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!
Pre-Order the Newest Novo Dealer Select Guitars Today at CME!
Novo Guitars are a favorite among many of the gigging musicians on our staff, and the newest Dealer Select guitars make it easy to see why! These two new Dealer Select Guitars feature chambered bodies, with eastern curly maple tops and tempered pine bodies! The compound 9.5”-14” rosewood fingerboards provide a comfortable transition from chords to arpeggios, and these guitars are loaded with Lollar Imperial Low Wind Humbuckers, which produce the soaring treble and focused low end inspired by lower wind PAFs!
Get Lost in Space with the Newest Music Man BFR Majesty!
Ball Family Reserve is Music Man’s way of showcasing their very best, unveiling the kinds of tonewoods and finishes that are normally reserved for their most loyal artists, and delivering them in the form of limited production runs of their most popular models! Limited to 100 guitars, the BFR Majesty Lost in Space features a weathered metallic finish that gives each guitar a unique celestial appearance. The 17” radius ebony fingerboard features a JP inlay at the first fret, an oversized Majesty logo based on the 12th fret, and shield inlays throughout. A +20 gain boost switch, glow in the dark side dots, and locking tuners add plenty of extra practicality for playing in any setting.
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.
The Newest Finish OptioRoland’s Reimagined TD-07 Series V-Drums is The Perfect Place to Begin Your Drumming Journey!n from Ludwig is an Absolute Classic!
Roland’s V-Drums have long been an ideal solution for beginners and professionals alike, and the updated TD-07 electronic drum kits offer a broader expressive range and more practice tools! TD-07 features a streaming option from your phone or computer directly into the electronic module, and the updated coach mode challenges you with a new range of drumming exercises. Upgraded snare and drum pads, dual-mesh heads, and a freestanding KD-10 kick pad are sure to satisfy experienced players as well. Finally, Roland has redesigned the stand and various components to make it even easier to set up and tear down your TD-07 kit in any setting!
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
"St. Jimmy" Green Day | Full Band Fridays
Back with another Full Band Friday at Chicago Music Exchange! This week we're playing "St. Jimmy" by Green Day! Tanner is playing an Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Signature and using the Marshall 1959BJA Billie Joe Armstrong Signature 100w.'
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!
Land a Knockout With The New Teenage Engineering EP-35 K.O. Amp 35!
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!
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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Magnatone x Powers Electric Guitars | CME Exclusive Guitar Amplifier Combination
Chicago Music Exchange introduces a CME Exclusive collaboration between Magnatone Amplifiers and Powers Electric Guitars, dressed in a shared "Vault Black" finish fitting for the prestige of The Vault at Chicago Music Exchange. This pairing brings together a hand-selected Powers Electric A-Type Custom Two Tone — featuring a Light/Dark Graphite Metallic finish, gold binding, and custom PF42 pickups — with a Magnatone Baby M-80, a portable 12-watt tube amp known for its robust cleans and chewy overdrive. Both pieces share the same EC Collins pinstripe pattern, carried across the amp cloth and the guitar's pickguard and knobs, tying the two together into one cohesive, CME Exclusive statement. Pick up the guitar, plug into the amp, or shop both — only at Chicago Music Exchange.
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Yamaha Guitars | RS20MM Matteo Mancuso Signature Revstar
The Yamaha RS20MM Matteo Mancuso Signature Revstar recreates the custom instrument behind Matteo Mancuso's genre-blending, quasi-flamenco playing style — now available at Chicago Music Exchange. Built with a chambered Acoustic Design body, a carbon-reinforced neck sculpted at Matteo's own request, and DiMarzio PAF 36th Anniversary pickups with a passive Focus switch, the RS20MM fuses jazz, blues, and progressive rock playability into one refined package. Finished in Vintage Sunburst flame maple with all-gold hardware. Shop the RS20MM now at Chicago Music Exchange.
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Bartel Amplifiers | CME Exclusive Limited 2-Tone Black & Gold
Chicago Music Exchange introduces new CME Exclusive Bartel Amplifiers in a striking Black & Gold 2-Tone finish, available only here. Designed by Mark Bartel, founder of Tone King, each amp is hand-wired point-to-point in small batches in the USA, with controls that reshape gain structure and feel instead of simple EQ. The lineup spans four models — Sugarland, Starwood, Roseland, and Swingland — each built to cover multiple classic vintage tones from a single channel. Plug into something special, only at CME.
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