RETAILING SPOTLIGHT
Norman’s Rare Guitars Gets Modern Refresh N early six months p ost acquisition by The North American Guitar (TNAG) Global, Norman’s Rare Guitars, the Los Angeles shop founded in 1975, remains dedicated to its love for guitars and its customers while gaining some updates to bring it into the modern era. “It’s been an amazing few months since we did the deal,” said Ben Montague, founder and CEO of TNAG Global. “It’s the most iconic guitar shop in the world and for us to be able to get it into the right century from a tech standpoint and also to be obsessed with our customers and making sure they get the best experience possible is what it’s all about.” The main changes thus far have included building out the repair shop and hiring more repair technicians to make the consignment process smoother for customers. The shop’s inventory has been expanded with around 200 new guitars and the front-of-house area has been redone and new merchandise has been added. The store’s brand new website, launched in late April, integrates Norman’s Rare Guitars with its sister site, Carter Vintage Guitars, the Nashville, Tennessee-based store owned by TNAG. Each store’s respective inventory remains in its home location, but the new site makes it easier for customers to ship instruments between stores. “They’re taking the spirit of the store that we had before and are taking it into the future as well,” said Norman Harris, founder of Norman’s Rare Guitars. “If you came into the store and you were a customer from before, you probably wouldn’t even know the difference — other than the store looks more organized.” Harris noted that giving back to the community through exposing young talent and partnering with the Midnight Mission, an L.A. homeless shelter, is something that encourages people to shop at the store. “I learn something every day working alongside this man,” Montague said. “I’m truly honored to be the custodian of his name and his company.” MI — By Paulina Kwik Norman Harris (center) and Ben Montague (right) with friend of the shop, guitarist Joe Bonamassa (left).
From left: Roland’s Gladys Carrillo, Jun Yamato, Jeremy Stappard, Paul McCabe, Bardo Bardelli, Manuele Barbini, Katherine Wing, Pat Kennedy and Ryan Genest.
ROLAND CORP. U.S. OPENS NEW EL SEGUNDO HEADQUARTERS
R oland Corporation has opened its new U.S. headquarters in El Segundo, Cali- fornia, marking a milestone in Roland’s ongoing investment in its Americas op- erations and the people who power them. Located on the 12th floor of a build- ing at 200 N. Pacific Coast Highway, the new headquarters brings together more than 100 U.S.-based Roland employees in a modern workspace designed to reflect the way creative teams actually work. The space features open collaborative zones, conference rooms with full hybrid capa- bilities, and design elements that pay trib- ute to Roland’s heritage and innovation. Private offices carry the names of iconic Roland products, including the TR-808 and SP-404, grounding the team in the instruments and culture at the heart of the brand. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame sweeping views of the Hollywood sign, the downtown Los Angeles skyline, and the Pacific Ocean, situating the team at the center of one of the world’s most vibrant creative communities. The building’s prox- imity to LAX makes the headquarters an ideal destination for artists, partners, and collaborators traveling in and out of the city, reinforcing Roland’s commitment to staying closely connected to the people who make music. “El Segundo gives us a home that match-
es our ambitions,” said Manuele Barbini, Roland Americas’ CEO. “We are closer to our artists, closer to L.A.’s creative cul- ture, and better positioned than ever to deliver on Roland’s mission of designing the future of music.” The El Segundo headquarters serves as a physical hub for innovation, creativity and human connection, bringing together Ro- land’s teams across sales, finance, market- ing, product management, legal and beyond under one roof. The opening comes on the heels of Roland Corporation’s completion of the Roland Inspiration Hub, its new global headquarters in Hamamatsu, Japan, which began full operations in March. Roland Corporation U.S. celebrated the grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by company leadership, in- cluding Barbini, CFO Bardo Bardelli, vice president of channel marketing Katherine Wing, senior vice president of research and innovation Paul McCabe, vice president of product management Pat Kennedy, vice president of North America sales operations Ryan Genest, director of human resources Gladys Carrillo, and vice president of legal Jun Yamato. More than 70 employees at- tended in person, with an additional 120 North American team members joining via a simultaneous livestream town hall. {roland.com/us}
16 I MUSIC INC. I JUNE 2026
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