Reverend Guitars is thrilled to announce that JJ Jenkins is joining the team as Sales Manager. A graduate of Warren Wilson College, JJ is a part-time drummer, full-time music lover, and semi-retired karaoke singer. A jill of all trades, JJ has enjoyed careers in film & television, outdoor education, organic farming, retail operations, sales, metal work & jewelry design. As a self-taught jeweler, she admires Reverend’s commitment to original industry-leading design and providing artists with tools to create.
ESP Guitars has named experienced MI/Pro Audio industry veteran Philip Monypenny to the new role of Latin America Sales Manager. Based in Chile, Monypenny will be the point person in furthering the potential of the ESP brand in Latin American markets.
“ESP has long had a very strong presence in Mexico, Central America, and South America,” says Miguel Soto, ESP’s Vice President of Global Sales. “Bringing a skilled and respected pro like Philip aboard in this dedicated role creates new opportunities to greatly expand ESP’s business in these important territories.”
Philip Monypenny has spent over 15 years in the world of MI and Pro Audio with roles as a sales/product manager for respected importer/distributor/retailer Audiomusica as well as acting as a territory manager for respected manufacturer Audio-Technica. Most recently, Monypenny has served as the Purchasing and Contracts Manager for Televisión Nacional de Chile. At ESP, he will be tasked with being the point person for the huge Latin American guitar market, working with local distribution and retail partners to maximize the potential of the ESP brand.
“I have been lucky to have been around ESP in different stages of my life,” says Monypenny. “I’ve worked for an ESP distributor in Chile, I’ve played ESP guitars and bass guitars — I was even an endorser shortly at one point — and I’ve known some of the folks working behind the scenes for the brand. I understand the struggles and potential of local markets when it comes to gear and instrument sales, and have an in-depth understanding of the territory’s diverse cultures and economies. I couldn’t be happier to join the team, especially now on the verge of ESP’s 50th anniversary in 2025.”
Detailed information on ESP’s products as well as contact info for its US retailers and international dealers and distributors is available on the ESP web site at www.espguitars.com.
Korg USA announces that, following an extensive search, experienced MI industry veterans Kate Moyer and Anoush Saboktakin have joined the company’s sales and marketing team to help shape and achieve its future goals. Moyer will now be the Bass Brand Category Manager, which accounts for all products within the Spector, Aguilar, and Darkglass brands. Saboktakin will now be the Guitar Amplifier Category Manager, which accounts for all products within the Blackstar and Vox brands.
Korg USA’s Director of Sales Matt Phillips states, “Category Managers will serve as a key link between Korg USA and our manufacturing partners. They will develop, present, and evaluate sales and marketing strategies aligned with the manufacturer’s objectives for each product or category.”
Kate Moyer has an extensive background in the musical instrument business and sales, having served in key roles with major suppliers and retailers in the trade. Before Korg USA, she brought her skills to play at Guitar Center, Aguilar Amplification, and Sadowsky Guitars.
More recently Moyer led the sales and operations teams at Equinox. In this role she spearheaded initiatives to design and execute training programs for over 30 of the organization’s coaches, leading to improvement in client attrition, session volume, and SPU. Under her guidance, conversion increased 12 percent MoM and KPI lead generation consistently performed 120 percent+ to goal. Moyer studied Music Business and Audio Production at State University of New York Oneonta.
For over two decades Anoush Saboktakin has used his sales leadership and analytical abilities to contribute significantly to increased revenue growth for major players in the musical instrument realm. His tenure with Guitar Center stretches back to 2001, where he first served as sales manager in Los Angeles, before advancing to serve as vintage & premium sales & training manager for GC in New York City.
Saboktakin has led comprehensive training programs for sales staff, successfully conducted sales & inventory acquisition, and has consistently outperformed sales growth projections. He consistently ranked within the top-10 in sales performance for vintage & premium instruments during his time at Guitar Center. Saboktakin holds a Bachelor of Music, Commercial & Media Writing from California State University Northridge, with added certifications from Santa Monica College and Fullstack Academy Data Analytics Training Accelerator (DATA).
Phillips concludes, “We’re thrilled to welcome Kate and Anoush to our team. Their combined experience and passion for the industry will undoubtedly drive our brands to new heights!”
Seymour Duncan, a leader in the design and manufacture of guitar pickups and musical electronics, is excited to commemorate the 45th work anniversary of Kevin Beller, the company’s esteemed VP of Engineering and a lifelong bass player. Kevin’s journey with Seymour Duncan began in 1979, just three years after the company’s founding by Seymour and Cathy Duncan, and his impact on our business and the wider music industry has been nothing short of transformative. Over the past four and a half decades, Kevin has played a critical role in shaping Seymour Duncan’s product offerings. His initial work on developing the production line laid the foundation for the company’s reputation for excellence. Kevin’s commitment to innovation is evident in his diverse portfolio of designs, which range from traditional pickups to modern cutting-edge musical electronics. Among his best-known designs are the now-legendary Nazgul / Sentient passive guitar pickups, APB-1 Active P-Bass pickup, Wavelength acoustic guitar pickup, the groundbreaking Convertible Amp (the world’s first modular and configurable tube amplifier, loved by Jeff Beck), the PowerStage line of pedalsized amplifiers, which are a mainstay of many modern touring guitar rigs, 805 Overdrive and Pickup Booster pedals, and noiseless pickup designs such as the Stack Plus and recently introduced P90 Silencer. His ability to blend technical expertise with creative vision has resulted in numerous patents and industry recognition. Kevin’s collaborative spirit has also led to successful partnerships with top artists, helping to refine and perfect Seymour Duncan’s product lines based on real-world feedback. Seymour W. Duncan commented, “I first got to know Kevin when he came by the guitar shop where I was doing repairs, and I worked on his basses. After I founded Seymour Duncan, Kevin dropped by our first warehouse in 1979. He wanted to move from his job at a tech firm to a new challenge. He’s been our head engineer ever since, and his passion for guitars and music has been a cornerstone of our innovation.” Cathy Duncan added, “Kevin takes such joy in creating products for musicians and it shows. He’s never happier than when guitarists tell him that he’s captured the tone they hear in their head – and 45 years later it’s still a thrill for him, and for us!” “Seymour Duncan’s success is built on the foundation of our amazing people, and their service to musicians. No one embodies these qualities more than Kevin Beller, and we’re incredibly grateful for his 45 years of innovation,” said Marc DiLorenzo, CEO of Seymour Duncan. “His contributions helped shape our company, and we’re excited to keep bringing more of Kevin’s pioneering designs to musicians everywhere.”
Royer Labs announces the retirement of President and co-founder Rick Perotta effective June 1, 2024. John Jennings, Royer’s co-founder and 26-year VP of Sales & Marketing, has become the company’s President, assuring Royer customers and end users a smooth transition in company management.
Jennings’ long history with the company makes taking the position of President a natural step. Jennings established and maintained the company’s dealer/distributor network and has directed Royer’s overall marketing and branding strategies from the beginning. In Royer’s early days he attended countless recording sessions, introducing producers, engineers and artists to Royer ribbon microphones and photographing them in action. The company’s groundbreaking designs resulted in Royer Labs receiving a Technical Grammy in 2013.
Rick Perrotta co-designed many of Royer’s products with Chief Engineer David Royer. His technical chops were, and remain, invaluable. Rick created Royer’s overall hand-built-in-the-USA production methodologies, he formulated the company’s original business structure, and for 26 years he oversaw its day-to-day business operations. In “retirement” Perrotta will continue to lend his expertise in a technical and design capacity, which is the work he always enjoyed the most.
Jennings has lived in Nashville since 2013 and will continue to work from the office he calls Royer East. Having in-person representation in two major music markets—Nashville and Los Angeles—enables the company to better serve a higher number of important clients in addition to getting client feedback on new gear under development. Jennings plans on putting more new microphone products into the pipeline with a focus on the high-quality, hand-built approach that has defined Royer products for decades.
Reflecting on his time with Royer Labs, Perotta offered the following thoughts, “These 26 years have been one of the most rewarding periods of my life. From our start in my backyard guesthouse to our presence as an industry leader in high-end microphones and accessories, it’s been an incredible experience that I am very proud of. While I may not be in the office on a regular basis going forward, I will still be involved with the company and the wonderful people that constitute Royer Labs. And as I pass the baton—or should I say microphone—to John Jennings, I have every confidence the company will continue to thrive.”
John Jennings shares Perotta’s enthusiasm, “I’ve always been proud of what Royer Labs brings to the pro audio community. Becoming Royer’s President now is an honor. Every day, I work with high quality people who bring their A game – that’s the Royer way. I’ll miss having Rick here but we’ve been partners for so long, and our management team is so good, that stepping into this position is an uncomplicated, natural progression. We have some unique new designs underway and the next few years at Royer are going to be an exciting time to hold down this seat.”
As Royer Labs moves forward, Jennings’ VP of Sales & Marketing position will be taken over by industry veteran Dave Bryce, another seasoned sales and marketing professional. It is also important to note that the remaining company management team has considerable depth, with over 90 years of collective experience with Royer. They will continue Royer’s legacy, providing consistency in how the business is run and the same deep commitment to quality that has always defined Royer Labs.
Veteran MI Product Manager David Fournier has been promoted to Director of Product Management at Fishman Transducers. Fournier, who began his career at Fishman in 2004, has worked on Fishman’s most popular and successful products, including the Loudbox line of acoustic amplifiers, Aura Acoustic Imaging products, Platinum analog preamps, and most recently, the company’s new line of AFX Mini Acoustic Effect pedals.
Fournier’s new position is part of an organizational shift to bring more efficiency through his leadership, expertise, and experience bringing products to the MI market. With a keen understanding of pro audio, product design, and product lifecycle, David is well versed in the needs of both the consumer and professional market.
Prior to joining Fishman, David has led a series of product successes for Lexicon, Line 6, and Eventide, covering a range of products from digital processors and amp modelers to a host of plugins for digital audio workstations.
Chief Operating Officer Jason Cambra added, “David’s decades-long experience, along with his deep understanding of Fishman’s technologies and design approach, make him perfectly suited to drive our Product Management team. As our company and its product offerings continue to expand, David will have the opportunity to manage the people and the processes that will help Fishman deliver the next generation of best-in-class products.”
Orange Amplification are delighted to announce the appointment of Scott Donnell to the position of Vice President – Marketing with immediate effect.
Scott Donnell is a well-known figure in the music industry, most notably as the architect of the brand strategy that helped DW Drums become a global leader in the musical instrument manufacturing business as well as successfully steering the Ovation guitar brand. During his MI career tenure, he has also overseen marketing duties for notable brands such as Gretsch Drums, Latin Percussion, Vic Firth and many others. As a part of the company’s leadership team this creative and innovative marketeer will oversee global marketing and branding of both Orange Amplification and the rapidly growing Orange Essentials division.
Speaking about the appointment Cliff Cooper, Founder and CEO of Orange Amplification said: “We are thrilled to welcome Scott to the Orange team. His extensive experience and skill set will complement Orange’s future plans and objectives. I am delighted Scott has joined our company and we look forward to exciting times ahead”.
“I’m truly honored to be joining this legendary brand. Orange is incredibly well respected in the industry by pro musicians worldwide and have earned that reputation by offering consistently innovative, road-worthy and aspirational musical products for decades. This is an exciting time for Orange as we bring the “The Voice of the World” to more players and music fans everywhere”, said Donnell, “It’s humbling knowing that Cliff and this highly dedicated team have put their trust in me going forward.”
DPA Microphones A/S, the leading manufacturer of high-quality microphone solutions, is pleased to introduce Jens Jermiin as the brand’s new Vice President of Marketing. A leader in the marketing world, with previous roles at global brands like Coca-Cola, Carlsberg and Bang & Olufsen, Jermiin has been with DPA in an interim capacity since December and will now fully lead the department, effective immediately.
As VP of Marketing for DPA Microphones A/S, the Denmark-based home branch of the company, Jermiin will lead initiatives for the brand’s market-leading microphones and accessories. This includes product launch campaigns, digital marketing strategies and internal and external communications, among other things.
“Following several successful months in an interim role, we are thrilled to now welcome Jens to our team in a full-time capacity,” says Soren Hogsberg, Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing for DPA Microphones. “Jens brings decades of marketing expertise to DPA that will be pivotal in continuing to grow our brand. With a focus on creative new approaches to drive our strategy and define our brand, Jens has what it takes to keep DPA at the top of the game. We look forward to his contributions to the brand as we reinforce our commitment to the industry.”
Jermiin comes to DPA with more than 20 years of marketing experience, following his most recent role as Chief Marketing Officer at TAKT, a Danish furniture brand that he co-founded. Prior to that, Jermiin served as VP of Global Brand & Marketing for Denmark-based Bang & Olufsen, a leader in high-end consumer electronics and audio products. He was also previously the Vice President of Digital, Media and Creative Content at Carlsberg Group, and held various creative and marketing roles with The Coca-Cola Company for more than a decade.
A graduate of Copenhagen Business School, where he studied marketing and economics, Jermiin also serves or has served on the board of several leading Danish organizations, including the Nic. Christiansen Group, Dwarf, Geismars Vaeverier A/S and Dansk Markedsfoering (the Danish Marketing Association).
“I am honored that Soren and Kalle (Hvidt Nielsen, DPA CEO) chose me to fill this role,” says Jermiin. “DPA Microphones is a well-known, high-end brand with a large, devoted following. I look forward to finding creative new ways to grow this beloved brand.” Jermiin’s position was previously held by his colleague Anne Berggrein, who now leads the company’s initiatives in the environmental, social and governance (ESG) domains. “Anne’s substantial contributions over her more than 20-year tenure have played a pivotal role in elevating the DPA brand to its current stature,” adds Hogsberg.
Rob Joseph, President of MusicMax Inc. (on left) and Brian Harsh, VP of Business Development (on right) are thrilled to partner with the Ashdown and Meters brands.
MusicMax Distribution, a leading name in the pro-audio and MI industry, is thrilled to announce Ashdown USA Powered by MusicMax, its new exclusive distribution partnership with Ashdown Engineering, a market leader in bass and guitar amplifiers, pedals, headphones, and Bluetooth solutions. This strategic collaboration brings Ashdown’s innovative and high-quality products to a broader audience in the United States, offering an enhanced musical experience for both dealers and customers alike.
This new venture will also see Ashdown’s sister company, Ashdown Meters, represented in the USA. With support from some incredible artists and truly unique products within the consumer audio market, MusicMax believes in the Meters brand and will distribute and support Meters products. CEO of both Ashdown and Meters Music Mark Gooday is overjoyed to see this venture and the growth of both companies in the USA.
Ashdown Engineering has a rich legacy of crafting best in class musical equipment, known for its exceptional sound quality, versatility, and durability. With this new partnership, MusicMax Distribution becomes the exclusive distributor for Ashdown’s complete line of products, making them more accessible than ever before to dealers, musicians, and enthusiasts across the United States.
Managing Director Daniel Gooday said “The mission at hand is simply to provide a new level of service for our customers, such as we have in the UK, Canada and EU, with the team in place to provide support. It has always been my dream to see Ashdown supported in this way in the USA. Having grown up in this industry I am very excited at what the future will hold for our family business. We are still to this day a family-owned entity and my wish is to continue this tradition of engineering some of the greatest products available for all musicians and audio lovers.”
“The entire MusicMax Distribution team is incredibly excited to partner with Ashdown Engineering and bring their premium range of bass and guitar products to US dealers,” said Brian Harsh, VP of Business Development. “Ashdown’s dedication to innovation and quality aligns perfectly with our mission to provide high quality, high value musical instruments, pro-audio equipment, and accessories to the industry. This partnership will allow us to further diversify our product offering and provide our customers with an even wider selection of high-quality gear.”
MusicMax Distribution’s extensive reach and dedication to customer service will ensure that Ashdown products are readily available across the United States. This exclusive partnership will benefit both dealers and customers by offering an enhanced shopping experience, comprehensive support, and timely availability of Ashdown’s product range.
This partnership marks a significant milestone for MusicMax Distribution and Ashdown Engineering, and both companies are committed to working together to grow the Ashdown brand and increase its exposure to customers nationwide.
For more information on MusicMax Distribution and its exclusive distribution of Ashdown Engineering’s products, please visit www.musicmaxinc.com.
When asked how he feels about joining the esteemed rank of Master Builder, Levi Perry said, “For me, what’s important is always to be learning and growing and to remain a student of the craft. Fender has such a deep and rich history to glean from, and when you allow that history to teach and guide you while continuing to be creative and push the boundaries, you’ll be amazed at what you can create.”
Since 1987, the Fender Custom Shop and its esteemed builders have astounded players and collectors worldwide with creativity, ingenuity and artistry. From its humble Southern California beginnings, the Fender Custom Shop has grown to become the world’s preeminent maker of highly collectable, custom instruments operating in Corona, Calif. Known as the “Dream Factory,” the Fender Custom Shop is also home to an honoured group known as the Master Builders – some of the most skilled luthiers in the world – who craft Fender’s legendary instruments and push the boundaries of possibility.
