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THE NEXT GRETSCH GREATS UNSIGNED ARTIST COMPETITION

CONTEST FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How do I enter The NEXT GRETSCH GREATS Unsigned Artist Competition ("Contest")?
A. You may enter the Contest beginning 2:00:01 pm GMT on 5/1/2008 through 11:59:59 pm GMT on 5/31/2008. Visit www.Gretsch125th.com, to complete the online entry form and upload one (1) MP3 song track and the song's lyrics, if any, ("Entry"), both of which meet the "Entry Guidelines & Restrictions" set forth by The Gretsch Company ("Sponsor").

Q. What are the Entry Guidelines & Restrictions?
A. The entry requirements are:

• Song must be an MP3 File format no larger than 5MB;
• Song submitted must be the original work of the Entrant, with sole copyright ownership belonging to the Entrant submitting the Entry and must not contain ANY musical or lyrical material that infringes on any third party copyrights;
• Song must contain at least one (1) guitar and at least one (1) acoustic drum track;
• Lyrical content and video (where appropriate) ("Content") may not include obscenities or offenses of any kind, including slander and/or hate toward Sponsor or any other companies, organizations and/or people or group of people;
• Content cannot be obscene or offensive, endorse any form of hate or hate group or promote any activities that may appear unsafe or dangerous;
• Content cannot contain any material that infringes on the intellectual property rights of any third party, such as trademarks, logos or copyrighted materials owned by others, or advertise or promote any third party brand or product of any kind, or contain any personal identification, such as license plate numbers, personal names, e-mail addresses or street addresses without permission.

Q. Who is eligible for the Contest?
A. The Contest is open only to unsigned bands or bands signed with an independent label (excludes the following labels: Sony BMG, Warner, EMI or Universal Music Group and any of their affiliates, subsidiaries or imprints) that consist of a minimum of two (2) members and a maximum of eight (8) members. All members of band must be 14 years of age or older as of the date of Entry and be legal residents of the U.S., U.K., Canada, France, Germany, Japan or Spain. For the purpose of this Contest, an unsigned band is a band that has not been signed by a publishing company, record label or other entity to render recording services and/or to provide rights in and to musical recordings or songs (this applies not only to the band, but to each member of the band as well). Bands that release their own material on self-published CD's may be considered unsigned bands, in Sponsor's sole discretion. Employees of The Gretsch Company, its subsidiaries, divisions, affiliates and related companies, advertising and promotion agencies, and the immediate families (spouses, parents, children, and siblings and their spouses) and/or those living in the same household of each are ineligible.

Q. Can solo artists enter Next Gretsch Greats?
A. To be eligible to enter, your act must consist of a minimum of two (2) and a maximum of eight (8) members. If you normally record as a solo artist (keep in mind your entry song must include at least one acoustic-drum track and at least one guitar track) but would like to enter, consider asking at least one other musician to be a part of your act for the purpose of this competition. The grand prize winner will perform at the Gretsch 125th anniversary concert with their new Gretsch gear and we want to make sure that Gretsch drums and Gretsch guitars are represented in the winner's live performance.

Q. Can residents outside of the U.S., U.K., Canada, Japan, Germany, Spain and France enter?
A. Due to the legal considerations and logistics involved in staging a contest of this magnitude, the competition is only open to residents of the U.S., U.K., Canada, Japan, Germany, Spain and France. We would love to be able to open the competition to residents of every country in the world. If we hold similar competitions in the future, we will do our best to include your country.

Q. How many times can I enter?
A. You/your band may only submit one Entry into the Contest.

Q. Will I or my band still own all rights to my/our submitted song?
A. Yes, band will still own all rights to the submitted song and Sponsor will not sell the song. Sponsor may only use the song in conjunction with this Contest and all materials related thereto.

Q. I'm having technical difficulty entering the contest. What should I do?
A. The site has been optimized to work with Netscape 6.0 or newer or Microsoft® Internet Explorer 6.0 or newer. If you are using an older version of either browser, try upgrading. If you are using a Macintosh®, please use Safari 6.0 or Firefox 1.1 or newer. If you are still having difficulties, please send us an email at contest@gretsch125th.com.

Q. My entry song file is larger than 5MB. What should I do?
A. If your entry song is greater than 5MB, you can encode it at a lower bit rate than the original recording. You can do this easily using iTunes, a free download that can be found at www.apple.com/itunes.

To use custom settings with MP3 encoding iTunes:

• Choose Edit > Preferences (Mac users: iTunes > iTunes Preferences), click Advanced, and then click Importing.
• Choose MP3 Encoder from the Import Using pop-up menu.
• Choose Custom from the Setting pop-up menu.
• In the dialog that appears, under the Stereo Bit Rate pop-up menu, choose a bit rate that is lower than the original song file's bit rate.
• Click the "OK" button to return to the iTunes Preferences menu. Then click "OK" again to return to your iTunes Library.
• Find your entry song. PC users right-click on the song and select "Convert Selection to MP3." Mac users hold down the Control key, click on the song, and select "Convert Selection to MP3." This will copy the song using the new encoder settings you have selected and place the copy in the Music section of your iTunes Library.
• Be sure to select the newly encoded copy of the song and check the file size. PC users right click and select "Get Info." Mac users hold down the Control key, click and select "Get Info."
• Is it 5MB or under? Then you're ready to enter the Next Gretsch Greats! If not, repeat these instructions, but choose an even lower bit rate in the Stereo Bit Rate pop-up menu.

Q. Why do I not see my entry online?
A. All submissions will be reviewed and approved for level of appropriateness and content and the approved submissions will be posted on www.Gretsch125th.com, beginning 2:00:01 pm GMT on 6/15/2008 through 11:59:59 pm GMT on 7/16/2008. Any entries deemed inappropriate or unsuitable, in Sponsor's sole discretion, will be disqualified. See Official Rules for more details.

Q. How can I find a band's entry?
A. After logging in, you can search by band name, song name or music genre.

Q. I'm having technical difficulty listening to band's entries or voting. What should I do?
A. The site has been optimized to work with Netscape 6.0 or newer or Microsoft® Internet Explorer 6.0 or newer. If you are using an older version of either browser, try upgrading. If you are using a Macintosh®, please use Safari 6.0 or Firefox 1.1 or newer. If you are still having difficulties, please send us an email at contest@gretsch125th.com.

Q. How will the 10 Finalists be determined?
A. You can log onto www.Gretsch125th.com beginning 2:00:01 pm GMT on 6/15/2008 through 11:59:59 pm GMT on 7/16/2008, and you can vote on your favorite song. Ten (10) Finalists will be determined based on the highest number of online votes for those Entries. In the event of a public voting tie, tied Entries will be judged by Sponsor, based on best overall performance/sound, to determine the Finalist(s). There is a limit of one vote per person/email address per day.

Q. Will band's rankings be published?
A. No. Rankings will be recorded and maintained by Sponsor and their promotion agencies, but the rankings will not be published on the website.

Q. How will the Grand, First and Second Prize winners be determined?
A. The ten (10) Finalists' designated band representatives will be notified on or about 7/23/2008. Each finalist band will be required to submit a press kit by a specified date for their band, which must include:

• All band members' complete information (name, address, email address, date of birth);
• A DVD (preferred format) or VHS video of the band, which MUST include as the first video clip the band performing the submitted song live in its entirety, and may include additional footage at the sole creative discretion of the band. Total video running time not to exceed 10 minutes;
• Bands may also wish to include such items as photographs, a biography of the band, media clips, etc. in their press kit.
• All Finalist band members (or parent/legal guardian if a band member is a minor in his/her state/country of residence "minor") will be required to execute and return an Affidavit of Eligibility/Release of Liability/Assignment of Rights (for usage relating to the Contest) and a Publicity Release (where legal) (or a declaration of Compliance with the Official Rules if a Canadian resident) ("Eligibility Documents").

Q. What are the prizes?
A. Click here for prize details.

Q. How can I obtain a list of winners?
A. The winners' list will be available at www.Gretsch125th.com after 9/1/2008 and will remain posted for a minimum of 30 days.