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.”
 
To find out more please go to  orangeamps.com/ and orangessentials.com/

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.

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.

Fender Custom Shop is pleased to announce Levi Perry will be joining the Master Builders team.

Levi Perry began his journey with Fender in 2012, straight out of high school. He joined as a part of the US production final assembly department, showcasing his skills as a luthier and technician. His success in this department earned him a promotion to the Custom Shop within three years, where he served as a Relic artisan and tune tester, and, in 2018, he was promoted to assistant Master Builder. During this apprenticeship, he worked on many prestigious builds, including the Game of Thrones series, the Limited-Edition Phil Lynott Precision Bass, the Limited-Edition George Harrison Rocky Strat and the Limited Edition El Mocambo Heavy Relic Stratocaster and Telecaster models.

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.

Quilter Labs and Neunaber Audio have come together to offer up the best of analog power circuit and digital signal processing musical technology. This union will result in:

• Wider Domestic and Worldwide Distribution of Neunaber Products
• Expanded Product Development Capabilities
• Standardized Logistics and Supply Chain
• Enhanced Support System

In a statement, Brian Neunaber said, “I started Neunaber Audio to design products that I am truly passionate about, but ultimately, operating a business didn’t leave much time for that. By partnering with Quilter Labs, I can return to what I love doing and enable new opportunities for my team. I’ve known Pat and Chris for many years, and I feel that we have similar sensibilities in our approaches to design, marketing and management. When I decided to find someone to assume operations of Neunaber Audio so that I could return to full-time product development, Quilter Labs was top of mind. Fortunately, they were also looking for someone like me to expand their design team.”

Following up, Pat Quilter remarked, “As many thousands of happy Quilter Labs customers know, in retirement I have returned to my original passion of making high energy guitar and bass amps. My long career designing power amps at QSC Audio, which evolved from our guitar amp beginnings, have left me with a deep toolbox of analog power technology. More importantly, I have access to the vintage amps whose tone we all know and love, and I know how to unleash the same warmth and dynamics using modern lightweight circuitry. I am familiar with Brian Neunaber’s work, both at QSC and in his own company, and I look forward to combining our skill sets to bring together the best of both worlds – analog warmth and digital versatility – in easy-to-operate devices that fulfill our mission to Make Music Better.”

About Pat Quilter and Quilter Labs:

After decades of developing top-line QSC products, Pat had become a world-class designer of compact, high-power amplifiers. The final years of Pat’s QSC career saw his mastery of Class-D technology, the third wave of power technology that would replace traditional solid state, just as solid-state had replaced tube amps, except in the guitar field where tube amps continued to be respected as having the best and most natural tonal properties. Having built tube amps, Pat was well aware of the properties that they brought to the game. As a veteran of analog design, he could see what it would take to duplicate the behavior of tubes, but using modern, high efficiency, lightweight technology to design an amp that would serve the needs of musicians better than anything else on the market.

About Brian Neunaber and Neunaber Audio:

Coming from an engineering background, Brian Neunaber—the company’s founder—has grounded their mission in modern, highly technical excellence. Their products are the result of research, development, and intentional sonic engineering. They pursue sonic perfection, even at the cost of breaking industry norms. Their products deliver practical and intriguing sounds to a diverse range of musicians—from those whose desire is to effortlessly plug-in and play to those who need a more versatile platform to sculpt their ultimate tone. They believe that making great products is the best marketing strategy, and they rely on happy customers to spread the word.

– Sweetwater, the country’s leading eCommerce provider of music instruments and pro audio gear, today announcedphilanthropicdonations ofover $750,000 to more than 200 organizations this year. In addition to monetary donations, Sweetwater has also donated more than $60,000 worth of instruments and audio gear to an additional 200+ schools, music programs, and other groups, enabling students from all over the country to explore music and participate in music programs.

Sweetwater partners with local, regional, and national organizations to have a far-reaching impact, with a particular focus on music and arts education, exploration, and enrichment.

“We’re honored to be able to give back to the communities that have contributed to our success, from inspiring a love for music in children, to supporting the local Fort Wayne community,” said Sweetwater CEO John Hopkins. “Our goal is to help musicians make their musical dreams come true and to help foster the next generation’s passion for making music.”

Sweetwater has long-standing partnerships with music and arts organizations like Music Will (formerly Little Kids Rock), Beats by Girlz, Women’s Audio Mission, We Are All Music, Arts United, Believe in a Dream, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Unity Performing Arts Foundation, Embassy Theatre, FWCS Foundation’s b Instrumental program, Make Music Alliance, Power2Inspire, Save the Music Foundation, and TI:ME (Technology in Music Education.)

“Sweetwater’s support has transformed the ways in which we interact with our students and allowed us to supplement our instruction with relevant hands-on activities using professional tools,” said TI:ME Executive Director Mike Lawson.

Sweetwater also supports numerous non-profit agencies that focus on youth development and meeting the needs of underserved populations like Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Indiana, Boys & Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne, Bridge of Grace, Easterseals Arc, Fort Wayne Commission for African American Males, Fort Wayne Rescue Mission, Habitat for Humanity, Junior Achievement, and more. For further information, visit Sweetwater.com.

Gibson is the leading, iconic, handcrafted, American-made guitar brand that has shaped the sounds of generations of musicians and music lovers, across genres for over 128 years. Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Nashville, with a premier acoustic craftory in Bozeman, Montana, Gibson continues a legacy of world-class artisanship, legendary music partnerships, and progressive product innovations that are unrivaled among musical instrument companies. Gibson has been in major investment expansion mode and prioritizing the acoustic facility and its skilled artisans in Bozeman who create our world-renowned acoustic guitar collections. For more than a century, Gibson acoustics have been played by the most talented and influential music artists who continue to shape sound through modern music.

In Bozeman, Montana, Gibson carries on a tradition of acoustic instruments that dates back to the 1890’s. The world has changed, but this art has stayed much the same: Gibson acoustic guitars deliver a clear, rich sound from carefully chosen tonewoods crafted to improve with age and fit each dovetail neck joint by hand. While production of Gibson Acoustics started in Kalamazoo, MI and moved to Nashville, TN for a period, Bozeman was identified as an ideal location for the new acoustic facility after Gibson purchased the Montana-based Flatiron Mandolin company in 1987. The relatively stable and dry climate in Bozeman is advantageous in building acoustic guitars, which can be greatly affected by swings in temperature and humidity. The early days in Montana marked the rebirth of Gibson’s flat-top guitars in the eyes and ears of artist, dealers, and fans.

To meet the booming demand for guitars, Gibson invested in construction to double the size of the acoustic craftory. With more machine shop and manufacturing space, expanded Gibson Acoustic Custom Shop capabilities, and a new artist showroom, the modernized facility enables Gibson to increase production of its world renowned acoustic guitar models (J-45, Hummingbird, Dove, SJ-200, and more) and expand innovative offerings such as the new Gibson Generation Collection, without compromising on conditions of quality.

“Gibson acoustic guitars have earned their iconic status over many generations and across many genres of music,” says James ‘JC’ Curleigh (President and CEO of Gibson Brands). “This iconic status has turned into exceptional demand over the past few years. We recognized that we had an opportunity and an obligation to find a way to make more guitars by expanding the legendary Gibson Acoustic Craftory right here in Bozeman, Montana. We are proud of the expansion and excited for the future.”

Last week, Gibson opened the doors of its world-renowned acoustic guitar facility in Bozeman to celebrate the completion of a factory expansion which doubled the size of the facility which was originally built in 1988. Gibson global leadership and the local Gibson Bozeman teams were on hand with local Montana business leaders and ambassadors, and our skilled artisans who create our world-renowned acoustic guitar collections to view the new craftory. Gibson is a preferred employer globally and with the massive expansion will be adding up to 100+ job opportunities and recruiting top talent on the local and national level. Gibson Acoustic in Bozeman currently employs 230 people.

Following are photos from the Gibson Acoustic expansion celebration in Bozeman, MT, and a glimpse inside the craftory:

Jeff Slingluff passed on September 9, 2022, following complications from COVID-19 at the age of 55. As the BOSS strategic product manager for the U.S., Jeff was extensively involved in product content and tradeshow booth design, dealer training and support, and video content. His depth of knowledge and willingness to share his genuine excitement for gear, both new and classic, made him an industry favorite for content and interviews.

When Jeff joined BOSS in 2016, BOSS engineers quickly integrated him into the product development process, involving him in new product ideas, conceptual designs, visual and user interface design, and sound design. His unique philosophy in how to craft a product’s look and feel, combined with a friendly, intuitive user interface, contributed to the success of BOSS products ranging from the award-winning Katana and Nextone Amplifier series to the highly acclaimed WAZA-TAE Tube Amp Expander and RE-202 Space Echo.

“I loved Jeff’s smile, positive attitude, and way of thinking. I loved to talk to him—he was always optimistic. Conversations with Jeff gave me lots of inspiration and hints for new product ideas. He supported and helped me and BOSS so much over the last six years,” offered Yoshi Ikegami, BOSS president from 2002 to 2022.

Jeff was a graduate of the Musicians Institute, and before joining BOSS, he lent his talents and vision to Alesis, Line 6, and Sound Machine LLC. Through his work on products like the POD Series, DL4 Delay Modeler, and a vast library of algorithms and models, Jeff honed the tones that became the foundation for gold and platinum-selling albums, world stadium tours, and countless home productions. Working shoulder-to-shoulder with Line 6’s engineers, Jeff helped pioneer, evolve, and refine the techniques of modeling that have become the foundation of many modern guitar amplifiers, effects processors, and plug-ins. Jeff’s sound design talents were also used in multiple plug-ins for Universal Audio, as well as the first digital pedals for Dunlop Manufacturing and its MXR brand.

As a family man, musician, guitarist, sound engineer, gear tinkerer, and animal lover, Jeff had many passions. He was exceedingly accepting, loving, and kind, and he embraced everyone for who they were without judgement. Jeff was also a great listener, no matter the person or situation. He made people feel heard, he made people feel valued, and his door was always open. In a world filled with challenges, Jeff had a heart full of joy.

Jeff is survived by Jean Shen, his partner of more than 15 years, and his children Amanda (28) and Koda (23).

The teams at Roland and BOSS send heartfelt condolences to Jeff’s family, friends, and colleagues around the world.