Music Trades articles from April 2005

Music Trades archives from April 2005

Music & Arts and Guitar Center: what does the $90 million acquisition mean for the school music business? Retailers weigh in.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2005... Band and orchestra instrument prices have already been plummeting for several years, courtesy of the Asian invasion of poor quality. We in B&O need to constantly evaluate new stencils. It may not be too long until quality improves and Chinese...

Supporting Indonesian disaster relief.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2005... Thank you for including mention of the Music Industry Relief fund in your March issue. The music industry owes so much to the people--and natural resources--of Indonesia. We have an obligation to reach out and help in the aftermath of the...

Retail sales up in February--trend or fluke?(Industry Briefings)
April 1, 2005... Strong February sales were reported across all segments of retail as discount chains, department stores, and a host of specialty retailers posted higher-than-expected sales numbers for the month. The growth was particularly significant because...

Price increase causes uproar among eBay "stores".(Industry Briefings)
April 1, 2005... eBay sellers, many of whom generate millions in annual revenue, are unhappy with the online auction site's recent move to raise fees for listing and selling products. Monthly fees to maintain a site have been increased to $15.99 from $10, and...

Peter Paul & Mary fans know a hot guitar.(Industry Briefings)
April 1, 2005... A handmade Larrivee acoustic guitar owned by Peter Yarrow disappeared on a flight from Washington to Fort Lauderdale in December 2000. It looked like it was gone for good until something like it surfaced on an eBay auction. Browsers recognized...

Swiss musician claims to "taste" music.(Industry Briefings)
April 1, 2005... A Swiss musician sees colors when she hears music, and experiences tastes ranging from sour and bitter to low-fat cream and mown grass, astounded scientists say. Zurich University neuropsychologists were so intrigued by the case of E.S., a...

We were all wrong.(Editorial)
April 1, 2005... For as long as we can remember, the music industry has operated with what could best be described as an exceptionalist attitude. We thought we were unique and governed by a different set of rules. The time-consuming challenge of mastering a...

Surging unit volumes reflect strong consumer demand.(IMPORT TRACKER: What's Coming Into The U.S. And From Where?)
April 1, 2005... HOW MANY PEOPLE are there with an interest in making music? No one knows for sure, but if import figures are any gauge, the number is higher than anyone previously imagined. The fourth quarter of 2004 was a continuation of a yearlong trend that...

Loud Technologies buys St. Louis Music: purchase price set at $32.6 million; Loud management pledges to maintain "continuity" at St. Louis Music and build on brand strength.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
April 1, 2005... LOUD TECHNOLOGIES, the parent company of Mackie, EAW, and TAPCO audio products, has acquired St. Louis Music Company from the Kornblum family for $32.6 million in cash and restricted shares in Loud Technologies, valued at approximately $1.2...

Roland sues Behringer, says pedals infringe on BOSS trademark.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
April 1, 2005... ROLAND CORPORATION has filed suit against Behringer International GmbH, charging that a line of Behringer effects pedals introduced at the Anaheim NAMM show infringes on the trade dress, trademark, and intellectual property of its BOSS...

Sejung Corp. invests in Young Chang.(FLASH)
April 1, 2005... AS THIS ISSUE WENT to press, Sejung Corp., the Korean-based parent company of American Sejung Corp., had loaned $7 million to Young Chang Corp. The secured loan was authorized by Korea's bankruptcy court and will provide Young Chang with...

New winding machines enhance consistency.(J. D'Addario)
April 1, 2005... AFTER THREE YEARS in design, D'Addario is now building 18 new winding machines for the company's popular guitar strings. Eight of the 18 are already complete and producing strings. The key improvement of these machines is that they auto-feed...

Collaboration with LeSportsac.(Gemini Sound)
April 1, 2005... GEMINI SOUND PRODUCTS and LeSportsac recently collaborated on a cross-promotional event in New York City and Los Angeles. From February 22 through March 22 Gemini's new i-series, which was a big hit at the winter NAMM show, was paired with a...

Emergenza Festival chooses Sabian.(Sabian Cymbals)
April 1, 2005... FOR THE THIRD consecutive year, Sabian is the official cymbal for the Emergenza Festival, the European and North American competition for up-and-coming bands. This year each of the dozens of drumsets on Emergenza stages will be outfitted with...

Forbes magazine touts investment value of vintage guitars.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
April 1, 2005... INVESTORS TURN TO FORBES magazine for advice on picking stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. In the spring issue of its FYI supplement, however, the leading business journal ventured beyond the financial markets to offer some advice on investing in...

McCartney uses Shure mics at Super Bowl.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
April 1, 2005... SIR PAUL McCARTNEY performed during the Super Bowl XXXIX halftime show in Jacksonville, Florida, using a Shure Beta 58A microphone. McCartney's background singers used Beta 58A and SM58s, and the drummer played with Beta 98s on toms and KSM 27s...

QSC Audio's free six-year warranty upgrade extended.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
April 1, 2005... QSC AUDIO has announced the continuation of its six-year warranty upgrade promotion on the most popular QSC amplifier models. The promotion includes a six-year full-factory warranty upgrade on all PLX, RMX, and PowerLight2 series...

Takamine guitars star with the Del Castillo Band on George Lopez Show.(Courting The Growing Hispanic Market)
April 1, 2005... MEMBERS OF THE Del Castillo band flew to Los Angeles in February at the invitation of comedian George Lopez to appear on The George Lopez Show, his hit ABC-TV sitcom. Band members Rick and Mark del Castillo, who are Takamine endorsers, teamed...

Pocket Tones hits Hollywood.(Farley's Musical Essentials)
April 1, 2005... FARLEY'S MUSICAL ESSENTIALS' Pocket Tones has been a hit with musicians since it was introduced in 2003. However, the handy pocket-sized tuner recently impressed another high-profile industry. While Hollywood prop designer Marian Farley (no...

25th Anniversary for electric violin maker.(Zeta Electric Strings)
April 1, 2005... ZETA ELECTRIC String Instruments is currently celebrating its 25th year as a manufacturer of professional-grade electric violins, violas, cellos, and basses. The company will be celebrating the anniversary throughout 2005 with exciting new...

Guitars donated to Univ. of Evansville.(SHS International)
April 1, 2005... SHS INTERNATIONAL of Indianapolis, Indiana, has donated six guitars to the University of Evansville (UE) in Indiana.. The guitars will be sent to Harlaxton College in England; Harlaxton is the university's British campus. The donation came...

Grammys pays tribute to guitar pioneer.(Ernie Ball)
April 1, 2005... ERNIE BALL, a legend in the musical instrument industry and founder of the Ernie Ball Company, was honored during the 47th Annual Grammy Awards Ceremony on February 13. The ceremony was seen by 690 million viewers worldwide. Ernie Ball died on...

SF Marketing named Canadian distributor.(Line 6)
April 1, 2005... LINE 6, INC., of Agoura Hills, California, has appointed SF Marketing, Inc., headquartered in Montreal, the exclusive Canadian distributor for its guitar amplifiers, guitars, and modeling and effects products. The appointment was effective...

NAMM goes all out to make Indy summer show a crowd pleaser.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
April 1, 2005... FEW TOPICS IN THE MUSIC products industry have inspired as much discussion recently as NAMM's moving the summer show from Nashville. NAMM has gone to great lengths (in the form of many trips to the 2005 host city) to research the question, "Why...

Hal Leonard distributes "singing coach" software.(FLASH)
April 1, 2005... SINGING COACH, the unique new learn-to-sing software from Carry-a-Tune Technologies, will now be available to music retail stores nationwide through an exclusive distribution agreement with Hal Leonard. Singing Coach and Singing Coach...

JBL Professional marks 500,000th EON sold.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
April 1, 2005... IN A GROUNDBREAKING milestone achievement, JBL Professional sold its 500,000th EON speaker in December. Widely regarded as the speaker that started the portable powered speaker revolution, the EON series has thrived on its reputation for...

Joint venture for pickups & preamps.(Shadow & L.R. Baggs)
April 1, 2005... A COOPERATIVE ARRANGEMENT between Shadow and L.R. Baggs will develop a new active pickup and preamp for acoustic and classical guitar. Joe Marinic of Shadow and Lloyd Baggs agreed to cooperate on development and production of pickups and...

GE & NAMM credit card helps spurs retail sales.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
April 1, 2005... EVERY MUSIC RETAILER wants to increase sales--but how? Lower prices? Special sales? More advertising? A proven way to crank up your business volume is by offering a branded consumer credit program. Branded credit cards do all sorts of...

Etheridge raises money for breast cancer.(Ovation Guitars)
April 1, 2005... OVATION GUITARS has announced that its recent auction with the Melissa Etheridge Information Network (MEIN) raised $20,100 for the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation. Dr. Melissa Payne from Galloway, Ohio, placed the winning bid of...

Yorkville recognizes oustanding sales performances.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
April 1, 2005... THE YORKVILLE GROUP dedicated time during the winter NAMM show to honor district sales managers and U.S. dealers for their outstanding contributions to the company's success in 2004. Awards were presented in a number of categories for Yorkville...

New saxes to come with Vandoren Reeds.(ANTIGUA WINDS)
April 1, 2005... ALL ANTIGUA Advanced and Professional saxophones will now include a Traditional Reed Sampler package in the new Vandoren Flow Pack. The Flow Pack is designed to ensure that musicians get a reed that is not only factory fresh but also dust-free...

30th year celebration set for Columbus, OH.(PASIC)
April 1, 2005... THE PERCUSSIVE ARTS Society International Convention (PASIC) will celebrate 30 years as the drum and percussion world's premier event Wednesday, November 2, through Saturday, November 5, 2005, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in...

Publicly traded industry firms.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
April 1, 2005... PUBLICLY TRADED INDUSTRY FIRMS PRICE AS OF P/E MARCH 15, 2005 RATIO Allen Organ Corp. $64.00 15.23 Avid...

Ozzfest winners tour with EMG pickups.(EMG Pickups)
April 1, 2005... A DOZEN FURIES, EMG endorsers and winners of the recent MTV show "Battle for Ozzfest," are slated to tour the U.S. with the two runners-up of the televised contest. Guitarist Marc Serrano will be using the EMG-85 and the EMG-60 pickups....

Interstate raffles Satriani Guitar to support cancer charity.(RETAILER UPDATE)
April 1, 2005... CASCIO INTERSTATE Music's Superstore in New Berlin, Wisconsin, recently held a fundraising raffle for the MACC Fund. MACC stands for Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer, a charitable organization that supports research into effective...

Judd Goldrich joins Guitar Center.(RETAILER UPDATE)
April 1, 2005... JUDD GOLDRICH, grandson of the late Manny Goldrich, who in 1935 started the legendary Manny's Music of New York City, has joined Guitar Center in Manhattan. Goldrich is base(: at GC's 30,000-square-foot flagship superstore located on 14th...

Manny's music veteran DeSilva opens Guitar Man in NYC.(RETAILER UPDATE)
April 1, 2005... THERE'S A NEW PLAYER in the hot New York City music retail market. Guitar Mail, located at 147 Orchard Street on the trendy Lower East Side of Manhattan, opened its doors in February. The 800-square-foot shop's main focus is acoustic and...

Mandolin Bros. top Babicz Guitar dealer.(RETAILER UPDATE)
April 1, 2005... MANDOLIN BROTHERS, the Staten Island, New York, vintage guitar specializist, immortalized in the lyrics of Joni Mitchell's "Song for Sharon," has been named Babicz Guitars' "Dealer of the Year." Stan Jay, Mandolin Brothers founder (left),...

Guitar Center crowns 2004 Drum-Off champion.(RETAILER UPDATE)
April 1, 2005... PASSION AND SOUND merged on the night of Saturday, January 22, at the Wiltern LG Theater in Los Angeles during Guitar Center's legendary Drum-Off competition finals, with Royce Shorter Jr. winning the title of the nation's best undiscovered...

Kennedy Center event nets $1.3 million for Jordan Kitt's.(FLASH)
April 1, 2005... THE KENNEDY CENTER for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, was recently the site for a record-setting Jordan Kitt's Music Annual Steinway Price Increase and Selection event. After making over 6,000 prospect calls and setting up 260 customer...

Thomas heads retail operations.(Sherman Clay)
April 1, 2005... TONY THOMAS has been promoted to director of retail operations at Sherman Clay. Thomas started his career in the retail piano business in Riverside, California, and joined Sherman Clay in 1980. Since then he has held store management...

Eternal truths of selling: the techniques outlined in a 75-year-old Baldwin selling manual still work today--listen to your customers, address their objections, and know your product inside and out.(BOB POPYK ON SELLING)
April 1, 2005... I was reading a book the other day on the basics of sell-in--particularly selling higher-ticket musical instruments. It was great stuff: It talked about how to find customers, how to demonstrate, and how to close. I am going to quote exactly...

The music products census: the definitive analysis of what gets sold and why ... An unprecedented increase in unit volume across key product categories offset continued deflation and contributed to the biggest sales gain in six years. A rebounding economy certainly played a role, but is the industry reaching a broader consumer base?(THE MUSIC INDUSTRY CENSUS)
April 1, 2005... Sales of music products hit a record $7.353 billion in 2004, advancing 5.2 percent over the previous year. Revenue gains are usually greeted with enthusiasm, but in this case the increases represent something of a good news/bad news...

Ranking the industry's biggest suppliers by sales volume.(THE TOP 125: AMERICAS'S LEADING MUSIC & SOUND SUPPLIERS)
April 1, 2005... The roster of the 125 largest music products suppliers faces a broad array of challenges. For companies like Fender and Martin, it's all about cultivating a level of brand prestige that enables them to charge a premium price in a market flooded...

Hartley Peavey: the industry's longest-running CEO hasn't lost a step yet.(Person of the Year)
April 1, 2005... To hear Hartley Peavey tell it, a Bo Diddley concert in 1956 was the turning point in his life. After hearing Bo and his electric guitar, Hartley walked out of the theater determined to be a guitarist. Years of practice made it painfully...

M-Audio: proven the ability to anticipate the needs of "computer-centric" musicians commands a $174 million purchase price.(Company of the Year)
April 1, 2005... With the price of computers plummeting and new music software applications coming to the fore, Tim Ryan became convinced that there was a rich opportunity in computer peripherals tailored for musicians. In 1988 he founded M-Audio (originally...

Apple GarageBand: free recording software for millions.(Product Of The Year)
April 1, 2005... During the last three years low-cost Chinese labor and improved manufacturing methods have produced a deflationary spiral that has pushed down the price of traditional products by 30 percent to 50 percent. However, these declines are a minor...

Command performances! The companies on the Top 125 that turned in outstanding results and a look at how they achieved them.(THE TOP 125: AMERICA'S LEADING MUSIC & SOUND SUPPLIERS)
April 1, 2005... Pearl River Piano USA SALES UP 39% Prior to 2005 Pearl River Piano's most productive winter NAMM show generated sales orders of $900,000. At this year's show it wrote orders totaling $2.6 million. This remarkable jump capped a heady...

Where to find them: a directory of the Top 125.(THE TOP 125: AMERICA'S LEADING MUSIC & SOUND SUPPLIERS)(Directory)
April 1, 2005... ALESIS CORP. (401) 658-5760 Fax: (401) 658-3640 www.alesis.com ALFRED PUBLISHING CO. (818) 891-5999 Fax: (818) 892-9239 www.alfredpub.com ALLEN ORGAN COMPANY (610) 966-2202 Fax: (610) 965-3098 ...

D.L. Henderson Rep Firm of Year.(QSC Audio)
April 1, 2005... D.L HENDERSON Company of Maynard, Massachusetts, has been named QSC Audio's Rep Firm of the Year. The award was accepted by President David Henderson and Vice-President Fred Renz. QSC presents the award each year during its annual sales...

Bill Heese retires after 31 years at Carl Fischer.(PEOPLE)
April 1, 2005... WILLIAM HEESE, vice-president/special projects, retired from Carl Fischer Music on February 1 after 31 years with the company. He had been in the music business for over 50 years. For his last year and a half at the company Heese was...

Bellson, Haynes, and Palmer honored.(Zildjian)
April 1, 2005... ZILDJIAN HELD a very special birthday party during winter NAMM to honor three true giants of the drumming community: Louie Bellson, Roy Haynes, and Earl Palmer. Peter Erskine & the Lounge Art Ensemble provided the entertainment as well as their...

Cyndie Caruth new district sales manager.(Pearl River Piano)
April 1, 2005... CYNDIE CARUTH of Ankeny, Iowa, has been named Pearl River Pianos's new district sales manager for its Midwest territory--Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Caruth will also assume the title...

Karlsen heads international sales.(Harman Music)
April 1, 2005... Harman Music Group, a Harman International Company (NYSE-HAR), has appointed m.i. and pro audio industry veteran Dave Karlsen to the position of director international sales. Karlsen will work closely with Buzz Goodwin, executive vice president...

Aaron Stang wins Grammy.(Warner Bros. Publications)
April 1, 2005... AARON STANG, guitar product line manager at Warner Bros. Publications (WBP), was awarded a 2005 Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album. Stang appears on the winning album, Henry, Mancini." Pink Guitar, a collection of Henry Mancini songs...

Reps honored at NAMM show.(Tascam)
April 1, 2005... TASCAM BESTOWED HONORS to its top sales reps and rep firms at the NAMM Winter Show in Anaheim. The awards were given out during Tascam's annual rep meeting. The Rep of the Year award went to Techrep Marketing, Jeff Mac and Ted Bahas,...

Takamine's new limited-edition guitar.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2005... TAKAMINE'S mastery of the art and craft of guitar making may be best epitomized by its Limited Edition Series. For the past 18 years Takamine has created some of the most stunning designs and inlay artistry for these limited production models....

Cooltron effect pedals.(Vox)
April 1, 2005... VOX INTRODUCED its new Cooltron series of effect pedals at NAMM. The series' three new stompboxes use a 12AU7 (ECC82) preamp tube to deliver the kind of tone that was previously impossible to achieve in a battery-powered pedal. The...

Silver Series brings Eden quality to more affordable price points.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2005... EDEN ELECTRONICS, a division of Chicago-based US Music Corp., unveiled its new Silver Series of high-quality entry-level bass amplifiers at NAMM. The Silver Series offers an exceptional level of quality in bass amps in a size that is equally at...

Yamaha redesigns student horns.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2005... YAMAHA'S BAND & ORCHESTRAL Divison has redesigned its popular student horns for improved playability and ease of use. The new horns, the YHR-314II and YHR-322II, feature redesigned rotors for faster action, strengthened tuning slide...

New "Funk" DVD from Rick Latham.(CARL FISCHER)
April 1, 2005... RICK LATHAM is celebrating the 25th anniversary of his Advanced Funk Studies by issuing two videos on one DVD for the first time. The recent release of Advanced Funk Studies (DVD18--$34.95) is a strong addition to the Carl Fischer Music...

30th Anniversary commemorative model.(DEERING BANJOS)
April 1, 2005... DEERING BANJO is celebrating its 30 years of quality craftsmanship with its 30th Anniversary model. Limited to a production of only 30 banjos, the ebony fingerboard and peghead of this banjo are inlaid with beautifully ornate and highly...

New SX amp line from Samson.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2005... SAMSON HAS UNVEILED a completely new line of amplifiers--the SX line. The new Samson SX-1200, SX-1800, SX-2400, and SX-2800 are the perfect choice for professional live sound reinforcement and high-powered installations. The SX-1200 is an...

CD-525 tabletop CD player.(Gem Sound)
April 1, 2005... GEM SOUND'S CD-525 is a high-quality tabletop CD player equipped with professional features and styling. Built with a metal chassis, the CDT-525 sports a fast slot-load transport. A large jog/shuttle/search wheel is illuminated with a...

Improved action for Petrof upright pianos.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2005... THE PETROF PIANO COMPANY has introduced a newly designed action for its Petrof and Weinbach upright piano lines. The action was on display at the NAMM Winter Show in Anaheim, where it received great praise from those who experienced its...

Low pitch percussion block.(Meinl)
April 1, 2005... MEINL PERCUSSION has added a new low-pitched percussion block to its extensive line of hand percussion instruments. Made from high-quality PE plastic and equipped with a strong mounting clamp that can be mounted on any conventional L-rod, this...

Ibanez offers exotic wood acoustic guitars.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2005... IBANEZ RECENTLY UNVEILED three strikingly different new models in its Exotic Wood Series of acoustic guitars. The EW20WQMBBD features a quilted maple top, back, and sides. This combination delivers the brightest tones of the three new Exotic...

Singer's Dream affordable Karaoke.(Pocket Songs)
April 1, 2005... POCKET SONGS KARAOKE, a division of MMO Group, Inc., introduced Singer's Dream Karaoke, its new budget line, at the winter NAMM show in Anaheim. With a suggested retail price of $12.95, each Singer's Dream Karaoke (SDK) CDG includes eight songs...

Colaiuta, Imboden, Smith join endorsers.(E-Pad)
April 1, 2005... WHAT DOES IT MEAN when icons of drumming such as Vinnie Colaiuta, Marvin "Smitty" Smith, and Tris Imboden, whose endorsements are coveted by every manufacturer, all choose to endorse the same practice pad? Especially when the pads are made by a...

Weber mandolins expands with guitar.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2005... WEBER ACOUSTIC INSTRUMENTS has introduced the first in its new line of acoustic carved-top guitars. These instruments are 15" across the lower bout with a 25" scale length. All are hand-made at the Weber shop in Logan, Montana. The four...

Fender intros new Squier Master Series.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2005... FENDER HAS DEBUTED its latest line of quality affordable Squier guitars, the Master Series. With a total of five different models--two of which have been designed, for the first time ever, by Fender Custom Shop Master Builders--the new Squier...

Schecter's Stiletto Exotic Guitar & Bass.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2005... SCHECTER GUITAR RESEARCH debuted many exciting new instrument designs at the winter NAMM show. Schecter's new Stiletto Exotic Bass features a thru-body multi-laminate neck and solid exotic wood top. Two versions will be available: the...

80 new crafter guitars & basses debut at NAMM.(FLASH)
April 1, 2005... CRAFTER U.S.A. introduced more than 80 new guitar and bass models at the NAMM Winter Show in Anaheim, including 30 new Crafter acoustic and acoustic/electric models, 30 new Crafter electric guitar and bass models, and 20 new electric guitar and...

Tonebone pedal, Boneyard pedalboard.(RADIAL)
April 1, 2005... RADIAL, A DIVISION of JP CableTek Electronics, introduced several exciting new products at NAMM. The Tonebone Classic Tri-Mode, a 12AX7-equipped tube distortion pedal features a true-bypass clean tone and two distorted channels with separate...

DVD of Zildjian award honoring Steve Gadd.(HUDSON MUSIC)
April 1, 2005... HUDSON MUSIC has released a double-DVD that captures the entertainment and excitement of an historic musical event for the Zildjian Cymbal Company: the American Drummers Achievement Awards event honoring the legendary Steve Gadd. Containing...

New GHS sound hole mics.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2005... GHS CORPORATION has introduced two new versions of its popular Acoustic Soundhole Mics. Newly designed housing in black and silver surround the external-mount mic preamp system that amplifies acoustic guitars, wind instruments, percussion,...

Two-Channel Direct Box.(CONQUEST SOUND)
April 1, 2005... CONQUEST SOUND, INC., manufacturer and distributor of over 20,000 audio and video wiring products--all with a lifetime warranty--has introduced the DBRC-2 Two-Channel Direct Box. The DBRC-2 was developed specifically for DJs and live sound...

Aspire Santana Wood Djembe.(LATIN PERCUSSION)
April 1, 2005... LP'S NEW ASPIRE Santana Wood Djembe is a fitting tribute to the career of Carlos Santana, legendary guitarist, bandleader, and friend of LP. It's a colorful, fabric wrapped djembe with a design that harkens to the multi-decade success of...

Loops & Samples line expanded.(SONY ELECTRONIC)
April 1, 2005... SONY HAS ADDED two new collections to its extensive Sony Sound Series Loops & Samples line--Steve Ferrone & Greg Ladanyi: Drums from the Big Room and Chicago Fire, A Dance Music Anthology. Both collections expand the potential options available...

Roland's HPi-7LE DigitalPiano now shipping.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2005... ROLAND IS NOW shipping the new HPi-7LE Limited Edition digital piano, the latest evolution of Roland's critically acclaimed HPi Series lineup. With cutting-edge digital features, unprecedented expressiveness, an enhanced amplication system, and...

New violin Chin Rest.(Wittner)
April 1, 2005... WITTNER UNVEILED its new Chin Rest Center for righthanders at the recent NAMM Winter Show. The Chin Rest Center is made of the same allergy-tested, extremely strong, ultra-light Space Age composite material as the company's original chin rest....

Ravenna harp for entry-level market.(Dusty Strings)
April 1, 2005... DUSTY STRINGS CO., celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, has introduced the Ravenna 26, a new harp model targeting the growing entry-level market. Starting at $595, this 26-string stave-back harp offers the discerning, budget-conscious...

John F. Hanley.
April 1, 2005... JOHN F. HANLEY, a 22-year veteran of the music industry, died suddenly of a heart attack on January 19, 2005, while taking his daily walk on the beach in Satellite Beach, Florida. He was 63 years old. Hanley was born in Johnstown,...

The banjo leads in excitement.(100 Years Ago)
April 1, 2005... It is only necessary to go to a strictly banjo, mandolin, and guitar concert, and if the artists are of equal merit, the banjo seems to create the most enthusiasm. Publishers are finally waking up to this. In the past, the banjo has suffered...