What to Look for When Buying Music Gear Online

Your gear is your sound. And there’s nothing more important than your sound! But shopping for music gear in this internet age usually means looking at products through your computer or phone screen. You can’t physically put your hands on the instrument or turn the knobs on the console. You have to trust the specs, images, videos, reviews, and, most importantly, the retailer to make sure you’re getting the right product for your needs.

Since shopping for music gear online is a bit different than walking into a store, how can you know you’re going to have a positive gear-buying experience? Here are the most important things to look for when shopping for music gear online.

The first elimination question is easy: Is the company you want to buy from a music-only retailer? Music gear is very technical and specific. And only a dedicated music retailer will be able to understand the nuances of gear shopping to help you find what you’re looking for.

Sure, big-box retailers sell music gear. But do you think the Walmart employee in the aisle can tell you the scale length on that guitar package or the Amazon warehouse worker (and/or robot) takes proper care packing that sensitive analog rack compressor you just bought? Probably not.

Companies that JUST sell music gear know how to work with music gear. It’s all they do! So if you want a good online music-buying experience, start with a music-only retailer. Plus, they have better inventory, which makes it more fun to shop!

The main downside to shopping for music gear online is that you can’t play with your gear right away. Unfortunately, teleportation hasn’t been invented yet, so any gear you buy has to be shipped. And since music gear is already expensive, you don’t want an extra shipping charge getting tacked on top of the price tag.

If you want the best online music shopping experience, look for a retailer with fast and free shipping — ideally VERY fast and free…

Luckily, most music-only retailers offer free shipping. And almost all of them will get your items to your door in a few days. But if you want the absolute fastest shipping in the industry, you have to go with AMS.

I know that sounds biased… but it’s true. AMS is the only music retailer with four warehouses nationwide. That means we can get your gear to you in two days or less for most orders, faster than any other music retailer. And it’s free!

• AMS: Free 2-day shipping (arrives in 1 day for 40% of customers)
• Guitar Center/Musician’s Friend: Free Standard Ground Shipping in 3-5 days (can pay extra for faster)
• Sweetwater: Free in “Just a Few Days”
• Chicago Music Exchange: Free Ground Shipping on orders $99+
• Reverb: Depends on the seller

Another major downside of not being able to physically play gear before you buy is that you can’t hear how it sounds or whether it’ll play nice with your existing equipment. That’s where a knowledgeable customer service team comes in.

You don’t want to have a question on a piece of gear and be sent to someone overseas reading a tech manual that you could easily find online. You want a real, U.S.-based musician who knows the gear and can give you honest, reliable information.

If you ask me, at least, customer service battle really falls into two camps: active and passive. “Passive customer service” reps pick up the phone when you call, answer your questions, maybe chat for a bit, and wish you well on your music journey until you call again. “Active customer service reps” will call you to ask how things are going and let you know when new gear arrives.

For those who don’t like to be called out of the blue (like me), a passive customer service team is best. At AMS, our customer service reps are all actual U.S.-based musicians based out of our call center in Minnesota. They know the gear, they love to talk about it, and they’re more than happy to give you practical advice on which gear would work best for your unique sound.

For those who prefer active customer service, it’s hard to beat Sweetwater. They assign a specific “Sales Engineer” to every customer. Whenever you call, that person picks up. They also actively call you to follow up about purchases or even to alert you when new gear is released. Some find it intrusive, while others enjoy the personalized service. But whatever your preference, be sure to shop with a company that has a U.S.-based, all-musician team of customer service representatives to answer your questions.

You’ve looked through the pictures, called customer service, and chosen the gear. It arrived at your front door, but the minute you plug it in and hit your first note, you find out it’s not really for you. What do you do now!?

Because you can’t actually try out gear, a good return policy is an absolute necessity when shopping for music gear online. And luckily, many retailers understand this and offer decent return policies that let you try out gear for a while to really test if it’s a good fit.

American Musical Supply, Guitar Center, and Musician’s Friend (who is really also Guitar Center) lead the pack with 45-day return policies on most purchases — and by “most” I mean on basically everything except software or earbuds, wind instruments, or anything gross like that. That gives you tons of time to play with the gear and maybe even take it to a gig or two to really see if it fits your style. It’s as good as you can get to “try before you buy” from an online retailer.

• AMS: 45-day money-back guarantee
• Guitar Center/Musician’s Friend: 45-day return policy
• Sweetwater: 30-days from ship date
• Chicago Music Exchange: 14-day returns
• Reverb: Typically 7 days, but sellers set their own policies

Music gear is expensive. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that. But the gear you need to finish your project doesn’t always fit into your current budget. That’s where financing comes in.

Many online retailers offer financing options, but there actually aren’t that many offering in-house financing. In other words, many retailers say they have financing options, but they really work with third-party vendors who handle the financing. There’s nothing wrong with that; it just means you’ll have to work with the retailer AND get approved from another company.

There is, however, one company that offers in-house and third-party options, so you can choose the payment plan that works for your unique needs. Want to guess who…? American Musical Supply!

That’s right! When you choose a payment plan from AMS, we handle everything in-house. And many of our payment plan options don’t even need a credit check. They all come with 0% interest and can spread payments out up to 18-months, depending on the item, to help you afford the gear you need to create. Of course, you can also choose third-party financers through AMS, if you prefer to go that route. Whatever it takes to help you make music, we’re for it!

Other retailers may have longer terms — for example, Guitar Center and Sweetwater both offer 48-month financing options — but you have to use (and qualify for) their credit card. And if you don’t qualify for their card, you can’t use their financing. AMS’s payment plans use your existing credit card, so you don’t need to apply for anything! They really are the best 0% interest payment plans in the industry.

• AMS: In-house financing up to 18-months with 0% interest. Many options require no credit check. No special credit card needed. Also has third-party options available.
• Sweetwater: Up to 48-month financing with 0% interest. Need Sweetwater credit card or Affirm.
• Guitar Center/Musician’s Friend: Up to 48-month financing with 0% interest. Need brand credit card.
• Reverb: Up to 36-month financing through Affirm.
• Chicago Music Exchange: Up to 24-month financing through Synchrony.

Okay, this one is really just for the guitar players out there. But when you click “purchase” on a guitar, bass, or really any wooden instrument, you never really know what YOUR actual instrument will look like. No two wood grains are ever the same, and you can’t know if the image you see on the website will actually be the one that shows up to your front door — unless it’s painted a solid color, of course.

Serialized purchase options are a great way to ensure you get the exact instrument you see on the website.

When you’re shopping new, most top brands like AMS, Sweetwater, Guitar Center, and Musician’s Friend all offer serialized purchase options, at least on high-end instruments. You can scroll through the images, click the product you like best, and be assured that specific product will show up at your door.

The companies that really shine with serialized options are the vintage and used markets. For example, Chicago Music Exchange specializes in the vintage market. They don’t get big batches of new products; their guitars come in one at a time. They take pictures and upload every instrument independently, which makes it easy to find the exact guitar you’re looking for.

Reverb works more like eBay, where sellers from around the world can post their products to sell. Since every product is a unique listing, it makes sense that the instrument you see is actually the instrument you’re going to get.  

• Reverb: All listings are serialized
• Chicago Music Exchange: All listings are serialized
• AMS: Serial number choice on select instruments
• Sweetwater: Serial number choice on select instruments
• Guitar Center/Musician’s Friend: Serial number choice on select instruments

The internet is an amazing place. You no longer have to get in the car, drive into town, and listen to a dozen teenagers play Stairway to Heaven while you try to take in the subtle nuances of an instrument you’re interested in. Now, you can shop for music gear right without changing out of your pajamas.

When you want to buy music gear online, it’s important to choose a trusted retailer. Look for companies that specialize in music gear and offer fast and free shipping, knowledgeable customer service, a solid return policy, and 0% financing options — like AMS. It’s the only way to make sure of a positive online buying experience.

Happy shopping!