Music has been the saving grace for many a stressed-out college student. And while the perfect CD can help make those all-nighters a little less hellish, some students find relief in supplying the tunes themselves.
Whether it’s picking up a guitar between study sessions or taking out that post-exam aggression in a jam session with friends, a musical outlet can be the key to maintaining end-of-the-term sanity. Unfortunately,
the constraints of a limited budget might stand in the way of musical relief. Fear not. Eugene offers a number
of shops specializing in used musical instruments.
Lights Music Center might be a good place to start. This spacious store, located at 888 Goodpasture Island Rd., supplies everything from used acoustic guitars to orchestral instruments.
Floor manager James O’Boyle said used merchandise accounts for nearly 35 percent of goods sold in the store. Both the selection and pricing
depends on the simple law of supply and demand.
“If we get a good deal on an instrument, we pass those savings down to the buyer,” O’Boyle said.
He added there is rarely a used instrument Lights Music cannot restore to its original glory for resale. The store performs repairs ranging from minor adjustments to complete overhauls.
“We do whatever it takes to get the instrument into the best playing condition,” O’Boyle said.
This 16-year-old store also offers a 30-day warranty for its used instruments.
For shoppers looking specifically for guitars, McKenzie River Music at 455 W. 11th Ave. offers hundreds of new, used and vintage guitars. The prices make the difference between vintage and used obvious.
Buy & Sell Center, at Eighth Avenue and Charnelton Street, is a new and used instrument dealer offering all the standard fare, such as guitars and amps, but manager Stephen Mathys said the store’s main focus is a little more eclectic. Buy & Sell Center is the place to go for anyone looking for ethnic instruments such as bagpipes, sitars or harps.
This fact may account for the vast age range of customers who visit the store.
“We get everything from young kids that need a saxophone to 80-year-old Dixieland banjo players,” Mathys said.
According to Mathys, used instruments account for at least 50 percent of sales. Although all used goods are sold “as is,” Buy & Sell’s fully staffed repair shop helps ensure the biggest bang for the budget-conscious buck.
Mathys said saving money is not the only reason to look into used instruments. String instruments, for instance, sound better with age and are often made of wood that is now rare or expensive.
ACE Trading Company, located at 3697 Franklin Blvd., does not specialize in musical instruments, but this consignment shop might be just the place to find that “diamond in the rough.” The selection depends greatly on timing. On any given day, ACE can have everything from saxophones, keyboards and accordions to guitars and amps.
The store prides itself on the extensive quality check performed on every instrument. All instruments bought for resale are held for seven days before being put on the shelf. An in-store music specialist is available Wednesday through Sunday to help guide the weary consumer.
Customers needn’t overlook stores that specialize in new equipment.
For instance, some may be surprised to learn that Guitar Center, at 65 Division Ave., carries a variety of used guitars and amps.
For students interested in pianos, Musician’s Depot may be worth checking out. This store, located at 92 Centennial Loop, offers mostly new merchandise but also has a selection of used pianos and keyboards.
Eugene’s recent placement on Rolling Stone’s list of hot college music towns may offer proof of a burgeoning local rock scene. The above establishments could help ensure that legacy without breaking local musicians’ wallets. At the very least, it’ll anger the neighbors at a low cost. Now that’s bang for your buck.