Summer 2010 NAMM Buyers Guide

Fleabass Street Bass • www.fleabass.com • NAMM Exhibit #1336

The Fleabass Street Bass is a 34″ full scale bass guitar available in four color combinations. The Street Bass has many of the same features as the Touring model at a more affordable price. Fleabass instruments feature Maple necks with Rosewood fingerboards, fully adjustable bridges, 20 frets, geared tuners, one single noise canceling pickup, and the Fleabass logo on the peghead. They also feature a string-through-body design and can also be strung at the bridge.

The Street Bass is available in four high gloss color combinations: silver & black, black & white, blue & white, and white & black. The bass features a passive dual coil humbucking pickup with Alnico metal core, and also a fully adjustable cast metal bridge with large bridge-to-body footprint.

Michael Tobias’ CRB & Saratoga Basses • www.danabgoods.com • NAMM Exhibit #104

Bass builder Michael Tobias has created two new bass models for 2010 – the CRB and the Saratoga. The CRB features passive P-style pickups and is said to deliver a clean, powerful sound that sits well in the mix. The Saratoga is a passive bass with two J pickups, an ergonomic body and “is suitable for any style of music.”

Both of these models feature carved basswood bodies, maple necks, and rosewood fingerboards. Players have the choice between four and five-string versions, each with 34-inch scale lengths. As for finishes, the CRB and Saratoga comes in either a tobacco sunburst or transparent black high polish finishes.

Kala Pocket Ukulele • www.kalaukulele.com • NAMM Exhibit #1328

Kala Brand Music Co. has introduced the release of the Kala Pocket Uke. Measuring 16″ from top to bottom the Pocket Uke is played on a Sopranissimo scale which totals 11″ from nut to saddle. The Pocket Ukulele is constructed of solid wood and is available in three models, Acacia (KA-PU-ASAC), Mahogany (KA-PU-SM) and Maple (KA-PU-SSFM).

The Pocket Ukulele is tuned in the same intervals as a baritone ukulele except in higher octaves. It can be tuned either DGBE  (4th string to 1st) or F tuning (CFAD). Other features include a mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, 12 silver nickel frets, friction tuners with black buttons, satin finish, and premium Aquila Nyglut strings. A padded gig bag is included with each instrument.

Acoustar Collapsible Guitar • www.ministarguitars.net • NAMM Exhibit #500

The patent-pending Acoustar is a full scale acoustic guitar that features a neck that slides inside the body which then fits inside the included backpack. Both the full-size dreadnaught and the mini-dreadnaught models feature full scale string length of 25.5″.  Collapsed, the full-size dreadnaught is 15.5″ wide, 25″ long and 5″ deep.  The mini is 12″ wide, 25″ long, and 4″ deep. If the strings are over two weeks old, the Acoustar returns to pitch every time it is re-assembled. Included with every Acoustar are the string and neck protective covers, capo, ratchet wrench, and padded carrying bag.

Morgan Monroe’s Banjoleles and Banjolins • www.morganmonroe.com

Morgan Monroe has released six new models of banjoleles and banjolins. The four banjoleles offer two models with open back and two with resonators.  These models are made of tonewoods such as rosewood, walnut, and maple. All models  come with the 12 bracket configuration. The two  banjolins are offered in maple or walnut, with quality hardware, and mother of pearl inlay.

Fernandes Spalted Series • www.fernandesguitars.com

Fernandes Guitars Spalted Maple models come in three body shapes and configurations. With the same specs and construction as Deluxe versions, the Ravelle, Monterey, and Dragonfly, Spalted feature Spalted Maple tops and matching headstock. The guitars also feature a mahogany body and set-neck, abalone split-trapezoid inlays in an ebony 24-fret fingerboard, locking tuners, Graph Tech trem nut, Tune-O-Matic bridge with stop tailpiece, EMG 60 in neck, and EMG 81 in bridge. The retail price is $899.

Band & Orchestra

Phaeton’s Flugelhorn Models • www.pjlamusic.com/phaeton • NAMM Exhibit #330

Phaeton’s new flugelhorn models feature a newly designed direct air column, which is said to improve volume control, projection, and focus in all ranges. Pistons are interchangeable for quick cleaning/lubrication, and solid brass machined finger buttons are coupled with heavy weight top/bottom caps. Phaeton flugelhorns are available in black onyx and matte silver plate.

Pearl’s Caloré Flute Headjoint • www.pearlflutes.com

The Caloré professional flute headjoint from Pearl was specifically designed for the needs of the American flute market. This style of headjoint is said to be capable of producing large amounts of sound without sacrificing the ability to play a wide range of dynamics. The cut features a large rectangular shape with large undercutting.

The new Caloré cut is coupled with the specially-designed curved taper found on other Pearl pro headjoints. The Caloré headjoint is a standard option on all Pearl’s Pro Japan made flutes. It is available in standard and heavy wall models and can be customized with a variety of precious metal components, including sterling, pristine silver, gold, and platinum.

Knilling’s J. Rémy Carbon Fiber Bows • www.usbandsupplies.com

J. Rémy all-carbon fiber bows are available in both solid and braided carbon fiber, and feature nickel-silver winding. They also feature a leatherette grip and come with nickel-silver mounted ebony frogs with Parisian eye, pearl slide, and a three-part button. They are available for 1/2, 3/4, 4/4 size violins, violas, and cellos, and 1/2 and 3/4 size basses (French and German style).

Percussion

Mapex’s Horizon Fastpack • www.mapexdrums.com • NAMM Exhibit #500

Mapex’s Horizon Fastpack portable drum set includes 20″ x 12″ bass drum, 8″ x 6″ and 10″ x 7″mounted toms, 12″ x 12″ floor tom, 13″ x 5″ snare drum, and lightweight and durable Mapex 310 series hardware. The shells are constructed using a basswood and birch ply combination. The drums are covered with a durable, high gloss black covering, and the mounted toms feature the exclusive Mapex Isolated Tom Mount System (ITS).

The Fastpack drums and hardware can be quickly and easily packed into three Mapex Fastpack drum bags. The bass drum and snare into fit into a padded rolling bag with wheels. The 8″, 10″, 12″ toms all fit into a padded bag with a shoulder strap. A durable, easy-to-carry bag is provided for the hardware. This three-bag system is designed for fast and convenient transportation of the entire drum set.

Anthem Snare Drum Kits • www.antheminstruments.com

Anthem ASD-1K snare drum kits feature a 5.5×14″ chrome plated snare drum with: hourglass shaped lugs classic style throw off with rubber comfort grip Durable butt plate

Double braced snare drum stand with locking snare drum basket, rubber feet, and height memory locking system Backpack style cordura case 2B drum sticks

Grover Pro’s New SilverFox Models • www.groverpro.com

Grover Pro adds two new models to the SilverFox line of sticks and mallets.

The Nitestalk is a 16″ long multi-rod with 25 nylon bristles secured to a 5/8″ diameter high impact plastic handle.  Nitestalks have a balanced, natural feel on both drums and cymbals.  Each rod features a firmness adjustment band that controls the feel and flex of the nylon bristles.

SilverFox’s Thrasher is a beefy double ended stick (16.25″ length x .605 dia.), designed for high impact situations. Like all of SilverFox’s drumsticks, the Thrasher is manufactured from select grade straight-grained hickory.  The stick is coated with SilverFox’s exclusive Duracrylix finish that is said to enhance durability and provide a smooth, easy-to-grip surface.  The Nitestalk retails for $30 and the Thrasher for $15.

Ludwig Add Rare Hardwood Veneers to Legacy Exotic Line • www.ludwig-drums.com • NAMM Exhibit #601

Ludwig USA’s Legacy Exotic drum line adds rare hardwood veneers to the classic three-ply combination of inner and outer North American Maple and single Poplar core ply with solid Maple reinforcement rings. The three exotic hardwoods that make up the Legacy shell are vertical grain African Black Limba, Australian Lacewood, and Amazon Sumauma, each available in a choice of four different lacquer finishes. Every drum can be custom configured with the player’s choice of lugs and hardware. Prices vary depending on options, custom shell packs start at $4,999.

Print

Hal Leonard Cheat Sheets • www.halleonard.com • NAMM Exhibit #1018

Hal Leonard Guitar Cheat Sheets Top Hits: 45 Mega-Hits in Musical Shorthand series offers a combination of notation for each song. Lyrics, chord symbols, and chord voicings are included throughout, and any important riff is notated in easy-to-follow rhythm tab. No music reading is required, and all of the songs are presented on two-page spreads to avoid page turns. Guitar Cheat Sheets Top Hits contains dozens of the recent hit tunes by artists such as Lady Gaga, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Coldplay, and more.

Part-by-Part Choral Director’s Resource • www.carlfischer.com

Carl Fischer Music and BriLee Music have released the choral director’s resource: Part-by-Part, which consists of free part-dominant vocal MP3s, full performance tracks, and piano accompaniment tracks. Choir members can use these part-dominant MP3s as home practice tools. Each track is sung by real, professional voices, so singers get the benefit of not only pitches and rhythms, but text, line, and dynamics. There are no legal restrictions with respect to how these tracks can be used. Directors can post them on their Web sites, burn rehearsal CDs, send students to the site, and let them download the files, copy them to their own iPods, MP3 players, phones, and laptops.

There are no hidden subscription fees and no free trial tricks; they are simply free. To find out if Part-by-Part exists for the song they’re working on, choral directors can look for the Part-by-Part logo on the front of the music. All of the latest 2010 titles from both Carl Fischer Music and BriLee Music are covered.

Alfred’s Meet the Great Jazz Legends • www.alfred.com • NAMM Exhibit #1118

Alfred Publishing has re-released Meet the Great Jazz Legends, now available with a CD addition and lesson workbook. Dr. Ronald McCurdy illuminates stories about the lives, times, and music of great jazz musicians spanning the entire twentieth century, from early New Orleans jazz through the Golden Age of Swing plus the avant-garde and jazz fusion eras.

Lessons include biographies of jazz greats such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Dave Brubeck, John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Herbie Hancock, and more. A new CD addition allows students to listen to examples of recordings. For use in the classroom, the book is also available with reproducible activity sheets that reinforce the information in each chapter.

Meet the Great Jazz Legends is available in the following packages: as a 72-page book and CD package for $26.95, book only for $14.95, CD only for $14.95, reproducible activity sheets for $12.95, book and activity sheets for $21.95, and a deluxe classroom kit with all components for $39.95.

Oxford’s Teaching Piano in Groups • www.oup.com

Teaching Piano in Groups provides a compendium of information related to all aspects of group piano teaching. Motivated by an ever-growing interest in this instructional method and its widespread mandatory inclusion in piano pedagogy curricula, Christopher Fisher highlights the proven viability and success of group piano teaching, and arms front-line group piano instructors with tools for practical implementation of a system of instruction in their own teaching.

Contained within are: a comprehensive history of group piano teaching; accessible overviews of the most important theories and philosophies of group psychology and instruction; suggested group piano curricular competencies; practical implementation strategies; and thorough recommendations for curricular materials, instructional technologies, and equipment. Teaching Piano in Groups also addresses specific considerations for pre-college teaching scenarios, the public school group piano classroom, and college-level group piano programs for both music major and non-music majors.

Teaching Piano in Groups is accompanied by an extensive companion Web site, featuring a multi-format listing of resources as well as interviews with several group piano pedagogues.

Accessories

AMV Sales’ Music Apparel & Accessorie • www.amvsales.com • NAMM Exhibit #1638

AMV Sales offers licensed and branded music apparel, posters, prints, cards, stickers, and buttons. They also offer music accessories and gifts such as Guistar Picks that feature authentic thumbprints from Elvis, Alice Cooper, and other rock stars. Their Rocky Mountain Slides are custom sized ceramic slides and tone bars with a glass-like feel and sound.

T-Rex Upgrades Room-Mate Tube Reverb Pedal • www.musiquip.com • NAMM Exhibit #1618

T-Rex Engineering’s upgraded Room-Mate features enhancements based largely on user feedback. T-Rex has added a completely revamped spring mode. The Room-Mate emulates a short-spring reverb and long-spring reverb. T-Rex has added a decay knob, which allows the user to adjust the length of the reverb trail in all four modes. A new hi-cut knob cuts the high notes on the tail of the reverb, giving the tail a smoother. A gain knob makes it possible to use the Room-Mate in an effects loop without overloading the pedal’s input stage. The retail price is $499.

ToneRite Improves Play-In Device • www.tonerite.com • NAMM Exhibit #1336

ToneRite Inc. has released the third generation of its patented play-in device, the ToneRiteR. The redesigned model fits nylon and steel string acoustics, hollowbody archtops, thinlines, and acoustic bass. The ToneRite electronics have now been updated to allow for finer control of intensity and harmonic content. New Elastone Feet are said to fit better and be safe for long term use on instruments and also improve the energy transfer between the ToneRite and the instrument. The ToneRiteR is small enough to carry in a case, is nearly silent in operation, and can be attached to an instrument whenever it is not being played. The retail price is $185-$300.

New Colors from Tune Tech • www.shsint.net

Tune Tech TT-10 tuners are available in five new colors. The TT-10 is a fully chromatic clip on vibration tuner with switch able modes that allow for tuning in the loudest environment. The TT-10 also features a bright back lit screen that changes color from red to green when in tune. The new tuners are available in black, crimson Red, navy blue, silver, and pink. The tuners retail for $19.95

AmpliTube for iPhone • www.ikmultimedia.com

The AmpliTube application for iPhone features stompbox effects, an amp-head plus cabinet, and a microphone. With AmpliTube fully loaded, the user can choose between five amp models (clean, crunch, lead, metal, bass) with full tone and drive controls, 10 stompbox effects (delay, flanger, phaser, overdrive, distortion, filter, wah, fuzz, octaver, chorus), five cabinets and two microphones (dynamic and condenser). The AmpliTube features a chromatic digital tuner and a metronome. It also has the ability to import and play along with songs or backing tracks, and create, save and, recall up to 36 presets.

Light & Sound

BOSS’ BR-800 Digital Recorder • www.rolandconnect.com • NAMM Exhibit #104

BOSS’ BR-800, a battery-powered studio to go, features a new design that includes touch-sensor switches and SD-card recording media. Up to four tracks can be recorded or eight tracks played back simultaneously, plus an additional stereo track dedicated to the built-in rhythm generator.

The recorder offers beginners an EZ Recording mode that interactively guides the user through the recording process. Other features include the Retry function, which re-cues automatically to fix mistakes, and Song Sketch recording for instant, one-touch capture. There’s also a built-in stereo condenser microphone, plus a DR-880-quality rhythm generator for adding drum and percussion tracks to songs.

Many of the effects are derived from BOSS’ flagship processors, including vocal effects from the VE-20, COSM guitar/bass effects from the GT-10 series, and modeled acoustic-guitar body effects from the AP-1 preamp. Connected to a PC, the BR-800 will function as an USB audio interface for recordings that utilize the internal effects. The BR-800 can also function as a control surface for DAW software. The retail price is $525.

MXL’s Mic Preamp • www.mxlmics.com • NAMM Exhibit #401

MXL Microphones’ MPAC-01 is a single-channel microphone preamp/compressor for use in recording or mixing vocals and instruments. Built with metal construction, the MXL MPAC-01 is a standard 1RU sized unit that can be rack-mounted, placed on a desk, or other working surface. Features include an analog VU meter for signal monitoring, a variable high-pass filter to control unwanted low frequency, a -20dB pad for high decibel recordings, and switchable phantom power.

The MXL MPAC-01 also functions as a compressor to control dynamics. A compressor is an audio circuit that automatically adjusts or “compresses” the audio signal level for a more consistent dynamic range. The compressor function can be disengaged to use the MPAC-01 as a mic preamplifier only.

SHS Audio’s G2 Series Cabinets & SPM Mixers • www.shsaudio.com • NAMM Exhibit #327

SHS International has added three new powered PA cabinets to their audio line up. The new cabinets feature a rugged ABS housing that is both impact resistant and light weight. A chambered inner air routing system delivers solid bass response and high frequency response. Also featured are balanced line in and out, XLR and RCA inputs, Vol, Low, Mid, and High EQ, as well as independent line and mic level controls. The new cabinets are available in 10, 12, and 15 two-way configurations ranging from 150 to 250 watts and offer crossover protected circuits, built in speaker stand cup, integral molded handles, steel mesh grills, and multiple cabinet angles for both main and monitor applications. Retail price is $229.95.

SHS Audio’s SPM line of powered mixers includes three models, four channel 125 watts, six channel 150 watts, and an eight channel 200 watts. Features include a high speed cooling fan, five band graphic equalizer, digital delay, RCA in/out, effects loop, and headphone.

Irradiant’s RGB Mini Moving Head www.irradianthq.com

Irradiant’s newest LED powered mini moving head fixture, the Irradiant SSDL-3201RGB, features 36 high output three in one RGB three-watt LEDs and produces 16.7M true 24 bit colors. This fixture runs in DMX, Auto, or Sound Active modes and has a total of 16 built-in programs. It features a scan angle of 0~540°, a tilt scan angle 0~230°, and shutter speeds ranging from 10/sec ~1/10secs.

Each three in one LED contains its own DMX controllable red, green, and blue nodes so the color mixing actually takes place within the LEDs themselves versus having the color mixing take place outside of the fixture. This is said to make for better color mixing and true variable 16.7M color output. The retail price is $999.99.

American Audio’s VMS4 Velocity MIDI Station • www.vms4dj.com • NAMM Exhibit #518

American Audio’s VMS4 Velocity MIDI Station includes four MIDI and analog channels (MIDILOG), Virtual DJ LE software, Innofader cross fader option, and built-in mousepad. The VMS4 is both PC and Mac-compatible. Downloads of MIDI drivers for all popular DJ software titles are available on American Audios VMS4 Web site free of charge.

Each of the mixers four channels is fortified with gain, treble, mid, and bass controls. All of the audio control faders, knobs, switches, and buttons are smoothed. MIDILOG channels are selectable either as USB or analog channels, allowing it to be used by computer DJs or as a regular analog mixer.

Other MIDI features include 50 LED illuminated buttons, 34 assignable rotary controllers, five assignable linear fader controllers, four assignable rotary encoders, long-life MIDI-assignable touch strips, two 10-bit resolution pitch sliders, 62 assignable MIDI buttons and switches, dual MIDI controls on all buttons and switches, and dual 2000 point resolution touch-sensitive turntable search controllers. The retail price is $699.95.

Miscellaneous

Retail Up Solutions for Retailers • www.retailup.com • NAMM Exhibit #842

Retail Up offers Web sites solutions for retailers. Web sites feature extensive product data and instrument rentals with live online forms that transfer customer information to a printed agreement and include associated accessories and books sales by school or instrument, drop-shipping from every supplier that offers it, e-newsletters, lead tracking, and lesson scheduling. Retail Up also offers Point of Sale services featuring easy-to-use touch screens and menus, supported SQL database, and exports to QuickBooks, Peachtree, and Sage.

Hohner’s Harmonica Pro Packs • www.hohnerusa.com

Hohner’s Pro Packs feature Marine Band, Blues Harp, Special 20, and Big River harmonica models. Each Pro Pack contains three harps in the keys of C, G, and A, and is priced to save consumers approximately four dollars per harmonica, 12 dollars total over the price of three individual harmonicas.

The new Pro Packs are available nationwide in blister card packaging featuring pre-purchase selection information, a pocket product catalog, and a booklet of historical facts, notable figures, and stories about the harmonica.

Orla’s Piano Accordion • www.orlausa.com

The KX10 Piano Accordion has been designed to allow accordion players to play without having to deal with the weight of the traditional accordion. The KX10 offers 128 general MIDI voices plus over 350 extra sounds from the exclusive ORLA Ultra XM sound library. The Sound Bank feature has 40 different accordion sounds. A variety of features such as Reverb and Octave Shift can be used to enhance the sounds. The built in USB disk port can be used to record musical data as well as being a SMF player.