Music Equipment & Gear Honest Review: Best Places To Buy

Written by Ramsey Brown.

Getting your hands on a juicy new piece of equipment or a shiny new instrument is a great feeling for any musician. We know how this can sometimes bring new life to your music enjoyment, or even allow you to perform and create at your best. 

Unfortunately, this feeling can turn sour if you don't have the money for it. Luckily, there are ways musicians can buy quality equipment on a tight budget. These tips will help put the spark back into your musical fire while watching costs burn out of sight.

Many people start their music careers with instruments they borrow from friends or were gifted from family, then one day decide to bite the bullet and upgrade. So, if you're in this situation and on limited funds then you may be asking questions like:

What instruments and equipment can you buy on a tight budget?

What makes one product better than another?

How can you make your purchase last as long as possible without sacrificing quality and performance?

Well, we’re going to answer all of these questions in this article. We are going to discuss the various options available for musicians on a tight budget, identify ways in which these products can be improved for both efficiency and fidelity, and also provide tips on how to care for each type of instrument.

It’s time to debunk the myth that the best equipment will cost you the most money. Oftentimes, this is very far from the truth. With the right knowledge and research, you can find high quality gear at a fraction of the price that the fancy name brand gear will cost you.

The internet has been a godsend for those who are shopping on a budget. You can find insanely cheap deals on almost anything you want, including musical equipment and accessories. 

Online auctions, garage and estate sales, and even ads in the paper are also a great place to find amazing deals on music gear. Just be sure that you are buying from someone who has a good reputation rather than someone who is selling their used stuff for cheap.

Some of the best times to shop for musical equipment is during the holiday seasons, especially around Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are great days to purchase equipment at a much discounted rate. 

Also, sign up for email notifications to alert you when your favorite music store is having sales. Oftentimes you will find stores having discounts on holiday’s like July 4th and Memorial Day as well. 

You can save a significant amount of money by buying used gear rather than new. Used gear doesn't have to be old, it just means that it hasn't been used for too long. You can find great prices on used equipment at places like garage sales, online auction sites like Ebay, OfferUp, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and even equipment stores like Guitar Center or Sam Ash will occasionally have used products for sale in store.

Reverb.com is also a great place to buy used equipment and you can see the seller’s reviews right on the website. They also compare different prices on the same instrument so you can ensure you are getting the best price possible. 

Just be wary of instruments and accessories sold by individuals on third party sites because it is difficult to tell whether those items will last long or break quickly. You will always run the risk of getting an instrument that is in poor condition or one that is not what it seems when purchasing through an individual seller. Do your research and read reviews on the seller before purchasing from a person instead of an actual company.

Sometimes brand name companies charge more than what their products are actually worth. If you don't have the luxury of spending hundreds of dollars on musical gear, you may want to consider finding some inexpensive alternatives. You may find that cheaper brands do the same job as the traditional brands, but run at a fraction of the cost.

With that said, buying a cheap guitar or keyboard may seem like a good idea because you can save some money. However, you may end up spending more money on repairs or replacements should something go wrong. This takes us back to the importance of researching the gear and brand before you make a purchase.

It's tempting to buy something cheaper over a more expensive option but do keep in mind, this can end up costing you much more overall when something needs fixing or replacing. By spending more upfront for a quality product, you may be able to avoid having to buy several different instruments and accessories in the future. 

You could easily save hundreds of dollars and be more satisfied with your gear by spending a little more in the beginning and having fewer problems down the road. The saying is often true, “you get what you pay for”.

Another great way to get quality equipment without having to come out of pocket all at once is through layaway or payment plans. With layaway, you can put down a deposit on the gear you want and make payments at your leisure. Once you pay off the entire amount, you can then take the equipment home. You can find layaway options at most major music stores and if not, you can go through websites and apps like Klarna and Afterpay.

The great thing about payment plans such as these is that it has no effect on your credit score and most of the time it is interest free. This allows you flexibility to get the gear you want and pay it off at your convenience.

© 2023 Omari MC, LLC.  All Rights Reserved.

© 2023 Omari MC, LLC.  All Rights Reserved.