Must see Guitar Shops in LA?

[meanmr.mustard]

I will be heading to Los Angeles in a couple of months..
This will be my first time in LA.
What guitar shops must I go to?
I am saving $$$ so I intend on buying something nice!

Thanks in advanced!

[sharks]

Truetone Music in Santa Monica is a great store. If you are planning on buying something go there first because otherwise you'll get buyer's remorse as soon as you walk in. Fantastic stuff there. The Hollywood Guitar Center has a cool display but inside it's just a guitar center.

[jb4674]

Go visit the Carvin store

[dmarkj22]

Norm's Rare Guitars and Westwood music are two places that come to mind.

[dazco]

Unfortunately the internet killed a good 90% of the stores here over the last 10 years. There were a ton of great used stores that are all gone now. Aside from a very few like the aforementioned trutone, all thats left are the guitar centers and sam ash. There a fairly cool used gear store in the valley called jammin jersey. A great store for new gear in a small ma and pa format with prices on guitars that often beat GC is grayson's tune town in montrose just north of glendale. Haven't been to mc cabes around te west hollywood area or thereabouts in several years, but a very nice store for high end acoustics especially.

Not that it helps, but my all time favorite that went away about the mid or late 90's i think was guitar guitar. It was like disneyland for guitar players. You could spend a couple hours in that place.

[Autoesq]

Originally Posted by sharks

Truetone Music in Santa Monica is a great store. If you are planning on buying something go there first because otherwise you'll get buyer's remorse as soon as you walk in. Fantastic stuff there. The Hollywood Guitar Center has a cool display but inside it's just a guitar center.

I disagree with your assessment of the Hollywood guitar center. First, it has the
rock walk and mini museum with some cool memorabilia. The inventory is larger than most guitar center's. The platinum room is filled with more gear than any guitar center. The accoustic room is larger and filled with some high end accoustics. And best of all, there is the vintage room which I can spend a full day in. If you are a fan of the directtv guitar center sessions it's fun to see where it is filmed.

Finally, you can walk a few doors down to the large Sam ash or walk across the street to the carvin or Mesa Hollywood stores. The Mesa store has some cool inventory of boutique builders such as huber and Collings.

[cosmic_ape]

Don't diss the big stores on Sunset Blvd. You can find some nice things there, both new and used. Seeing GC's vintage room alone is worth the trip.

If you want to buy an acoustic, you should check The Fretted Frog. Their inventory of European gypsy guitars is very interesting and their assortment of Cole Clark guitars is a nice alternative to the usual guitars. Those guitars sound beautiful!

True Tone and West L.A. on Santa Monica Blvd, are great, too!

[Hank Linderman]

McCabe's in Santa Monica, the acoustic shop to the stars (and the rest of us too). They do shows every Friday and Saturday night, well worth going to. Ask for Louis!

http://www.mccabes.com/

(Check out the list of folks who have played there. Mind blowing.)

Best...H

[kracdown]

Truetone Music in Santa Monica
Norman's Rare Guitars in Tarzana
California Vintage in Shermin Oaks
Caveman Vintage in China Town

All are great stores. Truetone is my personal favorite.

[mrpinter]

+1 on Truetone in Santa Monica, Norman's Rare Guitars in Tarzana, McCabe's in Santa Monica and the Hollywood GC. All well worth a visit.

[chriswhite]

Mesa Boogie in Hollywood is right across the street from Guitar Center. I think I've spent more time there than GC

[Samsun19]

Great suggestions...

Depending on whats your bag, you may want to check out the Amp store, and Tone Merchants....

If you head out towards the inland empire... Wild West Guitars is really interesting.

[dtfan4ever]

Cool thread, I was gonna post the same question too.

[The Ratchet]

Originally Posted by chriswhite

Mesa Boogie in Hollywood is right across the street from Guitar Center. I think I've spent more time there than GC

Yup! That little intersection there at Sunset and Gardner has quite a few stores within a block including GC (Platinum Room visit is a must), MESA, Sam Ash, Carvin, and a bunch of boutique places just west of Gardner on the north side of the street that seem to rotate in and out of those storefronts.

And while on that block, don't miss eating at "Toi On Sunset: Rock N' Roll Thai Food!!!" for some killer Thai bbq. Also that place has been there for decades. You would find Motley Crue in there at 3am back in the 80's.

And while in the LA area, if you're into guitars man you've GOT to check out Wild West Guitars. It's about 40 minutes from Hollywood, but if you've never seen the store's website, check it out. INSANE, how many high-end super quality instruments they've got there.

A shorter distance away (but similar time-wise because of heavy traffic, so take your pick) is yes - Truetone Music in Santa Monica, and while on the way there, stop by Westwood Music. The owner Fred is a literal legend in the music gear trade on the west coast. You can learn about it on their website under Contact Us - History.

[Frenster]

True Tone - Great pedal selection. Lots of guitars and amps, new and used.
Westood Music - Lot's of history there and a great selection of acoustic guitars and boutique stuff.
Guitar Center Hollywood - Lots of nice guitars and amps and the Rock Walk.
Norm's Rare Guitars - The name says it all.