Guitars
EZ Wajcman was fascinated by the need for specialized sounding guitar pickups. Together with Bill Lawrence, EZ opened their pickup company in 1965 and produced a well-respected product that was the talk of the NAMM Show in the mid-1960s. Over the years, EZ developed processes to ensure the...
Ted Berquist had a touch with fame in the 1960s with the group, the Novas. Their song, “The Crusher” was picked up by the national billboard charts and shot the group to stardom. After the group disbanded, Ted went on to pursue a career selling Hi-Fi products. Always passionate about musical...
Peter Sprague smiled as the audience at the NAMM Foundation’s Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, California continued their applause. It was one of many performances that month in mid-2012 for Peter, but a special one to those who heard music in a different way. Peter’s career is filled with...
Ray Parker Jr may best be known for writing the soundtrack to Gostbusters, but his legacy goes back much further. Starting in Detroit as a teenager, Ray got the opportunity to work and tour with Stevie Wonder. Ray eventually went on to do writing and session work in LA, before finally going on to...
Ted Kornblum has a long legacy in the music industry. His grandfather started St. Louis Street Music and his father started Crate amplifiers and Alvarez guitars. Not content to rest on his laurels, Ted gained experience working both inside and outside his family’s music business before starting on...
Peter Stroud is probably best known for his work as guitarist with Sheryl Crow. While that gig may have helped Peter come to greater recognition, he first developed his love of gear while working in a music store. This love of gear has lead Peter to try and perfect his sound while playing bigger...
Dale Krevens has been involved with Tech 21 since before its inception. In fact, Dale was instrumental in urging Andrew Barta to start his own business (when he was originally only looking to sell the technology) and came up with the name SansAmp. Taking the company from a single product prototype...
Steve Morse has been a regular attendee at the NAMM Shows for several decades thanks to the Ernie Ball Company. In fact, it was thanks to Sterling Ball that Steve was interviewed during the show in 2015. Steve’s long career in music, which began professionally in 1969, has included gigs with the...
Bob Smakula built his first dulcimer when he was 14 years old. Having grown up all around the roots music of West Virginia, Bob loved all aspects of musical instruments. Along with playing and building, he developed great skills at repairing all stringed instruments and took great joy in playing...
Giorgio Giannini proudly recalled the beginning of his family’s involvement in the music industry as part of his interview for the NAMM Oral History collection. Mr. Tranquillo Giannini was a well-respected luthier in Italy who had the vision to set up his work shop in South America. In 1900, he...