MMR recently spent some time with JHS’ managing director, Dennis Drumm, to get the inside story on what brought these two industry heavyweights together and what’s on the horizon for both…
MMR: How did the arrangement between JHS and LPD Music International come about?
Dennis Drumm: I’ve known Tom and Sonia Vallis for years and, like JHS, LPD is a very well established family company, with a great feel for guitars, generally, and a reputation for great service and focus on the best brands. We both deliver corporate efficiency, but with a family feel. Neither of us ever forgets that, at heart, every business is ultimately about people, and people are family.
There was already a synergy between both companies through us both distributing the Trev Wilkinson-designed Italia range in our respective domestic markets, so LPD had always had an on-going interest in what JHS was doing with Trev in the development of the Vintage and Fret-King lines. After Winter NAMM 2013 and several meetings, we reached an agreement to start working together.
MMR: What products from the JHS line will be distributed by LPD?
DD: Fret-King electric guitars, Vintage electric guitars, and Vintage acoustic guitars.
MMR: What do you see as being the benefits to your respective parties from the new deal?
DD: JHS and LPD are “guitar people.” Of course we’re in business, but one of the objectives for both companies is to delight our customers with guitars that will bring astonishing levels of sound, build-quality, and value. The Vintage line has built up a solid reputation for possibly the strongest price/quality/feature/value combination in the market today, with a constant stream of five star reviews from media in many countries, a blogosphere presence with massive unsolicited positive comment, and distribution in every major market.
We achieve this excellence by a very close focus on attention to detail, with subtly unique body styles, not building down to a price, loading really useable features in to every guitar, and concerning ourselves with getting the instruments “right” to the extent that any guitar player can pick up the humblest Vintage model and, especially if the brand is new to them, be totally amazed at what we deliver for such a modest price.
Fret-King by Trev Wilkinson steps up to the plate where Vintage leaves off, with stunning original designs and instruments aimed at the discerning player who’s invariably had “everything else,” and is looking for “that next guitar.”
For me, our relationship with Trev Wilkinson is one of the most enjoyable things I’ve ever done in business. Trev’s experience, vision, fine eye for detail, and determination to prove what can be done when your commercial heart and soul is in the right place has propelled Vintage and Fret-King to almost cult status, with some very serious folks playing and endorsing the products. Many of these players tell us they love the almost anarchic, ‘anti-brand’ idea of walking out on some of the world’s biggest stages with a guitar they can totally trust to do the job, that the young kid in row three of the audience can buy for a few hundred bucks. The results of our long cooperation are now fully available to U.S. dealers and players, who have already had a taste of the two lines, and are ready for more.
The benefit of working with LPD is that they have a terrific dealer network, great business relationships with their customers, and are totally equipped to bring Vintage and Fret-King to the widest possible audience in the U.S. market.
MMR: Are there any upcoming developments for – or expansion of – the new partnership between JHS and LPD Music?
DD: The JHS fretted instrument ranges include a wide diversity of genres and styles, including Pilgrim banjos and folk instruments, Santos Martinez classical guitars, and of course the LAKA ukulele line, so who knows what the future holds… One thing is for sure – come Winter NAMM 2014, there will definitely be some stunning new models in both Vintage and Fret-King, so watch this space!
