COVER STORIES
Fantastic 40
Forty more products highlighted at The NAMM Show last month.
Coming Full Circle
NAMM attendance continues its ascent, increasing to 115,888 registrants.
FEATURES
Under the Hood
When starting a new company, manufacturers have to prove they are different from the competition. For ASBA drums founder Guillaume Pornet, he needed to also decide about reviving a once-popular brand.
INTERVIEWS
Five Minutes With
Ethan Kaplan, general manager Fender Digital and Max Gutnik, vice president, Fender Electric Guitars and Basses and Amplifiers, discuss the company’s American Ultra Series, Fender Play and much more.
The Final Note
Whenever interviewing Dale Krevens, vice president, Tech 21 USA Inc., there are so many great facts to be learned. How about the best advice she received? “As a youngster, I was notorious for not ‘applying myself,’ according to my teachers. So, my dad said, “If you’re going to do something, do it 150 percent.” It stuck.
MISSION REPORT
MI Spy
In part one of our two-part feature, MI Spy visits the Windy City looking for a 12-string guitar.
COLUMNS
In the Trenches
A data breach/hack is one of the worst things a retailer may have to deal with. Allen McBroom offers plenty of thoughts on the subject.
Shine a Light
Customer service is a big component of California’s Allegro Music ideal, which according to general manager Clarence Berry, is “service, sales and family.”
Veddatorial
The quality of interaction with customers, specifically the “first contact” aspect of communication, is something retailers can often improve upon, states Dan Vedda.