Guitar Gear

For several years I’ve had a love/hate relationship with E-Bay. I’d gotten burned a few times by dishonest people, so I stayed away from buying really expensive things, save some trinkets that I’d get for the wife. But being a tone freak, and a gigging musician, I’m always in need of gear, either to replace worn out stuff, or add to my tone. As you know, gear ain’t cheap if you buy it retail. But there are some great deals to be had if you look for them, and you have a bit of trust. The trust part was tough for me, especially with EBay, as I’ve had some really bad experiences. But the need for gear has outweighed my reluctance of late, so I’ve decided to go back to using EBay as a way to get new gear.

This year, I’ve bought three things off of E-Bay sellers:

1. Dr. Z AirBrake Power Attenuator. Retail: $329. I got it for $150
2. Maxon CP9 Pro+ Compressor/Limiter. Retail: $230-$250. I got it for $150
3. BOSS TU-2 Tuner. Retail $139/Street $99-$129. I got it for $70.

All in all, I’ve saved around $300 bucks on gear by going this route! I’ve been totally satisfied. But I was also pretty careful about how I went about the purchases. Here are some tips to make sure your purchases are safe.

• Research the seller as much as you can – don’t make the mistake of ignoring the ratings other people give, especially the negatives. Sellers may have a 98-99% positive rating, but read through the negatives, because some negatives are REALLY bad. If a seller has even a couple of these, and especially if they have not responded to the negative feedback, I don’t even bother dealing with them.
• Buy only “mint” and “excellent” condition products.
• I’m reluctant to buy things that don’t have a picture of them taken by the seller – especially guitar equipment. Buyer beware!
• Don’t be afraid to contact the seller and ask questions about the product they’re selling, and pay close attention to how quickly they respond. I usually give sellers a full day to respond. But if they take more time than that, and don’t have an explanation, then I’m usually reluctant to deal with them. Here, I’m thinking ahead. If I win the sale, how long will it take them to process the order? If they don’t keep on top of their messages, then how will they keep on top of their sales?
• Power Sellers are usually the safest, but they’re not necessarily the cheapest. Again, look at the ratings and reviews.
• If you’ve won an auction, don’t hesitate to give the seller a call to settle up and confirm the payment and shipping terms. I’ve saved a lot of time by doing this, and it also puts a voice to the name. It also sends a subtle signal – “I know who you are, and I know how to contact you.” I know that that may sound a little devious, but the way I figure it, I’m spending money, and I want my investment protected.
• Don’t get caught up on the bidding process! Set a maximum that you will spend, and don’t go over it. Period. With the BOSS TU-2 I won, my limit was $75, and I got it for $70. That’s almost 50% off retail, and not as good as a deal with mail-order, but it still beats the mail-order price with shipping. To set my limits, I check prices on the item my local retailers, then set my limit at 40% off of the lowest local price. This usually means I’ll save 25%+ off mail-order. If my winning bid comes in even lower, then I’ve really gotten a deal. With my CP9 Pro+, the cheapest I could find it locally was $225, and mail-order was even higher at $232. My winning bid of $150 made it a steal! Plus I got free shipping because I won the TU-2 from the same seller, and he shipped both of them in the same box!
• Finally, be mindful of shipping costs. Some sellers of sub-$50 stuff tack on outrageous shipping costs. For instance, I want to buy a small powered pedal board. Several list the item at $38.99, but add $15-$19 worth of shipping! Another seller is selling it for $49.50 with free shipping. It’s a much better deal!

So, be smart, be safe, and you’ll get great deals on gear on EBay.

Craigslist is another place I look, but I’m even more wary there because there’s no way to research the sellers. So I tend to look at local people where I can just pick up the gear directly from them, and save on shipping – and time.