If you’re looking for affordable guitars and amps, or for custom work and service done to an existing string instruments; look no further than Westchester Music. It is the closest music shop to LMU and has been around for many, many years. I have known the owner, Kenny, for about four years now. I’ve actually helped him work on his drag car. Westchester Music is really just a quiet, small shop for one’s get in and get out needs. It won’t take you but a minute to go through the whole store and get a feel for the selection. But, that is definitely the beauty of it, as someone who is trying to get their feet wet and learn the guitar will be at ease here. They won’t cringe at the price tags like at TimeWarp music, neither will they buy something that won’t be utilized with their skill range. There is no elusive or trendy atmosphere here, just straight equipment and service.
Kenny is genuinely a good person and I’m not just saying that because I know him. He was the first person to work on my guitars when I moved into this area for LMU and became my go-to guy for setting up my guitars before shows. This brings up the other great feature about Westchester Music — that they do a lot of custom work and repairs on any guitar. I’ve taken my Gibson Les Paul to him for wiring issues in the past and changes to string gauging on my other guitars. When I visited him this particular day, he was actually doing custom work to an acoustic guitar, so he was not all that available for questions. The work he was doing was enjoyable to watch though, as he was setting up an electric pickup system on an older acoustic guitar. In addition, he was adding control knobs to the body, which is something rarely seen and is quite truly custom work. The shop itself is easy to miss and very few people would expect this kind of work to be possible at a place of its size and stature. Kenny’s work is highly specialized and one can feel comfortable assigning him one of these big tasks. All in all, there are few shops in the majority of Los Angeles that assume these types of jobs, so that’s what makes Westchester Music stand out. In my opinion, this is very advantageous in regards to the plethora of guitarists at LMU.
Guitars currently being worked on with parts in the background.
Kenny and assistant working on the elusive acoustic project.
More custom parts
The selection is limited, but unique. There are many modifications available for electric and acoustic guitars that have been accumulated over time, so one might be able to find a piece not available at bigger stores. What was really cool was the variety of mini guitars, i.e. guitars for children. I would personally say that the acoustic guitars are of a higher quality and variety that the electric. So, I would recommend Westchester Music for maintenance work and acoustics, while TimeWarp is assigned to electric shopping. The amp selection is perfect for an LMU student living in a dorm of community environment, as you won’t see Marshall full stacks anywhere.
Minis!
5716 West Manchester Ave #13
Los Angeles CA 90045
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