OUR STORY

Located in the Wynwood Arts District of Miami, Walt Grace Vintage is a unique gallery which showcases and sells the finest investment grade automobiles and guitars. While internationally renowned for our vintage collections, we also offer new instruments, accessories and other related merchandise and services for all ages and budgets.

We are facilitators of dreams; a place where discerning collectors and casual admirers can experience the beauty and artistry inherent to what moves us— sonically, mechanically and emotionally.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Well, aside from the obvious fact that we needed one to put on the sign out front—our name is our inspiration.

Unless you’re a telemarketer with a really bad call list, please don’t call asking to speak with Walt Grace. He’s not a real person—well, at least not real in the literal sense of the word.

The simple answer as to where our name came from is this: Walt Grace Vintage was named after a character from a song by John Mayer, called Walt Grace’s Submarine Test, January 1967.

The long answer is best told by our founder, Bill Goldstein, who was inspired to— as the character from the song—follow his own dreams and, well—build his own submarine.

MY STORY IS NOT UNIQUE

"After nearly 25 years in the advertising business, I found myself in desperate need of change. No matter how “successful” I was, or how great things seemed from the outside, true success—and my own happiness— continued to elude me. Sure, I had all the spoils of a successful career, but the further I progressed professionally, the further I was moving away from my own fulfillment. I guess it’s just the nature of the beast—the more successful you become at what you do for a living, the further away you get from the thing that inspired you to do it in the first place.

So here I was, at 44 years old—I was healthy, had a beautiful family, an amazing home; a bunch of cars (and even more guitars), and still, with all of that, was miserable. I (and everyone around me) knew something needed to change, and it didn’t take a rocket scientist to see that it was work that was making me feel this way.

But what was I supposed to do? I was an ad guy—I had always been an ad guy—wasn’t I supposed to always be an ad guy?

I spent months feeling this way—falling deeper and deeper into my funk. It was bad, and was affecting everyone around me. To say I was unpleasant to be around is the understatement of the century. If you had an ear, you were pretty much guaranteed to get it filled with my quandary and just how lost and unhappy I felt.

Then one day—no, one moment—actually, one song changed everything for me. I was in the shower, feeling (as you probably already guessed) extremely down and racking my brain for what was next. And then, in an instant, everything changed, forever.

A song began playing. A song about a man. A song about a man, who, like me, was “desperately hating his old place” and “dreamed to discover a new space”. This sounded very familiar to me. Familiar, but not exactly like me. Because, unlike me, the man in the song knew that— despite what anyone else thought or said—all he needed was “a will to work hard and a library card” and he could change his world. In all fairness, this wasn’t an entirely new concept to me. After all, this was the story of my life—I was the guy with the crazy ideas, who always believed in himself when others didn’t, and ended up (for the most part) on top.

The one thing that I didn’t think of, and this is the clincher, was that “When you’re done with this world… the next is up to you.” Pretty simple concept, huh? Think about it for a second. We are all masters of our own universe, and if something doesn’t feel right—just change it. It really is that simple. The hard part is trusting yourself and just going for it. Don’t just settle because it’s what you’re supposed to do—or, because somebody (or everybody) tells you that you can’t.

Follow your heart, let passion be your guide—work hard and believe in yourself—find your submarine, and just go for it. Because when you’re done with this world, the next (really is) up to you."

“And for once in his life, it was quiet 
As he learned how to turn in the tide 
And the sky was aflare when he came up for air 
In his homemade, fan blade, one-man submarine ride”

- Walt Grace's Submarine Test, January 1967 —John Mayer

BILL GOLDSTEIN

FOUNDER

We talk a lot about fulfilling your dreams at Walt Grace Vintage—well, Walt Grace Vintage, itself, is just that—the result of our founder, Bill Goldstein, finally fulfilling his dream. A successful advertising executive for the better part of 25 years, Bill decided to let passion be his guide for the next chapter of his life, and Walt Grace Vintage was born.

Bill's passion for vintage cars and guitars was never based simply on their utility, and instead, focused also on the beauty and artistry of each. Bill always felt that both vintage cars and guitars belonged in an art gallery of their own, and should be given the same weight and importance of any other works of art.

For as long as he can remember, Bill dreamed of one day making his vintage car and guitar gallery a reality, and now, years later—in the center of one of the most vibrant art districts in the world, Walt Grace Vintage is a reality—a dream realized.

TINA BRADY

VP of Miscellaneous Stuff

To put a title on all that Tina does at Walt Grace Vintage is like trying to figure out who the hell at Pontiac thought the Aztek was a good-looking design—try as you might, it just can’t be done, so we won’t even try.

She adds life, warmth and kookiness to our already unique atmosphere. The team affectionately refers to her as “Mother Hen”. Her kind words, engaging stories and magnetic energy are sure to make your experience at Walt Grace one you won’t soon forget.

RANDY MELSER

Manager

As a card-carrying member of the KISS Army since his early days in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Randy knew it was his mission in life to ROCK—and rock he did! Whether on stage or slinging gear to the masses, Randy has been a solid fixture in the music industry for over 20 years. Sharing his love and knowledge of gear and guitars with the world, Randy has earned the reputation for being—not only one of the most knowledgeable— but also one of the nicest guys in the biz!

JONATHAN LEWIS

The Car Guy

Having grown up and worked in the South Florida high-line automotive industry, Jonathan always knew that he would find a home within the car world.

After working directly with manufactures such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche and others, he decided that he wanted to be involved in the industry on a more emotional level. This lead in him to the Vintage car world. His passion is evident in everything that he does, and he loves sharing it with anyone that is willing to listen. (He’ll probably tell you regardless).

VINCE CASTILLO

Director of Operations

This is Vince, he is a true lover of both cars and guitars alike. Growing up in Puerto Rico, Vince got up-close and personal with the Porsche culture around him, so close that his first job was detailing cars! He quickly began developing a lifelong passion for the beauty, intricacies, and mechanics of these amazing machines. However, it was a Gibson Les Paul, at the age of 15, that changed his life.

From the first strum, Vince knew music is what he wanted to pursue. He has pursued many angles in the music industry such as performance, production and business throughout the years developing extensive knowledge. Upon relocating to Miami, Vince found a home at Walt Grace Vintage, where he could use all that knowledge and passion to help others make their dreams come true.

PATRICK CORVO

Guitar Guy

As a child, Patrick grew up watching his father run Volkswagen Dealerships. It was only natural that he began fixing cars as a young teenager and developing a passion for the industry. At 15, Patrick began buying and selling cars himself, and by 18 had a small dealership of his own.

Over the past few years Patrick has spent his time with his cars, his guitar, and exploring Germany. Now that he has returned, he's been spending his days here at Walt Grace Vintage. Patrick can either be found in the back room, tuning up a vintage Porsche, or out on the floor playing a Les Paul through a cranked Marshall half stack.

SEBASTIAN LANES

YouTube Guy

Originally from Cuba, Sebastian moved to Miami by way of Barcelona and picked up the guitar at the age of 13. We're still waiting for him to set it down. Transfixed by the blues, his passion for music and vintage gear led him to stumble into Walt Grace Vintage and quickly fit in as one of our most knowledgeable guitarists. Sebastian also works frequently as an artist and session musician throughout the Miami music scene.

Alex Jones

Guitar Repair Dude

Alex Jones is the resident guitar whisperer here at Walt Grace Vintage. A Miami native, Alex first got the inspiration to start tinkering with guitars in 2001 when he saw the techs working at his first job with Guitar Center. Since then, he’s gone on to develop an extensive career as an expert Guitar Technician, boasting an impressive list of clienteles such as the Marley family, Roger Daltry, JLo, and many others. Rest assured: if you get your guitar “Jonesified”, there’s no going back!

P.S. Be sure to inquire about his equally impressive BBQ skills. The man knows how to use a smoker!

SASHA DANIELS

Barista

Sasha Daniels, otherwise known as the first guitar gal at Walt Grace, circa 2016, has been part of the Walt Grace family almost since its inception. After moving to NYC for a few years—garnering some masterful barista skills, and working on writing her own music, she decided to bring her talents back home. If you’re looking for some great coffee and excellent conversation come see Sasha behind the bar.

DANNY GUAICO

Barista & Guitar Guy

Growing up in Miami with a family of musicians, dancers, and artists, Danny has a HUGE passion for music of all kinds! At only 5 years old he began performing on stages with his father and has not stopped since. His musical journey has included all kinds of styles, genres, and instruments giving him a well-rounded understanding of musician’s needs. He has spent the last 5 years as a creative director for music, dance, and production teams all over Miami. Currently, Danny is writing albums out of a state-of-the-art studio in Doral and making mean cappuccinos at our Walt Grace Cafe! Oh… and ask him to sing you a song.

Deiango or Godei

Barista

The newest kid on the block. Although he doesn’t drink coffee, he’s known to make a truly incredible cup of joe. Some say he even puts love into every cup. With 6 years of prior coffee experience, you and your coffee are in good hands. When you aren’t meeting the working man Deiango, you can find Godei songwriting and rapping at Greentop studios in downtown Miami.

Jamil Najid

Barista

Hailing from Rego Park, New York, on a steady diet of rock and roll, humor, and love, Jamil brings his own flare to the bar, translating into every cup of coffee he serves. Come experience odd at it’s finest and hope he’s not too hopped up on our cold brew.

Harold Trucco

Guitar Guy

If you ever come to the gallery and hear a not-for-note rendition of Eruption (or ANY Van Halen song, for that matter) blaring from one of the amps, there’s a 99.9999% chance you can find Harold at the other end of the cable. Some may call him a guitar guy, we like to call him a guitar virtuoso. When Harold isn’t at Walt Grace, he can be found playing all over the Miami area in a number different bands, but if you want a private show, stop by the shop and say hello!

Adres Garcia-Ruiz

Video Guy

With nothing but a camera and a dream, Andres joined the Walt Grace Team with a vision to help us expand into the digital world with his skill with as a talented cameraman and videographer. Moving to Miami from Spain when he was just in the third grade, Andres found his passion through film and aspires to be a full time director for music videos. PS: His favorite directors are Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino!

Hailee Brady

Ops Gal

Hailee Brady, and yes, you gotta say her full name, we think it sounds cool that way. She’s a real jack of all trades. This website you’re on right now? Yeah, thats all her. She’s a full time college student, on top of running our online shop, and if you’re looking for a specific guitar, amp, pedal, etc., she knows EXACTLY where to find it. Usually spotted with an iced oatmilk lavender latte in hand, Hailee is always ready to help, and truly makes Walt Grace feel like family.