Los Angeles is synonymous with rock ’n’ roll, so it’s no surprise it’s home to many famous stores. Here’s our pick of shopping in the City Of Angels.
Travelling can be daunting, to say the least. All of the planning that goes into it, from flight and hotel reservations, where to eat, to figuring out what to do with your days, it seems that vacations can often feel like anything but. And on top of all of that, musicians will naturally want to know where to see the coolest stuff and the best deals. If this is the case, you’re in luck! If you’re traveling to sunny Los Angeles, we’ve done some of the legwork for you. Once you’ve visited the bright lights of Center Hollywood on Sunset Boulevard, here are four other must-see shops in the area.
Over the last 32 years, Norman’s Rare s has become something of a worldwide phenomenon thanks to its appearance in t-shirt form in
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and being name-checked in plenty of other films. Not limited to cinema, the shop has kept up with the changing trends of social media with its Of The Day posts on Instagram and YouTube, and continues to serve as a place of pilgrimage for movie stars, up-and-coming rockers, and -minded folk across the globe.
Owner, proprietor, and namesake Norm Harris started buying up old s in the 1960s, long before the idea of the vintage market as we know it had solidified. An expert in all things – you name it, he knows it – Norm put his extensive knowledge to use and stockpiled truckloads of instruments and banked on a boom down the road. Chances are you know his name, or at least the name of the shop, so it’s safe to say his foresight paid off.
The shop offers all manner of instruments, from ultra-rare one-offs, tried and true vintage favorites, and even modern affairs. With a cursory glance at what hangs on the walls of its huge showroom, it’s clear that the love of the is alive and well in Norman’s Rare s. As we browse and peruse, our friend and salesman Todd Wisenbacker rolls out after while Norm gives us the inside scoop on each instrument.
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First from the back room is an undeniably breathtaking 1955 Les Paul Goldtop… and back, and sides, and neck. That’s right, the beautifully crazed gilded vision you see before you is in fact one of the rare all-gold models and a sight to behold in its totally original glory. Each crack in the finish reads like a line on the palm of your hand, each a story of the past and portent of things to come. Yellowed binding sets off the silky smooth Brazilian rosewood fretboard and unadorned cream plastics, while that famous golden-era craftsmanship ensures the has a loud and resonant sound and near-infinite sustain.
An original 1955 Gibson Les Paul. Not just a Goldtop, this has the rare all-gold finish that includes the back and the neck
Next up is a jaw-dropping 1951 Stromberg 400, which seems particularly exciting for Norm as he gives us a brief run-down of the brand’s history. He explains: “The two boutique makers who made the top s for the top players were D’Angelico and Stromberg, and Stromberg was the last word for players like Irving Ashby and Oscar Moore. And all of them were unique, you’ll notice with Strombergs that the inlays are a little different. They were spec’d for the individual.”
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Its natural finish is still bright and clean, and with body width at 19-inches, Norm notes it’s “bigger than a Super 400.” The has a bold, round sound that seems loud enough to reach the cheap seats. The only non-original part on the is the pickguard, which suffered the usual celluloid deterioration that you see with most plastics from the era. Thankfully, Norm’s techs replaced the guard with a hand-cut replica, completing and preserving the look of such a stately . Oh, and that handle on the back of the headstock – that’s the strap button!
Moving on, Norm brings out something truly special. Now before us is a Mauer model 595 from the 1930s in all of its abalone-inlaid splendor, eliciting gasps from our team. It’s an instrument we know next to nothing about, but we are glad to have Norm as our caretaker.
“The Larson Brothers were builders in the midwest in the 20s through the 1940s, ” he tells us. “They made s under a number of different names like Mauer, Euphonon, Prairie State, and Stahl depending on where it was sold. They didn’t mass produce and they were all unique.”
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The intricate pearl inlay work framing the body, headstock, and ebony fingerboard is as exquisite as it is plentiful – so much so that it’s easy to get lost on some of the finer details: the stars on the bridge, for example. And while it looks great, the sound simply must be heard to be believed: it is full, rich, and shockingly loud.
To be honest, after the last one we aren’t sure that anything will impress us so much, but this penultimate is surely a showstopper. This 1963 Fender Jaguar, wears the exceedingly rare gold hardware option which looks quite smart against the custom colour Candy Apple Red finish. Yes, it’s 100 per cent original (check out the gold truss rod nut) and available for purchase.
Lastly, we spend some time with a owned by none other than the late Tom Petty, who was a personal friend and frequent customer of Norm’s. The , a 1964-65 Gibson SG Standard, was the Tom used while touring with Bob Dylan in 1987, signed by the man himself. Inside the case is a photo of Tom with Dylan and the SG, wearing the very top hat that Norm now models for us. Incidentally, at the time of writing the two year anniversary of his passing has just ticked by, and the world surely hasn’t been the same since.
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A touch of stardust – a ’64/’65 Gibson SG once owned by regular customer Tom Petty and signed by the late legend himself
On any given day at Norm’s, one can expect to see high-end s and the high-end clientele to go along with them. During our little interview and photoshoot, the store played host to a few noteworthy singer-songwriters. Sadly we can’t reveal their names here; don’t think about the implications…
Nestled on the border between the Silver Lake and East Hollywood neighbourhoods, Old Style is a different sort of destination shop: grassroots and unassuming, its proverbial tent pitched in a converted mid-century residence. Old Style eschews elitist swank and the too-cool-for-school attitude adopted by some personas in the world, favouring a comfortable, down-home atmosphere and a laid back, welcoming staff.
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The shop is highly regarded among enthusiast types for its embrace of quirky, kitschy s of the 1960s. Any trip to the shop will likely yield the branding of Asian, European, and American origins as well as home-brewed builds that simply must be played to be believed. As the shop nears its 10th anniversary, owner Reuben Cox still seems mystified at the success of his shop.
Old Style’s inception was the product of a cross-country move to Los Angeles from New York City. His wife was asked to open a West Coast office of the Beggars Group – home to Rough Trade, 4AD, Matador, and other record labels – and the idea just kind of came up.
“This was no long-simmering idea, ” Cox confesses. “I’ve never owned or worked in a shop, have negligible musical talent, and have never been in a band! It just came out of nowhere.”
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And so, the deed was done in an exceedingly DIY fashion: Cox simply found a space and opened without bank involvement or even a safety net. “If it crashed and burned, I could start knocking on the doors of LA art schools for work… I don’t recommend anyone do it this way.”
Regardless of its beginnings, Old Style has earned a loyal and steady customer base thanks to its inventory of “mainly used and vintage” s, in line with the sensibilities of its owner, who can often be found soldering wires at his workbench in pursuit of nursing instruments back to good health.
During our visit, treasures such as this old Harmony-made Stella parlour acoustic fitted with a modern dual-blade pickup in the soundhole and dual outputs for it and an additional piezo element. At first glance, it may appear to be a simple entry-level vintage instrument, but careful inspection reveals Reuben’s signature tinkerer’s brilliance. Between the art deco inlays and matching tailpiece lies an ingenious alteration: a rubber bridge. It’s a sound being embraced by LA hotshots and songwriters who find inspiration in the utter lack of sustain and an exceedingly warm tone. Jeff Tweedy employs such a on Wilco’s latest record,
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This is just one example of Old Style actually influencing the musical landscape of its city, something many shops just
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