How much cheaper is used music gear than new? A category-by-category look
Median gap between the cheapest used listing and the cheapest new price, from MyGear's own price data
Key findings
- Electronic drum kits had the largest median used discount: 30.6% below the cheapest new price (41 products).
- Cymbals (27.9%, 154 products), guitar effect pedals (26.4%, 128) and hand percussion (26.2%, 61) also sold well below new.
- Standard electric guitars (9.9%, 141 products) and live microphones (10.1%, 32) had the smallest used discounts among instrument categories.
- Used cases and bags were on median 1.6% more expensive than the cheapest new one (126 products).
Source: [1] MyGear
What we measured
For every product that MyGear saw on sale both used and new, we compared the cheapest used listing with the cheapest new price at our connected retailers. The table shows the median discount per product category, how many products it is based on, and the period the used listings were seen in. Categories with fewer than 30 products are left out.
| Category | Median used discount | Products | Used listings seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electronic drum kits | 30.6% | 41 | 19 Jun – 9 Oct 2026 |
| Cymbals | 27.9% | 154 | 20 Jun – 9 Oct 2026 |
| Guitar effect pedals | 26.4% | 128 | 12 Jul – 9 Oct 2026 |
| Hand percussion | 26.2% | 61 | 20 Jun – 9 Oct 2026 |
| Parts and spares | 21.3% | 61 | 12 Jul – 9 Oct 2026 |
| Straps and capos | 21.3% | 31 | 25 Sep – 9 Oct 2026 |
| Acoustic drum kits | 21.1% | 43 | 19 Jun – 9 Oct 2026 |
| Studio microphones | 20.4% | 31 | 15 Aug – 9 Oct 2026 |
| Saxophones | 20.2% | 30 | 20 Jun – 9 Oct 2026 |
| Strings | 13.7% | 73 | 21 Jul – 9 Oct 2026 |
| 4-string bass guitars | 11.3% | 42 | 25 Sep – 9 Oct 2026 |
| Live microphones | 10.1% | 32 | 20 Jun – 9 Oct 2026 |
| Electric guitars (standard) | 9.9% | 141 | 19 Jun – 9 Oct 2026 |
| Cases and bags | -1.6% | 126 | 10 Jul – 9 Oct 2026 |
What stands out
Electronic gear and percussion lose the most value on the used market in our data. Electronic drum kits, cymbals and effect pedals were typically a quarter to almost a third cheaper used than new.
Electric guitars and live microphones held their price best: the typical used listing was only about 10% under the cheapest new price. A negative number means the used listing was more expensive than new, as happened with cases and bags.
What this means if you buy
In categories with a large gap, such as drum kits, pedals and cymbals, buying used usually saves real money. For guitars and vocal microphones, compare the used price carefully with the current new price before you buy: the saving is often small.
Method
We used MyGear's own price data. For each product we took the cheapest in-stock used listing and the cheapest in-stock new price from our connected new-gear retailers (Gear4Music and Bax Music). Used listings come from Reverb. Prices in US dollars or British pounds were converted to euros at fixed rates (1 EUR = 1.08 USD, 1 GBP = 1.27 USD). The discount per product is 1 minus used price divided by new price; the table shows the median per category. To remove obvious mismatches, we left out pairs where the used price was below 10% or above 150% of the new price. Only categories with at least 30 products are shown. Data as of 9 October 2026.
Limitations
This is a snapshot of listings MyGear saw, not of all used sales. Asking prices on listings can differ from the price a product actually sells for. The used listing and the new price may differ in condition, colour or included accessories. Fixed exchange rates add a small error for listings in other currencies. Some categories have short observation periods, for example bass guitars and straps (from 25 September 2026).
Based on smaller polls or MyGear's own anonymised data.
Sources
- [1] MyGear price data: used and new offers — MyGear, 2026-10-09
"Own analysis of 1,396 products seen both used and new on MyGear between 19 June and 9 October 2026."
Cite this research
MyGear Research (2026). "How much cheaper is used music gear than new? A category-by-category look". MyGear, 9 October 2026. https://mygear-music.com/research/how-much-cheaper-is-used-music-gear-than-new