Although many of the first-timers at NAMM are new companies, some are established names that finally decided to take the plunge and exhibit at the show. Take, for instance, Slam Grand Piano (slamgrand.com), which has been around since 1992. According to the company’s President, Gary Raffanelli, “We make a grand piano shell for any synthesizer, any digital keyboard, so you get the look of a grand piano instead of having it just on a stand onstage.” The company has made custom piano shells for such recording industry heavyweights as Madonna, Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Taylor Swift, REO Speedwagon, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Brian Wilson and Aerosmith, among many others. As Raffanelli tells it, the reason he decided to exhibit at NAMM for the first time this year was simple enough. “I still tour as an artist, and January is a big month for me. But, this year, I didn’t have anything booked, so I said, ‘Let’s go to NAMM!’”
Slam Grand Piano offers piano shells in a variety of stock colors, although, since the finished shells are laminated, the color choices are just about limitless. “We’ve done zebra, we’ve done mirror finishes,” explained Raffanelli. “Kid Rock has a camouflage piano. We can cover them in metal, as well. Carrie Underwood had hammered chrome, and we’ve done copper finishes.” The company prides itself on its emphasis on quality manufacturing. The shells weigh a little over 200 pounds, are strong enough to stand on and can last for years. “The Counting Crows still use theirs, and they’ve had it 12, 13, 14 years,” offered Raffanelli. The shells, despite what you may think based on the huge names on the company’s client list, are actually a far more affordable option than buying a real grand piano. The stock price on a Slam Grand shell comes in under $4,000, although custom designs will cost more. The company can typically fill orders within a week.
Even though his company has already enjoyed years of success, Raffanelli still considered displaying at NAMM to be a wise investment and a great way to get even more exposure. “Two different school districts stopped by my booth. And I must have had five backline companies that are going to be ordering next week,” he elaborated. “I think it’s funny that people go ‘We finally found a company that does this!’ and I’ve been around for over 20 years!”
Check out more standouts from NAMM 2015’s freshman class at the links below: