San Diego, CA—(Jan. 13, 2020) (Ciari Guitars) — This week at The NAMM Show, Ciari Guitars, makers of the Ascender, the world’s most innovative travel guitar, will deliver the very first set of Ascenders to its early-adopters. After the launch of the Ascender at Summer NAMM, 100 Founder’s Build guitars became available for pre-sale. Ciari Guitars will also share what’s next for the music-tech company, including the announcement of a savvy Artist Ambassador Program which will benefit the entire Ciari community.
Ciari Guitars, founded in 2016, is a music-tech startup whose flagship product is the Ascender, a premium travel guitar with a patented folding mechanism that includes a mid-neck hinge, translating truss rods, and a floating bridge which collectively allow the Ascender guitar to fold symmetrically in half. The Ascender is a gig-ready, pro-play travel guitar convenient for air travel and other mobile lifestyles. For the first time, on-the-go musicians have access to a travel guitar with the look, feel and play of a classic electric guitar.
In November, the Ascender received the coveted Editor’s Pick from Guitar Player magazine. “Guitar companies have been making travel guitars for a long time, but the Ascender is the first one that can be used professionally as a backup guitar or even as a main instrument,” concluded Michael Ross for Guitar Player.
“The Editor’s Pick from Guitar Player Magazine was a huge milestone for Ciari Guitars,” says CEO and Founder Jonathan Spangler. “It took years of medical-grade engineering in collaboration with celebrated luthier Joe Glaser of Nashville, but we’re thrilled to have achieved our goal of creating the first pro-quality travel guitar,” continued Spangler.
Mobility is core to Ciari Guitars. “I’m obsessed with thinking about how we can make professional musical equipment more portable. Mobile lifestyles are on the rise. We are creating portable solutions not only for pro-musicians, but for every musician, to ensure that guitarists of every skill level can bring their passion with them. We’ve seen the emergence of countless brands that support the mobile lifestyle, such as Airbnb, WeWork, and of course Apple. We want Ciari Guitars to be the brand that’s synonymous with the mobile musical lifestyle,” Spangler said.
With this mindset, Spangler has recently announced plans to debut more innovative music products and accessories, like the Ciari Road Rig™, which will be on display in booth #4212. The Ciari Road Rig is the first-ever motorcycle tail box with a built-in amp and case for an Ascender.
Like the Ascender, the Ciari Road Rig™ is a music-tech product that is meant to appeal to mobile musicians, particularly those who embrace the motorcycle lifestyle. “The Ciari Road Rig is a bridge between music and motorcycles,” says Spangler, “and has been welcomed by the motorcycle industry as a way to help drive interest and by motorcyclists who finally have a way to safely and conveniently travel with a full-size guitar.”
Ciari Guitars is also interested in discovering innovative ways to get their products into the hands of customers. Through a partnership with b8ta, a retail store designed for trying and buying new tech, potential buyers can gain access to the Ascender and experience the revolutionary design first-hand. Ciari is also pursuing in-airport experiential marketing via its Music Oasis (also on display at booth #4212), which is a free-guitar lounge where travelers can play an Ascender at headphone-based “play stations” during in-airport downtime (i.e. before or after flights).
Ciari Guitars is cultivating partnerships with touring musicians, frequent travelers who play regular live gigs, and they’re taking a new approach for the music industry. At The NAMM Show, Ciari Guitars will share details about its Artist Ambassador Program and will officially announce its first Artist Ambassador, Zach Person.
The Artist Ambassador Program is designed to bring touring musicians, like Person, the convenience of the Ascender while also creating opportunities for musicians to generate revenue from their on-the-go lifestyles.
The program is simple. Ciari will provide each musician with a unique referral code, which can be shared with anyone interested in purchasing the guitar. As customers redeem an Artist Ambassador’s referral code, Ciari Guitars will provide a referral fee back to the musician for their contribution to the sale.
“I’m so excited for the opportunity to partner with Ciari Guitars as an artist ambassador. First of all, traveling with the Ascender is incredibly convenient. It’s truly a game-changer for me while I’m out on the road. Even on a day to day basis, the Ascender allows for me to streamline my rig for songwriting and studio sessions. It’s easy to support Ciari Guitars and spread the word about the Ascender because I believe in what this product is all about! The Ascender is convenience without compromise, what we’ve all been waiting for–Ciari Guitars!” Person said.
Person isn’t new to the travel space. He is the music industry model for the digital nomad lifestyle. He was instrumental in the launch of Fairmont Hotels Artist in Residence Program and has been an artist in residence at the Fairmont Pacific Rim. Person will discuss more about the Artist Ambassador Program and his mobile lifestyle during an interview with Guitar World at The NAMM Show.
Ciari Guitars is committed to contributing to the mobile musical lifestyle and the idea of increasing human connection through music. The Artist Ambassador Program is a concept that makes it possible for artists to share their love of music with potential customers. The Artist Ambassador Program allows Ciari Guitars to lend support to the musical community along the way. “We want ‘all boats to rise with the tide,” says Spangler, “so please come see us at booth 4212 to learn more about Ciari, our Ascender, and the Artist Ambassador Program!”