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January 2005
Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | Did you guys know that Sam Ash owns Manny's music in NY? I had not idea. Visited today and was talking to a sales guy who said how ironic that he works at Manny's, but his paycheck says San Ash. Something about Sam Ash not being a Gibby dealer and they push all the Gibby accross the street to Manny. Any way you look at it both stores are just a shell of what they were in the late 60's early 70's. Dave |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Sam's & Manny's used t'be BIG competitors "BackInTh'Day".
Guess it was only a matter of time before Manny's got "absorbed" by somebody . . .
(At least it's not WalMart . . . yet)
Yer right, David.
It's NOTHING like it used t'be . . . |
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June 2005
Posts: 231
Location: N.J. | Used to jump on the train almost once a week to head up to 48th st.Those were some great times "BackInTh'Day"!! Manny's has never been the same since Sam's took them over.AAAhhhh, nuthin's been the same since "BackInTh'Day" for that matter. |
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November 2004
Posts: 1330
Location: ms | I got an 1868-4 at Mannys in the late 90`s. The first and last thing i`ll buy from them!!!!! |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | THey call that section of 48th st, Sam Ash Avenue now. |
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January 2004
Posts: 627
Location: Cherry Hill, NJ | Back in the day, you had to go to 48th street to buy a quality guitar, the local mom and pops just didn't carry much in their inventory. I bought my 1970 SG Standard at Manny's brand new, backin thaday, 48th street will soon be obsolete, as buyers purchase on line or at the local GC in anywhere USA. I was in Manny's last month and saw a signed framed receipt, on the wall, dated 1968 for the purchase of an Epiphone Casino, by Jimi Hendrix. |
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May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Even in the 80's, if you wanted to try a large selection 48th street was the place. I remember taking the bus to the port authority in the late 70's (well, frankly all the way into the early 90's) and walking up there past the drug dealers, crack whores, thugs, low lifes ...
I actually liked it better than now. Now it's a real estate developer's disney land, if you like that sort of thing ... |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Not to mention BrewBurger, which was a chain of restaurants where (for $7) you got a burger, salad, and ALL THE BEER YOU CAN DRINK . . . which was quite attractive to a 17-year-old "musician" from NewJersey . . .
(ah, . . . those PortAuthority "TunnelBunnies" . . |
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October 2005
Posts: 5331
Location: Cicero, NY | What'd you do with the salads? |
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January 2005
Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | Cliff ate the salad while his friends at the burgers. Dave |
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July 2004
Posts: 812
Location: Hicksville, NY | I visited Manny's for the first time last year, only because I'd been told that it "was the place to go to if I was serious about buying a guitar." I never really liked the place, but during my visit there, I was somewhat puzzled by the presence of Carlo Robelli guitars in their shelves. I never inquired about it, but now I know why. That same day, I also visited Matt Umanov but was turned off by the snobby attitude of the staff. It's unlikely that I'll be going to either stores again.
Months later, when I was serious enough to make a purchase, I decided to cross the water (um..bridge) to Staten Island. I've never been happier for making that decision ... |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | ". . Cliff ate the salad while his friends at the burgers . ."
You were THERE?!?!?!? |
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January 2005
Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | How do you know I was NOT there? We're about the same age and grew up in the same neck of the woods. I spent my fare share of time at Brew Burger ... |
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December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | Originally posted by ignimbyte:
I also visited Matt Umanov but was turned off by the snobby attitude of the staff. It's unlikely that I'll be going to either stores again.
I can tell you a few Matt stories. |
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April 2006
Posts: 1138
Location: CT | I've worked a block away from them for the past 17 years, and stop in on a regular basis. It's wierd to go to Manny's and ask for something, then they'll say "...were out of stock..." and after punching a few keystrokes, they'll say "...Sam Ash still has 2 in inventory..." Back in the day, there was also 48th St. Custom Guitars, and who remembers the 'We Buy Guitars' store where Sam Ash percussion is now, as well as a few others. Point is, you had a selection, and could haggle a price, which is not the case, since Sam owns the whole block, and you can get a better deal on line anyway. |
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January 2005
Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | I rememeber "We Buy Guitars" very well. Down in Jersey we had this store called "48th Street Music Exchange" which I think was trying to play off the mystique of the big city stores. Dave |
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June 2005
Posts: 231
Location: N.J. | Rudys Music is still up that way and I dont think Sam owns them. I havent been in there since the days of John Suhr but I remember they had alot of beautiful guitars come out of there when John worked there.One of the other things I remember about "BackInTh'Day" was you had top audio guys like Chris Tso {sp?} who designed sound systems in half the clubs in Manhattan working in Mannys pro audio dept. part time and was a great guy to work with, didnt matter if you were spending $100 or $10,000.Today,this is probably the worst I have ever seen salesmen nowadays in big chain music stores,from not knowing what coated strings are{and you work in the string dept?} to the drum sales guy trying to sell guitar amps.It was cool to work at a music store and get to demo all the new gear that came in ect... now its just for the employee discount on the new Pod :rolleyes: :( |
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April 2006
Posts: 1138
Location: CT | Rudy's is still it's own place, but they mainly deal in big ticket items. My friend couldn't get the time of day when he wanted a $2,300.00 amp, because they didn't have it in stock, and they didn't want to order it. There is also Alex music, but I don't know how much longer they can hold out. |
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December 2002
Posts: 584
Location: atlanta | While my daughter Kaki was in college in NYC ('98-'01), she sold percussion part-time for Sam Ash. She said at first customers were skeptical about her (she was only 19), so she would show them her chops on a demo drum kit. That was her way of establishing some cred.
As Billy Bob said, "If you can do it, it ain't braggin'"
Best--
Dave King |
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December 2003
Posts: 1071
Location: Carle Place, NY | As a native New Yawker, I fondly remember 48th St. back in early 70's. Any time that I went into Manhattan (I'm from Queens) I'd always make it a point to go there, even on a Sunday when the stores were closed, just to window shop. Last time I was there was two years ago and it is nothing like it was back then. The change is just a product of the times. Back then you HAD to go to Manny's to get a good selection, but not any more. Most GC's have better inventory selection than Manny's now. Now that SA owns Manny's I think that its days are numbered. |
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Manny Ash
