Fender has launched an official Fender Certified Pre-Owned Reverb Shop, allowing players to buy heavily discounted, pre-loved guitars directly from the company.
The first-ever Fender Certified Pre-Owned shop means that pre-owned guitars, professionally inspected before making their way onto the digital marketplace, will be available to players worldwide.
Each instrument comes with a one-year warranty at prices significantly cheaper than their first-hand alternatives, with an average of 25 percent shaved off their price tags.
Fender’s decision to team up with Reverb comes amid a growing second-hand market. Although the company isn’t alone with its offering of affordable instrument ranges, like its recently revamped Player II Series, an increasing number of musicians are looking at pre-owned instruments to add quality products to their collections without breaking the bank.
Reverb says its sales of used guitars grew by more than 50 percent between 2019 and 2023, with Certified Pre-owned models offering the security of warranties and easy returns. Fender is the first gear brand to launch a Certified Pre-Owned Reverb store, which could pave the way for others to follow suit.
If needed, electric guitars and basses are refurbished by Fender’s sustainability partner, MIRC, before they’re put up for re-sale. MIRC has kept thousands of once-loved instruments from landfill sites since its launch in 1993.
“Pre-owned guitars have long been popular among players, particularly new players and collectors. Fender Certified Pre-Owned gives players of all levels the opportunity to own a quality instrument at an affordable price,” says Fender CEO Andy Mooney.
He adds that the program extends the double-sided opportunity of “purchasing instruments that are professionally inspected and sold at a discount,” and “supporting a more sustainable gear industry. It gives the instruments a second, third, or fourth life and participating in the circular economy.”
Reverb CEO David Mandelbrot also weighed in on the new partnership: “It’s more important than ever that the music-making community has access to affordable musical instruments and Fender Certified Pre-Owned on Reverb will help many players get their hands on great-sounding guitars that fit within their budget,” he says.
Speaking of the value that second-hand gear has had on his glittering playing career, Nile Rodgers adds: “Many of my very best creative tools were bought from other musicians and the secondary market. In fact, The Hitmaker [Rodgers' most legendary Strat] was [bought] from a pawn shop in 1973.
“These guitars come with stories and history that just make them special. The fact that you can now buy pre-owned guitars from Fender means that you get the character and the affordability of pre-owned gear, plus Fender’s seal of approval.”
Interestingly, there is no mention of pre-owned Fender amplifiers in the press release, but it would be fairly safe to assume that they will make their way onto the store sooner or later.
The Official Fender Certified Pre-Owned Reverb Shop is now open.
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