Design, Innovation and the Musical Heritage of the Shetland Isles are at the Heart of a New British Company Making Unique Musical Instruments and Accessories

Design, Innovation and the Musical Heritage of the Shetland Isles are at the Heart of a New British Company Making Unique Musical Instruments and Accessories

LONDON, March 31, 2011/PRNewswire/ -- Pure Acoustic Ltd. is a new electro-acoustic instrument manufacturing
company. Based in the northernmost reaches of the United Kingdom, the company
blends the region's traditional instrument making skills with innovative and
patented design, and the use of the latest materials and manufacturing
technologies.

The newly formed company, based in Lerwick in the Shetland Islands, is a
joint venture between three directors, two of whom hail from the islands. All
themselves skilled musicians, they represent a formidable ensemble of
luthiery, design and business management skills, coupled with long-term
experience in the musical instrument and electronics industry at an
international level. Kenny Johnson has a track record of invention and
innovation in instrument design with his patented Skyinbow range of electric
violins, which he has manufactured and sold from his workshop in Vidlin,
Shetland. These have been internationally successful and used extensively on
stage shows such as Riverdance and Lord of the Dance. Robert Thomas has a
distinguished career in business and financial management in the musical
instrument and electronics industries, and as a past president of the UK
Musical Industries Association he has extensive global contacts. Richard
Gleave is a highly successful geophysicist and a founder of ARK Geophysics, a
company that has provided services to the international oil exploration
industry, and organisations such as the British Antarctic Survey. He has
pursued a parallel career as a guitarist and semi-professional performing
musician, which continues to this day.

Pure Acoustic has attracted financial support from Highlands and Islands
Enterprise (HIE) and has its research and development, design and principal
manufacturing base in Shetland's capital Lerwick. Sales, administration and
finance are located in Leighton Buzzard in the south east of England. Larger
scale manufacturing facilities are deployed in the UK and in eastern Europe.

The company will focus initially on three product ranges: the Skyinbow
electric violin series, which it will relaunch and further develop and market
internationally; a range of unique, natural sounding electronic pickups and
miniature pre-amplifier systems for all manner of stringed acoustic
instruments; the new patented Linnd violin shoulder rest which not only
resolves the age-old problem of 'splaying' rests, that plagues players of all
types of violin music, but also improves the sound of the instrument. In
coming to the market with an existing product line in Skyinbow, Pure Acoustic
not only benefits from an established market but plans to rapidly develop an
expanded range of instruments, including lower cost models employing high
quality industrial manufacturing techniques, to complement the top range
handmade models. The Skyinbow Pure Acoustic pickup systems are already in
initial production. The Linnd violin/viola shoulder rest has been in
development for the last two years, with Thomas working with Johnson on his
revolutionary design. Currently the subject of a pending international
patent, the Linnd is scheduled to be launched next month at the Frankfurt
Musikmesse; a range of variants of adjustable, fixed and custom design are
being manufactured.

Pure Acoustic is employing a diverse range of distribution channels to
bring its products to market, including online and e-commerce, and
traditional retail and distribution channels. It is also developing an
alternative sales channel for the Skyinbow Pure Acoustic pickups, with the
combined marketing of the products online and via a network of luthiers
(traditional acoustic instrument makers) and instrument repairers. The
company is conservatively projecting a rapidly rising turnover producing
sales of almost GBP2m within three years. While much of this expansion will
be generated by volume mass manufacturing, elsewhere in the UK and in Europe,
the company envisages creating design, skilled craftsman and administrative
employment opportunities at its Shetland base.

Commenting on the launch, design and development director Kenny Johnson
stated: "Having spent so much of my working life running a business in
Shetland, establishing a company on this scale based here is a tremendous
opportunity and the support from HIE has been critical in enabling us to do
this. Craft and tradition lie at the heart of this business but it is our
ability to exploit modern design and engineering techniques in pursuit of
that craft that makes this venture unique."

Editors' notes & image: http://www.linnd.co.uk/press/editorsnotes

Press information & images:
KGa marketing&media
tel +44-7977-410-444
email pureacoustic@kgamarketing.com

Company contact:
Pure Acoustic Sales & Marketing
tel +44-7831-112433
email pureacoustic@aol.com

Source: Pure Acoustic Ltd

Press information & images: KGa marketing&media, tel +44-7977-410-444, email pureacoustic@kgamarketing.com. Company contact: Pure Acoustic Sales & Marketing, tel +44-7831-112433, email pureacoustic@aol.com

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