Welcome to the new look Swee Lee
Since 1946, we have been serving the Singapore music community by supporting customers with their musical instrument needs. Over the past decade we have grown from a home-grown Singaporean brand to a regional leader supplying customers throughout South East Asia with the best brands and products to fuel their musical journeys. From musical instruments to vinyl, graphic tees to multi-concept social spaces, we’ve evolved to meet the needs of anyone who’s into music, whether they’re a musician, fan or music enthusiast.
While we’ve certainly come a long way, we remain as passionate and dedicated to excellence as we were on day one. With so much owed to the generations of music lovers who have walked through our doors, we’re committed to keeping the spirit of connection and expression alive. From today, you will notice some changes starting to take place within our spaces – starting with our website. Showcasing our modern new brand identity, our fresh look represents the next evolution of Swee Lee and expresses our vision to be South East Asia’s most trusted house of music and expression.
This identity refresh marks the first milestone in a series of updates that will span the physical, digital and social worlds where we meet our customers, and is all part of our drive to continually raise the bar and exceed the expectations of our customers – present and future.
Celebrating 75 Years of Swee Lee
In 1946, Swee Lee opened its first store at the iconic Capitol Theatre in Singapore. It began with supplying brass and woodwind instruments to the military. Then came guitars and drums.
And today, Swee Lee has grown into Asia’s leading multi-brand retailer anchored in music. From distributing the biggest brands in music to a music academy and multi-concept social spaces, Swee Lee has championed innovation and change to meet the needs of music lovers at any stage of their journey.
We’ve come a long way, and our passion for music burns as strong as ever. But one thing is for sure – we’re only here today because of your support for the past 75 years. You who bought your first guitar here as a teenager. You who learned your first chords at our academy. You who spent your free time browsing the instruments on our walls. On behalf of the Swee Lee Family, we thank you.
The story of Swee Lee, Singapore’s musical gem that keeps on giving
Singapore's only indie music station and undying champion of all things local had its swan song in September 2012 when Swee Lee Music was bought over by Kuok Meng Ru. But trust them to leave with a bang, they featured the A to Z's of musicians, artists, companies and brands because Lush Loves Local, culminating in 12 solid hours of live music in the lead up to the end of transmission on Sep 1. But that isn't the end for local music. There's another supporter in Singapore who's been quietly gearing our well-loved musicians with all the right equipment for the past 71 years.
Now touted as Asia's largest distributor of instruments and audio equipment, Swee Lee Music first began as a pure distribution business back in the day with only a few showrooms, serving as Singapore's go-to brand for musical instruments. This humble music company supplied brass and woodwind instruments to the British military band back in 1946 when it was founded after World War II. As current Managing Director Kuok Meng Ru (or more lovingly known as Meng to most), who acquired the business back in 2012, puts it, the core priority for Swee Lee at that point. From his perspective, he felt like there were a lot of aspects of the business that needed to change to benefit the consumers, so he banked on the company's strength and knowledge of the local music retail scene, primarily on guitar and bass, which he said was great position to build from. He shares what has changed ever since he took over as the head honcho, thoughts on the local music scene and how he plans to take the company further. What does it mean to be the Managing Director of Swee Lee evolved over the last five years! Taking over an established business in 2012, I felt it was incredibly important to first properly understand the business. I was extremely hands-on with all areas including working on the shop floor at the very beginning as well as building up supplier relationships and developing purchase, product and marketing strategies for our brands. Today, I'm proud to say we have a tremendous team that supports the core of our regional business & from category managers in guitar, DJ, and drums who shape our retail mix; to the retail staff who are our vital eyes and ears; our marketing team who help spread the word; the logistics and warehousing staff who make sure everyone gets their orders smoothly; and many more. The key to helping us deliver a great customer experience. This strength allows me to spend more time driving our growth on our new business expansion internationally and building the foundation for core initiatives across the group that will set Swee Lee in prime position for the next 71 years.
How did Swee Lee go from a company that supplied classical instruments to offering guitars and drums? I can only speak for the time that I've been with the business. As I understand it, Swee Lee went where the consumers were. With the explosion of rock & roll and pop music centered on guitars and drums in the 50s to the 90s, Swee Lee began providing the tools for making that music. Aside from music industry growth, we saw potential in the music education space for more rock and pop-oriented music schools, attracting more students to the art form. That/s why we established the Swee Lee Academy in 2012, where our student cohort continues to grow. For a brand with a 71-year history, there are almost too many to name! Speaking for the last five years, some notable highlights would definitely be opening our first lifestyle store in Katong 112, with Swee Lee Music Academy; launching our own dedicated e-commerce experience; winning the iconic Capitol Theatre AV refitting project (where Swee Lee started back in 1946) and acquiring (and selling) the world’s most expensive Fender Custom Shop guitar in 2012. What was the vision then and has it changed since you took over? The vision at the start would have been similar to many businesses emerging in Singapore back then, which was providing provisions to a small but growing domestic market. As Singapore grew in economic strength, so did Swee Lee. With Singapore's strength as a logistics hub, regional business also became a significant growth opportunity for the company.
Here’s What Swee Lee Music Looks Like With Meng Ru Kuok In Charge
An occasional musician himself, the young CEO of Swee Lee Music has more than just friendly advice to offer his fellow music-lovers: he’s on a mission to unite budding artists with a space for creative expression, whether it’s at trendy hang-out spots like the new Swee Lee Lot 10 store, or collaborative digital platforms like BandLab.
“The very first guitar that I ever bought was from Swee Lee,” shares Meng Ru Kuok with a grin. “I must have been around 15 years old when I bought it. “It was a beautiful American-made Fender Stratocaster, a Highway One model which I still have today.” The newly-launched Swee Lee Music store at Lot 10 is an appropriate setting for our interview. Surrounded by endless rows of new and pre-loved guitars with the synth-pop tunes of a live band cranked up in the background, Meng Ru is a picture of contentment, and rightfully so, given how far the brand has come.
From a humble store in Singapore selling guitar and audio gear, Swee Lee Music was bought by Meng Ru in 2012 and is nearly unrecognisable from its beginnings today. The newly refurbished flagship store at Lot 10 feels less like a store and more like a laid-back café-cum-music-studio. One of 3 Swee Lee branches in Malaysia, the 4,995-square-foot store has a Swee Lee Café (with a designated stage area for live music and jamming sessions, of course), a vinyl section, an impressive line of instruments and second-hand guitars as well as professional audio equipment.
Next level music store: We checked out Swee Lee Clarke Quay's vinyl stations, cafe and bar, and more
Musicians of all levels jamming with their friends at the retail area at Swee Lee's new store at Clarke Quay. Foto:Joyee Koo)
Growing up, my visits to music stores were solely for acquiring instruments or sheet music. So when I was invited to explore local music retailer Swee Lee’s newly opened store at Clarke Quay, I wasn’t expecting a large crowd of people to be there. However, to my surprise, the space was already bustling with patrons on a late Friday afternoon.
Situated within a former warehouse in the recently rejuvenated Clarke Quay neighbourhood, Swee Lee’s third and newest store looks to transcend the typical music store experience. The colour palette and furniture selection exuded a contemporary vibe. Additionally, the rooftop featured see-through glass panels, allowing natural light to flood the space.
The crowd comprised mainly young people. Most of the vinyl listening stations were occupied by couples and singles, immersed in the music, sipping beverages, and occasionally capturing moments with their cameras. For a "music store", it certainly was buzzy. There were patrons working on their laptops, others engaged in conversation and some simply enjoying the ambiance. Some were passionately jamming on guitars, and a group of young guys was experimenting at the creator’s corner, making their own music on a keyboard. The brand behind this store is widely regarded as one of the most trusted names in the music industry in Singapore and Southeast Asia. Founded in Singapore more than 75 years ago, Swee Lee has evolved beyond its origins as a mere music store.
Swee Lee Clarke Quay is a vibrant experience store with vinyl listening stations, bespoke services, café and bar
If you've ever had doubts that music is for everyone, a visit to Swee Lee Clarke Quay should put those to rest. The homegrown music retailer's new experience store has what you'd expect – retail offerings spanning guitars, audio equipment, and vinyl records – but also many opportunities for avid musicians and casual music lovers alike to immerse in music, meet established and emerging artists, and connect with fellow enthusiasts over a coffee or cocktail.
Swee Lee is a true-blue Singaporean brand, founded and headquartered in Singapore since 1946. Since then, it has expanded to three locations in Singapore and eight locations in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Swee Lee has also been changing the face of the music retail landscape here, first with its flagship Star Vista outlet, a 464 square meter space that includes a music academy and café.
Swee Lee Clarke Quay is the next step in its evolution from a music retail store to a music experience brand. Located in a former warehouse in Clarke Quay (which, fittingly, has a long history of live music offerings) features an artist lounge, creator corner, vinyl listening stations, and a café and bar. There's also The Great Hall, a versatile space that can accommodate open mic nights, live DJ performances, private dinners, and more. Here's more of what you can expect at Swee Lee Clarke Quay.
A Brand New Revolutionary Music Store at Swee Lee Clarke Quay
Here’s the news you’ve all been waiting for! Swee Lee is proud to announce the unveiling of our new groundbreaking music lifestyle store at Clarke Quay. Located in the vibrant and bustling precinct beside the iconic Singapore River, our brand-new location promises a unique and immersive music experience for music lovers and musicians at any stage of their creative journey.
Housed within a former warehouse, our Swee Lee Clarke Quay Store transcends the traditional retail experience by offering a dynamic and interactive environment that caters to all types of music lovers. With a deep emphasis on fostering deeper connections between people, culture, and music, our Clarke Quay store aims to transform the music scene by creating a community-centric space where conversations and interactivity are at the forefront.
Spanning over 500 square meters, our new Swee Lee Clarke Quay Store features dedicated spaces for all walks of music fandom. Our large floor space is designed in such a way as to make demoing new products the most seamless it has ever been.
