Presse
Reverb ist ein Online-Marktplatz, auf dem Musiker Equipment kaufen und verkaufen können, das sie für ihre große Leidenschaft, die Musik, benötigen. Reverb wurde 2012 von David Kalt in Chicago, Illinois/USA, gegründet und ist heute die wachstumsstärkste Musiker-Community weltweit. In den vergangenen Jahren war Reverb immer wieder Thema in der Presse. Lies die Geschichte von Reverb und erfahre mehr darüber, wer wir sind und wohin die Reise geht. Pressevertreter wenden sich bitte per Mail an [email protected].
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Press Releases
Reverb Launches The Reverb Foundation
November 28, 2017
Reverb.com Named Winner of 16th Annual Chicago Innovation Awards
October 31, 2017
Reverb.com Appoints New CTO, Adds Grubhub Executive to Board
October 30, 2017
Andy Martin Joins Reverb.com
October 27, 2017
Reverb.com Ranks No. 18 on the 2017 Inc. 5000 List
August 16, 2017
Reverb.com Named “Best Consumer Web Startup”
June 8, 2017
Reverb.com Appoints General Counsel
March 22, 2017
Reverb.com Appoints European Marketing Director
March 9, 2017
Reverb.com Introduces Reverb Sites
January 10, 2017
In The News
2018
This 36-year-old makes over $150,000 'playing with guitars' for just 5 hours a day
March 5, 2018
When Henry Brown was in his 20s and living in Chicago, he followed his dream of becoming a rock star and didn't bother with a back up plan. When the recession hit in 2008 and even jobs waiting tables between gigs were hard to come by, reality set in. So he took his prized possession — an old 1969 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Gold Top guitar he had bought for $1300 — and listed it on eBay. It sold for $2500. Read More
Vintage Vault: 1967 Gibson Trini Lopez Standard
February 21, 2018
Starting in 1961, amidst the rising popularity of solidbody and thinline guitars, Gibson doubled down on its lineup of larger-sized hollowbodies with a series of artist models. First came the Johnny Smith and Barney Kessel models in 1961, followed by the Tal Farlow signature in ’62. A few years later, this artist line expanded with the launch of two Trini Lopez models: the Standard and the Deluxe Read More
Introducing Chicago Inno’s 2018 Tech Madness Finalists
February 13, 2018
Get ready, folks. We’re only three weeks out from our annual Tech Madness bracket reveal event. Each year, the Chicago Inno team hosts a reader-driven bracket competition in the spirit of March Madness to drive awareness and excitement for Chicago’s startup ecosystem. Read More
Front and Center: Lynette Sage, Art Director at Reverb.com
February 13, 2018
In the past five years, Reverb.com has become one of the world’s largest music gear websites, serving as a marketplace for musicians to buy and sell used, vintage, and new music gear online. One of the driving forces behind their success is art director Lynette Sage. She works with teams across all areas of the company to develop, oversee, and implement a wide range of projects — from brand identity, to marketing campaigns, to web design and visual assets. By diving in deep on the corporate side as well as being a user of the company’s product, Sage has developed a firm understanding of both her company’s story and what makes a great user experience, and it’s this pairing of the two that underlies her success. Read More
Drink your own champagne: 7 Chicago companies on why they use their own tech
February 7, 2018
Eat your own dog food. Drink your own champagne. Whatever phrase you prefer, the idea is the same: Nothing shows a company’s confidence in its product like using it in-house. This is especially important in tech where companies are often asked what separates their app or software from a laundry list of competitors. To learn more about the benefits of “dogfooding,” which is totally a real term, we spoke to employees at seven Chicago tech companies who are avid users of the software and apps they build.c Read More
Switchfoot Sells Gear With Portion Of Proceeds To Benefit Band's Foundation
February 6, 2018
Reverb.com — the online marketplace for buying, selling, and learning about music gear — and Switchfoot announced that The Official Switchfoot Reverb Shop will launch on Wednesday, February 7. The shop will feature guitars, bass guitars, drums, effects pedals, and more used by the Grammy-winning alternative rock band. Read More
Also Seen In:How E-Commerce Revitalized a Main Street Store
February, 2018
Music Makers was like a lot of small-town music stores when it first opened in 2001. Owner Dave Plunk was committed to serving his Galesburg, Illinois community of around 30,000 with quality products, fair prices, and attentive service. And it was working. Then in 2004, Maytag, the area's largest employer, packed its refrigerator factory and thousands of jobs off to Mexico. With nothing on the appliance giant's scale to replace it, Galesburg suffered, and Music Makers, still located on Main Street, has struggled even as competitors, one by one, slipped from the scene. But in 2017 Plunk seized an opportunity, shrugged off apprehensions, and set Music Makers on an ambitious new path that just might serve as a model for music retailers enduring less than favorable circumstances. Read More
The Best Heart-Shaped Products for Valentine’s Day
February, 2018
For your Valentine's Day-hating brother: February 14th might not be his favorite holiday. OK, he hates it—but if you really can't skip over your brother when shopping for love-themed goodies, go subtle but fun with these white ebony heart-shaped guitar picks. Since he has a knack for losing things anyway, he'll have to keep 'em in case the urge to perform Green Day comes over him and he needs to pick away. Read More
Made in Chicago: Reverb
January 30, 2018
In today's Made in Chicago, we focus on Reverb.com, a Roscoe Village-based company that is a marketplace for musicians. CEO David Kalt joins us with his team to teach our anchors how to play a new instrument. Read More
Year in Review: Chicago tech raised more than $1.7B in 2017
January 23, 2018
Chicago tech's momentum keeps on building, with companies raising more than $1.73 billion dollars in 2017. That number is up from the previous year’s $1.7 billion, and, in terms of venture capital, the ecosystem had its best year in recent memory. Thirty-four companies raised $10 million or more, and a whopping 113 companies raised funding rounds upward of $1 million. That number is up from 99 companies in 2016. All told, Built In Chicago tracked funding rounds from 188 digital tech companies. Read More
He Has a Rarity in Music: A Steady Paycheck
January 12, 2018
Joe Shadid, 30, is a music and content specialist for Reverb.com in Chicago. What is Reverb.com, and what do you do there? We’re an online marketplace where people buy and sell guitars, drums and other music gear. Read More
There’s a new online vinyl marketplace to explore, meet Reverb LP
January 10, 2018
Originally launched in 2013, Reverb has grown at a staggering rate to become the go-to platform for buying and selling gear online – not just for musicians, but for stores and other vendors too. Looking to do the same for the burgeoning worldwide vinyl market, the company launched Reverb LP at the tail-end of 2017. Read More
Chicago saw more big VC deals in 2017
January 9, 2018
Chicago startups had more $10 million-plus investments in 2017 than in any of the past five years. There were 39 local deals of $10 million or more, topping the previous best showing, 34 in 2015, according to data from Seattle-based researcher Pitchbook. 2016 had 31 deals of $10 million or more. Read More
Reverb Launches Non-Profit Foundation
January, 2018
Reverb has launched the Reverb Foundation. The non-profit, in coordination with Reverb, will create more musicians by supporting programs and initiatives that increase access to music education, gear and opportunities to play, stated the company. Read More
431: Reverb LP - The Technology Behind the Online Vinyl Marketplace
January 9, 2018
Today’s show is for vinyl lovers who believe that the humble record shops are a cultural institution. Over the years, music has become a soulless throwaway industry where we can carry around every song ever made on the phones in our pocket. It should be no surprise to hear that the traditional vinyl album is once again proving to be a big hit with music lovers who appreciate the art of music. Read More
Vinyl: The Future of the Past with Reverb's Dan Melnick
January 8, 2018
Reverb is an online marketplace that revolutionized how people buy and sell instruments. Now, with the launch of Reverb LP, they're looking to do the same for Vinyl. Read More
Melissa Etheridge and The B-52s to be Honored at the 2018 She Rocks Awards
January 4, 2018
The Women’s International Music Network (the WiMN) has announced that Melissa Etheridge and The B-52s band members Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson will be honored at the sixth annual She Rocks Awards on Friday, January 26, 2018, during the NAMM Show in Anaheim, California. Read More
Recording Equipment from L.A.’s The Sound Factory Now Available on Reverb.com
January 4, 2018
Today, L.A.’s Techno Empire is selling recording equipment from The Sound Factory studio on music gear marketplace Reverb.com. The iconic L.A. studio, which has been the center of many classic recordings since the late ‘60s, will remain active while also giving artists, engineers, fans, and more the opportunity to own a piece of recording history. Read More
Also Seen In:Recording Equipment from L.A.’s The Sound Factory Available on Reverb.com
January 4, 2018 | Read More
Reverb.com Announces Sale Of Recording Equipment From L.A.’s The Sound Factory
January 4, 2018 | Read More
2017
Learn to Play: Riffs in the Key of Jaco Pastorius
December 29, 2017
For bass players, Jaco Pastorius needs no introduction. He was an innovator, a virtuoso of monstrous proportions, and a truly unique personality. Self-taught on multiple instruments (bass included), Jaco overcame an early and debilitating arm injury, a youth of poverty, and an initial backlash to his bass technique to become the legendary musician he's remembered as today. Read More
Reverb LP A New Online Record Selling and Buying Site Opens Its Digital "Doors"
December 27, 2017
The website Reverb.com recently announced an open beta launch for Reverb LP. Backed by what it claims is "the world’s most popular music gear site", Reverb LP aims to be "the best place online to buy and sell records". The website will offer record stores, collectors, and music fans an easier and more cost-efficient option for buying and selling records and other physical music formats online. “The current options for buying and selling records online — whether you run a store or just have a personal obsession, like me — is cumbersome,” said Reverb LP President Dan Melnick, who has more than 400 records from his personal collection on the site. Read More
The Cheapest: Guitar On Reverb
December 27, 2017
Lets take a look at the cheapest guitar I could find on Reverb.com! Read More
Billie Joe Armstrong is selling off a load of Green Day guitar gear
December 20, 2017
Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong is a keen gear collector - he even owns his own guitar store, the Oakland-based Broken Guitars - but he’s come to realise that he may have amassed too much. Cue an epic gear sale over at Reverb. Most notable among the items for sale are three Les Paul Juniors from 1960, 1955 and 1959, while other highlights including a 1970s Martin D-41, as used on 21 Guns, and a refinished 1960s Les Paul Special used during Green Day’s 2004 American Idiot tour. Read More
Also Seen In:Billie Joe Armstrong Having ‘Garage Sale’ of Green Day Guitars, Amps + More
December 19, 2017 | Read More
'Tis the season: Here's how 22 Chicago tech companies celebrated the holidays
December 19, 2017
In the tech industry, long hours and late nights are not uncommon. That doesn’t mean there’s no room for fun, though. Tech workers love a good party, especially around the holidays. Chicago tech companies are more than happy to oblige and typically go all-out to reward employees for a year’s worth of hard work. Continue below to see how 22 Chicago tech companies celebrated the holidays this year. Read More
The Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America
December, 2017
The appeal small businesses have often stems from a strong company culture. When a team is smaller, all levels of the organization are typically closer and engaged with one another on a daily basis. Read More
Reverb Launches Foundation
December 11, 2017
Reverb.com has announced the launch of the Reverb Foundation. In coordination with Reverb, the nonprofit will create more musicians by supporting programs and initiatives that increase access to music education, gear and opportunities to play. Read More
How to Make Money From All That Clutter You Have Lying Around
December 10, 2017
When you find your old flute from fourth grade band, there aren't that many choices for getting cash for that. You can scrap it, but you can also check out Reverb. Reverb helps sell your musical instruments and accessories and takes a 3.5 percent cut of the profits. You can use the site's direct checkout to receive payment or opt for the PayPal version. The site also has a price guide so you can check out what your goods are worth so you have a pretty good estimate of what you can spend on new clothes before you get your check. (What? Doesn't everyone do that?) Read More
Office Envy: Inside Reverb’s Music-Filled Space
December 7, 2017
Reverb.com, the online marketplace for buying, selling and learning about music gear, has grown into a go-to website for musicians around the world since its launch in 2013. Located at 3345 N. Lincoln Ave., Reverb’s two-story office is a giant open space with plenty of real instruments within arm’s reach. Guitars hang from nearly every wall. A huge stand-up bass is situated in a bottom floor conference room and a full drum kit is set up upstairs. Read More
How Do You Plan A Holiday Party Employees Want To Attend?
December 6, 2017
Holiday parties can be irreverent, outrageous, and sometimes incredibly awkward for a majority of the attendees. This may be the only time each year that companies allocate significant money and resources to something that does not directly affect the bottom line. One of the most stressful tasks your HR department or administrative staff undertakes each year is planning the company holiday party. So how can you plan something that resonates withyour employees? Know your culture and customize accordingly. Read More
Mani from The Stone Roses is auctioning off loads of his guitars and amps
December 1, 2017
Some people are never happy. Not content with being in one absolutely phenomenal band in The Stone Roses, Mani also spent a bigger chunk of time in Primal Scream. Playing with both bands across the last 30 years or so has seen him accrue a fair amount of kit - but now, fans can actually own a guitar or amp from his personal collection. Read More
Keeping Your Brand On Beat – Reverb.com’s art director explains the importance of branding for drummers
December 1, 2017
Tom Tom’s spring 2017 Digital Issue featured an article titled “Media Mavericks” that focused on smart ways drummers can build an online presence. In the age of the Internet, it’s imperative for artists to show off their skills in creative ways to help them reach audiences, whether to find work or fans. Artist branding was what everyone was discussing at this year’s National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), as well. In light of this need for new knowledge on how to develop our brands and to circulate information on our talents, Tom Tom spoke with Reverb.com’s art director and brand keeper, Lynette Sage, about smart ways to help you strengthen your brand by showing both your struggles and successes. Sage’s previous clients include Shure, Ableton, and ESPN. Read More
Stewart Copeland Takes You “Where the Gods Live” In This Reverb Feature
December 1, 2017
Drummer/composer Stewart Copeland is not like you and me. He thinks on what seems on a different plain existence sometimes, thinking of rhythms, melodies, and new ways of making music that no one really would think of. He’s just a wacky dude. And Reverb is here to take you into his brain to try to make sense of the guy. Read More
The Top Chicago Tech Hires in November
December 1, 2017
Reverb, a Chicago startup that lets you buy and sell music gear, announced it has hired Molly Fannin to run its Reverb Foundation, a nonprofit that will support programs and initiatives that increase access to music education, gear, and opportunities to play. Fannin comes to Reverb after previously working in fundraising roles at the YMCA and DePaul University. Read More
2018's top technology trends: How Chicago tech is pushing the envelope
November 30, 2017
Change is the tech industry’s defining characteristic, so staying ahead of emerging trends is critical for any company looking to thrive. But which technology trends matter, exactly, depends a lot on the kinds of problems your tech seeks to solve. Read More
Reverb Launches the Reverb Foundation
November 28, 2017
On November 28th, Reverb launched the Reverb Foundation. The nonprofit, in coordination with Reverb, will create more musicians by supporting programs and initiatives that increase access to music education, gear, and opportunities to play. Read More
Vintage Vault: 1955 Gretsch 6131 Jet Firebird
November 22, 2017
Gretsch threw its hat into the ring of the expanding solidbody guitar market in 1953 with the introduction of the deep black 6128 Duo Jet, later made famous by George Harrison. By 1955, the Brooklyn-based builder spun this body shape out into a series of new models with various cosmetic flourishes. There was the sparkly 6129 Silver Jet, the countrified orange 6130 Roundup and 6121 Chet Atkins Solid Body, the glistening 6134 White Penguin, and this month’s featured guitar: the 6131 Jet Firebird in “Oriental Red.” Read More
100 Stocking Stuffers under $10 for Everyone on Your List
November 21, 2017
These holiday gifts are $10 or less—and sure to impress. (The rhyme was free. You're welcome.) Read More
Relevant work experience for this startup? Try 10 years as a touring musician
November 3, 2017
Touring as a musician is a tough way to make a living. Evan Weiss spent most of the past decade either on tour or writing music for a variety of bands, including indie solo project Into It. Over It. In that time, he toured 24 countries and every state in the continental United States. Read More
Chicago Innovation Award Winner: Reverb.com
October 30, 2017
Reverb.com is the online marketplace to buy, sell and learn about new, used, and vintage music gear. Since launching in 2013, Reverb.com has grown into the world’s most popular music gear website, with more than 10 million musicians and music lovers visiting the website each month. Built by and for musicians, the marketplace makes it easy for anyone — from beginner musicians, mom-and-pop shops, and boutique builders to collectors, large retailers, and rock stars — to connect over the perfect piece of music gear. Read More
Also Seen In:SpotHero, Bela Fleck and a skyscraper: Here's who Chicago Innovation Awards honored this year
October 31, 2017 | Read More
My Company’s Single Most Crucial Hire
October 29, 2017
I will be the first to admit: When my company was just a few employees crammed into a small office above a drum shop, I was convinced I did not need an in-house recruiter. We only had a few positions open at any given time and I was sure my small team and I could handle the task of building our organization. To me, an in-house recruiter was something that big companies had—a luxury that’s nice to have, but not really necessary. Read More
Also Seen In:Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis Selling Over 100 Pieces of Gear
October 25, 2017
Fans of Dinosaur Jr. who want to own a piece of their history take notice: J Mascis is selling over 100 pieces of instruments and gear he’s used over the years on tour and in the studio. The sale is happening on Reverb. “It’s hard for me to sell things, but when you’ve got guitars and other gear starting to pile up and there’s less room to record, you’ve got to try to clear out the gear you’re not playing as much anymore,” said Mascis in a statement. “Plus, if I can get this gear into a good home, I’ll have more room to buy some more stuff.” The shop launches on October 31. Read More
Also Seen In:J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr is auctioning off a ton of his gear for “room to buy more stuff”
October 25, 2017 | Read More
Dinosaur Jr’s J Mascis is selling a load of guitars, amps and drum kits, and you could buy them
October 25, 2017 | Read More
Meet Chicago’s Top 100 tech companies: Employee count up 15 percent in 2017
October 24, 2017
Chicago’s tech sector keeps on climbing. Chicago’s 100 biggest digital tech companies alone employ nearly 48,000 people, up from 41,000 in 2016. That number was bolstered by growth from pillar tech companies and up-and-comers alike. Read More
The 15 Coolest Offices in Chicago 2017
October, 2017
What makes an office cool in 2017 is about more than aesthetics. It has just as much to do with options and openness. Chicago's most innovative, exciting workplaces are visually stunning, but they also prioritize flexibility, better ways to meet, views that are accessible to many rather than a few, and compelling reasons for employees to show up and work together (in person). Offices that were rehabbed or opened after July 1, 2016, were eligible to enter; we received 117 nominations and narrowed them down to 36 for our guest judges. Read More
Deconstructing the synth score of Blade Runner (1982)
October 12, 2017
Justin Delay breaks down and recreates the otherworldly 1980s synth sounds of Vangelis's stunning score for the original Blade Runner. Read More
Also Seen In:5 Tips to Make the Most of Your Video Marketing
October 10, 2017
At 2017 Summer NAMM, Dan Abel, director of marketing for Reverb.com, shared five tips to help you grow your video audience—and create content that keeps people coming back for more. Abel, who formerly served as content partnerships manager for YouTube, is currently in charge of Reverb’s 10 million global visitors per month. According to Abel, video marketing is a part of your story. Still, getting in front of people and using your other marketing assets to distribute videos is paramount. He stressed keeping your different distribution levers, such as email and social, in mind with your marketing efforts. Read More
Here's Your Chance to Own a Piece of Steve Vai's Gear
October 10, 2017
Reverb.com and LA’s Techno Empire have partnered to sell nearly 30 pieces of gear owned by legendary guitarist Steve Vai. The Techno Empire Reverb Shop features guitars, amps, cabinets, and more from Vai’s personal gear collection. Read More
Also Seen In:Mike Gordon Partners with Reverb.com to Sell Gear He Used on Tour and In the Studio
October 10, 2017
Reverb.com, the online marketplace for buying, selling, and learning about music gear, has partnered with bassist Mike Gordon to sell a fresh batch of gear in The Official Mike Gordon Reverb Shop. This round features guitars, bass guitars, and more used by the Phish bassist and solo artist on tour and in the studio. Read More
Also Seen In:Phish’s Mike Gordon To Sell Off Used Gear This Week, Including A Languedoc Guitar
October 10, 2017 | Read More
The Rolling Stones hope fans will warm to a deluxe version of 'Their Satanic Majesties Request,' one of their most disparaged albums
September 23, 2017
The holidays are still a couple of months away, but fans of the Rolling Stones already have something they may want for their stockings. On Friday, the group reissued a deluxe box set for the 50th anniversary of their 1967 album, "Their Satanic Majesties Request." The Stones are certainly no strangers to re-releasing their most popular albums in sprawling, multi-disc sets – stuffed as they tend to be with previously unreleased music, books, DVDs and other memorabilia. Read More
Also Seen In:The Rolling Stones hope fans will buy a $72 version of an album Mick Jagger once 'rubbished'
September 23, 2017 | Read More
FOUND ON REVERB: MOOG MODEL D
September 22, 2017
Thick, rich, and full-bodied, the Moog Minimoog Model D is the bar none definition of fat analog synth. In fact, the odds of synthesis becoming the phenomenon it is today without the Model D are slim to none. Read More
Nirvana's 'In Utero' Microphones Headed to Steve Albini-Approved Auction
September 14, 2017
Three microphones used to record Nirvana's final album, In Utero, will be auctioned off via Reverb, with the sale set to run between September 21st and September 30th. The album's producer, Steve Albini, provided the microphones, an Electro-Voice PL20 and two vintage Lomo 19A9's. "They're irreplaceable," Albini said. "They stopped being microphones and now they're artifacts. I feel like I should get them into the hands of somebody who would take care of them and not put them at risk in the hectic environment of a recording studio." Read More
Also Seen In:Nirvana ‘In Utero’ microphones being auctioned off by producer Steve Albini
September 14, 2017 | Read More
You Can Buy Mics Used By Nirvana To Record 'In Utero,' Thanks To Steve Albini
September 14, 2017 | Read More
Steve Albini to Auction Microphones from Nirvana's 'In Utero' Sessions
September 14, 2017 | Read More
Steve Albini is auctioning off the microphones used to record Nirvana’s In Utero
September 14, 2017 | Read More
Want to buy a slice of grunge history? Three mics Nirvana used to record In Utero are up for auction
September 15, 2017 | Read More
Nirvana Producer Steve Albini Auctioning Off Microphones Used for ‘In Utero’ Recording
September 15, 2017 | Read More
Steve Albini Is Selling Three Microphones Used to Record Nirvana’s In Utero
September 14, 2017 | Read More
FIND OF THE WEEK: Mics Used On NIRVANA’s “In Utereo” Are Getting Auctioned Off Via STEVE ALBINI and REVERB
September 18, 2017 | Read More
Steve Albini Us Sellings the Microphones Used to Record Nirvana's In Utero
September 19, 2017 | Read More
Finally an online music marketplace for everyone
September 13, 2017
Creating a studio, learning how to play music or start a band? You’ll be in the market for music equipment and it is not cheap. Trustworthy used music gear shops are hard to come by, but that changes with Reverb. An online music marketplace, Reverb provides high quality new and used gear for audiophiles, musicians and podcasters alike. Dan Melnick sits down with Scott to talk about how he set up Reverb and where it’s headed. Read More
Need Band Booster Cash? Set up a Shop on Reverb.com!
September 8, 2017
There’s nothing quite like watching a child bond with their grandparents over a 1959 Selmer sax, passing your trumpet down to a new player, or watching one of your students nail a solo on a freshly-purchased flute. The tools used to create music at home, in the classroom, and on the football field vary as widely as the personalities of those who play them, but they all have one thing in common: they tell a story. Unfortunately for band directors, parents of band students, band booster board members, and more, these stories aren’t without their trials and tribulations. Instrument prices aren’t insignificant, repair costs are often extensive, and instruments are not always locally available. Read More
Buyer's Guide1963 ‘Reverse’ Firebird
September 8, 2017
Vintage guitar commentators often view the original 1963 Firebird as Gibson’s answer to Fender offset models, such as the Jaguar and Jazzmaster, introduced in 1958 and 1962 respectively. If this was indeed the case, Gibson’s strategy was an aggressive one, as 1963 saw the introduction of not one but four distinct Firebird variants. Each brought a different complement of hardware to a shared angular body shape with common features, including an ambitious neck-through design and mini-humbucker pickups. Read More
Culture is key, but how do you scale it?
August 24, 2017
Rapid growth presents a lot of opportunities for startup employees, but growth comes with its own set of challenges as well. The carefully guarded cultures many startups pride themselves on become a lot harder to maintain when new additions are made to the team every week. We spoke with five fast-growing Chicago companies that have held onto their tight-knit cultures through periods of massive growth. Here’s what they did to make it happen. Read More
The Brilliant Way One Founder Made a Killing From the Music Industry
August, 2017
David Kalt founded Reverb.com, a Chicago-based online marketplace for musical instruments, after taking an online stock-trading company public. A huge leap? Not really. The two businesses are more similar than you'd think. --As told to Tom Foster Read More
This guitar player helps other musicians hunting for gear on Reverb
August 28, 2017
What's it really like to work at Chicago startups and tech companies? Blue Sky's Inside Job lets people on the ground tell us in their own words. Read More
Nine Inch Nails collaborator Alessandro Cortini to launch new Reverb shop selling synths and more
August 19, 2017
Alessandro Cortini is a synth don known best for collaborating with Nine Inch Nails between the years 2005 and 2008. The Italian-born artist has spent years accumulating a diverse range of gear, and now he is launching a new Reverb shop called The Official Alessandro Cortini Reverb Shop. Read More
Also Seen In:Here Are All the Chicago Companies on the 2017 Inc. 5000
August 17, 2017
The annual Inc. 5000 came out today, which lists the fastest-growing private companies in America. The city of Chicago had 107 companies on this year’s list, the second most of any city in the US. Six Chicago companies cracked the top 100, including Strike Social, Reverb, Growth Pay, Avant, Hotel Rehabs and Level Office. Read More
Tech roundup: Reverb kills it, 12 Chicago companies make the Inc. 500 and more
August 17, 2017
Online instrument and music gear marketplace Reverb.com was in the news for all the right reasons this week. It started last Friday with the reveal of Reverb LP, an e-commerce site for music collectors that will specialize in vinyl and other physical music formats. Reverb LP is expected to accelerate the company’s already-rapid growth when it goes live later in the year. Read More
Check Out These 7 Amazing Offices From the 2017 Inc. 5000
August 16, 2017
What do the companies on the following slides have in common? They all know how to achieve crazy-fast growth--and how to design a spectacular office. Here are seven startups from this year's Inc. 5000 with awesome digs. Read More
Reverb.com raises another $15 million
August 15, 2017
David Kalt never has to look far for investors at Reverb.com. Between partners and customers of the online exchange for guitars and other musical gear, there's a ready list of backers. That's... Read More
Also Seen In:Chicago's Reverb to launch vinyl-record selling platform
August 11, 2017
Reverb, an online marketplace for music gear, plans to launch a platform for buying and selling vinyl records and other physical music formats, the Chicago-based company said Friday. Read More
Also Seen In:Want to Preserve Your Company's Culture As You Grow? Here Are 4 Ways
August 3, 2017
The appeal small businesses have often stems from a strong company culture. When a team is smaller, all levels of the organization are typically closer and engaged with one another on a daily basis. Read More
Forget Yard Sales! Try These 9 Easy Ways to Sell Your Stuff Online
August 3, 2017
Yard sales are hard work! There's the sorting, setting up, advertising, minding the sale and cleanup. It's all very time consuming and most of the time you end up earning less money than you expected and still have leftovers to donate. Selling your stuff online or with an app makes earning extra cash super easy. Check out these options and start selling today! Read More
Elite Engineering Talent: How to Hire, And Get Hired!
July 20, 2017
When it comes to building a robust tech company, one of the most fundamental steps is hiring elite engineering talent. We had a panel on just this at Chicago’s Growth Summit this year, featuring: Chris Resto (moderator), Talent Partner, Jump Capital; Rishi Arora, VP of Engineering, Strike Social; Sean Chou, CEO and Co-Founder, Catalytic; Stu Grubbs, CEO and Co-Founder, Lightstream; John Higginson, Chief Technology Officer, Enova, David Kalt, CEO and Founder, Reverb. Check out their insights on how to attract, hire, and retain top engineering talent, and some of the challenges involved in the process. If you’re interested in building a tech company, actively involved in finding talent, or looking to get hired, this is the panel for you! Read More
Announcing The 2017 #CoolestCompanies Nominees!
July 17, 2017
Over the past month, Chicago Inno has been accepting nominations for its third annual Coolest Companies Competition, a friendly challenge to find, spotlight, and celebrate the local startups and tech companies with the best culture. We asked you to tell us all about your business, its perks, and why your company’s the coolest. And though you gave us a thousand different reasons – including free lunches, charitable initiatives, team outings, group trips, yoga, and much, much more – it was clear that, at the end of the day, if you love going to work everyday, then that’s really cool. Below we’ve posted a list of the Coolest Companies nominations, as well as an excerpt from every submission to give you an idea of how Chicago businesses are keeping their employees happy. Read More
Billy Corgan to Sell Guitars, Amps Used on Smashing Pumpkins Albums
July 13, 2017
Billy Corgan is partnering with online music gear marketplace Reverb to sell equipment he used to record and tour for multiple Smashing Pumpkins albums. Corgan plans to list over 100 items on the website.
"Of all the artist-owned gear we've been fortunate to sell on Reverb, this collection of gear from Billy Corgan has arguably the most historic prominence – you can feel it when you pick up any one piece," Reverb's Jim Tuerk said in a statement. "These are the tools that not only defined one of the all-time greats, but an entire generation of music."
Read More
Billy Corgan is selling off his used gear, including Smashing Pumpkins guitars and amps
July 14, 2017 | Read More
Billy Corgan is selling a load of his old guitar gear and you could buy it
July 24, 2017 | Read More
Billy Corgan is selling a load of guitars and gear used on Smashing Pumpkins’ records
July 13, 2017 | Read More
Billy Corgan Is Selling Over 150 Pieces Of Gear He Used On Smashing Pumpkins Albums
July 13, 2017 | Read More
Welcome to Reverb.com
July, 2017
If you’re a gear nut, then you’ve probably heard about Reverb (reverb.com). If you haven’t, or even if you have but still aren’t sure what it is, Reverb launched in 2013 as a marketplace for musical instruments and pro audio gear. Its twist is that Reverb’s inventory is supplied by you and me, as well as a host of retailers nationwide. If you are thinking, “Okay, so... a musician-specific Ebay?”, you could not be more wrong. Read More
Black Sabbath Drummer Bill Ward Selling Vintage, Studio-Used Gear
June 23, 2017
Former Black Sabbath drummer and co-founder Bill Ward is selling over 200 pieces of studio- and stage-used gear. The Official Bill Ward Reverb Shop, opening June 28th, will include full drum kits, drum heads, cymbals and other pieces from throughout the musician's legendary career. Read More
Also Seen In:Black Sabbath Drummer Bill Ward Is Selling Gear From Throughout His Career
June 23, 2017 | Read More
Simplifying music e-commerce with Reverb.com Live from Techweek 2017 in Chicago, IL
June 22, 2017
Reverb.com Raises $10,000 in 48 Hours for Guitars for Vets
June 20, 2017
In June 2017, Guitars for Vets (G4V) — a non-profit organization dedicated to providing free guitars and lessons to Veterans struggling with physical injuries, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and other emotional distress — celebrated ten years of helping those who have served heal through music. To help the nonprofit celebrate this milestone, music gear marketplace Reverb.com donated proceeds from tuners sold on the site, raising $10,000 in just two days. Read More
FOUND ON REVERB: ROLAND JUPITER 8
June 16, 2017
Moog might be the first name that comes to mind when you think analog synths, but there’s a good chance that the first sound that comes to mind is a Roland. Roland’s Juno and Jupiter lines of polysynths were immortalized in the ‘80s with dozens of pop hits by the likes of Duran Duran, Eurythmics, and A-Ha. They’re a big part of the reason musicians today are chasing lush pads, punchy basslines, and pulsing arpeggios that are the lusher of the decade’s sonic hallmarks. Read More
Reverb.com vs. Ebay: Where Should You Sell Your Gear?
June 15, 2017
Where should you sell your music gear? Reverb or eBay? That’s the questions you’re asking yourself as you try to get the most value back from your gear and look to avoid dealing with the hassles of selling gear online like shipping and low-ball offers. Read More
The 10 Most Outlandish Basses on Reverb.com Right Now
June 14, 2017
Unlike the high–end guitar market, where most of the emphasis is placed on recreations of classic, vintage instruments, many luthier–built bass guitars tend to strike a more unique form and style. Features that are often rarities with mass–produced brands, like exotic tonewood tops and custom–wound pickups, are a dime a dozen with these creative one–off and small–batch instruments. As such, there’s nothing standard about these luthier–made designs, and we wanted to showcase some of our favorites. Read More
Who got the love at the Moxie Awards?
June 8, 2017
Reverb.com, the online marketplace for buying, selling, and learning about music gear, was named “Best Consumer Web Startup” at the sixth annual Moxie Awards. The local award ceremony, hosted by Built In Chicago, honors the entrepreneurs and companies that push the Chicago tech community forward. Read More
Featured In:5 Mistakes Software Engineers Make On Their Job Interview
May 30, 2017
Being a genius software engineer won't get you very far if you can't get past the interview. I asked some tech executives about common mistakes they see software engineers making during interviews, and how to avoid these pitfalls and impress whoever's sitting across the table. Read More
If You Want To Succeed With Analytics, Effective Communication Is A Must
May 30, 2017
Aspiring analytics professionals often focus deeply on technical things, like programming languages and mathematical algorithms. Their prospective employers would be better served by if they paid more attention to process and communication skills. In the words of David Kalt, CEO of Reverb.com, an online marketplace for musical instruments and gear, “An abundance of good candidates possess the technical skills to work with data. The difficult part is finding candidates that have the ability to demystify the data they’ve pulled and create an easy-to-understand and actionable narrative from it.” Read More
Let’s obsess over the new Twin Peaks opening credits
May 22, 2017
A recent video from Reverb gets into the track’s composition even further, zeroing in on the synthesizers used to make it. It’s full of interesting anecdotes, like the fact that the opening guitar line is actually just a sample of the one on Julee Cruise’s original track “Falling.” Read More
All on Board
May 22, 2017
The 2017 Winter NAMM Show featured more than 200 pedal-related companies; at least 30 of which were showcasing for the first time. And while that seems like a lot of buisnesses, it's a small fraction of what's being bought and sold online. Dan Orkin, Reverb.com's director of content, estimated that roughly 600 different pedal brands are being actively bought and sold on the website, including new, used and vintage pedals. Read More
5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Defining Your Brand
May 15, 2017
Think about the companies that you love. Are you a diehard Diet Coke drinker? Do you only buy Apple products? Are you a self-proclaimed Levi's addict? When you travel, do you swear by one hotel brand or airline? Chances are, you can think of at least one buisness with which you have that type of relationship. But how does a person feel an intimate connection with a can of carbonated soda, a computer or a pair of blue jean? Through branding. Read More
The Opening Bell 5/15/17: From Local Instrument Shop to International Music Marketplace
May 15, 2017
The music industry is a difficult industry to break into, and disrupting it by connecting music lovers from around the world is even harder, but David Kalt is achieving that. Steve sat down with David (CEO of Reverb.com) to talk about the journey that started in Chicago which is now expanding to a presence across the world. Read More
It's on: Meet the 2017 Moxie Awards finalists
May 4, 2017
Forget the Oscars. Be part of Chicago tech’s red-carpet moment at the 2017 Moxie Awards, where your vote helps honor the entrepreneurs and companies that push our ecosystem forward. Built In Chicago, which has presented the awards annually since 2012, tallied thousands of nominations from across the community, narrowing the field to five finalists in each of the competition’s 14 categories. Read More
How I Convinced My First Hire to Work at a Nonexistent Company
May 4, 2017
In 2012, when my music-gear marketplace was nothing more than an idea, I posted a want ad on Craigslist and got a chief technology officer. On paper, it sounds simple: Post a classified, have a few conversations, get your first team member. But convincing a senior engineer in San Francisco to move across the country for a company that does not yet exist was anything but simple. Read More
David Gilmour's "Comfortably Numb" Arpeggios
May 1, 2017
David Gilmour's first guitar solo on Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" is a soaring, melodic masterpiece that uses almost exclusively arpeggios. In this lesson video, Joe from Reverb.com examines how Gilmour uses arpeggios in relation to the root notes of the chord progression—and how he moves from position to position. Read More
8 entrepreneurs who scaled and lived to tell the tale
April 30, 2017
Entrepreneurs often start with an idea for a great product or service. The decision to scale comes later. But there's no perfect blueprint, and the risks can be as monumental as the potential rewards. Move too fast, and you can crash and burn. Drag your feet, and the moment may pass you by. Crain's asked eight smart local entrepreneurs who've scaled their businesses to share their hard-won tips and lessons learned. What follows is their best advice on everything from hiring to production pitfalls. Read More
Silicon Valley Shake-Up: These Are the Next Top Tech Towns
April 24, 2017
Silicon Valley has been the engine of tech innovation in the United States, powered by life-changing ideas, optimism, bushels of venture capital cash, and lots and lots of coders, engineers, and developers. And something else, too: nosebleed-inducing real estate prices. That has led to a national quest to find the next Silicon Valleys—the ones that America's up-and-coming tech talent could actually afford to live in. Read More
Chris Shiflett on Boxing, Being Starstruck, Message Board Fights
April 12, 2017
Ahead of the release of his third solo album, West Coast Town, on Friday, April 14th, we caught up with Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett for his list of lasts, including stories of meeting his heroes, asking for autographs and talking politics. Read More
The Luthierist - Dan Orkin from Reverb
April 2, 2017
This week, Sully spends some time with Dan Orkin at Reverb! They chat about Reverb's beginnings, how they've grown, and how they love helping builders get their names out there and in front of the buying public. Read More
Why 5 Chicagoans picked the tech scene over corporate life
March 29, 2017
“If we don’t like something we’re doing, we change it. No questions asked.” That’s not something you’d often hear at a corporate office, which is a big reason why employees are flocking to the tech scene. But the lack of red tape isn’t the only big advantage growth-stage tech companies have over your typical nine-to-five. We spoke with five Chicagoans who made the leap to learn more about why they went for it — and how their experiences lined up with expectations. Read More
Strong Suit 109: How She Recruited 100 Rockstars To A Rockin’ Startup
March 17, 2017
Reverb.com is the super-cool eCommerce platform for buying & selling musical instruments, with a swelling community of musicians & content. Gina Contella, Director of Talent, has built most of the team. In fact, she’s already recruited over 100 folks to this fast-growing Chicago company. In this 20-minute interview, she reveals how she built the amazing Reverb.com team, and the mistakes to avoid as you build yours. Read More
Vintage electric guitars command sky-high prices as baby boomers become collectors
March 16, 2017
True love knows no fear, and legendary blues guitarist B.B. King once rushed into a burning building to save his beloved Lucille. But Lucille wasn’t his wife – it was actually his Gibson 335 electric guitar. The incident is emblematic of the respect that most musicians show their instruments. That love has translated into a burgeoning guitar collector’s market over the last 30 years, with some instruments that originally sold for US$200 or less back in the 1950s selling for upwards of US$200,000 today. Although such guitars are rare, Kevin Drost, director of international strategy for online instrument sales site Reverb.com, estimates that one such high-rolling transaction is conducted at the site every month. Read More
How to sell your guitar online: 10 essential tips
March 16, 2017
These days many guitarists prefer to sell online, so who better to ask about successful tactics for selling via the internet than Dan Orkin of music gear marketplace Reverb.com? Here are Dan’s 10 top tips on listing your gear so that buyers will be biting your hand off… Read More
E Street Band Guitarist Nils Lofgren Selling Off Instruments, Vintage Gear
March 14, 2017
Nils Lofgren, singer-songwriter and longtime guitarist for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, has teamed with music gear marketplace Reverb to sell dozens of items from his personal collection. Read More
Why CEOs Should Friend Their Employees on Social Media
March 12, 2017
Nearly every Monday, we welcome several new hires. Their first day is relatively normal by “first day at a new job” standards. They participate in training sessions. They shake hands with lots of new people. They shadow the customer engagement team. And then it gets weird: I friend them on Facebook. Read More
You Can Now Buy Wilco’s Old Instruments, Gear, Test Pressings, More
March 16, 2017
In the past, Wilco have used the online musicians’ marketplace Reverb to sell off some of their instruments and gear, kept in the Chicago headquarters dubbed the Wilco Loft. Now, the official Wilco Loft store has gotten an update, with new guitars, pedals, instruments, and memorabilia from the band up for sale to the public. While much of the inventory has already sold out, there are some pieces left; check out the offerings here. Last year, Sam Beam of Iron & Wine also listed several of his guitars on the website. Read More
You could own a rare guitar played by Wilco – for a hefty price
March 10, 2017
Wilco, the Chicago-based band behind hits such as "Jesus, Etc." and "Impossible Germany," is getting a head start on spring cleaning. Starting next Thursday, you'll be able to buy some of the band's gear in a special shop on Reverb.com called the "Wilco Loft Shop." Read More
Wilco Will Be Selling Off Some of Their Gear On Reverb.com Starting Next Week
March 10, 2017
Starting next Thursday, you’ll have the chance to buy some of Wilco’s gear. Jeff Tweedy and company will be opening up a shop on Reverb.com called “The Wilco Loft Shop,” named after their Chicago studio/”safe haven for making music” where much of the gear currently resides, and selling off various items from their collections. Read More
SmashingWilco selling some of its gear — including Tweedy's guitars — online
March 10, 2017
Chicago band Wilco is selling more than 40 pieces of gear -- including guitars owned by frontman Jeff Tweedy -- online starting Thursday. Read More
Wilco Is Selling Some Of Their Gear, And It Could Be All Yours
March 10, 2017
The Loft—Wilco's practice space and recording studio—is only so big, and the band is filled with a bunch of gear-heads, so it's no surprise they might start running into storage issues for all their music gear. Read More
Upgrade Your Original Guitar or Buy a New Ax? What You Need to Know
February 24, 2017
You've learned your modes, mastered the four chords found in every pop song and can play the intro to “Crazy Train” with your eyes closed. Congratulations—you are no longer a novice guitar player! Welcome to the wide world of intermediate playing. Read More
Jimmy Chamberlin Is Selling His Old Smashing Pumpkins Stuff
February 23, 2017
Jimmy Chamberlin, original drummer for the Smashing Pumpkins, launched an official shop selling off a bunch of his old equipment from his days in the band. The shop features more than 200 pieces of gear that Chamberlin used on tour and in the studio, including drum kits, snare drums, tambourines, cowbells, and more. “Over twenty years, you just accumulate so much stuff, and you can’t play it all. These instruments need to be out there being played,” Chamberlin said in a press release. Read More
Is This the Best Classic Electric Guitar Pickup Shootout Video on YouTube?
February 23, 2017
The gang over at Reverb have come up with what might be the best pickup-shootout video on YouTube. Single coil vs. humbucker, gold foil vs. lipstick—Reverb lets the pickups do all the work (and they even include some off-the-beaten-path axes, including a Gretsch Power Jet, a Rickenbacker 335 and a new Supro Westbury). Read More
Is This the Best Classic Electric Guitar Pickup Shootout Video on YouTube?
February 23, 2017
The gang over at Reverb have come up with what might be the best pickup-shootout video on YouTube. Single coil vs. humbucker, gold foil vs. lipstick—Reverb lets the pickups do all the work (and they even include some off-the-beaten-path axes, including a Gretsch Power Jet, a Rickenbacker 335 and a new Supro Westbury). Read More
Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin selling his gear online
February 19, 2017
Chicago drummer Jimmy Chamberlin is selling more than 200 pieces of gear, including equipment he used live and in studio with the Smashing Pumpkins. Read More
6 Reasons Singing Should Replace Your Daily Yoga
February 4, 2017
Reality check. We don’t all love yoga. Maybe you hate yoga pants; you haven’t found your yogi squad or you’ve just found another activity to help you stick to your health resolutions. Whatever the reason, just because you don’t love yoga doesn’t mean you have to deny yourself the benefits yoga brings to your well-being. From self-awareness and decreased anxiety to better breathing habits and posture, there are plenty of good-for-you gains to get from a yoga workout. But it turns out, yoga isn’t the only way to reap those benefits. In fact, you can skip the downward dog altogether and do one very simple activity instead: singing. Read More
Up Close: Reverb
February 3, 2017
After launching his career as a recording engineer and producer, David Kalt’s embrace of software development led him to successful technology ventures in the travel and financial industries. In 2010, he bought the Chicago Music Exchange, a popular musical instrument shop and premier authority on vintage, new and used musical equipment. Growing frustrated with buying and selling guitars via general online platforms like eBay, he launched Reverb.com in 2013 as a marketplace to better facilitate the buying, selling and learning about music gear. Read More
Live from NAMM: Reverb.com
January 27, 2017
BackStory Events Live from NAMM is a livestreamed show from the Anaheim NAMM Show floor featuring interviews and spotlights on the latest products, artists and more. Hosted by noted author, journalist and former Guitar World editor Brad Tolinski and veteran music journalist Laura B. Whitmore Read More
How to Sell Guitar Pedals on Reverb.com
January 24, 2017
You will learn tips for buying, selling, and flipping pedals on Reverb.com. Dan Orkin, the Director of Content at Reverb.com, shares with us strategies for utilizing Reverb to your advantage! Read More
5 Things Preventing You From Being Transparent
January 23, 2017
Corporate transparency is a hot topic right now, but there’s still a long way to go. A December 2016 BetterWorks survey of 1,000 employees found that 64 percent of respondents continued to feel that their company’s leadership wasn't transparent in communicating top goals. So, what are business leaders doing wrong? Read More
Retail Rebel Scopes Out Reverb.com
January 19, 2017
David Kalt likes to find solutions for things that don't work. After spending a few years working in recording studios, Kalt, who has a master's degree in computer science, created ClientBase, the first customer relationship management (CRM) software for travel agents and group tour operators... Read More
What does workplace flexibility mean in 2017?
January 19, 2017
The Office Space-esque version of the nine-to-five is a construct of the past. No longer do cubicle-confined worker bees time their commutes to arrive at 9 a.m. on the dot; even donning a suit and tie in the workplace is becoming more and more passé. And with 2017 looming, top talent is more selective than ever before when it comes to prioritizing workplace flexibility. Read More
14 New Year’s Resolutions to Make 2017 Your Happiest Year Ever
January 16, 2017
New Year's resolutions may sound cliché but experts say that writing down your goals, creating a course of action, and practicing methods of self-affirmation can help lead to resolution success. With these suggestions, try and make 2017 the happiest year yet! Read More
Reverb.com Introduces Reverb Sites
January 12, 2017
Reverb.com — the online marketplace for buying, selling, and learning about music gear — today introduced Reverb Sites, a service created to help sellers better promote their music gear business online. Reverb Sites enables sellers to easily create their own website — synced to their Reverb.com shop and powered by the marketplace’s technology — in a matter of minutes. Read More
Featured In:Reverb ‘Sites’ coming to UK this summer – Could this be the lifeline retailers are waiting for?
January 11, 2017 | Read More
How Reverb Sites will make it easier to sell musical instruments online
January 11, 2017 | Read More
5 Ways to Maximize Sales on Reverb.com
January 20, 2017
In one year, Monster Music did $130,000 in new business on Reverb.com, an online marketplace for selling gear. In this session, Monster Music owner Brian Reardon will reveal his proven recipe for success on Reverb.com, covering best practices for everything from product photos and listings to customer inquiries and shipping. Find out how he’s grown his business with Reverb.com and, in fact, how many of his listings sell within the first 24 hours. Read More
Reverb Hires a YouTube Vet to Be Its Director of Marketing
January 5, 2017
Chicago-based online music gear site Reverb just plucked a marketer away from YouTube. Reverb announced Thursday that it has hired Dan Abel as its director of marketing, where he'll be tasked with leading the company's marketing efforts. He joins the Chicago startup after spending more than four years at YouTube's New York office, where he served as YouTube’s content partnerships manager and was in charge of YouTube’s music offering. Prior to that, he spent two years in music marketing at Creative Artists Agency. Read More
Reverb.com Appoints New Director of Marketing
January 5, 2017From Reverb
Reverb.com — the online marketplace for buying, selling, and learning about music gear — has hired Dan Abel, former Content Partnerships Manager at YouTube, to lead the company’s marketing efforts. In the past year, Reverb.com has more than doubled its sales and as Director of Marketing, Abel will help cultivate continued growth and success. Read More
Here's how to sell those unwanted holiday gifts
January 3, 2017
In the haze of a holiday hangover, there are inevitably some gifts that would have been better left under the tree. Nearly half of Americans received a holiday gift this year that they did not really want or will not use, according to a recent eBay survey. Altogether, consumers spend more than $9.5 billion on unwanted gifts every year, according to a separate report by finder.com. But recouping at least some of those losses is possible, for those that know how. Read More
How to sell your unwanted gifts
January 3, 2017
In the haze of a holiday hangover, there are inevitably some gifts that would have been better left under the tree. Nearly half of Americans received a holiday gift this year that they did not really want or will not use, according to a recent eBay survey. Altogether, consumers spend more than $9.5 billion on unwanted gifts every year, according to a separate report by finder.com. But recouping at least some of those losses is possible, for those that know how. Read More
2016
How to return or exchange holiday gifts that are just wrong
December 28, 2016
The holidays are a time of great fun and generosity, but chances are, a lot of us are getting gifts we don't really want. Usually, we can return or exchange those items when those gifts are from major retailers. But what about those other times? Whether your mother-in-law gives you an itchy sweater you can barely touch or a friend gives you a gift card to their favorite steakhouse when you hate meat, here's how to turn it into the gift of your dreams. Read More
How to Sound Like The Beatles Using Modern Guitar Gear
December 22, 2016
Late last week, the gang at Reverb.com posted their latest "Potent Pairings" video. The series shows guitarists how to sound like their favorite bands using various modern pedals—pedals that, in most cases, were never used by the bands themselves. Read More
The 2016 Relix Holiday Gift Guide (Part Three: Wood Watches, Tubes, Tats and More)
December 22, 2016
Looking for a unique gift that will bring a smile to the face of a friend, loved one or even yourself? Here are a few suggestions. Read More
Inside 10 of the hottest holiday parties in Chicago tech
December 22, 2016
For many, the holiday season is a rare opportunity to bond with coworkers outside of the office. Startups and tech companies tend to prioritize culture and offer far more frequent company-sponsored shindigs than their corporate cousins, but that doesn’t mean they skimp on their holiday celebrations. To see what we mean, take a look at how 10 of Chicago’s hottest tech companies rang in the season this year. Read More
Reverb.com Gives Employees the Gift of Music for the Holidays
December 19, 2016From Reverb
Reverb.com - the online marketplace for buying, selling, and learning about music gear - this month announced that all employees will receive free music lessons as a holiday bonus. Through Reverb Lessons - Reverb’s online marketplace for music lessons - employees will have the opportunity to choose from online or in-person lessons in guitar, violin, piano, voice, songwriting, audio production, and everything in between. Read More
Five Considerations for a Winning Video Marketing Strategy
December 15, 2016
Even if your musical instrument retail business is firmly rooted in brick-and-mortar retailing, you've likely started to dip a toe—or even jumped headfirst—into e-commerce. And there's no time like the holiday shopping season to remind you why it's crucial to bolster your store with an online retail component... Read More
See Joe Bonamassa’s Vintage Guitar Museum in New Video and Interactive Tour
December 14, 2016
Joe Bonamassa has been playing, buying and collecting vintage guitars and amps for most of his life. Today, at 39, he has a vast collection, enough to create his own museum of rare and vintage gear: the Bona-seum. Bonamassa invited Reverb.com, the online marketplace, into the Bona-seum for a first-hand look at some of his prized guitars. The result is the short film Welcome to Nerdville: Inside Joe Bonamassa’s Museum and Guitar Collection, as well as an interactive virtual reality tour that lets viewers explore his labyrinth of vintage gear firsthand. Read More
See Joe Bonamassa’s Vintage Guitar Museum in Video and Virtual Tour
December 14, 2016
Joe Bonamassa has been playing, buying and collecting vintage guitars and amps for most of his life. Today, at 39, he has a vast collection, enough to create his own museum of rare and vintage gear: the Bona-seum. Bonamassa invited Reverb.com, the online marketplace, into the Bona-seum for a first-hand look at some of his prized guitars. The result is the short film Welcome to Nerdville: Inside Joe Bonamassa’s Museum and Guitar Collection, as well as an interactive virtual reality tour that lets viewers explore his labyrinth of vintage gear firsthand. Read More
Reverb.com Offers Film About Historical Moog Synthesizer
December 13, 2016
In the world of synthesizers and electronic music at large, Bob Moog is a giant. His creations and his brand have become the standard by which all synthesizers are judged. In the late 1960's, R.A. Moog created their infamous modular synthesizer and with it, electronic music history was changed. Read More
Zappa Teaches Zappa: Dweezil Zappa Explores Frank’s Improv Techniques
December 13, 2016
During a Chicago stop on his Cease and Desist tour, Dweezil Zappa spent some time talking with Reverb.com about his dad’s preference for improvisation over composing solos and performing them note for note. Read More
Best-Selling Synths And Keyboards Of 2016
December 12, 2016
Reverb.com - the online marketplace for buying, selling, and learning about music gear - has released its 2016 list of best-selling keyboards, synthesizers, modules, and controllers. The rankings reflect both new and used items derived directly from 2016 sales data from Reverb.com. Read More
Announcing the 2016 50 on Fire Winners
December 9, 2016
This year, Chicago Inno published more than 1,300 stories, wrote over 260 newsletters (The Beat!), hosted 12+ events, attended many more, and carried countless conversations. All focused on one thing - Chicago innovation. Read More
REVERB.COM – Le site américain débarque en France
December 8, 2016
Devant le succès remporté par sa version mère lancée en 2013, le site américain Reverb.com, plateforme de vente d’instruments d’occasion pour musiciens, s’offre une version française, disponible dès le 08 décembre 2016. Propos recueillis par Guillaume Ley. Read More
Reverb.com Named a Winner of the Chicago Inno 50 on Fire Awards
December 8, 2016From Reverb
Today, Reverb.com - the online marketplace for buying, selling, and learning about music gear - was selected as a Chicago Inno 50 on Fire Award winner in the B2C category. The annual awards show honors the people and organizations, operating at every level and corner of Chicago’s ecosystem, that are heating up the city’s innovation economy. Read More
Dweezil Zappa Teaches Frank Zappa's Improvisation Techniques and Riffs
December 7, 2016
Frank Zappa is known as one of music’s great improvisers, and it’s a gift that his son Dweezil has as well. Dweezil recently sat down with Reverb to share a few of his favorite tricks he learned from his father and some of the logic behind his approach to improvised soloing. Read More
Dweezil Zappa Teaches Frank Zappa Improvisational Techniques In New Video
December 6, 2016
Guitarist Dweezil Zappa recently brought his tour honoring 50 years of Frank Zappa’s music to Chicago, where he spent time chatting with Reverb.com about his father’s improvisational techniques. The site has just shared a video showing off ten minutes of “Zappa Teaching Zappa.” Read More
Ray LaMontagne Launches Shop Where You Can Buy His Guitars, Amps, Etc.
December 6, 2016
Today, Grammy Award-winner Ray LaMontagne launched The Official Ray LaMontagne Reverb Shop via Reverb.com, which includes more than 30 guitars, amps and more that LaMontagne has personally owned. In a Reverb release detailing the website’s launch, LaMontagne is described as “a musician with a discerning ear and particular tastes when it comes to the tools he uses, and the boutique and vintage provenance of the gear he’s selling gives some insight into his standards.” Read More
Meet the 16 B2C Finalists for Chicago Inno's 50 on Fire
November 30, 2016
While Chicago may be known as the country's new B2B Boomtown, it's also home to a number of fast-growing consumer-focused businesses. Chicago's tech scene, while dominated by business software startups, has a history of flashy B2C companies (Groupon, Grubhub, Trunk Club) and new promising startups are popping up each year. Read More
Pingpong tournament brings in $100,000 for Chicago Tech Academy
November 29, 2016
hicago charity brought tech community members to the table to give back earlier this month. The pingpong table, that is. More than 250 people from the Chicago tech community partook in the third annual T4Youth pingpong tournament, held at AceBounce in the Loop. Read More
Reverb.com Selected as Music Inc Magazine's 2016 Company of the Year
Novermber 23, 2016From Reverb
Each year, Music Inc Magazine honors retailers, suppliers, and products that transcend music retail standards through the Music Inc Magazine Excellence Awards. This year, Reverb.com was selected as the "Company of the Year," marking the first time in the Excellence Awards' 26-year history that the award - historically known as the "Retailer of the Year" award - was given to a non-retailer. Read More
Insights on Transparency, Financing and More
November 21, 2016
"You don’t have to be a CEO, on the finance team or even in a leadership role to get value from real-time performance metrics. At every level of a company, information on success and shortcomings should excite, moti-vate and challenge you. Companies that wait un-til the end of the month or quarter to review progress are sitting on a gold mine of potential." Read More
Why this tech CEO is turning to musicians to build his team
November 16, 2016
“Hire someone who believes in your mission.” That might sound like a buzzy phrase thrown around in today’s HR circles, but aligning a company’s mission and an applicant’s values is important for the long-term success of both employee and employer. For many companies, that’s easier said than done. So what does Chicago-based Reverb.com hire for? Rockstars, of course. Read More
Five Reasons You Need Video in Your Marketing
November 15, 2016
Although a music retailer's brick-and-mortar storefront will always be it's bread and butter, it's crucial to understand the importance of a robust online presence. A healthy e-commerce business is not only a significant additional revenu stream, but also an essential part of being a well-rounded retail operation in today's multi-channel world. That means retailers in the musical instrument industry must have a marketing strategy that includes an online component. One piece of that stragety must be video marketing. Read More
Tommy Emmanuel Is Selling His Guitars and Amps for Charity
November 11, 2016
Through the Official Tommy Emmanuel Reverb Shop, Emmanuel will be selling a range of his personal guitars and amps. All proceeds from the shop will go to Guitars for Vets, MusiCares and Doctors Without Borders. Read More
Tommy Emmanuel Sells His Guitars & Amps for Charity
November 10, 2016
The legendary and award-winning Tommy Emmanuel has helped bring awareness to rock Down Under over his decades-long career and this week, he’s helping bring awareness to some of the charities near to his heart. Through the Official Tommy Emmanuel Reverb Shop, Emmanuel will be selling a range of his personal guitars and amps. All proceeds from the shop will go to charity. Read More
Butch Walker Talks Recording, Songwriting For Reverb Song Stories
November 9, 2016
Butch Walker is known for a number of things, including his stint in the Atlanta band Marvelous 3 as well as producing and songwriting for artists like Taylor Swift and Fall Out Boy. He’s also a formidable solo artist in his own right, his most recent release Stay Gold an excellent collection of roots-influenced rock songs. Walker recently teamed up with Reverb for their Song Stories series, highlighting Stay Gold track “Ludlow Expectations.” Read More
Reverb.com Helps The People's Music School Celebrate 40 Years of Free Music Education
Novermber 7, 2016From Reverb
On Friday, November 4, Reverb.com joined over 350 guests at Chicago's Lacuna Lofts to celebrate the 40th anniversary of The People's Music School (TPMS.) With the help of donors, attendees, and sponsors - including in-kind sponsor, Reverb.com - The People’s Music School raised $230,000. Read More
Tommy Emmanuel to Sell Guitars & Amps for Charity
November 7, 2016
Tommy has been involved with Guitars For Vets for several years now, advocating for veterans struggling with PTSD and championing the healing power of music. On Thursday November 10 (Friday Nov 11 in Australia), Tommy will be selling of a range of guitars with proceeds going toward that charity as well as MusiCares and Doctors Without Borders. Read More
8 Chicago companies hiring where you can build your career
November 3, 2016
If your current job leaves you feeling like you've got more to offer, then a job at a fast-growing tech company might be exactly what you need. As these companies scale, they provide employees with ample opportunity to try on new roles for size and grow their careers. If that sounds like something you'd be into, we recommend checking out the open jobs these Chicago tech outfits are looking to fill. Read More
GWAR's Pustulus Maximus Gives A Lesson On How To Smash A Guitar
Nov 2, 2016
Pustulus Maximus looks like a dude who would know how to smash a guitar into pieces. Pustulus Maximus also looks like a dude who would know how to smash a car or very small house into pieces, so I think he's a solid authority on how to smash guitars. Though don't take my word for it – Reverb.com brings you the lesson in all its cinematic glory above! Read More
This video reveals how John Carpenter created his most iconic horror themes
Nov 1, 2016
Ever wondered how to make music that sounds like John Carpenter? Online gear marketplace Reverb has created a video that explains the process behind some of his most memorable themes. Read More
Reverb SYNC Offers Great Starter Bundle From Ableton
Nov 1, 2016
Reverb SYNC, the online source for the best digital gear (and knowledge on using it) from the folks at Reverb.com, has announced a special bundle for the holidays. Read More
See how John Carpenter crafted some of film’s creepiest scores
October 31, 2016
Just in time for Halloween, Justin DeLay of Reverb has offered up a video tutorial explaining exactly how Carpenter achieved those blood-chilling sounds. The 14-minute video is both a miniature music lesson and a tour through a bunch of old-school gear, like the Ensoniq ESQ-1, a classic Moog synth, and the fabled Prophet-5 and Prophet-10. Read More
How Reverb uses social to turn 8M monthly visitors into buyers
October 28, 2016
“When it comes to the content that we produce, content is the bridge between our social media and the actual transaction,” says Jim Tuerk, director of business development at global music gear marketplace Reverb. Across Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, all their content is designed to create community and drive ongoing engagement — with the understanding that the commerce may come weeks if not months later. Read More
The iPod is turning 15. Here are all the ways it rocked the world
October 21, 2016
“Sometimes we take for granted some of these big leaps forward that Apple takes," said David Kalt, founder and CEO of Reverb, a Chicago-based marketplace for music gear. He talked to us about the iPod and its impact on music. Read More
Umphrey’s McGee’s Jake Cinninger Swims in a Sea of Guitars, Previews Mashup Album ‘ZONKEY’
October 20, 2016
If you want to get Umphrey's McGee axeman Jake Cinninger on camera for an interview, best to lure him in with a bunch of guitars. Reverb.com had the right idea, as they recruited Cinninger to sample some of the band's new mashup album ZONKEY on a bunch of different guitars. Read More
Umphrey’s McGee Guitarist Jake Cinninger Details Mashups & Gear
October 20, 2016
Umphrey’s McGee guitarist Jake Cinninger is the latest musician to be profiled by Reverb. The talented musician discusses the making of the band’s upcoming album of mashups ZONKEY and gives a rundown of his guitar rig and the gear he utilizes. Read More
What 5 Chicago startups learned from sharing offices with other tech companies
October 20, 2016
Sharing offices with another company is a rite of passage for many in the startup world — Built In Chicago’s own first home was under PowerReviews’ roof, and ContextMedia has taken more than half a dozen companies under its wings. Read More
Reverb SYNC Introduces Ableton Live Starter Kit
October 18, 2016
Reverb SYNC, a destination for music makers to find and download the best music software and plugins curated by Reverb.com, began accepting pre-orders for the Ableton Live Starter Kit. The Kit pairs Ableton Live 9 Standard - the best software for creating musical ideas and turning them into finished songs - with unique extras in a giftable holiday box. Exclusively through Reverb SYNC, the Kit is available for $349 - the lowest price for the standalone Ableton Live Standard software on the market. Read More
Interview with Reverb's David Kalt
October 15, 2016
Reverb.com founder and CEO David Kalt came to MI retail with the same passion for music and guitars that most in the business do, but leavened with a tech entrepreneur’s instincts. Kalt, who was co-founder and CEO of online brokerage optionsXpress, which he took public in 2005 before the company was sold to Charles Schwab, and founder of ClientBASE, the first CRM solution for travel agents and tour group operators, would be the one likely show up at the gig in an Uber and head back later in a Lyft to an AirBnB rental, with TaskRabbit bringing dinner to the door. Read More
Reverb Scores Hat Trick
October 15, 2016
Reverb has hired Iain Butterwick, Manuel Leray and Nick Smethhurst as Territory Managers for the U.K., France and Australia, respectively, to drive the company's growth abroad. According to Kevin Drost, Director of International Strategy, "Reverb has dramatically changed the game for music gear buyers and sellers all over the world who previously would have found it difficult and expensive to conduct business internationally. Read More
Schroeder Amplification Announces Online Auction to Benefit Chicago's Haymarket Recovery Center
October 14, 2016
Schroeder Amplification today announced its role as a key organizer and supporter of the upcoming benefit auction for Haymarket Center, a recovery facility in Chicago, IL. The seven-day online auction will begin on October 17th, 2016 and will be hosted on Reverb.com, the online marketplace for buying and selling musical instruments and gear. Read More
Chicago's Most Innovative Startups Today
October 13, 2016
We've rounded up 20 innovative startups worth watching because they're doing some seriously cool, impactful work in their respective industries, right here in the up-and-coming tech hub of Chicago (NYC and Silicon Valley be damned!). Read More
Meet the 150 Finalists for 2016's 50 on Fire
October 13, 2016
Chicago's one of the most diversified economies in the world, with no single industry employing more than 14% of the workforce. And this diversity extends to the city's innovation economy, with an eclectic mix of startups, categories, entrepreneurs, enterprise tech companies, STEM organizations, universities, and more making up the ecosystem. That's why we host 50 on Fire. Read More
8 Entrepreneurs on What It’s Like to Be a Startup in Chicago
October 12, 2016
Many people refer to Chicago as the Second City, but when it comes to its startup power, this city is second to none. With a supportive community, competitive funding opportunities, and a culture based on scrappy, Midwest ideals, this city is poised to be a startup hub for years to come. We were lucky enough to talk with a few startup founders, budding entrepreneurs, and heavy-hitting influencers to get their take on what it’s like to be a startup in the Windy City. Read More
Turning social interactions into transactions
October 10, 2016
“Social has gone from being this fun thing that people are using casually — and that businesses are maybe just having an intern run as a side project — to a really critical part of [business] marketing strategy,” says Chrissy Hansen, director of marketing at Reverb, the music gear site that has leveraged guests like Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy and Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen to reel in new customers. Read More
Reverb.com Bass Tricks: The James Jamerson Motown Bass Sound
October 7, 2016
It is hard to speak of the bass guitar without mentioning the Motown recordings of the 1960's and 70's and their most famous session bassist, James Jamerson. Jamerson played on dozens of Number One hits and changed the way bass was applied to pop music forever. In this video, Reverb's Bass Tricks series explores how to replicate Jamerson's infamous thumpy tone Read More
12 Bizarre and Funny Things All Real Entrepreneurs Know (and Secretly Love)
September 30, 2016
What's the best thing you're absolutely guaranteed to get out of being an entrepreneur? Freedom, probably. Pride that you had the guts to take a chance. Sometimes, money. But the best thing you're guaranteed to get? It's the stories. Start a business, and you may succeed or fail, but you will walk away with the funniest, most bizarre stories you'll be telling for the rest of your life. Read More
Reverb Customer Data Confirms Conventional Industry Wisdom
September 21, 2016
With limited quantifiable data available on the buying patterns and motivations of guitarists, retailers and manufacturers, for the most part, have based their marketing strategies on anecdote and intuition. Reverb.com, the fast-growing digital marketplace for m.i. gear, has the potential to change that. Read More
Reverb.com Expands Focus on International Growth
September 20, 2016
Reverb.com has hired Iain Butterwick (pictured), Manuel Leray and Nick Smethurst as Territory Managers for the UK, France and Australia, respectively, to drive the company’s growth abroad. Read More
Why I Let All Employees See My Company’s Metrics All the Time
September 18, 2016
As an entrepreneur, I’ve always been energized by performance numbers. You might even say I’m obsessed. Without fail, a positive increase or peculiar change in my company’s data can get my blood pumping in excitement or send my mind into overdrive searching for a solution. Read More
5 Essentials for Maximizing Sales on Reverb.com
September 13, 2016
Reverb.com is an online marketplace to buy and sell musical instruments and gear. At 2016 Summer NAMM, Brian Reardon of Monster Music shared how he used Reverb.com to generate more than $110,000 in 12 months—all brand-new business he wasn’t expecting. “It’s very efficient, intuitive and easy to use,” Reardon said of Reverb.com. Read More
The Contest and getting everyone involved in delivering the best customer experience
September 13, 2016
Today’s interview is with David Kalt, founder and CEO of Reverb.com, an online marketplace where musicians go to buy and sell guitars and other music gear. Dave joins me today to talk about how they have made customer experience the job of each and every one of Reverb.com’s employees with “The Contest.” Read More
Reverb Scores Hiring Hat Trick
September 8, 2016
Reverb.com has hired Iain Butterwick, Manuel Leray and Nick Smethurst as Territory Managers for the U.K., France and Australia, respectively, to drive the company’s growth abroad. Read More
Reverb.com Joins General Assembly Chicago, Virgin Hotels for “RM 72: Future of Music and Tech”
September 8, 2016From Reverb
Today, Reverb.com Managing Director of Content Peter Schu participated in a panel discussion at “RM 72: Future of Music and Tech” hosted by General Assembly Chicago and Virgin Hotels Chicago. The event - attended by musicians, music industry professionals, tech community members and more - brought together Chicago music experts to discuss the rapidly changing music industry and how to stay one step ahead of the curve. Read More
6 Reasons You Don't Need A Technical Degree To Excel In Tech
September 6, 2016
The tech industry is rapidly changing, but one thing has stayed the same: there’s a lot of demand for workers. Many people rule out the idea, though, feeling like they need a relevant degree to break into tech. However, that’s not even remotely true. Here are six reasons why you don’t need a computer science or technology-based degree to get ahead in tech. Read More
How Reverb’s social strategy grew it to 7 million users and $100 million in revenue in just 3 years
August 26, 2016
Building social audiences won’t get you anywhere without using the data they generate to learn and convert. Join our free social analytics roundtable to find out how Reverb built their business on not just rock ‘n’ roll, but using the power of savvy social strategy and masterful analytic insights. Read More
Chicago Founders' TV: Reverb Founder David Kalt
August 9, 2016
In this edition of Chicago Founders’ Stories, we hear about David’s anti-establishment roots, how he started to learn to code in his 20s, and how leaving the family business turned into a 150X investment return for his loved ones. Read More
How an Entrepreneur's Frustrations Created an eBay for Music Gear Marketplace
August 9, 2016
The sale of new and used musical instruments generates an estimated $23 billion in annual sales each year. After purchasing the world famous musical instrument shop, Chicago Music Exchange, David Kalt quickly became frustrated with the slow process of buying and selling guitars online. Read More
Reverb.com Expands Focus on International Growth
August 10, 2016From Reverb
Reverb.com, the online marketplace for musicians to buy, sell and learn about music gear, has hired Iain Butterwick, Manuel Leray and Nick Smethurst as Territory Managers for the UK, France and Australia, respectively, to drive the company’s growth abroad. In addition to establishing dedicated support in Europe and Australia, Reverb today announced the launch of its mobile app outside of North America. Read More
U.S. Representative Mike Quigley Visits Reverb.com for “Startup Day Across America”
August 4, 2016From Reverb
Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) celebrated “Startup Day Across America” at the Reverb.com office. In its fourth year, Startup Day Across America invites Members of Congress to celebrate the ingenuity and entrepreneurship taking place right in their backyards. Read More
Fall Out Boy's Joe Trohman is selling his guitar and other equipment
August 1, 2016
Joe Trohman, guitarist for Wilmette natives Fall Out Boy, is selling his musical equipment on Reverb, a Chicago-based online marketplace for musicians. Read More
You Can Now Buy Iron & Wine’s Guitars
July 29, 2016
Sam Beam (better known as Iron & Wine) is selling some guitars from his collection, and members of the general public can now purchase them via online instrument marketplace Reverb. Read More
Techweek Elevator: Reverb
July 26, 2016
The idea for Reverb.com stemmed from the frustration musicians feel when trying to buy and sell music gear online. Traditional platforms, such as eBay, are expensive and generally provide a poor user experience since they’re not tailored for musicians. At the end of the day, you don’t want to purchase your music gear on a site where you can also buy a car or a pair of sneakers. Read More
Iron and Wine's Sam Beam is Selling His Guitars
July 14, 2016
Sam Beam, or as you probably know him, Iron and Wine, likes to see his guitars put to good use. At this point, though, he has more guitars than he has love to give them. That’s why he’s putting several of his instruments on sale via Reverb. The singer has played all the guitars (and one digital piano) available for purchase on tour, and he perhaps has even written a song or eleven on them. Read More
David Kalt Named to Crain's Chicago Business Tech 50
July 20, 2016From Reverb
Since 2011, Crain's Chicago Business has been singling out Chicago tech scene standouts in a mashup known as the Crain's Tech 50. This year, Reverb.com founder and CEO, David Kalt, joins the founders, CEOs, technologists and risk takers that make up the master list of tech names you should know. Read More
Reverb Solo plugin lets you use one knob to dial in "a world of reverb sounds"
July 14, 2016
Reverb.com has announced plans to curate a collection of free plugins under the Reverb Sync banner, and as part of this, it's released Reverb Solo, a free one-knob reverb plugin. Read More
Free Reverb SOLO VST/AU Plugin By Acon Digital
July 14, 2016
ReverbReverb.com has released Reverb SOLO (developed by Acon Digital), a freeware reverb VST/AU/AAX plugin for 32-bit and 64-bit host applications on Windows and Mac OS. Read More
Reverb.com Success Tips From the Top (2016 Summer NAMM)
June 7, 2016
David Kalt, founder of the online buying and selling platform Reverb.com, stopped by the “NAMM Retail Summit” at 2016 Summer NAMM. There, he shared what he sees the most successful Reverb.com sellers doing differently. He spoke with NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond. Read More
10 Chicago entrepreneurs to follow on Snapchat
June 28, 2016
Snapchat is a party — and Chicago startups and entrepreneurs are offering you an invitation. Some entrepreneurs use it to share behind-the-scenes at the office, to show off their products or to let their personalities fly in everyday life. Read More
‘Best in Show’ Delivers Top Gear From Summer NAMM 2016
June 27, 2016
Six retail-buying experts shopped NAMM and presented their top products in four categories. On the morning of June 25, in the Davidson Ballroom of the Music City Center, they discussed their choices to an audience of nearly 300 NAMM attendees. Read More
Founders’ Stories with David Kalt
June 15, 2016From Reverb
Hear the story of how Reverb was founded. On Wednesday, July 13th, founder and CEO of Reverb David Kalt will host a taping of Chicago Founders’ Stories. The series, founded as a partnership between INCISENT labs and 1871, highlights Chicago’s thriving tech community by showcasing conversations with accomplished tech founders. Read More
Speeding Up The Velocity Of M.I. Sales
July, 2016
Reverb.com founder David Kalt argues that by providing musicians and retailers with a ready market for selling used gear, his site is creating discretionary income that can be spent on new gear. Consumers spend more when there is a liquid market, he says. Read More
Why I Was Wrong About Liberal-Arts Majors
June 1, 2016
BY DAVID KALT As the demand for quality computer programmers and engineers increases, conventional wisdom assumes we need more students with computer-science and engineering degrees. Makes sense, right? Recently, though, I’ve realized that my experience has proved something completely different. Read More
Reverb.com Reports 20% of Used Pedal Sales are “Flips”
May 16, 2016From Reverb
Reverb.com reports that 20% of all used effects pedal sales on the music gear marketplace appear to be “flips”. Having launched just over three years ago, Reverb.com is now the most visited music gear website in the world with over 7 million monthly visits — with that comes some interesting data. The growing prominence of “flippers” is just one of the latest trends that Reverb is seeing as part of a larger trend toward music gear liquidity. Read More
Local Store, Anywhere: Why Reverb Works For Indie Retailers
February 23, 2016
Independent retailers have been struggling to embrace e-commerce for years. Web-savvy dealers previously have used their own Web sites as a primary source of Web sales, often with mixed results. Larger and more tech-savvy stores were able to add significant sales online, whereas smaller stores, which weren’t as well versed in the world of online retail, have found themselves struggling to add any significant amount to their bottom line. Read More
Music and Startup Life: How Yan Pritzker's Passions Brought Him to Reverb
February 23, 2016
In 2012, life-long tech guru and entrepreneur Yan Pritzker was in San Francisco working on his fourth and fifth startups when he began to feel pulled back to his hometown Chicago. Read More
University of Michigan MBA students talk entrepreneurship with Reverb founder, David Kalt
February 5, 2016From Reverb
Today, a group of MBA students from the University of Michigan stopped by the Reverb offices to spend an hour with founder, David Kalt. The visit was part of the UM Ross School of Business MBA program’s effort to provide exposure to startup culture in Chicago. With a track record of founding three successful companies and a BA from the University of Michigan, Kalt was an obvious choice for these educational talks. Read More
Rick Nielsen to Showcase his 1959 Les Paul at Reverb NAMM Booth
January 19, 2016From Reverb
Reverb.com today announced that Rick Nielsen will be showcasing his 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard at the Reverb.com booth during Thursday’s NAMM 2016 tradeshow. Rick Nielsen is a founding member of the band Cheap Trick, a 2016 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Nielsen is well-known for collecting vintage guitars, claiming to have owned at least 2,000 guitars in his lifetime. Read More
2015
Reverb.com Raises $25 Million in Funding Led by Summit Partners
December 3, 2015From Reverb
Reverb.com – the marketplace for musicians to buy and sell gear – today announced the completion of a $25 million Series B funding round led by global growth equity investor, Summit Partners. Launched in 2013, Reverb is closing out its second full year in business and is on pace to process more than $120 million in transactions in 2015. The company’s earlier investors include Lean Startup pioneer Eric Ries, Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick, country music superstar Brad Paisley. Read More
Featured In:Reverb, Marketplace for Musicians, Cranks Up With $25 Million in Funding
December 4, 2015 | Read More
Reverb Drums Up a $25 Million Series B to Fuel International Expansion
December 04, 2015 | Read More
These People Took a Vacation From Technology -- Here's What Happened
December 24, 2015
David Kalt, founder and CEO of musical gear marketplace Reverb.com, was on his way to a family gathering in Havasu Falls in the Grand Canyon when he made a discovery. “As we were driving out of Phoenix, the guide mentioned that there would be no cell service for the entire trip…seven days,” he says. While Kalt had planned on a vacation, he hadn’t planned for it to be entirely tech-free. So he went into action. Read More
This music exec toned down his hyperactive management style
November 11, 2015
Chicago Music Exchange owner David Kalt is transforming his management style, a change fueled in part by watching the high-profile celebrities who visit his musical instrument store... Read More
High-tech means higher sales for many small retailers
November 11, 2015
Small retailers use high-tech innovations to build relationships with customers; they often can't compete with big chains on prices, so they aim at better, individualized service. Some of the technology is designed for smaller companies, while some retailers find ways to turn a widely-used computer program or app to their advantage. They're also able to implement technology faster than many giant retailers because they're not operating hundreds or thousands of stores. Read More
Reverb Launches Music Lessons Marketplace
September 14, 2015From Reverb
Reverb today announced the launch of Reverb Lessons, a new marketplace that connects aspiring musicians with experienced music instructors for online and in-person lessons. Reverb Lessons features a variety of music-lesson packages that are built around specific music genres and playing techniques, ensuring that students learn exactly what they want and allowing instructors to better market their specific areas of expertise. Read More
Featured In:Reverb Launches a New Marketplace to Connect Aspiring Musicians with Experienced Instructors
September 15, 2015 | Read More
Reverb Announces Integrations with Top eCommerce Platforms
August 17, 2015From Reverb
Reverb.com, the leading online marketplace for musical instruments and gear, today announced completed integrations with leading ecommerce platforms Shopify, BigCommerce and Magento. With the announcement, any dealer whose shop is built upon one of those platforms can more effectively sell on the booming Reverb.com marketplace, which is growing 15% per month. Read More
Featured In:Reverb.com, Removing “Friction” From Online Selling
July, 2015
On the surface, Reverb.com may appear to be occupying the same general commercial space as eBay and Amazon. But from its much more affordable sales commissions to its carefully constructed buying and selling experiences, Kalt has fashioned it to be the un-eBay: focused, personal, engaging, and super-easy for both sellers and buyers. Read More
Reverb Introduces New Financing Program for Buyers and Sellers
June 3, 2015From Reverb
Reverb.com, the leading online marketplace for musical instruments and gear, today introduced financing on Reverb for credit-worthy buyers who are without credit cards or who have insufficient credit history. The new short-term financing option, made possible through a partnership with San Francisco-based alternative lender Affirm, will also help dealers sell more gear by growing Reverb.com’s pool of capable buyers. Read More
Featured In:Reverb Partners with Guitars for Vets
May 26, 2015From Reverb
This Memorial Day, Reverb partnered with Guitars for Vets to honor our fallen soldiers by supporting the living veterans. Guitars for Vets is a non-profit organization that was founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2007. They currently have over 40 chapters in 20 states, with over 150 volunteers nationwide. Guitars for Vets has fulfilled over 20,000 lessons and distributed over 2,000 guitars, free to military veterans. Read More
Featured In:Spring Clean Your Way Into Cash
February 26, 2015
spring cleaning doesn't have to be a complete pain in the neck. If you think about it strategically, you could make money the next time you pull out the vacuum, gloves and garbage bags. Here are four ways you could clean up while cleaning up. Read More
Rick Nielsen Opens His Guitar Vault
February 11, 2015
Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen is known to all for not only his guitar prowess but also his guitar collection, which includes more than 400 axes. Rick’s been thinning his herd lately, having opened his own shop on Reverb.com, where he’s sold off several of his instruments. Read More
Featured In:Rick Nielsen: Cheap Trick guitar and gear hoarder selling them on Reverb.com
February 6, 2015 | Read More
A DevOps Metamorphosis Echoes Through Reverb.com, Part Two
February 2, 2015
Last time, we discovered how the Reverb.com e-commerce platform, which connects musicians who want to buy and sell gear sought to automate its workflow software development process, speeding deployment and bug fixes while satisfying customers who want to trade in an online environment that is as efficient and error-free as possible. Now, the conclusion of how Reverb.com adopted DevOps to achieve its goals. Read More
A DevOps Metamorphosis Echoes Through Reverb.com, Part One
January 28, 2015
“Reverb.com is an e-commerce platform that connects musicians, enabling them to buy and sell used gear and instruments,” says Adam Enger, Senior Infrastructure Engineer, Reverb.com. As an ecommerce site, it is critical to Reverb.com that its workflows such as checkout, offers to purchase, and messaging work in tandem with its selling workflows, which include creating new listings and managing orders. Read More
2014 & 2013
Rebellion in the Marketplace: Why Vertical eBays are Springing Up and Gaining Traction
November 2013 | Read More