Exclusive selection: The top 20 music shops of Lakewood

Sadly don’t live in the area anymore, and was thinking how much I wish I could just call Piano Trends to get my French horn cleaned as it is due! My family has gone to Piano Trends since I was a child and they’ve always been brilliant. Hoping my new horn servicer can live up to the high expectations that Tim and co have set!

I was looking for a good, inexpensive used upright piano, and they have a boatload of them. If you don’t find what you want, they’ll take you to the warehouse and show you more — although it’s a bit difficult to try playing the ones in the warehouse. They didn’t try to sell me more piano than I needed or wanted. They provided truly personalized service. They really seem to care about developing a long-term relationship with customers.

Very kind and helpful, great products, responds fast, great prices, great costumer service!

Very nice selection.

Friendly service. A wonderful local business.

Worst place ever. Waist of time and money. I would not recommend this place. Stay away from this place.

Bought a beautiful piano paid cash … husband walked out needed money for kids paid piano trends to sell for me they refused to answer or send money I even paid for them to pick up in same town for 300. Now and then they refuse to respond to me

Always Olivia is a great show! Annie Aiello’s tribute to Olivia Newton John is entertaining and authentic without being campy. The band is so talented, the video and production value is top notch and Annie’s true respect and love of Olivia’s music shines through! Must see!

Amazing singer and band. Fun show for all ages!!

Amy is a wonderful music teacher and I would highly recommend her! She has spent time with us for voice, piano and guitar lessons.

Patient, kind, comfortable. Ms. Amy’s Studios is the place you go to learn a new instrument and have the warm, nurturing environment to do it in. She teaches kids and adults alike, has a wonderful teaching manner and a great methodology. Her knowledge of music is rooted in passion, and her lessons get you energized for the week ahead of practicing. I highly encourage you to check her out – you won’t be disappointed!

Ms Amy is a great teacher! She knows how to help students achieve their musical goals. She teaches in an easygoing way that makes it fun!

I bought a trumpet from PJLA Music a PHAETON Trumpet PHT-2040 Black Chrome Onyx plated finish with 24 K Gold Plated finger buttons, top/bottom caps & water keys. I have been playing trumpet for 40 years and I have never had a better horn then this. I got it and starting playing and it played freely and was open and the horn allowed me to do as i wished with it and truly went over the top with its performance.. Thank you for my Horn!

Wanting to surprise my husband for his retirement, I took his high school trumpet in for cleaning and repair. It looked great when I picked it up! Harry’s service was great and his associate, Anya was super helpful.

The service was excellent, quick and efficient.

I love this place! I’ve bought instruments from them, I have sold instruments to them, I am now taking lessons from them. I have been in music since the 1960s and this is the best place I have found for the simple reason that it is family owned and operated. And they make you feel like family.

Friendly staff that answered all my questions

Everyone is pretty nice, but I don’t like that you can’t reschedule the lessons after 10am

Never again buying from this shop.

Here’s the story: I purchased a guitar through Reverb. It arrived while I was out of town, and when I finally got home and plugged it in to play, I found that only the bottom pick up works. I cleaned it up a bit, bought a new cord, and tried again. Still no luck.

I brought it to my local tech to do a tune up, thinking maybe it was just some dust or dirt from shipping. I got it back and it’s still not playing other than the bottom pickup. The tech even said he took out the input jack and that the wiring there was fine, so it must be something within the wiring of the guitar/pick ups. Nothing in the description mentioned anything wrong with the pickups or the guitar. “100% ready to play!”

Considering I travel for work and my tech isn’t the fastest guy in the world, this whole ordeal took place over a few weeks. I’m not out playing every night or anything like that. Admittedly, this was a little long, but I didn’t think it was crazy to address this issue. Even clothing stores have 60 day policies. BUT when I contacted the shop they just said “too bad, we sent it to you several weeks ago.” So now I’m left with a guitar with one functioning pick up. Terrible customer service from a small business.

My instructor Jim was outstanding I would learn with him anywhere, anytime. The school itself is a different story. After my last lesson I told the owner I would call to schedule my next lessons. Unfortunately health issues prevented me from calling. The owner still charged me $180 for two lessons. I called and asked why I was charged and she said too bad, that’s your time slot and you missed your lessons. Not a very good way of doing business, especially for a veteran owned business. I will never leave my credit card on file again.

Mr. Choin,
Please do not address my behavior, I have acted in a most honorable manor for a person who had $180 dollars stolen from them. I am afraid you have been given miss information from an “employee” who I can only guess is your mother. I respect you for taking family’s word over that of a stranger, but that is where my respect ends.

If you had played a particularly great USO show in the Army and your commanding officer approached you with praise stating he was going to put up for a commendation or a promotion, but you did not hear anything for a month. Would you assume you were promoted and wear the higher insignia? I think not.

This situation is no different. The last time I was there I told Janet “I would call to schedule my next lesson”. When I did not call there is no lesson scheduled, not implied, not intimated, not suggested. Jim was not there specifically for me, he has had lessons before I was there for my lesson and he had a student immediately after my lesson. When I did not schedule a lesson with him, that time was free-time for him. He could have left and gone for coffee.

The partial refund of $60 by Janet, when I called and very respectfully requested a full refund, indicated that she knew she was wrong for charging me in the first place. Your reviews are very clear, this is a pattern with her of taking money with out rendering services and this practice must stop.

I thank you for your service to our country but obviously the Army band did not prepare you to serve the country or community honorably. For that I am sorry

Extremely heartless employee named Janet and horrible cancellation policy. In short, my daughter developed a 104 fever and all we wanted was to make up the missed class. The owner told me she didn’t care, which is heartbreaking to hear when my 7 year old is sick and suffering. I am all for policies but when a child gets sick at 4pm it is unacceptable?! Kids have to be sick by 10am-with our current world many would appreciate keeping a sick child at home. All I wanted was a chance to explain and share my point but she cut me off and raised her voice and said she simply didn’t care. We have been attending the Music Barn for over a year with great attendance so it was unfortunate to hear the disregard for my child.

By far the best pawn shop I’ve ever been to! Super friendly staff, great prices, well organized, and all items are in good condition! Great for musical instruments/accessories, tech, tools, and tons more!

This store has so many hidden treasures ! Tons of musical instruments, equipment, tools, jewelry, electronics etc etc. Eddie and all the guys are wonderful and knowledgeable, they know something about everything they have in store. I recommend friends & family to stop in for a great deal, you never know what you will find. Ron.

The staff here is so hospitable and fair. Highly recommend them for selling and buying.

Very nice and friendly. Lots of neat things

Traded a wii and 20$ for an I pod touch and the wifi connection did not work on the I pod

I wouldn’t sell instruments here. Expect to be low balled on offers, especially over not having guitar strings on a guitar. Trading post owner said people like to add their own gear onto the guitars when I sold 2 previous guitars to them but big Al’s wanted me to spend 10 dollars on strings to give me 5 more dollars on a used guitar so he wouldn’t have to “fix it up” when he finally accepted a higher price all of a sudden the shop was closing and he no longer wanted them. Take your business elsewhere. Avoid lazy middlemen who don’t know much about instruments.
Edited to 1 star after calling Sam Ash music center and receiving a much better deal after they took their time to inspect the guitar, look up the model information instead of giving the guitar a 2 second glance over and telling me 30 dollars straight up without even knowing the guitar model. An Ibanez montage MSC550 used does not sell for 30 dollars, even without strings. Reverb shows previous sales for much higher.

Please take a second look at all the 5 star reviews, especially the last few reviews. Eddy is boosting his reviews with false reviews from friends and family to boost his business on Google. There are many red flags with this business. Please, please consider shopping elsewhere or selling your items to more credible businesses. Many of the reviews on here do not sound credible and many of the authors only have a few reviews and are not trustworthy.

Brought in a 10k gold pin. , worker said it was 10k gold fill and tossed it back to me. I said test it he did ,it was gold. And not filled. Not to mention the antique value of the item. Is worth more than it weighs. He didn’t even consider it. , not professional dealers ,just guys taken advantage of people.

Great place Jimmy is too cool!!!

Great place, good prices and Jimmy is a super nice guy.

Jimmy is a really nice guy. Great selection of musical instruments. The teachers are all very good at their crafts. I highly recommend this store.

Was able to get a specific part for my high hat stand saving me the hassle of driving out to guitar center in Algonquin so that was nice.

Horrible service, I walked in and felt un-welcomed and more of a nuisance to the person working there, who seemed to have a huge ego.

Great store. Very nice people. I was surprised at how inexpensive their GHS bass strings were, as I hadn’t bought new ones for my bass for 15 years. Will recommend to friends.

The staff is second to none. I would definitely buy from MDS again. The owner went out of his way to purchase a hard to find specialty item for me that was just what I was looking for. I can’t say enough about the service here.

I live right down the road and saw their store on my way home from work. Stopped in for some picks and to look around. They have a huge variety of stuff in stock for such a small shop, prices comparable to Amazon/Musicians Friend etc.. and both people there (wish I got the Lady and Gentleman’s name) were incredibly friendly. I will definitely go here the next time I need something. Support people like this!

Seller has ghosted for several days when asked to refund. Instrument was sent off after I asked for refund due to instrument taking days to ship and when i saw it still did not ship (I ordered a different flute from different seller and I received that one fast-within a week) so I requested a refund. Well, the instrument was shipped AFTER requesting refund (meaning dont send it anymore just return money back to account). Instrument is now back in their hands after I asked seller to provide label (took days to get that label too). 3 days have passed. No communication, no flute, and no refund. Avoid this experience as it is not a pleasant one for me. One month fighting this horrible experience

Legitimately told you a price then followed it up with a cheaper price if “you take it home today”.

I’m sure this place is great but I wish I didn’t have to make an appointment just to look around. Not a great business strategy in my opinion.

Buddy’s a good dude! Ive picked up several guitars and amps from him over the years. His prices are really fair and hes fair on the prices when he buys gear. Its a one stop shop! Great customer service and they know thier business!!

Have had an awesome experience for gutair lessons in Mchenry County. Everyone is friendly and helpful. The pricing is very reasonable. 5 stars!

Dr Wood’s Guitar Emporium in Fox River Grove is a fabulous family run neighborhood music store. Their customer service is second to none, and the owner Buddy Wiegelmann has years of experience, not only as a music store operator, but has a touring rock and blues guitarist. He is a great teacher for guitar players of all ages and levels of experience. His vast knowledge and unassuming personality is a wonderful combination. I recently had my expensive custom built guitars worked on there, and I couldn’t be more pleased. I definitely recommend them to everyone!

A very helpful and knowledgeable staff. A relaxed atmosphere with some really great looking guitars.

Very friendly, asked for advice on a project gave great direction. I will definitly come back to give them my business.

Buddy is an expert musician. His advice, insights, and customer service are worth the visit. I support this local shop because they offer value that I can’t get from the web or a large chain.

I debated posting a review or not, but I think I should if it’ll keep someone from having a bad experience. First off, the employees are super kind people. Couldn’t be happier with the staff. But unfortunately the work I received on my guitar was really poor. Took a guitar there, first time bringing them one of my instruments. Was told I could expect a turnaround in under a week. Ended up waiting almost 2 months. Honestly not a big deal, happens a lot with instrument repair. Got the guitar back. Took it out to play it and the truss rod cover is missing. Find it in the case and put it on. Turn the volume knob, it falls off. Have to spread the top of the pot and reinstall it. Start playing and there’s a weird oscillating noise from the amp. Find the output jack totally loose, have to take off the cover and tighten it. Screws for the cover are stripped in the body. This is a new guitar by the way. Notice the G string sits higher off the neck than all the others, very noticeably. Figured they would fix this when doing a setup but I guess not. Had to file the saddles out myself. Should have just done the job myself at this point. Ended up taking the guitar apart to make sure the wiring wasn’t as bad as the assembly and setup. Got it playing good now, but after paying for someone else to do it and then having to do it myself, it wasn’t worth it. I figured the extra time taken would have meant it was 100% ready to go when they called but apparently not. This was a mid range guitar so I’m not terribly upset about it, but if it was something really nice I would have definitely been upset. Take this into consideration before dropping off your favorite axe. Hope they learn to slow down and do quality work.

I called 45 minutes before they closed and was there about 25 to 30 minutes before they closed to get a guitar pick the lady with a dog looked at me walking out locked the door and got into her car and left mind you there was still about like I said 25 to 30 minutes left so if you’re gonna close at 8:30 put it on your page on Google that closing is at 8:30 and I’m still gonna buy a pick tomorrow because you’re the closest but that will probably be the last time I’m there and I will be returning the saxophone either Friday or the third

Its a long story. In the end it was a bad experience.

I think if I didn’t check up with them things could have been much worst.

I’m not doing any business with them and advise the same.

I can honestly say that Mrs. Villec is one of the most patient, compassionate and talented music teachers I have ever known. Our kids benefited tremendously from her amazing skills. She has a unique ability to instill confidence and bring out the best in every student that she works with. I would highly recommend her studio to anyone with a child interested in music (voice and/or instruments). You will not be disappointed!

My son’s been taking piano lessons for 5 years and violin for 2. Great teachers and prices. Very happy and highly recommend

Music Makers…for Life makes learning music fun! Children are motivated to practice and do well by the opportunity to earn “music money” which they can then spend in the “Music Store” on small toys, bags, t-shirts, etc. Music Makers offers lessons in all instruments, including voice, for everyone from ages 2-3 up through adult. Mrs. Villec even offers a special, fun summer camp where children create and produce their own TV show which is then live-streamed on the internet!

This was my first time here. The staff was friendly as well as helpful. Would definitely recommend friends and family to go here.

Store has a lot of guitars and everything you’ll ever need for playing your guitar. For those who play another instrument, don’t worry, they’ve got you covered as well. Might want to avoid the normal ‘busy hours’ that would apply to almost any store. You can always call ahead just in case you’re not sure. The sales reps will spend plenty of time helping you out, and they’re very knowledgeable. Great environment also. I’m like a kid in a ‘candy store ‘ there! I’ve bought a very nice Gibson Les Paul 50’s Standard there, as well as other items such as a very nice pair of headphones for late night practice.

I needed a mic. Talked with Carlos- answered everything I asked and they had everything I neeed.

Good prices

Took a little bit of time to get someone’s attention for help. When we did, it seemed like he was handling two or three things at once. The place looked a little unorganized. It could use some house keeping. I don’t know if this is normal for this place or is it just short handed like a lot of businesses.

Very friendly, supportive staff. The Manager Jonathan was very helpful in ordering the items we needed that weren’t in stock. Will shop there again.

Some old staff guy decided to stare at my girlfriend and my friend while I played on a drum set for a good 15 minutes, then decided to follow us around the store?!? When I tried to check out and buy a cord, I attempted to engage in friendly conversation three times and he just shuffled down on his station. It was incredibly uncomfortable, and I over all hated that experience!
All of the other staff I have never had an issue with, but an old, bald manager following around a bunch of kids who are purely having fun playing music is not cool.
1 star earned respectfully

Very small store and no interactive DJ gear set up.

3 times and the same absent service, no idea about products when I asked specs, and the few times I did get someone they talk as if the sentences they say are all they know. Where’s a real conversation? Or honest knowledge? Every time I go there, no one is in the recording live sound area, I have to go grab someone from another department that doesn’t know anything in that department. And the process are becoming way over priced in compared to competors. I won’t go to this location again, and I’ll be sure to let friends know my experience. I’ve been to guitar centers across the country and this one far is the worst. And it’s not just one experience.

Since I can’t reply like the “owner can” I’ll edit my post to say this, look at all the other low rated reviews, all are saying exactly the same thing, why do I need to email you about what everyone else is saying?

Dave maintained an open line of communication and kept me updated on his incoming shipping status for the Eastman I looked high and low to find. Excellent customer service.

Dave is outstanding. Listens to what you want and let’s YOU decide.

I worked with Dave over the phone to buy an Eastman guitar. He was a pleasure to work with. The guitar came shipped in the case with very good foam padding between the guitar case and the shipping box. Would have no problem recommending Dave and this shop to anyone.