Home › Illinois › Des Plaines › Evolution Music
Evolution Music
4.9 ★★★★★ 31 Google reviews · Guitar & music store in Des Plaines, Illinois
Specialty store selling used and new guitars and other instruments, along with repairs and lessons.
Plan your visit
- Repairs & setups a repair bench comes up in reviews and the store's own info — call ahead for turnaround, since good techs run a queue
- Buys & trades used gear they buy, trade, or consign used instruments — bring the case and any original parts, and expect trade credit to beat the cash offer
- Lessons lessons come up in reviews and the store's own info — call about openings, instruments taught, and rates before the first visit
- Phone (847) 378-8642
- Website evolutionmusicstore.com
What's on the wall
“I ended up leaving with a Les Paul custom that was highly recommended, and was even invited to sign up for some discounted lessons as well!”
“They weren’t very busy but I still appreciated the urgency, that’s pretty rare to find nowadays.”
“These guys are fantastic and if you're looking for new or used equipment or to sell your equipment, you should check out evolution music first.”
“I took my electric bass into this store to get set up with no appointments or anything.”
“I ended up leaving with a Les Paul custom that was highly recommended, and was even invited to sign up for some discounted lessons as well!”
“Owner is friendly, place is clean and has nice atmosphere, only went in for drum sticks but they seem to have a good selection of products.”
“My daughter wanted to look at trumpets.”
Brands they deal
What players say again and again
“Incredibly friendly and knowledgeable staff, and really made me feel like I was making the right decisions.”
“I’m really glad we went in the store today because Jon gave us a really great deal on a pretty nice trumpet.”
“I went into the Des Plaines store to buy my first guitar, and couldn’t have been helped any better!”
From the reviews
My two teenage kids and I went to Evolution Music 7/19//22.My daughter wanted to look at trumpets.They had some really nice ones and vintage ones.Jon, who works there came up to us asked if we needed help or questions ask.
As a little girl, I watched my dad build guitars and own a guitar shop. It was awesome being surrounded by music my whole life. Then my brother grew up and started his own music business- this one! When you support Evolution Music, you’re not only supporting your own dream, but another lifelong musician’s dream.
I took my electric bass into this store to get set up with no appointments or anything. Jake was very helpful and professional. He began working on it right away as I was looking around the store. I left and it was done an hour or so later. He called me right when he finished.
I went into the Des Plaines store to buy my first guitar, and couldn’t have been helped any better! I ended up leaving with a Les Paul custom that was highly recommended, and was even invited to sign up for some discounted lessons as well!
Selling or trading gear at Evolution Music
Evolution Music comes up for buying and trading used gear — confirmed on their own site. Two things make the trip go better. First, bring the whole package: the case or gig bag, the original tremolo arm or bridge parts, the paperwork if you have it — a complete rig is worth real money more than a bare instrument, and it saves the back-and-forth of "can you bring the case in?" Second, know that trade credit almost always beats the cash offer, usually by a healthy margin — if you're upgrading anyway, price your old gear as a trade against the new one before you take cash. Either way, expect the offer to be below what the gear sells for on the wall; the gap is the store's margin for setup, warranty, and sitting on it until the right buyer walks in.
Lessons at Evolution Music
Reviews and the store's own info mention lessons at Evolution Music. If you're signing up a beginner (or restarting yourself), a quick call ahead answers the three things that matter: which instruments they teach, whether the schedule has openings at the time you actually need, and what a first lesson costs. There's no wrong first guitar — a good teacher will happily work with whatever you walk in with, and a shop that teaches usually keeps affordable starter instruments on hand for exactly this reason.
Guitar stores near Evolution Music
Algonquin Records
4.5 ★★★★★ 74 reviews
This longtime store with a vintage vibe features new & used LPs, primarily from rock genres.
Guitar Center
4.4 ★★★★☆ 1,508 reviews
Music store offering a large selection of musical instruments and related gear.
