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.
SHOP OUR BACK TO STAGE SALE!
Back To Stage Sale — Hit the Stage Strong for Less
Summer's winding down, but the gigs aren't slowing down — and CME's got you covered. The Back To Stage Sale is here with up to $500 off CME Exclusive Guitars, 10% and 15% off select CME Gear Sale Collections, and fresh CME Exclusive price drop promotions across the store. Whether you're rebuilding your rig, filling out your pedalboard, or finally grabbing that guitar you've had your eye on, this is the sale that gets you back on stage without wrecking your wallet.
Highlight Of The Week
The New PRS Tekton Family is Designed for the Modern-Minded Player!
PRS’ new Tekton family answers the call for a more modern PRS — thinner neck profiles, a sleeker body silhouette, and brand-new Stylus pickups across Tekton, Tekton T, Tekton Floyd, and Tekton SVN. With stainless steel frets and the thinnest body PRS has ever made in standard production, Tekton is built for precision players who want a direct connection to their instrument. The secret weapon for Tekton are the new Stylus pickups, which are Alnico 5 pickups designed to carefully walk the tightrope between aggression and clarity. Stylus pickups are also designed with modern digital rigs in mind, with a flatter response than any pickups that PRS has previously released. While not “flat” by any sense of the imagination, Stylus pickups are easy to shape to your heart’s content while plugging into your guitar processor or amp-in-a-box of choice!
Call or Chat with Us Today to get Your Hands on our New Waterslide Arrivals!
Popularized by (and named for) Ry Cooder, the Coodercaster is a creation that utilizes a lap steel pickup in the bridge to produce wide-open grit, perfect for swampy slides. Waterslide makes some of the best Coodercasters found anywhere, with aged nitrocellulose finishes and PLEK’d necks for a vintage feel to go along with the standout, vintage tones. Choose from an S-Style Coodercaster in an aged Cloud Metallic blue finish with a Lollar Charlie Christian pickup in the neck position, or an S-Style Coodercaster in an aged sunburst with a Lollar Mini Broiler pickup in the neck position!low end inspired by lower wind PAFs!
Grab Top-Tier Ergonomics With the Newest Strandberg Guitars!
Strandberg guitars are designed from the ground up with one goal: giving you the most comfortable playing experience possible! The Strandberg Boden Standard is anything but a standard playing experience, utilizing their new curved body top designs with sweeping body lines, a titanium-reinforced Roasted Maple EndurNeck, and an EGS ARC tremolo bridge. A set of American-made Seymour Duncan pickups delivers balanced tones that are right at home with any level of gain!
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.
Pre-Order the New Ludwig Vistalite Drum Kit in Teal!
Since the early 70s, Ludwig Vistalite drum kits have been in a league of their own for their looks and tones! Their acrylic shells not only look incredible, but also produce a unique attack that stands out in any mix! The newest Ludwig Vistalite drum kit is in Teal, a striking look for any occasion!
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
The Rarest Pair Of Gibson Les Pauls We've Ever Seen!
Chicago Music Exchange head guitar tech Alec has an incredible pair of Gibson Les Paul's for us to check out!!
We have the very first Gibson Heritage Series 80 Elite and Standard ever made! If that wasn't wild enough... the Standard was owned by Les Paul HIMSELF! Alec walks us through what the Heritage series was all about, we take a look inside and we show off a note Les wrote that came with the Standard.
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!
Access Nearly Infinite Tonal Options with the Boss Katana KTN-25 Guitar Combo Amp!
Boss’ Katana series is lauded for its authentic modeling of iconic tones at an accessible price point! The newest entry in the Katana family is the KTN-25, a 25-watt amp with 6 onboard amplifier models and over 60 onboard effects, pulling from Boss’ storied history! This includes a dedicated acoustic-electric channel, negating the need for a specific acoustic guitar amplifier. KTN-25 is loaded with Boss’ Tube Logic, which mimics the tone and feel of a real tube amp. If you need even more tonal options, Boss’ tone exchange and companion app offer a plethora of ways to wrangle a seemingly endless amount of tonal options out of your KTN-25!
Land a Knockout With The New Teenage Engineering EP-35 K.O. Amp 35, and Expand its Performance with the EP-127 K.O. Loop Pedal!
Designed to go anywhere, the Teenage Engineering EP-35 is an ergonomic amplifier that allows you to mix and match up to 6 inputs, including a quarter-inch guitar input and XLR microphone input with 48V phantom power! Loaded with an acoustic guitar simulation, high gain setting, and multiple effects, this is an ideal solution for small, pop up shows and performances on the go! A built-in battery, storage compartment, and built-in camp light also make this the perfect tool for guitarists who want to put on a show at the campsite or around the campfire!
Shop Our Huge Selection Of New, Used, And Vintage Pedals In The Store At CME This Season!
Make Your Pedalboard Pop with the CME Exclusive EarthQuaker Devices Easy Listening Stereo in Raspberry Red!
Building on the original Easy Listening Headphone Amp and Amp Simulator, Easy Listening Stereo is a meticulously voiced analog amp-in-a-box, aiming for those classic Fender crystalline clean tones! This stereo version also adds an active three-band EQ and is a brilliant solution for those who need to inject some analog soul at the end of a digital guitar modeling rig. Our new CME Exclusive version of the Easy Listening Stereo wraps it in a playful Raspberry Red finish, so pre-order yours today!
Electro-Harmonix WAILERPRO Wailer Wah Pro
Electro-Harmonix has 50 years of experience building Wah pedals, and it shows with the new Wailer Wah Pro! Featuring a smooth vocal delivery and just enough bite to be dangerous, the Wailer Wah Pro has a cutting wah tone that stays clear, even with high-gain tones! Housed in a die-cast metal chassis, this is a road-ready pedal that adds attitude to any style!
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
"St. Jimmy" Green Day | Full Band Fridays
Dover Amplification vs Bogner vs Friedman vs Marshall high-gain guitar amp shootout!Tanner is filling in for Nathaniel on this episode of Plugged In! He's plugging into 4 high-gain amps and playing a handful of guitars to find which one he likes most! He plays some Pantera, Mötley Crüe, Iron Maiden, Alice in Chains, and Nickelback?!
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EarthQuaker Devices | 2026 One-of-A-Kind Series
For the fifth consecutive year, Chicago Music Exchange has partnered with EarthQuaker Devices to bring players a collection of one-of-a-kind pedals featuring exclusive, never-before-seen graphics. Built from EarthQuaker’s trusted circuits — the same pedals relied on by musicians worldwide — each piece in the 2026 collection carries a unique visual finish you won’t find anywhere else. Since 2022, this annual collaboration has given players an easy way to put as much personality into their pedalboard as they put into their playing. Once these one-of-one EarthQuaker pedals sell out, they’re gone for good, so shop the 2026 CME Exclusive collection today.
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PRS Guitars | New Tekton Series
PRS Guitars' new Tekton family answers the call for a more modern PRS — thinner neck profiles, a sleeker body silhouette, and brand-new Stylus pickups across Tekton, Tekton T, Tekton Floyd, and Tekton SVN. With stainless steel frets and the thinnest body PRS has ever made in standard production, Tekton is built for precision players who want a direct connection to their instrument. Chicago Music Exchange is proud to be one of the first to carry it. Shop PRS Tekton now at Chicago Music Exchange!
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Fender | American Professional Series At CME!
Fender is reaffirming its commitment to the working professional with the reimagined American Professional Series. Rooted in Leo Fender’s original read on what touring and studio musicians actually need, this lineup carries that same philosophy into a modern build — new V-Mod III pickups, smooth rolled fingerboard edges, modern C-shaped neck profiles, ClassicGear Precision Potentiometers, and updated hardware across the board. From the Telecaster and Stratocaster to the Jazzmaster, Jaguar, Jazz Bass, and Precision Bass, every model in the series is designed to handle gig after gig, session after session, without missing a beat. Shop the full lineup now at Chicago Music Exchange.
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