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Evolution Music Rock Academy
4.8 ★★★★★ 120 Google reviews · Guitar & music store in Downers Grove, Illinois
Musical instrument store buying used gear, plus guitar 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 (630) 541-5022
- Website evolutionmusicstore.com
What's on the wall
“I recently went to sell some old combo amps and I honestly can not think of anything bad to say at all.”
“I love that the business offers a place to not only buy-sell-trade instruments… but to actually showcase your talents too!”
“They buy and sell musical instruments and gear, as well as offer music lessons and a performance stage to practice with your band.”
“I met John (owner, I think) and he was extremely knowledgeable and helpful with what I was looking for (drum kit, maybe a guitar).”
Brands they deal
What players say again and again
“I love that the business offers a place to not only buy-sell-trade instruments… but to actually showcase your talents too!”
“I met John (owner, I think) and he was extremely knowledgeable and helpful with what I was looking for (drum kit, maybe a guitar).”
“The boys always look forward to their lesson and love showing me what they’ve learned when we get home.”
“Staff was very nice and helpful in guiding us to the right instrument for us.”
“I called to only inquire on something, and he ended up providing me with a good deal of information that was in regard to the product I was asking about.”
From the reviews
Great staff, great prices and well-organized! The staff was very kind and well-informed. I came in for a rack mount compressor and they patiently answered my questions and helped me get what I needed. I was able to examine the item and make sure it met my needs.
Evolution Music is awesome! They buy and sell musical instruments and gear, as well as offer music lessons and a performance stage to practice with your band. I met John (owner, I think) and he was extremely knowledgeable and helpful with what I was looking for (drum kit, maybe a guitar).
alex was so awesome and knowledgeable! he was so sweet and gave me all the information i needed! he taught me so much in so little time about the guitar i brought in and was so helpful. thank you for helping me purchase my first guitar in over 10 years and being so awesome at what you do!!!
My son just started taking drum lessons. We were looking for practice equipment and we found exactly what we needed for a great price. I would highly recommend Evolution Music Shop. The Downer's Grove location is the closest to my house and a 40 minute drive - but worth the drive. Great service and awesome prices!
Selling or trading gear at Evolution Music Rock Academy
Evolution Music Rock Academy 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 Rock Academy
Reviews and the store's own info mention lessons at Evolution Music Rock Academy. 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.
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