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Manny's Music (NYC) closed

#22
Was in Manny's back in '79 when Steve Tyler and Joe Perry strolled in. Oddly, it didn't create a huge scene. No mobile or internet back in those days. They were both really cool, and Steven got behind a kit and played a smoking drum solo! :hyper:

On the whole, they were pretty rude to the average guy who walked in unless you flashed cash. But it was THE east coast music store back in the day.
 
#24
My wife worked there before and after they were bought by Sam Ash. She said they held an "employee meeting" one Saturday and the enemy, Sammy Ash, strolled in and took over the meeting. Every one's jaws hit the floor as no one was told anything in advance. Manny's always seemed to be classier and "for pro's" and Sam Ash more like a K-mart or something. They were not actually rude just tired of the umpteen kids and adults who would come in to waste their time but yes, flashing cash was the preferred method for getting sales folks attention at every store on 48th street.
 
#25
JmJ said:
yes, flashing cash was the preferred method for getting sales folks attention at every store on 48th street.
Click to expand...

Back in the 80s when I actually did a lot of shopping on 48th Street, I would walk into the middle of whatever department had what I needed (Pro Audio, Bass, Keyboards, etc.) with my Visa card held high above my head and I would proclaim in a very loud voice "I WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE SOME EQUIPMENT."

It was the only way to get the sales help to pay any attention to you. But it worked every time!
 
#26
JmJ said:
My wife worked there before and after they were bought by Sam Ash. She said they held an "employee meeting" one Saturday and the enemy, Sammy Ash, strolled in and took over the meeting. Every one's jaws hit the floor as no one was told anything in advance. Manny's always seemed to be classier and "for pro's" and Sam Ash more like a K-mart or something. They were not actually rude just tired of the umpteen kids and adults who would come in to waste their time but yes, flashing cash was the preferred method for getting sales folks attention at every store on 48th street.
Click to expand...

I usually found Sam Ash employees to be more approachable. Manny's had all the rock star clients and the attitude to go along with it. :p
 
#27
Thanks Larry for chiming in. I almost had to do it for you!

We Buy Guitars was the best. I did more business with them then most people in the world (okay, maybe a few people in the world). I got my original Hondo Longhorn bass, my Roland G-77 Synth bass, my Gibson Victory bass and a nearly destroyed Epiphone hollow body there. Great guys, prices good and negotiable. Miss them...
 
#28
Arg. Rudy's faked me out by opening a new store. Figures. Edited main post.

+1 on We Buy, got my first real bass ('86 jazz special) there. Had the wall o' doom on the right to teach you why to convince your kooky 80's guitarists to avoid Ovations.

Larry Hartke said:
Easy there guys…48th Street is alive and well and it’s not going anywhere, I'm there three days a week at the new "Hartke's 48th Street Bass Lounge" located in the former Manny's Music building. It's the largest bass store in the history of NYC with hundreds of bass guitars and amplifiers.
Click to expand...

Oh sure. I post this up on talkBASS and you pop in with a huge store full of basses to distract us...

Awesome! Good to know - ran across a couple doom and gloom articles, didn't look good. And congratulations on the opening :) I'll swing by next time I'm out there. I'll be the one camping out by the amps with a pup tent handing people burnt turkey burgers and Purell.
 
#31
I'm positive that 48th Street, Sunset Blvd in Hollywood or any other music / guitar store doesn't have as much "vibe" and excitement as it did back in the 70's or anytime up until 2008. Business is tough everywhere - and customers are super-cautious with their dough.
 
#33
I know that Manny's had a wonderful history, but honestly, of the many times I went there, I never got a lot out of it. They didn't have a great assortment of basses or cool stuff - certainly nothing you couldn't find in a GC or Sam Ash somewhere else. The staff was attentive enough, so I didn't have a problem there - they just didn't have anything that special.

I am looking forward to checking out Larry's bass lounge - that sounds like my kinda place! I'm always looking for something interesting (my current interest is a 4005).
 
#37
I took this while in the city last April.
image.jpg
 
#40
Rumor has it that Sam Ash might be moving away from 48th Street in the not so distant future. I've heard that they may wind up moving downtown to 34th Street. As things stand now, Guitar Center's NYC store is down on 14th street. And some of the cooler independent shops are located all over Manhattan and the outer boroughs.
 

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