Premium music shops of Lincolnshire: Our Top-18 selection

TOP NOTCH for customer service.. I couldn’t be happier with Hoffmann Strings. I’ve been renting a Cello for 4 years never had any problems with my daughter’s Cello If I could give 10 stars no doubt I would do it! …
The Mr Hoffmann is super friendly and he really knows what he is doing .. I can see why customers like him. He always makes sure that I have a good experience when visiting the shop.. Highly recommended STOP SEARCHING FOR A PLACE TO RENT YOUR KID’S INSTRUMENTS. WON’T GO WRONG WITH THIS HIDDEN GEM!

During lockdown, they fixed my broken string and it was really fast!
Thanks very much!

First visit for me. Nick provided superb service and some great suggestions on how my son’s violin can be best maintained. I appreciate his comments and approach to a new customer. I will be back.

Extremely helpful

Update: Stopped by a few days ago for a fingerboard that broke on one of the instruments due to being dropped. Service was prompt and insurance experience was hassle free. Greatly appreciate it.

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We stopped by to rent multiple instruments. I appreciated history of the store and how long its been in the community. The team member we were originally working with was pleasant work with. I was happy to support a small business.

One of the kids was super excited about getting very first instrument as he was beginning orchestra but the other team member was very rude to the child. Given that they work primarily with schools and families renting for kids in elementary & middle school, I was very disappointed to see that attitude. I am hoping its only because everyone has bad days once in a while and not a recurrence.

Staff is knowledgeable about music instruments and have implemented good safety measures in this COVID-19 era. Requirement of providing SSN on top of Credit Card seems unnecessary and risky in today’s time.

Terrible customer service experience—was made to feel like an ignorant annoyance. I will not return nor recommend this business to anyone in the north shore community.

Mr Hoffman you should really thank God that I am not complaining about you to police because the way you behaved and talked to my son,any other parents action would be the first one to call 911
P.S. I am one of those parents who tells kid to take care of their stuff and don’t encourage when they are wrong. Here my kid wasn’t at fault at all,check your documents, your viola had a mark already. Secondly I am paying for the insurance for the last 2 years and never even misused the instrument.
Learn how to speak well with others kids. You have no right to show finger and give lecture to anyone’s child.
Also you have 2 months of extra payment from us so get your instrument fixed and hopefully you will realize in your life that talking like that to a kid impacts his emotion.

I’ve been using this place for the rental of my daughter for years. The instruments that this place offers are very high quality. Being confronted with the request from my young one to have piano lessons I chose this place too and never regret it. The teacher has been very good for our daughter and we are still staying with her. What is striking about this particular place is not only the professionalism of its teachers (my friends are also taking lessons at Solo) but also the kind atmosphere of the staff. I never felt a slightest sense of negligence or disrespect. My concerns and wishes were addressed. Very happy with the service.

We have been renting viola from Solo Classic for past 7 years and never had a problem either replacing it to the next size or repairing. We also have taken viola lessons for past 2 years. Teachers at Solo Classic are true professionals and are very inspiring. Thank you!

My name is Sonia Hadar and I am a violin teacher at the music Institute of Chicago, Midwest Young Artist, and Solo Classic.

I have never written a review before, because I have never felt as strongly as I do about my recommendation for Solo Classic.

I can confidently say that not only is Solo Classic a wonderful music institution and a pillar of the music community, but also that Roumen Raykovski’s handmade string instruments are some of the finest quality string instruments I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing on. I’ve recommended a countless number of my esteemed students to purchase his instruments as I believe that for the quality and price, nothing is comparable.

It is very difficult to find handmade, European string instruments in this day and age of low quality, cheap, and inexperienced makes, but Roumen is able to capture a level of quality that only a master luthier can provide. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of watching him making violins, violas, and cello from concept to final product and it is an incredible process that you have to see to believe. If you have been considering investing in a fine, handmade string instrument, look no further than Solo Classic.

Also, if you have had the good fortune of meeting Dani Raykovski, you know how much passion and love she puts into her family’s business and stands behind everything that they offer and provide. They are an honest, hardworking family who have built together a true gem in our musical community and we are so very honored to have them.

Rental service is ok! Never returned inquiry for piano lessons inspite multiple follow ups and promises to arrange !

Both of my boys take lessons at solo classic. My 12 year old has been taking lessons for cello for more than a year now. My 6 year old just started piano lessons few weeks back. The teachers are great here, Very accommodating per your needs.

Its painful to deal with the lady at the front desk

Do not recommend this place. In 1 year we were going on our third instructor. When I received an email to switch my lesson times is how I found out. When asked to just be done and receive a refund for the rest of the lessons that I paid for, I was told NO my son needs to finish with their new guy. I’m sorry but I would actually like to meet the guy first and decide if we even want to work with this person.
The other annoying thing is their total unorganization. Plus you can only pay cash or check. They do not take debit or credit cards for lessons. I don’t walk around with that much cash on me nor do I carry a check book around like my grandma does.

Nice out door patio dining. Food quality is still pretty good!

We’ve gone here a handful of times over the years and it’s always good food. The Louisiana chicken pasta is probably their best dish but I’ve only ventured into their Cajun jambalaya pasta aside from this and it isn’t worth it. Their avocado egg rolls are good, lettuce wraps, and fried macaroni are all good. I had their barbecue ranch chicken salad this last time and it was definitely yummy, it’s just not comparative to California Pizza Chickens, theirs is the best. Either way, decent food overall and we’ve never had bad service here.

Great unique food.

My parents and I flew in from out of town for a family wedding and we stopped by here to have lunch. The clam chowder soup was amazing! We all ordered it as an appetizer. They enjoyed the entrees especially the gumbo dish. I ordered the chicken piccata which texture felt a bit tough, i kindly asked the waitress if I can switch my entree for the chicken Parmesan which was much better. Our waitress Alyssa was great! You can tell she was busy but she handled her job well. She was quick, efficient and pleasant at the same time.

Very slow service

This is one of my old time favorites. Always a good experience. Good food and drinks and service.

Long wait

Terrible service. We had a waitress who had a really bad attitude for no reason. Ended up “accidentally” not putting my food in to be ordered because (and this is a quote) “the kitchen got excited” (whatever that means… lol) would strongly recommend passing on this place

Overpriced under-delivered by a lot.

Recently brought an old guitar in for a repair and set up. They did a great job. I wish I would have brought it in years ago. Very affordable and excellent communicaton about the work was needed also.

Great music store right in Libertyville! Perfect!

Awesome music store great staff and very knowledge. Place best for repair work on all instruments

If they do not have it in stock, they will order it for you. Helpful staff.

Nice staff, low selection.

Small shop with friendly, expert staff

Prices are extremely unreasonable not to mention the skinny kid behind the counter called me man so many times I thought I was in a Cheech and Chong movie.

I’ve lived in Libertyville for fifteen years and I have really tried to support them. I teach band locally and have a busy professional performing schedule and would love to have a local business that I and my students could use for guitar and band instrument repair, and to buy supplies and equipment. My experience with them has been the worst every time I’ve been in. Their store stock is woeful. Twice I have left nice guitars with them to be set up. The first time I couldn’t tell that any work had been done, but there were little dents on the back of the neck. The next time (Iknow: why?) they just sat in the store for three weeks while I waited. Then when I picked them up (no work was ever done) there were marks all over the cases, as if they had been tossed around. They are rude, unprofessional and totally disorganized. Students I’ve taught who took lessons there (not at my suggestion) learned nothing. Just another jive guitar store run by morons.

It was everything I expected of a McDonald’s. I enjoy the fries and a quick burger.

Cheap and fast, the true capitalist food source

If every McDonald’s was like this, the world would be different. This is how a McDonald’s should work, friendly staff, clean, working ice cream machine, great atmosphere. The Manager Aurora was incredibly helpful and friendly.
I’ve eaten at many McDonald’s and this was by far the best. Meal was not prepared in a rush manner, but rather nice and precise. 10/10 would recommend and go back!

In and out.

Had a ice T always good

It’s a McDonalds. Nuff said.

Sophia the drive thru attendant was very rude and childish in using profane language at the window, she should not be in any position of customer service as she clearly does not know how to act. The manager was very rude and bossy and needs some refresher training on how to be of customer service and how to properly handle customers.

You guys really have troubles with drive thru staff. They don’t understand English at all. They don’t here you. They may forget to put your burger that you ordered. Beautiful building, great location, the worst staff!

The chocolate shake was white with one side that had a hint of chocolate and our mcchickens were all wrong. There was also a hair in my fries. Other than that, the people were very nice

I take all of my vintage and new guitars there for set up and repairs. Chip is the best. He is the only one that I will let work on my guitars.

Great service great equipment great music lessons

Bob was super helpful

Reviews show that they are open but I cannot seem to find the correct times they are open I tried stopping in on a Saturday around 3 website and google said they were open. But they weren’t too

Why would I come here to buy $21 Elixir Strings when I can get them for $10 on Amazon? Are these even elixirs? I am 2nd guessing because the seal was ripped and the bags are crinkled inside. I feel like I was ripped off here, do not come here for your strings maybe they are knowledgable, but definatley sketchy.

A week and a half later, I’m waiting on a repair that was supposed to take two days. They called on the day it was supposed to be done to say they just started working on it. Two days after that they called again to say it will be done in a week (or maybe less) due to a problem with the instrument that requires additional work. Today (a week later) they said it will be ready two weeks from the day I brought it in. While I can’t comment on the quality of the work because I still haven’t received it yet, I am disappointed with the service so far. I dislike dishonesty, excuses, and false promises. I can only hope that my instrument isn’t being butchered. I hope I’ll get it back and be able to add a positive update to this review. Unfortunately since they lied to me, I can’t trust them, so I’ll have to take it somewhere else to get it checked out after I get it back.

Update: I got the guitar back and had it checked out by a friend’s technician. He said it was in good shape, so I’ve decided to raise my rating by two stars. I won’t forget the bad communication and lack of transparency, so I don’t think I would bring an instrument here for repair a second time.

Store staff are incompetent. Ordered books and instruments accessories for me but instead of holding behind the counter they just put them on the shelf for others to buy. Waited two weeks and when I got there only one of the three things I ordered was available. There is a reason mom-and-pop shops like this are going out of business. They have no customer service. Added to which the staff were rude and had a lack of knowledge that was sad.

Was looking for a specific pair of drumsticks that I needed. I walked in and took a look at the selection they had, and they didn’t have what I needed. I asked a staff member if they could help me out and he helped me figure out what pair I needed. He happened to be the drum instructor. While trying to find the specific pair, my mother who was with me told me that he made her feel uncomfortable because of the way he acted towards her. When they “ordered” it for me and they said it’ll be here in a week.

One week later, I called to see if it had arrived. They said no. I stopped by the next day to see if it arrived and the same instructor said they’ll stop by tomorrow and pick it up for me. (From whatever warehouse they get their stuff from). The next day, guess what? THEY DIDN’T HAVE IT.

Unbelievable service. Waste of time and effort. I ended up going to A-Major Music in Gurnee. Trust me, it is worth the drive and they are MUCH more friendlier and helpful there.

I bought two sets of acoustic guitar strings for around a $20 total and later received a $140 charge from the business. Bob said he would reach out to resolve the issue but has not yet after two weeks.

I’ve seen Ross DJ many times and truth is, he’s more talented than literally every ‘DJ’ I’ve seen at any Chicago bar. Hire him and your patrons will thank you – guaranteed. I never write google reviews but this was worth letting people what they’re missing!

An up-and-coming D.J. in Chicago. Great to have seen him many times including most recently last weekend at a Chicago bar. He keeps people energized, happy, and lively. Would recommend hiring.

Ross is a great DJ for any event (weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, clubs you name it). He’s super talented, experienced, and flexible, having performed with some huge acts

The family and friends enjoyed the openness of this restaurant. Great food for a more than fair price. Great choices on the menu allows everyone to enjoy their meal.

Good stuff

Probably the best experience I have had with an employee at a fast food restaurant. Sorry I didn’t get her name, but she has blue dyed hair. So polite. Promote this girl! Very clean restaurant, easy parking and good food.

It was ok.

Fast and tasty, but still sort of “counter fast food.” However, they have a Coca Cola Freestyle machine and huge Rice Krispie treats, which is great!

Had a Pad Thai. Though not as per authentic Thai preparations was not bad

I’m rating this location relative to other Noodles and Co. locations – and to say the least, it doesn’t hold up. I usually get their penne Rosa, and here the noodles were slightly rubbery, the sauce was thinner and less tasteful, and the parmesan-crusted chicken breast was chewy. Furthermore, my girlfriend’s Japanese pan noodles were definitely spicier than they ought to have been.

That being said, I wouldn’t say I was repulsed by the place. Just that I won’t be coming to this particular branch anymore.

Not authentic, but that’s to be expected for an American chain that serves pad thai alongsode speghetti and meatballs. Pad thai had too much sesame seed oil to give it a strange taste. Not enough vegetables and barely any egg. And its not a fresh egg, but rather that paste stuff.

I had the pesto before and just remember to wasn’t that great.

Not worth it imo, but a lot of people like it. I guess its worth a try at least, but no more for me.

Was not good…

Within the past year, I’ve purchased both a new violin and a new bow from Classic Violins. In addition, I’ve taken my instruments there for repair and service numerous times, and I’ve never been disappointed. The service is consistently exceptional. I always enjoy my conversations with the staff, who are friendly, helpful and very knowledgeable. We’re lucky to have such a fine establishment in Mundelein, and it’s a privilege to support them 100%!

After renting a violin from Classic violins for a couple of years, we recently purchased a violin and bow from them. They have a generous rental credit option and a wide range of instruments to choose from. If you think you may end up purchasing a violin, I recommend that you rent from Classic Violins to take advantage of this credit and a quality instrument to learn on.

The service has always been excellent, and the facility is very nice. When we were in the process of selecting items for purchase, the staff was very helpful and easy to work with. We spent a considerable amount of time trying violins there and at home before we settled on the right combination of violin and bow. We experienced no pressure or attempts to up-sell, and I believe our purchase was a good value.

I live in Racine, WI, but the drive is easily worth it (especially if you can work in a stop at Gurnee Mills.)

I am a part-time professional violinist. Recently, I took my 31-year-old violin there this month for a long overdue cleaning and upgrade on accessories. This instrument is my pride and joy, so I wanted to make sure it was in expert hands. I was very pleased when Stephanie took the time to listen to my questions and then bring one of the violinmakers over to look at the violin. He made recommendations for cleaning, adjustments, and the right kind of new accessories, and he made sure I understood his advice. They also did a beautiful job identifying and fixing a crack in my bow tip that I didn’t know existed. The work was done two days sooner than they estimated, and my violin looks and sounds better than ever. They follow COVID protocols and were masking in the shop, for which I was grateful. I am delighted with the expert skill, fair pricing, and great customer service at Classic Violins!

just a good place when we couldn’t fit our instrument into our car they helped us