Norman Harris closes iconic vintage guitar store for remodel

Norman Harris of Norman's Rare Guitars poses with a Les Paul at his legendary Tarzana, California guitar store. — (Image credit: Eleanor Jane)

Its guitar-lined walls are instantly recognizable, and it’s welcomed in a who’s who of legendary guitarists over the years – but now Norman’s Rare Guitars is getting a makeover.

By his own admission, store owner and vintage guitar expert Norman Harris admits that the world-renowned vintage guitar store needs a refresh, and after getting immortalized in a Netflix documentary, it’s time for the store to be remodeled.

“I’ve stayed in the prehistoric age for long enough,” Harris says in a new YouTube video. “I’ve been the Flintstones; we’re gonna be the Jetsons here.”

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The store temporarily closed on Tuesday, November 10 for a two-week revamp, with doors set to reopen for Black Friday on November 27. Harris adds that it will be business as usual for its online operations while work is being done on the store. When it does reopen, Black Friday deals will be in full swing.

Norman’s Rare Guitars has been at the center of some huge guitar stories over the years. John Fogerty’s 1969 Rickenbacker 325 famously passed through there. It’s where the Back to the Future guitar came from, and where Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament rented the bass with which he recorded grunge masterpiece, Ten.

It is also where George Harrison tried to flog a truly iconic Beatles guitar, early into Harris’ career; that was the one that got away from him.

UPDATE: Norm’s is getting a refresh! - YouTube

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Earlier this year, Harris sold the store to TNAG Global, though the staff and location have remained the same.

“I’ve always known there would come a time when I needed the right long-term partner to carry Norman’s Rare Guitars forward,” Harris said in a statement at the time. “I couldn’t imagine a better steward for the shop and its legacy than Ben Montague and TNAG Global.

“The goal has always been to share my love of great guitars with the community, and this partnership allows that community to grow, while protecting everything that makes the shop special. I feel a deep sense of comfort knowing the shop, its history, and its values will still be here for future generations of my family and for guitar lovers around the world.”

A freelance writer with a penchant for music that gets weird, Phil is a regular contributor to Prog, Guitar World, and Total Guitar magazines and is especially keen on shining a light on unknown artists. Outside of the journalism realm, you can find him writing angular riffs in progressive metal band, Prognosis, in which he slings an 8-string Strandberg Boden Original, churning that low string through a variety of tunings. He's also a published author and is currently penning his debut novel which chucks fantasy, mythology and humanity into a great big melting pot.