The Channel: An Interview with Dave Piechura of Vintage King
Interview by Terry Hardin
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“Vintage King sells great, well-serviced gear, with honest and friendly advice derived from our years of experience. ”
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Terry Hardin: Who is Vintage King Audio?
Dave Piechura: Vintage King employs more than 20 people, including the founders, Michael
and Andrew Nehra, and a cast of audio industry sales and technical professionals including David Piechura, Jeffrey Ehrenberg, Peter Kehoe, Jeff Zvara, Tim Johnson, Tim Mead, Collin Dupuis, Rich Hunt, Tom Wilber, Jeff Goodstein, Lindsay Goodstein, John Mattson, Akane Behrens, Rick Behrens, Darrin Friendly, Jason Van Doorn, Kristen Van Doorn and just plain Randy.
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A portion of the Vintage King team in Detroit
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TH: How long has Vintage King Audio been in business?
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Vintage King founders Andrew and Mike Nehra with faithful companion Tora.
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DP: We eased into it starting in 1993. Michael had started selling used and vintage audio gear by listing it in New York City's Village Voice as early as 1985. This was primarily a means to pay rent while living in NYC, playing in bands and making records. Over time he evolved this initial approach into buying and selling used and vintage audio gear as a means to finance the acquisition of the equipment he wanted for our Detroit studio, White Room Studio. White Room Studio has been open since 1989, and several great records have been made there over the 16 years it has been in existence. So Vintage King Audio has officially been in business for 12 years.
TH: Who are the founders of Vintage King Audio?
DP: Andrew and Michael Nehra founded Vintage King Audio, and Dave Piechura has been on board since day one of the operation.
TH: In what city is Vintage King Audio headquartered? Why?
DP: Detroit-actually Ferndale, the closest suburb north of Detroit. We are on 9 Mile Road one mile north of 8 Mile Road, the thoroughfare that Eminem made famous. Why Detroit? Because it is still one of the best music cities in the world! Stop (in the name of love) to consider the musical styles from Motown to MC5, from hip hop to rap that have originated in Detroit. People are still looking to Detroit from all over the world for great music. Why not look there for great recording equipment too?
TH: Do you have offices elsewhere?
DP: We have salesmen in NYC, Nashville and LA. We are trying to bring our reputation for service and product knowledge to the places where recording music still thrives. We are only a phone call or an e-mail away and are always ready to help clients with their audio production and recording needs regardless of location.
TH: What makes Vintage King Audio unique among pro audio dealers?
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Colin demonstrating his award winning air drumming technique
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DP: We have the largest inventory of its kind in the world, complemented by an in-house technical staff of eight technicians. When you call VK, you don't merely get to speak with a salesman, you receive the attention of a friendly salesman with years of experience in the process of making records. We use the gear, we know the gear, we can make honest recommendations. We won't BS you to make a sale. If we don't know the answer to your question, we will do the research and get the correct answer for you. When Mike started Vintage King his vision for the company's core values was derived from his own experience as a customer. Mike bought an MXR Flanger from an East Coast "broker," and when the unit arrived, it was broken and had obviously never been serviced. The "broker" told Mike that was "tough luck" (which is East Coast brokerese for caveat emptor). Mike and Andrew vowed to never treat a customer that way ever. We treat people how we want to be treated. Vintage King sells great, well-serviced gear, with honest and friendly advice derived from our years of experience.
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A very small section of Vintage King’s massive inventory of audio gear
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We once had a guy come up from Ohio; when he saw all the gear in our inventory he said "Wow! This is like shopping on the internet, but in real life!" He went on to say that he spends quite a bit of time looking at all the great gear we have on our website, and that it was amazing to see it all in one place.
We provide the finest new equipment available along with the most sought after vintage/used equipment. Not only do we refurbish and warranty our used products, we also rack up vintage modules, allowing classic pieces to be interfaced with modern studios. We build custom console configurations. We do complete studio installations along with custom road racking of various outboard packages. Every member of our sales staff has a wealth of professional experience as recording engineers and/or producing on major-label releases and a variety of quality indie projects. All in all, we provide our customers with real-world knowledge and guidance that goes way beyond simply selling a box.
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John on the tech bench making sure the gear is in tip-top shape before it gets shipped.
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TH: Why is Universal Audio important to your business?
DP: We have been selling the original versions for so long. The originals are becoming hard to get, and they are in such demand that reissuing them was a great idea . . . so the new Universal Audio product line is a great continuation of a legendary past. The new units are reliable, affordable and great tools. It's a no-brainer. (BTW, please reissue the UA175 and 176 next!)
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Timmo hard at work on a vintage silver face 1176
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TH: What makes selling UA gear cool?
DP: The nice people that work at UA. And that Erica is oh so cute!
TH: What makes selling UA gear a pain in the neck?
DP: Trying to keep it in stock . . . it sells faster than you guys (and gals) can make it! (Not much else, except the people who sell it too cheap.)
TH: Do you have anything else you believe the Universal Audio WebZine readers should know about Vintage King Audio?
DP: Vintage King Audio simply started out of necessity for Michael and Andrew Nehra. Owning a studio called White Room in the heart of Detroit, the Nehras were recording their own project for RCA Records. Obviously into nostalgic equipment with immortal value, the Nehras began to buy and sell vintage equipment in order to accommodate their taste for classic recording gear. Their first purchase, a batch of Neve 1073s, paid for itself when selling half of the new inventory gave them the financial wherewithal to keep the other half for their own use. Starting with a meager $2,000 in 1988, Vintage King now houses the largest vintage inventory in the world in addition to the most exclusive new equipment lines available today.
White Room Studio still runs daily sessions and has turned out records like Kid Rock's "Devil Without a Cause" (with a bit of production by the Nehra brothers), Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise/RCA (the first two albums produced and cowritten by the Nehras) as well as records by Aretha Franklin and the Red Hot Chili Peppers and a whole era of Sub Pop Recordings, with Al Sutton.
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The White Room Studios control room
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The studio has been a proving ground for using and hearing every piece of equipment that comes through Vintage King's door. Mike Nehra has been engineering for over two decades and he and Andrew have become a cohesive duo teaming up on productions and performing. This experience translates to Vintage King's clients . . . the real deal. From artists like Eminem, Dave Matthews, Kid Rock and Anita Baker to producers like John McBride (Blackbird Studios), Ben Grosse (Madonna/Red Hot Chili Peppers) and Jason Carmer (the Donnas/Third Eye Blind), people know that when they call Vintage King, they'll not only get the most sought after gear, they will receive customer service that is second to none. That's because the Vintage King sales staff is made up of professional recording/live sound engineers with over 75 years combined experience in the sound industry.