Our friend Gabriel Wallace (Gorillaz/manuaLs) does what he does best, getting super creative showing off some unique ways to use the all of the new Zildjian 2019 releases, including the FX Stacks, K Cluster Crashes and the 22" Oriental Crash of Doom. All of which are available now at Chicago Drum Exchange.
We have a great haul from the Orlando International show coming in right now. Some are coming soon, some are on the floor, and some are online right now! Have any questions about something featured on this sneak peek? Give us a call now, or stop in and ask—we'll have these rockers ready to go in no time!
Singer songwriter Tyler Carter (Woe is Me, Issues) stopped by and played us a song off his new album, titled "Moonshine." "Big Things" is a track detailing Carter's issues with people from his past life trying to take advantage of him, now that he's doing "big things"
This is Chicago Music Exchange's first ever collaboration with Original Fuzz, a company known for their involvement with Artists around the world. I based the design of this strap on the Flower Of Life, which has been used throughout history to visually explain the connectivity of all life. Check out the CME Original Fuzz Custom Guitar Strap at our Chicago Showroom at 3316 N Lincoln Avenue.
Nighttime Birds and Morning Stars is Sarah Louise’s most fearless work to date. Louise broadens beyond folk forms on her latest, turning streams of raw electric guitar into entire oceans of aural texture. Her rich playing is warped beyond recognition through inventive synthesizing and digital manipulations. The innovative songs share warmth and compositional tendencies with Deeper Woods; however, remarkably, Sarah Louise’s stunning sophomore Thrill Jockey album breaks through the boundaries of solo guitar, bearing little resemblance to its predecessors.
In case you missed our coverage of Winter NAMM 2019, here's a little highlight reel of the festivities! New gear, new friends, and great times! Check out our NAMM News and Guide to see what's rolling in and fresh off the truck from NAMM!
We rounded up some of the coolest pedals we've seen so far at NAMM. We've only scratched the surface, but our heads are already spinning with all these new tone boxes!
Fender's Hottest New Lines in 2019: the Alternate Reality Series & the Rarities Series 2019 has thus far been a big year for Fender. Coming hot off of the release of the new Acoustisonic model, and a fresh lineup of Fender effects Pedals, Fender kept the new product train rolling with the announcement of two new lines of electric guitars; the Alternate Reality Series and the Rarities series.
Fender's got 4 Artist Signature models on the way for 2019 to recreate the magic of 4 eras of the Jimmy Page Telecaster. This solid rocker for Jimmy was stripped, painted, adorned with mirrors, and yes, this was the guitar he notably used on "Stairway to Heaven."
The new era of Gibson has arrived. With new leadership, and a "back to basics" ethos, the Gibson brand is realigning itself with the incredible instruments that made the brand a household name.
Nathaniel Murphy shows you how “everything” is actually just the thing a working musician needs most. He begins his day at home, riffing fresh, original content to post to Instagram, YouTube and other social media. Then it’s off to the live room to work through ideas for his upcoming release. Then, soundcheck at one of his nightly live gigs, where it all comes together.
Fender Pedals—New for NAMM 2019 are out and about, from the Bubbler Chorus to the Lost Highway Phaser, these toneboxes don't quit!
Bring home some of the most iconic tones in the history of rock in an all-new, modernized package with the 20W Marshall Studio Range!
No matter where you're going, Taylor guitars will follow you along your musical journey. Take a peek at the wide variety of offerings from Taylor, and find the perfect guitar whether you're playing your first chords, or performing your greatest hits.
Passwords, the sixth album from the California four-piece, is a distinctly modern record, a product of its time that directly confronts times to come and addresses the social and political intricacies of a world in flux with acuity.
Volante by Strymon is a pedal poised to completely change your sonic landscape with a plethora of expressive effects and complete controls at your fingertips. Featuring magnetic drum echo, tape echo, and reel-to-reel studio echo, a stereo multi-head delay that is also packed with a looper and vintage spring reverb. Powerful tools to bring your sonic soundscapes alive.
Be a "Starman" with the BRAND NEW David Bowie Supro Dual Tone now with a hardtail. Get yours now at Chicago Music Exchange. Visit our showroom at 3316 N Lincoln Ave in Chicago. Or call us at 1-773-525-7773.
Handmade one at a time in Des Moines, Iowa, Bilt Guitars combine VINTAGE COOl with modern playability and tonal qualities. We've been digging on Bilt for years and are proud to be your source in Chicagoland for these cool tone makers.
Guitar Hero Nathaniel Murphy, aka, @zeppelinbarnatra is a masterful tune tweaker. He continues to inspire us with his rendition of The Beatles "Yesterday" on a gorgeous Limited Edition Gibson ES-335 with Anchor Stud Bigsby in Antique Vintage Sunburst.
Guy Shapira and Yaniv Loria craft Bunting Guitars by hand, the old way. They choose the best components on earth to pair with their splendidly styled guitars and hand rubbed finishes. We're big fans and very happy to have them here at Chicago Music Exchange. We hope you enjoy Bunting guitars as much as we do.
Amanda Shires’ roots in country music and Americana run very deep. She picked up her first fiddle in a pawn shop in Texas at age 10. By 15 she was playing with the Texas Playboys, and later John Prine, Shovels & Rope, Justin Townes Earle, Billy Joe Shaver, and husband Jason Isbell.
Paging John Marshall? Mr. John Marshall? Your 1960 Gibson Les Paul Black Beauty is ready! This Black Beauty comes with an epically COOL metal truss rod cover, embossed with musical symbols and the name "John Marshall."
Joel's back! This time he shows off an extraordinary All original Cherry 1962 Gibson ES-335TD. This "Custom Made" Gibson ES-335 is quite a find.
Give the people what they want! We went to PRS and found some of the choice-est 10 Top wood in their massive libraries and spec'd out some super-solid rockers which are rolling in now! Do these magnificent bursts and flame tops speak your language? It might be time to try one out.
Kinda Kinks-y or like maybe if Dylan was in the Troggs? Fun-party-chill-indie-hip-GARAGE ROCK! That's The Nude Party. Touring in support of their self titled debut on New West records. "The Naked Party Band" stopped by before their set, opening for Jack White, at the Aragon Ballroom and treated us to a rendition of their tune "Astral Man." We asked the band how they got their start and how they make music their life in this episode of Labor of Love.
Jess Abbot, AKA Tancred, stopped by to dig on our 60s odd body vintage guitars and treated us to her tune "Clipping" from her album "Nightstand". We asked her how she got her start on guitar, what directs her style and what rig she's touring with in this episode of Labor of Love.
We are oh so proud to announce Chicago Music Exchange's latest Exclusive guitar builds. Dan B and Joel worked closely with our dear friends at Gibson USA on our SG Standard w/ Tortoise Pickguard & T-Type Pickups. As always we created an awesome array of colors from Natural Walnut to Gloss Yellow there's a CME Exclusive SG for everyone! Just the kind of thing you expect from your friendly gear folk at Chicago Music Exchange!
It is no secret that the Fender Custom Shop has been creating the best instruments since 1987. In keeping with the true spirit of Leo’s original vision of the company, each instrument is built with the highest level of care and excellence. Here at Chicago Music Exchange, we have collaborated with the best minds at Fender to build the best instruments from top to bottom, tirelessly going over each spec to ensure that we offer you the best of what Fender has to offer.
Everyone knows Shelby loves Jazzmasters but what's his FAVE JM and what does he use with it? Find out in Shelby "The Mayor" Pollard's CME Staff PIcks.
Writing songs at 10, playing in Coffee Shops at 15 and releasing her first "album" at 19, Brandy Zdan has always made making music her life. Brandy was out touring to support her new album "Secretear" when she stopped by to check out Vintage Telecasters and treated us to her tune, "Secret Tears." We talked with Brandy about how she makes it all happen in this episode of Labor of Love.