Here are the absolute best places to buy used guitars online. Keep in mind that as mentioned above, Guitar Center is also a great place to buy used gear. However, the list below is for stores that are specifically dedicated to buying and selling used gear.
Moreover, if you live near a physical store and can buy your instrument in person, the online version of a guitar shop might be convenient for checking out a variety of possible new guitars. It's also a great place to research, browse the best deals and reviews from new and experienced guitar players, combining the best of the offline and online worlds.
In this article, we'll outline the best places to buy guitars and what they should have in common, and what you should look at to find a new or used guitar, along with that shiny gear and accessories for your instrument. Keep reading until the end; we have the best choice to buy your new guitar with added benefits!
This could go without saying, but both a website and a local store need to have a large selection of electric guitars, acoustic guitars, vintage guitars, and bass guitars. There's a good chance you could find an electric guitar in your price range that you would not have thought of or that the stock of the music store would make you change your decision due to the vast array of possibilities as a musician.
In addition to the wide selection of products, the store should have the industry's major brands of guitars for those interested in acquiring the finest brands, such as PRS, Taylor, Ernie Ball Music Man, Suhr, Tom Anderson, Duesenberg, and Santa Cruz. In addition, you'll probably need a guitar case (funny how often folks forget that detail!), a good refund policy and a solid warranty.
An online retailer can offer plenty of high-end guitars and popular models on their site like Sweetwater does, although you more than surely want to try them out with with a variety of amplifiers to determine the best live tone you can get. The ability to try things out is one of the primary reasons why people still decide to buy in a local guitar shop.
Your guitar shopping experience must include a close look at the angles: how does the neck feel? What types of pickups are installed? Does the bridge feel right under your palm? Is there something about the weight of the guitar that feels right or a little off? These are all considerations that speak to the value of the instrument you're purchasing with your hard-earned money.
The best places to buy guitars also have a huge selection of music gear, and that includes amps and pedals. There's certainly no greater satisfaction than playing your new guitar with the best effects you can find on the market.
Selling a guitar is one thing, but offering a complete repair program for the instrument is what makes the shop a big deal. While it's true that some places like Reverb sell used and upcycled gear and instruments, you should buy in places that offer repair services for band instruments, audio equipment, restrings, setups, and adjustments with a fast turnaround.
Shows and live music are the best way to get to know other musicians and learn about your favorite instruments. It can also be the perfect place to ask for expert advice and start to create a solid network that could result in good experiences. Some brick-and-mortar guitar stores like Danville Music even offer an in-store stage, and feature live music right in the store!
Danville Music is a premier music store located in the San Francisco Bay Area. Home to a wide variety of high-end and signature guitars, along with the best music gear you can find, their stock has you covered with over 70 models in stock at any time. Find selected brands such as Paul Reed Smith, Yamaha, Suhr, Tom Anderson, Ernie Ball, Duesenberg, Music Man, Santa Cruz, Sennheiser, Shecter, Taylor, Lakland, and much more.
Danville Music sells electric guitars, acoustic guitars, bass guitars, ukuleles, drums, amps, and pedals. In addition, they offer a rental program with new or used guitars, a professional repair service, lessons, and events, making it one of the best music stores to buy your first guitar or to get one of the top-grade models both locally or online.
The guitar store is also a PRS signature dealer in Northern California with a beautiful collection of Core, Private Stock, Limited Edition, and Wood Library guitars. To top it all off, you have the opportunity to build your dream guitar through the PRS Private Stock Program, and the artisans will help you make it real. Whether you live in Walnut Creek, Livermore, Dublin or Pleasanton, Danville Music is centrally located and a terrific choice!
Sweetwater is one of the largest music instruments retailers globally and obviously in the United States. They only operate one physical store, functioning as their warehouse and operations center. Working with 480,000 square feet of space in their warehouse alone, they can certainly offer one of the biggest guitars, amps, and pedals stocks.
It's common to find guitars in Reverb that are usually high-end models, and their asking price may be, in fact, somewhat high. However, it doesn't have to be a big deal for those looking to buy the top of the top for a reduced price.
Good prices and selling guitars that are sold out on other sites characterize zZounds. Originally from Chicago, they only operate as an online business. Yes, they aren't as big, but they offer a wide selection of major brands, such as Fender, Gibson, Martin, Yamaha, ESP, Jackson, and Ibanez.
This musical instrument store has what every guitar enthusiast needs: the right instrument and music gear at the lowest price possible for every situation. From a starter model to a Fender Stratocaster with a solid body, customers will surely come to the right place. However, people's reviews vary in terms of the company's customer service.
As you would expect, Sam Ash sells everything between starter packs and gear to premium electric guitars, guitars of distinction, bass guitars, and many others. They also have special offers for a limited time and the option to finance your purchases.
Guitar Center is a one-stop-shop for all things guitar and for acquiring a first guitar or new gear. You can easily get lost in the enormous selection of products. Do you want an electric guitar with the best possible live sound? Maybe vintage guitars for your home project? Perhaps a classical guitar? You'll find deals on Guitar Center and even a guitar lessons course, whatever you are looking for.
Sweetwater sells acoustic and electric guitars, including guitar hybrids and folk instruments like mandolins, banjos, and resonators. Whether you want an entry-level student guitar or a limited edition electric, their site has an impressive listing of guitars and accessories.
Their online guitar store has a vast collection of new, used, and B-stock guitars. They stock entry-level, mid-level, premium, and alternate-design guitars from all big and up-and-coming guitar manufacturers like Fender, Maton, Hagstrom, Rickenbacker, Dusenberg, Taylor, and Gibson.
American Musical is the online retail operation of American Music Supply, a privately owned wholesale supplier and musical instrument retailer based in NJ, USA. Their site is a longstanding and trusted platform for buying guitars online.
On the pros side, the AMS site offers a free extended warranty on guitars and has a 0% interest finance plan (with a credit check). There is a 3 and 6-month payment plan without a credit check too.
The site has a formidable online presence and is considered one of the best online guitar stores. They offer acoustic, electric, and bass guitars for players of all levels. Musicians Friend is an online-only retailer with no physical stores.
Reverb came about in 2013 when a recording engineer-turned-entrepreneur (David Kalt) created an online marketplace to buy and sell guitars. It slowly evolved into one of the most popular sites to buy used.
You can buy a variety of acoustic, electric, and bass guitars on the site. Their listings include big-name brands like Ibanez, Fender, Gibson, Gretsch, and pretty much any guitar manufacturer you can think of. But the site is best known for something else.
Zzounds often comes up clutch with the hard to get guitars when the more popular sites are already sold out, and their fast, free shipping gets your gear to you quicker than any of the competitors can.
Customer service at Zzounds something of a mixed bag. Some customers report responsive agents and rapid resolution to issues, while others have reported receiving open box and used guitars after specifically ordering new items. It seems that your mileage may vary with Zzounds.
Our favorite thing about Reverb are the celebrity pop up shops. Occasionally celebrity musicians will have a gear clear out and list everything in one place on Reverb, giving everybody a fair chance to own gear that was potentially once owned by their favorite musicians.
The majority of guitar listings on eBay are from private parties selling individual items, but as with Amazon, there are people using the service to list cheap, low end guitars bought in bulk from the Far East.
Not everybody lives within a reasonable driving distance of a decent music store, so having the ability to shop for guitars online adds significant convenience to the lives of those buyers. Even for those who live 5 minutes from a Guitar Center, buying guitars from a website is still a more convenient way to shop than leaving the house.
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