Fender’s New Songs Chord App Offers Integration With Apple Music

Fender has released a new iOS app to help players learn the chords of millions of songs. Guitarists, pianists, and ukulele players can benefit from the app. Fender Songs is now available to download on iPhone with a rotating selection of chords availab…

UK Watchdog Says Fender Engaged In Price Fixing Online

Watchdog agency the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) says Fender likely engaged in illegal price-fixing online. The CMA says Fender’s European branch “impeded competitive online pricing” from 2013 to 2018. The US guitar maker imposed a minimum s…

Stagelight Acquired By Roland ⁠— Launching New Product Called Zenbeats

Open Labs has announced Roland Corporation has acquired Stagelight.  The announcement says the app and team will continue under Roland. The development has continued at a rapid pace, and the team is introducing a new product called Roland Zenbeats. Zen…

Native Instruments Confirms 100 Layoffs In “Global Restructuring”

Native Instruments has confirmed that 100 employees have been laid off in a “global restructuring plan.” Last week, we first reported on rumors of issues at the Berlin-based DJ hardware manufacturer.  Several ex-employee reviews on Glassdoor painted a …

Martin Guitars Joins D’Addario’s Growing String Recyling Program

C.F. Martin & Co. has announced an official partnership with D’Addario’s Playback string recycling program. D’Addario developed the program to give the public a way to recycle guitar and orchestral strings.  Many municipal recycling programs do not…

Casio Slapped With a $4.5 Million Fine for Engaging in Anti-Competitive Behavior

According to UK watchdog Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), Casio apparently hasn’t played nice with other online retailers. Now, the watchmaker has received a major fine. The CMA has fined Casio Electronics £3.7 million ($4.5 million) – the agen…

Gibson Caught Destroying Hundreds of Brand-New Firebird X Guitars In Leaked Video

The recently-leaked video, shot by a former Gibson employee, shows the destruction of hundreds of unsold guitars. Gibson has been found destroying hundreds of perfectly usable guitars in a just-leaked video.  The video, released by former Gibson employ…

A Recovering Gibson Relocates Into Downtown Nashville — and Relaunches Its Gibson Foundation

Gibson, which filed for bankruptcy in May 2018, is now showing signs of recovery. Gibson has just announced plans to move its headquarters to downtown Nashville. And after years of silence, the company is also relaunching the Gibson Foundation, a chari…

Gibson Sues Dean, Luna Guitars for Trademark Infringement & Counterfeiting

  Gibson has filed a lawsuit against Armadillo Distribution Enterprises, the owner of Dean Guitars and Luna Guitars, for several alleged legal violations, including trademark infringement and trademark counterfeiting. The former charge is relatively co…

Ed Sheeran Launches a Signature Small Guitar Line

Ed Sheeran made a surprise visit to the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) conference in Southern California this week. The singer-songwriter revealed a new line of acoustic guitars, just like the smaller guitars he uses in his shows. The n…