Brought my guitar here for a pickup replacement when I was still living in the Chicagoland area. I came back to pick up my guitar after a few days and I noticed that my guitar had several scratches on the body and even the replacement pickup had a deep scratch on it. This shop and their tech just shows that they don't care about your gear and will not take care of it. Avoid and bring your instrument to a more reputable place who will take care of your prized instrument. BTW, the repairman's name is Sam. read more

Great shop! My teenage son has been taking lessons here for the past couple years and the teachers have done an excellent job with his lessons. Even during COVID, he hasn't missed a beat, switching to virtual lessons. His teacher, Adam, is an amazing musician and instructor and Sam, the guitar tech has done excellent work on his guitars. Hix is more than a music shop, they provide opportunities for student musicians to play live at events they sponsor at local clubs and through their Rock School programs. Their events gave my son the confidence to sing and play in front of audiences and he now does it on his own. I would give Hix even more stars if I could. Highly recommended. read more

Nice store with prices that can compete with Guitar Center. I've bought a bass, an amp, an overdrive pedal, a microphone and other random stuff here. They've made an effort to distinguish themselves by carrying some brands that big box stores don't have, like Mesa Boogie, Orange, and various boutique effects pedals. And they have an audio/recording section, which is unusual for smaller stores. The staff is knowledgeable! I hate asking questions at a guitar store and having them recite the catalog listing to me. But Hix knows their inventory inside and out, and have showed me some items that I normally wouldn't have checked out on my own. They also put on a high school battle-of-the bands every year, which is really cool. It's nice to see a place that is trying to give more opportunities for kids to play instead of just trying to make money off of them. read more

I took lessons here when I was in high school. My Teacher, Adam, was a great guy and even better teacher. Only good things to be said for that. If you are looking to take guitar lessons, this is the place! As for shopping there, its another story entirely. The guys who work the registers are the most holier than-thou-pricks I've ever met. No other way to put it. It was actually only after I moved to Chicago and began perusing music stores there that I realized how much crap I had put up with at Hix. Overpriced and slow repair, poor selection, and sarcastic at best service. read more

Let me start by saying that I try desperately to not shop at Guitar Center. They are the downfall of mom and pop music stores. Guitar Center forces other stores to not carry the musical instruments by having exclusive deals with places like Fender, Martin and Gibson to name a few. Also people that give guitar lessons outside of Hix will not recommend you buy your instruments from Hix because they are worried of their lesson competition. They would recommend a place like Guitar Center that doesn't offer lessons, just because the least money they can give to any teaching music store is one less dollar they have to compete with. I say this without taking any lessons from Hix. My review comes from three different occasions that I happened to come in to Hix. The first time: I was looking for a higher end acoustic. My price range was $2,000 or less. I am an intermediate guitar player and was playing an acoustic guitar that I didn't like and wanted to invest some money into something better that I could grow into. I had already gone into a couple of other music stores, and had an idea of what I wanted... but, this was a huge investment for me so I wanted to be sure. I loved the richness and "baseyness" (I know, not a word... but guitar players will know what I mean) of a Martin. I tried Taylors but they had too much treble. I was greeted at the door and asked if somebody could help me... I asked the person to point me in the direction of higher quality acoustics. They did, and I was eyeing a couple of instruments. I was asked to remove my flannel. Which was weird to me, because I have never been asked this before... anywhere. I get that this person was worried that I would damage the instruments with my buttons. And, I had very mixed feelings about that. On the one hand, I appreciated this. I feel guilty when I tap my guitar on a wall or anything because I love the quality that goes into the instrument. But, then on the other hand... I have played many guitars. Yes, I have a few dings on my guitars that are war injuries. But, I have never picked up a guitar and damaged it with my flannel. It would be fine if I was playing a friends guitar, that I was not intending to buy... but I felt like Pretty Woman in this, I should have been spoiled rotten because I was about to spend an Obscene amount of money in this store. I was shocked when I saw no major brands in this store. I didn't want to be a brand snob and though, that then maybe I could afford to get an instrument that doesn't just sound good but looks good too. The guy would not leave me alone with the instrument and kept telling me the advantages of this feature, or that feature. This made me feel weird, because I didn't want somebody standing over me judging my playing. So, I felt like I was "on". That's not the experience you want when dropping a ton of cash (in my eyes that is at least.). Unfortunately none of the guitars I played could live up to the feel and sound of the Martins that I played. There's a reason people spend so much on the brand name "Martin" because they are special. In my humble opinion. My second experience: I went in to find buy a clip on guitar tuner. But, I also love looking at guitar pedals and they didn't have anything that I felt was worth it. I would rather shop on Reverb.com for pedals and use YouTube for reviews and demos. Third Experience, and now found the sweet spot: Where Hix has every other music store in the area beat is in ukuleles. I went in to find one, and they had so many of excellent quality. They know their stuff and showed me a bunch. They gave me their own personal opinions on which uke to buy as a beginner. They asked me my range... this is where most places will show you something just out of your range to get you to stretch that a little... they didn't. In Fact they showed me things that were at least 20% less than my budgeted range. Which was awesome. I personally like to see the cadillac before I buy the chevy so I know why things are cheaper and asked to check out some of the higher end ones. They helped me make a good choice. I needed a case for mine, as it didn't come with one so with the case I was $8 over my range and I was thrilled. The uke plays great and hasn't even gone out of tune in the weeks I've played it. Oh, I will be back for Uke stuff... time and time again. For guitars, I'll stick with Naperville Music. For my pedals, Reverb. read more

My only experience here has been with taking guitar lesson, I can not fully speak to any experiences on the shop side of things. What I can say is that my teacher was very knowledgeable and friendly. He put forward a great effort in making sure that my lessons were tailored to what I was interested in learning. If there was not a student after me, he would offer to extend my lesson a few minutes so that we could go more in depth in certain topics. Overall, A+. The only thing I thought was odd, was that they do not accept credit cards for lessons, so there is no way to set up reoccurring payments. At the beginning of each month you have to remember to bring check or cash to pay for your lessons. read more

Ukulele Heaven! These folks are wonderful to work with and have a large collection of uke's (all price ranges) to choose from and try which is surprising. Usually the larger stores have a few back in a corner - they are either really cheap or over the top in pricing. I was looking for a particular ukelele and they were the only local store to have it in stock. It was at their Batavia store and had it sent over to Aurora for me. The Uke is beautiful and sounds great, I tried others also. I know that once my decision is made I will return to Hix to purchase my upgrade ukulele. Everyone was extremely helpful and they actually know what customer service is - most places don't anymore. They also give music lessons. read more

The staff was decently knowledgeable, nothing out of the ordinary. It's a typical small music shop. FUNNY THING THOUGH. I actually recently took in a Marshall AVT150 Head to get a new tube put in & some other minor repaires AT HIX!!!!, and when It got back from repair I decided I didn't need it anymore so I put it in a safe place away from anyone that might disturb my music gear. Come less than a year later, after using it maybe 5 times (in my room, not lugging it around on tour or anything)... I take it in to Hix to sell for a little extra cash hoping to buy a small combo amp instead, just to see what I could get. They said it was in terrible condition and that they would only be able to sell it for less than $100.... so I would be looking at getting about 50. WHAT A JOKE! SERIOUSLY WHAT A FUCKING JOKE. MUSIC ISN'T ABOUT RIPPING OFF MUSICIANS THAT BARELY MAKE ENDS MEET CHASING WHAT THEY BELIEVE IS THEIR PURPOSE IN LIFE. So in the long run, whoever was in the shop that day is a con-artist, a jackass, and will be losing the business of all musicians in my circle of friends, and no i don't have 100000's of friends, but at least 30 or so of them that frequent the shop. Fuck you Hix, Fuck You! Sincerely, Josh edit: BTW SOLD IT ON CRAIGSLIST FOR $275 read more

Just visited for the first time and I am impressed, the minute I walked in I felt welcomed! Carl greeted me and was very knowledgable and helpful in finding me what I wanted. I also signed up for lessons with Zach because a very musically talented friend of mine said he taught him. Prices for lessons are very inexpensive and Zach was flexible with scheduling and has availability for people with busy schedules. The store had a wide variety of quality instruments and accessories for competitive prices. Hands down best music store in the Naperville / Aurora area! read more

Hix Bros. Music - The guitalele I purchased to use as a practice/traveling guitar. - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Aurora, Illinois

Who needs Guitar Center? Not me, annoying sales people, too loud, checkout process is consistently painful, and of course the classy searching your bag as you leave the store. The Hix Bros? People who are passionate about every aspect of making you a better musician -- lessons, PA rentals, etc. And their commitment to the local community is unmatched - whether it's watching your kid onstage at one of their "Rock U" concerts, or helping with the World's First Marching Guitar Band. If you haven't been before, go now. If you have been, go back and buy something, this is the kind of independent business that is well worth the trip. read more

My Mesa/Boogie dealer of choice! Exceptional staff, who are very knowledgeable in their field. I've bought 3 Mesa/Boogie heads from them & never had a problem (*favorite being The Road King II). Great selection of gear to choose from, for your next musical adventure. read more

So I bought a mesa boogie amp from Hix about a year ago. I bought it from the owner and he said it was his own personal practice amp. The price was fair but not more than two days later I had trouble with the amp. It cracked and popped all over the place. I came into the shop about a week later to ask about getting it fixed or returning it if the repair wasn't covered. The owner himself told me that there is a 7 day return policy....7DAYS? They would not do anything, not acknowledge the problem, and instead tried to get me to buy effect pedals. The owner is the biggest scumbag I have ever encountered in my years of purchasing equipment. This store is a joke that prays off getting young kids to "learn music" from them. If you plan on making a big purchase go to Guitar Center instead and get a real warranty. For the record I bought the amp for $400 at Hix, after it crapped out they would only offer me $150 for it. I went down the street to Guitar Center and explained the situation and they gave me $400 for the amp toward a trade in of a $600 amp. read more

Great classes, teachers and staff who really know their stuff. I have bought my kid's guitar and a classical guitar from them and we play them everyday! The lessons are key! Learning from someone who really knows how to play is the best way to get better. Rock on, Hix Brothers! read more

I stopped in at Hix Bros when I was in the area to pick up a used case that I bought on craigslist. The staff was friendly and seemed to really know their inventory inside and out. In particular, I watched one of the guys help out a family and he really did a nice job of steering them away from guitars that would be a poor fit for a relatively new player (e.g. stay away from bridges that trade off staying in tune for ease of adding a whammy bar). As for the selection, I was focused on their guitars and amps. The guitar selection didn't blow me away - they seem to focus on low-end to mid-range guitars. That's not to say that they haven't carefully chosen what to carry, it's just tailored towards lower end guitars. For example, you would only find Epiphones, not Gibsons. From my perspective, I wouldn't make the trip if you are looking for a huge breadth or depth of guitar selection. That said, I was impressed with the amps that they had on hand. As a previous poster mentioned, Hix has nice range of amps in their amp room off to the side of the main floor. All in all, I would go back if I was in the area, but it's not worth a special trip if you have easy access to some of the stores in Chicago proper. read more

Great place, and fantastic service! I'm a drummer and was in a huge jam on the way to a gig. They quickly helped me get the gear I needed, and I was very satisfied with the experience. I would highly recommend them as an alternative to Guitar Center if you're in the Fox Valley area! read more

Nice local owned store with caring teachers. My son has been taking lessons here for over two years. On time, caring and great pricing on their equipment with staying competitive with the big box tores. Awsome conert every year called "Rock You" with all the students performing on stage. Great value for your money and two locations. Keep up the good work. read more

I bought my used, four-string Fender jazz bass here for a better price than anything I saw on Craig's list. I live in Chicago, but when I'm in the Western suburbs, it's worthwhile to stop in and see what's new. They are generous when it comes to working with you on layaway, courteous, friendly. Even when I don't buy something, I'm always happy I stopped in. read more

I have been taking guitar lessons at Hix for over 9 years, and consider it time and money VERY well spent. The teachers are very professional, talented, knowledgeable, patient (thank goodness!), and most importantly they know HOW to impart what they know to their students! Everyone who works there is very friendly and helpful. A few years ago I got a couple of guitars that I wanted to spiff up with new pickguards; i found the ones I wanted and Hix took over by contacting the companies, placing the orders and installing the new guards for me. If they don't have something you need/want, they can order it for you and it will be there usually in just a few days. While their inventory is not as extensive as the big stores, they have nice instruments and occasionally come up with something I've never seen before that gets my acquisitive juices pumping, so you just have to check in every so often to see if anything new has come in! These are really NICE people, and I can't say enough for them. I have always been treated fairly and with courtesy and respect. I am learning things in my lessons that I didn't even know existed! I plan to be a student there for a LONG time! read more

This is an amazing place if you want to buy any instruments or if you plan to learn as the prices are super competitive. My son has been learning guitar over there for 4 years and has been amazing. They have great instructors and they do encourage the kids with their specials like RockU etc. I would highly recommend this place. Great owners & staff etc whcih you can't beat anywhere else. read more

Excellent people, good teaching staff. Not uptight, work well with kids and adults to truly encourage the love of music. They have everything I need in terms of supplies: drum heads, sticks, strings, cables. They have a great selection of guitars and amps. read more

During the past Christmas holiday, I took advantage of a Black Friday sale Guitar Center was having to order an acoustic electric guitar and a fender amp. The sale was 15% off...so I saved quite a bit on a $450 guitar and a $900 amp. Both were shipped to my work and sold as new. Christmas Day when my wife opened the items both were damaged. Come to find out they were pulled from store showrooms and sold as new. I called Hix and spoke with Sean. He & Carl price matched the purchases and ordered new direct from the factory. They helped us open up each box at the store and sure enough they were damage free. Great service. We'll continue to purchase from Hix. Done with the other guys. read more

The bros know what they are doing. You can depend on these guys to fix your guitars and give your children lessons on guitar, bass, drums, and piano. They have a wonderful selection of guitars, basses, and drumsets and the staff is friendly. Hix is the way to go. read more

I have gone to Hix Bros. Aurora for almost one year for guitar lessons, and have purchased two guitars from them. These people know music, know instruments, and know how to make you feel informed too. My lessons are always productive and fun, even when I haven't practiced as much as I should have! If you need your guitar serviced, come here! If you need guitar lessons, come here! If you are thinking of buying an instrument, come here! No-pressure salespeople make you feel comfortable. read more

I've been a customer of Hix Bros for the last 15 years, since I started learning guitar . I've taken lessons with Hix for about 5 years, had guitars set up by the excellent staff, and purchased some of my favorite guitars and equipment there. What I love most is the helpfulness of the staff without the classic "upsell" that you would experience at the chains. These guys truly care about outfitting you with the right equipment for your needs rather than whatever the latest month's sales contest is promoting. They have great clinics and lend a personal nature to every interaction I've had with them. Won't buy my equipment anywhere else. read more

this is a quality VAR store with experts to help you make smart decisions for your purchases. it beets guitar center down the street simple because the clerks seem genuine and they are kind and have a great sense of humor. read more

My family has been taking guitar, drum and bass lessons at Hix for the last two years and we absolutely love it here. We have purchased all of our instruments here and feel like the staff is very knowledgeable and doesn't try to sell you things you don't need. Every few months they have showcase concerts they call Rock U where the students can perform on a real stage. We wouldn't go anywhere else. read more

WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERIENCE EVER! I brought in a 4x12 guitar cabinet for repair. After 2 weeks they called and asked if I wanted them to replace the casters, as one was damaged. I said yes, but I wanted the old ones for spares. They said "No problem." They had it for a month to replace 2 speakers and the casters. I called on Wednesday 2/16/11 and spoke to a HIX BROTHER to inquire about the progress and informed him I had a show on Friday the 18th. He assured me my cabinet would be there before 5pm on Friday the 18th. I AGAIN stressed the importance of my need for my cabinet on Friday the 18th. I told him that I would be there after 5 without fail! On Friday the 18th, I left work at 5pm and drove 1.5 hours straight to HIX Bros., calling periodically along the way to make sure my cabinet was there. I kept getting a message saying they were open till 8pm, but if I got the message, "they were helping a customer", so I kept going. When I arrived at the intersection of their location, there were NO lights on in the store, or cars in the lot. It looked like the power was out. There was a Police car with lights on blocking the intersection, and with a tow truck recovering a car involved in an accident. I called again and received the message AGAIN. I left a message for them. I said that "I was here, with NO CABINET, or phone call from them letting me know what is going on. It is now 6:35pm, leaving me 2.5 hours till load in and I am now scrambling to find a music store in close proximity that will RENT me a cabinet, and I still have to pick up the cabinet, get home and shower, get to our rehearsal space and load the gear for the whole band, and get to the venue all by 9pm". I finally call Modern Music in Lisle. They had a SONIC 4x12 but closed at 7. It's 6:46 so I drive like a mad man to get there. I have a friend go and stand in the store to make sure they don't close. I rent the cab, do everything, and get to the venue at 9:15. Adjusting the tone during sound check.(Totally unprofessional) I never heard of SONIC before, but what choice did I have? We played a 3.5 hour show. After the show, we load the gear, go unload the gear & I got home at 4:17am. I woke up at 11:30 am and NO ONE from Hix Bros had called me. So I called them. They said that their power went out from 5 till 7 pm, but they were at the store the whole time. That means they didn't call me AFTER they heard my message Friday after 7, or Saturday after they opened, KNOWING I NEEDED MY CABINET, and what I went through to get one!!!! Saturday, after returning the rental, I drive to Hix Bros. I go in the store and am standing there for a few minutes before anyone asks me if they can help me. I tell him my name, and why I'm here. Then a condescending bearded little man comes to the counter and tells me how they were there all night and how I should have tried the door to see if they were there. I asked why NO ONE CALLED me. I said that if I knew someone was coming to pick up his cabinet, and pay for it, I would want to let the customer know to bring cash since the power was out and I couldn't swipe a credit card. His clever response was, "The power was out, so the phones were out, & we were trying to light candles and hang them from the rafters." I said" it's weird that EVERYONE'S cell phone went out when the power did." He again tried belittling me saying, "Every employee was there till 8pm and I should have just drove on in if I really needed my cabinet". I said he couldn't possibly be a WORKING musician, because if he was he would understand that when you have show, backing out is not an option. I've played sick, with a broken ankle, and even with a broken finger. You NEVER cancel a show! I could see him trying to come up with something clever and condescending, so I asked how much I owed and paid IN CASH. As I walked out I asked for the old casters. They didn't have them. I start laughing & shaking my head at this point! Another employee said they could "MAIL" them to me if I gave them my address. So I did. Through this whole experience, Mr. Hix was standing behind the arrogant, sarcastic, Mr. "We've done NO wrong" and NEVER said ONE WORD! I liked this store before this experience. I bought a Mesa Boogie Rectifier (over$2,000) head from them. I have NEVER been treated so rudely at ANY music store in my life. Even Guitar Center would pretend to care. At no time has ANY Hix. Bros. representative said, "We're sorry about this experience." Instead a pathetic little man tried to convince me that I'M an idiot. read more