In university I used to play my roommate’s marimba, but after we parted ways, I wanted to have a marimba of my own. I didn’t really know how expensive it is until I started searching for one. I was surprised and upset to learn that the marimba with the octave range I wanted cost anywhere over $8000. That simply was not in my budget, so instead I decided to buy one used. I figured that a used marimba would save my money for finer things in life like concerts or basketball tickets.
I must say that it was a safe assumption, but finding something worth it’s money proved to be hard. Read on then to find out what are some of the pitfalls you should keep in mind before you buy 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 that got married and moved into a new house, and is selling it because he hasn’t the time to play it or room to store it, will be a better purchase. He will be able to tell you what’s wrong with the instrument, how he treated it and what may need to be replaced. On the other hand if it’s an odd sale by someone that just gained possession of the marimba through a family member and is now selling it for a bit of a profit, will know little about it, and may also try to hide any imperfections. All this by the way you can find out over the phone just by asking how long they had it, and why they’re selling.
Once you do get out to have a look at the marimba, make sure you pay attention to certain things like
– Missing or broken parts
– mismatched colours, like parts have been replaced
– play it, to hear how it sounds
– touch the parts, to make sure they’re well secured
– wheel it around a bit, see if the wheels work and if it survives the movement
Finally make sure you can transport it back to your location safely.
Don’t be pressured by any aggressive sales tactics, because there are no refunds on a used marimba through a private sale. So make sure the item you have you’re happy with!
Another option is to buy it online with shipping:
I cannot recommend that option. After I started driving around the city looking at the used marimbas for sale, I learned that there were many percussion instruments that were either broken, or damaged, or in some way worse than they were advertised in local classifieds. I imagine that online it will be similar, but with more headache.
Do not buy anything you cannot see, touch and hear.
I had such a hard time finding a good deal on a used marimba in fact, that I just ended up making my own. There were those marimbas that clearly were broken or missing components and needed repair that were selling at a “fair” price and there were those that were in a decent or good conditions that were significantly overpriced. So for me it just made more sense to make a marimba instead of buying a used one.
