Ray and Shane Hennig’s Heart of Texas Music

Ray and Shane Hennig’s Heart of Texas Music

By Patrick Brendel Friday, 13 March 2009

Fender guitars, Marshall amps and memories of Austin’s legendary musicians: Ray Hennig has been known to share them all.

Stocked with the same kinds of instruments he has sold for nearly a half-century now, Ray and Shane Hennig’s store, Heart of Texas Music, is a mecca for guitarists hoping to emulate superstars who launched their careers with Hennig’s instruments, including Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Number One” Fender Stratocaster that was his primary guitar.

“It was the biggest piece of junk I ever traded for,” Hennig said.

Hennig has probably told the story of Vaughan’s guitar a million times. Vaughan walked into the store in 1973, like he did almost every day, and saw the beat-up ’59 Strat hanging up. On the spot, Vaughan offered to trade Hennig straight up, using a much newer Stratocaster that Hennig had previously loaned him. Hennig agreed to the switch, though he did not think it was that great of a deal.

Loaning out instruments for free may seem like a bad business decision, but Hennig said that is a big reason why Austin now calls itself the Live Music Capital of the World.

“I didn’t lose as many instruments as you might think I did,” he chuckled.

Hennig, who prefers country music to rock ’n’ roll, would loan instruments to broke musicians, who would play gigs booked by Charlie Hatchett (of the Fabulous Chevelles) or at Clifford Antone’s original club on Guadalupe Street.

Hennig was born in Coryell County and opened a home construction company after returning from the Korean War. His friend talked him into opening a music store in the town of McGregor, west of Waco, in 1963. The store was successful — selling guitars was easier than hammering nails — so Hennig quit construction and entered the music business full-time.

In 1974, Hennig founded the Austin store that he, wife Mary Jo and son Shane run today. Hennig’s secret is to sell customers what they need, not what they think they want, he said, even if the right instrument is not the most expensive one. His inability to play the guitar well is another asset, because he does not have to worry about intimidating customers, he said.

Shane specializes in professional audio set up and plans to take over the store from his dad.

Heart of Texas Music, 1002 S. Lamar Blvd., 444-9750