Instrument shop serves Lakeway musicians

Though its walls are lined with guitars, Music Fox in Lakeway sells a wide range of music equipment including percussion, string, woodwind and brass instruments. The shop also sells amplifiers, mixers and a wide array of accessories. Jose Hernandez, Music Fox owner and manager, said if the store does not carry an item in stock, it can be ordered.

The shop, nestled in the back of Lakeway Plaza at 1310 S. RR 620, Ste. A-13, Lakeway, serves customers that range from middle-aged musicians to middle-schoolers just starting out with an instrument, Hernandez said.

"We get a lot of dads who have three or four guitars in their garage." Hernandez said. "Not many [moms]."

While other music stores tend to specialize in either entry-level or high-end instruments, Music Fox offers a broad spectrum of options, he said.

"Not only do we sell [instruments and equipment], but we also advise customers on selecting the most appropriate instrument for their level. We are looking at creating a long-term relationship with them," Hernandez said.

Hernandez previously was the human resources manager for a General Motors plant in Juarez, Mexico. After being treated for cancer, Hernandez said he was "spiritually and physically" ready for a fresh start. In 2009 he moved his family—himself, a wife and two children—to Austin.

Hernandez said he wanted to start his own business in part to expose his children, now 14 and 19, to the realities of being an entrepreneur.

"[I wanted to show them] how to greet a customer, how to check in merchandise, how to pay an invoice—these things [I didn't] learn in school," he said.

Selling musical instruments was a natural choice for Hernandez, who said his family has been in the music business since 1962.

"You could say I'm third-generation," he said.

Hernandez said his uncle, who is 18 years older than Hernandez's father, opened the first Music Fox in Juarez. His father later got into the business.

The family originally sold recordings including vinyls, then cassettes and, later, CDs, but when the music industry changed in the '90s, the business moved away from recordings to instruments.

Neither Hernandez nor his family members are musicians themselves, but he said that doesn't stop them from offering customer service.

By having a supply of reeds, picks, music stands, and similar accessories readily available, Hernandez said he hopes Music Fox can provide a valuable service to Lakeway parents "so they don't have to drive 40 minutes" to pick up supplies for their children.

"If you buy strings, we'll put them on for free. We [also] do special orders, and if you see a lower price somewhere [else], we'll beat that price by 3 percent," he said.

A sampling of Music Fox merchandise

In addition to offering musical instruments, Music Fox sells a host of accessories.

Popular items include:

• Snark guitar tuners
• Fender guitar labels
• Dunlop guitar picks
• D'Addario guitar strings
• Yamaha keyboards
• Takemine guitars
• Orange amplifiers
• Gretsch drums
• Line 6 amplifiers and pedals

Music Fox, 1310 S. RR 620, Ste. A-13, Lakeway, 512-263-8665, www.mymusicfox.com

• Mon., Wed., Fri. 11 a.m.–7 p.m.
• Tue. and Thu. 3–7 p.m.
• Sat. 10 a.m.–4 p.m.