Holy shit - It's still around?! That is awesome. I bought my first electric there (DeKalb) in…read more1975. A sweet Gibson SG Special cherry finish. I was in high school and they put it on layaway for me, letting me come in whenever I could to make payments and let me noodle around with it. Still one of the sweetest sounding guitars I've owned or played. Staff was always friendly, helpful, and let me just kinda snoop and poke around. Can't tell you how cool it is that they are still around! 35+ years - they are doing something right! Two thumbs up!

I've asked to have guitars & a pedal ordered for me, from Ax In Hand…read more When I went in, someone there was too busy rehearsing for their own gigs to give me any customer service. (I think the other more focused employee wanted to help me, but didn't have the "rank" to do so...) I've spent a couple thousand there, but was treated like an interruption. I'm on GI Bill & retired both, so, I've plenty to spend on musical instruments. I persisted and asked about a new guitar, again. I was told I would be called back about it, again. No one got back to me, so I bought the product on Amazon. Again. Sorry guys, I tried to give you my business. It seems you didn't want it...

Really nice people, excellent service and work. Good pricing for setups and string changes…read more Your instrument will thank you

My guitar came back scratched, and these scratches were not there when I dropped it off. The owner…read morealso lied about how many people work there. When I asked about the damage, the owner became very defensive. One worker walked out during the conversation, and another came in very defensive and admitted he played my guitar while it was in the shop -- even though he wasn't there when I dropped it off. I never gave permission for him to play it The shop was argumentative, dishonest about staff, and someone used my guitar without permission. A very disappointing experience. This is damage to a vintage Parker Fly nylon string, and I'm still not sure if it's fixable.

Bill Crowley's Guitar Shoppe is the go to place for lessons and guitars. You won't be disappointed…read more He will guide you in your choice of instrument and style that you wish to play. It may be a small store but Bill's expertise is HUGE! I've been playing / learning acoustic and electric for a few years and Bill will encourage you and gently challenge you so you can explore what you wish to learn. His prices are competitive and you will get the advice and help that many other stores fail to provide. Bill has an extensive range of guitar skills and if you've had the opportunity to see him playing you'll know what I mean. Don't think about learning the guitar, go to Bill's and start now!

Crowley taught me how to play guitar and it was the right way, he's a true master with a lifetime…read moreof experience

Eric is a solid music teacher and musician. Great balance of fun teaching teaching style and…read morenerdy music theory. He has a real passion for music and it is infectious. if you are starting out and need direction, he can set you up to learn and grow. If you are more advanced and looking for deeper knowledge and know where you want to go, he can get you there. He uses every minute of 30 minute lessons and makes sure there are new opportunities to progress (gotta practice!!!) into the next week. Thanks Eric for a great first 6 months. Looking forward to 2017!

From the owner: GuitarSmart provides music lessons for guitar, bass, piano and more in downtown Elgin, IL.read more

Great place to go. If you are looking for a new guitar or strings, music lessons, or even a banjo…read morego see Jimmy. He can look like a scary guy behind the counter but that is so far from the truth. He is an amazing guy. So friendly and helpful to everyone. Honest business man and great music lessons. Two of my kids take lessons here and they love it. It is always great to sit there and hear them playing and see Jimmy interact with the customers who visit this Gem. Go check it out if you need lessons or just need new strings. Support the little local guys like Jimmy.

Very friendly and fun music store with lots of used and vintage gear for sale.read more

Great service. Fixed my guitar in a timely fashion. Cool place to browse around in! Owner is very…read moreknowledgeable.

Guitar Junkyard never disappoints. I wanted a ukelele for a special child on his birthday and the…read moreowner went above and beyond for me. Ordering not one but two do I could choose my favorite. Then because UPS had not delivered as promised he ran out of his way to meet the UPS driver to get it so I would have it in time for the party. This is my second purchase from his store and I will continue to be a repeat customer. If you want to be treated with the utmost kindness, knowledge and great service look no further. Guitar Junkyard is your place. PS I think I called the owner Jerry, my apologies, from reading the other reviews I think his name is Terry.

Needed dulcimer work/repair - owner was completely uninterested in helping with this…read more Selection is small amounts of acoustic guitars and band/orchestra school instruments. Talked a bit too much about trains for our liking when we wanted to discuss almost anything music related in the music shop, while we were just trying to leave. Felt trapped by the layout and operator. Looked like a good place for your kids school needs and things, not for professional instruments as much

My husband and I discovered this wonderful shop, when we needed to trade in our granddaughter's…read more3/4 size violin for an adult 4/4 size violin within two days. We were referred by our daughter, who had frequented the store. We walked into this Batavia Music store not knowing anything about violins beside the basic stuff, and left with a wealth of knowledge. Tom (owner) is very pleasant; we enjoyed doing business with him. We were quite surprised that he bought an old violin from us, before we settled on anything he had in his inventory. He helped us make the right decision quality and price. It was a joy to be in the presence of so many beautiful instruments and an owner who really cares about his work. We will be back for lessons and care of a couple of other instruments.

Look, I get it, I understand, Guitar Center hasn't built the best relationships with musicians over…read morethe last few years, but this location is a diamond in the rough. I'm on tour from Seattle and found myself in dire need of some bridge work done on my bass. Dreading walking into an out of state GC, I was prepared for the worst case scenario, buying a new bass. But I was greeted within seconds by Griffin, Doug and Danny. These guys went above and beyond to get my bass back on the road, I think they could smell my touring desperation. Anyway, they diagnosed my issues imminently. Their tech Danny (who was not on the clock) WENT HOME TO GRAB HIS FILES, then came back to ground down the spurs off my saddles while also operating an immaculate intonation, all in a two hour window. They called me back in to come make sure it was up to my standards, Danny hung out to make sure it checked out. I've had a lot of setups done on this bass, I fully admit that I suck at doing it myself - but I know what I like. Danny is a pro, as was everyone else I encountered. This thing sounds and looks as good as it ever did. So nice to find a guitar center that is still focused on the working musician. These guys really stuck their necks out for me and I couldn't recommend this team enough. You can tell that this location is managed differently, and for that I thank you guys.

Thanks Mason! Brought some used gear in for trade on a new…read moreamp today. Mason took very good care of me. He was very professional, personable, and knowledgeable. Great experience. He helped me carry my new amp out to the car. Highly recommend!

Austin makes some wonderful guitars & is a fantastic luthier. Did I mention he does repairs, as…read morewell? He's basically a jack-of-all-trades, when it comes to stringed instruments. I'm hoping more people start to notice his exceptional craftsmanship, attention to detail, & choose to commission his talents. The quality will surpass your expectations, without a doubt. Whether you're in the market for a custom build, or just need some maintenance, he's absolutely exceptional! CW

From the owner: McKee Guitars specializes in building custom guitars and guitar repair.read more

Highly Recommend, I am an adult that wanted to learn a hard song on the piano. I didn't know how…read moreto read music or play any instrument. They did a great job of teaching me at my pace to accomplish my goal.

From the owner: JC's Guitars & Music Lessons is best known for professional, private music education for children…read moreand adults in instruments such as Guitar, Bass, Drums, Piano, Voice, Violin, Viola, Cello, Mandolin, Banjo, Ukulele, and all Brass and Woodwind instruments. We have an amazing staff of teachers with formal music education backgrounds.