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.

CME Boxing Day Sales at Chicago Music Exchange!
The holidays may be winding down, but the deals heating up! From December 25 through January 4, Chicago Music Exchange is clearing the decks with massive end-of-year savings on select brand New, Vintage, and Used gear, plus CME Exclusive Fender instrument cable sales you can’t find anywhere else! Whether you’re upgrading your rig, chasing a long-lost tone, or starting the year loud, CME’s Sales are savings you don’t miss.

CME App Exclusive Sale: $5 OFF $25+ Orders on Brand New, In-Stock Gear on the CME App!
Hit the right note this weekend with the CME Fall Flash Sale! 🎶 Save $5 when you spend $25+* on brand new, in-stock gear using coupon code 'FALL5', available only in the CME App. From fresh accessories to your next favorite stompbox, the deals are stacked and the groove is strong—don’t let your cart go quiet!
*Select Gear Only, exclusions apply!
Highlight Of The Week


Chicago Music Exchange has forged a Special Partnership with Rock N Roll Relics to bring you their Unique Power at a More Accessible Price Point!
Since 2005, Rock N Roll Relics has been defined by their vintage-inspired aesthetic and no-BS approach. That’s why we’ve forged a special partnership with Rock N Roll Relics, and why we’re proud to be the first place where you can find the Club Series Revenge: the first lineup of guitars that offer their stage-ready ethos at a more accessible price point! Each Club Series Revenge features the same Rock N Roll Relics humbuckers that can be found in the custom shop model, and each guitar has been thoroughly checked by Rock N Roll Relics Founder Billy Rowe and his team! When you pick up a Rock N Roll Relics Club Series Revenge, you can be sure it is a stage-ready rocker!
Enter Online or In-Store to Win A Jackson Guitar!
Get ready to shred! Chicago Music Exchange has teamed up with Jackson Guitars for the ultimate giveaway, featuring the stunning Jackson Pro Plus Series Soloist SLA3Q in Amber Blue Burst! This guitar is a true masterpiece with its striking quilted maple top, ultra-fast neck, and high-output Seymour Duncan pickups designed for all-out riffing. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting your rock journey, this Soloist will take your playing to the next level. Don’t miss your chance to win this beast—enter now for a shot at guitar greatness!
Enter to win online, in-store, or in the CME Mobile App!
Enter to win now online or on the CME App through October 31, 2024!
Chicago Drum Exchange
You can’t beat the Chicago Drum Exchange. Shop the newest gear from Chicago’s best drum shop today.
Istanbul Agop 30th Anniversary Crash Cymbal available at CDE!
Celebrating and applying the ancient art of Turkish cymbal making, each 30th Anniversary Series Istanbul Agop cymbal is crafted by hand and treated with their proprietary pre-aging process, resulting in a deep musicality and unique character! Our newest Istanbul Agop 30th Anniversary Crash Cymbal is a 19” crash, which provides a quick, trashy attack, and controlled tail! Or, for those seeking a new pair of hi-hats, the Istanbul Agop 30th Anniversary 14” and 16” hi-hat pairs are papery thin, allowing for a very quick decay and controlled wash!
SHOP ISTANBUL AGOP!
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE VAULT AT CHICAGO MUSIC EXCHANGE!
Do you have a piece of gear worthy of the vault?! Call us at (773) 525-7773 or chat us on our website and we can help present your gear in a truly amazing experience for musicians and collectors that come to Chicago Music Exchange from all over the world!
LEARN MORE HERE!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
OVER 100 Dave Amato Guitars & Amps at CME!
Dave Amato’s Gear Has Landed at CME! Join us at Chicago Music Exchange as we head into the vault with our good friend Dave Amato, of REO Speedwagon! In this special episode, we explore highlights from Dave’s incredible guitar collection, talk vintage guitars, classic Fender amps, and more. Then we head downstairs for a quick interview to dig into his love for Marshall amps and the tones that have shaped his legendary career. We’re beyond excited to have over 100 pieces from Dave Amato’s personal collection available at CME right now! After nearly 40 years of collecting, Dave says it best: “It’s time to thin the herd.”
LEARN ABOUT OUR FINANCING OPTIONS TODAY!
Get financed today and be approved to rock now and pay later!
CALL NOW!Featured Video
NEW Guitars Just Hit the Shop | First Look!
The Rock N Roll Relics Club Series is HERE! They are limited and Exclusive to CME!We are proud to announce the debut of a brand new line from Rock N Roll Relics... The Club Series.These guitars are made in China before being shipped to the Rock N Roll Relics facilities in California where they are inspected and loaded with Relic Bucker pickups. These are the same pickups used in their Custom Shop guitars at a much lower price point! Nathaniel Murphy leads the jams and quickly talks though the specs and appointments. These guitars are available now! Come in and give them a try or reach out to us today if you have any questions!
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!
Fender Special Reserve '65 Deluxe Reverb Limited Edition 22w at Chicago Music Exchange!
The Deluxe Reverb is a timeless Fender Classic, heard on recordings of all types since its introduction in 1963! Known for its snappy crystalline tones that are prized by rock, blues, and country players everywhere, its tube-driven reverb and tremolo add depth and versatility to its tones. This particular version of the ‘65 Reverb is looking extra-fast, with a British Racing Green tolex! Inside, you can find a single, 12” Eminence GA-SC64 speaker, prized for its extreme warmth and balanced highs that toe the line between warmth and responsiveness.

Make a Statement with our Newest Mesa Boogie Amps!
For over 55 years, Mesa/Boogie has been one of the premier names in high-gain amplification, and our full lineup of Mesa/Boogie amplifiers reads like a love letter to Mesa’s history! With a selection of jaw-dropping tones and jaw-dropping looks, each amp is a stage-ready American powerhouse! Perhaps the biggest draw in the shop right now is this Mark VII with an indigo python vinyl, limited to 100 amps worldwide! Inside, the Mark VII is absurdly versatile, with three channels and nine overall voicings that span the greatest hits of Mesa’s history. Of course, the Mark VII also includes iconic features such as an on-board graphic EQ, a seamless effects loop, power switching, and a built-in CabClone IR for seamless integration on stage!
Shop Our Huge Selection Of New, Used, And Vintage Pedals In The Store At CME This Season!
Frost Giant Electronics Mourning Star EQ/Boost Pedal
When is one overdrive pedal actually three overdrive pedals? When it’s the Frost Giant Electronics Mourning Star EQ! With clipping and EQ options that act like a TS9, an SD-1, and a custom Mourning Star option, this pedal features a 3-band active EQ. This makes it easy to ensure that Mourning Star will play nicely with any amp! With plenty of stage-testing among the death metal and sludge metal community, you can rest assured that the Mourning Star will contain the gain that you crave!
Browne Amplification Ethane Dual Overdrive Pedal Aqua Copper Vein
Designed in collaboration between Browne and Anderton’s, the Ethane fuses together the Carbon V2 and Gritador for a heavily tweaked and stacked bluesbreaker/tube screamer-style overdrive! The Carbon V2 side offers up powerful clarity and depth, with a 3-way high-cut toggle to make this side easier to place within your gain stack! The Gritador side pulls back the tube screamer’s natural midrange boost and adds asymmetrical clipping to result in tightness and punch without sounding harsh. Available in either an Aqua Copper Vein or Blue Silver Vein finish, the Ethane is sure to make a statement on any pedalboard!

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!
Strymon Fairfax Class A Output Stage Drive Pedal
In the late ‘60s, the Garnet Amplifiers Herzog tube drive unit gained notoriety for its creamy overdriven sustain, most notably on The Guess Who’s “American Woman”. The new Strymon Fairfax began as an engineering experiment to recreate Herzog’s powerful sustain, but in a pedal format. The finished product contains a variable Sag circuit that behaves like a vintage tube amp, going from mild compression to a heavily gated fuzz-like sound. Of course, other elements of Fairfax are also dialed to help this pedal achieve the dynamics and harmonics of a beloved vintage tube amp!
Featured Video
We Bought 400+ Guitars!?
Chicago Music Exchange just bought over 400 guitars for a single collection! The biggest single collection we've ever bought arrived last week and it's full of incredible guitars. over 300 Fenders and close to 100 Gibsons all from one person in Detroit! Watch as we unload and Nathaniel Murphy looks through a dozen or so guitars to see what we got!
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