Line 6

Jennifer Batten is often found at a NAMM booth checking out the gear or providing her feedback on products she has played over the years.  Washburn Guitars released a signature model that she took part in designing, which she has proudly played on recordings and on tour. While working with Jeff Beck, she began working with wireless MIDI systems, which led to a series of products and endorsements.  Her relationship with Line 6 resulted in the launching of the Variax series and the Batten String Damper, both cutting edge products first introduced at the NAMM Show.

Michel Doidic always enjoyed the technology behind electronic musical instruments. When he was younger he built his own guitar and other equipment before meeting Marcus Ryle while they both worked for Tom Oberheim. They later form a consulting company called Fast Forward Designs. The success of the company gave Michel and Marcus the idea to create their own products and so they created a new company called Line 6 to focus on guitar gear.

Ralph Goldheim worked in music retail before jumping the counter and exploring a career in manufacturing. He worked with George Luther for several years before joining Oberheim Electronics, Roland, Focusrite and Alesis. Next he was on the ground floor of a new and exciting company that would be called Line 6. Along the way he has witnessed many changes within the industry including the fast-paced world of electronic musical technology and Internet retailing. From 2014 to 2022, Ralph served as the president of Arturia before becoming the president of E-Muzik, focusing on e-commerce

Bernie Grundman is the pioneering recording engineer and mastering studio founder who has played a vital role in the development of mastering studios around the world. Bernie is dedicated to the art of his craft. He has taught the subject to encourage others and to create a foundation of learning so that the fundamental elements of mastering and engineering in a studio setting are documented. It is Bernie’s hope that the next generation of engineers will add to what he and others have established. Bernie Grundman Mastering was established in 1984 in Hollywood, California and has s

Simon Jones has a rich background with the guitar, which has come full circle with his role with the Yamaha Guitar Group. As a teenager he played, and even built his own guitar to play with his friends. He continued to play in college and took an interesting path within the pro audio and recording fields first by working for EMI, taking him to experience the mobile studio in Norway and jobs at Abbey Road Studios in London.

Scott Lombardo worked in the music products industry since he was fourteen years old! His passion quickly developed after hearing The Beatles three years earlier. He would drill holes and attach wingnuts to his sister’s acoustic guitar to make it look like knobs on an electric guitar. Scott’s first job was at Scotch Plains Music Center in New Jersey, where he would sweep the floor and take out the garbage. At age 23, Scott started working at Sam Ash Music – back when they only had six locations. After beating stage IV cancer and simultaneously selling more MESA/Boogie amps in one

Rich Renken attended Dick Grove’s School of Music in California, where he first encountered the innovative craftsmanship of James Tyler Guitars. Instantly captivated by the meticulous design and exceptional playability of the instruments, he became deeply interested in both the guitars and the visionary behind them. James Tyler, a masterful luthier, started at Norman’s Rare Guitars in Tarzana, then the James Tyler Guitar Shop in North Hollywood where he specialized in repairs and customizing/modding guitars that changed the LA studio sound before founding his own guitar company.

Marcus Ryle began his career in the industry as an engineer for Oberheim while he was still a teenager. In those pre MIDI days, Marcus designed a series of sound controllers as well as providing several modifications to the company’s synthesizers. He later co-founded Fast Forward in 1985 with Michel Doidic, which provided engineering for over 40 of Alesis’ products including ADAT. At the same time, Marcus and his team worked on their own guitar electronics, which eventually became the foundation of their new company, Line 6.  

Cosmo Watts is a multi-talented musician and songwriter who played an important role in the music products industry as a sound designer, synthesizer programmer and music teacher. Growing up in a home surrounded by music, his father was close friends with big band vibraphonist Red Norvo. Cosmo began working at a local music store at 15 years old and later formed his own band, The Farm, which had a hit with “Rockin’ Chair.” He worked for several music stores as his professional career developed and attended his first NAMM Show in 1968.