AUBURN — Musician’s Hub, an independent musical instrument store located at 120 Center St. in Auburn, recently celebrated its grand opening.
A musician since the age of 13, owner Dana Hartwell began tossing around the idea of opening his own business while serving in the U.S. Air Force. After several years of working as a service and business operations manager following his enlistment, Hartwell opened his first location fulfilling a lifelong dream.
With nearly 2,600 square feet of retail floor space and walls lined with equipment, Hartwell hopes his expansive inventory of high-profile product lines and focus on the local music scene create the experience for his customers that he always wanted to feel in a local music store.
“Showrooms will always be important to the music industry,” Hartwell said in a news release. “What we do with the store is provide an experience. The internet has made searching for instruments convenient, but nothing will ever compare to holding various instruments in your hands and being able to ask questions as they arise. Also, knowing you have a place to turn for support offers peace of mind that you don’t get when purchasing through an online retailer.”
Equipped with many of the latest products for musicians including guitars, basses, amplifiers, PA gear, vocal accessories, percussion instruments and accessories, lesson books and more, the showroom also features a repair workshop for stringed instruments and two near-soundproof rooms for lessons and personalized acoustic guitar demos.
Frustrated with distracted customer service representatives and lack of connection with many of the music box chain locations, Hartwell decided to take the modern music store model and throw it away.
“Here, it’s not about the gear, the brand, or what corporate wants you to push today,” said Hartwell. “It’s about community, what customers want, and how we can work together to create the best music possible.”
Hartwell highlighted the customized features of a small business focused on supporting local musicians by showcasing their CDs and merchandise at the front of the store and online.
“Everything starts local,” said Hartwell. “From the casual player to bands celebrating national success, Musician’s Hub will be here to support them every way that it can.”
He plans to develop the general band merchandise side of the business in order to draw a greater number of casual customers who, although may not play an instrument, are interested in being exposed to different types of music genres.
“The industry has been through some major challenges in the face of internet giants and big box music outlets,” said Hartwell. “Howev- er, the feel of walking into a local store where there is a ton of cool gear, no high pressure sales tactics and a staff interested in working with the musician to find the best gear possible is something the box stores cannot compete with.”
For musicians playing a set within the Auburn, Lewiston and surrounding areas, Hartwell provides a direct line staffed 24 hours a day in case they forget any equipment or experience mechanical difficulties after hours.
“We’re here to redefine what people expect from a retail music store,” said Hartwell. “Once the word gets out that in addition to all of this we also have incredibly competitive pricing, I think the business will really take off. And when it does, it will put us in a position to start giving back to the community and the musicians. That’s all I’ve ever really wanted to do.”
Musician’s Hub is open Monday through Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday by appointment only. Musician’s Hub can be found at www.mymusicianshub.com or call 333-6700.
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