Still want my guitar back please leave it at 6506 W Imlay St. I wonder how insane a business owner can be to not give a client back a guitar after holding on to it for years. It was never worked on and I just want it back. read more

Excellent work on the setup and strings for my guitar not to mention a friendly staff and clean store. read more

Flatts & Sharpe Music - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've taken lessons, bought various merchandise, and made my presence known here for a couple of decades, and I fully endorse this establishment! I'd like to say that Flatts and Sharpe represents a now largely vanished Rogers Park (e.g. Heartland Cafe), but I don't want to give the idea that Flatt is some kind of historical artifact. It's alive, and sh- t kicking! read more

Such a cute little shop with artistic decorations. They offer lessons and carry a few types of instruments, mainly string. I found it fun that they had two stands of ukuleles in the store since I just moved from Hawaii. They had my ukulele the simple kala waterman (it's waterproof!) I'd totally consider lessons because I'm not really good but I packed my ukulele in the shipping container and it's maybe a month away. But really cool store worth checking out. read more

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They repaired the saxophone I bought for my son on Reverb, and got it cleaned up and working great. It took a little longer than I was hoping, but that is understandable. If I had a Rush job, I would ask them beforehand, if that would work out. Friendly service, good quality. read more

Great Customer service. Loved their recommendations for a former guitar player trying to pick it back up. Great brands and value for my money. read more

Flatts & Sharpe Music - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Honestly was disappointed.. I brought my guitar to get setup and I showed up at like two minutes after they opened.. I could tell the gentlemen working there was not happy I came in (maybe just having a bad day we all have them). He lightened up after awhile and was fine.. I did not feel very welcome though.. the work was done fairly quick set up with new strings.. I think was done the next day even.. I unfortunately didn't play every note but I later noticed that the high e string was cut way too big in the nut and that one note is completely unplayable.. rest of the work was fine and price was reasonable.. I should have checked it well before I left. Would not go back.. I took it to another place and they said the setup was so bad that they actually gave me a big discount because they felt bad for me... maybe just a bad day or two for that place.. read more

I took my new Martin Into the Sheridan Road flatts & sharps for a basic set up and I'm glad I did. I was apprehensive at first because I've been using CME for years. Justin their guitar tech did an incredible job and the work was done in a day. They are a valuable asset to musicians and also to Rogers Park. read more

And consumers complain when one doesn't support small businesses. This is the exact reason why I prefer to take my money to big box stores. I walked in this morning after 10 am. I see a skinny blonde fellow behind the counter using the computers then ransacking through papers in a binder. I see an older man with a small instrument in hand. I assume he's next so i patiently wait... patiently to the point I get hot and have to take my coat off. I mean time pass by and the older man and I get no acknowledgement; none. Finally, I get the courage to ask the older man in front of me if he's being helped. He says no. I ask the skinny white guy behind the counter if he can help us. He says sure. Like I'm doing him a favor. I proceed to tell him that the older man has been waiting. He says no that the man is just waiting for a class. So I proceed to ask what I need. The employee gets it for me. Scans the item, answers the phone while charging me and proceeds to have a personal phone conversation about his night out and he's so hungover and has a fever and caught whatever the person on the phone has. Good Lord I wished it ended here. He writes my total amount on a sticky pad Bc of course we can't halt his conversation. Lastly, his pants are falling off that he bares his ass every time he reaches/bends down for something. I'd rather drive a few miles out and go to guitar center. Like I said, I'd rather give my money to big box stores for a little more respect. After all, you want my money. read more

Flatts & Sharpe Music - Man in front of me had been waiting and the cashier just ruffling through papers and eating. No greeting; no eye contact. - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Cute shop that is worth visiting if you're up for a walk through Roger's Park. The window display roped me in initially, since I love the colors and how the instruments are laid out. I enjoyed looking through the shop and browsing the music and instruments they had available. read more

I took in a new electric guitar for a setup as it had a few issues from the factory. Justin had it done in one day and now it's playing amazing...the action is killer low now and feels like a pro instrument very impressed with quality of the work. Cost was also super reasonable. A real asset to the area. read more

I brought in my acoustic guitar after breaking a tuning peg and they restrung it and replaced the peg for a great price! They were super nice and it only took a few days. Nice to have a great place in the neighborhood. read more

Over the past six months, I brought two electric guitars here for a set up. Both times they did a perfect job for a reasonable price. Justin, their guitar tech, is obviously very knowledgeable, conscientious, and is fun to talk to about all things guitar. I'm glad they're in Rogers Park. read more

Excellent place to learn music! I've been coming here for five+ years for guitar lessons. Diverse clientele and staff, who treats everybody with respect, regardless of age, interest, or experience. You learn the music you want and love, but you also get the instruction you need. I'm very happy with my progress at Flatts & Sharpe! read more

I can't say enough good things about Flatts and Sharps. My son has been taking bass lessons with them for about six months, his teachers have been fantastic. They are encouraging but also putting emphasis on his progress. He is practicing and is noticeably getting better as the weeks go by. Since he started, I have been taking my guitars and basses there for setups, mostly out of convenience since I was there already. Justin does great work. I recently had him upgrade the pickups in my Telecaster, which I've re-named the TELEBLASTER, he did great work, the guitar sounds fantastic. This is a terrific spot both for lessons and repairs. Highly recommended!!! read more

A great local music store (and by music store, I mean instruments and sheet music, not albums and CDs). I take guitar lessons here because its local to me and the people have always been very, very, nice. They offer all kinds of music lessons and have a decent selection of guitars and sheet music. If they don't have it, they are willing to order it for you. I've been eying a harmonica but maybe I should master my guitar before I step out into entertaining down in the "L" tunnels with this economy. But at the prices that this store charges, I know I can still afford my music lessons! Check it out! read more

Under new ownership. I believe the new owners name is Chris. Flatts & Sharpe Music Co. is as cool as it's ever been. Whenever I stop in to see what new guitars she has in stock, I always see someone getting piano or guitar lessons. I've been looking at a silver steel guitar with the resonator, and the Washburn frettless bass guitar, and may be making those purchases soon. They also have drum sets, microphones, guitar pedals, tab books, instrument cables, and more. note: If your looking for recording studio gear or software, this is not the place for you. read more

I've had an excellent experience with Flatts & Sharpe for purchasing books and trumpet lessons. Everyone I've talked to has been really flexible with scheduling and cancellations. The people who work there have been great too about helping me find things and questions in general. read more

This is going to be a brief review. Flatts & Sharpe is a great local music store. I love the fact that it is walking distance from Loyola. read more

Not good customer service. First off their hours are horrible. You can call there in the daytime and they will answer the phone, give you info on products but then show up right afterward to be informed they are not open. I walked right in the door only to be told immediately they were not open, while there was someone at the front counter being waited on. If you refuse to make a sale then no one should be there to mislead those walking by. Also they don't have a good inventory of instruments. Some people would say oh well they sale beginner instruments. The contrary is true. It's much harder for a beginner to learn on an inferior instrument than a quality one. A music store for musicians is gonna want their students and patrons to succeed at playing. Store profits is the only positive outcome to selling junk instruments. read more

This is a really nice music store, with both sheet music and instruments. The sell acoustic and electric guitars, mandolins, and drums. read more

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This place is in a prime location and isn't too pricey for the city. With that being said, I have visited this business many times and find most of the staff to be condescending, rude, and ignorant to the idea of good customer service. read more

My son has been taking guitar lessons at Flatts & Sharpe for about 6 months and was taking them at his school thru F & S for 2 years before that. We cannot say enough about this place - we love it!! My son's instructor, James, is so patient and kind with my son and at the same time cool and hip and teaches my son songs that he is interested in. The owner, Chris, is also very cool, hip and sweet. We've had so much fun going to the performances and being involved with this business and plan to for many years to come! read more

Went here to get my guitar restrung, and they did it for a good price. Also, I can't tell if I'm imagining it but my guitar seemed cleaner when I got it back, so kudos to them read more

I would give Flatts & Sharpe six stars if I could. If you have kids, this is a great place place for them to take musical lessons. My son loves it (especially since they have kids/student concerts). I am actually thinking about dusting of my old guitar and taking some lessons. Ask for Chris (the owner) when you go in ...its so refreshing to meet some one who truely wants to help her customers. Highly recommended. MK read more

I've read a couple of negative reviews on here, but in my opinion, this place rocks! As for the haters, first off, yes, if you're a seasoned musician looking for a $3000 instrument, true, not much here for you, move along. They have a great selection of "beginner" instruments, however, with the occasional higher quality used instrument finding it's way to the wall. But the fact is, this store does squeeze a lot into a very small space. First off, it's a wonderful place to take lessons, kids and adults alike. I've been taking guitar lessons here once a week for over a year now. The teachers are skilled and talented, and the cost is fairly low. I've compared, and you get the most bang for your buck here. Not just guitar either, but most any instrument, plus vocal lessons. The owner, Chris, really supports and promotes her students, and puts on regular shows at local venues to showcase their progress. Second, if you need some work done on an instrument, or just some routine maintenance done, they do a great job. I've had some work done on 2 of my guitars here, and they did an outstanding job. One was a cosmetic repair. One was a kinda complicated wiring problem I inherited after buying a used Les Paul, but now my LP plays like it's brand new. And I've had set-ups done on 4 different guitars, and they all came back like new. Third, they have a terrific selection of sheet music for most any instrument you might play. A whole room full of it. As for the ones who said customer service was bad, or the hours suck, well, I've experienced nothing but excellent customer service, and Chris and the other folks who work here are extremely friendly and helpful. And it seems to me the place is open enough hours in the day- 7 days a week- to make most anyone happy. I suppose if you wanna come by at 10pm, it's not the place for you. I've checked, though and a certain big chain store on Halsted has pretty similar hours, so I don't know what you're expecting. All in all, a great little local shop, and an iconic Rogers Park landmark. So glad it's still around after all these years! read more

Okay, so youngish dude behind the counter, blue eyes, brunette hair, had just gotten back from god knows where decided to give me the biggest string on an acoustic guitar. I politely asked for the D string and he gave me an E string within a packet that hides the dimensions. If you're just starting out, I don't recommend going here if you're a beginner or if this dude is just going to take advantage of you behind the register. read more

I went into Sharps and Flats with my boyfriend just before Christmas 2008. I was looking for a less than standard size guitar, as I have very small hands and wanted one that I could really learn on. My boyfriend decided to buy me the guitar for Christmas. The night that we made our purchase was great. We went in, were helped promptly and we selected a 3/4 size acoustic. It was inexpensive, just under $100. I was pleased. However, less than 2 months later, the guitar started to twang on the E string and the more I played the worse the twang got. We assumed that the fret had raised and took it back to Sharps and Flats where they agreed to fix it at a reduced cost. Well so much for that... the next day they called and told me that the guitar was not fixable at the price they quoted me or any other price. They offered to sell me an upgraded guitar for half off. When I arrived to pick out the replacement guitar the owner explained to me that the guitar I had purchased was cheaply made, not under warranty and not fixable (never mind that this was the same gal who told me she could and would fix the guitar 24 hours earlier). When I started looking at more expensive guitars to replace my now apparently worthless guitar, she told me that she could only offer 50% off of the exact same 3/4 size guitar. The same guitar that she had mentioned less than a minute before was cheaply made and not worth buying. So I asked her "Why I would spend money on the same guitar when you just got done telling me that instrument is a piece of sh**t? She really had nothing to say expect "I don't really know what else I can tell you. The guitar you bought did not have a warranty. It sucks, I know." So I asked her about the 50% off of a new guitar the guy on the phone had mentioned. She just said that she could not offer the 50% off of anything expect the same exact guitar. I kept tell her that this was a customer service issue. We did not come in at Christmas to buy a cheap badly-made guitar. We came in to buy a nice instrument and this was the guitar that we were sold by her employee. In the end we just took the broken guitar (which, according the gal at Sharps and Flats, has a warped neck and that is why it can't be repaired) and walked out. My boyfriend should have just thrown his 100 bucks out a window because we got NOTHING for our money. Not even an apology. We will NOT be back. I am going out tomorrow to buy a new guitar elsewhere and will NEVER give my business to this store again. I am a big lover of local businesses and not giving money to the corporate giants, but in this case, I would have been better off at Guitar Center. Total let down! read more

Still terrific. Dashed in as they were closing because the nephew is now into jazz. Got a terrific fat book of standards for him from the wonderfully helpful woman in charge. Thanks and keep on rockin'! read more

I learning drum playing here almost 10 months. Wonderful place.My teacher(Joe) very communicative and nice person. He explaining all things very clear and we have a lot of fun on ours lessons. I so like to improve my drum skills here. Employees are very friendly and welcoming! It's a pleasure to spend time with them. They are making some kind of concerts time to time where you can come to listen and chill. I recommend this place to everyone who want to play on music instruments or buy any equipment for them. read more

The only reason I give it 2 stars is because they give lessons and showcase students' talent. Besides that, I'd give it a solid ONE star. If you need anything ordered, repaired, suggestions about an instrument, etc, do NOT talk to the owner. She has no clue about band instruments. I received a Clarinet that was broken, and along with it, was given a broken reed. I took it back to get a different reed and was given a SAXOPHONE reed instead. If you own a business, make sure you leave the details to those that know how to do it. Don't just give customers something you think will work to get them out the door quicker. Also, the customer service was pretty lame. I didn't feel like I was "cool enough" to be in on their conversation at the counter. read more

Great location. OK music store. There are much better in Chicago. Service was average. knowledgeable about guitars, but really nothing else. I asked to speak with the owner about a repair, never met her yet. I used to work in a similar music store (small mom and pop shop). The owner I worked for was very good about keeping the store clean and organized. Flatts and Sharps doesn't have the same love and care. carpets need to be vacuumed. Sheet music needs to be inventoried and organized. I found it hard to find standard books for my beginning lesson students. With some TLC and more knowledgeable employees this shop would be great. I hate to say it, but Guitar Center on Halsted was a much better more personal experience. read more

I left my violin with these people for them to change the strings, and they kept telling me the person who does that wouldn't be in until a few hours later. Two days later, I hadn't heard anything from anyone, so I just went back to get my violin. The service here was ridiculous and an absolute mess. read more

These folks did an AMAZING job repairing my horn. And they did it at 1/3 of the price that I was quoted by other shops.

Huge fan. Great staff. Very willing to help and find the perfect item for you. They all seem to know a great deal about the products in the shop as well as what is available elsewhere. It is a small shop so while they stock a lot they don't stock everything, but they are good about ordering what you want or suggesting another place so that you can get the right thing. It reminds me of that scene in Miracle on 34th Street :) read more

A good neighborhood music store. They have the mid priced stuff, and a good selection of sheet music. Not every store can have uber high end stuff, and this one doesn't, but it has decent stuff to for a quick string change, upgrade, fix and mid priced guitar items. Lots better than Guitar Center in terms of service. Someone below complained about cheap $100 plywood guitar? You think GC would treat you better? Crazy. read more

My whole family loves the painted bird guitars in the window. I love being able to run in there when I need a last minute cord

I don't know how this cheap ass local shop full with old referbush instrument can get more than 1 star.go shop around and you'll see the difference. read more

There's a woman working there with reddish hair who acted like she was raised by socially inept barbarians. My friend and I were checking out a couple of the instruments (violin and piano), and she came over asking us what we were doing, if we were "just gonna jam out." We immediately stopped playing and apologized - and kind of just thought she was genuinely asking the question - but then she went on after we had stopped to say "no I'm asking, are you gonna just jam out here? cause you're definitely not gonna do that." Mind you we had only been playing for all of maybe 2 minutes, but even if she had wanted us to stop she could have just asked politely after we initially stopped instead of going out of her way to be a rude bitch. Is that how we address potential customers these days? And even still, if you're not trying to hear music or people feeling out your instruments then don't work in a music store - period. Aside from that one woman the employees were friendly and in fact had been the ones who told me that we could play in the first place. I honestly think there may have been some racist undertones going on because it's hard to imagine her reacting that way to every customer who in the past has come in to fiddle around with even louder instruments - we weren't the first and certainly won't be the last, and her spiteful behavior to us was extra. Would've definitely given this store a higher rating had it not been for that woman's nasty ass attitude. read more

Patrick is the best. He's extremely patient, professional and has knowledge about guitars, pianos, performing live and he's a great singer and songwriter. You're lucky to have such a dedicated musician working for you and he's lucky to work for such a great company! read more