WEST
Established in 1984
Guitars
The New Era of Vintage ,
Known as the purveyors of vintage
and customs in Southern California
Guitars West is a renowned hub for musicians, particularly celebrated for their extensive expertise in the buying, selling, and trading of vintage guitars. The shop has built a significant reputation in the guitar industry by curating a high-end inventory that includes rare Gibson, Fender, and Gretsch models, making them a go-to destination for serious collectors and professional players alike. Their influence extends beyond a local storefront, as they are well-known for sourcing "dream" instruments that are often showcased at major industry events like NAMM.
Beyond the impressive sales floor, Guitars West serves as a full-service center for the local music community. They provide expert guitar repairs and professional setups to ensure every instrument—whether a modern player or a decades-old relic—performs at its peak. To foster the next generation of talent, the shop also offers comprehensive guitar lessons across various styles and skill levels. This blend of master-level technical service and educational outreach has solidified their status as one of the most respected independent guitar shops on the West Coast.
Services
At Guitars West, we provide a full suite of professional services designed to support every stage of your musical journey. Our expert technicians offer precision setups to optimize playability and comprehensive repairs to restore your instrument to its peak condition, whether it's a modern player or a rare vintage gem. Additionally, we offer personalized guitar lessons for all skill levels, helping you master your craft in a supportive, world-class environment.
At Guitars West, we believe every instrument should feel like an extension of the player. Our professional setup service is a comprehensive "tune-up" designed to maximize your guitar’s playability, tone, and tuning stability. Our expert technicians meticulously adjust the truss rod for perfect neck relief, calibrate the string height (action) for effortless fretting, and fine-tune the intonation so your chords ring true across the entire fretboard. Whether it’s a modern workhorse or a prized vintage find, we provide the precision care needed to eliminate fret buzz and ensure your guitar performs at its absolute peak.
Our master technicians at Guitars West handle everything from minor hardware fixes to complex structural restorations for both modern and vintage instruments. We specialize in precision fret work, electronic repairs, and structural bracing, ensuring every guitar that hits our bench returns to its original glory. With a reputation for meticulous craftsmanship, we take pride in reviving "unplayable" instruments and keeping your gear stage-ready and reliable.
Unlock your musical potential with personalized guitar lessons at Guitars West, where we cater to all ages, styles, and skill levels from absolute beginners to advanced players. Our experienced instructors focus on building a solid foundation of technique, theory, and repertoire, tailoring each session to your specific musical goals. Whether you're looking to master acoustic fingerpicking or shred on an electric, we provide the expert guidance and inspiration needed to help you find your unique voice.
Meet the crew!
The crew that keeps life turned up to 11, laughs way too much, forgot more than you'll ever learn, and keeps everything at Guitars West fun & running smoother than a oiled up fretboard! All with the confidence of a main character so delirious it just seens like three mental disorders.
Vibe
Coordinator
Johnny
Somewhere
Somewhere Vibing
If you’ve ever wondered how Guitars West manages to stay upright amidst all the chaos, look no further than Johnny Somewhere. As the official Vibe Coordinator, Johnny is the creative eye behind the lens, capturing every legendary guitar and custom Bell & Hern build with a level of style that—let’s be honest—only he can provide. He’s a hard-working guy who has somehow mastered the art of having way too good of a time, bringing a heavy dose of charm and "main character energy" to every room he enters. While he’s busy making the shop look like a million bucks, he’s usually giving Big Hern and Heather Marie a hard time. To be fair, Johnny probably spends more time doubled over in laughter than he does hitting the shutter button, but when you're that much fun to be around, the vibes just take care of themselves. He’s the only guy cool enough to keep the Hernandez hurricane in check.
-El Presidente-
Gate
Keeper
"Big Hern "
Gary Hernandez
The Legend of "Big Hern"
Gary “Big Hern” Hernandez is the high-voltage heart of Guitars West, a man who possesses more energy than a dimed Marshall stack and more stories than a 1954 Gibson ledger. Equal parts vintage scholar and professional eccentric, Big Hern doesn’t just sell guitars; he curates souls, matching players with instruments that have more character (and occasionally more scars) than he does. He is famously louder than a feedback loop and twice as unpredictable, roaming the shop with a laugh that can be heard three zip codes away. When he isn't hunting down "holy grail" relics, he’s in the lab at his custom shop, Bell & Hern, where he designs and builds bespoke masterpieces that look like they fell off a touring bus in 1962 and play like a dream. Whether he’s debating tonewoods or explaining why a specific headstock shape changed his life, Hern runs the show with a level of passion that borders on a medical condition. He’s the undisputed king of the vintage trade—a man who knows that life is too short for boring gear, quiet rooms, or anything less than a "screaming deal."
Click the link and learn a little more about Big Hern
Heather Marie
Hernandez
The Gate Keeper
If Big Hern is the loud, distorted lead guitar of the shop, Heather Marie is the rock-solid bass line keeping the whole song from falling apart. Known as the “Gate Keeper” of Guitars West, Heather is a whirlwind of sharp wit, infectious laughs, and a "fired-up" attitude that ensures nobody—absolutely nobody—gets over on the family business. She and her dad spend their days in a relentless, high-speed tennis match of jokes and insults, a comedic duo that makes a trip to the shop feel like front-row seats at a roast. While she’s easily the most fun person you’ll meet in Southern California, don’t let the smile fool you; she is a certified hard-ass who doesn't take a single ounce of grief from anyone. Whether she’s protecting the vintage "holy grails" or putting a loud-mouth in their place with a single look, Heather Marie runs the show with a mix of sweet charm and a "try me" edge that keeps the chaos of Guitars West perfectly in tune.
Luthier
Tim Adams
The Tech & The Teacher
With four decades of experience "under the hood" of every stringed instrument imaginable, Tim has earned a reputation as the local "instrument whisperer." From the delicate nuances of vintage banjos and ukuleles to the heavy-duty demands of a professional touring bass or electric guitar, Tim’s hands-on expertise is unparalleled.
His two decades as a Church Music Director instilled in him a standard of excellence and reliability that he brings to every repair. He doesn’t just "fix" instruments; he optimizes them, ensuring that every piece of gear that leaves his bench is a perfectly tuned extension of the player’s soul.
At Guitars West, we believe that a great instrument should inspire you to play, and a great teacher should show you the way. In Tim Adams, you get both. He is a multi-instrumentalist who has lived the life of a professional musician, a director who has led ensembles for decades, and a luthier who treats every screw and string with surgical care.
When you step into Tim’s world, you aren’t just getting a lesson or a setup—you’re inheriting 40 years of musical wisdom.