Music Trades articles from January 2002

Music Trades archives from January 2002

Retail sales are bad, or are they. (Industry Briefings).
January 1, 2002... Retail sales were up a paltry 2% November, the slowest gain since the beginning of the recession of 1990, when sales advanced just 1.3%. On the surface, the sales gain indicates that recessionary fears are not misplaced. Look a little deeper...

More mixed signals. (Industry Briefings).
January 1, 2002... It's official. According to the Treasury Department, the U.S. economy has been in a recession since March. On the bright side, economists in the Department of Labor estimate that with the decreases in the price of gasoline and heating oil, and...

Stealing musical wood. (Industry Briefings).
January 1, 2002... The Washington State Forestry Department is alarmed that methamphetamine use has led to an unprecedented crime wave in the state's 2.3 million acres of forest land. Heavy drug users are chopping down and processing approximately $1.0 million...

Alan Greenspan: the accidental economist. (Industry Briefings).
January 1, 2002... Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, perhaps the world's best-known and revered economist, recently said his choice of profession was a matter of chance. He said it all started when he was playing as a professional musician in a dance band....

Terrorist tool or reed cutter? (Industry Briefings).
January 1, 2002... Immigration officials have detained four men at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport after one was found carrying a square knife resembling a box cutter in a secure area of the airport. An FBI spokeswoman told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram...

Pat Stevenson, Crate product manager. (Career Path).
January 1, 2002... Pat Stevenson's career path could have led to a number of destinations, but all along the way sign-posts kept directing him to St. Louis Music and Crate. Digressing from his college track toward law school, Stevenson took a job in the St. Louis...

Do the math ... go to NAMM. (Editorial).
January 1, 2002... According to Supermarket Age, an average sized grocery store typically rings up about 7,000 transactions a day. That's about what the biggest m.i. locations might do in a month, and it's a lot more than any piano stores do in a full year. The...

George Harrison, RIP. (Editorial).
January 1, 2002... The world lost one of its greatest musicians with the untimely passing of former Beatle George Harrison. There has been an outpouring of tributes for the famed guitarist, detailing his simple but compelling solos, his unfailing generosity, and...

Why you must go to NAMM: the economy is uncertain and competition is tough... go to NAMM to craft a game plan for the coming year.
January 1, 2002... In deciding matters of importance, Benjamin Franklin advised listing the positives and negatives to better "facilitate a mental weighing process." NAMM's all-encompassing International Music Market, scheduled for January 17-20, is hurtling...

YAMAHA plans hot-ticket NAMM events. (NAMM 2002 Preview).
January 1, 2002... YAMAHA CORPORATION of America has scheduled numerous performances for the 2002 NAMM Convention. Company-sponsored NAMM events include the popular Junior Original Concert series for young musicians, hosted by Mike Garson. Performances will take...

Sabian celebrates its 20th anniversary with "Drums Along NAMM". (NAMM 2002 Preview).
January 1, 2002... THE ANNUAL SABIAN "Drums Along NAMM" party at the Anaheim Hilton includes a lineup sure to add punch to everybody's Friday night in Anaheim. Also celebrating Sabian's 20th anniversary, the 2002 "Drums Along" will feature the Dave Weckl Band;...

Acoustic Cafe 2002. (NAMM 2002 Preview).
January 1, 2002... THE EIGHTH ANNUAL Acoustic Cafe concert will take place on Friday night, January 18, at the winter NAMM show in the Pacific Ballroom at the Paradise Pier Hotel (formerly the Pacific Hotel). The hotel is located at 1717 West Street, a short walk...

Official NAMM exhibitor list. (NAMM 2002 Preview).
January 1, 2002... Data Supplied By NAMM As Of 12/01/01 "3L International 5924 A Little Bit of This Music Gifts 3528 A&S Case Company, Inc. 4885 A-440 Pianos ...

Elton John's Yamaha donated to September 11th fund drive. (Industry Forefront).
January 1, 2002... THE MAMMOTH "Concert for New York City," presented at Madison Square Garden on October 20 by VH1, AOL, Miramax, and Cablevision, was a benefit unlike any other, and Yamaha did its part by providing several pianos for the galaxy of artists who...

Kaman joins with H.S.S. to distribute Sabian. (Industry Forefront).
January 1, 2002... DRIVEN BY THE continuing increase in demand for Sabian cymbals and percussion accessories, Sabian has added Kaman Music Corporation to its U.S. distribution operations. Effective June 1, 2002, Kaman will join H.S.S. in representing Sabian to...

"Play Laney and Get Paid" promotion. (Industry Forefront).
January 1, 2002... LANEY AMPLIFICATION began November with the most aggressive U.S. consumer promotion in its 35-year history. Tom Malm, vice-president of Laney USA, described a multi-tiered launch that includes direct-to-consumer mailings, high-impact in-store...

Lowrey dealers exchange proven sales strategies. (Industry Forefront).
January 1, 2002... LOWREY ORGAN HOSTED its annual dealer meeting this past October 15 and 16. Emceed by Lowrey Director of Sales Melvin Wisniewski, the event was held at the Holiday Inn O'Hare International in Rosemont, Illinois. About 30 dealer principals came...

Deering Banjo moves to new factory. (Industry Forefront).
January 1, 2002... DEERING BANJO COMPANY, the largest banjo maker in North America, moved into its custom-built 15,000-square-foot facility in Spring Valley, California, in late June 2001. The new factory features a 500-square-foot showroom, office space for...

Taylor opens the perfect acoustic room. (Industry Forefront).
January 1, 2002... IN ITS ONGOING QUEST for acoustic guitar perfection, Taylor Guitars recently opened an "acoustic room" at its El Cajon, California, factory. Designed by Chris Pelonis, a renowned acoustical design expert, the room offers the ideal sonic...

Telex completes debt-for-equity swap. (Industry Forefront).
January 1, 2002... TELEX COMMUNICATIONS, Inc. announced on November 21 that it has successfully completed its previously announced debt restructuring. A company spokesman said that bond holders had agreed to swap bonds for a combination of equity and cash. In...

Kaman to distribute Genz Benz and Tube Works. (Industry Forefront).
January 1, 2002... KAMAN MUSIC HAS SIGNED on as the exclusive U.S. distributor of Genz Benz and Tube Works guitar and bass enclosures, amplifiers, and effects. Paul Damiano, Kaman's vice-president of sales and marketing, stated, "Genz Benz is an extraordinary...

Growth strategy for the market down under: how Australis and music house have teamed up to invigorate the New Zealand music scene. (Industry Forefront).
January 1, 2002... LOCATED ON THE OTHER side of the globe, with a population and land mass comparable to the state of Kentucky, New Zealand is one of those countries most Americans rarely take notice of. Yet despite its status as a "smaller market," the island...

Telecom woes hurt Allen Organ net. (Corporate Earnings Digest).
January 1, 2002... CONSOLIDATED SALES for the nine months ending September 30, 2001, for Allen Organ Company were $43,764,562 compared with $53,590,064 for the same period of 2000. The 2001 consolidated net loss was $(4,454,198) or $(3.81) per share on 1,170,505...

McInturff Fish `n' Jam AIDS red cross. (Industry Forefront).
January 1, 2002... TERRY C. MCINTURFF Guitars held its second annual customer appreciation weekend, titled "Fish `n' Jam," October 19-21 at its headquarters in Holly Springs, North Carolina. The weekend activities included a comprehensive shop tour with a catered...

Leblanc to distribute Sankyo flutes. (Industry Forefront).
January 1, 2002... G. LEBLANC CORPORATION is now the exclusive North American distributor for premium Japanese-made Sankyo flutes. Leblanc displayed a representative sample of the Sankyo line at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic December 18-21 in Chicago....

Hal Leonard to rep EMI catalog down under. (Industry Forefront).
January 1, 2002... HAL LEONARD CORPORATION has announced that effective immediately its Australian subsidiary, Hal Leonard Australia Pty. Ltd., has obtained exclusive music print rights to the EMI catalog in Australia and New Zealand. This agreement was reached...

Remixer Jason Nevins uses Korg Electribe. (Industry Forefront).
January 1, 2002... FOR THE PAST 10 years, remixer Jason Nevins has been turning heads with his hit remixes, most notably the chart-topping Jason Nevins vs. Run DMC remix, "It's Like That." An international phenomenon that went to number one in 22 countries, the...

Rodgers teams with Pinchi Organ of Italy. (Industry Forefront).
January 1, 2002... AN AGREEMENT FOR joint cooperation, research, and pipe business has been formed between Rodgers Instruments, LLC, of Hillsboro, Oregon, and Pinchi Organbuilders of Foligno, Italy. Pinchi Organbuilders, a prestigious company with over 100...

World's largest playable guitar. (Industry Forefront).
January 1, 2002... GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS has officially confirmed that an enormous instrument modeled on the Gibson 1967 Flying V is actually the largest playable guitar ever made. The mammoth guitar was constructed by a determined and ingenious team of 11...

Yamaha training held at NAPBIRT. (Industry Forefront).
January 1, 2002... YAMAHA Corporation of America, Dealer Development Services held its first Applied Instrument Service Training at the National Association of Professional Band Instrument Repair Technicians (NAPBIRT) Technical Training Center in Normal,...

Hale Piano's $1.0 million showcase. (Retailer Update).
January 1, 2002... HALE PIANO has celebrated its 53rd anniversary with the opening of a spectacular new million-dollar location on South Dixie Highway, one of Miami's premier shopping districts. The location combines an elegant piano showroom with a...

Fred Bramante attends WTC benefit concert. (Retailer Update).
January 1, 2002... Fred Bramante, CEO of Daddy's Junky Music, attended the Alliance of Neighbors fund-raising concert for the families of the 162 victims of the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center who lived in the Red Bank, New Jersey, area. "My...

Cascio celebrates Drum Month. (Retailer Update).
January 1, 2002... CASCIO INTERSTATE Music Superstore, in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, suburb of New Berlin, celebrated International Drum Month 2001 with its first annual flee "DrummerFest" on Saturday, November 10. More than just another drum clinic, the event...

Musician's friend expands merchandising staff. (Retailer Update).
January 1, 2002... DAVE RICE, CHRIS TSO, and Jay Piccirillo recently joined the merchandising staff of Musician's Friend. Dave Rice is now the general merchandising manager and director of merchandising. He will be leading the product management operations by...

Billings completes at Steinway University. (Retailer Update).
January 1, 2002... GRANT BILLINGS, vice-president of Steinway Piano Gallery of Naples (Florida), completed the Retail Sales Professional Bachelor Program at William Steinway University in October. The University's courses are held at Steinway & Sons corporate...

Hubbard music stages "Guitar Toss". (Retailer Update).
January 1, 2002... Hubbard Music of Hubbard, Ohio, presented the area's first-ever "Guitar Toss" Contest. The event was hosted by Radio Station CD 93.3 "The Wolf," with a live remote broadcast from the store from 1:00 to 3:00 P.M. on Saturday, November 10. ...

Sherman Clay opens in Katy, TX. (Retailer Update).
January 1, 2002... SHERMAN CLAY opened a large free-standing store in Katy, Texas, in November. The new store operates under the Brook Mays Pianos name. This brought the number of Sherman Clay retail locations to ten. In addition, Sherman Clay recently enlarged...

Washington Post on Bill's Music House. (Retailer Update).
January 1, 2002... The Washington Post, best known for breaking the Watergate scandal 25 years ago, recently turned its reporting talents to music retail, covering the five stores that constitute "Music Row" in Catonsville, Maryland, a Baltimore suburb. Post...

Fletcher donates $50,000 to NYFD families. (Retailer Update).
January 1, 2002... FLETCHER MUSIC CENTERS, headquartered in Florida, recently donated $50,000 to the United Fire fighters of America Widows and Children Fund in memory of New York City firefighters who died during terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on...

Chambers back at sweetwater. (Retailer Update).
January 1, 2002... SWEETWATER INC., one of the nation's leading retailers of professional music technology equipment, has hired Chet Chambers as producer/studio engineer. Chambers was the partner/producer/engineer in the first two Sweetwater Studios, 1984-1989,...

Pecknel supplies horns to top South Carolina bands. (Retailer Update).
January 1, 2002... MANY OF SOUTH Carolina's premier high school marching bands are now featuring Accent marching baritones and mellophones in their horn lines. The instruments were furnished by Pecknel Music Company, which has stores in Greenville, Columbia, and...

Wittman & Murphy promoted at Yamaha.
January 1, 2002... Yamaha's Band and Orchestral Division has promoted John Wittmann to marketing manager/education and Jim Murphy to artist relations manager. Michael Bennett, the division's vice-president and general manager, said that Wittmann and Murphy are...

Remo names Kaericher global president; Belli remains CEO and chairman.
January 1, 2002... REMO HAS NAMED Brock Kaericher its global president. Kaericher was previously the company's vice-president of operations, heading the firm's domestic operations. The appointment was announced after the company's most recent board of directors...

Wilson heads Taylor export sales.
January 1, 2002... ROBERT WILSON has joined Taylor Guitars as director of international sales. Wilson is also the owner of Sound Technology, the UK-based distributor for Taylor, Alesis, Emagic, Groove Tubes, Samson, Monster Cable, and other music-related...

O'Connor joins Black Diamond.
January 1, 2002... Pat O'Connor has joined Black Diamond Strings, a division of the Cavanaugh Co., Sarasota, Florida, to head its sales force. O'Connor had been the inventory control manager for DR Handmade Strings and also maintained a large sales territory...

Carl Fischer adds staff members.
January 1, 2002... Carrie Culver, Sean O'Loughlin, and Cheryl Paille recently joined the staff of Carl Fischer, the publishing firm based in New York City. Carrie Culver, marketing and administrative coordinator, joined the company after several years in...

Guitar Foundation honors Rose Augustine.
January 1, 2002... ROSE AUGUSTINE, president of Albert Augustine, Ltd., was honored recently by the Guitar Foundation of America, which presented her with its Lifetime Achievement Award "in recognition and thanks for her unfailing commitment to the classic guitar...

Graham Heads Crown marketing.
January 1, 2002... MARK GRAHAM HAS been appointed vice-president of marketing at Crown International. He will report directly to Crown President Blake Augsburger, who made the announcement. Graham now supervises and directs Crown's global marketing efforts...

Kirchner, Chandler join Midco staff.
January 1, 2002... Midco International has added Guss Kirchner and Steve Chandler to its staff. Guss Kirchner, of Detroit, will service Midco's dealers in Michigan. He is a longtime industry veteran, having started in the 1970s with Tilben and then moving to...

Chaikin takes JBL marketing post.
January 1, 2002... JBL Professional has named industry veteran Peter Chaikin as director of marketing/recording and broadcast. Mark Gander, vice-president/marketing, said that Chaikin will take over marketing responsibility for the company's studio monitors,...

Rodriguez heads sales for Antigua.
January 1, 2002... ROLAND RODRIGUEZ has been named to head the sales and marketing division of Antigua Winds. Georgia Star, CEO of the ten-year-old company, commented, "Roland's musical background, business acumen, and innovative ideas make his uniquely qualified...

Portnoy new VP AT at CE Distribution.
January 1, 2002... CE DISTRIBUTION OF TEMPE, Arizona, has appointed Orin Portnoy as its vice-president of marketing. He was formerly with New Sensor Corporation in New York City. Portnoy has been associated with the music industry for the last 20 years. In...

D'Addario elected to Bluegrass Association.
January 1, 2002... Another election night came and went and this time there was no need for a recount. Peter D'Addario, fretted strings brand manager for J. D'Addario & Company (and a big bluegrass fan) has been elected to the Board of Directors of the...

Gibson outlines the Baldwin strategy: excited by the Piano Industry, Gibson CEO Juszkiewicz says Mantra of "quality, prestige, and innovation" will restore Baldwin to its former status. (Company News).
January 1, 2002... "We're not creating a new Baldwin, we're simply unleashing the talent and experience that is already there," declared Henry Juszkiewicz, chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitars. The occasion was a Baldwin dealer meeting held in Memphis, Tennessee,...

Henry Juszkiewicz on the piano business. (Gibson Buys Baldwin).
January 1, 2002... The piano business has been plagued by overcapacity for the better part of two decades, and profitable manufacturers are in a minority. Baldwin lost $17 million before ending up in bankruptcy court and being seized by its secured lender....

The ten greatest salespeople of all time: remembering the people who built the industry. (Bob Popyk on Selling).
January 1, 2002... I've been connected with the retail music industry for almost 40 years. I've had the chance to know industry veterans like Karl Bruhn, Larry Linkin, and Bob Fletcher before they retired, and I got to meet industry legends like Bill Schultz, Vic...

Yamaha sets the stage for Winter NAMM 2002. (Company News).
January 1, 2002... YAMAHA CORPORATION of America will have a major presence at Winter NAMM 2002 with the debut of a variety of new products sure to create interest among dealers and end-users throughout the coming year. The GC1 Classic Collection Grand is among...

Turn, turn, turn: Vic Firth rolls with changes in his "perfect pair" of passions--an industry leading drumstick company and one of the world's great symphonies. (Company Profile).
January 1, 2002... To a drummer, timing is everything. Doing things right is only as important as doing them at precisely the right moment. After holding the Boston Symphony Orchestra's principal timpanist chair for fifty years, Vic Firth says it's time for him...

Percussionist nonpareil. (Vic Firth Drumsticks).
January 1, 2002... If there is a dominant motif in the success of Vic Firth as a businessman, it is his tremendous capacity for concentration. Not surprisingly, this has also been his single greatest asset a musician. At the age of 20 Vic became (and remains) the...

AES prevails in post 9/11 New York.
January 1, 2002... The fact that there was an Audio Engineering Society Show this year says a lot about the importance of the event and the powerful draw of trade shows in general. Two years ago like clockwork, AES had scheduled its 2001 New York show at the...

A-T 10th anniversary Cardiod Capacitor Mic. (AES in New York).
January 1, 2002... COMMEMORATING THE 10th anniversary of the introduction of the AT4033, Audio-Technica has launched a new Special Edition AT4033/SE Cardioid Capacitor Microphone. Originally introduced in 1991, the AT4033 established a benchmark in transducer...

High value mics from AKG. (AES in New York).
January 1, 2002... WITH THE INTRODUCTION of the new AKG C 900 performance condenser microphone, AKG Acoustics has offered vocal artists and engineers the celebrated AKG audio quality in an affordable package. The new mic features 24-karat gold transducer case for...

New mixers from Crest. (AES in New York).
January 1, 2002... CREST AUDIO DISPLAYED several compact mixers at the AES show. The new XR-20 and XR-24 are designed to have the features, versatility and quality typically found only on larger, more expensive desktop units. The new XR-M is a truly compact and...

E-V new powered sub woofer. (AES in New York).
January 1, 2002... ELECTRO-VOICE introduced the new SxA180 powered subwoofer at AES. The SxA180 is designed with a modified DL18 premium transducer, optimum vented enclosure, and 300-watt, 650-watt peak Class-D amplifier. Designed to fill the gap in markets that...

2001 the year in review: a challenging year became tougher after September 11th, but external problems revealed industry resiliency. (2002 Review & Forecast).
January 1, 2002... In light of the events of the past 12 months, we humbly suggest that the phrase "foreseeable future," as in "we expect continued sales growth for the foreseeable future" be immediately stricken from the English language. Bracketed by the most...

Major milestones of 2001. (2002 Review & Forecast).
January 1, 2002... 2001 SAW ITS SHARE of company milestones. Corporate survival in a competitive world is no mean feat, so company birthdays are truly worthy of recognition. Noteworthy anniversaries in the year included: NAMM marked its 100th anniversary;...

Movers & shakers in 2001. (2002 Review & Forecast).
January 1, 2002... EVERY YEAR, people move up, down, and sideways on the corporate ladder in the industry's own game of musical chairs. Business is ultimately about people, thus the moves are of note. Career shifts during the year included: Joe Lamond took the...

2001 they said it!: notable quotes during the course of the year. (2002 Review & Forecast).
January 1, 2002... "It takes between $2.5 million and $3.0 million for us to open a store. Multiply that by 49 stores and you realize that this business needs a lot of capital to expand at the rate we've been expanding." Mark Begelman CEO MARS Music...

PASIC 2001 annual gathering shows percussion industry hanging tough. (PASIC in Nashville).
January 1, 2002... No one knew quite what to expect from the 2001 Percussive Arts Society International Convention held in Nashville this past November 14-17. A year deep into persistent economic doldrums (now officially a recession) and in the wake of sobering...

Versatile new Korg tuners debut. (Product News).
January 1, 2002... KORG HAS EXPANDED its line of tuners with the new GA-30 Guitar/Bass and CA-30 Chromatic tuners. These compact, easy-to-use tuners offer a broad detection range, precise tuning capability, and unique features, at competitive prices. The...

New products from Pro-Mark. (Product News).
January 1, 2002... PRO-MARK HAS UNVEILED several new products, starting off with two new autograph models of drumsticks. The TX8AW Jim Rupp model is made of American hickory and measures 15-3/4" (400mm) long and 17/32" (13.5mm) in diameter. It has a wood...

Music Link introduces metal body resonator mandolin. (Product News).
January 1, 2002... A PERFECT REPLICA of a timeless classic, the Johnson Metal Body resonator mandolin is modeled after the original 1930s Style-1 mandolin. It features a nickel/silver plated bell brass body, aluminum resonator cone, and a solid maple neck. This...

New soprano sax from Jupiter. (Product News).
January 1, 2002... JUPITER BAND INSTRUMENTS, manufacturer of the popular 800 series Artist saxophones, has introduced the 847SG Artist soprano sax. With standard features such as sterling silver necks, gold-plated keys, silver-plated bodies, and metal tone...

New LM keyboard stands. (Product News).
January 1, 2002... LM PRODUCTS, Inc., has been selected as the worldwide distributor of Standtastic keyboard stands. Along with its vast line of guitar straps, band instrument accessories, and instrument bags and cases, LM now distributes Standtastic's full line...

Mackie's new HR624 active studio monitor. (Product News).
January 1, 2002... MACKIE DESIGNS has introduced the HR624, a 6.7" two-way high-resolution active studio reference monitor powered by the same Mackie Active Technology as the proven HR824. Complete with THX PM3 Certification, the new HR624 delivers the same flat...

Summit guitar pack unveils two new products. (Product News).
January 1, 2002... SUMMIT GUITAR PACK has added a banjo gig bag and a hardshell case carrier to its line of highly protective musical instrument bags. In addition, it has updated its popular dreadnought bag so that it will accommodate most arch-top hollow-body...

MKS offers pedal pad for guitar players. (Product News).
January 1, 2002... MKS PROFESSIONAL Stage Products of Topeka, Kansas, has effectively bridged the gap between custom and entry-level guitar equipment by producing Pedal Pad, a pedal board with a modular design that allows players the ability to customize their...

Mel Bay's "First Lessons" instructional series. (Product News).
January 1, 2002... MEL BAY Publications has introduced a major new instructional series,"First Lessons." Each full-sized book presents basic instruction in a self-teaching, very user-friendly format. All books come with a companion play-along CD and retail for...

Zildjian to roll out slew of new cymbals at NAMM. (Product News).
January 1, 2002... THE AVEDIS ZILDJIAN Company will introduce many new models at the 2002 NAMM show. Many of the new items celebrate the tenth anniversary of the company's highly successful A Custom range and were developed with the assistance of drumming...

New Mathias Thoma student cello from E.M.M.C. (Product News).
January 1, 2002... ENTERTAINMENT MUSIC Marketing Corporation (E.M.M.C.) has "carved" out a new niche in the student cello market with the introduction of the Mathias Thoma MT-27 Cello, a high-quality European carved-top cello at an amazingly affordable price...

Sportster guitar from McInturff. (Product News).
January 1, 2002... TERRY C. MCINTURFF Guitars recently released its latest model, the TCM Taurus Sportster. The new guitar has features similar to those of the award-winning TCM Taurus Standard but with a mahogany top instead of a maple one. The Sportster is...

New Snare drum range from Gretsch. (Product News).
January 1, 2002... KAMAN MUSIC CORP., manufacturer and exclusive worldwide distributor of Gretsch drum products, has introduced a new range of snare drums in various sizes and specifications with original Gretsch design features. The new snare drums will...

Warner Bros. releases "Erin Go Bragh" folio. (Product News).
January 1, 2002... Warner Bros. Publications has captured the magic of Ireland in Erin Go Bragh, a new songbook arranged for piano/vocal/chords. The songbook is the latest edition to the company's Travelogue Series. The book offers a musical journey through the...

Gator ATA flight cases for guitar. (Product News).
January 1, 2002... GATOR CASE'S NEW ATA series of guitar cases are the perfect solution for traveling musicians. The cases are manufactured of incredibly durable military-grade polyethylene that is designed to withstand all the hard hits and elements that the...