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boutique builders in NYC

#5
Isn't there a custom luthier on 9th Avenue somewhere in the 40's or 50s?
I remember when I used to attend the 9th Avenue Food Fair I'd walk past a (closed) shop with a window full of sunburst Fender-esque instruments that had completely unrecognizeable logos on their headstock.
 
#7
Used to be lots- NYC is a brutally expensive place to do business.

Ken Smith moved his operation to PA decades ago. Michael Tobias is upstate About 90 minutes in Woodstock. Citron is nearby or in Woodstock- theres another in the area whos name escapes me at the
Moment. Steinberger started out in Brooklyn then Newburgh...
Might want to schedule a side trip to Woodstock!
 
#11
THIS THREAD had a bunch of info about some of the better bass spots to check out in NYC.

If you drop the guys at Fodera a line most likely you'll be able to visit their shop. I met Joe Lauricella at a jam in NJ, and he was super nice and extended an invite to me then and there. And Sadowsky is also accustomed to having customers stop by since they do sell some of their gear direct.

Also, Warwick has a custom shop on East 7th street down in the Village.
 
#12
Fodera and Carl Thompson are here in Brooklyn. Spector was in Brooklyn too, but is now upstate in Woodstock. Massapequa (Long Island) is where you can find New York Bass Works. MTD is upstate in Kingston. Ned Steinberger Design is also upstate I think? Warwick also has a Manhattan shop.

Sam Ash in Manhattan carries Sadowskys, and Sadowsky's shop used to be in the area. Larry Hartke (of Hartke amplification) also works/hangs at the Manhattan Sam Ash fairly often. Really nice guy - he let me try the aluminum Hartke XK4 Bass that Sam Ash has on display.

We also have some other cool music stores that aren't boutique!

EDIT: Sadowsky is in Queens now.
 
#13
I don't know if you're into other stringed instruments but Mandolin Bros on Staten Island is a must stop if you are. The best acoustic guitar and mandolin shop in the area. They also have quite a bit of older Fender, Gibson, Ric, etc... electric guitars and basses from the 50's, 60's and 70's. Plan on spending some time - it's like a museum except they let you play anything - no asking. Just lift it off the wall and plug it in one of the vintage amps sitting there. They have a website you can check out also.
 
#17
ShoeManiac said:
Sadowsky's shop was originally in Midtown Manhattan. When I bought my preamp from them back in the 90's the shop was right around 48th street in the vicinity of the Brill Building.
Click to expand...

Yeah, there are a lot of music shops on 48th. I kinda wish my office was there, but I'm on 54th and 3rd. Too much of a walk if I wanna shop during my lunch break. Perhaps that's a good thing. :)
 
#20
f64 said:
I don't know if you're into other stringed instruments but Mandolin Bros on Staten Island is a must stop if you are. The best acoustic guitar and mandolin shop in the area. They also have quite a bit of older Fender, Gibson, Ric, etc... electric guitars and basses from the 50's, 60's and 70's. Plan on spending some time - it's like a museum except they let you play anything - no asking. Just lift it off the wall and plug it in one of the vintage amps sitting there. They have a website you can check out also.
Click to expand...

For a while in the 80s & 90s my old college buddies and I had a fairly regular (like, 4 times a year) routine:

- Saturday morning take the ferry from lower Manhattan to Staten Island. Drink Budweiser tall boys while standing on the front of the boat freezing yer butt off and getting a buzz even though it's only 9:30AM.

- Arrive at the Staten Island ferry terminal, take the bus up to Mandolin Brothers.

- Before entering Mandolin Brothers, stop into the Caliente Cab Company (at least I think that's what it's called; we just referred to it as "the burrito bar") that's right down the block; order a Tye Dye, which is a frozen cocktail made with tons of tequila.

- now sufficiently baked, go to Mandolin Brothers. Spend the entire day there trying out guitars, basses, mandolins, pedal steels, etc.

- as twilight descends, hop a bus back to the ferry terminal, take the ferry back to lower Manhattan (while drinking Bud tall boys on the bow again), then take a short walk to the other Caliente Cab Company in Chinatown and have more Tye Dyes.



Yeah, we were young and stupid...
 

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