Hermosa Beach: Overview of the top 20 music shops

Mike’s is a dream come true for serious players and investment-grade collectors. You want to play a guitar you could only fantasize about owning? This is the place. Mike also provides some serious skill at setting up whatever you might bring in. My 2011 PRS Swamp Ash Special is a transcendental experience after Mike worked his magic. If you’re a player and have a bit of time to kill in LA, this should be your first stop (even before Norman’s).

Love this shop. the owner’s the best . really good selection of acoustic guitars

The absolute best guitar setup I’ve ever gotten.
Best shop in town.
Guitar shops with Character like this are few and far between these days 5.5 stars

Breathes new life into your instrument

Beautiful store looking through the window. Too bad it wasn’t open at noon on a Friday

Great place, I went in to get a strap hook drilled onto my guitar and he just did it for free.. it said online that they were open today but no body was there and it was closed.

Wasn’t even offered to play a guitar… COME ON customer service… oh nevermind dude just ignore you

Just a a few words about my new Ace 5 string bass. I’ve only had a little time to play and tinker with it and so far I love it. I had my local guy set it up with my preferred strings (I do that with all my instruments). But right out of the box, the Ace is pretty dang good. This axe sounds great, quiet, comfy, and is loads of fun to play. And that hard case is astonishingly high quality stuff especially at this price point. I also appreciate the case candy thrown in. First sip out of that nifty flask will be to your health, Chuck!

One other thing. I also ordered the strap extender. The bass already balanced well but now even better. However one of the two strap locks wasn’t staying in place and kept popping off the button. I emailed Chuck in the morning about. By that afternoon he responded that he’s sending out a replacement. No questions asked. I’m very please with this bass and service. – Cheers.

Beautiful looks and beautiful tone & feel.

I bought the Tube distortion pedal first and it made me get rid of every distortion pedal on my board yeah it’s that good almost toooooo good. Very powerful so you need to dial it in. I just got the overdrive pedal yesterday and not surprised it is just as good. I use these through my 2 1978 Marshall 50 watt heads and it takes them to a new level. The overdrive is so nice and warm and the distortion can just melt your face if that is what you want. These pedals have so much flexibility the controls actually work! Guitars look good also but I have 27 guitars and my wife will leave me if I buy another….GREAT tube pedals buy them well worth the money!!! You can get any sound you want, even using them at low distortion level creates this sustain and smoothness…..rock n roll!!

Dennis, the proprietor is a wizard with Pro Tools. He is capable of producing master pro audio recordings.

If you’re looking for a piano teacher – I wholeheartedly recommend Beau Simpson who has been instrumental in my musical journey over the past 15 months. His dedication, patience, and creativity have made a significant impact on my progress and passion for piano playing.
When I first started taking lessons with Beau I had already spent 8 years learning piano as a child. However, I had not played in decades, and YouTube was not re-engaging me. From the moment I began working with Beau I could sense his deep understanding of my challenges and his genuine commitment to helping me overcome them to achieve my goals.

My experience with Beau has been great! He lets me select music that interests me, and adjusts his teaching style to my unique needs. Beau creates a nurturing environment where I can make mistakes, learn from them, and grow as a pianist.
Moreover, he has a remarkable ability to infuse creativity into his teaching methods. He understands that every student is unique, with different learning styles and musical preferences. This approach has not only helped me improve my rhythm but has also reignited my passion for playing the piano.

I wholeheartedly endorse Beau as an outstanding music teacher, and am confident that anyone who has the privilege of learning from Beau will experience tremendous growth and find joy in their musical journey.

Tom

From my son Jonas who had the privilege of working with Beau:

I’ve been taking guitar lessons with Beau for about 2 years now and my experience has been excellent and quite enjoyable. He is incredibly flexible in what he is able to teach. When I began lessons with Beau I wasn’t really sure were I wanted to go with my learning but I was quickly able to explore all aspects of learning guitar with such a knowledgable teacher. I was able to begin learning the basics of music theory while also learning songs from my favorite rock bands. Through my exploration of music theory I was able to learn the CAGED system which made theory so much simpler and leveled up my play. If I wanted to explore a new genre, I was able to and was taught very well. I highly recommend Beau to beginners, those experienced in music, or those who simply want to explore all music has to offer!

Stop searching and book with Beau. He is an amazing teacher—highly educated, a talented musician, and has full knowledge of everything you need to learn regarding techniques and theory.
I’ve been taking lessons in both guitar and piano for under a year and I’ve learned chords, scales and songs, I’m developing an ear for music and can now accompany my voice with piano. I couldn’t be happier and couldn’t recommend his services more.

Super local venue for bands to rock out while also showcasing artwork on the walls. Very cool vibes and right there in our Southbay backyard.
I’ll be checking this place out for future bands!

It was awesome

Karl is the best!

The place to go for guitar lessons. Karl is a master and an excellent teacher whether you’re young, old, beginner, or expert.

Always professional people great at home atmosphere…and Great instruments !!!!…they know there stuff

Dietz Brothers have me some music, because my son, who has Down Syndrome, was asking about some Star Wars music.

Very helpful and has the easiest instrument rental!

DIetz Bros. is the absolute best when it comes to professionalism and musicianship in the South Bay. The store has been building a loyal clientele for over 25 years and even a first time customer will feel like family. If they don’t have the instrument you are looking for, not to worry, they can order it for you.

I went in to buy a guitar and an elderly gentleman was helping me. There was a guitar with a 50% sticker on it for $480, and he said it would be $240. When we got to the register he said, “Sorry, it’s actually $440, but I can sell it to you for $410.” Then I picked up another guitar and he said “Oh yeah, the 50% off is from other people’s prices not ours. That’s for all of the guitars.” If it’s not 50% off of their price, why is there a sticker that says 50% off stuck to the guitar? Horrible customer service, I was ready to pay right there.

Just heard him on tik tok! Wow! Amazing! Go on American idol or the voice ! You’re a superstar!

Zoie was fabulous for my son’s wedding.

Zoie truly made our Sonoma wedding 1,000 times better with her beautiful music! I hired her to play both my ceremony and cocktail hour, and I would do it again! My guests could not stop talking about her enchanting singing voice & the intimate atmosphere she brought to our wedding. When walking down the aisle to her beautiful cover of Brown Eyed Girl, I saw a few tears from our guests (and even my husband).

Booking with Zoie was so easy and when we met with her to do a song consultation, she was so incredibly helpful! She helped me choose the perfect songs for our wedding. She was great at communicating with me, my wedding planner and officiant. If I had an idea or question, she would respond promptly – which helped with my wedding-stress levels! Now, I’m telling all my friends who are getting married soon to book Zoie because her music, energy & professionalism were incredible!

I’d recommend Zoie a thousand times over! We hired her for our wedding ceremony, cocktail hour, and first dance and received so many compliments on her performance from our family and friends. She has such a beautiful voice, it was the perfect touch to the entire evening. Booking with her was also very easy and she made time to chat through all of the details throughout the process. Zoie is professional and reliable, and overall just a treat to work with!

Each year, I enroll in some type of new activity. This year, I wanted to relearn the piano and take individual lessons. I didn’t want to go anywhere because here I am an adult doing this, plus I didn’t want to deal with LA traffic, especially with all the commuting I do. I found a mobile piano business, Kidz Create Music, and figured why contact them. I continue to be blown away by how knowledgeable the KCM teachers are. I’ve seen such improvement in my own abilities in 2 months! They listen to all my musical needs, help me set a practice schedule, and learn to play songs I absolutely love. My teacher communicates with me and works with my schedule so well. Don’t be thrown by the name “Kidz.” I highly recommend you reach out if you, like me, are wanting to start or relearn your musical skills.

I had the wonderful opportunity to work with Alexandria at Kidz Create Music, and I have to say it has been the best experience I have had working as a music instructor. The professionalism and pride in pedagogy that runs this organization makes for a really great learning environment both for teachers and students.
For parents looking for a music teacher, or adult learners, look no further!

Love the teachers who work here! It’s amazing when you find a company that not only deliveres excellent service but understands the business and the audiance so well! My kids loved it!

Love it! Absolutely adorable and fun for kids! The music is so good and the songs are so catchy it keeps kids sing them all day long.

These songs are so great and catchy! I find my kids singing them even without the songs sometimes. Great for learning in a fun way!

The new book and CD with accompanying music is totally awesome. Highly recommend it to everyone, especially those with younger children. Thanks guys for putting together this gem!

Very friendly, very knowledgeable. Answered all my boys questions. Definitely plan to support this store.

Great Guitar & Music Shop. Excellent selection of boutique, vintage and beginner amps. I saw a ’61 Les Paul Junior in there today as well as a Gold Klon Centaur. The owner is real pleasant and knowledgeable. The have their own line of guitars that I really enjoy called Homer T Guitar Co. I now own a couple and really enjoy them. I recommend checking it out. Attached a pic of my newest Homer T Guitar.

I’ve bought all my favorite gear from Harbor. Awesome shop with an awesome selection; eager and knowledgable staff.

Decent selection but used prices are a joke.
For example a used Eric Johnson is $1500 before tax when Sweetwater will you give you a brand new one for 1800 out the door if you have a little bit of a hookup. Shop also seems to have a little but of an unwelcoming attitude-not that I care if you can make a deal but if you’re looking for just that, a deal, this store is probably not for you. Shame, because I usually like to support the small private shops. Even bigger shame, because I buy lots of gear. Lots.

They seem like nice enough guys, but their prices are outrageous, and they don’t even come close to matching online competitors prices. That’s a sad fact about the world we live in, these small “mom and pop shops” just can’t compete with the big chains, and the online sellers.

If you live in one of these high dollar beach communities and have disposable income, then pay extra money and patronize these small specialty “mom and pop shops”. But, if you are middle class person that can’t afford to spend extra money (like me), forget this place. You’ll find much better prices searching the internet.

The employee or manager is not a friendly person. I bought 2 sets of guitar strings and, eventhough I was spending money, he acted like he was doing me a favor.

Do not take your instruments here to be repaired. I was overcharged for simple work on a guitar that took nearly a month to complete despite the initial quote of one week. This was entirely due to poor communication and not following instructions. I have been having work done on my guitars for nearly 20 years, so I know how long repairs should take and I have some idea of how long they should take. Be warned – THE WORK IS NOT DONE IN HOUSE HERE and you cannot talk to the guy doing the repairs. I have to take my guitar somewhere else to have the work done correctly – I absolutely do not trust these guys to ever touch my guitar again. I left detailed written instructions requesting easily obtainable industry standard parts to be used and was simply ignored. I felt like making an issue out of it, but it would just take too much time and effort and they would probably want to try to fix it themselves and they are never seeing me or my guitars again. They were embarrassed when I picked the guitar up and they should have been.
As far as the “Mr. Pedal Board” thing goes, go the store’s website and look at the boards displayed here and then type “guitar pedal board” into google and see if you are impressed with this guy’s creations. My friends and I rigged better looking and likely better functioning boards when were teenagers and we were stoned and not particularly bright or technically minded. It’s good enough if you are a weekend warrior or bedroom player, or if you just don’t need a lot of pedals, but I really think you can do better than this no matter how or where you play.
The guys in the store are friendly enough, particularly after they warm up to you and the pedal selection is good as well and it is convenient to demo them in the store, but there are no refunds. Every online store that I know of, and I have shopped at several of them, has a 60 day return policy and a much larger selection and handle the returns with no problems and most of them offer a discount.
I really wanted to form a relationship with a local small business and get away from the big chain and online stores, but this place really let me down.

I’ve only been in to get instrument repaired. So in my experience they are amazing at what they do and no one can beat their prices or professionalism.

Super helpful.

Called to ask some questions about my sax and they were really friendly and even offered peace of mind that it would get done.

We have been going repeatedly for several days. They are NEVER open when they say their posted hours are. Giving up. What a waste of gasoline and time.

I leased a full-size cello for my group lesson. I didn’t know how much the lease price goes. She charged me $70 plus tax on $1400 cello but the same value range, my classmate rented for $40. My teacher surprised how expenses she charged me not even including an insurance on cello. And she really scared me for any future damages when I return and I have to pay in full.I understand if the owner charged me slightly higher but she charged me almost as twice as much. Just for informing beginner cellist like me who is looking for leasing a cello, the price goes $35-$40 avg.