058

Roland Connect plans online product launch and

‘event’ for September, but gives nothing away

Roland piques curiosity

The headphones mark Shure’s first

foray in to this market

Mic giant covers all bases with new headphones, offering products

to the entry, mid and professional markets

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SOUND TECHNOLOGY has

announced the appointment of

Vince Borrelli as its tour sound

sales manager.

Prior to taking up this role,

Borrelli helped create and launch

a brand new audio division and

PA range with Headstock, the UK

distributor of the Laney, Tama

and Ibanez brands.

With over 20 years’

experience, Borelli is looking

forward to reinforcing the

Sound Technology distributed

Harman brands, such as JBL,

Soundcraft, AKG, Crown, dbx,

BSS and Lexicon within the UK

hire community.

His experience includes work

for audio giants Audio Technica

and Mackie, making him well

placed to take on his new role at

Sound Technology. During his

seven years at Mackie, Borrelli

was responsible for sales and

training across all product areas,

including the TT24 digital live

desk, DXB digital recording

console, EAW products and many

others. He then joined Harman

Pro for 20 months, before

moving on to Headstock.

Borelli is said to be keen to

further the success of highly

regarded products such as the

Soundcraft Vi and Si series, the

JBL live sound catalogue,

including VRX mini line array and

VerTec line array, the latest

Crown amplifiers and new AKG

digital wireless system.

“The people at Sound Tech are

spot on and they do things

properly,” added Borelli.

“Everything you would want of a

distribution company, they think

of and do. I’m now looking

forward to channelling my

knowledge of the pro audio

industry into developing the

presence of Sound Technology

and the Harman brands across

the UK’s hire community. I’d also

like to say that the guys at

Headstock are a wonderful

bunch and I really enjoyed my

time there.”

SOUND TECH: 01462 480000

NEWS

FENDER MUSICAL Instruments

Corporation (FMIC) has

appointed Jon Gold to a new

and expanded role as senior

vice president of international

sales and market development.

Gold will take on the role of

driving Fender’s growth plan in

high-potential markets,

including Asia and the Pacific

region, Europe distributed

markets, Latin America, Africa

and the Middle East, India and

other international markets, as

well as FMIC’s direct European

territories.

Additionally, he will be the

driver of FMIC’s integration of

Kaman products and the

distribution of Taylor Guitars in

Europe and will become the

primary liaison between FMIC

and its partner companies. This

is to ensure, a corporation

statement read, full

communication of issues and

opportunities and to make sure

FMIC’s strategic direction is

known and aligned with all

involved parties.

“I am extremely pleased to

appoint Jon to this new

position,” said Andy Rossi,

senior vice president of global

marketing, sales and R&D.

“During his tenure at Fender,

Jon has proved himself to be an

extremely valuable member of

our team. With his new

position, he will be able to

focus on – and accelerate

growth in – targeted high-

potential markets, which is a

key component of Fender’s

future growth plans.”

Prior to his appointment,

Gold was responsible for

managing all European and

international efforts for FMIC

and held the title of senior vice

president of international sales

and marketing. Gold will

continue to supervise the

teams leading Latin America,

Asia and numerous other FMIC-

distributed countries.

FENDER: 01342 331700

VP to oversee market expansion in ‘high-potential’ markets

SONIC DISTRIBUTION has

appointed Ian Young as director

of sales for its UK business.

Young joined Sonic

Distribution in February 2004

and has worked as UK sales

manager for the past five years,

proving indispensible to the

growing success of the business.

With the founding partners of

Sonic focusing on their

successful manufacturing venture

with sE Electronics, Young will

work on the promotion of Waves,

Apogee, Rupert Neve and sE

products in the UK.

Mitch Carey said: “Ian greatly

deserves this position. It has

always been our intention to

keep the management of Sonic

fresh, as all too often companies

can stagnate as their owners get

set in their ways. This move

paves the way for new ideas and

focus, based on a well

established talent for sales and

relationship building.”

SONIC: 0845 500 2500

Sonic Distribution

creates director

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Young allows founding partners to focus on

manufacturing venture with sE Electronics

“The people at Sound Tech are spot on

and they do things properly.”

Vince Borelli, Sound Technology

Former Headstock, Mackie and Audio Technica man to handle tour sound sales in his return to the Harman Pro staff

Sound Tech appoints Vince Borrelli

Fender’s Gold role extended

BORRELLI: Channelling

experience

GOLD: Accelerating

growth

YOUNG: Deserves

position

For more than 80 years Shure rugged, professional audio products have

been defined by a legacy of legendary performance. This passion for

audio excellence also drives Shure Professional Headphones. These

headphones live by a simple rule: What goes in must come out. Designed

to withstand the rigours of everyday use, they are an excellent choice for

music professionals and music obsessives – for recording, monitoring and

personal listening.

www.shure.co.uk

SRH240 SRH440

The SRH840, Reference Studio Headphones,

are specifi cally engineered for critical

listening and professional recording.

With their precisely tailored frequency

response they deliver rich bass, clear

mid-range and extended highs.

PROFESSIONAL SOUNDFROM EAR TO EAR.

© 2

00

9 S

hure

Incorp

ora

ted

FAST-GROWING Westside Distribution

has added the new range of GrooveTech

products from Cruz Tools to its

expanding portfolio.

The new line of musical instrument

tools includes a Guitar Tech Kit,

MultiTool and T-handle drum key. SRPs

range from £11.99 to £39.99.

In an official statement, Westside

commented that Cruz Tools initially

created specialist tool kits for high

performance motorbikes, ATVs and

watercraft, but has now turned its hand

to the musical instruments market.

As a result, the press release went on,

“Cruz Tools products are built to the

highest quality and will not let you

down when you need them the most.”

Supplies are available immediately.

WESTSIDE: 0141 248 4812

DISTRIBUTION • NEWS

Westside bags GrooveTech

maintenance instruments

Two leading band music publishers combine

NETHERLANDS-BASED

publisher, De Haske, has

acquired the Belgian band

publisher Beriato.

The deal was negotiated by

De Haske’s MD, Garmt van der

Veen, and Beriato’s co-directors,

Juri Briat and Ben Haemhouts,

and is expected to close in

August. Terms of the deal were

not disclosed.

Briat and Haemhouts

founded Beriato in 1996 and

their company has grown to

become a prominent publisher

of concert and brass band

music. It also offers chamber

music and educational

publications under the

Kameleon Edition imprint.

Both Beriato founders will

retain positions, with Briat

becoming general manager of

the Belgian branch and

Haemhouts heading up

publishing for De Haske and

Beriato, responsible for the

overall creative activities of

both companies. They will be

responsible for Beriato’s artistic

direction. Beriato will continue

as an independent label within

De Haske-Hal Leonard.

HAL LEONARD: 01494 730143

De Haske-Hal Leonard

acquires Beriato

Cruz Tools in the UK through Glasgow/London supplier

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Digital manufacturer appoints UK

distributor for its own brand

ACTIVE MUSIC has announced

its appointment as the exclusive

UK distributor of the Medeli

electronics brand.

Medeli, a manufacturer of

digital drum, keyboard and

piano products, has been

manufacturing for other well

known brands for many years

and is now developing its own

range of products to sell under

the Medeli brand worldwide.

The first of these products to

be launched in UK is the entry-

level digital drum kit, DD501.

With a compact frame and

hidden pre-wiring in the tubing,

this kit is ideal for its target

market of beginner/home users.

It features ten preset kits, five

user kits, 40 preset patterns, 108

voices, dual-zone snare, mix in,

output/phones out and USB

port for computer connectivity.

Active Music confirms that

this product will only be

available in the

UK via the

company

and not

under any

other OEM

brand.

Active's

director, Lee

Worsley,

commented:

“Medeli is a

very forward

thinking

company, as

the design of

the DD501

shows. With

many new

products due during

the later part of 2009

and into 2010, it really

represents a great opportunity

for the brand in the UK market.

With aggressive pricing, well

thought out features and

product standards, the Medeli

brand warrants serious

consideration for any retailer.”

ACTIVE MUSIC:

020 8693 5678

Active Music adds Medeli

Year Established: 1986

Is business up or down compared

to last year?

It’s been on par with last year

overall, although we have seen

growth on some lines from

manufacturers that are up-to-date

and pushing the envelope as far as

innovation goes and the recent

merger of Stirling with SCV has

helped us both by reducing costs

and doubling the individual

business.

How has the current economic

climate affected business?

Well, it focuses the mind and

ensures that every deal is a deal.

We are also having to be diligent

with credit.

What are your best selling lines,

and why do you think they

perform so well?

It is mainly the top end of each

brand that is performing. Audix,

Focal, Audient, Benchmark, Bricasti–

they are doing well. Contrary to the

main high street retailers like

Primark where cheap is selling best,

we are finding good deals on

premier products are helping

improve sales.

What are your criteria for

selecting new products?

Primarily, I like different, not ‘me

too’ products. Second: do I like the

people? This is always an important

consideration. Then we look at how

many distributors the company

have had before and why it is

looking to change. We turned down

a line at Frankfurt because its

existing distributor was good and I

could not see why they would

change, so I took the view that

there was probably going to be

trouble.

What distinguishes you from the

competition?

We are independent, we have been

doing what we do a long time and

we still get excited at something

new. We also still get excited

getting orders in.

How do you maintain a good

relationship with retailers?

We treat them as partners and work

with them. We also appreciate their

efforts and let them know we do.

What would you say is the

biggest challenge facing the

industry today?

E-commerce and how to manage it,

as well as all the international

implications that involves.

Manufacturers might look at

getting to the market by different

means – maybe like Dell, go direct

and miss out the distributor and the

dealer. Also, some manufacturers are

talking about distributors going

direct and missing out the dealer

and some manufacturers are talking

about going direct to dealers. So

lots of fancy footwork is required.

What are your aims for the next

12 months?

Survive and introduce a major new

line. We have shed quite a few lines

over this past year – some by

design and some not, so watch this

space very closely.

SIGN UP FOR THE MI PRO NEWSFLASH SERVICE AT WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO AUGUST 2009 11

PROFILE • DISTRIBUTION

Address: 40 Chigwell Lane, Oakwood Hill Industrial Estate, Loughton,

Essex IG10 3NY

Phone: 020 8418 1470 Email: sales@scvlondon.co.uk

Contacts: Matt E Sau, Andrew Stirling and Tony Besgrove

CONTACT DETAILS

SCV London has carved out a significant niche for itself in the UK’s MI and pro

audio markets. Andrew Stirling tells MI Pro what makes it tick...

DRUMFEST, ONE third of PMT’s

Drumfest, Guitar Fest and

National Rock & Pop Festival,

saw some 1,500 people attend

its dedicated day (July 12th) at

Birmingham’s NIA, with a

further 1,500 showing up for the

Guitarfest on July 11th and

1,200 students and pupils

attending the education day on

the Friday.

The Rock & Pop Festival

staged youth performances each

night, with something in the

region of 1,000 mums, dads and

friends going along to support

their nearest and dearest.

PMT’s Craig Glover, who was

responsible for organising the

multi-faceted event, said that

the weekend far exceeded his

expectations and he looked

upon it as a real success. “We

aren’t trying to be anything like

LIMS, this is a performance

based event with gear, but

despite that, the 26 exhibitors

were all extremely happy with

the way things went.”

Topping off the weekend was

the world record attempt to get

the most drummers into a room

and playing a synchronised riff.

Some 582 drummers took part,

which was just shy of the 600

the organiser was hoping for, but

still easily beat the previous

record of 533.

The event has raised (as MI

Pro goes to print) nearly

£40,000 for the Multiple

Sclerosis Society, but Glover is

confident that the figure will

reach the target of £50,000.

Glover also organised an

impromptu charity dinner for

the MS charity on the Saturday

evening, raising a further £2,000.

The three day show and the

record attempt were all

streamed live online with 12,000

catching a peek and there was

coverage in the press and on the

BBC website, as well as packages

on GMTV and Sky News.

“The idea of putting all of

these events together was born

out of the recession,” explained

Glover. “I didn’t think many

would be too keen on spending

for three separate shows, so

holding all three at once seemed

a really sensible thing to do –

and it has worked very well.”

Next year, Glover plans to

stick to this formula, although,

to help specialist suppliers, he

will re-jigging the separation of

the two main ‘gear’ days.

PMT’s Simon Gilson was

“blown away” by the success.

“Obviously, you have to pay a

lot of respect to Craig, who has

conjured this up out of nothing,

but I also want to thank the

industry for getting behind this

project,” he said. “The exhibitors,

the sponsors – everybody really

made an effort to make the

show the success it was. Topping

the whole thing off with the

world record – an experience I

am unlikely to forget – really

made it an unforgettable

weekend.” PMT: 01702 436501

Three-handed event brings in thousands and world record broken in support of multiple sclerosis charity

A NEW drum brand, Techtonic,

has entered the market with

an electronic kit designed for

entry-level players.

The DD502 is aimed at the

mass-market consumer,

particularly the parent/child

gift market. The kit is intended

to compete with video games

and their peripherals, which

have experienced a boom in

recent times. Techtonic points

out that the user gains the

benefit of learning and playing

a real instrument for the price

of a games console with

drumming controller.

Distributed by Soar Valley

Music, the Techtonic brand is

being advertised as the best

value electronic drum kit on

the market. The DD502 has a

suggested retail price of £429,

although trade price varies

according to quantity.

The firm reports that trade

pre-sales for the first container

currently stand at 75 per cent.

An end-user marketing

campaign will run to

Christmas, including

competitions and reviews in

drumming mags. Dealers

taking the brand will feature in

advertisements and will have

direct web links from the

Techtonic web page.

SOAR VALLEY:

0116 230 4926

Drumfest exceeds expectations

DRUM NEWS

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

Entry-level kit labelled ‘best value e-drums’

LUDWIG HAS announced the

introduction of the new Epic

and Element drum kit ranges to

the UK market.

The ranges are part of a

whole new list of products

being launched by Ludwig in its

100th anniversary year.

Aimed at the mid-price

market, the three series are

expected by Ludwig and UK

supplier Active to be strong

contenders in what is the most

competitive area of the market.

With the addition of new

features, colours and design,

the new drum kits offer modern

practical features, combined

with the iconic style of the

Ludwig brand.

As part of the UK launch,

Active Music is offering all the

ranges with a ‘six-four-five’ deal

for added appeal to the

customer. The kits are also

offered as a shell pack option

with the add-on choice of two

levels of hardware packs.

ACTIVE MUSIC:

020 8693 5678

New drum kits introduced as part of 100th anniversary celebrations

Ludwig announces Epic

and Element ranges

Techtonic enters market

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

VISIT WWW.MIKEDOLBEAR.COM FOR MORE DETAILS.

Playing, meeting the stars and breaking world records – Drumfest was a drummers dream

SHOW REPORT • JHS EVENT

14 miPRO AUGUST 2009 www.mi-pro.co.uk

EVENT: JHS Event

DATE: June 21st to 24th 2009

VENUE: JHS Headquarters,

Garforth, Yorkshire

EXHIBITORS:Six (guest

exhibitors, alongside JHS & Co)

VISITORS: 600 – representing

350 individual retail outlets

VERDICT: JHS does it again, with

excellent weather and an

impressive turnout of dealers

from the length and breadth of

the UK and Ireland. Yorkshire

hospitality added to the relaxed

atmosphere – and much business

was done across all four days.

John Skewes, Brian Hayward (winner of

Sunday’s prize giveaway) and Larry Fishman

JHS ASM Dave Pomeroy and John Birch of

JB’s Music Stores

John Skewes, David Bennett Zings Music

Group and JHS ASM Mark Whitrow

Chris Price-White from Absolute Sound, winner of

HK’s Soundhouse On PA system and ASM Mike Onza

Maunuel Rodriguez and Adrian Smale

ASM Matthew Fleming and Brendan Ruddy

The 13th JHS Event closed its doors on June 24th,

claiming a record number of dealers represented at

the in-house trade show, including, the company

said, a significant number of customers attending for the

first time.

This year’s theme was ‘Music and Margin’, with

visitors being royally entertained with virtually non-stop

live music from a diverse range of accomplished players

and a wide range of deals designed to put extra cash

into our customers’ businesses.

From a business perspective, the Garforth supplier

once again made it very clear – and in the simplest

terms – to both Event veterans and first timers, what the

benefits of attending the show were: additional margin

from the show-only deals and free extended terms,

designed to enhance the retailer’s own businesses over

the coming months.

“Certainly the level of business written, which

exceeded all expectations and was at a record level,

would seem to indicate the popularity of JHS brands and

our customers’ satisfaction in their relationship with JHS

as a supplier,” said the company’s MD, Dennis Drumm,

clearly very satisfied with the results this year.

On top of the half dozen or so exhibiting ‘guests’,

including the online, e-tailing expert Retail Up,

Manchester’s print distributor, Music Exchange, and

Future Publishing, JHS had brought in a record number of

its own suppliers – of particular note being Larry

Fishman and Joe Barbieri of Fishman Acoustic there for

the first time and talking dealers through the benefits of

the impressive Fishman Solo portable PA.

Other suppliers attending included Kustom

Amplification’s Ted Burger, Erjan van der Laan from

Dunlop Manufacturing, Allen & Heath’s Bob Goleniowski

and Martin Daley, US Danelectro clinician and demo

artist Danny Dugan, and Manuel Rodriguez Junior of

Rodriguez Guitars.

“The plans are already under way for the JHS Event in

2010, at which I hope we’ll be able to bring all those JHS

Event benefits to the many customers who’ve yet to

make the journey,” concluded Drumm.

JHS: 0113 286 5381

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

JHS EVENT • SHOW REPORT

“The level of business written, which exceeded all expectations,

would seem to indicate the popularity of our brands and our

customers’ satisfaction in their relationship with JHS.”

Dennis Drumm, MD JHS & Co

L to R: Dennis Drumm, Ivor

Johnston Soundhire (winning

the Kustom Coupe 72 Prize

Giveaway) and Ted Burger of

Kustom Amplification

JHS ASM Pete Gibbens and Phil

O’dea of MOR Music

Since its inception in 1997, the JHS Event has led the way for MI in-house

trade shows and proves that there is no replacement for face-to-face deals...

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www.mi-pro.co.uk miPRO AUGUST 2009 17

Patriotism may, as Dr Johnson

insisted, be the last refuge of the

scoundrel, but few in the MI industry

wouldn’t have felt their spirits sink a little

when, in April, it was announced that

Kemble & Co – Britain’s last piano

manufacturer – was closing its doors.

To a pessimist, the news would have

confirmed his view that the UK as a

manufacturing nation is all but finished.

But the reality is that some parts of

Britain’s manufacturing industry are alive

and well. Indeed, in certain sectors,

including MI, manufacturing is flourishing -

albeit beset with the devils of a recession,

high costs, a government in love with

regulation and attendant bureaucracy.

This article doesn’t set out to be a

‘product roundup’. The scope of British MI

manufacturing is far too broad to cover in

one article and if anyone has been left

out, we’re genuinely sorry. Instead, what

we set out to do was to take a snapshot

of areas where there is particular activity

and see what can be learned from some of

the people who are doing their best to

keep Britain afloat as a manufacturing

nation. And if any reader feels ignored and

has a rollicking good yarn of British

manufacturing success to tell, please do

get in touch and let us know.

The first good news is that though the

big success stories of British MI

manufacturing tend to cluster into two

areas – backline amplification and pro

audio equipment – it is by no means

confined to them. British companies are

making everything from Chieftain’s folk

music whistles to Rothwell Audio’s

acclaimed effects, to TL Audio’s valve

audio mixers. Even that relative graveyard

of British hopes and dreams, mass market

guitar making, is undergoing a small but

steady renaissance, while relative

newcomers, like the loudspeaker maker

Tayden, are coming to the market with

proof that not everything has to be made

in Shenzen or Seoul.

Take, for example, one of the UK’s

biggest MI successes: Rotosound. While

the manufacture of so many other mass-

market, low-cost consumer products has

moved east, Rotosound strings are still

proudly made in Kent and the company is

constantly growing.

But surely Jason How, Rotosound’s

chairman, could make a lot more money if

he chose to have his strings manufactured

elsewhere.

“Maybe I could,” How says, “but I

wouldn’t want to take the gamble for the

sake of few pence. I know exactly what we

do and I wouldn’t risk it. Also, the

machinery that we use plays a big part in

how efficient we are, whereas I guess

making guitars and building amps involve

more labour, which may explain why

those makers tend to go abroad.”

Rotosound benefits particularly because

How designs and makes his own string

winding machines, the effectiveness of

which has to be seen in action to be

believed. Even so, he could install them in

a Chinese factory, but chooses not to. And

this is not just due to sentiment.

How reveals that Rotosound’s exports

are up by a huge amount, this year. “By 49

per cent, in fact. And I have to say we put

a fragmented image of the Union Jack on

the front of our new string pack designs

and during this latest year we’ve had a

huge increase in sales. I can’t tell you if it’s

the flag that made any difference, but

everyone I’ve spoken to says I need to tell

people that it’s British made product.

Whether that matters so much in

Rochester or Maidstone, I can’t say, but I

am getting more and more emails from

people saying they would like to buy

British when they can. It’s like the penny is

suddenly dropping.”

The largest British MI manufacturing

sector is clearly guitar amplification and

despite recession in the vital US market,

none of the leading makers regret their

decision to make products here. Indeed,

they all insist it is a major advantage.

Though all the makers we spoke to in

this sector source some of their

production from the Far East, their hand-

The sun never setsDespite the pressures of Far Eastern and eastern European manufacturing, there is still a lot to be said for the kudos of

sticking a 'made in Britain' label on your products. Gary Cooper discovers how and why the stalwarts keep going...

The reality is that some parts of Britain’s

manufacturing industry are alive and well. Indeed,

certain sectors, including MI, are flourishing.

wired valve equipment is thoroughly

British, made by highly skilled workers

producing a high-value product, which

helps mitigate the high cost of production.

It’s also a matter of pride to them all.

Paul Marshall explains: “We make a lot

of Marshall here in the UK. In fact we are

continuing to introduce products that are

made in the UK and there was a big

launch at the end of July for even more

products that will be made here.

“We’re very proud of the fact that we’re

a UK company and there is simply no way

that we would move everything overseas.

We find that having ‘made in the UK’ on

products has a definite positive effect,

particularly in America, which is a massive

market for us. There, ‘made in the UK’

stands for a lot – it still counts for quality

and workmanship and it’s probably the

same across the world.”

But does it count for as much at home?

“I think that’s more difficult to say.

People are often looking for low cost, but

those who do buy British, buy it because

they know it’s a quality product. People

know that Marshall amps made in the

1960s are still working and still serviceable

and that if they buy a new one today the

same will be true of that in 30 years, too.

“I think we should be proud of what we

do here – not just at Marshall – and that

we should fight to keep manufacturing

here. When you see a UK-made product

and you know that it’s UK jobs that put

every nut and bolt in it… Yes, that’s

something worth supporting.”

Up in Yorkshire, you will hear a similar

take from Hiwatt. Again, the company has

its lower cost designs produced in the Far

East but, says Justin Harrison, everything

else is made in the UK and the company’s

close association with fellow Yorkshiremen

and speaker-makers Fane makes them

even more British than most.

“I would think 65 per cent of our

business is made in the UK,” Harrison says.

He believes it matters. “Even if you just

did it as a flag-waving exercise to say in

your brochure that you make amplifiers in

Britain, you need to do it.”

Indeed, along with one or two other UK

makers speaking off the record, he has a

pretty low opinion of the way some

companies trade on a British image that

they do little to back with actions.

“For us, our business is growing and

maybe in ten years time when we are

selling a lot more amplifiers, that actual

percentage might fall, but we will still

have engineers here, making British amps

– it’s important. Made in Britain, like Made

in the USA, now means something again.”

Another great success in export

markets, with business up 30 to 35 per

cent this year alone, is Orange. Damon

Waller, Orange’s MD, says that at least 60

per cent of Orange’s production comes

from the UK and he feels it is a significant

factor in the brand’s success.

“When you manufacture anywhere in

Europe, it adds a premium aspect to the

brand and the more discerning customers

will not accept a Far Eastern made

product. The ‘Made in Britain’ tag,

particularly with amplification, is

important. These days, quality out of the

Far East is generally very good and we

control our Far Eastern production very

successfully. All the same, there are things

that we simply wouldn’t have done in

China, hand-wiring for example, but not

just that. The big valve amplifiers need to

be set-up correctly and that’s something

we prefer to do ourselves.

“British amps have always been the

world leaders and we strive to keep British

manufacturing alive as much as we can.

I’ve yet to see a high-powered valve

amplifier out of China that equals the

quality of UK-made equipment. I’m not

saying it won’t come, but it hasn’t yet.”

When Ashdown planned its Hayden

range of backline guitar amplification it

had the benefit of having had a foot in

both camps with its eponymous bass

range, some of which is produced in the

Far East, but the top end of which is still

manufactured in the UK.

As Dan Gooday says, Ashdown voted

firmly for making Hayden in the UK.

“We make a lot of our products in

England and have done for 13 years now.

It’s a very prestigious phrase too – ‘Made

in England’ – especially when it comes to

America. A lot of the artists I deal with ask

for something made in England and its

great to be able to offer that. Of course,

we can also offer ‘Made in the USA’, which

is an interesting one, too.”

Given Ampeg’s move to Vietnam, this

was a shrewd move on Ashdown’s part

and, although it doesn’t have a direct

bearing on manufacturing in Britain, it

strongly suggests that buyers genuinely do

care where their gear is manufactured.

“With Hayden, the majority of the

product is made here, because we can do

that and still sell it for the same price as

some of our competitors, who

manufacture in Korea. We may not be

making as much margin, but we didn’t

think it was necessarily about that. We

wanted to show the world that it can be

done at the same price point and for a

better product that we’re 100 per cent

confident in.”

Of course, it’s not all about amplifiers.

Though our guitar makers haven’t fared so

well in making the transition to

production quantities, that doesn’t stop

people trying. Companies like Fylde and

Overwater have survived for many years

and have strong followings, though neither

is what you would call a major producer

in terms of quantity.

One guitar maker who is trying to

break that mould is Alister Atkin, who has

steadily been growing his range of well-

respected acoustic guitars, which are being

COVER FEATURE • BEST OF BRITISH

18 miPRO AUGUST 2009 www.mi-pro.co.uk

“When you see a UK-made product and you know

that’s it’s UK jobs that put every nut and bolt in

it...Yes, that’s something worth supporting.”

Paul Marshall, Marshall

They’re all helping to sell great British products to the masses, left to right: Patrick James Eggle; Orange’s Damon Waller; Rotosound’s Jason How; Gremlin’s Chris Rudd

Some faces of the best of British, left to right: Gary Hurst and Hiwatt’s Justin Harrison; Chris Difford, Alister Atkin of Atkin Guitars and Boo Hewerdine; Marshall’s Paul Marshall

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ClassicTone,Contemporary Control

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

stocked by a growing number of retailers.

Though still relatively small, Atkin has the

makings of considerably bigger things

and a keen recognition of the importance

of marketing.

“We’re making between 60 and 70

guitars a year and we’ve only been

involved with the trade for a couple of

years, but we are picking up new dealers

all the time,” he says. “What’s always been

very important to me is that the product

has to be placed in the right hands.” By

this he means endorsements – something

a few British makers (though not all) have

been able to capitalise on as well as their

American counterparts. Go to the Atkin

site and the first thing you see is a parade

of influential younger users, headed by

Graham Coxon.

“Where I think we can buck the trend is

by getting the right endorsements behind

us. If James Taylor was playing your

guitars, no one in the world would

question them. I’ve lost count of the

number of times I’ve stood around at a gig

like a spare part with a guitar in my hands,

hoping to get someone to try one, but you

have to do it.”

Coincidentally, with his Hobgoblin retail

hat on, Gremlin’s Chris Rudd, another keen

supporter of British-made products, has

recently chosen to stock Atkin’s acoustics,

along with Jimmy Moon’s, in preference to

a major American brand. Partly, he says,

because it helps Hobgoblin stand out from

the crowd and because, he feels, their

customers want to buy British guitars. For

that same reason Hobgoblin stores

strongly feature the work of local makers.

Meanwhile, switching back to his

distributor’s hat, Rudd says Gremlin stocks

an increasing number of British makers. “A

large percentage of our whistle catalogue

is UK-made – including the whole range of

Chieftain whistles and also Tony Dixon

whistles. Fylde guitars, which we distribute

to the trade, are made here, as are our

Sherwood concertinas, which are made

in-house.

“In fact, in a recent article in MI Pro I

said we wanted to hear from small British

manufacturers, particularly as the pound

had dropped against the Euro, making

British products relatively cheaper. As a

result of that, a luthier called Tom

Buchanan got in touch and I’m about to

take my first delivery of bouzoukis from

him. We do buy British where we can and

we are always looking for new

manufacturers from the UK.”

A maker who has trodden this path

more than once (including in the USA),

and who is currently treading it again, is

Patrick James Eggle. “I think making in the

UK is an advantage if you’re selling on

home soil,” he says. “But actual

manufacturing here is hard. The cost of

labour isn’t as bad here as it is in

Germany, but it’s higher than a lot of the

guitar factories in America have to pay.

However, I’m in a lower cost area of the

country and able to pay the rent (thanks

to Barnes & Mullins, which is a very good

landlord), pay people a liveable wage and

it works out for us.

“At the moment we only sell our guitars

into dealers in the Benelux countries and

the domestic market, but that is filling our

order book rather well, so I’m not looking

too seriously at other countries yet and

I’m not falling over myself to sell guitars

in America, either, because of all the hoo-

hah that goes with it there.”

Eggle is making steady growth once

again and helping keep alive the UK’s

position as a force in the guitar-making

world. He is one of any number of small

makers, many of whom are producing

instruments as fine as can be found

anywhere in the world.

It is, overall, a mixed, or even a lopsided,

picture. In MI, amp makers clearly prosper

in Britain, as do top-end pro audio

companies, such as Neve, Allen & Heath,

SSL, Digico, Soundcraft and Midas. Guitar

makers, however, tend to struggle for

reasons that are not quite clear. Some cite

the higher cost of raw materials and

manufacturing and the huge size of the

US home market. But isn’t that just as

true for amplifier makers? It’s hard not to

wonder if it isn’t simply that customers

have just got used to wanting American

guitars and British amplifiers. Meanwhile,

beyond the guitar market, there are

people working in most fields in the UK,

from drumstick makers, to brass

specialists, strap and pick makers – you

name it, someone is out there doing it.

What is clear is that the UK has largely

shaken-off the damaging legacy of the

British Leyland years and is regaining its

reputation as a maker of quality products

that customers overseas really want to

buy. It remains hard to manufacture in a

high cost environment like ours, but many

are still willing to give it their best shot.

Which, given the country’s balance of

payments position, has to be good news

for the rest of us.

COVER FEATURE • BEST OF BRITISH

20 miPRO AUGUST 2009 www.mi-pro.co.uk

Gremlin distributes a variety of British products including Chieftain whistles

Fylde may not be a huge manufacturer, but its quality work has a good reputation

Patrick James Eggle is working hard to keep producing fine British-made guitars

There are people working in most fields in the UK,

from drumstick makers, to brass specialists, strap

and pick makers – you name it.

The new MoFo by Hayden is an all-valve guitar amp with a whole lot of attitude.

But unlike other mini guitar amp heads, the MoFo is definitely not a one trick pony.

From stunning bell like clean tones with real depth to plexi-esque classic rock

crunch, right up to full on metal mayhem, the 30 watt MoFo head does it all.

PPETITE 2 PETITE 5 COTTON CLUB 7/15 COTTON CLUB 15/30 SPEAKEASY COMBO SPEAKEASY 212 RIG CLASSIC LEAD 80 RIGCLASSIC LEAD 80 COMBO

MORE FROM THE NEW 2009 HAND-WIRED RANGE

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT • MIXERS

22 miPRO AUGUST 2009 www.mi-pro.co.uk

Acursory survey of a handful of MI

shops up and down the country

reveals that all but the most PA-

phobic instrument retailer tends to sell at

least one mixing console of some

description. And they’re quite shrewd in

doing so – even in the analog days, it was

always worth stocking the odd small-

format live mixer for gigging musicians

and budding bands, but now that

affordable sequencing software and audio

interfaces have made home recording a

snip, it would actually be daft not to.

Associated PA equipment, too, is these

days within reach of the average player

who longs to graduate from the bedroom,

so modern mixing desks often spend their

time hopping between the stage and

studio, making their cost a lot more

justifiable than it once was. The question,

then, is what to stock and why.

Richard Harfield from PA specialist HW

Music offers some thoughts: “A traditional

setup comprising a good powered mixer

and quality passive speakers tends to

sound better, but, probably due to their

convenience, a lot more people are using

active speakers these days. The speakers

themselves can sound fantastic, but they

are let down by poor-sounding passive

mixers. The problem is that to get the

sound quality, you often have to spend

money on channels and features you don’t

need. Lots of controls can be daunting for

people who just want to sing and not

worry about operating complex

equipment. This opens up the market to

manufacturers who can provide a

compromise. Ultimately, you have to sell

a passive desk – it’s just getting the

right one.”

The message seems to be that if you

have the space to stock both passive and

active mixers, you should do so, since

there is still a healthy demand for both. A

larger retailer we spoke to noted a stock

ratio of 70:30 in favour of passive mixers,

but if you can only stock one mixer then

it should probably be a passive model –

and it’s worth pointing out that we heard

“the digital USB type with onboard FX”

mentioned numerous times.

That said, we shouldn’t underestimate

the demand from live-only users,

particularly gigging veterans, who will

accept nothing less than an active mixer.

With this in mind, here are a few examples,

of various kinds, for your perusal…

PEAVEY

Peavey was a brand mentioned

consistently by dealers we spoke to;

stocked by all but one and widely

considered to be a big hit with musos in

quest of a mixer. This is hardly surprising

since Peavey manufactures music gear

across the board and its development of

PA-related kit will logically benefit from its

understanding of instrumentation – a

concept clearly not lost on the customer.

The firm’s PV series represents the

classic go anywhere, do anything passive

mixer. A good pick would be the PV 10

USB, with six XLR mic inputs, two stereo

channels with RCA and quarter-inch

inputs, USB connectivity, three-band

channel eq (80Hz, 400Hz, and 12.5kHz),

A/B stereo input selector to reduce

patching and inserts on all mono

channels. An 80Hz low-cut switch on all

mic inputs lends a hand during Isaac

Hayes tribute acts, while internal digital

effects include reverb, delay and vocal

enhancement.

For those willing to shell out a bit more,

the FX series offers professional features

such as group buses, uprated effects and

dynamics. Peavey also manufactures a

stalwart collection of MI-targeted powered

mixers, the PVi series and to satisfy

customers who want ‘the works’, its XR

1212 is due for release soon. This 1,200-

Watt Class D powered mixer sports auto,

digital nine-band G eq, four-band eq with

mid-morph technology, proprietary digital

feedback elimination and real-time analyser.

KAM

Although it manufactures a fairly broad

range of DJ mixers, Kam offers just the one

small format desk. Judging by its lengthy

spec, however, it would seem that this

little beauty covers all the bases by itself.

The recently launched KMD10 is a

powered mixing console that takes the

form – and almost the size – of a passive

desk and, alongside a well-hidden power

amplifier, packs in a host of extras and

professional features that are normally

restricted to far more expensive products.

Boasting top quality mic preamps and

low-noise, high gain circuitry, the KMD10

features six mono input channels with

gold plated XLR mic inputs and four stereo

line input channels with balanced jack

inputs. Channels are equipped with swept-

mid three-band eq and four-band eq,

respectively. Handily, the mute system

routes to a set of alt outputs instead of

just cutting the channel, so users can set

up a sub mix and, for those that wish to

add some distinction to a mix, 32 different

20-bit effects are built in.

LD SYSTEMS

LD Systems is quickly making a name for

itself in the PA sector, with its Dave series

of portable systems being received with

considerable acclaim. The brand’s LAX

series of mixers complements the range

with the same bang for buck philosophy.

The LAX series comprises eight models,

ranging from the compact LAX6 or LAX6D

mixers – a six-channel mixer available

with or without 100 preset, 24-bit DSP

multi-effects processor – to the LAX8D,

LAX12D, or flexible LD Mix 16-channel

LAX16D with eight XLR microphone inputs

and FX.

The product line is topped off with the

LAX12DA power mixer, with twin 300-

Watt (RMS) amplification built in. Also

including the DSP effects, this mixer ticks

all the boxes in application terms and

should see the average musician through

every conceivable situation. A ten-channel

version, the LAX6BMDA active box mixer

with two 220-Watt amps is also available.

PHONIC

Phonic seems to paying more attention to

market trends than ever and while it has

already released the new generation Helix

Board 18 mixer, it has a new

groundbreaking and NAMM-approved

mixer due for launch later in the year.

The universal Helix Board 18 mixer

features a Firewire and USB interface that

can individually stream up to 18

independent channels of audio to the

computer and return two tracks for

monitoring at transfer rates of up to 24-

The message seems to be that if you have the

space to stock both passive and active mixers,

you should do so – there is demand for both.

Not every retailer has room for a dedicated PA department, but even the modest guitar peddler would do well to make

space for a mixer or two. Rob Hughes looks at how you can make a small selection count...

Pick ‘n’ mix

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT • MIXERS

bit/96kHz with zero latency. The 32/40-bit

digital multi-effect processor provides 100

popular programs and six mono mic/line

channels with 75Hz low cut filters and

comes complete with three-band eq (six

with swept mid), while two of the four

stereo line channels have a four-band eq.

Expected to arrive in October, the

Digital Summit mixer is Phonic's new and

revolutionary 16-input mixing console,

with a colour, touchscreen graphical user

interface, full effects and delays built-in. It

can be used in a live setting or a studio,

with flexible balanced XLR analog outputs

providing users with numerous ways to

connect a setup for live performances

and/or studio application. Users are able

to use the automated faders to adjust the

levels of either their main channels or the

aux and group mixes, which should take a

lot of the guesswork out of adjusting

these levels.

ALLEN & HEATH

Although it has historically shied away

from this section of the market, Allen &

Heath’s Zed series mixers landed with a

thud in MI shops recently, offering

affordable, small format, USB-equipped

mixing for the working musician.

There are a whopping eight Zed models

in total, all of which are passive. A good

representation of the series is the Zed-14

– the first to be launched – with ten

independent outputs, plus two pre-fade

and two post-fade aux sends. The mixer

has six mono channels with three-band,

swept mid-channel eq and four stereo

channels with two-band eq. In addition to

the twin TRS jack inputs, dual input

options include stereo and two-track

returns on RCA and a USB interface to

enable the engineer to choose which

outputs to send to the computer.

All Zed mixers come supplied with a

copy of Sonar LE recording and production

software and also feature high

performance DuoPre padless preamps.

These comprise microphone circuits and

optimised line input circuits, rather than

just one preamp handling both mic and

line signals. For the technically-minded,

models with the FX post-fix, such as the

Zed-12FX retain the same professional

features as other models in the range, but

benefit from the addition of a

comprehensive set of in-house designed

effects, developed around an FX chipset.

All the effects have individual parameter

controls so they can be adjusted live,

using the switches on the front panel.

ASHTON

The Australian brand has a small but

comprehensive offering of both active and

passive mixers. On the active side, Ashton’s

PMX series of powered mixers range from

200-Watts to dual 450-Watts of power and

feature sturdy wood cabinets, built-in

digital effects, phantom power for use with

condenser mics and eq on every channel.

Each mixer also sports a fluoro paint that’s

almost as loud as its output, so musicians

will never lose it on a darkened stage.

Central to the range is the PMX1042ST,

with ten channels, eight XLR inputs and

combo inputs, 48V phantom power, two

stereo channels with quarter-inch jack

inputs, output limiter, twin 200-Watt

output (RMS at four Ohms), three-band eq

(seven-band for main and monitor outs),

auxiliary or effects send, RCA input and

output, 16 onboard footswitchable DSP

effects and LED metering.

Ashton’s passive range begins with the

£69 MXL6, a basic but solid performer,

with six channels and individual eq on

each. Top of the range is the £292 MXL12

with 12 inputs for mixing large ensembles

live, a USB adaptor, 99 24-bit digital

effects and phantom power to run

condenser mics at the flick of a switch.

This mixer also has three-band eq on

every channel, but comes complete with a

switchable low-cut filter to tame the bass,

if necessary.

YAMAHA

As one would expect, Yamaha has a huge

selection of small format mixers on offer,

from the lower-end passive MW series,

targeted at the home studio with USB

connectivity, to the more advanced MG

passive range and the EMX series of

powered mixers, the latter two both

aimed primarily at the live performer.

“Because each of our mixer line-ups

cover different production and

performance target markets, we find that

MWs, N series and the digital mixers tend

to work best within the music production

areas of the store, while the MGs sell

exceedingly well from the pro audio

department,” explains YMUK’s Peter Peck.

“Due to the diverse range of mixers we

have, some ranges are available to all

dealers, whereas others that require

specialist knowledge and need to be

displayed with third party peripherals are

only available to dealers who have

attended training sessions. The lower end

models of the MG series are classed as

open product so are available to all

Yamaha dealers.”

And with the built-in audio interfaces

and effects, it is the MG series that is the

most adaptable to a variety of tasks. As an

example, the MG12/4 has a total of 12

input channels (four mono mic/line inputs

and four stereo line inputs, two of which

offer mono mic inputs, all with phantom

power). The MG16/4 has eight mono

microphone/line inputs and four stereo

line inputs, two with mono microphone

input capability. Gain trim covers a wide

-60dB to -16dB range for mic inputs, and

-34dB to +10dB for line inputs. Mono

input channels feature insert I/O patch

points, so you can add compressors or eq

for vocals, a noise gate on a guitar

channel, or other extra signal processing

to individual channels as required.

SOUNDCRAFT

Harman’s console mastermind has been

effectively churning out mixing desks in

recent times and, from pro consoles such

as the Si2 down to the popular Gigrac

package, they’re being held in high esteem

across the board.

In the non-powered section, the

Soundcraft EFX series combines all the

features of the Soundcraft EPM mixer with

a built-in 24-bit, digital Lexicon effects

processor. The Soundcraft EFX mixer uses

the same Audio DNA processor featured in

much of Digitech’s and Lexicon’s outboard

equipment, including the respected

Lexicon MX400 processor.

A little further up the range are the

MPM and MFX series of mixers, newly-

upgraded versions of which shipped last

month. Soundcraft has uprated both the

hardware and audio performance in these

models and renamed them MFXi and

MPMi (emphasising the high input count

on each). This builds on the strength of

the original range by using vertically

mounted PCBs with the control pots being

nutted to the front panel. This not only

increases the rigidity of the mixer and

gives a firm operating feel, but also aids

servicing should it ever be required.

Soundcraft also took the hardware

development opportunity to fine-tune the

audio design and further enhance the

audio performance of the mixers,

improving key specifications including

noise and distortion performance.

CONTACTSLD SYSTEMS (ADAM HALL) ..................................................01702 613922

PHONIC (SHURE) ...................................................................01992 703058

KAM (LAMBA)........................................................................01582 690600

SOUNDCRAFT (SOUND TECHNOLOGY).............................01462 480000

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

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

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

ALLEN & HEATH (JHS) .........................................................0113 286 5381

24 miPRO AUGUST 2009 www.mi-pro.co.uk

Yamaha has a huge selection of small format

mixers on offer, from the lower-end passive MW

series to the EMX series of powered mixers.

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Preview Day Tuesday 8th

In years gone by, music just didn’t cut

the mustard for some schools. For some

of us a token recorder or perhaps the

odd triangle and a tone-deaf maths

teacher filling in for an hour was as good

as it got. Thankfully, now that we all live in

the 21st century, music is seen not as a

legitimate way to catch up on a nap for

an hour, but as a vital part of a well-

rounded education.

Most schools have not only choirs, but

some sort of orchestra, perhaps a jazz

band and certainly a full-blooded

approach to the musical way of life.

Some educational establishments have

even embraced that most unruly of

beasts, rock n roll and have invested in

enough kit to allow students to form

bands and perform for their peers,

teachers and families.

With all this in mind – and as the

summer break grows shorter by the day –

it’s time for schools across the country to

start thinking about what they can find in

the way of musical rentals.

A potentially lucrative area of the

market, schools can provide an awful lot

of business in these tough times –

something that retailers yet to jump on

the scholastic bandwagon would do well

to recognise. Even the smallest bit of help

given to a local comprehensive can lead to

a steady flow of uniformed customers and

the potential of regular large-scale rentals.

So, with the writing on the blackboard,

let’s open our books at the appropriate

chapter and find out what the market has to

offer the bright young minds of tomorrow…

SOUNDPOST

Soundpost is a distie that has

been especially thorough in its approach

to the schools market, with each of its

instruments tested against guidelines

issued by the Department for Children,

Schools and Families and administered by

the Federation of Music Services in

association with the MIA.

Its Primavera family of bowed string

instruments fulfils all of the criteria set

out in the guidelines, ticking all of the

boxes for music education instrument

procurement, but also delivering the

quality and reliability that hire

instruments need to be able to provide.

For rental instruments, the objective is

durability to ensure that retail suppliers

get the maximum life and, therefore,

rental return after the initial purchase

price has been covered. Soundpost is

particularly proud of the fact that there

are Primavera instruments out there in

regular hire use which are older than the

students playing them.

The award-winning

Prima 200 violin, the Prima

200 viola and all Prima cellos and

double basses feature ebony fingerboards,

and are incredibly consistent performers in

the rental market.

JHS & CO

As you might expect from one of the

biggest and broadest distributors on the

market, JHS has got plenty to offer in

this area.

Antoni strings remain a strong seller

and a popular brand for beginners on the

look-out for their first step into the weird

and wonderful world of the school

orchestra. Antoni is a name that has

become synonymous with excellent

quality, ready-to-play and importantly –

for parents on a tight budget – affordable

string instruments. Available in sizes from

eight to full-size in violins, the Debut

range aims to cater to students who want

an easy-to-play and reliable first

instrument. Cellos and double basses can

also be found in the Debut range, with

prices starting from £69.99.

On the brass and woodwind side of

things, the Odyssey brand sees JHS once

again hitting all the key areas confused

parents and teachers want to see – high

quality, well priced and dependable flutes,

clarinets, alto saxophones, trumpets and

With term time just around the corner, it’s time for our nation’s

educators to start thinking about their students’ musical needs.

Rob Power finds out what’s on the curriculum…

A potentially lucrative area of the market, schools

can provide an awful lot of business in these tough

times – something retailers should recognise.

Back to school

STUDENT RENTALS • SECTOR SPOTLIGHT

www.mi-pro.co.uk miPRO AUGUST 2009 29

cornets, starting at £129.99. A full range of

accessories is available

alongside the instruments, and each

comes with a fitted ABS case that looks

able to stand up to the most determined

of schoolboy scuffles.

Finally from JHS is a brand that will no

doubt be popular with those kids who

prefer hitting things to sitting down and

playing them: Performance Percussion. This

is a line that covers a broad range of

percussion items, from junior KS1

percussion sets through to ever-popular

world and multi-cultural percussion, to

hardware and accessories. Additionally,

electronic drum kits – so vital for low

noise in-school practice – and the UK’s

best selling full-size, all-in five-piece kit,

the PP300 (£399) also have a big part to

play in the success of the Performance

Percussion range.

BARNES & MULLINS

A huge amount is on offer from Barnes

and Mullins for schools looking to stock

up on the musical side of things. First up is

the Jose Ferrer line of classical guitars,

which is a popular choice as a rental

instrument. The Classical Guitar –

especially in fractional sizes – is still the

instrument of choice for beginner

guitarists, due to its wider string spacing

and softer-impact nylon strings.

Jose Ferrer guitars are entry level

instruments that offer a level of quality and

playability that is significantly higher than

the sort of thing offered up by High Street

chains. Sizes available are 1/2, 3/4 and full

size, with current retail prices of £49, £53

and £59 respectively, with each guitar

coming complete with a woven gig bag.

Orchestral strings is also an area

covered by Barnes & Mullins, with its

Hidersine Piacenza and Hidersine Piacenze

Finetune violin outfits. Hidersine has been

famous for its rosin for over 120 years

now, but in recent years a whole range of

accessories and instruments have also

been introduced.

The Piacenza Violin is an ideal starter

instrument, featuring a spruce top with

figured maple back and ribs. It comes with

a case and bow and is fitted with

Thomastik Infeld Synthetic Core strings,

which would cost around £35 in stores.

Add to this the inclusion of a block of

Hidersine 3V rosin, and you have a quality

outfit with a very affordable retail price

of £175.

The next step up for budding concert

violinists is the Piacenza Finetune, which

is equipped with Wittner FineTune pegs.

Although visually identical to traditional

pegs, the Wittner Finetune pegs have a

tiny internal gearing system that allows

for ease of tuning. This is a tuning

innovation that has the potential to

save thousands of hours of wasted lesson

time and make teachers’ lives that bit

more bearable. The Piacenze Finetune

retails at £245.

Another range from Barnes & Mullins is

Höfner, a name most of us associate with

the Beatles, but one which also turns out

an awful lot of orchestral strings that are

well suited to the school market.

The Höfner Alfred Stingl (AS) range of

instruments are the result of the

company’s Chinese manufacturing

operation, with the AS060 range of violin,

viola, cello and bass outfits available for

students of all sizes – violins from 1/16

through to full size; violas in 13-inch, 14-

inch and 15-inch variants; cellos from

1/8th to 4/4 size; and double basses from

1/8th to 3/4 size. Prices start from £106.

THE MUSIC FORCE

There is plenty worth checking out from

the Music Force, with Ashton having

established itself as a front runner in the

beginners’ corner of the market and made

the natural progression to providing

instruments that are suited to the

playground.

First up is the SX10 saxophone, an alto

sax with a lacquered brass body that

includes a hard-wearing canvas case and a

neck strap. The FL10 flute is a classically

styled silver-plated flute crafted in the key

of C. Well suited to first-time flautists, it

comes complete with a carry case to

protect it on the way to lessons, as well as

a cleaning rod and cloth to keep it looking

and sounding as good as new.

Next up is the CL10 clarinet in Bb,

which aims to provide a good jumping off

point for youngsters to learn on. It

features a 17-hole ebonite body and

smooth action nickel plated keys, and

comes with a reed and 4C mouthpiece.

With a case and cleaning cloth also

included, Ashton has covered all the

basics here.

Finally there’s the TR10 trumpet. This

top-value package includes a cleaning

cloth and valve oil, so young players can

keep their horns in tip-top condition, as

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT • STUDENT RENTALS

One range from Barnes & Mullins is Höfner, a

name most of us associate with the Beatles, but

one which also turns out a lot of orchestral

strings that are well suited to the school market.

30 miPRO AUGUST 2009 www.mi-pro.co.uk

well as a carry case to protect it from

damage when it’s not being used.

EMD

As is to be expected from the brand that

crops up in the most unimaginable places,

Stagg has plenty of products that will

keep headmasters happy.

Handily, all of its student instruments

are supplied with backpack-style gig cases,

each with double shoulder straps, MP3

and phone pockets and a strap for a

visibility light (should those dangerous

winter drivers fail to see your pride and

joy in the evening).

Instruments available from the wide-

reaching Stagg brand include the 77-SA

SC Alto saxophone (£485), the 77-FE SC

Flute (£199), the 77-T SC trumpet (£236)

and the 77-C SC clarinet (£205).

As an added bonus, all Stagg brass and

woodwind instruments are now set up by

three full-time specialists (with a mighty

70 years worth of experience between

them) before dispatch, ensuring

instruments arrive in a ready-to-play state.

GREMLIN

Folk specialist Gremlin has plenty to offer

the schools market thanks to its wide

range of well-built and reliable products

from a variety of brands.

Valentino in particular is a great name

for Gremlin and one that is well known

across the pond, having been a market

leader in the United States for some years

now. The GR2103 classical flute is a basic

but excellent quality Chinese-made

beginners’ instrument, that comes

complete with case and retails at a

particularly attractive £99.99.

The GR6501 full-size violin is another

market leader for Gremlin, and features a

carved solid spruce top, carved maple

body, an attractive inlay and hardwood

pegs and fingerboard. Retailing at £79 and

with a decent quality case included, it is

easy to see how this brand has become so

popular abroad.

Finally, it would be criminal not to

include Gremlin’s classic Descant Recorder.

It’s made in the United Kingdom in a

highly distinctive black and white plastic

design, and is also the instrument that

school room dreams (or nightmares,

depending on the player of course) are

made of. The recorder has a suggested

retail price of £6.95.

CHILDREN ARE THE FUTURE

Without question, there is plenty on the

market for schools anxious to re-stock

their music rooms with equipment that

won’t break instantly and will stand up to

enough punishment to sound marvellous

come the end of year performance.

School rentals are an important part of

the retail sector, and one that retailers

must be on board with if they are to

prosper. Building good relationships with

decent schools – ideally through the

provision of well built, nice sounding

instruments that are the perfect fit for

eager to learn students – can do

wonders to ingratiate a store with the

local community.

Putting a well-made guitar, or flute, or

double bass into the hands of a school kid

is not simply a way of making a few extra

quid, it’s an investment in a potential

future customer who, if looked after

properly, could be a huge asset to your

shop in years to come. In each school year

there are dozens of kids desperate to bring

a bit of music into their lives, and they

can do so by visiting the local store that

provided them with their first rental

instrument. The children, as they say, are

very much the future.

CONTACTSJHS ..........................................................................................0113 286 5381

BARNES & MULLINS .............................................................01691 652449

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

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

SOUNDPOST ............................................................................01985 851122

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

www.mi-pro.co.uk miPRO AUGUST 2009 31

STUDENT RENTALS • SECTOR SPOTLIGHT

EDUCATION SALES ADVISER

Dawsons Music, one of the UK's leading and best establishedsuppliers of musical instruments and equipment into

Education, have a vacancy for an Education Sales Adviser. Themain focus of the role involves visiting education

establishments throughout the UK, advising and trainingteachers on a wide range of ICT solutions. The ideal candidatewill possess an in-depth knowledge of a wide range of music

software applications and be able to explain the relevantfeatures and benefits with confidence at any level. They will

need to be well organised, proactive, presentable andconfident presenting to teachers. A clear commercial

awareness and a proven track record in sales is also essential.

Salary and commission structure will becommensurate with experience.

Please apply in the first instance with a covering letter and C.V to

David Briggs, Managing Director,

Dawsons Music, 65 Sankey Street,

Warrington, Cheshire WA1 1SU or email

jobs@dawsons.co.uk

www.mi-pro.co.uk

Whatever the final verdict on this

year’s LIMS show, one aspect

can be counted an unequivocal

success: the support the MIA’s UK

showcase event received from NAMM.

And if that sounds like an anomaly – the

US trade association directly supporting the

UK trade association’s show – then it’s an

easy anomaly to dispel. NAMM has not

been a solely US trade body for several

years. In fact its stated mission today is to

boost music making around the globe and

it was in that capacity that it paid for 1,000

local children from London’s Docklands

area to attend the show on Friday June

12th – Education Day.

NAMM president and CEO Joe Lamond

travelled from California so that he and

Betty Heywood, NAMM’s director of

international affairs, could see for

themselves how LIMS was faring.

Heywood was also at last year’s

inaugural LIMS and comments:

“Considering the current climate, it’s

amazing how good it looked. I

congratulate the organisers under the

current circumstances – particularly with

so little time available from when the MIA

took it over – for doing such a great job.”

Had the MIA not stepped in when last

year’s organisers, MB Events, ran into

trouble, it is clear that 2009’s LIMS

wouldn’t have happened at all. It is

also clear that the MIA, like all

trade associations, needs a

show of its own (or some

other major fund-raising

device) to secure its future.

That’s not a situation

unfamiliar to NAMM, nor

are its shows immune

from the current

economic climate.

Summer NAMM

suffered from major

exhibitors cutting back,

as did LIMS, so how does Joe Lamond feel

about the UK event, in the light of

NAMM’s experience?

“The model of the association

owning the show is the best way, I

think, because the revenues can be

reinvested throughout the year to

help grow the business for

everybody. We wanted to come

and support it because there aren’t

that many associations that own

their shows and we think it’s a

great move.”

But it was more than moral

support that NAMM gave – it

was hard cash, too. What does

NAMM gain from paying for 1,000

London school kids to attend a show

so many thousands of miles distant?

Heywood explains: “We’re all

about making a broader access to

music education for children from

all walks of life and to have that

happening, like it did here – so well

organised by Music for Youth – was

great and we were very happy to

support that particular event.

None the less, a cynic may insist

there has to be something ‘in it’

for NAMM.

NAMM • INTERVIEW

Showing up While the Winter NAMM

show is one of the world’s

major MI events, the

Summer NAMM show has

been struggling in recent

years. Gary Cooper catches

up with NAMM’s CEO, Joe

Lamond, and Betty

Heywood, the US

association’s director of

international affairs, at LIMS

and discovers some valuable

parallels…

“The NAMM board is made up of

industry people and while 77 per cent of

them reside in the United States, the rest

don’t, so there’s a compelling membership

reason to be out here,” Lamond says. “We

sincerely believe that being able to

reinvest the proceeds from the NAMM

show into music education, into

programmes and initiatives that create

access to music making to people who

might not ordinarily get it, produces a

real benefit.

“If we can, even in a small way by

working with the MIA, get 1,000 kids to

come in on music education day with

their teachers, it’s a small step, but it’s a

great step. That’s 1,000 kids who will get

excited about music making and who

knows where they will go and who they

will influence?”

Unless you are cynical to the point of

nihilism, that sort of hard-headed

philanthropy is what stops this looking like

a pleasant, yet essentially pointless

gesture. It may be throwing money at an

unknowable, but if just one of those

London school kids grows up to be the

next Eric Clapton, how many guitars is she

or he going to sell? If just 20 per cent

catch the music bug, that is still a lot of

happiness and a lot of products to flow

down the ensuing years.

To be able to take that sort of view and

act on it requires a lot of money. The MIA

is not yet rich or powerful enough to do a

fraction of what its leading lights want to.

NAMM has to be wealthy to take that

long view, which leads us back to LIMS.

“Another aspect to consider is that

when we talk about our membership,

particularly the commercial members

exhibiting at the show, that includes the

Yamahas and the Rolands that are global

firms,” adds Heywood. “On the supplier

side, this is a global industry.”

But isn’t NAMM a largely dealer-based

association, as opposed to the MIA, the

membership of which tends to be stronger

among distributors and manufacturers?

“There is a tremendous history and it

certainly started that way,” Lamond

explains. “I’m a dealer – in fact I came out

of the retail world myself, but I think what

NAMM has been able to do is navigate

the balance between both the buyers and

the sellers and that’s not easy to achieve,

especially in America. As our economy

tightened up, the dealers came under

increasing pressure and we had to work

even harder for them. Our dealers were

really demanding service from us so we

had to redouble our efforts to make sure

we were being responsive to their needs.

“Part of my job is to balance those two

influences, but we all essentially want the

same things. We all want our companies

to grow and international co-operation is

a way of helping that. People like Paul

McManus at the MIA, Ian Harvey at the

Australian Music Association, the Canadian

association – about 20 countries now –

meet at the NAMM show every year and

we spend half a day together. I’m amazed

at the co-operation and sharing of ideas

that takes place.”

That emphasis on the increasingly

global nature of the musical instrument

industry prompts the next question. Is

what underpins NAMM’s interest in LIMS

and other shows a global ambition of its

own? And what would Lamond and

Heywood say to those (and they exist)

who occasionally say that what the UK

really needs is NAMM operating here?

“I think the MIA, with the leadership it

has now, really deserves their support,”

Lamond says, clearly throwing his weight

behind the UK association.

Successful though NAMM is, it isn’t

without its own challenges, not least of

which was the failure of several major

corporations (among them Fender, Peavey

and Roland) to support this year’s

Summer NAMM show. Was this just down

to the recession or is it a problem with the

whole idea of a summer show?

“We lost some of the big exhibitors,

though many of them were there,

participating under a new offer called The

Club – like an airline club. We think the

summer meeting is more about getting

together and if that’s what’s right for some

companies, just to go there and meet with

their dealers without it being very

expensive, that’s what we’ve created for

them,” says Lamond.

“I believe the economy has played a big

role in this, but it’s just one of those

cycles. I’m getting ready to do our ‘state

of the industry’ morning session and we’ve

done a lot of research for that. Going back

100 years in the US industry, we started

tracking some interesting numbers. One

was inflation, two was unemployment and

three was gross domestic product. We

drew against that some of the trade show

performances and it looks like a sine wave

– it goes up and down just like that.

“We’ve been through this many, many

times. At the top of the wave there’s a

euphoria where everyone thinks it’s great,

it will always be great and there’s nowhere

to go but up – you can see that in the

1940s, the 60s and the 80s. But at the

bottom of the sine wave there’s the exact

opposite – we’re all doomed, we’re all

going to die. We’re at the bottom of one

of those sine waves now. It’s going to

come back. I can’t tell you when, but it

will come back.

“That’s why shows – LIMS or Summer

NAMM and Winter NAMM – are so

important. That’s where dealers get

inspired and motivated and ready to go

back to the store with this attitude of ‘I’m

in the best business in the world’. The next

thing you know, the store has a buzz to it

and the people coming into the store

catch that and traffic increases.”

That said, Lamond admits that this

year’s summer NAMM was destined to

lose money, but considering the way of

economics mentioned above, there will

always be a place for Summer NAMM.

The present climate doesn’t seem to

dampen that characteristic American ‘can

do’ optimism. NAMM will push on with

new ideas, such as placing the much-

lauded NAMM University online.

“We turned a corner when we had

industry people teaching industry people,”

Lamond says. “That’s what the NAMM

University online is going to be. Having our

icons, the people we grew up reading

about, share their ideas. Actual talks on

sales, finance, marketing and then a whole

section of tips from key people in the

industry that we hope will grow into a

database that will ultimately link to our

oral history programme. Wherever you are,

you will be able to take advantage of that.”

There maybe no better way of closing

this interview than leaving it there on that

typically ‘up’ note. NAMM is an

organisation driven by optimism and a

belief things can and will get better, so it

is ploughing ahead with investment in the

future. This is the sprit that made NAMM

what it is today and which will hopefully

inspire the MIA and the LIMS show.

INTERVIEW • NAMM

34 miPRO AUGUST 2009 www.mi-pro.co.uk

“If we can, by working with the MIA, get 1,000

kids to come in on music education day, that’s

1,000 kids who will get excited about music

making and who knows where they’ll go.”

Joe Lamond, NAMM

Betty Heywood: “On

the supplier side, this is

a global industry”

This is theOne

COMPANY PROFILE • YAMAHA

Earlier this year, Yamaha announced a huge shake-up of its

dealer trading terms via the formation of One Yamaha. It’s

a scheme that could have huge ramifications across the

industry. Ricci Hodgson director of sales and marketing,

pro music division, talks Dave Roberts through the

rationale and the detail…

Musikmesse 2009, while as fine an

MI trade show as there has been,

was pretty low on business news

– with one notable exception: Yamaha

Europe’s introduction of the One Yamaha

pricing harmonisation policy. It was, with

hindsight, probably only a matter of time

before someone came forward with such a

scheme, although many would have bet

on it causing some pretty big waves in the

industry. They wouldn’t have been taking

into consideration Yamaha’s ability to

think things through and get it right.

What was the motivation behind

launching One Yamaha?

Each local subsidiary across Europe was

operating largely on its own. There were

many areas, both dealer-facing and

internally, where we could see potential

benefits for overhauling this approach.

Recognising the importance that the

Yamaha dealership plays, we developed a

pan-European approach to the contracts –

Yamaha One Dealer Partnership

Programme – a level playing field for the

Yamaha dealership and product range.

What would you list as the headline

goals of One Yamaha?

One easy example is that of advertising

and promotional activities, which can be

better co-ordinated across Europe. Within

a few months we have been able to share

best practice across Europe – largely

emanating from the UK.

How long was the planning stage

behind the scheme and which areas of

the company did it involve?

This has been the vision of our European

president, Masato Oike, for several years.

There were stages that needed to be

completed, including integrating Yamaha

businesses in Europe where there was still

family involvement, such as UK with the

Kemble family and Spain with the Hazens.

Was it possible to consult with retailers

at all ahead of the announcement or,

for reasons of confidentiality, did you

have to present it as a fait accompli?

We regularly had discussions with our

dealers in the course of doing business

36 miPRO AUGUST 2009 www.mi-pro.co.uk

where we reflected on the key issues. This was very

useful when it came to developing the new approach for

the One Yamaha Dealer Partnership Programme.

What are the key changes you’ve made in the way

retailers do business with Yamaha?

We’ve reviewed all our stocking agreements for each

category with a view to striking the right balance when

it comes to product displays. Yamaha Music UK has not

done this in isolation; this whole process was done over

months at meetings in Europe, via web conferencing and

has been a total review until we felt we had got it right.

When and how did you communicate this to

retailers and what was the reaction?

Frankfurt in early April this year was our first

opportunity to introduce One Yamaha to our dealers

and we prepared a special document that was sent out

to our total dealership that helped explain our reasoning

behind these changes.

As to the reaction, we believe that it’s been positive –

our staff have spent a lot of time explaining the changes

and that does take time.

Is it true to say that many retailers will now actually

be paying more for Yamaha equipment and how have

you convinced them that this is a good thing?

Last year, sterling in particular weakened against the

euro and yen dramatically. All Yamaha subsidiaries

purchase at a single euro price – we have now

harmonised that buying price across Europe.

The reaction has been very positive because there is

no question that a dealer in another European country is

receiving more advantageous terms – we think that’s

really important.

Recently, as sterling has strengthened, it’s allowed

Yamaha in the UK to reflect this with a price reduction.

Though inconvenient to change prices, it does allow

each dealer in the UK the confidence to know that

Yamaha products are the same price around Europe.

Would it also be true to say that, under the previous

system, you were giving away too much discount on

too much of an ad hoc basis?

It would be true to say that each Yamaha distributor was

free to trade as they wanted and that probably did

mean differences across Europe. When we started the

process of harmonising, we found some peculiarities –

the advantage now is that our trading terms are

harmonised.

What are the changes you’ve made in relation to

minimum stock commitments?

A complete analysis across all our categories would take

up a lot of space. We reviewed each category across

Europe with our European colleagues and created new

requirements that we feel are very fair. The general

response has been very positive.

Do you think you’ll actually have fewer dealers, but

a better group of dealers as a result of One Yamaha?

It’s not our intention to reduce our dealership. When our

dealers have digested what we are actually asking for in

terms of stock commitment, they have been pleasantly

surprised. We have over 1,000 trading accounts with

Yamaha in the UK.

Have any big name dealers baulked at signing up?

Back in April, we had several energetic discussions with

some dealers about whether the UK is in Europe and

how relevant our direction was to doing business in the

UK. Five months on and having just reduced our prices

by seven per cent as sterling has strengthened, and

reflecting with these dealers that their own margins are

holding up, we feel that this is the right approach.

Is the scheme fully effective now? In other words, if

a dealer is stocking Yamaha product now, then it’s

definitely part of One Yamaha.

Yes, each dealer is part of One Yamaha as we, Yamaha

Music UK, move to becoming the UK branch of Yamaha

Music Europe in April 2010.

Do you expect other manufacturers to introduce

similar schemes over the coming months and years?

Honestly speaking, we would be very surprised if other

larger manufacturers didn’t adopt this approach, as there

are many advantages to be gained for both the local

branch office and the local dealers.

Last month, with the support of our European office,

we launched the Yamaha S series synthesisers on a river

boat up the Thames. There were over 60 European

dealers and press on board and it was easy to deliver

one message, one price, exclusive of local VAT rates and

luckily for us Brits, English is the language of choice.

YAMAHA: 01908 366700

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YAMAHA • COMPANY PROFILE

“We had several energetic discussions with some dealers about

whether the UK is in Europe and how relevant our direction was

to doing business in the UK.”

Ricci Hodgson, Yamaha

www.mi-pro.co.uk miPRO AUGUST 2009 37

In the six years since it first began

trading, Freshman has achieved more

than many companies manage in 20. As

a brand, it has gained a reputation for

quality, top-notch customer service and,

most importantly, guitars that look, sound

and play beautifully. Thanks to the forward

thinking attitude of founder and Freshman

MD Sean Kelly, the future is looking

increasingly rosy for the Scottish firm.

The last year alone has seen Freshman

experience dramatic growth and with a

number of new employees on board, 2009

has been something of a landmark year.

“We’ve experienced growth across the

company and we’ve tried to keep with it,”

comments Kelly. “We’ve employed two

brand new admin staff in the office in

order to keep up with account enquiries

and that side of things and three new

account managers out in the field.

“It’s no secret, what’s going on in terms

of the industry and the economy. Many

are battoning down the hatches, but if we

don’t take the initiative, we won’t grow,”

he points out. “We have to invest and as

growth has been consistent over the last

few years, now is the right time to do it. In

terms of our brand awareness and sell

through, the last few years have been a

really significant time for us.

“We measure our success in terms of

what is selling through and that tells us

that we are on the right track. Part of

what we are doing is dealing with that

growth while also investing in the future.”

The real question here, then, is how has

the company managed this impressive

feat. “There are three main areas that we

concentrate on,” explains Kelly. “First is our

brand awareness. We’ve worked hard at

raising our profile with big media

campaigns. We’ve recently been featured

in a Smart Car international marketing

campaign, for example – it’s things like

that that have helped get the brand

known. Also, I’m a great believer that you

make your own luck and we have worked

very hard in this respect. We have some

good contacts as well as some big

endorsers and have managed a lot of

tabloid exposure. Although that doesn’t

sell more guitars tomorrow, it builds the

brand. The job isn’t done yet, but the

harder we work, the better we perform.”

“Second, we have always been proud of

the quality of our products. I design the

guitars, we source the best woods and

materials and ensure high standards all

round, which ensures the guitars sound

brilliant. We have a 16-point QC check

here and we also set the guitars up before

they leave the factory, which makes sure

the quality of the guitars arriving at stores

is of a much higher standard than many of

our competitors.

“Finally, we are a profitable brand,” he

continues. “We’re not greedy, so margins

for stores are excellent. We’ve seen a

significant increase in account enquiries

recently, and it would seem that a lot of

this is down to the fact that retailers can

make money with Freshman, so it makes

the decision very easy.”

With these key tenets of the Freshman

way of thinking in place, success has come

naturally to the company and if all goes

according to plan it will continue to do so.

The next twelve months will see a brace

of new guitars that look sure to continue

this tradition of great sounding guitars

with affordable price tags.

“There are a number of new guitars this

year,” says Kelly. “We have a brand new

line of solid tops for under £200 with

A-grade sitka spruce tops. This will be out

in the autumn as part of the FA1 series.

We also have a limited edition range of

national flags – featuring Irish, English,

Welsh and Scottish designs – on acoustics,

which will have a big media campaign.

“There will be additions to the Apollo

series, which has performed brilliantly for

us in last 12 months. We’re adding to that

with the Apollo 3, which will be launched

in autumn this year.”

All indications point towards the

unveiling of the 600 series, following on

from Freshman’s 500 series, which

features some of the best high-end guitars

to come out of China.

While there is still work to be done,

Freshman is on a sure footing and given

past form will no doubt continue its rapid

rise to the very top of the business. With

the driven and determined Kelly pushing

things forward, expect a whole lot more

from this young company as it makes

waves across the market.

FRESHMAN: 01355 228028

FRESHMAN • COMPANY PROFILE

“Retailers can make money with Freshman, so it

makes their stocking decisions very easy.”

Sean Kelly, Freshman Guitars

www.mi-pro.co.uk miPRO AUGUST 2009 41

The Fresh princeThings are moving pretty fast for Freshman, a company that has grown to become one of the

premier UK-based acoustic guitar brands. Rob Power takes a look at some impressive growth

and uncovers the secret of the brand’s success…

Taylor’s move to pan-European distribution, courtesy of Fender, has taken none of the

acoustic guitar brand’s autonomy, Brian Swerdfeger tells Gary Cooper. What is more, the

company is making the end-user’s aspirations even more accessible through the dealers…

It is just over a year since one of the most

unexpected UK distribution switches of

recent years – the move of Taylor Guitars

from Sound Technology to Fender. Though

Taylor was swift to point out that the change

implied no criticism of Sound Tech (which

had, by any standards, done a first class job

with the brand) and that it was shifting to a

pan-European model with Fender, it still

must have stung and Sound Technology

hasn’t been slow to move Larrivée into areas

where it had previously been working so hard

with Taylor.

All the same, Taylor has continued to

make its presence felt in the UK and the

company shows absolutely no sign of

yielding an inch in its marketing. It

exhibited independently of Fender at last

year’s LIMS show and this year, despite no

Fender stand at the event, it still took a

sizeable one of its own and drew

enthusiastic crowds on the public days.

In charge of Taylor’s LIMS stand was Brian

Swerdfeger, vice-president of marketing. I

seized the opportunity to ask him how the

guitar maker had been doing in the UK in

the past 12 months and what plans Taylor

has to offer UK retailers over the coming

months. But to start with, I asked how

Swerdfeger had found this year’s LIMS.

“We had a great turnout because, as

one of the anchor brands, the dealers

came to see what was new and meet the

folks from the factory – and that’s why it

has been really important for us to be at

LIMS as a manufacturer. That’s why two of

us came from San Diego to say ‘hi and

thank you’ to the frontline guys.”

When news of the move was

announced, concerns had been expressed

in the trade that Taylor might become ‘just

another line’ in a large catalogue of

premium acoustic brands. Prior to the

interview, MI Pro contacted several leading

acoustic retailers to ask about their

experiences and, it must be said, even

when quizzed on an off-the-record basis,

the feedback was very largely positive.

Taylor would appear to concur.

“One of the things that has been most

beneficial for the EU market is that we

now have one distributor to focus on, so it

can get all of our attention and all of our

resources. A great example of that would

be that for the first time ever we now have

Taylor factory service centres in the UK,

Germany, Sweden and, this autumn,

coming to France. All of our equipment,

our tooling and our finishing department

have moved into a Taylor Centre at Fender

in each of those countries, so for dealers it

means when there’s a guitar in the shop

that has somehow been damaged – maybe

a ding or a scratch – it can go right back to

Fender. We’ll fix it and you’ll never know

that mark was ever there, so they always

have first quality guitars available.

“Also, we’ve just completed our first go

round, which is when we send factory

techs from our repair and production

departments into stores with the express

mission to take the guitars off the wall,

make sure they’re clean and put new

strings on them. If they need a neck re-set

we can do that – we’ll do whatever it

takes to make sure that guitar is the same

as it was when it left the factory,

regardless of its age.

“There’s no charge to the dealer – we

just go in and love-up the guitars, say ‘Hi,’

give out a few T-shirts and fix the

instruments. It’s a programme we run in

the States and this is the first time we've

exported it. We did 78 dealers and we

are planning on doing it twice a year,

going forward.

“We had three teams of two and it

went down really well. For us it’s a chance

to see how guitars age and it’s also a

chance to remove any preconceived

notions about the products. We’re putting

guitar makers into the stores, so there are

people you can ask first hand questions.

Why do you do this? How should I handle

that? What do you do for care? How do I

sell the guitars?

“Here we have a wealth of guitar

knowledge just hanging out in the store

for three or four hours. The store gets

some training, the stock is now all first

quality and as for customers that come in

after we’ve been, they have got a great

guitar with clean strings, ready to go.

“The other good news about the Fender

relationship is that everything we make is

now in Europe. All our guitars are at

Fender’s distribution centre in Rotterdam,

so everything is available – never more

than three days away.”

Given Swerdfeger’s extensive travelling

during the past year, evangelising the

brand during what might have been a

tricky time, had he any observations about

the way Taylor guitars were being handled

in the shops?

“I think, first and foremost, that Taylor

is a premium brand and so, even though

we make some laminated guitars, it was

our high-end instruments that really made

Taylor – they are what built the brand. So

one thing I would encourage dealers to do

is not to be afraid to stock the high-end

products, because that’s what consumers

know us for. Even though people may

come in and say they only have a certain

budget, most of them aspire to the high-

end guitars.

“Among the other things we've been

doing are the Europe roadshow events,

which are free for dealers to host. We

bring on 12 to 20 of our premium guitars,

including our build-to-order custom

guitars. We do a programme where we

teach people the difference between the

“The good news about the Fender relationship is

that everything we make is now in Europe.

Everything is available.”

Brian Swerdfeger, Taylor

42 miPRO AUGUST 2009 www.mi-pro.co.uk

A tailored fitfor Taylor

COMPANY PROFILE • TAYLOR

different shapes and their signature

sounds and then we talk about tonewoods

and their influence. After that we take a

break and have what we call the Taylor

‘petting zoo’, so everybody at the event

can pick up a guitar and try it. If they’ve

never tried a grand symphony or a grand

concert or never tried cocobolo or koa – I

want them to have first hand, hands-on

experience with the guitars.

“One of the things all the retailers

comment on (and it’s true in the States

and all across Europe) is that they’re

surprised during the petting zoo when

somebody falls in love with a £3,500

guitar and buys it. These are customers

who come into their stores every day –

they just don’t announce themselves.

They come in, they look around and if you

don’t have it, they leave. The roadshows

have proved that Taylor does sell a lot of

high-end guitars and that those customers

are there.”

All the same, there is an understandable

reluctance to stock upmarket guitars

during a recession, so what is Swerdfeger’s

message to retailer in this climate?

“This is my challenge to all of the

retailers worldwide. The news reports as if

it’s the end of the world, but guitar

playing and music as a hobby are an

escape for most people and the truth is

that most of the world is still employed.

We’ve found that when you have great

service and a great selection and you offer

somebody an alternative to the doom and

gloom, more and more people spend their

money. But they prefer to go with a

trusted brand and they like go with a

trusted retailer, too.

“So building a relationship in your

community is so important because then

people start saying ‘this is a retailer I want

to be in a relationship with’. This business

brings people joy and I can’t stress that

point enough. This isn’t about selling

sponges or cleaning supplies – things that

are soulless. We’re in the guitar business.

We sell approved mistresses – curvy

things that we lust after and try to spend

all our spare time with and yet our wives

allow four of them in the house.

“A guitar player is going to have a

relationship with that guitar and it’s going

to be there when they’re happy and when

they’re sad. You can say ‘times are hard

and people don't want to spend any

money’, but they do. The challenge is that

you’ve got to give them a reason – remind

customers about the passion of music

making and the joy of playing guitar. You

get a nice guitar and you play it more and

the more you play, the better you get and

the better you get, the more you enjoy it

and that’s what sets you thinking about

having yet another ‘mistress’ or two in

the house.

“I would encourage retailers not to

abandon that. Don't race for the bottom,

don't try to be the lowest price or have

the cheapest Taylor, because there are

many customers who do want to feel

good about themselves and do want to

have a great experience. People are careful

where they’re spending their money these

days, but they’re still spending it and the

danger I see some retailers getting into is

convincing themselves that the money

has stopped. The truth is, it hasn’t – it’s

just that people are being more selective.

“We build beautiful instruments, we do

great promotional material and we bring

people into the store. The retailers’ part of

that is to have instruments in stock and

be knowledgeable and enthusiastic and to

be a passionate brand evangelist. The

dealers that we have who do that are the

ones that are very successful.”

FENDER: 01342 331700

TAYLOR • COMPANY PROFILE

www.mi-pro.co.uk miPRO AUGUST 2009 43

Brian Swerdfeger (left) is understandably proud of what the Taylor team (right) has achieved with its brand and says retailers benefit

Apart from a dodgy spire, there’s not

an awful lot that leaps to mind

when you think of Chesterfield.

However, thanks to the sales successes of

a certain hard shell case manufacturer,

Chesterfield does have something else to

shout about: Hardcase. As one of the

leading manufacturers of plastic hard

cases in the industry, this entirely UK-

based outfit has been flying the flag for

home-based industry since it first got

going back in the late 1990s and it shows

no signs of slowing up.

“Hardcase is a division of Amber

Plastics, which was the original

manufacturing company,” says UK sales

manager and artist liaison David Eyre.

“Several years back, in the early 90s, we

realised that the technology could be

adapted to all sorts of uses and one of the

areas we thought of going into was

musical instruments. We looked into it and

started out with drum cases in about

1992. It proved very successful, so in 2001

we had a complete redesign where we

developed the next generation of cases,

which had the stacking feature and short

webbing straps. Everything we do

is made from the same strong, high

tensile material.”

That material, polyethylene, is what has

proved the secret to Hardcase’s success.

It’s a petrol by-product that is both

incredibly durable as well as flexible and it

has been the bedrock of Hardcase’s

product lines. Combined with great

designs, Hardcase’s success has been

natural from the start.

“We try to give everything little

touches to provide each product with a

unique selling point,” continues Eyre.

“Everything is made of polyethylene,

which is a very strong impact and

weather-resistant material that is still

flexible and lightweight enough to give

you a good product to mould that retains

lots of strength.”

On the drum side of things, Hardcase’s

design ensures that cases are slightly over-

sized, which allows any impact to be

spread throughout the case as opposed to

absorbed into the drum shell. This 25mm

air gap is bigger on some cases, but the

idea is that even though the lids telescope

onto the drums and lock them in place, it

is side impacts that are often the biggest

problem. There’s no metal work there, so

the drum shell can be easily damaged. As

Eyre says: “We’ve had many an email from

people who have had van doors damage

their cases, but not their drums.”

Hardcase’s success is all the more

impressive when you factor in the size of

the company and the fact that it keeps

everything from marketing to design to

manufacture in house and doesn’t farm

it out to the Far East for a fraction of

the price.

“We’re a small company – there are

only nine people who work here,”

continues Eyre. “Our managing director,

Derrick Round, felt that there was a lot of

potential in this area of the market and he

developed the Hardcase branding and the

technology behind it back in the early 90s.

It’s gone from there – I’ve been here since

2003 and having been a working drummer

myself, I have a good idea about what I

would want if I walked into a shop.

For 2009 there have been a plethora of

new products from the company. “We’ve

introduced steel pan cases, a general utility

case, increased marching band coverage

and now we’re looking at expanding our

latin and ethnic percussion,” adds Eyre.

“We want to work towards improving our

offering in that area of the market. We’ve

also introduced gong cases this year and

we’ve revamped the colour range, so

there’s been plenty going on.

“We will be launching our upgraded

guitar amp cases this autumn, which will

be available in the bright red, light green

and light blue colours as well as black.

Each of these cases will now be fitted with

metal locking clips and catches instead of

the familiar webbing. The same metal

fittings will be used on the guitar cases.

Again, these will be in the bright colours

but the range has been reduced from

three down to two – electric guitar and

electric bass models only.”

So, with plenty to look forward to and a

fine reputation behind it, things looks set to

go from strength to strength for Hardcase.

“The great thing is that we only

manufacture here in Chesterfield, nowhere

else in the world. We’ve got 400-plus

retailers throughout the UK and Northern

Ireland, we’re available in 45 countries and

it’s all done out of Chesterfield. We’re very

proud that we’re one of the last remaining

UK manufacturers, which is a shame really.

I think the music industry owes a lot to

this country and we really should be very

proud of it.”

HARDCASE: 01246 451234

COMPANY PROFILE • HARDCASE

Born and bred in the heart of the UK, Hardcase’s success is a lesson in what innovation and hard work can achieve.

Rob Power talks to sales manager David Eyre to find out what makes the company tick…

44 miPRO AUGUST 2009 www.mi-pro.co.uk

Hard shell, easy sell

On a typical day, my alarm goes off

at 6:25am and, fortunately for

me, my loving wife makes me a

cup of tea every single morning. I leave

the house at 7am and then travel from

home, which is Ipswich, to Adam Hall,

which is in Southend. It’s a journey of 60

miles, and can take from one to one and

three quarter hours, depending on traffic.

I arrive at the office between quarter

past and half past eight and the first thing

I’ll do is turn on the computer and go

through my emails before a cup of tea.

What we’ll typically do is look at the daily

figures, which is the sales sheet from the

day before and look at what we’ve sold

and what has gone out. It’s part of my job

to liaise with all the staff here and work

out any marketing plans we’ve got, any

shows coming up, any magazines we’re

talking to, and any advertising campaigns

we might have going on.

A lot of my day is spent going over

reports and checking that the systems we

have in place are the right systems. If they

are not, then we need to change them.

There are a lot of other issues I tackle

here, too. As well as being general

manager, I look after all the marketing,

and oversee the purchasing department.

While most of my interaction is with the

sales department, recently I’ve also been

spending a lot of time with accounts,

making sure everything is up to date.

When it comes to lunch, recently I’ve

been either grabbing a sandwich and

eating at my desk or heading to the gym.

I’m taking part in a London to Paris bike

ride for Christian Aid that starts soon,

which is 300 miles over four days. I’ve

been training a lot for that and I’m a

gym animal anyway and love going there.

I like to participate in a lot of challenges,

like the London Marathon and I take part

via charities.

After lunch, I will usually check more

reports, make phone calls to chase things

up and work in conjunction with the sales

department. It’s a varied job and no two

days are ever the same. I like to get out

and about to see customers as well, so I

could be out for whole mornings or

afternoons.

I joined Adam Hall in February 2008

and have enjoyed the challenge of adding

significant growth to the company in the

UK market.

The advantage I’ve had in some ways is

that I’ve not worked in the music industry

before, so I’ve approached it from a totally

fresh perspective. It’s taken me time to

understand how the industry works and

that has been a learning curve for me. I’m

still learning about the market to this day,

in fact. In the last year, we have been

growing as a company, although

profitability is something that everyone

has had to look at due to fluctuations in

the value of the US dollar.

I leave the office between quarter past

and half past five, in order to get home for

around 7pm. It’s a long day, and when I

get home I’ll knock off a few more emails

before dinner. After that I’ll spend as much

time as I can with my daughter, who is

seven, and then maybe go out running or

cycling. Generally I find that once I’ve

done all that I’ll sit down for about an

hour of TV and then head up to bed. It’s a

pretty packed day.

I WOKE UP THIS

MORNING

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

PROFILE

ANDREW RICHARDSONGeneral Manager, Adam Hall

Adam Hall’s Andrew Richardson enjoys an action-packed working week, all while fitting in training for a charity bike ride...

NOW RECRUITINGDawsons Music, one of the biggest and

longest-serving MI retailers in the UK are

currently recruiting. We currently have

vacancies in our Reading, Warrington and

Altrincham stores, as well as in our

Education and Internet Sales departments,

based in Warrington.

If you are reading MI Pro then you probably

know what kind of people we will be

interested in.

We want energetic, enthusiastic, professional

salespeople who really know what they are

talking about when it comes to musical

instruments and equipment. For more details

of the various positions currently available

please visit www.dawsons.co.uk and click

on the jobs section.

Are you ready to take up the next challenge in your sales career?

Then you should be working with us, because we need an

EXPORT SALES MANAGERFaber Music is one of Europe's largest print music publishers anddistributors with a growing international reputation. We are lookingfor someone who can maximise our overseas sales potential withimpeccable key account management and can devise strategiesand implement marketing and promotional plans with a high degreeof creativity and innovation in both our pop and educational musiccatalogues.

You must have excellent communication and negotiation skills, ademonstrable track record of success and an ability to think quicklyand act appropriately, and have a keen awareness of current issues and pressures in the music industry and preferably a working knowledge of other languages.

If you are hungry for success and you want to be part of a dynamicand ambitious sales team contact:

Phillip Littlemore, Sales & Marketing Director, Faber Music Limited,Burnt Mill, Elizabeth Way, Harlow, Essex CM20 2HX or email:phillip.littlemore@fabermusic.com.

Please include CV and current salary details. Closing date: 28th August 2009.

MUSIC RETAIL BUSINESSFOR SALE IN BUSY NORTH WEST LONDONHIGH STREET LOCATION• Well-established, reputable and

consistently profitable business

• Large attractive showroom and storage facility

• Major dealerships for instruments, accessories and printed music. ‘Take it Away’ and rental schemes.

• New lease by negotiation with the landlord

• Ideal opportunity for someone with music retail experience to be owner/manager of an established business

• Close to rail, tube and bus networks

• Genuine retirement sale

Price by negotiation and SAV

All enquiries: charles-scott@live.com

LOCATION REPORT

Away from the

horses,

Cheltenham still

has a lot to offer

RETAILMusic Live right on course

NEWS, OPINION, DATA

It hardly seems possible, but Music Live

marks its tenth anniversary in 2009. For

a decade, the show has been attracting

close to 25,000 visitors to Birmingham’s

NEC each November, and the organiser,

Clarion Events, has plans in place to make

the tenth birthday go with a bang.

The show manager, Jason Hunt, pointed

out that the RSVPs have been coming in

thick and fast. “We have sold just over 60

per cent of the exhibition space so far,

which is dead on target. And we’re pleased

that despite the continuing challenges of

the economic climate, manufacturers and

distributors clearly see the value in what

Music Live delivers in terms of visitor

numbers and experience.”

On the subject of visitor numbers,

Music Live has an increasing invite list to

attend to in 2009 – partly the result of

considered social networking in recent

years. “We’re aware that Myspace, Twitter,

Flickr and Facebook are bandwagons that

lots of brands jump on, often without

thinking,” explained Hunt. “But we’ve used

these sites in a very specific way for Music

Live, driving people to sign up for our

regular ‘Transmission’ email newsletter,

which now goes to 25,500 people. We saw

more than 7,000 sign up for the

newsletter following the launch of our

social networking activity earlier this year

– it’s exciting for our exhibitors to talk

directly to potential visitors.”

Among the news coming from Music

Live headquarters recently is that of the

show’s hosting of the Hellfire Festival this

year. First held at the Islington Academy in

February 2009, Hellfire featured the likes

of Breed 77 and Exodus. Hellfire II will

bring a similarly heavy line-up to the live

stage each evening of the show.

“Hellfire is a great fit for our audience

and allows all sorts of crossover potential.

Stars such as Slayer’s Kerry King, Duff

McKagan from Guns n’Roses and Bullet

For My Valentine’s Matt Tuck have visited

Music Live for signing sessions – and

Hellfire will make more of those guest

appearances possible. Visitors will be able

to buy joint tickets for both Music Live

and Hellfire, making the weekend a real

experience for rock fans,” Hunt said.

Another key part of the Music Live

experience, for both visitors and exhibitors,

is the retail element of the event. This

year’s show sees hi-tech dealer Absolute

Music return as a retail partner, alongside

Fairdeal Music, Birmingham Drum Centre

and London Drum Company. Education

sponsors – key to the success of Music

Live’s Education Day – include Access To

Music and JAMES (Joint Audio Media

Education Services), both of which will be

running seminars for teaching staff.

“We know that visitors love to leave

with gear that they’ve coveted,” says

Hunt. “It’s always been an important part

of the show. And while our retail partners

may have changed in the last two years,

as far as visitors are concerned, if they can

buy the gear they want, they’re happy and

they’ll keep coming back.”

Music Live will take place at the NEC,

Birmingham from November 6th to 8th

this year, with Education Day being held

on the Friday. Tickets can be bought in

advance from the Music Live website

(musiclive.co.uk) for £16 (£18 on the day)

with reductions for the under 16s. Family

tickets are also available for two adults

and up to three children for £44 (advance)

or £50.00 on the door.

MUSIC LIVE HOTLINE: 0844 581 1109

NEWSBeatles straps

from Planet

Waves, Free

Fender amp,

online guitar

design

BEHIND THE COUNTERAs the sun

shines, the

luddites discover

technology

INDIE PROFILE

A unique

percussion

experience from

Knock on Wood

in Leeds

Hi On are among the acts at this year’s show as the Hellfire Festival comes to town

2009 show bookings on target, retail sponsors announced and collaboration with Hellfire Festival adds further dimension

48 miPRO AUGUST 2009 www.mi-pro.co.uk

RETAIL • NEWS

Planet Waves launches

Beatles straps and picksFab Four licensed for the first ever official Beatles accessory line

Free amps from Fender

FENDER GBI is giving away a

free Fender Champion 600

amplifier to every customer

buying a Fender USA guitar

this summer.

The promotion, which runs

from July 18th to September

30th, is aimed at driving

customers into Fender dealers,

the company’s Graeme

Mathieson told MI Pro, and will

operate on a voucher basis.

To get their free Champion,

customers have to pre-register

on Fender's website to receive

a unique serial numbered

voucher. These can be printed

out and handed to

participating retailers, or

emailed, if customers are

buying from a webstore. When

the sale is completed, the

dealer hands (or ships) the

customer a free Champion

600 from stock, and is then

reimbursed direct from Fender .

The promotion, which

applies to US guitars only, not

basses, is going live currently,

with advertisements in the

consumer press and a planned

mass email promotion to

Fender's extensive UK

consumer database. A full

range of display material is also

being offered to Fender's

participating retailers.

Fender stressed that the aim

of the promotion is ‘to put

something positive back into

the trade’ to encourage

customers to visit their Fender

dealers and the company

believes it is likely to be

welcomed at a traditionally

quiet time of the year.

FENDER GBI: 01342 331726

Fender to boost trade with tempting 'Buy a

US guitar and get a free amp' promotion

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

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

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

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

Social guitar design for B&M

BARNES & MULLINS has

claimed to have launched the

world’s first social network

guitar design project: the ML1.

The project is a partnership

with guitarist Rob Chapman,

who caught the attention of

B&M when it noticed his videos

were receiving 10,000 views a

day from his online following. It

was at the LIMS show that B&M

director Bruce Perrin first saw

Chapman at work.

“I was amazed that almost

everyone recognised him,”

recalled Perrin. “He was followed

to the Faith stand by dozens of

fans as his crew filmed him. I

realised that we needed to work

together to mutual benefit and

the Rob Chapman Signature

guitar was born.”

Chapman then decided to

allow his web following to help

design his signature guitar.

“I wanted the ML1 to be two

thirds mine and a third the

people’s,” Chapman explained.

“After all, they will be buying it. I

came up a concept and then let

the fans tell me how they

wanted it, eventually narrowing

it down to four concepts, which

they voted on in a huge surge

that crashed my forum.”

“This is quite a big deal,” said

Alex Mew, B&M’s marketing

manager. “It’s incredibly exciting

to be involved in this project, as

social networking has become a

very powerful influence.”

The ML1 Rob Chapman

Signature guitar will be released

under the Chapman by Gould

brand and is expected to be out

by Christmas 2009.

BARNES & MULLINS:

01691 652449

Internet guru’s signature guitar designed by fans and future owners

PLANET WAVES has launched a

one-of-a-kind collection of

Beatles guitar picks and straps.

The designs of the straps

feature the album artwork and

signature images that define the

Fab Four. With artwork from

every period of the Beatles

illustrious career, the luxury

straps are also vegan

friendly. The picks are

available in a multiple

pick set for playing,

displaying and

collecting.

The Beatles strap line is an

extension of Planet Waves’

successful licensed strap and pick

range which now includes

Woodstock, Alchemy, Lethal

Threat, McWhite, Joe Satriani and

Pat Metheny. All Planet Waves

licensed straps and picks were on

display at the recent LIMS event,

with exclusive dealer offers at

the show. Initial UK stocks

have now arrived.

Dealer info on the

complete range of

licensed straps,

including the new

Beatles straps, can be

found in the dealer area

of the Summerfield website.

SUMMERFIELD MI:

0191 414 9000

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO AUGUST 2009 49

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

live for the music

International Exhibition for Musical Instruments and Services

For information, visit www.musikmesse.com Or email music@hongkong.messefrankfurt.com

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

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

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

BEHIND THE COUNTER • RETAIL

Our undercover reporter suffers from sunshine envy, while the shop he works in takes a giant leap into the internet age

Indoors and online this summer

There’s nothing quite like

sitting indoors watching

people have fun in the

sunshine to really ruin a

summer. When the sun is out

and every passerby has some

sort of ice-cream based

confectionary, life on the shop

floor can get really trying.

But it’s the simple things that

keep us going. The timely sale of

a top end electric guitar we

never thought we’d see the back

of and the increasing number of

kids turning up for every effects

pedal delivery is certainly

enough to raise the spirits. A

fresh push at getting the shop

into the public eye is also being

undertaken across the board.

Brand new posters and flyers are

going out locally, while a bit of

advertising in the various

regional rags and national mags

should help us become a little

bit more visible.

As summer is the usual time

for a footfall downturn, we’ve

taken it upon ourselves to be as

pro-active as possible in

bringing folks near and far

across the threshold of our

wonderful little boutique and

have been pursuing all manner

of unusual activity in order to

do so. A newsletter is now going

out, while a monthly prize draw

is already causing quite a stir

among the regulars and there

are mutterings about sponsoring

a local night going on. We’re

keeping our fingers crossed on

that one…

We’ve also started dabbling

in the dark arts of this inter

web-type trickery. That’s right,

the internet age has finally

arrived in our cautious little

world and it’s been quite a

shock. Not only do we have a

brand new, shiny and sparkling

website that punters can buy

things from as well as use to

check out all our lovely guitars,

but there’s Facebook, Myspace,

Twitter – it’s never ending, it’s

baffling, but it really is quite a

lot of fun.

A website and associated

blog are, as we all know, an

absolute necessity these days,

and thanks to a couple of

months’ work, a lot of swearing

and an awful lot of in-store

photography, we can finally feel

proud of our online offering.

For some reason, even

though our particular store has

been around for a number of

years and has slowly built a

large, loyal customer base of

which we are rightly proud, it

feels as if only now that we

have a tangible online presence,

have we finally arrived. All that

remains is to see whether we

will actually sell anything online

or whether this whole

endeavour has been a massive

waste of everyone’s time.

We’ve emerged blinking from

our luddite pen-and-paper

based world into the blinding

glare of the brave new internet

world. As far as information

superhighways go, we’re

cautiously sticking to the slow

lane for now, but hopefully,

given a bit of time and effort,

we’ll start ramping up the sales

soon enough. Here’s hoping,

NEXT MONTH...Mystery balalaikas, lefty

dilemmas and the ongoing

struggle for online supremacy

are all in the crosshairs of our

undercover operative in next

month’s issue...

50 miPRO AUGUST 2009 www.mi-pro.co.uk

A ROUNDABOUT SOUND

Nicely situated among a cluster of

specialist shops (including a slightly scary

rifle specialist), A Roundabout Sound is a

beautifully presented, well-branded and

nicely stocked example of how to run an

MI business in the 21st century. Although

not a massive shop, it still has an

extensive collection of new and second-

hand electric guitars, a bass room, a drum

demo room and a nice airy acoustic space

upstairs. A good range of products from

starter gear all the way up to top-end

Gibsons, means that any muso visiting

this shop is going to find something to

suit his taste and budget and the friendly

staff are helpful without being pushy.

It’s the details that stand out here.

Though everything is neat and tidy, every

single item is clearly priced and well

presented and the shop front is appealing

and interesting to pass by. The logo and

shop name is distinctive and it would

seem that A Roundabout Sound has its

sights set on being around for a long time

– something which, on this showing,

Cheltenham should be pleased with.

MILLENIUM MUSIC

A bit of a strange beast, Millenium Music

is based in the heart of a busy shopping

district and as such has the geographic

edge over its local competition. Having re-

located recently, the shop is a strange mix

of instruments – including electric and

acoustic guitars and plenty of world

percussion – and musical gifts, ranging

from stickers and stamps to ties and t-

shirts. Interestingly, it also gives over half

its window space to bizarre ornamental

dragons and the sort of goblets you might

see in a film featuring dragons and knights

of old. While this is undoubtedly odd, it

certainly brings a bit more character to

what is a well put together little shop,

which realises the potential in musical

gifts more than many. Manufacturers

represented include Höfner (seemingly

very popular in Cheltenham), Yamaha,

Blueridge, Orange and, of course, Stagg.

WORLD OF GUITARS

A hop, skip and a jump away from A

Roundabout Sound, Guitar World is a

reminder of days gone by, when guitar

shops could be smoke-filled dens full of

nooks and crannies, with instruments

hidden away in all sorts of strange corners.

A small shop floor is not helped by

being crammed full of odds and ends and

although there are undoubtedly some

great finds to be had here – a rather tasty

Gibson Melody Maker caught the eye, for

example – it’s just too cluttered and

generally haphazard to live up to its

obvious potential.

The shop front is very bright, but comes

across as a bit old fashioned. The staff are

extremely friendly, not to mention hugely

knowledgeable, so it seems a shame that

while the window display looks inviting

and indeed tempting, upon entry you

can’t help but be a little disappointed.

CHELTENHAM PIANO CENTRE

Nicely located in the centre of town, the

Cheltenham Piano Centre is, simply put,

an excellent store that has plenty to offer

musical locals, even if they aren’t a dab

hand at the piano.

A dedicated Kemble dealer with a fine

line in pianos from a wide range of makers

and at a variety of price points from a few

hundred pounds all the way up to a

mighty £15,000 (for a handmade and

really rather impressive Bechstein), the

spacious shop floor also houses a

thorough sheet music section and a small,

but well thought out selection of acoustic

and electric guitars and amplifiers that

mainly cater for beginners.

Orchestral strings, as well as brass and

woodwind, are well catered for and a huge

accessories section must make the

Cheltenham Piano Centre top of the list

for any number of local musicians when

looking for spares. Well priced, nicely set

out and tended to by extremely

professional and well mannered staff, this

is a store that sets the standard.

A mecca for fans of the gee gees and a fine place to do

business, Cheltenham has a great selection of MI retailers

hustling for business. MI Pro casts a critical view over

what’s on offer…

Cheltenham

RETAIL • LOCATION REPORT

Nicely located in the centre of town, the

Cheltenham Piano Centre is, simply put, an

excellent music store that has plenty to offer all

the musical locals.

INDIE PROFILE • RETAIL

KNOCK ON WOODLEEDS

Is business up or down compared to

this time last year?

About the same – it’s been pretty

steady. We had a stunning time with

mail order last year, and although it

hasn’t been quite as strong, we’re still

pretty good.

How do you market the shop?

We have our website and we also

advertise in the Yellow Pages in Leeds

as well as in the regional Leeds guide.

It’s pretty effective – there’s an arts

community in Leeds and we have a

good reputation both locally and

internationally. I’m just back from a

festival in Suffolk and everyone

seemed to know who we were

there, anyway.

How do you compete with online?

We have our own site and you’ve got

to roll with the punches really. I’ve

read in MI Pro that many people are

trying to run shops on the High Street

with big rents and if someone tries to

sell certain products on the web

cheaper, then that becomes national

price. I think in the long term it has to

be a combination of internet and

actual shop sales – clicks and bricks

looks like the way forward. Having a

full scale internet set-up alongside a

retail operation is a good combination.

What do you consider to be your

main strengths and weaknesses?

We’ve been established a very long

time and have a strong knowledge

base – one of our directors came out

of university with an MA in

ethnomusicology and that’s always

been the basis of what we do. We’ve

put something together than has

grown from humble beginnings into

something we’re very proud of. Both of

the premises we have at the moment

are subject to redevelopment in the

next five years or so and when we

recombine into one premises, it’ll all

come back together. Our two most

skilled people are currently working

separately, but when they’re back

under one roof, things will take off.

How do you ensure a good level of

customer service?

My background is in marketing – it’s

all about right product, right place and

so on. But what it all really means is

that you have to talk to the customer

and find out why they’re in the shop.

They need to know you are on their

side and if they do, they will grow to

like you. People complain to us about

other shops in Leeds all the time. We’re

pretty relaxed here and our primary

goal is to help the customer. That

comes from having read a book about

15 years ago called Marketing Without

Advertising – your best sales tool is

good feedback from existing

customers, because they’ll tell friends.

How can the industry do more to

support retail?

Wholesalers need to start thinking

more about what it is actually like to

run a retail business. Numbers and

codes on a price list don’t make any

sense and information should be easy

to come by. They just don’t think

enough about what it’s like to be

behind the counter.

FACTS & FIGURESAddress: Knock on Wood, 13, Eastgate, Leeds LS2 7LY

Phone: 0113 242 9146

Owner: Andy Wilson, Ianto Thornber

Established: 1982

Employees: Three

Best selling lines: Double-shouldered drum straps by Klondyke

www.mi-pro.co.uk miPRO AUGUST 2009 51

52 miPRO AUGUST 2009 www.mi-pro.co.uk

MIA NEWS an update from your industry trade association

And the winner will be…

THE MIA has announced details of the

2009 MIA Awards, which will be held, as

always, to recognise the best companies,

the best products and the best people in

our great industry.

The association wants to stress that

everyone in the industry is welcome to

what will be a much-needed celebratory

night after the challenging year we have

all operated in.

The awards will be sponsored by

companies and organisations as varied as

Classic fm, Future Publishing, NAMM,

Messe Frankfurt, The Music Publisher’s

Association, Musicguard, sgm-FX and the

Arts Council England, among many more.

The event will take place on

Wednesday, October 7th at the Sheraton

Park Lane Hotel in London and those

interested can take advantage of an ‘early

bird’ price scheme, which offers tickets at

£150 a seat or £1,350 for a table of ten.

To get these prices, you should be booked

and paid for by the end of August.

The association is asking for the help of

retailers to cast votes in a number of

categories. These are: Best Supplier

(small/medium) and Best Supplier (large).

Suppliers are being asked to vote for

Best Specialist Retailer, Best Retailer

(independent) and Best Retailer (multiple),

looking for the best presented and staffed

shops with the best customer service.

There is also a new category – the Rob

Williams Business Enterprise Award. This

award will be going to a company in our

industry that has shown true flair and

entrepreneurial sprit over the last 12

months and it has, of course, been set up

in the memory of Dolphin Music co-

founder, Rob Williams.

All votes can be sent confidentially to

Paul McManus on paulmc@mia.org.uk and

all enquiries about the event should be

made to Clare at clare@mia.org.uk.

MIA: 01372 750600

It’s that time of year again when the MIA makes a call for nominations and votes for the big UK MI back-slapping

event in October. Full details of the event and how you can take part and (more importantly) be there…

Everyone is welcome to this much-needed

celebratory night after the challenging year we

have all operated in.

WHEN: Wednesday October 7th

WHERE: The Sheraton Park Lane Hotel, London

HOW MUCH: Early bird prices (must be booked

and paid for by the end of August) £150 a seat

or £1,350 a table of ten. (Normal prices are

£175 a seat or £1,575 a table of ten.)

ENTERTAINER: The one and only Bobby Davro

DRESS CODE: Black tie or lounge suit

The PMT team has picked up the

Best Multiple Retailer award for

two years running now

Special awards

will be presented

for retail activity

MIA president, Jon

Gold and Yamaha

UK’s former MD,

Andrew Kemble

MXR

M116 FULLBORE

DISTORTION £149They say: This compact but powerful

device is all you need to unleash the

most devastating metal guitar tones

ever heard.

For: Guitarists

Range: MXR stomp boxes

Spec: Ultra-high gain overdrive, eq,

bass, sweepable mid and mid-freq and

treble rotary controls, scoop switch LF

boost, switchable noise gate, internal

noise gate.

From: JHS 0113 286 5381

NEW PRODUCTS

ROLAND

KC-880 STEREO KEYBOARD AMP £969They say: Builds on the famous high-quality KC

sound with a new stereo design.

For: Keyboard players

Range: Roland KC series

Spec: 320-Watt stereo power amplifier, two 12-

inch woofers, two horn tweeters, on-board stereo

effects, multiple I/O options (incl XLR line &

headphone out), Stereo Link function for chaining

two KC-880s.

From: Roland 01792 702701

ROTHWELL

LOVE SQUEEZE £129They say: Makes your guitar sound

fuller, fatter and louder and doesn't

add a snake pit full of hiss to your

signal.

For: Guitarists

Range: Rothwell stomp boxes

Spec: 20dB of compression,

compresion & volume control

rotaries, discrete FET voltage control,

metal casing, yellow finish.

From: Rothwell 01204 366133

PEAVEY

TKO BASS AMP £TBCThey say: The amplifiers of choice for bassists looking

for the best possible combination of power, tone,

portability and price.

For: Bassists

Range: Peavey bass combos

Spec: 400W Class D, 15”: custom speaker, tweeter,

seven-band graphic eq with high & low shelving

control, pre-shape contour switch, bright switch, DDT

speaker protection, active/passive pickup switch, XLR

DI, headphone out.

From: Peavey 01536 461234

ACCESSORIES � BACKLINE � BASS & GUITAR � DRUMS � PRINT

PRODUCTS • BACKLINE & ACCESSORIES

HAYDEN

PETITE 5 COMBO £749They say: Sounds glorious with both

single coil and humbucker-equipped

guitars.

For: Guitarists

Range: Hayden combos

Spec: Five-Watt, single channel, valve

combo, dual switchable power stage (EL84

or 6V6 valves), 10-inch Celestion G10

Greenback speaker, hand wired,

components on gold turret tags.

From: Hayden 01245 441155

STAGG

150 GC412 STRAIGHT CAB

£289They say: Great value for a cab that

packs a real punch.

For: Guitarists

Range: Stagg cabs

Spec: Four 12-inch straight, semi-

open back speaker cabinet for guitar,

150W, eight Ohm, steel pull-out

handles & casters.

From: EMD 01293 862612

PIGNOSE

P7 100 TRANSISTOR COMBO

FROM £129.95They say: As alive today as it has ever been.

For: Guitarists

Range: Pignose combos

Spec: : Five-Watt amplifier, mains or six AA

battery powered, preamp out, strap buttons,

internal lead storage. Also P7 200 Hog 20

with squeal control. Two inputs and

headphone socket (£219.95) and P7 300

Hog 30 with three-band eq, funk bass

switch (£259.95).

From: Aria 01483 238720

54 miPRO AUGUST 2009 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

www.mi-pro.co.uk miPRO AUGUST 2009 55

TANGLEWOOD

TCT AND TKT TUNERS £POAThey say: Great tuners for all manner of

stringed instrument players.

For: Musicians

Range: New Tanglewood product range

Spec: TCT1 traffic light clip-on tuner (for

guitar & bass). TKT1 traffic light keyring uke

tuner (for use with any acoustic stringed

instrument). Powered by lithium battery.

From: Tanglewood 01937 841122

GUITAR GUARD

T-TYPE AND DREADNOUGHT

GUITAR SKINS FROM £29.99They say: The line of award winning

protective guitar skins has expanded.

For: Tele and dreadnought players

Range: Guitar Guard guitar guards

Spec: Two new models for T-type and

dreadnought guitars (£34.99). Also

available: NeverKink Cable Management

Device (attaches cable to guitar strap –

price TBC).

From: Wild Child 01273 702224

PLANET WAVES

BEATLES STRAPS £49.95They say: A one-of-a-kind collection of guitar

picks and straps.

For: Guitarists, fretted instrument players

Range: Planet waves guitar accessories

Spec: ‘Vegan friendly’ straps with artwork from

every period of The Beatles’ career. Dealer info on

complete range in the dealer area of the

Summerfield website.

From: Summerfield 0191 414 9000

BOSS

TU-12EX TUNER £85They say: A direct descendant of the

legendary TU-12.

For: Musicians

Range: Boss tuners

Spec: Needle-type meter, LED tuning guide,

thin-line body, flat tuning function (up to six

semitones lower), reference tone, auto-off,

Accu-Pitch (bleeps when correct tuning is

reached).

From: Roland 01792 702701

ZILDJIAN

STEVE GADD CYMBAL BAG

£99They say: Truly captures the class

and style of one of the most

influential drummers of all time.

For: Drummers, percussionists

Range: Zildjian Artist Collection bags

Spec: Heavy-duty cotton and

leatherette trim exterior, aged metal

hardware, 22-inch diameter,

adjustable shoulder strap, padded

carrying handle, rubberised skid plate.

From:Yamaha 01908 366700

REMO

SOLOIST DOUMBEK DK-

3208 6M FROM £317They say: Ideal for all educational

programmes and professional tours.

For: Percussionists

Range: Remo percussion

Spec: Soloist Doumbek with external

tuning and Ergo-Drum system, Remo

Skyndeep fish skin graphic

drumhead, Acousticon drum shell

bearing edge. Available as eight, nine

& ten-inch (£317, £329 & £345).

From: EMD 01293 862612

REMO

NSL SOUNDSHAPES FROM

£12.50They say: Great for places where

sound levels are a concern and are

easily stored, portable and stackable.

For: Education

Range: Remo percussion

Spec: NSL (not so loud) multi-packs

of six drums (£114), mallets

included, available in six, eight, ten,

12, 14 and 16-inch sizes.

From: EMD 01293 862612

SABIAN

AAX X-PLOSION FAST

CRASHES £POAThey say: Responsive to the touch

and work well within numerous

musical situations.

For: Drummers

Range: Sabian AAX cymbals

Spec: : Tight lathing and unfinished

bells, light hammering on top,

available as 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 & 19-

inch versions, shallow profile, B20

bronze, Sabian warranty.

From: Westside 0141 248 4812

MEINL

BENNY GREB SIGNATURE

20” SANDRIDE £398They say: We are confident that

the sound of the Sandride will

please a lot of drummers

worldwide.

For: Drummers

Range: Meinl Byzance

Spec: Sandblasted top and

partial lathed bottom 20-inch ride,

light wash and stick sound, heavier

bell sound.

From: Active 020 8693 5678

ZILDJIAN

Z3 CYMBALS £POAThey say: A new level of power and

clarity with rock cymbals with an

abundance of sensitivity.

For: Drummers

Range: Zildjian Z series

Spec: Unique lathing process for ‘tone

grooves’, machine hammered, brilliant

finish. Ten rides (three medium heavy,

three rock, two mega bell & two thrash),

four hi-hats and nine crash.

From: Yamaha 01908 366700

STAGG

EXA, EXK & EXD CYMBAL

SETS FROM £135They say: Matched cymbals

perfect for the beginner or student.

For: Beginner drummers

Range: Stagg cymbals

Spec: B8 bronze student cymbals.

EXA: 16" crash & 13" hi hats

(£135), EXD: 18" crash & 14" hi

hats (£175), EXK: 16" crash, 20"

ride & 14" hats (£249). All sets ship

with cymbal padded gigbag.

From: EMD 01293 862612

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

VISIT WWW.MIKEDOLBEAR.COM FOR MORE DETAILS.

PRODUCTS • DRUMS

VINTAGE

VS6 ICON £299They say: Only one thing could make

these top-selling guitars even more

appealing: an Icon version.

For: Guitarists

Range: Vintage Icon

Spec: Twin-horned, twin Wilkinson

humbucker, double cutaway electric

guitar, solid mahogany body, slim set

mahogany neck, gold Wilkinson

hardware, distressed cherry red finish.

From: JHS 0113 286 5381

REGAL

RD-30 RESONATOR SQUARE

NECK £995They say: This is the best entry level

squareneck resonator around.

For: Guitarists

Range: Regal resonator guitars

Spec: Black finish with spruce top,

mahogany body, rosewood

fingerboard, ivoroid bound body &

neck, rock maple saddle, bone top

nut, spun 10” aluminium cone, rock

maple sound well, 2” top nut.

From: Gremlin 01903 203044

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS

FULL-SIZE GUITAR PACK

£159They say: Great news for all

Spongebob Squarepants fans.

For: Guitarist

Range: Spongebob Squarepants

Spec: Full-size, classic shape twin-

cutaway electric guitar with maple

neck, three single coil pickups,

vintage-style fulcrum vibrato system.

BB Blaster ten-Watt amp. Also carry

bag, strap, guitar lead, plectrum, spare

set of strings and tuition DVD.

Spongebob graphics.

From: JHS 0113 286 5381

BASS AND GUITAR • NEW PRODUCTS

ARIA

FA-77 ARCHTOP £879They say: Recreates the essence of those

early years of violin, cello and archtop guitar

builders.

For: Guitarists

Range: Aria solid bodied guitars

Spec: Solid sitka spruce top, double-bound

figured maple back & sides, set maple neck,

ebony fingerboard, bridge & floated tailpiece,

gold-plated tuners, gold-plated single floating

mini humbucker.

From: Aria UK 01483 238720

GITANE

DG-455 ELECTRO GYPSY

JAZZ £1,395They say: A small guitar that sounds

big in any room.

For: Guitarists

Range: Gitane jazz guitars

Spec: Solid spruce top, Fishman Aura

system electronics, rosewood back &

sides, ebony fingerboard,

ebony/maple purfling, mahogany

neck, high gloss finish.

From: Gremlin 01903 203044

SEAGULL

PERFORMER SERIES £920They say: The Performer series

receives an upgrade and now makes

for an even better guitar than before.

For: Guitarists

Range: Seagull electro-acoustics

Spec: Pressure tested solid spruce

top, flame maple back & sides,

Quantum 1 electronics, flame maple

veneer headstock, high-gloss finish.

Available as cutaway dreadnought,

folk and mini-jumbo models.

From: EMD 01293 862612

TANGLEWOOD

EVOLUTION EXOTIC

SERIES FROM £249They say: The Tanglewood

Evolution series has gone exotic

with some top grade woods.

For: Guitarists

Range: Tanglewood Evolution

Spec: Two ranges: Flame maple

(XFM) and Bubinga (XB). XFM with

spruce top and flame maple back &

sides, maple neck. XB all bubinga,

mahogany neck. Available as jumbo

and cutaway jumbo, dreadnought,

folk and grand auditorium. Also

bubinga acoustic bass.

From: Tanglewood 01937 841122

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO AUGUST 2009 57

KENTUCKY

KM300 ELECTRIC

MANDOLIN £299They say: Newly re-introduced

into the Kentucky mandolin

range.

For: Mandolin players

Range: Kentucky mandolins

Spec: Solid basswood body,

arched back, set maple neck,

rosewood fingerboard, nickel-

plated brass tailpiece,

adjustable ebony bridge with

bone cap, single chrome-

plated lipstick pickup,

chrome-plated volume &

tone controls. High gloss

sunburst finish.

From: Gremlin

01903 203044

TANGLEWOOD

TU1 & TU2 UKULELES

FROM £49.95They say: A pair of the classiest ukes

on the market.

For: Uke players

Range: Tanglewood traditional

instruments

Spec: TU1: Mahogany top, back,

sides & neck, rosewood fingerboard,

natural satin finish. TU2: Solid cedar

top, bubinga back & sides, mahogany

neck, rosewood fingerboard, natural

gloss finish (£99.95). Also TU case:

£22.95.

From: Tanglewood 01937 841122

PRODUCTS • TRADITIONAL

W SCHRIEBER

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

oboes available from Schreiber &

Keilwerth.

For: Oboists

Range: S&K woodwind

Spec: French fingering system,

grenadilla wood with natural wood

surface, stable key mechanism, cast

epoxy resin lining in bore, solid

nickel-silver mechanism, extra heavy

silverplating, five-year guarantee,

made in Germany. Ships with case

and extensive accessories.

From: Rosetti 01376 550033

ASHTON

UNION JACK UKULELE

£24.99They say: A super portable way to

bring a summer vibe to your next

campfire sing-a-long.

For: Beginner uke players

Range: Ashton traditional fretted

instruments

Spec: Hawaiian-style ukuleles,

geared machineheads, Union Jack

and London Underground graphics,

matched design gigbags.

From: Music Force 01780 781630

58 miPRO AUGUST 2009 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

STENTOR

GRADUATE VIOLIN OUTFIT

£159They say: Perfect for the rental

market or players looking to move

up from their first instrument.

For: Student violinists

Range: Stentor violins

Spec: Hand carved from solid

tonewoods, shaded satin finish,

ebony fingerboard & pegs, fitted

with synthetic gut strings, 4/4, 3/4,

1/2, 1/4 and 1/8 sizes. Outfit ships

with lightweight oblong case and a

strong wood bow with ebony frog.

From: Stentor 01737 240226

NORD

C2 COMBO ORGAN £2,312They say: No other unit delivers so much,

at such a low cost, in such a compact and

lightweight package.

For: Organists, keyboard players

Range: Nord keyboards

Spec: Tonewheel, Vox, Farfisa and baroque

pipe organ emulation, 21 stops, new firm

action, left and right independent from

Leslie 11-pin & high level outputs,

Drawbar Preview function, extensive

percussion sounds. Footpedal board

optional extra.

From: Sound Technology 01462 480000

P MAURIAT

PMX T-66RUL

UNLACQUERED TENOR

SAXOPHONE £2,399They say: The lack of lacquer

frees up the resonance even

further which will make this a

firm favourite.

For: Saxophonists

Range: P Mauriat saxes

Spec: Acid treated body, rolled

tone holes, large flared bell,

high F# key, abalone shell key

touches, fully hand engraved.

Ships with Protec USA

contoured case.

From: Saxophones Ltd

01892 662533

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.

News: SK120 Rated ‘Exceptional’ inAcoustic Magazine. “A wonderful little ampdesigned by people who understand whatmusicians need”. Also Guitar & Bass have

just 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 payhomage to the Selmer and

Maccaferri guitars of the early20th 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 ofstudent squeezeboxes, includ-ing Piano Accordions from 12to 120 Bass, B/C, D/G andCajun one-row melodeons, andAnglo and English concertinas,all ideal for beginners.

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

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

Just a few of our Leading Brands...

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

Target: Guitarist songwriters

Comment: The first thing one should do

when looking at books such as this is ask

the question: ‘okay, so how many songs

have you written?’ If the answer is ‘none

that I know of’ one needs to look closely

at the content. Thus I looked (hard) and

found that Rooksby has written a pretty

special little book here. The author avoids

giving the reader any false impressions or

promises of ‘writing hits’. He simply says

that, as well as carving your own

experience, it’s good to have a bit of

theory in place.

From here he goes through basic

methods, chord sequences, rhythm,

melody, lyric writing, advanced harmony

and a lot more, all delivered in a matter of

fact ‘voice’ with feet planted firmly on the

ground. This book will teach no-one how

to write a song, but it will certainly help

beginners or those with writer’s block find

a path to getting a song written.

Rooksby looks at the styles and

techniques of some of the best

songwriters, historic and contemporary.

This is the science of songwriting,

presented coherently – the creativity is

totally in the hands of the songwriter.

BACKBEAT: 020 7720 3581

BOOK OF THE MONTH

EDUCATIONArtist: Tim QuinnFluid Pentatonics: Book 2Series: Rock Curriculum

Target: Guitar

Comment: For those who have hit a brick

wall in their soloing, this book explores the

five minor pentatonic shapes and places them

in ‘horiziontal’ form, progressing from one

shape to the next along the neck and up the

strings, rather than simply up and down the

same shape. Combined with notes on picking

technique and deviation from 4/4 time, this is

a must for the would-be rocking soloist.

MEL BAY: 020 8323 8010

NEW PRODUCTS • PRINT

60 miPRO AUGUST 2009 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

Author: Rikky RooksbyHow to Write Songs on Guitar

Artist: Ken Parille50 Essential GuitarLessonsTarget: Guitar

Comment: The opening statement in this little

gem is ‘just jump in anywhere’. And that’s

about it. 50 lessons – ideal for the terminal

intermediate – that add a touch of class or

colour to one’s playing, from chord voicings

and harmony to agility drills and strumming

practice, taking in (among a lot else) arpeggios

and harmonics along the way. Highly

recommended.

HAL LEONARD (MUSIC SALES):

01284 702600

Artist: Christine BarronDrum Styles Made EasyTarget: Beginner drummers

Comment: As fine a beginner drum book as

one will find, dropping the learner (after a

brief look at drum tablature) into the simplest

of rock and pop styles and leading on from

there to cover funk, jazz, swing, reggae and

more. With a performance and backing CD,

this book will take the beginner through to a

very competent level indeed. Each chapter

shows ways of co-ordinating hands and feet,

incorporating Barron’s own ‘cross in a square’

tablature.

BOOSEY & HAWKES (SCHOTT):

020 7534 0744

Artist: Larry McCabe(ed)101 Three-ChordChildren’s SongsTarget: Guitar, banjo, ukulele, education

Comment: Whether this book is bought by

(or for) the younger learner of one of the

three instruments it is aimed at or by the

teacher looking for a collection of easy to play

classic children’s numbers to up the repertoire,

this book will go a long way to helping out.

Many youngsters will already know a good

deal of these songs, making the learning all

the easier. Well worth a look.

MEL BAY: 020 8323 8010

Artist: Rodney BraniganLive in IndiaTarget: General

Series: Mel Bay Guitar University

Comment: Mel Bay UK’s first signing now

with his first DVD, recorded during his 2008

tour of India. The disc illustrates Branigan’s

energetic double guitar style from a show in

Mumbai, with documentary footage made in

Jaipur. Branigan is a genuine talent who goes

beyond the novelty of his playing style and,

with the right push from publicists, agents

and dealers, could attract an impressive fan

base with this very accessible music.

MEL BAY: 020 8323 8010

DVDS Artist: Ana VidovicGuitar Artistry inConcertTarget: General

Comment: This highly accomplished

classical guitarist takes the viewer through a

selection of composers, such as Federico

Torroba, Astor Piazzolla, Pierre Bensusan and

Stanley Myers (of Cavatina fame) among

others. Vidovic also gives an interview

discussing her life as a touring musician, her

instrument (a Jim Redgate guitar), teaching

and advice to young hopefuls. A very

pleasant collection.

MEL BAY: 020 8323 8010

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

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

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

MARKETPLACE INDEX

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THE PLACE FOR BUSINESS

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

BBARNES & MULLINS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01691 652449BILL LEWINGTON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01268 413366

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

FFOCUS MERCHANDISE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8245 9035FCN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01892 603730440 DISTRIBUTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0113 258 9599FUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0113 320 0304

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

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

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

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

PPIANO LOGISTICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8561 4321

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

440 DistributionThe joys of maintaining guitar tradition while

championing the latest developments in cables

440 Distribution might be a new

name to some, but the man

behind the company will be

familiar to many. Tom Harrison left

Westside after seven years in 2007,

with a desire to bring focus to quality

products that had not yet appeared

on the radar of the music trade.

“It started off with Yairi,” explains

Harrison. “Japan has a high-tech

culture and yet there is this 75 year-

old company still making guitars as it

did in 1930. It has survived through a

commitment to quality and I like that.

It is still very old fashioned and I love

the fact I get these beautiful guitars

made with mallets and draw knives

held together with cow glue from the

most technologically sophisticated

race on the planet. I wanted to get

them in players’ hands because they

hold their own with anything else out

there.”

An Australian company, DSL straps

joined the 440 stable soon after.

These high quality leather straps have

seen some high end endorsement.

Motorhead’s legendary founder,

Lemmy, worked with DSL to create

four Motorhead signature series

straps, which are proving very popular

over here. DSL was so impressed with

440’s work that it awarded it the

European distribution rights in 2009.

This was a feather in the cap of such a

new company, but DSL has gained

valuable market knowledge in its

biggest export territory.

Recently, Core One Creative

appointed 440 as its UK outlet for the

Bullet Cable range and Harrison sees

great potential in these products.

“The cable market is saturated with

utilitarian product,” he says. “Core

cables make a fashion statement –

you can have Dice or Guns on your

jack plug or a wicked curly lead that

doesn’t break. How cool is that?”

Those who think this may sound a

tad gimmicky might wish to

remember that we are in a fashion led

industry, after all.

440’s recent addition of Baden

guitars looks like a great fit. These are

two forward looking companies with

great reputations (TJ Baden spent 18

years with Taylor and is receiving rave

reviews in the press for his innovative

acoustic designs), bringing the trade a

credible and profitable alternative to

the mainstream.

440 DISTRIBUTION: 0113 258 9599

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO AUGUST 2008 63

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

64 miPRO AUGUST 2009 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

DISTRIBUTION

DISTRIBUTIONCLASSICAL GUITARS

DISTRIBUTION

MI MARKETPLACE

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO AUGUST 2008 65

MI MARKETPLACEDISTRIBUTION

DISTRIBUTION

DISTRIBUTION

DISTRIBUTION

DISTRIBUTION

MI MARKETPLACE

66 miPRO AUGUST 2009 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

DISTRIBUTION

…more than just a gig bag!

“THEWINN

ING TEAM”

Visit us online atwww.fusion-bags.com

CelloAlso available in Black & Grey

Distributed byAria UK Ltd01483 238720

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

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

Pick a part

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

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WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO AUGUST 2009 67

MI MARKETPLACEDISTRIBUTIONDISTRIBUTION

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

ETHNIC AND FOLK ETHNIC AND FOLK

GHANA GOODSWEST AFRICAN PERCUSSION

WHOLESALE AND RETAIL

PO Box 95, Fishponds

Bristol, BS16 1AG

Tel: 0117 9354132

ghanagoods@clara.net

www.ghanagoods.com

GUITAR ACCESSORIES

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

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

BRITAIN'S FINEST BOUTIQUE EFFECTS

WWW.ROTHWELLAUDIOPRODUCTS.CO.UK01204 366133

INSURANCE AND BUSINESS

MI MARKETPLACE

ETHNIC AND FOLK

MUSIC PUBLISHERS

Excellence in Music

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

Fax Number: +44 (0)20 8323 8306 E-mail: salesuk@melbay.com

68 miPRO AUGUST 2009 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO AUGUST 2009 69

MI MARKETPLACEPIANOS AND HARPSICORDS

Rober t MORLEY Co Ltd

34 ENGATE St LONDON SE13 7HA

020•8318•5838Grand & Upright Pianos by

Elysian, Grotrian-Steinweg, Bechstein,Monington & Weston

and other famous makers

John Morley Clavichords, Spinets,Harpsichords, Virginals & Celestes

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

Robert MORLEY & Co Ltd.Piano & Harpsichord Makers

Established 1881

125 x 180cm99x138mm ad 23/1/07 4:23 pm Page 1

PERCUSSION & DRUMS

OCARINAS

Making Music in SchoolsSince 1983

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

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

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

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

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

www.ocarina.co.uk

tel: 01536 485 963fax: 01536 485 051

email: sales@ocarina.co.uk

sales@musicshipping.co.uk

MSC ONLINE

Extensive Product Information

Secure Dealer Only Section

Public & DEALER Forums

Online Ordering

www.musicshipping.co.uk

01562 827666

NEXT DAY DELIVERY

Drum and Percussion Accesories

THE MUSIC SHIPPING CO.

www.musicshipping.co.uk

PIANO MOVERS

REPAIRS SAXOPHONES

www.focusmerchandise.co.uk

PROMOTIONALPERCUSSION

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

MI MARKETPLACE

WIND INSTRUMENT

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO AUGUST 2009 71

MI MARKETPLACE

ADVERTISERS INDEX

WHOLESALERS

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

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

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

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

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

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

TO ADVERTISE IN MIPRO CALLROSIE MCKEOWN

ON 01992 535 647

Acess All Areas ........................................................53

Adam Hall............................................................45,55

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

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

Ashdown .....................................................................21

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

Dawson ...............................................................30, 46

EMD.............................................................................75

Faber ..........................................................................46

Gremlin.......................................................................59

Hardcase ...................................................................40

Herga .........................................................................46

Hiwatt.........................................................................23

House Music...............................................................13

JHS.............................................................................25

Lamba .........................................................................16

Laney...........................................................................15

Leisuretec..................................................................32

Marked Events...........................................................61

Marshall..................................................................2, 19

Messe China..............................................................49

New Moon...................................................................10

Peavey.........................................................................51

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

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

Rotosound .......................................................38 & 39

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

Shure ............................................................................9

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

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

TEAC.............................................................................4

The Sound Post........................................................28

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

Westside................................................................11, 35

Yamaha.............................................................26 & 27

AUGUST 2006

Cover Stars: Slash fronts the mag as MI pro asks

whether endorsements really do boost sales on

the frontline. The conclusion? Well, it depends…

News: Trinity Mirror sells Music Mart to Sound on

Sound, ABRSM and Roland team up, Roland Corps

in Japan invites John Booth and Dennis Houlihan

to the central board of directors, Bill Lewington

celebrates 50 years.

Features: BMF report, JHS Event report, the UK’s

brass industry, AKG profile.

Products: Höfner Thin President, Vintage Zip,

Digitech Brian May pedal, Ashton TMF drumkit,

Bose Personal PA.

Number one singles:

Beyoncé (featuring Jay-Z), Déjà Vu

Number one albums:

James Morrison, Undiscovered. Christina Aguilera,

Back to Basics

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 mipro@intentmedia.co.uk...

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MI FACESome musicians call it the ‘moment of the eternal now’, that point

when the playing comes together and music takes over – and you

never know how you are going to react. With Music and Margin the

theme of this year’s JHS Event (clockwise from above), Roy Fulton

and Geoff Whitehorn (both Fret King and Vintage endorsers) are

clearly in the zone, while Gavin Coulson does what bassists do. Alan

Morrison of the Brighouse & Rastrick Brass Band shows that

inspiration can look as good as an Odyssey trumpet sounds.

Danelectro’s Danny Dugan, however, proves that cool and with-it

can look and feel like this.

Whatever inspiration does to your physiognomy, the fact is that

playing music makes you feel inside much as Spongebob looks from

the outside. Making music makes you happy.

And the margin? Well, take a look at the report on page 14.

72 miPRO AUGUST 2009 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

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 CODA@INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO AUGUST 2009 73

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

From the surf players of the mid

60s to some of the biggest

alternative rock icons out there,

the Fender Mustang has got plenty of

strings to its bow. This short-scaled

bantam is affectionately held close to

the hearts of a dazzling array of

players and while it may be short of

scale, it has proved to have more than

enough personality to become a

staple of the Fender line up.

Introduced in 1964, the Mustang

was aimed squarely at the student

market alongside its cousins the

Music Master and the Duo Sonic and

thanks to its short scale found its first

fans amongst players with smaller

hands or those who simply wanted

something a little different to the rest

of the market. Riding the surf music

boom, it swiftly became popular

thanks to its individual look and

interesting electronics configuration.

Featuring two single coil pickups

operated by on-off switches, players

were able to use them singly or in

parallel, as well as placing them in

reverse phase – an interesting and

novel approach at the time. The

Mustang was also the first of Fender’s

student guitars to feature a tremelo

arm, a Leo Fender designed unit that

is not seen on any other stock Fender

guitar and has become popular thanks

to its sensitivity.

Manufacture of the Mustang

ceased in 1981, but there was plenty

of life left in it yet, as it was to prove

a favourite with a new breed of

alternative guitar slingers in the 90s.

While Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore

helped grab the Mustang a bit of cool,

it was Kurt Cobain who sealed the

fate of the Mustang as a true MI icon.

The Mustang was re-introduced in

2002 and is made by Fender in Japan.

STICKING IT TO MSThe successful Stick it to MS charity

record attempt, which saw nearly 600

drummers all playing simultaneously

(don’t you just wish you were there?),

included MI Pro’s own Rob Baker and his

dad, suitably kitted out in MI Pro livery.

The bass drums, too, in pure 60s style,

had the logo emblazoned for all to see...

With everybody facing front, of course,

we made sure those sitting beside the

Bakers knew where they were.

MI ICON Fender Mustang

1994Epiphone Les Paul

In the years before Definitely Maybe

changed everything for Oasis, like

many an aspiring guitarist Noel

couldn’t afford to go the whole hog

with a US-made Gibson and so

instead opted for the cheaper

cherry sunburst Epiphone version of

the Les Paul standard.

1994-5Epiphone Riviera

The manufacturer that defined the

Oasis sound in the mid 90s, this

beautiful dark wine red late 70s

Riviera was the inspiration for ten

thousand schoolboys to say ‘I want

one of those’.

1996Union Jack Epiphone Riviera

Probably his most iconic guitar, the

Union Jack branded Riviera wielded

at Oasis’ era-defining Maine Road

gigs was another late 70s model

and a gift from his then wife Meg

Matthews – and again, the trend for

young English axe wielders had

been set.

1998Gibson Silver Florentine

Taking a swerve from his usual form

for the Be Here Now tour, this

intriguing semi-acoustic Les Paul in

an impressively camp silver sparkle

finish is a more unusual specimen

for any player and a guitar for the

truest of connoisseurs.

2000Rickenbacker 330 Mapleglo

This stunning Ricky, covered in

some suitably retro stickers,

appeared on the Standing on the

Shoulders of Giants tour and still

occasionally pops up in Noel’s set

to this day.

2005 - presentGibson ES335

Used as his main instrument on

both the Don’t Believe the Truth

and Dig Out Your Soul tours that

have taken Oasis into the

stratosphere as one of the biggest

stadium rock bands on the planet,

this singular Gibson with a Bigsby

tremolo arm has become

Gallagher’s trusted go-to guitar.

THE STARS’ GUITARSNOEL GALLAGHERNoel Gallagher has long been the king of cool for millions. What is more, he really – and

we mean really – loves his guitars. Here are his shoulder slings of choice over the years…

1994 1998

1994-5 2000

1996 2005

74 miPRO AUGUST 2009 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

With latest album West Ryder

Pauper Lunatic Asylum riding

high in the charts, an acclaimed

performance at Glastonbury and

a series of supports for Oasis,

Kasabian are a one of the UK’s

hottest prospects right now.

Here’s how to get the sound…

SOUNDALIKESKASABIAN

NEXTMONTHOur first look at the sort of lighting MI

stores could (and should) be stocking (due

to PLASA) and lots and lots of pianos – yes,

the British Piano Fair is upon us once more.

We’ll also be looking closely at these shows.

EDITORIAL: ANDY BARRETT

mipro@intentmedia.co.uk

ADVERTISING: DARRELL CARTER

darrell.carter@intentmedia.co.uk

Each month, MI Pro corners

a face from the MI trade

and asks him or her the

really important and penetrating

questions. This month, Marshall’s

Steve Greenwood chews over

the biggest issues facing our

business today...

Company / job title:

Design studio manager at Marshall

Years in the industry?

34 years now

First single bought?

Double Barrel

Favourite album?

Division Bell, Pink Floyd

Currently listening to?

The Prodigy, Aliens Must Die

Favourite musician?

Stuart Copeland

Which instruments do you play?

I’m a drummer.

Are you currently in a band?

Unfortunately not at the

moment, no.

Steve Greenwood

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: mipro.subscriptions@c-cms.com. Please note

that this is a controlled circulation title and

subscription criteria will be strictly adhered to.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

John Martyn, Small Hours

HOW DID THEY DO THAT?

Tom Meighan: vocals – SM58, tambourine

Sergio Pizzorno: guitar – Rickenbacker 481,

Vox AC30

Chris Edwards: bass – Fender Jazz, Gibson EB2,

Ampeg SVT-CL Classic, Ampeg 4x12 and 1x15

cabinets, Boss DS-1 Distortion, Electro-

Harmonix Big Muff, E-H Octave Multiplexer

Ian Matthews: drums – DW Collector’s Series

Maple VLT kit in Broken Glass Finish Ply, 24"

bass drum, 13" rack tom, 16" and 18" floor

toms, 7x14” and 5 x14” snare, Vic Firth sticks,

14" New Beat hi-hats or 14" K/Z Special hi-

hats, 10" K splash, 18" K Dark medium thin

crash, 22" K Custom medium ride 19" K Dark

thin crash, 19" K China.

Jay Mehler: rhythm guitar – various Gretsch

and Gibson models, Vox AC30CC2X

An insanely talented musician

who underwent a variety of

changes over the course of his

career, John Martyn was an artist

unlike any other. Priding himself on

his records’ direct communication of

emotion and regarded by many as,

among other things, a top-flight folk

troubadour and echoplex-wielding

guitar innovator, it was with his 1977

album One World that he earned the

title ‘the father of trip hop’. The

album’s highlight, Small Hours, is a

master class in texture and ambience

and is cited by many fans as his finest

ever composition.

The record was put together at

Island Records’ boss Chris Blackwell’s

country house, Woolwich Green Farm

in Theale, among the chatter of not

only all of Martyn’s young family, but

also visiting relations of Blackwell’s

and a passing dub pioneer in the form

of Lee Scratch Perry.

With Martyn on echoplex guitar

and whispered vocal, Steve Winwood

on Moog, Morris Pert on percussion

and Tristan Fry on vibes, the

performance and method of this

recording makes Small Hours unique.

Recorded outdoors at 3am,

overlooking a lake, engineer Phill

Brown cooked up a scheme that

involved recording from a speaker

that was placed across the lake, the

idea being that the recording would

pick up the ambience of the

environment. Listen out for the sound

of the disgruntled water birds as they

are awoken by the dulcit tones.