A New Era Begins For Vintage King Los Angeles

Vintage King has been helping clients outfit their studios with the best in pro audio for over 25 years. As co-founders Mike and Andrew Nehra set the course for the burgeoning business in its earliest days, they had a vision for a one-of-a-kind showroom experience that would leave customers in awe.

Cut to the beginning of 2012, as Vintage King is knee-deep in the process of finding a location for its flagship showroom. A property in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles with a significant address became available and it felt like fate. 1176 Sunset Boulevard would become Vintage King Los Angeles.

The concept for Vintage King Los Angeles was simple. It would be a professional recording studio-style storefront that would allow music makers to experience the latest in pro audio gear firsthand. "We didn't want the space to be a typical retail environment," says Andrew Nehra. "We wanted to create a boutique-style showroom, a place where you can come in and try things out first before ever making a purchase."

Vintage King Los Angeles Main Showroom in 2012

To create this studio environment, Vintage King tasked Robert Maune of Sound and Structure (SaS) with designing the layout and acoustic treatment of the location. Maune brought over design elements from a recent buildout for producer Dave Cobb, including sawtooth wall design and a quadratic pipe array wall treatment. The layout for Vintage King Los Angeles would feature several console stations, massive racks for both 500 Series modules and rackmount gear, an isolated vocal booth for microphones, and a critical listening room for monitor demos.

The impact of Vintage King Los Angeles on the local recording community would reach far beyond that of a typical retail store. The showroom would become a meeting place, somewhere to talk shop with fellow engineers, and host events with the best minds in the industry. Annual events like NAMM and Gear Expo would offer brands another outlet to showcase their latest innovations, and many would host launch parties for significant gear in the showroom, including the Avid S6, Universal Audio Apollo, and Neve Genesys Black.

Vintage King Audio Consultant Jeff Ehrenberg and Chris Lord-Alge during Gear Expo in 2016

While 1176 Sunset Boulevard has truly given us a lifetime of memories, we are excited to announce that Vintage King Los Angeles will be moving. We are currently working towards packing up and heading to our new location, which will provide much more central access to many of those working in the recording industry.

"Turning the key in the lock for the last time at 1176 Sunset and saying goodbye will be a sad moment for us all. It feels like so much more than just a place to work or a store," says Vintage King Sales Director Chris Bolitho. "We're excited for our next chapter in Los Angeles, which includes a more suitable space for Vintage King that is larger, better laid out, and easier to get to for all of our customers."

Everything is currently on schedule, as we will be making our way to the new building by the end of December. On-site shipping and curbside pickups will resume according to the dates listed below. We look forward to welcoming you all to our new showroom later in 2021!

Key Dates For Vintage King Los Angeles Relocation

Shipping From New Location: Starting Late December

Curbside Pickup From New Location: Starting January 4th, 2021

Open To The Public: Starting Q3 2021

If you have any questions about Vintage King Los Angeles, we're here to answer them. Please contact a Vintage King Audio Consultant via email or by phone at 866.644.0160.