The Player’s Bench Music Store

This is a follow-​up from my review in April 2013, where I gave the store five stars. I have been a customer here for years and spent thousands of dollars in this store.
Ever since the new owners took over the store, it has been in steady decline. There is no personality anymore in the store. Nome whatsoever. It used to be a joy to come in here, now it is a bore and a waste of time.
The employees used to have personality… Don, Ryan, Lucas and Connor… All gone. If any of those guys are still here, they must not work many hours. The new owners seemed to have either fired or chased away all personality and anyone that knows anything about music marketing. While the female owner has some personality and the ability to smile, The male owner has the personality of a brick wall and is about as exciting to talk to.
The Eclectic music that used to play in the shop…(provided by former manager Don) Gone. Every time I used to go into the shop I would learn about a new band or an old band that I had not heard of, but wanted to now, due to the employee interaction there. No more. I walked in the store the other day and it was dead quiet except for instrumental seasonal-​themed muzak. Nobody said a thing to anyone. It was worse than a chain guitar store.
The guitar selection is mediocre at best. There are several high-​end Taylor guitars, but the majority of the selection is lower end and gimmicky brands like Eastwood, Ibanez or Fender Squire, aimed at first time guitar buyers.
I went in the store the other day with the intent of buying some drumsticks and a guitar pedal, but was completely disgusted as to what the story has become and left without buying anything there. I later ordered the stuff from another retailer, and received it at about 75% of players bench price.
Lastly, there seems to be a political slant to the store now. To start with, there is a no handguns sticker on every door. This kind of goes without saying, people are not there to buy bullets, but the fact they put that out there says something about them. Also, the signing on the exterior of the store read «Merry & Bright» this holiday season. Not Merry Christmas, Merry & Bright. What does merry & bright even mean? These are overly P.C. new owners and alienate many Crystal Lake residents with this rediculious display of political correctness.
I want to give the store two stars because their guitar technicians are awesome, but the new owners and changes that have taken place here are so bad and have made this such a horribly generic store with zero personality that I can’t in good conscience recommend the story to anyone. Shop online or drive on down the road to a much friendlier shop in Fox River Grove that still has some personality. These people have destroyed Player’s Bench.

I’m guessing that things have changed in the last 5 years. The earlier reviews about a mulleted guy that doesn’t let you touch anything in the store is far from my experience. I am often in here with my 5 year old who plays every drum set in the store before he goes to his lessons with his really talented and patient drum teacher. No one has every complained. Everyone working in there seems to be pretty young, so maybe the owner is no longer around. I find the prices to be really good and the customer service great.

First let me say, they house the best tech in the Chicago area. The staff is friendly, I lorter often. Prices are fair, amd unlike big box stores, they will work with you on price. They have a layway plan also. This is helpful for big purchases. They offer a rental plan for students.

Super Sweet!

I bought a piano lessons certificate for my SO here; then returned to help him pick out a keyboard. I found the customer service helpful and friendly, and no one seemed to mind me playing the pianos to find the one with the best key weight and sound quality. The clerk at the register suggested some peripheral equipment, but didn’t push us to buy more — he was just giving us information, not making a hard sell. It’s a small store, so the selection is a bit limited, but they can order equipment if you specify a particular item you want.

Cute location in an old building, right in old downtown Crystal Lake, it has great atmosphere when you walk in.
We were just browsers, so didn’t actually talk to anyone at the store — just wandered around. (Note: we did not meet mullet man — see prior reviews — I think approach with caution if you are buying here.)
This is a music store that doesn’t want you to touch things… always disappointing.
For the size of the store, they had a good variety of instruments/​equipment.
Personally didn’t have any issues with the store — I’d likely drop by to pick up needed supplies, if I were in the area.
Would I recommend: Based on limited experience, I’d point local people to the store.
Would I return: If I needed something and was in the area, I’d stop by.

I went into this store on a Saturday morning to see what they had in stock in the way of resonator-​style acoustic guitars. The staff never acknowledged me, even when I was standing in front of the counter staring at one of them. I did ask whether they had anything else not sitting out, and the guy said, «Dude, what you see is what you get». I asked advice on what I should be considering and he acted like he couldn’t bother with a beginner asking questions. Never again will I step foot in this establishment.

This might be my least favorite music store in the state of Illinois. They actually rank below Guitar Center. The fat miserable little mulleted guy that the previous poster mentioned is the owner of this joint and he makes shopping here a really unpleasant experience. I grew up in Crystal Lake and between the years of 1995 and 2000, I bought a guitar, a mandolin, and countless music books and sets of strings from this place. I only did so because it was 5 minutes from home.
First off, they require you to ask before playing something. That way, the owner can ask you a bunch of condescending questions to determine if you are a serious buyer or merely a browser. He then grants or denies you permission based on your responses.
Second, I bought a chromatic guitar tuner from this place once and it didn’t work when I got home. I went back there the next day to exchange it but they didn’t have another one. The other model that they carried cost more than I was willing to spend. I then asked if I could get a refund and the owner asked me «How do I know you didn’t break it somehow and are now trying to return it?» Are you kidding me? He would only give me store credit.
I have never purchased another thing from this store and I probably never will. I would urge anyone who lives in Crystal Lake or the surrounding area to stay away from this miserable, mulleted little man.