What Lollar Pickups does

Lollar Pickups is a boutique manufacturer of handmade electric guitar, bass, and steel guitar pickups founded in 1994 by Jason Lollar and operated from a single workshop and headquarters in Tacoma, Washington. The company handcrafts each pickup from scratch using custom-manufactured or custom-specified components, with proprietary magnet charging and gauss strength techniques unique to each model, hand-polished humbucker bobbins, and in-house laser-cut single coil flatworks. Every unit passes through more than a dozen testing points for consistency. The catalog spans over 100 distinct pickup models across Stratocaster, Telecaster, Offset (Jazzmaster/Jaguar), P-90, sB, Humbucker, Charlie Christian, Gold Foil, 7-String, and specialty families, plus bass and steel guitar variants, priced between $110 and $600 per pickup.

The business operates a hybrid go-to-market combining direct-to-consumer e-commerce at lollarguitars.com with a global authorized dealer network across North America, Europe, Asia & Australia, and South & Central America. A significant B2B OEM channel supplies over 100 guitar manufacturers and luthiers including Fender Custom Shop, Gibson Custom Shop, Collings, Guild, Heritage, Nash Guitars, Eastman, and Sadowsky. The company extends its revenue model through Pre-Wired Kits, electronic components, branded accessories (Mogami cables, Stringjoy strings), a Custom Shop service for bespoke specifications, and full-service guitar repair and authorized Martin/Taylor warranty service through a partnership with South Sound Guitar Repair. Artist endorsement by touring and recording professionals across jazz, rock, country, gospel, metal, and indie genres functions as a top-of-funnel marketing channel.

Lollar Pickups is privately held and founder-owned, with no external investment, parent company, or public listing disclosed. Revenue and funding history are not publicly available. The company employs approximately 25 people across pickup building, customer service, shipping, marketing, design, production, and guitar repair, and in 2025 marked its 30th anniversary of continuous operation.

Name

Lollar Pickups

Legal name

Lollar Pickups

Website

https://www.lollarguitars.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lollar Pickups is a Tacoma, Washington-based boutique manufacturer of handmade electric guitar, bass, and steel guitar pickups serving professional musicians, hobbyists, and over 100 OEM guitar builders worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tacoma

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Guitar Pickup Sales: Core revenue from handcrafted pickups for electric guitar, bass, and steel guitar. Products include Stratocaster, Telecaster, Offset (Jazzmaster/Jaguar), P-90, sB, Humbucker, Charlie Christian, Gold Foil, and specialty pickups. Also includes 7-string pickups and custom shop options.
2. Pre-Wired Kits: Hand-wired electronics kits featuring Lollar spec'd CTS potentiometers, high-quality switches, Orange Drop or Paper-in-Oil capacitors, and 22 AWG vintage push-back wire for easy guitar electronics upgrades.
3. Accessories & Electronic Components: Accessories including pickup covers, mounting hardware, shims, routing templates, capacitors, potentiometers, switches, output jacks, instrument cables (Mogami), strings (Stringjoy collaboration), picks, and merchandise.
4. Guitar Repair Services: Full-service guitar repair and modification through South Sound Guitar Repair partnership at the Tacoma location. Services include setups, pickup installation, routing, structural repair, and authorized Martin & Taylor service.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lollar Pickups handcrafts and sells boutique pickups for electric guitar, bass, and steel (lap and pedal) instruments, alongside a Custom Shop service, pre-wired electronics kits, related guitar hardware, and instrument repair services through a partner shop in Tacoma, Washington. Every pickup is wound and assembled in-house by trained builders using custom-manufactured parts and proprietary magnet-processing techniques, then run through a multi-point quality test before sale.

Product overview

Lollar Pickups is a boutique manufacturer of high-quality, handmade guitar, bass, and steel guitar pickups based in Tacoma, Washington. The company offers an extensive portfolio of over 100 distinct pickup models across multiple categories: Guitar Pickups (Stratocaster, Telecaster, Offset, P-90, sB, Humbucker, Charlie Christian, Gold Foil, and 7-String), Bass Pickups (P-Bass, J-Bass, Bass VI, Horseshoe, Thunderbird, Mustang), and Steel Guitar Pickups (Horseshoe, Chicago Steel, Stringmaster, Console Grande, String-Through). All pickups are handcrafted in-house with custom parts, featuring the maker's mark initials on each unit. The company also provides Pre-Wired Kits for easy electronics upgrades, a Custom Shop for bespoke pickup design, Guitar Repair Services through a partnership with South Sound Guitar Repair, and educational resources including the Jason Lollar Pickup Winding Book. Founded by Jason Lollar, a professional luthier since 1979, the company emphasizes consistency, reliability, and tone through decades of collective experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lollar Guitars: Registered trademark of Jason Lollar for guitar products and pickups.
• Novel Series
• Custom Shop

Products and services

• Guitar Pickups Handmade electric guitar pickups in multiple model families (Stratocaster, Telecaster, Offset, P-90, sB, Humbucker, Charlie Christian, Gold Foil, and 7-String), each built in-house with custom parts and proprietary magnet processing, for players seeking consistent, vintage-inspired tone.
• Bass Pickups Handmade bass pickups for P-Bass, J-Bass, Bass VI, Horseshoe, Thunderbird, Mustang, and 70s SR configurations, for bassists seeking premium, vintage-inspired tone and consistent quality.
• Steel Guitar Pickups Handmade pickups for lap steel and pedal steel guitars, including Horseshoe, Chicago Steel, Stringmaster, Console Grande, and String-Through models, for steel guitarists needing authentic tone and reliable output.
• Custom Shop Custom pickup design and manufacturing service for players and manufacturers needing unique specifications beyond the standard catalog, coordinated through Lollar customer service.
• Pre-Wired Kits Hand-wired electronics kits combining Lollar-spec'd CTS potentiometers, high-quality switches, Orange Drop or Paper-in-Oil capacitors, and 22 AWG vintage push-back wire, designed for drop-in guitar electronics upgrades.
• Accessories & Merchandise Lollar-branded apparel (T-shirts, hoodies), mugs, stickers, anniversary merchandise, plus Stringjoy guitar strings and Mogami instrument cables, for customers and fans.
• Electronic Components Orange Drop and Paper-in-Oil capacitors, potentiometers, switches, output jacks, and 22 AWG vintage push-back wire for guitar electronics builds and upgrades.
• Pickup Covers & Mounting Hardware Replacement pickup covers, mounting hardware packs, and shims compatible with various Lollar pickup models, for installation and cosmetic customization.
• Routing Templates Clear acrylic routing templates for precise pickup cavity routing, including templates for Charlie Christian, Gold Foil, Chicago Steel, and other specialty pickup models, for guitar builders and installers.
• Pickup Winding Book by Jason Lollar Revised 3rd edition of 'Basic Pickup Winding and Complete Guide to Making Your Own Pickup Winder', a published technical reference on pickup winding techniques and supplier information, written by founder Jason Lollar.
• Guitar Repair Services Full-service guitar repair and modification through the South Sound Guitar Repair partnership at Lollar's Tacoma location, including setups, pickup installation, routing, nut/saddle replacement, structural repair, fret work, and authorized warranty service for Martin and Taylor Guitars.

Quantifiable outcome

• Every pickup tested through more than a dozen testing points for consistency
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• South Sound Guitar RepaircoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLollar has partnered with South Sound Guitar Repair, one of the Pacific Northwest's pre-eminent fretted instrument repair shops, to offer expert instrument service out of their Tacoma location. Jeff Hoppe leads the service with decades of experience. Full-service guitar repair including setups, pickup installation, routing, structural repair, fret work, and more.
• Martin GuitarscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLollar is an Authorized Service Center for Martin Guitars, providing warranty and repair service for Martin instruments at their Tacoma location.
• Taylor GuitarscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLollar is an Authorized Service Center for Taylor Guitars, providing warranty and repair service for Taylor instruments at their Tacoma location.
• StringjoyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLollar partnered with Stringjoy to offer Lollar X Stringjoy branded guitar strings, a collaborative product line.
• Collings GuitarsflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerCollings Guitars, a premier American acoustic and electric guitar manufacturer, specifies Lollar pickups in select instruments.
• Fender Custom ShopflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerFender Custom Shop uses Lollar pickups in select signature and custom instruments.
• Gibson Custom ShopflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerGibson Custom Shop specifies Lollar pickups in select custom instruments.
• Guild GuitarsflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerGuild Guitars, including the Guild x Lollar HB-1 collaboration, uses Lollar pickups in select models.
• Heritage GuitarsflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerHeritage Guitars, the Gibson-originated American guitar manufacturer, uses Lollar pickups in select instruments.
• Nash GuitarsflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerNash Guitars, known for their relic finishes and vintage-spec builds, specs Lollar pickups as standard in their instruments.
• Eastman GuitarscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerEastman Guitars, specializing in archtop and acoustic instruments, uses Lollar pickups in select electric models.
• Sadowsky GuitarscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSadowsky Guitars, a premium bass guitar manufacturer, uses Lollar pickups in select instruments.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Seymour Duncan: The largest and most established boutique-style pickup maker in the US, offering humbuckers, single-coils, and active pickups for guitar and bass. Closest direct competitor to Lollar across product line, target customer (pro players and OEM builders), and distribution model (DTC + global dealer network).
• Lindy Fralin Pickups: Virginia-based boutique pickup maker known for hand-wound single-coils, humbuckers, and P-90s targeting the same vintage-tone, professional-musician niche. Highly comparable in build philosophy (hand-wound, low-volume, USA-made) and customer overlap with Lollar.
• Bare Knuckle Pickups: UK-based boutique pickup manufacturer making hand-wound humbuckers, single-coils, and P-90s aimed at pro players and OEM builders. Direct peer in product philosophy, artist endorsement model, and premium positioning, primarily competing for international share.
• TV Jones: Boutique pickup maker famous for Filtertron-style humbuckers popularized by Gretsch guitars. Direct peer in the handmade, artist-endorsed, premium pickup category with strong overlap on archtop, hollow-body, and boutique-luthier customers.
• Wolfetone Pickups: Small-batch boutique pickup maker focused on P-90s, humbuckers, and vintage-reissue designs hand-wound in the US. Comparable build philosophy, target customer (boutique builders and tone-focused players), and niche-scale operations to Lollar.
• Joe Barden Pickups: Boutique pickup designer and small-scale manufacturer of premium hand-wound humbuckers and single-coils. Direct peer in the boutique tone-builder niche with similar target customers and OEM/artist relationships.
• Mojotone: Boutique pickup and amplifier parts maker offering hand-wound pickups, speakers, and wiring components. Direct peer in the boutique pickup category with overlapping customer segments (DIY guitar builders, tone enthusiasts, hobbyists).

Broad incumbents

• DiMarzio: Long-established US pickup manufacturer offering a broad catalog of humbuckers, single-coils, and active designs at more accessible price points. Larger scale and broader catalog than Lollar, but significant overlap on product category, OEM customers, and player market.
• EMG Pickups: Incumbent pickup maker known for active pickups used across metal, rock, and bass. Adjacent to Lollar's category with some overlap on humbucker-equipped guitars and OEM relationships, but differentiated by active (vs. passive) technology.

Emerging players

• Fishman: Specialty acoustic pickup and preamp maker with growing electric pickup line. Comparable in scale and boutique positioning, with overlap on OEM guitar manufacturer relationships, though traditionally more focused on acoustic amplification than Lollar's electric guitar/bass core.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/lollarpickups
• Xx.com/lollarpickups
• Facebookfacebook.com/LollarPickups
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lollar-guitars

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Lollar Pickups