Talk:Cleartone Strings

Request for independent review and citation improvements

I am affiliated with Cleartone and have disclosed my conflict of interest on my user page. Following the guidance I received, I will not directly edit this draft going forward.

I previously attempted to improve the draft's citations in response to the AfC feedback about referencing. There are independent sources from the Los Angeles Times/Burbank Leader, Guitar Player, Premier Guitar, Guitar World, and Guitar Interactive Magazine, as well as the relevant U.S. patents.

I would appreciate it if an uninvolved editor could review the draft and help convert the existing source links into proper inline citations where appropriate. I am happy to provide the specific sources and the statements they support here on the talk page. Thank you. ScottS1998 (talk) 18:40, 19 August 2026 (UTC)

Comments on notability from my talk page

Copying over comments from my talk page relevant to this draft.

ScottS1998 wrote:

Hi Ethmostigmus, thank you for reviewing Draft:Cleartone Strings. I was hoping you could clarify the notability issue before I make further revisions.
A previous reviewer specifically noted that under WP:ORGDEPTH, “coverage of Cleartone's products lend notability to the product, not the company.” Following that feedback, I substantially revised the draft so that its subject is Cleartone Strings as a guitar-string brand/product, rather than Cleartone, Inc. as a company or organization.
The revised draft includes substantial editorial coverage specifically discussing Cleartone Strings. In particular, Guitar Player and Guitar World have published dedicated reviews discussing the strings in detail. These are established independent publications founded in 1967 and 1980 respectively. Guitar Interactive Magazine has also published a detailed review covering Cleartone's electric and acoustic strings.
I also added broader third-party coverage in response to the earlier concern, including a 2022 U.S. Manufacturing Report feature devoted to Cleartone's history and manufacturing operations, Burbank Leader/Los Angeles Times coverage of the Everly string business, a Paste interview documenting Phil Everly's continued involvement in the string company with his son, and 2011 Music Inc. trade-magazine coverage.
Your feedback states that the draft still lacks significant coverage “of the company itself.” Since I specifically reframed the subject following the previous reviewer's guidance so that the article is about Cleartone Strings as the brand/product, could you clarify whether the revised draft is still being evaluated under the organization/company notability criteria, and if so, why?
I would also appreciate clarification as to whether the dedicated Guitar Player, Guitar World, Guitar Interactive Magazine, and U.S. Manufacturing Report articles are considered insufficient because of reliability, independence, or depth of coverage. Understanding which part of the sourcing standard these sources do not satisfy would help me determine what additional sourcing or revisions are actually needed.
Thank you for your time and guidance.

My response (edited for formatting):

Hey there @ScottS19998, thanks for reaching out!
As far as the framing of the draft as an article about a product/brand vs. a company, this is not really an obstacle either way as far as notability is concerned: while we call WP:NCORP the notability guideline for companies and organisations, it is also the standard we use for products, services, and brands (unless better covered by another notability guideline like WP:NFILM or WP:NMUSIC). As the guideline puts it, This page is to help determine whether an organization (commercial or otherwise), or any of its products and services, is a valid subject for a separate Wikipedia article dedicated solely to that organization, product, or service.
I've gone through each reference in the draft individually, so here's my assessment of each source and whether or not it can be considered to establish notability under WP:GNG and/or WP:NCORP:
1. Burbank Leader article: Yes. This is a fairly short local news story, but reliably published and independent, so does contribute to notability.
2. Paste interview: No. Interviews like this can be good sources of information, but typically do not contribute to a topic's notability as they are primary sources. In this case, the interview does not lend notability to the company/article as it is only briefly mentioned once, so does not constitute significant coverage either.
3. Guitar Player review: No. As a review of several Cleartone products, this article provides some useful information, but as the discussion of both the individual products and the company itself are fairly brief, I would not consider this significant coverage. That aside, reviews are also a somewhat contentious topic as far as assessing notability is concerned and may be of dubious independence - see WP:PRODUCTREV.
4. U.S. Manufacturing Report article: No. This article is entirely about Cleartone and is reasonably in-depth, however, U.S. Manufacturing Reports allows businesses to request coverage and runs with the tagline For the manufacturing industry, by the manufacturing industry - this raises concerns about independence, for the purpose of determining notability. While businesses do not have to pay to be featured, as *any* business can request that they be featured (subject to the whims of the editorial team) I wouldn't consider this independent enough to contribute to a company's notability.
5. Patent: No. Patents are primary sources and are not independent, so cannot contribute to notability.
6. Patent: No. As above
7. Premier Guitar article: No. while an excellent source on guitar strings in general (I learned quite a bit reading it!), Cleartone is only mentioned once in passing, so this article does not constitute significant coverage.
8. Music & Arts article: No. Only briefly mentions Cleartone in the context of another brand utilising a proprietary production method developed by Cleartone, so not significant coverage (as I understand it Music & Arts is a company that sells instruments, including guitar strings, so may not be independent either?)
9. Guitar Site press release: No. Press releases are not independent, so cannot contribute to notability - see WP:PRSOURCE.
10. Guitar Interactive Magazine article: No. A short article announcing a partnership with another company - this falls under WP:CORPTRIV, which means it is not considered significant coverage.
11. Music Radar article: No. This is a product announcement and also falls under CORPTRIV.
12. Guitar World article: No. Another product announcement, most of which is copied from another press release.
13. Reverb.com interview: No. As with the Phil Everly interview in Paste mentioned above, this source cannot be considered independent, and Cleartone is only mentioned once in passing.
14. Instagram post: No. Social media posts can almost never be considered to demonstrate the notability of a topic as they are self published sources that rarely provide significant coverage. We do sometimes cite social media posts on Wikipedia under certain circumstances (see WP:ABOUTSELF), but they are not useful for notability purposes.
15. Chevelle website: This is a self-published/primary source and does not contribute to notability.
16. Music Inc. magazine: No. Brief mentions in listicles like this also fall under CORPTRIV.
17. Guitar World review: No. As another fairly brief product review, this does not constitute significant coverage.
18. Guitar Interactive Magazine review: Yes. While product reviews can be contentious as far as notability goes, this review discusses the company/brand broadly (not just a specific product) and in reasonable detail, so I consider it to be significant coverage for notability purposes. I'm not entirely sure about the independence or reliability of the publication, but I'm happy to give it a thumbs up for the purpose of this list.
You have lots of sources, but few that fulfill all of the requirements: significant depth of coverage, independence and publication in a reliable source. You have many sources that can satisfy one or two of those criteria, but only two that I would consider to fulfill all three. Ultimately, I do not see enough coverage to establish the notability of either Cleartone as a product, a brand, or a company - whether you write the article about the products or about the company itself, there are not enough sources here to satisfy either WP:GNG or WP:NCORP.
My recommendation would be to look for more in-depth news coverage (especially coverage from outside music-industry outlets) and for scholarly coverage (maybe there is some coverage of Cleartone in books on the history/construction of guitars?). I hope my source analysis is helpful - I will copy this comment over to the draft talk page so you and my fellow reviewers can easily reference it. Ethmostigmus 🌿 (talk | contribs) 11:42, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

Comments left by AfC reviewers

• Comment: While this not the strongest coverage of corporate depth, this reviewer has worked with the submitting editor and there is a valid amount of reliable sourcing to go forward. ChrysGalley (talk) 20:30, 25 September 2026 (UTC)

• Comment: The core difficult here is that for companies it can be quite hard to get an accepted draft because of the requirement for corporate depth. This draft has been improved, for which many thanks, and there is no issue on verification or on the product. But what is still missing is evidence of that corporate depth. There is the local report in source 1, but local journalism is mentioned in WP:AUD as problematic. What is needed is to cover this: Deep or significant coverage provides an overview, description, commentary, survey, study, discussion, analysis, or evaluation of the product, company, or organization. Such coverage provides an organization with a level of attention that extends well beyond brief mentions and routine announcements, and makes it possible to write more than a very brief, incomplete stub about the organization. And unfortunately I don't think we are there yet. ChrysGalley (talk) 11:38, 25 September 2026 (UTC)

• Comment: Note: Following discussion on my talk page, I've assessed each source used as of the time of this comment on this draft's talk page. Ethmostigmus 🌿 (talk | contribs) 11:44, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

• Comment: As noted by earlier reviewers, this draft lacks sufficient sources providing significant coverage of the company itself. Ethmostigmus 🌿 (talk | contribs) 08:06, 23 August 2026 (UTC)

• Comment: Per Sulfurboy's comment, under WP:ORGDEPTH, coverage of Cleartone's products lend notability to the product, not the company. In solidarity, nil ^nz 00:57, 19 August 2026 (UTC)

• Comment: We need to see WP:SIGCOV of the subject, not just reviews of their products. Sulfurboy (talk) 22:22, 18 August 2026 (UTC)

• Comment: In accordance with Wikipedia's Conflict of interest guideline, I disclose that I have a conflict of interest regarding the subject of this article. Cleartone1998 (talk) 22:03, 18 August 2026 (UTC)

Proposed History consolidation and current management update

Proposed History consolidation, current management and logo

COI disclosure: I am Scott Sciacca, VP of Sales & Marketing at Cleartone. Per the guidance I received during the AfC review, I'm proposing these changes here rather than editing the article directly.

Now that the article is in mainspace, I noticed that the History section contains some repetition, particularly regarding the company's origins, the Everly family, development of the string technology, and manufacturing. I wondered whether it would read more clearly if the existing History section were consolidated into a more chronological company history.

Something along these lines:

“The string business was founded by Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers and his son Jason Everly. They began making guitar strings from their home in the 1990s, and by 2002 the business had moved into a factory in Burbank, California, operating under the Everly Music name. Its products included Electric Rockers and Acoustic Sessions strings, as well as Star Picks guitar picks.

Phil and Jason Everly later developed a treatment intended to extend guitar-string life while retaining the feel and sound of conventional strings. The technology was marketed under the Cleartone Strings brand, with Jason Everly running the company. Following Phil Everly's death in 2014, Jason continued operating the business.

Cleartone subsequently operated its manufacturing facility in North Hollywood, California, before relocating production to Salt Lake City, Utah.

Cleartone currently operates in Salt Lake City, Utah, with Michael Loscalzo serving as general manager and Scott Sciacca as vice president.

Most of this is simply a consolidation of information and sources already in the article. For the current operations/management sentence, this 2025 Guitar Interactive article identifies Michael Loscalzo as General Manager and Scott Sciacca as VP, Sales & Marketing, and describes Cleartone strings as being made in Salt Lake City:

Guitar Interactive Magazine — Strings & Things / Cleartone announcement

I would also like to provide the current official Cleartone logo for possible inclusion in the article/infobox. I can provide the original logo file if helpful.

I'm happy to defer to independent editors on the exact wording and what should be retained. Thanks again for the help.

@ChrysGalley: Thanks again for your help with the AfC review. You mentioned I could ping you if I had any proposed changes in the next few days. I appreciate you taking a look at these. ScottS1998 (talk) 16:05, 26 September 2026 (UTC)

@ScottS1998 - I have now looked at this properly and it may be problematic. If you want to replace the whole of History with the section in bold above it would risk

1) Losing a lot of the granularity of that history into something that could be said to be a smooth version in corporate-speak (whether this is the intention or not)

2) Lose the sources that were needed to show corporate depth and general notability

3) Suggest that one thing needed to be said to get it through acceptance and something else in terms of the article's future position.

Now by all means clarify if I have misunderstood, it wouldn't be the first time I've done that.

What you could consider is adding an infobox - I don't know if that is going to help a bit here. Just find another company which has something suitable (and let me know which it is) and then the information relevant to the current company structure. This can for example handle the GM / management names etc.

By all means revert on this. ChrysGalley (talk) 18:38, 27 September 2026 (UTC)

Thanks Chrys. That makes sense. I found some of the History section to be a little repetitive when reading through the full article, but I understand your points around keeping it as is.

I took a look at the D'Addario (manufacturer) article, which seems like a good comparable example since they're also a U.S. guitar-string manufacturer. Their infobox includes the logo, founding information, location, key people, industry, products and website.

Something similar for Cleartone could include the current logo, Phil Everly as founder, Salt Lake City location, industry/products, website, and under Key people, Michael Loscalzo (General Manager) and Scott Sciacca (VP) which are supported by the sources already in the article and the Guitar Interactive source I provided above.

Would D'Addario's infobox be a suitable model for Cleartone?

Also, once the infobox is established, would I be able to upload/provide the current official Cleartone logo for inclusion in it, or would you prefer that an independent editor handle the logo upload as well? I have the original logo file available. Thanks again. ~~~~ ScottS1998 (talk) 19:10, 27 September 2026 (UTC)

I also found the Fender (company) article, which may be an even better example. Its infobox includes the company logo, founding information, founder, headquarters, key people, industry, products, brands and website. That seems very similar to the type of basic company information that would be relevant for Cleartone. ScottS1998 (talk) 19:15, 27 September 2026 (UTC)

Sorry for the three messages :) but here’s an idea of what I was thinking for the infobox:

Type: Private

Industry: Musical instruments

Founded: 1990s, Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Founders: Phil Everly and Jason Everly

Headquarters: Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.

Key people: Michael Loscalzo (GM); Scott Sciacca (VP)

Products: Guitar strings, bass strings and guitar picks

Brands: Cleartone Strings; Star Picks

Website: cleartonestrings.com

Plus the current Cleartone logo at the top if appropriate. Of course, I'm happy to defer to you on what information makes sense to include. Thanks again! ~~~~ ScottS1998 (talk) 19:21, 27 September 2026 (UTC)

Yes, Fender is a good infobox, I will add that probably tomorrow morning based on the above. If there are any straight errors, typos, then you would be allowed to directly correct them under the COI provisions, but I'll put in the first version to begin with. ChrysGalley (talk) 19:25, 27 September 2026 (UTC)

Perfect, thank you Chrys. I really appreciate the help. I'll take a look once it's up and will only make any direct changes if there are straightforward factual errors or typos. Have a great night! Thanks again! ~~~~ ScottS1998 (talk) 19:28, 27 September 2026 (UTC)

@ChrysGalley: I went ahead and uploaded the current official Cleartone logo through Wikipedia's non-free file upload process: File:Cleartone_Strings_logo.png. Could you include this in the infobox when you add it? Thanks! ~~~~ ScottS1998 (talk) 22:11, 28 September 2026 (UTC)

Thanks @ScottS1998. I have added the company infobox and I have to say I think it looks quite smart. It is best not to overload it, so a short snappy intro is best, and I think that is what it does. By all means check and amend. Another sort of change that you are OK to do to the main article (just put in some words in the edit summary) are things like Wikilinks to other places, so I added Burbank, California for example in in the history section. That's about striking a balance, you don't want to overdo it, but it helps connect the story.

For the logo, keep an eye on the box for about 10 days, there is team that checks copyright issues and they may flag a problem. The sensitivity there is that if the First Amendment protects free expression, then the way to "get" at Wikipedia is to sue for copyright breach instead. Keeps the lawyers busy anyway.

In terms of future improvements - and looking at the Fender article - a section on the current product range/key sellers would be appropriate, that would have to go via Talk. Then there there is a AI-ish use of attribution by source. For product reviews that is OK, but for company insight it probably isn't. The thing to guard against is "The Washington Bugle profiled that Lincoln was involved in a firearms incident at the public entertainment facility", which is how AI does it, to "Lincoln was assassinated by gunshot in the Ford's Theatre, Washington" and then sourced to the Bugle. Again that's a Talk page thing. ChrysGalley (talk) 06:00, 29 September 2026 (UTC)

@ChrysGalley: Thanks — your point about the AI-ish attribution by source makes sense, and I think that may be what I was reacting to when I previously mentioned some repetition in the History section.

Rather than removing any of the sourcing or historical detail, would something along these lines work better? I've tried to retain the existing information and citations while stating the historical facts directly, except where attribution to the source is relevant.

History

The string business was founded by Phil Everly of The Everly Brothers alongside his son Jason. They began making guitar strings from their home in the 1990s. By 2002, the business had moved into a factory in Burbank, California, where it was producing thousands of strings per day under the Everly Music name. Its products included Electric Rockers and Acoustic Sessions strings, as well as Star Picks guitar picks.[1]

Phil Everly's experience with guitars and interest in tinkering in his workshop with his sons eventually led him and Jason Everly to develop a guitar-string treatment intended to extend string life and increase output. The patented treatment was marketed through Cleartone Strings, a company established for the technology and run by Jason Everly. Everly also pursued improvements to guitar strings using more modern manufacturing machinery.[4]

Cleartone later operated a manufacturing facility in North Hollywood, California. The company's manufacturing operation included specialized string-winding machinery and domestically sourced materials. Its production included customized string sets, as well as high-tension winding intended to improve tuning stability.[3]

Phil Everly remained involved in the string business later in his life. In what Paste described as his final official interview, recorded shortly before his death in 2014, Everly said that he and his son continued to run a string company together.[5] Jason Everly subsequently continued operating the business.[3]

Cleartone later relocated its manufacturing operation from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City, Utah, where it continued manufacturing guitar strings in the United States.[2]

I think this keeps the historical depth and all of the existing sourcing while avoiding some of the repeated "X publication profiled..." / "Y publication reported..." construction you mentioned. Happy to defer to you on the wording or whether the existing version is preferable. Thanks again! ~~~~ ScottS1998 (talk) 13:37, 29 September 2026 (UTC)

I'll need to look at that more carefully, but it seems on a quick read to be better than humping up a Polish magazine. I'll think some more about that. ChrysGalley (talk) 13:56, 29 September 2026 (UTC)

== Proposed Products section ==

@ChrysGalley: You mentioned that a section on the current product range/key sellers would be appropriate, so I wanted to propose something along these lines.

I've tried to keep this fairly concise and descriptive rather than getting into individual gauges or product claims. The current product range breaks down into acoustic, electric, bass, classical and picks:

Products

Cleartone manufactures strings for electric, acoustic, classical and bass guitars, as well as guitar picks under the Star Picks brand.

The company's acoustic string range includes Phosphor Bronze, 80/20 Bronze and EQ Hybrid Metal strings. EQ Hybrid Metal sets use different wrap materials across the wound strings, combining copper, phosphor bronze and 80/20 bronze within a single set.

Its electric guitar strings include Nickel-Plated Steel, Power Series and Heavy Series. Power Series uses a nickel-iron alloy, while Heavy Series is designed for lower tunings and heavier-gauge applications. Cleartone also produces the Pete Loeffler Signature Heavy Series, a 12–65 gauge set developed with Pete Loeffler of Chevelle.

Other products include electric bass strings and Sevilla classical nylon strings. The company also markets Star Picks, guitar picks featuring a star-shaped cutout in the center intended to provide additional grip.

I think this covers the main current product families without turning the section into a product catalog. I'm happy to defer to you on how much of this is appropriate to include and on the final wording. ~~~~ ScottS1998 (talk) 13:44, 29 September 2026 (UTC)

@ScottS1998 The Product section looks OK to me, but it will need some sources. Since it's for verification, rather than notability, that can come from (e.g.) your website. Ideally one source per paragraph (para 2 and 3 could go together). ChrysGalley (talk) 13:55, 29 September 2026 (UTC)

@ChrysGalley: Absolutely — here is the proposed section again with sources added. I used the Cleartone website strictly to verify the current product range/specifications, as you suggested. I combined paragraphs 2 and 3 as well.

Products

Cleartone manufactures strings for electric, acoustic, classical and bass guitars, as well as guitar picks under the Star Picks brand.

The company's acoustic string range includes Phosphor Bronze, 80/20 Bronze and EQ Hybrid Metal strings. EQ Hybrid Metal sets use different wrap materials across the wound strings, combining copper, phosphor bronze and 80/20 bronze within a single set. Its electric guitar strings include Nickel-Plated Steel, Power Series and Heavy Series. Power Series uses a nickel-iron alloy, while Heavy Series is designed for lower tunings and heavier-gauge applications. Cleartone also produces the Pete Loeffler Signature Heavy Series, a 12–65 gauge set developed with Pete Loeffler of Chevelle.

Other products include electric bass strings and Sevilla classical nylon strings. The company also markets Star Picks, guitar picks featuring a star-shaped cutout in the center intended to provide additional grip.

Happy to defer to you on the final wording or citation formatting. Thanks! ~~~~ ScottS1998 (talk) 14:01, 29 September 2026 (UTC)

Ps - Would it also make sense to update the product sentence in the lead to: “Cleartone produces strings for electric, acoustic, classical and bass guitars, as well as guitar picks under the Star Picks brand.”? ScottS1998 (talk) 13:54, 29 September 2026 (UTC)

I see no problem with that sentence either. ChrysGalley (talk) 13:57, 29 September 2026 (UTC)

References