Guitar Center Brings Back Drum-Off Competition G uitar Center has relaunched its national Drum-Off competition in 2026 after “We just launched our Legends Play Here campaign, which speaks to a truth: every day existing legends, emerging leg- we’ve heard from musicians for years,” Dalporto said. “The difference now is we’re in a position to bring it back the right way.
nearly a decade. Starting now, drummers can step into any of Guitar Center’s 300 stores nationwide to record and submit an original three-minute on-camera au- dition video. Every store will feature a premium acoustic drum kit with simple, step-by-step instructions for submission. First launched in 1988, Drum-Off ran for 28 years and served as a proving ground for drummers for more than three decades, helping emerging talent gain recognition and advance their careers. Along the way, it became a defining platform within the drumming community, featuring some respected musicians as judges, including Travis Barker, Peter Criss and Chad Smith. Drum-Off aligns with Guitar Center’s Legends Play Here brand initiative, bringing together emerging drummers, established players and industry judges in a competi- tion built around live performance.
ends and future legends are walking through our doors and exploring sound, meet- ing other musicians, [and] forming bands,” said Guitar Center CEO Gabe Dalporto. “Part of our mission is to sup- port these musicians locally and shining a spotlight on their incredible talent, and
We’ve spent the last few years rebuilding the busi- ness and refocusing on seri- ous musicians. Our stores are more experiential, our relationships across the in- dustry are stronger, and we can relaunch this nation- ally with real momentum. [This year] is when all of
doing everything we can to help them as they launch their careers. And with 300 stores in 300 local communities, thousands of drummers participating and creating shared experiences, we hope to galvanize this community.” Dalporto added that musicians, not just drummers, have been asking for years when the company would bring back Drum-Off. “It’s one of the most requested things
that comes together.” Drum-Off 2026 begins in Guitar Center stores nationwide, where participants visit any of the brand’s locations to record and submit an on-camera audition video. Select entries will advance to live district competitions held at 24 Guitar Center locations, followed by regional competitions in key markets. The competi- tion will culminate on Aug. 20, at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood. {guitarcenter.com}
LANEY AMPLIFICATION FOUNDER PASSES AWAY L yndon Laney, founder of Laney Ampli- fication, has passed away. He was 77. Lyndon established Laney Amplification in 1967 and, through vision, dedication and commitment to quality, built the company from modest beginnings into an internation-
ally known brand. His work helped shape the sound of generations of musicians, most notably that of his longterm friend Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath. Alongside Laney,
he went on to de- velop several other
Lyndon Laney
industry ventures to become what is now the Headstock Group. First expanding into the pro-audio sector with the acquisition of HH Audio, then with the development of Headstock Distribution to represent the Hoshino Gakki brands Ibanez and Tama. A statement from the company read: “Lyndon was not only a founder, but also a creator, innovator and trusted figure whose passion for [the] industry was at the heart of his working life.” {laney.co.uk}
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