You may well have seen the reports about the recent raids on Gibson’s Nashville and Memphis sites by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Perhaps you’ve even read or listened to Henry Juszkiewicz’s carefully crafted statement. Published and verified facts are somewhat thin on the ground and so the Guitar News Daily editorial team have taken the decision not to publish a story on the matter and to wait until there is something informative to report. Should you be in…

In an interview with The Independent, Gibson’s Chief Exec, Henry Juszkiewicz, explained that, “The true wood guitar is disappearing quickly. We need to act now because it just won’t be around in 10 years”. The traditional tonewoods used to build top-end instruments – rosewood, maple, ebony, mahogany and spruce – are disappearing as a result of over-harvesting and the rapidly shrinking rainforests. Many of Madagascar’s 47 types of rosewood and 100+ ebony species are threatened with extinction. In 2009 Gibson’s…

From the press release; “D’Addario & Company, the world’s top manufacturer of guitar strings and musical accessories, today announced that Jim D’Addario, CEO, received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2011 New York Award in the Distribution, Manufacturing and Construction category. According to Ernst & Young LLP, the award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. Mr. D’Addario was selected by…

In its latest effort to protect its brand, guitar maker C.F. Martin & Co. has announced the trademark of the headstock configuration it has been using on its guitars for 161 years. “The clean, simple, iconic shape of the Martin guitar headstock has long been recognized by consumers as one of the primary identifying brand and design elements of our guitars,” Vice President of Corporate Operations Gregory Paul said in a news release. “Use of this shape by others can…

Press Release for May 9th, 2011 Worldwide Launch – Monday, May 9th, 2011 Six String Bliss is many things: it’s a website, it’s the longest-running guitar podcast on the internet, and it’s a community. What started out as a one-off idea, putting out an album of listener-submitted Christmas songs in December 2007(A Blissful Christmas, Episode 92), became a more ambitious undertaking in November 2008 with the release of Stay Tuned (Episode 125), when the decision was made to release a…

The Federal Trade Commission has fined a company which was found to be posting fake reviews of its products online. Nashville, Tennessee-based Legacy Learning Systems and its owner, Lester Gabriel Smith, will pay $250,000 to settle the charges. The company produces the Learn and Master Guitar program, marketed as a way to learn the guitar at home using DVDs and written materials. The FTC said that it used an online affiliate program, through which it recruited ‘Review Ad’ affiliates to…

Fender has teamed up with King Baby Studio to create a line of jewellery. The collection includes rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, pendants and cufflinks, for men and woman. The designs draw upon “the spirit of music itself by showcasing elements conducive to every music genre Fender has been so influential in.” Here’s what Fender have to say about it: “Throughout history, music and fashion have gone hand-in-hand, inspiring and igniting unique styles and trends. King Baby is world renowned for…

In a follow up to a story we reported last week, The Country Music Association of Australia has described the appointment of Ian Burkinshaw to its inquiry into a bungled award presentation as “a right step forward”. Tamworth-based Mr Burkinshaw a former police prosecutor for 34 years now lives in Tamworth and is part of Tamworth Regional Council’s Ethics Committee. His appointment comes a week after Lee Kernaghan was mistakenly given the Best Album award at the Country Music Awards,…

Rage Against The Machine have lent their support to South Korean workers who manufactured Fender and Gibson guitars and are protesting after being dismissed. Guitarist Tom Morello has met with workers who protesting about losing their jobs in 2007. He may be present at a press conference they are holding in California on Jan 13. Workers at the Cort and Cor-tek firms, who manufactured guitar parts for companies such as Gibson, Fender and Ibanez at their plant in South Korea,…

Ernie Ball Inc. has won a patent infringement case against Earvana LLC. The Coachella-based manufacturer received final word from a federal court judge in Los Angeles on Wednesday that its patent for nut attachments that help tune guitars was protected. Represented by attorney G. Henry Welles of Riverside-based Best Best & Krieger, Ernie Ball Inc. won $247,525.20 in patent infringement damages and an extra $18,046.67 in pre-judgment interest. The damages were calculated based on what it would have cost Earvana…