Stellar, stellar store. Our son took drum lessons, then guitar, and got his first part-time job there. Everyone is very warm and knowledgeable. Our sons teachers became more like friends and mentors than instructors.They have a wide selection of guitars and basses at very good prices (I cross-checked a few against other stores). It wasnt easy finding a left-handed acoustic guitar, but they were very helpful and patient in tracking one down for us.The repair shop is also superb; they seem capable of fixing just about anything.Its a great part of the community and one I find myself just popping into when Im out and about.

After having my pickups changed at another shop, my bass had a horrible electronic hum! I refused to take it back to the shop that did the work so I looked for a local shop, that is when I realized the answer I needed was 10 minutes from my home!I took my bass to Guitar Works expecting to drop it off, Conor Madigan had an idea what the problem was, within 10 minutes, he corrected the wiring problem!Connor, thanks for the great service, expertise and customer service.

I brought my precious old wrecked guitar (a 1910s Larson Bros) to them after a number of other shops told me they couldnt fix it. Connor at Guitar Works found a way. The work he did was stellar and the guitar is great. Highly recommended.

Best guitar store in Chicagoland area!! Terrys staff is amazing. Guitar repairman( Conor ) can handle anything you need. Prices are always fair and customer service is outstanding.

I visit it any time I come to Chicago, great place always.

Guitar Works can take care of all your guitar needs. Very pleasant staff to deal with.Cannot wait to be able to walk the creaky floors of the store again.

Been coming here for years. Great repairs.

They do not always have the instruments they say they do!

AMAZING STORE! The staff are so friendly and informative. They dont try to upsell you, just help you find a guitar that is the right fit. Good prices and super knowlegable.

Guitar novice here very helpful getting me setup...

I am not a guitarist, yet. I have had a few stop-and-go attempts at it and Im trying again. I bought my guitar a long while ago and Ive never had it serviced before. I took it to Guitar Works this week to get the strings replaced and they told me there was some other work needing to be done with the guitar. Evidently it was due to my not knowing about how to take care of my guitar. They were very professional and kind in making sure that explained exactly what was wrong and what I need to do in the future to prevent it from happening again. The even through in a freebie that will help. Highly recommend going to see them.

Very knowledgeable, true music geeks. If you want to have a 15 min convo about trumpet mouthpieces, you know where to go.

Very nice and reasonably priced services.

The best guitar store in the entire Chicagoland area hands down! Youll get much better service from this local, privately owned (no big box store here) business. Their prices are more than fair and their expertise with repairs in second to none! Honest, friendly staff that know their stuff. They sell guitars, amps and many accessories. They will even let you bring your dog inside (so long as your pup is well behaved).

I visited this shop for the first time and loved my experience. Tim was very helpful and allowed me to play without selling or being pushy. The guitars are quality and Id definitely go back.

Nice shop. Super helpful staff!

Neighborhood music store that also has music instruction available for a variety of instruments. Always super friendly and helpful

I ordered an item during the pandemic (as I am out of state, in Indiana). I found Terry to be patient and go the extra mile to help me; those in the store were very helpful and thorough assisting me. I highly recommend Guitar Works, LTD, in Evanston.

Wonderful Evanston guitar shop fixture. Been here forever. Great inventory and really good repair shop for guitars and amps.

I have been buying guitars and equipment from Terry at Guitar Works for almost 25 years. Terry has a great shop!! They are very nice people who dont hover over you just to make a sale. They are patient, courteous and very knowledgeable about guitars and gear. Terry has become a friend of mine as well as a business owner and guitar lover. Terry is just about the most honest, hard working and helpful person I have met in the guitar selling business. They have good prices, very fair trade values and do excellent repair services!! I couldnt recommend a guitar shop more favorably than I do for Guitar Works!!! Just to show you how much I like them, I drive three hours just to deal with them!!!!!

Have tried hundreds of wonderful guitars over the years, had several of my classics repaired, bought a few new ones. Terry is always helpful, knowledgeable. Great store.

Friendly people, very knowledgeable and helpful. They do fantastic repair work. If youre looking for a new or used guitar or instrument for aunt then I highly recommend them.

I LOVE these guys. Very knowledgeable. Easy going and soft sell. Excellent repair. Beyond fair and reasonable.

Great selection of new and used guitars, amps and accessories. Friendly, helpful and knowledgeable staff. The repairs department is probably the best in the Chicagoland area.

Yrs ago, bought my 1st/fave electric guitar-- from Owner, Terry; still there. He still gives personal help/advice. NOW-Diff location,I play Classical, needed to replace one. Terry isnt there as often now, but u will see Experience- he shares its; Steve (Mgr), Dan, Larry, Tim and many other musicians are always around to advise, help w/anything from questions to repairs. I replaced my guitar, am happy. GREAT PLACE to get personal attention from knowledgeable musicians who work here or just hang/help out. Prices are fair for buying, repair, string replacement, etc. Just convo w Dan who restrung my guitar (while I waited), enlightened me. Go here if u prefer a more personal, knowledgeable n friendly laid back staff.

Friendly neighborhood guitar shop. I have a friend that works there, and I wish I could maybe work there some day too. Guitar Center is too fake, big and overwhelming. Chicago Music Exchange has more selection of guitars, but Guitar Works is more convenient to me and is a comfortable old standby. Guitar Works and CME are my 1st and 2nd favorite music stores.

The best place to take your guitar or guitars if they need any kind of work, or even if you need to have it set up due to different gauge strings. They are very professional and know what they are doing and take great care in doing the job correctly and professionally. I recommend them to anyone who needs work of any kind on their guitar.

I brought in my 20+ year old Epiphone Les Paul for some electrical and set up work and the shop treated it and me like I was handing over a vintage Gibson. The technician mentioned that to his customers their guitar is the only guitar that matters and he treats them all the same. Great shop, great repair work.

Excellent repair shop. I had a fret job done on my high end classical guitar that turned out beautifully. Additionally I had the back side of my two guitar necks shaved down to make them easier to play. Collin in the repair shop did the work which was superb. He finished the necks with french polish. Turned out great. Terry, the owner is also the lead repair man and really knows his stuff. Ive known Terry for over 20 years and hes the real deal. If you are looking for service, this is the place to go.

I absolutely love this shop. Great prices and even better service. Went in and talked with Larry about getting a new amp. I started with saying I didnt have a big budget and he didnt try to sell me on anything. I dont know why I would ever go to a different guitar shop .

Nice selection of guitars and accessories. Friendly service and a great place to hang out and play amazing guitars

They have always treated me fairly.Love to be able to support local businesses when they treat you right.

I bought a beautiful guitar here, have had other guitars repaired here (Colin does high quality work), have bought many accessories and an amp here, and have also taken lessons here from an excellent instructor (Jason). Everyone has been very helpful and knowledgeable. It is so nice to have such a great resource for guitar-related things in Evanston.

Very friendly and knowledgeable for novices like me and my son. Easy rentals that can be turned into purchases!

Great service and helpful during covid

You get reliable advice here, both sales and repairs.

A long-time small guitar dealer where they believe in acoustic instruments and try to find a good match to the customers needs and budget. We just bought our 4th instrument today (averaging two per decade). No pressure, good values.

Have known owner Terry bout 27 years now, my late father in law (60 years jazzman in Evanston) trusted Guitar Works LTD since Terry opened in 1979. He has sold to longtime associate but is staying on part time, limited hours a few days a week. Steve, Larry, and support staff are all on board, trying on old man ownership shoes which are probably a bit too tight and have holy soles, but will soon stretch out. I have looked to Terry thes past 17 years to maintain my father in laws hollow body Gibson L4 & L5, 2 mandolins, my 60 year old Gibson 4 string tenor, 1976 Yamaha FG-170 6- String FG-312 and purchased my sons Taylor Guitar. No value in my Yamahas but the 12 string always had beautiful tonal quality to my ear and the neck separated from body. Summer 2019 Terry agreed to repair it. Came out great, needs minor bridge adjust, but I have an old friend back. Some folks have had different experience, and I wont try and make excuses. I have played folk, jazz, R&B and R&R. Am a musician: drummer, acoustic guitar, flute, harmonica.And 50 years a computer systems engineer and airborne radio/navigation technician. Responsibility to see that aircrews could communicate, and get back frrom missions. This is where I learned, there is no room to fail, no re-tries, fix it right the first time, or find a different field of work. I also ran my own consulting business, so I understand that there may challenges the new owners must address to find their own NEW Stride in old mans Shoes, and figure out how to uphold a reputation that Terry established. Everyone communicate with courtesy and clarity and make this work. Thanks for all your service to our musical family.TomW - Glenview

I’ve been gong there for more than 30 years. Terry and team are The BEST!!

Two stars because of the employees that just give you a glazed over zombie look, no greeting, when you walk into the store. Not cool. A simple hey, how ya doing? is always nice to acknowledge ones existence. Its a small shop otherwise with vintage stuff mixed in with new reissue stuff, so it can probably be a little confusing to the average guitar buyer. However, Id still rather come to this place than to Sam Ash. The staff, including the owner, just needs to work on some basic customer service skills.

I had the worst experience, I left my guitar for strings replacement and calibration. The gave my guitar back with the truss rod !loose! And the neck with a giant bow. I ended up calibrating the guitar myself.

We had to fix a string on the used guitar we bought. We called and came 15 minutes before closing. The guy was very polite, helpful, fixed the string and gave us some advice on maintaining the guitar.

Good store. Have found a few cool things over the years.

Nice and helpful people

Great selection of stringed instruments. Good prices. Great repairs. Check this place out.

I love music and this shop is definitely amazing! Great offers and exciting discounts on the latest music in the market. Come visit them.

This the real deal they know guitars and have a killer repair shop. They can fix, finish and adjust your guitar. Did a little job for me and I can hardly see where they fixed the finish. Beautiful guitars too.

Locally owned music store. Lots of really great guitars. Most of the staff are musicians. Terrific repair shop. Long-time Evanston store.

Got an old electric guitar fixed. Very good work on the repair, was also fixed well before the deadline as initially promised.

The guitar repair guys are so knowledgeable, worth the price

The guitar works remains an anomaly: a small, independent guitar shop that remains personal and popular. For instruments, repairs or lessons, this is the place to go for all things guitar in Evanston.

Honest, fair, reliable people who love guitars and the people who play them.

Curbside service order ahead or at the door

Great place to shop for guitars. Nice people and good selection without the warehouse feel of chain stores.

Love this place !! It rocks !! 😎🌵👀

The best guitar shop in Chicagoland! Been a loyal customer for 35 years and counting!

Ive done business with Guitar Works, Ltd. a number of times over the years. There is no one I trust more than Terry (and his staff) when it comes to my guitars! Always professional, very skilled and knowledgeable, they get the job done. I never hesitate to refer other guitarists to them–although its rare that they arent already using them!

I bought my first guitar at a chain store where folks work on commission and tell you what you want to hear to make a sale. It was crap and they likely laughed as I walked out the door.Ive since purchased 4 guitars from Guitar Works since 1988, with a different sales person each time. No commission. If youre up front about your guitar knowledge, these folks will speak to your skill level - RESPECTFULLY. They dont oversell. This is how you stay in business for SO LONG.Ive also traded in one Taylor for another and Terry was more than fair on the price.These guys & gals are dedicated. The repair staff is fantastic (talented & knowledgable with instruments and amps alike) and they do not over-promise. Lessons are priced fairly and theres a teacher for every type/level/age of student.To the reviewer who mentioned the heavy-set guy. NOT the owner. That person no longer works there - and he was a cashier, not a sales person.I cant say enough good things as a fan of this store. For newbies and the folks looking for super-rare gems. Support local business. Support good work ethics and fair business models. Support musicians trying to make a living for the love of music.

Very knowledgeable...was in and out in 30 mins with a great used guitar for a great price!

Great selection, location, and helpful staff. Theyve got some great stuff!

Ive been in a few guitar shops and this ranks pretty high. The ding was for lowballing me.

Nice selection, good prices, knowledgeable, friendly & helpful staff. Love this place.

Cool place lots of guitars good teachers

Extremely helpful staff and a wide variety of acoustic, electric and all the accessories. Fantastic repair and service folk.

A small shop but bigger then it looks from outside. Good selection of new and used instruments at fair prices, including consignment items. Good selection of vintage travel guitars.Luthiers are terrific. Another local guitar store had worked on my first guitar, a 1982 Washburn acoustic. I didnt enjoy playing it and was going to get rid of it. A friend recommended Guitar Works. They did a custom, fully intonated saddle and a bone nut, and now its a wonderful sounding and easy to play instrument. Be sure to bring a case for your guitar when you bring it for service, or they cant be responsible for dings.Staff can seem a little reserved, but they know their stuff. Ive bought a guitar and an amp here, a friend has bought a dozen guitars here, and well keep going back.Be sure to check hours, they are closed Sunday and open at noon some days.

Loved place. Found my little grace

Came in for the first time for a bass setup: no charge! Knowledgable and friendly staff eager to help out

Nice place to get strings :D

Great store and place to take music lessons

Knowledgeable & Friendly Staff, Great Variety of Gear & Accessories,Convenient Parking.

Stopped by for the first time today. They have the friendliest and most helpful staff you could possibly find.

Well done setups on instruments for a reasonable price

Great local place with friendly staff!

This is the place to go to find your next instrument. The staff are down to earth and very helpful.

Unique guitars and good deals.

Great LOCAL guitar shop.

Two hour turnaround to install a passive pickup - same half day service!

I have purchased two instruments here before and to my surprise they are still as good as new today. I have nothing but praises for this people.

Great store, well stocked, friendly helpful staff.

Best guitar store repair center in the city

I love my new Collings guitar! Thanks Terry!!!

I have been going to Guitar Works since 1998 for instruments, maintenance and lessons. I have nothing but the highest praise for the staff, their dedication and quality of service.

Brought my five string J Bass in for repair. They were not able to fix the problem, and even worse they forgot to put the battery cover back on the bass, lost the screws, and didnt even offer to replace them!

Great friendly place.

Good service

Good prices and quality

Very cool

Simply the best.

Always great. Phenomenal!!!!

Friendly staff.