Best Music and Gear Stores in Los Angeles

📫 LA Musician Monthly Newsletter

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Los Angeles has always been known for its vibrant music scene. And if you are a guitar player, there are plenty of places where you can find the perfect instrument to write a hit song or annoy your neighbors.

You won't want to miss these top stores if you're a guitar player in LA. You’ll find a great selection of instruments and hear from manufacturers about why they love working together.

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All of the brands below introduced new products during NAMM. Their support of independent music stores around Los Angeles helps keep the music community thriving.

Table of contents:

📫 LA Musician Monthly Newsletter
🔉 Truetone Music
🤖 Perfect Circuit
😇 Angel City Guitars
📺 Vintage King
◼️ Westlake Pro
🍖 Caveman Vintage
Conclusion

🔉 Truetone Music

Location: Santa Monica

Ideal for: Beginner to pro guitarists alike

Truetone Music is a guitar store with a great selection of guitars, amps, and pedals on the Westside. You can also book a lesson or get your guitar fixed up.

Any glance at reviews of Truetone, and you’ll find customer service and a knowledgeable team at the top of every list. Simply put, they give a hoot.

…And these are just the Stratocasters and Telecasters! Photo Credit: Kam

Truetone has been in business for over 30 years. They are independently owned, providing a new-school approach to an old-school guitar shop. Truetone has a vast selection of new, used, and vintage guitars, amps, pedals, and accessories.

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Guitars at Truetone

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Guitar Pedals at Truetone

Have an old dreadnought hanging around? Sell and trade used and vintage instruments at Truetone as well.

The store has a great selection of gear, including boutique brands like Victoria amps, a great selection of effects, and some really tasty second-hand gear like micro-fret basses.

With their friendly and knowledgeable staff and excellent gear selection, visiting Truetone will leave you with gear envy and maybe lighter in the wallet!

"Going to Truetone Music is a joy. I spent an hour playing a Martin Custom Series there a few months ago. It sounded beautiful and was in great company of other stellar guitar brands. Trutetone is always my first choice when I need to try out a new guitar or boutique pedal. As a Martin player, they’re the best place to play the whole lineup of stuff all in one place.” - Jerry R (Guitarist, Yelp)

🤖 Perfect Circuit

Ideal for: Guitar pedal collectors and electronic musicians

Location: Burbank, CA

Perfect Circuit is an independent music shop located in Burbank, CA. They offer a wide selection of cutting-edge, boutique, and high-end music equipment.

Their team of music and tech enthusiasts is passionate about electronic music and enjoys sharing their excitement about gear and music with everyone who walks through the door!

Perfect Circuit stocks synthesizers, wacky effects, and a path for every sonic journey. Photo credit: Perfect Circuit.

You’ll find everything from synthesizers and drum machines to guitar effects pedals, MIDI controllers, and recording equipment. Perfect Cricuit creates an inspiring environment for every musician to explore their craft in new and exciting ways.

Whether you need help choosing your first audio interface or guitar pedal, want to talk about new gear or your favorite artists, or plan your first isolation booth, Perfect Circuit is the place to go.

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"Death by Audio wants players to explore the unexpected in all of our guitar pedals. Perfect Circuit in LA shares that same spirit. It's easy to get lost in there, and their passion for gear is infectious. We’re so grateful for their continued support of boutique manufacturers like us." - Oliver Ackermann (Death by Audio) Check out DBA’s pedal lineup at Perfect Circuit.

😇 Angel City Guitars

Ideal for: Guitarists and amp heads

Location: Woodland Hills

Angel City Guitars is a boutique and high-end guitar store in The Valley (A worthy trek for those in Burbank).

You’ll be blown away by the quality of the equipment and the selection of guitars, pedals, and amps at Angel City.

Angel City Guitars’ guitar wall—an impressive collection of highly playable instruments. Photo credit: Chuck Cammack.

The owner, Olay, is known for his guitar savvy and good nature. He’s eager to help folks, beginners or rock stars, get a guitar or pedal into their hands. You’ll feel at home in this shop.

Even looking at Google reviews, customers routinely rave about the customer service and excellent guitar collection.

Their infamous guitar wall has everything from the obscure to the legendary. Serious players will have a blast at Angel City Guitars.

There’s also a well-stocked glass pedal cabinet at the end of the shop. Angel City sells both used and new guitar pedals. Amongst new releases are heaps of classic, hard-to-find effects.

I also recommend checking out Dangerkatt’s review of Angel City,. He describes a similar, friendly visit to this Valley gem.

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Guitars at Angel City Guitars

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Guitar Pedals at Angel City Guitars

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"Walrus Audio started because we're inspired by sound—from the nooks and crannies of a distortion pedal just as it breaks up to the longest tail of a crisp delay. We love working with Angel City Guitars - a great team of people who are equally passionate about the craft of sound. If you're in LA, I hope you get to stop by Angel City.” - Colt Westbrook (Walrus Audio)

📺 Vintage King

Ideal for: Recording engineers, producers, and those who live in the studio

Location: Burbank

Vintage King is a must-visit for gearheads and serious engineers looking for high-quality, professional pro audio equipment.

Vintage King’s showroom has speakers and outboard gear easily accessible for listening and testing—photo credit.

They’ve got huge rooms with dedicated microphones and speakers. Here, you can test a great collection of high-end gear and effects.

Since 2012, Vintage King has been a pro audio institution for engineers, producers, and music makers alike. With the world's best selection of microphones, outboard gear, studio monitors, recording consoles, and more, the Los Angeles showroom is here to cater to your sonic desires.

Let Vintage King help you find what you need to make your next recording, mixing, or mastering session the best possible.

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“Music stores like Vintage King can be hard to find. We've all had that spark of creativity that kicked off our music journeys when we were younger. Stepping into VK feels like that. Its high-fidelity audio and atmosphere of curiosity make it a blast every time we're in town.” - Nick E (Guitarist)

◼️ Westlake Pro

Westlake Pro is a renowned pro audio supplier and studio designer based in Los Angeles with deep roots in the city's music scene.

The company's heritage goes back to the late 60s. They have helped studio owners and musicians acquire the gear, design, and studios needed to create signature sounds that stand the test of time.

A mixing console and Pro Tools rig are being tested at Westlake Pro—photo credit.

Westlake Pro has evolved from a small sales division above Westlake Recording Studios into one of the world's leading studio designers and retailers.

The company has established its identity with an experienced and knowledgeable sales staff, a commitment to customer service, top-quality technical services, and relationships with top brands.

Westlake Pro is dedicated to helping clients create their unique sound, catering to legends, garage bands, composers, studio owners, and everyone in between.

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“We love working with Westlake Pro. Recording and hi-fi audio is in our blood. Westlake takes the recording and production processes seriously. Anytime we’re in LA, we stop by Westlake to cleanse our ears a little bit.” -Adam (Pioneer Sounds)

🍖 Caveman Vintage

Location: Downtown LA

Ideal for: Guitar and bass players on a budget

Caveman Vintage sells vinyl records, cassette tapes, amps, record players, receivers, electric and acoustic guitars, and other music equipment.

The store has a well-organized layout with a decent selection of records and inspiring amps and tones.

Don’t be afraid to try the gear, either! This shop has lots of rare equipment at great prices.

The stock varies constantly, so keep stopping in to play something new.

Conclusion

Hopefully, you've found some new spots to check out and some fresh gear to try. Whether you're a seasoned rockstar or just starting, the right gear can make all the difference in your sound.

So get out there, explore, and keep making music. And don't forget to show some love to your local music stores - they're the heartbeat of the music community!