It's hard to quantify how many times I've driven past this place. The parking lot is annoying, but…read moreit's in a weird location, so there isn't much they can do. After a disappointing experience at the Guitar Center, I figured I'd support a local business instead. No amount of tuning was saving my guitar from sounding weird, so I figured it needed at least a restringing. It also needed, as it turned out, some work on the neck. At no point did it feel like they were upselling me or taking advantage of my comparative inexperience. They estimated $50-60 for restringing and neck repairs, but after only a few days, they called me to tell me it was ready, and it was about $40 for everything. I respect their honest work and would be glad to return here again.

I've been going to The Music Gallery since they were at their original location about where Buffo's…read moreis now along the main drag there in Highwood, way back in '76. I now reside all the way over in Palatine. In all my transactions I've always gone away from the place feeling pleasantly satisfied that I got value from either their service or merchandise. Yesterday I picked up a used acoustic guitar I'd purchased elsewhere and had the crew there sort out the neck requiring a new nut and bridge. Rings like a bell and all for a very reasonable price!

My son is currently enrolled at Anderson Musik and we are very happy with the shop as well as the…read moreteacher, James. The prices are better than most (you get a free lesson just to try them out) and the customer service is impressive. We were going to another shop for the first few months of the school year and that was turning into a disaster as the teacher was inconsistent and had difficulty showing up for our pre-arranged time slot (he was coming in from "the city" to Deerfield and always had an excuse due to train problems) This made me search out a new place and I found Anderson Musik almost by accident. It's an extra few minutes drive to get there, but worth it in my opinion. Our current instructor, James, is fantastic! We love him! He is great with my son. He gives him a lot of encouragement, challenges him with new assignments and has the patience of a saint from what I can tell. Very Zen. Plus, he is ALWAYS ON TIME!! (he even spends extra time with my son if he has a cancellation after our time or we get there early, which is fantastic) As for the shop, the owner (I think) Elsa is fabulous. Very friendly and chatty, she makes sure that there is always fresh coffee brewing and some type of baked good to keep the siblings happy along with lots of magazines and coloring supplies to make the waiting time fly by. It is clean and friendly. I love this shop so much that I am going to send our other son there for trumpet instruction this coming school year, as well as rent his instrument from Anderson Musik (say goodbye to that other Deerfield shop!) A great choice for music instruction!!

I started to play guitar around two years ago, and from then I have improved very much. The owner,…read moreScott, is a very nice man who will always make sure that there is time for you to play, and he will work with your schedule . There is a variety of instruments that you can play here too! All the teachers are great; another really nice teacher is Jeremy. Be sure to come here for your lessons!

I would give six stars if I could! The man at the counter was the friendliest person I've ever met,…read morewho got my request done quickly, plus some extra! (Free store tour, playing around with an expensive bow, and sheet music collection viewing!) I couldn't recommend this place more. Thanks Hoffman Strings!

We have rented my child's bass since he started music. We also needed to change the instrument size…read morein fairly quick intervals and Hoffman strings was very helpful. We recently came in to replace a frayed bow and it was quick.

This store is average size. They have all of the four sections - audio, both guitars (including…read morebass), keyboards and piano's and then drums. They have several studio booths. The Drum section has a lot of e-drums (electric) and just a couple of acoustic sets. The keyboard section has just a few synthesizers but more keyboards. The staff and service is good.

New within Guitar Center of Highland Park, IL, this facility is staffed by professional guitarists,…read morepianists, drummers and vocalists, all with college degrees and years of teaching successes. The support staff is certified by Guitar Center for their product knowledge and they will schedule your lessons conveniently and match you with the teacher of your choice. Wednesday evenings offer "open office" hours with a teacher who knows your curriculum and can reinforce your practice until your next lesson. Rates are competitive and trial lessons are available. Get all of your instruments and accessories at the best possible price. The supervisor holds a degree in electronic music and is a great guitar player, having studied with Sting's guitarist at Northern Illinois University. Individual and group rooms are acoustically designed and stocked with every kind of amp, piano and drums. Whether you're a beginner or already experienced, you will be in good company at GC Studios in Highland Park, IL

They seemed like good folks but they must not understand how to set up a Floyd Rose guitar. I took…read moreit in to get a setup done since this guitar is older. When I got it back the bridge looked way different then I had been setting it up. I figured they probably knew more than I did so let it go. Later on, I found the setup instructions for this guitar and I was in the right. The bridge should be parallel to the top of the guitar. They had it at a HUGE angle to it. It hasn't played the same since. Now I need to take it elsewhere and will end up paying more in set-ups than I paid for the guitar new 12 years ago.

Hands down this is the finest repair shop in the city. I've had a fair amount of fret work done…read morehere and it was all top notch with a great deal of care. Their rates are a little higher than 3rd Coast and others but you certainly get what you pay for. If you value about your instrument this is the place to go.

I don't know where we would be without Sylvan…read more We came to Sylvan for our son, who despite being in 2nd grade was only reading at a 1st grade level. He had phonics and decoding issues. We came to Sylvan with a desperate need to remove me from trying to work with our son (who was having none of it) and knowing he needed more specialized help. Our son has made impressive gains in reading -- much of which I chalk up to the amazing instruction he has received at Sylvan. I have to admit that I was hesitant to even come to Sylvan, thinking of it as a chain. However, my son has received nothing but targeted help and attention. We have been thrilled with Sylvan and highly recommend coming to this center.

From the owner: Give your child the personal attention and motivation they need to reach their full potential…read more Sylvan is dedicated to helping children and their families have the educational foundation they need for success and ultimately love learning. Our tutors use a personal approach and interactive technology to help kids learn math, reading, writing and moreturning Bs into As and frustration into confidence! Learn why families choose Sylvan for tutoring. As a local business focused on education, we are here for you as a resource for you and your children. Theres so much going on at Sylvan. Check out whats new, what people are saying about us and how our friendly staff is dedicated to serving you! Call us today for more information.

School of Rock has been an incredible program for my son, who started 5 years ago when he was 8! He…read morehas worked with the same instructor, Bob W, for the entire time he's been there and honestly he is an incredible teacher. Bob is encouraging, knowledgeable, and is instrumental (pun intended) to my son's progression! When I was a kid we learned hot cross buns on the piano and it was not fun. This place and its amazing teachers like Bob W make music fun to learn for the kids. A+!

I can't speak for the particular classes here, but I happened upon a random parking lot concert the…read moreother day that made me realize I've been connected to School of Rock for years. School of Rock is truly a community institution. Yes, there are a host of these schools around the country, but in Highwood this school has done an incredible job of promoting itself locally. Present at most of the festivals, local farmers markets, and other public events I've been to, the students that take lessons here get numerous opportunities to perform publicly. Maggie, the current director, has done a great job of sharing this young talent with the local community. I have a background in the performing arts. I started performing on stage as a young kid, and I know there is nothing more important than getting out and practicing your talent at a young age. Either you take to it or you don't, but I know the students at this school get many chances to find out if music will be in their future. Way to go School of Rock and your team for exposing me to so many of your concerts and young performers over the years. Now, if only I could get my kiddos to pick up their guitars, get over their stage fright, and help make an impact on the musical community ;-)

My children have been coming to Language Stars for the last ten years! The Deerfield location is…read morethe best we have experienced! The center director is amazing and very responsive! My children have learned a lot of their second language skills here, and the instruction is top-notch! We will continue coming to Language Stars and highly recommend it to all!

Not a musician, not a guitar player either. We were in need of a special cable for an event…read moretomorrow, and we couldn't find it locally anywhere in Chicago or the 'burbs. Guitar Center to the rescue! Yeah I had a minor panic attack when they had no record of the order, but they found it (my name was misspelled). Also, my company credit card didn't work but no worries. I have the cable in my possession so crisis averted.

I've come here a good amount over the years, never with any bad experiences, per se. The selection…read moreis top-tier, and you can spend a ton of time wandering around and playing random guitars. They are helpful with any questions, and there's no sense of gatekeeping: you can be a beginner, to say the least, and you don't feel rushed out or disregarded. Still, the customer service isn't always as attentive. I recently stopped here for guitar repairs. It didn't seem busy, but there was a long line, and after waiting for about 15 minutes, I learned that the guitar repair person wasn't in and wouldn't be for a few days. This is not the craziest occurrence ever, but it seems odd that a large-scale chain doesn't have at least one person doing repairs at a given moment.