Tweet
Gibson Replaced in Guitar Hero
Gibson took its proverbial ball and went home, but the game is still very much going on.
Activision has announced the instrument and equipment companies that will fill the branding void left by Gibson in Guitar Hero World Tour. After partnering with them for a few years, Gibson decided to sue the owners of the popular game for patent infringement. But not only did that not deter the game maker, but apparently there were plenty of others on the block who wanted to "play."
The lineup of companies from which gamers will be able to grab in-game sponsorship and gear goes something like this: Ampeg, Audio-Technica, EMG Pickups, Ernie Ball, Evans Drumheads, Guitar Center, Krank Amplification, Mackie, Marshall, Orange County Drum & Percussion, Pork Pie Percussion, Regal Tip, Sabian, Vox, and Zildjian.
Dean Leaves Dean, Launches DBZ Guitars
"It just wasn't working any more," Dean Zelinsky told MMR this week. "It's time to move on. I wish them well, but I really needed to be CEO of a guitar company again and have total control over things. There's not much more to it than that."
Zelinsky, who has been making guitars since he was 18, had already left his own guitar company once before in 1986. Dean CEO Elliott Rubinson lured him back to the fold in the late 1990s. Last month he left again, only this time he launched a new company. He already has a new model out under the moniker DBZ Guitars, and promises a full line of new six strings � including acoustics � to be shown at summer NAMM. "I will continue to make heavy metal guitars, but we're also going straight down the middle, and we will be making round guitars that compete with Gibson, Fender, and PRS."
As politely as he could put it, he clearly was "not happy with the direction" of the company (which is sort of the business equivalent of "it's not you, it's me"). Zelinsky quickly wanted to talk about the future of the new company, for which he has partnered with Diamond Amplification owner Jeff Diamant (who is now also president and COO of DBZ Guitars), and Diamant's Texas partner, Terry Martin. Explained Zelinsky, "I have teamed up with Jeff because his proven business savvy is critical to this challenging new venture."
North Carolina's Music Loft Closes
After 26 years in business, Durham, N.C.'s Music Loft shut its doors permanently last Saturday, reported the Herald Sun. The MI store carried guitars, percussion, and sound systems. The 6,000-square-foot store was once a regional chain.
"I'm just shocked," local musician Tim Fluet told the paper. He had stopped by the store on Wednesday only to find it locked, and a note on the door. "You just miss the hometown music store. Can't believe it, man."
The Music Loft was opened by Jay Miller in the early 1980s as a tiny, 250-square-foot store. Miller sold the business to Tony Wrenn in 2000 but retained ownership of the building. "For musicians, this was like the general store 100 years ago, like sitting around the pickle barrel," Miller said.
Miller said the Music Loft probably was hurt by a proliferation of Internet sales sites and market encroachment by the Guitar Center that has gone up nearby. One local patron said that one of the problems was that it never established an online store to increase its business, and the store never found a niche market.
White Space Fight Escalates
A longtime issue facing the live production industry, the white spaces debate has hit full force in a string of events that appear strangely coincidental amid recent FCC field-testing at live events � all of which have failed conclusively. The consortium of tech companies (Yahoo!, HP, Motorola, Google), fervent about opening up the spectrum for wireless Internet use, continues to escalate its fight. At the forefront of efforts, Google has fired back with a new campaign and Web site, Free the Airwaves, to garner public support for open use of the tiny spectrum.
On the other side are a lot of broadcasters and MI companies like Sennheiser and Shure, among others. The FCC so far seems to be resisting opening up the white space, which many in the MI industry insist would wreak havoc on wireless audio technology.
"Shure applauds the Commission's decision to conduct field tests of wireless white space" devices, and its decision to examine potential interference with wireless microphones at a sports venue and at an entertainment venue," said Mark Brunner, a spokesman for the microphone maker. "Shure looks forward to continuing to offer its full assistance and expertise to the Commission as it formulates the test parameters and protocol. All stakeholders will be best served by data that is both comprehensive and meaningful."
Source: FOH Magazine
Cy Young Award winners Randy Johnson and Brandon Webb hang with guitarist Steve Miller in the D-backs' Fender Players Lounge. (L to R: Johnson, Miller, Webb)
PHOTO CREDIT: Jonathan Willey,
Arizona Diamondbacks.
Fender Sent to the Locker Room
But that's a good thing.
In addition to the questionable smells and perhaps words you wouldn't say to your Mom, this is what you'll also find in the Arizona Diamondbacks locker room: a Fender Player's Lounge filled with instruments.
"The Fender Player's Lounge has been quite popular with our players as well as some national recording artists that have stopped by to check out a D-backs game," said Shaun Rachau, the D-backs' vice president of communications. "Trace Adkins and his band performed after one of our games in May and couldn't believe the musical equipment Fender set up for us."
An Arizona Republic reporter recently wrote about hearing the Rick Derringer classic "Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo" blasting from the room, to find it was being played by pitchers Brandon Webb and Brandon Medders.
Source: MMR
Gibson took its proverbial ball and went home, but the game is still very much going on.
Activision has announced the instrument and equipment companies that will fill the branding void left by Gibson in Guitar Hero World Tour. After partnering with them for a few years, Gibson decided to sue the owners of the popular game for patent infringement. But not only did that not deter the game maker, but apparently there were plenty of others on the block who wanted to "play."
The lineup of companies from which gamers will be able to grab in-game sponsorship and gear goes something like this: Ampeg, Audio-Technica, EMG Pickups, Ernie Ball, Evans Drumheads, Guitar Center, Krank Amplification, Mackie, Marshall, Orange County Drum & Percussion, Pork Pie Percussion, Regal Tip, Sabian, Vox, and Zildjian.
Dean Leaves Dean, Launches DBZ Guitars
"It just wasn't working any more," Dean Zelinsky told MMR this week. "It's time to move on. I wish them well, but I really needed to be CEO of a guitar company again and have total control over things. There's not much more to it than that."
Zelinsky, who has been making guitars since he was 18, had already left his own guitar company once before in 1986. Dean CEO Elliott Rubinson lured him back to the fold in the late 1990s. Last month he left again, only this time he launched a new company. He already has a new model out under the moniker DBZ Guitars, and promises a full line of new six strings � including acoustics � to be shown at summer NAMM. "I will continue to make heavy metal guitars, but we're also going straight down the middle, and we will be making round guitars that compete with Gibson, Fender, and PRS."
As politely as he could put it, he clearly was "not happy with the direction" of the company (which is sort of the business equivalent of "it's not you, it's me"). Zelinsky quickly wanted to talk about the future of the new company, for which he has partnered with Diamond Amplification owner Jeff Diamant (who is now also president and COO of DBZ Guitars), and Diamant's Texas partner, Terry Martin. Explained Zelinsky, "I have teamed up with Jeff because his proven business savvy is critical to this challenging new venture."
North Carolina's Music Loft Closes
After 26 years in business, Durham, N.C.'s Music Loft shut its doors permanently last Saturday, reported the Herald Sun. The MI store carried guitars, percussion, and sound systems. The 6,000-square-foot store was once a regional chain.
"I'm just shocked," local musician Tim Fluet told the paper. He had stopped by the store on Wednesday only to find it locked, and a note on the door. "You just miss the hometown music store. Can't believe it, man."
The Music Loft was opened by Jay Miller in the early 1980s as a tiny, 250-square-foot store. Miller sold the business to Tony Wrenn in 2000 but retained ownership of the building. "For musicians, this was like the general store 100 years ago, like sitting around the pickle barrel," Miller said.
Miller said the Music Loft probably was hurt by a proliferation of Internet sales sites and market encroachment by the Guitar Center that has gone up nearby. One local patron said that one of the problems was that it never established an online store to increase its business, and the store never found a niche market.
White Space Fight Escalates
A longtime issue facing the live production industry, the white spaces debate has hit full force in a string of events that appear strangely coincidental amid recent FCC field-testing at live events � all of which have failed conclusively. The consortium of tech companies (Yahoo!, HP, Motorola, Google), fervent about opening up the spectrum for wireless Internet use, continues to escalate its fight. At the forefront of efforts, Google has fired back with a new campaign and Web site, Free the Airwaves, to garner public support for open use of the tiny spectrum.
On the other side are a lot of broadcasters and MI companies like Sennheiser and Shure, among others. The FCC so far seems to be resisting opening up the white space, which many in the MI industry insist would wreak havoc on wireless audio technology.
"Shure applauds the Commission's decision to conduct field tests of wireless white space" devices, and its decision to examine potential interference with wireless microphones at a sports venue and at an entertainment venue," said Mark Brunner, a spokesman for the microphone maker. "Shure looks forward to continuing to offer its full assistance and expertise to the Commission as it formulates the test parameters and protocol. All stakeholders will be best served by data that is both comprehensive and meaningful."
Source: FOH Magazine
Cy Young Award winners Randy Johnson and Brandon Webb hang with guitarist Steve Miller in the D-backs' Fender Players Lounge. (L to R: Johnson, Miller, Webb)
PHOTO CREDIT: Jonathan Willey,
Arizona Diamondbacks.
Fender Sent to the Locker Room
But that's a good thing.
In addition to the questionable smells and perhaps words you wouldn't say to your Mom, this is what you'll also find in the Arizona Diamondbacks locker room: a Fender Player's Lounge filled with instruments.
"The Fender Player's Lounge has been quite popular with our players as well as some national recording artists that have stopped by to check out a D-backs game," said Shaun Rachau, the D-backs' vice president of communications. "Trace Adkins and his band performed after one of our games in May and couldn't believe the musical equipment Fender set up for us."
An Arizona Republic reporter recently wrote about hearing the Rick Derringer classic "Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo" blasting from the room, to find it was being played by pitchers Brandon Webb and Brandon Medders.
Source: MMR
Comment