"...and I saw Gene Cornish on the street way back when..."
Classic. I once saw Gene Cornish there. And Leslie West. It was the mecca where
I trained in from CT, plunked my hard earned down and traded up my Zim Gar for a
Tele.
I still love to window shop on that block when I'm in NYC.
Bill Nollman
Added by Sandi on April 6, 2009 at 12:38am —
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"And on the walls are signed pictures from every act every to ply the boards..."
.... and one of Dino, Desi and Billy's early black and white 8 X 10 promo photos
used to be located under one of the "Ms" in the name Manny's as you walked in
the store. That's what I remember seeing when I visited the store manny (haha)
years ago. I was very proud to see that photo up there, seriously.
Sorry to hear the store is…
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Added by Sandi on April 6, 2009 at 12:37am —
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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…
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Added by Sandi on April 6, 2009 at 12:36am —
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You've touched on one of my old favorite haunts -- 48th Street.
There's only ONE store left there from the glory days, Bob -- Rudy's Music. Rudy
is still there, making deals, hanging out, buying selling and trading. He just
celebrated his 25th anniversary there, and every other store is either owned by
Sam ASS or is gone.
Let me see -- WE BUY GUITARS. One of the first dealers to realize that used
guitars were…
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Added by Sandi on April 6, 2009 at 12:34am —
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Wow! Manny's is going under! That's HORRIBLE news. Being from Syracuse, New
York (six hours away from NYC, but it might as well have been a light year), a
trip down to NYC during a high school concert trip or a college band tour meant
the opportunity to hit that little stretch of 48th street. Most smaller cities
have one or possibly two music shops. 48th street had much more than that...on
the same street! It was like entering Disneyland…
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Added by Sandi on April 6, 2009 at 12:33am —
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As teenagers in the late 60s, Manny's was our shrine. When I was 15, I saw my
then-hero Jack Casady having his bass re-strung for him, with 'extra heavy gauge
strings'! (At least that's my memory of the scene.) We were annoying little
teenagers, and we couldn't get the time of day from the staff. It was all part
of paying our dues.
Thanks for conjuring up those memories. It's sad to see Manny's go out of
business, but…
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Added by Sandi on April 6, 2009 at 12:31am —
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Manny's used to be a legitimate, and important, reason to take the one-hour
train and tube ride from the northern Jersey burbs into the city. Then it grew
and became all of 48th Street. It was still the most likely place to breath the
intoxicating air of the rock hero, where all the boys with long hair and rock
dreams and the girls who felt the same pull, would go - a true street of dreams.
My teenagers still get a whiff of that…
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Added by Sandi on April 6, 2009 at 12:30am —
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-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Lefsetz [mailto:bob@lefsetz.com]
Sent: Thursday, April 02, 2009 12:13 AM
Subject: Manny's
We're in New York for the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation Teacher Awards at
Carnegie Hall. They're not until Friday, but we flew in early so we could
have dinner with Malcolm Gladwell, the rest of our time being totally
booked. He told a great story analogizing the world to David and Goliath,
but that's his routine, so I won't…
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Added by Sandi on April 6, 2009 at 12:30am —
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I had a boyfriend who worked at Manny's in '04/'05. Everyone there at the time
was warm, dedicated, all musicians themselves. At the same time, being a
musician means a job like that is just a job, you know?
Hannah Carlen
Added by Sandi on April 6, 2009 at 12:30am —
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Bob, I just got back from Guitar Center and then read your Manny's post. If
Guitar Center will be all that we have left after the flood,then God help us.
This GC was located in a western suburb about 15 miles from Minneapolis. I was
in the neighborhood, and wanted to check out a simple effects pedal for my
guitar (a Boss RC 20 Loop station for those that need to know.) As primarily an
acoustic guitarist, I have a rudimentary…
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Added by Sandi on April 6, 2009 at 12:30am —
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I had no idea Manny's was closing. While I was at Columbia College it was my
home away from home, and the whole family treated me as their adopted nice
Jewish college boy. Henry was in charge then, and it was always a good idea to
refine your questions before you encountered Henry, as he always wanted you to
think he was in a hurry, even if he wasn't.
I bought my first Strat from Henry, as well as several Fender amps, a…
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Added by Sandi on April 6, 2009 at 12:29am —
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I knew it was bought by Sam Ash, but no idea it was closing. I bought my
Rickenbacker 4001 bass across the street at "We Buy Used Guitars". Awesome
place. You went there and you could get A Real Deal if you knew what something
was worth and had the cajones to haggle.
My friend, James, bought his 69 Les Paul (black) at Manny's for the outrageous
sum of $460 back in '72. He still has that guitar.
What's…
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Added by Sandi on April 6, 2009 at 12:28am —
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Manny's was a place that served two functions. It served working professional
musicians. But it also catered to the dreamers and gawkers, the kids and the
weekenders. This latter demographic, who come to the store on a dream, out of
love -- are mostly either going to Guitar Center, or playing Guitar Hero.
The music stores that are thriving other than the giant Wal-Marts of Guitar
Center are the smaller places who offer…
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Added by Sandi on April 6, 2009 at 12:26am —
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Wonderful memories of the OLD style family owned music store.
First went to Manny's in the late 70s.
I'm from Miami Florida. We had our version of Manny;s, ACE Music.
It was run by Gus Rubin and sons. I don't know if it was the same at Manny's as
it was at Ace but when ever you made a purchase you walked out with a ton of
free goods, pick straps amp cover capos etc.
Sure miss the Ratners style approach, coleslaw,…
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Added by Sandi on April 6, 2009 at 12:24am —
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It's silly, but I can't quite describe the thrill of going there the first time
we went to NYC in '79. I mean - it was Manny's, for christ's sake! After the
Yellow Cab ride in from JFK with Ian Copeland (and his famous spliffs) and my
drum kit under our feet - going to Manny's meant we were really in NYC. As a
rock band. The end of one Yellow Brick Road was the beginning of the other.
What with this memory and the fabulous 'Life…
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Added by Sandi on April 6, 2009 at 12:00am —
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In the old days (mid-60's) my father took me to Manny's. Manny used to let me
plunk on a real Hofner Beatle bass and bought me gum from the penny machine they
had there. What a profound experience. Later and through the years, I dealt with
Henry, Stuart, Ian & Judd. 48th Street royalty. That store set the high water
mark for what a music store should be. A meeting place with the common language
of music. With Manny's goes a piece of my…
Added by Sandi on April 6, 2009 at 12:00am —
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Jesus, that sucks. I visited Manny's and Sam Ash for the first time when I was
18. It was my first trip to "the city" and I was playing there as a wide-eyed
kid with no idea just what he was getting himself into. Visiting Music Row was
a religious experience for me.
I was back in NYC for the first time in quite a few years - playing again - last
year on two separate occasions. Both times, I went down to 48th Street…
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Added by Sandi on April 6, 2009 at 12:00am —
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_________________________________
I was in New York ten days ago when I heard Manny's was closing down. I was
staying a mere block from there, so I moseyed on over. Saw the yellow guitar in
the glass case, saw the signed receipts for guitars Jimi Hendrix bought, looked
at autographed 8x10s of artists well-remembered and long forgotten.
I asked one of the salespeople what happened. He told me the…
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Added by Sandi on April 6, 2009 at 12:00am —
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-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Lefsetz
To: goldylyric@aol.com
Sent: Sun, 5 Apr 2009 12:57 am
Subject: Re-Manny's
I did a photo session at Manny's once with Suzi Quatro -- a tiny bassist buried
in a pile of bass guitars.
Toby Mamis
Added by Sandi on April 6, 2009 at 12:00am —
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A great store moving on, is it a sign of the times?
Manny's Musical Instruments, a Midtown landmark since 1935, will close its doors forever at the end of May, and the remainder of the Music Row—as the block of W. 48th Street between Seventh and Sixth Avenues is affectionately known—may soon fall like a row of dominoes.
Following up on a reader's tip, I paid a call on Manny's today and was told by a staff member that the store would shutter at the end of the May. Manny's…
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Added by Sandi on March 25, 2009 at 1:03am —
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