THE DAILY GRIST…”I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what.”
The Music Link is located in the Bay Area and has a reputation for providing quality instruments at very affordable prices. As a wholesale company dealing with music dealers, they are filling a needed niche as dealers search for great sounding instruments that musicians are looking for – instruments that make their playing so worthwhile, satisfying, and within their price range. In August, I was able to visit their facility there for the first time. I met Jordan Park there, their multimedia producer, and he graciously answered some questions I provided.
Briefly describe The Music Link. What does The Music Link provide musicians? What makes The Music Link different? Jordan: “At The Music Link we’ve always wanted to make instruments that players are proud to own and are comfortable carrying to any venue, whether a giant stage or the local jam, and still be both professionally reliable and affordable to most players. Each piece has to have some songs in them, of course! We’d like to think we’ve got an attention to sonic detail that nobody else in our price range has today.”
Where are your facilities? Jordan: “We do have a warehouse in Knoxville TN. We are based in Hayward, CA, and have both our HQ and a warehouse here in California. Most of your California readers would be getting instruments from shops supplied by our Hayward location, but for anyone east of the Rockies, we cover that side of the country from Knoxville.”
How long have you been with the company? Jordan: “I have been with The Music Link for a little over 3 years with a focus on Multimedia Production, which includes web, photo and video content.”
What’s new on the horizon for The Music Link? Jordan: “Well, anything that adds music to the world is pretty exciting, so the simple answer is: YES! More specifically, though, we’re continuing to add new Custom Shop Banjo models that are each one-of-a-kind, so that is always exciting to see these super unique pieces come into being. Our new Torrefied Series guitars and EZ Tone guitars have both been really well received by players across the country, and we’re in the works on some additions to both of those lines.”
Greg Rich, working there at the Music Link, is very well known in bluegrass circles. Can you tell us his role there? Jordan: “Greg is a major treasure, and we’re lucky to be working with him. All of the bluegrass instruments, as well as a number of other projects, have Greg’s fingerprints all over them. His exact role depends on the project; in the case of the Custom Shop Banjos, he’s 100% responsible for the concept as well as the specifics. He’ll design the banjo, create all the visuals, and personally do the engraving. Heck, he’s even known to personally go pick up the metal parts from the gold plating shop! On other projects, The Music Link’s owner, Steve Patrino, may have a direction to go, but then Greg will be involved in fleshing out the details and deciding how to get it over the finish line. Greg also sees and plays every prototype before we go into production. “
Working with music dealers, The Music Link is a wholesale distributor, so they do not sell to the public. Their products are well-known and just some of them include Recording King banjos, The Loar mandolins, Axl electric guitars, Koloa ukuleles, and San Leandro guitar straps. At their website, www.themusiclink.com, the company states up front – “We make great-sounding instruments that combine modern building techniques with classic hand-craftsmanship. We research every inch of history’s most revered instruments in order to design products that are true to the spirit of the classics. Attention to detail and respect for tradition are what sets us apart from other builders. Our staff is full of musicians and we all put 150% of our passion and expertise into everything we do.”
Kudos to The Music Link for providing quality instruments at affordable prices, which is quite a feat in today’s complex musical instrument business environment .
<CBA Column 9.26.16 The Music Link.docx>
