The Chicago Music Exchange

The shop is as close as you can get to guitar heaven.  Not only do they carry nearly every guitar that you can imagine, but the store also has a very comfortable and relaxed vibe to it. From the sheer size of the space to the comfortable sofas that are everywhere – this place redefines the guitar shopping experience. When I showed up I decided to walk the floor for a bit and check out everything they had to offer. I ended up just wandering around with a big shit-eating gin on my face (I’m willing to bet the staff thought I was a drunk).

Here is a little background on The Chicago Music Exchange:

Around 20 or so years ago Scott Silver was buying and selling guitars out of his loft in Chicago. He accumulated such a large amount of guitars that he decided to open a small shop to buy and sell guitars. The shop was a success and he began expanding the space he was in to finally occupy 3 storefronts.  Then roughly four years ago Scott purchased an older warehouse that was used to store furniture and spent about a year building it out into the amazing space they currently occupy.

One of the interesting things about Scott and the Chicago Music Exchange is how much they value one-on-one customer service. They promote their website, have a presence on Twitter and Facebook, but they don’t want to make their business a web focused one – they want to meet the customers face to face. Scott says, “The relationships I develop last longer when it is one-on-one… I am a guy who still believes in the handshake”

It was also refreshing to see how much value Scott places on the people who work for him, during our conversation he pointed out several times that, “My employees make the store what it is.” And to that point I can say that everyone I met was very kind and easygoing and refreshingly devoid of attitude. Scott’s operates with the mentality that if you treat people right and help find what is right for them as opposed to what has the biggest price then you will build a real relationship with your customers, “We want you to have the right guitar, not just fit you with a price tag.” And in this economy he respects the fact that money is tight, “$10 is a lot of money! You have to respect the guy getting paid $10 an hour and comes here to buy a pack of strings.”

There are no “salesmen” at the store; the people who work there could more accurately be described as experts that are standing by to help when you need it. In writing this story I decided to have a gander at the Yelp rating for The Chicago Music Exchange and I see that they have a 4 out of 5 rating. Upon reading the reviews I see the usual “snark” that is an unfortunate reality of dealing on the web. Most of the negative comments are about the service and attitude of the staff, saying that they are not helpful and intimidating. But from what I witnessed during my visit to the Chicago music exchange was the complete opposite.  The thing you have to understand about this place is that they are not trying to push you into a sale, they want to have a relaxed atmosphere that allows the customer to wander around and try the gear out – because that is what the guitar nut does, they play and play and are always looking to hear the latest thing.

I love the idea of a store that let’s me wander and test out guitars and pedals without standing over me the entire time. The Chicago Music Exchange even has demo rooms that have a door so you can test out the gear in private. The demo rooms are packed with amplifiers of every variety you could imagine, they have amps that cover any and all ranges of playing. If you want to know exactly what a guitar will sound like, this is the place to try it out. And while you try it on the amp you currently have, why not test-drive it on the amp of your dreams? Marshall, Divided by 13, Orange, Fender, Bad Cat, Victoria, and on and on. They really have a HUGE amp selection and you can play them all!

I know very few guitar people who are impulse buyers, most agonize over the decision to buy something and try to make the most informed decision they can.  I wish there was a shop like this here in SF, the places I visit here come in one of two varieties: Don’t touch or touch and the sales people are all over you. Because of this I find that I have to scour the web looking for demos and sound clips just to see what the gear will sound like because I just can’t deal with those two options. It is enough to make me want to move to Chicago… that and the price of real estate, but I digress.

Not at anytime did I see an overbearing salesperson. This is a no pressure-sales atmosphere, they let you wander through the store, look around, play guitars & basses and lend a hand when you need it. This kind of shop is such a breath of fresh air, especially when you consider the level of guitars they carry from new to $125 000 vintage guitars.

Then there is the pedal selection: Fulltone, Moog, EHX, T-Rex, MXR, Carl Martin - there are so many that I couldn’t possibly list them all, you will have to check out the pictures to see just how many they carry – it is unreal. Scott credits his staff as being the driving force behind the 25-foot plus pedal case. And as you can see in the pictures, the case is jammed full of pedals with just about anything you could ever want from new to vintage.  They even have a Moog Theremin!

To expand a little on how relaxed they are at this shop, they brought down a few of the rarest pieces they have at the shop so we could have a look, take some pictures, and even play them! I played and took photos of guitars worth a combined $700 000 and were in amazing condition. It was unreal. So much so that I have written up a separate story that covers all of the guitars we got to see. You can read it HERE.

So in the end, my trip to the Chicago Music Exchange was a reaffirmation of everything I love about Guitars. The shop is a temple built to worship all things guitar (as bass!) The staff is friendly and knowledgeable and let you wander and play without asking if you need help every two seconds. What Scott has done with his store is create a place for guitarists of all skill levels and experience to come and see the very best of what guitar makers offer and a look at the very best of the what is available in the vintage market. If you live in the Chicago area or are visiting, you owe it to yourself to drop in and meet Scott and the staff – you’ll be happy you did!