You're staring at a $2,000 Gibson Les Paul or maybe a set of drum sticks that cost twenty bucks, and you see that "Add to Cart" button on a site that looks like it’s been around since the dawn of the internet. You wonder. Is Musician's Friend legit, or am I about to send my hard-earned cash into a black hole of backorders and "sorry, we're out of stock" emails?
It’s a fair question.
Online shopping for musical instruments is stressful because gear is personal. It's not like buying a toaster. If a guitar arrives with a warped neck or a cracked headstock, your week is ruined. I’ve been buying from these guys since they used to mail out those thick paper catalogs that smelled like newsprint and glue. They are, quite literally, one of the oldest players in the game. But "old" doesn't always mean "good" in the age of Amazon Prime and specialized boutique shops.
The Short Answer: Yes, They Are Real
Musician's Friend isn't some fly-by-night operation running out of a basement. They are actually owned by Guitar Center. Yeah, that massive retail chain with the red logo you see in almost every suburban strip mall in America? Same company. They’ve been around since 1983, founded by Rob and Ian Wilson in a suburban garage in California. They were pioneers in the mail-order gear world long before the world wide web was a thing.
When you buy from them, you’re dealing with a multi-billion dollar entity. They have massive warehouses in places like Kansas City and Utah. They aren't going to steal your credit card info. They aren't going to send you a brick in a box.
But legit doesn't always mean perfect.
Sometimes things go sideways. You might get a "New" guitar that looks like someone at the warehouse played a few power chords on it before boxing it back up. Or maybe the customer service wait time makes you want to pull your hair out. That’s the reality of big-box retail. It’s a trade-off between massive inventory and that "small shop" touch you get at a local mom-and-pop store.
Why Do People Get Nervous?
If you go on Reddit or Trustpilot, you'll see some horror stories. "They took my money and the item was backordered for six months!" or "The box arrived looking like it was dropped from a plane!"
Here is the thing about gear forums: people rarely post when things go right. Nobody starts a thread saying, "Hey guys, I ordered some strings and they arrived on Tuesday. 10/10." They post when they're mad. Because Musician's Friend handles millions of orders a year, even a 1% failure rate means thousands of grumpy musicians.
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Most of the "scam" complaints actually stem from Backorder Purgatory.
Musician's Friend is notorious for listing items as "In Stock" that are actually coming from a manufacturer's warehouse or are just about to run out. If you order something during a holiday sale and ten other people click it at the same time, you might get an email three days later saying your gear won't ship for two months. It’s annoying. It's frustrating. But it’s not a scam. It’s just how massive inventory systems sometimes glitch under pressure.
The Secret Weapon: The Stupid Deal of the Day
Honestly, this is why most people stay loyal.
Every single day, they pick one item—could be a $1,200 ESP guitar, could be a $15 microphone cable—and they slash the price. Sometimes by 50% or more. I’ve seen some genuinely insane deals here that beat out Sweetwater, Reverb, and Amazon combined. If you're a gear addict, checking the "Stupid Deal of the Day" becomes a morning ritual, like coffee.
It’s a clever business move. It keeps people coming back to the site daily. But it also proves they’re legit—they have the buying power to take a loss on a specific item just to get you in the door. Smaller shops just can't compete with that kind of pricing.
The Rewards Program (Musician's Guild)
They have a points system. It’s basically 8% back in rewards for most purchases. If you spend $1,000 on a new amp, you get $80 to spend on cables, pedals, or whatever later. For a hobbyist, it’s a nice perk. For a working musician who is constantly breaking strings and blowing tubes, it actually adds up to significant savings over a year.
Comparing the Giants: Musician's Friend vs. Sweetwater
This is the Pepsi vs. Coke of the music world.
Sweetwater is famous for their "Sales Engineers" who call you to ask how your $5 guitar pick is working out. Some people love that personal touch. Others find it incredibly annoying and just want to buy their gear in peace without a phone call.
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Musician's Friend is more of a traditional e-commerce experience. You buy it. They ship it. You leave them alone.
- Shipping: Both are generally fast, but Sweetwater's inspection process (their 55-point check) usually means a guitar from them is more likely to be playable right out of the box.
- Inventory: Musician's Friend often has better coupons. They run "15% off" deals constantly. Sweetwater rarely does traditional coupons, preferring to negotiate price over the phone.
- Returns: Musician's Friend has a 45-day return policy, which is quite generous. If you hate the tone of that pedal, you can send it back. Just keep the box. Seriously, keep the box.
What Most People Get Wrong About Used Gear
One reason people question "is Musician's Friend legit" is the condition of "Open Box" items.
Musician’s Friend has a huge "Open Box" and "Used" section. "Open Box" usually means someone bought it, tried it for a day, realized they couldn't afford it, and sent it back. The site categorizes these by "Condition 1, 2, 3, or 4."
If you buy a Condition 4 item, it’s going to have scratches. It might be missing the manual. If you expect a mint-condition instrument and you bought Condition 3 to save $100, you’re going to be disappointed. That’s not the site being shady; that’s the buyer not reading the fine print on what "Condition 3" actually means (usually "visible scratches or minor blemishes").
The "Guitar Center" Connection: Good or Bad?
Since they share a parent company, Musician's Friend often ships items directly from Guitar Center retail stores.
This is where the "legitimacy" feels shaky to some. If you order a "new" guitar and it ships from a GC store in Peoria, there is a chance that guitar sat on a wall and was played by fifty teenagers before it was shipped to you. It’s still technically "new" because it was never owned by a consumer, but it might have some "shop wear."
If you are a collector who wants a pristine, untouched instrument, this can be a gamble. If you’re a player who is going to dink the guitar anyway, you probably won't care. But it is something to keep in mind. If you want a guitar that has never been touched by human hands, you might have to specifically ask or look elsewhere.
Is Your Data Safe?
In an era of constant data breaches, it's worth noting that Musician's Friend uses standard industry encryption. They've been handling online transactions since the 90s. They haven't had a major, headline-grabbing data scandal that would suggest their backend is insecure. They accept PayPal, which is usually the safest way to go if you’re worried about giving your credit card number directly to a retailer.
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The Reality of Shipping Large Items
Shipping a drum kit or a 4x12 cabinet is a logistical nightmare.
Most of the time, it goes fine. But occasionally, UPS or FedEx treats a box like a soccer ball. If your gear arrives damaged, Musician's Friend is generally very good about sending a replacement or a return label. However, you have to be proactive. If you wait three weeks to open the box and find a hole in the side of your amp, it’s going to be a much harder conversation with their support team.
Inspect everything the moment it hits your porch. Take photos of the box before you even open it if it looks crushed.
How to Get the Best Out of Them
If you've decided to pull the trigger, don't just pay the sticker price.
- Check for coupons. They almost always have a 10% or 15% code running. Sometimes it’s on the homepage; sometimes you have to sign up for their email list.
- Call them. If a coupon doesn't work on a specific brand (some brands like Fender or Mesa Boogie often opt-out of site-wide discounts), call a sales rep. Often, they can give you a discount over the phone that they aren't allowed to advertise online.
- Use the Rewards. Don't forget to create an account. Buying a big-ticket item and then forgetting to claim your 8% back is just leaving money on the table.
The Verdict on Musician's Friend
So, is Musician's Friend legit? Yes. Totally.
They are a massive, corporate-backed retailer with a long history. They aren't perfect—their inventory system can be wonky, and shipping from retail stores can lead to "shop-worn" gear—but they aren't a scam. They are one of the most reliable places to find a massive selection of gear at competitive prices.
They are the "big box store" of the music world. You get the benefits of scale (low prices, huge stock, easy returns) and the downsides of scale (impersonal service, occasional warehouse errors).
If you're looking for a specific, rare boutique pedal, go to a specialized shop. If you're looking for a standard workhorse guitar, a set of monitors, or just a bulk pack of strings, they are as legit as it gets.
Actionable Next Steps
- Audit your gear list: Before buying, check the "Stupid Deal of the Day" for a few mornings. You might find exactly what you need for hundreds less.
- Read the Condition codes: If buying used or open-box, double-check the definition of the condition level to avoid surprises.
- Verify stock by phone: If you need an item for a gig next week, call them to confirm it is actually in the warehouse and not "shipping from manufacturer."
- Save your packaging: Keep all original boxes and materials for at least 45 days in case you need to utilize their return policy.