User reviews

A very well executed documentary about a legendary store and the legend that is Norm.

If you're a musician or a true music lover, you'll appreciate all the people who appear here, not just the standard parade of musicians, friends and family members, but also actors and other celebrities who are fantastic singer/songwriters in their own right. The reach of this store is far and wide.

Seeing legendary musicians talk lovingly about Norm and the store, including the late, great Taylor Hawkins, is a treat. But the definitive history of the store, and how it grew into this almost mythical LA landmark, and a Mecca for us guitar nerds, is the main selling point of this film for me and I'm glad it was made.

This is a very cool documentary about Norman's Rare Guitars, going back in time showing how Norman Harris (who now looks like The Skipper from Gilligan's Island and used to look like a stoned Rowlf from The Muppets) went from being a starving musician into selling rare guitars, which at the point he was beginning, weren't rare at all...

He's obviously a great businessman... because small business are NOT easy to own... and has a lot of famous people that came by or that he met earlier, from Jimi Hendrix to George Harrison to Bo Diddley to Bob Dylan to Tom Petty to Richie Sambora...

The only problem is how much time's spent on actors like Jeff Daniels and especially Keifer Sutherland, who no one knows anything about, musically, and given so much time here talking about guitars, they should have had some time playing... being that they basically outshine the real musicians whose music help change the world...

So you get to see really rich people able to buy 50K guitars, but that's not the good stuff... what works here is meeting the guy who met the guys who found his niche in taking a risk and making a necessary profit off legendary antique instruments...

That, who knows, you just might have heard on someone's album... or two.

I am a guitar player and a musician, as well as a writer and the Streaming Movie Guy. Just thought you should know that this review is anything but unbiased. There are tons of musicians, guitar playing celebrities and cameos in this film, a who's who of musicians, and guitar players. The sheer number of vintage guitars that the shop and Norm currently possess is staggering. Just watching the day to day visitors in the shop in itself is fascinating. I absolutely love this documentary, if you have any interest in music, guitars, or vintage guitars it is a must watch. There is a website for the documentary, I'll post the link below. There is also a Youtube channel that has become very popular with new videos from the store featuring the guests that stop by.

Highly recommended...yes, yes and yes!

Norm has sold guitars to everyone from Robbie Robertson and George Harrison to Dawes - one of my favorite bands. If you like music, guitars or the story of a passionately successful small business, you'll LOVE Norman's Rare Guitars on Netflix!

I mentioned Norm's to a friend in New York who, in addition to his tech job, plays guitar in cafes He responded, "Norman's Rare Guitars is a Mecca in my world!" I had no idea.

I sometimes feel like I've seen everything on TV. I know the plots and I've stopped laughing at the comedy. I think, "That was funny. I see what they did there." Norm's Rare Guitars is a breath of authentic air in the formulaic narratives of streaming.

Review #3 - General Viewer Perspective (Lonnie C., Netflix Binger) 5 stars - "Didn't Know Guitars Could Make Me Cry" "I went into this documentary not knowing what to expect-I'm not a musician, and I've never held a guitar in my life. But wow. This film is about way more than rare instruments. It's about community, passion, and a guy who's quietly become a cultural hero in the music world. Norm is this humble, lovable figure who built something magical over 50 years, and the love he shows for his craft and for people is something we all need right now. By the end, I was smiling, crying, and looking up vintage Stratocasters on eBay. That's the power of this story."