Pistakee Highlands: Overview of the top 14 music shops

Very helpful and kind staff.

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!!

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.

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.

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.

Rocco is a man who does things right. He has the education and experience to know what to do. He gets me what I need and does my repairs correctly, quickly and at a fair price. I give Rocco Z’s my highest recommendation! Kevin Donka, Donka Drums, Founder & President Rudimental Drumming Club of Northern Illinois, Executive Board United States Association of Rudimental Drummers, 2013 World Individual Snare Drumming Champion

I bought a 1972 Ludwig black oyster kit from the original owner in very poor shape – what hardware that was left was pitted & dirty, the shells were scratched and the seams of the wrap were coming apart. I brought it to Rocco and he removed and cleaned the hardware, repaired the seams, polished the wrap, replaced the missing hardware, conditioned the wood and gave this kit the TLC it sorely need -this is how the kit looks and now and it sounds amazing! Thanks to Rocco this kit now has a second chance at life. Rocco’s workmanship and knowledge of drums is second to none and I recommend him for any drum restoration project.

Well I have lessons there for percussion and I will say it is a amazing place Roco (the owner)he is a really nice person!He can get along with almost everyone!I myself am pretty shy when you first meet me but you will warm up to him like how I did!:)

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

Great store. Friendly staff. Always find hard to find and out of print vinyl for a good price.

Good people and good atmosphere. Lots of stuff to look at. Easy to get lost in nostalgia.

Had a great experience for Record Store Day today! Ordered everything that was on my wish list, and was lucky enough to get there early enough to bring them home with me. Bonus points for spreading inventory around the whole store to prevent bottlenecking. Will be back!

Awsome!

Old time record store. Very cool.

Lots of used albums good prices

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

Only wanted Rock albums.

Second time going here owner not friendly does not greet me. After a few minutes finally asks me if your looking for something ask so i processed to ask him why there was 2 prices on the album (10 dollar difference) tells me we dont take off old ones and tells me it is what it is real nice!! Sharpies do wounders if you dont want to take them off but not too offer atleast 5 off the price just to say it is what it is great customer service I will never return and never pay your high prices so many other mom and pop shops to shop that give you a at home experience avoid this place!

My son had a ball seeing Nanny Nikki!! It was so interactive and fun. All the kids were up singing and dancing. Afterwards, my son asked when we could go see Nanny Nikki again!!

Nanny Nikki is amazing!! She was very entertaining for the toddlers in the music classes at our shop. She has a real connection to little ones that you can’t manufacture. Hire her now!

Nanny Niki always puts on a really great set. I love seeing her engage with her audience.

Very cool little record shop run by a very knowledgeable and friendly family. They have mostly used records but also have a good selection of new vinyl as well. They have a nice selection of rare stuff, both new and used as well as equipment for sale.

Had an awesome Record Store Day experience today! Friendly staff and had most of my wish-list in stock. Will be back again!

Both stores are awesome ! Love the owners and selection

It is a good shop, but prices are on the higher end. They will tell you it is because their vynil is all high quality. I understand. You may pay 5 bucks instead of 1 dollar. 10 instead of 3 and so on. But I’ve bought about 5 or 6 vynil from this shop so far. Every single one has skipped. I thought it was my player. Nope. All my records play just fine. I’m starting to think this place is a bit of a scam, and am at this point no longer a customer. But even then they get 4 stars because the dude there is super nice and friendly. I don’t think he realizes he’s selling vynil that doesn’t play.

Excellent selection and service.

Nice store

Spent over $200 on records at this place and only 2 of the albums actually play. The rest are all scratched to where trying to listen to the music is impossible and I’m so disappointed as I really like the guy there who said he was the owner and appreciated our conversation about music however, I cannot stand behind my purchase or the quality of the records here. Will not be returning.

Overpriced

Looking for cassettes for my daughter, I asked for assistance. She, the retail sales person, simply pointed in the general direction of the cassettes and let me know, in no uncertain terms, she was unwilling and had no desire to help me find cassettes for my daughter. All of this was done while she smiled and waved her hand in a dismissive manner.
I don’t understand why a business that has several shop serving the same market, within a few miles, wouldn’t make an effort to assist a paying customer.
In conclusion; I am unable to recommend this shop.

I reached out to Bonnie via Tik Tok. I have almost 200,000 followers on that platform and needed her to create and accompany me as I am a cellist. She not only did a great job but she went over and beyond with her communication as well as professionalism. I have used her services a few times now and highly recommend her to anyone seeking piano instruction as well as recording services.

Thank you Bonnie!

My daughter has been taking lessons from Mr. Lopez for about a year. His teaching style is very hands on and he works at a quick pace, giving near constant feedback in small, manageable doses that are quickly applied by the student. His series of performance opportunities provide a goal for the students to work towards. The lessons and quality of instruction provided at each lesson by Mr. Lopez is commendable. We are so glad we found him as my daughter’s playing has improved drastically in the past year.

Mr. Lopez is an incredible instructor. He’s intention, kind, and makes learning to play a pleasure & fun. His style focuses on technique, performance presentation, and memorization which I really appreciate. I always leave happy, informed, & with new ideas to sharpen my technique.

Just recently bought a Bass from here. Staff is super friendly and very knowledgeable. They are very patient as well; as I’m still a beginner player and had never purchased an instrument. Yet the gentleman that helped me was very calm and patient, and very transparent and honest the entire interaction. Would recommend a dozen times over!

The owner is chill and knows how to fit an instrument to the player. Good atmosphere and knowledgeable staff. Be prepared though, this isn’t guitar center – only quality guitars on hand. If you’re a beginner, come here for lessons, not an instrument.

Very good place lots of quality down to earth owner Bob very friendly & a good musician any one needing his musical needs

sad to have to change my review but after having dealt with this store more it seemed necessary

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.

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

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.

Bought an over priced patch cable to find out it doesn’t work.

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.

In my country Gand means hips….

My father made me a Fender custom shop Strat from parts several years ago. He recently passed away, so it’s no surprise that it’s become my main guitar lately. What my father made was lovely, but Make’n Music took this Strat to the next level. For a reasonable price they fixed some wiring issues, leveled and crowned the frets, set up intonation and action, and did a full cleaning and polishing. I typically do most of the setup myself, but I will now be going to Make’n Music. This thing plays like an absolute dream. These guys are the real deal.

I recently brought my 15 year old Seagull acoustic guitar in for service and I couldn’t be happier with the results. They got the guitar fixed up and playing great again!

Great service

Great store. Middle of nowhere. And definitely not the shop pictured. They had Les Pauls. But would not sell them. What’s up with that.? Very small selection in unless all you want is Airline guitars. No one said much. Just some people hanging out. Not clean and shiny like pictured. I believe they must have downsized big time. Not impressed. oh well. Ive been to the place pictured years ago. Impressive. What happened?

Great people. Real nice, know what they’re talking about. Take their gear over the local competition because they just know it better, even if it isn’t spooky. Their techs are very likely great but weren’t in-site available when I visited. It’s still a beautiful shop.

Store is really different from the earlier locations off Milwaukee Ave., Ohio St., and Artesian. Even the store off Hubbard – after the move from Artesian – had far more inventory.

Though I could be wrong, it seems as though the days of finding tons of high-end boutique, FCS, GCS and PRS guitars hanging on the walls is gone. Also gone are the days of 8-10 really cool high-end amp makers being represented, including several products on the floor from builders like Elmwood, Bogner, Matchless, Victoria, Fuchs and on and on. The effects offerings are also a small portion of what they used to be.

Not quite sure what happened to the store the past couple/few years. Used to be, far and away, the finest boutique shop in the country (used to get regular visits from cats like Billy Gibbons, Keith Richards and many others that would fly in just to buy gear).

I wish the current guys the best of luck. And hope they have a long and healthy ride. Would be cool to see the store return to its former glory years, when it was The Grand Daddy of cool gear.

THESE GUYS THINK THEY ARE SO SMART!!!!!!!!!

I was in the market for an American made Telecaster and they had nothing to show me. I had my brother n law tell me he wanted to take up bass and they don’t carry basses. I don’t understand what their market is? Another example of how bad the Chicago area music stores are.