The legendary "Burst Brothers". Musicians Hotline is so excited to Profile a couple of the industries most knowledgeable guitar gurus. These guys have literally traveled the world in search of the ultimate burst. Dave Belzer and Drew Berlin share their thoughts on the market, guitar shows, and the future of collectible instruments.

MH: Dave, "The Burst Brothers" are a worldwide phenomenon in the vintage guitar circle. Give us a brief history of your background, and how you got your start in the business?

DAVE: I got my first electric guitar when I was about 10 years old and I was definitely influenced by the Beatles, but it was Cream and Eric Clapton that got me interested in specific guitars. I wanted whatever Clapton was using. There was something about that tone. Even when I was young, I was always buying, selling and trading guitars to get something else that I wanted to play. I played in bands from junior high through college, when I got my degree in Musical Performance in 1980. I began teaching guitar at a music store in Long Island, NY to make a living and playing in all original bands, including a stretch with Slim Jim Phantom and Lee Rocker, pre-Stray Cats. In 1983, I purchased the music store that I had been teaching guitar at, and technically I guess that's what got me serious about buying and selling. Three weeks after I bought the store, I traded into my first Burst and that pretty much did it. In 1988, I sold my store and moved to California because I wanted to get back into playing and teaching. I quickly learned that it's hard to make a living playing or teaching in LA, so I started working for Guitar Center. I became the assistant manager of the Hollywood store and managed the guitar floor as well. I soon realized that my passion was for the older instruments, and I kind of took that over because there wasn't anyone else to do it. I've always felt that I've been lucky because I've been able to experience so many great guitars and amps and at the same time, make a living at it.

MH: How and when did the "Burst Brothers" originate, and the forming of the partnership with Drew Berlin?

DAVE: I first met Drew when he came to work at the Hollywood Vintage Room in 1995, and our first deal together was helping each other sell a 1959 Les Paul Standard. He had the customer and I had the Guitar Center experience to facilitate the deal, and we decided to become partners at that time. We knew the Vintage Room had great potential, and by working together we could put the finest inventory in what we thought was the finest room and build the business.

DREW: My nickname was Burst for many years in both guitar shows and at gigs. So after we did that guitar and partnered up, we became known as "The Burst Brothers".

MH: Drew, Tell us a bit about your background and how you hooked up with Guitar Center's Vintage Shop?

DREW: My mother was a singer/piano player who studied music in school, and I started playing piano and guitar when I was five. My sister also played guitar, and my mom, my sister and I would sing and play together. I saw Elvis in 1956 and knew I wanted to be like him, so I started playing guitar and singing where I lived in Union City, TN. I had a deep passion for playing guitar and singing and continued doing this all through elementary school and junior high. The Beatles were introduced to America and I took it to the next level wanting to be like the Beatles. So my musical inspiration came from Elvis and the Beatles and I started being interested in different types of guitars.

I continued playing and singing through Junior High and started working after school at North Miami Music in Miami, FL. I worked there so that I could pay off guitars I was buying at the time. I had a band called the New Society Band in Florida, and we started opening for successful acts like the Grateful Dead, Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart in the late 60's. We met Little Richard and went on the road with him. I eventually became his guitar player but my whole band opened for Richard. After traveling around the United States for many years and accumulating guitars, I moved to Northern California where I started a band called Freestone.

At this point I developed certain routes that I would travel with Pawnshops and music stores, buying guitars. I met Pete Quigley, who had a vintage guitar shop called Southeast Guitars in Ft. Lauderdale, and when I moved back to go on the road with Little Richard in 1988, we partnered up in Pete and Andrew's Guitars. That lasted up until 1993 when Pete returned to Florida. I continued doing guitars by myself called House Rocker Vintage Guitars. I got known for selling guitars to musicians in the music industry and known for being able to find cool guitars. Then in 1995, Guitar Center built a large vintage room in their Hollywood store on Sunset Boulevard. They had asked me to come and work for them because I had always sold to them at vintage guitar shows. And when they told me about the room, I went to look at it and I was extremely impressed with the room and they offered me a job and I decided to go to work for them.

MH: Tell us a bit about the unique Hollywood Guitar Center Vintage Shop retail store, and the clientele you seem to attract?

DAVE: The Vintage Room stage is actually built on what used to be the Marx Brothers Theater in the 20's and 30's, and when it was built, a Hollywood set director was brought in to design it to resemble an old western town. It kind of brings you back to an era dating back to when these guitars were just beginning to be manufactured in this country. Then you look at the price tags and welcome to 2004! The clients that we attract are customers that are looking for high quality, original vintage pieces that not only look good, but sound and play good. One reason I think we do well selling to producers and artists is because we play every piece we buy. We take into account how a guitar sounds and feels. Occasionally we'll buy a piece that has some issues, but it will play great and sound great. We know someone will appreciate the playability and quality of that sound, and also the dollar value of an instrument that might be half the price of the same model in mint condition.

MH: Give us your perspective on the current Vintage Market, and what has been the most noticeable change you have seen transpire in the market place?

DREW: Well I can tell you the most noticeable thing that I've seen is that it used to be just guitar players that I would sell to, and now it's investors and other people that are buying guitars as a commodity. We've become commodity brokers in the last couple of years just because guitars have become such commodities. So it's changed from getting guitars to guitar players to getting guitars to people in general that want to invest and have an appreciation for the guitar.

DAVE: The current vintage guitar market is very strong, not only for very good quality original pieces, but there is also a strong sub-market for pieces that are not 100%, maybe repaired or changed parts. The most notable change I've seen is the lack of availability of high quality desirable pieces and that ranges from clean original guitars to even a good 50's or 60's refinished guitar, and also the dollar value increase in all collectable models in excellent to mint condition. There seems to be an ever-increasing gap in price between a good original piece and one that's in excellent to mint condition.

Continued until next month...

Information:
Hollywood Vintage Shop
7425 Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90046
323-874-2302

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