Was out of ideas for my Marshall valvestate amp and Edward was able to get it working again at an…read moreaffordable price and reasonable time frame. Highly recommended!

I have a 1968 Fender Stratocaster and the tremol bar snapped off. Ed fixed it perfectly. He did it…read morequickly and for a fair price!

Mike did a great job on my Gibson SG that wasn't staying in tune due to nut issues. I had someone…read moreelse install the nut but they left it cut way too tight and the strings were binding horribly. Mike knew exactly what it needed and now it stays it tune better than I thought possible. Very reasonably priced. I plan on bringing him another guitar to setup. No more having to drive to LA to get guitar work done.

My son has an acoustic guitar that needed a string repair. I called several places and Mike was…read moreone of two that called me back. He was quick, efficient and fair. I would defintely recommend him to anyone looking for guitar repair!

This is a great guitar store. I was visiting family in the area and I was going to play some…read moreguitar with my brother and nephew at a BBQ. So I went there to have new strings put on my Taylor. Johnny was very helpful and explained a lot on how to care for the neck while changing the strings. Then I spotted an Orange bass amp, so I couldn't resist and bought the amp also. Johnny did a great job with my acoustic Taylor and cleaned up the neck at stringing it. Thanks Johnny! Steve from Antelope, Ca.

I visited this place last week, nice set of guitars and very friendly. Prices seem very reasonable.read more

DON'T MISS THIS SHOP!!!…read more Nuno bettencourt played guitar?! Unique pedal selection?! AND a welcoming atmosphere?! Check, check, check. I can't say enough good things about ACG. It's the perfect place to both see some killer vintage gear and jam out with high quality new gear too. ACG vibes (imo) are very laid back, Seattle shop type vibes. Egalitarian atmosphere welcoming people of all skill levels and financial means. It's the polar opposite of some other snobby LA shops (ahem, ahem, NORMS, ahem, ahem). Unlike those type of businesses, ACG is more the type of place you might stop by on a random Saturday and chat with the owner who seems just like a chill dude. And then eventually when you do drop $3-5k on gear you can feel good that you spent it at such a great small business rather than the aforementioned SNOBSHOP or guitar center or something. Thank you ACG!

Bad aptitude from employees Or owner ! I never had…read moreexperience like that, that day. It was very bad.

Wanted to say that Mike and the crew at McCabes surpassed all expectations working on a 77 Ovation…read more12 string and numerous guitars I've had over the years. Ecellence and care and humble. Thank you so much

McCabe's is where it's at. We live close by and had passed it a hundred times always thinking it…read morelooks like a cool little place. Let me tell you... McCabe's has layers. You walk in to a small and intimate shop, with history pouring through its veins. One of the staff (Camila) was kind enough to take us on a little tour to check out all the nooks and cranny's. We ended up getting some sweet swag, but I plan to take my nephew back there to get one of those ukuleles . There are some legit musicians that perform at that intimate venue - will need to check out a show there!

I took my custom built, $10,000 acoustic Koa cutaway for minor surface repair and this guy did a…read morebotch job, I was horrified, it was worse when I went to pick it up. He handed me my guitar, I was speechless! I looked at him, , trurned around and left. He knew better that to even ask me to pay him. He might be good repairing amps, but I don't think he's really a "luthier", he's not even set up to do finish work.

Great guy, does an awesome job. Handed him a bass guitar and he got it set up exactly how I wanted…read moreit.

1 1/2 minute read: On 05/06/2026, Greg Sinclair and I,…read morearrived at NORMANS RARE GUITARS as previously planned by Greg. 1 1/2 minute read Today (05/05/26), ahead of the invitation extended (to me) by esteemed colleague- Greg Sinclair, Administrator of a FACEBOOK renowned Surf Group "TUBES", today I went on a scouting mission. Relying on GOOGLE'S Siri, I arrived around 09:15 hrs m, to find business hours had been slightly rearranged at Norman's Rare Guitar Shop. Not being one to waste time, in the same little strip mall (TOPEKA VENTURA PLAZA) I saw a coffee shop (PEET'S) and decided to treat myself to some (coffee), and I did. I went in, got hot black coffee & a Blueberry Muffin. Before realizing it, it was 11 am. So I mozied'on'over to NORMAN's. The video I took, as I approached the guitar shop main door, will tell you more than words could ever say. Once I was in the guitar shop, I felt a nostalgic Deja-Vu pinching me. The same atmosphere, feel, sounds surrounded me like when I used to go to Sam Ash and other, now gone, guitar & Pawn shops. Be that as it may, I hope my photography will satisfy your curiosity of this scouting mission I went on today and as always ... ... thank you for stopping by! 05/06/26 ... UPDATE As promised, Greg Sinclair drove from Redondo Beach (I think) up to my place in North Hollywood, and picked me up. AS YOU RECALL. Greg has been inviting me to accompany him to go to NORMAN'S RARE GUITAR SHOP. We first had lunch on Venture Blvd at BLU JAM. It was very trendy for me, at least. Then we got to the guitar shop and Greg introduced me to Michael, whom you will see a short clip playing one of their guitars. Greg and I had a very satisfying visit at NORMAN'S, as we strolled around inside. We also met another guitarist who works there-Joey, I believe and if I'm wrong, I will correct my error. They have live music on certain days and as soon as I can get their schedule, I'll share it! All in all, THANK YOU, GREG, for your considerate invitation, picking me up at home, treating me to a fabulous lunch at BLU JAM restaurant, a fun time at NORMAN'S RARE GUITARS, and best of all ... your companionship. Update, 05/17/2026: Click link https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02sSQznzKewuHeGR2yfjHRxaA7qc6x88RgkhxcGj3FtyF6DHE6u1HKH878WtavKUvUl&id=1222849448&mibextid=wwXIfr

You don't really find out about a business until something goers wrong and you get to see how they…read morehandle it. My co-worked was retiring soon so I ordered him a couple of t shirts because he always would talk about how many great guitars this place had. So I ordered him two t-shirts last month but one of them they sent was the wrong size. So I emailed them the day I got them about it and I got a return email telling me to send them a picture to prove they screwed up and they would then send me a return email detailing the process of how I could get what I paid for. So the same day I got the email I retuned the email with the pictures proving they sent the wrong size in one of the t-shirts and then I heard nothing... So I emailed them multiple times over several weeks with no reply. But then last week I got an email saying sorry we screwed up and your t-shirt will ship out that day. Well, I never got a shipping confirmation and a week later I still have no t-shirt. This has been going on for weeks. Luckily, I didn't order anything expensive from them. If they can screw up something so simple as a t shirt and fail to quickly remedy it, how are they going to treat you when you have spent thousands of dollars and there is a problem?? If you are not famous or in the music business, probably the same way they have treated me.

I am super grateful for the singing lessons that I took through the Knauer Music School. While I…read morehave been singing my entire life, I sought out lessons because I knew I was capable of more. The good people at Knauer matched me with Emily Greene, who has been a phenomenal vocal instructor. I appreciate her knowledge, her passion for singing, her sense of humor, and her patience with a pupil who brought up the average age of her students by a decade or two. I recommend Knauer and Emily to anyone who wants to step up their game. And if you ever get a chance to hear the band I've joined, Run Screaming, be sure to say hello!

I've been taking mandolin lessons with Ron Munn for several months now, and it's been a great…read moreexperience! I've been learning not just how to play my instrument with different techniques, but also music theory and even some song writing. Every time I'm done with a lesson I want to go home and keep on playing!

Been doing zoom banjo lessons with Ethan and couldn't be happier! Was skeptical of the zoom aspect…read moreat first, but I've learned so much in such a short time and the convenience of being able to take classes from anywhere that I have an internet connection and a laptop has been great for my crazy schedule. Ethan is super patient. He structures his lessons around learning songs, which I love. I tried to learn clawhammer on my own for years with little progress. The fact that I can play several short songs already is just crazy. Couldn't recommend Red Pelican more.

I took my first clarinet lesson forty-six days before my sixty-fifth birthday. Yep, out of the…read moreblue, at sixty-four, without any music experience at all, I decided to learn to play the clarinet. Does that sound crazy to you? It did to me. I wasn't even sure if it was possible. I searched online for clarinet instructions. Keep in mind, this was the middle of the current COVID-19 quarantine, so I wasn't surprised that all lessons were being held on zoom. My Google search gave me a couple of options, including Red Pelican Music. A couple of emails and phone calls. Later, I had my first class scheduled through Red Pelican with Ari Silberman, zoom lesson, of course. And it turned out great. Ari is engaging, supportive, patient. We've had twelve one hour lessons. I've gone from having never played a note to learning songs. In between classes, Ari is available to answer email questions, even over the phone, when my practice sessions became especially frustrating. When I started with Ari, he asked me what my goals were. I told him since I could not play at all right now, I'd like to be able to play badly in a year. Ari thought I was kidding, I wasn't, and he was confident he could have me playing badly in a short period of time and then we would work on playing well. So, what happened? I've made more progress than I thought I could. I won't be auditioning for the New York Philharmonic anytime soon, but now if anyone asks me if I can play an instrument, I can say "yes." In twelve short weeks, Ari has gotten me from learning notes to learning songs. This is a long review with a short point, Ari is great.

I had such a great experience at Forte Strings today! The owners are so sweet, and clearly care…read moredeeply about their craft and their business. I've been looking for a place to get my fingerboard taped, and was so relieved when I called and they said that they could help me out! Not only did she help me with this, she also helped me tune my violin and, noticing the bridge was crooked, put it back in place. When I offered to pay, she said it was for free. I was really blown away by this, and insisted on at least buying something. I came home with a ready-to-play violin and a beautiful new rosin! Thank you, Forte Strings, for such a great experience. Really looking forward to my next visit!

A few months back I purchased an intermediate violin. The price was reduced and I got an amazing…read moredeal on such a beautiful instrument. The owners are great people and the quality of bow/violin is just amazing. The more I play "break it in" the better it's sounding. Give this place a try if you're looking to purchase new instruments!