I came here after renting a clarinet from Quinlan & Fabish because I wanted to get a real…read moremouthpiece and not use the crappy stock mouthpiece that came with the rental. I got here 15 minutes before they closed on a Saturday, but never felt rushed. Bea showed me the new mouthpiece they have but also asked if I was interested in used. (That grosses me out a bit, but I was assured they're sanitzed). I looked through the mouthpiece drawer and actually saw 2 Larry Combs mouthpieces. That's what I played on the entire time I played clarinet as a kid/teen, and what I originally wanted to buy (only to find out they stopped making them years ago, so they're hard to find). I have no idea if I had an LC1 or LC3 back then, but they had both in the shop. I didn't want to try it out that day since I had literally never touched a clarinet in 23 years and didn't want my first time trying it to be where other people could hear me (lol), plus it was closing time. But I came back on Monday and was able to go down to their practice room and try out both mouthpieces, and ended up buying one for $50. Not too shabby. Both the guy (I didn't catch his name) who got me set up in the practice room and Bea (who helped me check out afterward) were super nice. Bea was a gem helping me both times. PM Woodwind also has my old ligature for sale so I may go back to buy one once I decide if I want to actually keep this hobby going long-term. They also have reeds for comparable prices to Amazon, and I'd rather support them than Bezos, so I'll happily come back here once I figure out what strength reed I need these days.

I've had 3 experiences with this shop. They're highly recommended, but unfortunately they're 0-3…read morefor me. Twice I took my horn in, and I never seemed to get even a fair level of customer service that I felt I should. I certainly am not a professional player which maybe would put me in front of the line, but commitments made were never met. I continually had to call it was one delay after another. I then years later was interested in a used horn they had on their website. $4,500+ horn. I received a quick response to my email interest, but EVERYTHING then has to go through Paul and he's TERRIBLE with any attempt at a timely response. He's ALWAYS going to give me a call TOMORROW. The employees there are careful in what they say, but it's obvious during my conversations with several of them, that they, too, are frustrated with Paul's lack of timely attention. I waited 2 months for answers to simple questions and finally gave up. I don't need to put myself through such unprofessionalism. I checked 3 months after my initial inquiry and it was still for sale. My original questions were simple due diligence questions. I would've easily bought the horn, but I guess they aren't too motivated to sell it. Bottom line? It's Paul's store and he can do whatever he wants, but I don't have to tolerate it.

I had the owner set up an older used Larivee that I bought from another Evanston guitar shop where…read moreI was told it couldn't be set better than it was. Hogseye turned a good guitar into a great one for relatively little money.

Jim is one of the best you can possibly have to work on your guitar. I have been bringing my 1970…read moreMartin D-35 in to Hog Eye for several decades and he does a wonderful job at repairing all the little and big things that happen to an instrument as it ages. Not only that, Jim is the nicest guy in the world. I highly recommend you bring your acoustic instruments in to Hog Eye for repair or tune up or if you're looking to buy something to play that's made out of wood.

There is no other way to say it; they pretended I wasn't there. I went in on a Thursday afternoon…read moreat 1:00, looking for a low-watt tube amp. There was absolutely ZERO acknowledgment of my existence, let alone any kind of welcome or greeting. I found a nice selection of low-wattage tube amps, all priced substantially above the market. I stood looking needy for a few minutes. crickets. I left without either of the two neo-hippies ever acknowledging me. Goodbye forever and no loss.

I love this store! As a beginner bass player, I'm a bit sheepish coming in with all my questions…read more But the staff puts me at ease and Tim is so knowledgeable, patient, and pleasant to work with that it feels like home. Erwin who works on the basses is awesome as well. Growing up in Evanston, I always knew this place rocked, but until I decided to switch from keys to a stringed instrument, I never had a reason to check it out. Now I see just how special it is for E-town to have a guitar store like Guitar Works. I highly recommend stopping in -- the selection, sales staff, service and ambiance is topnotch. Even if you're just window-shopping, they'll welcome you, allow you to try out the instruments, and answer all your questions.

Never use these guys! They basically STOLE my deceased husbands Vintage Selmer Alto and Soprano…read moresaxophones and mouthpieces which I entrusted with them to sell for me. They kept saying they were out for tryout. I gave them ample time to find buyers then I wanted them back. He said he couldn't find them and implied that they were probably taken by a former employee. He gave me no offer of recompense. I may not have a legal standing since there was not paperwork only verbal and email communication. DON'T GET BURNED BY THEM!

m-f 10am-4:30pm…read more free / safe parking conveniently located right in front of evanston band & orchestra.

Still want my guitar back please leave it at 6506 W Imlay St. I wonder how insane a business owner…read morecan be to not give a client back a guitar after holding on to it for years. It was never worked on and I just want it back.

Excellent work on the setup and strings for my guitar not to mention a friendly staff and clean…read morestore.

For years we have relied on Randy for the tuning and maintenance of our pianos (Steinway grand and…read moreYamaha upright). Knowledgeable and highly skilled, he has also shown himself to be flexible and unfailingly responsive throughout. Highly recommended.

Very straight forward experience. Easily scheduled online and got the heads up text day of. Randy…read morecame and did the thing perfectly. Easy payment options. Highly recommended!

I went to get my old guitar fix and they did an excellent job. Price was reasonable. Sales person…read morewas friendly. Would go back if my other guitar needs fixing.

Steve, one of the owners that I explained my amp repair to at the front desk, took time to…read moreunderstand my request to get my Fender "Evil" Twin that I've owned for 30 years up and running again. I did some restoration to the wood and a few pots fell off when I removed the electronics. So, it was literally in pieces when I dropped it off. It had other issues they fixed too! It was in one piece when I picked it up and it sounds and works amazing. They also had a detailed invoice of the work and took the time to explain what they did. They also did a setup on my Martin DC-16RGTE that I've had for 16 years. It plays perfectly now. Probably better than when I bought it. Steve even did a small tweak for me on the spot based on my action preference. Great customer service. Thank you!

This place is top notch! The people who work there are great. The instructors are great. The value…read morefor the money is great. My son took guitar lessons there and was able to participate in his school talent show after just a couple of months. Alejandro was beyond accomodating and flexible. Super friendly. I highly recommend this business.

Excellent place for lessons! Very nice instructors. Great place for all your music education needs.read more

The best instrument shop in this country. Paul is a such high class professional and such a…read morewonderful human. You made my stay in the US even greater experience. Thank you for everything Paul!!!!!!!!!! Wiktoria

Paul is very thorough. He observed the instrument for several minutes, touching to look for…read morescratched and cracks. He performed the maintenance thoroughly and did not try to upsell me un nicer replacement parts. The service was prompt and it's easy to park in front of the workshop (a big deal for larger string instruments).