Used Musical Instruments & Gear (2024)

FAQs

What is the best site for selling musical instruments? ›

Many musicians, young and old, successfully use eBay not only as a place to find new Musical Instruments and equipment, but as a way to help fund their passion. Whether you're saving to upgrade your instrument or just trying to pay for upkeep and maintenance, selling on eBay is the perfect way to earn extra money.

Most instruments, especially those made primarily of wood or metal, can be taken to your local recycling facility. Even metal instrument strings such as the ones from a guitar or piano can be scrapped. Alternatively, you can use parts of your musical instruments to create some interesting folk art or home decor pieces.

Piano. No doubt piano is one of the most popular musical instruments that has attracted many individuals around the world. A lot of people have a desire to learn this popular instrument.

Guitar: The guitar is one of the most popular instruments in the world, and it's always in high demand. Guitarists are needed in almost every genre of music, from rock to pop to country. Many successful guitarists have lucrative careers as session musicians or touring musicians with famous bands.

As a general rule, a used instrument in excellent condition is worth about half of what it sells for, new. And a music store won't give you even that much for it, since they have to buy from you cheaply enough to resell at a profit. You'll be lucky if the music store gives you a third of what you paid for it, new.

Instruments with previous owners who were famous or otherwise noteworthy can also fetch a high price. The quality of an instrument itself can influence its value as well. Antique violins in particular can be in poor condition, so it's important to have a qualified appraiser assess the quality and estimate its value.

While an antique is defined as an object over 100 years old, there's no strict chronological definition of what makes something vintage. Typically, though, guitars around 30 years old or older fall into that category, and even newer instruments will often be labeled as such by sellers.

If it looks like it's been used, you're looking at $150-300. A pawn shop is probably going to give you less than $100 for it. A music store might give you a slight bit more than $100. eBay is difficult for selling student trumpets, since the seller fees would force you to sell for a non-competetive price.

Alternatively, if they are still in good condition, you could sell them or donate them to a charity shop, music group or to an organisation such as Sistema England, who donate orchestral instruments to children in the UK and overseas.

Start with Your Local Music Retailer or Community Music Nonprofit. First, you should contact your local music retailer or a community music studio and ask if they accept used instruments. They are often associated with the area's public schools so they may be able to connect you.

How do I get rid of an old piano or an organ? ›

You can contact a local recycling centre or a piano recycling company to see if they can take your piano. They may even pay you for it.

1. Violin. The violin is a wooden stringed instrument that's part of a larger family of similar instruments. It's the smallest and highest-pitched instrument in its family and normally has four strings, although some violins can have five.

About Sweetwater's Gear Exchange

Sweetwater's Gear Exchange is a peer-to-peer community of musicians buying and selling used musical instruments and gear. When you sell on Gear Exchange, you have the option to redeem your earnings in the form of a Sweetwater Gift Card and pay ZERO fees!