Los Angeles is the music industry's home base — and its music store scene reflects that completely. From the legendary acoustic institution McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica to the world-famous Norman's Rare Guitars in Tarzana, LA has produced some of the most storied instrument shops in the world. This is a city where rock legends, session pros, and bedroom producers all shop at the same stores.
The Westside — Santa Monica, Culver City, and West LA — forms the backbone of LA's independent music retail scene. But venture east to Hollywood, north to the San Fernando Valley, or downtown and you'll find equally essential shops catering to every kind of player. Perfect Circuit in Burbank has become a global destination for electronic musicians. Professional Drum Shop in Hollywood has served the city's rhythm section since 1959.
What makes LA's music stores unique is the clientele. When a guitar goes up for sale at Voltage Guitars or Angel City Guitars, it might be spotted by a Grammy-winning session player the same afternoon. These shops aren't just stores — they're part of the infrastructure that makes LA the music capital of the world.
Not just listings — the history, the legacy, and why musicians love these places.
McCabe's Guitar Shop is one of the most storied instrument stores in the country. Founded in 1958 on Pico Boulevard in Santa Monica, it has quietly become one of the defining institutions of American folk and acoustic music — not just in LA, but nationwide. The inventory spans everything from ouds and sitars to hammered dulcimers, fiddles, banjos, mandolins, and ethnic percussion that you simply won't find anywhere else on the Westside.
Since 1969, the intimate 150-seat concert hall in the back of the store has hosted some of the most memorable acoustic performances in Los Angeles history. Jackson Browne, Tom Waits, Ry Cooder, Elvis Costello, and Bonnie Raitt have all played the back room. It's not a venue that happens to sell guitars — it's a living music community that has sustained itself for over 65 years.
McCabe's represents something increasingly rare: a music store with a genuine soul. The staff are working musicians and deep specialists. The repair shop handles everything from basic setups to complex restorations. If you're a folk, acoustic, or world music player in Los Angeles, McCabe's isn't just a store — it's a pilgrimage.
Norman's Rare Guitars is one of the most famous guitar shops on the planet. Founded in 1975 by Norman Harris in Tarzana, the shop became a pilgrimage site for rock royalty over the following decades — Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, and hundreds more have walked through these doors hunting for the perfect vintage instrument.
Gibson and Fender have both used Norman's 30+ years of vintage guitar expertise as photographic and historical references for their reissue programs. That's the level of authority Norman Harris built. The shop buys, sells, trades, repairs, and appraises rare and vintage guitars — and does all of it with an encyclopedic knowledge that simply can't be replicated.
Note that Norman's keeps limited hours — typically Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday afternoons only. Call ahead before making the drive to Tarzana. But if you're serious about vintage guitars, it's worth every mile.
Our hand-picked selection of the best music stores in Los Angeles — chosen for quality, reputation, and community impact.
From vintage dealers to full-line showrooms — the best guitar shops in Los Angeles for every kind of player.
The best shops for rare gear, vintage instruments, and collectible records in Los Angeles.
Need a setup, refret, or full restoration? The best repair shops in Los Angeles for every instrument.
The best music stores in Los Angeles by neighborhood — plan your trip to hit multiple shops in one day.
Every music store listed in Los Angeles — use the filters above to narrow by type.
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