Three industry leaders —Fender Musical Instruments Corp, Reverb, and MIRC— have announced the launch of Fender’s first-ever Certified Pre-Owned program. Fender Certified Pre-Owned on Reverb will allow musicians to purchase affordable instruments that are professionally inspected by MIRC and backed by a Fender one-year limited warranty, while promoting the circular ecosystem of used music gear and supporting the growth of the industry through sought-after pre-owned musical instruments.
Over the past two years, used and like-new musical instrument sales have been a bright spot in the industry. On Reverb, sales for used guitars have grown by more than 50% from 2019 to 2023, while MIRC—which sells refurbished musical instruments as Franklin Guitar Works on Reverb—has grown into a top seller on Reverb over the past two years. This type of inventory not only allows price-conscious musicians to access music gear at a great value, but also it supports the industry, with many retailers recently telling The Music Trades that used is their most profitable category.
“We’re excited to offer for the first time ever Fender Certified Pre-Owned musical instruments on Reverb. The pre-owned category represents a new opportunity to engage players and fuel MI industry growth. From personal experience, a pre-owned guitar is often the first guitar a player owns on their life-long journey. Our goal is to grow the entire community sustainably by leaning into the circular economy and pre-owned music gear,” said Fender CEO Andy Mooney. “Increasingly, musicians show us they’re interested in pre-owned guitars. Fender Certified Pre-Owned allows them to own a quality instrument at an affordable price. We have a responsibility to deliver what musicians want and give the guitars we’ve so carefully designed and crafted a second, third, or fourth life.”
All Fender Certified Pre-Owned guitars are inspected by MIRC to ensure that they meet the strictest standards as they enter their second life. Since 1993, MIRC has provided music industry retailers and customers with high-quality, lower cost refurbished instruments and repaired or reclaimed parts. From a new, state-of-the-art facility in La Vergne, TN, MIRC’s highly-trained craftsmen have deployed a rigorous series of tests and inspections to ensure that only the best examples qualify as Fender Certified Pre-Owned. According to MIRC CEO Jason Gano, “Our team, our quality control processes, and our new facility are fine-tuned to ensure the product meets or exceeds the Fender CPO promise.”
Importantly, programs like Fender Certified Pre-Owned on Reverb help keep more guitars in circulation, creating opportunities across the industry.
“Making more used musical instruments available to music makers is positive for the entire music-making community—it means that even when players are challenged by economic pressures, they can still get the instrument they want within their budget and more easily sell the music gear they’re not using to fund new purchases,” said Reverb CEO David Mandelbrot. “Two things have been core to Reverb’s business since its inception: making it easy to buy and sell used musical instruments and supporting the industry’s retailers and manufacturers. The launch of Fender Certified Pre-Owned on Reverb marks a convergence in these two goals, with programs like this enabling the industry to more actively participate in the important circular used music gear flywheel.”
The Official Fender Certified Pre-Owned Reverb Shop is now open. You can learn more on Reverb.
