For any musician visiting New York, checking out instruments at the music stores would naturally find its way onto the itinerary. And if there one store where you can find a huge variety, it is Guitar Center NYC in Manhattan.
Guitar Center NYC: Manhattan Music Store
The New York City Guitar Center is located along West 14th Street in Manhattan, not far away from Union Square.
You would that think mega music stores are easy to come across in New York City but unfortunately, that isn’t quite the case. For example, Sam Ash, the large music retailer has called it quits on their store along West 34th Street.
Thankfully, there are still other music stores in Manhattan such as Music Inn World instruments on West 4th Street and Rudy’s Music Soho on Broome Street in Lower Manhattan.
However, we digress.
If you have always wanted to check out a Guitar Center, or are looking for a all-in-one store that stocks a variety of musical instruments that include drums, keyboards, basses and, of course, guitars, Guitar Center on West 14 Street is the place for you to visit.
Inside Guitar Center NYC in Manhattan
Stepping inside Guitar Center NYC, we were greeted by walls of instruments
The retail store occupies two floors – the ground floor and the basement.
Right by the entrance are boxes of items that are on promotions. On the rest of the ground floor, guitar players and bass players will find a good selection of guitars, basses and amps spread around the main shop floor.
Venturing further into the Guitar Center, there are two separated rooms.
The one on the left is devoted to more guitars.
On the right, there is a bass enclave, aptly called the Rumble Room, where electric basses are displayed on the wall.
The selection of guitars and basses is what you would expect to find in a large guitar retail store. They are mainly mainstream instruments from the major brands that most people would be looking to purchase. So you can expect brands such as Fender, Gibson, Musicman, Jackson and Ibanez on the walls of Guitar Center.
A more unusual bass that we cam across was a Bohemian & Sons short scale bass that was made out a tin can that said “Explosive Powder TNT”.
Look out for clearance items that have been marked out with orange tags.
In addition, there are racks of accessories like guitar straps and guitar cables laid out on display racks.
Drums, Cymbals and Percussions
Next to the bass section is the drum section. This is stocked with drum kits from brands like Ludwig, PDP, Gretsch and more. These are all stacked up into neat towers, some even occupying shelves so that you can get an elevated look.
The snare drums have their own wall and you can get some help if you wan to sample or listen to them.
The cymbals have their own room where you can go in to sample the various sounds.
You can also pick up your drum hardware here. There is also a small section with a couple of percussion sets set out.
Guitar Center also does offer used gear for sale so you may be able to score some deals if you are there at the right time.
Guitar Center Basement
After having had your fill of the ground floor, take the steps down to basement at Guitar Center NYC.
This is where the PA systems along with keyboards and other instruments are located.
There is also a small rack of sheet music and music books for sale. However, we felt like this is a sunset-ing business since there is such a wealth of knowledge available online and on YouTube nowadays.
Visiting Guitar Center, NYC
Before we exited the Guitar Center, we noticed that there was also a merchandise section just by the main door. This has merchandise such as t-shirts and posters available for sale. These are mostly brand merchandise from brands like Fender.
Overall, it was fun to pay a visit to Guitar Center and there is plenty to look at and, if you wish, to plug into an amp and get your musical mojo going. You way just end up walking away with a brand new musical instrument – the temptation is definitely real!
If you enjoyed this story, you may also enjoy this other story about the Village Vanguard, a jazz lover’s must-visit, that is located just about a 10 to 15 minute walk away from Guitar Center New York.
