STRINGS & THINGS

What STRINGS & THINGS does

Strings & Things (legal entity: Strings and Things Limited) is a UK-based, trade-only wholesale distributor of musical instrument strings, stands, and accessories serving more than 1,000 music retailers across the United Kingdom and Ireland. Founded in 1975 and headquartered at 5 Commerce Way, Lancing Business Park, West Sussex, the company operates a credit-appraised B2B trade-account model restricted to VAT-registered businesses operating from commercial premises, with a £100 minimum net trade order and free shipping on orders over £200 delivered via Parcelforce and Royal Mail.

The company's product portfolio spans over 40 brands and more than 5,000 SKUs, anchored by exclusive UK wholesale distribution rights for three major brands: Ernie Ball (premium guitar strings and accessories), Hercules Stands (instrument stands and hangers across multiple categories), and Mooer Audio (effects pedals, amplifiers, and the GTRS guitar series). Other distributed brands include Elixir Strings, Vic Firth, and Heil. The proprietary technology layer is a B2B e-commerce portal that provides personalized trade pricing on 5,000+ items, live stock availability, expanded product imagery and copy, multiple order placement options, shipment tracking, and online invoice management.

Commercially, Strings & Things generates revenue through wholesale product margins on sales to its established trade-account base, priced trade-exclusive of VAT with retail-inclusive display pricing, and accepts special orders on non-stock items with a 25% deposit. The go-to-market motion combines direct B2B sales with an account-based portal relationship; the company also maintains an Associate Partnership with Music Venue Trust, the UK charity protecting grassroots music venues. As a private limited company with no disclosed funding rounds, revenue, or ownership structure, Strings & Things presents as a long-standing, independent, family/privately-held niche distribution business.

Name

STRINGS & THINGS

Legal name

Strings and Things Limited

Website

https://stringsandthings.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Strings & Things is a UK trade-only wholesale distributor, founded in 1975, supplying 1,000+ music retailers across the UK and Ireland with strings, stands, pedals, and accessories from 40+ brands, including exclusive UK rights for Ernie Ball, Hercules Stands, and Mooer Audio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Musical Instrument Wholesale Distribution

NAICS

Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (45914), Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Retailers (4591)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945), Musical Instruments (3931)

akta.pro primary industry

Instrument Accessories & Consumables Retail (Strings, Reeds, Sticks, Cables) (CRALAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Audio Accessories & Consumables (Cables, Stands, Cases, Strings, Picks, Heads) (MPAIAJAF), Musical Instruments (Acoustic & Electric) (MPAIAJAA)

Keywords

• Musical instrument distribution
• Guitar string wholesale
• Music accessory distribution
• Instrument stand distribution
• B2B music wholesale

Headquarters

HQ city

Shoreham-by-sea

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Distribution: Wholesale distribution of musical instrument accessories, guitar strings, and instrument stands to retailers. Revenue generated through product margins on sales to trade customers with established accounts. The company operates as exclusive UK distributor for major brands.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Strings & Things is a UK wholesale distributor of musical instrument strings, stands, and accessories, supplying more than 1,000 trade (B2B) retailers across the UK and Ireland. The company holds exclusive UK wholesale distribution rights for major brands including Ernie Ball, Hercules Stands, and Mooer Audio, alongside a portfolio of 40+ musical accessory brands available through a B2B web portal with personalised pricing, live availability, and order management.

Product overview

Strings & Things is a UK wholesale distributor of musical instrument strings, stands, and accessories serving over 1,000 retailers across the UK and Ireland. Established in 1975, the company operates as a B2B trade-only distributor offering an exclusive portfolio of distributed brands alongside a broad range of 40+ musical instrument and accessory brands. The core product lines include Ernie Ball guitar strings and accessories (exclusive UK distributor), Hercules musical instrument stands and hangers (exclusive UK distributor), and Mooer Audio effects pedals and amplifiers (exclusive UK distributor). The company provides a B2B web portal offering personalized pricing on over 5,000 items, live availability, order tracking, and invoice management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ernie Ball brand distribution Exclusive UK wholesale supply of Ernie Ball guitar strings (electric, acoustic, bass Slinky and Earthwood lines), straps, cables, picks, capos, slides, and accessories, offered to trade account holders for onward retail sale.
• Hercules Stands brand distribution Exclusive UK wholesale supply of Hercules musical instrument stands and hangers, covering guitar, keyboard, microphone, speaker, lighting, music stands, and bow-played instrument supports, for sale to music retail trade customers.
• Mooer Audio brand distribution Exclusive UK wholesale supply of Mooer Audio products including micro-sized effects pedals, multi-FX pedals, amplifiers, GTRS guitars, and related accessories, for resale through music retailers.
• 40+ musical instrument and accessory brand portfolio Wholesale supply of a broad portfolio of over 40 brands of musical instruments and accessories (including strings, sticks, accessories, and related goods) to UK and Ireland music retailers for immediate dispatch from stock.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ernie BallcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrings & Things are the UK's exclusive wholesale distributor of Ernie Ball guitar strings and musical accessories including Slinky strings, Earthwood strings, straps, cables, and accessories. Ernie Ball is the world's leading manufacturer of premium guitar strings used by major artists.
• Hercules StandscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrings & Things are the exclusive wholesale distributor of Hercules stands and hangers in the UK. Hercules is known for strong, attractive, and easy-to-operate musical instrument stands and hangers designed in collaboration with musicians.
• Mooer AudiocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrings & Things are the exclusive UK distributor of Mooer Audio products including effects pedals, amplifiers, and audio equipment. Mooer burst onto the scene in 2010 with micro-sized guitar effects pedals and is now an industry leader.
• Music Venue TrustminorOthersStrings & Things have been supporting Music Venue Trust with charitable donations over the years. MVT is a British charitable organisation founded in 2014 to protect, secure, and improve grassroots music venues. Strings & Things are an Associate Partner and have supported through staff fundraising events, matched donations, and direct contributions during the pandemic.
• ParcelforceminorOthersPrimary delivery partner for UK and Ireland shipments providing next-day courier services
• Royal MailminorOthersDelivery partner for smaller parcels and complete coverage of UK and Ireland

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Adam Hall Group: European B2B distributor and manufacturer of pro audio, lighting, and musical instrument accessories (brands include Hercules Stands' competitors such as Gravity and K&M). Directly comparable as a multi-brand accessory distributor serving music retailers across Europe.
• Sound Technology: UK distributor of professional audio, MI, and lighting products including Harman, Fender, and Mackie brands. Comparable as a UK B2B music-products distributor serving retailers, although with a heavier pro-audio and installed-sound emphasis than Strings & Things.
• Barnes & Mullins: UK-based musical instrument and accessory distributor serving independent music retailers across Britain and Ireland. Operates an almost identical trade-wholesale model with exclusive distribution rights for multiple international instrument and accessory brands.
• John Hornby Skewes & Co (JHS): Long-standing UK music products wholesaler and exclusive UK distributor for brands such as Vintage, Encore, and Sound City. Closely comparable in business model — B2B trade distribution of musical instruments and accessories to UK and Irish retailers — and a direct competitor for the same supplier exclusivity mandates.

Broad incumbents

• Hal Leonard: Global music publisher and distributor of print music, instruments, and accessories with a substantial UK and European trade-distribution footprint. Comparable as a multi-category music-products distributor, though with a much larger scale and heavier focus on print music publishing.
• D'Addario: World's largest manufacturer of musical instrument strings and accessories (brands include D'Addario, Evans, ProMark, Rico) with growing direct and distributed retail channels. Comparable as a strings-and-accessories powerhouse whose brand is itself part of the Strings & Things competitive landscape.

Regional players

• American Music & Sound: US-headquartered distributor of musical instruments, pro audio, and lighting products serving North American retailers. Operates a comparable exclusive-distribution model but in a different geography, making it a regional peer rather than a direct UK competitor.

Others

• Andertons Music: Large UK multi-channel musical instrument retailer that also operates as a significant buyer of wholesale musical accessories. Comparable as a downstream customer and competitor for end-consumer wallet share, though not a peer distributor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/stringsthingsuk
• Facebookfacebook.com/StringsandThingsUK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/strings-and-things-ltd

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about STRINGS & THINGS