Alvarez winner Joshua Ramize with CM Music Manager Steve Morant

Alvarez fans are fanatical. In just six months, the number of “friends” on the Alvarez official Facebook page has more than doubled. But not content with that, a “Spread the Word” Sweepstakes was launched in November adding more than 1,000 active musicians who are now following Alvarez. The reward was a drawing was held on December 23^rd to give one of those friends a new Alvarez RD 12 with hard shell case.

“The guitar and case are killer,” says an elated Joshua Rameriz. “It sounds really good! Thanks very much to everyone. I am excited and grateful for winning such a great-sounding guitar!”

Rameriz is a gigging bass player in Noisecoil, a local retro modern rock trio that plays covers and original music. He received his RD 12 at his favorite local music store, C&M Music Center. Manager Steve Morant was on hand to do the presenting on behalf of Alvarez and its distributor, St. Louis Music.

“Social media is increasingly important in today’s marketing environment,” says Alvarez brand manager and SLM VP Chris Meikle. “But we’ve all been humbled by the fan-driven posts on our official Facebook page. The dedication to the brand and the enthusiasm for the revitalized lines has been completely player-driven. We’ll be using social media and traditional advertising to continue to drive interest and sales. We’re also looking forward to getting more Alvarez guitars in more stores as well.”

“Dictum has long been known as a producer of high quality Herdim brand tools, and gifted luthiers around the world respect and admire their products,” says Jim Eaton, St. Louis Music Knilling and Orchestra sales. “Considering our other great string offerings and our considerable string dealer clientele, it is wonderful for us to get to distribute the Dictum catalog to violin making and repair facilities in the U.S.”

The deal became effective January 1, 2012. Shipments to U.S. customers will be made on a weekly basis from Germany to St. Louis Music. Individual orders will be pre-packed in the master shipping cartons, ready to be processed and dispatched by domestic parcel service. This agreement will allow for fast delivery at excellent direct prices.

Principals involved in securing the agreement include Petra Steinberger, Dictum Managing Partner-CEO; Marion Schwarz, Dictum Customer Service Manager; Jiri Povolny, Dictum Product Manager; and Eaton.

“The quality and precision of their tools make them the most important investment a string shop can make,” Eaton adds. “And we look forward to distributing their other products, too, including cases, music, and accessories.”

For more information on placing an order or becoming a Dictum dealer, please email info@usbandsupplies.com or call 1-800-727-4512.

Pictured standing before the Dictum facility in Metten, Germany are, left to right, Petra Steinberger, Jiri Povolny, Jim Eaton and Marion Schwarz.

“The first electric guitar an entry-level player buys is crucial,” states SLM senior vice president Chris Meikle. “Naturally, he or she doesn’t want to spend a lot of money. But that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve a great-sounding, easy-to-play instrument that will get them making music. With that in mind, we set out to create a line of instruments that provides the beginner with the instrument they deserve at the price point they can afford.”

The six solid-body electrics are made from materials not usually found on entry-level guitars, including Tune-O-Matic Bridges, Stop Tailpieces, Mother of Pearl inlays, Humbucking or P90 Pickups, and vintage style tuners. The necks are made from mahogany. They list between $299 to $339. As with every Austin guitar, they are all setup by hand by the expert luthiers at St. Louis Music’s headquarters.

“These are all balanced correctly, and have Rosewood fretboards that are easy to play and feel great,” Meikle adds. “We set out to deliver a great looking, proper sounding guitar at a good price and we believe we’ve achieved all those goals with the Super 6.”

The Austin Super 6 SLTS

Effective January 1, 2012, St. Louis Music will handle principal distribution of BG Franck Bichon products in the U.S. The Lyon, France-based company is the world’s leading producer of woodwind accessories, and its ever growing list of products include over 200 ligatures, mouthpieces, straps, swabs, stands, mouthpiece cushions, saxophone pouches, pad dryer, care clothes, and other accessories.

“Since 1985, BG has created premium accessories popular with essentially every band and orchestra retailer in the country,” says St. Louis Music’s Craig Denny. “St. Louis Music is thrilled to be able to distribute this fine line of mid- and professional-level woodwind accessories.”

All marketing and product training will be handled by Jessica Watts of BG, and she is available to assist all SLM dealers. Also, BG has produced over 50 product demonstration videos which are available online at BGFranckBichon.com.

“What makes our products unique is that first and foremost we don’t sell something we wouldn’t want to buy ourselves,” founder and president Franck Bichon says. “We don’t design ‘me too’ products, but are always working on adding value. We work hard to stay ahead of the competition.”

For more information on BG Franck Bichon or to place an order, please email info@usbandsupplies.com or call at 1-800-727-4512.

“Since 1980, Chris Brady has worked the forest of Western Australia choosing rare woods that create amazing drums,” says Dixon brand manager Jim Uding. “This snare features outstanding acoustical properties that generate a different sound than traditional maple and birch shells. Rose Gum is much harder, which results in increased resonance and a unique tone. We believe this collaboration is a true testament to Dixon’s commitment to quality as we expand into the acoustic drum market.”

The Dixon Artisan is a 9-ply (5.4mm) Australian Rose Gum snare that will be offered in sizes 6”x13”, 5.5”x14” and 6.5”x14” and feature die cast hoops, Dunnett Throw-Off and Evans drumheads. “We’ll be showing off this great limited-edition snare along with our new full line-up of Dixon drums at Winter 2012 NAMM at the St. Louis Music booth #4000,” Uding adds.

For more information on placing an order or becoming an Dixon dealer, please contact jimuding@stlouismusic.com or call 1-800-727-4512 ext. 250.

“We are very proud of Adam, and honored that he plays P. Mauriat saxophones,” says P. Mauriat band director Craig Denny. “We’ve always believed he is an exceptional talent and are glad that NAMM agrees.” NAMM is the International is the National Association of Music Merchants, not-for-profit music instrument trade association.

Larson will be brought to the NAMM music instrument tradeshow in January 2012 and have access to the industry and attend workshop classes. He’ll also be jamming in the P. Mauriat booth along with fellow P. Mauriat artists James Carter, Bob Reynolds, Nelson Rangel, and Greg Osby.

For more information on placing an order or becoming a P. Mauriat dealer, please email info@usbandsupplies.com or call 1-800-727-4512.

SLM will be holding a drawing for a new Alvarez Regent RD12 ($299 value) on December 23^rd 2011 if the number of “likes” reaches 7,000. If the number reaches 8,000 by then, an Alvarez Artist AD70 ($549 value) will be given out instead. And if the number reaches 10,000, the winner will receive a Yairi DYK75 ($1229 value). The one winnermust be at least 18 years old and live in the continental U.S., and all eligible friends (including current ones) will be included in the drawing.

“Ever since we’ve focused on the Alvarez Facebook page, we’ve had terrific results,” says SLM senior vice president Chris Meikle. “We’ve more than tripled our numbers in four months to over 6,000, and we’re finding it’s a great way to get direct feedback from the people who play our guitars”

For more information on placing an order or becoming an Alvarez dealer, please email info@usbandsupplies.com or call 1-800-727-4512.

St. Louis Music announced today a stimulating rebate program on all P. Mauriat instruments. Until January 1, 2012, players of discriminating tastes purchasing a P. Mauriat horn will be able to mail in the rebate which yields $75.00 for a soprano sax or trumpet, $100 on a tenor sax, and whopping $175.00 on a baritone.

“I believe we make the best horns available,” says Craig Denny, Brand Director at SLM. “So this holiday season we want as many players as possible to be introduced to P. Mauriat, and hear why they’re compared to the most desirable vintage horns ever made.”

Retail Sales Staff also get a “thank you” to: SLM will give $30.00 to each salesperson for selling a alto, soprano, and trumpets, and $50.00 for every tenor and baritone.

... as if you needed another reason to have this great horn.

“If you pick up one of these horns and play it, you become instantly attached,” Denny adds. “We’re just trying to encourage a few more people to pick up a new sax this holiday season with a little gift from SLM.”

The order is placed with a SLM inside sales rep or Craig, and the rebate PDF is emailed. It’s recommended that the customer be talked through the rebate, so that he or she understands it and he or she receives the rebate and the sales person is rewarded with the spiff.  Typical of these arrangements, the original receipt must accompany the rebate certificate and all the fields must be completed.

For more information on placing a qualifying P. Mauriat order, email info@usbandsupplies.com or call 1-800-727-4512.

“We’ve long wanted to offer our dealers a quality line of accessories that is a step-up from generic products currently available, while still maintaining appealing price points,” states St. Louis Music’s CEO Mark Ragin. “Our design team has come up with some great looks, and the quality is outstanding.” St. Louis’ Union Station, a national historic landmark that was once the world’s largest and busiest train station, inspired the name.

UNIONSTATION™ caters for players at all levels with straps starting at just $3.99 for the nylon series, and from $25.99 to $55.99 for the leather series.

There are three levels of gig bags: Standard ($24.99), Deluxe ($49.99), and Professional ($69.99). The professional series’ bags feature 25 mm duo-foam construction, gusseted cordura exterior, premium full-length zipper, two carrying handles, four exterior compartments with zippers, interior accessory compartment with Velcro tie, pencil holders, and zippered mesh pouch, and deluxe padded backpack straps with lumbar support padding. All three levels are available in classical/folk, acoustic, electric, and bass guitar models.

Ragin adds that this is only the beginning, and they will be unveiling additional Union Station accessories in the future.

For more information on placing an order or becoming a UNTIONSTATION™ dealer, please email info@usbandsupplies.com or call 1-800-727-4512.

“We went back to the basics, starting first with the raw material,” says Chris

The Alvarez Artist AD 60 in Black

Meikle, VP at St. Louis Music, who manages the Alvarez line. “Then we made sure every component was better. Finally, we simply have spent more time putting these instruments together to ensure they are done right.” Then he adds that despite all the upgrades, SLM has been able to put these guitars out at up to 25 percent less than the previous models.

The new line features solid, A-grade Sitka spruce and cedar tops; hand sanded, quarter-sawn braces; dovetail neck joints; bi-level rosewood bridges; real bone saddles and nuts; premium die cast tuners; mother of pearl and abalone inlays with rosewood appointments; and a superior high gloss finish that “is not only durable, but looks fantastic.”

Chris explains that just because a guitar has a solid top, that does not necessarily ensure an automatic benefit to the instrument. “The tone of the instrument only improves significantly when the whole guitar is built correctly to really release the energy a solid soundboard can generate. Acoustic guitars are always a challenging finding that perfect combination between strength and vibration. The all-new Artist Series is built to do exactly this.”