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Maple Leaf Strings Celebrates Grand Opening of New Facility M aple Leaf Strings celebrated the grand opening of its new facility tions, the addition of an employee break room and kitchen, and more. Maple Leaf Strings officially moved into the new space in October 2025. Maple Leaf Strings CEO Jason Bartel, left, holds the ribbon while Brighton Music Center’s Brad Wittmer cuts the ribbon and the company team looks on.
The bassist of indie rock band The Maine talks about his obsession with the Roland JU-06A, messing with the Tascam 414 MKII and his new appreciation for iPads. GARRETT NICKELSEN Music Inc.: What was your first instrument? Garrett Nickelsen: The first instrument I ever owned was a Fender P-Bass I got when I was 12 years old. I had it until 2010, when I had to leave it behind in Australia because we got screwed on baggage fees. We had too many bags, and they were going to charge us something like $12,000, so we had to start getting rid of stuff. That bass was on the chopping block. MI: What’s your all-time favorite instrument? GN: I feel weird not saying a bass, but my all-time favorite is the Roland JU-06A. It’s from the boutique Roland synths they made a few years back. It’s the brain of a Juno, but it has a small keyboard attachment so you can bring it anywhere. The first time I played it was in a synth store in Berlin, and I instantly loved it. I’ve kind of become a synth nerd and spent way too much money on things that are half as cool as the JU-06A. MI: What instruments are currently in your arsenal? GN: Something fun we’ve messed with on the last couple records is a Tascam 414 MKII. We’ve used it to experiment with tape loops, but mostly to overdrive the preamp for nasty guitar parts. I heard that Keith Richards, on Beggars Banquet, used a cassette recorder on acoustic guitars and just pushed the preamp really hard so they sounded like electrics. That’s my favorite Stones record, so I wanted to steal that idea. MI: Are there any new or emerging pieces of gear that have inspired your creative process? GN: I’ve been really into the iPad recently. It has so many awesome, weird apps for sampling and just mak- ing bizarre sounds. If you like doing the whole “found sound” ambient stuff, I highly recommend using an iPad. MI — By Kimberly Kapela
in Cincinnati on Feb. 27 with a ribbon- cutting ceremony. The new location marks a milestone in the company’s growth and commitment to serving musicians, educators and music retailers. The company relocated from its origi- nal building to a newly purchased facil- ity across town, which was acquired in March 2025. Over the following months, the building underwent extensive renova- tions to support the company’s expanding operations. Renovations included roof repairs, new flooring, bathroom renova-
“We are very excited for this new chapter in Maple Leaf Strings history,” said Jason Bartel, CEO of Maple Leaf Strings. “This new facility is twice the size of our previous infrastructure and has enhanced our team experience with many additional creature comforts. The extra storage and processing space will allow us to serve our customers effi- ciently and effectively into the future.” {mapleleafstrings.com}
NAMM NEXT EUROPE 2026 TO GATHER EUROPEAN MI LEADERS IN JUNE N AMM has announced the re- turn of NAMM NeXT Europe,
an exclusive executive-level summit designed to unite leaders across the European music products, pro-audio and live event technology industries. The 2026 event will take place from June 10–11 at the Renaissance Am- sterdam Hotel in Amsterdam. Building on the momentum of its inaugural European gathering in 2025, NAMM NeXT Europe 2026 will gather forward-thinking leaders from across the region to connect, collaborate and drive meaningful in- dustry growth through leadership de- velopment, peer-to-peer exchange and strategic dialogue. “NAMM NeXT Europe is designed to bring together the leaders who are shaping what’s next for our indus- try,” said John Mlynczak, NAMM president and CEO. “By creating
a space for open dialogue, shared learning and actionable outcomes, we are strengthening the foundation for long-term growth across the Eu- ropean and global music ecosystems.” The two-day summit will feature a curated agenda focused on emerging opportunities and critical business challenges. Attendees will engage in expert-led sessions, collaborative work- ing groups and executive discussions aimed at delivering practical insights and measurable outcomes. The program will open with a welcome reception followed by keynote presentations. {next.namm.org}
20 I MUSIC INC. I MAY 2026
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