K.C. Strings

What K.C. Strings does

K.C. Strings is a privately held, full-service stringed-instrument shop founded in 1992 by Misha Krutz and master luthier Anton Krutz, and headquartered at a single retail and workshop facility in Merriam, Kansas. It manufactures the proprietary KRUTZ brand of violins, violas, cellos, and basses across four tiers — Series (student), Artisan (mid-range), Avant (professional), and Anton Krutz Signature (master) — using a hybrid build model in which rough instruments are partially constructed in affiliated Beijing (and Romanian) workshops and finished, graduated, varnished, and set up in-house in Kansas City. The firm also designs and sells a line of proprietary bass accessories including non-mutilating C-Extensions, the Bass Buggie transport device, Bass/Cello Stands-Stools, and a removable neck system.

The company operates five distinct revenue streams: (1) instrument sales across student to professional tiers ($640 to $11,500+), (2) instrument rentals with insurance bundled in and rental fees creditable toward purchase, (3) on-site repair and restoration with lifetime guarantees on major work, (4) private lessons and summer camps at $30 per half-hour, and (5) a national school-order program serving districts in 40+ states through a dedicated sales manager who handles bids and custom outfitting. Supporting accessory sales (bows, cases, strings, rosin, chin rests, mutes, humidifiers, pickups, shoulder rests, music books) and gift certificates round out the catalog.

Its go-to-market blends a physical Midwest retail showroom, a Shopify e-commerce storefront, phone-based consultative sales, and field sales for institutional school accounts. Customer segments are distributed across beginning and intermediate students/parents, amateur adult players, professional orchestral and solo musicians (KRUTZ instruments are endorsed by players in major U.S. and international orchestras), and school district music programs. The firm carries no external investment and is owned by the founding partners together with co-owner and craftsman Rick Williams.

Name

K.C. Strings

Legal name

K.C. Strings

Website

https://kcstrings.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

K.C. Strings is a Merriam, Kansas-based, founder-owned stringed-instrument shop founded in 1992 that designs and sells the KRUTZ brand of violins, violas, cellos, and basses across student-to-professional tiers, while offering rentals, repair, lessons, school orders to 40+ states, and proprietary bass accessories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

String Musical Instruments

NAICS

Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (459140), Musical Instrument Manufacturing (339992)

SIC

Musical Instruments (3931)

akta.pro primary industry

Musical Instrument Retail (Guitars, Keyboards, Drums, Band/Orchestra) (CRALAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Instrument Repair, Maintenance & Luthier Services (CRALAEAF), Instrument Rentals & Leasing (Band/Orchestra Programs) (CRALAEAG), Instrument Accessories & Consumables Retail (Strings, Reeds, Sticks, Cables) (CRALAEAE)

Keywords

• String instrument sales
• Musical instrument rentals
• Instrument repair services
• Music education lessons
• Luthier crafted instruments

Headquarters

HQ city

Shawnee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. String Instrument Sales: K.C. Strings generates revenue through the direct sale of string instruments including violins, violas, cellos, and basses across multiple price tiers (student to professional level). The company sells its proprietary KRUTZ brand instruments as well as accessories including bows, cases, strings, rosin, shoulder rests, mutes, chin rests, humidifiers, pickups, music stands, and other accessories.
2. Repair and Restoration Services: The company operates an extensive instrument and bow repair workshop offering repair, restoration, and custom setups for all string instruments. Services include free repair estimates, free verbal appraisals, and written appraisals for a fee. All major repairs are guaranteed for as long as the customer owns the instrument.
3. Instrument Rentals: K.C. Strings offers rental instruments for violin, viola, cello, and bass with no interest on rental fees. Rentals include insurance at no extra charge and rental payments apply to the purchase of both rental and non-rental instruments. The company offers easy upgrades to bigger sizes at no additional charge.
4. Music Lessons: Private lessons are available 6 days a week for violin, viola, cello, and bass in classical, jazz, country, Celtic, and American fiddle styles. Most lessons are $30.00 per half-hour session. The company also offers summer camps and master classes with university teachers, symphony players, and performing artists.
5. School Orders: K.C. Strings provides instruments, bows, and accessories to school districts across the nation at discounted rates for school bids. The company offers customized instrument outfits to individual teacher and school needs, and provides delivery and ongoing instrument service.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

K.C. Strings is a full-service string instrument shop that manufactures, sells, and rents violins, violas, cellos, and double basses under its proprietary KRUTZ brand across four quality tiers (Series, Artisan, Avant, and Signature). The company also provides instrument repair and restoration services in its Kansas City workshop, private music lessons, a school district procurement program, and proprietary bass accessories. Operations span a physical retail showroom, an e-commerce website, and field sales for school accounts nationwide.

Product overview

K.C. Strings is a full-service violin shop offering a comprehensive portfolio of string instruments, accessories, and educational services. The company manufactures the KRUTZ instrument brand across four distinct quality tiers: Series (student level), Artisan (advancing students), Avant (professional), and Anton Krutz Signature (master level). The product lineup includes violins, violas, cellos, and double basses, plus specialized five-string fiddles. Supporting products include bows, cases, chin rests, mutes, rosin, shoulder rests, humidifiers, pickups, and music books. The company also offers proprietary bass-specific accessories including the Bass Buggie transport device, Bass/Cello stands and stools, and C-extensions. Services encompass instrument rentals, professional repair and restoration, private music lessons, school orders, and concert hall rental.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KRUTZ String Instruments Proprietary KRUTZ-brand violins, violas, cellos, and double basses crafted with Bel Canto mineral ground varnish treatment and Golden Proportion geometry. Available in four tiers — Series (student, starting $640 violin), Artisan (intermediate to advancing), Avant (professional, made entirely in Kansas City), and Anton Krutz Signature (master luthier instruments for soloists and ensembles).
• KRUTZ Five-Star Fiddles Specialty five-string fiddles for players seeking extended range; available in 100 Series 5-Star Premier, 700 Artisan, and 850 Avant tiers covering student to professional levels.
• Bows

Quantifiable outcome

• Instruments played in major orchestras worldwide including New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and others
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Shar Music: Ann Arbor, MI-based string instrument and accessory retailer/distributor serving schools, students, and professionals nationwide. Directly comparable to K.C. Strings as a full-line bowed-string specialist with school programs and rental operations.
• Johnson String Instrument: Newton, MA-based violin/viola/cello/bass retailer, rental program, and school supplier. Closest direct peer to K.C. Strings with overlapping school district GTM and rental-to-purchase conversion model.
• Southwest Strings: Tempe, AZ-based string instrument retailer and school music supplier offering instruments, bows, cases, rentals, and school bid fulfillment. Comparable to K.C. Strings across retail, rental, and school-distribution channels.
• Ifshin Violins: El Cerrito, CA-based full-service violin/viola/cello/bass shop with retail, rental, repair, and school programs. Directly comparable specialty string retailer with similar service offerings and school-bid business.
• Brooklyn Youth Music Project / Brobst Violins: Specialty violin shop with workshop, retail, and school clientele. Comparable as a craft-focused, workshop-anchored string specialist in the same product niche.

Broad incumbents

• Music & Arts: One of the largest US school music retailers, offering band, orchestra, and classroom instruments with a strong school bid and rental franchise. Broader incumbent that competes for school district contracts but lacks K.C. Strings' deep specialization in bowed strings.
• Sweetwater: Large US online music instrument retailer with broad catalog across guitars, keyboards, pro audio, and strings. Competes with K.C. Strings on e-commerce/consumer channel but not a focused string specialist and does not run a comparable school bid service.
• D'Addario: Dominant US manufacturer of musical instrument strings and accessories (including bowed-string lines such as Kaplan and Prelude). Adjacent incumbent in the same product ecosystem; competes on consumables that K.C. Strings resells.

Emerging players

• Cremona / Saga Musical Instruments: Import-focused maker of student and intermediate string instruments (Cremona, Scott Cao, String Kingdom brands) widely sold through US dealers and school programs. Comparable as a bowed-string supplier at the student tier; partial overlap with KRUTZ Series but no comparable workshop/USA-made premium positioning.
• Warchal Strings: European maker of premium violin/viola/cello strings with selective US distribution. Comparable as a niche premium bowed-string accessories brand; relevant as both potential supplier to K.C. Strings and competitor in the high-end accessory category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KCStrings
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/KCStrings
• Facebookfacebook.com/KCStrings
• Instagraminstagram.com/k.c.strings
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/k-c--strings-violin-shop

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 K.C. Strings