Downtown Sounds
Northampton
Joe Blumenthal, Owner
New brands or lines you took on in 2013 with success? I started selling TC effects, and have done reasonably well with them, especially the Ditto Looper. The AMS lines Focusrite and Novation have been doing pretty well too. The biggest change has been taking on Gibson, thanks to the efforts of their New England rep. Both Gibsons and Epiphones have been selling reasonably well, especially the higher end models.
Outlook for 2014? I’m pessimistic about the coming year. I’ve had two very difficult years in a row. I think more and more retail has been migrating to the Internet, and I have resisted selling online as I feel that people who shop there are only looking for the cheapest price. But I know I need to find a way to do business online, and am in negotiations to upgrade my website so that I can try doing that.
Product of the Year? Ukuleles. I’m a Kala dealer, and I sponsor a ukulele club called AEIOUkes, and it’s been very successful.
