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David Belzer
growing up during the mid to late 60’s but it was Cream and Eric Clapton
that got him interested in specific guitars. In 1970, he got his first electric
guitar, a Kent, a Japanese import copy of a Gibson 335, inspired by
Clapton after seeing Cream’s farewell performance on a TV special.
Motivated by getting the guitars that he wanted to play at the time he
started buying and trading guitars. He traded the Kent for a Hagstrom
Strat, which lead to a slightly used 1969 Gibson SG, which he played for
the next 10 years.
In high school he excelled at a number of sports. Unfortunately, while still
in high school, he seriously injured his ankle and could no longer play
those sports to the same level so he devoted himself to guitar. He found
being a jock cool, but playing the guitar was cooler and not only could he
could get more girls with the guitar, it was also less painful.
Dave graduated from high school at the ripe old age of 16, and took a full
time job working at Kentucky Fried Chicken. He became a manager there
by age 17. At 19 he attended Five Towns College in New York studying
contemporary music and got his AA degree in Music Performance. He
began teaching guitar privately and at a local music store during the day,
and playing in a band doing mostly original music at night.
While attending college, he met Lee Rocker. They became friends and
Lee invited Dave to join their band, since their former guitarist Brian
Setzer had recently left to do his own thing. Dave joined the remaining
members Erick Thorson, Slim Jim Phantom, Lee Rocker and Lee’s sister
Rosanne and the band continued on. From 1978 to 1980, the band played
all the New York club circuits, playing originals. The band broke up when
Brian Setzer got an offer to go to England and took Jim and Lee with him,
giving birth to the Stray Cats.
In 1982, he bought The Music Mart, the store that he had been teaching at,
and that’s when he really started to see some guitars. Three weeks after
he bought the store, he traded his way into his first 1959 Les Paul
sunburst. He continued to teach, play and work the store for the next five
years.
In 1988 he decided to make a change, sold the store and moved to
California. He landed in Guitar Center and within a few months he worked
his way up to assistant store manager. He began handling the Vintage
guitar business for the Hollywood store and with his previous buying and
selling experience it was a perfect fit. In 1995, the Hollywood store
opened their Hollywood Vintage Room, and Dave headed it up. He met
Drew when he came to work for Guitar Center a few months later. They
worked well together, with their first joint sale being a 1959 Les Paul, and
soon afterward they became known as “The Burst Brothers”.
In 1999, Dave played guitar with Ebony Tay for some local Los Angeles
performances and traveling with her to open for the Bacon Brothers and
Hall and Oates in Cannes, France. He also joins Drew Berlin occasionally
to sit in with Drew’s band as well as lending his guitar talents to Drew’s
solo CD, “Burst”. He also plays with singer songwriter Cheryl Brewster as
well as doing a commercial studio session from time to time.
that got him interested in specific guitars. In 1970, he got his first electric
guitar, a Kent, a Japanese import copy of a Gibson 335, inspired by
Clapton after seeing Cream’s farewell performance on a TV special.
Motivated by getting the guitars that he wanted to play at the time he
started buying and trading guitars. He traded the Kent for a Hagstrom
Strat, which lead to a slightly used 1969 Gibson SG, which he played for
the next 10 years.
In high school he excelled at a number of sports. Unfortunately, while still
in high school, he seriously injured his ankle and could no longer play
those sports to the same level so he devoted himself to guitar. He found
being a jock cool, but playing the guitar was cooler and not only could he
could get more girls with the guitar, it was also less painful.
Dave graduated from high school at the ripe old age of 16, and took a full
time job working at Kentucky Fried Chicken. He became a manager there
by age 17. At 19 he attended Five Towns College in New York studying
contemporary music and got his AA degree in Music Performance. He
began teaching guitar privately and at a local music store during the day,
and playing in a band doing mostly original music at night.
While attending college, he met Lee Rocker. They became friends and
Lee invited Dave to join their band, since their former guitarist Brian
Setzer had recently left to do his own thing. Dave joined the remaining
members Erick Thorson, Slim Jim Phantom, Lee Rocker and Lee’s sister
Rosanne and the band continued on. From 1978 to 1980, the band played
all the New York club circuits, playing originals. The band broke up when
Brian Setzer got an offer to go to England and took Jim and Lee with him,
giving birth to the Stray Cats.
In 1982, he bought The Music Mart, the store that he had been teaching at,
and that’s when he really started to see some guitars. Three weeks after
he bought the store, he traded his way into his first 1959 Les Paul
sunburst. He continued to teach, play and work the store for the next five
years.
In 1988 he decided to make a change, sold the store and moved to
California. He landed in Guitar Center and within a few months he worked
his way up to assistant store manager. He began handling the Vintage
guitar business for the Hollywood store and with his previous buying and
selling experience it was a perfect fit. In 1995, the Hollywood store
opened their Hollywood Vintage Room, and Dave headed it up. He met
Drew when he came to work for Guitar Center a few months later. They
worked well together, with their first joint sale being a 1959 Les Paul, and
soon afterward they became known as “The Burst Brothers”.
In 1999, Dave played guitar with Ebony Tay for some local Los Angeles
performances and traveling with her to open for the Bacon Brothers and
Hall and Oates in Cannes, France. He also joins Drew Berlin occasionally
to sit in with Drew’s band as well as lending his guitar talents to Drew’s
solo CD, “Burst”. He also plays with singer songwriter Cheryl Brewster as
well as doing a commercial studio session from time to time.