WINNERS OF THE INAUGURAL GEAR AWARDS ANNOUNCED!

It doesn't seem like long ago that we asked wholesale members if they'd be interested in a music products awards scheme. The answer was a resounding yes! What better way to showcase the great product available in Australia and help create even more energy around a brand and on the shop floor.

Once the Australian Musician Music Gear Awards were given the green light, more than 30 wholesalers put forward over 200 products for nomination. A panel of Australian Musician judges then trimmed that list of 200 down to the final product nominations which were up for award contention in the voting form which appeared both in Australian Musician magazine and on the magazine's website. Votes were garnered from readers and retailers.

Now finally we can give you the results .. the winning products in each category ... plus from that list of category winners ... the one, single Product of the Year.

Congratulations to all the finalists and especially the winners.

A run down of winning product will appear in an 8 page feature in the upcoming summer issue of Australian Musician, guest edited by Powderfinger and distributed in early December. Don’t miss it!

Here are the winners of the inaugural Australian Musician Gear Awards.

ACOUSTIC GUITARS UNDER $500

WASHBURN WD10S (CMI)

ACOUSTIC GUITARS OVER $500

MATON EA80C (MATON)

BASSES UNDER $1000

YAMAHA RBX270 (YAMAHA MUSIC)

BASSES ABOVE $1000

MUSICMAN BONGO 6 (CMC MUSIC)

GUITAR AMP COMBOS UNDER $1000

BLACKSTAR HT5 (NATIONAL AUDIO SYSTEMS)

GUITAR AMP COMBOS OVER $1000

ULBRICK VERBOVIBE (AMS)

ELECTRIC GUITARS UNDER $1000

YAMAHA PAC112 (YAMAHA)

ELECTRIC GUITARS OVER $1000

MATON BB1200 (MATON)

GUITAR EFFECTS SINGLE UNIT

BOSS RC2 LOOP STATION (ROLAND)

GUITAR EFFECTS MULTI UNIT

BOSS GT10 (ROLAND)

AMPLIFIER HEADS

PEAVEY 6505 (AUDIO PRODUCTS GROUP)

BASS RIG

LANEY NEXUS TUBE (LAMBERTI BROS)

DRUM KITS

GRETSCH CATALINA (PRO MUSIC)

CYMBALS

SABIAN APX (DYNAMIC MUSIC)

ELECTRONIC PERCUSSION

ROLAND TD9KX (ROLAND)

ELECTRIC KEYBOARDS UNDER $1500

ROLAND JUNO D (ROLAND)

ELECTRIC KEYBOARDS OVER $1500

ROLAND RD700GX (ROLAND)

MUSIC SOFTWARE

PRO TOOLS 8 with M BOX MICRO (AVID)

RECORDING DEVICES

ZOOM H4n (DYNAMIC MUSIC)

PA (MIXERS)

SOUNDCRAFT 16ii (JANDS)

PA (SPEAKERS/MONITORS)

JBL PRX512M (JANDS)

PA (OUTBOARD GEAR)

LEXICON MX200 (JANDS)

MICROPHONE (LIVE)

SHURE BETA 58A (JANDS)

MICROPHONE (STUDIO)

NEUMANN TLM103 (SYNTEC)

PRINT MUSIC

CLASSIC AUSSIE ROCK SONGBOOK (MUSIC SALES)

THE PRODUCT OF THE YEAR

ROLAND TD9KX ELECTRONIC DRUM KIT (ROLAND)

The TD9KX kit was a clear winner in the public vote, attracting the largest percentage of first votes. The judging panel overwhelmingly agreed that this product should take out the big one. "The sheer improvement in quality, design, innovation and value for money in this area has captured the public's imagination, and taken drumming to a new level," said Australian Musician Editor Greg Phillips of the product's win.