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Rare Birds Music
5 ★★★★★ 39 Google reviews · Guitar & music store in Chicago, Illinois
Plan your visit
- Buys & trades used gear they buy, trade, or consign used instruments — bring the case and any original parts, and expect trade credit to beat the cash offer
- Today see hours ·
- Phone (773) 386-8238
- Website rarebirdsmusic.com
Hours
| Monday | 11 AM–6 PM |
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | 11 AM–6 PM |
| Thursday | 11 AM–6 PM |
| Friday | 11 AM–6 PM |
| Saturday | 11 AM–7 PM |
| Sunday | Closed |
What's on the wall
“Luthier put on a String Butler, set up my Les Paul standard 60s Excellent job!”
“Had my eyes on a beautiful Univox bass in the back and really wanted to walk away with it.”
“They’ve got vintage amps, synths, guitars, a nice selection of new and used guitar pedals and records too if that’s your thing.”
“awesome shop - cool, ever changing selection of both quality vintage and contemporary gear with reasonable prices.”
“They’ve got vintage amps, synths, guitars, a nice selection of new and used guitar pedals and records too if that’s your thing.”
“Needless to say the guitar was exactly as he stated it would be and set up the way I had requested.”
“They’ve got vintage amps, synths, guitars, a nice selection of new and used guitar pedals and records too if that’s your thing.”
Brands they deal
What players say again and again
“Needless to say the guitar was exactly as he stated it would be and set up the way I had requested.”
“HE MADE A FAIR OFFER ON THE GUITAR I WAS SELLING AND I SOLD IT TO HIM.”
“The owner was super friendly and gave me a ton of advice on how to properly go about it.”
“An amazing selection of both newer and vintage gear. The synthesizer wall was definitely my favorite with a handful of rarities waiting for new homes.”
“awesome shop - cool, ever changing selection of both quality vintage and contemporary gear with reasonable prices.”
From the reviews
Wow... what a gem of a store! If you're a vintage music nerd this is where you want to go! Not your thing? Well you might find a Mesa Boogie 1x12 Cab for an amazing price, like I did. This store is definitely on my radar and bookmarked website.
I got my Taylor set up at Rare Birds. The guitar tech did a wonderful job setting the action and neck relief, and left the guitar sparkling clean too. Very fair prices, and Brian is both super chill and knowledgable.
Amazing experience. I found a 76 Les Paul Custom on Reverb that Rare Birds had listed. Called the shop and talked to Brian. He thoroughly explained how they ship and protect the guitars during shipping. I needed this guitar to get all the way to Phoenix AZ so I was definitely nervous.
Thanks to Brian and Chris for my new/used Glarry Telecaster guitar. Brian patiently answered my beginner questions as I visited the store 3 times. Let's just say Brian was patient with this retired grandfather guitarist newbie. Chris gave the Glarry a final QC check.
Selling or trading gear at Rare Birds Music
Rare Birds Music comes up for buying and trading used gear — confirmed on their own site. Two things make the trip go better. First, bring the whole package: the case or gig bag, the original tremolo arm or bridge parts, the paperwork if you have it — a complete rig is worth real money more than a bare instrument, and it saves the back-and-forth of "can you bring the case in?" Second, know that trade credit almost always beats the cash offer, usually by a healthy margin — if you're upgrading anyway, price your old gear as a trade against the new one before you take cash. Either way, expect the offer to be below what the gear sells for on the wall; the gap is the store's margin for setup, warranty, and sitting on it until the right buyer walks in.
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