FEATURES
-Pay It Forward! You’ve heard enough bad news. We take a look at the fantastic things happening in MI today.
-‘MIM is the Word The Musical Instrument Museum opened in Phoenix to a lot of fanfare. Rebecca Apodaca, an expert on antique instruments, gives you a rundown of the latest thing to hit MI.
-‘Loud and Clear Pro audio products continue to sell. We get the scoop from four top manufacturers.
-‘Open Door’ Policy NAMM makes a big change by allowing member-invited guests on the last day of Summer NAMM.
-Musikmesse A-107K! Attendance at Musikmesse and Pro Light + Sound dipped slightly, but optimism was up.
-It’s in the Cards ! You need to have PCI DSS-compliant terminals to handle credit card transactions by July 1. What are we talking about? Don’t worry, we’ll explain.
-Unplugged Acoustic guitar sales grew dramatically in 2009 and the beginning of 2010. Is this the beginning of a new trend?
-Head of the Class! We shine the spotlight on many of the new companies that launched at NAMM.
-Musicorp Mourns Mike Murphy We honor the sale rep’s life that ended way too soon.
-Is a New Healthcare Plan Just Snake Oil? We take a thorough look at how a new public healthcare plan can affect you and your employees. ?
-Bonanza! Behringer Buys Bosch Brands Behringer’s parent company added the Midas and Klark Teknik brands to its stable.
-The Stars Will Come Out…This Weekend We highlight a few of the celebrity appearances at NAMM.
-What A Long Strange Trip It’s Been!!! We reminisce as we close out the first decade of the new millennium. It was a tough 10 years for many. How about for the music industry though? What’s ahead?
-It’s Voting Time! Here are your nominees for the 24th annual Music & Sound Awards.
-Here We Come to Save the Day!!We provide a plethora of accessories that manufacturers assure you will provide excellent margins.
-For Those Who Make Lesser Publicized Instruments, We Salute You!!For the first time, we pay tribute to instruments and products that get little press coverage. We provide a well-deserved spotlight for these products!

-Sue Avant is a trailblazer. She’s also someone who
has varied interests. And she is, indeed, formidable.
-Mary Ann Giorgio It sure sounds like a great job to cover soap operas like Days of our Lives and speak to celebrities on a daily basis. But MXL’s Mary Ann Giorgio was never comfortable in that industry. She sure is comfortable at MXL Microphones though.
-Fusion Bags For the first time, we feature multiple people in this column. We look at the genesis and growth of the all-women founded business, Fusion Bags.
-Linda Arink is one of the very few female executives at a DJ company. Learn how she became involved and why she hopes we won’t even need to have a column about top industry females in the future.
-Debbe Stephenson stumbled upon MI shortly after college, but is sure glad she did. She’s now president and COO of Pro Co Sound.
-• Mary Peavey
-• Jennifer Tabor
-• Tarina Dunwoodie
-• Stacey Montgomery-Clark.
-• Cathy Duncan
-• Bee Bantug
-• Dale Krevens
-• Melanie Ripley
-• Susan Grund
-• Toby Nady
-• Shawna von Behren.
-• Berenice Chauvet
-• Sue Kincade
-• Tish Ciravolo
-• Vikki Hayward
-• Roxana Ramirez
-• Susan Lipp

It’s one of the toughest parts of being a store owner. Competition has forced you to sell some products at razor-thin margins. Perhaps, you have to accept a loss on particular products. But as Mighty Mouse would say if he were involved in our industry, “Here accessories come to save the day!” OK, maybe we went overboard there.

Accessories are clearly one of the best ways to earn profit for your store. We asked manufacturers to provide us with an accessory they sell that can provide you with excellent margins. These are not only cool products. These accessories and bags/cases also put lots of cash in your pocket, according to the manufacturers who submitted the items for consideration. Many are great selling items for the holidays.

So let’s show what we have.

Editor’s Note: The term “high-margin” could vary widely from manufacturer to manufacturer. For exact details, please contact the company of interest.

Yamaha’s Hex Rack System
Description: Yamaha found a hexagonal shape was superior to rounded pipes to hold drum kits. So it launched the Hex Rack System. Launched last year, Yamaha often receives the following comment about Hex Rack: “Why didn’t anyone think of that before?
Contact: For more information: www.yamaha drums.com

Fishman’s Slipcovers and Padded Shoulder Bag For its Loudbox 100 and Performer Amplifiers
Designed by Gator Cases, the Loudbox covers are made from 600-denier ballistic nylon. The shoulder bag features a thick protective foam surrounded by 600-denier nylon.
www.fishman.com

Levy’s Leathers Pro Series Gig Bag
Features one-inch padding, a neck-stabilizing system, and strap-pin suspension absorbers. The bags are available for acoustic, electric, and bass guitars.
www.levysleathers.com

Pro-Mark PB10 and PB20 Pad Bags
The drumstick bags come in two sizes: PB10 (small) and PB20 (large). The PB20 is equipped with a shoulder strap.
www.promark.com

Namba Gear Big Namba Studio Backpack
The studio backpack can hold up to a 17-inch laptop computer along with two-octave MIDI controller keyboards. Available in these colors: Mayan brown with blue interior, charcoal gray with red interior, and olive green with bronze interior.
www.nambagear.com

Hybrid Cases Affordable Guitar Technician’s Workcase
The work case is about 15½ inches by 13 inches by 30 inches and weighs 20 pounds. It offers Velcro on a carpeted pad for guitars and five 2-inches for easier transport.

Fender Sublime Bass Fuzz Pedal
It is designed to match Fender’s pedals of the 1970s and, as the name suggests, is clad in a lime green color. The pedal is intended to provide a dirty sound reminiscent of epic rock sound.
www.fender.com

TC Electronic Level Pilot
The stereo volume control can fit into any active speaker setup. Level Pilot is constructed of aluminum and is designed to offer high resolution and low noise.
www.tcelectronic.com

Hamilton Grabbit Guitar Stand
Grabbit could be a good accessory item to sell now during holiday time. The product is designed to be low cost at a retail price of $35.99, holds a guitar securely, and can be released for use easily.
www.dansr.com

Musicorp MBT Wooden Cases
The hard-shell cases come with black PVC exteriors, chrome hardware, and are lined with foam. They are available in four models: acoustic, classical, electric, and bass.
www.musicorp.com

Electro-Harmonix Pedal Board
Designed for guitars, the zippered, rugged canvas bag with an enclosed pedal board offers musicians easy access to their pedal setups. It is also lightweight and easy to put away.
www.electroharmonix.com

Fusion Products Soprano Sax/Clarinet/Flute Bag
The bag offers flexibility, as it can be attached to another wind instrument bag. It’s available in three colors: black/orange, black/lime green, and black/blue.
www.fusion-bags.com

Zildjian Tommy Lee Cymbal Bag
The bag features a heavy-duty handle and backpack straps for easy carrying. It also offers a key chain holder sporting a metal beverage bottle opener and can accommodate cymbals up to 22 inches in diameter.
www.zildjian.com

Audio-Technica AT8459 Swivel-Mount Microphone Clamp Adapter
The adapter is for use with any microphone that uses a stand clamp. It is compatible with 5/8- to 27-inch threaded stands.
www.audio-technica.com

Mono M80 Dual Case
Compatible for electric and bass guitars, the M80 weighs 118 ounces. Also launched recently were M80 semi-hollow case for ES335-style guitars and the EFX for professional DJs or gear heads.
www.monocase.com

Ibanez DS Series Cables
The DS series certainly qualifies as a potential “impulse buy.” The cables come in 28 different lengths and specifications, including instrument, speaker, and microphone.
www.ibanez.com

Koozee Armor Products Akoostik Koozie Line
Here’s a company that just launched at Summer NAMM and is being featured in the Music & Sound Retailer for the first time. The Akoostik Koozie is designed to protect speaker cabinets and guitar amplifiers. The product is fortified with heavy-denier nylon, one-half inch of industrial-grade foam, and heavy-duty buckles with adjustable straps.
www.koozeearmor.com

Remo Percussion Shakers
Remo offers the FX Shaker, Didgeharp Shaker, and Ginga Shaker. All three percussion shakers feature unique graphic designs and are available in tube-shaped sizes.
www.remo.com

Nigel Speed & Bell Knobs (Allparts Music)
The plastic speed and bell knobs come in a set of two and fit USA split shaft posts. They come in black, amber, and gold with numbering up to 11.
www.allparts.com

Nady Systems M-6 Mic Bag
The nylon bag offers a zippered pouch for cable storage plus additional storage areas. It holds six handheld performance microphones.
www.nady.com

Daisy Rock Girl Guitars Hard Shell Electric Guitar Case
Offered in cotton candy color, the case is covered with tiny pearloids and lined with purple plush fur. It fits all Daisy Rock full-size electric guitars except the Rebel Rockit.
www.daisyrock.com

Marathon Professional Flight Ready Cases
The cases are constructed with nine-millimeter laminated plywood and double-anchor industrial rivets to put them together. They also have a stackable design for easy portability and the inside is lined with custom-shaped hard rubber foam and carpet lining.
www.marathonpro.com

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