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Jul 4, 2006 8:17 am US/Central
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Custom Made Guitar Dealer Aims For Top End
Frank Glionna Has Operated From Same Location For Over 30 Years
HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (AP) ―
Frank Glionna has made guitars his life's work.
When it became clear he wouldn't play music professionally, he opened his own guitar store at age 20 and never looked back.
Now 53, Glionna is one of the state's best known dealers in custom-made electric and acoustic guitars, operating out of the same Highland Park location since 1974. His shop, The Music Gallery, is the only store in Illinois and one of only 50 nationwide to be designated as a Custom Shop by Fender.
"I was a horrible musician," Glionna stated without a trace of regret. "I wanted to stay in the industry and I thought, what better way to hang with musicians than to sell them gear."
And so he does. When Late Night with Conan O'Brien made its recent Chicago run, O'Brien's people called The Music Gallery to obtain guitars and accessories for the show's band.
Most of Glionna's customers aren't so well known, but at The Music Gallery, they can purchase custom-made guitars crafted by the same people who serve the stars. Glionna frequently places orders with Todd Krauss, the Fender craftsman who is the exclusive guitar builder for Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck.
Glionna said customers are amazed when Krauss and others call them personally to go over details of their future guitars.
Fender and Gibson, the heavyweights of the electric guitar universe, are the primary lines carried by The Music Gallery.
"They rule the guitar world," Glionna said. "Both companies have stayed very consistent with what got them there. They have made a firm commitment to the players that they are as good or better than the older ones."
Custom made versions of vintage-era Fender Stratocasters and Telecasters and Gibson Les Pauls highlight the store's inventory. They run from about $4,000 up to $15,000.
In a humidity-controlled room upstairs in The Music Gallery, a high-end line of handmade acoustic guitars featuring brands such as Guild, Martin and Gibson await the serious player. He has had customers come from as far as Ireland and Japan to buy from this line.
Although his store is low-key, Glionna says he likes to keep modern and notes that his business has tripled since a Web site was established.
"You've got to take the change and be willing to at least accept it," he said. "You need to recognize it's there."
In addition to guitars, The Music Gallery also has an inventory of handmade amplifiers, effects and accessories and a staff of 22 guitar teachers.
"What we do here is guitars. We can teach you to play, educate you on brands and show you how to care for and modify your guitar," Glionna said.
Glionna said he doesn't have much room for mass-assembled less expensive versions of popular guitars and amplifiers, and notes that there are plenty of warehouse-style outlets specializing in such equipment.
"Our entry level (merchandise) is nearly middle of the road for most places," he said. "I wanted to find a place that started where everyone else stops, and go from there."
The Music Gallery's Web site can be accessed at www.musicgalleryinc.com.
(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)