Chicago Music Exchange

I recently traveled to Chicago from Italy with my family, and one of the very first places I wanted to visit was Chicago Music Exchange. From the moment we walked in, everyone was incredibly welcoming. When I told them I had come all the way from Italy just to see their store, they couldn’t believe it and did everything possible to make us feel at home. They are truly wonderful people. The atmosphere is amazing—professional, friendly, and youthful at the same time. Even if you’re not a professional musician, it’s absolutely worth a visit. As for the instruments, words can hardly describe it: hundreds of guitars, both electric and acoustic, plus everything else a guitarist could dream of. I’ve honestly never seen anything like it in terms of both the selection and the kindness of the staff. This place is a must-see in Chicago. Highly recommended!

Guitar paradise! Truly a fantastic place to spend any amount of time. Fantastic selection, a staff that’s available if you need them, but not at all intrusive. I have to confess on times when I haven’t felt very strong. I have left my wallet in my locked car several blocks away. It was the only way I could go here….

Big store, with a big selection of guitars and amps, but probably less than than 5% of the guitars on display were used. The percentage of used amps on the floor was considerably higher - possibly as high as 50% - but I felt they were hugely overpriced. The people on the floor were friendly and tried hard to be helpful.

Although I didn't buy anything, I had a great experience on a recent visit. Since I was in town for business I knew I wanted to visit to check out some basses hard to find anywhere else. Even though I made it clear I wasn't going to drop $5000 on a boutique bass, they still unboxed one I asked about just so I could play it. Then they suggested a few others I might want to see while I was there. Great service and a fun atmosphere. Special thanks to the woman at the bass section for all her help.

I thought the store was very polished and has lots of high end inventory. That said, I couldn't go anywhere without hearing Blues licks being played, the bane of my existence. I also felt like this place lacked a soul. On a final note, I thought it was sweet that they carried the ultimate guitar in rockabilly guy fieri aesthetic, the gretsch penguin in orange and cream!

If you’re passionate about guitar and bass, CME is a store that hits all the right notes 🤭. The store boasts an impressive selection of the biggest names in guitar from PRS, Fender, Suhr, Taylor, Martin and Gibson, catering to everyone from beginners to guitar hero. The store itself is also a vibe. With friendly staff, practice rooms, comfy sofas and a bassment (🤘) you'll be happy to spend your time and money there.

Without a doubt the Chicago Music Exchange is the epicenter of the guitar universe! In a class by itself - everything guitar in “down home Chicago.” Don’t walk. RUN!! … to the Chicago Music Exchange. A truly awesome experience and great customer service.

Great place to check on what’s new. Friendly people and great selection of instruments. I bought at least 3 guitars from them, all in excellent condition. They have rooms in which you can test the instruments, pedals, amps, etc. If you asked me one place to go buy a guitar in Chicago, this is the place.

Cool inventory and knowledgeable staff that has a good handle on the latest a greatest in musical gear!

I searched the country for a great Martin D 28. I played dozens of them all over the place and I finally found the one I wanted in Chicago music exchange. It was a modern deluxe. The first week I had it, I started having problems The first month I had it the bridge split in half Apparently, the split bridge caused the top to split Now they want 725 bucks to repair it at Martin Chicago music exchange was no help to me at all when I called them a couple times. I bought two guitars from them that day, and I will not ever buy anything from them again and certainly not from Martin guitars Self imploding pieces of junk

While my son was in town he wanted to check out Chicago Music Exchange. I have never been , and wow what an experience. This store is like a guitar museum. The amount of guitars is unreal. They have seating areas with comfy couches to sit and try out a guitar, or you can go in one of the individual rooms. There are pictures of famous guitarists who have purchased guitars from CME. The staff were friendly, and let you spend time browsing. They have very specific guitars of good quality and expensive. It is an experience to visit and browse the huge selection.

If you play the guitar this is one of the best places in the world to visit. As a guitar player they have almost anything you might desire. The staff is uber friendly and encourage you to play anything you wish. Each time I have the chance I stop by to browse. They also sell drums and other instruments, so don't think it's all guitars. Time flies where you are having fun. Had a great conversation with cool guys. Definateley put this on your bucket list. Merch is awesome as well.

So this feels like an apt time to give them another five star review. I continue to highly recommend Chicago Music Exchange and am very happy to support them and what they bring to the music making community. Here is a concrete story of why. Through the course of playing music with more people I had started playing bass more and decided it was time to get one. Initially I tried to do it very cheaply via other mechanisms and while I was made whole when what I received was no good it was a long drawn out process that from beginning to end took over a month. I decided a better use of my time and money was investing in a quality bass that would retain the majority of its value even if I discovered later it wasn't exactly what I wanted. So I proceeded to go the only place I'd suggest going... I went to the other "CME" in Chicago (not to be confused with the Chicago Mercantile Exchange) I know guitars very well but bass is new to me. I needed some assistance and I got exactly what I needed from the main man of the aptly named "bassment" Jason, with zero upsell pressure. He gave me the time, space and information I needed to make the most informed choice for me that took into account my ability, playing feel preferences, musical taste, budget and long term interest in music. I felt like a VIP. I tried out some instruments below my budget, some new 4 string variants of basses that were not currently on hand but would be at my initial budget, some slightly above my initial budget and one way above my current budget (but not unreasonably out of a future budget) to see what a realistic dream bass (MusicMan StingRay 5 HH) felt like and sounded like by comparison so I could better appreciate the difference/gradient and what I was paying for from level to level. I settled into a spot I felt best for me which was slightly above what I initially was looking to spend and months later I can still say this was the right decision for me. (As I watched several bandmates who had bought cheap starters right before me all outgrow and replace them with instruments akin to what I started with) I also want to emphasize at the same time I could see that everyone else who came through was also treated like a VIP it wasn't just ME because I was ultimately looking at higher end instruments. But the story gets better because this is "cme" and is a 5 star review. In the course of making the purchase we had also discussed what else I play and had mentioned my unhappiness with my hard shell cases and that I didn't mind that surprisingly this bass didn't come with any case (highly unusual at the price point) he told me what he was using and liked but suggested I should do some homework to figure out what would work best for me as I didn't have time to figure it out that day and had something suitable enough to transport it. zero pressure. I did some homework online and came to the conclusion that that was the thing for me (Momo Vertigo Ultra M80 case) so I came back a couple weeks later to purchase not one but two of these cases (one for guitar and one for bass) and got some help initially upstairs from some one I'd interacted with many times who showed me the main differences, pros and cons of this model, the one below it and the competitor model from Gator or something like a Levi's case I had previously used. Again ZERO pressure to upsell; made sure I knew there were cheaper options, what I was paying for and disclosed what he personally used. Again treated like a VIP and at the moment all I'm looking at is a ~$150 to ~$400 case... well after deciding on it and mentioning I needed a bass one we headed downstairs where he handed me off to Jason who was glad to see me (and relived after I confirmed nothing was wrong with the bass). He grabbed exactly what I needed (the bass version of this case). We had a very quick conversation and he hooked me up with a small but very much appreciated discount on the cases. Jason politely followed up later via a personal email to make sure that a: I was happy and b: everything was good with the gear and c: demonstrate their continued approach to client relationships; I wasn't just a transaction to them. He informied me about some upcoming events and a specific incoming product unrelated to my recent purchases that he knew I'd be interested in solely from our conversations. The only challenging part was when I came HOME and had to visually demonstrate to my wife that despite coming home with three cases (the day I got all the cases I had come to the shop after a practice nearby) that I had in fact not come home with any more/new instruments. (I'm at S-1 to those who know) and in fact was throwing out not one but two dead gig bags as a result.

Amazing store, awesome customer service!!! Rick was great and ensured I was totally taken care of before leaving the store. This is going to be my go to music store from now on...

I bought 2 major items from CME - a used 1965 Fender Tremolux amp and a used 1951 Fender Custom Shop Telecaster Bass reissue - and a minor item - a pickup. Chicago Music Exchange is AMAZING! My amp was perfectly packed, included a Professional Quality Certification sheet that confirms the amp was checked out, included a new speaker cable to connect head/cab, exactly as represented in pics and description, and at a very reasonable price for both the amp and shipping. Same with the Telecaster Bass and pickup. I visited the store once when driving a new car from NJ to CA. Their store is a MUST VISIT if you are in Chicago. The neighborhood, building, atmosphere, selection of new and vintage guitars and amps, friendly and numerous sales people to help, private demo rooms - I think it's the best store in the world I've ever been to - and I've lived in New York and Tokyo and visited Los Angeles many times. 5 stars for sure for Chicago Music Exchange!

I don't care to purchase electronic products from them only to find that they have no repairmen to fix a product they sell! Will not use or recommend there business at all!

I don't live in Chicago but I have done business with CME on multiple occasions - buying and selling vintage guitars. Every transaction ton I have had with them has gone extremely well. Their prices on mid priced vintage Gibson's and Fenders is reasonable (as opposed to places that way over charge ). Plus they always pay a fair price for guitars I've sold them or used for trades. I have primarily dealt with Dave Azizinamni (spelling). Dave is a great guy to work with quite fair. Aside from instruments I have bought accessories that could easily have bought here in LA, but I like to give CME my business because they have always treated me well. If you want to buy or sell any type of guitar I strongly recommend you use CME. They also make good use of IG. In FA t I saw them feature a vintage guitar in IG and I immediately cut a deal for it. It seems like a fun place to shop and the next time I'm in Chicago I'll stop by.

SO while in Chicago, I had to check out the Chicago Music Exchange......what a great place! The place is a bit north, but it was easy enough to find after a train ride. The subway in Chicago is really easy to navigate, so. I was able to hop on a train and find it no problem. The store is in a cute & quite neighborhood with several other shops nearby. When you walk into the store, it is everything you want a music store to be! Tons of equipment and not just the generic everyday stuff you see at the big oil stores, you will find stuff that is harder to fined both new and used. The place is set up like a guitarist's dream of a loving room......area carpets, couches and Amps all around, with walls of guitars taht are thoughtfully organized. I was able to check out a few guitars and amps that I had on my radar here I also happened to be on the hunt for the perfect wah (does it exist?). The staff was friendly and pulled out a Jam Wahcko I wanted to try and gave mine a few other suggestions. He even handed me a Vintage Vox to go compare it with....and suggested he could work on the price if I loved the vintage effect. I was also able to sample a few hard to find boutique gain pedals there. It would be hard to describe the atmosphere without being there.....but if you are a musician and in Chicago,m I highly recommend going to send just a little time browsing......but be careful, you could very well be going home with something!

I have bought 2 vintage guitars from them and have come in many times. I really like that they have booths where you can test out gear. It's also great you don't need to hear really awful guitar playing blasting in the background especially guitars that are woefully out of tune! The store is boutique and high end. They not only have great guitars but really nice boutique amps and pedals as well. I love the fact that they actually let you try vintage instruments. Most of the guitars here would be behind a glass at big box stores. The last guitar I bought was a 1955 Gibson LP Jr. It was amazing that they had 2 50s Juniors and I actually got to play both and pick the one that was right for me. Interestingly, they actually sounded quite different and definitely had a really different neck profile. There are maybe a handful of stores in the country with the amount of stock and inventory on vintage instruments and happy to have one in Chicago!

I first went to CME in 2019 when I was looking for a professional level electric guitar. I had always heard of the place but had never took the time to go and visit. I'm so glad I came here because I left with a beautiful Reverend that I use till this day. The selections are amazing and there is so much to choose from. Since then, I have come back here for any music equipment needs I have. I will say that the customers service can be a bit of a hit or miss, but I think it depends on how busy they are. In a complete 180, I actually feel like I got better customer service when they were busy rather than when the store is empty, which is certainly odd. Some of the workers are straight to business and just ring you up while others take the time to talk about the equipment, offer suggestions, and every blue moon, throw in something discounted after purchasing. I will also say that the instrument repair department is great, but I've had very few chances to use them because they are always booked straight for weeks. I think they need more people down there.

Bought a used strat. Price ok. Plays well. Communication while purchasing was great. When I got it, I noticed a large chip--guitar obviously had been dropped. Not shown in any of their descriptions or photos. I wrote them; no response. Wrote again. No response. Wrote again. No response. I never accused them of bad faith or deliberately selling damaged goods. PS: They made it good; I assume the problem was closures due to the holiday.

Dreadful customer service, vastly inflated prices and a mostly run of the mill offering of gear. No thanks.....

I bought a Fender Player Mustang Bass PJ from their Amazon storefront. My bass arrived in beautiful condition and I absolutely love the sound! Thank you Chicago Music Exchange for a great purchase experience.

Everyone was extremely polite and eager to help, answer questions, etc. They had a room where I could choose the amp to use while trying out guitars - this gave some privacy and I could really listen to the tone of the guitar. The guitar came with a free setup and they even gave me the case at half price. It was nice to be taken seriously - worth the trip into the city!

best guitar/ music shop in america. not even close. also super friendly and inviting. After looking around for a couple of minutes, one of the clerks asked if i want to play any of the guitars, just let him know. i told him i was looking for the Gibson SG that CME put out but they were sold out. (they go for around $1800) Instead he hands me a vintage 70's SG and tell me i can plug it in. I look at the price tag and its 6k. Im like, why am i even holding this guitar. im not worthy. the clerk was like, there is an empty room if you want to try it out. i go in, plug in and start playing. the guitar is butter. sounds great. I go outside put the sg back and grab a vintage tele with a price of 8k. amazing guitar. I could have done this all day. Their selection is bonkers. Like most amateurs, i feel like a poser when i walk in a guitar shop. But CME makes you feel absolutely comfortable. Like you belong there. The clerk that helped me didnt know I noob. He treated me like I should be there. And it felt great. also i saw J Mascis there looking exactly how you would expect J Mascis to look. If you get a chance, go visit or buy from from online store. Huge Fan.

After playing exclusively on acoustic guitar for about 20 years, I decided that I wanted to get an electric. I had heard nothing but great things about Chicago Music Exchange and made them my destination. When I got there, I was amazed by the selection and access. Thousands of guitars on display, and you can pull any one off the wall and try it out. It's like a guitar museum, only better! There are several booths with amps to try each one out, and the staff is very attentive and accessible, but not suffocating or overbearing. I could have easily spent all afternoon there. After trying out several, I ended up being really drawn to a Gretsch G2622T Streamliner in Torino Green. It's got a semi-hollow body, Broad'Tron BT-2S humbuckers, and a Bigsby vibrato. Zach from the staff was very helpful with completing the purchase, including honoring an online deal that included a gig bag, cable, tuner, strings, and picks. About a month after purchasing, I had a minor issue with the vibrato bar - I reached out to Zach, who got back to me quickly and I was able to bring it by the shop and get the issue resolved in less than 15 minutes. I'm a customer for life - cannot recommend more.

Chicagousic exchange is every guitar player/bass player, and drummers dream come true. The selection is UNREAL. The quality of guitars is too notch, the staff is VERY nice and even more knowledgeable. I spent over 2 hours just wandering around and having the best time... I spent about 700 bucks on pedals, but trust me... if I felt like I had any more room for MORE guitars in my home? I would have walked out with an electric and another acoustic. Their amp, pedal, string, and gear selection over all is stellar and some of thr best I've ever seen. Thank you Chicago Music Exchange for the amazing time and for making my trio to Chicago so VERY special. I hope we can make it back from Vermont again VERY, VERY soon. But until then? I'll be sure to keep on ordering my gear from you guys on your App. Love you CME!!!

This is a world-class music retailer. Stunning selection of new and vintage instruments and customers are encouraged to play any of them. Low/no pressure sales team, but pleasant, accommodating and helpful when you need them. This is a must-stop for any musician when in Chicago.

I just bought a Fender Ultra Telecaster in Plum Metallic purple with brass anodized pick guard from CME. It's a CME exclusive. To say it's beautiful is an understatement. I waited 36 hours (that was tough) to let it acclimate to my house. With a minor truss rod adjustment and dialing intonation on 3 strings (maybe spent 15 minutes on the set-up tweak) and to be honest, I didn't pay for a set-up, but it was playable straight outta the case. it's simply the best Telecaster I've ever played. There is no hum from the new generation noiseless single coil pickups. They sound perfect and have great sustain. Grab one if you have the cash (it's worth every penny). The packing was great and it shipped super fast. I buy alot from Sweetwater. I won't hesitate to buy more from Chicago Music Exchange. My experience exceeded all expectations. This is a top tier guitar shop. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Bought a Martin acoustic from CME recently and the whole experience was enjoyable start to finish. Chris in the acoustic room is incredibly helpful, knowledgeable and willing to work with whatever needs you might have. They've got great all around electric and acoustic selections, and if you're looking for an acoustic I'd highly recommend stopping by and asking for Chris. Amazing overall experience

Go. It's awesome. Great and friendly staff, amazing amounts of inventory. Exceeded my expectations.

The pretension of CME is a thick smog that rolls into to your face upon entering. The egocentric faux garage band yuppie who checks your bag is the first sign that you've entered the snobbiest possible iteration of Guitar Center. The quality of products offered is top notch. Can't deny that; and they certainly will shove that down your neck, especially if you're looking to add to your second-hand collection. This probably isn't the place to shop if you're on a tight budget. Beyond that, if you happen to find something you want in their online catalog, it very likely will not even be in the store itself. It lives somewhere in a mysterious off-site storage warehouse, as was the case for me when I went there to pick up some strings. They said that they could ship them to me. I was trying to avoid Amazon, but here we are. Days later, the strings still had not arrived. I called customer support and was plagued with the wanky-est guitar noodling and cringe worthy pre-recorded directory. When I was finally connected with a human, he said that they had shipped them to the store for pick-up on accident. So he had them re-shipped to me (this time). The strings arrived a couple days later; the wrong strings. I'll use them, but, c'mon. I called again and was told that my customer service representative from before was on lunch and would call me back. That did not happen. Good luck. Maybe they will treat you better if you're spending $1k+

Obviously it's a world renowned music store for a reason. Service always top notch, people always friendly, selection is unbelievable, I'd give 10 stars if I could. Recently bought a guitar from them and got it delivered due to my vehicle being out of commission for a few more days. It came packaged well, all the typcial precautions to ship a guitar were taken, and case candy was in there and some stickers. Can't ask for a better experience.

I ordered online from Chicago Exchange for the first time through Reverb. They had a slightly used PRS SE Starla in Frost Green Metallic that I've been looking for since the color has just been discontinued. David A. has been my contact and is very helpful. Able to change delivery for a extra fee and have signature required since UPS doesn't. Package arrived quicker than expected. They made sure a large sticker on package reminded me to wait for the guitar to acclimatize because the winter cold could crack finish if taken out too quick. Great care of product. After eight hours of waiting It was finally room temperature and I inspected the guitar. Beautiful finish, checklist by Chicago Music Exchange indicating they checked it and signed off. Guitar plays great and has a beautiful, clean sparkle sound that will sound great with Vox AC30 amps and the like.

The Mecca of Music Gear Stores. Prices are fair to market value. Lots to choose from.

I needed a used bass setup and full check of the instrument. Phil did a great job, was very through asking me about my concerns before I brought it in, and it looks and sounds wonderful. I'm very pleased with the service, especially since the two other shops I contacted never got back to me. I'll be back for my instrument and gear needs in the future. Everyone in the store was very friendly and helpful.

I really cannot imagine buying an expensive guitar from CME. I received the wrong item in a purchase from you and for three days now have tried to reach someone by email, chat and phone with zero response. Thank heavens the purchase was only straps and not a serious piece of gear. Awful, awful customer service.

I am writing this review as a Reverb customer. Much like few of the reviewers before me, I am quite disappointed that I didn't receive the same courteous or professional service that most reviewers had rated from the idiots who are communicating on behalf of CME via Reverb on NUMEROUS occasions. This review is a years worth of my occasional communications with them. 1) The first time I've communicated with CME on Reverb, I had to message them that they were trying to sell a guitar that was already bought from a friend of mine about a week prior to the sale listed on Reverb from CME. I had mentioned to them that I was looking to buy one myself and asked whether they may have had one in store. As a result of giving them a friendly heads up and interest in buying a guitar, I ended up getting an idiotic response from "David A" whether it was serious or sarcastic. 2) The second time I've communicated with them, I had tried to sell/trade in 3 of my guitars for something I've found on their Reverb website. I was expecting them to appraise my instruments to a fairly low value since they obviously would like to make profit from these deals, but the offers I've received were a complete ripoff. To my surprise, I would have ended up getting a better deal from Guitar Center vs. CME. I luckily found buyers in the used exchange market who were willing to buy from what was already low prices from me before it ended up in a shop that would mark up prices unreasonably. I still had one more instrument that was sitting on dead water for about a month and I had contacted CME again to reconsider a proper deal. I had a different employee tell me that they were not interested in my guitar at this time. So I had contacted them again mentioning that I had spoken to someone there a couple of weeks ago who appraised my guitar for a low deal and was hoping to hit a more reasonable number. Now I ended up being appraised for the same number again. I don't know why I have to consistently follow up with them since they have been unresponsive to my inquiries. Inconsistent and absolutely inconvenient. 3) The last time I had contacted them, I had informed them that the used instrument they are selling is only $20 less than that sold by my friends at the guitar company Aristides, brand new from factory. I ended up getting another dumb response. I do keep a watchful eye on Reverb as there are some instruments and brands that have my interest. Whether these shops like it or not, my friends and I have a strong online guitar following and community that sees everything that goes on here and will call out BS when we see it. I dislike the lack of professionalism and the responses I get from some of CME's employees especially after trying to be somewhat helpful and respectful in my inquiries or "feedback". I would not consider doing business with CME until they get their s*** together.

Huge assortment of guitars, especially the wall of Les Paul's. The guitars seem to go on forever, including acoustics and unique brands like Dusenberg. If you're a guitarist, it's worth checking out.

Trust me when I say I don't fit the description of the most likely CME customer but I've always been given the absolute best treatment by the acoustic guitar room guys. They totally understand my limitations and have helped guide me to some great guitars. Many thanks to Karl. In addition - Phil Glodek in the repair shop goes above and beyond to save my Martin from myself. He brought it back from a long dry winter of discontent last year. This year I was happy to hear the condition met with his approval. He tweaked it and got me out the door in record time. Go here. Shop here. Get your guitar fixes done here. It's a Chicago treasure.

Chicago Music Exchange may very well be the best guitar shop not just in Chicago, but in the nation. Besides an amazing choice of guitars...the customer service is second to none. I recently purchased a vintage Martin guitar. Despite owning several electric guitars, I knew absolutely nothing about acoustic guitars. Ross took the time to educate me on many different brands and models...working with me for over an hour until I finally found the perfect guitar. His patience and knowledge far exceeded my expectations. Chicago Music Exchange will be my go-to guitar shop from this point on.

Thanks to Nick, Alex, and the team at Chicago Music Exchange, we recently welcomed the newest member to our guitar family--a custom Fano Jm6. My hubby had been in the market for a new guitar for awhile, and being the supportive wife I am, I let him obsess over finding the right guitar for a pretty long time. I looked at all the guitars online, I listened...for hours...about what exactly he wanted and didn't want. And, because I'm truly the best wife--ever--I even made a few trips into the city to go guitar shopping. In the end, all roads led to CME, and I'm so grateful to Nick for sticking by my hubby's side and making sure he helped make a guitar purchase happen. Nick totally rocks! Initially we brought home a different guitar, but we ended up returning it due to an issue we couldn't live with. Alex, the manager, took it back with no questions asked. Because we knew we'd be back to eventually pick up another guitar (round two), we had them keep our credit on file. The great thing about CME is that they have a high revolving inventory. Within no time at all, my hubby picked out the Fano, played it, went home, we went back together, negotiated a price and closed the deal! Before taking it home they set up the guitar while I waited in a comfy chair, and we were so happy to finally take our guitar baby home. Thanks to the attentive and patient team who helped make this all happen.

CME is a Chicago Landmark. Long time CME customer and no matter how many times I come in, this place always feels like a Guitarists Paradise! From acoustics to electrics, pedals and road gear, CME has you covered with the best of best. But the greatest part of CME is their top notch staff! Always extremely kind, beyond helpful, and full of knowledge they're are always willing to share and help you with. Shout Outs To: Geoff T. (manager) Phil G. (repair tech) Mario R. (electric sales) Ross S. (acoustic sales) Josh D. (acoustic sales) Wrenn S. & Jett L. (associates) As for the CME Repair Shop? - unmatched. The attention to detail that CME techs provide their costumers is incredible. These guys are always working above and beyond the benchmark to make sure you're instruments are dialed in and performance ready, no matter the extent of the repair. Big shout out to Phil G! Had new pickups installed in my primary Gibson ES-335 by another reputable guitar shop (due to time constraints). Unfortunately my ES began cutting out the night before our first show back in Chicago since the pandemic. I quickly called over to CME, and without hesitation, Phil had me come the very next morning with my ES! He took it in and not only did he re-do all the wiring that was done incorrectly by the other shop, Phil actually took the time to properly look over the ES for any other potential problems. Really got me out of a jam that day and I'm forever grateful. But the incredible costumer service didn't just stop there. Later the following week I received a follow up phone call and email checking in on my guitar and how the show went. Phil took the time to see how the ES was doing and it's inspiring to see how much pride he has in his work. It's safe to say, I'll never take my guitars anywhere else from now on. Phil and the CME techs are well worth the wait!

This is one of the top guitar stores in the country. The vast array of guitars on display and available to try is astonishing. And it's a very welcoming environment. There are much smaller drum and synth sections next door. This is my first choice for much of my gear.

Again Chicago Music Exchange have vaulted ahead of the pack for me. Since the last review I have purchased several guitar pedals, cabs, and some amazing guitars. The only bad thing about CME is that their stock moves fast. So if you see a deal buy it immediately because on several occasions I waited until I could drive there and the next day the item I wanted was gone. I have been dealing with Zach on the last several purchases and he went out of his way to take care of me, is very fair, and is an amazing guitar player so I trust his opinions about gear.

Best customer service I've ever encountered! Liz and Joseph are top notch and helped me through a very frustrating situation. Best guitar store I've been to in the US (and I live in Seattle and moved there from L.A.). Their selection, expertise, knowledge, pricing, etc is hard to beat. Super friendly, very helpful and experts in the business. If you're in Chicago, make it a point to stop there! It's also where the big names in music shop! Highly recommended!

Trade in was a very easy process. Chris in the guitar department was super helpful, nice, and patient. Great selection, and a great experience from start to finish.

Because I'm a guitarist in every trip i make i want to check nice local music stores, to see if i can find new thing. This place is awesome, you can find, old and new amplifiers of all brands. Used and new electric guitars of all brands. Bass and drums. And acoustic guitar dept. is really nice i talked with the employe and he was nice enough to give me a t-shirt when i told him i was a tourist from Montreal. This is definitely the store to see if you're a musician passing through Chicago

Amazing stock of Gibson guitars as well as other brands. Awesome staff. Ordered a Les Paul. Shipped right to my door step already set up to play. Beautiful show room can't wait to go back. Relaxed atmosphere for the electric guitar connoisseur.

The Luthiers there are very trust worthy. I had a great interaction with Phil Glodek (Chief Luthier) who took care of instrument. Thank you Phil! Also accoutic room is amazing. Walt Disney World of guitars. My next instrument is coming from that room.

I purchased a Strat and Blues Jr. amp about two months back from CME and had an awesome experience. It was my first electric guitar and amp, so I had a fair amount of questions. Alex Latus helped me out and he was fantastic. Super insightful and treated the whole interaction like he was helping out a friend. Gave me the time to check out a few amps and thoroughly explained all the pros/cons given what I was looking for. The whole experience at CME was enjoyable and relaxed. Their selection is kickass and their staff is willing to communicate and work with you given your priorities. Moving forward, this will be my guitar shop and should be yours too!

Ordered equipment from CME thru Reverb and received immediate shipment. Very smooth transaction. Will be ordering more from this store.

Great place. Very friendly staff. Selection is amazing if not almost overwhelming. The setup of the store has a good flow to it as well.

Been a long term customer and always happy with the experience. I live in Chicago area so this is my review as a local shop. CME is more of a premium choice of instrument store than a mainstream one. So if you are looking for beginners' gears, CME is still a extremely good local option but it's main advantage won't manifest. However, if you are into the more advanced realm then this store is one of the best in the US. Let me elaborate. First is the trust they put in you. You are just here to buy a fender blues junior but you want to try that 6 grand Les Paul custom? No problem. You want to try a guitar but you are curious how it works with different amps and cabs? They set it up for you. They treat you well regardless of the amount of money you spent. Feel free to grab five custom shops and try them back to back. They won't stop you and judge you. That is extremely important because expensive gears are usually locked away. When you spend 5+ grand on a guitar you better know what you are expecting. Second, CME has a large collection of vintage and high level guitars. Most Les Paul on the wall are custom. They sell more custom level guitars than production ones each year. And they give huge discount on products. You can buy most gears from them with a good price below msrp and they probably will throw in extra cables and assessories for you for free. Let me be completely honest, this fact goes hand in hand with the last one I just mentioned. They have a more premium target customer base so they can trust post people who come into the shop and build a long term relationship with them. There are less ill manners kids running around smashing stuff but more local musicians. I hate to say things like this but that is the reason you see store lock even the mid range production models away from places that people can reach. Last, the staff members are all good players and nice people. Local customers can build a good relationship with the team and both parties can benefit in the long run. Plus they have a very good repair shop that always set up the guitars perfectly. (Some major retailers actually don't set up guitars.) To sum it up, CME is a unique and fantastic store to shop for gears or to stop by. I hope they stay open for as long as possible. Local stores, especially the good ones, are part of the city's culture and soul.

It is time to be honest about this place. They are pretty much the only non-guitar center full line dealer in Chicago and I feel that they do not do a great job. I am starting to look for a mid priced electric guitar that doesn't have a trem and can handle both jazz and rock ( have a jazz box and floyd rose guitar). There were a few telecasters with humbuckers that I wanted to try out and the salesman I was speaking to didn't seem very interested in helping me find that guitar. I know guitars are in short supply but I was open to suggestions and something out of the box and I got just standard suggestions. I know my guitars and I want a salesman who knows even more then me. I feel that customer service and knowledge of product is lacking or maybe I just wasn't at the price point that gets me attention. TIme to up your game CME or you will get knocked down

I'm not a musician but CME still gets me all hot and bothered. All the beautiful guitars hanging from the walls, shiny and unique and amazing. They're just all so sexy! Mounted between the walls are photos of all the amazing artists who have visited their hallow halls, taken down the guitars, and jammed. I love wandering around looking at these photos as my fella takes down his dream guitars and strums a few chords. That's also really cool--they don't care if you take down the guitars and play. No matter how expensive you can play. They have small rooms with amps you can plug into as well, if you want to see how they really rock. Want something mellower? There's a huge acoustic room that also houses banjos, mandolins, and other unique items. Amps? They got 'em. Accessories like straps, strings, peddles, pics and more? They got those too. A truly impressive collection that makes my guitar collector fella salivate. Prices can be steep but I've been assured by aforementioned collector fella that they're not crazy considering the quality and condition of the instruments. Super super awesome place!

I purchased some accessories directly from their website. It took them over 5 days to ship, so now this is like a 14 day process. Highly disappointed and I will never buy anything from here again.