Left: The Fellowship of the Acoustics’ CEO Coen Bults. Right: A 1958 Chevrolet Del Rey adorns the showroom, offering a gleaming nod to mid-century Americana amid guitars of a similar era.
As the appetite for second-hand instruments surges in Europe, The Fellowship of Acoustics is reshaping itself to meet the demand, most notably with the launch of its own Fellowship Auctions, designed to connect collectors and players across Europe. — By Kimberly Kapela
T he Fellowship of Acoustics (TFOA) has its finger firmly on the pulse of guitar trends. As demand for used instruments has increased across Europe, the shop has embraced the shift with open arms. What began as a small passion project in a barn in Bergentheim, the Netherlands, has since blossomed into one of Holland’s most beloved destinations for guitarists, housing everything from vintage acoustics and electrics to mandolins, ukuleles and banjos. Now, with players gravitating towards second-hand instruments, TFOA is evolv- ing once again by launching its very own Fellowship Auctions to connect guitar lovers and collections across Europe. In 2023 alone, the European musical in- strument market generated approximately $3.58 billion USD in revenue, with projec- tions climbing to more than $5.9 billion USD by 2030. A significant share of that growth stems from second-hand sales, as players turn towards pre-loved guitars for their af- fordability and background. Recognizing this momentum, TFOA has adapted its business to meet the needs of musicians. “We’ve been reshaping our company to
better facilitate the second-hand markets,” said Coen Bults, CEO of TFOA. “One of the things we’ll be starting soon is The Fellow- ship Auctions. This will be a new company in November, because we see more and more people with larger collections wanting to sell them, and we are not able to buy them because it’s too much. There are too many guitars out there. With the auction company, we hope we can reach more people.” This move feels natural for a shop rooted in community. “Music-wise, we’re seeing an interesting shift,” Bults said, adding that, while brands like Gibson, Fender and Martin remain be- loved staples, a growing number of players are gravitating toward boutique brands. “Collings Guitars and Iris Guitars are performing really well on the acoustic side, and for electrics, brands like Novo and Lowden are catching a lot of attention.” Bults said musicians are currently looking for instruments with unique character, and the boutique scene delivers that, and even big brands taking notice. “It’s funny to see,” Bults said. “because you see the larger manufacturers jumping on
that trend as well. Offset models are especially popular right now, so brands are producing more than they used to.” Tapping into the growing appetite for boutique and offset guitars, Dutch builder Kaufman is also making waves in collabora- tion with Eastman. “They use a lot of Polonia, and it’s very popular among younger guitarists because of the price point,” Bults explained. “It’s way more favorable than a Fender Custom Shop, but you get that Fender Custom Shop feel.” CHANGING MARKETS Even as guitar trends — from historic heavy hitters to boutique newcomers, and new mod- els to pre-loved instruments — gain popularity across Europe, President Trump’s executive order introducing new tariffs earlier this year created a challenge ripple in operations for many MI businesses. The move sparked concern among manufacturers and retail- ers alike, triggering market fluctuations and widespread debate. “For us, it was quite a ride,” Bults said. “We all felt the commotion around the tariffs, but in the end, the European Union didn’t
42 I MUSIC INC. I NOVEMBER 2025
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