ABOUT US

A Family Business

Soul City Sound started in 2019 as a personal passion project for founder, Ben Popp. A gigging guitar player throughout college, he contracted a bad case of gear acquisition syndrome and began buying and selling guitars, pedals, and amps at unhealthy rates. He realized the fun he was having throughout that process was not derived from the gear itself, but from the customer outreach and community building that came with establishing and maintaining a store. He quickly discovered he could not expand the operation alone, and recruited the most business-minded individual he knows, his father Van.

Ben Popp

Founder & President

Ben is currently a graduate student at the University of Chicago, studying anthropology. Aside from his studies, Ben is an active gigging musician with a passion for high quality gear!

Van Popp

Chief Financial Officer

Van is a senior supply chain analyst in the medical industry with over two decades of accounting and supply chain experience.

OUR VALUES

Craft

We work with manufacturers that produce instruments, effects, and accessories with passion.

Quality

If we carry a piece of gear, then we personally vouch for its sonic quality and physical durability. 

Community

We seek to connect musicians to the gurus of tone who produced their gear, fostering a strong sense of community.

We want our customers to know where their gear comes from, and to get to know the passionate craftsmen behind their purchase. We understand gear like the farm-to-table and fair-trade movements understand food. We treat each sale as a bond with the customer guaranteeing our belief in the quality and value of the product. 

1.5

Years in Business

500+

Happy Customers

11

Quality Brands