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 Save Up to $500 OFF CME Exclusive Gibson Falcon Amplifiers!
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
Reach for the Absolute Best that PRS has to Offer with our Newest PRS Private Stock Guitars!
Our team always enjoys visiting PRS’ Maryland headquarters to pick out tonewoods and specifications for each new PRS Private Stock guitar, due to their vast library of stunning tonewoods! From cornerstones of electric guitar design aesthetics like curly maple, to stunning exotic woods like redwood, each tonewood that makes up each Private Stock guitar paints a visual and sonic picture that is as good as it can possibly be! Come in, call us, or chat with us today to pick up this Private Stock Vela Semi-hollow with a redwood top (and matching redwood pickguard), or this Custom 24-08 with a one-piece birdseye maple top!
With Tops Selected by Our Team, Each One of Our Suhr Custom Guitars is a Complete Knockout!
Nestled into the mountains southeast of Los Angeles, Suhr packs the craftsmanship and knowledge of a former Fender Master Builder (with a lifetime of making guitars for some of the biggest names in the music industry) into every instrument, inspired by their surroundings! Our team also regularly visits Suhr’s headquarters to pick out tops and specifications for each new Suhr Custom guitar that comes through our doors! That means that when you shop Suhr Custom guitars at Chicago Music Exchange, you’re selecting from a range of vintage-inspired styles, with fresh ideas and world-class craftsmanship applied to each instrument!
Capture Our Spin on a Specific Moment in Gibson History with our CME Exclusive Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Special in Olive Drab and Oxblood!
To put our own spin on the 1960 Les Paul Special Double Cut formula, we’ve worked with Gibson USA to put special, slightly underwound pickups into each one of these CME Exclusive Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom guitars. By slightly underwinding each P-90 Soapbar pickup, these pickups supply a modified EQ response, with a slightly brighter top-end, and extreme clarity across every note! We’ve also adorned these guitars in two of our favorite finishes: Oxblood and Olive Drab!
Featured Video
"Interstate Love Song" Stone Temple Pilots | Full Band Fridays
FULL BAND FRIDAY never sounded this good! CME teamed up with Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom to bring back a true workhorse guitar with the CME Exclusive 1960 Les Paul Special Double Cut — now available in two finishes that absolutely refuse to blend in. From ripping Stone Temple Pilots covers to full-volume garage rock chaos, these Specials deliver vintage attitude, snarling P90 tone, and the kind of raw simplicity that makes you play louder instantly. Which finish are YOU grabbing first? Catch the Full Band Friday performance now and shop CME Exclusive Epiphone arrivals today.
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
4 Vintage Fenders + a 1962 Gretsch Duo Jet Through a 1960 Bassman One Goes Home With Nathaniel!
Nathaniel Murphy plays 5 vault guitars which all came from the Longhorn Collection that recently landed at the shop! We've got a 1965 Jazzmaster, a 1962 Gretsch Duo Jet, a 1963 Fender Esquire Custom, a 1971 Fender Mustang and a 2000s Telecaster with a B-bender. The B-bender is so good Nathaniel is taking it home! All of the guitars are going through a 1960 Fender Bassman amp.
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!
Come in Today to Take Home the Newest Morgan Amps on our Showroom Floor!
Morgan Amplification has a simple goal: to make a great-sounding amplifier that is so responsive that it is as much of an instrument as your guitar! The MVP23 is a handwired tube combo with a tone stack that has a tone stack that is voiced squarely among the classic Fender amps of the ‘60s, but gets into smooth British overdrive tones when pushed. The Morgan AC20 is an old favorite in the Morgan catalog, effortlessly dialing up the classic tones of iconic Vox amps, but with notable improvements that make the AC20 play nicely with modern pedalboards. The PR12 is Morgan’s take on the classic Princeton amp, updated with a bigger power supply and tightened low end, to eliminate the “fartiness” that can happen when you push a vintage Princeton.
Shop Our Huge Selection Of New, Used, And Vintage Pedals In The Store At CME This Season!
EarthQuaker Devices Scrolls Bass Odyssey Pedal
Bassists, meet your new best friend: the EarthQuaker Devices Scrolls! Designed in partnership with Japanese bassist Kentaro Nakao, Scrolls was designed to do one simple thing: dial in any bass tone, anywhere, anytime, under any circumstances. This is a sonic pilgrimage through the entire universe of electric bass tone, with deeply comprehensive EQ control and seamless integration into any rig! On the right side of Scrolls, you’ll find a versatile, tube amp-like distortion, and on the left side, the active EQ controls include a variable frequency control with the ability to cut and boost frequencies from 20Hz to 10kHz.
Caroline Aaron Graves Overdrive Pedal
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.
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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