Came here to accompany my sister with an electric guitar string replacement and Billy was so…read morehelpful! He taught my sister and also showed us around the shop. For any folks interested in picking up an instrument, Beach music is the place to go! I used to play a few instruments and Billy's encouragement and the welcoming atmosphere makes me want to get back into music! Highly recommend anyone to check this spot out. I'll definitely be back!

Wow!! Best shop ever. Billy was so helpful and taught me how to restring and gave me other useful…read moretips as a beginner guitarist. I would highly reccomend this shop. They also have awesome vintage instruments. Maybe one day I'll pick one out!

I took my upright bass in for an emergency "buzzing noise" repair that was driving me and everyone…read morearound me crazy. I saw that the fingerboard was coming separated from the neck and showed them how I could take a 3x5 card and slip it under the fingerboard and out the other side. In my head this was going to be an expensive repair but after 40+ years of ownership and Lord only knows what it went through before I owned it, it was due for something major to go wrong. They looked at it and found the wood was separating at the bottom by the peg hole to the point that one section was laying on top of the other section and creating the buzzing noise. They promptly reglued the pieces properly, charged me $50, and out the door I went, a happy camper! I thank the staff at Bellflower Music for being competent and trustworthy; they earned my business and I will recommend them to other musicians as needed. They also have a ton of second hand guitar and bass amps, PA heads, speaker cabinets of all sorts, sheet music, brass & woodwind instruments everywhere inside. They are a traditional old school music store, not a flashy Guitar Center or Sam Ash styled music center. It was well worth the visit over there.

Son had issue with saxophone... came in for repair, within 15-20 min, saxophone was good as new…read more Great customer service and great price for repair... totally recommend bellflower music center!

Kim the owner is a quality human being and a pleasure to talk with . If you need equipment or…read morelessons give him a try you won't be disappointed.

Customer service and communication could be improved. Scheduled a lesson over the phone for me and…read moremy wife and was excited to take a lesson after seeing the great reviews but unfortunately we caught the flu and woke up in the morning feeling like crap and my wife was bed ridden. I texted the instructor or owner, Kim, asking if we can reschedule because we still wanted to take the class. Received no response, so I made a courtesy call to provide a notice and was received by Kim,to my surprise I was met with the response of "no you can't reschedule" after explaining to him that we were very sick and how can he expect us to show up when we don't feel well. His next response was "I need a 24 hour notice" I'm sorry Kim but the human body doesn't work that way. I told Kim that I'm willing to still come in myself but Im very sick and was being courteous as I do not want to get him sick. That's when his tone changed and agreed to a reschedule. Thanks for offering the reschedule but no thanks. There was never a mention about a 24 hour notice over the phone, and do you really want potential customers who are sick coughing in your face? I guess customer customer service is not a priority, so I will take my business elsewhere.

My first time here and it won't be my last! Loved the intimate space while watching one of my all…read moretime favorite female singers, Jonatha Brooke. The room is normally set up for sales but when a show is on the calendar the staff quickly clears it to set up the chairs for the audience. Since their first impromptu show back in 1968, McCabe's has been hosting the finest in folk, bluegrass, Americana, world music and more. It can accommodate 150-seats and is one of the best listening rooms in the world. The sound engineer was spot at this performance. Most of performers will play one of the guitars for sale here which helps keep this amazing shop going. *Located just off the 405 freeway @Centinela on Pico Blvd *Plenty of street parking (meters) *A few restaurants within walking distance if you want to grab a bite to eat before or after a show. *Guitar lessons available *FYI purchase show tickets online. You will get receive a confirmation email telling you that your name will be on a list at the door (you will not get physical tickets)

This review is specifically about an acoustic guitar setup in the service department…read more I paid $95 for the setup service. I am dissappointed in the results and would not recommend their repair or setup services. The final results show a lack of quality control. I love the vibe of McCabe's and the 'grab and play anything you want' attitude which is rare at guitar stores these days. The staff have always been welcoming and don't hover or bother you unless you have a question. I even saw what appeared to a homeless person come in and ask to use the bathroom and the staff was kind and treated the person with respect and care. I've been a long time visitor, and needed a setup done on an acoustic guitar so I thought I'd bring it in and give them some business. Because the store is about a 30-45 minute drive for me, I asked if they could do it while I waited around the neighborhood and they said they were backed up and likely wouldn't get to it that day. I said ok and left it there and they called me about 2 hours later to say it was done and ready to get picked up, so I completely could have just waited for it. I wasn't able to make it back to the store for a few days (because it's a long drive), and when I picked up the guitar I was in a hurry and didn't spend a lot of time checking it out in the store. I pulled it out for a quick few strums to make sure the high action near the body was fixed, and it was, so I packed up the guitar and brought it home. Lesson learned - spend time at the store/shop when you are picking up your guitar. Spend more time than you think you should, better to find any issues at the shop before you get home. When I got home and saw the guitar in better lighting, I noticed there were a bunch of areas where there was some wax or polish that was obviously not buffed out. So the first thing I did was to spend about 5 minutes going over the whole guitar with a soft cloth to try and buff out all of the polish. Not a big deal, but obviously nobody at the store did any final check of the guitar, or if they did they would have seen this and just didn't care to do anything about it - just felt like poor quality control and lack of care. (Also - this is a matte finish guitar, so I'm not sure you're supposed to put polish on it at all..?) Then once I finished buffing out all of the leftover wax/polish, I tuned it and up and immediately discovered that both the A and the G string were buzzing while being played open. So I ended up spending another 10-15 minutes doing a truss rod adjustment to get the guitar into playable condition. Another indication that nobody bothered to check or play the guitar after the tech put it back together, or they would have clearly heard the buzzing strings. Or they just didn't care enough to fix it. For $95 I would expect the guitar to be able to come out of the case and look and play well without me having to do any additional work. I'm sad to have had this experience with a store a I have really grown to appreciate and enjoy.

Walked into Norms the other day and a salesman by the name of Joe came and immediately greeted me…read more Super nice and very informative. Gave me a breakdown of the layout and what they had in stock and also helped set me up to try out some guitars I'm interested in. I'm big on customer service so Joe nailed it. I'll definitely be coming back to purchase my next guitar here.

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

A Hidden Gem in Redondo Beach for Music Lovers and Non-Musicians Alike!…read more Admittedly, I have never owned or even played a guitar--my musical "expertise" peaked decades ago in school with piano lessons and the viola. Yet, as fate would have it, I stumbled upon Bootlegger Guitar while walking to grab Thai food for lunch, and I'm so glad I did. This is so much more than just a guitar shop--it's a welcoming, community-driven lounge for anyone who appreciates music, craftsmanship, and good vibes. The owners were incredibly gracious and made me feel like an old friend the moment I walked in. They even offered gratis sips of bourbon (yes, bourbon!) and, if my eyes didn't deceive me, I think they had a bottle of scotch back there as well. It's clear that their hospitality is as much a part of their business as their musical expertise. While I can't vouch for the instruments from personal experience (again, my viola days are long gone), the passion and knowledge of the team here speak for themselves. You can tell they care deeply about their craft and their customers. Whether you're a seasoned musician, a newbie, or just someone who loves to soak in creative energy, this place is worth a visit. For all your musical needs--or just a friendly chat and a sip of bourbon--Bootlegger Guitar is a true treasure in Redondo Beach. I'll definitely be back...maybe for a scotch this time.

Bootlegger is amazing. I bought the 5 watt amp and it sounds incredible. The guitars are way under…read morepriced for the quality. The owner is awesome.

I love this store! They have a wide range of used gear, but they don't just have anything. They…read morehave nicely curated stuff for sale. Everything from expensive to affordable... but even the affordable stuff is good (imo) affordable stuff. I picked up a cool discontinued JHS pedal. Jeremy, who works there was very helpful and set up an amp and bass for me to try it out before I made up my mind. I'm definitely visiting this shop again!

My son's eyes lit up the moment he walked in. He had been searching for a music store that carried…read morea Rickenbacker, and they actually had two in stock. This place is a dream for any music lover. They let you try out the instruments, and the selection of guitars, equipment, and accessories is impressive. The employees were friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely helpful. I highly recommend checking this place out if you're looking for hard-to-find instruments, gear, or specialty equipment.

Mike has setup 4 guitars of mine now over the past few years. He is an expert tech, but beyond that…read morehe is super knowledgable across all things guitar and music and a great guy to work with. He recently helped point me in the right direction for a pickup for my new Martin. I knew I could trust his recommendation and it ended up being as good or even better than promised. Trust Mike with your guitar needs - he is great!

yes yes yes Mike's guitar parlor is great - go and visit the store now - you will see many guitars…read morethat are available to you - just a wonderful place to be -