Karl Koch

What Karl Koch does

Karl Koch AG (trading as Geigenbau Koch and Geigenbau Koch Luzern) is a privately held Swiss specialty luthier and musical instrument retailer founded in 1963 by Karl Koch in Lucerne, where it continues to operate from a single storefront and on-site workshop at Murbacherstrasse 15. The business builds, restores, rents, and sells string instruments (violins, violas, cellos, double basses) and plucked instruments (guitars, ukuleles, mandolins, mandolas), alongside recorders, bows, strings, accessories, and sheet music. Core craft capability rests on a small team of master luthiers with multi-decade tenure (Beat Gabriel since 1973, Johannes Eymann since 1977, CEO Enrico Limacher since 1983), executing repairs, restorations, new-build commissions, and copies of historical instruments under one roof.

The company monetises through four streams: one-off instrument sales (new and pre-owned), a monthly rental programme for students and beginners (CHF 13–50 per instrument per month, minimum six-month terms, with rental fees creditable toward purchase), professional repair and restoration services including insurance appraisals, and accessory and sheet music sales. The customer base spans music students and beginners (primary segment), professional musicians, music teachers and schools, and instrument collectors, all served through direct-to-consumer retail and in-person consultation at the Lucerne location with no apparent online sales capability. Marketing relies on the physical storefront, a brochure-style website, modest paid digital advertising via Google Ads, and a small organic social presence on Facebook and Instagram.

The business is structured as a Swiss Aktiengesellschaft (since 1977), is privately held with no identified external investors or parent company, and operates within a regional Central Switzerland catchment. Pricing is in Swiss Francs and includes optional insurance and tiered full-service maintenance add-ons. Beyond the four revenue streams, no additional commercial activities — wholesale distribution, online sales, repair services for third-party dealers, or franchise operations — are indicated in the available data.

Name

Karl Koch

Legal name

Karl Koch AG

Website

https://geigenbau-koch.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Karl Koch AG is a Swiss luthier and specialty musical instrument retailer founded in 1963 in Lucerne, building, restoring, renting, and selling string and plucked instruments, bows, recorders, and accessories to students, professionals, and music schools from a single storefront and on-site workshop.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Luthier and Musical Instrument Retail

NAICS

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), Used & Vintage Musical Instruments Retail (CRALAEAH)

Keywords

• String instrument retail
• Luthier craftsmanship
• Instrument rental services
• Musical instrument repair
• Custom violin building

Headquarters

HQ city

Luzern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Instrument Sales: Sale of new and restored string and plucked instruments including violins, violas, cellos, guitars, ukuleles, mandolins, and bowed instruments along with bows and accessories
2. Instrument Rental: Monthly rental of string and plucked instruments with flexible terms (minimum 6 months). Rental includes case/bow for string instruments. Customers can apply rental payments toward future purchases.
3. Repair and Restoration Services: Professional repair and restoration services for string and plucked instruments, including insurance expertises and appraisals
4. Accessories and Sheet Music: Sale of accessories, strings, and sheet music for bowed and plucked instruments

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Karl Koch AG is a traditional luthier workshop and specialty music instrument retailer based in Lucerne, Switzerland, founded in 1963. The company sells new and pre-owned violins, violas, cellos, double basses, bows, guitars, ukuleles, mandolins, recorders, accessories, and sheet music. It also provides instrument rentals with credit-toward-purchase terms, in-house repair and restoration services, custom new instrument construction (including copies of historical instruments), and expert consultations and insurance appraisals.

Product overview

Geigenbau Koch operates as a traditional luthier workshop and specialized music instrument retail shop offering a unified portfolio of services. The core offerings center on three interconnected services: (1) custom instrument construction and restoration performed by master luthiers in-house, (2) rental instruments in all sizes for students and beginners with buyback credit programs, and (3) retail sales of new and pre-owned string instruments, plucked instruments, recorders, bows, and accessories. The business also provides professional consultation, insurance appraisals, and sells music literature and accessories. Since 1963, the company has served musicians from its Luzern location, positioning itself as a full-service provider combining traditional craftsmanship with retail convenience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Instrument Rental (Mietinstrumente) Monthly rental of string and plucked instruments for students, beginners, and musicians who wish to try before buying. Sizes range from 1/32 to 4/4 for violins, violas, cellos, and guitars. Rental of string instruments includes a case and bow; rental payments can be applied toward a future purchase (12 full months for string instruments; up to 24 half-months for guitars and mandolins). Insurance and full-service maintenance are available as add-ons.
• Instrument Repair and Restoration (Reparaturen und Restaurationen) Professional repair and restoration services for string and plucked instruments, performed in-house by skilled luthiers. Includes insurance expertises, appraisals, and restoration work on valuable period instruments.
• Custom Instrument Construction (Neubau) Custom-built new instruments including violins, violas, cellos, gambas, and guitars, as well as copies of historical instruments, neck zithers, and mandolins. Construction performed in-house by master luthiers using traditional handcrafted techniques.
• Instrument Sales (Verkauf) Sale of new and pre-owned violins, violas, cellos, bows, guitars, ukuleles, neck zithers, and mandolins from the Lucerne retail showroom. The company describes its selection of violins, violas, cellos, double basses, and bows as one of the largest in the region.
• Recorder Sales (Blockflöten) Wide selection of recorders in all sizes, various qualities, and wood types, accompanied by recorder literature.
• Music Literature and Accessories (Musikalien und Zubehör) Sheet music and music literature for recorders, guitars, and string instruments, together with instrument accessories and strings.
• Expert Consultation and Insurance Appraisals (Fachmännische Beratung) Professional consultation services including expert advice on instrument selection, repair quotations, insurance expert opinions, and appraisals for collectors and musicians.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 8 years of continuous customer rental relationship documented

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Others

• Thomastik-Infeld: Vienna-based premium string manufacturer (violin, viola, cello strings). An adjacent ecosystem supplier rather than competitor; their strings are part of the instrument retail value chain Karl Koch participates in.
• Alfred Music: Major music publisher of instructional and sheet music for strings and guitars. An upstream supplier to the sheet music retail line Karl Koch carries, not a direct retailer competitor.
• D'Addario: Global leader in instrument strings and accessories sold through music retail. An enabling supplier/ecosystem participant — not a direct competitor — whose products flow through Karl Koch's accessory revenue line.

Direct peers

• Corilon Violins: Munich-based string instrument specialist (violins, violas, cellos, bows) with restoration workshop and international clientele. Directly comparable full-service luthier-retail model serving professional and serious amateur musicians across Europe.
• Musik Hug: Largest Swiss music retail chain with broad strings, guitars, and accessories assortment plus rental services. Closest direct competitor within Switzerland, sharing the Swiss music-school customer base and rental business model.

Broad incumbents

• Musikhaus Schlaile: Large established German music retailer with broad strings, guitars, and orchestral instruments plus workshops. Comparable offering breadth but at significantly larger scale and broader product range than Karl Koch's string-focused portfolio.

Regional players

• Shar Music: US string instrument and accessories retailer/supplier with strong school and orchestral segment focus. Comparable B2B-school and amateur customer orientation, but geographically separate from the Swiss/European market.
• Johnson String Instrument: US-based string instrument retailer and rental provider serving schools and individual musicians. Comparable rental-plus-retail model for the school and amateur segment, but operating in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/100068247761533
• Instagraminstagram.com/geigenbau_koch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/koch-karl-ag

Compliance1 record

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 Karl Koch