FEATURE STRING SWING
From left: Travis Thieman, Anne Tainter and Paul Thieman
Hanging tough T
Since introducing the guitar hanger to the world, String Swing has grown into an accessories powerhouse, offering an ever-growing range of display products for end-users and dealers. Adam Savage visited its Wisconsin-based facility and came back with this report…
he world is full of people with great ideas, but quite often the best ideas come from those
looking to create a solution to the simplest of life’s problems. Paul Thieman, founder of accessories specialist String Swing (distributed in the UK by JHS), is one of those people. Back when he was a dairy farmer and musician in the 1980s, he became fed up with having to pack away his guitar when done playing and so went about coming up with a way to keep his guitar within easy reach using nothing but leftover materials from around the farm. What then started off as a straightforward guitar hanger – the CC01, which remains its most successful product – evolved into a thriving business that makes display equipment for virtually every instrument out there. This not only makes the brand popular with guitarists and other musicians; it‘s also allowed the company to cater for the
20 July 2012
dealers themselves, and on a large scale. “We’re able to outfit an entire store,
whereas other companies would only be able to offer the service for guitars, for example,” says Thieman. “We strive to build the best quality display products. There are a lot of things you can hang a guitar on, but nothing else of the same quality.” Other than solid construction, simplicity is perhaps one of the String Swing hanger’s biggest strengths. Consisting of a yoke that pivots to cradle the guitar’s headstock and a hardwood block that fixes to a wall or a metal plate designed for slat wall use, the company’s main product is far from complex, but there’s no need for it to be when a main selling points is ease-of-use. He may only be a couple of years older than the company itself, but Paul’s son and String Swing’s vice president, Travis, has also seen the firm go from a small-time manufacturer to a global force in the
accessories market over the last 25 years – one that is still on the up, it seems. “Last year we had a record breaking year
– all we’ve ever known is growth. We’re filling a need that was there for customers large and small, and now we have millions of people using our products all over the world,” states Travis. Completing the family trio at the top of
the String Swing hierarchy is Anne Tainter – Travis’ mother and Paul’s ex wife. Although she carries the title of executive secretary, she plays as big a role in the running of the company as the Thiemans. “The company wouldn’t exist without her as she’s involved in everything. She’s the genius behind the company,” said Paul. Speaking of that massive customer base, it appears that end users don’t just spend the cash; they help out in other ways. “Half our product ideas come from customers,” reveals Travis. “We always read our reviews and take it on board when they say ‘have you tried this?’ That’s where
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