The bassline to Fascination Street will no doubt invade my dreams
May 10, 2012 9:28 AM

Guitar stores in New York City.

I want to give my husband a new bass guitar for his birthday. Obviously, this is not something I can go out and buy for him. So I want to make a booklet of New York-based guitar stores and resources for him and give him a day to himself to music-nerd it up and go shopping. Suggestions?

(Pertinent? he's been playing the guitar for a very long time, has both electric and acoustic guitars, played in a band for a few years, so he no doubt has some pretty set ideas about what he likes. I however am the least musical person in the universe so I don't know what it is he likes.)

Also, any other resources beyond stores would be awesome too. (Space for jamming that you can rent by the hour? I have a feeling this is something that you can do.) Thanks, metafilter!
posted by gaspode to Shopping (11 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
30th Street Guitars is one of the best shops in town. The staff is cool and they have a great selection of instruments. They also do reliable repair work.
posted by dickyvibe at 9:33 AM on May 10, 2012


I'm not sure if it's still the same, but 48th Street between 7th and 6th used to be kind of a "Music Instrument District", where the whole block was either retail or repair shops.
posted by LionIndex at 9:45 AM on May 10, 2012


Never been inside but I've walked by this place on 14th St. plenty of times. http://stores.guitarcenter.com/Manhattan
posted by mlle valentine at 9:48 AM on May 10, 2012


Matt Umanov Guitars on Bleecker Street.

Rivington Guitars on East 4th Street.
posted by davidjmcgee at 9:49 AM on May 10, 2012


Well, a side note on 48th street (between 6th/7th Ave.) There's Manny and Sam Ash. Not sure why Sam Ash gets such bad ratings on google. The time I was there, staff was so nice to me.
posted by lorn at 9:56 AM on May 10, 2012


Actually Manny's was replaced by Sam Ash. It's a good shop but it's not the same. Manny's was awesome.
posted by cazoo at 10:00 AM on May 10, 2012


Ludlow Guitars.
posted by Obscure Reference at 10:59 AM on May 10, 2012


I got no truck with local guitar shops, but I bought an amp at Sam Ash this week and also thought they were nice. I tend to think they can give me the best price, I might be wrong on that. But the main reason I go to them is selection; the last two times I was int he market, they had what I wanted in stock and other places didn't. Sorry to say I haven't been to any of the other suggestions you got, but I suspect the following: The locals might have some unusual basses that Sam Ash won't have, but Sam will have a bigger selection, and they will also have some stuff the locals won't. So which do you think will be more important to your husband?

For rehearsal (jamming) space, Ultrasound over by Penn Station is highly recommended, but costs $90 or so for three hours for a small room. I just booked over at Rivington; you can see the rooms on the site.
posted by troywestfield at 12:19 PM on May 10, 2012


2nd Matt Umanov
posted by thatgirld at 2:18 PM on May 10, 2012


Thank you all.
posted by gaspode at 8:54 AM on May 11, 2012


also, Main Drag in Williamsburg. MOST comfortable store in the city, easy.
posted by tremspeed at 7:29 PM on May 16, 2012


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