When it comes to things that are old – furniture, cars, watches, LP’s – many people think that their stuff is worth more than it actually is. A quick glance at eBay or a visit to an antique store can confirm this. However, when it comes to used musical instruments, and guitars in particular, it is often surprising just how valuable the guitar that has been sitting in a closet might be.
Norman’s Rare Guitars, a new documentary concerning a Los Angeles store of the same name, takes a deep dive into the world of vintage guitars, the obsessives who lust after them and the man who benevolently enables the serious collectors.
Since the early ‘70s, Norman Harris has been buying, selling, and trading guitars. At first, he was just “the guy” to call if you were looking for a certain guitar model, particularly one that was no longer in production. After realizing that his apartment could no longer contain his growing inventory, Harris opened a small retail location in the Los Angeles area, and since then, six-string fans have been coming in droves.
The documentary, produced by frequent Norman’s customer Kiefer Sutherland and directed by Devin J. Dilmore, initially presents Harris as he is today, a 70-something gentleman who knows that he doesn’t have too many years of guitar swapping left and is concerned about the maintenance of his collection and his legacy. Guitar players around the world feel like they know Harris personally, thanks to his avuncular manner on camera and his frequent presence on YouTube, where he sits with celebrity customers who demo the cream of the store’s crop.
But in the early days, Harris was, like many young musicians, a bit of a wild man. One interviewee goes so far as to say that “Norm was high all the time.” He was a young keyboard player who was only concerned with making it in the music business when a chance transaction demonstrated that he could make better money buying and selling guitars than tickling the ivories. “I never thought about opening a store in my life. This was really a Plan B,” Harris says.
Nevertheless, Harris possessed the business savvy and the ability to quickly gain the confidence of big-name guitar buyers like Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Bruce Springsteen and Joe Walsh. Not only was Harris able to find needles in the guitar haystack for his discriminating clientele, he was also a good hang. As a result, his shop has served as a gathering place for musicians from around the world. “Hangin’ out in the store, trying to chisel down those prices,” says Tom Petty.
Indeed, contemporary footage in Norman’s Rare Guitars shows folks – both famous and otherwise – kicking back at the shop, trying out new arrivals, talking guitars, renewing acquaintances and basking in the glory of being surrounded by hundreds of guitars that are each worth more than a new car. Where some music stores have a “no jamming” policy, at Norman’s it is generally OK to sit and play for a while, providing you have decent chops.
While the film does not concern itself with the prices commanded by vintage instruments, some of the guitars at Norman’s go for amounts that are only within the reach of superstars or captains of industry. How much? Well, the going rate for a 1959 Les Paul with a sunburst finish (there were less than 700 manufactured) starts at around $200,000 for a guitar that is all-original but somewhat dinged-up (“player grade”) to $500,000 for an exceptionally well-preserved example.
“I’ve spent so much money there, but I want to spend more.”
Any student in an economics class quickly learns about the concept of “supply and demand.” If supply is low and demand is high, the price goes up. Simple enough. But throw some emotion into the equation, along with a perceived coolness factor, and things can get out of hand rather quickly. An examination by the filmmakers of the reasons behind the staggering uptick in instrument values over the past several decades would have been welcome – along with a look at Harris’s role in that process – but this is a documentary that never probes too intensely.
The most serious moments in the film deal with Harris’s recent health issues and his family’s related concerns. “I tell my dad, ‘I want you to retire. You’re getting older,’” his daughter says. “But he’s not him without that store. He doesn’t have an identity without that store. It’s his life.”
While Norman’s Rare Guitars is not exactly a hagiography, never is heard a discouraging word regarding the shop or its proprietor. For guitar geeks, it’s a remarkably fun watch, but there is not a great deal of imagination or depth in the film, with lots of talking heads and pithy statements featured.
Melissa Etheridge says, “You walk in here, and a spell comes over you.” Producer Sutherland adds, “This is as organic a place as I have ever been, with respect to someone trying to put the right guitar in the right person’s hand to create something great.” Perhaps the most telling remark comes from Post Malone, who confesses, “I’ve spent so much money there, but I want to spend more.” In addition to professional musicians, celebrity guitarists like Malcom McDowell, Jeff Daniels and Jeff Garlin show up in the interview segments.
Everyone who is interviewed loves Norman, and the emotions seem to be sincere. However, no alternate or more balanced viewpoints are expressed. To borrow a phrase, never is heard a Norman-related discouraging word, and the guitars are not out of tune all day.
Greater insights may be gleaned by watching the hundreds of videos posted on Norman’s YouTube channel. In these (generally) brief clips, we see Harris in a more relaxed mode, talking guitars, dropping bits of knowledge and generally having a hell of a time joking and jawing with his customers and employees. So, if you are a guitar kind of person, well, that rabbit hole beckons as well.
Norman’s Rare Guitars is now streaming on Netflix.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025.
