Washburn and Optek® Introduce First Interactive Washburn Smartlight®

July 10, 1998 -- Washburn International, a world leader in quality stringed instruments, amplification and sound, announced today the introduction of its first computer- and Web-interactive guitar in partnership with Optek® Music Systems, Inc., a music technology company that develops and manufactures the SmartLIGHT® Interactive System for guitar.

The licensing agreement between the two companies furthers Washburn's commitment to pursuing the kind of innovation that strengthens its relationships with professional musicians, music educators and guitarists who strive to keep expanding their craft and ability.

"The Washburn-Optek relationship is key because the future of the guitar manufacturing industry is closely linked with the ability to create more guitarists by helping advance music education by embracing the computer age," said Rudy Schlacher CEO of Washburn.

"Retail distribution of this interactive learning tool gives aspiring and advanced guitarists throughout the world the ability to harness technology in a way we think will not only change how they play guitar, but make learning much easier and more exciting to a larger audience," said Rusty Shaffer, CEO of Optek.

The Washburn SmartLIGHT Guitar allows people to quickly and effectively learn and teach guitar with the aid of a computer. Alternatively, by using the SmartPORT 2 standalone box, a guitarist can illuminate chords, scales and pre-programmed progressions in any key without connecting to a computer. The guitar is equipped with inlaid LED lights in the fretboard and is available with Guitar Magic teaching software from SDG Soft, Inc. When connected to a computer, the LEDs light up chords, scales and arpeggios to show the correct fingerings, thereby establishing eye-hand-ear coordination, which simplifies learning. MIDIencoded (musical instrument digital interface) songs can also be played back through the guitar, enabling guitarists to see, hear, learn and play songs from musicians such as Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Carlos Santana.

The SmartLIGHT Washburn is interactive with select Web sites such as MSN and the Jimi Hendrix Foundation. Guitarists will also soon be able to purchase MIDI-encoded sheet music online and play it through the SmartLIGHT, thanks to cooperation among Sunhawk Corp., Warner Brothers and Optek.

The application of this technological breakthrough in music education opens doors for individuals with personal computers in their homes, professors teaching music theory and guitar in the classroom, and even professional musicians giving live or recorded lessons on the Internet. The Washburn SmartLIGHT gives people the flexibility to learn at their own speed with or without an instructor, and will further expand the guitar market to the cyber generation.

For more information, visit their web site at www.optekmusic.com or www.washburn.com.