TrueGrit
Kenny,
The Electro Harmonix showroom would have been around the 1981 to 1983 time period so perhaps you started working at Manny's shorly after they closed up?
And it's a shame that, with 48th Street being such an iconic landmark, the only stores left there now are Sam Ash (after taking over Manny's) and Rudy's Music. And speaking of Rudy's Music, they were one of the first authorized Schecter dealers in the U.S. and I put together a ****in' strat hybrid with parts obtained from them. Also the guitar player in Dire Straits, Jack Sonni, used to work at Rudy's before Mark Knopfler snatched him up around 1984 to record on the Brothers in Arms album and to go on tour with them.
I haven't been in that neck of the woods in a while and the last time I was there was to see Les Paul and his Trio performing at the Iridium Jazz Club about a year before LP passed away. THAT was an experience to say the least.
You walk down 48th Street today and it's barely recognizable although you can still feel the music vibe emanating from the buildings and street itself! :)
Regards,
Steve
Hi Steve ,
Yes, this was a long time ago ....OK , Now I get the timeline ...
I worked at The Sam Ash that was right next to Manny's from around late 78 / 79 to about 80 /81 .
This was long before Sam Ash took over most of the block ....
Back then it sure was a lot different
There was Right Track studios a few doors down to the left and all day long studio musicians would come in killing time before their sessions ...
I got a ton of great stories from that chapter of my stay and life on 48 th st...while at Sam A...
Aside from getting to hang w Buddy Williams and Marcus Miller just about every day ..Great Players ....
(they would hang at S A between sessions and gigs )
I have had some of the most oddest encounters that have led to some great memories ...
Rory Gallagher walked in one day ,
Nobody noticed him but me and he was astounded that I actually knew who he was ...
He knew I knew exactly who he was because when I shook his hand I started singing Messin' With the Kid
Another time a well dressed fella in western style clothes walked in wearing a cowboy hat and he was carrying a rather large guitar case ...
I walked right up to him and said wow " what type of guitar do you have in that case ? I know it's got to be good "
He said "sure you want to see it ? " he opened the case and he had a Blonde Gibson L 5 Acoustic w a cutaway .
The Guitar was dead mint .At the time it was already considered Vintage due to it's year of birth ...
I asked him if I can play it , he say sure so I start playing him the version of Here's That Rainy Day I had learned from Barry Galbraith ..
When I was done he smiled at me and asked me if I had my union card ...
I told him no . He said you better get it because I have a job for you and I can't hire you unless you have a union card ...I asked him what job ? he said he needed a sub for the Broadway show he was doing ...
My chance encounter at Sam Ash had hooked me up with Craig Chambers of The Rio Grande Band .
Craig was the leader of the band and his band was the original band for the original Broadway Show The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas ...
I did get my card and I wound up being a sub ...Craig had another sub named John S...that had seniority ....
I myself never got to play the show ...Yet , I would show up and get paid for that ...
It did open me up to a whole new world . Craig was a really nice guy . When he played out I would get to sit in with him and his very talented band & musicians....
Oh Yeah , real quick ...
I knew Jack Sonni, from Rudy's when he worked there ...some story what happened to him joining Dire S....
I was back on the block working at Manny's by 1984 hoping something like that would happen to me
Oh well , we all cant have a happy fairy tale story like Cinderella ...but hey I'm still here wishing
have a good one , nice rapping w you ,
Kenny