Albany Park – Top 20 places for music shops20 recommended music shops in Albany Park

I had Dan and Roger make me a 7 string guitar based off of my old one using the same neck. The craftsmanship and quality is out of this world. Dan’s attention to detail is amazing and I would 10/10 do it again. I highly recommend them. Overall=Awesome.

Get group of guys work there

Excellent! My 17 year old son and my special needs brother have been taking lessons here for over a year. My daughter started at 9 years then decided to try something else. They were great with both age groups. The owners and staff are friendly and the business has been supportive of the local community! I highly recommend!

He is very caring and patient! My daughter is 10 years old and had never touched a piano prior to her lessons. She is now able to play several songs by memory and is able to sight read a bit! He is fair and honest, a great instructor. We have been taking our daughter to him for the last 7 months but it feels like shes been playing piano for years thanks to his guidance. I highly recommend him.

Sol is an enthusiastic instructor who makes the effort to personalize lessons according to the needs and abilities of his students.

When I called Sol to ask about piano lessons, I told him my goals were to become more familiar with the keyboard and more comfortable improvising. His lessons are structured without being stifling (great sense of humor and story and connection) and address both those goals, moving between scales and technical exercises and a couple of different patterns over which to improvise. He is both encouraging, finding things he likes in the playing, and critical, pointing out one or two things at a time to focus on that need improvement. I’ve been taking lessons with him for three months. I’m improving, and motivated to keep on working.

Sol is a wonderful instructor (and humorist)! I began taking lessons with him after my son began taking lessons before Covid. His passion for music and teaching shines through every time we meet, which has been more than inspirational. Me and many of his students travel long distances to take lessons from him…well worth the drive!

I am also baffled by the rave reviews. It started out well but when my active 14 year old didn’t do all the assignments, Sol asked him if he had a learning disability and if he was on meds. If I had not heard it myself, I wouldn’t have believed it. As an educator, I immediately addressed him. He plays drums well and my son was learning a lot, but he really needs to work on his approach in teaching.

All I can speculate is he must be writing his own reviews. He hasn’t been in this new location very long yet suddenly positive Google+ reviews show up? Regardless, I’m sure he’s a good person but as a drum teacher I was underwhelmed. First, his thick accent made it difficult to understand him. He boasted about how he is very resourceful in finding ways to make money with his music. Perhaps it’s the whole European approach or maybe it’s his native culture but the instruction was sub-par. He also brags about how he can play piano and, look, I’ll prove it by playing for you now! I came for a drum lessons not to listen to someone tinkle the ivories. As I said before, I’m sure he’s a good person and this is not an attack on his character but as a drum teacher I’ll have to say, “No thanks.”

Buying stuff from the Old Town School’s store supports the School–a not-for-profit organization that supplies jobs to musicians and music to Chicago and beyond. It’s just my opinion, but your purchases at this place reach way beyond the bottom line of for-profit enterprise. Plus, Old Town has great service, a fine inventory and it also happens to be the largest community music school in the world. Full disclosure, I’ve worked there since 1979 but I also just picked up a brand new Fishman Loudbox 120 and it’s fantastic!

Great place , wonderful acoustics. Returned many times .

Great place to get music equipment

Good selection of Martin guitars, sometimes sale pricing.

Great place with VERY helpful, experienced music loving volunteers, and great talent! This is the third time I have seen Peter and Jeremy, the second time here. I sat with a friend and his friend upstairs in the upper balcony, which did still have good views and sound. Unfortunately, though, there is a metal ‘fence’ at each end of the balcony, and it should be a little wider, since it makes it harder to get to the seats, if you’re ‘well endowed’, as I am.

I enjoyed the venue. It has an intimate feel without being crowded. The bar is fairly small, but has good prices. Would definitely consider this venue when looking for a concert again.

After being told I could have my 45 year old dulcimer restrung same day, I arrived, instrument in hand, to find out that it could only happen the following day. So again on day 2, I spent an hour on local Chicago transit – $10 – and returned to have the counter person tell me that they would not be able to do the work. He claimed he’d called me.
Turns out he called (leaving no message) minutes before I arrived at the store.
If you plan on doing anything more than buying an instrument, make sure you are dealing with an adult who has a grip on customer service.

Super nice, took care of a problem with my guitar quick and cheap

Brought my guitar in to have the frets leveled. Dropped it off Friday, had it back Sunday and it’s playing the best it ever has

Really cool selection of vintage gear. The gentleman working there was patient helping me look through their selection of pickups. I found a very reasonable deal on some p-90s. They also helped my friend get a modestly priced audio interface. They played bon Scott Era AC /DC on a record player the whole time I was there, so I was very happy.

Good service and will purchase marketable vintage goods..

Great layout and selection!

There are better places to go in the area for musical instruments and accessories, but this place has everything you would expect from a guitar shop. Be aware of their hours as I have tried to stop by on the way to or from work to find that they were closed.

This shop charges ridiculous prices for gear and a lot of it isnt even serviced they are hoping the hipster musicians with mommy and daddys money can pay these stupid prices if you want to get ripped off go ahead!

I love their inventory whether it be guitars or pedals, some nice amps here and there; but I hate ordering through them. I like to support the local shops and i know they all charge msrp for things( they gotta make a buck) but when you have to wait 2 weeks for your order you paid in full up front…come on man. I might as well have ordered anywhere online for cheaper;5 days tops.

Pésimo. He ido a comprar una guitarra Seagull que estaba en la página web activa y no la tenían. Además la atención de los dependientes fue pésima por no decir que no era “atención” si no despachar a la gente, que por cierto no había gente.
It sucks

my new favorite shop in town! Brian’s a killer dude with the gear & the shop to match. a cool selection of unique vintage with some more common gear for all types of musicans. I’ll be back many more times. thanks bud.

Great guitar store. Rare guitars and amps. Good prices!

Really nice shop. Great and unique selection of vintage gear: synths, guitars, basses, amps. Even records. Stop in and check it out.

One of the best record stores in the city! David’s a pretty great guy and they also have a great selection of records that aren’t usually found at other stores. there’s truly a bunch of top of the line finds here! I’d definitely recommend checking this store out.

I stopped through with a couple of friends! The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, I highly recommend at least swinging by to check out the wares and vibes alike.

Awesome store for vinyl. New and old school. If you didnt find it, they will for you. Super nice guys

Legendary record store. Love everything about this spot. No better place to shop for your jazz. Great selection of both new and original pressings from the common to the incredibly rare.

The founder and original owner, Bob, unfortunately just passed away recently but his son Bob Jr. carries on his legacy and runs an outstanding shop.

He knows everything about jazz and blues, he is incredibly friendly, kind and an absolute joy to interact with anytime I drop by.

I even stopped in once with my 6 year old daughter in tow and he set her up with a keyboard to play on (and even showed her a few notes) while I flipped through a couple bins.

Seriously, I’d give this place 6 stars if Google would let me.

Classic

What a treasure!!!!! You must come here for blues and jazz when you are in town!!! Bob knows!!!!!!!!

Good selection but better stories from Bob!

Excellent old school jazz and blues vinyl shop. Lots of used CDs too.

History in a store. Plus check out a tour at blues museum

I hired Sound Vault Studios to record my own record after being brought in to drum on an album session. I was very pleased with the drum sound we were able to get in Studio A. The studio is modern, comfortable and clean. It’s well equipped with cool gear – both classic and state of the art. A nice mix for creating.

I worked with Engineer Andrew Christopoulos; a very talented and knowledgeable engineer and, as it turns out, an amazing songwriter. He’s got great ears and great, creative instincts. He was my recording engineer and mixed my album at Sound Vault as well.

All this reminds me that I need to book some more time there for my new stuff..

honestly had a really good experience and they will take care of your music no questions asked i will be back again !!

They did great mixing on my project.

I tracked cello here and paid to have some of my stuff left in storage. Antonio the engineer was great, but the equipment and software is old and patched up. Mark the owner constantly disrupted our sessions. He also made me feel uncomfortable with I thought were pretty racist statements about the hip-hop act in the next room. This place, by prior reviews is pretty sketchy about recording copyrighted work, and trademark infringement. Also notice the good reviews here are from the owner and employees of the studio. Also notice that 1 and 2 star reviews have been removed. Mystery Street Recording company in Lakeview is a MUCH better place. I won’t come back to Sound Vault Studios.

Great independent music shop with cool folks. Avoid McGuitar Center and come here instead.

The owner is a great guy who pays really well for trade ins. He works with you on the price of whatever you’re interested in and has a great selection.

This is an awesome place with great guys that will do anything to help people get what there looking for and give them great deal on music gear.

Their gear and prices are good. I saw a few used Les Pauls going for good prices. I also saw a Rockerverb and a Dual Rectifier. However, their store needs to be renovated and their website needs more detail. There is barely anything on their web site. It is time to upgrade. I could have saved a trip, if it had its inventoey online. I would give it five stars, if it was renovated and had a more detailed web site.

Great prices, very knowledgeable owners and sales, small but great access to anything you need..
Great place for new Guitarists

Drove over here for the shop to be closed on Wednesdays since nothing on their site or on maps has been updated. I’ll update this review if I’m able to go but please keep your stuff up to date so you don’t have people spending time only to have to turn around.

Disappointed that they closed earlier than what is writen on the door. Drove through traffic for nothing. Call first before coming if its 2 hours before closing. 2 stars because I wasted my time. Decent prices though. You’ll never know what you can find.

This used to be my favorite spot. I bought a Riviera there a few months ago, a G&L ASAT about a year before that and a 70’s Twin Reverb there a couple years ago. Loved the place, cool down to earth rock and roller types who don’t mind stopping in back for a smoke. They actually MOVE gear too, it won’t be the same pieces every time you drop in! Now, I’m the type of guy who almost has his mind made up before stepping in the door so I just stop by for a few minutes specifically to buy something with cash in hand, not a tire kickin small talker, perfect customer, right?

Well, not anymore, not after what happened today.

I went in two days ago and found a synthesizer (cz3000) and made up my mind to buy it. But, I figured I’d see what they’d give me on a trade in for a nice keyboard I don’t use (Roland D50) and asked. One of the fellas said “yeah, we used to sell those used for 4 to six hundred but you have to come back Monday when the owner is here”

Cool, so I extend my rental car one more day, grab a few hundred bucks out of the ATM so I can buy the Casio even if they don’t want the D50, and make the trek up from West Town. I walk in, the same fella points me towards the owner. He says “are you looking to sell? I don’t really do these keyboards anymore” …even though there’s about 10 in the store. I say “well maybe a trade in or cash” He instructs me to put the keyboard on an amp to show him then says, naturally, “How much you looking for” …well, it’s 2015 and the only way to gauge market value of synths is eBay so I casually said “um, they go for 4 to 600 on eBay” expecting to reply with the standard I can only sell it for such and such low ball offer, which would have been okay with me cause I liked the place.

His response: ” I don’t want to even look at it, get it out of here” walks away and yells “I won’t give you ten ****ing dollars” then continues “I’m ****ing sick of this eBay ****.”

I didn’t ask for that, didn’t even commit to selling, I really just wanted the Casio at the slightly high price they had on it so I wouldn’t have to risk craigslist or shipping damages from buying online. So I just picked up my heavy D50 and walked out without playing his juvenile “who’s the bigger man” type of game. I’m upset I always recommended this place all my musician buddies but oh well, it is what it is.

Avante Garde was an awesome experience. I really enjoyed my time with them.

Avant-Garde is a solid outfit! My daughter really enjoyed her lessons and her playing has improved tremendously!

We have enjoyed the flexibility of in-person and zoom piano lessons. Through Avant Garde our son has expanded his enjoyment of music starting with piano and now exploring drums, and guitar.

As an artist who uses songwriting, performance and studio time to clear my mind and heal my spirit, I must say, Beat Box Entertainment has certainly been my musical sanctuary and career launchpad. During the spring of 2021, I was able to share my vision with Producer Ignit, discuss the ideas for 6-9 songs, explore concepts and goals for the project brand and audience, and, most importantly, brainstorm touring ideas.

For an entire year, we collaborated, shared ideas, recorded songs, I wrote hits while Ignit produced them into BANGERS, I also rehearsed and built connections nationwide. The hard work that I invested in my artistry, music and tour led to a number of successful achievements. The brand and music tour received an invitation to perform at Harvard University alongside the Promiseland to meet Rick Ross and discuss the Model Therapy Music Tour where music meets mental health! We even brought the Tour to Chicago on Black Friday of 2022 at the Red Room Comedy Club and made it a night to remember!

To Ignit and the Beat Box Entertainment Team, thank you from a place way deeper than the bottom of my hear for being the musical safe haven I needed during Covid to collect my thoughts to make the good music, plan the vision, and give me the strength and courage to test it all out once the world reopened.

10/10 recommend for any artist with an idea and a dream!

Hayward is the most talented videographer I’ve worked with.

Took my vision, brought it to life and exceeded my expectations. Such a smooth process without all the back and forth that I’ve dealt with in the past.

Booked him last may, and shot 4 or 5 videos since.

You won’t disappointed

Amanda MacMillan is seriously the best artist out there! She made me my first BOOK COVER and words can not describe how outstanding her work is. So detailed, so patient, and willing to do exactly what you want. Not only is her work phenomenal but her character is amazing to work with. I adore her!

Only place I I want to be at!

Heaven!

It’s hard not to get caught up in the acoustic room or the main room with all the new guitars. I recently purchased a Taylor for my son and the guys at the store were BEYOND helpful. They even gave me a good deal by covering taxes, stringing up the bad boy, and giving me a free set of strings. Mind you, I was getting a very expensive guitar… so maybe that’s why. Screw Guitar Center, this is where it’s at.

Tienda mitica donde puedes encontrar todos los instumentos que buscas.

Great place for high end and boutique gear. If you are looking for something more garden variety, there’s not a lot here. Really nice stuff and great staff. Kind of busy, parking is difficult.

Cool place lot of expensive guitars but customer service and service there is quite rude it’s worth it to check it out

Amazing selection, dropped a star because I couldn’t try any drums (but that looks like it’ll change soon)

Google is tough. Character limit is harsh. The gist? CME sold my customer ordered, deposit made guitar to someone else. No phone calls to me, no contact of any sort.

Before I say anything else, I truly wish I was writing the complete opposite of this. I am so jealous of the positive reviews, the people that had a good experience, and those that will shop again at Chicago Music Exchange. Sadly, I get to be a part of the one percent that was treated like absolute and utter garbage at the end. I wish I got to sit here and write a glowing review of the new Nash guitar S63 that I wanted so badly—but that just isn’t the case sometimes. I’m not sure how this review is going to come across, so maybe use it as a guideline of how not to let yourself be treated. Here is a timeline of my experience with Chicago Music Exchange.
September 2018 – I initiated contact with Chicago Music Exchange through the online portal, I was connected to a salesman. I spoke of my interest in a Nash S63, rosewood neck in Lake Placid Blue over Three Tone Sunburst. I have a maple neck Strat and I have wanted a LPB with rosewood ever since I saw Jimmy Page play it on the DVD for How the West Was Won. The salesman and I traded some comments and questions, and I asked him to work me up a price. He came with a few days later after consulting with the special orders department. On 9/22 he sent me a sales order with the specs and I called him the following afternoon, per his request, to put down a deposit of $1250 in line with company policy. We had a very pleasant conversation on the phone and he told me three to five month lead time. Sounded great to me, this was my first custom guitar purchase and, as a result, I wanted to do it right. I asked for no price breaks and did not care about the lead time. This was going to be my guitar and I was willing to wait for it.
Feb 1st – I sent the original salesman an email that morning. He was so professional and pleasant, it was supposed to be a great day for me. Well, as I left work, I had not received an email. Alarm bells go off. So I called Chicago Music Exchange shortly before their closing time. Immediately understood this was not going to be what I thought. Here is a short list of the phone calls over the next five days.
Feb 1 PM – Call and am informed immediately that my salesman doesn’t work there anymore. No problem, that’s how it goes. Manager tells me he needs a few days to figure out and that he would take control of the situation and call me first thing Monday. I immediately called my friend and told him that I think they sold my guitar to someone else.
Feb 4th – No one calls me first thing Monday. I call Chicago Music Exchange around 3 pm, I am told by the manager that was going to “take full control” that he had passed it off to someone else and they would call me. They didn’t. I called back a few hours later and the inventory manager tells me he has bad news. My custom ordered, deposit made, five month lead time guitar had been sold to someone else.
Feb 6th – Two days later, I have to call Chicago Music Exchange yet again to get answers. No one has called me. No one has explained anything to me. The inventory manager was in some sort of meeting when I called, around 3 pm. I am told that perhaps, just perhaps they could get the guitar to me in a minimum of four weeks but there would be no price difference. They didn’t have lots of sway at Nash as it was put to me. I called back at 5:30 and am told by the Bass Guru Sales Manager that he had been “paging” the other manager for two hours and didn’t get any response. Paging? Is this 2002 all over again? I stop this manager mid sentence and tell him I want my money back. He says OK and hangs up on me. I kid you not, I had to call back and give this rude guy my bank info so he could process my return.

sucked bad never again will i go to this shop.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS. Purchased a Boss TU-3W from them via Amazon. They listed a NEW PEDAL. I received a USED PEDAL. Battery was connected, cut tape seal on box, no plastic over pedal, no warranty card, no manual.

Do not buy anything from these leech like sellers. You just get hosed.

Everything about this place is incredible… Nice space, dope people, I fucc with this Studio madd hard.

A great place and helpful staff and it’s always clean!

The homie is there so I know its the spot. He’s chitowns finest.

Do not work with Marcus! He is very unprofessional and he lack the energy that you need from an engineer! 10/10 DO NOT RECOMMEND!

Terrible when it comes to communication and down right don’t care about their clients with how they chose to respond.

Marcus was the worst engineer I’ve ever worked with! He rushes his work and doesn’t put forth his best efforts. I would never recommend him, honestly!