We've been here a few times when we were passing through the area. Playing a show somewhere near…read more We haven't bought much, but we like the store, and this is why. Great inventory, friendly, informative staff. There are always a couple of astonishingly cool instruments up on the wall. This is what a good guitar store should be. The perfect example this week. I'm playing an octave mandolin, and one of the guys there walks over to see if I need any help, and to chat. We talk about guitars, and he says I have to try one. He puts this amazing acoustic in my hands. First of all, it weighs a ton. And the sound. The lower register practically hits me in the chest. It was the most amazing instrument I have ever played. And a teensy bit out of my price range at 12k. Yeah, the guy put that in my hands, he knew I'd like it. He probably does that with a fair amount of people, most of us could never afford it. But that is the sort of place it is. Here, play this amazing instrument. That's a good store.

Update 08/01/26. I…read morereceived a mail blast email today from the owner's mailbot informing me that the store was closing. Good riddance. Since my initial review (see below), I've spent over $40k on instruments and gear and Guitar Works received not one single penny. Their "I don't give a shit" attitude when I went there--on all three occasions I tried to give them my business--cost them. I'm surprised they lasted as long as they did. One of the reasons the owner gave for closing the store was "the outrageously increased costs of property taxes". Taxes are the price of admission to a civilized society, my friend. Looks like the owner's attitude was what filtered down to the employees when I went there.

Wow, this place is a hidden gem. Actually, it's not hidden at all as it's right out front with a…read morebig storefront on very visible Oakton St but passing through this area quite frequently, it is hidden from the mind when not thinking of stringed instruments. We came here to see if we could salvage my daughter's 30 year old violin for a grand-darling who plans to start up next year. We were greeted by Ben Arnett, one of the talented violin makers here. He looked it over and provided a detailed and very reasonable sounding quote to restring it, rehair the bow, and do some other optional work to further improve the quality. Overall, the instrument was in quite fine shape we were told. It was a very nice and fun visit and more than we hoped for. As many of the reviews state, we were treated very courteously and very professionally and Ben had a knowledgeable ear for our needs and any concerns (we were only looking for minimal fix-ups and he nicely provided that along with various options and considerations). So, we went with a minimal scope for now of a restring ($35) and a bow rehair for $76. Other scope of about $280 can be done to the full size violin when it fits the little one in a few years. They have a great culture here and I can believe that they value and respect every customer whether you're a total novice or a professional musician. Ben even gave us a personal tour of the shop when I mentioned what a cool place this was. I had no idea the shop was as large, and that they work on many stringed instruments (cellos, violas, and guitars) and not just violins, and that they also build violins from scratch here. Also interestingly, they have a performance room with a capacity of about 60 and have cozy and intimate concerts maybe once per month (admission fee of about $25) and it's a BYOB event. The concerts sound wonderful and we will try to attend one one day. Many of the staff are graduates of the Chicago School of Violin Making (one of only 3 such schools in the entire country!) just down the street on Oakton St and are like a family. We came in on a Saturday and it was a busy place with musicians and instruments visiting in a steady stream. Another interesting side note for our visit is that Ben actually found my name in their customer records. I did not even know or remember that we were customers but back in 1995, we apparently rented a student violin from them for my daughter. We only lived 1/2 mile from this store for 14 years from 1982 - 1995. Great business with a long history and with great staff and I highly recommend!

We had a wonderful visit to Seman Violins. We were purchasing our son's first violin. Noah was…read moreextremely helpful and helped us find lots of options in our price range. We had previously rented a violin with Seman Violins, which was also a great experience.

I go here and my growth in my biggest pasión has increased heavily. All of the instructors here…read morehave helped me so much with what I need to learn

Aly is AMAZING. the front desk staff is very responsive. However, the way they handle the live…read moreshows is unacceptable. I pay too much money to only see my kid play for 8 minutes.

Our 9-year-old had a great time taking lessons here. The staff have always been enthusiastic and…read morewelcoming. The guitar instructor, Andrew, is really great at teaching to our child and getting our kid excited about music. Would recommend!

I work at Evanston Rocks, where School of Rock performs a lot. I just wanted to let everyone know…read morethat it brings me such joy to see younger people playing instruments and the music from generations before even I was born. I tried really hard not to cry through out the whole performance, but the closing solo during Hotel California got me. Keep on Rocking!

This music school is absolutely a dream: from the very involved teachers to the convenient location…read more( I never had to worry about parking). My son starter taking individual violin classes since he was almost 5 years old and his progress is amazing. Alin, the owner is very reliable and approcheable, the teacher is really devoted and puts her heart and soul to make the best of the 30 min that she spends with my son. The comunication between the teachers and the parents is always on point and the overall atmosphere is fantastic. I highly recommend it to all the music lovers out there !

My son has been taking piano lessons as Northside Music Academy for more than a year and we have…read morebeen so pleased with his progress! While my son was hesitant to start, the warm atmosphere and personal attention at NMA have really helped his confidence and ability. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for lessons.

Both of my kids do the Little Tones class and they love it. They've learned a lot in just a few…read moreclasses. Highly recommend!

This is my go to coffee shop in the area, especially when I have a hankering for a non-chain cup of…read morejoe! My latest pick-me-up has been that oatmeal cookie latte. The secret (or part of it) is the oat milk! So comforting and so delicious! Mondays are double punch card day! Instead of one punch per drink, you get two! Also, February is North Shore restaurant month, so RH is giving 15% off purchases! Tag's Bakery (Evanston) makes the goodies (donuts, cookies, scones) sold here. Me thinks I'll have to pop in tomorrow! Easy street parking outside.

Faculty is great. Friendly and passionate about teaching. It's obvious that the owner actually…read morecares about the students by having a clean and inviting facility with staff who are warm and welcoming and most importantly, knowledgeable.

My son has been getting piano lessons for a little bit over a year. We are incredibly happy with…read moreour wonderful teacher June and with the school overall. I never thought that my son would develop such an interest in music. He started relatively late, he was almost 13 years old then. I can not believe how much he has learned. This whole experience has been a pleasure for our entire family.

I bought a Steinway piano as a surprise for my wife's birthday. Matt was extremely helpful in…read moretiming the delivery of the new piano -- which was PERFECT and even better than described -- for when my wife would not be here. The surprise was perfect. The movers got out the old ratty piano and got in the new nice piano with no issues. Not even a smudge, much less a scratch. My wife was suitably astounded and she loves this wonderful-sounding and excellent looking instrument! This is a purely perfect experience. Run and do not walk to Pickle Piano!

My family has had a long-standing relationship with Pickle Piano. We got my first, cheap-o little…read moreupright piano there when I was 6, a mid-range upright piano around the time that I was 10, and a stunning Rieger-Kloss grand piano around the age of 16. We always went back for the friendly, knowledgeable staff and unique inventory. Much to my dismay, my parents were tired of my beautiful piano sitting in their front room untouched (unfortunately I don't have room for it in my condo) and wanted to sell it. We stopped by Pickle one afternoon to ask them what they estimated the resale value of the piano to be. Them: "Well, we would have to send out one of our appraisers." Me: "Can you at least give us a range? You have the record of the purchase date and model number, and I would classify the piano as being in perfect condition." Them: "We cannot say anything without a proper appraisal." The cost of this appraisal would be $500+. So, the fact that we dropped $15k on a piano and have never once asked you for anything means nothing? I still adore my piano (and have since convinced my parents not to sell it) but after all these years, Pickle has left a sour taste in this girl's mouth.