The Stories Behind 5 Amazing Vintage Guitars at Norman's Rare Guitars

The Stories Behind 5 Amazing Vintage Guitars at Norman's Rare Guitars | Reverb

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Күн бұрын

If you're a vintage guitar freak, you know Norman's Rare Guitars. Fender, Gibson, Gretsch and more....whatever classic tone you're chasing, Norm's has it. We stopped by and asked founder Norm Harris to show us some of the most magnificent machines in his collection, and got the skinny on some of his experiences providing guitars for movies like Back to the Future.
See all these guitars and more on Norm's Official Reverb Shop: reverb.com/shop/normans-rare-...
Read more on Reverb: bit.ly/2zvOpB9
Subscribe to Norm's KZfaq Channel: / normansrareguitars

Пікірлер: 423

@best9988 2 жыл бұрын

Several years ago I went to Norm's store to window shop for awhile. Even though I was a nobody, Norm was incredibly gracious and showed me a lot of beautiful guitars and memorabilia from his storeroom, including the top hat given to him by Tom Petty. He is the kind of guy that is rarer than even his rarest guitars.

@freddybuiatti 4 жыл бұрын

Lemmo needs a raise man

@jesussaves7722 4 жыл бұрын

Norm's Rare Guitars has become a tourist destination in LA.

@powertuber4.068 4 жыл бұрын

Kind of like Pawn Stars in Las Vegas.

@MuscleDad420 4 жыл бұрын

It has been for quite a while.

@songsfromspringcreekave821 4 жыл бұрын

When Norm was talking about Tom Petty, it got me a little choked up. My God, the world misses Tom Petty!

@joefox9765 4 жыл бұрын

Amen brother. Words can not articulate. I felt the same way. Such sentimental value and provenance

@gfgranja 4 жыл бұрын

Gone too soon...

@ryanfulldark2775 2 жыл бұрын

That’s a fact. I regret never seeing him play life.

@anmolatwal 4 жыл бұрын

The person playing the guitars is a monster player!!

@joeynice123 4 жыл бұрын

Lemmo right?

@wilkowilkins363 4 жыл бұрын

The one and only Michael Lemmo

@diegolopezlira3267 4 жыл бұрын

Don't forget about Todd, he is the one playing all the acoustic guitars. Lemmo plays the electrics. They are both great players.

@GuitarosaurusRex 4 жыл бұрын

Yes! Excellent player!

@jakeneuman8122 4 жыл бұрын

Diego Lópezlira that’s not Mark?

@hatuliko2009 4 жыл бұрын

Wish they had this great sounding recordings on Norman's KZfaq channel...

@g.koch. 4 жыл бұрын

Dont get it either :/

@revelry1969 4 жыл бұрын

I concur. Norm needs to pony up for a better recording system for jenn

@daniva 4 жыл бұрын

i hear too bassy mix

@hatuliko2009 4 жыл бұрын

Anything's better than the phone mic

@wesleyalan9179 4 жыл бұрын

Yeah,they really need too...they are just too good not to,ya know?!

@vf7vico 4 жыл бұрын

nice to catch that rare glimpse of Jenn shooting the videos with Lemmo and Todd!

@TheElectricBallroom 4 жыл бұрын

Right? She's a curvy dark-haired girl, totally 180° from what I expected

@jimjim1598 4 жыл бұрын

No one: Norm: "-a buddy of mine"

@whiteman2371 3 жыл бұрын

😂

@ryanern18 4 жыл бұрын

The riff played on the ES330 was fantastic.

@emrules2001 4 жыл бұрын

Lenmo is a beast

@anthonyc1883 4 жыл бұрын

Agreed. The guitar, and that music on it....tremendous.

@donstriano8256 4 жыл бұрын

Just perfect He courts all those guitars like soul mates

@stevehornshaw4478 4 жыл бұрын

Norm. This is such a privilege to see you talking about the people who are movers and shakers. To see your guitars and to hear how they sound is just breathtaking. Your books show me what taste you have. Your archive of books and videos will be an everlasting archive. Thanks a million Norm. I'm hooked.

@stevesmith3990 4 жыл бұрын

More like this please, I love to listen to Norm.

@redrock1963 4 жыл бұрын

A visit to Norman's Rare Guitars is on my bucket list.

@huskvarsm 4 жыл бұрын

redrock1963 mine too

@donsmith5385 4 жыл бұрын

Man I feel bad for you guys, I live 2 blocks away.

@MuscleDad420 4 жыл бұрын

@@donsmith5385Same here. I stopped going years ago -- Agnesi was a jerkoff. I should pop in now that he's gone.

@donsmith5385 4 жыл бұрын

MuscleDad420 yup he was a tone snob

@harrissocal 4 жыл бұрын

I first met Norm in 1975. Playing the organ in a little club on Oxnard Street. Same height, same last name. Did some business with the stores, (the first two), over the years. I ran into him at a probate auction in Pico Rivera for Paul MacElewain, an old Jazz player. I was looking for a bass, needed one really and didn't have much money. Had just bought a home. They had one nice old Gibson bass, but bidding had been really strong on the spectacular old Gibsons there and I knew I was doomed. I had mentioned to Norm my situation. Did me a real solid that day. Whispered in a couple of ears, and I went home high bidder. I'll never forget that kindness.

@greghenderson4856 4 жыл бұрын

That 58 Strat is one of the finest sounding strats I have ever heard ...my dream guitar !

@BeardedBluesDude 4 жыл бұрын

I just happened to make it in the store the day they were filming this. Thats me at 5:14 :) Got to meet Norman shake his hand and got him to sign a copy of his book. Nice guy! Sure wish I could have walked away with a guitar but it was not in a position to do that while on this vacation. I told Norm I'd be back to buy a guitar from him. He said "I'll forgive you for it" I know Norm makes his living doing this, but thats a comment coming from a guy who really loves the instruments he sells. Can't wait to go back again with the intent to buy!

@GuyLeeguitar 4 жыл бұрын

Whoever is demoing these guitars is doing a fine job

@mh-oh8kf 4 жыл бұрын

Guy Lee sounds like Michael Lemmo

@MrTicTics 4 жыл бұрын

The shots showing a ring on the strumming hand are him if I'm not mistaken

@collinsanderson4561 4 жыл бұрын

Lemmo on electrics and Todd on acoustics

@luismendo 4 жыл бұрын

This part is unmistakably Lemmo: 1:59

@wesleyalan9179 4 жыл бұрын

@@luismendo ...Sho'nuff that's Lemmo! ....(if ya watch everyday it's unmistakably Lemmow) Luis, I would put $ down that you watch everyday,am I right? Lol!

@davemis40 4 жыл бұрын

This is such a great format .. chat and playing mixed together... all of Norms videos should be like this .. especially the sound quality

@joemasse4568 4 жыл бұрын

Norms a good guy,treats people the right way , my wife and kids visited the store few years ago and they enjoyed their time, Norms got some good stories in his book,I especially loved the George Harrison Les Paul story !

@charlespatrick8650 4 жыл бұрын

Joe Masse always wondered if Norm ever did any kind of deal with EC, think he has a place in Venice

@TheNicoDavis 4 жыл бұрын

That '58 strat looks and sounds gorgeous. Beautiful clean tone

@charlespatrick8650 4 жыл бұрын

Davis Films hasn't seen much daylight with so much red still on it

@belo1971 4 жыл бұрын

Norm’s KZfaq channel is one of my number ones ! Kindest regards from France

@mattrodela2030 4 жыл бұрын

What joy to watch and listen to. Thank you for sharing!

@GeneSchmidt 4 жыл бұрын

So awesome! Awesome stories. And whoever was playing/demoing the guitars is amazing!

@JamesMc2 4 жыл бұрын

That is some of the coolest guitar playing I’ve ever heard .!

@G-Man-kc2nm 4 жыл бұрын

Very enjoyable. Listing to the stories about the awesome guitars actually gave them life. Thanks, hope to see more.

@javiperez5172 4 жыл бұрын

Great video! Love seeing Norm’s on Reverb

@jimsteele2072 4 жыл бұрын

Norm is a legend. Fantastic! Glad you guys are on the internet now, I cant afford any of these guitars,... But it warms my heart to see them and hear them. Thanks. 👍

@Powertuber1000 4 жыл бұрын

I'll bet Norm is sorry he sold the Back to the Future guitar so cheap.

@philtron1969 4 жыл бұрын

Great video. And wonderful playing examples for each guitar!

@brentjones9961 4 жыл бұрын

Good on ya Norm, enjoy your shop and the good work your crew does👍

@stringbender57 3 жыл бұрын

Fascinating stories and super cool guitars! I could get lost in these videos for days.....

@joebaby555 4 жыл бұрын

God Bless Norman ! Love his passion and knowledge of these beautiful instruments and the history behind them. Next time I’m in California I’m going to come shopping...can’t wait🙏

4 жыл бұрын

The Kid, Michael Lemmo!!

@KlausJWeyerhaeuser 4 жыл бұрын

I follow Normans Rare Guitars along wit Jay Boone's Emerald City Guitars on YT for quite a while now. In this video they really nailed the sound! I love it! Why can't we hear that on "Guitar Of The Day" ... like every day?

@charlespatrick8650 4 жыл бұрын

Klaus J. Weyerhaeuser Norm's is for player grade, ECG is collector grade for rich big tech dudes

@RobCabreraCh 4 жыл бұрын

That ES-330 looks insanely clean! It looks newer than the VOS stuff from the Custom Shop.

@kiahtotenkopf29 4 жыл бұрын

Really nice to hear Norm talk story. Thanks. 👍

@willwade8050 4 жыл бұрын

Bless you Norm, you're doing a huge service to musicians everywhere by having a huge collection to buy, research and enjoy of all these wonderful instruments. Kids these days don't even know, 25yrs playing and slowly but surely all my main go to guitars are 30+ yrs old...can't beat that quality and feeling the story of the instrument when you play it. Nothing like it✌🤘👊👍😀

@johnmurray3346 2 жыл бұрын

This is beautifully presented Norm and crew 👌

@MrGixxer1300r 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you or posting this Norm. Please do more of this

@toddflowers8052 4 жыл бұрын

That blonde 330 and the Ric are 2 of my dream guitars ! Thanks Norm,Lemmo,and Jen !

@mcflotty 4 жыл бұрын

Norm, I’m sure there’s other videos of it but this is the first time I’ve seen you play. Really tasty especially the first little progression. Just a perfect thing to display that beautiful guitar

@MikeFromNashville 4 жыл бұрын

Your the best Norm! I miss browsing your collection at the shop.

@robbiepelonero2193 4 жыл бұрын

man that Tom Petty guitar/hat was amazing! beyond cool

@rudypeutl8259 4 жыл бұрын

Visiting Norman's Rare Guitar store is definitely on my bucket list.

@2dazetake 4 жыл бұрын

You are the most inspiring person in the sales business ever thanks Norm for all you do and these amazing videos you have made. 😊👍

@jon.wilson 4 жыл бұрын

Michael Lemmo plays the electrics, Todd Wisenbaker plays the acoustics. Amp is usually a 66 Pro Reverb. Subscribe to the Normans Rare Guitars channel and download the All Guitar Network app for more.

@jodysheridan604 4 жыл бұрын

An album of the guest playing the different guitars would be a great fundraiser and a must have for Norman's Rare Guitars fans. Please… ❤

@stephenhenion8304 Жыл бұрын

Great 🎵 Stuff Norm!!! This is why I love the guitar!!

@michaelledford4751 4 жыл бұрын

The SwitchMaster was Frank Zappas main guitar before he went to the SG for his main guitar while touring,i got to see Frank play his SwitchMaster with the Mothers.

@RudeMoodBand 4 жыл бұрын

Love this...Norm is a great storyteller...more please!!

@jw112mail 4 жыл бұрын

That is the best sounding strat and es-330 i've ever heard

@weschilton 4 жыл бұрын

Nice guitarist.

@ChuckNicholsonTRM 4 жыл бұрын

I also thought those two guitars were the clear stand outs, both sounded ridiculously good. It's amazing that they've made it through the years in such amazing shape too.

@wesleyalan9179 4 жыл бұрын

It's like a guitar museum, but you can buy the peices, lol! I love this place,and can't wait to fly out just to visit! Thanks guys!

@telecasterbear 4 жыл бұрын

I see the guitar, hanging on the wall behind Norm, that I purchased today, on Reverb.com. Very quick response through Reverb messaging. Thanks for adding a very personal touch to my transaction. Best wishes.

@elonmust7470 4 жыл бұрын

Cool story

@jonathanlane4496 4 жыл бұрын

Absolutely beautiful instruments!

@zennomad258 4 жыл бұрын

Norman’s rare guitars is the holy grail of guitar shops

@supercullen0047 4 жыл бұрын

I’d love to check this place out. So cool to have a store like this today.

@adco 4 жыл бұрын

Great interview! Great story!

@jairosanchez07 4 жыл бұрын

Norm is such a chill guy! I’d love to have a drink with him and the gang!

@normanclature9819 4 жыл бұрын

I loved Norman's style of playing using a pick and his other three fingers.

@smokintee117 10 ай бұрын

Norman you are a amazing player. This is the first podcast I’ve seen you play like are on this one.

@garyf4912 4 жыл бұрын

This was a really nice video. Norm seems like a class act.

@CFCMahomet 4 жыл бұрын

Excellent video! Love it.

@Knards 4 жыл бұрын

I finally saw Jen! I can go to heaven happy!

@allen6924 4 жыл бұрын

That 58 strat is amazing sounding...OMG all these guitars are just the cream of the crop. The blonde es 330 is worth everything I own.

@AnonymousBosch3158 4 жыл бұрын

This is so cool... guitar history is so amazing.

@ErGoyoTV 4 жыл бұрын

Cool story on the 1960 ES-335 that got used in Back To The Future. And that early 3TS Stratocaster is spectacular looking and sounding

@themodsify 4 жыл бұрын

Nice playing Norm!!

@paulofreire7520 2 жыл бұрын

You’re a legend, Norm 🙏🏻

@jessjam5810 4 жыл бұрын

Really great video!

@ScottParker235 4 жыл бұрын

His playing is so beautiful

@ja7941 4 жыл бұрын

Finally we got to see Jenn love you norm one day I'll make it out there one day

@brucechavez9535 4 жыл бұрын

That Tom Petty's red SG is really gorgeous and well taken care of by the old owner himself (RIP, Tom). For sure it costs a lot of "bread". But for us ordinary guitar players and hobbyist, it's only in our dreams we can have a guitar like that...:)

@Vichedges 3 жыл бұрын

Nah, it was just a production mass produced SG. People put too much stock in "vintage" or think that great players (writers in Tom's case) instruments are "special". All those old Gibson and Fenders, Rickenbackers etc were just guitars.....they were in some guitar store just like guitars today. I mean if you gave a guy like Eric Clapton a 300 Squier Strat and let his guitar tech do his thing to it, when Clapton played it it would sound just as good as a 1958 Strat but if you gave me a 1958 Strat it wouldn't sound any better than me playing a modern Squier....because I'm not that good. I just get tired of the reverence people have for vintage guitars. Almost everything else.....newer is better, functionality wise. New TVs are better than ones from the 50s, cars today are better than cars from the 50s, phones today are better than phones from the 50s but for some reason people still think guitars made decades ago are better than ones made today and I just don't get it.

@christopher-miles 4 жыл бұрын

stratosphere! such an awesome song

@luisvillarreal5262 4 жыл бұрын

I notice the pre-J200 Larson jumbo Euphenon acoustic guitar has the mustache/open book headstock. Very interesting. Yea, I think Norm's got a bit of a vintage guitar addiction to say the least. But it's so sweeeeet though. LOL

@ldelcors 4 жыл бұрын

Great playing!

@PixieintheMainframe 4 жыл бұрын

Tom Petty was something else - So unique. Thank you for your awesome vids.

@TheNoshpa 4 жыл бұрын

What an awesome player - Lemmo!

@mypal1990 4 жыл бұрын

The 1958 strat in the beginning is amazing. Sounds great clean. Whoever owned it loved that guitar dearly.

@georgedavidson2024 4 жыл бұрын

Emmanuel Alejandro or didn’t love it at all, never played it, and left it in its case in their closet for 50 years...

@ResidentRob 4 жыл бұрын

Norm comes to visit Guitar Maniacs in Tacoma fairly often (they also sell a lot of great vintage gear), I standing next to him and was completely nerding out that I'd met him.

@wesleyalan9179 4 жыл бұрын

Lol...I don't blame ya,I would be nerding out too! Awesome story man✌

@scottkhenderson 4 жыл бұрын

It's neat to hear from Norm himself. Always came across as a cool guy, but he's much more genuine and sincere in this video. Makes my purchases from him that much better. Nice job.

@wesleyalan9179 4 жыл бұрын

Yeah,hes a great guy...

@jaredreed1249 4 жыл бұрын

Love Norm and his stories

@simplygreg17ify 4 жыл бұрын

Need more of these videos like this

@craigthomson3621 4 жыл бұрын

Although other people have commentated before me, I must also say how beautiful that blonde Gibson ES-330 is. I have a (non vintage) lefty Sunburst Gibson ES-330 and I love it. The ES-330 is a very underrated guitar.

@seanhershey3390 4 жыл бұрын

A great spokesperson .. nicely done...& some great playing..(I'm looking at you Lemmo!)..:)

@ecarteringram 4 жыл бұрын

I hope Lemmo reads comments. Mark A. did keep it fresh, and had historical references that were really helpful. Redundancy is the pitfall.; and with each instrument being unique, each story should be as well. Basic Research. Lemmo is a tremendous talent, and one very likable dude.

@yokomalight2393 4 жыл бұрын

Looks like great Guitars norm!👊🎸

@MrBrooxy 4 жыл бұрын

Please make more of these videos about rare guitars you guys have

@mineralt 4 жыл бұрын

Norm is so cool....he has done a lot for the industry

@GreenmanXIV 4 жыл бұрын

Norm, keep buying & selling. Great video.

@marcelpacheco7878 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Norman,

@franciscoescobedo1271 4 жыл бұрын

¡ que de historias Norman ! y como siempre , excelentes guitarras .

@joeynice123 4 жыл бұрын

If you haven't been down to see Norm and you swing an axe....make sure you get there. It is a sonic museum. Oh and reverb sound guy. I hereby knight thee. Bravo on having a proper mic in front of the cabinet.

@volt0z 4 жыл бұрын

that blonde es-330 is fabulous!

@joefox9765 4 жыл бұрын

Really neet guitars Norm thanks for sharing. Hundreds of thousands of dollars. Quite a beautiful occupation. please share some more

@adityaPurwanegaraBass 4 жыл бұрын

That strat sounds heavenly..

@stevehansen4755 4 жыл бұрын

I love guitars so much that I could watch a 2 hour version of this video

@davidg-oo1ox 4 жыл бұрын

Awesome video

@marklewis5145 2 жыл бұрын

I absolutley have to come to your store man!!

@jamescarlucci9867 4 жыл бұрын

Norm.. a friend of mine used to see Jaco play a lot in south Florida before he was anyone..Greetings from Florida!!

@GundogJake 4 жыл бұрын

Lemmo indeed! I’m going to The Whisky for a gig in January, coming all the way from the UK. Going to visit Norms Holy Grail of guitar shops (hopefully) when Lemmo’s doing a demo!!

@62dan57 3 жыл бұрын

Very satisfying video. I remember that scene in Back to the Future with the ES345 not being period correct. I'm glad to hear the explanation now. And the amps on stage in that same movie were Fender Silverface if my memory is not playing tricks! Not period correct either. I guess the director had a vision that noone could contradict.