I spotted Sparky's one day as I drove down route 83. I had been wanting to sell or trade a 2016…read moreRickenbacker I owned (but rarely played) and after reading some very positive reviews decided to pay Sparky's a visit. I was interested in acquiring a Les Paul and had been considering the Heritage H-150 line which Sparky's carried. I was greeted warmly by the owner abundantly experienced Jim "Sparky" Kraus, showed him the Ric, explained what I was looking for, and he immediately set me up with a couple of guitars to demo. The showroom was comfortable and he gave me plenty of time to become acquainted with the guitars. After I had made my decision to go with the absolutely wonderful Heritage H-150, Jim, who is very pleasant and personable, we discussed options and value for trade-in. We went over what I was hoping for and Jim explained current market value of my Ric and what his personal expectations for resale were. Ultimately, I felt his offer was fair and he was honest and open with his reasoning. I left satisfied with a fantastic new guitar and even a new Sparky's t-shirt which I will proudly wear. I had a great experience and I wholeheartedly recommend at trip to Sparky's the next time you're in the market for a new axe!

Sparky's is a great boutique shop, with lots of selections and Jim has tons of experience to help…read moreyou sort out what you are looking for. It's about an hour drive for me, but I'm not going anywhere else for anything related to my guitars that I own. They also have events that I am looking forward to attending. Can't get any of this at the big box stores. Look them up and visit and you won't be disappointed. Tom O. Crystal Lake

My kids have taken multiple music classes here over the past couple years., and I recently had my…read moreguitar restrung here too. I love this place, they provide so many services, they have talented and knowledgeable staff, and they deliver with high quality. I highly recommend!

After searching the Oak Park area in vain for my daughter's first oboe, we heard about Luscombe…read moreMusic. Not only did they have a number of nice student oboes (wood ones, not plastic), the store was clean, bright and well organized. A bit out of the way, but worth the trip. EDIT May '08: These folks are not so great to work with. When an instrument needs repair they will keep it for more than two weeks and not offer a replacement, then they have the chutzpah to charge the full month's rental fee.

I have been doing business with this store since 1978. I have bought about 20 guitars from them and…read moremany pieces of equipment. Several repairs and many setups. Definitely the best place to go. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. I love the acoustic room. I love oddball guitars. You never know what you're going to find there. Rob is kind and professional. After all these years I consider him a friend. Go see him.

Had a nice visit with Rob and his assistant who is in the Jazz Band at Elmhurst College. Bought a…read morepair of FOH PA speakers and traded in some gear. Nice to see a good old fashioned neighborhood music store run by people who are passionate about music and very customer focused. My visit was probably one and a half hours before I made my decision. No rush and I took my time. I will be back!

I CAN"T BELIEVE IT'S NOT BUTTER! And that I didn't rate this place!…read more Growing up I would drive over here and play guitars, synths, and turntables. So FUN! FREE! Good place to for a free date night. One of the better guitar centers. It used to have tons of synths, and though not anymore, they still have lots of guitars. Kewl Great place to buy gear also and find new stuff. I wanna get a kick drum now

Either staff are incompetent, don't care about children, or severely under-qualified to work in…read moreAUDIO. I went in with my friend and his kid to check out microphones around 5:20 pm on August 14th. I'm wearing a green shirt and glasses. Please pull your footage. We started at the keyboards then made our way to the microphones. When we were looking for about 5 mins reviewing options. This blonde-haired Guitar Center "Employee" came to the iMac station area turned on a backup battery and immediately it started beeping. He was asked by my friend if there was anywhere else we could look at microphones and he gave a disgusting answer. Then if you pull up the footage from your side, you'll see the child visibly grab his head because of the loud sound. The dude went to the front desk and never returned. I can say so many DISGUSTING things about why this happened and why he would behave like that and not respond to a sensory issue occurring with a child. When confronting staff they did not give a rat's hairy asssssss. I DON'T CARE. Look at this

This place is definitely worth the hype! Their customer service and repair is super fast and…read moreaffordable! The shop has an amazing selection of guitars and rare collections. Lastly their vast knowledge really helps you feel comfortable about your decision if you choose to buy.

the very best guitar shop I have ever dealt with ! and I've been around and had many other places…read moreto compare to. Paul and his people are superb. I couldn't be happier. honest people with fair prices and perfect service. you can't say more than that. Susan from Prescott Az

I had heard great things about Tully's work so when I decided that it was time to start playing…read moreagain, I took my mid-80s MIJ Telecaster to him for a setup (first one in way too long). Amazing. I already loved it but it now plays like the best guitar I've ever had (including Custom Shop stuff that I had before). I can't put the thing down. The amazing setup makes me want to play more and more. I've already dropped off another guitar and once that comes back I'll bring the next one

Tully is a gentleman & a scholar. Incredibly knowledgeable guitar repairman AND artist…read more My repair was quite minor in the grand scheme of things(jack replacement) but this guy can literally do it ALL. That includes building guitars from wood to soldering hardwires & cables. Dude is a WIZARD Thank you Tully! 10/10 would recommend. Will be back for any future repairs whatsoever.

Service by David was the best! Friendly and fair oh, and non condescending. Definitely would use…read morethem agian.

You never know what treasures you'll find at Cash Pawn! I love browsing through their selection -…read morethey have everything from jewelry and electronics to musical instruments and collectibles. David helped me find some really unique and interesting items here that I wouldn't find anywhere else. It's definitely worth checking out if you're looking for something special.

Veteran's Day, I'm playing Taps in 45 minutes at a nearby cemetery. Very special veteran, built…read moreair strips on embattled Pacific Islands during World War II as a SeeBee, lived a century and passed away last year. I grabbed my cornet WITHOUT valve oil in my case. I HAVE to apply valve oil before I play, it's a thing. I only find out I have no valve oil when I arrive, but thanks to YELP I find a music store that's only 12 minutes away. Thank you YELP. As I'm hopping out of the car and walking to the front entrance, I open up YELP to check in and notice it doesn't open for 10 minutes. A second horrified surprise, but as I'm standing in front of the locked door the owner walked up on the other side and opened up early for me. Quickly, well sort of quickly, sold me a bottle of Al Cass valve oil (it's one of the better brands) for a reasonable price and I was able to properly honor a special vet at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

I absolutely love Uncle Jon's. Jon Sr. I believe is the man that has worked on a few on my guitars…read more His work is exceptional and price friendly! He has fixed my Fender Strat when I thought it was beyond repair, he tuned up my PRS, and he completely hooked up my Ollandac. I had the Ollandoc custom made and when it arrived it needed lots of work. He adjusted the nut, straighten the neck, installed new Duncan 59 pickups on both the neck and bridge. The pick ups were a bit tricky because they are the 4 conductor model that needed to be wired up for straight humbucker, split coil, and parallel switching. UJM is the only place I trust to touch my babies and she sounds amazing now! The work is done fast, correct, cost effective, and you can tell they take pride in their work. Love the fact that they don't try to up sell you and they give great advise. Give the small guys a chance and stay away from big shop retailers that only care about $$$$. The staff if friendly and fun to talk too, UJM has a customer for life and I recommend them to anyone I talk too! Well done UJM!

GREAT PLACE! I have been coming here since it first opened. I have traveled the country and have…read moreseen many music stores and Stonegrove , hands down , ranks up there with them. At Stonegrove you can mingle with people that are beginners , amazing musicians, kids and people in their 40's - 60's and not to mention people that have sold records in the millions! Yes, you may bump into a rock star or two here- NO JOKE! The teachers are great, the owner Max is very knowledgeable, kind, relaxed but will tell you like it is and the store itself is warm and comforting. When I'm looking for a new guitar I come here first. When I'm looking for a set of strings I come here first. When I'm looking for a guitar setup I come here first and when I'm looking for some friendly advice or discussion about music I come here first. Bottom line - You won't be disappointed!

My all time favorite guitar guru Max Dombrowksi owns La Grange's beloved Stone Grove Guitar Shop…read more Located right off the tracks a few blocks from downtown La Grange. This is my other fav guitar shop to go and hang out and talk shop. Varied types of vintage and new guitars hang there for sale. But the most business comes from people taking music lessons. Max has 4 lesson rooms that are nearly full each and every day. He has a great group of instructors for guitar, bass, drum, and piano. They also do the most setups that I've ever seen - except for maybe Guitarcenter. Separately, Max is a gifted multi instrumentalist, a former Eagle Scout, and is one of the founders of a great band called Twin Jones. Sort of Sloan meets the Beatles and Pink Floyd.

Super friendly, enthusiastic and so helpful and encouraging!! My teen and I stopped in today and…read moreenjoyed hearing a customer play a beautiful guitar, picked up some new guitar strings, and enjoyed a chat with the person who I think is the owner. If not the owner then he is a really lovely and enthusiastic employee! I'm not a musician so it's hard for me to judge the quality of a guitar shop specifically, but my teen said "totally, 5 stars, that place is awesome." So there you go. I'll give 5 stars for enthusiasm and customer service and my teen gives 5 stars for having the right supplies for sale and general guitar-related awesomeness.

If you need a treasured instrument repaired - this is the place. If you're looking for music…read morelessons for an "unmotivated" student - they'll thrive here and become motivated to practice and more. Really! If it's anything "guitars" Park Avenue Music is "THE PLACE".