About Fat Sound Guitars
Fat Sound Guitars: Tone Consultants.
"The aphorism 'it’s not the destination, but the journey that counts' is a well worn one, and a lesson that can be applied to any life situation. When looking back at the history of Fat Sound thus far, this old wisdom applies perfectly. More than a means to an end or part of some master plan for Fat Sound's success, Fat Sound has made consulting with customer's to help them achieve their idea of The Perfect guitar tone as well as helping new or undiscovered manufacturers to reach their target audience the two primary goals all of us at Fat Sound have worked tirelessly towards. Working with each client to customize their sound as well as using our market presence to create success stories for small, talented builders of guitars, amplifiers and effects has become an opportunity and a privilege here at Fat Sound, and I’d like to thank all of our customers for helping us realize these opportunities."
-Stu Carter, owner Fat Sound Guitars
Fat Sound Guitars: A 'Boutique' Guitar Shop Pioneer...
Fat Sound was one of just a handful of revolutionary shops founded in the early 90's with a focus on representing the budding cottage industry that would become known as Boutique Guitar Gear. For a historical timeline reference this was at a time when established music shops were viewing the newly launched 'Musician's Friend' catalog as such a severe threat that it quite possibly heralded the end of the walk-in, MI Retail Industry.
When we opened our doors in 1993 there were fewer than a dozen companies, mostly one-man shops, building hand-wired amplifiers, Mike Fuller of Fulltone Effects, 'The Father of the Boutique Effects Pedal' craze had just started building his true-bypass effects in his garage using hand-painted, 'project' housings like they used to sell at Radio Shack and the number of guitar builders that existed outside of the corporate mainstream was in the single digits. There were no internet guitar forums, stainless steel frets hadn't been invented yet, very few players knew the difference between Point-to-Point and PCB amp construction and 'cone cry' was still considered a good thing!
Very few of our friends and family thought we had any chance of success with such a heavy focus on guitar gear that most players didn't even know.....or care.....existed. The understandable fear was that product offerings were too few and the degree of consumer education needed to create an active market too great. Naysayers were, in retrospect, probably right given the current circumstances of the industry, but with the introduction of e-commerce a few years after we opened and the resultant explosion of boutique amp, guitar and effects builders it turned out that our timing was perfect!
Besides being among the very first shops founded specifically to expose players to this new cottage industry of higher-quality guitar gear, we've also gained a reputation as consultants to manufacturers having had a hand in the actual development of some of the most in-demand amplifiers and guitars currently available.
Our position in the industry has afforded us the privilege of playing a role in the success stories of a long list of companies such as Dr Z, Germino, Sommatone, Swart and Xits Amplifiers, Klon and Fulltone Effects as well as Grosh and MotorAve Guitars.
Unlike today's typical and increasingly prolific self-serve superstores or the seemingly even more common piano-and-band-instrument-rental-shop turned boutique, we offer an extremely knowledgeable staff with decades of experience truly specializing in American made, low production, high-end guitar gear and a friendly, non-egotistical vibe. While the Fat Sound staff consists of experienced, working musicians we're not Rock Stars and we'll never act as if we are! We're here to serve you!
We are dedicated to carrying the absolute best guitars, amps and effects available. A quick look at our list of exclusive lines as well as the number of now iconic lines that we brought to market or had a hand in bringing to market demonstrates just how serious we are about guitar tone. Just like you, we're afflicted with Gear Acquisition Syndrome, are extremely passionate about guitar tone and remain diligently on the lookout for great new products to help bring to the marketplace.
Fat Sound Guitars also offers the very best in entry-level guitar gear from the PRS SE line, Fender, the Canadian built Godin acoustic lines Simon & Patrick, Art & Lutherie, Seagull and Norman, Roland, Vox and BOSS for those just starting out or looking for excellent quality on a budget.
We were founded in 1993 on the belief that guitar shops should be staffed by knowledgeable, experienced guitar junkies who are expert at qualifying the needs of the client and making informed recommendations that cut to the chase and are more effective than endless, internet "research". We are dedicated to making shopping for guitar equipment on the internet or at our walk-in location in Cary, NC fun, easy, and rewarding.
Our website was launched in 1996 as one of the very first guitar store websites and is well established as one of the best-known, premier guitar websites in the world with honest and informative reviews, competitive pricing, class leading photography and exceptional video demonstrations to match the stellar quality of the gear we carry.
Yes, it seems we love everything we sell, but that's because we refuse to carry products we are not truly excited about and inspired by just to make a buck and we absolutely believe in the quality of tone and build of every line we offer. We turn down about 30 product lines for every 1 we decide to sell.
Here is just a fraction of what we offer you...
- The best in hand-chosen, carefully selected guitar equipment
- Competitive pricing
- Tone Consulting.....something we pride ourselves on and that we strive to do better than anyone else in the industry
- Knowledgeable and friendly staff that cares as much about your tone as you do
- Quick & safe shipping
- 3 day, money back trial period*
- In store full-service guitar repair and setup by master luthier Mark Kane
- In store lessons from our highly trained teaching staff
- And much more!!!
Nobody lives, eats and sleeps guitar equipment more than we do (emails are frequently answered from 6am until 2am by Fat Sound's owner) and we would like a chance to prove it to you. We take your tone just as seriously as you do. Stop by, call or e-mail us. We look forward to meeting you.
*Trial period applies to in-stock items or items already on order. If you are unsure about whether your purchase qualifies just ask and we'll be happy to answer any questions you have.
Our Philosophy Regarding Audio Clips:
We know that the marketplace demands clips these days (and we enjoy recording them!) and if you don't have a shop near you where you can check out all of the cool gear then clips may be something you rely on to help determine which products might work best for you.
However, all guitarists have their own, unique tone in their hands. Some play lightly, some aggressively, some play very dynamically while others are like human compressors. Some players have a brighter attack while others have a warmer attack. Because of this, we have seen over and over again that what sounds great in the hands of one player just doesn't work as well for another player.
We are also really big into the *feel* of an amplifier and that's something you'll never be able to experience via a sound clip. The taste of a great steak is one thing, but imagine if you couldn't smell it on the grill or on your plate. Same thing with amps; without the feel only one of the two vital senses is being utilized and a big part of the equation is missing. While you may never be able to experience the feel of an amplifier via the internet the entire Fat Sound staff is well versed in the lexicon of explaining this feel via the telephone or email.
So, check out the clips, enjoy them and hopefully they will be of some assistance, but be aware that in many instances we can help you far better by speaking with you in person and helping you qualify what you are looking for. You can do endless "research" on the internet, but speaking to one of the professionals at Fat Sound who knows these products inside and out is still, we are convinced, your smartest move. We were qualifying people's needs over the phone for years before guitar forums and broadband connections existed and have a well deserved reputation for being able to listen to the needs of our clients and making the right recommendation the first time.
