Pay as you play music stores w/ payment plans (zZounds and American Musical Supply)

[colchar]

I just entered two financing deals, one from Long and McQuade for a Boss IR-200, the other from Amazon for Shure SE535 in-ear monitors. In both cases, what I will pay is exactly what I would have paid on the spot.

Yep, for deals like that in which you are using someone else's money it makes total sense to finance. You could pay the money out in one shot, or make smaller payments at 0% interest which means that the money stays in your bank account earning interest.

 

[northernguitar]

The Arts often offers gear at far below MSRP.

Two years ago in their Boxing Day sale they had Orange AD30s on sale for about $750 off. I had regretted getting rid of mine and had been on the hunt for a new one so I had L&M price match. The manager at L&M said he didn't know how they could possibly be selling them at that much of a discount. Had I wanted to, I could have financed that purchase (not news to you, to might be to others reading this thread).

This year in that same sale they had a particular model of Gibson ES-335 on sale for $750-$800 off. I had been eyeing one on the wall at my local L&M but just couldn't justify the price, no matter how great the guitar was. But when I saw that sale price at The Arts I had L&M price match. I planned to pay for that guitar outright, but wanted to wait until the end of January before doing so. They were offering 90 days interest free, so I financed it on that plan then paid it off in its entirety in early February.

So the claims being made about financed gear being full MSRP as simply not true.

The Arts is a fantastic shop. Really nice people behind the counter, and yes, they often have unreal deals. Another shop close to the GTA is Music 21 in Bolton. They will always eat the tax on a cash deal, and can often be bargained lower. Not a massive selection, but if something you want is there, a cash deal is very possible.

 

[GearGeek01]

And their 0% interest deals have no one time fee or cost.

But you gotta have good credit to get any kind of store or credit card you folks are talking about. zZounds and American Musical Supply do not do a credit check, and they don't ask for your social security number...

 

[GearGeek01]

FWIW, have you tried to ship a guitar these days? First, if you don't have a box, and your local stores won't give up a box (or like me you live in the sticks and there aren't any store anywhere near)... then you'll have to start by buying a box somewhere. Amazon has them, they aren't cheap.

I went to a UPS Store... to ship one guitar and make a box was $150... yikes... (highest price I've ever heard to ship ONE guitar, that's why I'm mentioning it)

zZounds and AMS don't charge for shipping, and give you 1-2 day free shipping. My last setup fee from zZounds was $12. And 0% interest on the payments. No, not free, but much less than paying actual overnight or second day shipping these days.

Back when I used to drink, $12 would buy a few beers... less beers if you buy them at a bar... so exclaiming something about "IT'S NOT FREE" is kind of... uh... not logical at all... I've pissed out thousands of dollars of beer, so now I should whine about a $12 set up fee?... not

What does free 1-2 day shipping cost at other places? The last guitar I bought from zZounds I bought after 3pm one day, and the guitar was at my door the very next day. Now look up the cost at FedEx to overnight ship anything...

I'll gladly pay the $12 bucks... to me it's a no-brainer

 

[Colo Springs E]

I am disabled and live on $900/mo SSI social security disability.

The main problem with me being a diehard gear addict is trying to have enough money all at the same time to buy anything decent. Forget any USA Paul Reed Smith at $3,000-4,000 each, or any Gibson in that price range... etc, etc, I don't honestly know how people can afford multiples of those likewise priced instruments anyways. Even when I was a rich contract field engineer for the phone company, nothing would or could have steered me to one of those (over-priced) guitars...

So, as life changed, my love for music did not, but my choices for gear did. Sort of... I am now an Epiphone addict, I have a whole bunch of their new "Imspired By Gibson" series models.

There are still ways of getting gear. Usually up to this point, I have worked lay-a-ways at several brick and mortar and online stores. Wolfe Guitars in Jupiter, Florida will do a 6 month lay-a-way. I have 2 guitars on lay-a-way down there, all arranged over the phone from Michigan, I don't live in Florida.

Between these 2 stores, I have bought the following gear in less than a year...

- EHX 720 Looper
- EHX Pitchfork
- Keeley Mini Katana Boost
- BOSS Katana Mini Guitar Amp
- Source Audio Atlas Compressor
- Squier Classic Vibe 60s Jazzmaster
- BOSS RE-2 Space Echo
- MXR Carbon Copy Deluxe
- Epiphone SG Modern Figured
- Ibanez SR-375EF 5-String Fretless Bass
- Source Audio Ventris Dual Reverb
(my most recent purchase last week)
- Hartke HD-75 Bass Amp
- Hercules GS415B PLUS Guitar Stand
- Levy's 200-Series Deluxe Electric Guitar Gig Bag
- Levy's 200 Series Deluxe Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar Gig Bag
- Pedaltrain Metro 20 Pedalboard (with Soft Case)
- Ibanez GA35TCE Thinline Classical Acoustic-Electric
- Keeley Neutrino V2 Classic Envelope Filter
- Walrus Audio Polychrome Analog Flanger
- Epiphone ES-339 Semi-Hollowbody
- Epiphone Les Paul Classic
- Source Audio Nemesis Delay

Everyone--regardless of income level--should have a hobby(ies) and enjoy life, and that more often than not involves spending money. But if I was in your financial situation, the last thing in the world I'd be thinking about is purchasing multiple pieces of new gear-- I wouldn't even be able to sleep at night thinking about all that money I was spending.

And I love music too, but wow.

As long as it's working for you though that's all that matters-- enjoy!

 

[howardlo]

I have used Sweetwater’s 0% interest a few times, but only to use someone else’s money free for a short time (always paid them off in just a few months. However, never bought musical gear that I couldn’t have just paid cash for at the time.

Actually, the last two new cars we bought we used the 0% interest but could have just paid cash for. Same goes for our credit card, paid off each month. Don’t care for being in debt. No peace of mind in that.

 

[sax4blues]

I’m always a sucker for 0% interest. But I have found many times I can get 10% off price paying in full so it’s not really 0%.

 

[middy]

Going into debt right now?

Seriously - there was just a run on a bank this week.

So? Are you saying it's best to save all your money in the banks during times of financial instability? The best time to take on debt is during times of inflation, if you can get a good interest rate. Doesn't get any better than 0%

Using other peoples' money is always preferable, that way your money can keep earning in other ways.

Staying out of debt at all costs is thinking like a poor person.

 

[middy]

Everyone--regardless of income level--should have a hobby(ies) and enjoy life, and that more often than not involves spending money. But if I was in the OP's financial situation, the last thing in the world I'd be thinking about is purchasing multiple pieces of new gear.



Everyone--regardless of income level--should have a hobby(ies) and enjoy life, and that more often than not involves spending money. But if I was in your financial situation, the last thing in the world I'd be thinking about is purchasing multiple pieces of new gear-- I wouldn't even be able to sleep at night thinking about all that money I was spending.

And I love music too, but wow.

As long as it's working for you though that's all that matters-- enjoy!

I have the opposite fear sometimes. That I'll spend my life working and saving up like an ant, only to be squashed before winter and with my dying thoughts, wish that I'd spent the summer playing with the grasshoppers.

 

[oyobass]

I used to use the Zzounds and sometimes Amazon's pay as you go 0% interest programs.

Then I realized that if I could juggle those payments and always pay them off before they were due, I could be building credit instead. I got a card with ridiculously high interest to get started, but only bought what I had the funds to buy outright, and paid it down to zero almost immediately to avoid the robbery-like rate.

After 6 months I was able to get a card at a local credit union with about a third of the credit rate of the first card. The plan is to work toward a mortgage in order to get out of the rental racket eventually.

I'd love to say I'm being responsible with this new-found credit power. Unfortunately, I bought three (cheaper, between $80 to just over $200) guitars last month . One is already paid off, the other two are halfway paid for. Once they're paid off, time to reload and go hunting again!

The two cheaper ones are in the attached pic. the Indio 66 DLX Plus goldtop and the green IYV LP in the rack.

 

[studio]

I used to use the Zzounds and sometimes Amazon's pay as you go 0% interest programs.

Then I realized that if I could juggle those payments and always pay them off before they were due, I could be building credit instead. I got a card with ridiculously high interest to get started, but only bought what I had the funds to buy outright, and paid it down to zero almost immediately to avoid the robbery-like rate.

After 6 months I was able to get a card at a local credit union with about a third of the credit rate of the first card. The plan is to work toward a mortgage in order to get out of the rental racket eventually.

I'd love to say I'm being responsible with this new-found credit power. Unfortunately, I bought three (cheaper, between $80 to just over $200) guitars last month . One is already paid off, the other two are halfway paid for. Once they're paid off, time to reload and go hunting again!

The two cheaper ones are in the attached pic. the Indio 66 DLX Plus goldtop and the green IYV LP in the rack.

That goldtop looks cool!
How does a good looking guitar like that sound?

The payment method you used seems to have paid off!

 

[oyobass]

That goldtop looks cool!
How does a good looking guitar like that sound?

The payment method you used seems to have paid off!

It sounds great to my ears, depending on the day and the instrumentation in the band. On one day I'll try the Indio DLX Plus against a few other guitars during rehearsal and it'll be the best thing since sliced telecasters, but when the musicians, instrumentation or songs change the next week, it just doesn't fit in the mix. Last week the PAF-style pickups in the green IYV LP just fit better. Either of them would fit in the category of "best guitar I ever played". The Indio gold top acoustically has a cool resonance point somewhere between an A and D, so it has a (good) nasty snarl before it even hits the pickups.

The IYV does 70s and 80s tones beautifully, from Rush to Def Leppard to Pink Floyd. Lots of snap for a humbucker. The guitar, while not particularly light, it pretty light for a Les Paul.

 

[ping-ping-clicka]

Thank you. I to live on my ss check and qualify for subsidized housing because i am disabled, a tiny " Cozy : studio Apartment.an interesting post thanks .