Guitar Center

The national chain is basically shorthand for mom-and-pop-crushing uncoolness (and it should be noted that until recently a block of W 48th Street near here was known as Music Row for its abundance of now-shuttered guitar shops), but the Times Square Guitar Center has a strange serenity to it. If you can time your visit to avoid the shredding hordes, the massive space has tons of expensive axes and amps to try out hassle free, as well as an ample stock of necessary supplies like strings and drumsticks.