Shar Products Company

What Shar Products Company does

Shar Products Company, operating as Shar Music, is a 60+ year old specialty retailer of string instruments and accessories headquartered at 2465 S Industrial Hwy, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in 1962 by Charles Avsharian, who began by selling violin strings to students from his own instrument case, the company has grown into one of the largest online direct-to-consumer string instrument retailers in the United States, complemented by a physical showroom, repair and restoration shop, and multiple nationwide rental programs. The product portfolio spans the full skill and price spectrum, from entry-level student outfits (Franz Hoffmann Prelude at $289) through intermediate instruments (Carlo Lamberti, Yamaha) to professional fine instruments priced up to $50,000+ (Stefano Trabucchi, Rainer W. Leonhardt, Calvin Tzeng), plus bows, cases, strings, sheet music, and accessories across violin, viola, cello, and double bass categories, with adjacent offerings in electric instruments, guitars, ukuleles, and fiddles.

The company operates on a Shopify-based e-commerce storefront (sharmusic.com) supplemented by an Ann Arbor showroom, phone-based inside sales, and free standard shipping on orders over $49 within the contiguous US, with $25 flat-rate shipping to Canada and international shipping available by request. Revenue is generated through five streams: one-time product sales across beginner-to-professional price tiers, subscription/modeled instrument rentals (Sharway, Michigan Rentals, rePLAY rent-to-own), professional repair and restoration services, in-home trials, and instrument appraisals. Brand partnerships with Carlo Lamberti, NS Design, Yamaha, CodaBow, Thomastik-Infeld, and Pirastro anchor the third-party assortment, while house brands Franz Hoffmann (instruments) and Presto (carbon fiber bows) plus the Young Strings of America community program extend the proprietary footprint. GTM motion is sales-led via e-commerce and inside sales, supported by content marketing, a YouTube channel, email newsletters, and a dedicated schools channel ([email protected]) targeting music teachers and education programs.

Name

Shar Products Company

Legal name

Shar Products Company

Website

https://sharmusic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Shar Products Company (Shar Music) is a 60+ year old specialty retailer selling string instruments, bows, cases, strings, and accessories to beginner, intermediate, and professional musicians via its e-commerce site, Ann Arbor showroom, rental programs, and repair services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Musical Instrument Retail

NAICS

Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (459140)

SIC

Musical Instruments (3931)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Instruments & Sheet Music Retail (CRALAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Instrument Repair, Maintenance & Luthier Services (CRALAEAF), Used & Vintage Musical Instruments Retail (CRALAEAH)

Keywords

• String instrument retail
• Violin and viola sales
• Cello and bass shop
• Orchestral accessories
• Instrument rental services

Headquarters

HQ city

Ann Arbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: One-time sales of string instruments (violins, violas, cellos, basses), bows, cases, strings, accessories, and sheet music through the company's e-commerce platform and showroom. Products range from student beginner instruments ($80-$500) to professional fine instruments ($50,000+).
2. Instrument Rentals: Rental programs including Sharway (nationwide) and Michigan-specific rentals, as well as rePLAY rent-to-own program. Provides recurring revenue from students and beginners who prefer renting over purchasing.
3. Repair & Restoration Services: In-house repair and restoration services offered at the Ann Arbor showroom, with major restoration work available by appointment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Shar Products Company (Shar Music) is a specialty retailer of string instruments and accessories, selling violins, violas, cellos, double basses, bows, cases, strings, sheet music, and accessories through its own e-commerce storefront and Ann Arbor, MI showroom. The company complements sales with nationwide instrument rental programs (Sharway, rePLAY), in-house repair and restoration services, in-home trials, and professional appraisals for insurance and acquisitions.

Product overview

Shar Music is an online retailer specializing exclusively in string instruments and accessories for violin, viola, cello, and double bass. The company operates a single unified e-commerce platform offering instruments across all skill levels, from student beginners (Franz Hoffmann brand) through intermediate (Prelude, Amadeus lines) to professional players (Fine & Timeless Collection). Their product portfolio centers on: string instruments (acoustic, electric, and fiddles), bows (carbon fiber and wood), cases, strings, sheet music, and accessories. They also provide complementary services including rentals (Sharway, rePLAY), repair/restoration, in-home trials, and appraisals. Major third-party brands include Carlo Lamberti, NS Design, Yamaha, CodaBow, Thomastik-Infeld, and Pirastro. The company is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan with a 60+ year history founded by Charles Avsharian.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Franz Hoffmann: Student-level instruments designed for beginning players, committed to offering the best student violins, violas, cellos, and basses available on the market.
• Shar Music

Products and services

• Franz Hoffmann Violins Shar Music's house-brand violins designed for beginning and intermediate players, with consistent quality in materials, construction, playability, tone, and visual appeal. Spans Prelude, Amadeus, Concert, Maestro, Danube, and Vienna lines. The Franz Hoffmann Concert violin now ships with premium Alphayue strings from Thomastik-Infeld.
• Carlo Lamberti Violins, Violas, Cellos, and Basses Carlo Lamberti violins, violas, cellos, and basses covering intermediate to professional levels, including the Master Series, Sonata, Classic, and Symphony lines with higher-quality construction, sound, and playability for advancing players.
• Franz Hoffmann Violas Student to intermediate Franz Hoffmann violas available in various sizes and configurations, including the Amadeus viola outfit, for beginning and advancing viola players.
• Franz Hoffmann Cellos Student and intermediate Franz Hoffmann cellos available in laminate or carved models, including Prelude, Amadeus, Concert, and Danube lines with various outfit configurations.
• Franz Hoffmann Double Basses Student to intermediate Franz Hoffmann double basses available in multiple sizes (1/8 to 3/4) including Amadeus and Prelude models with outfit options, for beginning and advancing bass players.
• NS Design Electric String Instruments NS Design electric violins, electric violas, electric cellos, and electric double basses, including the WAV, NXT, and NXTa series in various colors and configurations, for amplified performance, silent practice, and genre versatility.
• Yamaha Electric String Instruments Yamaha Silent Violins, Electric Violins, Silent Viola, and Silent Electric Cello models, including the YSV104 Silent Violin and 5-String Electric Violin, for amplified and silent practice use.
• Fiddles Fiddles from Franz Hoffmann and Carlo Lamberti brands, adjusted for fiddling styles like bluegrass, country, and folk music, available alone or in outfits.
• Fine & Timeless Instruments Collection Professional-grade fine instruments and bows from renowned luthiers including Stefano Trabucchi, Rainer W. Leonhardt, and Calvin Tzeng. High-end fine instruments priced from $5,000 to $50,000+, sold through the dedicated Fine Instruments & Bows division.
• Pre-Owned & Outlet Instruments Previously owned, blemished, and outlet string instruments at discounted prices, including pre-owned Franz Hoffmann, Carlo Lamberti, John Cheng, and other maker instruments.
• Bows (Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass) Comprehensive selection of bows for violin, viola, cello, and bass, ranging from entry-level fiberglass and carbon fiber to hand-crafted pernambuco wood bows for professionals, including brands CodaBow, Arcus, PRESTO, Glasser, Klaus Becker, and Guy Laurent.
• Presto Bows Shar Music's house brand of carbon fiber bows including Impulse, Audition, Fusion, Ovation, Spark, Encore, and Carbon Fiber models for violin, viola, cello, and bass.
• Instrument Cases Cases for violins, violas, cellos, and basses including student, traditional, and carbon fiber options. Brands include American Case Company, Lion Cases, BAM, Musafia, Heritage, Toshira, GL, and Jakob Winter.
• Instrument Strings Extensive selection of strings for violin, viola, cello, bass, and other string instruments, including major brands Thomastik-Infeld (Dominant, Evah Pirazzi, Il Cannone, Rondo), Helicore, Pirastro, Larsen, and D'Addario.
• Sheet Music Sheet music collection for violin, viola, cello, and bass including digital downloads, methods and series such as Suzuki Method, Mark O'Connor Method, Essential Elements, All for Strings, and the Evelyn Avsharian Series, as well as ensemble music, string quartets, and piano trios.
• Instrument Accessories Wide range of string instrument accessories including shoulder rests, rosin, mutes, humidifiers, chinrests, instrument stands, metronomes, tuners, instrument care products, music stands, amplification gear, and luthier supplies.
• Guitars Acoustic and classical guitars from Yamaha, Cordoba, and Protege for students and players, sold alongside the company's core string instrument offering.
• Ukuleles Beginner ukuleles from Ukan and Kohala brands, available in multiple colors with included bags, for beginners and casual players.
• Instrument Rentals (Sharway, Michigan Rentals, rePLAY) Rental programs including Sharway (nationwide), Michigan-specific local rentals, and rePLAY rent-to-own, allowing students and beginners to rent instruments with the option to apply rental payments toward eventual purchase.
• Repair & Restoration Services In-house repair and restoration services at the Ann Arbor showroom, including minor adjustments and major restoration work by skilled technicians, available with walk-in and appointment-based service.
• In-Home Trials Trial program allowing customers to try instruments and bows at home before committing to purchase, lowering purchase risk for online buyers.
• Professional Instrument Appraisals Professional instrument and bow appraisal service for insurance documentation and acquisition purposes, supporting owners of fine instruments and bows.

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Franz HoffmanncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFranz Hoffmann is Shar Music's house brand for student instruments. The brand is specifically designed for beginning players with commitment to quality materials, construction, playability, tone, and visual appeal. Instruments are made in partnership with workshops and shipped to Ann Arbor for final adjustments.
• Carlo LamberticoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCarlo Lamberti is a key brand partner offering intermediate to professional-level violins, violas, cellos, and basses. Products include Master Series, Sonata, Classic, and Symphony lines.
• NS DesignmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNS Design is a leading brand for electric violins, electric violas, electric cellos, and electric basses. Products include WAV and NXT series instruments available at Shar Music.
• CodaBowmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCodaBow is a premium brand for carbon fiber bows. Shar Music carries CodaBow products including Marquise GS, Diamond NX, Diamond GX, and Escent lines.
• Thomastik-InfeldcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThomastik-Infeld is a leading string manufacturer. Shar Music carries their Dominant, Peter Infeld, Evertone, and Dynamo string lines. The Franz Hoffmann Concert violin now comes with Alphayue strings from Thomastik-Infeld.
• YamahamajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorYamaha is a major brand partner for acoustic guitars and electric/string instruments. Products include Silent Violins, Electric Violins, and classical guitars.
• Young Strings of AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated by Shar Music to support the next generation of string players as they embark on their musical journeys. The initiative demonstrates the company's commitment to fostering young musical talent.
• Connolly MusiccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConnolly Music partnered with Shar Music to refresh the Franz Hoffmann Concert lineup, now featuring premium Alphayue strings from Thomastik-Infeld.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sam Ash: Long-established multi-category musical instrument retailer now operating primarily online. Comparable as a broad incumbent overlapping with Shar on string instruments, accessories, and rentals, though with a much wider category footprint.
• Guitar Center: Largest US musical instrument retailer with broad assortment across all categories including strings. Comparable as a broad incumbent that overlaps on Shar's instrument, accessory, and pro-audio-adjacent categories, though Shar is more specialized.

Direct peers

• Music & Arts: Specialty retailer focused on band and orchestral instruments, including a deep string instrument assortment and school/rental programs. Highly comparable to Shar due to overlapping string instrument catalog, school-channel sales, and instrument rental offerings.
• Sweetwater Sound: Large online retailer of musical instruments and pro audio with strong customer service orientation. Comparable because it sells the same string instruments, bows, accessories, and sheet music that Shar carries, with a similar sales-led, content-rich e-commerce model.
• Connolly Music: String instrument retailer and collaborator with Shar on the Franz Hoffmann Concert lineup refresh. Comparable because it operates in the same bowed-string specialty channel and serves overlapping teacher, school, and player customers.
• Reverb.com: Online marketplace for new, used, and vintage musical instruments including strings, bows, and accessories. Comparable because it competes for the same buyer pool — particularly in the used, vintage, and fine-instrument segments where Shar also competes.
• Kennedy Violins: Online specialty retailer focused on violins, violas, cellos, and string accessories with international shipping. Highly comparable because it competes head-to-head in Shar's core string instrument category across student, intermediate, and professional tiers.

Emerging players

• House of Note: String instrument shop with repair services and a violin-family specialty focus. Comparable as a smaller specialty retailer competing in the same bowed-string category with similar service-led (repair, setup) differentiation.
• Larkin Street Music: Online violin and string instrument retailer with curated beginner-to-intermediate offerings. Comparable as an emerging online-only specialist serving the same buyer pool Shar targets at the student and intermediate levels.

Regional players

• Ted Brown Music: Pacific Northwest music retailer with strong band and orchestra instrument assortment. Comparable as a regional peer carrying overlapping string instrument and rental inventory, though concentrated in a different US geography than Shar's national e-commerce base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@sharmusic
• Xx.com/shar_music
• Facebookfacebook.com/sharmusic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shar-products-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Shar Products Company