Buying Used Guitar Amps

Is buying a used guitar amp a good idea?

Ok – You've seen an ad for the guitar amp of your dreams in the classifieds or maybe on Ebay, and it's a bargain...... Is It really?

Buying a used guitar amp can be a great way to get the amp you want at a price you can afford, and if you're looking for that vintage sounding Fender, Marshall or HiWatt or what-ever you're pretty much forced to buy second hand.

Having been in the repair business for more years than I care to remember I have come across, and continue to come across customers with amps they've bought second hand which 'seemed like a good idea at the time' but very soon the faults started to appear.

This article will give you a few pointers to look out for when buying used kit Guitar Amps

Firstly – Ebay is great isn't it? Well yes it is, but is it the place to buy a used guitar amp? – probably not. Sorry Ebay. In fact nor is anywhere else where you can't see and try a used guitar amp out before you buy.

We get a lot of gear through our workshops which was 'supposed to be working fine' bought by folk who didn't or couldn't try the amp out first. Some of it has minor faults, others, just plain dangerous. Ok, so number one is try it out – if you can't or you don't know the condition of the amp personally, and you're not a compulsive gambler – don't buy it.

Here's how to go about buying a used guitar amp.....

I know there are a lot of 'Next.....s' but these tips will save you money and hassle in the long run.

Check the asking price against other ads, or phone a dealer or two to see if they have similar stock for sale and compare prices. I'm amazed how much some people expect to get for their amps.

Ask why he/she's selling it and what it's being replaced with and if there are any problems with it that he/she knows of and what work has been done on it, if any. If it's a tube amp, when were they replaced last? - ok, you could be told anything but I reckon it's still worth asking. Next.....

The general physical condition of a guitar amp is an indication of how it's been looked after. If knobs are missing, controls broken, sockets loose, odd screws holding the thing together indicating the amp has been apart and original screws lost, then be wary right from the start. Next.....

While the amp is 'off' turn the volume and gain levels up a little, switch the amp 'on' and listen for strange crackles and noises. Components like tubes (valves), capacitors (more on capacitors here) and other electronic components can be noisy at switch on, especially if the amp is a vintage model and replacing these components can be pricey. Next.....

Plug a guitar into the amp and turn all the controls all the way round and back to see if they are excessively noisy or crackly which could be a sign of worn control tracks, or faulty capacitors or even tubes (valves). Controls may make some noise when they're operated but it shouldn't be excessive. Next.....

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