April, 2008

Bernunzio Uptown Music: The Gathering Place For Musicians

Bernunzio Uptown Music is the destination for players and performers in the upstate New York area. Our new showroom is now open for business. The store hours are 11-6 Monday-Saturday. The location is 122 East Ave. at the corner of Swan St. one mile down the street from our East Avenue home in an exciting new building called Sagamore on East. It is a unique combination residential and commercial units in the heart of the cultural district of Rochester. It is one block from the Eastman School of Music, the Eastman Theatre, home of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the Rochester International Jazz Festival.

We recently returned from a short excursion to Beijing, China. As guests of the Eastman String Company , we were treated to an exciting tour of the exotic sights sounds and tastes and more of the Chinese capitol. As the city prepares to host the Summer Olympics, it was a perfect time to visit. We were awed by the immensity of the city and the growth and expansion now underway. We were humbled by the people we met who showed so much optimism for the future of their country.

The focus of the trip was to tour the Eastman factory, observe the employees at work, and discuss special projects underway. Our hosts were Mr. Qian Ni; company owner and founder; Mrs. Ni , Qians aunt and general manager at the factory; Sophia , our translator and Eastman employee; and Saul Friedgood , vice president of Eastman and tour guide extraordinaire. We traveled with our girls, Rose and Grace , and several other Americans who are dealers of Eastman String products.

Any preconceived notions we had of the factory were challenged immediately upon our arrival. A bright red outdoor carpet covered the main walkway, welcoming us into the building. The facility was spacious, with several buildings and courtyards. Large windows in all the workshops provide natural light for the craftsmen and women. The rooms were organized, clean and comfortable. Many workers occupied each area with individual benches or desks. They worked diligently at their tasks yet seemed happy and relaxed.

I have had a difficult time believing that Eastman guitars were entirely handmade. I would recite this line to customers again and again and find myself wondering how this could be true. Perhaps they waved a planer over a guitar back and then sent it through a state-of-the-art guitar-making machine. Who could believe that 800 employees work on crafting these beautiful instruments without benefit of power tools and advanced technology.

The scene that greeted us at the Eastman factory dispelled my scepticism. It was reminiscent of our country 100 years ago when immigrants worked in factories hopeful to provide a better life for themselves and their families. The work ethic is alive and well in China! However, unlike most American immigrants, Eastman employees are paid a living wage and provided benefits such as health care and retirement plans. By learning a craft and trade, they will always be able to find work.

From the splitting and drying of logs from China, Tibet, Burma and Europe to the final buffing of custom finishes, I can confidently state that the violins, guitars and mandolins are handcrafted by skilled and dedicated workers. And the emphasis that Qian Ni places on quality and excellence is evident in the Eastman products.

We have been collaborating with Eastman on some very exciting projects and some of these are pictured here.click here and click here and click here and click here and click here and click here and click here and click here and click here and click here

We are currently looking for quality Gibson and Martin flat top guitars. If you have any, pre WWII instruments, please give us a call. We are paying very well for quality instruments

There are some very exciting new entries to the inventory so just click on "NEW THIS WEEK" to see the latest.

Best Regards,
John and Julie Bernunzio