THE VAULT AT CHICAGO MUSIC EXCHANGE

Deep in the earth, hundreds of feet below the sales floor, at the end of a small passageway accessible only by handcar is The Vault. Ok, not really. But that would be so cool. In reality, The Vault is a digital collection of the rarest items to ever pass through our doors. It is a veritable collector’s guide to the 20th century, loaded with some of the most coveted guitars in history. Light a torch and browse at your leisure, but beware. The Vault is not for the faint of heart.

STOCKING THE VAULT NOW!

Check Back Soon For Updates To Our Current Vaulted Gear!

THE VAULT - CURRENT RESIDENTS - COMING SOON

THE VAULT - PAST RESIDENTS

1961 Gibson Les Paul (SG) Cherry

One of the earliest examples of Gibson's new double-cut body shape, this 1961 Gibson Les Paul dates back to the style's first production year and features the short-lived sideways Vibrola tailpiece and a beautifully preserved Cherry finish with which the SG would soon become synonymous.

1960 GIBSON NATURAL ES-335 w/ factory-ordered split parallelogram fretboard & bigsby

Where it is, the most viewed guitar in our entire online inventory: the 1960 Natural Gibson ES-335. Special-ordered from the factory with a natural finish, split parallelogram inlays, and a Bigsby, this semi-hollow body beauty was once a part of the Chinery collection and is all original down to the wiring harness and PAF humbucking pickups. 

VINTAGE VIBES - 1960 GIBSON NATURAL ES-335

Our man Evan (don’t you call him no intern!) has the honor of showing you what he can do on the most viewed guitar in our entire online inventory: the 1960 Natural Gibson ES-335.

Special-ordered from the factory with a natural finish, split parallelogram inlays, and a Bigsby, this semi-hollow body beauty was once a part of the Chinery collection and is all original down to the wiring harness and PAF humbucking pickups.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

1962 Gibson Les Paul Custom Polaris White

In the early 1960s, the Les Paul gave birth to the SG and, along the way, created the Gibson Les Paul Custom. Made famous by guitar goddess Sister Rosetta Tharpe, this particular triple-pickup Polaris White model features a trio of golden PAF humbuckers and a sideways Vibrola tailpiece. 

CME Vintage Demo - 1962 Gibson Les Paul Custom Polaris White

Class is in session! Professor Murphy pages through the history books to highlight how the Les Paul gave birth to the SG, and created the 1962 Gibson Les Paul Custom along the way. So grab your pencils and an apple for teacher; this cream-white wonder will soon be history too. 

1959 Fender TWEED TWIN

Loud, proud, and supremely collectible, this 1959 Tweed Twin is one of the most sought-after combos on the vintage market, and it looks and sounds just like gold, packing a whopping 85 watts of true tube tone with incredible clarity. 

1959 GIBSON natural es-355 factory black

In 1959, Gibson produced just 123 ES-355s. An estimated three were finished in Factory Black, making this one of the rarest guitars the manufacturer ever built.

1960 GIBSON ES-335 CHERRY DOT NECK

Our 1960 Gibson ES-335 Cherry Dot Neck is well-worn, and for a good reason. Blessed with one of the finest sets of PAF humbucking pickups we’ve ever heard, someone couldn’t stop playing it, and we don’t blame them.

1962 GIBSON ES-175

There are closet cases, and then there’s this 1962 ES-175. The cleanest PAF-equipped ES-175 we’ve ever had, this 1962 model is spotless from headstock to tailblock.

DO YOU HAVE A GUITAR FOR SALE OR TRADE?

Whether it’s new, vintage, mint condition, or well-loved, we’re prepared to make you a fair offer based on up-to-date comps that reflect the current market value.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SELLING OR TRADING YOUR GEAR

1935 GIBSON ROY SMECK STAGE DELUXE HAWAIIAN SUNBURST

You’ve never seen a Roy Smeck like this. The neck on this beautiful 1935 Gibson has been converted from Hawaiian to Spanish, taking it off the lap to let its extraordinary feel and old-growth tonewoods shine.

1970 Fender Rosewood Telecaster  

The Rosewood Telecaster was designed by Roger Ross Maisel, who started his career with Rickenbacker and moved to Fender in the mid-'60s. The Beatles began their career playing Rickenbackers, so when Fender gave the prototype to George Harrison, they gave him a guitar that was designed by the very same man. A fitting end as George decided to play it in their last public performance on the Apple Corps rooftop in 1969.

VINTAGE VIBES - 1970 FENDER ROSEWOOD TELECASTER

Shelby says there's something in the way this 1970 Rosewood Fender Telecaster moves. Most commonly associated with George Harrison of The Beatles and Traveling Wilburys fame, the Rosewood Telecaster was designed for Fender in the 1960s by former Rickenbacker luthier Roger Rossmeisl.

This 1970 model differs from the original Rossmeisl prototype Fender gave Harrison in that this body is two pieces of rosewood bound together, whereas Harrison's was solid rosewood. But you'll see it weeps just as gently, if not more so. Don't let us down, Shelby.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

1958 Fender BLONDE STRATOCASTER

The neck is from 1957 and because it is from '57 it does have that very subtle and coveted V-neck profile. The body is from '58. Pots from '57. The serial number is from '57/'58 also. Around that time there were Mary Kaye spec Stratocasters as well with the gold hardware as you can see, we got the nickel hardware. If this was a Mary Kaye spec with the gold hardware it would be twice the price. The frets have been rewired with era correct fret wire. The neck has been over-sprayed quite a long time ago and feels very comfortable to play. It also does come with a tweed hard case, the original.

VINTAGE VIBES - 1958 FENDER BLONDE STRATOCASTER

It’s Nathaniel’s lucky day. He pairs our Blonde ‘58 Stratocaster with a ‘57 Princeton Tweed and the rest, they say, is history as he takes us on a tour through time beginning with The Everly Brothers’ classic, “All I Have To Do Is Dream”, released in April 1958.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

1968 Fender PINK PAISLEY TELECASTER

Manufactured only in 1968 and 1969, the Paisley Telecasters are named for their distinctive finish, which is actually a piece of wallpaper Fender affixed to the body and then covered with a clear coat. This particular Paisley Telecaster has a one-piece maple neck and maple cap, a rare feature only available for a few years with 1968 being one.

VINTAGE VIBES - 1968 FENDER PINK PAISLEY TELECASTER

This 1968 Pink Paisley Fender Telecaster was definitely born to be wild, and Nathaniel shows us why. Manufactured only in 1968 and 1969, the Paisley Telecasters are named for their distinctive finish, which is actually a piece of wallpaper Fender affixed to the body and then covered with a clear coat.

This particular Paisley Telecaster has a one-piece maple neck and maple cap, a rare feature only available for a few years with 1968 being one. A ‘64 Fender Vibroverb and an Electro-Harmonix Triangle Big Muff Pi help reveal the true spirit of this special, psychedelic delight.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

1965 Fender LAKE PLACID BLUE BASS VI

The Bass VI was released in 1961, right around the same time the Jag came out. It was really designed to compete with Danelectros UB-4 at the time. The original production line ran up to 1975, which is a really long period of time considering how strange this thing really truly is. The Fender Bass VI is not a baritone, it is actually tuned like an electric guitar in perfect fifths from E to E, but down an entire octave like a bass would be. But it's also not a six-string bass with a huge neck. It's a 30-inch scale with 21 frets. Like a Jag, you have independent switches for each pickup here and also a high pass filter, the strangle switch so you can get a wide variety of tones. Also, the pickups, although they look like Strat pickups in the way that Jaguar pickups look like Strat pickups are actually quite a bit different because of the comb here on the sides.

VINTAGE VIBES - 1965 FENDER LAKE PLACID BLUE BASS VI

Not a baritone, not a bass, and not even really a guitar, this 1965 Fender Bass VI is somehow all of those things at once, and more. Papa Shelby takes us through the history of this freaky Fender and outlines how it’s similar to other models, yet entirely its own. And he does a spot-on Carol Kaye.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

THE VAULT - ARCHIVES

1960 GIBSON SUNBURST ES-335

Described by CEO Andrew Yonke as “the guitar that Jesus built,” this 1960 Gibson Sunburst ES-335 boasts a custom-ordered, split-parallelogram fretboard.

1960 GIBSON ARGENTINE GRAY ES-345

This 1960 Gibson ES-345 bears an excellent example of the Argentine Gray finish, a rare, custom colorway only available by special order.

1961 GIBSON SUNBURST ES-335

This spotless 1961 Gibson Sunburst ES-335 gives us an ultra-clean look at the world’s first commercial semi-hollow body guitar as it was when it debuted in 1958. Block inlays replaced the original “dot necks” in 1962.

1963 GIBSON NATURAL BYRDLAND

The 1963 model is one of the rarest incarnations of the Byrdland offered, and the one we’ve nabbed is in impeccable form. This beautiful Byrd touts tons of all-original features, including authentic electronics, PAF bridge pickup and Patent Number Sticker neck pickup, and much more.

1963 FENDER FIESTA RED STRATOCASTER

A rose by any other name would certainly not smell as sweet as this 1963 Fiesta Red Stratocaster, customized with slab rosewood fingerboard and unique Rose decal.

1960 SUNBURST STRATOCASTER

This instrument is instilled with plenty of the design elements that vintage enthusiasts consider the culmination of the Fender Stratocaster aesthetic from the late '50s, including classic body contours, clay dot inlays, a beautifully intact 3-tone finish and most noticeably, a slab Brazilian rosewood fretboard introduced the year prior. A pristine model-year instrument for the savvy collector.

1957 SUNBURST STRATOCASTER

Never have we received a Strat that truly embodies that pivotal period of transition like this one, with a plethora of groundbreaking features that were realized in that year. From the 2-Tone Sunburst color, to Leo's perfect body contour, to the highly desirable "’57 V" neck profile, every aspect of this period-correct instrument makes it an outstanding find.

1954 SUNBURST STRATOCASTER

This Sunburst Fender Stratocaster dates back to the model’s first commercial year, 1954, when, after several years of development, the legendary electric guitar finally hit the market.

1964 FENDER CANDY APPLE RED JAZZMASTER

Sweet is one word to describe this 1964 Candy Apple Red Jazzmaster, an outrageous offset manufactured in the new custom color just one year before Fender transferred ownership to CBS in 1965.

1965 FENDER OLYMPIC WHITE JAZZ BASS

This 1965 Olympic White Fender Jazz Bass demonstrates the first changes made to the model during the Fender-CBS transition, notably pearloid dot inlays, bound rosewood fingerboards, and oval-shaped tuning machines.

1967 FENDER BLONDE TELECASTER

Manufactured at the tail-end of country music’s golden age, when chicken pickin’ chops were exceeded only by the height of one’s hair, this 1967 Blonde Fender Telecaster stands strong as a prime picture of Fender’s first solid-body electric, and Music Row’s greatest weapon.

1953 FENDER BLONDE PRECISION BASS

This 1953 Blonde Fender Precision Bass dates back to the final year of the model’s initial design. Fender would add body contours in 1954 and arrive at its contemporary design in 1957.

1954 GIBSON GOLDTOP LES PAUL

Before the PAF, there was the P-90. This 1954 Goldtop shows the Les Paul in one of its earliest stages, equipped with two P-90 single-coils and a wraparound bridge.

GIBSON NATURAL DOVE

On the wings of a dove comes this stunning 1963 Gibson steel-string flattop, complete with hand-engraved pickguard, mother-of-pearl Dove inlay, and original Tune-O-Matic bridge.

1965 GIBSON POLARIS WHITE FIREBIRD

This white-hot 1965 Gibson is an early example of the highest-end Firebird model, the VII, loaded with three pickups, Tune-O-Matic bridge, Maestro “Lyre” Vibrola tailpiece and finished in rare Polaris White.

1937 MARTIN 000-18

The year is 1937. Franklin D. Roosevelt is inaugurated for a second term. Joe Louis defeats James J. Braddock to become heavyweight champion of the world. A certain cartoon duck makes his debut, and this Martin is fresh off the line. Still in fine form today, this 1937 000-18 is set to sing into its 100th year and then some.

DO YOU HAVE A GUITAR FOR SALE OR TRADE?

If you’re looking to sell or trade your gear, then you’re looking in the right place. Whether it’s new, vintage, mint condition, or well-loved, we’re prepared to make you a fair offer based on up-to-date comps that reflect the current market value. Do not hesitate to give us a call or email us today!

LEARN MORE ABOUT SELLING OR TRADING YOUR GEAR

VAULT FEATURE - THE BURSTS

 1959 Les Paul Standard

Commonly referred to as "the holy grail," the Les Paul Standard hit its prime in 1959, just one year after its release in 1958. The subtle changes introduced piecemeal in the 1950s seemed to coalesce into a singular tone, feel, and look that made the model irresistible to rock and roll icons like Eric Clapton, Mike Bloomfield, Keith Richards, Mick Taylor, Peter Green, Duane Allman, and more. One look at the 1959 Les Paul Standard and you'll see why.

 1960 Les Paul Standard

1960 brought about more subtle changes to the Les Paul Standard. Gibson made the neck thinner, the frets wider and taller, and switched to a new fade-resistant finish formula. This new formula would retain its color longer, but was also more opaque and more orange than past finishes, changing the Standard's legendary color profile, but just for a time. Gibson would discontinue the single-cut Les Paul later that year, making these models highly desirable. The 1960 Les Paul Standard is a beautiful example of this model's dark edges and historic color gradient. 

VINTAGE VIBES: The Bursts

The Burst evolved out of Gibson's very first solid-body guitar, the 1952 Les Paul. Issued initially as a Gold Top, the Les Paul got a new look in 1958, when Gibson introduced a new model with a sunburst finish: the Les Paul Standard. Coloring the solid Honduran mahogany bodies with aniline dye, Gibson's Les Paul Standards featured a deep red hue that, with time, would react to ultraviolet light and other environmental conditions to bleed, fade, and otherwise change. Our '59 Burst, '60 Burst, and '60 "Scarface" Burst are excellent examples of this landmark guitar and beautifully illustrate how each early Burst is different from any other, both visually and sonically.

While the Les Paul was changing with almost every year after its initial release, the debut of the Les Paul Standard in 1958 is perhaps the most significant and substantial change to the legendary model, made more so by the 1957 introduction of the humbucker. 

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