Life & Work with Clif Jones of Burbank

Today we’d like to introduce you to Clif Jones.

Hi Clif, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
About The Owner: Clif Jones
Moved to L.A. in 1977 with a rock n roll band and a record contract. The record company, RSO, folded 2 weeks after we played a showcase at The Troubadour, not because of us :o) All the guys except for me decided to go back to Atlanta but I stayed. I interviewed for a job as a recording engineer and quickly found out I wasn’t qualified for ” the big time ” yet … BUT – A fellow named Bill Lazarus, who engineered the James Taylor ” Sweet Baby James ” record and ran Warner Bros. studios said if I took his engineering class he might be able to place me. I graduated top of the class and Bill, who was changing up gigs to run the new ” Evergreen ” recording complex hired me.

I had a great run and after 2 years got the dream job – a gig at The Village Recorders. I worked with everyone from Rick Springfield to Frank Sinatra to Barbara Streisand.

I decided to leave the 100 hour weeks in the record studios to co-raise my Son as a single Dad. Week on, Week off, I don’t have a single regret. As a matter of fact, with the record business being what it is now it was probably a great move.

Ok – Fast forward – I befriended a lot of the great ” cats ” / players in the business. Mike Landau, Dean Parks, Jeff Porcaro, Tim Pierce, Lee Sklar to name a few. I started collecting, buying and selling instruments. They all took notice and one by one asked if I would sell a few pieces for them. I said sure. I did this out of my home for several years until a friend – pedal board designer Dave Phillips, L.A. Sound Design, and Tim Pierce said ” Hey – this space is opening up next to me in our building, come have a look. I did – I plunged in – I remodeled – I bought gear. I now own a music store – Tough but rewarding in these times but when you have a cat like a Walter Becker from Steely Dan come in and hang for 3 hours, a Michael Landau / Val McCallum / or Rusty Anderson come in, or an up and coming 12-year-old come in – it’s all worth it.

My reward in life is contributing to a real song by real musicians with real gear. I’m not interested in catering to the hip-hop / rap / electronic music scene. You want the best gear for the greatest organic sound / feel? That’s us. Come in and hang. That’s what we are all about.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
100 Hours a week in the recording studio. Single Dad. Covid. Big Box Stores i.e.: Guitar Center, Amazon selling guitars, amplifiers and pedals cheaper than we can afford to and offering a 30-day money back guarantee. Mom and Pop guitar shops such as mine can’t compete

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Placing the best / correct musical gear in the hands of a causal player , a band member or a studio player to improve their sound

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Be approachable , present , true to yourself and work at your craft , work at it , work at it . Sometimes you have to ” Fake it till you make it ”

Pricing:

• Gear from $49.00 to 499K

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lavintagegear.com
• Instagram: @lavintagegear
• Facebook: L.A. Vintage Gear
• Youtube: L.A. Vintage Gear
• Yelp: L.A. Vintage Gear