Guitar Stores in NYC

[CLC12ROCK]

Hey all, or atleast everyone in NYC,

I am heading up to NYC tomorrow for about a week and a half. I will be in Manhattan and Brooklyn most of the time. I was wondering if anyone knows of some good guitar stores in NYC to hit up? Boutique or big box, whatever, I have been in Vail for a few days and haven't been able to play. I know the GC in Manhattan is supposed to be pretty badass, so I'll definitely check that out, but I was wondering if there are any other smaller places I should check out.

Thanks,

CLCIV

 

[FrankieOliver]

I haven't been there, but I believe there's a very reputable guitar store in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. It's a decent area these days. Anyway, I'm sure someone will chime in here and give you the skinny. Have a great trip.

 

[geochem1st]

If you are looking for quality there is no place like Mandolin Brothers in Staten Island. Its worth the trip just to visit. You can play $80,000 pre war Martins and compare them to todays Taylors, and no salesmen will bother you. Parts of it look like a museum.

They have an awesome electric section as well. Pricey but fun.

 

[damndirtyape71]

If you are headed to the big city, skip 48th st and head to Rivington Guitars. Good knowledgable guys.. They are very cool and helpful.. I'd also stop in Ludlows guitars, they are very cool guys as well... Brooklyn has a few stores that have good reputations, I've heard mixed stuff about Southside guitars. I'd suggest stopping in at Hoboken and seeing the cool cats over at Guitar Bar. Worth the stop and its a quick walk from the PATH.

Mandolin Brothers is great to visit, but not realistic to think you can find anything under 3G's there....

Also if you dig sheet music, check out Colony Records on 50th and Bway...

Enjoy!
Steve

 

[geochem1st]

...
Mandolin Brothers is great to visit, but not realistic to think you can find anything under 3G's there....

This is true, but its incredibly educational and hands on fun. Very few places around where you can play world class classics and not be harrassed. Its a great place to 'calibrate' your ears.

 

[CLC12ROCK]

Went to Rudy's, GC and Sam Ash today...Never been so disappointed in my life. You Yanks are PUSHY! Wasn't that pleased with the selection and if I asked to play a guitar it was immediately followed by, "So are you gonna buy it?" And then, after lying to them about being interested, they came over after five minutes to hose me outta there if I wasn't buying. No Southern Comfort up here! Dirtyape, I must say you are right about 48th. But I'll head over to Ludlow and Rivington next week. I'm gonna try to make it to MB's next week too, but I'm in Manhattan and it's quite a trip. Any suggestions on getting there?

 

[FrankieOliver]

Went to Rudy's, GC and Sam Ash today...Never been so disappointed in my life. You Yanks are PUSHY! Wasn't that pleased with the selection and if I asked to play a guitar it was immediately followed by, "So are you gonna buy it?" And then, after lying to them about being interested, they came over after five minutes to hose me outta there if I wasn't buying. No Southern Comfort up here! Dirtyape, I must say you are right about 48th. But I'll head over to Ludlow and Rivington next week. I'm gonna try to make it to MB's next week too, but I'm in Manhattan and it's quite a trip. Any suggestions on getting there?

Mandolin Bros. has a few small rooms about the store where you can take a guitar and play without anyone harrassing you. While their prices are high I found them to be a rather relaxed bunch without the pushiness that you will find in some of those other stores.

 

[damndirtyape71]

MBs?

Went to Rudy's, GC and Sam Ash today...Never been so disappointed in my life. You Yanks are PUSHY! Wasn't that pleased with the selection and if I asked to play a guitar it was immediately followed by, "So are you gonna buy it?" And then, after lying to them about being interested, they came over after five minutes to hose me outta there if I wasn't buying. No Southern Comfort up here! Dirtyape, I must say you are right about 48th. But I'll head over to Ludlow and Rivington next week. I'm gonna try to make it to MB's next week too, but I'm in Manhattan and it's quite a trip. Any suggestions on getting there?

 

[geochem1st]

If you are heading to MB's, from Manahattan head downtown ... all the way to the Battery and take the Staten Island Ferry to Staten Island. Do you have transportation or are you on foot?

If on foot: take the subway all the way down town. Depending on which side of Manhattan you are on the Subways: 1 to South Ferry; trains 'R, N, M' to Whitehall St; trains 4, 5 to Bowling Green; trains 2, 3 ,A, C and E nearby. No charge for the Staten Islan Ferry - its toll free both ways.

Once on Staten Island:
BY BUS FROM THE STATEN ISLAND FERRY: Walk up the ramp (along with the rest of the people) and you will see a number of bus ramps. You want Ramp C - the one with the #48 Bus listed on it. Take the #48 Forest Ave bus around 15 minutes, asking the driver to let you off on the corner of Forest and Pelton Avenues – at the purple and yellow Planet Fitness building. We're one block farther, the beige stucco building on the corner of Forest and Oakland Avenues - #629 Forest Avenue - with the address and "MANDOLIN BROS" sign on it.

They are at:
629 Forest Avenue, Staten Island, between Pelton Ave. and Oakland Ave. (corner of Oakland). Open Monday - Saturday from 10 AM - 6 PM
Phone: (718) 981-8585

 

[CLC12ROCK]

If you are heading to MB's, from Manahattan head downtown ... all the way to the Battery and take the Staten Island Ferry to Staten Island. Do you have transportation or are you on foot?

If on foot: take the subway all the way down town. Depending on which side of Manhattan you are on the Subways: 1 to South Ferry; trains 'R, N, M' to Whitehall St; trains 4, 5 to Bowling Green; trains 2, 3 ,A, C and E nearby. No charge for the Staten Islan Ferry - its toll free both ways.

Once on Staten Island:
BY BUS FROM THE STATEN ISLAND FERRY: Walk up the ramp (along with the rest of the people) and you will see a number of bus ramps. You want Ramp C - the one with the #48 Bus listed on it. Take the #48 Forest Ave bus around 15 minutes, asking the driver to let you off on the corner of Forest and Pelton Avenues – at the purple and yellow Planet Fitness building. We're one block farther, the beige stucco building on the corner of Forest and Oakland Avenues - #629 Forest Avenue - with the address and "MANDOLIN BROS" sign on it.

They are at:
629 Forest Avenue, Staten Island, between Pelton Ave. and Oakland Ave. (corner of Oakland). Open Monday - Saturday from 10 AM - 6 PM
Phone: (718) 981-8585

WOW. Thanks a lot, I feel like I have to go down there now.

And I said MB's as Mandolin Brothers.

 

[geochem1st]

WOW. Thanks a lot, I feel like I have to go down there now.

And I said MB's as Mandolin Brothers.

No problem, you don't have to go there but it is a worth while trip. I relocated from NY to NC, so just helping our a fellow neighbor

 

[damndirtyape71]

Ah MB's. Sorry, didn;t take my smart pills, yet...

Definetely check it out..

 

[CLC12ROCK]

Went to Ludlow Guitars and it's definitely one of the best guitar stores I've ever been in. Great selection of guits, amps and pedals, EXTREMELY nice staff and they hooked it up on my Baja Tele and Analogman Beano Boost. Gave me a good deal for both, and threw in two sets of the strings I use(D'Addario 10s) and a couple picks. I'll head to Rivington either tm or next week and MB's next week and let y'all know how it goes. But thanks again for the advice all.

 

[SlaytanicDude]

Rudy's pushing you to buy the guitar? Sorry, but that sounds like complete crap to me, I've never seen them push anybody to buy excessively, and they let customers play the guitars a fair amount. Maybe you did something to make them a bit jumpy about letting you touch the guitars (don't take that the wrong way; but if you came bumbling in well those guitars are their business and not all are easily replaceable). Who was serving you?

If you meant GC and Sam Ash, then disregard what I said.

 

[SG Lou]

48th St. aka Guitar Row

 

[VILLANOVA]

Try out:
Matt Umanov Guitars
30th Street Guitars
Rivington Guitars
Main Drag Music
First Flight Music

All excellent places that I've been to

 

[delawaregold]

No trip to the "Big Apple" is complete without a stop at
Dan's Chelsea Guitars - 220 W 23rd Street, New York, NY 10011
Tel: (212)675-4993
Hours: Mon-Sat 11am-7pm, Sun 12-6pm

Home

Then next door is the Chelsea Hotel, where
Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols may have stabbed his girlfriend,
Nancy Spungen, to death. Bob Dylan composed songs while
staying at the Chelsea. Other guests of the Chelsea are Eugene O'Neil,
Thomas Wolfe, Arthur C. Clarke, Janis Joplin, Leonard Cohen,
Jimi Hendrix, the Grateful Dead, Virgil Thompson, Larry Rivers,
William Burroughs, Willem de Kooning, Jasper Johns, Patti Smith,
Arthur Miller, and Dylan Thomas

Chelsea Hotel New York City: Boutique hotel near Times Square Union Square Central Park and Greenwich Village ny discount vacations

Jrock

The nightclubs in the Chelsea district of New York are good too.
Not what they used to be, but they still attract some of the best
musicians in the city.

 

[GrinningElk]

Howie over at Rivington is a huge sweetheart, but New York is exactly that- New York. Those guys get prices that we only dream about down here in Atlanta and at least we have sweet tea and a drawl....

 

[SlaytanicDude]

Try out:
Matt Umanov Guitars
30th Street Guitars
Rivington Guitars
Main Drag Music
First Flight Music

All excellent places that I've been to

Great people, Zeke is a great guy...it's also the oldest place now since Manny's was Sam Ashized. Great collection of vintage acoustics, Gibson and otherwise.

 

[CLC12ROCK]

Rudy's pushing you to buy the guitar? Sorry, but that sounds like complete crap to me, I've never seen them push anybody to buy excessively, and they let customers play the guitars a fair amount. Maybe you did something to make them a bit jumpy about letting you touch the guitars (don't take that the wrong way; but if you came bumbling in well those guitars are their business and not all are easily replaceable). Who was serving you?

If you meant GC and Sam Ash, then disregard what I said.

No it was definitely Rudy's that was pushy. Not as pushy or as big of assholes as the big boxes, but they were pushy. I went in wanting to play a PRS CE 22 that I saw online, but they had already sold it. Wasn't a big deal, but I hadn't played in like 5 days since I had been on holiday w/out a guit. So I just wanted to play around on a Custom 24. The guy kept on coming up to me asking me if I wanted to buy it, if I was done playing it and just gave me the impression that if I wasn't gonna buy it, then I couldn't play it anymore. Actually I think he said something exactly along those lines. I don't know who he was, but they did search all over for that CE22, which was nice. I probably would've bought that guitar. It was an awesome Tobacco Sunburst.