Guitar gear stores can no longer survive off of Fender Strat sales but don’t worry, FRET12 may have the solution.
Supporting small businesses in the guitar and music industry is one of the primary goals of Guitars For Idiots. If you’re a repeat reader you probably already know this, as the site has transitioned to only doing demos and reviews for independent gear builders, while frequently covering small businesses in the gear space. The plan for 2026 is no different and our first business profile of the year focuses on Chicago-based FRET12, a mixed media storefront that brings guitar gear and musical experiences together, as they should be.
The concept is relatively simple in concept but tricky to pull off in practice – make a guitar store that’s more than just a guitar store. When done correctly you end up with an incredible location that can become the center of a town or city’s culture, like the Melody Maker up in Clinton, Mass. FRET12 seems to be accomplishing this very thing, mixing homegoods, artwork, apparel, and of course, a curated guitar gear experience in Chicago.
Owner & Found Dan Tremonti Wants To Bring People Together
Dan described it best when he said “we’re a music culture brand fully immersed in guitar and live music, it’s like a back alley entrance into everything music”. To succeed in the era of online shopping through Amazon or Reverb, brick and mortar guitar stores need to be something more than just a guitar store, something Dan understands.
“We built this business in 2008 on providing insider access to content. That is interviews, documentaries, we started with a series called ‘the sound and the story’. At the time I thought why aren’t people at the height of their career taking the time to tell their stories? We’re really big champions of music, we’re immersed in the scene. I don’t think you can be more immersed than being a music venue. That’s pretty unique about our brand, we’re not just a retail store.”
Right off the bat this got my attention as the thought of going to see a local band and shop for guitar pedals seems like one of the cooler ideas for a guitar-based business out there. They also have been cutting their own clothing and making their own candles, with the “green room” candle being inspired by life on the road. I honestly can’t think of anywhere else selling candles inspired by tour buses and venues.
Get To Gear Already
While there’s more to talk about regarding the FRET12 experience I do want to highlight the awesome guitar gear that they sell. FRET12 is one of many guitar stores that are creating the concept of a curated shopping experience. This is not far off from The Melody Maker or fellow Chicago-based Black Bobbin, where the stores carry specifically selected guitars, pedals, amps, and other goods as opposed to just selling the most recognizable brands you’d see at Guitar Center. FRET12 features exclusive collaborative pedals from Earthquaker Devices as well as boutique guitars from local builder Furlan guitars. There’s also an impressive selection of PRS Guitars (you may even find a signature model for Dan’s brother Mark Tremonti) and they have a rather nice Aluminati Orion up for grabs! The idea is this is where you come to find exciting or unique gear of a certain level of quality, as opposed to finding more generic products.
Meet The String Thing
“If you could have the strings off of the studio recording of some old record, what’s that worth to you? I was at a show side stage talking to a tech who was restringing a guitar and when he opened his drawer it was full of coiled up strings with gaff tape on them, with whatever venue and date. He said ‘these are all the strings, I collect them, it’s my thing’. Right away I thought about the responsible handling of them and then the collectibility of them. If I could get Kirk Hammett’s strings from Madison Square Garden that would probably be worth a lot of money, right? So I took some of the strings and just started wrapping them around an old action figure. It kind of became FRET12’s mascot. Don’t throw away those strings and let them end up in a landfill or the String Thing’s gonna come for you”.
I see the String Thing as sort of a cool mascot for fandom, a way to recycle and record either your own achievements or those of a favorite musician. Used guitar strings are such a useless thing when you think about it and they’re just tossed out and stuck in landfills. The String Thing lets you upcycle those by wrapping them around this action figure of sorts, creating a momento to a specific gig or recording session. It may seem silly at first, but I see it as a cool way to memorialize a moment in guitar playing time. If you’re the kind of collector or historian who sees value in upcycling guitar strings, the String Thing may be for you.
Support Small Businesses And Your Local Music Scene
Regardless of what you think about the String Thing, PRS Guitars, or store-exclusive EQD pedals, FRET12 is a great example of how a small business can be a vital part of a local music scene. Gear store, create platform, and music venue all house in one location is a pretty damn good sales pitch in my opinion, and if I lived in Chicago I would be spending quite a bit of time here. Guitar stores used to be these safe havens for spending time, and the online shopping revolution up ended so many wonderful mom and pop stores and local haunts. Places like FRET12 are finally recapturing that magic, albeit with much more to offer than just a roof over your head. As always, I look forward to finding and exploring more and more small businesses like this and hope you get a kick out of it too!
Article Disclaimer: When I cover small businesses like these I don’t charge any monetary fee or receive anything in return for my coverage. These projects are done as a sort of passion project made possible by you reading, sharing, and clicking on any affiliate links I have scattered throughout my website. Please consider supporting small businesses like FRET12 and this website!
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