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Tom Bedell, Founder of Two Old Hippies, LLC, is as interesting “cat” as they get. Two Old Hippies, LLC brands include Bedell Guitars, Breedlove Stringed Instruments and Weber Fine Acoustic Instruments.
Following is a brief overview of the impact this man has had in the music industry, specifically with guitars.
Bedell grew up in Iowa in the shadow of his father Berkley Bedell’s fishing tackle business. If you know much about fishing, you will certainly recognize the name Berkley. The elder Bedell was a pioneer in the fishing tackle industry and founder of Berkley and Company — now known as Pure Fishing. Berkley Bedell was inducted into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame in 2018 in ceremonies at the Wonders of Wildlife Museum and National Aquarium in Springfield, MO (hometown of The Acoustic Shoppe).
That’s another story for another time (Google Berkley Bedell if you can’t wait). This story is about the entrepreneurial son Tom.
When Tom was 13, he was already giving guitar lessons at the local music store in Iowa. He soon set up a studio in his parents’ basement. Tom’s dad had an agent in Japan who was sourcing snaps and swivels for his fishing leaders. Tom asked him if he could find a source for guitars that he could sell to his students. The Japanese connection came through and Bedell ordered a shipment of guitars. Tom’s younger sister put “Bedell” logoed decals on them and Tom took them around to local music stores.
His sales were immediate, and brisk. Bedell hired a friend who had a driver’s license to drive him around to sell guitars. He initially brought in 500 guitars. Then 1,000. Then 3,000. Within a brief time, Bedell had a booming wholesale guitar business in the Midwest. When he was 16, he opened his first retail store… and within months a second.
As time went on, Bedell went on to college (including law school). And, of course, he played in a band.
Eventually, Tom began running the family business, Berkely Fishing, which by the late 70s was a major player in the fishing industry with multi-million-dollar sales.
When Bedell sold the fishing tackle business and retired, his entrepreneurial spirit was restless. In 2009, Tom and his wife, Molly, bought the local music store in Aspen, CO. They named it “Two Old Hippies,” after themselves. It was largely a boutique, but it had an acoustic guitar room. Tom started importing guitars again, this time from a company in China called Grand Reward. But he really wanted to design and build his own guitars. He did just that with Bedell Guitars.
In 2010, the Breedlove Guitar company became available. Tom bought it and moved his entire guitar business to the Bend, OR area. He also acquired Weber Fine Acoustic Instruments. This completed his trifecta of Weber Fine Acoustic Instruments, Breedlove Stringed Instruments and Bedell Guitars.
In 2011 Tom and Molly opened a Two Old Hippies Nashville store in the city’s hip Gulch district. They filled it with things they love—guitars, music, clothing, gifts, a performance stage, and a magic bus. It immediately became the destination for everything hip. Unfortunately, the Covid pandemic was too much to sustain, and the store was forced to close in May of 2021.
Bedell is a staunch environmentalist who cares about the impact his business ventures have on this planet. It was instilled in him from the time he was a child. When Bedell was in the fishing industry he served on multiple environmental boards and made sure his impact on the environment was minimal.
His mission has carried over to the guitar business and as they say, “he talks the talk and walks the walk.” He is committed to doing all he can to keep the old growth forests that produce amazing tonewoods happy and healthy. And he backs it up with his actions.
Specifically, no clear-cut woods are used in Breedlove models. Breedlove has made this commitment without making any sacrifice in sound quality, build quality or beauty. Tom and his team have traveled to 15 countries to ensure the compliance of suppliers, to monitor best practices, and to see the forest with their own eyes.
Bedell Guitars has adopted a motto of, “Seed to Song.” Bedell traces back to where the tree grew that goes into making your guitar. In Alaska, for instance, Bedell is salvaging Sitka trees. They never knowingly use any clear-cut trees in any Bedell product. They identify where the log was found. When you get your guitar, you know where the woods in your guitar came from. Where the tree grew. How it was handled and what its lifespan was.
The Acoustic Shoppe has an extensive selection of Bedell, Breedlove and Weber instruments.
We are proud to join Tom Bedell in his mission to promote sustainability for the planet, and specifically tonewoods for fine acoustic instruments. Click this link to watch a message from Tom Bedell about his relationship with the Chapmans and The Acoustic Shoppe.
The Acoustic Shoppe in Springfield, Missouri has been named a Top 100 Dealer eight years in a row by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), the global association of music instruments and pro audio products. The award honors retail music dealers who demonstrate exceptional commitment to their stores, neighborhoods, and customers and share in a vision to create a more musical world through their local communities.
For more information, check out our online store at theacousticshoppe.com, give us a call at 417-720-1223, or stop by our showroom at 1913 E Seminole St. in Springfield, MO.
Resource Links:
Bedell Guitars bedellguitars.com
Breedlove Stringed Instruments breedlovemusic.com
Weber Fine Acoustic Instruments webermandolins.com
https://youtu.be/GNNn9topa8M
