News

Yamaha Names Larpenteur Guitar Product Specialist

Yamaha Corporation of America (YCA) has appointed Chris Larpenteur to the position of guitar product specialist for Yamaha Guitars, effective immediately. Larpenteur will be responsible for educating dealers about new products and sales methods, conducting regular store inventories to help identify sales opportunities and serving as an intermediary between Yamaha and retail personnel. He will report to Dennis Webster, manager of marketing, Pro Audio & Combo Division at YCA.

Taking Gretsch’s 130th Anniversary Celebration To New Heights

After criss-crossing the United States to attend a series of events celebrating Gretsch’s 130th anniversary this year, Fred and Dinah Gretsch recently took the celebration international. Following an anniversary show at the Sam Ash store in Hollywood on July 20th, they left Los Angeles on the 22nd for a flight to Tokyo, Japan. Because they crossed the International Date Line they arrived on the 23^rd — an auspicious date in itself, since it was Fred Gretsch’s birthday.

D’Addario Honored in Italy

Hal Leonard Employees Raise Money for Children’s Hospitals

14 employees from Hal Leonard’s 140-person Milwaukee office constituted the company’s team in the Tri-ing for Children’s Triathlon, a benefit for Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and UW Health American Family Children’s Hospital in Madison. The event took place on Sunday, July 28th in Eagle, Wisconsin, in the Southern Kettle Moraine Forest.

Guitar Center Names Bennett VP

AirBound Uses Trusst to Build Portable High Ropes Course

AirBound builds Colorado’s first and only traveling high-ropes obstacle course using 54 pieces of the TRUSST® trussing system.

Making its debut at the Boulder Creek Festival, the portable 20-by-40-by-22 foot course proved to be more than a physical challenge — it was a spectacle. So popular in fact, it generated a line that averaged 100 people for 10 hours straight over the course of the three day festival. Don Kennedy, owner of AirBound, created the course to provide a fun, interactive and physically challenging form of entertainment.

Steve Morse Takes PreSonus on the Road

Steve Morse may not be a household name among the younger set but there's hardly a guitarist alive who hasn't been knocked out by his playing. The instrumental group he founded in 1973, the Dixie Dregs, continues to win acclaim and pack halls to this day. But that's hardly enough for Morse, who ranks as one of the busiest men in show business. For the past 15 years, he's also toured and recorded with Deep Purple, as well as his own Steve Morse Band, Angelfire, and his latest project, Flying Colors. 

Boosey & Hawkes Signs Bela Fleck

Boosey & Hawkes, Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of two classical works by eminent banjoist Béla Fleck, The Impostor and Night Flight Over Water, to its catalog. Upon signing, Fleck's existing and future classical compositions will now be represented by Boosey & Hawkes.

Says Zizi Mueller, President, Boosey & Hawkes, Inc.: "It is an honor to welcome Béla Fleck into the Boosey & Hawkes family. As an artist who knows no bounds, he approaches disparate musical genres with an informed sense of style while creating something that is truly his own. We are thrilled to add his classical works to our catalog and look forward to a fruitful relationship for years to come."

Shure Included In Chicago’s ‘101 Best’ Companies to Work For

Receiving the accolade for the sixth time, Shure Incorporated has been named one of “Chicago’s 101 Best and Brightest Companies To Work For” by the National Association for Business Resources (NABR). A competition that honors employer excellence, Shure was selected for recognizing its Associates as the Company’s greatest asset and for showcasing best practices across human resources and employee enrichment programs. Shure is the only audio company on the 2013 list and also won the award in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, and 2012.

Dean Markley Names Korg UK Distributor

Dean Markley International, Ltd has announced that KORG UK is now the exclusive distributor of Dean Markley product throughout the United Kingdom and Eire.

NAMM Foundation Accepting Applications for 2014 President’s Innovation Award

The NAMM Foundation is accepting applications at www.nammfoundation.org for its 2014 President’s Innovation Award to support undergraduate and graduate students pursuing careers in the music products industry.

The cash award supports qualified college students’ travel to attend NAMM’s annual global music products trade show in Anaheim, Calif., Jan. 23-26, 2014. At the show, awardees will be invited to participate in a special collegiate program offering information, mentoring and the opportunity to network with industry laureates and professionals.

Back in the Day…

When not cranking out popular country albums or drunk-driving tractors (Google it...), Glen Campbell sure seems to feel strongly about Ovation guitars - Or at least he did in this 1969 ad.   They're "mighty satisfying!"