Music Trades articles from April 2006

Music Trades archives from April 2006

Mass merchants, risk, and the music industry.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2006... Last month's editorial on mass merchants and their impact on the music industry obviously struck a nerve, as evidenced by the tremendous number of letters and emails received. In the editorial, we noted that guitars in Wal-Mart, Costco, Best...

Topple rate increases economic anxiety.(Industry Briefings)
April 1, 2006... Sixty percent of Americans say the economy is in lousy shape. Forty percent feel certain we're in a recession! Pollsters over the last 18 months have discovered these remarkably consistent sentiments about the American economy--truly remarkable...

Cello and Mac5 mated to form new instrument.(Industry Briefings)
April 1, 2006... An Apple Power Mac G5 and a cello are being combined to create a new kind of musical instrument that recently premiered in London in a performance by John Croft. The instrument comprises a cello and its player, both connected to the Apple G5...

Kurt Cobain's guitar goes up for auction.(Industry Briefings)
April 1, 2006... A guitar that belonged to late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain could fetch more than $75,000 in a Dallas auction, it was reported in late February. The guitar is one of the items hitting the block during the Heritage Auction Galleries' Signature...

Bobby Short's Bechstein fetches $132,000.(Industry Briefings)
April 1, 2006... Friends and fans of singer Bobby Short shelled out $777,720 US at an auction of his personal property, including one buyer who bought Short's Bechstein grand piano for $132,000. Christie's International revealed Friday the final tally was...

How the CIA goofed and the value of a free press.(EDITORIAL)
April 1, 2006... Each year the Central Intelligence Agency puts out its Global World Fact Book, a dense catalog of statistical information that purports to provide a social and economic snapshot of every nation on the planet. The 1989 edition reported that the...

Imports post mixed results for Q4.(IMPORT TRACKER: What Coming Into the U.S. And From Where)
April 1, 2006... Import data paints a mixed picture for the fourth quarter of 2005, clouding projections for the coming year. In the bell-weather guitar category, acoustic guitar imports edged up 3.3%, but electrics were off 17.5%. Is this fourth-quarter...

Fred Rubin files $1.0 billion suit against Guitar Center & seven suppliers: class action alleges that GC prevented Korg USA, JBL, Mackie, St. Louis Music, Tascam, Telex, and Yamaha from selling to his ace pro sound & recording.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
April 1, 2006... FRED RUBIN, WHOSE ACE MUSIC of Miami was the original nucleus of the now-defunct MARS Music, has filed suit against Guitar Center, Korg USA, JBL, Mackie, St. Louis Music, Tascam, Telex, and Yamaha, alleging conspiracy, restraint of trade,...

FCC set to fine Behringer $1.0 million.(FLASH)
April 1, 2006... THE FEDERAL Communications Commission (FCC) proposed a $1.0 million "forfeiture" against Behringer USA on February 16, for selling 66 models of digital audio devices that fail to comply with radio frequency regulations. According to Janice...

Bosendorfer Piano Company put up for sale by Austrian Bank.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
April 1, 2006... THE RENOWNED Bosendorfer Piano Company of Vienna, the world's oldest continuously operating piano maker, has been put up for sale by Bawag Bank of Austria. Bawag, Austria's third largest bank, announced that the sale was part of a...

NAMM partners with fortune to stage corporate band battle: top CEOs trade licks, finals to be held at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
April 1, 2006... NAMM WILL PARTNER for the second consecutive year with Fortune magazine and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum for the sixth annual Fortune Battle of the Corporate Bands, a celebration of musicians with day jobs. Submissions to last...

Headquarters move to Indianapolis in 2007.(Percussive Arts Society)
April 1, 2006... THE PERCUSSIVE ARTS SOCIETY (PAS) recently announced that it will move its headquarters, museum, and library from Lawton, Oklahoma, to Indianapolis in 2007. PAS will also host its international convention, PASIC, in the city seven out often...

Roland & Pearl River to sponsor hit TV series The Piano Guy.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
April 1, 2006... ROLAND CORPORATION and Pearl River Piano Group America have both announced sponsorship agreements with Scott "The Piano Guy" Houston to co-underwrite his television series and work together on various promotional activities. The "Piano Guy"...

Revolver magazine joins Guitar World stable.(Future US)
April 1, 2006... FUTURE US, a leading U.S. publisher of enthusiast magazines, has acquired the hard rock/heavy metal consumer magazine Revolver from Harris Publications. Revolver, which has a distribution of 150,000, will become part of Future's thriving...

Power Group named Canadian distributor.(Audix)
April 1, 2006... AUDIX CORPORATION HAS named Power Group Ltd. its exclusive Canadian distributor. Power Group will be responsible for distributing the Audix line of professional microphones into a wide variety of markets including music retailers, pro audio,...

Ranking the industry's websites.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
April 1, 2006... TRAFFIC ON A WEBSITE is not the same as foot traffic in a store. Some music industry businesses thrive with a nominal web presence and relatively few visits to their sites. However, as more consumers shop online, these cases are clearly...

Equipment donated to Idaho School for Deaf & Blind.(Gemini)
April 1, 2006... GEMINI SOUND PRODUCTS has donated a new DJ mixer and a dual-deck CD player to the Idaho School for the Deaf and the Blind. Music Magic, a well-known professional disc jockey service based in Twin Falls, Idaho, learned about the schools need for...

Expanded partnership with Berklee Press.(Hal Leonard)
April 1, 2006... Berklee Press, the publishing arm of the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, has renewed and expanded its publishing agreement with Hal Leonard Corporation. For the past 20 years Hal Leonard has been an important strategic partner...

Loud Technologies to trade on Nasdaq.(FLASH)
April 1, 2006... LOUD TECHNOLOGIES announced on February 27 that its common stock would begin trading on the NASDAQ Capital Market beginning March 1 under the symbol LTEC. Chairman and CEO Jamie Engen commented, "The NASDAQ Capital Market listing is an...

DriveRack 4800 debuts on Toby Keith tour.(dbx)
April 1, 2006... THE NEW dbx DriveRack 4800 System Processor, the next generation in the critically acclaimed line of dbx DriveRack processors, made its real-world debut on January 20 when multi-platinum-selling artist Toby Keith kicked off his Big Throwdown II...

New guitar in NAMM making music museum.(Babicz)
April 1, 2006... A BABICZ GUITAR is among the instruments on display at the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, California. The museum presents visitors with an interactive journey through a century of musical instrument innovations that helped shape American...

Ultrasound amp wins Platinum Award.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
April 1, 2006... ULTRASOUND'S NEWEST ACOUSTIC amplifier, the CP-100, has been awarded the "Platinum Award for Quality & Design" by Guitar World Acoustic magazine. Ultrasound is currently looking for dealers who are interested in carrying the company's...

AIMM hosts first Leadership Conference at NAMM.(RETAILER UPDATE)
April 1, 2006... AIMM, THE ALLIANCE of Independent Music Merchants, kicked off 2006 with its first-ever Progressive Leadership Conference for Independent Dealers. The conference, which was themed "Shaping Our Industry's Future," was held at the recent Winter...

Guitar center aloft.(RETAILER UPDATE)
April 1, 2006... AS BEFITS A COMPANY NEARING the $2.0 billion (sales) mark, Guitar Center recently acquired a Falcon 50 corporate jet to provide top management with a "safe" and "efficient" mode of travel. Purchased for an estimated $10 million, the...

Emergenza battle of the bands.(Bill's Music House)
April 1, 2006... BILL'S MUSIC HOUSE of Catonsville, Maryland, has teamed up with the Emergenza Music Festival to support local Baltimore bands. Music hopefuls from all over the country are signing up to participate in this "battle of the bands" with the dream...

Washington Music Center supplies Yamaha's StagePAS 300 to military.(RETAILER UPDATE)
April 1, 2006... WASHINGTON MUSIC CENTER in Wheaton, Maryland, has provided 82 Yamaha StagePAS 300 systems to the Department of Defense so that educators at U.S. military bases across the country and around the world can help students master musical concepts...

Ray's MidBell Music expands in New Sioux City location.(RETAILER UPDATE)
April 1, 2006... RAY'S MIDBELL MUSIC has opened a new 10,200-square-foot store and learning center in Sioux City, Iowa. President Ray Guntren stated, "My son Mike and I firmly believe customers prefer the opportunity to see, touch, feel, and try out musical...

New Orleans dealer wins marketing award.(Ray Fransen's Drum Center)
April 1, 2006... RAY FRANSEN'S DRUM CENTER in New Orleans has received the 2005 Istanbul Mehmet Marketing Excellence Award. The award was presented by Universal Percussion at the Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim. In spite of being hit hard by Hurricane Katrina,...

Peavey's music closes in Meridian.(RETAILER UPDATE)
April 1, 2006... PEAVEY'S MELODY MUSIC of Meridian, Mississippi, the site of the the first Peavey Electronics production, has closed after over 50 years in business. The store was founded in 1948 by J.B. "Mutt" Peavey, father of Hartley Peavey, founder and CEO...

Music & Arts acquires All-Star Music, enters NY market buying NYICO.(RETAILER UPDATE)
April 1, 2006... MUSIC & ARTS CENTER of Frederick, Maryland, has acquired All-Star Music, with three stores in the Mesa-Tempe, Arizona, area. As one of the area's leading band and orchestra instrument retailers, All-Star Music provides quality instruments,...

A look at how far NAMM has come: dues are lower, services are better, and the shows are bigger. The only thing that hasn't changed? It's still an organization made up of great individuals.(BOB POPYK ON SELLING)
April 1, 2006... Paul Murphy from Steinert's in Boston recently sent me a NAMM program from 1958. It was for the 57th Annual Music Industry Trade Show held July 21 to 24 at the Palmer House in Chicago. That was almost 50 years ago, and I got a real kick looking...

In "The Loop" with the Stanton Group: following a major overhaul of its management, the parent company of Cerwin-Vega!, Stanton Magnetics, and KRK Systems hosts a fun-filled three-day dealer meeting to ensure that its dealers are fully in "The Loop".(COMPANY PROFILE)(Company overview)
April 1, 2006... A NO-SHOW AT THIS YEAR'S NAMM, The Stanton Group instead dedicated considerable marketing resources to an elaborate meeting for dealers, reps, and the press. Held February 10-12 at the Radisson Fort McDowell Casino Resort near Scottsdale, "The...

The music industry census: economic signals were mixed, natural disasters were abundant, and commodity prices went through the roof. Yet despite these obstacles, the industry managed to forge ahead, posting record sales of $7.8 billion. Unit volumes were up, but prices also rose for the first time in five years, signaling the end of deflation. Herewith, the industry's report card.(The Music Industry Census)
April 1, 2006... The music products industry advanced into record territory in 2005, with sales increasing 6.2% to $7.8 billion. Sales gains were spread relatively evenly among the 55 product categories tracked in this report, reflecting continued interest and...

The music products industry's biggest suppliers by sales volume.(THE TOP 125: America's Leading Music & Sound Suppliers)
April 1, 2006... There is a distinct temptation to view the 125 as a static list, given that over the past few years there has been little change in the ranking of the top five players. In reality, however, mergers, acquisitions, and bankruptcies, not to...

Kaman music: buying MBT/Musicorp, Kaman management gives a lesson in how to make acquisitions work.(Company of the Year)
April 1, 2006... An bookshelf full of case-studies has shown that acquisitions have less than a 50% rate of success. That's why any time a big acquisition hits the front page of the Wall Street Journal, the shares of the acquiring company inevitably go down....

Bruce Stevens: Steinway's long-running CEO demonstrates the meaning of leadership.(Person of the Year)
April 1, 2006... In August of 1985 when Bruce Stevens took over as CEO of Steinway, he faced a task that could best be described as "not for the faint at heart." Sales of the famed Steinway grands were running at 20% below historical averages, the plants were...

The Fender G-DEC: by making practicing fun, the "Digital Entertainment Center" keeps more beginning guitarists playing.(Product Of The Year)
April 1, 2006... Of the millions of kids who get a guitar for their birthday or Christmas each year, how many develop some mastery of the instrument, and how many quit after a few weeks, shoving the guitar under the bed, in a closet, or perhaps even reselling...

Stupendous showings: a look at the industry's fastest-growing suppliers and how they racked up their sales gains in 2005.(THE TOP 125: America's Leading Music & Sound Suppliers)
April 1, 2006... ESP USA SALES UP 46.38% CELEBRATING ITS 30TH anniversary in 2005, guitar manufacturer ESP began with an anniversary concert at the winter NAMM show for dealers and distributors featuring the top endorsers. Throughout the year its ad...

Where to find them: a directory of the top 125 suppliers.(THE TOP 125 America's Leading Music & Sound Suppliers)
April 1, 2006... ALESIS CORE (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 CO. (610) 966-2202 Fax: (610) 965-3098 ...

Doug White to head M.I. Brands.(Loud Technologies)
April 1, 2006... DOUG WHITE has been appointed vice-president for the MI Brand Group of Loud Technologies, a new position. The group encompasses the Alvarez, Ampeg, Crate, Crate Audio, and Tapco brands. He will define strategies for all the brands and work...

Promotions for three executives.(Alfred Publishing)
April 1, 2006... ALFRED PUBLISHING has promoted Gwen Bailey-Harbour, Sylvie Manus, and Ron Marius. Gwen Bailey-Harbour is now the vice-president of sales. Her career at Alfred started in June 1988 in the Marketing Department while working on a Master's...

China honors Campbell for technical aid.(PEOPLE)
April 1, 2006... DAVE CAMPBELL, factory consultant for Pearl River Piano Group America, has been honored by the Administration of Foreign Expert Affairs (AFEA) of Guangdong Province, China, with the "Guangdong Friendship Award." It is the highest commendation...

David Kilkenny named president.(Sonare Winds)
April 1, 2006... DAVID KILKENNY has been named president of the Sonare Winds division of Powell Flutes. He has been performing the responsibilities of a president, and this official announcement is merely the formalization and public recognition of what was...

Houghton joins education team.(Vic Firth)
April 1, 2006... VIC FIRTH, INC., has signed internationally renowned jazz drummer, percussionist, clinician, author, and educator Steve Houghton as an endorser and special educational consultant. Houghton will perform exclusively with Vic Firth sticks and...

Digidesign names Schenkkan new coo.(PEOPLE)
April 1, 2006... DIGIDESIGN HAS APPOINTED Gerard "Tex" Schenkkan as its chief operating officer. The appointment adds depth to the already successful senior management team of Digidesign, enabling the company to operate more efficiently and deliver even greater...

Schyvinck to head global marketing.(Shure Incorporated)
April 1, 2006... CHRISTINE SCHYVINCK has been named executive vice-president of global sales and marketing at Shure Incorporated. She will be responsible for managing Shure's five business units. Schyvinck replaces Michael McGinn, who has left the company....

Dan Barker retires as Sabian Pres.(People)
April 1, 2006... SABIAN HAS ANNOUNCED the retirement of its president, Daniel F. Barker. A native of Boston, Massachusetts, Barker joined Sabian as vice-president of production in 1985. He quickly established a culture of quality and innovation, leading to the...

Give the customers what they want: if you're not tailoring financing plans to fit the needs and lifestyles of your customers, you're losing sales volume to retailers who can. Flexible new NAMM-endorsed finance programs from GE can help you build your business.(CREATIVE RETAILING)
April 1, 2006... Brad wants a new guitar. He's been saving for quite a while, and is starting to "shop around" for the perfect one. He comes to your store, and you happily spend an hour with him talking music, guitars, and price. Brad soon discovers that the...

Levy's Leathers expands strap & gig bag offering with new Hendrix models.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2006... LEVY'S LEATHERS HAS introduced several new straps and gig bags. Its new 4-1/2" wide garment leather guitar strap with foam padding offers maximum comfort for bass guitar players or players of any heavy guitar. The new Gothic line of guitar...

Kaman named exclusive U.S. distributor for Sabian cymbals.(FLASH)
April 1, 2006... KAMAN MUSIC AND MUSICORP announced that they will share distribution of Sabian cymbals for the U.S. market, and that the two companies will be the only U.S. distributors authorized to sell Sabian. Sabian entered the exclusive partnership with...

CA-X portable digital piano: Kawai.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2006... KAWAI AMERICA HAS introduced the CA-X portable digital piano. Based on the company's popular CA5 digital piano, the CA-X offers Kawai's best action and piano sound in an easy to use, portable package. Following the mechanical principles of...

Microbow for guitarists.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2006... GUITARISTS AND MANDOLIN PLAYERS have found a new creative tool in the MicroBow, the world's only mini bow with a handle that allows them to instantly play violin using the MicroBow as a pick. The MicroBow is made by DC Enterprises, a small...

MXR EVH 177 flanger stompbox: Dunlop.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2006... DUNLOP HAS ONCE AGAIN partnered with living legend Edward Van Halen to present a new spin on a classic tone. The MXR Flanger powered the timeless Van Halen tunes "Unchained" and "And the Cradle Will Rock." Now performers can grab a piece of...

ProKeys 88SX piano now shipping: M-Audio.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2006... M-AUDIO IS now shipping its ProKeys 88xs digital stage piano. This new keyboard offers many of the features of the popular ProKeys 88 in an ultra-lightweight package. The 88sx features an 88-note keyboard with high-quality semi-weighted action,...

Metrix snare wires: Puresound.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2006... PURESOUND PERCUSSION recently introduced its Metrix line of snare wires. Engineered by Puresound President Yoav DeBasc and made to the snare wire specialist's specifications, Metrix advanced snare wire systems are made in the U.S.A. and...

Three acoustic amplifiction packages: Mi-Si.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2006... MI-SI, INC., has begun shipping the three new acoustic amplification packages unveiled at this year's NAMM show. The Acoustic Duo sports the new Mi-Si FLUX along with a Mi-Si Power Charger. The FLUX is the first-ever battery-free active...

iPlayMusic Kids and Family Guitar DVD: Mel Bay.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2006... INTERACTIVE GUITAR lessons developer iPlayMusic announced the release of its new Kids and Family Beginner Guitar Lessons DVD as well as a distribution agreement with Mel Bay Publications. The DVD is specifically designed for families with...

National Picks adds three new types.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2006... NATIONAL PICKS, manufactured by Black Diamond Strings, has unveiled three new types of its NP2 metal finger pick series. In addition to the ever-popular Nickel Silver (NP2), there is now a stainless steel (NP2S), a brass (NP2B), and a special...

On-Stage Stands intros new truss and lighting stand.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2006... THE RECENTLY INTRODUCED truss system and lighting stand by On-Stage Stands offer easy-to-use technology. The LT9000 Ten-Foot Quick Release Lighting Truss includes two five-foot sections that easily lock together to form a complete ten-foot...

New Turkish cymbal line: TRX.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2006... BLENDING THE CLASSIC art of Turkish cymbal making with the tonal and performance characteristics demanded by today's progressive players, the TRX ("turks") Cymbals Co. has introduced a line of handcrafted, premium-quality, Turkish-made cymbals....

"7 for 6" promo for M Birch drum series: Mapex.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2006... MAPEX HAS EXTENDED its popular "6 for 5" M Birch Promotion throughout 2006, and it is introducing a "7 for 6" campaign. These year-long consumer promotions reward all purchasers of M Birch drumsets with a free 8" or 10" tom plus mounting...

Second Gypsy Jazz guitar unveiled: Saga.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2006... IN COLLABORATION WITH Lulo Reinhardt, Saga has introduced the second in its line of Gypsy Jazz Signature Series guitars, the Gitane DG-310. Reinhardt's musical curiosity has taken him on a journey to Southern Spain in search of flamenco roots...

Pro-custom jazz saxes: F.E. Olds.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2006... THE NEW LINEUP of F.E. Olds professional jazz saxophones was designed by experts to meet the highest expectations of on-stage and studio musicians. The alto, tenor, and baritone saxes have "true/honest" large bell design specs that start at the...

String Swing protection clip for security.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2006... STRING SWING'S LATEST development in guitar security is the GPC--the Guitar Protection Clip. This molded plastic clip hooks firmly onto the guitar strings and displays the message, "Please ask before handling." The GPC also comes with a slot...

New CD Player Piano System: Wyman Piano.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2006... WYMAN PIANO COMPANY introduced the innovative new Wyman CD Player Piano System at the recent NAMM show in Anaheim. Now available as an option on all Wyman grand piano models, this new system features popular user-friendly controls and an...

Todd Taylor endorses recording King Banjos: Music Link.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2006... TODD TAYLOR, a world-renowned banjo player, is an exclusive artist for The Music Link, endorsing Recording King banjos. The Grammy-nominated artist can be heard playing a new Recording King banjo on "Swamp Child." He can also be seen playing...

Mark Sternal's Guitar: Probable Chords: MJS Publications.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2006... MJS PUBLICATIONS has issued Mark John Sternal's highly anticipated book, Guitar: Probable Chords--a chord key encyclopedia. Originally slated to be released in early November, the book's release date was postponed due to Hurricane Wilma. ...

Spider series in four sizes: Sunlite Guitars.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2006... DESIGNED FOR THE alternative acoustic guitarist, the New Sunlite Spider series guitars feature glossy black finishes with refractive spider graphics on the headstock and body, a spiderweb soundhole rosette, and pearloid spider inlay at the 12th...

Leather ligature line expanded: Vandoren.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2006... VANDOREN'S LEATHER LIGATURE line, introduced last year and widely received, is expanding to include all clarinets and saxophones. Now Eb clarinet players and baritone saxophonists can experience the benefits of this ligature. All ligatures...

Album-matching folio for Madonna CD: Alfred Publishing.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2006... ALFRED HAS PUBLISHED album-matching folio for Madonna's latest CD, Confessions on a Dance Floor. The CD is described as "having one foot in the early roots of her career as a 'dance artist' and the other foot planted firmly into the sound of...

New contrabass trombone: Kanstul.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2006... KANSTUL'S MODEL 1690 contrabass trombone is built in the tradition of the best German instruments, using modern American innovation and craftsmanship. Playing the contrabass trombone is no longer a daunting task thanks to Kanstul's comfortable...

House of Troy LED grand piano lamp.(PRODUCT NEWS)
April 1, 2006... HOUSE OF TROY'S new LED grand piano lamp has an array of LED bulbs that last 100,000 hours. The lamp is available in polished brass or black. The felt-lined clamp attaches to the music rack of a piano or to a music stand. [telephone]...

David L. Abell.(DEATHS)
April 1, 2006... DAVID L. ABELL, a Los Angeles area piano retailer for 50 years, died February 11 in Los Angeles at age 75. His store, David Abell Fine Pianos, was the area's first Yamaha and Bosendorfer dealership, a Hollywood institution that began in...

Iron muscle piano salesmen.(100 YEARS AGO)
April 1, 2006... While a Music Trades correspondent was in the piano showroom of a California Street dealer in Denver, a salesman of the iron-muscle type struck the keys of one instrument with all his might to demonstrate its durability. He was surprised when...

First all-girl Drum Corps.(75 YEARS AGO)
April 1, 2006... Glen Brothers Music of Ogden, Utah has the distinction of furnishing drums for the only all-girl drum corps in the state of Utah and one of only six in the U.S. The girls are members of the Polk School in Ogden, which presented its dainty...

Piano production hits new high.(50 YEARS AGO)
April 1, 2006... Piano production hit a new high in 1955. Total production for the year was 161,853 units (including 154,128 full-scale uprights, 3,959 grands, and 3,746 short-scale pianos). Industry factories worked at full capacity from August to December...

Cincinnati store anti-trust suit.(25 YEARS AGO)
April 1, 2006... Milford Music Mart of Milford, Ohio, has filed an anti-trust suit against Buddy Rogers Music and The Music Store and several Hamilton County school districts. The suit alleges that the school systems entered into an illegal trust with Buddy...

D'Addario strings in consumer index.(10 YEARS AGO)
April 1, 2006... The United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics recently added six items from D'Addario's line of guitar strings to the nation's Consumer Price Index. The Department of Labor uses the Price Index to calculate a fair reading...

75 years ago, facing a depressed piano market, creative retailers like O.K. Houck of Little Rock, Arkansas, staged "monster concerts" with dozens of pianos on stage.(FLASHBACKS: A look back at people, products, and events, as recorded in the pages of The Music Trades)
April 1, 2006... 75 YEARS AGO, facing a depressed piano market, creative retailers like O.K. Houck of Little Rock, Arkansas, staged "monster concerts" with dozens of pianos on stage. The events helped spur interest.

25 years ago aluminum-neck guitars from Kramer enjoyed a brief vogue.(FLASHBACKS: A look back at people, products, and events, as recorded in the pages of The Music Trades)
April 1, 2006... 25 YEARS AGO aluminum-neck guitars from Kramer enjoyed a brief vogue. The metal neck eliminated tuning problems and enhanced sustain, but player's didn't like the cold feel. Two years later, when the company secured the endorsement of Eddie Van...