Quinlan and Fabish

What Quinlan and Fabish does

Quinlan & Fabish Music Company is a family-owned school music dealer founded in 1959 by music educators George Quinlan and Tom Fabish, headquartered in Burr Ridge, Illinois, and now led by George Quinlan Jr. as CEO. The company operates nine retail locations across three Midwest states — Illinois (Burr Ridge, Arlington Heights, Montgomery), Indiana (Valparaiso, Lafayette, Mishawaka, Muncie, Fort Wayne), and Michigan (Stevensville) — complemented by a field force of more than twenty School Service Representatives who make weekly visits to partner schools for instrument delivery, repair pickup, and educator support. Its core products and services include band and orchestra instrument rental programs (1st Chair for band, Opus 24 for strings), instrument sales spanning beginner to professional tiers (including three wholly-owned Windy City custom shop divisions for flutes, trombones, and trumpets), instrument repair services using eco-friendly ultrasonic cleaning, the proprietary Worry Free Maintenance and Replacement (M&R) coverage program, and a catalog of branded supplies and accessories.

The company makes money through a mix of recurring monthly rental payments (with rent-to-own credit accrual), one-time instrument and accessory sales, subscription-style ownership programs for performance-level instruments (1st Chair at $99-$259/month, Opus 24 in 24 monthly installments), professional repair and M&R coverage fees, and selective premium instrument sales through the Windy City custom shops and Reverb.com marketplace. Customer segments are K-12 band and orchestra students and families (primary), school music directors and educators (primary business-to-institution buyer), advancing students and professional musicians (secondary, served through Windy City divisions), and individual musicians purchasing supplies. Technology is operational rather than digital — the principal technical assets are ultrasonic cleaning equipment, a Yamaha Shokunin Select Dealer inventory relationship, and an e-commerce/account-management website with SMS marketing functionality. No AI/ML capabilities, public APIs, or developer-facing integrations are evidenced in the input data.

Name

Quinlan and Fabish

Legal name

Quinlan & Fabish Music Company

Website

https://qandf.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Family-owned school music dealer founded in 1959, operating nine retail locations across Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. Provides band and orchestra instrument rentals, sales, repairs, and supply services to K-12 music programs, students, and educators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Musical Instrument Retail and Rental

NAICS

Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (459140), Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (45914)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

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

Keywords

• School music dealer
• Band instrument rentals
• Orchestra instrument rentals
• Instrument repair services
• Music education supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Instrument Rentals: Monthly rental payments for band and orchestra instruments. Band instrument rentals apply toward purchase (except M&R). Orchestra rentals apply up to 40% toward new full-size instrument. Includes 4-month introductory trial period.
2. Advanced Instrument Sales: Sales of performance-level instruments through 1st Chair program (band) and Opus 24 (strings) with monthly payment options. Windy City custom shops sell professional-level flutes, trombones, and trumpets.
3. Supply and Accessory Sales: One-time sales of instrument maintenance kits, cleaning supplies, mouthpieces, reeds, sheet music, and other accessories through retail and e-commerce channels.
4. Repair Services: Professional instrument repair services for woodwind, brass, and string instruments performed by trained technicians.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Quinlan & Fabish Music Company rents and sells band and orchestra instruments to K-12 music students and their families through rent-to-own programs, while supplying music educators with sheet music, maintenance supplies, and accessories. The company operates nine retail locations across Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan, supported by a school service model in which representatives make weekly visits to deliver instruments, supplies, and repair pickup directly to schools.

Product overview

Quinlan & Fabish Music Company is a family-owned music retailer founded in 1959, offering a comprehensive portfolio of instrument rentals, sales, and services for band and orchestra programs. The core offering consists of band and orchestra instrument rental programs (1st Chair for band, Opus 24 for strings) with associated Maintenance & Replacement coverage. The company operates specialty custom shop divisions (Windy City Flutes, Windy City Trombones, Windy City Trumpets, Rudimental Exchange) and maintains nine retail locations across Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. The product portfolio includes Q&F branded supplies (maintenance kits, polish cloths, oils, swabs, music stands) alongside diverse instrument sales from multiple manufacturers. School partnerships are central to the business model, with weekly Service Representative visits and repair pickup services. Additional services include full instrument repair (woodwind, brass, string), string sizing, and the Outstanding Music Educator Awards recognition program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 1st Chair Program: Performance-level instrument rental program with Worry Free Maintenance and replacement coverage.
• Opus 24
• Opus 24 Select
• Rudimental Exchange
• Windy City Flutes
• Windy City Trombones
• Windy City Trumpets

Products and services

• Band Instrument Rental Program Rent-to-own band instrument rental program with a 4-month introductory trial period. All rental payments apply toward purchase (except M&R fees). Early payoff available with 25% discount on remaining balance.
• Orchestra Instrument Rental Program String instrument rental program with flexibility to change sizes as students grow. Rental payments (excluding M&R) apply toward purchase up to 40% of instrument value.
• 1st Chair Program Hand-selected line of performance-level band instruments available at affordable monthly payments with included Worry Free Maintenance and Replacement (M&R) coverage. Includes flutes, oboes, bassoons, clarinets, saxophones, trumpets, horns, trombones, euphoniums, tubas, and percussion.
• Opus 24 Program Performance-level string instrument ownership program allowing customers to purchase instruments in 24 equal monthly payments. Opus 24 Select packages extend up to 40% rental discount to current renters.
• Maintenance & Replacement (M&R) Coverage Complete instrument coverage program covering all repairs regardless of extent or frequency, plus replacement protection for fire, damage, loss, or theft of rented instruments.
• Repair Services Full-service repair for woodwind, brass, and string instruments performed by highly-trained technicians. Includes school pickup service and eco-friendly ultrasonic cleaning.
• School Service Program School Service Representatives make weekly visits to schools providing customer service, free delivery on orders, and repair pickup services for educators, students, and families.
• Windy City Flutes Custom shop division specializing in professional-level flutes from Altus, Wm. S. Haynes, Trevor James, Miyazawa, Powell, and Yamaha. Located at the Burr Ridge headquarters and also sells through Reverb marketplace.
• Windy City Trombones Chicago destination custom shop for serious trombonists offering professional-level trombones, instrument selection, customization, and full-service repair. Operates through Reverb marketplace.
• Windy City Trumpets Chicago destination custom shop for serious trumpeters offering professional-level trumpets, instrument selection, customization, and full-service repair. Operates through Reverb marketplace.
• Rudimental Exchange Percussion instrument division of Quinlan and Fabish offering percussion instruments for school and advancing music programs.
• String Sizing Service Helps customers determine the correct size string instrument to rent through in-store measurement or a home measurement guide.
• Q&F Instrument Maintenance Kit Pre-packaged maintenance kit containing essential care items for specific instruments (Baritone/Euphonium, Clarinet, French Horn, Flute, Oboe, Saxophone, Trombone, Trumpet). Prices range from $17.50 to $19.00.
• Q&F Silver Polish Cloth Specially treated polishing cloth for silver or silver-plated instruments that reduces tarnishing. Priced at $5.50.
• Q&F Cork Grease Cork lubricant for woodwind instruments to keep corks in optimal shape. Priced at $1.95.
• Q&F Valve Oil Valve oil for piston instruments including trumpets, cornets, baritones, and tubas. Priced at $2.25.
• Yamaha Shokunin Select Dealer Inventory Special inventory of Yamaha's finest instruments for all performance levels available at the Arlington Heights retail location.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 music educators recognized through Outstanding Music Educator Awards since 1989
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ReverbcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWindy City Trombones and Windy City Trumpets custom shops sell professional-level instruments through Reverb.com marketplace. Reverb serves as the primary online sales channel for these specialty divisions offering instruments from top manufacturers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Music & Arts: Music & Arts is the largest US school music dealer, operating over 250 retail locations nationwide with the same band/orchestra rental-to-own model, weekly school representative visits, and instrument repair services. It is the most directly comparable peer to Quinlan & Fabish in terms of business model, GTM (school rep motion), customer segments (K-12 families and directors), and rental/sale/spare/supply revenue mix.
• Eckroth Music: Eckroth Music is a family-owned school music dealer serving Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Ohio with band and orchestra instrument rentals, instrument sales, and music education supplies. Like Q&F, it operates through retail storefronts complemented by school service representatives serving K-12 programs.
• Paige's Music: Paige's Music is an Indiana-headquartered school music dealer serving the Indianapolis and broader Indiana market with instrument rentals, sales, and repair services. It is a direct regional competitor to Q&F's Indiana stores (Valparaiso, Lafayette, Mishawaka, Muncie, Fort Wayne) with a virtually identical K-12 band/orchestra focus.
• Menchey Music: Menchey Music is a family-owned school music dealer serving Pennsylvania with multiple retail locations, band/orchestra instrument rentals, private lessons, and print/sheet music. Its school-rental-and-retail model is highly comparable to Q&F, making it a textbook direct peer in the regional school music dealer category.
• Beinlich Music: Beinlich Music is a regional school music dealer offering instrument rentals (with rent-to-own), retail sales, and repair services, similar in size and family-owned character to Quinlan & Fabish. It is comparable as another regional K-12 school music dealer serving a multi-store footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Sweetwater: Sweetwater is one of the largest online music instrument retailers in the US, headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, offering instruments, pro audio, accessories, and music education content. While broader in scope (pro audio, recording, individual consumer) than Q&F's K-12 focus, it competes directly in the Indiana market for advancing student and parent-driven instrument purchases.
• Guitar Center: Guitar Center is the largest US specialty musical instrument retailer, offering band, orchestra, guitars, pro audio, and accessories across hundreds of stores. While broader and less specialized in the K-12 school channel than Q&F, it competes for the same individual/practicing-musician customers and offers instrument rentals that overlap with Q&F's offerings.

Others

• Reverb: Reverb is an online marketplace dedicated to new, used, and vintage musical instruments, currently a subsidiary of Etsy. It functions as a channel partner (not competitor) for Q&F's Windy City custom shops (Trombones, Trumpets, Flutes) and competes indirectly in retail access to the broader individual musician base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/QuinlanandFabish
• Facebookfacebook.com/QandFmusic
• Instagraminstagram.com/quinlanfabishmusic
• Xx.com/QuinlanFabish

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Quinlan and Fabish