Foxtone Music
Minneapolis
Eric Fox, Owner
Business this year: In 2012, we shifted our focus to synthesizers and studio gear and stopped selling guitars, amps, and drums. Now in 2013, we’re in a new location with better visibility and are seeing sales that have been our best ever since we opened in 2005. So up, way up!
Evolution in the industry you’re excited about? We LOVE our local customers and they show their support. There is still no experience better than being hands-on in a cool shop! We added Ableton to our software lines and Buchla to our hardware. It’s a very exciting time seeing so many brilliant new designs being released. Modular synthesis is growing at an amazing rate. Our hottest selling products for sure are eurorack synth modules with brands like TipTop, Make Noise, and Intellijel leading the way. It reminds me of the boutique guitar pedal market in the early 2000s. We just started adding 360-degree photos of all of our synth modules to the website. The customer can hover their mouse over the image and spin it around to get a good look. This is definitely something that has set us apart by having better images than even the manufacturers themselves.
A worrisome development we see is the inconsistency of MAP enforcement with many vendors. It seems like there is sometimes a double standard. They seem to look the other way when any of the mega online shops breaks policy. It makes it hard for the rest of us to feel good about selling their products when that manufacturer lets their gear get caught up in the “race to the bottom.”
Product of the Year? Buchla Music Easel.
Looking Back on 2025: A Year of Controlled Chaos (Emphasis on “Controlled”)