Music Trades back issues from May 2007:
Mike Matthews--Person of the Year.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
May 01, 2007; ... I wanted to applaud your choice of Mike Matthews as Music Trade's 2007 "Person of the Year." M.I. has given birth to some truly original characters who, in turn, have left their mark on our industry: Mike is one of them. People with great vision, an unerring sense of what musicians want, ...
Where have the first-time buyers gone?(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
May 01, 2007; ... After 35 years in the piano business I, like your April editorial "Where Are All The First-Time Buyers," have frequently asked the same question. Our stores offer active lesson programs, an aggressive concert schedule, lots of advertising and promotion, yet every year the market gets ...
Quarterly retail sales data.(Market Intelligence)
May 01, 2007 ... <Pre> QUARTERLY RETAIL SALES DATA % CHANGE FROM PREVIOUS YEAR (A) - THREE MONTHS ENDED MAR. 31, 2007 (B) - THREE MONTHS ENDED DEC. 31, 2006 (C) - THREE MONTHS ENDED SEP. 30, 2006 (D) - THREE MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2006 Shaded Numbers Reference Earlier Quarters ...
Market intelligence.
May 01, 2007 ... An upturn in business occurred during the first quarter of 2007 according to dealers responding to The Music Trades' quarterly sales report. This is not to imply that the U.S. music market is booming--far from it. In fact, according to dealers, sales for the quarter advanced only 1.5% to ...
Rap music: is the backlash here?(INDUSTRY BRIEFINGS)
May 01, 2007 ... Music sales overall are down, but rap sales in particular have dropped 21 percent from 2005 to 2006. For the first time in 12 years the top ten best-selling albums of the year did not include a rap album. A poll of black Americans by The Associated Press and AOL-Black Voices last year ...
Apple I-Pod sales top 100 million.(INDUSTRY BRIEFINGS)
May 01, 2007 ... In early April Apple announced that it has succeeded in selling its 100 millionth iPod, which makes the device the fastest-selling music player in history. Apple has redefined the way consumers access and listen to music since introducing the ...
Cricket World Cup relaxes musical instrument ban.(INDUSTRY BRIEFINGS)
May 01, 2007 ... With Cricket World Cup being staged in St. John's, Antigua, organizers have bowed to criticism and reversed a policy restricting fans from bringing musical instruments into stadiums. Previously, supporters needed to seek prior approval from local organizing committees to bring large ...
U2's The Edge donates guitar to aid Katrina victims.(INDUSTRY BRIEFINGS)
May 01, 2007 ... The Edge is donating a favorite 1975 Les Paul to an auction benefiting Music Rising, a charity the U2 guitarist co-founded to replace musical equipment lost or destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. "I wanted to give something really significant that would really mean a lot for me to give. It ...
Loading mishaps $100,000 Bosendorfer piano.(INDUSTRY BRIEFINGS)
May 01, 2007 ... Tragedy has struck the Exmoor-based Two Moors Music Festival after a newly purchased Bosendorfer concert grand, valued at $100,000, fell off the back of a delivery van. The instrument, which was being delivered from London to the Sandyway headquarters of the festival, was to have been ...
The industry pays for an FTC fishing trip.(EDITORIAL)
May 01, 2007; ... The irony was hard to miss. On the very day that a delegation from NAMM was on Capital Hill, lobbying for music education to the approving nods of Congressional Representatives and Senators, a few blocks away at the Federal Trade Commission building agency lawyers were in the process of ...
How retailers & suppliers can tame the net: price competition from the internet can only grow more intense. Herewith, a modest suggestion on how the industry can pull together to improve customer service, enhance brand status, and improve brick-and-mortar retail profits.(GUEST EDITORIAL)
May 01, 2007; ... If you have not yet accepted that the internet is a permanent and valid shopping alternative, do it now. People enjoy the access to information it provides as well as the convenience of shopping at 2 A.M if they want to. It's a simple fact of modern life that people are working longer and ...
Yamaha reorganizes: Osawa new pres., U.S. Divisions realigned, Combo Unit to handle portable keyboards.(FOREFRONT: NEWS * ANALYSIS * INFORMED OPINION)
May 01, 2007 ... NEWLY APPOINTED President Hogan Osawa will preside over a restructured Yamaha Corporation of America in a structure that is designed to better address a shifting competitive landscape in the U.S. Osawa succeeds Yoshi Doi, who will assume new duties as general manager and executive officer ...
Reader's Digest calls Martin Guitars "Best of America".(FOREFRONT: NEWS * ANALYSIS * INFORMED OPINION)
May 01, 2007 ... C.F. MARTIN & CO. of Nazareth, Pennsylvania has been named "Best of America" by the editors of Reader's Digest magazine. This celebration of the quirky, amazing and truly extraordinary is featured in the May issue. After speaking to hundreds of experts and ordinary folk, the ...
Sponsorship of Indpie musicians forum.(Roland)
May 01, 2007 ... ROLAND IS SPONSORING Disc Makers' Independent Music World Series for the second consecutive year. The IMWS contest gives bands and musicians across the country an opportunity to showcase their talent and compete for prizes, including an impressive array of Roland products. ...
Orange County choppers show celebrates Peavey.(FOREFRONT: NEWS * ANALYSIS * INFORMED OPINION)
May 01, 2007 ... PEAVEY ELECTRONICS has challenged the stars of TLC's hit reality show American Chopper to a custom-shop duel to celebrate the launch of its new online guitar custom shop, PeaveyCustomShop.com. The "Battle of the Builders" that pitted Hartley Peavey and his designers against Team ...
Keilwerth saxophones names Sonare Winds American distributor.(FOREFRONT: NEWS * ANALYSIS * INFORMED OPINION)
May 01, 2007 ... EFFECTIVE APRIL 15, 2007 Sonare Winds became the exclusive distributor of Keilwerth saxophones in the United States and Canada. Julius Keilwerth has made saxophones since 1925, with an emphasis on quality that remains unchanged today. Highly skilled craftspeople build a complete line of ...
Accordion centennial marked in Las Vegas.(FLASH)
May 01, 2007 ... THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY of the piano accordion will be celebrated in Las Vegas June 18-12 at the International Accordion Convention. The event will be staged at the Gold Coast Hotel and will feature performances by jazz legend Art Van Damme, Grammy Award winner Walter Ostanek and four-time ...
"Buy Now" feature dealers to profit from website.(Daisy Rock)
May 01, 2007 ... DAISY ROCK GUITARS has introduced a "Buy Now" program at www.daisyrock.com. In addition to daisyrock.com's most popular feature, the "Find A Dealer" page, customers will have two new options: a "Shop Online" button, which will link visitors to their choice of Daisy Rock's highest-profile ...
Blues bash aids musicians in need.(Musicorp)
May 01, 2007 ... MUSICORP WAS A LEAD sponsor of the 2007 Southern Comfort Lowcountry Blues Bash, an annual blues music festival in Charleston, South Carolina, where musicians from across the country have come to perform for ten consecutive days at local music venues. This year's event took place February ...
Hal Leonard to distribute Steinberg Software.(FOREFRONT: NEWS * ANALYSIS * INFORMED OPINION)
May 01, 2007 ... HAL LEONARD CORPORATION finalized an agreement with Yamaha Corporation of America to exclusively distribute Steinberg Software to independent instrument stores. Hal Leonard will be responsible for sales, marketing and distribution to the m.i.l channel, with a special focus on independent ...
Pipe & drum bands flourish in Holy Land.(Premier Percussion)
May 01, 2007 ... BETHLEHEM, PALESTINE is one of the most historical cities in the world and a place that many would not immediately associate with a flourishing pipe band music scene. However, The Scottish Center has established itself as a thriving musical instrument retailer, supplying Premier pipe band ...
Levy expands distribution, appoints Kaman & Harris-Teller.(FLASH)
May 01, 2007 ... LEVY'S LEATHERS HAS NAMED Kaman Music Corp., of Bloomfield, Connecticut and Harris Teller, of Chicago, Illinois, as distributors of Levy's straps and bags in the USA. Now, for the first time ever, American dealers will have the choice of purchasing the number-one brand in guitar straps and ...
Singlecut receives mipa top guitar award.(PRS GUITARS)
May 01, 2007 ... THE PAUL REED SMITH Singlecut model has received the Musikmesse International Press Award (mipa) for "Best Electric Guitar of the Year" category. Comprising a voting panel of editors and journalists from more than 100 publications worldwide, mipa presents manufacturers with awards ...
Shure busts mic counterfeiters in India, arrests trader.(FOREFRONT: NEWS * ANALYSIS * INFORMED OPINION)
May 01, 2007 ... SHURE INCORPORATED has announced that following recent raids in Thailand, the company continues to pursue those involved with the importation and distribution of counterfeit Shure products. The most recent operation, conducted in cooperation with Indian authorities, resulted in the arrest ...
Strategic quality team formed.(Crown International)
May 01, 2007 ... CROWN INTERNATIONAL has formed a Strategic Quality Team and has upgraded its factory to include a Reliability Test Lab equipped with sophisticated and rigorous testing equipment. Bob Chadderdon, Crown's senior director of engineering, has been chosen to lead the Strategic Quality Team. ...
Publicly traded industry firms.(FOREFRONT: NEWS * ANALYSIS * INFORMED OPINION)
May 01, 2007 ... <Pre> PUBLICLY TRADED INDUSTRY FIRMS PRICE AS OF P/EAPRIL 11, 2007RATIO Apple Computer Inc.$92.63 33.57 Avid Technology$35.22 ...
Grand displayed at PTG Conference.(Wyman Pianos)
May 01, 2007 ... WYMAN PIANO COMPANY displayed one of its new Wyman Pianoforte grand pianos at the California State Conference and Technical Institute held February 8-11 in San Francisco by the Piano Technicians Guild. More than 200 registered piano technicians from California and other Western ...
Gibson sponsors Dubai Polo challenge.(FLASH)
May 01, 2007 ... GIBSON GUITAR sponsored the Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge, which was held on March 30 at Ali Albwardy's Desert Palm Polo Complex. This event is an extension of the successful Cartier International Polo Tournament held annually at the Guards Polo Club in Windsor, England. ...
Soft fourth quarter sales crimp net profit at LOUD Technologies.(FOREFRONT: NEWS * ANALYSIS * INFORMED OPINION)(Financial report)
May 01, 2007 ... LOUD TECHNOLOGIES INC. reported net income of $600,000 for 2006 on sales of $215 million. A year earlier the company earned $930,000 on sales of $204.3 million. Operations at the parent company of Mackie Designs, EAW, Tapco, Crate, Ampeg, Alvarez, and Knilling were adversely affected by a ...
Godin takes top prize in John Lennon Contest.(FOREFRONT: NEWS * ANALYSIS * INFORMED OPINION)
May 01, 2007 ... AS THE OFFICIAL exclusive guitar sponsor of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Godin Guitars has provided the 2006 contest winners with limited-edition Godin Flat Five guitars. This is one of several prizes presented to the winners, who then become eligible for the Maxell Song of the ...
A customer loyalty primer: how Lowrey Organ is using a rewards program to attract as well as retain customers.(FOREFRONT: NEWS * ANALYSIS * INFORMED OPINION)
May 01, 2007 ... AT A TIME WHEN every segment of the industry is addressing the challenge of attracting first-time buyers and stimulating store traffic, Lowrey Organ has unveiled an unprecedented new marketing initiative. Dubbed L.I.F.E., for "Lowrey Is Fun and Easy," the effort adds a twist to ...
Gesualdo to head educational initiative.(Vater Percussion)
May 01, 2007 ... VATER PERCUSSION, A LEADING manufacturer of high-quality drumsticks and drum accessories, has tapped Pat Gesualdo, to head a far-reaching educational initiative. An award-winning drummer, author, and clinician, Gesualdo has pioneered the use of drumming to assist children with ...
BeMusic new South African distributor.(Rotosound)
May 01, 2007 ... BRITISH STRING MANUFACTURER Rotosound selected BeMusic as its newest distributor in South Africa. BeMusic is led by an all-black management team and is considered somewhat of a pioneer in the South African musical instrument industry. Founded by Zenosi Kunene and Charles ...
Stetson University purchases pianos.(Hailun Pianos)
May 01, 2007 ... HAILUN PIANOS ARE NOW the pianos of choice in the School of Music of Stetson University, DeLand, Florida. "We are so pleased at this partnership opportunity with Stetson," said Stevan Mills, Hailun National Sales Consultant. "The Stetson School of Music provides a wonderful training ground ...
Terrorists target Pakistan's Music stores.(FOREFRONT: NEWS * ANALYSIS * INFORMED OPINION)
May 01, 2007 ... THE ASSOCIATED PRESS reports that music stores in Peshawar, Pakistan, have been a prime target for Islamic extremists. Islamists ...
Class action against guitar center? Fred Rubin files suit on behalf of 6,500 retailers, alleging that GC uses its buying power in an illegal manner to put independent retailers out of business in an effort to secure a monopoly and asks for $1.0 billion in damages.(RETAILER UPDATE: NEWS FROM THE RETAIL FRONT LINES)
May 01, 2007 ... IN LATE MARCH, A FEDERAL District Judge kept Fred Rubin's broad ranging legal action against Guitar Center alive when she denied a motion filed by Guitar Center to have the case dismissed. Originally filed last April, Rubin's 12-count complaint alleges that Guitar Center and its CEO, Marty ...
Fork's Drum Closet wins top Gretsch Drum award.(RETAILER UPDATE: NEWS FROM THE RETAIL FRONT LINES)
May 01, 2007 ... FORKS DRUM CLOSET of Nashville has been named Gretsch Drum's Top Independent Dealer for 2006. Representatives from Kaman traveled to Gary Forkum's Nashville drum shop to present Gary and his team with the prestigious award. "All of us at Kaman Music appreciate the tremendous job ...
Onofrio piano hosts Indrek Laul at unique Estonia Piano reception.(RETAILER UPDATE: NEWS FROM THE RETAIL FRONT LINES)
May 01, 2007 ... DR. INDREK LAUL, president and owner of the Laul Estonia Piano Company, has announced the creation of the Estonia Piano Scholarship at the Juilliard School of Music in New York, where he was a Horowitz Scholar. The announcement was made at Onofrio Piano Company in Denver, Colorado, where ...
Black Label's DeServio completes clinic tour.(Sam Ash Music)(Concert review)
May 01, 2007 ... BASS VIRTUOSO John "JD" DeServio of Black Label Society recently completed a series of bass clinics surrounding the band's upcoming, "Shot to Hell" tour. The clinics, sponsored by Samson Technologies and Zoom, were held in 11 participating Sam Ash Music Stores throughout the United States ....
Sweetwater sound acquires Lentine's Music.(RETAILER UPDATE: NEWS FROM THE RETAIL FRONT LINES)
May 01, 2007 ... SWEETWATER SOUND INC. has acquired the assets of Lentine's Music, a music instrument and equipment retail chain based in Akron, Ohio. Founded in 1977 by retired schoolteacher Joseph Lentine and his son, Michael, Lentine's Music grew into a $15 million per year business, comprising five ...
Eckroth Music wins trip to France in Rico contest.(RETAILER UPDATE: NEWS FROM THE RETAIL FRONT LINES)
May 01, 2007 ... ECKROTH MUSIC CUSTOMER John Warren from Mandan High School, in Mandan, North Dakota, has won the Rico Reserve Promotion and Sweepstakes. Announced late last year, the contest offered school districts discounts on purchases and chance to win a $2,000 donation to high school music program or ...
Fry's Westport Fairfield Piano gets "green" hybrid vehicle fleet.(RETAILER UPDATE: NEWS FROM THE RETAIL FRONT LINES)
May 01, 2007 ... IN MUSIC RETAILING for 50 years, Paul Fry has learned a thing or two about running a lean, efficient business. In 2006 he began cleaning up one of the fastest-moving parts of the operation--its management's vehicles. Fry and his wife, Barbara, are co-owners of Fry's Westport ...
Ernie ball/music man Petrucci seminar.(Music Arts Enterprises)
May 01, 2007 ... DREAM THEATER guitarist and signature Music Man artist John Petrucci conducted a free seminar at Music Arts Enterprises, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on March 29. Several hundred area guitarists turned out to hear Petrucci perform and discuss his playing technique. Originally ...
Filling orders ... What happens when suppliers slip up? Retailers sound off about how order entry desks and shipping departments hurt and help their ability to compete!(RETAIL: Q&A)
May 01, 2007 ... For many music retailers, profitability hinges on running a lean, highly efficient operation where everyone does their job and everything goes "by the numbers." Not surprisingly, dealers are voicing frustration over poor service from vendors, particularly those that fill orders incorrectly ...
Is great service a given at your store? The function of your business is not to make a profit. It's to attract and retain customers. Do that and everything else will take care of itself.(BOB POPYK ON SELLING)
May 01, 2007; ... The music business has changed drastically over the past few years. Not long ago we didn't have to worry about the internet, major chains, low priced imports, and the big-box discount stores. Years ago the biggest worry was another small dealer opening up down the street, or ...
How fear, greed, and ego relate to retail pricing: pricing is more art than science. But if you understand what your customers want and need and follow some proven rules, you have a better chance of sharpening your competitive edge.(CREATIVE RETAILING)
May 01, 2007; ... One of the most critical decisions retailers can make is their pricing strategy because it directly impacts inventory turn rates, profitability and even the store's ability to attract and retain long-term loyal customers. Pricing strategies are not modern-day marketing creations. They date ...
Schimmel's quality mantra: responding to a shifting piano market, leading German piano maker emphasizes product quality, while expanding its product line under a multiple brand strategy.(SHORT TAKE)
May 01, 2007 ... The flood of low-cost Chinese-made pianos has confronted European manufacturers with a painful dilemma: whether to engage in serious belt tightening in an effort to compete on price or to emphasize superior quality in pursuit of the premium market. Germany's Schimmel Piano has decisively ...
Premium blend: ovation's new VXT Hybrid guitar offers a choice of dead-on acoustic guitar and electric guitar sounds plus a multitude of blended sounds in between. With VXT, 1 + 1 = the size of your imagination.(PRODUCT TRENDS)
May 01, 2007 ... Can a four-wheel-drive SUV really drive like a luxury sedan? Can a musician really "specialize in all styles"? We tend to dismiss such pronouncements on the assumption that, in many cases, a lack of specialization necessitates excellence-diluting compromise. But Ovation, a company that has ...
Improving economics, deteriorating demographics: the sprawling Frankfurt Fair sends mixed signals about the future direction of the European music market. Prosperity is on the rise, but a serious "birth dearth" threatens future growth.(Global MARKETS)(Industry overview)
May 01, 2007 ... Reflecting the state of the European music products market, the annual Frankfurt Musikmesse and Pro Light and Sound Expo offered up decidedly mixed signals. Record exhibitor turnout, huge crowds, and four days of frenetic activity kindled hopes that the European Union was finally shaking ...
If they generate most of the profits, why are they called small goods? Reflections on why accessories are the industry's biggest profit generator, why so many retailers have yet to grasp that simple fact, and how to make your accessory sales grow.(ACCESSORIES)
May 01, 2007 ... The most common reason people end up in music retail is because they love music passionately, believe in its value, and want to be around it. Aligning yourself with a business that furthers what is arguably mankind's most exalted art form is a noble calling, and one of the reasons why ...
Where the money is.(ACCESSORIES)
May 01, 2007 ... The average selling price of an electric guitar is $380. At a 30% margin, that works out to a gross profit of $114 per instrument. Sell the assortment of accessories pictured above to a guitar customer and you'll pocket $82 in gross margin, increasing the profitability of the sale by 71% ....
Sets are just the start.(ACCESSORIES)
May 01, 2007 ... Gillette realized long ago that the profit is in selling the blades, not the razors. The same holds true for percussion products. Sell an average five-piece kit at $670 and you'll see a gross margin of $227. The standard accessory assortment above holds the promise of $328 in gross profit ....
Woodwinds & brasswinds.(ACCESSORIES)
May 01, 2007 ... The scope of accessories for wind instruments isn't quite as broad as in the percussion and fretted categories. Nevertheless, carekits, reeds, mouthpieces, and other accessory items are powerful profit generators. Carekits, in particular, can enhance the profits on a rental horn by 10% to ...
Hohner's iconic harmonica the ultimate accessory item: currently celebrating its 150th anniversary, Hohner Inc. remains the world's leading manufacturer of harmonicas.(ACCESSORIES)
May 01, 2007 ... Blow-tube, hobo harp, French harp, Indiana mating call, reckless tram, harpoon, tin sandwich, blues harp, Mississippi saxophone. By any of its names, music retailers might well call the mouth organ, harp, and harmonica the ultimate accessory item. And in the world of harmonicas, the name ...
The measure of perfection: JodyJazz is thrilling the sax community with Innovative designs, obsession with flawless production, and a passionately non-commodity approach to making mouthpieces.(ACCESSORIES)
May 01, 2007 ... Basking in the glow of product reviewers' praise and player testimonials that border on idolatry, JodyJazz is arguably the most up-and-coming name in woodwind accessories. Headquartered in New York City, JodyJazz offers a broad line of distinctive, American-made mouthpieces for sax and ...
Retailers breathe easier at 2007 NASMD: having weathered competitive assaults from the internet, chain stores, and mail order competitors, independent retailers regain confidence in the viability of their business model.(NASMD: ASSESSING SCHOOL MUSIC)
May 01, 2007 ... More than 300 retail members from the National Association of School Music Dealers emerged from the organization's four-day annual meeting in Tucson, Arizona, showing confidence that the market for school music products remains strong and that independent dealers will play a vital role in ...
Xu returns as pearl river CEO; Garrison tapped as vp sales.(PEOPLE: MOVERS AND SHAKERS)
May 01, 2007 ... WITH THE RETIREMENT of company Chairman Zhi Cheng Tong after 48 years of service, Guangzhou Pearl River Piano Group Ltd. in Guangzhou, China has announced plans to refine its US marketing program. Newly appointed Pearl River Chairman Wei Lin Huang, has announced key U.S. appointments to ...
Steinway declares "Bow-tie" day.(PEOPLE: MOVERS AND SHAKERS)
May 01, 2007 ... RETIRED STEINWAY & SONS chairman Henry Steinway (center in the dark suit) has adopted the bow-tie as something of a personal style statement. Earlier this year, employees at the Steinway plant in Long Island ...
Management expanded to support growth.(Antigua Inc.)
May 01, 2007 ... IN A MOVE that reflects the controlled and steady growth of the Antigua brand, President Joe Ramotowski has appointed Daryl McCain director of marketing and promoted Randy Huey to the newly created position of director of operations. "As the acceptance of the Antigua brand and our market ...
Sales & marketing team expands.(Sabian)
May 01, 2007 ... SABIAN LTD. HAS announced major changes in its sales and marketing teams. Joe Samuelian has been promoted to U.S. sales coordinator. Samuelian will be responsible for coordination and support of all musical instrument channel sales activities in the U.S. market including: documenting and ...
Dorwart new CEO; Quandt new pres./COO.(Stanton Group)
May 01, 2007 ... THE STANTON GROUP, a leading audio equipment company operating Stanton Magnetics, Cerwin Vega!, and KRK Systems, has named Timothy Dorwart its new chief executive officer and Mike Quandt the president and chief operating officer. A 30-year music industry veteran, Dorwart was ...
Ted Stalets named DSM for Midwest.(Galileo Music)
May 01, 2007 ... TED STALETS HAS been appointed district sales manager for the Midwest region at Galileo Music. He will be responsible for supporting existing accounts and expanding sales efforts of the Galileo digital piano collection in the Midwestern states. Stalets' career in the music ...
Yamaha's Joe Testa new father of twins.(PEOPLE: MOVERS AND SHAKERS)
May 01, 2007 ... JOE TESTA, Yamaha Drums international artist relations manager, and his wife, Kim, are the proud new parents of twin daughters. Rubette ...
Yamaha DGC1B piano brings Disklavier to new price point.(PRODUCTS: THE LATEST AND GREATEST IN NEW PRODUCTS INTRODUCTIONS)(Concert review)
May 01, 2007 ... YAMAHA'S PIANO DIVISION has introduced the latest model of its reproducing pianos, the Disklavier DGC1B. Equipped with many of the Disklavier's unique technological features, this affordable model can help users enjoy live piano music by world-renowned musicians, as well as record, store, ...
Eleca guitar practice Amp with iPod playback system.(PRODUCTS: THE LATEST AND GREATEST IN NEW PRODUCTS INTRODUCTIONS)
May 01, 2007 ... ELECA INTERNATIONAL Inc. bills its new eAmp 1.0 as the world's first guitar practice amplifier that doubles as an iPod playback system. The new eAmp makes it a snap to play along to one's favorite tunes. Combining a rugged, versatile practice amp with an iPod interface, the new eAmp makes ...