Carmine Street Guitars: Making music from the 'bones' of old New York

WEST VILLAGE, Manhattan -- When you walk inside Carmine Street Guitars, you're welcomed by the smell of fresh wood, the sound of saws, the strum of guitars and a smile from a man with endless stories to tell.

"I wake up to Vinny Mustache feeding the pigeons in the morning right outside the shop," said Rick Kelly, owner of Carmine Street Guitars.

That simple introduction barely scratches the surface.

"This is McSorley's, the oldest bar in New York. This one is a water tower. This is all made from a 1912 Steinway piano," Kelly said, pointing to some of his creations.

Kelly is an artist, craftsman, scavenger, mentor and, in many ways, a historian.



"I'm not into history, really, other than the history of New York City. I love that," Kelly said.

This isn't the kind of history found in textbooks. It's preserved in the foundation of the building itself.

"This is an 1827 building, one of the oldest three on the block," Kelly said. "This was a speakeasy back there during Prohibition."

And it's etched into every guitar he makes.

"Every building in the city is framed in this old growth," Kelly said. "I call it the bones of old New York."