Fret 12

What Fret 12 does

FRET12 is a privately held, Chicago-based music culture brand founded in 2008 that operates a hybrid direct-to-consumer e-commerce and physical retail business targeting guitarists, music enthusiasts, and independent artists. The company sells a curated portfolio spanning electric and acoustic guitars from authorized dealer brands PRS, Furlan, and Aluminati (priced $729-$5,540), boutique guitar pedals, amps, strings, parts, and accessories, alongside branded apparel (graphic tees $36-$40, hoodies $84), home goods (candles, art prints by Daniel Tremonti at $190, books, vinyl), and a co-branded coffee line with Metric Coffee. The technology foundation is a Shopify-powered online storefront integrated with a retail POS, supporting a single physical shop embedded inside the Salt Shed music venue at 1357 N Elston Ave in Chicago, which is open Fridays, Saturdays, and during Salt Shed concert nights.

The business model is multi-streamed and transaction-based, with no disclosed subscription or recurring revenue mechanics. Revenue is generated through one-time unit sales across apparel, guitar supply, home goods, and a $9.95 digital video instruction series called The Sound and The Story. Go-to-market is product-led with monthly product drops ("new drop every the 12th"), community-led through the FRET12 Sessions live performance series at Salt Shed, and event-driven through partnerships such as ROCK 95.5 Sonic Sessions and The Maine pop-ups. Customer segments include active guitarists, music culture enthusiasts, independent artists seeking merchandising and performance opportunities, and lifestyle consumers purchasing music-themed home decor.

The company is independently owned with no disclosed external funding, operates with 1-10 employees, and serves only the United States market. Its principal differentiators are its Chicago music-culture positioning, the curated-not-warehouse retail model, exclusive collaborations (notably with EarthQuaker Devices), the String Thing guitar-string upcycling collection, and the embedded retail presence inside a working music venue. No revenue, headcount trends, or growth metrics are publicly disclosed.

Name

Fret 12

Legal name

FRET12

Website

https://fret12.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Musical Instruments & Lifestyle Retail

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 Accessories & Consumables Retail (Strings, Reeds, Sticks, Cables) (CRALAEAE), Pro Audio & Recording Equipment Retail (MI-adjacent) (CRALAEAC), Online-Only Musical Instrument & Sheet Music Retail (CRALAEAI)

Keywords

• Musical instrument retail
• Music lifestyle apparel
• Guitar accessories
• Guitar instruction content
• Music merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Apparel and Merchandise: One-time transaction sales of graphic tees, hoodies, hats, jackets, and bags. Core revenue stream featuring branded music culture apparel with prices ranging from $36-$190.
2. Guitar Supply: Curated selection of electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitars, and guitar accessories (straps, strings, pedals, amps, parts). Guitar prices range from $729-$5,540, creating high-ticket revenue.
3. Art and Home Goods: Sale of giclée art prints ($190), candles ($64-$74), books, magazines, and vinyl records. Handcrafted in Chicago candles and curated publications complement the music culture lifestyle brand.
4. Guitar Instruction Content: The Sound and The Story video series featuring in-depth guitar instruction and tutorials from influential guitarists. Digital content products priced at $9.95 each.
5. Coffee and Consumables: Metric Coffee collaboration featuring roasts like 'En Masse' and 'Big Riff' at $20 per bag. Complementary consumable product line.
6. FRET12 Sessions and Events: Live music sessions and events at Salt Shed venue creating experiential marketing and community engagement, with free shipping offered during concert nights.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

FRET12 is a Chicago-based music culture brand that sells a curated selection of electric and acoustic guitars, amps, pedals, strings, and accessories from premium brands (PRS, Furlan, Aluminati, EarthQuaker Devices), alongside its own branded apparel (graphic tees, hoodies, hats, jackets, bags), original giclée art prints by Daniel Tremonti, handcrafted Chicago candles, Metric Coffee collaboration roasts, curated books and vinyl, and paid digital guitar instruction videos under The Sound and The Story series. Operations run through a Shopify e-commerce storefront combined with a physical retail shop inside the Salt Shed music venue.

Product overview

FRET12 is a Chicago-based music culture brand and e-commerce platform operating as a unified offering with multiple interconnected product categories. The core product portfolio centers on guitar supply (electric and acoustic guitars from PRS, Furlan, and Aluminati; amps; pedals; strings; parts and accessories; and tech gear), complemented by a strong apparel line (graphic tees, hoodies, hats, jackets, button-ups, bags, and guitar straps). The brand extends into lifestyle and home goods including handcrafted candles, coffee in partnership with Metric Coffee, curated books and magazines, vinyl, and original art prints by Daniel Tremonti. Content offerings include The Sound and The Story video instruction series and FRET12 Sessions live performance recordings. A unique differentiator is the String Thing Collection featuring guitar string upcycling products. The brand operates a physical retail location inside The Salt Shed music venue and collaborates with partners like EarthQuaker Devices on exclusive products. All products are either designed/created in Chicago or carefully curated by the FRET12 team.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FRET12 Records: A record label/merchandise collection under the FRET12 brand featuring vinyl and music-related products.
• String Thing
• The Sound and The Story
• FRET12 Sessions

Products and services

• Guitars (Electric & Acoustic)

Quantifiable outcome

• New product drops monthly (every 12th)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 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

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EarthQuaker DevicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration with EarthQuaker Devices, a boutique pedal manufacturer. Products include F-Bomb Collection and FRET12 x EarthQuaker Devices Custom Hoof Pedal. Art prints and t-shirts in the collaboration collection featuring EQD branding and FRET12's Fuzz design.
• Metric CoffeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChicago-based specialty coffee roaster partnership. Exclusive FRET12-designed coffee products including 'En Masse' medium roast and 'Big Riff' dark roast. Products feature FRET12 branding and are sold in the shop and online.
• PRS GuitarscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized PRS dealer offering SE, S2, and Core models including Tremonti signature guitars, Silver Sky, Custom 24, Hollowbody, Studio, and Vela. Products include limited editions like 35th Anniversary Custom 24.
• Furlan GuitarscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCurated selection of Furlan Guitars including LP-style, Super Strat, T-Style, J-Style Bass, and Non-Reverse Firebird models. Quality boutique-style instruments.
• Aluminati GuitarsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized dealer for Aluminati Guitars including the Orion Eclipse model. Aluminum-necked innovative guitar designs.
• ROCK 95.5coreGTM or Marketing PartnerRadio partnership for Sonic Sessions series - bringing ROCK 95.5's in-studio concert series into the FRET12 shop. Featured artists include Ryan Perdz, Return to Dust, and The Funeral Portrait.
• The MaineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPop-up event partnership celebrating album 'Joy Next Door'. Two-day event with exclusive merchandise, fan interactions before sold-out show.
• Daniel TremonticoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtist collaboration featuring Daniel Tremonti's artwork on giclée prints, including F-Bomb, Mariachi Rider, Analog, and String Thing designs. Art prints sold at $190.
• Salt Shed Music VenuecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost venue for FRET12 retail shop. Located inside Salt Shed at 1357 N Elston Ave. Provides concert-night shipping benefits and access to shop for ticket holders.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Wildwood Guitars: Boutique guitar retailer carrying premium brands (including PRS and Fender Custom Shop) with strong content, demos, and curated selection. Closely mirrors FRET12's authorized-dealer model with premium brands and content-led merchandising.
• Reverb: Online marketplace for new, used, and vintage musical instruments, especially guitars and pedals. Directly comparable to FRET12's guitar and pedal assortment, with overlapping DTC and content-driven community features, though Reverb operates as a multi-seller marketplace rather than a single-brand curator.
• Chicago Music Exchange: Chicago-based guitar retailer specializing in vintage, used, and new instruments with deep curation and a strong brand identity. Highly comparable to FRET12 given shared Chicago base, curated guitar assortment, and cultural positioning aimed at enthusiast players.
• Third Man Records: Jack White-founded music culture brand spanning records, apparel, art, and live events with a physical venue in Nashville. Strongly comparable to FRET12's music-culture lifestyle positioning, vinyl/apparel/art mix, and venue-driven brand experience.
• Rudy's Music: NYC-based boutique guitar shop known for premium, vintage, and rare instruments with strong artist/celebrity clientele. Comparable to FRET12's premium authorized-dealer positioning and curated guitar culture.
• Elderly Instruments: Long-established independent musical instrument retailer offering new and used instruments, accessories, and repairs. Comparable to FRET12 in independent-retail DNA and guitar/accessory assortment, with a similar community-trust positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Sweetwater Sound: One of the largest US online musical instrument retailers, offering guitars, amps, pedals, and accessories with strong content and customer service. Comparable to FRET12 in core product mix (guitars, amps, pedals) but operates at vastly larger scale and lacks FRET12's curated apparel/art/venue-retail model.
• Guitar Center: Largest US brick-and-mortar musical instrument retailer carrying guitars, amps, pedals, and accessories. Comparable product breadth but very different positioning — mass-market vs. FRET12's curated, music-culture-led brand experience.
• Sam Ash Music: Multi-category musical instrument retailer with broad guitar, amp, and accessory assortment across physical and online channels. Overlaps with FRET12's core categories but at much larger scale and without the curated apparel/art/venue hybrid.

Emerging players

• D'Addario: Leading string and accessory manufacturer with growing direct-to-consumer retail (including Planet Waves and D'Addario Woodwinds). Comparable to FRET12 on the accessories/strings side and a potential vertical competitor as it expands DTC beyond strings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fret12
• YouTubeyoutube.com/fret12
• Facebookfacebook.com/FRET12
• Instagraminstagram.com/fret12
• TikToktiktok.com/@frettwelve

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Fret 12