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Chicago Music Exchange

4.2 (313 reviews)
Closed 12:00 pm - 7:00 PM
Updated 2 months ago

Services - Chicago Music Exchange

Musical instruments and teachers

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Karen N.

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.

Fender guiars
Skip S.

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.

Steve Stevens going over the story of rebel yell
Adam E.

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.

Paul L.

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!

My current guitar(CME MIM Fender Tele) bought and set up
Nickolas M.

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.

Steven H.

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've never seen so many Les Paul guitars in one place...

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8 months ago

Friendly, knowledgeable staff. I've bought 2 guitars from here over the years. Love this place!

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1 year ago

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

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

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

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3 years ago

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

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3 years ago

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

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Review Highlights - Chicago Music Exchange

Later the following week I received a follow up phone call and email checking in on my guitar and how the show went.

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Erica is a fantastic teacher! She really understands vocal pedagogy and her methods truly work. She…read moreteaches you to build a foundation and this foundation allows your voice to be flexible. With this foundation, you are able to sing any style of music. I do know her background is in classical voice. I would say the only negative is that Erica is busy with her career which sometimes makes it difficult to find the time to meet, but if you do find the time.... Its worth it! Try her out! You won't be disappointed !

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I love the concept of the Music Playhouse of Chicago. I love music and wasn't sure how to expose my…read moredaughter to it since I don't want to force her into Suzuki strings or something, and the Wiggleworms program at Old Town School appears to be geared toward slightly older babies (mine is just two months). In the newsletter for Family Picnic there was an advertisement for the fall term of The Music Class for Babies, which is led by an employee of Music Playhouse at various locations. I was a bit on the fence about going (why is everything for babies/small children in the early hours of the morning--have some sympathy for those of us who aren't early birds!). Luckily Family Picnic is only a few blocks away and I'm so glad went. At this weeks' session there were two other families in attendance and the children ranged from two to six months. This particular class is geared toward children aged 0 to 18 months. It was led by Miss Juliet, who had a variety songs to sing; rhythmic patterns to explore; as well as shakers, sticks, and scarves to dance and play with. We did activities whilst standing and sitting, including various songs and dances. It was great fun and my little one seemed to enjoy it as well. After leaving, we signed up for two more drop-in sessions; though the term is 10 weeks long, I unfortunately have to return to work in a couple weeks so I won't be able to attend a Friday morning class. I wish they had late afternoon or weekend sessions so that we could participate more often. The only negative thing I have to say is that the class took place sitting on the floor or standing. I am not the most limber and I was able to get up and down but it was really uncomfortable for me, both sitting on the floor and trying to get up from it (and I'm not sure how it would work if there were many more people there). I didn't really feel as though I had the option to sit on a chair as opposed to the floor. I'm not sure how it would work for someone who, unlike me, truly cannot sit on the floor for whatever reason, so I'm not sure if it's fully accessible.

Love, love, LOVE Ms. Erin!…read more We've been taking our son to Ms. Erin's classes on Saturday mornings and he loves the songs. Classes have been outdoors at Tuco and Blondie and they are socially distanced. Ms. Erin provides instruments or seating if you forget yours. Everything is cleaned before and after you use it. I would highly recommend the music classes for littles who love movement and singing.

Chicago Music Exchange - musicalinstrumentsandteachers - Updated May 2026

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