Rudy's Music Stop

Great guitar store in NYC with wide range of selection of electric and acoustic guitars. They even have dedicated sections for Martin and Taylor guitars. Recently had my Fender Strat setup by them and they did a good job. Highly recommended.

Rudy's Music is an incredible guitar store with friendly, knowledgeable staff and an incredible history. They have a lot of rare and hard to find items in stock from the big names to some exceptional smaller custom manufacturers. The service was great, and the guys really went the extra mile for me with the pickups I bought.

Joe Wilga is the best guitar builder you will find in NYC. His knowledge and wisdom are beyond his years, and his passion for his craft is contagious. His attention to detail is second to none, and the end product is an inspiring guitar that will make you a better player. Thanks for everything Joe!

Amazing store! Zeke was the nicest guy, super knowledgable. Highly recommended

No basses shown, so I don't want to waste anyones time. Seems nice. You have to knock to get in.

I had a great experience purchasing my first guitar from Rudy's. I felt a little intimidated walking into the shop, but the staff put me at easy right away. They were warm, generous, knowledgeable, and answered my bazillion nubby questions (Nate's the best!). It was a joyful experience - exactly what I was hoping for - people who love guitars genuinely interested in helping you find a guitar you will love.

I made an appointment because I was told to not a problem, I came in to browse and see if anything called to us and the gentleman tells us before we've even seen anything that appointments are for people who are going to make a purchase. Ok fine but the pretentious, rude, smug attitude of the staff definitely put a damper on our experience and a bit of our day. 10 out of 10 would not recommend.

The workers here are not friendly. The entrance has a weird set up where its blocked by some desks where you have to wait until the staff lets you in. The staff themselves are cold and unwelcoming. I had to interrupt one of the workers because he was having a conversation with two other workers. I waited because I didn't want to be rude and he finally half turned but not all the way to acknowledge me.

I asked the worker a question and he simply responded "no" while continuing to not make eye contact with me. I was going to buy a Gibson guitar down the line, but I'm definitely not spending my money here.

I was ready to give up playing guitar. Was struggling with a CCR song for months on a Gibson SG. Started selling my gear but decided to get a cheap Telecaster just in case I wanted to start again. Went to Guitar Center and Sam Ash but didn't find anything appealing. Went to Rudy's as a final attempt. Don't go there looking for anything cheap.

They stock quality instruments only and they cost. I was drooling over some of the inventory and saw a Professional series Tele that looked great and was set up with low action the way I like. Rob gave me some background on the product line and suggested I give it a test drive. Once I held it and felt the neck the difference was obvious that this was not a cheap instrument.

I plugged it in and the joy of playing came back. It played great, sounded great and fit my hands perfectly. I basically HAD to buy it. Since then I'm hitting the chords on that CCR song much better than with the Gibson. Never thought a quality instrument would make that much difference. Big thanks to Rob for getting me excited about playing again!

I was testing out some acoustic guitars today and didn't feel pressured at all. I thought the guy was helpful. Seemed like a good guitar shop to me.

This is hallowed grounds. Legends have walked in over the years for their gear. Special thanks to Rob who helped me understand my guitar and to Drew, who's a lovely young guy with a great sense of service and knowledge. They both were incredible!

I ended up not buying anything, but I had an inquiry over the phone. Pristian was very patient and helpful with me. It's good to know that good customer service is still around at some places.

I've purchased 2 Taylor Guitars at Rudy's and always had a great experience. They are friendly, patient, and I never feel pressured. The people who work there are very helpful and definitely know their gear! Highly recommended!

Jeremy, one of Rudy's Music's guitar techs, is fantastic. Great attitude, professional, reliable, friendly and knowledgeable. He really came through for me with my Taylor GS Mini Koa. Many thanks. Plays great now.

They have great inventory but are weird, stand-offish dudes who treat their customers like idiots.

I went to Rudy's in Scarsdale to check out a specific guitar, expecting to actually buy it online. However, I ended up buying that day. Got a NICER instrument at a BETTER PRICE than I could get elsewhere, and I feel good about supporting a family-run brick and mortar business. The set up of the space allowed me to better hear the Taylor guitar I thought I preferred (when at Guitar Center) in contrast to the PRS Acoustic I actually bought.

I felt welcomed, with service that was attentive without being obtrusive. Stephanie was focused on making sure I got the kind of instrument I wanted and could afford without any pushiness to buy anything else. Had a minor problem after purchase, and she truly went out of her way to make it right.

I've known and been a customer of Rudy and Dean for at least 35 years. If you're in the market for quality instruments and accessories there is no better place. Rudy's music operates on the highest ethical standards. Buying a vintage instrument is a big deal. There is no worry with Rudy, it is what he says it is. There is no nonsense.

As a 16 year old, I went in not expecting to buy anything since I am unable to afford $2,000+ guitars. Because of this, this one employee would not let me play anything for more than 5 minutes before he asked me to put it back. Eventually, he kicked me out of the store and had said I'd been there long enough. They have a great selection of guitars and it's a shame that they don't let people play them unless they know for certain that they are willing to drop a couple of thousand on a guitar.

I will say, I had a very nice conversation with a man named Zeke at the upstairs Martin room. He let me play even after I told him I didn't plan on buying anything. I must say after hearing about this store so much online and wanting to go there for so long, I'm very disappointed.

Rob, Makoto and their handmade guitars brand, Pensa, are what makes this place magic. Rob will find for you your dream guitar, and Makoto will spend the next 6 months building it. Of course, be ready to spend more than $5k for a guitar, because I'm sure Rob will find the guitar of your dream. And dreams are expensive!

Rudy always has a lot of interesting guitars on the wall, and knowledgeable staff to help you with them. It's especially nice when Rudy is in, because you can tell he loves what he does. Rudy's is a rare find, so I try to stop by whenever I can.

I have been wanting to post a review for months! This is a high-quality music store with excellent repair technicians. I brought in an instrument to install strap buttons on and they did it right there. I was pretty picky about it but the technician was patient. The price was much higher than other places but I was happy to have come here because I didn't want some amateur at a smaller shop or whatever intern at Guitar Center to break my instrument.

It took just 10minutes and I had a lovely time hanging out in this beautiful store and checking out their instruments and the photographs with legendary musicians that they have on the walls. I am giving it 4 stars instead of 5 because of the high labor cost.

My 15 yo was dying to come here. The pictures on the walls were fantastic. The staff was great. My kiddo & hubs played a few guitars. Bought a cool guitar strap that was hand made in NY & some other great merch. Fun place.

Cool music shop in SOHO. They have some rare gear here - some custom shops. Feel free to stop by to play some of their instruments. Their workers were very helpful to the questions I had about their guitars. I bought an Ojai Power supply here and it was actually missing a wire. I called and they were happy to ship the missing piece and it came in within a day or two. Good customer service.

I live in NY and happened to be walking past and went in with my wife, they have a great selection of guitars and not so many basses, that's what I play, however I felt like a shoplifter, every time I looked there was a guy directly behind me, I could easily drop $5k on a bass but not here, I was wearing jeans and street clothes, my understanding is this shop caters mostly to the Wall Street crew who like to buy decorative guitars to hang on the wall like paintings. My advise is wear a suit and you may get treated better

Came into Rudy's expecting a large selection of premium instruments, and was not disappointed. However, slightly perturbed by the customer service. They're super touchy about helping you get instruments to test them out, and if you even look slightly amateurish they won't give you the time of day. Won't actually be buying anything in there, I would have to whole heartedly recommend Sweetwater based in Indiana for that.

Huge selection, exceptional customer service, I practically didn't survive my last tour without their overnight shipping and helpful staff. Small and family owned, just like Rudy's I'm assuming. Overall, worth a visit if you want some classic "New York hospitality" or happen to be exceptionally famous and up to their "standards."

One the holy grail spots of guitar love and fandom. If you're a player or appreciator, stop by and have a look around; it's a wonderful shop full of character and lovely things you probably can't afford!

Rudy's is a guitar icon. Sometimes this shop feels more akin to a museum than a store. The selection of arch tops is at an echelon of Stradivarius stature - also financially unobtainable. The store is clean, centrally located, and has stuff you cannot find anywhere else. My one peeve with the store is that every single guitar is either locked in the hanger or behind glass.

I get it - they cannot have every single person coming in off the street and putting wear on guitars worth $5-10k. However, makes the atmosphere somewhat less inviting. The "play around and find a guitar that clicks" mentality doesn't exist at Rudy's. But hey - that's what you've to do with top tier gear in NYC.

The most beautiful guitar store I've ever visited and the best among many special NYC guitar stores. This is the destination for high end gear. If you're looking for your dream guitar, Rudy's should be on your must-visit list. Although they carry an impressive line up of great condition vintage Gibson Les Pauls and Fender Strats/Telecasters, their custom "Pensa" line of guitars is where it's at.

Pick up a Pensa and just strum it for a while without an amp and experience the superb vibrations course from the guitar body into your torso. The Pensa I played was the most resonant guitar I've ever handled. Wow! One reason for this is that each neck is custom carved for each body to ensure a perfectly tight fit. Folks, it makes a difference!

I could feel the quality of workmanship judging purely from its acoustic characteristics before plugging into one of their boutique Magnatone amps! I played a Pensa MK-90 with an amazing ice blue finish. The finish is done by Kip Elder's Starr Guitars (www.starrguitars.com) and was flawless from every angle. Perfect finish on a perfect guitar.

It is likely that a Pensa will be added some day to my guitarsenal. Rudy's also carries some premium brands of acoustic guitars. I was especially impressed by a Froggy Bottom H12-RSW guitar that made several Collings acoustics seem rather plain when I was A/B-ing them side by side. Wonderful, rich balanced tone. I used to think Taylor acoustics were the bomb, but now realize there is another level above that if you're willing to increase your budget. Very memorable store.