Not many people saw it coming, nor have caught on, that Tunez 4 U — a car audio and accessories company that began in 1989 — has moved from its longtime previous location on Idaho-Maryland Road to a newer and perhaps spiffier space on Railroad Avenue in Nevada City. The move took place in 2022. The former location on Idaho-Maryland Road is now slated to become a cannabis dispensary.
Tunez 4 U owner Chris Johnson, who runs the shop solely with the help of his 20-year-old son Dante, said the move was forced but has worked out quite well.
“The owners were doing something with the (former) building and so we started looking for this place which was pretty much the ideal shop set-up that I’ve always wanted to have, where the showroom connected to the install bays and then the fabrication room was all on the same level. It’s all easy to get to,” Johnson said.
He went on to say that Tunez 4 U has adapted to changes in technology over the years and still offers everything you could want for your vehicle or boat’s auditory needs.
“(We do) car audio, mobile electronics. Play with wires,” Johnson said with a laugh. “Anything that’s got a battery, we can put a stereo in it.
“There’s been quite a few changes as far as integrating your personal electronics into your vehicle,” Johnson continued. “When I took over Tunez it was CD players, CD changers. The CD changers went away with the advent of the MP3 players and iPods. Then those went away when we went to the smart phones. Then Bluetooth integration, whether we are adding Bluetooth to a factory radio or vehicle that doesn’t come equipped with Bluetooth.”
With changes, Johnson said, demand has shifted as has the selection of products his business offers.
Among the most popular recent items, Johnson cited “Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. You would replace your factory radio and you’d have a screen in your vehicle and then when you plug your phone in you can have access to Apple maps, Google maps…a real nice user interface for your Spotify or Pandora, iHeart.
“It’s the new way of having navigation in your vehicle as opposed to the older days where you would have something GPS or satellite-based — which they still make but most people don’t really care to go that way unless they are in really rural areas where you don’t really get reception.”
After all these years and a numerous changes, Johnson still loves what he does.
“I like dealing with the customers and problem-solving. Just because you have these different pieces of equipment, they don’t necessarily just go into the car.”
Tunez 4 U is at 343 Railroad Ave. in Nevada City. They can be reached at 530-477-8863. For more information please visit www.tunez.us.
Staff Writer Jennifer Nobles can be reached at jnobles@theunion.com or by calling 530-477-4232.
