Top-15 of music shops in McHenry County

A Good Honest Guy, With Great affordable Goods.
A great source for Instruments, and music lessons.
See Jim the owner, tell him Paul sent you!

Amazing service great selection!

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

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.

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.

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.

Laid back atmosphere and great selection of records. The owners are super nice and knowledgeable.

Awesome local business. Amazingly friendly owners. No judgement and all acceptance! So great to have them open up locally! Very friendly and great quality. Amazing vinyl selection-very impressive range of options. My son found a metal album he’s been looking for.

I love that there is a local record shop in town now the owners are amazing I have found a place where I can find my favorite albums!

Dave is awesome and always helpful.

This store has everything your looking for, very nice people that work here. Can’t wait to start music lessons!!

Tony Amber is one of the best teachers I ever had! 10/10

good prices on used drum gear. would like to talk to the owner who’s a drummer. the young man that works only on Friday isn’t knowledgeable about all the inventory. don’t pop in if you’re in a hurry. nice place.

Brought my new guitar in for a set up. Assured that it would be done right in 2 weeks. Called after 2 weeks and was told they hadn’t even started on it. Will never shop here again. Couldn’t be more disappointed.

I had a music lesson scheduled for 1/8/20 at 6:30pm I had a morning Dr.s appointment in Milwaukee The original scheduling would have allowed me plenty of time to got to the store. unfortunately The Doc found something worrisome and need me to stay for tests that is when I called to try and reschedule and this saga began. This store literally stole 3 lessons worth of my money with out remorse…because I had a medical emergency!

It is very unfortunate that this store is not run like a local business servicing their neighbors. I have been going to Pearl Street for years. I have bought several instruments and accessories, including a previous owners personal guitar. I nave taught myself a bit and can play a bit but I decided to get some polish with lessons. I bought 5 lessons and took one that night is was great. The teacher was awesome. The following week I had an appointment in Milwaukee but was scheduled to be home for my lesson. Well the Doc found some stuff that need further attention. I called The store to reschedule my appointment but the told me I would be charged full price. I explained to deaf ears about the issue, nope, you lose the lesson, You can start back up with your remaining lessons next week. I don’t care about the money but when a small, local business is this inflexible with it’s neighbors then would rather go big box and get the pricing.

So I got a call from the store and The owner tells me there is no refund or reschedule. I had asked him to refund the remaining balance on my account he said that I have to give 2 weeks notice. so he now has taken 3 lessons fees for absolutely no services rendered. In the Us code it is defined as theft.
Please see attached voicemail transcript to see how this store treats a medical emergency.

Here is the voice mail transcript from ken the owner (I believe).
“Hi this message is for Gary this is Ken Pearl Street music um on the oil over here and _⁠_ signed up for lessons with Nate and then um we paid for the month and then you didn’t show up today I heard you want to refund because you were upset um about um our policy um but we have a contract that you signed so I mean you know about _⁠_⁠_ policy it says it on the contract right on the contract it says anytime student _⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_ _ lesson then um you don’t get a refund for that lesson iMessage within 24 hours and um yeah that’s just how that works um it’s in the contract we can email you the contract that you signed _⁠_⁠_⁠_ that says that that’s fine if you want um and if you wanna refund um for the rest of the lessons for the month um it also says on your contract that you need to put in a two week notice when you wanna quit so you would always for two more lessons anyway so I would say why don’t you just finish out the month and if you want to put in your two week notice um starting today that’s fine um but yeah he signed a contract um that you’re fine with canceling the same day and not getting credit for it and _⁠_⁠_ also signed a contract I said you have to give it two _⁠_⁠_⁠_ notice before you quit so um yeah those are store policies if you can give us a call back or you can email me Pearl Street music at att.net if you have any other questions or concerns um if I have your email um I’ll look and see if I have your email I can just email you the contract that you signed OK and we’ll talk then thank you bye-bye…”

You lack the charm of a neighborhood business.

Only been at the store 3 times. 1st visit was ok. 2nd I asked for a guitar cable to try out an amp. The owner refused to provide one even though I said I would keep the volume down. 3rd time I was allowed to play a guitar for a while at low volumes, then the owner rudely placed his hand on the guitar and said “You need to leave.” What’s the point of having a business if you don’t allow customers to try out your instruments? I will never do business with them again and will happily give my money to another music store.

Rocco was a pleasure to work and his communication was exceptional. I purchased a set of Tympani from him. His price was very competitive and the drums are great! My little brother knows Rocco personally and he is always a blast to be around. Percussion is Rocco’s passion and his store is a gift to the community! Rocco is well educated and can help anyone from beginner to career professional. I learned he also offers lessons and rentals so chances are, if you are into percussion, he can help you!

Rocco z was amazing at my wedding. All around a wonderful dj inside and out. He made everyone get up and dance and played all the music like I asked. I would recommend him 100%.

Rocco is always there when I need something in a pinch. I appreciate his quick responses as well. I’ve used him for percussion needs and DJ needs, looking forward to having him for the homecoming dance again!

Hasn’t returned any emails or phone calls. Answered the phone once. Said he’d get back to me after the school season started. Crickets

Veronica played for our wedding ceremony and it was the perfect addition to our day. She is so talented and professional! Not only does she have great selections to choose from but there is an option for her to learn songs of your choosing. This was so important to me because I wanted to surprise my fiance with a song. The only suggestion I have (for couples not Veronica herself!) is having some way to record her playing so you are able to enjoy it as well after. Veronica was so kind to send recordings of two songs after our wedding and I am so grateful to have them. She fulfilled my vision of a classical meets modern wedding ceremony. Highly recommend!

Veronica was so easy and wonderful to work with. She made our dream songs come to life. We had so many complaints about the ceremony music. It all was so touching and we loved every second of working with Veronica and the music she played. She is very talented and should play at all weddings! You won’t regret your decision with Veronica!

Veronica played at our church ceremony and she was such a pleasure to work with. She was so professional, quick with communication, had a huge repertoire to choose from (everything from Christian hymns to classical to pop), and helped guide us on what music we needed for the ceremony. My guests loved her playing. The best part is I didn’t have to worry about her at all, which is huge when you have 10 other vendors to coordinate. I’m so glad I found her.

Great people and a selection for everyone

The owner Bill is one the nicest and most genuine people! Great selection and excellent service. They really care about their customers!

L F YOU I SAID UP SIDE SENSORIVERYAN MUSIC TAXI PRO TM LOL MUSIC!

Prices are on the high side (if they are priced) but they do have a decent selection of music and a ton of vintage audio equipment. They did call my wife and I “ladies” but I would expect a place that deals in rock and roll to recognize a guy with longer hair. Whatever, at least they are accepting.

If you are into vinyl, and a huge selection this is the place.

Old time record store. Very cool.

Good selection but the few times I was in there the younger guy working never once greeted me or acknowledged my presence in the store felt very unwelcome and uncomfortable just figured he was a hipster and I wasn’t the demographic he wants so I won’t be returning until different staff is hired, reef records in lakemoore has so much more friendly and helpful service actually found what I was looking for there so if you hire people who actually interact with the customer you’ll get more business

Anyone who says they have fair pricing clearly has never been to any other record store. Please do go there look around and then try Reef Records down the road or Black Circle records in Lake Geneva (well worth the trip). You will never go back here again

I cannot stand places that don’t price upfront. I would spend all day at this place digging if they were clear on their prices. Instead they will look up each one online to see what to charge. Make sections, $1.00, $3.00, so on. To the owner, this is constructive criticism. Maybe I’ll give this place another chance if I’m in the area. Thanks

Great place very helpful and always a joy to visit

This place is truly amazing. At first I was a little skeptical from outside appearance but as soon as we walked in the service was friendly and warm like we have been friends for years! My son now goes once a week for lessons and we noticed a difference even after the first one. The guys here are just super cool down to Earth people. Definitely go here for all instrument needs!!

Excellent, accurate, quick service. Friendly and helpful.

You would of thought they would be more customer oriented. They didn’t seem interested that we even came in.

Very helpful

From the moment I stepped foot into the store, I was greeted by a warm and inviting atmosphere. The staff at Mike’s Brass and Woodwind were not only knowledgeable but also genuinely passionate about music. Their dedication and expertise were evident in every interaction, making my experience truly memorable.
What sets Mike’s Brass and Woodwind apart from other stores is their commitment to personalized service. The staff took the time to understand my specific requirements and guided me in choosing the perfect instrument that matched my skill level and musical preferences. Their attention to detail and willingness to go the extra mile made a world of difference in my decision-making process.
Furthermore, I was pleasantly surprised by the store’s dedication to ensuring the instruments are in top-notch condition. Each instrument was meticulously maintained and showcased its true potential. The store also provides a wide range of accessories and spare parts, ensuring that musicians have everything they need to enhance their playing experience.
The combination of a welcoming ambiance, a vast array of instruments, knowledgeable staff, and a commitment to excellence makes this store a treasure trove for music enthusiasts.

We went to fix, my trumpet, they didnt, they actually made it lead to a broken trumpet, now we need a new trumpet, and we dont know where to go!

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!

Don Bundy did a fantastic job for my recent event. He coordinated finding a stage and provided all my sound and lighting equipment. He is thorough, punctual and really cares about the quality of his work. I was so impressed with him I asked him to attend the event to make sure everything ran smoothly. Thank goodness I did because when it started to rain he helped us move the projector and slide screen and keep the party going. Fantastic man with great work ethic. Highly recommend!

Don has provided professional sound reinforcement service for our high school music concerts for the past 6 years. One of the most challenging venues to amplify choirs is in a gym, especially over a 400 piece band!
But Bundy Audio does an amazing job of balancing the sound in the space, and ensures that the voices are not lost. Don is reliable, flexible, and affordable (even for a school music budget)!

We use Bundy Audio for our middle school musical production every year. They are a class act all the way. Don Bundy always helps us troubleshoot any issues we have and helps us to use all of the equipment we rent from him. He is available to call or text with questions if anything goes wrong. I would highly recommend Bundy Audio for any sound or lighting needs, you will not be disappointed!