SYP Says

Today's Stupid Deal of the Day: 6/12/08

Today's Stupid Deal of the Day at MusiciansFriend.com is KILLER. Snag one before they sell out--they're going like crazy.

On-Stage Stands MS7510 Mic Pro Pak

Today's Stupid Price: $12.99

Reg $49.99

Limited to stock on hand

The MS7510 Mic Pro Pack is a smart way to buy a good microphone with all the vital accessories, especially at this Stupid Deal price! The On-Stage Stands MS7510 Mic Pro Pak includes an Audio Spectrum AS400 dynamic microphone with bag, a tripod boom mic stand, mic clip, and a 20' mic XLR-XLR cable. The AS400 vocal mic features a cardioid pattern, a frequency response of 80Hz to 12kHz, and a sensitivity of -74dB+/-3dB.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/stupid

'Idol' Josiah Leming, Musician's Friend on Ellen

Yesterday, Musician's Friend gave over $6,800 worth of musical gear to Josiah Leming, the former American Idol contestant who lived in his car and was booted off the show before making it to the final 24. I was rooting for him and was surprised he didn't make the cut, but anyway...over the weekend we got a call asking us to donate a gift package for his appearance on The Ellen Show yesterday. We put together a sweet prize and the giveaway got mentioned on Access Hollywood and AOL.com.

Here's the list of what we gave away, thanks to some awesome vendor support:

• Yamaha P85 Keyboard
• Breedlove AC25/SR Plus Acoustic-Electric Guitar
• Line 6 Spider III 75 Watt Amp
• Presonus Firestudio Project
• Mackie MR-5 Monitors
• Mackie 1220 12 Channel Mixer
• Tascam 2488 MKII Digital Recording Workstation
• Digidesign Pro Tools Mbox Factory Bundle
• Shure 55SH microphone
• $500 MusiciansFriend.com Gift Certificate
• Proline Guitar Stand
• Proline Mic Stand
• Proline Keyboard Stand
• Live Wire Guitar Cable
• Live Wire Mic Cable

Anyway, I wish Josiah the best of luck! Here's his MySpace page and here's a video of him performing "One Last Song."

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Legalese: My blog is personal and has no affiliation to Ellen Degeneres, The Ellen Show or American Idol. Nothing I say on my blog has been in any way endorsed by Musician's Friend or Guitar Center and reflects my own personal views only.. So there.

Presidents Day at Guitar Center & Musician's Friend

In honor of Presidents Day, here are two ways to save huge on music gear Monday, Feb. 18, 2008:

Musician's Friend: Presidents' Day Clearance Event! Extra savings on over $2 million worth of inventory from overstocks and returns to refurbs and discontinued gear. Ends 2/19.

Guitar Center: One-Day-Only Presidents Day Sale! Starts at 10am at your local Guitar Center Store or call 866-498-7882. Presidents Day price-cuts plus special one-day-only financing: 2/18 only.

image source: kaboose.com

NAMM 2008 Recap

I went a day late to NAMM this year and had a lot of meetings, so I didn't get to walk the floor as much as I did my first time. Still, it was a blast and I saw great gear, live music and lots of shredding.

Some highlights:

George Benson at the Ibanez booth. My camera went dead right when I walked up, of course.

Gorgeous handmade, custom Pinstripe Drum Set from Pearl. Handpainted by Nub from Orange County Choppers.

Liquicy Cymbals from Hammerax. I have to say, I am not a drummer, but these were very cool and had a really interesting ripple feel.

Hot Hand from Source Audio is pioneering motion-controlled effects. This is nifty. You wear a special ring that enables you to control your effects with your hands. Click here to see Chuck from the band Moe trying it out. Seeing it makes more sense than reading about it. I want this for my electric violin!

Joe Satriani and Herman Li from Dragonforce on stage with his Hot Hand Effect during the Ibanez Guitar Jam.

Bartolini known for pickups and electronics was sharing a booth with Spalt Instruments in LA which makes really beautiful guitars and basses. One of the things I like about going to NAMM is being able to check out boutique products--some of which we sell, and some we don't, but hey that doesn't stop me from looking at them.

Musician's Friend is a sponsor of the John Lennon Bus. I was getting a tour of the bus which is very cool btw from Brian Rothschild who is the Executive Director of the program and we accidentally interrupted a video shoot on the bus with Bruce Greenwood who donates his time to the cause. Yes, I met him and he was quite nice. No, I did not say how much I liked him in that TV series "Nowhere Man" (even though I did!). I don't watch "John from Cincinnati" on HBO but that is the show he's on now.

The John Lennon Bus was right behind one of the outdoor stages at NAMM. I saw YES frontman Jon Anderson with the amazing School of Rock students.

Here they are performing "Starship Troopers," but they also did a couple of other tunes. Later that night, the School of Rock kids performed in the Marriott lobby. The highlight was one of the kids rocking "Institutionalized" by Suicidal Tendencies. What a classic song.

Someone told me this was the Joe Satriani guitar. I can't confirm or deny it.

Spent quite a bit of time in the Roland booth playing digital pianos, including this DP-990 with 3D Sound Control which they say is as close as you can get to a concert grand. I am not sure I can vouch for that, but the sound was impressive.   

Fender booth was packed as usual. Custom Shop Guitars video here.

I ended up missing John Mayer and Heart and in the flurry of meetings, gear, music, sore feet, getting hit on, standing in long lines, and hanging with a lot of people I didn't know, I did manage to enjoy myself. :)

I leave you with Ozomatli at the m-Audio booth. I really really like this song which is called "Can't Stop Now." Makes me want to dance, every time I hear it.

For all of my pictures from NAMM 2008, click here!

And for more videos and photos from this year's NAMM, check out HarmonyCentral.com's in-depth coverage of NAMM 2008. To pre-order NAMM 2008 products, including these gorgeous Ibanez guitars, click here.

NAMM 2008

I'm off to NAMM 2008! Have my camera and tix to the John Mayer concert tomorrow night. (What is it with me and John Mayer anyway?)

The biggest music gear show in the U.S.--lucky me! :) If you want to find out more about the hottest and newest in musical instruments--from self-tuning guitars to high-tech keyboards, mics, amps, drum kits and more, go to http://www.MusiciansFriend.com or http://www.HarmonyCentral.com where you can pre-order products, watch videos from the NAMM floor, etc...a gearhead's dream!

MusiciansFriend.com

HarmonyCentral.com

Stay tuned for this year's NAMM news when I return. Until then, check out:

Pix of me at last year's NAMM!

My 2007 NAMM Recap!

*** Update: Here's my 2008 NAMM recap and my NAMM 2008 photos.

Musician's Friend Coupons & Deals--Thanksgiving Weekend

Buying for the musician in your life, but looking for a great deal? This Thanksgiving, MusiciansFriend.com, the largest seller of musicial instruments in the world (and, not coincidentally, where I work), is offering savings of up to $150 off your order today!

Some restrictions apply, but really, these are some awesome deals and we all know musical instruments aren't cheap (unless you go to someplace like Walmart or Costco to buy them in which case they'll break right away and you'll have to come back to MusiciansFriend.com to replace them...don't say I didn't warn you).

PLUS, for a limited time, take advantage of FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $49. Click here for more about our Thanksgiving Instant Savings promotion.

Can't figure out what to buy? Check out our online Holiday Gift Center for ideas for every musician at every skill level, including kids and studio musicians or give up early and just get a gift certificate!

Guitar Center Black Friday Event--Extra 20% Off!

Happy Thanksgiving! Just wanted to remind you that for two hours only on Friday, Nov. 23, aka Black Friday, get an extra 20% off any single item at any Guitar Center retail location or call 866-498-7882 from 8-10am. Some restrictions apply. PLUS free in-store-only Led Zeppelin Mothership giveaways every hour.

Order at GuitarCenter.com and receive free shipping on all online orders over $99 without weight restrictions which means even all heavy items ship free (e.g. PAs, Cabs, Keyboards)!

Need help? Try Guitar Center's online gift finder or be really lazy and just buy a Guitar Center gift card available for redemption online, at any retail store or by phone.

Learn More

Guitar Center Sale to Bain, Yankees Choke, No Tyra...

This was a rollercoaster of a week for me.

* The Yankees choked after fighting hard all season to get into the playoffs. What a bummer. Alas, no post-season Yanks/Red Sox match-up. I really thought this was our comeback year.

* The purchase of Guitar Center by Boston-based private investment firm Bain Capital finally closed. Glad that's finally over. I have to say it was interesting going through that process. It was stressful, hectic, and I'm sure I don't know the half of it. Anyway, we'll see what it ends up really meaning. I think it's the right direction for where we need to go.

* I saw my first coyote loping on the highway. Very cool.

* My DVR croaked for an unknown reason and didn't record one of my all-time guilty pleasures. Congratulations--You're still in the running towards becoming America's Next Top Hanger, I mean Model!

All these are lame excuses for why I missed putting up this week's Best Song. I'll be back on Monday when I'm over the trauma.

VP of IS, Musician's Friend

The VP of Information Systems position is open at Musician's Friend, Inc. The location is in Medford, OR. The VP, IS reports to the President and directs, plans, organizes and controls all activities of the IS department. S/he is responsible for constantly improving enterprise productivity by executing the design, implementation, administration and monitoring of best practice IS programs and policies relating to all phases of the business. The VP, IS is strategic and tactical and has a winning attitude. Might I add that we are looking for someone who has considerable Internet and e-commerce expertise as well. :)

If you know someone who'd be right for this job, email me and/or review the detailed job description. Download vp_is_musicians_friend_6.07.doc

I've still got a couple of open positions open in my group as well, including Web Analytics Manager. Just a shout-out, btw, to Eric Peterson, Web analytics guru and CEO of Web Analytics Demystified, who was kind enough to blog about the job here. If you need Web analytics consulting done, he's the man.

Download web_analytics_mgr_6.07.doc

UPDATE: Both of these jobs have been filled!

Hollywood

Had meetings down at Guitar Center corporate last week, so I figured I'd go a couple days early (at my expense, of course) to enjoy the Hollywood sunshine, see friends, and attend the King of the Blues Finals. I'd actually never spent any time in Hollywood except for a trip to the Guitar Center Hollywood store and Rockwalk, so I was looking forward to it. Pix from my weekend are here and pix from the Finals are here. Here's my trip diary.

Day 1 (Sat): Have to get up at 4:30AM for my flight. Arrive at the Hollywood & Highland Center/Renaissance Hotel where I'm staying for the night. (I recommend this hotel, btw, if you need to be in this area.) I do a little shopping and while I'm trying to rest and have a strawberry smoothie, the couple next to me is devouring the biggest serving of chili cheese fries I've ever seen, doused with both ketchup AND ranch dressing. Disgusting, I know. I was there.

My friend Megel meets me for lunch. In typical LA fashion, it takes him an hour and a half longer than it should have due to traffic. (How do people live here??) He is funny as always. We catch up during a decent meal at Wolfgang Puck's Vert brasserie and then he takes me for a walk around town. Hollywood Boulevard reminds me of a little strip of old Times Square before it got all cleaned up. Anyway, among the characters I interact with are Betty and her ventriloquist dummy, Darla. She's not very good. Her lips move...a lot... I ask her if I can take her picture. She agrees. I bring the camera to my eye and Betty starts shrieking "Money first! Money first!" I practically keel over in fright.

I beg Megel to come with me to Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum. (This after trying to convince him to go to the Hollywood Museum which had, among other notable items, Elvis Presley's bathrobe with a smear of peanut butter on it!) He agrees (now that's a true friend). Highlights include:

• Two-headed baby skeleton (see pic below)!
• Real-life photos and stories of bizarre survivals (e.g. witness the man who fell on a 2-ft pole and went back to work the very next day)!
• Shrunken heads!
• Ancient torture devices (e.g. this tool may look harmless, but it was used to place hot burning coals on men accused of lying)!
• Video of the world's tallest man!
• The Frenchman from the 18th century who was able to stay in an enclosed fire long enough to cook a steak, yet come out unscathed!
• The man with the world's longest ear lobes--able to tie them behind his head!
• More oddities, illusions, and more!
• And of course, the infamous Love Chair (Megel rated "cute" below)!

Megel has had enough of me at this point, so I go back to my room to get ready for tonight. RichieP takes me to Nobu's original restaurant, a divey sushi bar called Matsuhisa. Amazing food--super fresh uni, spicy scallops, hamachi. Yum. Eat early at the sushi bar before the crowd gets there. Then off to the King of the Blues Final. Suffice to say I had fun and got back to my hotel late. :)

Day 2 (Sun): Check out of my hotel at noon after an admittedly slower start than normal. Wander around for a bit and grab a bite at Famima, a sort of Ikea-ized NYC corner deli. (These convenience stores are actually modeled after Japan's successful FamilyMart.) Eventually end up at the Oxygen Bar at the Hollywood & Highland Center, where the salesperson convinces me to actually pay for something I already get plenty of for free. I think the free massage did more than the scented O2, but I did feel a tad more energetic afterwards. When I tell her that I work at Guitar Center, she asks me, of course, as people always do, if I know Dave Weiderman.

Meet my friend Jason Oberfest for a drink and then RichieP picks me up in his silver convertible Porsche for dinner. We can't fit my luggage in the front, so we have to squish the bag behind the driver's seat. I'm not really a car person, per se, but I have to admit I felt pretty fancy riding in his sportscar. Just what is it about fast cars and girls? Off to dinner at Gulfstream--great smoked salmon appetizer and my tuna burger was delicious. Excellent hot fudge sundae too.

Days 3 to 5: LOTS of meetings. Duh, I'm not going to recount all of those, but I did have good meals to keep me fortified for each subsequent day. If you're in Westlake Village, try Chapter 8, a trendy steakhouse/nightclub (our meal came late so we got free dessert) if you want to be part of a scene. On my way to LAX and back to the trees and mountains of Oregon, we take Pacific Coast Highway and the view is great. Next time, maybe I'll check out Venice Beach and bring Betty & Darla with me.

For all of my Hollywood weekend pix, click here.

Read about the Guitar Center's King of the Blues Finals or check out my pictures from the event.

King of the Blues Finals 2007

I attended Guitar Center's King of the Blues Finals last Sat. It was a blast. The night kicked off with George Thorogood & The Destroyers, Keb Mo, and blues legend, Hubert Sumlin, being inducted to the Hollywood Rockwalk. Hubert Sumlin was adorable--he was so excited about the whole thing. All of my pix from the night are here.

Then, a great live performance from Kenny Wayne Sheperd and his band and on to the finalists. I have to say that I don't think the finalists were as good this year as last, but the winner was very deserving. Congrats to Aaron Loesch from Houston, Texas!

Alas, no John Mayer (last year's run-in produced fodder for 12 months of teasing at work), but Billy Bob Thornton did a little schtick and The Black Crowes performed. All in all, a fun night of music, drinks, and Guitar Center branded mints. Glad I came down a couple days early.

For all of my pictures from the Finals, click here.

For more about the lead-up to this year's event, click here.

For an inside look at last year's Finals in Chicago, click here.

MusiciansFriend.com Jam Night 2007

A couple of weeks ago, we had our first ever (!) Musician's Friend employee jam night. At least half of our employees are musicians, so this was a fun way to see that guy in the cube next to you rocking Pink Floyd or playing his own tunes. We rented out Krazy Jake's (a country roadhouse bar in Medford at 4635 E. Crater Lake Highway, 541 608 0539) and settled in to cheer on over 20 acts. It was a long, winding night that included everything from Mustang Sally to Craig on a cowbell. Click here for the full photo album!

Internet Retailer & SYP

Hey--I'm in this month's Internet Retailer! The article is called "Good help is hard to find." Amen to that. 

Similar to the Wall Street Journal article my blog was in a couple of months ago, the article is about new ways recruiters and companies are trying to find and entice candidates. 

Here's the Internet Retailer bit that mentions SYPSays!

Special perks or tactics can help attract and retain skilled workers.

Catalog and web retailer L.L. Bean tries to turn its location in Maine, well off the beaten track for many Stanford or Princeton grads, into a plus by offering employees free use of seven company-owned cabins and access to camping, fishing and other outdoor gear. The company also paid 4,900 employees, including all full-time workers, a 7.5% bonus last year.

So Young Park, who moved from New York City to head up e-commerce at Musician’s Friend, an online retailer, began a blog to describe to friends and relatives her experiences in rural southern Oregon. Joiner says the blog helped him recruit two candidates to work for Park last fall.

“The blog really humanized her,” he says. “I would e-mail it to candidates and say, ‘There’s the person you’re going to be working with. Read the blog and you’ll see how smart and nice she is.’”

And, every now and then, fortune smiles on a retailer, even one in Cumberland, Md.

Butler of Dishes, Décor and More says she recently hired an I.T. professional who had been working for defense contractors in the Washington area and wanted to move back to Cumberland, where she had a home and could more easily commute to West Virginia University, 60 miles away, to work on her Ph.D.

“She had the experience we had been looking for for six months and hadn’t been able to hire,” Butler says. “I lucked out.”

Click here for the full Internet Retailer article.

Click here for the Wall Street Journal article.

Click here for job opportunities in the e-commerce/online marketing space on my blog and on MarketingHeadHunter.com.

Karaoke Queen...uh huh, uh huh

At last week's Guitar Center retreat, I made it to the semifinals of the softball tournament (and even got to third base!), played bongos until my hands hurt, even won a Special Recognition award (very very cool),

and...

sang karaoke...

for hours...

in an almost empty room...

but I had a blast and that's what counts, right? In order to protect the innocent, I won't share the names of my fellow karaoke brothers-in-arms, but I can share a few of our hit tunes. I'm sure we sounded amazing. Sorry you missed it.  :)

1. "That's the Way (I Like It)" by KC & the Sunshine Band
2. "Takin' Care of Business" by Bachman-Turner Overdrive
3. "My Girl" by The Temptations
4. "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel
5. "Brick House" by The Commodores

Guitar Center Retreat

Guitar Center has a yearly corporate retreat for eligible employees. Last year, I had worked at GC less than 2 months before I attended, so I knew very few of the hundreds of guys who were there. Besides the all-night jam rooms, one of the long-standing retreat traditions is softball. It's a required event and considering the number of people in management now, just organizing it must be a feat.

As a child, I played teeball poorly (that damn tee was always getting in the way) and I was no star at softball either. I was usually placed in left field where I spent the majority of games humming, daydreaming, and every once in a while mustering up enough energy to yell "hey batter, batter, batter." I was marginally better at soccer which I played for a couple of years; my field hockey career OTOH was cut short when a monster of a girl landed her stick right into my gut. I've always been much better at individual sports like tennis, hiking, skiing, and more adventurous activities (I'm dying to learn how to hang glide!). Team sports...not so much.

When I found out I had to play softball, I was imagining a game or two at the most. Little did I know that this was the big leagues. Yes, I know, the fact that "winning" is one of Guitar Center's 7 core values should have been a tip-off.

I ended up playing from 4 in the afternoon to 1 in the morning. That's right--9 hours of almost continuous softball. My coach was Dave Weiderman who is in charge of the Hollywood Rockwalk. This guy was serious. A softball nazi. No drinking anything but water and almost no eating allowed...no nuthin' to come between us and the ball. People were diving left and right like we were in the World Series and the ambulance came to treat the injured (apparently also a yearly event). After all that, what do you know--we ended up winning the championship. I even got on first base. (It was the cheers of "pigtail power" from the sidelines that inspired me.)

This trophy's the proof. When I told my mom, I'm pretty sure she thought I was lying. Tomorrow, I'm off to this year's retreat. Wish me luck!

WSJ & SYP

Today was a big day for me! Thanks to Marketing Headhunter Extraordinaire, Harry Joiner, I was in the print edition of The Wall Street Journal, front cover of the Marketplace section in an article about How Blogging Can Help You Get a New Job.

Sure, the whole article was interesting, but the part that really matters is here:

Some companies encourage employees to blog because they can use them to recruit others. When recruiter Harry Joiner was hired to fill two positions at Musician's Friend Inc. in November, he used an employee's personal blog to help sell his client's rural location of Medford, Ore., to job seekers. "Candidates were using Medford as a reason not to consider the jobs," he says. "As a marketer, I thought, if you can't change it, promote it."

The blog, by So Young Park, the company's director of e-commerce marketing and customer-relationship management, describes her move to the area a year ago from New York City. It includes details about her work, her experience owning a car for the first time, a bear sighting near her new home and related topics. While she started the blog to share information about her experiences with family and friends back East, she acknowledges that it has also been a good resource for attracting job hunters.

Mr. Joiner says he linked to the blog in ads he posted on job boards and in emails to potential candidates. He says it helped him get professionals to leave jobs in Los Angeles. "The blog made a ton of difference," he says. "It humanized [Ms. Park] to candidates and made the jobs more attractive."

Interested in a job at Musician's Friend? Click here for open positions at our corporate headquarters, as well as great jobs from friends of mine at other great companies.

Here's the full article or download wsj_syp_article_4.10.07.doc

This is, like, the coolest thing ever. :)

Gibson Weekly Guitar

MusiciansFriend.com recently launched a cool new feature called Gibson Guitar of The Week!

Every Tuesday, we'll unveil Gibson’s newest limited-edition guitar, available for a limited time. (Seriously, some of these have sold in just 1 day!) Only 400 of each model will be made. The Gibson Guitar of the Week will be distinctive, eye-catching, and an original...basically, must-haves for any Gibson guitar fan.

This week's Gibson Guitar of the Week is the Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Antique Goldtop Electric Guitar. Keep checking back with us so you don't miss out!

Want more great gear? For all of you bargain-hunters out there, check out our super-popular Stupid Deal of the Day. I blogged about it way back when we launched it. Click here for the original post.

Musician's Friend Open Jobs

I'm back with more great jobs at Musician's Friend! Some facts:

* Musician's Friend is the largest direct seller of musical instruments in the world. We just purchased one of our industry competitors (Music123.com and WWBW.com) and we are investing in infrastructure and people.

* Musician's Friend is one of the Top 50 Internet Retailers.

* MF is owned by Guitar Center, the largest retailer of musical instruments in the U.S. with 200 stores.  In 2006 we did over $2 billion in sales.

So, the company is awesome and growing and part of a very fun industry. What's cooler than music? (Check out my NAMM 2007 blog post for an inside look.)

Now I know you're asking yourself why in the world you would move to Southern Oregon. Well, first, it's beautiful. (This is right outside my door.) You'd be in the mountains and near one of the country's best rafting rivers and the Redwoods, but still only 2 hours from the Oregon coast and the beach. Portland and San Francisco are relatively close by car and there are short direct flights to a variety of surrounding cities, including LA, Seattle, Salt Lake City, and Las Vegas. Second, you can be part of an industry giant (our nearest competitor is half the revenue), but have a more relaxed lifestyle...take a break from the rat race. Third, it would be an adventure! Hey, if I can move here from NYC, anyone can do it. :)

Email me if you think you're right for one of these jobs or know someone who is.  All of these positions are in my department (E-commerce Marketing & CRM). Thanks.

Download affiliate_specialist_3.07.doc JOB FILLED!

Download associate_brand_mgr_3.07.doc JOB FILLED!

Download marketing_budget_analyst_job_description.doc JOB FILLED!

Download sem_specialist_2.07.doc JOB FILLED!

Download statistician_3.07.doc JOB FILLED!

Check out other jobs at Musician's Friend and Guitar Center. Click here for more of the inside scoop on Musician's Friend and Guitar Center!

Jimmy Page Gibson Doubleneck On Sale March 7th!

You can now own a limited-edition reissue of the Gibson 1275 Double Neck Guitar Jimmy Page played on "Stairway to Heaven" and other classics!

• Watch the video.
• Check out photos.
• Get the specs.

Starting March 7, 2007, limited quantities will be available at a Guitar Center near you or by phone at 866 498 7882. The 3 lowest serial number guitars will be auctioned at 8pmPT during the March 18th Platinum Night event at the Guitar Center in Hollywood, CA.

Each Jimmy Page Reissue Double Neck is carefully modeled on Jimmy's classic guitar, from the shape of the neck to the long-string-pull tailpiece. Even the pickups are painstakingly analyzed to duplicate their unique sound. This re-creation is available in two distinct versions: the "VOS" Vintage Original Spec (250 pcs. worldwide) and the exclusive "Aged" signed edition (26 pcs. worldwide).

These incredible "Aged" guitars go beyond the "VOS" specs as each one has been expertly aged by the craftsmen at Gibson's Custom Shop, then personally signed and played by Jimmy Page himself. The "Aged" series is limited to 26 guitars, and Jimmy kept #001 for his own personal use. (Bid on the next "Aged" one in the series, #002 on March 18th.)

Click here for more info and good luck getting one. :)

Musician's Friend Spotlight on Dave Pelletier

I work with some really great merchandisers and those of you who shop at Musician's Friend and Guitar Center are the beneficiaries of their hard work. These are the gearheads behind the products you buy at MusiciansFriend.com and our other Web properties.

I thought it would be fun to introduce you to some of the people who are in tune with the products that make business happen at my company.  I'll probably do a profile of someone at Musician's Friend and Guitar Center every couple of weeks or so.

First up is Dave Pelletier who is the Director of fretted instrument merchandising--Guitars, Amps & Effects. (Cool job, right? I know you're jealous.) Dave's been at Musician's Friend for a whopping 9 1/2 years. He used to work at the Medford, Oregon Musician's Friend retail store (before it became a Guitar Center).

Dave's Favorite Artists: ... in no order (I'm all over the map) and slanted toward most recent listening behavior...

• Chris Thile
• John Scofield
• Beck

The band Dave wants to see reunited the most (besides The Police): Soundgarden

Favorite Instruments: the ones I have yet to own...but enjoying two Gibsons - a Les Paul Standard and an F9 Mandolin, a Martin D-18GE (hand-picked from the Martin factory in Nazareth, PA) and a no-name Strat-style guitar I assembled back in the early 90's. Wish list includes a Fender Jazzmaster, Tele, an ES-145 and an SG Classic. I'd have to quit my job to play 'em all. 

Dave's favorite new product from Winter NAMM:  I’m going with the new Marshall Vintage/Modern amps. Coolest amp I’ve seen in a while. I want one (50-watt head and straight 4x12 cab). They also make a 100-watt head and a 2x12 combo.

Think “Hendrix meets Hetfield”. These amps have the same warm KT66 power section as the Limited/Handwired Jimi Hendrix Stack (which sold for over $6K) – a truly iconic vintage design. Add “modern” features like a master volume and two preamp controls for infinite fine tuning and additional gain. Special Greenback-esque speakers in the cabs. Downright glorious.  I can hear my neighbors asking me to turn it down already.

Now if that isn't a ringing endorsement, I don't know what is. Be your own neighborhood menace.

King of the Blues 2007

We've renamed Guitarmageddon to King of the Blues, now the world's largest amateur guitar competition. For 2007, Guitar Center's annual event will honor music legend Huber Sumlin, guitarist for the blues great Howlin' Wolf and one of Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitar Players of All Time." Exclusive interviews will be at GCKingoftheBlues.com and he will also perform at the finals.

Registration for the event began February 1st at Guitar Center stores across the nation. All 200+ locations will be holding in-store competitions this year. Winners will then advance to district and regional elimination rounds before reaching the grand finals in June 2007. For more information, visit our King of the Blues site.

This year's grand prize winner of the Guitar Center King of the Blues competition will receive:

• 7 days in the studio with Grammy Award-winning producer and guitar aficionado Pete Anderson
• 2007 Ford Mustang
• Gibson '59 VOS re-issue Les Paul
• 1-year Gibson endorsement deal
• Write-up in Guitar World magazine
• Gibson GA40 Amplifier
• Apple MacPro 2.66 GHz computer with 23-inch Cinema HD monitor
• $2,500 Levi's Shopping Spree

Watch this recent video interview with Hubert Sumlin and Pete Anderson in the Guitar Center Hollywood's Vintage Room. You'd better start practicing!

Working at Guitar Center

I've noticed that I get quite a bit of traffic from Google searches related to working at Guitar Center (GTRC). We had a relatively tough year in 2006, although we did still have our best year ever with total sales of over $2 billion. (That's $2B of an approximately $7B industry.)

Musician's Friend, the direct response division of Guitar Center, just successfully purchased the assets of one of its closest competitors on the direct-to-consumer side--Woodwind and Brasswind and Music 123. As of midnight last night those employees are now cohorts of mine.

I've been an employee at Guitar Center about 11 months. My 1-year anniversary as the Director of E-Commerce Marketing and CRM at Musician's Friend will be on March 6th. I'm not sure if it's gone by slow or fast, but I'm glad I made the move from A&E and The History Channel in NYC. I was happy there for a long time, but I needed a change. I think this was the right career move...it's a fun industry, I'm learning a lot and hopefully making a positive difference in the organization. Plus, I'm a musician and it's great to be back in that world. Anyway, I ran across a few interesting articles about GTRC recently. Enjoy.   

The Best Retail Stock of 2007

Guitar Center Learns to Reed

The Sales Force That Rocks

Pop Quiz: What are the 7 Guitar Center core values?