COMPANY PROFILE FIRST LINE
share something in common with the other First Line brands – they’re not bargain basement, but neither are they in the ‘boutique’ price range which, with the best will in the world, only specialist retailers can sell. In fact, the new DBZ models retail between £300 and £800, making them competitors, not with handmade luxury guitars, but with mainstream, established brands. Again, Henson reminds us, DBZ is really an established name. Once a potential customer makes the connection between DBZ and Dean, the product ceases to be an unknown quantity. “With a DBZ you’re getting the
excitement of a new guitar company, but with the heritage of Dean Zelinsky, who has got 30 years behind him. The price points are attractive, they’re profitable for retailers, we’re not appointing a lot of dealers and I think it represents a really good profit opportunity for those who are looking at their walls and thinking ‘I can’t make enough money off these’.” The same is true of Eden bass amplification – another product that has a
“
We don’t deal with the very top market leaders, but I
consider our brands
to be prestige brands. Jay Henson First Line
pedigree as a top-end professional range, but has broadened and expanded so that it now includes a range of products which wouldn’t be out of place in a general music shop, as well as bass specialists. “The range that Eden offers now is quite extraordinary. They can compete with any bass amplifier brand – from extremely light micro heads, all-valve Seventies type bass heads, and they’re still doing all their flagship models – like the WT 550. Four years ago that sold for over £1,000 but now it’s selling for £699. There are even practice amps for £100, yet the quality is still there, it’s a profitable line for dealers to sell and anyone who takes it on does so knowing that we don’t do special deals on the golf course – it’s a completely level playing field for our dealers. Eden is a range that enables the smaller dealer to have just one bass range in stock and it covers all his options. “A lot of what we sell are the products you move up to, once you’ve gone beyond the average big name brands that everybody plays at some time or another.
Music Man bass will know of Spector basses and anyone that’s a fan of Dean guitars will know of DVZ. At a time when retailers are struggling, I think we are offering a range of very profitable alternatives, that aren’t hard to sell because they are all brands that their customers will have heard of.” And just to add a final clincher, Henson adds that there is about to be a new dealer website which will make selling his brands even easier. For example, it will have pictures of his actual DBZ stock – not just catalogue images. As Henson explains, the range of finishes on DBZ is so wide that he wants retailers to be able to hand-select the individual guitars they want. The site will also feature charts of all the different DR strings, as well as Q&A on matching Eden bass amp products. “It’s all designed to offer dealers
support. Talking points about the products, information they might find useful – things that will make their jobs easier when they come to sell these products.” FIRST LINE: 01626 830336
They’re the products you graduate to – quality products – and that takes a big worry away from the retailer, as it means people aren’t going to be walking into your store thinking ‘what is it?’ or ‘that’s not very good, is it?’ They’re quality brands with customer recognition.” They are also brands that despite
having a certain cachet, don’t come with price tags that are looking problematic as the recession bites, Henson says. “Retail has been struggling, but there
are things people can do – looking for alternative brands that can be profitable for them, for one. I know from having spent years as a retailer that it’s very easy to start doing deals, cutting your margins and trying to compete with people you really can’t hope to compete with. It’s about protecting your margin and stocking the type of products that enable you to do that. We don’t deal with the very top market leaders, but I consider our brands to be prestige brands – there’s nothing cheap and nasty there. They’re all known names – not household names, perhaps, but, for example, anyone that would buy a
24 miPRO
OCTOBER 2010
WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84