As the winner of the 2013 MetamorphoSign visual communications ‘makeover’ contest, retailer World of Music in Erie, Penn., recently saw its iconic vintage guitar sign restored by signmaking franchise system FastSigns International.
The store’s founder, Dick Bulling, discovered the oversized guitar in a junkyard and it became a fixture for the business for more than 40 years. Bulling passed away in 1997, but the store is still owned and operated by his family. His granddaughter Amanda Karns, the store’s marketing manager, started a ‘save our guitar’ campaign to update and refurbish the sign.
Once the store won the contest, FastSigns repaired the sign’s rusted sections, replaced its neon components and applied fresh paint and vinyl. The store was also updated with new external wall graphics and channel letters.
“The day I saw the reconditioned guitar light up again was one of the best days of my life,” says Karns. “Almost every day, someone tells us how much they love the work done to it.”
