Don't believe their voicemail hours. Drove an hour to find a note on the door letting everyone know…read morethey were closed on a Friday (not a holiday). Now I get to drive another hour to get home and still have to come back. Really sucks that you can't update your voicemail to reflect your actual hours.

Nice place, nice people. Nice selection of instruments. It's obvious that they care about what they…read moredo.

I went to get my old guitar fix and they did an excellent job. Price was reasonable. Sales person…read morewas friendly. Would go back if my other guitar needs fixing.

Steve, one of the owners that I explained my amp repair to at the front desk, took time to…read moreunderstand my request to get my Fender "Evil" Twin that I've owned for 30 years up and running again. I did some restoration to the wood and a few pots fell off when I removed the electronics. So, it was literally in pieces when I dropped it off. It had other issues they fixed too! It was in one piece when I picked it up and it sounds and works amazing. They also had a detailed invoice of the work and took the time to explain what they did. They also did a setup on my Martin DC-16RGTE that I've had for 16 years. It plays perfectly now. Probably better than when I bought it. Steve even did a small tweak for me on the spot based on my action preference. Great customer service. Thank you!

John is a humorous and knowledgeable guy who immediately put me at ease. I took my new PRS Santana…read moreguitar for a set up. John did it as I waited, explaining what he was doing and showed me some tricks should I want to maintain my guitar myself. I truly appreciate his expertise as it's not too many people around with this level of knowledge and commitment to doing a good job. I'm hoping to take a few of my other guitars there to have him work on them.

John is the best set up technician in the chicagoland area . He does amazing work for a very fair…read moreprice . taking my guitars to hidden when i need stuff like nut slots cut or set ups has become a no brainer . After dealing with the rest of the Bozos who have over charged me , lied to my face , refused to do the jobs etc , its worth the drive for me to make it out to Hidden because his service is top notch and affordable . If you know , you know . Hidden Music - THE place that pros and regular joes can get their guitars set up by a 42 year veteran , at a fraction of the cost one would spend to have it sit at guitar center for a week while who know who will be "working " on it ... not worth the risk for me . i know where to go for my setups . Hidden music.

We bought my son a $400 drum set there and it was crap!! Parts were missing, it doesn't work, we…read moretook it to someone to see if he could fix it and he said the parts to it didn't even belong to the set we bought. Unfortunately I do not know much about drums and thought I was buying a "decent" first drum set for my son. Do not EVER buy anything from them because they lie about what they are selling you. Now I'm out $400 and my son cannot play his drums and cannot afford to get another one. Will never buy another item from them again. Go to A Sound Education.

I was directed to Above and Beyond Music through a referral from a vendor that couldn't keep…read more"Fidget Spinners" in stock. The proprietor, Janet, was friendly and accommodating with an ample stock of various fidget spinners in stock. Granted, Above and Beyond Music is a music equipment and resource center, but bringing in business with popular fidget spinners is a new major area of interest for children and adults. Their guaranteed sales of quality products will bring them interested collectors of these neat little devices for a long time to come. Thumbs up and five stars to Janet and Above and Beyond Music!

Rick is an incredible guitar teacher, and I've had several. What makes him so good? Let me tell…read moreya... First off, his flexible teaching method. Some teachers are sticklers about theory, some are the "just play" kind. But Rick is a total chameleon, where he can adjust to how you like to learn and what your goals are. I change my mind sometimes, where sometimes I just start asking about theory, and he goes right there with me. Sometimes I just want to jam as fast as possible, and he's gone me doing songs by Guns n' Roses, John Mayer, and The Beatles very quickly (to be fair, I had a few years of guitar experience before about a 5 year lay off, so it's not like I was starting from zero, but man he's good at getting you back up to speed quickly!!). I've always said the mark of great teacher is that they can go with the flow to teach how YOU want to be taught and what works for your brain. He can do that, absolutely. Secondly, he's very smart tactically, showing you how to break down previously-complicated songs into smaller bite sized, manageable pieces. Doing that has made some songs I previously thought were impossible suddenly possible. I've made great progress on a dream song of mine, Extreme's More Than Words, after years of trying on my own and quitting out of frustration. Lastly, he's just a cool dude to hang out with. I never feel like I'm being taught by a nun. More like an old buddy who happened to score more dates 'cause he spent his youth learning guitar instead of playing video games, and now he's teaching you. This is also a neat trick because I'm a 42 year old dad of three and decidedly uncool. With Rick, I change out of my pleated khakis and crocs-with-socks... at least mentally... ;) I've got a ways til I'm Tom Morello, but I'm having a blast getting there.

My 5 year old grandson takes lessons from Ricky. He is awesome! My grandson is very happy to see…read moreRicky. He knows when he shows up he will have a good time. He's extremely patient with a 5 year old. I'm excited to see where this takes him. Music should be fun and fun to learn and Ricky makes it happen!

I bought a 1983 Hamer Bass.The pictures that they displayed did not show the cracks (checking) to…read morethe extent that the was on the guitar.I understand that it is a 43 year old guitar and the description said minor checking but i feel they should have taken pictures to show the condition of the bass.In the pictures you could see a few minor cracks around the headstock but when it arrived it had cracks the entire length of the body on front and back.This checking on the front and back did not show in the pictures.I have bought from this store before and the Thunderbird bass i bought from them was exactly what the pictures showed. I would have bartered a lot more had the real condition of the Bass was displayed.

Chicago Music Exchange (CME) is massive. There is a lot of ground to cover and many instruments to…read moresee. I accompanied my husband to CME during our weeklong trip to Chicago this summer. We took the L to Paulina, and the music store is a short walk from the train station. So many guitars on the street-level part of the shop. Drums, basses, and the repair shop are found on the lower-level. Aside from all the guitars displayed on the walls, there are also so many canvased photos of musicians and groups who visited CME over the years. There are a number of comfortable spots where you can sit and play. There's also a cushy couch area with Gucci pillows where you can sit, especially if you're waiting for your significant other :)

Several month ago I had an Elektron Digitakt serviced at this store. There was a small mix up…read moreduring the repair, manager Andrew Marrah went above and beyond to ensure the device was returned to me in perfect working condition. I cannot overstate the professionalism of Andrew Marrah and everyone at Synth City. I would trust this store with anything regarding my gear, they will make sure to treat you well and with respect. 10 out of 10 hands down.

I went into this shop with a friend of mine. He tried out some Les Paul and other fender guitars…read more This place has a nice collection of vintage instruments and equipment.

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.

We've been to the Old Town School many times, but not for several years now. A close cousin was…read moreplaying, who teaches at the school. We had tickets to see him play. Not reviewing his music (which was fantastic), but the venue. The room we were in was like a black box theater. The room was fairly small and intimate. It was open seating and when we arrived it was pretty full. We were very fortunate that there were two seats open in the third row. The room is acoustically sound (pun intended)... Seriously, being small, they really don't need to amplify the sound, even though they did have a microphone set up. As we were leaving, we got to roam the halls around the school. There were a lot of fun, vintage posters that were a lot of fun to look at. We met quite a few people who either had been students there, or were current students who had nothing but good things to say about the caliber of the educators and the Old Town School. Based on the performances we've seen there of students and faculty, I'd say we agree.

This update is regarding a visit to OSF was to attend their Wiggleworms open house. I've left the…read moreoverall rating the same because OTSFM is still great for a lot of reasons, but the Wiggleworms class isn't one of them. I've heard of the class before and always thought if I had a kid I'd take them, but I think the age range starts at 6 months so we started with a class with a different provider, Music Playhouse of Chicago. I'm glad we came to this one to try it out. While the kids seemed to be having fun, I didn't like it as much as the Music Playhouse class. Wiggleworms doesn't seem to have a developed curriculum. This was just an activity where the kids can grab shakers and toys, and the leader will sing what they want or take requests from the kids, but not a class that has any kind of particular learning outcomes upon which children build. Maybe it was different because it was an open house but I'd have expected they would showcase what an actual class was, and I think it's just not what I prefer. There are some pluses, though. They have weekend classes, which can be hard to find with other music classes for kids. I think it may also be significantly less expensive than the one I take my kiddo to. And they may have a few more babies-only classes than where we go now, which usually has only one of any (depending upon enrollment). I didn't realize before I had a child but there's a huge difference between children of 0-18 months and those beyond, so mixed age classes wasn't my thing at the time. So Wiggleworms has its pros, but overall I'd visit Old Town SFM for the classes and concerts but choose another children's music class.

I've gone to Specimen a few times for bass amp repair, even though this is not their specialty, Ian…read moreis straight forward and timely with his repairs. He's also a fascinating person to talk to about the gear he's constructing. (Those horn amps Andrew Bird uses are his invention, and he makes small ones for stereo and computer speakers). There is no store front, so call ahead to see if they can help you out. Then press the Specimen buzzer and wait to be buzzed in (through the door on the left!). On my last visit I had been having some weird issues with my bass head, and was told if it wasn't a tube issue, it may have to go to SWR for repair. A tube was replaced and the next day I got a call! Great service! Guitar-making classes, guitar set-up workshops, vintage guitar and amp repair, these are what Specimen does best. But they've always done right by this bass player, as well!

I just completed my first course at this school: 'Tube Amp Diagnostics & Repair 1 & 2' and I can…read moresay that it was quite an experience! I live in Alaska so it was a bit of a journey to get to the school. But I am very glad I took the time to take the class. I have been a musician for over 20 years, and I am studying Electrical Engineering in AK, yet despite all of my background I feel like I picked up a lot of valuable new information. As far as I can tell, this is one of the few places left in the country (maybe the world) where you can learn about pure analog valve technology as it is used for audio applications. The class was small (six students including myself), which meant that there was plenty of opportunity to ask questions and talk one-on-one with the instructors. Not only did I learn a lot about the methods and practices of tube amp repair, but I picked up a number of neat tricks that will help improve my band's live performances. Considering that, and the fact that I can now repair my own gear (or be hired by other musicians for repair), I feel like this class will pay for itself in the long run. Ian's workshop is a spectacle in and of itself, particularly for an aspiring audiophile like me. It exists at a crossroads of authentic scientific curiosity, and unrestrained artistic expression. It's hard not to admire the work that Ian and his interns do on a regular basis. Just having the chance to look around the shop made the trip memorable. I highly recommend the Chicago School of Guitar Making. I don't understand the negative yelp reviews for the school, I took plenty of time to research the class in advance to make sure I knew what I was getting myself into. As I've already stated, I feel like I got my money's worth and then some. If you're flying in from way outside of Chicago, give yourself a few 'buffer' days to get into town and acclimate prior to class. You'll minimize the risk of missing class due to shenanigans at the airport, and you'll have the opportunity to look around one of the great American cities. If a conflict does arise, it says right on the Specimen webpage that you can arrange to reschedule your tuition for a later date. They do have a business to run after all! As far as I can tell all six of us students had a great time and walked away from the class quite satisfied. The main instructor for this class (Kye Kennedy) is a wizard and a great teacher, both he and Ian are very approachable and exceptionally knowledgeable. Everyone at Specimen are very welcoming and showed me excellent hospitality. I will definitely be booking another class at this school.