# Ever bought a used musical instrument? Are you looking? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 16, 2007, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-bought-a-used-musical-instrument-are-you-looking/430160 "2007-12-16T02:50:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-bought-a-used-musical-instrument-are-you-looking/430160/21 "2007-12-18T15:34:19Z")
So? Didja go? šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-bought-a-used-musical-instrument-are-you-looking/430160/22 "2007-12-18T17:39:29Z")
Hell ya I went. Iā€™m gathering an inventory at the moment. It wasnā€™t as good of a deal as what I thought of originally, but it was way more than I remembered. Pictures and such will soon follow. ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-bought-a-used-musical-instrument-are-you-looking/430160/23 "2007-12-18T17:53:56Z")
Inventory so far: -9 clarinets (I donā€™t even like clarinets) -6 flutes -2 trombones -1 piccolo -1 alto sax (seems too small for an alto, but I know nothing about sizes) -1 resonator guitar -1 electric bass -1 3/4 violin, w/bow -1 Marshall Lead 12, not all that special -1 Gibson Falcon III (I believe the transformer is shot) -1 Sears Silvertone '60s vintage PA amp thing with intact transformer and tubes -1 sewing machine (for some reason I didnā€™t take the 1952 Singer, which I recently found out is worth around $250) -1 mannequin -Around 6 or 7 cases of varying shape and purpose, from an '80s Peavey electric to a banjo and a few woodwind cases that I havenā€™t looked closely at That might be it. Most of them are student models, maybe a 1/3 of the clarinets/flutes arenā€™t in sellable condition. But it shouldnā€™t be hard to make back the $900 I dropped on them. ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-bought-a-used-musical-instrument-are-you-looking/430160/24 "2007-12-18T18:41:21Z")
[Bass Guitar](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2308/2121095818_7a46a17b97_b.jpg) [Violin](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2197/2120293565_af6a80eec6_b.jpg) [Dorbo](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2198/2120292033_912985825c_b.jpg) [Saxophone](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2276/2120290487_812c019023_b.jpg) Those are some of the instruments. Iā€™ll take professional quality images at a later date. This is what my van looked like: [Van](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2179/2120288807_fee8681f45_b.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-bought-a-used-musical-instrument-are-you-looking/430160/25 "2007-12-18T19:28:25Z")
\*\*ZSS \*\* - cool; thanks for the update! Keep me posted on the Dobro (is that the name on the headstock?) and I look forward to the info on the other stuff. Also - what thought have you given to how you might go about working with us Dopers? Do you need to decide what you want to keep, and what you might sell via other means? No pressure - itā€™s your stuff. Just askinā€™ā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-bought-a-used-musical-instrument-are-you-looking/430160/26 "2007-12-18T19:49:35Z")
[QUOTE=Beware of Doug] Saxes and clarinets. I have a collection of about 30. Whadya wanna know? [/QUOTE] Why? Remember that 'how many would be scary thread? A single person with 30 clarinets would be scary. ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-bought-a-used-musical-instrument-are-you-looking/430160/27 "2007-12-18T20:14:04Z")
[QUOTE=WordMan] \*\*ZSS \*\* - cool; thanks for the update! Keep me posted on the Dobro (is that the name on the headstock?) and I look forward to the info on the other stuff. Also - what thought have you given to how you might go about working with us Dopers? Do you need to decide what you want to keep, and what you might sell via other means? No pressure - itā€™s your stuff. Just askinā€™ā€¦ [/QUOTE] Iā€™m fairly sure weā€™d be karate chopped by a mod if we turn this into an auction. I will say Iā€™m open to offers if you check the email in my profile. All the really cool instruments I would prefer to keep, unless I had an offer that I couldnā€™t refuse. Also, the resonator needs some work. Namely, the bridge is loose and itā€™s missing strings. For anyone who wants a flute/clarinet, tell me your price range and Iā€™ll see what I have in stock. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-bought-a-used-musical-instrument-are-you-looking/430160/28 "2007-12-19T01:17:35Z")
[QUOTE=ZebraShaSha] [Violin](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2197/2120293565_af6a80eec6_b.jpg) [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Spit] I would be interested in the violin, as well, and I could care less where itā€™s from or who made it as long as it creates sound. the woman and I have decided to try and learn to play, but itā€™s difficult with only one. [/QUOTE] Looks like itā€™s the right kind of thing for what **Spit** describes, a straightforward beginnerā€™s instrument, structurally sound and fully set up. Thereā€™s no bow with it, or is it just cut out of the photo? ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-bought-a-used-musical-instrument-are-you-looking/430160/29 "2007-12-19T02:23:22Z")
[QUOTE=GorillaMan] Looks like itā€™s the right kind of thing for what **Spit** describes, a straightforward beginnerā€™s instrument, structurally sound and fully set up. Thereā€™s no bow with it, or is it just cut out of the photo? [/QUOTE] Thereā€™s a bow. The problem is that itā€™s 3/4, Iā€™m sure heā€™d like to learn on a 4/4. If not, email in the profile, etcā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-bought-a-used-musical-instrument-are-you-looking/430160/30 "2007-12-19T12:18:07Z")
:smack: Yes, I should have thought to check the size! ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-bought-a-used-musical-instrument-are-you-looking/430160/31 "2007-12-19T15:27:17Z")
[QUOTE=Zebra] Why? Remember that 'how many would be scary thread? A single person with 30 clarinets would be scary. [/QUOTE] And also vice versa on the adjectives, Iā€™m thinking. šŸ˜› I just bought myself an E-flat horn (ā€œtenorā€ or ā€œaltoā€ according to your side of the ocean) a couple of weeks back, off eBay. It looked OK and it plays nice, thoā€™ the valves were bone dry and two of the tuning slides needed levering out - theyā€™re all greased up now. After doing some reading on a message board I found, it turns out that I can hit some really high notes with the aid of a trumpet mouthpiece. šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-bought-a-used-musical-instrument-are-you-looking/430160/32 "2007-12-19T15:41:11Z")
[QUOTE=Zebra] Why? [/quote] Theyā€™re cool. I play 'em. Some professionally. Theyā€™re good investments, and even if not, hey, theyā€™re cool. > [@](#): > > Remember that 'how many would be scary thread? A single person with 30 clarinets would be scary. Total includes saxes. I agree with you about clarinets. A married person with 30 clarinets would be unimaginable. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-bought-a-used-musical-instrument-are-you-looking/430160.md?page=1)