You cannot compare the quality of instruments Solo has with any other company, especially their rentals and for such great prices! Roumen is a master luthier and personally adjusts all of the rentals making sure they play well regardless if it is for a child or not.We started renting and taking lessons 6 years ago--my daughter violin and son cello. My daughter got into Patriot orchestra at Stevenson this year, so we purchased a violin for her with the rental credit that we built. Roumen is an absolute master and very thorough in answering all of our questions. The instrument is exceptional and sounds like it was made by a true artist. His wife Dani also treated us like we were a part of her family and was very considerate in making sure that we were satisfied with the instrument. Great family business, a true gem!

First, Solo Classic has great and flexible hours. Whenever we need to tune our cello or make an adjustment last minute, they are always open and happy to help. Roumen is particularly kind and knowledgable about string instruments and he even showed me step by step how a cello is made from beginning to finish so that I could understand better. It is obvious that he is a master craftsman and has dedicated his life to this art. Over all, Solo always takes great care and I have not seen better rentals for such great prices anywhere else.

Solo Classic is a wonderful, family owned, one stop shop for all your music needs. From music lessons to instrument rental/purchase, they provide great quality services. All their teachers are professional musicians with many years of teaching experience. Roumen is a great violin maker as well as restorer. He fixed one of my broken violin bows in the past and did an amazing job. Their rental instruments are also really good quality and very well set up. Weve been very happy with Solo Classic so far and highly recommend them to anyone looking for music lessons or string instruments.

My name is Sonia Hadar and I am a violin teacher at the music Institute of Chicago, Midwest Young Artist, and Solo Classic.I have never written a review before, because I have never felt as strongly as I do about my recommendation for Solo Classic.I can confidently say that not only is Solo Classic a wonderful music institution and a pillar of the music community, but also that Roumen Raykovski’s handmade string instruments are some of the finest quality string instruments I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing on. I’ve recommended a countless number of my esteemed students to purchase his instruments as I believe that for the quality and price, nothing is comparable.It is very difficult to find handmade, European string instruments in this day and age of low quality, cheap, and inexperienced makes, but Roumen is able to capture a level of quality that only a master luthier can provide. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of watching him making violins, violas, and cello from concept to final product and it is an incredible process that you have to see to believe. If you have been considering investing in a fine, handmade string instrument, look no further than Solo Classic.Also, if you have had the good fortune of meeting Dani Raykovski, you know how much passion and love she puts into her family’s business and stands behind everything that they offer and provide. They are an honest, hardworking family who have built together a true gem in our musical community and we are so very honored to have them.

Roumen and Dani are wonderful business owners. Roumen booked an on-call, unscheduled all-day appointment to restore my multi-prize-winning museum piece violin to a condition exceedingly improved upon from its original glory! Sparing many details, I was accomodated such that Ive never had such a great customer service experience in my entire life, and I work in sales and in customer service, myself. Over the course of my appointment, I quickly learned that Roumen is a kind and wholesome family man, and as such, he and I had become great friends over the course of my visit. Additionally, I was greeted kindly by and became acquainted with his wife, Dani, and Solo Classic staff, all of whom are wonderful, genuine, and talented people! Roumens attention and passion for detail, his craftsmanship, work ethic, and skill are unmatched! He meticulously restored the finish, cut a new bone bow tip with great precision --- a very difficult material to work with, rehaired my bow with the finest horse hair, installed a new sound post that he shifted several times, playing the instrument and analyzing the tone after each movement, until he discovered the sweet spot and has never played better! His shop also has all manner of parts and accessories at all ranges of quality and variety available to suit your unique and sophisticated taste and style! Thank you so much for the great experience and amazing value -- the quality for the price of Roumens work cannot be understated!

My name is Gabriel Hwang, conductor and violinist. A violin craftsmans name Solo Classic was introduced by one of my college student while I was having bridge problems. The precise curves and spacing of the bridge are very important for all violinists. After the fix, I was very happy for upgraded quality sound of my violin. And a few days later, my other teaching violin got a new fingerboard, bridge and overall restoration work, and I was very pleased for improving the sound. I found that Mr. R. Raykovski is a real true Master of string instruments. To everyone who sees this comments, I would like to give highly, strongly, and utterly recommend to see Mr. Raykovski. And I was deeply impressed his assistant Mrs. Raykovsky. Her warmth and thoughtful personalities makes to all customers happy. I want to give them a great Thanks. As I am conductor, violinist and teacher, I recommend to get a consultation at Solo Classic. The Solo Classic is wonderful Landmark for all string instrumentalists. It was my great pleasure to find Solo Classic. Thank you.

We known Solo classics since 2018, my daughter got her first violin rented from here and we met these wonderful couple and staff, we appreciated all the support for my daughter’s Orchestra they are always polite and quick,best qualified. Very happy to be served by them. Thank you so much, always! I recommend to everyone.

I have taught at Soloclassic for 5 years and have had a great experience. Easy to work with, straightforward expectations and an awesome community. I highly recommend both for students to come and take and teachers to come and work there.

We have been renting viola from Solo Classic for past 7 years and never had a problem either replacing it to the next size or repairing. We also have taken viola lessons for past 2 years. Teachers at Solo Classic are true professionals and are very inspiring. Thank you!

We have been renting with Solo Classic for the past 2 years -- we switched from another company near by, because Solos instrument quality is FAR superior and they never raise their prices. Plus Roumen is a master maker and provides the best service in case you need a repair. At first, we rented with the other company, but we didnt read their fine print... their lower prices are for silver grade instruments... which is basically a cardboard instrument and you have to call them to figure out the correct price for their orchestra level instruments. Shouldnt all instruments be orchestra level if our kids are in the orchestra?! Plus they raised their prices within months of rental without letting us know! Writing this review because my daughter accidentally stepped on my sons cello and Roumen was able to do a repair in an hour -- such a nice experience -- plus they are a small family business and we gotta do what we can these days. Thank you Roumen -- see you for that bow rehair next week.

Great place and staff. I would highly recommend to borrow your instrument from here as they are very friendly and welcome you each time you go for a replacement or fixing. My daughter is borrowing Viola from them since 3 years and we are very happy with their service.

Very pleased with our sons cello rental from Solo Classic. Reasonably priced and very nice instruments for our young string-instrument learner.

I have been renting violin and viola for my daughters since last 1 year. The owners are very nice and soft spoken. My kids are having private lessons too. They are really good. They are very accommodating too. Absolutely recommend this place.

I’ve had piano lessons here for years as well as rented a bass during my middle school years. The teachers here are all extremely qualified and genuinely want you to succeed. The instruments here are top notch and so renting here is a really good option.

Ive been renting violin and a cello for my kids from Solo Classic for 4 years now. Last year they also started music lessons. Really happy from their service and the expertise I get from Roumen. They always go above and beyond for their customers. Thank you guys and keep up the good work in these trying times.

I needed a cello rental for a last minute audition for music class and solo classic responded to my after hours email and called to have the cello delivered to my house during the virus shut down. Their service is second to none and the cello I received was of the highest quality. I will always go to solo music for my music needs. They are the best!

This store offers the highest quality instruments in the area, and the owners are always very friendly and will always accommodate to your needs. The teachers are all very knowledgeable and talented, and have personally helped me drastically improve in my playing and have helped me place into the highest tier of orchestra in my high school. Highly recommend this place!

The instruments at this place are top-quality. As an added plus, the owners are very pleasant to speak with, as well as very involved with the community of Buffalo Grove. Whenever I drop by for lessons or repairs, they go out of their way to say hello. Additionally, they always attend school-wide and district performances. Overall, the store is a great environment to be in!

Very great store with great quality instruments

Great people, great store, great instruments... Rouman and his staff are absolutely amazing to work with... I rent my instruments with them every year and their new website made things so much easier to rent now... Keep up the good work guys!

Rented violin from Solo Classic. This is my favorite local music shop now for string rental. Thank you for taking the extra time to explain details and options. Great service!

We chose Solo Classic because we were looking for someone to fix up our cello and lessons for my son. We are thrilled with the service. Roumen completely took apart the cello and brought up the value of the instrument--it looks better than it ever has. Dani was also very kind and made sure that we were satisfied with everything, every step of the way.Great instructors as well! Our son recently began lessons and already has developed much more of a passion for music. Highly recommend.

Great!! Very top notch teachers and awesome owners of the store. Thank you!!

This is the only local store where the owner is a professional violin maker. Per my conversation Roumen , he is a graduate from Chicago School of Violin making. All the instruments at the store are custom set up for optimal playability. You cant beat the price for the quality you are getting. Last week left my bow to be rehaired and as usual he did an outstanding job. A friend of mine plays for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and he referred me to this local family shop. Keep up the good job guys!!!

I was a teacher at Solo Classic for 3 years. It is a great place for instrument rental and lessons. One stop shop for all a music student needs. The owners are always very accommodating if a student forgets to bring their instrument or book to their lessons, and they have great pricing and quality of their instruments. They also have excellent teachers. I highly recommend trying Solo Classic as your one stop shop for rentals, repairs, and lessons.

Great place for music education! The owners are kind and dedicated people and they work hard to make everybody feel welcome and get the best service possible. All the instructors are highly educated and experienced musicians and teachers. I taught piano lessons there for a few good years and I always felt right at home, encouraged to do my best, share my passion for music and help students strive!

We were looking for musicians to play live at our wedding and Solo Classic were able to help us. They offer professional and friendly service that is second to none. Even with our odd request, they asked some of their instructors and we were able to follow up and this is how Solo Classic played a special role on our special day! Thank you!

We have been renting multiple instruments from Solo Classic for 10 years. Its wonderful to have a place like this nearby. Thank you for supporting our childrens music interests!

I took violin lessons here for six years, as well as working as a receptionist my last year. Dani and Roumen, the owners of the store, are very friendly, warm, and caring people. They care about each and every person who walks into the store, and the lesson teachers are knowledgeable, skilled instructors. The store carries many products and accessories for string instruments, which was very convenient whenever I needed to purchase books or other music-related items. I have very many happy memories from learning and working there!

This establishment is amazing. Everything about it is. From the teachers to the owners to the plants. I would 13/10 recommend this to someone else looking for a quality instrument. 5 stars.

The owners are incredibly fantastic and kind people! They really make you feel like family with how affable they are. In addition, they are very active supportive of the local music community.I recently had my bow rehaired and Roumen did an incredible and very fast job (even cleaning the stick thoroughly), ensuring I was ready to play once again once the new week rolled around. Price is very reasonable for a rehair and I am incredibly satisfied with the work done!

Do not recommend this place. In 1 year we were going on our third instructor. When I received an email to switch my lesson times is how I found out. When asked to just be done and receive a refund for the rest of the lessons that I paid for, I was told NO my son needs to finish with their new guy. I’m sorry but I would actually like to meet the guy first and decide if we even want to work with this person.The other annoying thing is their total unorganization. Plus you can only pay cash or check. They do not take debit or credit cards for lessons. I don’t walk around with that much cash on me nor do I carry a check book around like my grandma does.

Nothing but good things to say about Solo Classic. Their music school is wonderful. Their instructors are highly educated and experienced musicians eager to help their students reach their highest potential.Roumen is a brilliant string instrument maker and hes always on site to make any adjustments or last minute fixes. We recently purchased one of Roumens instruments after renting for a few years and it has already received high praise from the music community. Because we had been renting, we also used credit towards the purchase price of the instrument.This family business puts the community first and you can tell that music is their life. Dani, is wonderful and will drop everything to accommodate and make her customers feel welcome. Thank you Solo!

Roumen is a great luthier, he got my violin fixed in no time - absolutely pleased with the service! This is my go to place for any future repairs and I definitely recommend it!!!

Its a wonderful place. Roumen Raykovski is one of the best violin-makers I have ever seen. He knows violins like no one else and he feels the instrument. I would recommend this place it to everyone.

I have taken lessons at Solo Classic ever since I was little. Dani and Roumen are so nice and every teacher I have had has been professional and experienced. Really grew as an individual and as a musician.

Both of my boys take lessons at solo classic. My 12 year old has been taking lessons for cello for more than a year now. My 6 year old just started piano lessons few weeks back. The teachers are great here, Very accommodating per your needs.

We recently purchased one of Roumens handmade violins for our son. We couldnt be more pleased, especially after one of our friends from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra gave us his approval. Dani was so kind and supportive during the buying process...she recommended some other shops so that we could find the right instrument for our son and she even let us borrow the instrument so that my son could see how it played. After comparing and asking our friends opinion, Roumens violin was the obvious choice. The sound is brilliant and resonates like its a 100 year old violin. Thank you Dani and Roumen!

My 7 years old son started his first piano lessons at Solo Classic. In couple of months he was able to show what he learned at live performance. He was very happy !!!Solo Classic is a great place to learn music.

Awesome store and great teachers! Dani was so helpful and makes you feel like a part of the family and Roumen is a genius craftsman with THE BEST instruments Ive ever played on.

With short notice store was able to accomodate violin for my daughter. Thank you for the service and your patience.

It is the best place where kids can start to learn new music instrument with very good teachers from USA and Europe,with a lot of years of experience in solo performing and orchestra playing. Mr.Roumen Raikovsky is one of the great violin,viola makers who make best instruments,so when you sign up for private lesons,they have a lot of instruments for you!

Oh, the previous review is bad... The guys didnt even bother to go there and they give 0 out of 3... I hate it to be the only opinion about this wonderful place. The owners, Dani and Roumen, are the nicest people in the world. My kid has been taking violin classes there for 4 years. Cant make it today - no problem, dropped a violin and broke it - no problem. Being a parent or a student there you become a member of a little club. They also are very diligent about selecting their teachers. The only issue I can feel people may need to get through is communication. I could see some folks struggling once in a while. Fortunately out of many languages Dani and Roumen know I can use another one to talk to them and it makes it a bit easier for me. They recently expanded their store and teaching area. All luck in the world to them!

Rental service is ok! Never returned inquiry for piano lessons inspite multiple follow ups and promises to arrange !

Very professional and knowledgeable music store

Outstanding repair, Roumen did amazing work with heavy broken cello, my cello sound beautiful..

Great place and expert craftsmanship

Very nice.

Its painful to deal with the lady at the front desk

Great service !!!

Solo Classic are very professional!