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Our Purpose - Help our customers smile. Seems so simple, right?

We have worked hard for the last 50 years to help our customers understand their needs and live their dreams.

Understanding the customer's Purpose is Our Purpose
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In 1967, Steve Hanson was working for a local appliance sales and service center, playing guitar in ‘The Kingsmen’ AND teaching guitar for a local music store. The music store focused on school music (band & orchestra). Steve’s passion was guitar and he saw first-hand the second-thought approach taken by the school music dealer towards guitars and amplifiers.

As many others have done in the past, Steve decided to make the leap. It was 1969 when he started teaching guitar full-time in his home (where I grew up) and playing Live Music during the evenings. They did not call it ‘networking’ back then, but Steve knew many musicians who were unhappy with the products offered locally and the lack of service for those products. Steve began to source instruments, amplifiers and the accessories to support the local working musicians and students.

Education has always been our foundation. Steve developed a method for teaching guitar in a class situation.
He credits the great jazz guitarist Johnny Smith with the inspiration to begin teaching in a class situation in 1971.

Steve Hanson opened Hanson Hays Music in 1972. Several years later - the company was incorporated and became SM Hanson Music, Inc.

Located in Salina, Ks.( the Heart of America), SM Hanson Music, Inc. has sold instruments and other products to customers in nearly all of our 50 states.
We have helped thousand's of people (4 to 84 years old) to enjoy music through our lesson program.

Customer satisfaction and confidence in the customer's decision creates their desire to return. We have customers who have shopped with SMH for 50 years.
They want to come back to visit. They Love to visit. And they tell their friends. Please be a part of our Purpose - Rick Hanson.

When we understand Your Purpose, we know Our Purpose.