Rudy's Music Stop

[stingx]

I found this from the last trip I took over to Rudy's. There really isn't much left to 48th Street, sadly. Manny's is no more and 48th Street Custom Guitars left a very long time ago. It's really just Sam Ash taking up most of the street and Rudy's near the corner. This block was like Mecca to me as a young kid. I loved going there and seeing all the cool guitars and musicians, some famous. It's a mere fraction of it's former self but I still like to go by now and again. Sometimes a little nostalgia is good for the soul, you know? Anyway, I thought I'd share and if any of you have any plans to go to NYC, especially if you've never been, drop in Rudy's to see the custom Pensas.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8359/8318687731_407e25354a_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/stingx/8318687731/)
Rudy's Music Stop (http://www.flickr.com/photos/stingx/8318687731/) by stingx (http://www.flickr.com/people/stingx/), on Flickr

[Spudman]

Cool picture. Mom and pop music stores are going the way of the family farm. It's pretty sad.

I do like the accordion repair shop next door. It's a cool picture all the way.

[sunvalleylaw]

Ditto. When I finally get to NYC, that row of stores was going to be high on my list to visit. Sad to know it is fading away.

[stingx]

Ditto. When I finally get to NYC, that row of stores was going to be high on my list to visit. Sad to know it is fading away.

It faded a long time ago. The decline already happened in the 90s. The final nail in the coffin was when Manny's disappeared (although it was owned by Sam Ash for years before its closure). Rudy Pensa's place is the only unique shop left to visit as the rest of the stores is really just Sam Ash spread out over several buildings (keyboards, percussion, etc.). There are still some places worth visiting but require you to hop around some - Sadowsky Guitars, 30th Street Guitars, Matt Umanov Guitars, Chelsea Guitars, and The Music Zoo.

Sadly, the original Music Row is just a faded memory...

[stingx]

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2479/3586559472_48db8dc6a3_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobbycash/3586559472/)
Manny's Music (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobbycash/3586559472/) by sheeple herder (http://www.flickr.com/people/bobbycash/), on Flickr

Manny's was the bomb! They had some of Hendrix's guitars in the main window and some of the coolest and most unique instruments at the time. In the 80s, it was very common for my friends and I to run into many famous musicians who stopped/shopped in there for things while playing local venues like the Beacon or Madison Square Garden. A few I remember seeing shopping - Paul Stanley, Slash, Neil Young, Paul Simon, and Rudy Sarzo.

[riverrick]

Some great photos there. Sad that all the Mom & Pop stores are fading outta sight.

[davewrites]

Ditto to all the sentiments above, especially that neighbourhood being a Guitar Mecca.

...

Wait... "accordion repair!" That's a niche business in this day and age. GO ALEX!!!

[sunvalleylaw]

That is disappointing that that street in NYC is no more. The only place I have been that seems like one of those shops in the pictures is this place, Haight Ashbury Music Center in SF. I can't embed the photos but there are a couple linked below. Nice folks in there, a lot of cool stuff, and a good, independent vibe.


https://plus.google.com/116055983099588942292/photos/photo/5745046481095213490?hl=en

[jtees4]

Most of my teen years were spent there (mid-late 70's)....just can't describe how great a block that was back then! I live about 60 miles from there and still visit every now and then, but it's just depressing to go there now. The big Stuyvesant Music "We Buy Guitars" is still in business on Long Island and on the internet...but it's just not the same. Sad.
They have some good old pictures on their site though, check them out: http://www.webuyguitars.org/about.html

[stingx]

How could I forget the We Buy Guitars!

[guitartango]

How could I forget the We Buy Guitars!

So does Mark (http://www.mark-knopfler.info/guitarspensacustom.htm)