Super awesome owner. You rock Gerard! (pun intended) Answered every question I had and made me feel confident in being a beginner. I’ll definitely be back soon! 😀
Very helpful & made time for a new customer 🙂
Very knowledgeable staff, and very friendly!
Cool little used gear shop. They did seem to have some new items, as my friend purchased an amplifier. The employee was nice and knowledgeable.
Great service
Staff is friendly. Nice little selection if you dig around. Unfortunately they are not consistent with purchasing used gear. But always good for a trade.
This place was a rip off. Purchased their 1 month 30 min guitar lessons on Groupon which was $60. I found it weird how Evolution Music was no longer available on Groupon shortly after my sons first day. Went before my 7 yr old started school and Josh still charged me the whole $120 without checking my Groupon and said we could extend his lessons for 3 months instead and was guaranteed my money back ANY TIME. A little later I started facing some personal problems along with my pregnancy and also my son was starting school. The latest lesson I believe is at 3 pm which was cutting it close. I asked for my money back and the manager refused. It really wasn’t even worth it at all. It would’ve been better if it was more than one day a week for a 30 min guitar lesson.
Bad setup.
3. Avondale Music Hall
Address: 3336 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60641 , Avondale , Illinois , United States
How can you not love rocking out to live Led Zeppelin in the neighborhood.
Parking is a bit tight, Blue line is about 20 min away, but that’s not really on the venue.
Crew was pleasant, not sure what the other comments are talking about. They do have more than “one fan” and have central air. It did get a bit hot though.
Stage is simple, not a ton of gimmicks but that’s what you’d expect from a venue of this size.
Drinks are more overpriced than usual about 10 dollars a beer + tip. But you’re at a concert so what can you expect. Bartenders were quick, polite, and friendly.
Overall, good for smaller shows, prob wouldn’t come back unless it’s a band I’d really wanna see due to location from transit.
The venue itself looks decent in my opinion and I was happy about it walking in- also the service & door people were great. The thing that disappointed me was the fact that their audio technician couldn’t set the sound correctly.
For a show I paid $25 a ticket for, the microphones are peaking so bad and obviously way too loud. You didn’t have to be any sort of professional in audio to notice this. And while the show is happening, you could see the sound person not paying attention. Not sure if this is because they aren’t getting paid as much as they want, or if they’re just lazy & don’t care at all. But it truly ruined the whole concert.
Luckily some songs worked because not all the mics were as bad (it’s a rap show, so the mic volume is pretty important) but it was enough to make more than half the songs nearly unlistenable. This is a simple but essential issue to fix & would love to come here again if this was improved. Just let me know when you get someone better & I’ll come back!
(Show was on August 5th, 2023)
Not as bad as I expected from the reviews – decent sound, and not too hot (although the venue was only half-full). I had a bag with me and they didn’t have a coat/bag check, which was surprising – I’m never a fan of a mandatory bag check policy but it’s weird for a venue to not even have the option.
Horrible venue for big artist. Went to see Nardo Wick. Speakers were so trash & kept on cracking making loud bang noises. Dj told them 5 times to fix them & now one in the venue did anything about it.
I’ve been to multiple venues here in Chicago and I was taken aback on how unprofessional the venue staff/owners are, in the pit where the cameramen usually are the venue staff or owners allowed I’m guessing their kids and personal guests to stand there and block the view for multiple people in the actual GA pit, security asked them multiple times to move towards the wall but as expected they rarely complied, one of the girls also got in the way of the artist multiple times and at one point he had to physically move her aside since he was trying to interact with the fans… overall come at your own risk very unprofessional venue
Disgusting staff, so rude. I’m only giving it 2 stars because of the nice male bartender!
4. Chicago Music Exchange
Address: 3316 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60657 , Avondale , Illinois , United States
Great music store. If you have more than $1k+ to spend.
We drive from out of state to go here and it is always worth it. The staff and selection are equally amazing. They also take trade-ins, the staff is dedicated to get you the guitar of your dreams with a budget that works for you.
High, non-negotiable prices, but wide range of products.
Update:
CME did contact me and reimburse me the cost of a professional set up, so I am changing my review. I do want to mention, however, that I had reached out to them about the bass before I left this review and whatever agent I communicated with then ignored my concerns. It was after leaving a poor review here on Google Maps that they reached out to me to address the problem. They also asked me what picks and strings I like and sent some, although it was weird that the strings were not what I requested but guitar strings. But heck it’s a freebie and I do play guitar so it works out.
Purchased a new bass from the CME website. Tons of fret buzz, truss rod was way too tight. Ironically, CME includes a little checklist in the gig bag pocket where the employee dutifully placed a checkmark near relevant items such as “No string buzz”, clearly not actually checked in this case. Checking the truss rod should be the first part of the setup. I have purchased a lot of music gear online, including two used guitars recently from private sellers on Reverb which were in excellent condition. Never have I had an instrument arrive in such poor condition as this brand new bass from CME. I am getting the feeling that CME’s online sales is really just a shipping warehouse, whereas I thought buying from what is supposedly a real music store meant the instrument would get at least a basic check and set up. Their “Professional Quality Certification” checklist, which states “For over 25 years, Chicago Music Exchange has backed all of the gear we sell with our own certification process,” is just marketing BS. If you don’t know how to do your own setups, avoid! Maybe this is why I couldn’t find this bass (Sire V7 Vintage 5string in Ash) with any other sellers in the US. Shipping was fast enough and packing was adequate. Bass seems ok otherwise.
This is a guitarist’s heaven! Beautiful showrooms with a gorgeous collection of stringed instruments.
I, however, am a drummer. Still enjoyed my time here, but had way less to see or play. If you’re looking for drums, go to Vic’s.
Was interested in getting some repair work done on my 72 Gibson SGII.Told repair rep. Phil that I didn’t mind shipping from Florida and that I could pick up the guitar after repairs at my family home 150 miles away from the shop. He told me to send pics via e-mail and he would reply within the week…that was over a month ago. Guessing the guitar and I aren’t worth the courtesy or the 2 minutes it would have taken to respond to my request. Disappointed.
Cool place with an absolutely stellar selection. Where things go south for me are the employees. Out of the 5-6 times I’ve been there I’ve never really had a pleasent interaction one. Out of all the workers I’ve met, which has been about 2-3 per visit, all of them have been somewhat to extremely unhelpful, cold, pretentious, and sort of snobby. All of those things. All the while I was shopping with my sister, who is 10 years old, and had a few questions (she has been playing guitar for a few years)
And upon her asking questions politely, they showed the exact same qualities; flat tone, one word answers, not looking at you while talking, not sharing information on something I’m interested in buying, etc.
The Chicago Music Exchange Employees being super snobby is a joke among my 4 bandmates and I. We instead go to Midwest, RocknRoll Vintage, and Dynamite instead.
I’d expect a place with such a reputation to hire better.
The first time I came here, the guy behind the counter in the drum section wouldn’t let me, my brother, or anyone in the drum section play the drums. There was no one else around, and he wasn’t even on a call with a customer. Not to mention, the drums available for purchase and play were of questionable quality. Two out of the three available for play didn’t even have cymbals, and the snares and toms felt improperly cared for and untuned. I am aware that this store focuses on guitars (I mean, it’s obvious when you examine the guitar to drum stock ratio), but it’s called Chicago *Music* Exchange, so forgive me for expecting a bit higher quality.
5. Old Town School Music Store
Address: 4544 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60625 , Avondale , Illinois , United States
Very attentive and helpful staff! So thankful to have a neighborhood music shop!
Great place , wonderful acoustics. Returned many times .
Great venue. So intimate. I had a great time. Highly recommend, I hope to go again!
this place has many different types of instruments, and the staff are very knowledgeable and kind and will give you an extremely pleasurable experience.
This is a cool little music shop that is hard to notice from the street. They do good work repairing guitars and have a decent selection of secondhand instruments for people on a budget.
I first went into this shop looking for an entry-level classical guitar, but ended up walking out with a higher-tier refurbished guitar for a similar price. They might not be the quickest in terms of turnaround on repairs, but they’re very affordable and attentive letting you try before you buy and making sure that you’re satisfied with your instruments.
Decent selection and prices. Staff is a bit quiet but maybe that’s not a bad thing?
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.
6. Bucket O’ Blood Books and Records
Address: 3182 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL 60618 , Avondale , Illinois , United States
One of the best places in Chicago to pick up vinyl also some of the most helpful staff I ran into
Cool comic selection and friendly staff
Awesome selection of used metal and punk records. Great selection of vintage metal concert t-shirts. Lots of B movie horror stuff. Great selection of used Sci Fi books. Friendly staff.
This appeals to a specific type of nerd: sci-fi metal quy. Great selection of used books and a staff that will worry that you’re making fun when you buy Twisted Sister and nervously laugh about it. Not nearly as scary as the name.
Great used bookstore. Shocked at the excellent selection of graphic novels and comics. Fair prices.
Worst customer service I have ever experienced. The owner is more concerned about being right than addressing customer concerns. There are a lot of great independent bookstores in Chicago that will go the extra mile to help customers. I recommend visiting those and steering clear of Bucket O’ Blood.
I really want to like this place, I do find awesome records, the decor is cool and I do like checking out the horror films too. However, I have a very uncomfortable experience whenever I come here and it has happened more than once so I know it’s not just me over reacting. It’s just that I don’t like being watched when shopping as if I’m going to steal and it’s only because I am a person of color, I wasn’t the only person in the shop either, there were at least five others (all caucasian) but I’m being watched like a hawk and then a customer was even looking at me funny even after I bought a record. It’s just an overall horrible experience and I will no longer come here. Best of luck!
Toooooo expensive,
Not a lot variety with their music.
7. Rock N Roll Vintage & Synth City
Address: 4727 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60625 , Avondale , Illinois , United States
A bunch of little machines that make all sort of beautiful and funny noises 😀
I was lucky to call ahead ask about a pedal that I needed. They were kind to pull it for me as I raced to the store to pick it up as it was a gift…(the last one, too) Thank you!
Love this place. It’s my new happy place. They seem to encourage appointments now which I totally get. I’m a synth guy and they have a small but wonderful collection.
Great layout and selection!
Before I start with this, I want to say that I’ve been incredibly reluctant to leave a review that’s even remotely negative because the guys at the shop were very nice and I felt like the customer service I experienced from Ben in the repair shop was excellent. However, I was ultimately disappointed by the quality of the work performed on my guitar, and that’s all I want to highlight here.
I paid $110 for a fret leveling, $90 for pickup swap, and $9 for a string change for a Squier Classic Vibe baritone Telecaster. I absolutely loved the guitar and thought it was worth splurging on some nicer pickups. There was also some buzzing at certain frets on the higher strings, so they recommended a fret leveling, which I agreed to have done.
When I picked up the guitar, the action was super high and the bridge saddles were raised very high and were lopsided. The fret buzzing was gone, but I wasn’t really able to tell how much work was done on the frets (and which ones). The bridge and pickguard screws were chewed up and a couple of screws were cross-threaded. There was a big gash in the brand new neck pickup, which is frustrating considering that they’re $200 pickups.
There was also a lot of noise and crunching from the new pickups that I didn’t experience with the stock pickups. I wasn’t sure if it was a grounding issue, but I did bring the guitar back in and had it checked out again. I appreciate Ben being willing to do a quick once-over and troubleshoot the issue. He ended up adding some copper tape to the back of the pickguard and recommended that I also rub a dryer sheet across the pickguard if it started to happen again.
Rock N Roll Vintage is the place. I’ve been buying modular synth stuff, and rare guitar parts from here – and finally a vintage guitar. The customer service here is second to none
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
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.
this place has a closet worth of gear.. almost nothing. I think they asked to check my diaper bag because I am not white.. don’t waste your time or money here.
8. Flatts and Sharpe Music Co.
Address: 6749 N Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60626 , Avondale , Illinois , United States
My son started taking drum and piano lessons at Flatts & Sharpe in 2016 when he was only 5 years old. He loves both of his teachers and still takes piano lessons now. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable and they have the BEST teachers!
Very nice worker!! She fixed my violin strings since they were very loose with no charge and even tuned it for me! 10/10 would 100% go there again.
Friendly staff. Fun little old school music shop. Sheet music selection kinda light. Look forward to going back, though. They offer music lessons, too.
My daughter says her Violin instructor is very nice:)
It’s better to walk there, if you’re local; no parking 4 to 6pm….
There’s a pleasant, vintage vibe.
I purchased an antique, vintage trumpet for my 78 year old father to inspire him to play again, he played from age 7 thru mid-20s. I found this store to repair and update the trumpet, my goal was to make it usable and as perfect as possible. After dropping it off, I called to pay for the service and was talked into buying a brand new case by the owner (woman). She seemed friendly and was happy to make a sale, I told her that my father would be driving a long distance, over an hour, to pick up the trumpet & case and that he had had recent surgery, and now a difficult time walking – I specifically asked her to be extra helpful and kind to him due to the nature of his journey to pick up his gift.
What happened when he arrived was the exact opposite. He said the owner was abrupt, and not helpful, so much so she denied having the trumpet mouth piece when it was simply on a counter right in front of both of them, he had to show her where it was. He said it seemed she was trying to rush him and get him out of the store asap. She was preoccupied and didn’t give him the attention needed to do a simple transaction let alone with the extra courtesy I had asked of her. My father told me she was very abrupt and rude to him !
I recommend you do your research before doing business with this owner, After this incident I read reviews on another well known review platform (I know a bit too late!) and saw a post left by a patron mentioning that this woman may be racist – I thought, isn’t that interesting, my father is Hispanic. Makes me wonder!
i couldn’t believe how nasty to me one of the women at this shop was. feel terrible for anyone that has to work around her cause wow! i would’ve come here again as well if not for her!
I bought a couple things and had a setup done here last year. Their selection isn’t great and I needed to re-do the setup after I got it home. It wasn’t *bad*, but nothing was really done. Also, one of my strings broke in the process and they only replaced that one string.
When I called to ask about it because it had a different tone than the rest, they assured me it was just because it was new and that they used the exact same strings. (The bass was also brand new so that didn’t make a lot of sense, but I also didn’t know much about strings at the time so I took their word for it.
I just took my strings off for the first time since then and noticed the string that was replaced had a different color end than it should. (My bass has a string-thru body so it wasn’t apparent before.)
I don’t know why they lied to me about it, but definitely not ever going to go back there or recommend the place to anyone. Sad.
9. Austin Music Center
Address: 6815 W North Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302 , Avondale , Illinois , United States
They are super nice and helpful people. I get my guitar supplies here.
Great staff and service on our newly purchased used alto sax!
Austin Music Center is a great neighborhood music store. It’s like the
Old school ma&pa stores of years gone
by. It has all things musical rite n our
Neighborhood. U no convenience ha ha
And real friendly people 2 accommodate your needs,musically that is. Go check it
Out 4 urself, don’t just take my word 4 it.
Althought u could; my word is better than
Gold Pepople!!! just kiddin. The corner of
Austin&North Ave is where u’ll find this
jewel. Peace b wit y’all. Bye
Doug is a good guy. Not too many string choices, but if you call ahead he can order what you need. Best for elementary and grade school band stuy, but I am happy with my harmonica and ukelele from there.
Great deals
Cheap instruments, overpriced in my opinion.
10. Evolution Music
Address: 1191 Elmhurst Rd, Des Plaines, IL 60016 , Avondale , Illinois , United States
Great shop for all your music gear needs! Excellent selection of used gear and informed staff. Nick was especially helpful. Will definitely be shopping here again.
Nick helped me out with a new tuner I needed for my guitar. He was knowledgeable, helpful, and I would definitely come back. Good place to go.
Walked into the shop and Nick was able to answer all my questions and give me a rundown with efficient service and a nice chat. Definitely recommend stopping by !
