Folk Music Center

What Folk Music Center does

Folk Music Center is a privately held, family-owned musical instrument retailer, museum, repair shop, and music education center operating from a single location at 220 Yale Avenue in Claremont, California. Founded in 1958 by Charles and Dorothy Chase, the business is now in its third generation of family ownership, with Grammy-nominated musician Ben Harper as owner and his mother Ellen Chase-Verdries managing daily operations. The company sells a curated assortment of folk and world instruments (kalimbas, mbiras, guitars, banjos, ukuleles, mandolins), branded merchandise, music-related books, and CDs/vinyl, and operates an integrated luthier repair shop staffed by specialists trained under the founder.

The business operates across six revenue streams: retail sales (one-time purchases), music lessons (private and group instruction across guitar, banjo, bass, ukulele, mandolin, piano, and voice), instrument repair and restoration (60 years of expertise), appraisals (insurance and fair-market valuations with 50+ years of experience), concert events (ticketed $2-$30 plus free programming and monthly open mics), and museum operations (a separately incorporated non-profit established in 1976 housing hundreds of rare and antique world instruments). Pricing is uniformly unit-based with no subscription or enterprise tier. Distribution is anchored in the physical storefront, supplemented by an owned e-commerce site, a Reverb marketplace listing, and off-site events at partner venues.

Customer segments are diversified across individual music students, musicians and enthusiasts, instrument collectors, and educational/school groups visiting the museum. Marketing is community-led, relying on the concert series, social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), email newsletters, and word-of-mouth from a multi-generational community of visitors including international pilgrims from Australia, Japan, and Europe. The technology foundation is non-proprietary, built on a Squarespace website with standard e-commerce functionality and no AI, app, API, or proprietary software layer.

Name

Folk Music Center

Legal name

Folk Music Center

Website

https://www.folkmusiccenter.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Folk Music Center is a family-owned musical instrument retailer, museum, luthier repair shop, and music school in Claremont, CA, founded in 1958. It serves individual musicians, students, collectors, and school groups through retail sales, lessons, repairs, appraisals, and concert events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Musical Instrument Retail and Folk Music Education

NAICS

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

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), Online-Only Musical Instrument & Sheet Music Retail (CRALAEAI), Sheet Music & Music Books Retail (CRALAEAB)

Keywords

• Live music concerts
• Musical instrument retail
• Music education services
• Instrument repair shop
• Folk music museum

Headquarters

HQ city

Claremont

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales: Sale of musical instruments (kalimbas, mbiras, guitars), merchandise (t-shirts, onesies, long sleeves), books (music-related and children's books about music), CDs and vinyl records from various artists including Ben Harper, Ellen Harper, and Putumayo compilations.
2. Music Lessons: Private and group lessons for guitar, banjo, bass, ukulele, mandolin, piano, and voice for students of all ages and skill levels.
3. Instrument Repairs: Repair and restoration services for stringed instruments including vintage American and world instruments. Services include fret work, neck resets, electronics, pickup installation, and re-skinning.
4. Appraisals: Instrument appraisals for insurance replacement value, fair market value, and resale purposes. Fee based on time invested researching and writing the appraisal. Verbal appraisals are free.
5. Concert Events: Concert series featuring local and touring musicians. Ticket prices range from free to $30. Includes monthly open mic nights.
6. Museum Operations: Non-profit educational museum with hundreds of rare and antique musical instruments and artifacts from cultures around the world. Offers field trips and educational programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Folk Music Center is a family-owned retail store that sells folk and world musical instruments (kalimbas, mbiras, guitars, banjos, ukuleles, mandolins), merchandise, music books, vinyl records, and CDs through a Claremont storefront and web store. It complements retail with music lessons for all ages, expert instrument repair and restoration, professional appraisals, a non-profit museum of rare instruments, and a community concert and open mic series.

Product overview

Folk Music Center is a retail music store and museum established in 1958 in Claremont, CA, offering a unified portfolio of products and services centered on folk music. The core offerings include a retail store (physical and web-based) selling instruments, merchandise, books, vinyl, and CDs; music instruction through private lessons and group classes/workshops; a non-profit museum with rare global instruments and artifacts; instrument appraisals; repair/restoration services; and a concert/event series featuring live performances and open mic nights.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Folk Music Center Retail Store Physical and web-based retail store selling musical instruments including kalimbas, mbiras, guitars, banjos, ukuleles, mandolins, as well as branded merchandise, music books, vinyl records, and CDs for musicians and folk music enthusiasts.
• Classes and Lessons Professional music instruction offering group classes, workshops, and private lessons for guitar, banjo, bass, ukulele, mandolin, piano, and voice to students of all ages and skill levels (beginning, intermediate, advanced).
• Folk Music Center Museum Non-profit educational museum featuring hundreds of rare and antique musical instruments and artifacts from cultures around the world, offering field trips, educational programs, and concerts for schools and the public.
• Appraisal Services Professional instrument appraisals for insurance replacement value, fair market value, and resale purposes using IRS fair market value definitions. Verbal appraisals are offered free of charge; written appraisal fees are based on the time invested researching and writing the appraisal.
• Instrument Repair Services Luthier repair and restoration services for vintage American instruments and stringed instruments from around the world, including fret replacement, neck resets, electronics work, pickup installation, re-skinning, and setup of sitars, banjos, mandolins, and violins.
• Concert Series and Events Live music performances and community events including ticketed concerts featuring local and nationally recognized musicians, monthly open mic nights ($2-$3 per person), Tellabration storytelling events, and Musical Medicine sessions with Lloyd Leary ($50 per session).

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• McCabes Guitar ShopminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-presented event venue for Citrus Sisters and Joel Rafael performance at McCabes Guitar Shop in Santa Monica, expanding reach beyond Claremont location.
• Benton Museum of ArtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint presentation of Music at Skyspace event featuring Harris and CJ Harper, combining folk music with art museum programming at Pomona College.
• Dirty OperaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-presentation of events including Souled American and The Disassociation, collaborative programming between music venues.
• Golden Ring (Historical)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic cafe opened in 1965 with Peggy and Al Hulse and Jean and Will Marcotte. One of earliest folk music venues in Southern California, bringing legends like Doc Watson, Gary Davis, John Fahey to Claremont. Operated for 5 years until 1970.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• McCabe's Guitar Shop: Santa Monica institution offering instrument retail, lessons, and a renowned concert series. Directly comparable as a long-running Southern California folk/roots music store with a multi-revenue model and live performance venue.
• Elderly Instruments: Lansing, Michigan-based folk and acoustic instrument retailer offering new, used, and vintage instruments plus lessons and repairs. Comparable in folk-instrument specialization, multi-revenue model, and multi-decade heritage.
• Gruhn Guitars: Nashville vintage and acoustic instrument dealer offering appraisals, sales, and repair. Highly comparable on appraisal expertise, vintage instrument focus, and experienced luthier services.
• Rudy's Music: NYC-based vintage and acoustic instrument shop with a strong celebrity and collector following. Comparable in folk/roots instrument specialization, vintage inventory, and destination-store positioning.
• Norman Brown's Music: Ontario, California-based vintage and acoustic instrument dealer. Comparable regional Southern California positioning with overlap on folk and acoustic instrument sales and vintage inventory.
• Mandolin Bros. Long Island-based vintage and acoustic instrument retailer with strong repair and appraisal services. Comparable in vintage instrument focus, multi-decade heritage, and high-touch luthier expertise.

Broad incumbents

• Sweetwater: Fort Wayne, Indiana-based music gear retailer with extensive lessons, gear, and content offerings. Comparable as a broad music retailer with multi-revenue model, but operates at vastly greater scale across all instrument categories.
• Guitar Center: Largest US multi-brand instrument retailer with national store footprint and lessons. Comparable as a broad instrument retailer, but operates at massive scale across all genres with no folk specialization.

Regional players

• Downey Music Center: Southern California music store offering instruments and lessons, where one of Folk Music Center's instructors also teaches. Comparable as a regional California music retailer with educational offerings.

Others

• Reverb: Online marketplace for new, used, and vintage musical instruments. Comparable as a distribution channel where Folk Music Center sells, and as a competitor for online instrument sales.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@folkmusiccenterandmuseum
• Facebookfacebook.com/ClaremontFolkMusicCenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/folkmusiccenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/folk-music-ctr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Folk Music Center