New Vintage Strings played at our wedding (4/25/21) and we couldn’t be happier. Jeremy, Emily & co. showed up early and were ready to play. We were running a little behind schedule (like most others do) and NVS were extremely accommodating. Every interaction from picking music to going over time lines was stress free. We danced our first dance to a song they played and it was perfect in so many ways. Our family and friends enjoyed listening to them work. We highly recommend reaching out to New Vintage Stings for your next event. You won’t be disappointed.
Wow! Wow! Wow! This quartet played for our wedding brunch reception during the pandemic. They were easy to work with and played the most beautiful music for our guests. I was not a picky bride, so I didn’t even give them any songs that needed to be played. They came up with the most perfect songs! I would highly recommend them for any event where you want happy musicians who love what they do while playing beautiful and fun music!
New Vintage Strings was the perfect touch to our daughters wedding! The guests were entertained beautifully throughout the ceremony and then into the cocktail reception. It was an easy decision to go with the full quartet and Jeremy was a delight to work with. I highly recommend New Vintage Strings!
3. Music Group Fragile
Address: 911 Thornwood Ct, St. Charles, IL 60174 , Lily Lake , Illinois , United States
Da Capo offers conservatory trained teachers in flute, piano, and guitar. The level of professionalism here is seldom matched in the western suburbs.
Students are taught proper technique and musicianship in a fun and creative environment. (guitarists learn to read music, which is rare) Recital and other performance opportunities are available often.
My family has been attending Da Capo for more than 5 years and we are extremely pleased with our progress. Highly Recommended!
My daughter has been a piano student at DaCapo for 6+(?) years. Kristin is a phenomenal teacher! She is patient and kind but firm when needed. She has built up my daughter’s confidence so much. I am amazed at her piano playing abilities. Kristin constantly challenges her to push further. As a result, my daughter has played (and won) at the Granquist competition in Geneva; she has played at community events; and she is now playing in duets and small groups – not just as a solo piano player. Da Capo strives to provide a fun, professional learning environment that achieves results. I would highly recommend them!
My daughter has been taking piano at Da Capo for five years, and our experience with Da Capo could not be any better. Kristin is an excellent teacher, and my daughter loves taking lessons from her. She is very professional and caring. Highly recommend!
My son walked out and started crying never wanting to go back. 🙁 he said the teacher was mean and too strict. It was his first lesson ever. Loosen up lady he’s 10
I brought up the fact to a “manager” that I was charged a late fee for lessons that hadn’t happened yet. I was reasonable and calm in tone. Late fees should be charged if the bill isn’t paid after delivery of goods. That’s how a business works. I tried dropping the issue multiple times after he explained the late fee, but he kept on fighting me to the point where I was just trying to walk away and he was accosting me on the way out. It’s a shame because my instructor was really good. Great instructors and Kristin one of the admin is great, but otherwise hostile admin.
5. Musicians Discount Store
Address: 27990 N Converse Rd ste a, Island Lake, IL 60042 , Lily Lake , Illinois , United States
Great store. Amazing guitar selection and knowledgeable staff.
Very helpful and they carry Idiotbox!
Very friendly and knowledgeable
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.
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
Horrible experience. They don’t care about their customers. First, took 4-5 business days to ship. Then product was defective but they said it was fine. Returned the product and had to fight to get a refund and then they charged me for original shipping which was free in the first place. Never again.
6. Terry’s Tunes
Address: 36W210 River Grange Rd, St. Charles, IL 60175 , Lily Lake , Illinois , United States
Great store, the best service anywhere, decent prices. Buddy is a great guy.
Wish I had known about this establishment sooner. Buddy & his associates made me feel very comfortable without any sales pressure & performed exceptional work on my LP. This will be my future “go to place”
SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES
Great customer experience at Dr Woods! Buddy and team were super friendly and helpful.
Large selection of guitars and great atmosphere. Highly recommend.
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.
A very helpful and knowledgeable staff. A relaxed atmosphere with some really great looking guitars.
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 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.
9. Piano Trends Music Company
Address: 35 Berkshire Dr, Crystal Lake, IL 60014 , Lily Lake , Illinois , United States
I have known Tim for many years. His experience alone could be an encyclopedia on good business practice but his love and passion for the music industry is extraordinary. I count Tim in my top 10 of people I would like to mirror.
Owner & staff are freindly, knowledgeable and helpful. There is a wide selection of product with competitive prices. This store has been a contributing and valueable member of the community for many years.
We started with lessons for our son about 5 years ago. We have had a great experience. Our son has learned a lot. The people that work at Piano Trends are friendly and very helpful. We also purchased a piano from Piano Trends. The purchase was a great investment and a great opportunity for our children to have music in their lives. I would, and have, encouraged others to go to Piano trends for their music/singing lessons, and instrument purchases.
Very nice selection.
Friendly service. A wonderful local business.
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
Worst place ever. Waist of time and money. I would not recommend this place. Stay away from this place.
10. Offbeat Music Store
Address: 3 S Old Rand Rd, Lake Zurich, IL 60047 , Lily Lake , Illinois , United States
I love Offbeat I go very often and they always make sure I get the best deal possible. They are very friendly and they know a lot about musical instruments and such. They have a variety of unique items such as “Tank Drums” which are very cool and they have just about everything you could want musically. Go check it out!
Friendly service. Went in for instrument repair and walked out with vinyl. They have instruments and music lessons.
Support your local music shop.
I love our local music store. Stopped in to get my daughter’s cello tuned and look for records for my mom. The owner was so nice and so helpful! Loved the selection of records as well
Friendly people
Music store with a nice selection of instruments. Some vinyl and CDs too, although it has very few, if any, hidden treasures. 2 stars removed because the one employee and 2 of the customers were not wearing masks when I visited. I would have spent more time and money here if they were. Stay safe, everyone.
I was very dissatisfied with this location as they don’t offer any instruments that would allow the user to produce the sounds of Echolocation
As a professional musician, I have been going to Cassandra Strings for many years to repair my 1800 acoustic bass. The expertise is the highest quality and the prices can’t be beat. It is so reassuring that you can get the highest-grade repair for a great, affordable price. Many educators have told me that Cassandra Strings is the place that their school system goes to for the best prices and quality for string rentals. The people at Cassandra Strings are honorable and interested in high-quality service at an affordable price. Most of the professional community knows this and I hope the general public can benefit from this company as well.
By far the best instrument rental services your money can buy. The breadth of knowledge of the team alone is simply unmatched. I would highly recommend Cassandra and her team to anyone in the educational department. You won’t be disappointed.
Always so helpful
My son’s Scott Cao violin needed a new bridge.
Cassandra said the original bridge was expensive and that she would replace it with the exact same one.
SHE DID NOT!
Well, when we picked up the violin it was not the same bridge.
The bridge she used did not have a name on it.
It was much larger than the original.
She also said she removed the name on the bridge!
I asked her how do we know you didn’t use a cheap $5 bridge?
She along with the other staff said they never use $5 bridges.
The receipt read:
MATERIALS: $5
LABOR: $45
Lying and cheating people only can hurt their business.
13. Iggy Music Store & Repair Shop
Address: 307 E North Ave, Northlake, IL 60164 , Lily Lake , Illinois , United States
Wife and I noticed this place while heading to Reams meat market one day. The name drew us in because we knew they had to have records which we are getting back into. Nice little antique shop they have more than just records even some old turn tables and stereo systems, but we were interested in the vinyl. Which had a decent amount for a small shop I think we bought 4 records and honestly could have bought more, but we controlled ourselves .I didn’t get the owners name (my bad) but she is very friendly. Will definitely go back. Nice little nook in downtown Elburn.
Bob & Carrie are the best! Great vinyl selection, always high quality, priced fairly. The vintage stuff is real vintage, and real quirky.
Great place. Small, curated selections on vinyl. Great selections. Highly recommend a visit.
Nice small shop
15. Music Education Center
Address: 222 S Randall Rd, South Elgin, IL 60177 , Lily Lake , Illinois , United States
I went in to get some guitar strings and saw an old friend.
Doug is the guitar tech at Sam Ash I have not seen him in about 10 years.
He undid all the weird things I did to an old 80’s Strat I have.
I.E. …I added a floyd, emg’s, you know typical 80’s stuff.
Anyway, we ended up spending an hour and a half chatting about everything from guitars to life in general.
In these weird times it was nice to see an old friend and just talk.
Doug has worked on a few of my guitars over the years, and I can confidently say he is a fantastic tech and also a really nice guy.
I miss the days of local shops where you just hung around and talked about stuff.
Sam’s still carries a good range of guitars and it is a nice change from ordering online.
Highly recommend you drop in.
We stopped in learn about purchasing a guitar and lessons for our daughter. The sales team was super helpful in steering us in a good direction for a beginner and showed us several options that would work for her. We left the store with a guitar and our daughter is over the moon excited to start her lessons and learn how to play. If you need help with any musical instruments I highly recommend Sam Ash Music on Dundee & Arlington Heights Rd in Plaza Verde.
Big selection of all kinds of instruments. Comfortable store. Great for browsing. Friendly staff. Relaxed atmosphere. Good prices. Excellent luthier and music teachers. Great service. It’s the only place I shop AND BUY. Highly Recommended.
Had a hick up with an employee, but they very quickly resolved the situation. The manager Tod did a great job restoring my faith in the business.
Great selection, helpful staff, kinda expensive
Great products, but they’re always short on staff! I bought some Zildjan drummers gloves to replace the drummers gloves that were wearing out.
Disappointing… Overpriced, poor return policy, high restocking fees. Better find another store. Look up the same stuff they sell on Amazon – always find a better price. Comparing with Amazon’s and other stores’ return policy, Sam Ash – outsider.
High prices. One of the managers was rude and lied to me on purpose.
The store and employees are nice, however they are in desperate need of a new manager. He is one of the most unprofessional and disrespectful persons I have meet. He got in my face and was yelling at me saying it was the law to tell him if I had been vaccinated. I’m 100% fine with people asking that if they are respectful, however this man was completely out of line and treated me with no respect or dignity. Our family has spent thousands of dollars at the store, but after this horrifying experience and out of control manager, we will never go back there. All of our cards and accounts have been canceled. If you like to be respected as a customer (and more importantly a human). I would not waste your time at the store, unless it falls to new management.
17. Modern Music
Address: 1715 Ogden Ave, Lisle, IL 60532 , Lily Lake , Illinois , United States
I love Modern Music, I rent equipment from them and have never had an issue, great people who work here that know their stuff, if you have musical, equipment or looking to buy great used products this is the place to go. I would give them 6 stars if I could
One of, if not, the best music shop in town for pro audio rentals. Great service.
My kids have been taking lessons here for almost 2 years now. The staff is excellent and my kids have learned a lot in that time – not the least being an enjoyment of playing music, which is so wonderful to watch (and hear). We were able to buy instruments, music, and get great classes. Highly recommend.
Awesome place to buy your guitars and music equipment staff is very friendly and knowledgeable
After politely declining their laughably low offer to buy my trombone, the sales associate became unfriendly and demanded that I give him a counter offer. The poor customer service and the dismal offer to buy my trombone were very surprising to me; I was expecting far more from a business with so many positive reviews.
18. Sounds Like Music
Address: 224 W State St, Geneva, IL 60134 , Lily Lake , Illinois , United States
Super friendly staff. They are always willing to help or simply chat as I arrive for my lessons.
I’m a struggling banjo student. Decided I need at new challenge… so at 68years I made the attempt at the banjo. I haven’t played an instrument since 1961, so I needed a patient instructor. Roy was up to the challenge. A super nice guy, talented musician, and most important, patient.
My kids have been taking piano and ukulele lessons here for about 6 months and we have been so impressed with the teachers, staff, and the progress our kids have made!
Great service! I had two guitar’s worked on, I couldn’t be happier. Shane is awesome!
Talking piano lessons there.
Not very happy with policies or pricing. Make-ups were scheduled with teachers that didn’t teach my daughters instrument (flute lesson with piano teacher) and music books had steep surcharge/markups on them above what price on book listed.
19. Bird Garden Studios
Address: 121 S 13th St, St. Charles, IL 60174 , Lily Lake , Illinois , United States
Excellent studio that puts you at ease as you track and mix. Ryan is very knowledgeable about music and engineering. Highly recommend Bird Garden.
Ryan from Bird Garden Studios produced my bands first album. He worked with us patiently and had a keen attention to detail while he worked hard to capture the sounds we were looking for. His positive attitude is infectious and his studio has a quirky and inviting atmosphere. If you’re looking for professional recording and mixing, you won’t want to go anywhere else!
Always enjoy recording here. Very inspiring space with all sorts of neat knick knacks
