Born out of lockdown and a renewed love for playing, Studio 1 Vintage Guitars has become a home for rare, beautiful, and inspiring guitars in New Zealand. We sat down with founder Garrick Wynne – alongside social media manager Josh Thomas and General Manager Ed Castelow – to talk about how it all started, what makes a great guitar, and their thoughts on gear, music, and personal style.
MUSIC:
STUDIO 1 VINTAGE GUITARS
Studio 1 Vintage Guitars isn’t your average music store.- it’s part treasure trove, part tone sanctuary, and one of the spots we were lucky enough to shoot in for our Winter Unplugged campaign. The moment you walk through the doors, you can feel it: This is a place built by people who truly love the craft.
BMC: WHAT’S THE STORY BEHIND STUDIO 1 VINTAGE GUITARS? HOW DID IT COME TO LIFE?
Garrick: It all started during the first COVID lockdown. I borrowed a guitar from a friend and got completely re-inspired to play again. When I went to buy a really nice guitar for myself, I realised there were hardly any options in New Zealand for high-end or vintage acoustics.
Overseas, there are shops in every country that specialise in this kind of gear, but we didn’t have anything like that locally. So, I decided to build one. I listed a few guitars, made a simple website, started creating content, and it grew quickly from there.
BMC: WAS THERE ONE GUITAR THAT KICKED IT ALL OFF FOR YOU?
Garrick: Yes – a Gibson Advanced Jumbo acoustic guitar (a modern repro, not a Holy Grail from the 1930s). When it arrived, the tone was just incredible. I’d never played anything like it – I think it made me weep when I picked it up!
BMC: WHAT DREW YOU TO VINTAGE GEAR IN PARTICULAR?
Garrick: There’s something special about vintage guitars. They’re not just tools – they’re history you can hold in your hands. The craftsmanship, the tonal maturity, the individuality – it’s all there. And they’re not cheap and disposable. They’re usually better built than modern guitars, they hold or increase their value, and they carry a story. You get to enjoy them, and they become part of your own story too.
BMC: WHAT WAS THE FIRST GUITAR YOU EVER OWNED?
Garrick: An Ibanez acoustic when I was around 13. I later saved up for an Epiphone Les Paul, which I bought on layby from Musical Sounds on Great South Road. I paired it with a cheap Marshall solid-state amp and a Boss OD pedal.
BMC: HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHAT MAKES IT INTO THE STORE?
Garrick: It’s a mix. Sometimes we go hunting for specific guitars, other times amazing pieces walk through the door. We look for American-made vintage guitars, rare models, and custom luthier builds with serious quality and character. It has to sound great, feel right,
and ideally have a story behind it.
BMC: WHAT MAKES A GUITAR GREAT IN YOUR EYES?
Garrick: Tone and playability first, of course. But also, the craftsmanship, the materials, the vibe. Some guitars feel alive. It’s hard to quantify, but when you pick up something special, you just know.
BMC: IS THERE A GUITAR IN THE SHOP RIGHT NOW THAT YOU’RE SECRETLY HOPING DOESN’T SELL?
Garrick: We have a 1931 Gibson L-2 NZ barn find that is incredibly rare and isn’t technically for sale. It’s one of those once-in-a-lifetime guitars that I’d like to keep around. There’ve been others too that I still think about after letting them go.
Ed: Always! Right now it’s probably a 1962 Gibson Country Western. A fairly unassuming acoustic guitar with oodles of mojo.
BMC: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE LOCAL GUITAR/MUSIC SCENE IN AUCKLAND AND NEW ZEALAND THESE DAYS?
Ed: Pretty dece. The seasoned groups like Voom, Tiny Ruins, The Beths and Racing are all still making great guitar-based music and there seems to be a bit of a groundswell of young’uns coming up too. Check out Ringlets, Bub, Salt Water Criminals, Sam Bambery, Velveteen and Miss June.
LIGHTNING ROUND:
BMC: HOLY GRAIL GUITAR?
Garrick:’59 Gibson Les Paul. Or maybe a late ‘30s Martin D-28.
Ed:1954 Fender Telecaster.
BMC: FAVOURITE GUITARIST – PAST OR PRESENT?
Garrick:David Rawlings. Masterful, understated, and totally unique.
Ed:Tie: Dean DeLeo (Stone Temple Pilots) and Hollie Fullbrook (Tiny Ruins).
BMC: IF YOU COULD JAM WITH ANYONE, DEAD OR ALIVE, WHO WOULD IT BE?
Garrick: Jimi Hendrix. Not to jam with, but I’d want to be in the room to see what he was really like.
Ed: John Bonham.
BMC: ACOUSTIC OR ELECTRIC RIGHT NOW?
Garrick:Acoustic – you can take it anywhere and play it anytime.
Ed:Gibson Acoustic.
BMC: BEST GUITAR SOLO OF ALL TIME?Garrick:Slash on November Rain. It’s hard to escape those teenage memories.
Ed:Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen.
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