In college I used to play my roommate’s marimba, but after we split up, I wanted to have a marimba of my own. I really didn’t know how expensive it was until I started looking for one. I was surprised and annoyed to learn that the marimba with the range of octaves I wanted was over $8,000. That just wasn’t in my budget so I decided to buy a used one. I thought a used marimba would save me money for finer things in life like concerts or basketball tickets.
I must say that was a safe guess, but finding something worthwhile proved to be difficult. Read on to find out what are some of the pitfalls to be aware of before buying a used marimba.
Be sure to call ahead and ask specific questions, like how old the item is and who has played it before. It also helps to know who is selling it and why. For example, a musician who got married and moved to a new house, and sells it because he has no time to play and no space to store it, will be a better buy. He will be able to tell you what is wrong with the instrument, how he treated it and what he may need to replace. On the other hand, if it is a bizarre sale by someone who just got the marimba through a family member and is now selling it for a bit of a profit, they will know little about it and may also try to hide any imperfection. All of this by the way you can find out over the phone just by asking how long they have it, and why they are selling it.
Once you go out to take a look at the marimba, be sure to pay attention to certain things like
– Missing or broken parts
– mismatched colors, as parts have been replaced
– put it on, to hear how it sounds
– touch the parts to make sure they are well secured
– turn it around a bit, see if the wheels work and if it survives the move
Finally, make sure you can safely transport it back to your location.
Don’t be pressured by aggressive sales tactics, because there are no refunds on a used marimba through private sale. So make sure the item you have makes you happy!
Another option is to buy it online with shipping:
I can’t recommend that option. After I started driving around town looking at used marimbas for sale, I learned that there were many percussion instruments out there that were broken or damaged, or in some way worse than what was advertised in the local classifieds. I imagine that online will be similar, but with more headache.
Don’t buy anything you can’t see, touch and hear.
I had such a hard time finding a good deal on a used marimba, in fact, that I ended up making my own. There were those marimbas that were clearly broken or missing components and needed repair that were being sold at a “fair” price and there were those that were in decent or good condition that were significantly overpriced. So it made more sense to me to make a marimba instead of buying a used one.