Nick Manoloff
Nick Manoloff (1898-1969) was: a manufacturer of slides/tone bars for stringed instruments to use for the method of slide guitar; an arranger and author of instrument method books and sheet music; and distributor of musical supplies and publications.
Contents
Early life
Nick Manoloff was born "Nicola Manoloff", on April 3, 1898 in Bulgaria. He immigrated to the east-coast of the United States in 1922.[1] In 1935, he established residency in Chicago, Illinois with his wife Bernice(1909-?), who had immigrated to America from Latvia/Jugoslavia. They had a son, Nicki Manoloff born in Chicago in 1937,
Venture into business
Manufacturing
Nick Manoloff invented the Nick Manoloff Tone Bar. He was granted a patent (#2076331) on March 9, 1937.[2] The tone bar or slide was made of the revolutionary synthetic material known as bakelite. Bakelite(/ˈbeɪkəlaɪt/ BAY-kə-lyt, sometimes spelled Baekelite[3]), or polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride, is an early plastic. It is a thermosetting phenol formaldehyde resin, formed from an elimination reaction of phenol with formaldehyde. It was developed by Belgian-born chemist Leo Baekeland in New York in 1907. These slides were 3"in length, 1" in diameter, round on one end and flat on the other with inscription, "Nick Manoloff Pat. 2076331. They were of array of colors such as: solid black or white marbleized/swirl: red and white; green and white; jade green and white; chocolate and white; and red and black. He made slides of several styles and sizes of metal, usually of high polished chrome, with the inscription of his name "NICK MANOLOFF". He designed slides for the Dobro, Hawaiian guitar, Resonator guitar, Spanish guitar, Resonator mandolin, Lap steel guitar, and Pedal steel guitar.
Publishing
In the early 1930s, Nick and Bernice were musical arrangers, eventually forming The Calumet Music Publishing, Co.[3] For many publications, Nick and Bernice arranged songs, music, and instructional methods for stringed-instruments such as the guitar, dobro, and ukulele—particularly for music played with a slide. Over 180 works by Nick appeared in over 253 publications. An example was method book, "Nick Manoloff's Complete Chord and Harmony Manual For The Guitar. Bernance arranged many, including books (The Bee). They largely specialized in Hawaiian, folk and cowboy songs, Russian music, and standards.
Sales
Nick and Bernice Manoloff formed a distributing business called Manoloff's Musical Supply at 7018 S. Ashland Ave., Chicago, Illinois. Until 1968, the business employed four men and three women.[4] They sold slides, metal thumb and finger picks (etched with Manoloff's name), capos, flat picks, sheet music, and books.
Death
Nick Manoloff died in Los Angeles, California in 1969.
Publications
- Cole's Spanish Guitar Method: Book No. 1 (1932)
- Nick Manoloff's Hawaiian Guitar Method. Number System. Book 1. (1933)
- Nick Manoloff's Spanish Guitar Method - Book 3. (1934)
- Hawaiian Guitar Supplement (1934)
- Nick Manoloff's Spanish Guitar Method Book No. 1 (1935)
- Sun of My Soul. Sheet music (1935)
- Dark Eyes: Russian Gypsy Ballad (with Hawaiian guitar chords, ukulele chords, guitar chords). English lyrics by Bernice Manoloff and Arranged by Nick Manoloff. (1935),
- God Be with You Till We Meet Again, with ukulele chords, guitar chords and special Hawaiian guitar chorus(1935)
- Cole's Spanish Guitar Method Book (1935)
- Bury Me Out on the Prairie arranged by Nick Manoloff(1935)
- A Home on the Range by Nick Manoloff (1935)
- Nick Manoloff's Modern Accompaniment Guide for Spanish Guitar. Paper riveted dial.(1935)
- Nick Manoloff's Hawaiian Guitar Method, Book 1 Number System (1936)
- Nick Manoloff's Mandolin Method (1938)
- Nick Manoloff's Hawaiian Guitar Method High Bass Tuning (1939)
- Little Brown Jug. Sheet music (941)
- Nick Manoloff's Baritone Ukulele Method (1953)
- Nick Manoloff's 100 Guitar Solos (1962)
- Nick Manoloff's Guitar Chord and Harmony Manual (1962)
- Plectrum Style Guitar Method (1968)
- Nick Manoloff's Spanish Guitar Method (Book 1, new revised edition)(1968)
Miami Blues (for Hawaiian guitar) sheet music (1936)
