Accidentally walked past the entrance while looking for it and an employee came outside to call me…read moreover which I'm very thankful for! I called beforehand and they were very professional. They replaced my guitar strings in no time and now my guitar sounds amazing again. The staff was very nice and the shop was well kept and hospitable.

Every time I visit this place, it just gets better…read more First, their selection keeps expanding. As a Gibson and Orange lover, I am in heaven walking into this place. Decent selection of used stuff as well (was sad to NOT see the Ibanez lawsuit les paul rip off in there this last time, but hope that means it sold!). By far the best atmosphere of any music shop in town. Has a very "Chicago Music Exchange" vibe, with couches and chairs set up in classy little arrangements, wood floors, and bare brick walls. It definitely has the feel of a higher end boutique shop, which is cool. Contrast that with the fact that the staff is extremely unpretentious, affable, and inviting. Everytime I've been in there, the employees have repeatedly asked if I want to play anything (which... yes, I want to play everything). Short haired blond lady, small shaved head guy, and taller brown haired guy all just seem completely approachable and like they're as happy to talk shop as I am. Love the staff there. Overall, this is a shop that I hope sticks around. I will definitely be making the effort to abstain from the online giants in favor of supporting these guys.

My Daughter & I popped into the store on a whim on February 21st, 2026. The store looks quite a bit…read moredifferent than when I last saw it 5 years ago. There was a varied selection of instruments, but we spent all of our time this time looking at the electric guitars. We were quickly greeted by their tech, Derrick, and another salesman that made frequent check-ins to see how things were going. Derrick did tell me that their selection of guitars had recently gone up quite a bit. We ended up making an unplanned guitar purchase and we left happy. I saw the old reviews, and I would suggest that people give The Music Shoppe another look because things change, sometimes for the better.

Top notch customer service and great selection at good prices…read more My daughter plays trumpet and has been taking lessons with Chris Moors at the Music Shoppe for a couple years now - it's really paid off and we've seen her develop her skills and perform with confidence in band and in jazz band! Every time we visit the shop for something or need help with her trumpet they have the parts and service that we need - a couple years ago I lost a small important part for the trumpet and when we went to the store to ask for help they went above and beyond and gave us the part we needed for free. We didn't even buy her trumpet there so this was awesome customer service. They carry a complete selection of musical instruments, sheet music, accessories, and offer music lessons for all ages of students. I highly recommend this store!

I called today to ask about get the action on my guitar lowered. Keep in mind that I am a beginner…read moreand know very little about this stuff. The person who answered the phone was far from helpful. He was condescending and rude and ultimately did not answer my questions. Instead, he cackled when I asked clarifying questions and responded with sarcastic answers. I will NOT be taking my business here and did not appreciate the customer service or lack thereof.

I love Corson Music! The staff is always friendly and helpful. I've bought two guitars from this…read morelocation and two from the location in Champaign, my experience has always been great! Their prices are very competetive- matching the big online music retailers. They have a very good variety of instruments and a pretty decent variety of accessories and amps. My only complaint is that they don't have much in the way of sheet music/song books. If you're looking to pick up a guitar or bass I strongly recommend checking out Corson!

I have taken guitar lessons here for 2 years and just recently my children have taken music classes…read morehere as well. Also one of the instructors recently had an informal ukulele jam that I attended as well. The faculty here are great! Everyone is friendly and they absolutely LOVE music and the arts. It's cool watching the wide variety of instruments that students are carrying to and from their lessons- violins, violas, cellos, guitars (acoustic and electric), banjos, mandolins, ukuleles, and so on. They have summer camps for kids with some variety including a "rock band" camp that a co-worker's daughter attended. She was only going to go for the first week but enjoyed it so much she signed up for the second week too. I think it gave her the confidence to join a real band which she has since done and has performed with in public a few times now. My kids love their instructors and not only had a good time in class but my wife and I are impressed by how much music theory they picked up in class! Also they have a kid's string band The Bow-dacious String Band and I've caught them twice at public performances and for a children's band they're very impressive, if you get a chance to see them perform I recommend it and I recommend C4A if you're looking for music instruction! I wish their location was a little more convenient but really that's the only complaint I have and really that's a minor thing.

From the owner: Music lessons, group classes, ensembles for adults and kids, summer campsread more

I've bought several instruments here over the years including a piano, guitars and several ukuleles…read moreas well as several mics and mixers. The staff are knowledgeable and friendly. They are always getting new gear and have quite a few instructors on staff. I've been in quite a few instrument stores in various parts of the country and Sound Source is one of my favorites.

Friendly, knowledgable staff & overall well-managed business. Competitive prices, and great…read moreinventory for a smaller town store. Staff is incredibly eager to assist & I'm in & out of there without a hiccup.

I am an adult learner who decided to take ukele lessons. Bill Kirby has been my instructor and he…read morehas been amazing. The half hour lesson flies by! Bill is great at finding music I enjoy playing. I couldn't be happier with my choice to take lessons here at Champaign School of music!

My son has been taking guitar here for, gosh, at least two years. His progress has been great, and…read morejust as importantly, my son likes going to lessons very much. Bob, his teacher, is a mellow and talented guy, happy to follow my son's lead. Consequently, they started out learning different riffs and songs, and gradually Bob got my son to appreciate the importance of scales. So now I also hear him playing scales. It's a real joy to hear him playing his electric guitar even late into the night because it sounds so good.