Barnes and Mullins

Barnes and Mullins

Daisy Rock hits back at St Vincent claim

Daisy Rock, the US guitar brand aimed at female players, has hit back at a claim that Music Man’s St. Vincent guitar represents an industry ‘first’. In a recent interview with guitarist St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark), VICE reporter Mary H.K. Choi stated that with the release of the new St. Vincent Ernie Ball signature guitar model, Clark was the, ‘first woman ever to create her own electric guitar for the mass market.’ Not according to Daisy Rock Guitars’ president and founder, Tish Ciravolo, she isn’t!
As Ciravolo points out in a statement issued to the press, she has been designing guitars for the mass market since she founded the company in 2000. In addition, Daisy Rock has released several signature models designed by female players. ‘The Bangles designed and released their own signature Daisy Rock guitar in 2008,’ Ciravolo says. At its time of release, The Bangles’ guitarist Vicki Peterson stated, ‘We’ve got a signature model of a Daisy Rock which we’ve had the chance to make our very own – it’s a really awesome guitar. We want to get young girls into playing the guitar because we need more female rockers.’
Daisy Rock Guitars and Wanda Jackson designed the Wanda Jackson Signature Wildwood Acoustic Guitar in 2005 and Daisy Rock Guitars and Annie Clements designed the Sugarland Bass in 2011.
‘There are literally hundreds of female artists that we have worked with in designing their own signature guitars, some for mass market sales, and some just because they love what Daisy Rock does and stands for. St. Vincent, as the author claims, is not the first woman to create a guitar with her name on it for the mass market’ says Ciravolo. ‘I wish VICE and Mary Choi would have done their research. Had they done so, they would have uncovered all the great women who were pioneers in encouraging other women and young girls to play guitar, in conjunction with my company.’
During the VICE interview Clark also said that ‘…as a kid trying to work out Pantera riffs’ she was “offended” by pink or flower-shaped guitars that were made by guitar brands ‘catering specifically to women.’ This, apparently, caused more yet angst in the Daisy Rock camp and Bonnie Gallanter, Director of The Women’s International Music Network and President, Muse Artist Management, chipped-in, saying: ‘Why would the availability of a guitar that might appeal to girls offend a player? If you don’t like a pink or flowered guitar, buy something else. But don’t deny that guitars made for girls has made guitar playing more appealing to girls, and that guitars of all shapes, colors and sizes should be available to players of all shapes, sizes and genders. Many of my younger artists were inspired to pick up and learn guitar because of Daisy Rock Girl Guitars.’
Daisy Rock is distributed in the UK by Alfred Music..

Info: www.daisyrock.com

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