Music Trades articles from February 2006

Music Trades archives from February 2006

Working for the government?(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2006... I HAVE READ WITH interest the letters to the editor concerning mail order and sales taxes. Music stores are one of the last specialty retailers in business. I can remember when our town had several camera stores, but no longer. Department...

Imports post mixed results for Q3.(IMPORT TRACKER: What's Coming Into The U.S. And From Where?)
February 1, 2006... Import data for the first nine months of 2005 suggest that soaring demand for electric guitars has slowed. Imports for the three-month period ended September 30, showed a 4.6% decline, the first quarter-to-quarter decline for this category...

Fighting for the right to practice.(Industry Briefings)
February 1, 2006... A Belfast, Ireland, father has vowed he will go to jail rather than pay a 205 [pounds sterling] penal warrant issued after he unsuccessfully challenged a Noise Abatement Order in relation to his son's playing the piano too loudly. Alex Robb,...

iTunes download store edges out retailers.(Industry Briefings)
February 1, 2006... Apple's popular iTunes online music store edged out three traditional music retailers during the July through September time frame to leap into the number seven spot of top U.S. recorded music retailers. When figures are available for the full...

Teen guitarist falls to death in suspicious manner.(Industry Briefings)
February 1, 2006... One minute, private school student Li Xiao Meng, 16, was playing his guitar and jumping on his bed in his hostel room. The next, he just disappeared. His roommate looked out the window of his third-floor room and saw the Beijing native at the...

Ranking the most popular holiday songs.(Industry Briefings)
February 1, 2006... With the close of the holiday season, ASCAP has compiled a list of the frequently most played holiday music. The rankings reflect radio play. 1. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire by Mel Torme and Robert Wells 2....

What is. customer service?(EDITORIAL)
February 1, 2006... When we ask retailers what it is that separates their business from the competition, they almost always make reference to their exemplary customer service. "We put the customer first," "We go the extra mile to make sure the customer is happy,"...

Arkansas gov. & arts advocate headlines NAMM opening session.(LATE BREAKING NAMM NEWS!)
February 1, 2006... MIKE HUCKABEE, GOVERNOR of Arkansas and a music and arts education advocate, will take part in a keynote panel discussion on January 19, the opening day of the 2006 NAMM Show in Anaheim. In addition to his appearance at the morning session,...

Grammy-winning Ayala to launch new accordion line at NAMM.
February 1, 2006... MUSIC INDUSTRIES CORP. will high-light the launch of the new Cantabella accordion line with an appearance by Ramon Ayala, a four-time Grammy Award Winner, and one of the world's most renowned accordionists. Ayala has worked carefully with...

2006 Acoustic Cafe lineup announced.(NAMM SHOW PREVIEW)
February 1, 2006... ACOUSTIC GUITAR magazine has announced the lineup for its 12th annual Acoustic Cafe, held annually at the Winter NAMM Show. This year's event will take place on Friday, January 20, at 7 P.M. in the Anaheim Hilton's California Ballroom. The 2006...

Daily prize drawing at AKG booth.(NAMM SHOW PREVIEW)
February 1, 2006... THERE ARE MANY REASONS to visit AKG and Harman Pro (room #7800, between Hall A and the Arena) during Winter NAMM, but new products, daily giveaways and special show-only prices are among the best. While showcasing advanced technology in...

Win a technote digital piano.(NAMM SHOW PREVIEW)
February 1, 2006... EVERYONE IS ACCUSTOMED to free pens, free bags, and free lanyards at trade shows... but how about a free digital piano? That's just what Technote Musical Instruments is planning for the Winter NAMM Show, The company will be giving away one...

Kruger Brothers to perform at Deering Banjo booth.(NAMM SHOW PREVIEW)
February 1, 2006... THE KRUGER BROTHERS, Swiss artists, will perform at the Deering Banjo booth, #1513, throughout the entire show, January 19-22. Noted for their seamless vocal harmonies and their lively and inspiring musical renditions, Jens and Uwe Kruger...

Roland hosts Worship Summit at NAMM.(NAMM SHOW PREVIEW)
February 1, 2006... ROLAND WILL STAGE its Third Annual Worship Arts Summit on Sunday, January 22, 2006 in the Roland New Product Theatre at NAMM booth 2652, from 11:00 A.M. until 1:30 P.M. This musical celebration will feature the Grammy-nominated music of New...

Music magazine publishers host tenth anniversary NAMM bash.(NAMM SHOW PREVIEW)
February 1, 2006... TWENTY OF THE INDUSTRY'S top music magazine publishers will join with their retailer, manufacturer, and music industry friends the night of Thursday, January 19, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Music Magazine Publishers Association...

Annual NAMM prayer gathering announced.(NAMM SHOW PREVIEW)
February 1, 2006... THE 23RD ANNUAl NAMM Prayer Gathering will take place on Sunday during Winter NAMM. The annual gathering, sponsored by Ultimate Support Systems, Inc. is a special time of worship, sharing, and prayer with other manufacturers and dealers. String...

Superstars Wilson & McLachlan headline Yamaha dealer concert.(NAMM SHOW PREVIEW)
February 1, 2006... YAMAHA DEALERS WILL be treated to an extraordinary night of entertainment when musical icon, Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame member and Grammy Award-winner Brian Wilson and platinum-selling, Grammy award-winning artist Sarah McLachlan perform at the...

Musical woods at NAMM.(NAMM SHOW PREVIEW)
February 1, 2006... FRED TEBB AND SONS will be presenting their Sitka Spruce and Western Red Cedar wood products for musical instruments makers at 2006 NAMM show. The company will introduce its alder electric guitar blanks along with maple lumber for both acoustic...

NAMM's new director slate.(NAMM SHOW PREVIEW)
February 1, 2006... THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE of NAMM's Board of Directors, based on input from the association's Membership, has recommended a slate of eight board members to join the board in January, following completion of a vote by the membership during the...

Official NAMM exhibitor list: the comprehensive guide to who will be there.(NAMM SHOW PREVIEW)
February 1, 2006... OFFICIAL NAMM EXHIBITOR LIST The Comprehensive Guide To Who Will Be There 101 Musician 1284 3I Int. 5829 646667 Ontario 1460 65...

Russian real estate battle imperils global tube amp production; Electro-Harmonix founder Mike Matthews does battle with Russian real estate company in a war he dubs "rock 'n' roll versus racketeers.".(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... MIKE MATTHEWS IS STEELED for a fight. More than two decades after Electro-Harmonix fell victim to labor racketeers, the maverick manufacturer is fiercely defending the vacuum tube business he has lovingly built over the past 15 years. ExpoPUL,...

Kaman creates Harley accessory line.(FLASH)
February 1, 2006... KAMAN MUSIC HAS TEAMED with Jim Dunlop Manufacturing to introduce the first official line of Harley Davidson Musical Instrument Accessories. Manufactured by Dunlop, the line includes high-quality leather straps, Tortex picks, genuine celluloid...

Fourth annual vault tour stimulates grassroots demand.(Sabian Cymbals)
February 1, 2006... THE FOURTH INSTALLMENT of Sabian's successful Vault Tour rolled through 12 Midwest markets in late September and early October, offering the drumming community a hands-on showcase that provides cymbal selection advice as well as cymbal lathing,...

Thai-based counterfeit ring smashed: Shure.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... SHURE INCORPORATED announced on October 31 that in a series of raids conducted in cooperation with Thai authorities, the company has dealt a significant blow to those involved with the importation and distribution of counterfeit Shure products...

Mason & Hamlin pianos star in Toronto Monster Concert.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... MASON HAMLIN RECENTLY sponsored a Monster Concert in Toronto, Ontario. Co-sponsor of the outdoor event, which featured 20 pianists and ten pianos on one stage, was Y.C. Chau & Sons Piano, Inc. The Monster Concert tradition started in the...

Entry into Canadian marketplace: Weinbach Pianos.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... THE WEINBACH PIANO LINE, which is crafted by Europe's largest piano manufacturer, will make its debut in the Canadian marketplace. With a successful history in the United States, the Weinbach piano will cross international borders and offer...

Ovation marks 40th with Glen Campbell reissue.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... FORTY YEARS AGO, the Kaman Corporation added a major new chapter to the history of the guitar with the introduction of the unique Ovation "round back" guitar. The guitars' origins are as unique as its distinctive "Lyrachord" back and...

Custom composite created for entry-level: Patrick Eggle Guitars.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... PATRICK EGGLE GUITARS, one of the U.K.'s top electric guitar brands, will launch a new development in guitar design that will enable the company to sell more affordable guitars that are still of a quality that is superior to anything being...

A&S Case acquires Kriz-Kraft Case.(FLASH)
February 1, 2006... A&S CASE COMPANY has acquired the assets and design rights of Kriz-Kraft Case Company. Bill Waskey of A&S stated, "We are very pleased that Stins Svensson selected A&S to carry on the Kriz-Kraft tradition of building his unique style of rack,...

Capital investment sought for expansion.(Jellfish)
February 1, 2006... Having posted significant revenue gains in its second, third, and fourth years, Jellifish International Corp. USA is now preparing to raise $1 million of outside growth capital. "We've hit or exceeded all of the milestones in our original...

Godlyke exclusive distribution for nobels guitar effects.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... GODLYKE HAS ANNOUNCED an exclusive agreement to distribute the Nobels line of guitar effects and accessories in the United States. Nobels an industry standard for more than 20 years, offers German-designed products with superior construction...

Drummer Jim Kilpatrick\ visits factory: Premier Percussion.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... PREMIER PERCUSSION recently hosted a visit from famed pipeband drummer Jim Kilpatrick, MBE, at its headquarters in Leicester, England. One of Premier's longest-standing artists, Kilpatrick recently won his record 16th World Solo Drumming...

Yamaha now official supplier to Disneyland Resort.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... YAMAHA CORPORATION OF AMERICA has announced a new phase in its long-standing relationship with The Walt Disney Company that makes it the official supplier of musical instruments to the Disneyland Resort. Under the terms of the renewable...

Kerry King of Slayer endorses tremolos: Kahler International.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... KAHLER INTERNATIONAL has announced that guitarist Kerry King of Slayer has signed on as an endorser of its tremolos. Armed with his Kahler 2315 "special," King has been creating his own path and slaying the competition for over 20 years. His...

Acoustic pick-up pioneer Fishman celebrates 25th Anniversary.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... FISHMAN TRANSDUCERS IS celebrating 25 years of solid growth as the pre-eminent leader in the product category it created: pickups for acoustic instruments. Now the largest supplier in the world to acoustic instrument manufacturers with the...

Aviom audio network used at 10th National Games in China.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... AVIOM, INC., MANUFACTURER of the Pro16 Monitor Mixing System, recently announced that a digital snake consisting of five AN-16/i Input Modules, five AN-16/o Output Modules, and three A-16D A-Net Distributors was installed for audio distribution...

Gibson donates $1.0 mill to McCartney's Minefield charity.(FLASH)
February 1, 2006... GIBSON GUITAR DONATED $1 million at the fifth annual Adopt-A-Minefield gala on November 15 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Gibson President Dave Berryman presented the check to Sir Paul McCartney. Sir Paul and his...

NAMM debut follows acquisition of Valentino: J.L. Smith & Co.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... J.L. SMITH & CO. of Charlotte, North Carolina, will exhibiting for the first time at the NAMM Winter Show. This appearance follows the acquisition of Valentino Products from Pete Valentino, which has nearly doubled the size of J.L.Smith's...

Chinese-made band instruments with a difference: L.J. Hutchen.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... AS AN EDUCATOR, technician, and performing artist, Paul Effman watched with dismay as he saw poor-quality instruments from China pouring into the market a few years back. Although the products were inexpensive, they performed poorly and impeded...

Religous Trust aids ravaged Gulf churches: Boston Piano.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... MORE THAN 100 RELIGIOUS congregations have applied for grants from the Boston Piano Religious Trust in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and scores more are on the waiting list. In an effort to help religious congregations devastated by...

Argentina's Argendonax enters second stage of expansion.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... ARGENDONAX S.A., the Argentine manufacturer of Gonzalez reeds, has announced plans for the second stage of its expansion. First, the company plans to build a new factory, which is being designed to meet future production needs. Second, 26...

Conga clinician stars at Vegas Drum fest: LP Music.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... A SHORT DRIVE FROM THE strip that bisects this glittering gaming city and you're deep in the desert. But you don't have to go that far from Las Vegas to get to Henderson. The fastest growing community in Nevada some say in the entire U.S.--is...

Digidesign buys Wizoo sound for $5 mil.(FLASH)
February 1, 2006... AVID TECHNOLOGY INC., the parent company of Digidesign and M-Audio has spent $5 million in cash to acquire Wizoo Sound Design GmbH, whose software creates "virtual" musical instruments. Wizoo is based in Bremen, Germany, and its investors...

Midisoft launches pilot software program for underfunded schools.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... MIDISOFT CORP., long a pioneer in the field of music technology and developer of award-winning music software for novices and professionals, has expanded its commitment to develop tomorrow's musicians and creative minds through its pilot...

Burkel piano pin blocks combine performance & value.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... DIE-CUT MANUFACTURERS are used to working to exacting tolerances, and they demand the same from their suppliers. The fact that Burkel Inc. has emerged as a leader in supplying wooden stamping molds to die-cutters around the country is potent...

Official sponsor of D.A.D. program: Vater Percussion.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... VATER PERCUSSION HAS been named the official drumstick sponsor of the D.A.D. (Drums Against Disabilities) Program. D.A.D., led by Pat Gesualdo, is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children fight learning disabilities through...

Newport USA: new line of band insturments.(FLASH)
February 1, 2006... NEWPORT USA. a new line of band instruments from PJLA Music Sales & Marketing, took almost two years to come together. Preliminary intros were made at NAMM 2005 and Frankfurt 2004 and 2005. Three companies came together to develop and plan...

Yamaha marketing program helps increase step up horn sales.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... YAMAHA'S BAND & ORCHESTRAL Division recognizes that local retailers don't always have the time or resources to run full-fledged marketing programs. As part of its commitment to authorized retailers the company has chosen to assist with "Step Up...

INXS on the road with G&L guitars.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... G&L ENDORSERS INXS are about to go back on the road with a new vocalist replacing Michael Hutchence. The aptly named J.D. Fortune, who won his place with the band after it held open auditions live on US TV reality show Rock Star, was also...

Share price of publicly traded industry firms.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... PUBLICLY TRADED INDUSTRY FIRMS PRICE AS OF DEC P/E 52-WEEK RANGE MARKET 19, 2005 RATIO HIGH-LOW CAPITALIZATION Allen Organ Corp. ...

Plans to expand U.S. dealer network: Grotrian Piano.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... 2005 was the 170th anniversary of the Grotrian Piano Company, making it one world's of the oldest continuously operating piano makers. The year also was one of solid performance for the Braunschweig, Germany-based operation. Sales of Grotrian...

String maker receives RIAA Gold Record: Curt Mangan.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... CURT MANGAN, creator of Curt Mangan FusionMatched premium strings for guitars and bass guitars, was presented an RIAA Gold Record from the band Relient K commemorating the sale of 500,000 units of its first Capital Records release, mmhmm....

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy High School Competition: Conn-Selmer.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... CONN-SELMER HAS announced the Big Bad Voodoo Daddy High School Jazz Band Competition. The group's horn section will appear at the winning band's school on April 18 and 19. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy wants to hear how each jazz band can wail on the...

Remo named worldwide distribution of Drumometer Model II.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... REMO HAS ENTERED into an agreement with Drumometer under which Remo has become the worldwide distributor of the exciting new Drumometer Model II. Drumometer was inspired by a drum clinic that Boo McAfee attended in Chicago during the 1975...

Humorist Dave Barry on cover: Making Music Magazine.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... MAKING MUSIC MAGAZINE is marking its one-year anniversary with the release of its November/December 2005 issue. The cover story for this milestone issue features humor columnist and author Dave Barry, who is also the rhythm guitarist for The...

Wilh. Steinberg Pianos distributed by Brodman Group.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... WILH. STEINBERG, the famous German piano manufacturer since 1877, has appointed the Joseph Brodmann Piano Group as its exclusive distributor for the United States and Canada. The appointment is effective immediately. Frederik Steffes, CEO...

TrashKat floor tom on loan to museum: Thunderecho Drums.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... THUNDERECHO DRUMS HAS loaned one of its TrashKat drums to the Museum of Making Music, in Carlsbad, California. Co-owner and percussionist Kevin Reed incorporated a garbage can in his design of the urban-looking Trash Kat, a 20" floor tom. The...

Hot licks video catalog acquired: Music Sales.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... THE MUSIC SALES Group has acquired the entire Hot Licks video catalog and is implementing an ambitious program of transferring and expanding all existing material onto DVD. The result will be a new lease of life for an instructional series that...

Babicz Guitars supports Burton Festival.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... BABICZ GUITARS USA was a supporting contributor for the First Annual James Burton International Guitar Festival held recently in Shreveport, Louisiana. The event, which was sold out in its debut, was created to help raise money for the James...

"WhyVandoren" website launched: Vandoren.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... CONSIDERING THAT OVER half of the band directors in the United States are either brass players or percussionists, Vandoren has recognized the need to provide non-woodwind players important information to improve their woodwind sections by...

Creative Web services for music promotion: WireonFire.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... At Winter NAMM, WireonFire.com will unveil its new home page and latest toolbox for individuals producing music, books or any other 'creative' product. WireonFire provides the infrastructure required to support the endeavors of artists the...

22nd Annual World's Largest Concert: MENC.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... MENC, The National Association for Music Education, has announced that the 22nd annual World's Largest Concert (WLC) will be broadcast on Thursday, March 9, 2006. The WLC, created by MENC to focus attention on music in our nation's schools, is...

Acclaimed harp line now available in US: Salvi Harps.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... HARP WORLD, INC., THE North American distributor of Salvi Harps, will be presenting the complete line of Salvi lever harps at the 2006 NAMM show. "We are pleased that the Salvi Electric-Acoustic Egan harp in particular has received such high...

Crouch to manage industry associations.(FLASH)
February 1, 2006... MADELEINE CROUCH has taken over management of the Retail Print Music Dealers Association (RPMDA) and the National Association of School Music Dealers (NASMDA) from Don Dillon Associates, forming a new company, Madeleine Crouch & Co., Inc. Don...

"The Piano Guy" to demo at QRS NAMM Booth.(INDUSTRY FOREFRONT)
February 1, 2006... SCOTT "THE PLANO GUY" HOUSTON, a television personality, piano trainer, and educator, will be demonstrating Story & Clark pianos and QRS DVD SyncAlong technology at the Winter NAMM Show. Houston, who will perform Thursday through Saturday at...

Peavey addresses sweetwater sales staff.(Retailer update)
February 1, 2006... MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, was a very special day at Sweetwater headquarters. More than 100 sales, service, and marketing employees gathered in the company's training room at 7 A.M. to begin an intensive information session on the recently added line...

Guitar center settles class action for $3.5 million.(FLASH)
February 1, 2006... AS A GOOD-SIZED public company, Guitar Center, Inc. now faces issues legal and regulatory challenges unlike the industry's other retailers. On December 16 the company announced that it has reached a preliminary agreement to settle two purported...

$2.6 mill Steinway factory selection event: Jordan Kitt's.(RETAILER UPDATE)
February 1, 2006... JORDAN KITT'S MUSIC of College Park, Maryland, completed another record-breaking Steinway Factory Selection event during the Columbus Day Holiday weekend of October 10, reporting a record $2,678,000 in written sales. Forty-two Steinway pianos...

Guitar Center "Cruisin' Cali-Style" winner announced.(RETAILER UPDATE)
February 1, 2006... GUITAR CENTER HAS announced Jose Rodriguez as the winner of its "Cruisin' Cali-Style" promotion. Rodriguez is now cruising the streets of Oxnard, California, in his vintage 1972 Chevy Impala with a custom JBL sound system. Jack Sonni,...

Staind clinic draw SRO crowd: Daddy's Junky Music.(RETAILER UPDATE)
February 1, 2006... DADDY'S JUNKY MUSIC'S Hartford, Connecticut and Syracuse, New York locations recently teamed up with Ibanez and Yama to host two instore meet and greets with endorsees Mike Mushock and Jon Wysocki of the multi-platinum selling rock group...

Guitarist Joey Greco visits retailer: Bill's Music House.(RETAILER UPDATE)
February 1, 2006... VISITS RETAILER BILL'S MUSIC HOUSE in Baltimore, Maryland, recently hosted Joey Greco, who demonstrated some of the techniques that have made him one of the world's premier rock guitar players. Greco first came to prominence in Quebec when...

Opera promo nets $900K for Greene Music.(RETAILER UPDATE)
February 1, 2006... A CAREFULLY CRAFTED promotion in support of the San Diego Opera netted $969,500 in piano sales for Greene Music of San Diego, California. To generate prospects for the weekend sales event, Greene Music mounted a hard-hitting direct mail...

Sales staff expanded with 7 new members: Sweetwater.(RETAILER UPDATE)
February 1, 2006... SWEETWATER, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, has added seven new members to its sales and customer support staff. Sales Engineer Chad Byers is originally from Kokomo, Indiana, and graduated from Huntington College with a B.A. in music. Byers also...

Ten great salespeople you never knew: some of the incredible talents who are no longer with us, but whose accomplishments continue to inspire.(BOB POPYK ON SELLING)
February 1, 2006... Several years ago I wrote a column about the ten greatest salespeople you never knew. They were music industry veterans who had passed away. The first list included George Vigorito, John Phanco, Fritz Newell, Bob Tackett, Stanley Lischner,...

The billion dollar-plus market for used gear: sales of used products are not only profitable, they are growing fast, despite the flood of inexpensive goods from China.(MARKET DATA)
February 1, 2006... A FEW MONTHS AGO Christie's auctioned off a choice Stradivarius violin for an eye-popping $2.3 million. Type in the words "vintage guitar" on Google, and in the first hundred hits you'll find scores of choice Fender, Martin, and Gibson guitars...

Why pearl drum is taking on Hughes & Kettner: "it's an opportunity we couldn't pass up," says Jim Phiffer, president. The hi-tech German-made amp line fills unique market niche and creates a potent retail profit generator.(Hughes & Kettner In The U.S.)(Company Profile)
February 1, 2006... WITH ITS LASER-LIKE focus on developing a comprehensive line of high-value, high-quality percussion products, Pearl has achieved a leadership position in every major market around the globe. In fact, the company's success has been so complete,...

How GE Finance can change "I can't afford it" into "I'll take it!": leading credit provider has developed programs that create new opportunities for consumers while removing sales obstacles and improving the retailer's bottom line.(RETAIL FINANCE)
February 1, 2006... THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY. Some busy retailers don't stop to ponder why a customer leaves their store empty-handed. Others obsess over the loss: "Was he looking for a better deal down the street...or on the 'net? Was the product he wanted more than...

If you can dream it ... they can build it! Taking a page from the guitar industry playbook, Latin Percussion has created the first conga Custom Shop, giving players the opportunity to create the drums of the dreams and creating a new profit opportunity for retailers.(INDUSTRY MARKETING)
February 1, 2006... AT THE SAME TIME BRICK-AND-MORTAR MUSIC RETAILERS are launching internet operations to remain competitive in the increasingly global market, some manufacturers are using the web as a platform for creative marketing ideas. Latin Percussion, the...

Middle Atlantic products: the company built on practical solutions to persistant problems returns to its roots with innovative new m.i. products.(COMPANY PROFILE)(Company Profile)
February 1, 2006... IT'S FITTING that Bob Schluter's office is situated in the center of Middle Atlantic Products' engineering design department. Each day the department generates 80,000 lines of design code--the computer "instructions" that continuously refine...

Reviving Trace Elliot: noted U.K. amp builder is back with first new products in six years and distribution support in the U.S. from Peavey electronics.(Company Profile)(Interview)
February 1, 2006... EARLIER THIS YEAR AT the Frankfurt Messe, Trace Elliot introduced its first completely new product line-up in six years. The refreshed product offering reflects the revival of the Trace Elliot brand after a problematic few years. The U.K.-based...

How "tailored" accessories from American Way build retail profits: how unique private-label accessories boost the bottom line at school music dealers and spur growth at American Way Marketing.(COMPANY PROFILE)
February 1, 2006... HEADLINES LIKE "Big Business In Small Goods" have graced The Music Trades' covers and feature articles for years. But over the past half-decade accessories have become more important than ever. Some retailers rely on their typically higher...

Ward-Brodt's new showcase: Madison, Wisconsin, retailer, invests in major remodeling to give "customers a reason to come to the store.".(Retailer Profile)
February 1, 2006... SURVEYING A SHIFTING RETAIL landscape in 1983, Mick Faulhaber took decisive action to properly position his Madison, Wisconsin-based music business for the future. At the time, WardBrodt had three locations: a 17,000 square-foot downtown store,...

Hosa expands beyond cables: after two decades of delivering high-quality cables and connectors, Hosa is rolling out a broader line of sound reinforcement products under the Stage and Studio brands. Dealers and consumers are already taking notice.(Company Profile)
February 1, 2006... HOSA TECHNOLOGY'S 2004 relocation to a 53,000-square-foot facility in Buena Park, California, was indicative of the strides the company has made since it was established in 1984. Vice-President and General Manager Lee Watkins recalls that the...

How Hal Leonard's Australian arm is growing print sales down under: similarities between the Australian and U.S. market make it possible to use a single sales and marketing approach in both countries.(THE GLOBAL MARKET)
February 1, 2006... BLESSED WITH FAVORABLE demographics, a vibrant live music scene, and a strong domestic economy, the Australian music industry has been one of the world's better performers, advancing at an annual rate of 5% over the past five years. In the same...