About 9 years ago when I really started to get a handle on soloing I walked into
Manny's confident for the first time...previously I had only gone in with my
guitar playing older brother and uncle (having grown up in VT, but having a dad
from Brooklyn we would go to NYC pretty often).
It was amazing, it was the first time I went to the store alone (I was 18), I
did my usual walk around Sam Ash and the couple of other guitar shops on 48th
St, but I went to Manny's last because I knew it was the coolest and I wanted to
savor it. I window shopped at first, then I walked in floored by the Pensa
guitars with pictures of Mark Knopfler next to them, I walked through the
acoustic rooms playing Guild and Martin 6 & 12-Strings and vintage dobro's
first. But then I went back downstairs into the back room where a couple of
people were playing vintage strats and gibsons (les pauls and ES models). I
walked into the little room (there were about 3 of us) and was smiled at but the
two other guys. I picked up an old SG plugged into a twin reverb on the floor
and started picking along with the two guys (just blues licks and shuffles,
nothing fancy). They were taking there time and told me to take a few solo's
(which I did) and we just sat there playing for 20+ minutes.
Afterwards one of the guys got up and left. The older of the two gentlemen (who
I had figured out worked at Manny's) stayed and started talking to me about my
playing, what kind of music I liked, where I was from, and giving me all sorts
of guitar and love life advice...I have no idea how long I was there, but it was
great. He let me try all sorts of guitars even though I told him I didn't have
enough money to buy that day. I played ES-335's and pre-CBS Fenders (and getting
full instruction as to why there were better). After a while it was time to go,
I had to get back to Brooklyn for dinner...before I left I said my goodbye and
this man gave me a hug ad told me to come back and play again soon as if we had
known each other forever.
As I walked out I looked at the pictures behind the register...that guy was in a
lot of them. I had no idea what his name was or if he was the owner or what...so
I asked one of the younger salesman on the way out...he said the older guy was
Henry and he "ran the place", that was all I was told. Manny's was one of the
coolest shops I have ever set foot in.
RIP Manny's, thanks for the memories!
Sincerely,
Tom Cusimano
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