Gareth Hunt
Oral History Information
Gareth Hunt is the Managing Director of Soundcontrol, a musical instrument retailer located in England. As a young boy, he played in a traveling band on guitar. In fact, his father was his roadie and driver (after all, it was before Gareth could drive himself). As a player, Gareth could call on his friend who had a small retail store to buy the bands equipment. The owner hired Gareth in 1980. During this time, the store expanded to include a larger number of product lines and soon opened a second store in Sheffield, England. By the 1990s, there were 11 stores and, as a chain, they were renamed the Academy of Sound. In 2004, Soundcontrol bought the chain and renamed the stores, which was an easy transition for many of the customers as both companies had the same loyalty and dedication to service.