Remember back in the spring, when we reported on the Roland Corporation’s 50th anniversary and hinted that there would be multiple products launched this year … Read More “Gearhead: More Roland 50th-Anniversary Rollouts”
You’ve got to give the folks at the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) some credit; they tried. As the COVID-19 pandemic continued to rage … Read More “Gearhead: Welcome Back, NAMM (and Oberheim)”
Unless you’re a certified guitar nerd, the name Ted McCarty (1909-2001) probably means nothing to you. But no matter who you are, there’s little doubt … Read More “Gearhead: Introducing the Gibson Theodore”
On April 18, 1972, the Roland Corporation was founded in Osaka, Japan. Its mission: to produce electronic instruments and accessories for musicians. Two years later, … Read More “Gearhead: Roland Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary”
When drummer, bandleader, and music professor Ralph Peterson Jr. lost his six-year battle with cancer on March 1, 2021, at the age of only 58, … Read More “Gearhead: Mapex Pays Tribute to Ralph Peterson Jr.”
Between 1957 and 1960, guitarist Barney Kessel, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Shelly Manne made four records as the Poll Winners, so named because each … Read More “Gearhead: Poll Winners’ Instruments Reunite on Bruce Forman Album”
The word “percussion” comes from a Latin word meaning to beat or strike, which is exactly what you do with most percussion instruments. But there’s … Read More “Gearhead: The Cuíca, Here’s the Rub”
It’s a big, heavy, low-pitched brass instrument. It can go oom-pah-pah, if that’s what you desire. But despite these familiar characteristics, and despite its name, … Read More “Gearhead: The (Somewhat) Heroic Tale of the Wagner Tuba”
In the 21st century, intellectual property (IP) has become a hot-button issue for musicians and composers, specifically as it pertains to the distribution of music … Read More “Gearhead: Spotlight on the Sarrusophone”
In the 1980s, as synthesizers and drum machines threatened to take over popular music, electric guitar manufacturers tried to come up with instruments that were … Read More “Gearhead: The Bond Electraglide”
