Music Trades articles from April 2003

Music Trades archives from April 2003

Are lawyers the only winners with MAP programs? (Letters).
April 1, 2003... Score another one for the lawyers. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: In the long run, the only people who are sure to win with MAP policies are the lawyers who write them. They get paid regardless of the effectiveness of the policies....

Computer can solve profit problems. (Letters).
April 1, 2003... I enjoyed your editorial in the March 2003 issue. We visit a lot of music retailers and see the problem you discuss. Your solution of add-ons and premium product at increased pricing is part of the solution. I think the other part is the need...

Pension law unfair to small business. (Letters).
April 1, 2003... Music merchants are often asked to write their legislators about issues important to our industry, such as music education. There is another issue deserving this type of action. It has to do with attracting highly capable people into careers as...

Remembering Chuck Levin. (Letters).
April 1, 2003... Your editorial on Chuck Levin was very well done. Thank you. He was a mentor and a friend. I appreciate your helping to remember him as it is important to our industry and to me personally. Paul Reed Smith Managing General Partner...

Quoting prices on the phone will only reduce margins: customers who call for a quote are only using you to force another dealer's price down. Why get involved? (Guest Editorial).
April 1, 2003... In North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, where JML Music has store locations and promotions, it really surprises me how many dealers will give a price on a piano or digital piano over the phone. It also surprises me that very few...

Music takes center stage at New York Toy Fair. (Industry Briefings).
April 1, 2003... Toy makers have apparently decided that toys that can carry a tune are the key to making music at the cash register. The recent New York Toy Fair was overrun by toys with musical tie-ins, including kiddie MP-3 players, karaoke toys, DJ...

Online merchants agree to pay sales tax. (Industry Briefings).
April 1, 2003... About ten major retailers with online stores last week expanded their collection of sales tax as part of an agreement with 37 states and the District of Columbia, under which the states promised not to press the retailers for back taxes....

Why does the Grammy Foundation need taxpayer money? (Industry Briefings).
April 1, 2003... While viewers watched the Grammy Awards wondering which artists would win, Arizona congressman Jeff Flake was scratching his head wondering why the Grammy Foundation, a non-profit arm of the Recording Academy, received an $800,000 payment from...

State financial crisis crimps arts spending. (Industry Briefings).
April 1, 2003... At a recent national conference, governors from across the country agreed that funding for the arts is in a crisis due to yawning deficits in 46 of the 50 states. To the abject dismay of many arts advocates, at least three states have put...

What the numbers reveal. (Editorial).
April 1, 2003... In this issue we deliver a detailed numerical portrait of industry activity during the 12 months of 2002. The Music Industry Census, which begins on page 70, details the unit and dollar volumes of over 55 different product categories, including...

C.F. Martin & Co. celebrates 170th anniversary. (Industry Forefront).
April 1, 2003... C.F. MARTIN & CO. is celebrating its 170th anniversary as the oldest surviving maker of guitars in the world. The company is currently the largest producer of acoustic guitars in the United States. Martin is known for creating some of the...

One-millionth AMP produced at Crate Arkansas plant: opened in 1994, 60,000-square-foot plant houses woodworking and electronics production. (Industry Forefront).
April 1, 2003... AT 12:15 P.M. ON December 4, 2002, the Crate Division of St. Louis Music, Inc., produced its one-millionth domestic amplifier product, a BFX15 Bass combo with digital signal processing, at the SLM Electronics manufacturing facility in...

NAMM program cuts dealer credit card fees. (Industry Forefront).
April 1, 2003... NAMM MEMBERS enrolled in the endorsed bank card processing program will save money on monthly fees thanks to a new contract announced by the International Music Products Association and First National Merchant Solutions. The following rate...

Steinway kicks off 150th anniversary celebration: yearlong festivities to include Carnegie Hall concerts, licensing agreements, and limited edition pianos. (Industry Forefront).
April 1, 2003... ON MARCH 5, WORLD-renowned piano manufacturer Steinway & Sons launched a yearlong series of events to commemorate its sesquicentennial. Based in Long Island City, New York, and Hamburg, Germany, the company was founded on March 5, 1853. ...

Alfred donates $3,000 to New York City. (Industry Forefront).
April 1, 2003... ALFRED PUBLISHING CONTINUES to help the world experience the joy of music by donating over $3,000 in product to the music programs of two lucky New York City schools. Nicole Elliott and Jodi Anderson, now also known as the "celebrities" of...

DJ Sama chooses PVDJ Club Mix. (Industry Forefront).
April 1, 2003... DISK JOCKEY FELIX SAMA, better known to his many fans as DJ Sama, is no stranger to international television viewers, radio listeners, and club goers. In November 2002 he began using a PVDJ Club Mix DJ mixer as his only on-air mixer on his TV...

Fire damages Leblanc France factory. (Industry Forefront).
April 1, 2003... AN EARLY-MORNING FIRE on February 12 in La Couture-Boussey, France, damaged the manufacturing facility of G. Leblanc SNC, where wood-bodied clarinets are produced for the artist market. Extent of the damage is still being assessed, and the...

Paul Reed Smith honored by State of Maryland. (Industry Forefront).
April 1, 2003... PAUL REED SMITH, founder and managing general partner of PRS Guitars of Stevensville, Maryland, was honored on February 21 by the Maryland House of Delegates. The resolution recognized Smith for his achievements, both as winner of the Maryland...

Boosey & Hawkes Musical Instruments now "The Music Group". (Industry Forefront).
April 1, 2003... BOOSEY & HAWKES HAS completed the previously announced sale of its Musical Instrument Division to management backed by The Rutland Fund, an investment fund based in the United Kingdom. The division has been renamed The Music Group Limited, and...

Zildjian dedicates Epstein Orchestral Room. (Industry Forefront).
April 1, 2003... THE ZILDJIAN FAMILY has dedicated its Orchestral Room to longtime Zildjian artist and educator Frank Epstein, principal cymbalist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Zildjian's Orchestral Room is the only one of its kind, where percussionists...

Super-Sensitive sponsors "Bows for Arts" event. (Industry Forefront).
April 1, 2003... THE FLORIDA WEST COAST Symphony Association is having its annual fundraiser, "Bows for Arts," to benefit the Symphony and its Youth Orchestra Program. The fundraiser consists of 20 imported violins that will be raffled off; the violins have...

Roland's "Spring Training" for home keyboard dealers. (Industry Forefront).
April 1, 2003... ROLAND CONTEMPORARY Keyboards (CK) recently completed the 2003 Club Roland Spring Training session. Fifty eager Club Roland participants attended the kickoff session held at the Renaissance Hotel in Orlando, Florida, February 23-26. "We're...

Sun Partners completes investment in Mackie. (Industry Forefront).
April 1, 2003... MACKIE DESIGNS, INC., has closed the previously announced equity investment by an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners, a Boca Raton-based private investment firm. In the transaction, Sun Capital purchased approximately 14.4 million shares of...

Workers strike at Conn-Selmer's Eastlake, Ohio plant. (Industry Forefront).
April 1, 2003... EMPLOYEES AT THE Eastlake, Ohio, Conn-Sehner plant went on strike on March 3 after contract negotiations stalled. The workers are members of Local 2359 of the United Auto Workers. The UAW represents approximately 230 employees at...

Nordiska grand piano a hit at NAMM. (Industry Forefront).
April 1, 2003... GENEVA INTERNATIONAL'S unveiling of the Nordiska 215 grand piano at the NAMM show in Anaheim was met with an overwhelmingly positive response, according to the company. The seven-foot instrument performed beautifully for all who played it....

P.R.O. Manufacturing gets equity investment. (Industry Forefront).
April 1, 2003... P.R.O. MANUFACTURING CO. has announced the completion of a substantial equity investment. Art Hilton, P.R.O. president, commented, "This investment will allow us lo aggressively pursue sales opportunities, expand our management team, and...

Yamaha holds virtuoso percussion showcases. (Industry Forefront).
April 1, 2003... YAMAHA'S BAND & Orchestral Division held percussion showcases in the final quarter of 2002 for musicians and educators. The showcases, which previewed new products and gained valuable input on prototypes for future introduction, were held in...

Barcus-Berry supports Music Cares Foundation. (Industry Forefront).
April 1, 2003... BARCUS-BERRY AND Sharon Corr have teamed up to support The Music Cares Foundation, the charitable arm of the Grammys. Barcus-Berry donated a blue sparkle violin signed by endorser Sharon Corr. The violin was included in the Grammy festivities...

Elton John concert raises $330K for music ed. (Industry Forefront).
April 1, 2003... THE 2003 NAMM Concert Honoring Sir Elton John, presented by Yamaha, is estimated to have raised $330,000 to benefit music education and research, according to event organizers. The star-studded benefit was held January 17 at the Arrowhead Pond...

Steinway earnings up, but tough labor issues cloud prospects. (Corporate Earnings Digest).
April 1, 2003... SALES AT STEINWAY MUSICAL Instruments, Inc., increased seven percent to $91 million from $84 million. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) increased 13 percent to $13 million from $11 million in the year-ago...

Harman net income doubles for first half. (Corporate Earnings Digest).
April 1, 2003... HARMAN INTERNATIONAL Industries, Incorporated, reported record results for the second quarter and first six months ended December 31, 2002. Net sales for the quarter totaled $560.0 million, a 20 percent increase over net sales of $467.4 million...

Surging profit at Kaman Music Corp. (Corporate Earnings Digest).
April 1, 2003... KAMAN CORP. REPORTED net earnings for the fourth quarter of $5.9 million compared to $6.9 million the previous year. Net sales for the fourth quarter were $230.6 million compared to $218.2 million in the 2001 quarter. The company reported a net...

Sonic Foundry posts loss, plans asset sales. (Corporate Earnings Digest).
April 1, 2003... SONIC FOUNDRY REPORTED consistent quarterly sales year to year and a slightly decreased loss. Revenues for the quarter were $6.0 million, unchanged from $6.0 million reported for the first quarter of fiscal 2002. Net loss for the period was...

Sales increase at Allen Organ. (Corporate Earnings Digest).
April 1, 2003... CONSOLIDATED SALES FOR the year ended December 31, 2002, for Allen Organ Company were $67,739,548 as compared with $60,490,513 for the same period of 2001. The consolidated net income was $2,685,357 as compared to a net loss of $(4,083,810) for...

Pinnacle Systems acquires Steinberg Media Technologies. (Corporate Earnings Digest).
April 1, 2003... PINNACLE SYSTEMS, INC., has acquired all of the stock of Steinberg Media Technologies AG based in Hamburg, Germany. Steinberg specializes in digital audio software solutions for consumers and professionals. The companies agreed on a total...

Hal Leonard teams with Integrity Media, praise and worship publisher. (Corporate Earnings Digest).
April 1, 2003... HAL LEONARD CORPORATION has entered into an agreement with Integrity Music of Mobile, Alabama, a division of Integrity Media, Inc., the leading producer of praise and worship music. The deal, which takes effect immediately, was reached by Larry...

German American Trading to Rep Bohemia Piano. (Industry Forefront).
April 1, 2003... GERMAN AMERICAN Trading of Tampa, Florida, has been named the manufacturer's representative in the U.S. for Bohemia Piano, which has two production facilities in the Czech Republic. Bohemia Piano has a long and successful history of...

Music Link provides Marketing CD to dealers. (Industry Forefront).
April 1, 2003... IN AN EFFORT TO improve its customer support, The Music Link has debuted its new "Marketing Essentials CD for Retailers." This CD will provide an invaluable service for dealers of The Music Link's six lines of premium instruments. Retailers who...

Akai establishes direct North American distribution. (Industry Forefront).
April 1, 2003... AKAI PROFESSIONAL M.I. Corp, the designer and manufacturer of professional audio and recording gear, has announced the formation of a new North American distribution operation. Based in City of Industry, California, the Akai-owned organization...

Melhart Music creates world's largest electric guitar. (Retailer Update).
April 1, 2003... WHERE WOULD YOU LOOK for a really big guitar? In Texas, of course--specifically, McAllen, Texas, where employees of the Melhart Music Center's band furniture factory recently built the world's largest electric guitar. Created especially for...

Sam Ash breathes new life into shuttered MARS stores. (Retailer Update).
April 1, 2003... FORMER MARS LOCATIONS IN Charlotte, North Carolina; Las Vegas, Nevada; Orlando, Florida; and Miami, Florida, are now up and running under the Sam Ash banner. As reported last month, Sam Ash bought store fixtures and leasehold improvements from...

Improvement at Musician's Friend drives Guitar Center profit gain: mail order unit profit nearly triples, while retail stores show modest improvement in operating income. (Retailer Update).
April 1, 2003... A NEAR TRIPLING OF OPERATING income at the Musician's Friend direct response division produced strong results for Guitar Center in the fourth quarter of 2002. For the three-month period ended December 31, sales increased 15.5 percent to $334.8...

Music & Arts Center adds stores in NJ, SC. (Retailer Update).
April 1, 2003... Music & Arts Center has opened two new stores, one in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, and the other in Charleston, South Carolina. The New Jersey store is located at Mercer Mall in Lawrenceville, near Princeton, and is Music & Arts Center's...

Willis Music honors Kaman's Rob Arnold. (Retailer Update).
April 1, 2003... WILLIS MUSIC PRESENTED Rob Arnold of Kaman with its Forte Award in January. The Forte Award started as a sign of recognition for Willis employees showing excellence in fulfilling a segment of the company's mission. It was expanded because...

Cooper Music introduces Atlanta PTG to Nordiska piano line. (Retailer Update).
April 1, 2003... GENEVA INTERNATIONAL JOINED forces with Cooper Music of Atlanta, Georgia, in early February to conduct a seminar for the Atlanta Chapter of the Piano Technicians Guild. Speaking to the more than 30 technicians who came from throughout the state...

Sweetwater opens exclusive Fender Store. (Retailer Update).
April 1, 2003... SWEETWATER HAS OPENED the Fender Store, a site devoted exclusively to Fender's legendary guitars, basses, and amplifiers. Visitors to the grand opening on February 15 registered to win a free Stratocaster and take advantage of a special...

Kidder Music hosts Flute Fest. (Retailer Update).
April 1, 2003... KIDDER MUSIC OF PEORIA, Illinois, hosted a Flute Fest Clinic on February 22. The clinic was co-sponsored by Conn-Selmer and featured Patricia George, an Armstrong clinician. George is a well-known clinician and teacher at Brigham Young...

Former Hale Piano acquired by Tony Siciliano: single Miami location will operate as Piano Music Center. (Retailer Update).
April 1, 2003... BACK IN NOVEMBER The Music Trades reported that Hale Piano & Organ, one of piano retailing's longest-running success stories, was on the brink of financial collapse. Owner Chuck Hale, who has since retired from the business, had invested...

Schmitt customer wins Hal Leonard drawing. (Retailer Update).
April 1, 2003... MORE THAN 400 PEOPLE left Greg Koch's Hal Leonard Guitar Method Clinics satisfied last year, but only one lucky attendee left "Stratisfied." At Schmitt Music's St. Cloud, Minnesota, workshop on August 16, Mark Reum went home with the grand...

Technics honors top dealers at NAMM. (Retailer Update).
April 1, 2003... LEADING RETAILERS WERE honored during NAMM by the Technics Musical Instrument division at a special reception. Dan Slick, division manager, noted, "Every one of these dealers is a true professional. Their ability to turn in stellar sales...

The annual music products industry census: applying a yardstick to industry performance, we find that consumer demand remains strong but excess production capacity and changing technology make it tough to translate that demand into a profitable business model.
April 1, 2003... Industry sales inched up 1.5% in 2002 to $6.97 billion, but failed to match the record level of $7.1 billion, set in 2000. With a legion of high-profile industries reporting significant sales declines, the industry's modest uptick should have...

Ranking the leading suppliers by sales volume. (The top 125: the industry's leading suppliers).
April 1, 2003... The rankings of the Top 125 music products suppliers includes an extraordinarily diverse mix of companies. There are enterprises like Martin Guitar, which boasts 170 years of tradition, alongside relative new-comers like M-Audio that are based...

Company of the year Korg USA: with astute product management, a focus on service, and stable management, Korg generates growth in mature markets. (The top 125: the industry's leading suppliers).
April 1, 2003... How do you manage to generate meaningful sales growth when you already have a commanding share of a slow growing market? This is a question that's being raised in conference rooms throughout the music products industry. The management of Korg...

Person of the year Zhi Cheng Tong: over a thirty-year period, Tong transformed Pearl River from the world's smallest piano builder to the world's largest. (The top 125: the industry's leading suppliers).
April 1, 2003... In 1956 Pearl River Piano was arguably the world's smallest piano maker, turning out four uprights a month. Today, with a 2.8 million-square-foot factory in Guangzhou, China, and production levels nearing 100,000 units a year, the company is...

Product of the year Digidesign's LE systems: bringing the power of Pro Tools systems to a huge market, Digidesign sets a new performance standard. (The top 125: the industry's leading suppliers).
April 1, 2003... Remember "Is it live, or is it Memorex?" In the past decade or so, that phrase has been replaced, at least among producers, musicians, and informed music lovers, with "Was it real, or was it fixed with Pro Tools?" The vast, sophisticated...

The top growth stories of 2002: sure the market was tough, and competition was brutal. Nevertheless, a handful of companies managed to rack up impressive sales gains. Below, a list of who outperformed the market, and how they did it. (The top 125: the industry's leading suppliers).
April 1, 2003... WAVES LTD. +40.24% Currently celebrating its tenth anniversary, Waves Ltd. made its name by pioneering digital audio plug-ins with its innovative Q10 ParaGraphic equalizer. Designed specifically for use in Digidesign's Pro Tools audio...

Where to find the top 125: a directory of the industry's leading suppliers. (The top 125: the industry's leading suppliers).
April 1, 2003... Alesis P.O. Box 1009 North Kingstown, RI 02852 Tel: (401) 295-9000 Fax: (401) 295-5200 www.alesis.com Alfred Publishing P.O. Box 10003 Van Nuys, CA 91410 Tel: (818) 891-5999 Fax: (818) 892-9239 www.alfredpub.com ...

Damn the torpedoes full speed ahead! (The European market: report from Frankfurt).
April 1, 2003... The Industry Demonstrated Unexpected Resilience As Buyers From Around The World Shrugged Off Fears Of War In Iraq And Flocked To Frankfurt. But While Buying Was Good, Price Competition Continued To Hammer Profits. Most of the world's...

Yamaha combo division strengthens marketing team, promoting Andreas & Jewell. (People).
April 1, 2003... YAMAHA'S PAC DIVISION has promoted Jerry Andreas and David Jewell to new positions. Andreas has been named director of marketing for guitars, drums, and accessories; Jewell assumes Andreas's former position as marketing manager for Yamaha...

Frederick heads sales & marketing for Numark & Alesis. (People).
April 1, 2003... ALESIS HAS PROMOTED Mark Frederick to the newly established position of vice-president of sales and marketing. He will be responsible for all sales-and-marketing-related functions for both Numark and Alesis in the United States. ...

Loyko new Mackie sr. vp of sales. (People).
April 1, 2003... MACKIE DESIGNS HAS promoted Frank Loyko senior vice-president of sales, worldwide. Paul Rice has stepped down as the company's senior vice-president of international sales and business development. Loyko will assume global responsibility for...

Chris Adams to head intl. sales at M-Audio. (People).
April 1, 2003... M-AUDIO HAS PROMOTED Chris Adams to director of international sales. He was formerly the director of the company's Latin American sales and will now be based in the Arcadia, California, head office. Adams will be responsible for the...

Barnes heads marketing at Universal Audio. (People).
April 1, 2003... MIKE BARNES WAS appointed director of marketing at Universal Audio. Most recently he was marketing manager for software products at Creative Labs, including the new Playcenter, MP3-J, and LAVA, and was internet marketing manager for its popular...

Phiffer named president of Pearl Corp. (People).
April 1, 2003... JIM PHIFFER, a drum industry veteran, was named president of Pearl Corporation effective February 1. A former vice-president at both Pearl and Mapex USA, he initially joined Pearl as assistant sales manager in 1989. He later became sales and...

Music Link gives new sales post to Beers. (People).
April 1, 2003... THE MUSIC LINK has named Michael Beers its sales development coordinator. Beers has served many years as a top sales rep for the quickly growing company. His responsibilities now include creating a new standard for training sales reps and...

Goldenson heads U.S. marketing for Sonor. (People).
April 1, 2003... HOHNER, INC./HSS recently appointed Jerry Goldenson to lead its U.S. Sonor dales and marketing team. Goldenson previously worked for MARS Music as director of e-commerce and new business development. A business graduate of the University of...

Robbins rejoins Crown International. (People).
April 1, 2003... Scott Robbins has rejoined Crown International to serve as the company's vice-president of sales. The announcement came from Blake Augsburger, Crown International president. "We're extremely pleased to have Scott back in the Crown family,"...

Sabian promotes Stairs to director of sales. (People).
April 1, 2003... SABIAN LTD. HAS PROMOTED Peter Stairs to the newly created position of director of sales. Previously senior sales manager for the award-winning cymbal company, Stairs will now oversee global sales activity for Sabian, which includes the major...

Schlabs director of Alesis sales & mktg. (People).
April 1, 2003... ALESIS HAS APPOINTED Jay Schlabs its director of sales and marketing. He has over 14 years of experience in the pro audio and musical instrument industry, most recently at Mackie Designs as national sales manager. All regional sales...

Never tell anyone business is bad: they won't feel sorry for you--they just won't do business with you. Success breeds success. Act successful, look successful, sound successful, and success will follow. (Bob Popyk On Selling).
April 1, 2003... I've had more than the usual number of phone calls, email, regular mail, and impromptu conversations over the past few months regarding business being just a little slow. To some it seems to be even worse, and I've been heating from those who...

Mackie's resurrects Tapco mixer line: founded by Greg Mackie in 1969, Tapco created industry's first small mixers. (Product News).
April 1, 2003... MACKIE DESIGNS introduced its new Tapco 6306 six-channel mixer at the recent Musikmesse in Frankfurt. This is the first product in the new "Tapco by Mackie" family, which is designed to make high-quality professional audio gear accessible to...

U.S. Music Corp. unveils Washburn Rover. (Product News).
April 1, 2003... U.S. MUSIC CORP. has introduced the Washburn Rover, the ultimate travel guitar. "You can bring the Rover with you when you're on a plane," a spokesman said, "or on a train, a boat, in a car, at the beach, camping, hiking..anywhere" The Rover...

Vandoren's new "ZZ" jazz sax reeds. (Product News).
April 1, 2003... THE SLOGAN FOR THE NEW Vandoren-Paris ZZ line of jazz saxophone reeds is "There is No Jazz Without ZZ." A play on the word "Jazz," to be sure, but ZZ reeds are already proving that, to many saxophonists, there really is no jazz without ZZ...

Latham Music issues "Fiddling" book. (Product News).
April 1, 2003... LATHAM MUSIC HAS published Fiddling for Classical Stiffs by Edward M. Caner. This book's focus is on style and includes a CD with all tunes played half and full speed. Latham also has other new offerings. For string quartet, the company...

LP Giovanni Palladium Series congas. (Product News).
April 1, 2003... THE 1950S AND EARLY '60S are considered to be the golden era of Latin music. The style's epicenter was New York's famous Palladium club, gathering place of dancers and Latin jazz orchestras. Celebrating the music and instruments of the era,...

Godin offers humbucker guitar. (Product News).
April 1, 2003... GODIN HAS PRODUCED a humbucker-equipped version of its popular LG guitar. The new LG keeps the same mahogany neck and body combination that has won so many accolades for the original. The LG is incredibly responsive thanks in part to the...

Weber offers one-piece mandolin tailpiece. (Product News).
April 1, 2003... Weber Mandolins has introduced a one-piece mandolin tailpiece. It has no sharp edges, no cover plate to rattle, buzz, or tear sleeves, and it improves the instrument's tone over the old traditional style. The tailpiece is available in polished...

Music Industries unveils Band Wagon transport systems. (Product News).
April 1, 2003... MUSIC INDUSTRIES, THE U.S. distributor of Quik-Lok products, unveiled a new line of equipment transport systems under the name Band Wagon at this year's winter NAMM Show. Manufactured by Quik-Lok, these ergonomic equipment movers start with the...

Vater expands "Marching Vater" line. (Product News).
April 1, 2003... VATER PERCUSSION HAS added six new snare drumstick models and two mallet models to its Marching Vater product line. The marching snare drumsticks are the wood-tipped MV-2, MV-7, MV-10, MV-11, and MV-20 models priced at $11.85 per pair, and...

Nady intruduces new DJ headphones. (Product News).
April 1, 2003... NADY AUDIO INTRODUCED four new models of professional DJ/remix headphones. The Nady DJ Series offers studio quality audio and specs at an unprecedented low price. The new DJ line includes the following models: the DJ-1-single-sided...

Leblanc adds to Sandoval line. (Product News).
April 1, 2003... CLASSICAL PLAYERS WILL welcome two new entries to the acclaimed Leblanc Arturo Sandoval brass line. The model T351 piccolo trumpet andc the versatile D/Eb T353 trumpet were designed to meet the demanding specifications of jazz/classical trumpet...

Graduated spruce tops on Clevinger acoustics. (Product News).
April 1, 2003... A NEW OPTION IS NOW available on all Clevinger solid acoustic models, giving phenomenal bass tone. What was already a superior bass tone is brought to the highest level by the company's hand-graduated spruce top, giving the musician ultimate...

Church Organ unveils new pipe facedes. (Product News).
April 1, 2003... CHURCH ORGAN SYSTEMS recently introduced new pipe facades for all digital church organ installations. The new facades were created by Mark Willink of the Church Organ staff and can be customized for any building as to arrangement, size, and...

Johnson's Triolian resonator guitar. (Product News).
April 1, 2003... JOHNSON GUITARS, AVAILABLE from The Music Link, has unveiled the beautiful and traditional JR-550 Triolian. This wood-body resonator guitar is perfect for back yard bottle-slide playing. With its slotted headstock and natural mahogany finish,...