Very welcoming expansive and neat environment…read more Although they have a thriving on line business the retail store is exceptional. And it has a "museum" feel for any aspiring guitarist. No attitude either.One can audition a $10,000 instrument with no hesitation... Well worth the trip here even if one is just "browsing"..

Have amps listed with undisclosed replaced parts. Have a 1961 tremolux listed which is actually a…read more1960 with a 1981 silverface Schumacher power transformer in lieu of the correct 8160 triad. They also have a Harvard listed with an undisclosed non original output transformer you can see the super long lead which is green and yellow. CAVEAT EMPTOR AND AVOID

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.

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!!!

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!

Update March 2025: It took about 7.5 months, but I have the…read moreinstrument back and in great shape (action and intonation all fixed). Although the experience was frustrating overall, manager Charlie and two sales associates whose names I didn't catch went FAR above and beyond to make this right. I appreciate their care and transparency.

Placed an order on reverb for a guitar. Next day seller cancelled due to the item already having…read morebeen sold. Meanwhile I already bought a hardshell case and accessories elsewhere.

Geoff is great. 1920's Gibson mandolin? Now it is an instrument thanks to Geoff Benge. And his…read moreguitar work is best in the city.

Been playing for many years and I am very particular about how the work on my instrument. In my…read moreexperience his work is of the highest quality. He's done significant repair work for me as well as set-ups, both were done to exceptionally well. He is the best.

I went to get my old guitar fix and they did an excellent job. Price was reasonable. Sales person…read morewas friendly. Would go back if my other guitar needs fixing.

Steve, one of the owners that I explained my amp repair to at the front desk, took time to…read moreunderstand my request to get my Fender "Evil" Twin that I've owned for 30 years up and running again. I did some restoration to the wood and a few pots fell off when I removed the electronics. So, it was literally in pieces when I dropped it off. It had other issues they fixed too! It was in one piece when I picked it up and it sounds and works amazing. They also had a detailed invoice of the work and took the time to explain what they did. They also did a setup on my Martin DC-16RGTE that I've had for 16 years. It plays perfectly now. Probably better than when I bought it. Steve even did a small tweak for me on the spot based on my action preference. Great customer service. 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.

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.