This is the man we must all thank for giving the world Wunjo Guitars. Brian has flirted with professional careers in football and music before he did a Jack Kerouac and went off to find himself America. He came back (presumably with himself) and went to Luthier's college before becoming a repair man at what used to be Andy's. In 2002, Wunjo Guitars was born in the cosy St Giles Street shop just round the corner from Denmark Street where we now happily reside. He likes the old stuff that hardly anyone has heard of, and here he is cradling a 50s Supro Dual Tone.
Ron Smith is the manager at Wunjo and takes the reins when Brian is on the Golf Course.. er, I mean.. attending important meetings. Ron has been in the guitar trade since possibly the bronze age, and some of you may know him from his days in the London Reso Centre. Ron joined Wunjo when the LRC closed a few years ago, and has brought some incredible instruments to the shop including some of the world's best vintage Gibson acoustics and resonators which you can see elsewhere on this site. Ron is half Italian, half Londoner, and is in a band called National Debt who play a unique fusion style known as 'London-cana' (his words!). Pictured here with a 1964 Gibson J-45.
Joe Harvey-White (he has his own cockney rhyming slang!) is, apart from Brian of course, the longest serving member of the team who started as a work experience boy and just kinda carried on. He still works on Saturdays (we pay him now) despite being on the verge of superstardom as part of a band called Stereo Decade who are talking very nicely to a few big names in the record industry. Joe is NOT an Essex lad, but those nice people at BBC Radio Essex are always playing his tunes, so at this rate he'll soon get adopted as one I'm sure.
Marc Hayward, or 'Big Marc' as the boss likes to call him, has been with us for around a year and has been juggling guitar sales with the life of a rock legend. Marc's band The Dash are the only thing stopping him from becoming an actual part of the furniture here at Wunjo, and his four days a week (or is it eight?) mean he's a familiar face to many of our regular customers. Marc used to be an N.M.E journalist before he quit to focus on the band. He's also your best bet for scoring a free cuppa from the local Caf. Pictured here with a Fender Musicmaster which he says he likes because it suits his skin tone.
Jimmy James and the Vagabonds were big in the sixties and their name, thankfully, will not be forgotten thanks to Jimmy aka Jimmy-James, so that's a relief. Jimmy has been in the Wunjo fold for two years having been rescued off the streets from a life of post graduate office based misery. Like most of us here, Jimmy also lusts after a career in rock 'n' roll and has recently set up a band. As well as shop floor sales, Jimmy also looks after and edits the Wunjo website, and is, at this very time of writing, writing about himself in the staff section. Pictured here with the 1960s White Welson 335.
Kien Lim is the second oldest member of staff here at Wunjo and has been here for nearly two years. His sense of humour is legendary (ask him to tell to the joke about the Jamaican in the art gallery) and his rock heritage is equally impressive, with stints playing for Annie Lennox featuring on the CV. Kien now plays the open mic scene as a solo singer songwriter, and also does a bit of freelance photography on the side. He is pictured here with a 1971 Gibson Byrdland which he loves as you can tell by the enthusiasm with which he strums.
Some of you might be thinking, I know that guy... where have I seen his face before. Well, for those Denmark Street regulars amongst you, Kevin will be someone you've almost certainly bumped into before, as we've just tempted him back from the dark side to come and work for us after quite a long spell at Hanks. Kevin brings with him a wealth of experience, a load of hilarious anecdotes about guitar sales that will have you in stitches... Being Canadian, Kevin has been thoroughly vetted for his tea making capabilities and I'm pleased to say he has passed with only a few minor faults. As well as sales, he also does a bit of tech and repair, so don't be surprised if you see him chained to the repair bench at some point aswell.
As the youngest member of staff, it's always remarkable at the amount of old fuddy duddy guitar anoraks Josh sells guitars to. While the rest of us get a lesson in the vagueries of tonal differences between 1952 Gibsons and 1953 Gibsons (the better one is usually the one we don't have), Josh just shows you what we have, tells you it's great, and you buy it. Josh works mainly on Sundays, and so forfits a Sunday Roast every week for the love of working at Wunjo's. But come on, with the guitars we have here, such as the 1959 Gibson ES330T he's pictured with here, you could understand why!
If you've ever been innocently browsing around in Wunjo Guitars and suddenly felt a hand on your shoulder, whilst hearing the words 'this is your lucky day', and realised that before you know it, you're walking out the door with a guitar under your arm, then you've probably met Tommy. Tommy, with his Robert Plant hair and voice combination has slotted straight into the fold with his cheeky cockney swagger and love of the blues and classic rock. So, when he's not lost in a confusion of blonde curls and Jimmy Page licks, he's charming you all into buying our wares. Since he's been here, even I myself have bought six guitars, three amps and a Bazouki. This guy's good!
Gerald is our repair man here at Wunjo. Gerald is another staff member who spends his spare time trying to rocket a band to stardom, and he can often be heard running over his licks when he gets a quiet moment in the workshop. He likes a true rock guitar, which is probably why he picked this nice SG out to be photographed with. You won't see much of these guys, unless your guitar goes wrong, so they deserve a fair acknowledgement as integral members of staff here at Wunjo.
Proudly announcing the new best place to buy a Martin Guitar! Wunjo Guitars have become an official approved dealer and have the entire range from top to bottom now available! Click to find out more...
Meet the friendliest and most helpful and knowledgeable staff you'll ever find in a guitar shop from the comfort of your armchair, or maybe meet us again after a nice visit, click to visit the staff page...
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