Music Trades articles from April 2004

Music Trades archives from April 2004

Cereal makers tout music.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... Big-time cereal brands including General Mills and Kellogg typically feature sports heroes, movie characters, or toys. Recently I was delighted to discover that my new box of Cheerios made a statement for musical instruments! The front of...

A farewell from Technics.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... The decision announced January 10, 2004, by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. to withdraw from the piano and keyboard business came as sad news for the music industry. This announcement from Japan was based on a strategic global decision, not...

Used piano ban criticized.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... NAMM has decided this year to ban the display of used "gray market" pianos by not allowing distributors to bring in any Japanese refurbished pianos on the trade show floor. It seems that such practice does not favor any visiting retailer in...

Retail sales flourish in February ... a signal?(Industry Briefings)
April 1, 2004... In a positive sign for consumer spending, retailers across the board reported surprisingly strong February sales. The results continued a pattern of steady improvement in the past few months. Monthly sales growth was the strongest in more than...

Clapton's legendary Blackie goes on the block.(Industry Briefings)
April 1, 2004... Eric Clapton will auction off 56 guitars from his extensive collection to raise funds for the Crossroads Centre in Antigua, which helps people wrestling with chemical dependency. "These guitars are a really good representation of rock culture...

Surveillance video helps cops snare school vandals.(Industry Briefings)
April 1, 2004... Surveillance videos caught two brothers aged 15 and 16, and a 16-year-old friend, in the act of destroying over $100,000 worth of musical instruments at the Pelham Magnet Middle School outside of Detroit. Local police said the damage resembled...

New piano playing record set.(Industry Briefings)
April 1, 2004... With a throng of about 75 supporters cheering him on, David Sproule set an unofficial record for non-stop piano playing last September in Prince George, Ontario. The piano teacher finally called it quits after 53 hours and 37 minutes, beating...

Endangered orchestral instruments in England.(Industry Briefings)
April 1, 2004... London plans to launch a $2.2 million campaign to encourage British children to take up "unfashionable" orchestral instruments, like the trombone and tuba. The charity Youth Music has declared double basses, bassoons, oboes, and most larger...

Solve one problem, cause another.(Editorial)
April 1, 2004... When I first began writing this column in the early 80s, the burning issue of the day was runaway inflation. Costs were rising too fast for retailers to pass them along to their customers; consumers, suffering from acute "sticker shock," were...

Dealing with Instrument-Shaped Objects: Denny Senseney explains why cheaper isn't always better.(Guest Editorial)
April 1, 2004... There are an increasing number of Instrument Shaped Objects (ISOs) in the marketplace today, and many of them are not good for students. These instruments do not meet standards of performance for tone, technique, intonation, or mechanical and...

Yamaha marching percussion stars at super bowl halftime.(Industry Forefront)
April 1, 2004... FOR THE SUPER BOWL XXXVIII halftime, students from the University of Houston "Spirit of Houston" marching band and the Texas Southern University "Ocean of Soul" marching band took to the field using Yamaha marching percussion instruments,...

Fender stars in HP ad blitz.(Industry Forefront)
April 1, 2004... FENDER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS is taking a starring role in ads for Hewlett-Packard business systems. A 60-second television spot featuring beginners with their Strats flailing at the opening chords of the Deep Purple classic Smoke on the Water...

John Lennon tour bus gets ultimate's support.(Industry Forefront)
April 1, 2004... ULTIMATE SUPPORT SYSTEMS is sponsoring of the John Lennon Songwriting Educational Tour Bus for 2004. The John Lennon Songwriting Contest Educational Tour Bus is a non-profit mobile recording studio outfitted with traditional musical instruments...

New location for Kratt Pitch Pipes.(Industry Forefront)
April 1, 2004... THE NEW LOCATION for Kratt Pitch Pipes in Kenilworth, New Jersey, is the ideal solution for the more efficient production and storage of one of the industry's most respected line of pitch pipes. The company's 70-year-old tradition will continue...

Kramer guitars, Michael Jackson, and millions in memorabilia--the saga continues.(Industry Forefront)
April 1, 2004... HENRY VACCARO, A NEW JERSEY real estate developer who was also one of the original investors in Kramer guitars during the company's heyday in the '80s, was recently in the news as he presided over the sale of a mammoth collection of stage...

Priddis Music stars at American Music Awards.(Industry Forefront)
April 1, 2004... PRIDDIS MUSIC, CREATOR of the Morph-1 DVD karaoke adapter, gave celebrities at the American Music Awards the chance to bring karaoke home with them. Music artists such as Hilary Duff, Sean Paul, Clay Aiken, and Pink took home a Morph-1 karaoke...

Renowned Haynes Flute Co. sold to Eastman Strings.(Industry Forefront)
April 1, 2004... REPRESENTATIVES OF THE William S. Haynes Company of Boston, Massachusetts, have announced the sale of the world's oldest manufacturer of artist-quality handmade flutes. Haynes, established in 1888, is now a subsidiary of Eastman Strings, Inc.,...

Boonshoft sole owner of Aguilar Amps.(Industry Forefront)
April 1, 2004... DAVE BOONSHOFT IS NOW the sole owner of Aguilar Amplification. He acquired all the outstanding shares of the company in January. Boonshoff, who co-founded the company with Alex Aguilar in 1995, is now president and CEO. Geof Lipman, who has...

Latin Percussion marks 40th Anniversary with NAMM blow-out.(Industry Forefront)
April 1, 2004... THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY of Latin Percussion was celebrated on January 17 at the NAMM show in Anaheim. The event, organized by Kaman Music, which purchased Latin Percussion in October 2002, paid tribute to Martin Cohen, the founder of LP. Featured...

Zildjian releases Z Time magazine.(News Flash)
April 1, 2004... THE ZILDJIAN COMPANY has published the 2004 edition of its popular Z Time international magazine with an all-new look and layout. One of Zildjian's most popular collateral pieces, Z Time is distributed in over 150 countries worldwide. ...

New American owners for bosphorus cymbals.(Corporate Acquisitions)
April 1, 2004... BOSPHORUS CYMBALS USA has been purchased by a team of American investors that includes Michael Vosbein, Bill Norman, and Jeff Hamilton. Vosbein has been named president and will handle the day-to-day operations of the company. Norman and...

Shares prices of publicly traded industry firms.(Industry Forefront)
April 1, 2004... SHARES PRICE OF PUBLICLY TRADED INDUSTRY FIRMS PRICE AS OF P/E MARCH 12, 2004 RATIO Allen Organ Corp. ...

Brubaker guitars rises from the ashes.(Industry Forefront)
April 1, 2004... BRUBAKER GUITARS IS BACK! The company was the victim of a devastating fire in August 2003, which burned the entire production facility to the ground. "'Awful' doesn't describe it," said Kevin Brubaker, company president and master luthier....

Kustom & B.C. Rich honor top sales reps.(Industry Forefront)
April 1, 2004... KUSTOM AMPLIFICATION and B.C. Rich Guitars, divisions of Hanser Holdings International (HHI), named their top sales representatives for 2003 at a special awards dinner held during the NAMM show in Anaheim, California. Jim and Eric Matthews of...

Kaman's Saunders mentors students.(After Hours)
April 1, 2004... BOB SAUNDERS, president of Kaman Music, participated in a University of Hartford Executive Mentoring Program for international MBA students during the Fall 2003 semester. The major purpose of the program is to provide these students with an...

PMC announces restructuring.(Industry Associations)
April 1, 2004... THE PERCUSSION MARKETING Council (PMC) held its membership meeting at the recent NAMM Show in Anaheim and announced the unanimous membership approval for restructuring its management team. The group also introduced its newly elected...

The wisdom of Sidney Harman: Harman International founder pens a guide to business, leadership, and life.
April 1, 2004... SIDNEY HARMAN, the audio industry pioneer who built Harman international into a $2.5 billion (sales) integrated audio manufacturer, recently distilled his 65-years of business experience into a terse volume, aptly titled Mind Your Own Business....

Tim Gaines signs with Switchmusic.com.(Industry Forefront)
April 1, 2004... SWITCHMUSIC.COM has signed Tim Gaines, the veteran bass player with the world-renowned group Stryper. Gaines's tenure with Stryper spans over two decades of multi-platinum album sales and Grammy nominations. His instrument of choice is the...

Deering Banjos in Alaska Air TV spot.(Industry Forefront)
April 1, 2004... DEERING'S GOODTIME BANJOS are appearing in a television commercial for Alaska Airlines. Displaying an entire row of sparkling Goodtime banjos, the commercial states you have to be happy when you hear a banjo being played. This is not the...

Korg & Vestax help students better turntable skills at Berklee.(Industry Forefront)
April 1, 2004... BOSTON'S BERKLEE College of Music, a pioneer in the study of contemporary music, has become the world's first music college to incorporate the study of turntablism into its curriculum. This spring semester Turntable Technique is teaching the...

Gibson's Tobias basses made in Baldwin plant.(Factory News)
April 1, 2004... TOBIAS BASSES is bringing production home to America with a new line of basses handcrafted in Conway, Arkansas, which is also the site of Baldwin grand piano production. The new U.S.-made Tobias basses will feature exotic wood combinations,...

Bigger facilities for Taye Drum Company.(Expansions Plans)
April 1, 2004... TO MEET RAPID recent and projected growth, Taye Drum Company has acquired two larger, more modern distribution centers in the Los Angeles and Vancouver areas. Both moves were completed in January 2004. Noting that the last six months were the...

MBT hosts sales & marketing meeting.(Industry Forefront)
April 1, 2004... MBT International recently hosted a national sales and marketing meeting for all of its U.S. regional reps and managers in Dana Point, California. The meeting overviewed many of the company's successes and individual achievements from 2003 as...

Cavanaughs donate concert grand piano.(Industry Forefront)
April 1, 2004... JOHN AND ELLEN Cavanaugh of Super-Sensitive Musical String Co. recently donated a 9' Steinway concert grand piano, valued at $40,000, to the Church of the Palms Presbyterian Church of Sarasota, Florida. The church's existing piano was no longer...

Michigan's Herter Music: a community fixture for 100 years.(Retailer Update)
April 1, 2004... IN TERMS OF THE CHALLENGES they face, even the most successful independent music retailers have a lot in common: shrinking margins and stiff competition from big chains and internet competitors. One retailer in Michigan has been facing whatever...

First act gets injuction against Brook Mays.(Retailer Update)
April 1, 2004... FIRST ACT INC., which sells band, fretted, and percussion instruments through WaI-Mart and other mass merchants, has received a preliminary injunction from the United States District Court in Massachusetts against Brook Mays Music Company, Inc....

Fields piano holds $1.4 mil. Steinway sale.(News Flash)
April 1, 2004... WHILE THE REST of the music industry was busy at the NAMM show in Anaheim, the management and sales staff at Fields Pianos in Santa Ana, California, were focused on preparing for a very special consumer retail event. The staging of the event...

West L.A. Music customers win Grammys.(Sales Floor Excitement)
April 1, 2004... TWO FAITHFUL CUSTOMERS of West L.A. Music won Grammys at the 2004 awards show Andre Benjamin and Noah Scot Snyder. Andre Benjamin--also known as "Dre" or "Andre 3000"--of the hip-hop duo OutKast won three Grammys. OutKast was one of the...

First quality musical gets first-quality media coverage.(Retailer Update)
April 1, 2004... Most businesses only dream of having powerful media disseminate their image and message to hundreds of thousands of people nationwide. For First Quality Musical Supplies, this dream became a reality when National City Bank, the nation's...

Ritchie's Music wins Sabian cymbal giveaway.(Retailer Update)
April 1, 2004... SABIAN HAS announced that the winner of its Paragon cymbal set giveaway during the NAMM show in Anaheim is George Sigler of Ritchie's Music Center in Rockaway, New Jersey. Paragon is Sabian's latest high-performance cymbal line designed by Neil...

Jenna jams the Hog.(Retailer Update)
April 1, 2004... IS HOUSE OF GUITARS founder Armand Schaubroeck a marketing genius, or what? Who would have guessed that a hot blonde representing a hot brand of guitars would pack his store with, er, inspired young musicians? Armand and co-owner Bruce...

Gand hosts drummer Paul Wertico.(In-Store Clinics)
April 1, 2004... GAND MUSIC & SOUND of Northfield, Illinois, recently hosted an evening with Grammy-winning drummer Paul Wertico. An enthusiastic crowd of nearly 100 drum customers gathered for the concert/clinic and to win prizes from sponsors Shure, Drum...

The impact of low-priced horns: no one knows for sure what low-priced horns on the shelves of Wal-Mart means for the school music business, but a lot of people have interesting theories. Below, we share some of the wit and wisdom of industry retailers, suppliers, and technicians.(Bob Popyk On Selling)
April 1, 2004... A few months ago I wrote a column about the plight of the band instrument business today, with the influx of Chinese horns and mass-merchants starting to stock entry-level instruments. T wondered about the future of the band instrument business...

The music products census: surging consumer demand was offset by brutal deflationary pressures. The result? Industry sales growth was at a standstill in 2003. Sales data on all major product categories reveals a business with a bright future but short-term challenges.(The Music Industry Census)
April 1, 2004... A quick scan of unit and dollar figures in the following report is all it takes to appreciate what went on in the music products industry in 2003. Unit volume was up in just about every category, thanks to the robust interest and recording...

Ranking the leading supliers by sales volume.(The top 125: the industry's leading suppliers)
April 1, 2004... The Top 125 ranking comprises an exceptionally diverse group of companies. There are computer software companies, print music publishers, technology-based electronics manufacturers, and traditional instrument makers that boast century-old craft...

Company of the year: First Act: selling band instruments to Wal-Mart isn't the way to win a music industry popularity contest, but like it or not, First Act has had a major impact.(The top 125: the industry's leading suppliers)
April 1, 2004... Bargain-priced First Act band instruments, prominently offered at Wal-Mart and other mass market retailers, have become the industry's most hotly debated issue. Not since the first catalog retailer opened up shop decades ago have passions run...

Product of the year: the TASCAM Portastudio: the groundbreaking product that started the revolution in home recording is still going strong after twenty-five years.(The top 125: the industry's leading suppliers)
April 1, 2004... At a small meeting room in New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel in September of 1979, executives from TASCAM pulled a shiny red silk cover off a nondescript-looking new product and stated that a revolution in music was about to begin....

Person of the year: Nikolaus Schimmel: a life devoted to championing the piano worldwide.(The top 125: the industry's leading suppliers)
April 1, 2004... He is one of the finest case designers of all time, having created literally scores of exquisite and original pianos. His knowledge of piano history is encyclopedic; in fact he's authored several encyclopedias on the history, design, and...

Stellar performances! Deflation, war, and economic uncertainty were just a few of the forces that made 2003 a tough year in the music products industry. Nevertheless, a handful of companies managed to prevail in the face of adversity and turn in stellar results. Below, the companies that outperformed the market and some insights into how they did it.(The top 125: the industry's leading suppliers)
April 1, 2004... AMERICA SEJUNG +500% >From zero to $20,000,000 in just over one year not only qualifies as a significant growth story for this year's list of top-performing music companies, it could also possibly represent the most rapid sales ascent...

Where to find them: a directory of the top 125.(The top 125: the industry's leading suppliers)
April 1, 2004... Alesis Studio Electronics (401) 658-5760 Fax: (401) 658-3640 www.alesis.com Alfred Publishing Company (818) 891-5999 Fax: (818) 892-9239 www.alfredpub.com Allen Organ Company (610) 966-2202 Fax:...

Catalano heads Ludwig marketing.(People)
April 1, 2004... JIM CATALANO has been promoted to director of marketing at Ludwig/Musser, a division of Conn-Selmer, Inc. He will lead product, pricing and promotional activities for all drum, timpani. and mallet instrument lines as well as percussion...

Frank Cates new Switchmusic president.(People)
April 1, 2004... FRANK CATES has been named the new president and general manager of Switchmusic.com. Prior to joining Switch Music he spent the last several years with Samick Music Corp., where he held the positions of director of professional audio/Acoustic...

PRS's Woodward earns HR certification.(People)
April 1, 2004... CHRISTINA WOODARD, human resources/safety manager at Paul Reed Smith Guitars, recently earned certification as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR). To become certified an applicant must pass a comprehensive examination and have professional...

Remo honors Davitt & Hanser.(People)
April 1, 2004... DAVITT & HANSER Distribution has been named 2003 "Domestic Distributor of the Year" by Remo, Inc. The distinguished award was earned by Davitt & Hanser in recognition of an outstanding year of sales growth. D&H has distributed Remo percussion...

PDA adds six associates.(People)
April 1, 2004... PIANO DISTRIBUTION Associates has added six new associates work with the company as needed in various venues. The six new associates join Donn Thomas and Eric Edelstein, who have been with PDA since the beginning. A former piano store...

Shure names Schyvinck exec. V.P.(People)
April 1, 2004... CHRISTINE SCHYVINCK has been promoted to executive vice-president of operations at Shure Incorporated. She will be responsibe for managing several divisions including Global Manufacturing, Corporate Quality, Materials, and Process and Tool...

Zielinski heads Yamaha piano artist services.(People)
April 1, 2004... Yamaha's Piano Division has named respected musical artist and Yamaha product expert Stan Zielinski to the key position of director of artist services, with responsibility for the company's relationships with the country's foremost classical...

Music Link promotes Brownley & Chum.(Promotions)
April 1, 2004... THE MUSIC LINK has promoted Thomas Brownley from assistant shipping manager to shipping manager and Tharith Chum from assistant receiving manager to receiving manager. Brownley, originally from Moss Point, Michigan, has been with the...

Sabian presents employee service awards.(People)
April 1, 2004... SABIAN HONORED EIGHT of its employees for their commitment to service at the company's holiday party. The awards have been presented for the last three years to recognize employees celebrating 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 years of service. This year...

Samson intros new live sound speaker line.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... SAMSON'S RESOUND line of live p.a. speakers is an ideal choice for those looking for great sound and great looks at an exceptionally reasonable price. The lline features seven different models of Resound speakers--four two-way main speakers and...

Roland's battery-powered micro cube amp.(Hot Product)
April 1, 2004... ROLAND HAS INTRODUCED the Micro Cube, the smallest member of the Cube family. Weighing in at just 7.5 pounds, this compact guitar amp packs a big punch and comes with six DSP effects, COSM Amp Modeling, and a new Digital Tuning Fork, giving...

Remo reintros popular Mondo snare dum.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... COMBINING PROFESSIONAL sound and performance features with several exclusively developed technologies, Remo's classic Mondo snare drum is back by popular demand and better than ever. The re-released Mondo incorporates Remo's patented...

Gemeinhardt introduces interactive CD-ROM.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... UNDERSCORING A LEGACY of commitment to music education, Gemeinhardt has introduced the Interactive Flute Resource CD-ROM, a PC-compatible mini-CD packed with essential information and interactive learning tools. Designed to help beginning...

PSR speakers from FBT.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... NEW FOR 2004, Italian-manufactured FBT PSR Premium Sound Reinforcement series speaker systems are designed for professional touring and large fixed installations. All systems feature 13-ply Baltic birch cabinetry construction with integrated...

Audix adds Micropods to Micros series.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... AUDIX CONTINUES TO BREAK new ground with its successful Micros series. The company has added three new products to the line, aptly called "Micropods." Micropods consist of 6", 12", and 18" goosenecks with a M1245 cardioid or hypercardioid...

Saga's new Kentucky mandolin.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... THE NEW KENTUCKY KM-750 mandolin harks back to 1939 with styling, tone, and playability that recalls the bygone age of traditional mandolin design. The instrument features an arched rosewood fingerboard with pearl block inlays for fast, easy...

Eminence intros 17 guitar speakers.(Hot Product)
April 1, 2004... EMINENCE SPEAKER LLC is now shipping 17 new guitar speaker models, each with distinctive tonal characteristics. The Patriot and Red Coat series include 10", 12", and 15" models. Voicing includes clean or dirty, big bass, screaming highs, and...

Six new travel cases from CaseXtreme.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... CASEXTREME HAS introduced six new travel cases. The Jumbo Clam features 1-1/2"-thick dense-foam C-pads that fit over the guitar's original case. Travelers then pack their case inside the Clam case for worry-free travel protection. The company...

EMMC introduces Kolstein Baker Bass.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... ENTERTAINMENT MUSICAL Marketing Corporation has introduced the Kolstein Baker Model Bass featured in its current Winter 2004 catalog. This new bass model is crafted exclusively for EMMC in the shop of Samuel Kolstein & Son, Ltd., New York. ...

AcousticKit Model 1014 from Acoustics First.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... MODEL 1014 IS the latest in the AoustiKit series from Acoustics First Corporation. It is designed to provide all of the basic elements necessary to treat a room with dimensions up to 10 feet by 14 feet. The single shipping carton contains the...

Godin's "Montreal" guitar.(Hot Product)
April 1, 2004... The Montreal from Godin is the latest in the company's series of two-voiced guitars that marry the electric sound from traditional magnetic pickups with the acoustic sound from saddle transducers in the bridge. The two-chamber body of the...

Pearl offers new Session Series drums and upgraded hardware.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... PEARL DRUMS IS NOW OFFERING the SMX and SBX lines in its Session Series. The SMX has six plies of 100 percent maple, and the all-new SBX has six plies of 100 percent premium birch. Both of these professional-quality kits feature Pearl's newly...

Mel Bay's One Guitar, Many Styles.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... BREAKING AWAY from electric guitar methods that concentrate on performing in a group or band, Mel Bay's One Guitar, Many Styles is a unique publication that presents pieces for the unaccompanied solo electric guitar in a variety of musical...

Get'm Get'm Wear offers 80" straps.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... Get'm Get'm Wear offers a wide variety of stylish guitar straps, including animal prints, faux furs, studded leather, camouflage, and classic '60s- and '70s-inspired designs. The straps are the longest in the business, extending to 80", and...

National Reso-Phonic's ResoRocket.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... THE NEW RESOROCKET from National Reso-Phonic is a steel cut-away guitar incorporating a freshly designed single resonator coverplate to complement the distinctive tricone grillework on the upper bout. The grillework is backed with stainless...

Crate's solid-state GT series.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... CRATE HAS UNVEILED the GT series of solid-state combos with great tones and features. Crate now offers three distinct solid-state lines--the GLX, the GTX, and the new GT--with each line offering Flex-Wave distortion and low-damped power amps....

Willem Boehm violins from Pegasus.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... PEGASUS STRINGED Instrument Company has introduced the Willem Boehm Workshop Series of violins. The series consists of four models, each combining the affordability of Asian-made instruments with select components and a custom-shop adjustment...

New Dickies Music Bags.(Hot Product)
April 1, 2004... Dickies Workwear, a favorite of touring musicians on the move (Avril Lavigne, The Donnas, Simple Plan, No Doubt) is launching Dickies Music Bags, designed and marketed by the brand's exclusive bag licensee, Yak Pak of New York. The Dickies...

Hodge unveils new reed case.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... AFTER MANY MONTHS of testing and researching, Hodge Products, Inc. has finished its alto sax/clarinet reed case, whose prototype was first introduced at the summer NAMM show in 2003. The case holds six alto sax reeds or seven clarinet reeds or...

Return of Brain Picks from Snarling Dogs.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... SNARLING DOGS BRAIN PICKS, the amazing nylon picks with Smart Grip, are back again and available exclusively from Snarling Dogs. These unique picks have the Smart Grip emery-like gripping surfaces on both sides, preventing slipping and ensuring...

New publications from Music Sales.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... MUSIC SALES INTRODUCED several new publications at the NAMM show in Anaheim. Additions to the best-selling Absolute Beginners series include The Complete Absolute Beginners Guitar Course and The Complete Absolute Beginners Keyboard Course. Each...

Crafter's new "Twin Bird".(Product News)
April 1, 2004... CRAFTER GUITARS, exclusively distributed in the United States by HSS, a Division of Hohner, introduced two Twin Bird guitars at the 2004 NAMM Show--the TB-Bubinga and the TB-Rose. Both new solid-top cutaway-style acoustic-electric guitars offer...

Sunlite adds two super jumbo acoustics.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... SUNLITE GUITARS HAS added two solid-top super jumbos to its acoustic guitar lineup for 2004, the GWJ-2500G and the GWJ-2600GBCP. This addition gives Sunlite a guitar in virtually every major flat-top acoustic body style. Both new models...

Ultra Series straps from LM Products.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... LM PRODUCTS has enhanced its line of straps with new Ultra Series straps. These new models are available in exotic crocodile, ultra-soft glove leather. Western tooled, and high-quality bridle leather. The beautiful, comfortable Ultra straps...