I had the owner set up an older used Larivee that I bought from another Evanston guitar shop where…read moreI was told it couldn't be set better than it was. Hogseye turned a good guitar into a great one for relatively little money.

Jim is one of the best you can possibly have to work on your guitar. I have been bringing my 1970…read moreMartin D-35 in to Hog Eye for several decades and he does a wonderful job at repairing all the little and big things that happen to an instrument as it ages. Not only that, Jim is the nicest guy in the world. I highly recommend you bring your acoustic instruments in to Hog Eye for repair or tune up or if you're looking to buy something to play that's made out of wood.

Never use these guys! They basically STOLE my deceased husbands Vintage Selmer Alto and Soprano…read moresaxophones and mouthpieces which I entrusted with them to sell for me. They kept saying they were out for tryout. I gave them ample time to find buyers then I wanted them back. He said he couldn't find them and implied that they were probably taken by a former employee. He gave me no offer of recompense. I may not have a legal standing since there was not paperwork only verbal and email communication. DON'T GET BURNED BY THEM!

m-f 10am-4:30pm…read more free / safe parking conveniently located right in front of evanston band & orchestra.

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!

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.

We are truly loving working with Martin Metzger. Our 12-year old son looks forward to his lessons…read moreand is excited to play the music he and Martin choose together. Martin strongly believes in allowing kids to follow their interests, and has the talent, interest, and patience to help them do so in a wide range of genres. Martin is knowledgeable and dedicated both as a musician and as an educator. We travel a bit of a distance for lessons and are convinced it's well worth our time. We recommend him highly to anyone at any age looking for a great guitar instructor.

Choosing the Metzger Music Studio has truly been one of the best decisions of my and my wife's…read morelives! Our daughter goes to Martin for guitar lessons and I fear I may not be able to convey here just how amazing he is and what his instruction has meant for our daughter as a musician! I would recommend Martin and his crew any day! We wanted to get our girl started on guitar very early, only because she was exhibiting an affinity toward music and guitar that got us thinking it wouldn't hurt to try her at guitar, so we contacted Martin. He readily welcomed the notion of trialing and the rest is history. Besides being a phenomenal guitarist, his being an amazing person and having a Masters in Education have both manifested in the amazing way in which Martin teaches our girl to play the guitar. He works with her at her own pace, taking cues from how she learns in order to tailor his instructions to suit her learning, all the while making the lessons equal parts guitar and fun, entertaining our girl's every whim to be jovial and enjoy learning the guitar. He shows her the utmost respect and teaches her in a way that has inspired her to look up to flamenco legends. For her age, that level of aspiration itself is awe-inspiring and the credit goes to Martin. He doubles down on skills that our girl is good at while helping her elevate those she needs more work on, from strumming to chords to rhythms to percussion to improvising. We love his holistic approach of teaching the pupil to actually feel music and rhythm rather than just to learn to play the guitar. His methods have resulted in wonders! We have been fortunate to witness moments of our girl's performance that have impressed even Martin. That is the level of quality of instruction one can expect from Martin. He stresses on practicing, practicing and practicing some more. He also encourages playing at recitals that he arranges for his students, which is a great way for the student to be inspired and be audience-ready. He has also started our girl on sight reading, which is helping her to learn to play the guitar while reading music. I would characterize Martin's overall approach as informed (no unnecessary attachments to old or new methods just for the sake of it), inspiring, feedback-loop-based, very disciplined and simply amazing! And his guitar skills? Incredible! Let me put it this way, we have considered migrating to a warmer climate and one of the top considerations that have kept us in Chicago is that we don't want to lose Martin as our friend and our daughter's guitar teacher. And he's been a great friend to our daughter too. There are great guitar teachers everywhere, but there's only one Martin. Our girl's weekly guitar lesson is one of the highlights of her week that she looks forward to. It is a joy to see her learn to play the guitar and have the time of her life while at it! As for the rest of his studio, Martin has 16 teachers on every instrument (and even voice) who travel to people's homes for lessons, which is convenient for many families. The teachers are well-educated, passionate about their instruments and art, and they are wonderful with children. As I alluded to earlier, the studio also puts on three recitals free of charge every year! I only give online reviews when I feel the recipient absolutely deserves it and reviewing Martin and his studio was a no-brainer! I wholeheartedly recommend the Metzger Music Studio for any potential student interested in developing a lifetime love for learning music!

We are so fortunate to have found etc music school!! Mike O'Mara is a phenomenal teacher. My…read moredaughter takes private lessons and is also in the choir. The school community is wonderful. My daughter absolutely loves the other kids. In her words: "They are welcoming and open." I personally love the choir because they tackle incredible music. Mike does terrific arrangements of a variety of music from modern to classical. When I pick up my daughter after choir practice the room is alive...there's a buzz in the air. We are a family of musicians and we have nothing but the upmost respect for Mike and his establishment. Top notch.

From the owner: etc. Music School is a new kind of music and theatrical training experience dedicated to…read morecollaboration, team-learning, and confidence-building through affirming, creative training that respects and celebrates each student! In addition to offering theater classes for students of all ages, etc. also offers private lessons in Piano, Flute, Voice, Violin, Viola, Guitar, and Music Composition.

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.