BC Rich Guitars
John Avila was greatly influenced by the Ampex recorder his father owned and let John use. He recorded his friends and later his own bands on the two reels he had access to. The experience was the beginning of his fascination with recording, which has been a key component of his career all...
Mal Stich worked for the BC Rich Guitar Company from 1975 until 1985, which was an important time of growth for the guitar maker. Mal helped the company's founder, Bernard Rico, expand the models, enhance the distribution, and monitor the quality control while working in the factory. Over the ten...
Lita Ford asked her father to use his old reel to reel tape machine as an amp for her newly purchased electric guitar. With a little soldering, she transformed the tape machine and set out on her next gig. Soon after she helped form the all-girls Punk Rock band called the Runaways! Her driving...
Kerry King has become a regular artist that NAMM member retailers could meet during the trade shows. His career as a guitarist led to a number of product endorsements and several opportunities to provide feedback and design ideas for amps, guitars and accessories over the years. In 1981, Kerry and...
Gary Hanser grew up in the music industry. His grandfather formed a small music store and distribution business in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1924. Since that time the company has expanded, and with the guidance of Gary and his brothers, Hanser Music now includes such lines as Kustom, B. C....
Jack Hanser’s grandfather started a music retail store called Hanser Music. Jack’s father and uncle reshaped this business into a powerful music wholesaler in the late 1950s. In the 1980s, Jack and his brothers added the manufacturing of musical instruments to the company’s repertoire. Today,...
Glenn Derringer is one of the icons of the music products industry. As a small child, Glenn gained national fame as a whiz on the piano and organ. In fact, Elvis Presley opened for Glenn when the soon-to-be crowned King of Rock made his TV debut on the Dorsey Brothers Stage Show in 1955. With great...