Tobias Music

(13 reviews)

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!

Modern Music

(16 reviews)

Zach's knowledge and helpfulness cannot be understated. Zappa poster in the back was great too.read more

I am just leaving modern music and have to share my experience. I walked in and was immediately…read moregreeted by Zach. He asked how he could help me and I explained I had an older trumpet to sell. Zach called William over and William gave it a good inspection, call for second opinion and came back with a very fair offer. I am happy to be able to get a little bit of money for it and that someone else will have a chance to play it. I think it's a win for all. I would highly recommend modern music as I think they are a very reputable and honest business.

Evolution Music

4.3

(6 reviews)

Great local establishment! I must have walked by this place multiple times without realizing it was…read morethere! I will definitely be purchasing my guitar gear here in the future rather than places like Guitar Center! They have a great selection of electric guitars that I was interested in. If you have any questions please feel free to ask Dan. He will provide the assistance that you are looking for. I highly recommend this store for pre-owned gear! Support your local business and stop by!

Cool spot: check it out at a minimum to appreciate the architecture and design. Original Art Deco…read moreis fading, but this place keeps the feel. Chances are, you're not just going for the tour of the building. You want to rock out! Lessons, buy/sell/trade and concerts. Fills a need in the community for underage kids to fulfill their rock star ambitions.

Blue Village Vinyl

4.4

(18 reviews)

There's ALOT of collectors stuff here besides records. Music dvds, memorabilia, and more! Best of…read moreall a cut out section/cheapo bin/$1 holla. Also a huge wall of DJ records to dig through that could take a whole day, and besides that lots of records to dig through in general. This is the old "Remember When" record store that was around for decades though the owner passed last year so there's lots of quality stuff here.

Awesome family owned record store with an incredible selection and great new inventory coming in…read moredaily!

Sparky's Guitars

(8 reviews)

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

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!

Garage Band U

(3 reviews)

•$

My 14 year old son joined Garage Band U two years ago playing the electric guitar. Jamie, the…read moreowner, found a wonderful group of boys the same age to create a rock band with a singer, guitar, bass guitar and drums players. Playing in front of people has given them so much confidence and it's been so fun watching them improve with each performance. They have played to large crowds at Tailgaters in Bolingbrook, Ballydoyle's in Downers Grove, and Grove Fest in Downers Grove. Charlie, their band director, has done a terrific job helping them to perform as a group and helping with stage presence.

I can't say enough good about my experience at Garage Band U. It was absolutely fantastic…read more I'm relatively new to guitar, only playing for about 15 months. At the urging of my teacher, I enrolled in Garage Band U to help advance my skills. I was rather nervous going into it....Being on stage playing guitar is (well, now a "was") bucket list item for me. I've always wanted to do it, but didn't think I'd ever be able to. James helped to pull together a great group of people to play together. His practice area is great, his direction was spot-on, he helped us pick songs that would work well and then provided input on how to best play them. All this culminated in a set at a local bar which incidentally went great! It feels great to be able to check this one off my list, but all it's done is made me anxious to sign up again. I can't do it next semester, as I need to be home a bit more, but I will definitely be back in the fall. What might be most amazing about James' program - the wide range of ages that participate. I'm guessing that there were people ranging from approx. 9 to 55 in the program, and they all sounded great. Thank you, James, for a great experience, and I look forward to working with you again! I'll be seeing you soon.

Stonegrove Guitar

4.3

(10 reviews)

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.

Guitar Center

2.9

(48 reviews)

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

Rms Guitar Repair

(13 reviews)

Great service and pricing. Bob does a fantastic job. Setup my 2021 Strat and it plays so much…read morebetter.

Bob is the man! Me and my brother have been taking our guitars to him for years and he's awesome…read more He'll ask your exact needs and meet them 100% He's super punctual with repair times and when he gives you a time estimate he always meets it. And of course extremely fair prices. Highly recomended

Lisa's Clarinet Shop

3.4

(15 reviews)

In full disclosure I haven't physically been to this location or purchased anything recently…read more 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.

I have been here several times in the past few months and have nothing but PRAISE for Rob the…read moreclarinet 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

No Drama Piano Services

(62 reviews)

We had a minor issue with the first appointment and Randy came back and made it right. Very happy…read moreto update that we are satisfied with our experience and have a fully functioning and tuned piano.

For years we have relied on Randy for the tuning and maintenance of our pianos (Steinway grand and…read moreYamaha upright). Knowledgeable and highly skilled, he has also shown himself to be flexible and unfailingly responsive throughout. Highly recommended.

Dan The Piano Man Tuning and Repair

(32 reviews)

Our piano hadn't been tuned in years but Dan got it back in shape! Great service at the agreed…read moreprice.

Excellent!! Great communication. Called to give ETA Showed up a little early. Familiar with the…read morepiano. Great job! Thank you.

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Louis Z.

0

1

0

7 years ago

I recently bought a lightly used mandolin from Tobias Music from their website. The verbal description and photographs were spot on. When it arrived a few days later, it was exactly as described and depicted and was in excellent condition and played great. It was packaged very securely and I needed to sign for it so it wouldn't just be left at my door. I have had several conversations with Paul over the past few years while at Taylor road shows and find him to be honest, a man of his word, and never pushy. Ironically, this was the first purchase I made from Tobias. We will certainly do further business. By the way, I drive over 50 miles to go to the store and I come from a neighboring state. They also did a fine job adjusting the setup on my old mandolin about 1 1/2 years ago. Ken did the adjustment right while I was in the store after a roadshow. In short, they are great people to do business with. I could not recommend them more. Louis Z read more

Steve C.

0

1

0

10 years ago

Tobias Music is the only place I will ever shop for acoustic guitars , especially Taylor & Martin brand. Ken and Paul.. are awesome!! Simply put. Both are unbelievably knowledgeable in the field and two of the nicest people you will ever meet. I just purchased a Taylor 214 Deluxe quilted maple acoustic... beautiful guitar in both esthetics as well as tone. Spent nearly 2hrs chatting with Paul about my new purchase .. and I couldn't be happier with my decision! Tobias is top notch there's no other way to describe the experience!! Please if your a player do yourself a favor and stop in you will not regret it. I'm blessed because I actually live directly across the street from the shop ! Right how lucky am I ? Great place , Great guys, Great quality, Thanks Ken & Paul ! I'll be back for sure lifetime costumer. Merry Christmas! read more

John D.

0

9

1

11 years ago

Years ago I was at Guitar Center shopping for my first acoustic and began mingling with another shopper. This guy obviously knew waaay more about guitars than I did. He leans over and whispers "Check out Tobias before you buy". It turned out to be excellent advice. I dont remember if there was a price difference between the two stores, but to be honest, it wouldnt have mattered. I was treated with such respect at Tobias that my decision was easy. I left there that night with a new Taylor and some new friends. I still love to stop in because the place is so nice and so inspiring. THIS is the place if youre looking for a guitar. read more

Carlos D.

0

1

0

5 years ago

Tobias Music is fantastic! The team is incredibly helpful and totally focused on customer satisfaction and finding the right fit in acquiring the perfect guitar. The staff takes very careful time in working with each customer in their shop and answering all questions they may have. This is no chain store and well worth the travel to Downers Grove for the experience. The store owner met with me directly on two occasions in the store and remembered my name when I walked in the door on the second visit. It really mattered to me how they care for their customers. Highly recommended!!!! read more

Ronald M.

0

1

4 years ago

Just purchased my second guitar with Paul's help. Extremely knowledgable and helpfull. Playing LH and trying to find any guitar especially a new model like the 000-16 LH Streetmaster , is difficult task , and without Paul's help I'd still be waiting for mine to arrive. Because the Streetmaster came out earlier this year I was expecting a Q1 2023 deliver when Paul ordered mine . However their relationship with Martin definitely helped my LH arrive 6 months earlier than expected! Great job ... Definitely will return to Tobias for my next one! And I love the 000-16LH. read more

Paul G.

0

1

3 years ago

Tobias Music.... AWESOME!!!! I recently bought a pre-owned Eastman MD515 Mandolin from Tobias Music using Reverb. The mandolin is fantastic, was priced fairly, and came EXACTLY as described. Communications with Paul Tobias were prompt and extremely courteous. Shipping was great with excellent packaging to protect my purchase. I would 100% buy from Tobias again - even sight unseen. (Note: On Reverb I gave my 5-star rating, but clicked away before adding my supporting comments. D'oh. So I'm using Yelp now to get the word out about Tobias Music). read more

Tony R.

0

1

0

9 years ago

Greetings Folk's: Visited Tobias Music today, and had my new mandolin and my les paul set up. A fantastic store with beautiful guitars, and a few mandolins I was also drooling over. Ken did the set up's, and Paul was my initial contact. Both gentlemen were very professional, courteous, and kind. I will definitely be back. Folk's, if your looking for an outstanding music store with great customer service, sales, instruction, and repair this is the place to visit. Best Regards, Anthony (aka: Tony Ray) read more

Demask J.

0

1

0

15 years ago

This is one of the best acoustic guitar stores in the Chicagoland area. I have purchased 3 instruments (2 Santa Cruz, 1 Martin) from Tobias Music and their instruments as well as customer service is second to none. They are extremely helpful and knowledgeable in all areas of guitar. I've had set up done there as well as several pickup systems installed. I highly recommend Tobias Music, and plan to return to their great store in the near future. read more

Michael E.

0

1

0

5 years ago

I have not been to Tobias Music but, based on my my experience buying a guitar from them over the phone, it is my #1 place to visit the next time I am in the Chicago Area. Paul spent an extraordinary amount of with me describing the guitar, the shop, and answered any questions I could think of. The guitar was shipped quickly and arrived in great condition. read more

Robert R.

0

3

0

16 years ago

Tobias Music is an incredible little store. This cheerful family owned business is a great place to buy instruments from. The wealth of info that can be gained from talking to Ken and Paul is worth the trip alone. Their pricing is very fair, and their expertise is second to none. They also have lessons available from a wide variety of teachers. read more

Thomas E.

0

16

0

14 years ago

This place is fantastic, and they really know there stuff. The guitars were a little more expensive than I thought, but they carry quality. This is not guitar center. They will give you the best guitar for your money, and help you along the way, but only if you are serious. read more

Paul T.

412

2

1

10 years ago

Great place. I take lessons there and bought 5 guitars in my time. Great people and a wonderful place to get a guitar and any other equipment. Ken and Paul are the best. Praise God! read more

Dennis K.

1

39

0

18 years ago

Old school guitar store. Last of its kind. Great friendly service. Owners are awesome. Looking for a nice Taylor or Martin thats not the ordinary Guitar Cent or Sam A? Check it! read more

Scott H.

0

2

0

16 years ago

Very cool guitar shop. Small but FUN. Great selection of Martins and Taylors. All kept safely in their cases. Worth the trip, very friendly !! read more

Matt C.

0

1

0

1 year ago

I don't typically write reviews but this place is TOP NOTCH. Great people, quality guitars and immaculate service. Will be back!

Tobias Music - musicalinstrumentsandteachers - Updated August 2026

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Uncle Jon's Music

(13 reviews)

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!

Modern Music

(16 reviews)

Zach's knowledge and helpfulness cannot be understated. Zappa poster in the back was great too.read more

I am just leaving modern music and have to share my experience. I walked in and was immediately…read moregreeted by Zach. He asked how he could help me and I explained I had an older trumpet to sell. Zach called William over and William gave it a good inspection, call for second opinion and came back with a very fair offer. I am happy to be able to get a little bit of money for it and that someone else will have a chance to play it. I think it's a win for all. I would highly recommend modern music as I think they are a very reputable and honest business.

Perry's Music Center

3.8

(34 reviews)

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.

Yes I strongly recommend however my experience is let down well how so I mean long story short Mr…read more Rob directed his lower associate named jack to trade three guitars for one and include a gator soft case however that is where in went down hill jack after taking an order from his higher up store associate who checks the guitars he ignored his order he charged me the soft case and strap which is disappointing accounting for the return they get from all three guitars they received from me the customer and a previous purchase within the same house of an electric guitar with soft case he completely ignore Mr Robs order and charged me for the case and strap that was greed I seen from jack despite the return they get from the trade ins minimum $800 he knows so I strongly recommend you affirm a deal with Mr rob to stay there or somehow try a different store associate I'll be back in the near future but my experience was alright but the part with Mr rob he personally came to talk to me the trade in offer after hearing me play romance de amor and he was very kind elderly man I'll remember the moment Rock n roll

Suburban Music

4.0

(8 reviews)

•$$$$

Paul and Suburban Music is amazing! I can't recommend enough! Fantastic customer service,…read moreexceptional musical knowledge and Paul and his staff are amazing with my children. Do yourself a favor and pay them a visit. You won't regret it.

Suburban music has the most knowledgable, helpful, patient staff. They carry so many things and…read moretheir prices are great. From drums to ukuleles.....they even have lessons! I've had a great experience every time I step foot in here. Don't buy it on Amazon. Buy it from an informed, local business with a stake in the community.

Naperville Music

4.2

(44 reviews)

•$$$

Stopped in here several times over the last 2 years and always great service. All of the staff are…read morefantastic, knowledgeable and personable. Won't go anywhere else. Keep up the great work Madeleine!!

Excellent service! Good pricing! All sale person are friendly and knowledgable about the…read moreinstruments function and models abilities.

Music Solutions

3.3

(14 reviews)

ABSOLUTELY PERFECT! (Sorry it took me THIS long to pat the review ;) I treated in my dad's old…read moreguitar (few long back) and bought this gorgeous thing I now named "Fuji San" (ふじさん） the staff are super duper friendly and knowledgeable - although I didn't get to meet their awesome manager Steve, but from what I heard on the phone he is a great guy!!! Go there my music loving friend, this little shop's got everything you need! From guitar, ukuleles, electric guitar and much more!!!! I'm so glad I found this place! Thank you for existing! Keep up the great work!

very rude on the phone. My phone glitched so I had to call a second time and was hund up on before…read moreI could speak. And was yelled at after I tried to call again.‍ I don't know if whoever I was talking to thought is was a prank our something but trust me no one is trying to prank call a music store lol

Brandolino's Encore Music Center

4.2

(6 reviews)

•$

They wanted $100 to un-stick a Tuba Valve!!!…read more We did it ourselves for zero, zip, nada. These people should be ashamed of themselves for taking advantage of people!

Awesome family owned business. They have a huge selection of gear and accessories! If you can't…read morefind what you're looking for, the owner will order it for you. Need music lessons? They do that too. They have teachers for pretty much every instrument you can think of! Best music store in town.

Ellman's Music Center

3.7

(11 reviews)

First rate staff up front and excellent support staff in the back. You can get all your music needs…read moremet at Ellman's. From renting, buying, having your instrument fixed, to taking lessons, they do it all and have years of experience.

I was new in band and I got my trombone in the store to rent which I loved and it was so clean with…read morethat new instrument smell. They got all kinds of instruments and the staff was nice. Although I had a teacher who was mean and wasn't nice. He was nice when you meet him but when you get to know you, he's rude and gives you a attitude and he's the other reason why I quit band. His name was Luke Mallicore or something of his last name. I have a cleft pallet and he always sounded annoyed when I try to explain to him that I can't reach to certain high notes and he tells me not to do something with my mouth even though that's the only way for me to play my trombone. I wouldn't recommend to have classes with him.

A Sound Education

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