THIS WEEK @ CME
Shop Fresh Gear
This just in at Chicago Music Exchange! Fresh Gear is where you’ll find fresh gear from all your favorite manufacturers, updated daily, so you’re always ahead of the beat.
Download the CME App and Shop 20% OFF Select Guitar Straps!

App Exclusive Summer Flash Sale - Save on CME Exclusive Gibson Black Taurus Falcon Amps!
If you've been searching for the best deals on Gibson Falcon amplifiers, Chicago Music Exchange has an offer you won't find anywhere else — and it's only available on the CME App! For a limited time, the Chicago Music Exchange mobile app is running an exclusive Summer Flash Sale on CME Exclusive Black Taurus Gibson Falcon amplifiers, with savings of up to $500 OFF select models. Shop $500 OFF the Gibson Falcon 20 15-watt combo, $400 OFF the Gibson Falcon 20 12-watt combo, or $300 OFF the Gibson Falcon 5 7-watt combo — CME Exclusive amplifiers built with premium boutique-inspired tone at prices you won't see in-store or online. Whether you're a gigging guitarist searching for a lightweight, versatile tube amp or a tone-chaser who's had the Gibson Falcon on your radar, this is the moment to pull the trigger. Download the Chicago Music Exchange App today to unlock your CME App Exclusive discount before this flash sale ends — because deals this good on CME Exclusive Gibson Falcon amplifiers don't last long.
Highlight Of The Week




We Love Novo Guitars! Call or Come in Today to Discover Them For Yourself!
Since 2014, Dennis Fano and his team have been building Novo Guitars in Nashville, TN, making some of our team’s favorite new guitars on our showroom floor! Every Novo guitar features some level of distressing, and no two guitars are distressed exactly the same. Instead, Fano and his team use their artistic expertise to find the “right” level of distressing that best brings out the grain of the wood. They then use a series of Lollar and Fralin pickups that pair brilliantly with the tempered body woods, resulting in a supreme modern tone machine for players of all stripes! We just received a huge collection of new Novo Guitars, so call us today at (773)525-7773, or come into our showroom to discover the magic of Novo Guitars for yourself!
The John Oates Collection has Arrived at CME!


Stage-played, Studio-Loved, Collector Guitars & Amplifiers at CME!
John Oates isn’t parting with his past—he’s investing in the future. The John Oates Collection has arrived at Chicago Music Exchange—an extraordinary lineup of stage and studio-played acoustics, amplifiers, and electric guitars from one of the most iconic songwriters and performers in American music history. These aren’t just instruments—they’re pieces of living music history, shaped by decades of recording, touring, and performance. From road-worn character to studio-crafted tone, every piece tells a story, and now, those stories are available to you! Whether you’re a serious collector, a lifelong fan, or a player chasing authentic inspiration, this part of his collection delivers rare energy, legacy craftsmanship, and true provenance. The John Oates Collection is available now at Chicago Music Exchange. It’s about real gear, real history, and real connection to the music that shaped generations, and now will continue to shape the next generation!



Chicago Drum Exchange
You can’t beat the Chicago Drum Exchange. Shop the newest gear from Chicago’s best drum shop today.

Make your Playing Sparkle with the Slingerland Radio King Drum Kit and Snare Drum in Gold Glass Glitter!
All beats that glitter are gold with the newest drum kit and snare drum from Slingerland! Sporting a Gold Glass Glitter finish, each drum produces a rich and timeless sound. These drums feature 3-ply shells fitted with steam-bent maple reinforcement rings and 30-degree bearing edges for lush resonance. Period-correct throwback aesthetics and nickel-plated hardware cap off an instantly-identifiable look.
From Bursts to Builds! Chicago Music Exchange "CME Spec" Guitars is the Gibson Custom Authority!
When it comes to Gibson Custom Shop guitars, we don’t just sell them—we live them. Chicago Music Exchange started as a vintage guitar shop, surrounded by real-deal Bursts, Explorers, Vs, Specials, 335s, 355s, SGs—you name it. We know what the old ones sound like, look like, feel like. That’s why we spec our Gibson Customs with one goal: get them as close to the golden-era tone and mojo as modern builds allow.
We’re not chasing myths—we’re chasing the sound, with decades of experience guiding every decision. If you’re looking for the real deal in Gibson Custom Les Pauls, SGs, or ES guitars, CME is the only destination you need.
SHOP CME EXCLUSIVE GIBSON
Featured Video
Fresh Guitar Inventory! | This Just In Ep: 52
4 More Incredible Vintage and Used guitar arrivals at Chicago Music Exchange! Let us know which guitar was YOUR favorite and what you want to see in the future! "This Just In" features gear not yet listed! If you are interested in something just give us a call or drop a comment!
UPCOMING EVENTS AT CHICAGO MUSIC EXCHANGE!
Wednesday, August 27, 2025

Inside the Custom Shop: Fender Master Builder Dennis Galuszka in Conversation with Nathaniel Murphy
You’re invited to a night of Fender tone, Custom Shop tools, and true guitar obsession. Join us at Chicago Music Exchange on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, at 7:00 PM for an exclusive Evening with Fender Master Builder Dennis Galuszka, hosted by CME’s Master Player, Nathaniel Murphy.
Expect deep dives, big tone talk, and behind-the-scenes stories from one of the best to ever do it—Fender Custom Shop Master Builder Dennis Galuszka, who's been shaping the sound of Fender since the late ‘90s. Holding it down for CME is none other than Nathaniel Murphy, who’ll be hosting and leading the conversation, gear-head-friendly chats, plugging into the latest Fender builds, surely something you do not want to miss!
Guitars will be played! Stories will be told! Nerdy questions encouraged! Don’t miss out!
Effects & Amplification
Let us be your Pedal Plug and Amplifier Tone Shop!
Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier 100w Tube Amp Head Limited Mod Shop Collection!
An icon of the high gain world, the newest version of the Dual Rectifier is more flexible than ever, and is even better suited for live performances in any setting! This newest version contains Multi-Watt power (selectable between 50/100 watts), an improved effects loop, channel assignable rectification, a dedicated tuner out with mute, and a whole lot of tonal improvements! The Clean and Pushed voicings in channel 1 now feature a wider range of gain, the Vintage gain voicing now has thicker layers of harmonics, and the famous Modern voicing in channel 3 has been refined to serve up a tighter low end.
Shop Our Huge Selection Of New, Used, And Vintage Pedals In The Store At CME This Season!

JHS Fumble JFET Clean Boost Pedal
JHS’ NOTADUMBLE was introduced in 2026 as a solderless DIY pedal kit, containing two highly sought-after sounds from Howard Dumble’s famed career: a boutique-style overdrive, and a clean JFET boost that actually wasn’t a Howard Dumble design at all. The boost in question is actually a JFET preamp lifted almost part-for-part from a Barcus Berry piezo preamp from the 1970s. That clean boost is now available as a standalone pedal: the JHS Fumble JFET Clean Boost! The Fumble has four intended uses: first, as a permanent buffer and clean boost at the front of your board. Second, as a way of making your overdrive pedals sound massive. Third, to slam into the front of a dirty amp to add articulation. Fourth, as a solo boost at the end of any signal chain! Add it in any of those four ways, and experience true tonal bliss.

Eventide H9 Harmonizer Gen 2
Named for a late friend of the Caroline Guitar Company, the new Aaron Graves Overdrive is based on the preamp from other Caroline pedals, but has several tricks up its sleeve. First, it “embiggens” any amplifier, adding thickness to any tone while leaving plenty of headroom and dynamics. Second, it can provide plenty of saturation while retaining the amp’s character. Finally, the Aaron Graves is a powerful tool for boosting any already dirty amp into high gain in a way that fits neatly into a mix, much in the way that the Tube Screamer became ubiquitous in the 80s! A portion of every sale of the Aaron Graves will go to Fork & Spoon Records, to contribute to the late Aaron Graves’ work in creating music and a unified scene.

Meris Ottobit X Modular '80s Texture Engine Pedal
Get 6 glitch effects, 3 filter effects, 2 ambience effects, 5 pitch effects, 5 modulation effects, and 4 preamps all in the same pedal! Inspired by the various digital artifacts and degradation effects from the 80s, Ottobit X is the ultimate way to add texture to any signal chain! Full MIDI connectivity and stereo input/output make it easy to use Ottobit X with guitars, basses, synthesizers, and electronic percussion!

Electronic Audio Experiments Sending V2 Delay Pedal Limited White
Sending is a classic analog delay that meshes bucket brigade architecture with a full suite of digital controls, providing players with an immersive delay experience! A discrete preamp adds warm saturation, and a dual-mode feedback filter brings out deep pulses, or bright tapelike echoes! The analog design gives players a full second of delay without clock noise, and when pushed further, it introduces intriguing digital warble that plays nicely with ambient or spacey tones.

Preorder the New Portable Marshall JTM Series Amplifiers!
The amp that started it all is back! Now in a new portable size, the iconic JTM has been added to Marshall’s Studio range, offering players authentic, smooth, valve-driven break-up at lower volumes. Check out Marshall JTM Studio options now available for preorder at CME!
Featured Video
230+ Guitars! | Zac Brown Collection at Chicago Music Exchange
Award-winning songwriter, internationally celebrated performer, accomplished multi-instrumentalist, and founder of the life-changing nonprofit Camp Southern Ground, Zac Brown has built a career defined by artistry, generosity, and an unwavering commitment to authenticity. Over the course of that journey, he has also assembled one of the most impressive and wide-ranging instrument collections we have ever encountered.
At Chicago Music Exchange, it has been our privilege to know Zac and work with him for many years. Our relationship has always been rooted in a shared love of great instruments, a deep respect for craftsmanship, and a mutual pursuit of the iconic sounds only the very best guitars can deliver. For that reason, it is especially meaningful to present this remarkable collection and help place these instruments into the hands of their next stewards, players, and songwriters.
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