In full disclosure I haven't physically been to this location or purchased anything recently. However, I'm a previous customer (many moons ago) and have recently been in contact with the shop as I was looking into purchasing some items. The History: I bought a new Buffet R13 back in like 1999 or 2000 from Lisa (under a different store name in Des Plaines, but she owned it and it was the precursor to this shop). From what I remember (and what my parents have said, as they probably remember it more than I do because they were writing the check and I was like 12), it was a great experience. I remember she did tell me about a clarinet camp, which I went to for two summers and loved. Lisa also then sold my R13 for me when I quit band in 2003, which was a smooth and fair process. The Present Times: When I decided to randomly pick up clarinet again 20+ years later, the first thing I did was look up Lisa's shop and was happy to see that it still exists, just a bit farther away from me. I reached out to her team to inquire about some mouthpiece trials (and apparently they also have rental clarinet options!). The service I had with her team via email was extremely helpful and they were quick to respond to my questions and made some great recommendations to try to help me find something equivalent to the mouthpiece I played on back in the day. Ultimately I didn't end up buying a mouthpiece here because I found the exact model I used to play on at a local shop randomly (and they're hard to find). But, if/when I decide to purchase a clarinet instead of renting the one I currently have through Q&F, Lisa's shop would be the first place I go. read more

I have been here several times in the past few months and have nothing but PRAISE for Rob the clarinet technician who has taken care of me each time I have been in there to see him. His repair work, professional approach and the willingness to listen and address my concerns is definitely hard to beat. I will always bring my clarinets in for him to adjust when needed. He is one technician that does not believe in cutting corners, and his outstanding work proves just that read more

What a wonderful experience! My son chose a lovely clarinet, and each step was thoughtful and helpful. The clarinet has an amazing sound.

I first came across Lisa 's clarinet by word of mouth from a friend. I shopped around my local music shops and the experiences I had were really bad. And then I contacted Lisa's via their chat function on their website. I purchased a Buffet E 12 silver keys for my son in January 2023. Unfortunately, after only 2 months of playing the middle joint cracked. made many attempts to get Buffet to send us a replacement. The replacement finally came but no matter how many times we sent the clarinet to the technician, the clarinet just didn't sound right. So finally fed up and I texted Lisa hoping to trade the E13 in and get an R 13. Without any hassle Lisa said she will give me 100% of my original purchase price and sent me two wonderful R 13 to try. Her customer service and her confidence in her clarinets is second to none. She has made me a customer for life and I will always recommend her shop if anyone ever asks me read more

Lisa and her store deserve more than 5 stars, If I could give 10 stars I would. I first came to Lisa's Clarinet shop about 4-4.5 years ago looking for a new set of clarinets. Lisa had me first try the Tosca model which is what I ended up on. Not being certain how the process goes, and wanting to be certain, Lisa was patient with me when I asked a bunch of questions and said I needed/wanted to try some of the other models too. At one point a while ago my Bb had a weird tuning problem that randomly came out of nowhere . I sent my clarinet out on Friday and it was back (with issue corrected) by that following Wednesday. A+ to Lisa and the tech in Chicago, Rick Sayre, for making this happen . Fast forward to September 2020 and this is when things really got interesting and Lisa really shined. I sent my clarinets off to the store in Santa Fe, for an overhaul with Bruce Marking. Bruce did an amazing job fixing and improving a bunch of concerns I had. He spent a bit of time making sure I was happy when I picked up the instruments in person. A couple weeks after I was back home, a couple things weren't quite right. An overhaul is expensive and Lisa/Bruce stand by their work... Without any hesitation or questions I was told to send the clarinets back and it would come back 100% to my liking. A+ here! The clarinets were dropped off for shipping and one of the major shipping carriers 'lost' the package. When it became clear that I'd be without my instruments for a longer time than planed, no questions asked Lisa sent me something to borrow while we figured out what to do. When it became clear that the clarinets probably wouldn't be found, we began the search for a new set of clarinets. I now have a beautiful set of new clarinets that are an even better fit for me than what I had before. At every point during this difficult process, Lisa communicated clearly and effectively. She went way above and beyond what I would have imagined to make sure I was happy. I am overwhelmed with gratitude and couldn't be happier that I chose Lisa's clarinet shop several years ago. read more

In December 2019, I had my Bb and A set stolen from my car. Talk about a mental break-down, and right in the midst of Nutcracker and Christmas gig season! After posting on Facebook to make people aware, Lisa reached out directly to me about the incident. I'd always heard that if I needed a horn to go to Lisa and, let me tell you, that was the best piece of advice I was ever given. Since everything was taken, Lisa offered to send me a loaner instrument so that I could search out at least a mouthpiece to try horns. This was extremely caring of her and immediately took a level of stress out of the situation knowing I'd be able to at least have a horn on which to try mouthpieces. We also went through my playing "profile" and the characteristics I was looking for in a horn - GreenLine, Silver keys, tuning, sound profile, etc. Lisa then did the amazing and started sending me horns to try - The first couple helped her better understand my playing profile and what did/didn't work for me, a really great experience - She and I had several follow-up calls discussing the merits of the horns and identifying what did and didn't work so she could better narrow her search. She then provided great insight into the differences in model characteristics and what she felt would get me what I wanted. While she didn't have many GreenLine horns in stock, Lisa kept in constant contact with me through the holidays and into January when she began receiving shipments and sent me several horns with differing playing characteristics. I've included my experience for both horns below: Bb clarinet - Lisa first sent a Festival Bb GreenLine horn which I played and I noted I was able to easily push beyond its limits - it didn't give me the sound I wanted, so Lisa and I regrouped and she sent me an R13 GreenLine. As soon as I took it out of the box, I knew she'd hit it out of the park. It gave me the right complexity of sound I was looking for as well as the darkness I always associated with my playing. A clarinet - Given that I wanted GreenLines I knew I'd have to wait a bit for them and Lisa kept in contact through the entire shipment and procurement process from Buffet. She sent me two Greenline R13 A's which, after pulling them out of the box, I knew weren't for me. While they were both excellently setup, I wasn't able to get what I needed out of them. While I was a bit discouraged, Lisa suggested we try a Festival A instead - less than a week later, I had the Festival in hand and Lisa was right, it was the right fit - matching the playing characteristics, tuning, and sound of the Bb. While I didn't end up with a matching set from a model perspective, Lisa has helped me put together a set that matches extremely well from a sound and playability perspective. Overall, Lisa and her team made a terrible experience into one that was easy, stress free and enjoyable. I cannot imagine going through this experience without her help, her coaching, and her insight into the clarinet. She truly does have a gift in finding the right instrument for the right person - She's basically the Ollivander (Harry Potter reference) of the clarinet world! read more

DO NOT SEND your instruments here for repair. There was a problem with the overhaul of a buffet Bb clarinet. When I called about it, instead of trying to problem solve she became defensive and accusatory, continually interrupted me and began yelling through the phone. Umm, NO. Clear records of the work were not kept so much of the argument was based on speculation of what she remembered. If the work had been great (or even good) it may not have been such an issue. Take your business elsewhere!!! read more

BEWARE. Take your business elsewhere. Rude, difficult, and dishonest. Sent a pair of Bb & A clarinets for minor adjustments to Lisa's Buffet tech in Sept 2020. After arrival, she called insisting the pair were "covered in mold" and needed thorough cleaning at a cost of $1,500 before she'd even start repairs. I was beside myself since I explained they'd just been fully serviced at my local repair shop in July 2020, and had been checked by HER OWN Buffet technician in Feb 2020, who indicated they were "fine instruments, only needing minor modifications". So I asked her to ship them back. She charged me $192 for round-trip ground shipping, and insured them for $6k although we agreed on $2k. She over-insured without discussion, and charged me the cost for instruments shipped separately although they were shipped in one case/box. Once I received them back, I had them thoroughly inspected by a professional colleague who confirmed my own inspection, that they were not at all "covered in mold" as she said. Turned out her Buffet tech never even got to see them while they were at her shop. read more

Very obnoxious woman, convinced that what instruments she picks out are superior to all the other 'hand-pickers' doing the exact same sales. She also isn't even close on pricing, you can buy clarinets much cheaper elsewhere. I play Buffet Toscas and got each one of mine for almost $2500 less than what she was asking. She claims to have her technician go over the horns after she supposedly picks them out, but from what I hear, they are the exact same quality one would see just going through a new batch yourself. I recommend looking for a good price first, then looking at that store's inventory. read more

Lisa is great at selecting clarinets for clients to try. One of the best in the business!

Lisa helped my Freshman son find "his" clarinet based on the individual clarinet and his individual sound. I'm so happy we traveled from Palatine! Well worth every minute and $$!! Thank you, Lisa! read more

Clarinet cracked when still in the return window. Lisa declined the return and instead had the crack fixed. Two months later the same crack appeared. Lisa refuses return or repair. Buy anywhere else. This woman is a crook. read more

I purchased a used Buffet from Lisa's store which had mismatched serial numbers, and it absolutely was not mentioned before the purchase. Unfortunately, I learned that the upper and lower joints did not match about a month into the purchase. I also agree very much that she is quite obnoxious. Other companies have a great stock of instruments with much better customer service. read more

Lisa's Clarinet Shop is a boutique shop and helped our budding High School Senior musician find *his* perfect clarinet. I did my research on instruments and makers, looked at pricing and sources, then found Lisa's Clarinet Shop. It's not much from the outside (and frankly, not much on the inside either) and couldn't even find it in the dark night because there's no sign. But once inside, they had a display of maybe 18 clarinets set up at arms-reach. Harry started my asking our son to play on his clarinet (and even gave a tip or two!), then handed him one of the clarinets. "Nope." he said, then handed him another. A few more playing tips and another clarinet handed to him. Harry was glad to answer questions and explain what he was looking for in the sound. It was then I realized that all the clarinets on display were only a couple of different models. He was actually looking for EXACTLY the right clarinet for our son's playing style from among the various instruments of the SAME BRAND and MODEL. I'm a pretty discerning customer, and I'm known in my family as someone who shops heavily and I pride myself on getting the best price for the best merchandise. In this case, I knew I could get a good-condition Buffet R13 for half the price the were offering if I just ordered on eBay. And we MIGHT be happy with the clarinet. But Lisa's offered a VERY competitive price on a brand new instrument that was HIS clarinet. It was perfect for OUR SON and yes, we could indeed tell the difference between each clarinet he tried. Could I have saved money? Yes. Could we have had a better experience, gotten a more perfect clarinet, appreciated the service available through Lisa's? NO CHANCE. If you are looking for a top-notch step-up professional clarinet, head to Lisa's and, as they said to us when making our appointment, "come prepared to buy, as many people fall in love and go home with their perfect clarinet". read more

Clarinet cracked less than a month after purchase. Lisa gave me a huge hassle about having it repaired by her repairman for free, despite the fact that upon purchase we were reassured all repairs would be covered for three months. After it was repaired, the clarinet cracked again. Lisa said she would gladly take it back, but for less than what we paid for it. It was less than two months in our possession. On top of this hassle, Lisa was rude and condescending in her manner. Buy anywhere else but here. We are now stuck with a $2700 clarinet that does nothing but crack. read more