Trade Up Music
Many music shops are full of pushy staff salivating over commission checks. And even if you’ve explained to them that your guitar-picking prowess goes only as far as a poorly executed version of “Night Moves,” they’ll still strong-arm you into plugging in a $1,499 goldtop Les Paul guitar and an $800 Marshall amp.(“This setup rules. Just ask Jimmy Page!”) The vibe at Trade Up Music is different. Friendly (and intelligent) employees still want to sell you something, of course, but not anything you don’t need. And while used equipment here is typically refurbished with up-to-date components, it still comes with a secondhand-size price tags, so you won’t need to take out a bank loan to land a banjo that twangs just right. But if you’ve got to have the most primo gear money can buy, there’s an ever-rotating selection of classic Fender Telecasters and vintage Rickenbackers that, yep, even Jimmy Page would kill for.

