Chicago Music Exchange (CME) is massive. There is a lot of ground to cover and many instruments to…read moresee. I accompanied my husband to CME during our weeklong trip to Chicago this summer. We took the L to Paulina, and the music store is a short walk from the train station. So many guitars on the street-level part of the shop. Drums, basses, and the repair shop are found on the lower-level. Aside from all the guitars displayed on the walls, there are also so many canvased photos of musicians and groups who visited CME over the years. There are a number of comfortable spots where you can sit and play. There's also a cushy couch area with Gucci pillows where you can sit, especially if you're waiting for your significant other :)

I used to be able to play a little. Love guitars and amps, everyone should…read more Walking in here: I'm not Worthy. I'm NOT Worthy. Beautiful guitars in many different price ranges. From classic American Fenders, to Paul Reed Smiths, Gibson, and a full fledged acoustic guitar room with beautiful acoustics. The people working there are helpful and not elitists cooler than thou musicians. The folks I encountered were warm and welcoming. Really positive and fun.

Great old timey vibe. Lots of vintage pedals. Nifty other stuff like quality cables.read more

Several month ago I had an Elektron Digitakt serviced at this store. There was a small mix up…read moreduring the repair, manager Andrew Marrah went above and beyond to ensure the device was returned to me in perfect working condition. I cannot overstate the professionalism of Andrew Marrah and everyone at Synth City. I would trust this store with anything regarding my gear, they will make sure to treat you well and with respect. 10 out of 10 hands down.

I really like this place. Went there to buy a Euphonium for my daughter. Owner was friendly, and…read moregave me a very fair deal. If I ever need another instrument, this will be my first choice.

Awesome people to do business with. No B.S., Wayne is very dry and straight to the point. I walked…read morein there off the street over 20yrs ago and instantly knew I had stumbled onto a secret Goldmine of guitars and amps. I've bought many many guitars from them over the years at extremely fair prices. Wayne is very fair and doesn't try to compete with CME, or GC, he tells it exactly like it is. It's like walking into an old hardware store or Auto shop. If you come in looking for something or for advice , they'll take care of you and you are welcome to hang out. If you come in with an entitled, woke attitude, go back to GC or BK and have it your way, nobody needs you there to ruin our vibe. Wayne, Tom, and even Rich when he's around have always been nothing but professional to the customers. The instrument selection is exactly as advertised. The best used, affordable instruments around. Dent, dings, yes. Great guitars and amps, absolutely. I currently own 4 Gibson Les Pauls and 2 ES-335's that I got great deals on from Wayne and that I never could afford new or from GC. Check it out for yourself. Ignore the 1 star-3 star crybabies. Actual working musicians, some famous , some not, go there repeatedly. Rant Over! Wayne's the best.

I've spent a significant portion of my short life looking back on great guitarists in reverent awe…read more Richards, Page, Hendrix, Townsend, Clapton, Allman and Young are among the masterful deities I continue to look towards for inspiration. My attempt to mimic their craft alone was met with frustration, despair and often failure before finally giving in, as so many aspirational musicians eventually do. It was not until a friend recommended I check out Guitar Chicago that I dusted off my cheap Epiphone to climb back on the Steel Horse (Bon Jovi, what a gifted poet). I met with Jason, who came highly recommended. Jason has the ability to help demystify the guitar with a strong background in Jazz and a firm grip on musical theory. He's equally skilled and comfortable going through chord patterns, technique and odd Jazz rhythms as he is deconstructing a Kiss song. My goal in taking lessons was to make myself comfortable enough to play a few songs without too much butchering. Jason has helped me reach a level of comfort where I can plug my crappy guitar into my less crappy computer and record myself playing. I feel much more comfortable with the instrument than I did only a year ago. The location is great, the scheduling is flexible, online payment takes no time at all and perhaps best of all, you don't need to bring your guitar. I often leave each half hour lesson feeling accomplished and hungry for more guitar. Jason and Guitar Chicago continues to contribute to my early onset of arthritis and I couldn't be happier.

So, I have now been taking lessons for more than 1 1/2 years at Guitar Cities (Chicago), and I love…read moreit more now than I did when I first started! My skill has progressed nicely, and I'm happy and pleasantly surprised at how much I have learned and continue to learn week after week. Jim is an outstanding instructor who offers top-notch skill, patience (much needed in my case), humor, and a lot of encouragement! I couldn't be happier. I love it so much, I am now also adding Ukelele to my repertoire, in addition to acoustic guitar. However, when I took a new job 40 miles away, the commute was literally inducing psychotic levels of road rage. So in an effort to save my sanity, I began to take my lessons over Skype more than a year ago and it has been great! There are absolutely NO issues with taking lessons online vs. in-person, and I have never felt like I wasn't getting as much out of the interaction. Now it doesn't matter where you live, because technology can bridge the gap and make it possible for everyone! I HIGHLY recommend lessons with Guitar Chicago for anyone and everyone...give them a try!!!

Great guitar setup shop…read more Tom is the best. Smart and meticulous. And great prices! But most importantly, Tom is a really good communicator. He takes care of ya.

Small independently owned guitar shop. Guys are super friendly, very knowledgeable, and their…read moreprices are reasonable. I will come back here if I ever need any repairs for my guitar for sure. Thank you!

Probably my favorite music store in Chicago by far, as Guitar Center and CME tend to focus heavily…read moreon electrics and have fewer offerings in acoustic folk instruments other than the ones produced by larger manufacturers. The music store at the Old Town School has an excellent selection of new and used instruments and some vintage on occasion, but generally meets the needs of the students as well as people looking for a decent Martin, or a pack of strings. Staff are pretty knowledgeable about their stock and helpful. For more unusual instruments, you probably would have a better chance of finding it here than at any of the major musical retailers. I haven't tried any consignment or repair services, but I would imagine they reflect the quality they normally bring to their floor service and then some.

Update March 2025: It took about 7.5 months, but I have the…read moreinstrument back and in great shape (action and intonation all fixed). Although the experience was frustrating overall, manager Charlie and two sales associates whose names I didn't catch went FAR above and beyond to make this right. I appreciate their care and transparency.

Geoff just recently transformed my '97 Affinity Series Squier into a massive player of a guitar…read more Not to mention, it's pretty sweet looking too. This was a sentimental project and I was prepared to put up some cash. Geoff got the guitar sounding and looking amazing at a fair and reasonable price. It was pretty much half of what I thought I was going to have to spend for what I wanted done. I really like that he's up front and honest. He'll never try to upsell you and will tell you if something doesn't need changing. He also cares about the materials he works with and will re-purpose whatever he can, which I think is pretty cool. Sometimes you gotta be a little patient, but he always comes thru. He does great work that speaks for itself but he goes the extra mile. The guy is clearly passionate about what he does. I'm loving this guitar! I highly recommend him. And not just for guitars. Last time I was there he was working on a small stringed instrument I never knew existed.

Geoff is great. 1920's Gibson mandolin? Now it is an instrument thanks to Geoff Benge. And his…read moreguitar work is best in the city.

CFW recently completed a setup of my Fender Player strat. As a new player only 3 months in the…read morelearning process, the people behind the counter were nothing but excellent in walking me through what needed servicing on my guitar. They were great in offering detailed explanations and answers to my questions. After a 3 week wait, I'm extremely happy with the end product. CFW simply did their job exceedingly well down to even giving the strat what appeared to be a polishing. I was absolutely stoked to see how much nicer it felt and even looked. For the money, have no concerns about receiving solid, thoughtful, and detail-forward work.

I went to get my old guitar fix and they did an excellent job. Price was reasonable. Sales person…read morewas friendly. Would go back if my other guitar needs fixing.

First of all every musician should support a local music retailer cause goodness gracious it's no…read moreeasy feat and when was the last time you walked into Amazon to try out a guitar? More than that you get to talk shop with people who love music and instruments as much as you do so GO THERE!!! I just bought my second purchase there I got a slammin' good Epiphone acoustic guitar for a super fair price. When I called they were kind enough to put it off the website for 24 hours to give me a chance to come and check it out. They tend to have some very reasonable priced guitars that are good buys and good instruments so going there to check them out is a big plus. When I was there they had a bunch of hard to find things like a mint mint Fender Rhodes 73 that looked just like the one I had in 1980 and a used Sitar! I will definitely be back.

I don't often write reviews of places unless I really believe there's something to be said about…read morethe place. Such is Evolution Music in Logan Square where I decided to walk an hour on this fair day so that I could sell my keyboard. I came in, told them what I wanted to sell, and what I was looking to receive out of the exchange. Most people, like me, really try to haggle for the best price, and that's definitely what I did. Being that they were a store with financial margins, they realistically set my expectations closer to what was feasible for them. Fact of the matter is that they were respectful, realistic, and most importantly of all fair when it came to the exchange. I ultimately walked away satisfied, having met in the middle of our compromise, and sealed it with a good ol' honest handshake at that. I didn't have to write about this but I thought the person at the store today, Nathan, had good, decent integrity when it came to this transaction. It was a nice and sunny day and after walking back out of the store, the interaction left me feeling it all the more brighter... Nathan, you're fucking cool bro. I'll definitely be back in the future.

Great local music store for basic music instruments and lessons. Staff is friendly and…read moreaccommodating, just a really great place to have in any community.

Highly recommend. Piano instructor Eric is outstanding. Loads of patience. Figured out exactly what…read moreI was looking for in instructions. Staff, which I'm sure are accomplished musicians in their own right, friendly, helpful and excellent to deal with. I am a senior student ( age, not talent haha). Have taken many lessons over the years. Eric cannot be beat.