PRHmusic&art Musical game changer
Milton Kyser
www.lombardimeats.com B E E F / P O R K / P O U LT R Y / V E A L / L A M B / P R E PA R E D F O O D S
Capos & a family business Anthony, Vince & Vincent “Three generations; a team that is a cut above the rest.”
photo courtesy of Kyser Musical Products, Inc.
1801 Packer Avenue / Philadelphia, PA 19145 P: 215.940.2211 / P: 215.334.1212 / F: 215.940.2210 Photo by Andrew Andreozzi
by Jane Roser
Columbus sets sail down Broad Streetth October 8 Celebrating The Abruzzesi! 20th Anniversary of the Philadelphia Abruzzo Partnership Save these dates: Columbus Day Gala Dinner Thursday, October 5 Proclamation Ceremony Friday, October 6 Columbus Day Parade and Festival Sunday, October 8 Look for more information in coming months!
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| rowhome magazine | July / August / September 2017
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f you’ve ever been to a concert, chances are you’ve seen a Kyser capo. A capo raises the pitch of a guitar so it can be played in a different key without changing fingering. The Kyser Quick-Change is the number one selling capo in America and their fun, stylish designs range from basic black to Swarovski crystal-encrusted bling to a punk rock homage to CBGB. Created more than 30 years ago by Milton Kyser in his Texas garage, the family owned and operated company sells almost a million capos annually all around the world. They are the only capos still made entirely by hand and artists like Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift, John Mayer and Philly’s own Amos Lee all rely on them to make their music come alive. Milton’s daughter Lisa helped her dad assemble the first capos in their Duncanville, Texas, living room and remembers “seeing bottles of acetone all over the house and thinking - this place could blow up any minute. We would hand deliver capos all over the metroplex - to music stores, artists, bar owners - anywhere there was music.” The business took off in the 1990s
and Milton built a facility in Canton, Texas, to meet the growing demand for his invention. His favorite design was the Freedom capo, which is wrapped in an American flag. The company also sponsors several charities, including Guitars for Vets. Meredith Hamlin, Lisa’s cousin and the company’s CEO says, “We have been strong supporters of veterans and veterans’ charities, so when Guitars for Vets came along, we knew that it would be the perfect fit for Kyser, especially since our founder was a proud Army veteran himself.” Helping others is important to the company and Lisa explains that Meredith “chooses charities that are personal to us like Autism Awareness, Guitars in the Classroom, Refuge of Light. We want to continue my dad’s legacy of giving back to others.” Milton Kyser passed away in 2014 leaving an incredible body of work. Lisa describes her father as “hardworking and generous; he just loved to work. He started in the east Texas cotton fields as a seven-year-old and never stopped. My dad was also very proud to be the only capo that is made in the U.S.A. We keep local people in good jobs and that’s a big deal.” prh gohomephilly.com