LA Guitar store recommendations

[Regalord]

McCabes often has Bourgeois, Santa Cruz and Collings guitar-if you only go to one place this might be a good choice. Angel City is a Collings dealer and they also have a lot of amazing boutique electrics. Norm's has a lot of vintage stuff (I played a 1934 000-18 and late 30s J-35 there). Instrumental Music in Thousand Oaks has a lot of high end Martin stuff.

[acoustic567]

In Santa Monica, Truetone Music. They’ve moved a few blocks from where they were but still in SM. More of an electric than acoustic place but they usually have some interesting pieces. Like most storefronts, it’s not quite what it was, but well worth a look.

[Sasquatchian]

Originally Posted by Charmed Life Picks

Hi, Corn. Even though I live only about 30 minutes away, I haven't been in Norm's in several years. Some reports have come back that they've gotten quite snooty and only want to deal with the Joe Bonamassas of the world. The store is not open to the public nearly as much as it was in the early days (and I've been shopping there over 40 years).

Also, if anyone follows their IG account, Norm has been quite ill recently. I understand he has a son, but I don't know how involved he is with the business, and it's unclear whether a clear succession plan is in place. Since NRG is a legacy dealer and a guitar institution, one would have to believe that either the employees will pool together to acquire it, or that an outside buyer might come in.

Anyway, yes, call before the long drive (and the joys) on the 405 freeway.

Scott Memmer

The problem with Norm's is that, while he has vast inventory, his prices seem to bend with his whims of the day and are often not really rooted in reality, and I do agree with the other posters who are of the opinion that the famous players who come in and make his YouTube videos are treated much differently than you or I would.

Now, I went in there seven years ago and brought him a framed photo of George Harrison with one of the guitars Norm had supplied for the photo shoot I did of George for the Nov. '87 issue of Guitar Player. He did not remember me but he sure remembered that day. What I remembered was George shooting him down when Norm asked him to sign those guitars as if they were George's actual guitars.

The framed print was just because it had been thirty years and even though I had only met Norm that one time in the Warner Bros conference room, I thought it would be a nice thing to do while we were both around and kicking. That photo got me a couple grand off the price of a guitar that I did purchase there, but that only brought the price down to the point where it should have been in the first place, and then that guitar ended up needing a few thousand dollars in repairs to make it really great, which I chalk up to a great learning experience about vintage Martin's and vintage guitars in general.

I find the staff at McCabe's very helpful and unpretentious and seemed to treat me as they would any other person coming in to think about buying a guitar. Same at True Tone which is not too far from McCabe's. True Tone seems to be more aimed at electric guitars and amps, but did have a nice small sampling of acoustic guitars the last time I was there buying an amp for my gf. Very helpful, knowledgable and non judgemental, just like McCables.

[MBee]

Thanks for all your suggestions. I think McCabes and TrueTone will be the best options for me.

[jeanray1113]

You can’t go wrong with McCabes. I’m not familiar with Truetone.

[HillTone]

Originally Posted by acoustic567

In Santa Monica, Truetone Music. They’ve moved a few blocks from where they were but still in SM. More of an electric than acoustic place but they usually have some interesting pieces. Like most storefronts, it’s not quite what it was, but well worth a look.

Yeah I agree with all of this. If you’re in SM go to truetone and Mccabes. If you want to trek up to the valley Norms, California Vintage Guitar and Amp, angel City, Imperial Vintage.

The list of what’s left makes me sad for what’s been lost…