Music Manufacturing
Merv Cargill was the owner of Cargill Custom Guitars. After completing an apprenticeship in violin making he learned the finer details of building wooden instruments and became a qualified luthier. Merv made the old Australian brand of Pacific Guitars until he turned his hand to his own custom...
Vera May was the matriarch figure of the iconic Australian acoustic instrument maker Maton Guitars. Wife of the founder, Bill May, Vera worked in the business from 1954 until her retirement in 1987, organizing the administrative and financial aspects, while Bill built the guitars. The husband and...
Greg Gohde's love for violins and bow making began in college and soon became his life's work. He moved to San Diego from Chicago, where he opened a repair shop and crafted handmade bows. His store expanded over time into Classic Bows, a world-renowned location for violin goods and services. The...
Glenn Phoenix formed Westlake Audio in 1971 with the goal of providing high quality loud speakers that utilized the latest in audio technology. This remains the goal of the company, which has developed a number of successful and innovative loud speakers including the LC and BBSM series, and well as...
Margaret O'Loughlin was inducted into the Australian Music Association's Honor Roll in 2017 for her dedication to the music industry. After her husband, Peter, had taken ill and passed away in 1982, Margaret attended the NAMM Show to inform the head of Fender that she could take over her husband’s...
David O'Loughlin joined his mother in the wholesale company his father had formed to import Fender guitars into Australia. He grew up in the business and recalls with a smile his college years when he and his sister would put together guitar packs in the family's car park. He also recalls attending...
John Blanch grew up learning all about solid customer service from his father, who owned a grocery store north of Sydney, Australia. Those lessons helped John during his career in the music industry, which began in retail and expanded into wholesaling. His fun stories about selling pianos in the...
Linda Kitchen is the daughter of Bill May, the founder of Maton Guitars. Bill established the guitar company in 1946, which has since become an important producer of acoustic and electric guitars. Since her involvement within the company in the 1980s, Linda has focused on the acoustic guitar models...
Neville Kitchen was a school teacher when he married Linda May in 1969. Her father, Bill May, the founder of Maton Guitars, soon asked for some assistance. Neville joined the company to help for a short time when he soon discovered he loved the staff and the products. He remains with Maton to this...
Tommy Robertson was born in Austin, Texas, a feat he calls “as rare as a unicorn these days.” Tommy played drums throughout his teen years before he decided to open his first drum shop. Tommy’s Drums has provided the Austin area drummers with service and quality products as well as repairs. In the...