Sparky's Guitars

Happy to review a great local small business. I've had work done on 2 guitars now and both experiences were top notch. The work he did to adjust the action on my Martin was done quickly and at a very fair price. It's so easy to play now that it feels like Sparky unlocked a cheat code on the fretboard. I cannot recommend this place enough.

Jim was instrumental (pun intended) in helping me resurrect an old Fender guitar that hadn't been out of its case in years. We swapped out nearly every bit of hardware, refretted the neck, and put in new pickups. Jim had great recommendations along the way and put a lot of effort into bringing the guitar back to life.

Wow, what a hidden treasure Sparky's Music is! Jim and Robert were professional, friendly, and helpful, and I left with a beautiful ES-335. Jim adjusted the action for me right there in the shop. They have some great guitars in stock, and an experienced technician for setups and more. I can't recommend Sparky's more strongly. Check them out!

Great place, good vibes, and a great selection of beautiful guitars (and more)! The owner Jim Is very helpful and knowledgeable. My first time stopping in and wouldn't you know it...... I bought a guitar. The deal was too great to pass up on a sweet sounding acoustic. Very cool place and along with Jim, I met some really cool people while I was in there. It's just one of those places that you are glad you found and consider a treasure.

Jim Kraus is the real deal-hands down! And, his new shop Sparky’s Guitars in Elmhurst, is an absolute gem! Jim is a super nice man who is a talented multi instrumentalist and a world class tech. He cherry picked the best quality instruments in their class for his shop. I’ve known him for five years and bought my third instrument from him on Thursday, this sweet kickass Gretsch resonator. Isn’t she pretty? She’s taking a little nap after the workout I gave her this morning. Ha!

Jim has taken care of a couple guitars for me, and I couldn’t be happier. He takes the time to figure out what you’re looking for and has a genuine passion for his craft. No matter what you go in for, you’ll leave with a bit of knowledge and a great conversation about guitars. Thanks, Jim & staff!

I have known Jim Kraus for 30 years now, from shopping at another local store. Jim is the Only One I trust with my guitar/amp repairs. He has a vast knowledge of both guitars and amps. I have always found him to be honest and friendly in his Customer Service.

It is hard to find someone that combines both knowledge and fair prices on repair work in addition to being done in a timely manner.

Jim has his own store now and though small is well stocked and clean. If you are looking for either guitar/amp repairs or to purchase something new please check out Jim in his new location.

Jim has a very in-depth knowledge of guitars, amps, and pedals. I have had multiple amplifiers repaired and guitars set up with him and he was able to set up my Strat better than anyone at CME. I trusted had him do some work on a very high end Martin that I am reluctant to even let me family touch. If you aren't sure, Jim knows, and I would highly recommend his shop and services to anyone looking for gear, repairs or setups.

Sparky’s Guitars and owner Jim Kraus were able to meet my exact needs when it came to music. Between the large in-store selection and his willingness to order any gear you may need, Sparky’s Guitars has become a one stop shop for all music needs. Their excellent customer service provides guidance and expertise in every department, always keeping up with modern advancements in music gear to ensure customers are provided with top of the line products. When it comes to repairs, nobody has the skills and experience like Sparky’s Guitars. It can be difficult to find a quality repair shop in the Chicago-land area, which is why I am happy to see that Sparky’s can provide quality and timely repairs.

Bought a new PRS opening day, nice buying a guitar that had been set properly. Also had Jim do 2 set ups on a couple of my old guitars. They play like brand new he did a great job and had them done in a couple days. Great staff and service highly recommend this store for purchases and repairs.

AWESOME WORK! Jim is the best! Every guitar I have brought to Jim has had THE BEST SETUP! Jim also fixed one of my amps!

I traded in and purchased a bass guitar. Jim is very kind and super knowledgeable. He did inform me all I wanted and needed to know about the product and also the subject in general. I highly recommend this shop for musicians in all levels.

We came to Sparky’s because they carried PRS guitars and were highly impressed with their selection and genuine attitude. They also have Heritage guitars which is a bonus! We bought a PRS CE 24 and a couple of Laney, JHS, and Ross pedals. Jim also set up one of my Floyd Rose Strats and it plays better than ever. I highly recommend checking them out and wouldn’t hesitate to buy anything online. The guitars are all professionally set with strings of your choice before it leaves the store. Sparky’s is a breath of fresh air from the impersonal, big box music stores.

Just moved into the neighborhood and found this Gem on google. Jim is amazing! My bass guitar had a terrible fret buzz going on and needed a setup. Jim set the action and sounds better than it ever has. Really competitive pricing and quick turn around time. 100% will be coming here for a long time.

I brought in an Epiphone Sheraton to Sparkys Guitars to replace the pickups and old wiring. Jim replaced the pickups for Seymour Duncan Seth Lover pickups and replaced the wiring to a vintage style wiring.
Jim cleaned up the frets, setup and intonated the guitar. Beautiful job, now I have an awesome Jazz tone Epiphone Sheraton guitar. Many Thanks Jim!

No Need To Look For A Different Guitar Tech In The Chicago Area! My Friend Jim Is The Best In All Of Types Of Repairs! All My Guitars Have Been There With Him And I Can’t Get Enough In How Comfortable I Play Them For Hours! And You Can’t Go Wrong With Sparkys He Sells The Best Quality Guitars!

I'm so glad to have found this place. I wanted a new guitar but wanted to avoid a big box store. At sparkys I described exactly the type of guitar I wanted, and they had it (turns out the PRS custom 24 was exactly what I wanted). They set it up for me right there, and even put on new strings, and gave me a gig bag, and t shirt.

It was the best music shopping experience I've ever had. If I ever need anything guitar related I'm going back here!

Do yourself and friends a favor and check out the newly opened Sparky's Guitars, owned by Jim Kraus. I meet Jim in high school and his passion for music hooked me in. Jim has been there from my very first guitar purchase in high school, and continues to be the only person I trust with all my guitar, amps and repair needs.He is truly a person you will want to have in your life, go see for yourself and see what 40 years of experience and knowledge can do for you.

Visited today to check out a guitar and had a wonderful experience. Great team and I'll be bringing my instruments here for setups going forward.

I had such a great experience here. The owner was super nice and showed me the PRS guitar I was interested in. He said they will set up the guitar the way that I like it and that’s part of the buying process here.