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Chicago Music Exchange

#61
Chico Ruger said:
Which has more basses, CME or BC?
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CME has more certainly, but it is a less esoteric selection.
CME specializes in vintage guitars and amps but also has a great selection of higher end basses and a bunch of vintage Fenders at market value. (But surprisingly, they have always been just cool as hell about trying things out. I never really know how much a 60 stack knob J cost until I was playing it and asked...Oh really? Lol.)
BC specializes in the high end boutique gear that you really can't put your hands on anywhere else.
If you are making a trip to Chicago make sure you stop by both.
You can pick up a 58 P bass from CME and then run over to BC and get a 65 Apollo to plug it into.
That oughta get you Gassed up for a week or two at least. ;)
 
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#64
mtdkingstonheir said:
Holy smokes - incredible selection. The only place I've seen on YouTube that rivals it is Dave's Guitar in Wisconsin (and I think they're primarily a guitar dealer). Too bad I'm poor and live 6 to 10 hours away. GAS inducing. Thanks for the link.
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I've always wanted to check out Daves.
Do they carry alot of basses?
 
#68
Iridescentone said:
I'm from Oak Lawn, the Music Crib was my hang in the 70's-80's. Gus Kukowski, he just closed the store a few months ago after 37 years in business there.

Small world.
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I bought my first real bass, a used 1973 Fender Jazz Bass, from Gus in '84. I later did some repair work for him. Lots of good memories. His little yellow sign that was in the window now hangs proudly in Players Guitars in Worth. I live in Crestwood
 
#69
johndb said:
I bought my first real bass, a used 1973 Fender Jazz Bass, from Gus in '84. I later did some repair work for him. Lots of good memories. His little yellow sign that was in the window now hangs proudly in Players Guitars in Worth. I live in Crestwood
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The world gets even smaller.

I stop in at Players every now and then, mostly to hang with my long time bud Jerry. I did see the old yellow Crib sign there. lol
 
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#70
I live an hour from their but as I am married not, it's pretty much off limits ;) It is a play you have to see to believe. Let me come into some money and you'll know where to find me :) I have a walnut prototype bass with a roasted all maple neck am I have to say I really like the tone of walnut, didn't think I would. Paired with an all maple neck (which equals bright tone) the walnut did not make the overall tone too bright. It's a punchy bass I'll tell you that, in a good way.
 
#72
Well let's see....I've gone past the store front, especially if you count their former Clark Street space.....
a few thousand times without exaggeration : D

For the most part, friendly and helpful. This new larger store is truly awesome and worth a pilgrimage for any out-of-towner gear nut. Given the quality of their gear, they are VERY willing to let you check kick the tires. Mostly, I buy 'stuff' like power supplies, strings, pedals, and and small amps. Oddly, never found a bass that spoke to me there. And I have tried. I'm just not into vintage. If you are, this is your dream come true!
After 15 purchases and 54 years in this 'hood, a few of them at least recognize me however no one even pretends to know my name. To be fair though, this is a phenomenon common in Chicago. Still, a great store that overall I highly recommend despite my grumbling below.

The drum section of the store? Ugh. I can't recommend it. They sold me cr-p I couldn't use, hardly gave me no more than 10 seconds with no other customers and 2 sales guys in a living room sized space, and couldn't be bothered to call me back when I was actually stupid enough to leave my number and ask about an incoming shipment. It's a shame cause I was only days away from dropping $1800 on a guitar I found in the guitar section but I got ticked off, and ordered somewhere else : /
 
#74
I bought a really nice Guild fretless from Gus. I'm a 63rd and Kedzie type. Hung around with some musicians in Burbank, that avatar is from a outdoor fest we did in the park by the big high tension wires. My brother lives around 95th and Kean. We probably all know each other.
 
#76
MJ_Sotti said:
I bought a really nice Guild fretless from Gus. I'm a 63rd and Kedzie type. Hung around with some musicians in Burbank, that avatar is from a outdoor fest we did in the park by the big high tension wires. My brother lives around 95th and Kean. We probably all know each other.
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Where I live, it's all cul de sacs and crappy street names. I'm a Humblebee Rd kinda guy doesn't do much. ;-)
 
#78
Man I wish I could go, maybe over the summer. I've heard a lot about how cool they are, not sure about how cool they would be with a 15 year old playing a $13k Jazz Bass. I guess it doesn't hurt to ask... (Maybe there will be an SVT in the Bassment, or even more hopefully, the bigger and older brother of my amp, an Acoustic 360. The 260 MKII is killer, and I can only imagine what a 360 would be like.)
 
#80
MVE said:
CME has more certainly, but it is a less esoteric selection.
CME specializes in vintage guitars and amps but also has a great selection of higher end basses and a bunch of vintage Fenders at market value. (But surprisingly, they have always been just cool as hell about trying things out. I never really know how much a 60 stack knob J cost until I was playing it and asked...Oh really? Lol.)
BC specializes in the high end boutique gear that you really can't put your hands on anywhere else.
If you are making a trip to Chicago make sure you stop by both.
You can pick up a 58 P bass from CME and then run over to BC and get a 65 Apollo to plug it into.
That oughta get you Gassed up for a week or two at least. ;)
Click to expand...
Thanks for the response. I may be in Chi-town this Spring.
 

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