What William Harris Lee & Co does

William Harris Lee & Company is a Chicago-based maker and dealer of fine string instruments established in 1978 by William Harris Lee. The company operates as a master luthier workshop that combines European craft traditions with American ingenuity, producing proprietary instruments under the William Harris Lee brand alongside curated antique instruments from named makers (F. Reiner, Francesco Giovanni, C. Jean Pique, William Bagnato, and others). Core products span violins, violas, cellos, double basses, bows, cases, and accessories, with pricing ranging from $1,250 (entry-level violin) to $225,000 (archive/antique instruments). The firm employs master luthiers trained at institutions including the Kenneth Warren (now Chicago School of Violin Making), Panstwowe Liceum Sztuk Plastychnych, and Akademia Muzyizna W Poland, with team members from seven countries across Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Instruments are played by members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and the firm has operated from the Fine Arts Building in downtown Chicago for over 40 years.

The business generates revenue across three primary streams: one-time instrument sales (violins, violas, cellos, basses, bows, archive pieces), a recurring monthly rental program with Thomastik-Infeld strings and premium cases included, and ancillary services including repair/restoration and insurance appraisal. The rental program offers up to a 40% rental equity conversion toward new WHL instrument purchases within 90 days of contract termination, creating a multi-year customer acquisition funnel. Distribution is omnichannel but showroom-centric: three physical locations (Chicago flagship at 410 S. Michigan Ave., Wilmette at 1138 Central Ave., and Atlanta Doraville at 4016 Flowers Rd.) supported by store.whlee.com for online browsing and rental inquiries. The Atlanta location has served area schools for over 16 years, indicating a durable school music program relationship.

The company is privately held, family-owned with no identified external institutional investors, and operates as a niche specialty retailer/dealer in a structurally narrow luxury craft market. Strategic positioning emphasizes provenance, in-house craft quality, sustainability advocacy through partnerships with the International Pernambuco Conservation Initiative (IPCI) and the International Alliance of Violin and Bow Makers for Endangered Species, and a multi-generational succession plan (founder Bill Lee alongside son Eli Biagi-Lee, who joined in 2011). Marketing relies on educational content (String Teacher Tips blog, Pernambuco conservation advocacy), organic social (Facebook, Instagram), and the firm's reputation within professional musician and music educator networks.

Name

William Harris Lee & Co

Legal name

William Harris Lee & Company

Website

https://whlee.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

William Harris Lee & Company is a privately held Chicago-based maker and dealer of fine string instruments (violins, violas, cellos, basses, bows) founded in 1978, serving professional musicians, advancing students, and school music programs through three showroom locations and a rental-to-purchase program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine String Instruments

NAICS

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

SIC

Musical Instruments (3931)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Instrument Parts, Repair & Maintenance (Luthier, Tech Services, Spares) (MPAIAJAG), Instrument Repair, Maintenance & Luthier Services (CRALAEAF)

Keywords

• Fine string instruments
• Violin making
• Instrument rentals
• Bow making
• Luthier services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Instrument Sales: One-time sale of new and antique string instruments (violins, violas, cellos, basses) ranging from student to professional level. Also includes sales of bows and accessories.
2. Instrument Rentals: Monthly rental program for string instruments with Maintenance and Repair fee included. Rental equity can be applied toward purchase of new WHL instruments (up to 40% discount within 90 days of contract termination).
3. Purchase Discount from Rentals: Renters can receive up to 40% discount on new WHL instruments based on rental fees collected during first 60 months, creating a conversion pathway from rental to ownership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

William Harris Lee & Company makes, deals, and rents fine string instruments including violins, violas, cellos, basses, and bows, producing workshop instruments under its own name and from named artisan makers alongside curated antique instruments. The firm operates three showroom locations and an online store, supported by a master luthier workshop in downtown Chicago that also provides repair, restoration, and insurance appraisal services.

Product overview

William Harris Lee & Co is a maker and dealer of fine string instruments established in 1978. The company operates as a unified workshop combining European craft and American ingenuity, creating proprietary instruments alongside curating antique instruments. The core product portfolio includes Violins, Violas, Cellos, and Basses (both workshop-made under the William Harris Lee brand and from named artisan makers), complemented by Bows (violin, viola, cello, and bass bows), Cases, and Strings & Accessories. The company also offers Premium String Rentals with a purchase discount program, Insurance Appraisal Services, and Repair Evaluation & Restoration services. The company has three showroom locations in Chicago IL, Wilmette IL, and Atlanta (Doraville) GA, with the flagship Fine Arts Building workshop in downtown Chicago.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Violins Fine violins for students through professional players, including workshop-made instruments and curated antique violins from named makers, priced from $1,250 to $200,000 with quote-based final pricing.
• Violas Fine violas spanning student through professional levels, including workshop instruments under the William Harris Lee brand and a curated selection from artisan makers, priced from $1,550 to $75,000.
• Cellos Fine cellos for symphony orchestra, chamber ensemble, and music education use, including William Harris Lee workshop models (350, 370) and instruments from named makers, priced from $2,900 to $60,000.
• Basses Double basses for musicians across multiple music genres, priced from $7,950 to $9,500 with quote-based final pricing.
• Bows Bows for violin, viola, cello, and bass from historic and contemporary makers, priced from $5,000 to $32,000.
• Cases Premium quality cases for instrument protection and transport, sold through the online store.
• Strings and Accessories Strings, chinrest keys, string protectors, peg compounds, rosin, cloths, and repair tools sold through the online store.
• Premium String Rentals Monthly rental program for violins, violas, cellos, and basses with professional setup, Thomastik-Infeld strings, premium cases, and a maintenance and repair fee included; rental equity converts to up to a 40% discount on new William Harris Lee instruments.
• Insurance Appraisal Services Insurance appraisal services offered at all three shop locations to determine current value of customer instruments and bows.
• Repair Evaluation and Restoration Three-point evaluation process for instrument repair and restoration: Fine Instrument Specialist consultation, luthier examination, and customer approval before any work begins.

Quantifiable outcome

• Instruments found worldwide in symphony orchestras, chamber ensembles, and premier music education programs.
• +1 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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• International Pernambuco Conservation Initiative (IPCI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPCI is dedicated to protecting pernambuco forestry and committed to supporting local farmers as well as lobbying for sustainable pernambuco regulations. William Harris Lee & Co actively supports this initiative.
• International Alliance of Violin and Bow Makers for Endangered SpeciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance dedicated to protecting endangered species used in instrument and bow making, including pernambuco. Company advocates for sustainable regulations.
• Arcos BrasilminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorArcos Brasil is a bow maker dedicated to planting pernambuco seedlings to regrow forests. Company offers Arcos Brasil bows for sale.
• Sousa BowsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSousa Bows is dedicated to planting pernambuco seedlings. Company offers Sousa bows for sale while supporting sustainable pernambuco sourcing.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Weavers Violins: Edmonton-based violin shop offering sales of fine new and antique violins, violas, cellos, and bows, with a comparable mix of workshop-made and curated instruments and rental services.
• Shar Music: Ann Arbor-based string instrument retailer, publisher of sheet music, and rental provider serving students, educators, and professional musicians. Closely comparable in product mix (violins, violas, cellos, accessories) and school rental channels.
• Snow & Street String Instruments: Fine violin dealer and restoration workshop with a showroom model focused on advanced and professional string instruments. Comparable boutique dealer positioning to WHL's flagship Chicago operation.
• Johnson String Instrument: Specialty string instrument retailer and rental provider based in Massachusetts, offering violins, violas, cellos, and basses for sale and rent to students, professionals, and schools. Directly comparable to WHL's school rental program and instrument retail model.
• Bein & Fushi: Chicago-based rare string instrument dealer specializing in antique violins, violas, cellos, and bows at the very top of the market. Closely comparable to WHL in geographic market, category (fine bowed strings), and high-end orchestral clientele.
• Ifshin Violins: Michigan-based violin shop offering sales, rentals, and repair of fine string instruments to students and professionals. Directly comparable to WHL's showroom-plus-rental model and customer base of advancing students and orchestra musicians.
• Tarisio Fine Instruments & Bow Maker: Online auction house and dealer specializing in fine and rare string instruments and bows, serving professional musicians and collectors worldwide. Comparable to WHL in fine string focus, with a contrasting digital-first distribution model.
• Claire Givens Violins: Minneapolis-based violin shop dealing in fine instruments and bows, with restoration and appraisal services. Comparable to WHL in boutique specialty retail, restoration services, and professional musician customer base.

Broad incumbents

• D'Addario (Bow Maker Brand Portfolio): Large manufacturer of strings and accessories across bowed, fretted, and other instruments. Adjacent to WHL in the orchestral supply chain through its string manufacturing, though not a direct competitor in fine instrument making or retail.

Emerging players

• Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery: U.S.-based luthiery school that also produces and sells student- and intermediate-level violins through affiliated makers. Comparable as a violin-making talent pipeline and producer of workshop-made string instruments, though primarily an educational institution.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/whleeco
• Facebookfacebook.com/WilliamHarrisLee
• Instagraminstagram.com/williamharrislee

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 William Harris Lee & Co