On Location, Chicago: Naperville Music

by Premier Guitar

Checking out local shops in the greater Chi-Town area

Naperville, IL (May 1, 2008) - We checked out a few music stores while we were On Location in the Chicago area. One of them was Naperville Music, a cool little shop with a local vibe and quite a history -- 34 years, in fact. We were immediately drawn to the high-end selection, which included Don Grosh, New Orleans and McNaught guitars.

Naperville Music's Mark Gardner chatted with us about the shop.

For more information:
NapervilleMusic.com

Commentary

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Matt on 06/23/2008	Naperville Music is hands down the best guitar shop in the Chicagoland area. I started playing about a year ago taking lessons at NM. After about 6 months I wanted to drop my cheap acoustic and pick up a "real" guitar. NM sat me down for about an hour and tossed every guitar they had in my hands. I was a guy that knew one song a few riffs (really nothing) and they were handing me PRS, Gibson Customs, and Fenders so I could find a fit I liked and feel and hear the difference in each guitar. Finally we found one I liked (I ended up getting a Fender Standard Strat), the fact that they have no issues with sitting down a beginner and taking the time to answer what now seems like really silly questions to me speaks volumes. They have a customer for life. Guitar teachers there are also as good as the guitar guys they can take you form nothing and mold you. I now play a lot of blues and am in the market for a Martin acoustic so it's nice to hear they are going to expand their all ready well stocked acoustic selection.
Joseph O'Keefe on 05/24/2008	Some years ago, I frequently scanned the Gibson Custom Shop website to see pictures of recently shipped Les Pauls to its dealers. Naperville Music was one of only a few dealers in the Chicago metropolitan area that frequently received these exceptional instruments. Although forty miles from me, I had to see what these guys carried and made the trip. Unlike the large chains, I found a group of serious musicians who built a business through exceptional customer service, an excellent inventory and fair pricing. While I looked for top-end guitars, most customers were in the middle range and looked for guidance in finding an appropriate instrument. NM has built its loyal client base by understanding its customers and offering them appropriate choices – an approach that challenges the commodity-like practices of many retailers. For me, NM has been a source of some of the finest guitars imaginable – not just the large national manufacturers, but from several boutique firms that are producing just unbelievably exceptional instruments. NM works with these small shops in assembling guitars which are not only aesthetically pleasing, but incorporate some of the highest craftsmanship and technology. As an avid collector, I appreciate that NM continues to offer very appealing and unique instruments that complement my existing collection. If I have an interest in a certain configuration, NM will move mountains to get it done.
Mark S. on 05/24/2008	I've been playing guitar for about 30 years and have had the good fortune of buying/selling some high end guitars and amps over the years. In my never ending quest for tone and GAS, I called Mike from Naperville Music last year and spoke with him at length about Grosh guitars. When I did visit the store for the first time, I was the typical kid in the candy store and after playing a Grosh, Mike showed me the New Orleans guitars that were in stock. Needless to say, I vacillated between the two for months and probably drove Mike nuts, but he never showed it, he never pressured me and always gave me the time of day. You don't find this type of customer service in most music stores and it's what separates Naperville Music from the rest of the pack. Mike goes above and beyond the call of duty. I did eventually order a guitar - a Gibson Custom Shop 1963 ES-335 Historic Block Reissue which I am anxiously awaiting!
Douglas Bakken on 05/22/2008	In the 1970’s I was an avid guitar player owning a ‘73 Gibson SG and a ‘70 Giannini Acoustic. Fortunately, I had kept these guitars all this time and at the urging of my kids (7 and 10 years old) decided to set them out next to the piano and bring guitar music back into our home. It turned out to be a wonderful accident that we picked Naperville Music for new strings and some general maintenance, not only did they do a great job of making the guitars good as new, we had discovered a store that focused on customer service and long term relationships, turning many of their customers into clients. Within a month I was matched up with a Fender Custom Shop Telecaster Thinline guitar and a Fender Deluxe Amp. I had wanted this guitar for 34 years and Naperville Music made it happen. I am a big fan of Naperville Music and of small businesses that focus on service.
Mark B. on 05/19/2008	I recreantly stopped by Naperville Music a week ago and was blown away by their selection of guitars. I was expecting to be approached by a high pressure salesman, but instead I had the pleasure of meeting Mike Rinkenberger. I was impressed by his honesty and knowledge (two things you don't normally get from some of the bigger chain stores). It was a great experience and I plan on buying my next guitar at Naperville Music.
Tom Wetzel on 05/18/2008	I found out about Naperville Music while doing a search for authorized Gibson dealers near me in the Chicago suburbs. I had been emailing dealers all over Chicago, and Mike (their guitar manager) was the only person who didn't respond with a quick sales pitch--he wanted to know about me, my background, and what I needed, rather than what he could sell me. The drive there from my home takes almost forty minutes (one way), and I am now making that trip once a week because I believe in the folks at Naperville Music. My wife and I went there to look at the Gibson offerings, and we ended up buying a digital piano that my wife had been jones after for months! The Naperville people made us feel welcome, and they offered a great deal on an exceptional piano. I also found an outstanding guitar teacher who is leading me on the paths of classical method and style, to add to my background in acoustic blues. I haven't bought a guitar yet from Naperville, but they will be my place of choice when I do: they are a staff who remembers you and who wants you to become a better musician. Mark, the co-owner featured in the video above, still asks me how my wife is doing with the piano--and it's been several months since the purchase. Naperville Music believes in earning customers for life, and they will take care of you from the beginning to your flight into professional level musicianship. I find it easy to talk with the staff; their guitar offerings are growing every week; and I truly believe that I have found my homebase guitar shop with Naperville Music.
Ron Jennings on 05/18/2008	Ditto to everything above. I'm so glad PG featured this store in theyre Chicago profile. Definitely a store other guitarists need to know about.
RP on 05/16/2008	Great store with great people. I have been playing for over 30 years and I am always looking for my next aquisition. I have bought three guitars from Naperville Music so far and I am ready to shop for my fourth this summer. The guys are patient with me as I sample the new goods :)
Jonathan Levine on 05/16/2008	Early this past fall I stopped into Naperville music for the first time. While they had some lovely R9’s hanging on the wall, none possessed all of the features I found essential. I chatted with Mike for a bit about what I wanted specifically and he told me he’d look into finding something that fit the bill. I gave him my contact information, not expecting to ever hear back, as I never had before from any other shop. A couple of weeks later, I got an e-mail from Mike with photos of well over a dozen R9’s that he somehow managed to get from his Gibson sales rep. And there it was…the perfect top! It had a wonderful color that wasn’t too red or yellow and beautiful flame set against a background of just the right amount of grain and mineral flecks/streaks. You want to talk about movement in a piece of maple? This thing can go anywhere from a plain top, to hard rock and all the way up to 5A book-matched flame depending on the angle and lighting. And that’s the story…a yearlong search finally over thanks to a simple gesture of friendship. And while I’ve only had the fortune of knowing the guys at Naperville Music for a few of months, they’ve made me a customer for life.
Mike F. on 05/16/2008	Naperville Music is a great gutiar store. It has quickly become my favorite guitar shop in the Chicagoland area and I have been to ALL of them. Great service and a great selection of guitars from both large and small guitar manufacturers. I can't wait till they expand the store.

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