A Breif History of Mannys

In the beginning… After managing the Allan’s City store for 10 years, an ambitious Manny Gauci-Seddon decided to open his own music store.  He wanted his shop to uphold the values of true support and after sale service, and to form genuine ongoing relationships with his customer base.  The trends of the industry at that time were pointing to more of a disposable, corporate mentality and so in the early years he set out to make a name for himself as a serious independent alternative.

The first store was a modest shop in Smith Street, Collingwood in 1991.  By 1998 Manny had outgrown this store and saw the need to focus more on the upcoming computer based recording revolution.  He established an address in Johnson St Fitzroy as the Arts were booming on the north side of the city.  In the same year the opportunity came to acquire a property on Chapel St - the Revolver Music Gallery.  With a two store operation Manny was now making the difference he set out to 7 years earlier.  The Mannys brand was known for knowledge and service and the staff were greatly sought after for their experience.  Unlike the other major players the focus was not just on sales but also on the process of making music.

When the opportunity came to consolidate into one superstore, the North Fitzroy address seemed perfect for the move.  Manny wanted to expand his customer base to include more of the jaded musicians turning to the internet due to the lacklustre service of his competitors.  He opened his range, took the best from both stores, integrated a Café, and moved his operation to a funky little suburb just north of the city.

16 years on, the same mannyfesto exists.  Our staff remain knowledgeable, professional, and are musicians first and sales people second. There are no commissions and therefore, their only interest is to help you the customer to make the right decision and get straight back into the important job of making music.  Our new store gives you one hub to purchase all of your gear, and if we don’t have it, we’ll try our hardest to get it for you.

When you shop at Mannys you don’t just get the gear, you get the knowledge and expertise of over 15 years of experience as one of Australia’s most influential independent music retailers.

Mannys - The best advice you can give a musician.