Moe's Guitars: No appointment needed. — Local services in Hawthorne

Should be a national treasure. Forgive my indulgence, but I had such a wonderful experience here I feel the need to Write an elaborate review. From the moment you walk into the door of the charming little guitar shop built into the corner of the Avenue; as if it was a filming location for some indie flick; You are immediately hit by the wave of energy that tells your gut that you are in someone’s home. Moe is in the back tinkering away, communicating with you through a little window similar to where food service is in your favorite dive bar. You can plug any guitar into Any of the Super high end speakers laying around; or plug an electric into any of the bespoke, bruised, scarred classic amps scattered around the floor. Moe was kind enough to let me bring in my fender combo amp that I use on gigs for a fair assessment. A friend of mine recommended that I buy my next guitar here. My intention was to possibly purchase a $3000 Maton Nashville model. That is a heavy purchase for someone like me. I’ve also been a Martin snob my entire life. However, I was intrigued by a $900 Zager with Rosewood back and sides. It was HEAVILY discounted due to a repaired headstock. But it was beautiful and it played like a dream. Moe continuously compared it to the $10,000 Martin displayed underneath it. I also continually played the Maton troubadour. A sunburst dreadnought with a heavy low end. Over the course of two hours or so Moe Enthusiastically conversed with me About the process of building a Maton Guitars and the AP5pro electronics. I was very much struggling with my decision. I am a full-time player. I need a guitar with a microphone inside because I tend to play percussive. My Martin dc 16 is 30 years old. She needs to retire. While tinkering around with the troubadour, I Slap my knuckles just above the soundhole and the crack that sang through my amp with too much reverb sounded like the thunder of the Gods. Moe looks up and smiles. He says “that crack. That’s the stuff. I gotta tell you; I think she likes you better.” At this point he is trying to pitch me on the cheaper guitar. Now I am $1000 under budget. I look up at him and I say “ I’ll take the troubadour. And I’ll take the Zager as well.” The child Like excitement that Moe displayed was more akin to a volunteer at the dog shelter finding a home for their favorite pup than a guitar salesman. At this point, I didn’t just buy guitars. I bought myself a story to tell. Moe called Mary Ellen “his wife how cute is that” To come give the guitars a final look over and check the action before packing them up. I brought both guitars to my gig that evening. And I got to show them off to other players while telling the same story I just told In this review. Almost every guitar sold has a package for free set ups. So they are not just the guitar shelter, but the guitar veterinarians as well. This place has a soul that...

Received my Maton Troubadour Traditional this week from Moe's Guitar Shop. I bought & ordered sight unseen from here in Canada. I contacted Moe for info on the guitar by phone, and he was incredible.

I told him I was nervous about the money, and the condition of the guitar. Moe spoke to me with patience & honesty. He realized the type of buyer I was, and the high expectations I have for a brand new instrument. Immediately I realized we were on the same page. He loves instruments as much as I do. He assured me I would be very happy.

He originally quoted me an incredible price, and then said he had a floor model for sale that he would knock 15% off. I did not like the idea of any guitar of mine sitting out, uncased for months on end, being played by 100's of dirty hands walking in off the street, specifically the 'smoke on the water / stairway to heaven' crowd, banging & scratching & denting a beautiful instrument they had no intention of ever buying. Moe assured me that was not the case. My Maton had been with him for only 3 weeks, during which he said he had played the most.

Funny thing, I ask about dents and scratches. Moe said indeed there WAS a dent, a 1/32 inch dent at the 7th fret. He didn't think that was a dealbreaker and I believed him & completed the transaction. The dent Moe mentioned would never have been noticed by a fusspot like myself. In fact, the grain of the stunning Queensland maple under the matte finish has more contours & character than the 'blemish' Moe mentioned. That's an honest man.

To conclude, dealing with Moe's Guitar Shop was a fantastic experience. Communication, honesty, pricing, all were as professional as could be. I've already got Moe keeping an eye out for my next Maton. Big thanks to Moe & Mary Ellen from a satisfied...

Years ago, a guitar chain sold me a Martin guitar just like me- busted, but functional. I loved it right away. I got a great deal on it, but I didn't realize how poorly repaired it was.

In August, I brought this guitar- bent and warped from years of poor care and forced hot air- to Moe's in the hopes that it might be salvageable and that I might play again. When I walked into his shop, I was uncertain that I still wanted it. I thought I might just buy one of the newer and more beautiful Martins offered there for sale; however, Moe kindly discussed the damage to my guitar, listened to my history as a player, and helped me remember the attachment I have to my Martin. He offered me a great deal to fix the damage, and I took him up on it.

In two short weeks, Matty took meticulous care to humidify the entire instrument, adjust the neck, cut a new nut, remove the bridge, and fix the bulge that plagued the soundboard ever since I’ve owned it. It plays better than it ever did before and having an instrument that plays beautifully has inspired me to pick it up far more often. My guitar is much easier to play and doing so is bringing me great joy.

If you have a guitar that you’re uncertain of or that needs some love, you should go to Moe’s Guitars. Moe, Mary Ellen, and Matty...