Chicago Music Exchange (CME) is massive. There is a lot of ground to cover and many instruments to…read moresee. I accompanied my husband to CME during our weeklong trip to Chicago this summer. We took the L to Paulina, and the music store is a short walk from the train station. So many guitars on the street-level part of the shop. Drums, basses, and the repair shop are found on the lower-level. Aside from all the guitars displayed on the walls, there are also so many canvased photos of musicians and groups who visited CME over the years. There are a number of comfortable spots where you can sit and play. There's also a cushy couch area with Gucci pillows where you can sit, especially if you're waiting for your significant other :)

I used to be able to play a little. Love guitars and amps, everyone should…read more Walking in here: I'm not Worthy. I'm NOT Worthy. Beautiful guitars in many different price ranges. From classic American Fenders, to Paul Reed Smiths, Gibson, and a full fledged acoustic guitar room with beautiful acoustics. The people working there are helpful and not elitists cooler than thou musicians. The folks I encountered were warm and welcoming. Really positive and fun.

Awesome people to do business with. No B.S., Wayne is very dry and straight to the point. I walked…read morein there off the street over 20yrs ago and instantly knew I had stumbled onto a secret Goldmine of guitars and amps. I've bought many many guitars from them over the years at extremely fair prices. Wayne is very fair and doesn't try to compete with CME, or GC, he tells it exactly like it is. It's like walking into an old hardware store or Auto shop. If you come in looking for something or for advice , they'll take care of you and you are welcome to hang out. If you come in with an entitled, woke attitude, go back to GC or BK and have it your way, nobody needs you there to ruin our vibe. Wayne, Tom, and even Rich when he's around have always been nothing but professional to the customers. The instrument selection is exactly as advertised. The best used, affordable instruments around. Dent, dings, yes. Great guitars and amps, absolutely. I currently own 4 Gibson Les Pauls and 2 ES-335's that I got great deals on from Wayne and that I never could afford new or from GC. Check it out for yourself. Ignore the 1 star-3 star crybabies. Actual working musicians, some famous , some not, go there repeatedly. Rant Over! Wayne's the best.

I have known Wayne for over 25 years and he is an absolute gem of a human being. I have bought and…read moresold gear here and now that my son has taken up music, this is where he bought his first electric guitar (J. Mascis Jazzmaster that he adores). There are a few places you will find in life that are magical and special and Midwest is one of them, Wayne's patience, generosity, knowledge and kindness are second to none. Go check it out, you will be glad you did, You may see us there, my son will be trying every single distortion pedal in turn and I will digging through the odds and ends that no one else is interested in, the weirder the better. I absolutely love this place. PS: out of curiosity I read some of the negative reviews. In you younger days (when I had copious free time) I used to hang around the place. The people who were unhappy he would haggle or buy x or y, are being overly sensitive. It is a finite amount of space, he needs to move product, he is alway candid, I bought a drum kit there to sell a few months ago, he was upfront and said he didn't handle them unless they were certain brands or vintage, no hard feelings. I have made him offers on items to have him turn them down, again, never mean or insulting. I have never seen him be anything other than a class act. He isn't going to buy things he can't sell, he isn't a charity, nor is he going to give things away. I have had dozens of friends and family buy instruments and equipment here and all of them left very happy.

I've spent a significant portion of my short life looking back on great guitarists in reverent awe…read more Richards, Page, Hendrix, Townsend, Clapton, Allman and Young are among the masterful deities I continue to look towards for inspiration. My attempt to mimic their craft alone was met with frustration, despair and often failure before finally giving in, as so many aspirational musicians eventually do. It was not until a friend recommended I check out Guitar Chicago that I dusted off my cheap Epiphone to climb back on the Steel Horse (Bon Jovi, what a gifted poet). I met with Jason, who came highly recommended. Jason has the ability to help demystify the guitar with a strong background in Jazz and a firm grip on musical theory. He's equally skilled and comfortable going through chord patterns, technique and odd Jazz rhythms as he is deconstructing a Kiss song. My goal in taking lessons was to make myself comfortable enough to play a few songs without too much butchering. Jason has helped me reach a level of comfort where I can plug my crappy guitar into my less crappy computer and record myself playing. I feel much more comfortable with the instrument than I did only a year ago. The location is great, the scheduling is flexible, online payment takes no time at all and perhaps best of all, you don't need to bring your guitar. I often leave each half hour lesson feeling accomplished and hungry for more guitar. Jason and Guitar Chicago continues to contribute to my early onset of arthritis and I couldn't be happier.

So, I have now been taking lessons for more than 1 1/2 years at Guitar Cities (Chicago), and I love…read moreit more now than I did when I first started! My skill has progressed nicely, and I'm happy and pleasantly surprised at how much I have learned and continue to learn week after week. Jim is an outstanding instructor who offers top-notch skill, patience (much needed in my case), humor, and a lot of encouragement! I couldn't be happier. I love it so much, I am now also adding Ukelele to my repertoire, in addition to acoustic guitar. However, when I took a new job 40 miles away, the commute was literally inducing psychotic levels of road rage. So in an effort to save my sanity, I began to take my lessons over Skype more than a year ago and it has been great! There are absolutely NO issues with taking lessons online vs. in-person, and I have never felt like I wasn't getting as much out of the interaction. Now it doesn't matter where you live, because technology can bridge the gap and make it possible for everyone! I HIGHLY recommend lessons with Guitar Chicago for anyone and everyone...give them a try!!!

Several month ago I had an Elektron Digitakt serviced at this store. There was a small mix up…read moreduring the repair, manager Andrew Marrah went above and beyond to ensure the device was returned to me in perfect working condition. I cannot overstate the professionalism of Andrew Marrah and everyone at Synth City. I would trust this store with anything regarding my gear, they will make sure to treat you well and with respect. 10 out of 10 hands down.

I went into this shop with a friend of mine. He tried out some Les Paul and other fender guitars…read more This place has a nice collection of vintage instruments and equipment.

Great local music store for basic music instruments and lessons. Staff is friendly and…read moreaccommodating, just a really great place to have in any community.

Highly recommend. Piano instructor Eric is outstanding. Loads of patience. Figured out exactly what…read moreI was looking for in instructions. Staff, which I'm sure are accomplished musicians in their own right, friendly, helpful and excellent to deal with. I am a senior student ( age, not talent haha). Have taken many lessons over the years. Eric cannot be beat.

I tested several digital pianos and my decision came down between the Roland FP-30X and Yamaha…read moreP255. The Roland won due to its superb key weight which feels exactly like playing a grand piano. In addition, I felt that the Roland's sound is better since its built upon a Steinway grand piano's sound. The P255's sound is built upon Yamaha's CFX grand piano. The P255 sounded a bit muddled in the middle to my ears. Staff is friendly and helpful.

I drove quite a distance to look at a used PA system. Freddy Villagomez was nothing short of…read moreAMAZING. He tested the whole system out channel by channel before the purchase to make sure this used system worked properly. The agreed upon price was very fair. I picked up a couple of speakers stands as well while I was there. Worth the drive for me. I will be back!! Highly recommended!!

As a musician and music educator (harp), music education for my girls is one of my top priorities…read more I've worked at many schools from early education to Loyola University and continuing adult education. The staff at Bucktown Music is unbeatable for all ages. The programs offered here are the best in the city with easily applicable curriculum, clear assignments for home, developmentally appropriate challenges, and fun for parents too! My daughters love music class. They are delighted every time we step into the room. From the courtesy at the front desk to the parking options and surrounding activities; the fully stocked bookshelf to the bathroom with diapers available; the clean kitchen to foster community to the shower to support the active staff, they've thought of everything at Bucktown. Thank you for your beautiful resource to our musical city!

Everything about Bucktown Music is fantastic! The people& the program. And the kids LOVE LOVE LOVE…read moreclass so much.

I've been taking my guitars here for years for everything from setups to major body work. The owner…read moreis super helpful and happy to talk shop or give advice on work I'm doing on my own. Having been to a few other shops when I needed a licensed dealer for a specific job rebound repair is always my first choice.

Small independently owned guitar shop. Guys are super friendly, very knowledgeable, and their…read moreprices are reasonable. I will come back here if I ever need any repairs for my guitar for sure. Thank you!

I don't often write reviews of places unless I really believe there's something to be said about…read morethe place. Such is Evolution Music in Logan Square where I decided to walk an hour on this fair day so that I could sell my keyboard. I came in, told them what I wanted to sell, and what I was looking to receive out of the exchange. Most people, like me, really try to haggle for the best price, and that's definitely what I did. Being that they were a store with financial margins, they realistically set my expectations closer to what was feasible for them. Fact of the matter is that they were respectful, realistic, and most importantly of all fair when it came to the exchange. I ultimately walked away satisfied, having met in the middle of our compromise, and sealed it with a good ol' honest handshake at that. I didn't have to write about this but I thought the person at the store today, Nathan, had good, decent integrity when it came to this transaction. It was a nice and sunny day and after walking back out of the store, the interaction left me feeling it all the more brighter... Nathan, you're fucking cool bro. I'll definitely be back in the future.

Their employees have no problem with hiding damage and defects, so that you don't find out about it…read moreuntil it's too late. It doesn't make you feel like a valued customer, it makes you feel more like some sucker they unloaded their junk on. Made a buck and got it out the door. Win, win. Especially when selling online. The lengths they'll go to hide stuff is impressive, when all they really had to do was be honest, adjust the price, and everything would be fine. But that's not what happens.

Terrible. I am a Music teacher in a grade school and I buy violins cheap and fix them up so my…read morestudents can learn how to play them. I brought a violin that had the sound post had fallen. Rather than giving it to the luthier and having him put the sound post back, she yammered on and on about how if they did put the sound post back in, it might just fall down again. I also had pegs that were not drilled and asked her if they could drill them. Rather than agreeing to drill them, she went on and on about who knows what. She wrapped up her presentation up by saying "You people buy things on Amazon and expect us..." I have bought things there before like shoulder rests, viola bows and other things. I really expected a better reception than I got. I took the violin to Park Violins down the street. He did both of the repairs and refused to take any money for it. I know that lady has a $35,000 violin because she tells me that every time I was in that store, but that is no reason to be condescending to a customer.

I've been doing business with GC ever since they opened. Andrew Welch is the ONLY one I deal with…read more This is not a cut on anyone of the others, but Andrew has Never let me down And his customer service is top shelf. Period!