COVER STORIES
Like A Bridge Over Troubled Water
In the midst of economic and political tumult, members of the music products industry found their safe haven at the NAMM Show, held January 21 to 24 in Anaheim CA. Drawing record-breaking attendance and attracting more exhibiting companies than ever before, the show was a welcome oasis for the music-making masses.
Too Much Is Never Enough
The Retailer presents nearly two dozen products that we weren’t able to squeeze into last month’s NAMM New Product Spotlight feature. Each of them was a hot topic during this past January’s NAMM Show, and we expect each one to be a hot seller for the rest of the year…and perhaps beyond.
Interview
Five Minutes With
No product category has become more appealing to music products retailers than lighting, what with its high demand and robust margins, and its capacity to add “rock star” sizzle to any setup. Berenice Chauvet, Vice President of Chauvet Lighting, discusses lighting’s ascendance, as well as her company’s proud history and bright future.
Mission Report
MI Spy
After a couple of trips to the desert southwest in recent months, our resident super sleuth decided to stay in the northeast after last month’s mission in Brooklyn. So, this time, the MI Spy is scoping out music stores in Connecticut, in search of vintage guitars.
Features
The Music & Sound Independent Retailer
An update on your fellow brick-and-mortar independent retailers.
Columns
Shine A Light
If you’re a musician in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana IL, there’s a strong chance that you’ve gotten some gear from Corson Music. And that’s just how Dyke Corson likes it.
Retailer Rebel
Columnist Gabriel O’Brien, who works for indie music store Larry’s Music Center, discusses the substantial value proposition that Reverb.com presents to indie stores.
Veddatorial
Dan Vedda credits his store’s strong Christmas season to suggesting the right items (at the right price), merchandising effectively and jumping through hoops to locate products and bring them in by deadline.
Under The Hood
Zivix’s jamstik+ is the first real guitar controller built for mobile devices that takes the frustration out of learning to play guitar and that, as a MIDI controller, allows broad creative freedom.