Multiple Interviews
William Reglein played a key role in the growth and development of the jj Babbitt Company since taking over its presidency from his father, Bud. William’s great uncle was the company’s founder, Jessie James Babbitt, who began creating musical instrument mouthpieces out of his small garage in...
Karl Bruhn was the Bob Hope of the music industry, having received so many awards and accolades – an award should have been given for the most awards received. Karl gained his reputation as an advocate for arts education and accompished much on many levels to teach an understanding of music and...
Gez Kahan, on a whim, offered to be the musical director for his college’s production of Tommy. The experience lit a fire under him and soon he was exploring all of the latest gear, especially electronic keyboards and synthesizers. In 1983 he was hired as a freelancer to demonstrate the first...
Luis Ruvina grew up in the music industry! His family established the Daniel Ruvina Music Company back in 1917. Over the years Luis continued in the tradition of the company and the industry by working hard to build the industry and creating ways to make more people active music makers. Luis has...
Gerhard Meinl represents the 7th generation in a family of brass instrument makers. After integrating the East German, formerly state-owned, B&S GmbH in Markneukirchen in 1991 with Melton Meinl Weston, Gerhard and an investment group bought the clarinet maker Antoine Courtois in 1994.Then in ...
Aspen Pittman grew up in the 1960s as a student of the folk music movement. He studied the art form and performed on every type of string instrument there was to play. During high school he and a buddy got a job delivering organs for a retailer that was just about to open a rock and roll retail...
Jack Coffey is the founder of Coffey Music in Massachusetts. Coffey Music was a one-store operation that later grew to a chain of retail stores noted for their music lessons and attention to details. As a leader in the industry, Jack held many key positions within a number of organizations,...
Kline Locher was one of the good old veteran piano salesmen who travelled the great one-lane highways of America before the advent of the blessed two lane interstates. Kline worked for a number of piano companies during his long career and in all, covered most of the United States as his territory...
William Gerien is the industrial and mechanical engineer who invented the Kahler Tremolo Bridge System for the electric guitar. Gary Kahler hired William to follow his design on a new system to add a tremolo or whammy bar to the guitar’s bridge. William machined the very first prototype and created...
Paul Reed Smith began playing guitar as a teenager. He soon designed his own style of guitar, which he built. At first he did not think about selling the instruments he was designing, but he did hope that one day he could give one of his guitars to Carlos Santana. Mr. Santana not only loved the...