Manny's Music To Close...

[Bloozcat]

Manny's music, the famed music store on NYC's W. 48th St. is closing this spring.

I remember the first time I went there back in the early 70's, and the many times since. A truely legendary rock n' roll establishment is coming to an end. :(

[Jimi75]

This is sad news!

I bought my first Wah Wah pedal there. Will never forget that...
:master:

[oldguy]

Yeah, I saw that in the online Premier Guitar yesterday. Seems like all the old mainstays are disappearing, sad,sad,sad...........but true.

[Spudman]

That's too bad. They've been a rock and roll staple for ever.

[wingsdad]

Memories of Manny's:

In my 60's HS days, a frequent Saturday ritual was for a group of us fledgling guitar players from the 5 or 6 competing bands in town to take the half-hour train ride down the Hudson River to Grand Central.

Each toting our 'weapons', the pack of us cool young dudes would bop n' strut the few blocks along the streets of the heart of NYC over to 48th to just go from store to store and dream and wish, only to get shooed out by the storekeepers if we asked to try out one of the axes or amps on our personal wish lists.

The plan was always to culminate our crusade at Mecca, the biggest of the row, Manny's. There, we were welcome to hang out on the ground floor, even plug in and show off our deadly Beatles, Kinks, Louie Louie or Chuck chops.

We'd gaze at the prizes hanging high in the glass cases, and scan the floor for a guitar hero. "Hey, man! Isn't that ....?" "Yeah!"..."Nah!"...

But our licenses were limited; ask to go upstairs to where the real gods hung out, jammin', and a polite "Sorry, boys...nothing for you kids up there. Is there anything you wanted to buy today?"

So, we'd be obliged to score some 'Manny's'-stamped tortoise shell picks, some strings..whatever we could get emptying the few bucks from our pockets.

We'd talk the whole ride back up the river about how cool we were to have played at Manny's, like our heroes did. Monday at school, our buds from our bands would swoop on us: "What'djas play?" "Who'djas see?"

[tunghaichuan]

That's too bad. :( I went there over 20 years ago when I was visiting my brother, who was attending Columbia U. at the time.

Very cool shop. I think I bought a pickguard there.

tung

[sunvalleylaw]

Darn. I have not been to NY, but hope to sometime in the next few years and take the kids. One stop was the sector people have told me about with all the music stores, and Manny's was a stop I wanted to make. Maybe some New Yorkers can make a bid to take it over, and run it as a music co-op. (not likely I know, but a nice thought.)

[oldguy]

Well, thinking positive thoughts is a good thing.:)

[evenkeel]

Sad, sad news.

from the article in "Premier Guitar".

Manny's Music in NYC is set to close its doors this spring

Legendary Manny's Music to Close
by Rebecca Dirks

New York, NY (March 11, 2009) -- An era that spanned nearly 75 years will come to an end this spring when Manny’s Music closes its doors for the last time. The legendary guitar store that served everyone from Hendrix and the Beatles to Clapton and U2 is set to close in May.

Located on New York City’s Music Row, West 48th Street Manny’s opened in 1935 and has seen countless stars. The store’s walls are a testament to its history—they’re covered in framed, autographed glossies of the patrons who have passed through the doors.

Other stores on Music Row are feeling the squeeze as well, and some worry that it’s only a matter of time until the entire neighborhood is gone. In a March 2008 article in The Real Deal, a New York real estate magazine, Sam Ash President Paul Ash and Manny’s grandson Ian Goldrich both commented on the Rockefeller Group’s push to purchase the surrounding property. The Goldrich family still owns the building Manny’s is located in. “I get at least a call a day from someone who wants to buy the building,” Goldrich told The Real Deal.

The store was purchased by Sam Ash in 1999. Ash told Premier Guitar in June 2008 that the company purchased the store because it was having troubles, and they believed it was an institution that should be maintained. Manny’s grandson, Ian Goldrich, continued to run the store after Sam Ash’s purchase. Neither Ash nor Goldrich could be reached for comment.

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From the Daily News section of Premier Guitar magazine (April 2009


Wingsdad,
Wonderful story. :)

[guitartango]

Never been to New York but this shop is a ledgend, can't someone buy it? I know that Macca has a few bob stored away somewhere.

[Spudman]

Never been to New York but this shop is a ledgend, can't someone buy it? I know that Macca has a few bob stored away somewhere.

Send him an email and ask. You want to be the manager? :)

[guitartango]

Love to be the manager not sure if the locals would understand us Brits. As for macca he is away on tour with the Frogs ....bom bom bom... bomm bom...
we all stand together (except for his ex wife).

[Geraint Jones]

The wife has just returned from her shopping trip over the pond , she texted to say her hotel was near this guitar store and she`d nip in to have a look . So in she goes looking confused and said she spent some time chatting to the helpful staff .I did`nt get the butterscotch '52 tele but I did get a Manny`s t shirt and a great book charting the history of the store , they also threw in a some Manny`s picks on top . I`m sure if I`d gone over to NYC i`d have spent the whole weekend in there .

[mrmudcat]

Last time ther was in the early 80's:thwap:

That sux:confused:

[hlieboff59]

that's a shame. I go like once a week to those stores just to browse.
Across the street back in 1972 at Alex's I got my first acoustic guitar there.
A Yamaha and paid like $100 for it.