Stephanie Sokol for The Oakland Press
Ferndale-based music equipment company Vintage King Audio will celebrate the store’s 20th anniversary at The Loving Touch bar on Thursday, Aug. 1.
Founded by Brothers Michael and Andrew Nehra in 1993, Vintage King started
in Detroit, where they ran the White Room recording studio and performed in band Robert Bradley’s Blackwater Surprise.
FYI: The celebration takes place Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. Guests can RSVP to the free event by visiting www.vintageking.com or liking Vintage King on Facebook. The Loving Touch is 22634 Woodward Ave. in Ferndale.
“What really sets us is apart is that we have a passion for what we do, and we are really involved in music — it’s not just a job,” Mike Nehra said.
The vintage music equipment sales started out as a side venture Michael and Andrew did to earn extra money, after doing it to gather their own equipment. But after meeting musicians, it evolved into a business.
Notable musicians the Nehra brothers worked with for The White Room included Kid Rock, Bob Seger and other Detroit artists, but they closed the studio three years ago to focus on Vintage King.
Vintage King provides consultation, repair and sales of more than 250 brands of new and vintage gear, personalized for each musician.
Locally based, the company has expanded nationally to Chicago, New York City, Nashville and Massachusetts, but its Michigan workers still make up the company’s majority.
The staff is made up of musicians and producer-engineers who are acquainted with local musicians and bands, and have a passion for the products, Nehra said. Knowledgeable about the gear, the workers help musicians with services ranging from equipment selection to designing an entire music studio.
“It makes us feel really good to employ such a quantity of people in the local community. Through the ups and downs of the economy, even in 2008, we’ve never laid off anybody,” Mike Nehra said.
“We’ve always believed in the future and kept our staff fully intact in believing we would grow. We’re becoming more of a leader in professional audio equipment sales, and it feels good to be based out of Ferndale and Detroit, giving people a living off of what we’ve created.”
The celebration at the Loving Touch features a night of drinks with local music and mingling. A deejay set by Good Music Gentleman will be followed by a short live-rock performance by the band Bars of Gold, featuring Vintage King Employee Scott Lulianelli on guitar, to end the night.
“The fun part (about Vintage King) is meeting all of the various people we work with,” Mike Nehra said. “Everybody’s needs are different. Being able to help them and advise them, and them trusting our opinion of what type and flavor of gear they should use to create their artistic vision in the recording studio — it feels really good to be able to advise them.”
Stephanie Dennis 
Leave a Reply