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The new Manny's store as we think it could look. Roll your cursor over the picture to see the original state before the tidy up operation started.
The above photo is the front of the new Manny's store but when we took the photo's, it was not quite finished. Trust us to get in a little early with our story.
The front fascia was not plastered, painted or sign written so we took the liberty of touching up the pic and giving it an artificial coat of paint and popping a Manny's sign on it. No doubt it will no doubt look considerably different (better) when the real life paint job is finished.
Manny's (Melb) was started by Manny Seddon who has a long and well respected career in the music industry and a strong desire to run the best music outlet available.
Manny's has an enviable reputation for helping young muso's get a foothold. They are avid supporters of various associations and provider of scholarships for his musical studies. They are regularly on local radio and TV and even won the best sponsorship announcement (Andrew Coyle and Rob Nairn) for the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia.
People with a longer memory of Manny's will remember the shop in Smith Street. That's where Manny's really started to make a mark in Melbourne. Then came the move to a bigger premises back in Johnston Street and shortly after, the addition of an extra store in Prahran.
Manny's new store first floor layout.
Acoustic Guitar Room
Heaps of acoustic guitars. featuring beginner-to-intermediate with brands that include Ibanez, Fender, Epiphone, Yamaha and Tanglewood, through to high-end models from Taylor, Gibson and Maton; plus a range of banjos and mandolins for the bluegrass fans out there. The room is also another of the isolated places where you can test drive an instrument.
Drums & Percussion Section
Sometimes a very noisy section this one. Whole bunch of drums with kits by Premier, Mapex and UB; as well as a massive selection of cymbals, skins, sticks and hardware from brands like Zildjian, Sabian, Vic Firth, Pro Mark, Remo, Evans and Gibraltar. A range of tambourines, shakers, bongos and congas, plus a soundproofed cymbal demo room. It's a drummer's oasis. |
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Now Manny's is trading from one huge store at 161-163 St Georges Rd, North Fitzroy (Melways ref: MAP 30, B 12).
The building has a smart yet relaxed appeal. Blending style with function. We stopped for a visit and took a few pics.
Café M
This is something new to Manny's. Café M is a damn good addition to a music store like this. Muso's can discuss record deals over a
coffee or maybe just talk about the last gig. It's even a good place to sit while listening to somebody playing tune and think "I could do that".
DJ section
Good range of DJ mixers, decks and accessories by Numark, Vestax, Stanton, Shure and Behringer.
Monitor Lounge
A pretty reasonable range of studio monitors is set up
and ready to demo. There are always new models arriving.
PA section
PA gear includes quality mixers and speakers from JBL, Mackie, Yamaha and Behringer.
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Music Technology section
This upstairs room is different to the rest of the shop. It's more like a big warehouse full of keyboards,
soundcards, software, recording microphones and studio rack gear. Not as flash as downstairs but plenty to play with and lots to choose from.
Pro Audio Loft
Tucked away at the very top of the building is the Pro Tools HD system area. This has been put aside especially for recording and editing demonstrations. If you phone up first, they can set up a demo that will emulate your specific requirements.
Electric guitar section
Kited with Gibson and Epiphone guitars as well as PRS, Fender, Godin, Ibanez and Squier. Pros and beginners alike are all catered for at Manny's. With a great range at your fingertips you're sure to find the guitar that's best for you. A drool-worthy guitar wall if ever there was one. |
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Bass Room
Well stocked with basses from Fender, Epiphone, Ibanez and Yamaha; plus amps from Eden, Hartke, Ampeg, Fender, SWR and Behringer. The room allows all those bass types out there to plug in and sound off with out bothering anybody else. Plus check what different guitars sound like with different amps. Very handy when making the hard choices. |
Soundproofed Guitar amp room
Plenty of hot brands like Fender, Marshall, Vox, Orange and Roland. This room allows you to crank up your riffs as
loud as you like. Our bet is that "Smoke on the water" still gets a fair hammering from the young kids as would "Stairway to heaven" from the ones who think they've made it.
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On-site AppleT Store
Manny's havde been hand-picked by Apple for their expertise in video, audio and education.
Plenty of G5s, iMacs, eMacs, Powerbooks, iBooks, Mac Minis; as well as a great range of the ever-popular iPods and accessories along with a wall full of software.
This is a great spot to stand on a box and shout "I love PC's" for the sake of an argument - or just check out music software and systems. |
Our suggestion
The new Manny's store now trades seven days a week with later evening hours. So, if you're walking down the street and you see the Manny's sign, take a minute and pop in. Who knows, you could learn something about making your sound better.
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