Amazing Jones Beach Concert!

Scott Russ & Felix Cavaliere

Saturday's concert at Jones Beach was amazing! 

Felix Cavaliere's Rascals, the Beach Boys and Lovin' Spoonful performed.  Felix borrowed one of our Hammond SK2 Organs for the show.

We were backstage to help set up the organ and to see the show.  Plus we met all the bands!  John Stamos filled in as drummer for part of the Beach Boys' set.  What a great night! Shown here are some

photos from the night.

Felix Cavaliere Is Using Our Hammond Organ!

We are so excited that Felix Cavaliere will be using one of our portable Hammond SK2 Organs in his concert at Jones Beach tonight! It will be delivered to him later today. Looking forward to hearing Felix Cavaliere's Rascals!

Musical Fun Fact- Organs

Did you know that the organ has been around for centuries? The Greek engineer Ctesibius is credited with inventing a pipe organ in Alexandria in the 3rd century BC.  It was known as a hydraulis and used pressurized wind created by water pressure.  It was an ingenious system which was not really improved upon much for centuries. Not much is known of the actual music that was played on the original hydraulis, though.  It might have been used more as a noisemaker. For a large selection of organs visit Scott Russ Music in Merrick, NY or www.ScottRussMusic.com. 

Celestini Deluxe 15 1/2" Viola

This is a Celestini (our own house brand) handmade deluxe 15 1/2" viola. This model is crafted of solid wood with a spruce top, flamed maple back and ribs, real purfling, ebony fittings and a gloss varnish finish.  We import these fine instruments from Asia and then completely rebuild them in our shop to the highest specifications. Fingerboards are recut, pegs are recut, new nuts, buttons, new strings and new bridges are made to bring out the best in each instrument. This viola plays with a deep resonant tone. Could easily be used professionally and will continue to play better and better with time. This has been one of our most popular violas for advancing students and semi-professionals. There are many great looking violas out there, but our own set-up is what makes these instruments spectacular! Visit www.scottrussmusic.com for more information.

Our Ampeg Start

Don Russo (left) and Frankie Carle

Scott Russ Music has a history that has ties with the company Ampeg.  Our founder, Don Russo, was involved with Ampeg Bassamp Company, an innovator in amplified upright bass pickups, early on.  Don worked with Ampeg founder Everett Hull in the late 1940's and early 1950's.  At the time, Ampeg was producing a pickup for the upright bass, and instrument amplifiers with minimal output distortion. They were looking to magnify the sound of the bass so it would stand out more in the music. Don, a musician, worked with Hull on research and development.  In addition, both Don and his wife Sandra worked with Hull in the evenings to test the amps. The voltage in the building the company was located in fluctuated a lot during the day, due to the heavy use and Con Edison not having enough generators.  This made it difficult to test the amps during the daytime.  As a result, they had wait until nighttime to test the amps so they could tell if the they were working correctly.  According to the book Ampeg:The Story Behind The Sound, by Greg Hopkins and Bill Moore, Don "... enjoyed working for Hull and learned enough about the business to set up a music equipment shop himself later on."  This music shop is now run by Don's son Scott and is called Scott Russ Music.

Pad Savers

For best performance, replace the pad savers on woodwind instruments 1x/year.  For more information on instrument maintenance and repairs visit www.scottrussmusic.com.

Tip Of The Day- Instrument Mouthpiece Cleaning

Any instrument mouthpiece should be cleaned with soap and water and an instrument cleaning brush at least 1x/month to get rid of bacteria from saliva. For more great musical tips and instruments visit www.scottrussmusic.com.