Norman’s Rare Guitars
Norman's Rare Guitars is a 50-year-old vintage and rare guitar retailer based in Tarzana, California, serving collectors, professional musicians, and film/TV production clients with authenticated instruments, consignment, repair, and appraisal services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1975
- HeadquartersTarzana, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Norman’s Rare Guitars does
Norman's Rare Guitars is a vintage and rare guitar retailer founded in 1975 by Norman Harris and headquartered in a roughly 6,000 square foot showroom at 18969 Ventura Boulevard, Tarzana, California. The store sells vintage and collectible instruments from brands such as Fender, Gibson, Martin, and Taylor, alongside new instruments, mandolins, accessories, and branded merchandise. Its customer base includes individual collectors, professional musicians, and film and television production clients, with a documented roster of high-profile buyers including Slash, Bob Dylan, Eddie Van Halen, and Tom Petty.
The business operates through multiple revenue streams: direct retail and consignment sales of vintage and new instruments, trade-ins, instrument repair and restoration services priced from $125 to over $1,050, merchandise sales, and shipping and delivery. Consignment is a structured program with tiered commissions of 10-20% and typical settlement cycles of 45-60 days. The company also offers appraisals, custom demo videos, and long-standing support for film and television productions, a relationship dating to 1976.
In January 2026, Norman's Rare Guitars was acquired by TNAG Global, becoming part of a multi-store vintage guitar platform that also includes Carter Vintage Guitars and Cotten Music Center. The legal entity was reorganized as TNAG California LLC. The store was featured in a 2024 Netflix documentary, which materially expanded its brand visibility. The combination of celebrity clientele, multi-decade brand recognition, and integration into a global vintage guitar network constitutes the company's principal competitive positioning.
Norman’s Rare Guitars firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Norman’s Rare Guitars
- Legal name
- TNAG California LLC
- Website
- https://normansrareguitars.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1975
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Norman's Rare Guitars is a 50-year-old vintage and rare guitar retailer based in Tarzana, California, serving collectors, professional musicians, and film/TV production clients with authenticated instruments, consignment, repair, and appraisal services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Norman’s Rare Guitars is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tarzana
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Norman’s Rare Guitars business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Guitar Sales (Retail and Consignment): Norman's sells guitars through both direct outright purchases and consignment arrangements. Consignment rates are tiered based on instrument value: 20% for instruments under $3,000, 15% for $3,000-$50,000, 12.5% for $50,000-$100,000, and 10% for instruments over $100,000. An $85 authentication and listing fee covers authentication, setup, fresh strings, professional photos, and full description. Payment to consignment sellers is issued 15 business days after buyer acceptance. Most consignments sell within 45-60 days.
- Trade-ins: The store accepts guitar trade-ins, allowing customers to put the value of their current instrument toward any guitar in inventory. Trade-ins also offset the taxable value of purchases, with customers only paying tax on the difference.
- Guitar Repair Services: Norman's offers comprehensive guitar repair services including fretwork, bridge work, electronics, structural repairs, and setups. Services range from basic setups ($125) to major structural repairs like acoustic neck resets ($1,050 base). Payment is collected at pickup.
- Merchandise Sales: The store sells branded merchandise including t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies in youth and onesie options.
- Shipping and Delivery: Shipping is offered for guitar purchases to customer-specified addresses with safe packaging through trusted carriers. Expedited shipping is available on request. International orders are subject to duties and taxes at delivery.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Consignment tier: Under $3,000 instruments |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Consignment tier: $3,000 to $50,000 |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Consignment tier: $50,000 to $100,000 |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Consignment tier: Over $100,000 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Guitar Repair - Basic Setup |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Guitar Repair - Fretwork |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Guitar Repair - Structural |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Return Policy |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Norman’s Rare Guitars product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Norman's Rare Guitars is a physical retail showroom and e-commerce store specializing in vintage, rare, and new guitars (electric, acoustic, mandolins, basses, amps) plus branded merchandise. The business also offers expert guitar repair and restoration services, consignment sales with tiered commission rates, professional appraisals, and custom demo videos for online customers. Founded in 1975, it is recognized as one of the most famous guitar destinations globally.
Product overview
Norman's Rare Guitars is a vintage and rare guitar retailer operating as a single unified retail and service business, not a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core product offering consists of physical guitar retail across multiple categories: Electric Guitars (Fender Telecaster, Stratocaster; Gibson models), Acoustic Guitars (Martin, Gibson, Taylor), Mandolins, Amps/Basses/Other Instruments, Accessories, and branded Merchandise. These products are complemented by value-added services including Guitar Repair & Restoration services (fretwork, bridge work, electronics, structural repairs, setups), Consignment Services with tiered commission rates, Custom Demo Video requests, and Guitar Appraisals. The business was founded in 1975 and acquired by TNAG Global in January 2026, joining Carter Vintage Guitars and Cotten Music Center under the same family ownership. The company also offers international shipping and accepts trade-ins as payment toward purchases.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Most consignments sell within 45-60 days
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Norman’s Rare Guitars
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Norman’s Rare Guitars technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Norman’s Rare Guitars partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Carter Vintage GuitarscoreCarter Vintage Guitars is the sister store to Norman\'s Rare Guitars, both owned by TNAG Global. The partnership means customers have access to a global audience of serious buyers and collectors through both Norman\'s and Carter Vintage Guitars. The stores share resources and buyer networks.
- Kiefer SutherlandminorActor Kiefer Sutherland was involved in the production of the 2024 Netflix documentary about Norman\'s Rare Guitars. Sutherland\'s involvement brought additional star power to the documentary project.
- Sarah EdwardsminorNorm\'s daughter Sarah Edwards co-produced the 2024 Netflix documentary, contributing family perspective and authenticity to the project.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Norman’s Rare Guitars competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Customer concentration
Norman’s Rare Guitars social profiles
Digital presenceNorman’s Rare Guitars financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Norman’s Rare Guitars leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Norman’s Rare Guitars funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Norman’s Rare Guitars M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Norman’s Rare Guitars
What does Norman’s Rare Guitars do?
Norman's Rare Guitars is a physical retail showroom and e-commerce store specializing in vintage, rare, and new guitars (electric, acoustic, mandolins, basses, amps) plus branded merchandise. The business also offers expert guitar repair and restoration services, consignment sales with tiered commission rates, professional appraisals, and custom demo videos for online customers. Founded in 1975, it is recognized as one of the most famous guitar destinations globally.
Is Norman’s Rare Guitars a public or private company?
Norman’s Rare Guitars is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Norman’s Rare Guitars founded?
Norman’s Rare Guitars was founded in 1975. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Norman’s Rare Guitars based?
Norman’s Rare Guitars is headquartered in Tarzana, United States, in the North America region.
How does Norman’s Rare Guitars make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Guitar Sales (Retail and Consignment) is the primary driver. The others are trade-ins, guitar Repair Services, merchandise Sales and shipping and Delivery.
Does Norman’s Rare Guitars have an API?
No public API is recorded for Norman’s Rare Guitars.