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
Yamaha’s Pacifica Standard is a Unique Take on the S-Style!
Yamaha’s Pacifica is designed for players looking to put their own spin on an instantly familiar design! Each Pacifica Standard Plus utilizes their proprietary Acoustic Design technology for a well-balanced response and plenty of resonance, and the HSS Reflectone pickups (co-developed with Rupert Neve Designs) push out clear and articulate tones! The 5-way selector combines with coil-splitting capabilities for even more tonal options. The slim C-shape maple neck also makes the Pacifica Standard Plus a supremely comfortable guitar! Yamaha is introducing four new Southern California-inspired finishes to the Pacifica Standard Plus lineup, so call us or come in today to be among the first to add them to your tonal arsenal!
Cut Through the Mix with the Squier Paranormal Troy Van Leeuwen Telecaster XII!
As a guitarist and multi instrumentalist for Queens of the Stone Age, Failure, A Perfect Circle, and others, Toy Van Leeuwen knows a thing or two about complementing a massive mix! His new Squier Signature Telecaster XII is built to do just that, with 12 strings adding shimmering complexity to the raw, familiar backbone of the Telecaster! A Copper finish compliments the standout tones with a unique look!
Meet the Flat Iron, the newest Model from Black Bobbin!
Taking its name from the iconic Flat Iron Arts Building in Chicago, the newest Black Bobbin design is a nod to Chicago’s longstanding impact on the American musical landscape! Visually, the Flat Iron is inspired by the Truetone Vanguard guitars of old, made right here in the city of broad shoulders, with a few modern upgrades. The Flat Iron employs a pair of Lollar Low Wind Imperial humbuckers, with open and articulate tones that drive exceptional clarity! A Mastery M7 bridge also brings a ton of stability to the overall package.
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.
SHOP TAMA DRUMS
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
3 RARE Pelham Blue Vintage Gibsons In One Room!
We recently had a crazy trio of guitars in the shop, so we had to pull out all the stops to show off a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Nathaniel plays them, Daniel talks a little about how it all came about, and Alec inspects/verifies them!
All 3 of these guitars are already sold!
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!
Meet the Newest CME Exclusive Amplifiers: Benson Amplifiers in Navy Blue Floral!
We’ve partnered with Benson for many years, and are excited to announce that we are continuing our shared exploration of tone and panache with three new CME Exclusive Benson Amplifiers in a stunning Blue Floral finish! First, the Monarch Reverb Plus is a regal amp that finally gets its flowers, thanks to this stunning new finish, a Chimera tone stack, and tube-driven power scaling. Second, the Vinny Reverb is their first amp of its size (5 watts) with tube-driven power scaling, allowing for the powerful tube sag and harmonic saturation at any volume! Finally, the Nathan Junior Reverb pays tribute to a Portland indie music legend, and offers up an incredibly clean signal path, with dynamics not thought possible for a 5w amp! All three are now in stock, so to be among the first to add these amps to your sonic arsenal, call us today at (773)525-7773, chat with our sales team on our website, or simply come into our Lincoln Avenue showroom!
Now Dig This Baby: the Marshall Jimi Hendrix 60th Anniversary Collection Stack!
60 years ago, Jimi Hendrix and Marshall launched a sonic revolution. Marshall built the amps, Hendrix made them scream! The new Studio JMH Half Stack Hendrix Edition is the second amplifier celebrating that partnership, with unmistakable Plexi sounds that range from warm blues to biting leads, and everything in between! This smaller tube amp head and matching 2x12” cabinet with custom Hendrix-inspired graphics offers four separate inputs for plenty of versatility, and the flick of a switch takes you from 20w to 5w of output!
Shop Our Huge Selection Of New, Used, And Vintage Pedals In The Store At CME This Season!
EarthQuaker Devices Easy Listening Stereo Analog Amp Simulator
Building upon the silent-shredding platform that EarthQuaker Devices introduced with the original Easy Listening, the Easy Listening Stereo is more stereo-minded than its predecessor! The stereo capability makes it ideal for ampless recording, headphone practice, enriching modelers, or enhancing the end of your pedalboard! EarthQuaker Devices has also added a classic, active three band EQ for extra tonal control, and an Aux input, making Easy Listening even more capable as a companion for your practices.
SolidGoldFX Fuzzbox Fuzz Pedal
Built on the tonal foundation of the classic Tone Bender Mk II, the new Fuzzbox expands on the Tone Bender’s power for modern players! A two position vintage/modern toggle lets you choose between the raw, direct interaction of a classic fuzz, and the smoother, fuller sound of a modern fuzz! Bias control and sag control make it easy to shape the feel of the pedal.
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
These 7 Boutique Guitars Are INCREDIBLE! | Boutique Guitar Showcase 2026
Boutique Guitar Showcase is a curated international platform for unique, world-class guitars, their makers, and the culture surrounding them. Conceived for The NAMM Show in 2017, BGS has grown into a travelling exhibition, media platform, and discovery hub for independent luthiers, players, collectors, retailers, and the wider guitar community. Through the BGS enTour, Boutique Guitar Showcase presents exceptional handmade instruments in cities across North America, Europe, and Asia, connecting builders with the people who want to experience their work in person.
Related Posts
The CME Collection - Collector's Choice Gibson Models
Taking cues from the “Inspired By” series of extremely limited Gibson Custom Shop runs begun in 2005, the Collector’s Choice series launched in 2010 continued to recreated more than 40 models until 2017, producing extremely limited runs or instruments virtually indistinguishable from their vintage antecedents—all of which have come to be recognized among collector’s as the crème de la crème of the vintage guitar world!While we may have seen a number of Collector’s Choice models come through Chicago Music Exchange over the years Gibson the series was in production, it’s safe to say we’ve never had this many at once!
Read more
The CME Collection | Acoustics
It may not be the first thing you see when you walk into Chicago Music Exchange but, tucked in the back corner of our store—past the counter, the wall of Les Pauls, and the Gibson thinlines on the left—you’ll find a pair of French doors that open up to our Acoustic Room. Walk in and you’ll find yourself a humidity-/temperature-controlled room, which is essentially a walk-in humidor full of all the six-string (at times, 12-string) acoustic instruments we have, from the most sought-after brands our customers love and are always looking for—all of which can be perused at a glance with one swivel of the head.
Read more
The CME Collection - PRS
When it comes to the wall space Chicago Music Exchange devotes to the premium guitars we have in-store, perhaps no premium guitar brand has gained as much real estate as Paul Reed Smith Guitars since CME got into the business of buying, selling, and trading guitars collectible and player-grade instruments over 30 years ago.
Read more