“Our goal is to help everyone find an instrument that speaks to them and to be- come the best musician they can become,” said owner Laura Penrose. “Our dedication to music education, and being owned and operated by active musicians, is what has differentiated us across the decades. We have a willingness to change with the times, stay focused on what is most important and serve the customer the best we can.” The retailer commemorated the mile- stone with anniversary celebrations at each of its locations, featuring giveaways, raffle drawings, free restringing, special pricing, live performances and educational clinics. Remo also produced custom Nick Rail Music drumheads featuring the company’s 40th anniversary logo. “It definitely feels crazy as a newer owner of such a legacy company,” Penrose said. “It feels odd that the company was established when I was only a year old! It also makes me feel proud and honored to lead such an amazing company and determined to last another 40 years.” MI — By Kimberly Kapela
PRS GUITARS NAMES ITS FIRST-EVER CEO P RS Guitars has an- nounced that Jack
Higginbotham has been named CEO, making him the first person to hold that title in the company’s history.
Jack Higginbotham
Nick Rail Music Celebrates 40th Anniversary N ick Rail Music is celebrating 40 years in business this year, growing from a single Southern California music store into a multi-location retailer focused on instrument sales, rentals, repairs and music education. Since opening in 1986, the company has expanded its footprint across SoCal while maintaining an emphasis on supporting school music programs. Current owner Laura Penrose, left, with founder Nick Rail.
In this new role, Higginbotham will continue to oversee the worldwide day-to- day business operations of the company, regularly traveling around the globe to strengthen manufacturing processes, dealer relationships, vendor connections and every aspect of PRS Guitars. “Jack Higginbotham has been a leader with PRS since the beginning,” said Paul Reed Smith, PRS Guitars’ managing gen- eral partner. “He is deeply deserving of this role. I look forward to continuing our close relationship building and selling guitars and amps for the world.” Higginbotham has worked at PRS Guitars since 1985. {prsguitars.com} POSITIVE GRID’S ROBERT MCCULLAR TO RETIRE P ositive Grid has an- nounced the retire-
ment of Robert McCullar, effective Aug. 31, after more than 10 years leading the company’s global sales
Robert McCullar
and business development efforts as senior vice president of sales. Over the past several decades, McCullar has earned a reputation for leading and developing businesses in the music products industry. He began his career working at his fa- ther’s full‑line retail music store, followed by a decade as a regional sales representa- tive. He then joined Hermes Music, where he developed and managed distribution relationships with major music products manufacturers. That experience laid the groundwork for a 10‑year tenure at Korg USA as national sales manager. McCullar then served as director of sales at Line 6 before serving as senior vice president of sales for Positive Grid for the last 10 years. {positivegrid.com}
Zildjian, Alesis Drums Announce Partnership A vedis Zildjian Co. and Alesis Drums have announced a strategic partner-
what they’re inspired to create.” The partnership is marked by hand- selecting cymbals straight from Zildjian’s exclusive Artist Vault, a collection his- torically reserved for official Zildjian Artists to shape their signature sound. Alesis and the team at BFD Drums pulled from this library and recorded the cym- bals in stunning detail. With the part- nership launch, Alesis and BFD users will gain access to a new collection of exclusive Zildjian sound expansion packs, bringing some of the most sought-after cymbal sounds directly to electronic drummers and producers. {zildjian.com; alesisdrums.com}
ship. Together, the partnership brings Zildjian’s expertise in cymbal sound into Alesis’ advanced electronic percussion eco- system delivering greater realism, nuance, and inspiration to drummers in all areas of music performance and production. “Zildjian cymbals have shaped the sound of modern drumming for genera- tions, making them a perfect partner as we continue to raise the bar for electronic drums,” said Michael Weber, director of marketing for Alesis Drums. “We’re ex- cited to put these sounds into the hands of drummers of all skill levels and see
18 I MUSIC INC. I OCTOBER 2026
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