Meet Sunir Patel

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sunir Patel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sunir, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I was born in New York, raised in Ohio, went to school in Arizona, and ended up in California while working for Fender. I was fortunate to have parents that supported my interest in music as a teenager, and also installed a serious work ethic. My mom is an artist and my dad is an engineer, very business-minded. I got the best of both worlds from them. That directly impacted what I do today – there’s an artistic, fun side to owning a guitar store, but it is a real business that has to be run like one. Having the passion and drive for it has paid off.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve been in the musical instrument industry for over 20 years – the first 15 at Fender, and since 2018 at Truetone. I started at Fender at the very bottom, in a customer service role in the Parts Department, eventually moving to Inside Sales. After 7 years in the office in Scottsdale, I hit the road in Southern California as a District Sales Manager. It was a true “lifestyle” job, always on the go, in & out of hotels. I loved it but then an opportunity arose – the chance to become the co-owner of one of my favorite dealers, Truetone Music. I took a massive risk to do it, and have been working hard at it every day since. It hasn’t been easy, especially since we had to climb out of a hole, rebuild the brand, culture and entire operation, modernize everything, and do it all on shoestring budget. We then had to deal with the pandemic, and more recently, the relocation of the business. Since I came in, we’ve completed changed who we are and how we operate – and what I’m proudest about is that we’ve done it with our own crew.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
It’s Southern California, so of course the ocean – I would suggest cruising up Pacific Coast Highway, starting in Santa Monica, heading north, driving around the canyons, and getting lunch at Malibu Seafood. From there, you can keep going, up to Oxnard, Ventura and Santa Barbara – there isn’t much better of a drive than that.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would dedicate it to our crew here at Truetone. They’ve stuck through it, through the ups and downs. This place was nearly over, and they stayed to give me a chance to come in and try to turn it around. As we started to, the pandemic began. Then a riot hit Santa Monica. Then we had to relocate and go a long time without a store. They’ve held on the entire time. You can buy gear, you can have a location, you can do a lot of things – but you can’t create a vibe without the people, and our people are what Truetone is all about. I woud also give a shoutout to our loyal customer base – the regulars that come to the store to hang, regularly support us, and help make Truetone what it is. Without them, we are nothing.

Website: https://www.truetonemusic.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truetone_music

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/truetonemusiconline/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/truetone-music-santa-monica

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruetoneMusicOnline 

Image Credits
Matt Abrams