Andy Hermann
When McCabe's Guitar Shop is not hosting some of the best folk and acoustic concerts in town, this charmingly cluttered Santa Monica institution (in business since 1958) offers the best selection of stringed instruments in town. Its collection of left-handed acoustic guitars alone puts Guitar Center to shame, but it's the range of more esoteric instruments, from dulcimers to sitars to bouzoukis, that really makes McCabe's a unique resource for L.A. musicians of every stripe. It even offers up the occasional, super-rare collectible item: vintage ukuleles and autoharps, resonator guitars with coverplates worthy of a museum. If you don't know a dobro from a mandolin, don't worry — the staff is great at sharing knowledge without making you feel like a greenhorn. McCabe's also offers classes and workshops, many taught by some of L.A.'s most highly regarded musicians, who can train novices and experts alike in everything from flamenco to fingerstyle.
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