"Since the early 1900's, West 48th street in New York City was the place to visit, shop, and buy if you were looking for guitars, saxophones, trumpets, drum sets ... and anything else your heart desired for your passionate hobby or profession of making music.
The Brill Building on Broadway, just a few blocks from this magic 48th Street, provided an endless stream of both top pros along with neophyte budding musicians. The live musical theaters nearby added more buyers to this mid- Manhattan Mecca right after Wednesday matinees as well as those musicians who took time on weekdays to search for a better horn, reeds, replacement drum heads, or guitar strings for their treasured instruments.
Ponte's Music, Terminal Music, Ben God, The Wolf Brothers, Manny's Silver & Horland, Rod Baltimore, Parduba, Bob Giardinelli, David Ginott, Richie Silver, Alex Carrozzo, Sam Shapiro, Cordovox Studios, Excelsior Accordians, Sol Fromkin ... and so many more names and shops populated this special block bounded by 6th Avenue on the east and 7th Avenue on the west. Dozens of music shops ... selling, fixing, bargaining, promoting ... had a corner on this burgeoning music industry for dozens of years.
The best musical factories in Elkhart, Kenosha, Chicago, Elkhorn, Fullerton, Bethlehem, Kalamazoo, L.A., Paris, Milan, Castelfidardo ... were all anxious to tap this market and cash in on the riches generated by this single street of peddlers and merchants who knew exactly and instinctively how to promote and sell musical instruments.
When Rockefeller Center decided to expand and move into the eastern end of the block in the late '50's and early '60's the bell began to toll for the steady decline of this wonderful one-of-a-king retail experience known to those who loved and patronized it.
Some survived, but most did not. Changes came swiftly and one by one, the shops vanished, changed names, or moved out. Tall office buildings and parking garages (and, very notably, Sam Ash Music) moved in and forced the shops to make a fateful decision: stay and die or sell out and retire. West 46th street two blocks south became a temporary alternative for som, but the clamor, glamour, and excitement wasn't what it used to be and most knew it.
One Stalwart merchant, Rod Baltimore, made it from 48th Street to 46th Street and then back again to 48th Street with his original business, International Woodwind and Brass Music Center/Rod Baltimore Music Corp., which has since been sold to his son Janathon. Rod took his trade with him as well as some key and colorful employees. His reputation was solid as a band instrument repair-person with early experience and success with the original Charlie Ponte music store. He learned his craft the right way and then moved ahead on his own.
Today, at an age well beyond retirement, Rod Baltimore is back on 48th Street with an old-fashioned music shop reminiscent of those that thrived on the street from the 1920's through the '60's. He's fixing the horns and selling everything from reeds to contrabass saxophones, trumpets to sousaphones. He's still passionate about his business and continues to work six or seven days a week as the buyer, seller, repairer of all the products hanging from walls, on shelves, in front of the display window and in his modern, well-lit showcases.
Rod asked a fromer and loyal employee of his old retail business to join him in this new venture and she did. Susan Eberenz, a professional flute player, flute maker, and repair technician couldn't resist the opportunity..."
- Pete LaPlaca, MMR
Pete is the owner of PJLA Music Sales/Marketing of Barrington, Ill. He can be contacted at pjlabiz1@aol.com.
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