Where the concierge points people first
- Studio Instrument Rentals — The answer for a touring musician who flew in without an amp or a kit. SIR rents backline by the day and runs rehearsal rooms, so it is where working bands fill the gaps rather than buy. (40.7492, -74.0043)
- David Gage String Instruments — The double bass specialist in Tribeca. If you are carrying an upright, or need to rent one because you did not fancy flying it, this is the shop New York bassists name first. (40.7194, -74.0040)
- Retrofret Vintage Guitars — A vintage guitar dealer and repair bench in Brooklyn. Worth the trip for the old instruments alone, and for serious repair work rather than a quick change of strings. (40.6781, -74.0017)
- Rudy's Music Soho — A guitar shop with deep roots in the old West 48th Street trade, now in SoHo. Good for trying expensive acoustics in a room quiet enough to hear them. (40.7223, -74.0012)
- Steinway Hall — The Steinway flagship showroom on Sixth Avenue near Bryant Park. A pianist can ask to play; everybody else can simply look at a room full of concert grands. (40.7559, -73.9837)
- Flute Center — A flute-only specialist, which in a city this size is exactly as useful as it sounds if you play one and something has gone wrong with a pad. (40.7468, -73.9933)
The rest of the music shops in New York — every one we hold
- 30th Street Guitars (40.7471, -73.9956)
- 7-10 Music (40.7602, -73.9708)
- A Piano Grows In Manhattan (40.8233, -73.9407)
- Al Gallico Music Corporation (40.7627, -73.9772)
- Allegro Violins (40.7652, -73.9779)
- Amie Street Inc (40.7469, -73.9540)
- Andrew Schaw Violins (40.7773, -73.9830)
- Anselmo Academy of Music & The Arts (40.7984, -73.9603)
- Armen's Music Shop (40.7544, -73.9944)
- Astoria Music (40.7672, -73.9170)
- Atlantis Music Ltd (40.7638, -73.9743)
- Backwater Music Productions (40.7485, -73.9932)
- Baroque Keyboards (40.8626, -73.9913)
- Big Wrench Piano Care (40.6822, -73.9909)
- Black & White Music Inc (40.7187, -74.0072)
- Bond Street Guitars (40.6801, -73.9892)
- Bondy Piano Sales and Service (40.7610, -73.9926)
- Brooklyn Brass & Reed (40.6799, -73.9917)
- Brooklyn Fine Guitars (40.6821, -73.9908)
- Brooklyn Woodwind & Brass (40.7276, -73.9570)
- Brothers Guitar Shop (40.7762, -73.9519)
- Burke Woodwinds (40.7478, -73.9874)
- Chadash Clarinet, Inc. (40.7583, -73.9948)
- Chelsea Calder Vocal Studio (40.7642, -73.9835)
- Christophe Landon (40.7754, -73.9824)
- Colin Maki, Inc. (40.7667, -73.9696)
- Continuus Voice Vocal Studio (40.7610, -73.9991)
- Control Synthesizers and Electronic Devices (40.7287, -73.9600)
- D’Angelico Guitars Showroom (40.7469, -73.9924)
- Dan's Chelsea Guitars (40.7445, -73.9968)
- David Segal Violins (40.7746, -73.9803)
- DDK Guitars (40.6726, -73.9913)
- Distant Music (40.7480, -73.9935)
- Erica Feidner Piano Studio (40.7727, -73.9903)
- Faust Harrison Pianos (40.7666, -73.9801)
- First Flight Music (40.7290, -73.9839)
- Fleming's Pianos (40.8676, -73.9627)
- Frequency Music Group (40.7233, -74.0092)
- Fsc Guitars Manufacturing & Guitar Repair Shop (40.7297, -73.9494)
- Gil Music Corporation (40.7619, -73.9835)
- Guitar Center (40.7367, -73.9948)
- Guitar Center (40.7531, -73.9145)
- Guitar Center (40.6889, -73.9815)
- Guitar Center - New York (40.6740, -73.9542)
- Guitar Center Lessons (40.6846, -73.9769)
- Guitar New York (40.7626, -73.9784)
- Guitartech (40.7389, -74.0000)
- Guy Rabut, Violin Maker (40.7930, -73.9736)
- H and b music school (40.8646, -73.9831)
- HERR Violin (40.8400, -73.9811)
- Hey Joe Guitar (40.7796, -73.9835)
- Imai Guitars (40.7413, -73.9916)
- Innoledy Manhattan Showroom (40.7626, -73.9860)
- Innoledy New York Showroom (40.7674, -73.9901)
- Intrigue Music Llc (40.7592, -73.9901)
- J. Landress Brass (40.7479, -73.9874)
- JL Woodwinds (40.7528, -73.9906)
- Johnny Albino Music Center (40.7037, -73.9421)
- Jon Baltimore Music Company, Inc. (40.7583, -73.9841)
- Jonathan Solars Fine Violins (40.8035, -73.9521)
- Klavierhaus (40.7684, -73.9924)
- Lee's Guitar Store (40.7137, -73.9008)
- Lukas Violins (40.7946, -73.9713)
- Main Violin (40.8575, -73.9785)
- Manhattan Piano Academy (40.7761, -73.9500)
- Marlene McCarthy Piano Lessons (40.7187, -73.9431)
- Martha's Music Studio (40.6628, -73.9857)
- Matthias Lehner Violins (40.7724, -73.9810)
- Mcy Music World (40.7561, -73.9839)
- Midtown Music Loft (40.7520, -73.9889)
- Mojo City Guitars (40.7539, -73.9419)
- Muse Box (40.7267, -73.9953)
- Music Beans | A Creative Place for Music Learning (40.7179, -73.9991)
- Music Behind The Marketing (40.7407, -73.9926)
- Music Inn World Instruments (40.7322, -74.0014)
- Music Preparation International (40.7545, -73.9922)
- Musicdish Llc (40.7721, -73.9267)
- Musichood Llc (40.8757, -73.9530)
- Musifai (40.7556, -73.9715)
- New York City Pianos (40.7658, -73.9806)
- New York Piano Center (40.7410, -73.9957)
- Newind Shop (40.8652, -73.9622)
- NKFLUTES (40.7755, -73.9830)
- NYC Flute Instruction (40.7967, -73.9731)
- NYC Guitar Lessons (40.6738, -73.9902)
- Nycdoublebassist (40.7312, -73.9888)
- Osiamo Music Gear (40.8013, -73.9683)
- P S Musicland Corporation (40.7169, -73.9955)
- Pastore Music Inc (40.7722, -74.0289)
- Pentatonic Guitars (40.7341, -73.9576)
- Perry Ritter Woodwind Repair (40.7579, -73.9812)
- PianoPiano Rentals (40.7727, -73.9811)
- Playground Sessions (40.7201, -74.0046)
- Pro Music Marketing, Inc. (40.7793, -73.9474)
- Proaudiostar (40.6778, -73.9571)
- Prosper Pianos (40.6942, -73.9552)
- Queens Guitar School (40.7612, -73.9241)
- Rare Violins of New York (40.7650, -73.9795)
- Real Brave (40.7805, -73.9471)
- Reed Yeboah Fine Violins Llc (40.7664, -73.9816)
- RentalInstrument, LLC of New York (40.7772, -73.9889)
- Rivington Guitars (40.7267, -73.9904)
- Roberto's Winds (40.7522, -73.9835)
- Rogue Music (40.7488, -73.9936)
- Rome Piano Co (40.7151, -73.9963)
- Ronaldo Custom Guitars USA (40.7724, -74.0290)
- Rozanna's Violins (40.7879, -73.9765)
- Rubytone Guitars (40.7355, -73.9892)
- Rzo Llc (40.7663, -73.9822)
- Sadowsky NYC Custom Shop (40.7536, -73.9417)
- Sage Music School (40.7488, -73.9448)
- Salchow and Sons Bowmakers (40.7649, -73.9780)
- Sam Ash Music Stores (40.7533, -73.9948)
- School of Rock (40.7692, -73.9527)
- Second Floor Music (40.7465, -73.9919)
- Smoking Caterpillar Music (40.7502, -73.9765)
- Soloist Music (40.8620, -73.9883)
- Southside Guitars (40.7130, -73.9571)
- Stokkers' Musical Instruments (40.6945, -73.9418)
- String Player Central (40.7878, -73.9764)
- Strings and Other Things (40.7753, -73.9824)
- SW Woodwind Repair (40.7522, -73.9888)
- Tarisio (40.7643, -73.9834)
- Tempo Music, Inc. (40.7673, -73.9812)
- The Guitar Bizarre (40.6949, -73.9938)
- The Guitar Salon (40.7329, -74.0042)
- The Vocal Workout (40.7244, -73.9970)
- Total Piano & Organ Rentals (40.7576, -73.9925)
- TR Crandall Guitars (40.7210, -73.9876)
- Two Lines Music Inc (40.7175, -74.0030)
- Valentina's Piano Lessons (40.8439, -73.9779)
- Vandoren Musician Advisory Studio (40.7547, -73.9940)
- Virtuoso Resources (40.7933, -73.9738)
- W. Kramer Guitar Fix (40.7218, -74.0089)
- Warwick Framus Custom Shop (40.7272, -73.9864)
- Wedge Force Inc (40.7544, -73.9797)
- Wula Drum (40.7553, -73.9243)
- Yamaha Artist Services (40.7610, -73.9750)
- Yamaha Music Interactive (40.7610, -73.9750)
Music Row is gone, so the shops are scattered
For most of the twentieth century New York's instrument trade lived on one block of West 48th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, known as Music Row. It emptied out over the 2000s and early 2010s, and there is no single street to head for now. The shops scattered to Midtown South, Chelsea, SoHo and Brooklyn, and many of the best are specialists that do one family of instruments well. Decide what you actually need first (a restring, a rental, a repair, a purchase) and then pick the shop, rather than wandering in hope.
Questions people ask
What are the best music shops in New York?
For rentals, Studio Instrument Rentals and, for basses, David Gage String Instruments. For guitars, Retrofret Vintage Guitars and Rudy's Music Soho; for pianos, Steinway Hall.
Where can I rent an instrument for a day in New York?
Studio Instrument Rentals rents amps, drums and backline by the day, and David Gage String Instruments rents basses. Call ahead, since popular items go out for whole tours.
How many music shops are there in New York?
Num's directory maps 146 musical instrument shops in New York, including luthiers, repair benches, piano showrooms and rental houses.
Ask Num which music shop near you in New York can restring today
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