I was in the Chicago for work purposes and during down-time on my visit, I wanted to explore a different neighbourhood beyond the usual tourist spots. Since I love photography and guitars, that was my morning decided. A short and pleasant trip on the Loop train to watch the world go by and then a 5 minute walk from the station through a lovely neighbourhood, led me to the entrance of Chicago Music Exchange.

Stepping into the shop was like entering into another world. It was HUGE - lots of space, soft lighting inviting, no pushy sales people - the whole place had a very relaxed vibe. I could tell that I was going to be here for quite a while.

The staff were lovely and allowed me to photograph pretty much anything on display (NO touching without asking!), and even gave me a bunch of stickers and guitar picks too! The vibe in the shop was laid back and relaxing .... nice couches (some dressed with beautiful guitars), lots of wood and rugs ... very much a recording studio vibe. Well .... maybe a huge recording studio. Regardless, it was a world that was easy to get lost in for a bit.

As I said, there were no pushy sales people, but plenty of help was at hand if needed. Just by observing interactions with customers, I could tell that all of the staff were genuine music enthusiasts and knew the products inside out.

And of course, a large selection of guitar amps were on display.

And for the serious customers, there was even a dedicated amp room that appeared to be sound treated. Hence why you couldn't hear people playing 'Stairway to Heaven' in the main shop area.

If you can imagine any big name brands or types of guitars, they probably have them at CME. I recognised the Fender Twin Reverb in the shot below .... a friend of mine from long ago bought an original valve version, complete with a Telecaster. When he was recently selling it, the price looked like a telephone number or an ATM card PIN code.

There were a couple of guitars that just stood our for me, a Deusenberg and another which can speak for itself. They look fantastic in black and white. Completely different guitars that have no relation to each other, but the point is that it shows the diversity of products on offer at Chicago Music Exchange for every type of guitar player.

Walking further down the shop floor leads to a separate acoustic guitar selection. Believe it or not, I actually ran out of time and didn't get a chance to look around. And besides, the huge doors had a contradictory look about them .... welcome to yet another beautiful room of discovery but only for the REALLY serious enthusiasts with dollars burning a hole in their pocket. Even more soft lighting, rugs, wooden flooring and a huge selection of stunning guitars, all looking immaculate and waiting to be played.

There's a reason why the shop has such high ceilings - to hang all the guitars on the walls! Speaking of which ....

And if you fancy buying a replica of a Telecaster used by 'The Boss' .... well, here you go!

Summing Up

I was in the Chicago Music Exchange shop for at least an hour and the time just seemed to float away. I didn't even get to see all of it either (the acoustic room, the drum room and goodness knows what else).

The photos above only show a small snippet of what awaits visitors old and new. The shop is easily accessible by the Loop train in a neighbourhood that you can easily spend an afternoon in to discover somewhere really nice off the beaten tourist track. I really do want to come back. If you haven't already visited, it really should be added to your bucket list. Until then ... do check them out on YouTube.