McCabe’s Guitar Shop & Venue

The Shop

Walking through the guitar-neck door handle into McCabe’s feels like stepping into a musical alternate reality. A century-old cash register sits near the entrance. A mechanical cobbler pounds away inside a plexiglass case. A dinosaur head replica surveys the scene. A decommissioned traffic light cycles through its signals. Free coffee percolates in the corner.

Then you notice the instruments. Guitars line every wall – vintage acoustics, pristine new models, electric guitars, specialty instruments. Celtic harps occupy one corner. Ukuleles hang in clusters. Banjos, mandolins, dulcimers, and instruments from around the world – sitars, ouds, bouzoukis, ethnic percussion – create a global collection that reflects decades of curation by people who genuinely care about music.

The repair shop operates in full view of the showroom. Watch skilled techs work on vintage Gibsons while staff members chat with customers about tone, playability, and exactly which instrument might suit your needs. These conversations happen without pressure. McCabe’s has survived since 1958 by building long-term relationships, not pushing quick sales.

The atmosphere hums with activity. Someone picks arpeggios on a harp. A child works through chords on a parlor guitar. Teachers and students move between lesson rooms. A whiteboard lists current classes – Mali Fingerstyle Guitar, Indian Slide Guitar, and others that reflect the shop’s commitment to musical diversity.

The Venue

The real magic happens in the back room. Since 1969, this 150-seat space has functioned as one of America’s premier acoustic music venues. Linda Ronstadt painted the first stage. Jackson Browne opened the first official concert. In the decades since, thousands of artists have performed here – from folk legends like Doc Watson and Elizabeth Cotten to rock icons like R.E.M. and Beck to contemporary singer-songwriters building their careers one show at a time.

LA Weekly created a specific award category: “Best Guitar Shop (That’s Not McCabe’s).” When LA Magazine asked readers to identify the city’s 32 greatest attractions, McCabe’s defeated the Hollywood Bowl in a direct vote. These aren’t empty accolades. They reflect what musicians and audiences know: there’s no venue quite like McCabe’s.

The setup strips away everything except the music. Metal folding chairs arranged in rows. Walls lined with vintage instruments. A small stage where performers can’t hide behind production or volume. The acoustics, designed by longtime owner Bob Riskin, capture every note with clarity. Every seat offers good sightlines and sound. The pole in the center aisle toward the back presents the only potential obstruction.

Concerts operate under strict etiquette. No alcohol service – just coffee, cookies, and water. No photography or recording allowed. Audiences come to listen, not socialize. Artists appreciate this focused environment. Many return repeatedly throughout their careers, using McCabe’s to test new material or strip back to acoustic essentials.

The venue hosts shows most weekends. Tickets typically run $24-$32 and sell out quickly for established acts. Doors open an hour before showtime. Concerts recorded here over the decades now reside in the Southern Folklife Collection at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, preserving thousands of performances for future generations.

History and Evolution

Furniture designer Gerald McCabe opened his shop in 1958 to serve LA’s growing folk and roots music scene. His woodworking skills translated naturally to instrument repair. The business grew through the folk revival of the 1960s and the explosion of rock music that followed.

The concert series began accidentally in 1969. Blues guitarist Elizabeth Cotten found herself stranded in LA with a cancelled gig and no travel money. McCabe’s organized a benefit show, throwing up curtains on the front windows and bringing out teaching chairs for the audience. The success led to regular concerts.

Bob Riskin (son of actress Fay Wray and screenwriter Robert Riskin) and partner Walter Camp ran the operation after McCabe focused on furniture design full-time. Riskin designed the current back room when the shop expanded to 6,000 square feet in 1972. His daughter Nora McGraw and her husband Walt McGraw now run McCabe’s after the Riskins retired in 2020, maintaining the traditions while navigating the shop through COVID closures and back to regular operations.

In the 1970s, Takoma Records operated two doors down and built a recording studio with cables running directly from McCabe’s sound booth. This setup produced numerous live albums. Artists continue to record here. George Winston included a McCabe’s track on his first album. R.E.M.’s 1987 performance circulates as a bootleg with some tracks released as legitimate B-sides. Bruce Springsteen joined John Wesley Harding onstage for an impromptu duet.

The Experience Today

Visit during shop hours to browse instruments, watch repairs in progress, discuss music with knowledgeable staff, and absorb the atmosphere that makes McCabe’s special. Take your time. Staff won’t rush you. Students receive discounts. Rental options exist for those not ready to commit to purchase.

Attend a concert if your schedule permits. Check the website for the calendar – folk, bluegrass, Americana, world music, and acoustic performances dominate the lineup. Buy tickets early as shows sell out. Arrive 30-60 minutes before showtime to secure parking and good seats.

The location on Pico Boulevard lacks glamour. The neighborhood feels ordinary. The building itself won’t impress from outside. But that’s part of what makes McCabe’s work. Nothing gets in the way of the instruments and the music. After 65+ years, the shop remains exactly what it set out to be: a place where serious musicians gather, quality instruments find their way to the right players, and live acoustic music gets the attention it deserves.