Southport, CT – On Sunday, April 24, 2016, from 4:00pm - 6:00pm, world-famous Rudy Pensa, guitar player, maker, collector, shop owner and author, will be at Pequot Library to talk about his extensive collection and craft, and to play. This program is free and open to the public.
"About 38 years ago, Rudy Pensa opened a guitar shop on Manhattan's 48th Street called Rudy's Music Stop, which soon became a world-famous destination for guitarists seeking the finest vintage and new guitars. Pensa has also had a great sideline career as a guitar builder, crafting axes for the likes of Mark Knopfler, Peter Frampton, Lou Reed, and Lenny Kravitz." - Guitar Aficionado
Rudy Pensa moved to New York from his native Argentina in 1975 and immediately found employment in a music store on 48th Street, New York's famed Music Row. In 1978, Rudy married his fiancée, Fran, and a few months later the newlyweds opened a small guitar store on the second floor of an old building in the heart of 48th Street. It didn't take long for Rudy to earn the respect of the music industry and to become well-known throughout the world as a trustworthy, knowledgeable purveyor of guitars. He is especially interested in archtop guitars and owns a sizable collection of archtops that were crafted by master luthiers of their day. Rudy is the author of the book, Archtop Guitars: The Journey from Cremona to New York. The book was the inspiration for the exhibition "Guitar Heroes" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2011. Rudy closed the store on 48th Street in August 2015 due to rising rent and imminent development of the area. SoHo is the new home of Rudy's Music where Rudy and Fran are still at the helm of their "mom and pop" establishment. The couple lives in Westchester County, New York. Join other music, instrument, and guitar history lovers on Sunday, April 24 for this free program at Pequot Library.
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