Wilcutt Guitars
Lexington
Bob Wilcutt, Owner
New lines or brands you’ve taken on with success this year? We already have the major lines – Fender, Martin, Taylor, and so on – so we did some niche things this year like Ruokangas, Ritter basses from Germany, Kamaka ukes from Hawaii, just to round out our portfolio with some quality builders.
Outlook for 2014? I constantly invest in infrastructure in both buildings and in software and databases. So we’re constantly growing in that respect to be better able to handle the changes that will be coming. And I think there will be some big ones coming – for instance, Fender’s decision to start going direct. They’ll still have dealers, but they’re certainly putting their toes in the water.
Evolution in the industry you’re excited about? Another thing that makes me a little different than your average music store is that, when things get out of date, I don’t necessarily blow them out like a lot of people do. I’ll just put them back for awhile and they’ll often do better down the line, especially if it’s a good piece or limited run.
Product of the Year? Fender is really popular this year. It always tends to swing between Fender types and Gibson types and, right now at least, Fender is the king.
Looking Back on 2025: A Year of Controlled Chaos (Emphasis on “Controlled”)