The Strafford County guitar community has taken hit after hit in recent years. Many longtime local guitar stores are closing, and musicians are finding there are less and less honest, down-to-earth community stores to frequent. But, not if Scot Villeneuve has anything to do about it.
It has been roughly six months since the opening day of Villeneuve’s latest project: Barrington, New Hampshire’s very own guitar store, BigHit Guitars. What started out as just a way to minimize his extensive collection of high-end American-made guitars, in time, has become a community staple for local musicians.
BigHit Guitars was never intended to be such a big hit. Villeneuve had spent the majority of his adult life in media, and has built a successful media and marketing business, BigHit Media. While his media business has seen elevated levels of success over the years, being contracted to do work for people like Turbocam and Granite State Glass, his passion has always lied with music and, more specifically, guitar.
The guitar branch of his store started with humble origins. “I originally started to sell-down my personal collection of 12 guitars. I thought I had too many… and [now] I have sold 96 guitars,” remarked Villeneuve.
His friends noticed these changes too. “I thought we were supposed to downsize not upsize! And one thing led to another and then the “BigHit Guitars” sign went up,” said Rick Beary, longtime friend of Villeneuve.
Villeneuve has always been connected to guitars saying, “I have been passionate about guitars most of my life. I started playing when I was a teenager and I have always been fascinated by guitar music.” However, the guitar stores he went to when he was young were never remotely accommodating to young people. “I felt like, you know, I was bothering the guys there. Sure, it was true. I didn’t have enough money to buy that guitar, but I was saving up for it!”
Villeneuve has never let that experience of feeling unwelcome leave him. “I draw from that experience [when] crafting the experience at BigHit Guitars, because I want it to be welcoming,” said Villeneuve.
This welcoming environment is felt by his customers, including Logan Jabour (‘24), a frequent customer of BigHit Guitars. “It feels a lot more local and personal. Almost everything he sells has stories too it. Plus, [Villeneuve’s] a cool guy, and it feels very casual in his store,” said Jabour.
Villeneuve has also put a lot of time into making sure young people never feel unwelcome in his store. “Even though [Villeneuve] knows I am far too broke to buy a guitar right now, he still welcomes me in and treats me with the same respect he treats everyone else,” said Jayden Madison, a seventeen-year-old guitarist.
There is something to be said about a comfortable environment being better for business. While Villeneuve’s own personal values may play a key role in the way he shapes his business, it is impossible to deny that it does help foster a great business environment. In the store’s short six months of operation, Villeneuve has already sold over 100 guitars, along with several other sales of things like amplifiers and pedals.
“I see a lot of progress being made, and a lot of positivity being spread into the community from this store,” remarked Richard Shepherd, a close friend of Villeneuve.
Villeneuve also commented on the fact that many of Strafford County’s most beloved guitar stores have closed in recent years, which is now having a positive impact on his business. “Leading up to starting, or opening the store, some long-standing area stores closed for various reasons. Some went out of business, some for retirement reasons, and it left a gap in the market.”
One of the many benefits the business has brought him is the ability to possess a multitude of rare and quality guitars. These help to draw in even more people and serve as beautiful focal points throughout the store.
The store does not appear to be slowing down, and Villeneuve expects to break 150 sales by the summer.
– Ian Hilfiker
Mouth of the River 
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