In the beginning…
Born in Collingwood in 1991, Mannys was founded as a reaction to the corporate mentality of music retail at the time. Instead of just 'shifting boxes', the store sought to uphold the values of true support and after-sales service, and to form genuine ongoing relationships with its customer base.
By 1998, Mannys had outgrown its Smith St home, moving to a larger location in Fitzroy, as well as Revolver Music Gallery in Prahran. Not content to rest on its laurels, the company began to invest in what was - at the time - the radical new trend of computer-based music production, and its staff quickly became known not only for their knowledge and service, but for their comprehensive understanding of the process of making music.
A decade later, Mannys consolidated its two locations into its current superstore in North Fitzroy. Then in 2016, Mannys joined forces with Store DJ, adding a dedicated DJ and Pro Audio showroom above the extensive ground-level Musical Instrument floor - a model that would serve as the blueprint for the Mannys/Store DJ collaboration nationwide.
With the North Fitzroy store going from strength to strength, Mannys expanded in 2019, opening new locations in Brisbane and Sydney. The Brisbane store would slot underneath the existing Store DJ location, while Sydney became our largest store to date on a brand new - and massive - premises in Alexandria.
This trend continued in 2020 with the opening of a new Perth store. The multi-storey West Leederville location would provide ample floor space to accommodate Mannys' huge product displays and dedicated demo rooms, as well as bring Store DJ Cannington under the same roof. The result is the West Coast's most comprehensive one-stop shop for Musical Instruments and Pro Audio.
And while expanding to other cities has helped to establish our national identity as a premium musical instrument retailer, we are still at heart that little independent music shop etched into Melbourne's musical landscape. Our focus will always be to help musicians make music, no matter what part of the process they're at.
In 2022, our expansive new Windsor store helped us further conrete this ethos. With it's centralised Chapel Street location, massive displays, and ample demo rooms, it quickly became a hub for music makers south of the river. Combined with our Fitzroy North megastore, it allows us to serve more of Melbourne than ever before.
Mannys is the place not only for outfitting your sonic explorations, but also for finding expert advice, professional after-sales service, and a sense of community in our increasingly far-reaching music scenes. And that's what makes Mannys, even after all these years, still the best advice you can give a musician.
Check us out in-store or online to find out why.