Helping Musicians Make Music Since 1985
Southwest Strings has been serving string musicians, families, educators, and music programs for more than 40 years. From our home in Tucson, Arizona, we’ve grown from a family-owned business into an employee-run company with deep roots in the string community.
Our focus has always been simple: offer quality instruments and accessories at a great value, backed by knowledgeable, personal service.
Rooted in Music
Music isn’t simply what we sell, it’s part of our everyday lives.
Our team includes musicians who perform with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra and other ensembles throughout Southern Arizona, including Tucson Pops, True Concord Voices & Orchestra, Sierra Vista Symphony, and Foothills Philharmonic.
That experience matters. Whether we’re helping a student choose a first violin, assisting an educator with a school program, or working with an experienced performer, our customers are talking to people who understand instruments from both sides of the counter.
And we’ve gone a long way, literally, to build that knowledge. Over the years, members of the Southwest Strings team have traveled more than 2 million miles attending trade shows, visiting workshops, meeting makers, and expanding our expertise.
A Long History of Supporting Music Education
Supporting music education has been part of Southwest Strings from the beginning.
Nearly 40 Years
- Arizona String Teachers Association
30+ Years
- Tucson Mariachi Conference
- Texas Music Educators Association
- Midwest Clinic
10+ Years
- Collaborating with BLUME Haiti
- Mariachi Spectacular
2002 Winter Olympics
Outfitted the Utah Symphony string section; the instruments were later donated to Salt Lake City public schools.
From Tucson to Musicians Everywhere
We launched our first website in 1996, when online shopping was still in its infancy. What began as a Tucson string shop could suddenly serve musicians, teachers, and schools far beyond Arizona.
Today, we continue to serve musicians across the country and around the world while remaining proudly rooted in the city we call home.
Even our building tells part of that story.
The music painted across our outdoor mural is “Blue Bayou,” written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson and famously recorded by Tucson native Linda Ronstadt. The mural, created by Tucson artist Jessica Gonzales, is a small tribute to the musical heritage of our hometown.
More Than an Instrument Shop
Over four decades, a lot has changed: technology, our selection, and the ways musicians shop.
What hasn’t changed is why we’re here.
Behind our website is a team of musicians, music lovers, and experienced staff who want to make it easier for people to learn, teach, perform, and keep music thriving in their communities.
From a child opening an instrument case for the first time to a professional preparing for the next performance, we’re proud to play a small part in what comes next.
Wherever you are in your musical journey, we’re glad to be part of it.
