Dealer Spotlight – Bernunzio Uptown Music

This month we’re featuring one of our Gbase Northeast dealers, John Bernunzio of http://blog.gbase.com/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=837&message=1Bernunzio Uptown Music in Rochester, NY.  Let’s take a peek at what’s going on in Upstate NY…

Gbase.com: So John, how did you get your start in the vintage guitar business?

John Bernunzio: Slowly but surely the hunt for old instruments turned into an obsession. Particularly, a local store had a very fine Gibson mandocello. The owner would not sell it but said he might consider a trade. I took the names and addresses of everyone advertising instruments for sale in Pickin’, Mugwumps and Guitar Player magazines and sent letters out to drum up something to trade. That list of people was the beginning of my customer database. I never did get the mandocello, but I had a list of a few hundred people who had the same passion for vintage instruments. Over the next few years I had accumulated a large pile of guitars, mandolins and banjos and also had bought a very old and dilapidated farmhouse in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York. When the roof needed replacing and I had run out of money from my meager teaching salary, I assembled my first list of instruments for sale. That was around 1976. I sold a bunch of stuff, fixed the roof and had money left over to buy more vintage instruments. That started the cycle that continues today. Now there are no more lists, just the Website and now a store.

Gbase.com: You recently acquired a major collection of early banjos.  Can you tell us a little bit more about that?

John: I have always had a passion for fine, old banjos. The banjo is THE American instrument and the first popular music was played on the banjo. Jazz has its roots in the Dixieland sound of the banjo and many of the early guitar greats were first banjo players. Over the years I made helped build many large collections of banjos including that of Mr. Akira Tsumura of Japan. I have sold banjos everywhere in the world and as a result banjos have a way of finding me. Recently, a collector drove across country pulling a trailer full of banjos and related ephemera. When he decided to sell, there was no question as to where he would bring his collection.

Gbase.com: Will we see you at any guitar shows in the near future?

John: I used to attend guitars shows regularly in the 80s and 90s but I have not been in many years. I miss the camaraderie but, frankly they had been come very aggressive events and that is not my nature. Occasionally, I go to the vintage show in Anaheim as part of the NAMM show. If I start lifting weights and running on the treadmill, I may go back to guitars shows again.

Gbase.com: Do you have a certain guitar or guitars that you specialize in?

John: I have always tried to maintain an interesting selection of instruments that other people scratch their heads about. For years I have paid well for smaller, early Martins, Larson Brothers guitars, Lyon and Healy and Washburn brands as well as archtop, Jazz guitars from the 20s-40s. That said, I would never kick an old Strat or Les Paul out of bed and have sold fine “bursts”, Vs, Teles and Falcons.

Gbase.com: We’ve heard that Bernunzio hosts special events at the store and features local musicians in its First Friday Series.  What can we look forward to in the next couple of weeks?

John: We always showcase local talent at our house concerts. We also host special gatherings such as a reunion of guitar players honoring the memory of their locally famous teacher, Dick Longale.  We hold workshops and have formed an “Ukulele Support Group” that is very popular. Our most unique event was titled “Rafe & Ravioli”. Rafe Stefanini gave a workshop and a house concert. A local musician who owns a great ravioli shop provided the meal. It was a very memorable evening. Next month we will host a convention of banjo historians from around the world. Our events have really helped our business but more importantly, we have made great friends and met so many interesting people. That never happened when we worked in our basement.

Our store is located one block from the prestigious Eastman School of Music. Consequently, there are great musicians everywhere. The funny thing is that you will meet someone who just graduated with a degree in classical guitar, but down deep, they are a rock and roller or a banjo player.  We enjoy young talent and have mentored many local musicians as they weave their way through the business of music.

Gbase.com: Bernunzio is a family-run business.  What’s it like being in this business with the family?

John: It is a little crazy. For the first thirty years of business, we operated out of our house. When it was time to send out a new mailing list, the kitchen table was covered with fliers and the kids all participated. Once, we went out for dinner and came home to find a note on the table from our, then 10-year old son, Benjamin. It read, Mom and Dad, I sold the sunburst D-28 to some guy from Japan, his name, address and credit card numbers are on the desk! Although none of them work in the business today, they all know first hand what Mom and Dad do with their life. My wife, Julie is the brains of the business and oversees everything from events to ordering and of course, finance.

Gbase.com: What is the local music scene like Rochester?  Do you still gig?

John: I have never been a gigging musician. My “day job” for 20 years was a Special Education teacher at the Jr. High level. I always say that is why I work so well with musicians. There is a great scene locally with bands and songwriters of all genres. Saturdays, a great many of them stop by the store which they refer to as “coming to church”, a “must do” for the week.

Gbase.com: Any predictions for where the vintage guitar business is headed over the next year?  Any changes that you would like to see?

John: I think everyone has admitted to a price correction in the market. People don’t seem eager to pay “stupid money” any more and perhaps that is for the best. That said, right now there is a lot of selling and buying going on. Vintage guitars must compete with some really fine new instruments being produced by luthiers in America and overseas. It never ceases to amaze me though, when a large collection comes up for sale, one that perhaps took years to put together, and it is disseminated across the globe within a reasonable time. When prices adjust, they will only sink to a level at which one person is willing to pay. When several people are willing to readily pay that amount, the prices start to increase.

Gbase.com: Do you see any changes coming to Bernunzio Uptown Music in the near future?

John: We are very new to the retail side of the business and are constantly adding products that local musicians need. Additionally, we have been involved with Eastman Strings, Co., in Beijing, China, (no relation to the school) to reproduce some acoustic instruments from the golden age of music. Bringing these beautiful instruments to the marketplace is really a labor of love.

Gbase.com: Well, one things for sure, you’re keeping busy. Anything else you’d like to share with the Gbase Gearheads out there?

John: Our stellar reputation in this business is directly linked to our philosophies of life – “Treat people the way you would like to be treated” and “Know your stuff”. Take people seriously and listen to them whether they are buying a $5 pack of strings or a $10,000 guitar. Customer service and knowledge are the keys to our success.

Gbase.com: John, thanks for taking the time to visit with us and share some background on your business and your great store up in Rochester. Be sure to visit John’s site directly at Bernunzio.com. You can also visit John’s Gbase store by clicking on this link – Bernunzio Gbase Inventory