Guitar Center has announced the kickoff of its 20th annual Drum-Off Competition, the world's largest drum competition. The winner will receive prizes worth over $45,000 and earn the title of Guitar Center's Drum-Off Champion '08. Sign-ups for the preliminary rounds began August 1, 2008. Contestants are invited to sign up with a Guitar Center drum department associate at their local store. 30 registrants are allotted per Guitar Center store on a first-come, first-served basis. Many Guitar Center locations still have spots available.

The prizes to be awarded to the Guitar Center's Drum-Off Champion '08 include $25,000 cash, a Roland TD-20 Percussion Sound Module, and a custom-designed drum kit by DW, Pearl, Gretsch, Tama, or Orange Country Drums. The winner will also be given drum, stick, cymbal, and drumhead endorsement deals; be featured in Modern Drummer magazine; and appear in a Guitar Center ad campaign. A VIP appearance at the music gear trade show NAMM 2009 and shopping sprees with Levi's, Converse, and Guitar Center will also be part of the winner's booty. Finally, a Monster Energy Drink endorsement deal is included, making the total prizes worth over $45,000. Sabian, Zildjian, Remo, Pro-Mark, Vic Firth, Evans, and Rhythm Tech are all sponsors of Drum-Off '08.

Local Drum-Off competitions start September 23 in all 214 Guitar Center store locations nationwide. One winner from each store will be chosen to move up to district competitions (24 locations), followed by regionally hosted semi-finals (6 locations), culminating in the final Drum-Off championship in Los Angeles in January of 2009.

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