Algam SAS (Nantes, France), the leading European distributor of musical instruments, professional audio equipment, and lighting, is proud to announce its new subsidiary, Algam USA. This strategic expansion marks Algam’s commitment to bringing high-quality products and unparalleled distribution expertise to the American market.

Algam USA will be headquartered in California, a state synonymous with innovation as well as a dynamic music scene. This new venture will be spearheaded by CEO Matt McDevitt, a seasoned MI with over two decades of experience in the industry.

“We are incredibly excited to launch Algam USA,” said Gérard Garnier, President of Algam. “Our expansion into the United States represents a significant milestone in Algam’s growth strategy. With Matt McDevitt leading the charge and the support of the whole Algam organization, we are confident that Algam USA will successfully bring exceptional brands and innovative solutions to a new audience of musicians and audio professionals.”

Algam USA will serve as the exclusive distributor of LAG Guitars, along with other esteemed brands under the Algam portfolio. Musicians and retailers across the United States can now access Algam’s renowned products, known for their superior craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology[MM1] .

Under McDevitt’s leadership, Algam USA aims to foster strong relationships with American retailers and musicians, ensuring that Algam’s products meet the high standards of the U.S. market. The subsidiary will provide a modern approach to distribution with a focus on American marketing strategies, providing exceptional customer service, technical support, and educational resources to its clients.

“Joining Algam to lead Algam USA is a tremendous honor,” said Matt McDevitt, CEO of Algam USA. “I look forward to working closely with our team to deliver the quality, service and market innovation that Algam is known for. We are committed to building a strong presence in the U.S. to support musicians in their creative endeavors.”

Benjamin Garnier, General Manager of Algam, who has been instrumental in the European and Asian expansion of Algam, added, “The launch of Algam USA is a testament to our continued growth and dedication to the global music community. We believe our presence in the United States will further solidify our position as a leading distributor of musical instruments, pro audio equipment, and lighting.”

The company’s commitment to quality, innovation, and customer service has established Algam as a trusted name in the industry.

See us at the NAMM show Booth 5720.

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Contact: Algam USA Email: press@algamusa.com Phone: (877) 420-5533

Radial Engineering has announced that Ryan Juchnowski has been promoted to the role of Product Manager. A 17-year veteran of the company, Juchnowski previously held a dual position at Radial as product specialist and trade show manager. 

In his new role as Product Manager, Juchnowski will oversee the execution of Radial’s expanded product roadmap and lead the product development team’s focus on Radial’s commitment to design, engineer, and market world-class audio products designed around customers’ expressed needs and pain points.

Juchnowski has a Recording Arts diploma and brings multi-instrument playing experience as well as music retail experience to his new role. He spent the early part of his career at Radial working alongside company founder Peter Janis.

“Ryan is a natural fit for the Product Manager role as it relates to Radial’s commitment to designing, engineering, and marketing new products focused on the needs of players and audio professionals,” said Roc Bubel, Director of Sales and Marketing for Radial. “The opportunity to have someone with Ryan’s mix of industry experience as well as familiarity with Radial’s processes and people means a smooth and seamless transition for greater success in creating industry-leading products that address the needs of players and audio professionals at all levels.”

For more information, visit Radial online at www.radialeng.com.

D’Addario, the world-renowned manufacturer of musical instrument accessories, is marking its 50th anniversary with a series of special offerings that highlight the company’s rich history and enduring legacy.

“Our anniversary is a testament to our dedication to providing musicians with the tools and accessories that inspire their highest level of performance,” said Jim D’Addario, Founder & Chairman, D’Addario. “We’ve created these special offerings to invite our customers, partners, and employees to share in our celebration, as we remain grateful for their ongoing support. As we look to the future, we look forward to continuing to inspire and empower musicians for many more generations.”

While the D’Addario brand celebrates 50 years, the family’s string-making tradition dates back over 400 years. To share this incredible journey, D’Addario has launched a scrollable digital timeline on its website. This immersive retrospective offers visitors a glimpse into the company’s evolution—from its humble beginnings in Italy, crafting strings from sheep intestines, to becoming a global leader in the music accessories industry. In just minutes, visitors can explore generations of knowledge and innovation that define D’Addario’s story.

As part of the celebration, D’Addario is also releasing a limited-edition line of vintage-inspired merchandise that reflects the look and feel of the brand that musicians first fell in love with. The collection includes T-shirts, hats, and other memorabilia that connect long-time players as well as a whole new generation, to the brand’s iconic visual identity.

Additionally, D’Addario is releasing a limited edition 50th Anniversary Collector’s tin featuring the original packaging of Phosphor Bronze (acoustic) and XL (electric) strings, paying tribute to the brand’s very first groundbreaking strings.

D’Addario has also launched a multi-episode documentary series titled “Jim’s Corner.” In this series, Jim D’Addario sat down for 50 hours of interviews, offering an in-depth oral history of the company that will preserve the company’s story for future generations. Jim’s unique brand of storytelling captures his relentless pursuit of innovation that has driven D’Addario’s growth and leadership in the music industry.

The anniversary celebrations will culminate with “A World-Class Evening of Classical Guitar,” a special concert being held at Guild Hall in East Hampton on Saturday, Sept. 28. The event revives a D’Addario tradition from the 1970s, when Jim and Janet D’Addario established their original classical guitar concert series. This year’s concert is featuring legendary classical guitarists who have long been connected to D’Addario, including Paco Peña, Ben Verdery, and Badi Assad, and emerging icons Xuefei Yang and the Davisson Duo. The event highlights D’Addario’s ongoing support for musicians across the globe.

For more information on D’Addario’s 50th anniversary celebrations, please visit daddario.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.”