NW Chicagoland guitar shop recs needed

[guitargabor]

Visiting NW Chicagoland area in about 10 days time.
I'm aware of Chicago music exchange, Tobias and Naperville music.
Those locations will be more than an hour and 1/2 away from me(2 hours to CME if I take Metra....)

Any suggestions for good shops in the NW suburbs?Thanks,

i.e Schaumburg ,Palatine etc

Need a couple of hours to escape from in-laws, hehe....

Thanks !

Gabe 🎸

[TheGITM]

Take a look at Music & Arts on Golf Rd in Schaumburg. Looks like they have some decent guitars.

There are Guitar Centers in the area, of course. Google is probably your best bet to see what's nearby.

[soups]

Down Home Guitars is southwest Chicago, but it’s worth the drive.

[Marshall]

Originally Posted by soups

Down Home Guitars is southwest Chicago, but it’s worth the drive.

Yeah. That will be a 45 minute drive from Schaumburg. But it's easy expressway type driving. Shouldn't be traffic, unless you're in rush hour.

It's a fabulous store. Your head will be spinning in the acoustic guitar room. You will be mumbling to yourself and mentally searching for places you might find the cash to satisfy your new found affections.

Nothing else within an hour's drive (or more) will come close. Guitar Works in Evanston is good. CME, as you mentioned, is quite good. But you'll find things at Down Home that you won't find anywhere else.

[Marshall]

I went to the Fretboard Summit at Old Town School last couple years. With fancy luthiers bringing in their wears from around the country. A couple of my favorites were in the Down Home Room. The Bourgie Rep was in town for the show. But the guitars they showed were right off the rack at Down Home. They didn't ship any in for the show. They just asked DHG to bring a couple up.

[leonski]

Originally Posted by Marshall

Yeah. That will be a 45 minute drive from Schaumburg. But it's easy expressway type driving. Shouldn't be traffic, unless you're in rush hour.

It's a fabulous store. Your head will be spinning in the acoustic guitar room. You will be mumbling to yourself and mentally searching for places you might find the cash to satisfy your new found affections.

Nothing else within an hour's drive (or more) will come close. Guitar Works in Evanston is good. CME, as you mentioned, is quite good. But you'll find things at Down Home that you won't find anywhere else.

This. Spinning is the right word. You won't know where to look first. Very nice people too.

[Shortfinger]

I used the website tools for Music and Arts to find the acoustic inventory at the Golf Road store location. A pawn shop would have more than the 17 they list.

Guitar Center in Arlington Heights is your best bet unless you want to ride into town on the Metra and then take a bus up to CME from where you can stroll up to the Old Town School of Folk Music and see some more $2,500 and up guitars. GC in Arlington Heights currently has 19 acoustics priced above $2,500.

[Osage]

The short answer is there's nothing good. Guitar Center is your best bet unless you want to go into the city.

[martingitdave]

Down Home Guitars (for high end pieces), Chicago Music Exchange (for the experience), and Tobias (for Taylor guitars). There are others, but none close to where you’ll be. Chicago Music Exchange has lost some cache and serves the mid-to mid/high market will all emphasis on profit.

[Kh1967]

The Music Gallery in Highland Park is another option - Not in the NW suburbs, but closer than some other suggestions.

The actual NW Burbs does not have much of anything in terms of interesting shops. Sigh.

[Shortfinger]

Originally Posted by Kh1967

The Music Gallery in Highland Park is another option - Not in the NW suburbs, but closer than some other suggestions.

The actual NW Burbs does not have much of anything in terms of interesting shops. Sigh.

Nor anything else. It's just basic survival. Chain restaurants, chain everything. And the live music scene after dark is almost nonexistent.

[guitargabor]

Thanks everyone.

Appreciate the advice!

Yeah,we have had family in the NW Chicago suburbs for years so I'm familiar with the cookie cutter retail scene there.

The recommendation of Down Home guitars is very appealing!

Gabe

[Marshall]

Originally Posted by Kh1967

The Music Gallery in Highland Park is another option - Not in the NW suburbs, but closer than some other suggestions.

The actual NW Burbs does not have much of anything in terms of interesting shops. Sigh.

Yes, Music Gallery is nice. But it’s easily 45 min or more from Schaumburg. And with more traffic. They’ll have some nice high end stuff. Usually Gibsons and Martins and Taylors with a lot of bling. It’s a wealthy neighborhood.