Staff Picks

We're the luckiest musicians in the world! We have our hands on the GREATEST GEAR that has ever existed. We build it, we buy it, we play it, and of course we sell it. We all have our favorites and good reasons why. We'd love to keep it a secret and have all of the magical tones to ourselves but that would be CRAZY! Staff Picks is where each of our experts shares their FAVORITE GEAR! It's always changing, always updating with the latest and greatest. Enjoy CME Staff Picks!

SHOP CME STAFF PICKS

DW 6.5X14 Brass Polished Snare Drum w/ Gold Hdw Drums and Percussion / Acoustic Drums / Snare
DW 6.5X14 Brass Polished Snare Drum w/ Gold Hdw Drums and Percussion / Acoustic Drums / Snare
DW 6.5X14 Brass Polished Snare Drum w/ Gold Hdw Drums and Percussion / Acoustic Drums / Snare
DW 6.5X14 Brass Polished Snare Drum w/ Gold Hdw Drums and Percussion / Acoustic Drums / Snare
DW 6.5X14 Brass Polished Snare Drum w/ Gold Hdw Drums and Percussion / Acoustic Drums / Snare
DW 6.5X14 Brass Polished Snare Drum w/ Gold Hdw Drums and Percussion / Acoustic Drums / Snare
DW 6.5X14 Brass Polished Snare Drum w/ Gold Hdw Drums and Percussion / Acoustic Drums / Snare

DW 6.5X14 Brass Polished Snare Drum w/ Gold Hdw

$1,286.00
Korg MicroKorg-S Synth/Vocoder Keyboards and Synths / Synths / Digital Synths
Korg MicroKorg-S Synth/Vocoder Keyboards and Synths / Synths / Digital Synths
Korg MicroKorg-S Synth/Vocoder Keyboards and Synths / Synths / Digital Synths
Korg MicroKorg-S Synth/Vocoder Keyboards and Synths / Synths / Digital Synths
Korg MicroKorg-S Synth/Vocoder Keyboards and Synths / Synths / Digital Synths

Korg MicroKorg-S Synth/Vocoder

$816.00
10.28.24 - CME Staff Pick - Joe Soldati - Spector & Sandberg Bass-4.jpg__PID:3add64d0-f346-41ab-a877-4a1977913ef9

Featured Pick of the Month -
Sandberg Forty Eight LEFTY Hardcore Aged Virgin White

Art the Clown - Retail Sale Price Slasher

"..."

Shop Sandberg Gear
Taylor 322ce 12-Fret Grand Concert Tropical Mahogany/Tasmanian Blackwood Shaded Edgeburst ES2 w/V-Class Bracing Acoustic Guitars / Concert
Taylor 322ce 12-Fret Grand Concert Tropical Mahogany/Tasmanian Blackwood Shaded Edgeburst ES2 w/V-Class Bracing Acoustic Guitars / Concert
Taylor 322ce 12-Fret Grand Concert Tropical Mahogany/Tasmanian Blackwood Shaded Edgeburst ES2 w/V-Class Bracing Acoustic Guitars / Concert
Taylor 322ce 12-Fret Grand Concert Tropical Mahogany/Tasmanian Blackwood Shaded Edgeburst ES2 w/V-Class Bracing Acoustic Guitars / Concert
Taylor 322ce 12-Fret Grand Concert Tropical Mahogany/Tasmanian Blackwood Shaded Edgeburst ES2 w/V-Class Bracing Acoustic Guitars / Concert
Taylor 322ce 12-Fret Grand Concert Tropical Mahogany/Tasmanian Blackwood Shaded Edgeburst ES2 w/V-Class Bracing Acoustic Guitars / Concert
Taylor 322ce 12-Fret Grand Concert Tropical Mahogany/Tasmanian Blackwood Shaded Edgeburst ES2 w/V-Class Bracing Acoustic Guitars / Concert
Taylor 322ce 12-Fret Grand Concert Tropical Mahogany/Tasmanian Blackwood Shaded Edgeburst ES2 w/V-Class Bracing Acoustic Guitars / Concert
Taylor 322ce 12-Fret Grand Concert Tropical Mahogany/Tasmanian Blackwood Shaded Edgeburst ES2 w/V-Class Bracing Acoustic Guitars / Concert
Taylor 322ce 12-Fret Grand Concert Tropical Mahogany/Tasmanian Blackwood Shaded Edgeburst ES2 w/V-Class Bracing Acoustic Guitars / Concert
Taylor 322ce 12-Fret Grand Concert Tropical Mahogany/Tasmanian Blackwood Shaded Edgeburst ES2 w/V-Class Bracing Acoustic Guitars / Concert

Taylor 322ce 12-Fret Grand Concert Tropical Mahogany/Tasmanian Blackwood Shaded Edgeburst ES2 w/V-Class Bracing

$3,288.00
From Taylor: 

Our V-Class bracing lends extra power, sustain and sweetness to this cutaway 12-fret Grand Concert, broadening its musical range. Blackwood back and sides produce a strong voice—even in small-body GC—with a meaty midrange focus and a splash of top-end shimmer, while the mahogany top adds a touch of natural compression to smooth out the response from top to bottom. The combination of a 12-fret neck, slightly shorter 24-7/8-inch scale length, and a shifted bridge position (closer to the center of the lower bout) produces a slinkier handfeel. This makes an excellent choice for players who crave the comfort of a compact frame. With its microphone-friendly voice, it also makes a great choice for recording, and with the ES2 electronics, produces a clear, flavorful amplified sound. The dark and earthy aesthetic incorporates a shaded edgeburst top over the dusky mahogany top, black binding, an all-satin finish, a black pickguard, and small diamond inlays in Italian acrylic.

Scale Length: 24-7/8"
Nut & Saddle: Black Graphite, Micarta saddle
Bracing: V-Class
Truss Rod Cover: Black Plastic
Pickguard: Black
Number of Frets: 18
Tuners: Taylor Slot Head
Case: Taylor Deluxe Hardshell Brown
Body Length: 19 1/2"
Body Width: 15"
Body Depth: 4 3/8"

Binding/Edge Treatment: Black
Top Finish: Satin
Back Config: 2-piece No Wedge
Backstrap Finish: None
Rosette Size: Three Ring
Bridge Inlay: None
Back/Side Finish: Satin
Armrest Binding: None
Backstrap Wood: None
Rosette Mat.: Plastic
Stain/Sunburst: Blackwood Stain Back/Sides, Medium Brown Stain Top/Neck, Shaded Edge Burst Top
Shaded Edge Burst Top Wedge: None
Armrest: No

Neck Width: 1-3/4"
Fretboard Inlay: Gemstone, Italian Acrylic
Fretboard Binding/Edge Treatment: Black
Heel Cap Binding: Black
Type of Neck Joint: Scarf
Neck/Heel: Tropical Mahogany
Fretboard Wood: West African Ebony
Neck Finish: Satin
Heel Length: 3-1/4"
View Details

TIME FOR NEW GEAR?

Help us help you, by contacting us today and let us know what you are looking for! We are here to help make your next dream piece of gear a reality!

CALL US NOW!
Alex Chadwick - General Manager
Andrew Yonke - CEO
Daniel Bordonaro - Lead Buyer

CHECK OUT THESE STAFF PICKS:

Gibson Custom Shop Murphy Lab 1961 Les Paul SG "CME Spec" - Laurel, Inventory Specialist

"When this beauty hit the shop it took me to a special place. One riddled with wooden panels, cigarette smoke, and a faint taste of scotch on the rocks. This 'CME Spec' SG brings me back to an era I never knew I needed to live in, and I'm here for it. Our Custom "S" Buckers have this baby singing to the high heavens no matter the amp. Not to mention the aging, masterfully done by Tom Murphy and his team, flawlessly ties together an intense feeling of nostalgia. No need for a time machine with this axe by your side."

Shop Gibson Custom Murphy Lab
Product image
10.28.24 - CME Staff Pick - Dodd - Gibson Custom Explorer-1.jpg__PID:64d0f346-51ab-4877-8a19-77913ef9f3f7

Gibson Custom Shop Explorer "CME Spec" Antique Sparkle Gloss  -  Dodd, Outbound Manager

"Outside of SG's, Explorers have always been my favorite Gibson body.That Purple sparkle with the ebony fretboard, just a gorgeous guitar."

Shop Fresh Gear Arrivals

Fender x Loog Stratocaster - Anthony, Inbound Manager

"The colors matched my costume... that's really it... sorry!"

Shop Loog Guitars
10.28.24 - CME Staff Pick - Anthony Krecioch - Loog Guitars-4.jpg__PID:51ab6877-4a19-4791-bef9-f3f7ffee8e39
10.28.24 - CME Staff Pick - Colin Thomas - Martin Acoustic-1.jpg__PID:68774a19-7791-4ef9-b3f7-ffee8e396a6d

Martin 000-18 - Colin, Receiving Clerk

""I'm never gonna know you now but, I'm gonna love you anyhow." Whether you're a fan of Elliott Smith or not, they certainly knew a great sounding guitar when they heard it. You couldn't ever go wrong with a Martin."

Shop Martin Guitars

Reverend Gristle ST Blucifer - John, Marketing Coordinator

"I love strat-style guitars that offer something a bit different, and this delivers! This guitar balances huge amounts of resonance with that snappy, bolt on tone, and pairs it with noiseless pickups that sound BIG. Plus, it's a nod to Blucifer. IYKYK."

Shop Rickenbacker Guitars
10.28.24 - CME Staff Pick - John Davis - Reverend Guitars-3-Bluecifer2.jpg__PID:4a197791-3ef9-43f7-bfee-8e396a6de168
10.28.24 - CME Staff Pick - Colin Thomas - Martin Acoustic-1.jpg__PID:68774a19-7791-4ef9-b3f7-ffee8e396a6d

Hiwatt 1967 AP100 - David, Senior Sales Specialist

"Because vintage HiWatts are the greatest sounding amps I have ever played and heard; the Script is particularly rare because These early amplifiers were produced between 1964 and 1968, when Reeves operated from a small workshop above Potter's Music in Morden, Surrey. In 1968, he moved production to a garage at his New Malden residence. The script logo amplifiers are considered rare, as production numbers were limited during this formative period."

Shop Vintage & Used Amplifiers
David Staff Pick

MiniMoog Model D -  David, Marketing Copywriter

"For a guitar player who doesn't know anything about synths, the Model D is maybe the single best instrument to figure out what electronic sound synthesis is all about! Turns out, you have to plug it in first, though!"

Shop Moog Synthesizers

1957 Gibson J45 - Felix, Ecommerce Listing Coordinator

"Nothing beats a vintage Gibson acoustic, also can be used as a a perfect baseball bat!"

Shop Vintage & Used Gibson Acoustics
Felix Staff Pick
08.29.24 - Staff Picks - Jett Lucas-1.jpg__PID:6ae98d7b-1b36-48cf-acfd-26ac8a30ed46

Gibson Custom Shop Murphy Lab 1968 Les Paul Custom Reissue Ebony Ultra Light Aged -  Jett, Counter Associate

"I love the maple top they added to the Black Customs in 1968 and the witch hat knobs make a Les Paul look even better, in my opinion. Ebony fretboard for even more snap and bite!"

Shop Gibson Guitar

CME Exclusive Fender Player Jazzmaster Olive with Matching Headcap -  Colin, Receiving Clerk

"I can say with full confidence, Olive this guitar! Now that the pun is out of the way, I bought one a year ago and haven't been able to keep my hands off of it since. Between the matching olive headstock, the tortoise pick guard, and these vintage '65 pick ups...this guitar packs a real punch. It became my favorite guitar in my collection in no time. Don't hesitate on grabbing one!"

Shop CME Exclusive Guitars
2.23.24 - CME Staff - Colin Thomas-3.jpg__PID:c7cfb5b0-8442-4bc0-8331-159f41273c7c

Related Posts

Roland Summer Of Savings Promotions 2023

Now thru September 30, you can get up to $250 cash back via mail-in rebate on select* Roland & BOSS products available at Chicago Music Exchange! When you purchase any of the select* items below at CME before the end of September 2023, just complete the rebate form, and submit it to Roland Corporation U.S. with 1) A copy of the dated, itemized store sales receipt, 2) a UPC code (entire sticker from the box), 3) The Product Registration Card, you’ll receive the cash-back value listed below! *Exclusions apply

Read more

Introducing | OOPEGG

Though the brand’s name may be an acronym for “out-of-place electric guitars & gear,” OOPEGG guitars and basses fit right into the wide selection of boutique instruments available at Chicago Music Exchange from builders all across the globe! Now, CME is proud to be counted among just a handful of dealers in North America to offer OOPEGG guitars and basses! 

Read more

Boss | GM-800 Synth Pedal

Unlock any sound imaginable—from acoustic instruments to classic and modern synths—with the new Boss GM-800 guitar synthesizer, now available at Chicago Music Exchange! Driven by the newly developed Serial GK interface and Boss’s advanced ZEN-Core engine, the GM-800’s high-performance DSP delivers an unprecedented amount of tracking stability and expressive scope, letting users combine and edit tones with the intuitive “Scene” workflow, color sounds with a huge selection of effects, and explore a universe of fresh content on Roland Cloud.

Read more