Digital equipment - buy used, or buy new for the warranty?

[Hollowway]

I haven't bought any digital stuff (i.e. modelers) for yeeeears. But I want to get a Darkglass Microtubes Infinity. It's a modeler, so it's not easily repairable, given the PCB. If I buy new, I'm looking at $600 (maaaaaybe less, if they get put on sale, ever), or $450-520 used (without sales tax, if I find one on CL or FB). Darkglass has a 2 year warranty. I won't be taking this thing out of the house, so I know when I have it here, it will be babied. But I can't vouch for whoever used it before me, if I go used. What do you guys think? I'd normally buy used, but with only $100-150 price difference, I wonder if I'm being a fool to not get one new, and have the long ass warranty.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

I mean that's always the gamble when going used right?

If the $150 is worth the peace of mind, then I wouldn't think twice.

That said, I've never had a fairly new piece of digital gear just stop working, and Darkglass stuff in particular has been solid. Heck, I dropped my AO head off of an 810 and it didn't even shut off.

Are there any known issues with these that are making you think it might need the warranty as a given?

 

[crushingpetal]

If I buy new, I'm looking at $600 (maaaaaybe less, if they get put on sale, ever)

I didn't pay full price for either of my 2 dg pedals. Make some phone calls or send some emails, someone will give you 10--15% off easy. I'll eat my hat if they don't.

 

[Crungy]

Idk about the Infinity, but the Element and possibly the ADAM units had some issues with the touch sliders and possibly connectivity issues with apps. Could have been specific to those two or just the Element and later units might have those issues resolved. You'd have to do some digging on that.

If you're really worried I'd go new with a product guarantee, otherwise used is probably fine.

 

[Hollowway]

There's a guy about 30 min away selling for $450 that I'm talking with online now. He's got a minty unit that looks brand new in the photos. I've bought all my amps used, but I haven't got any digital stuff used recently, so I'm sure I'm just being paranoid. I figure, even with @crushingpetal 's uneaten-hat discount, I'm still saving over $100.

 

[TedEH]

Y'all have seen me post about my troubles with the FM3 without a warranty. They're as "pro" as it gets, "build like a tank", and all of those things that people like to say, but it still had defects and the warranty wasn't transferable. I managed to break the USB, which I think most people know the story of already, and the power button broke right off, which I managed to repair myself.

There's also the awful luck I've had with used cabinets. Don't discount the possibility that people will sell things off because they don't want to deal with something.

Let me be your example that even if 99% of the time a warranty does nothing and used products work just as good as new, that last 1% really stings.

 

[budda]

Weird, one posted in Toronto yesterday for around $400usd

 

[sleewell]

I bought a used helix lt 3 or 4 years ago and haven't had any issues. Back and forth from rehearsal twice a week. Lots of shows. It's holding up great.

 

[Hollowway]

I didn't pay full price for either of my 2 dg pedals. Make some phone calls or send some emails, someone will give you 10--15% off easy. I'll eat my hat if they don't.

@crushingpetal I can't thank you enough for this. I rarely buy new, and I know any decent name brand is usually excluded from sales, and the big box stores don't give much discount. But I just called Drum City Guitarland, and they did 20% off! Plus $20 for shipping, but still saved a bundle, and the price difference vs used is like $70, so for me it's a no brainer to save 1.5 hrs of driving and a lack of warranty support. Thanks, man!

Thanks to the rest of the people that weighed in on here. I trust you guys way more than the randos on Reddit, etc., because I have no history with any of them.

EDIT: oh, btw, @crushingpetal you can have a regular dinner, without a side of hat.

 

[Rubbishplayer]

I still have some Roland stuff I bought new in the 80s and they're still going strong.

But they don't build em like they used to: my son picked up what he thought was a steal (big-ass Zoom multi-fx unit), but two years later it makes everything sound like Donald Duck on smack farting through a straw.

 

[crushingpetal]

@crushingpetal I can't thank you enough for this. I rarely buy new, and I know any decent name brand is usually excluded from sales, and the big box stores don't give much discount. But I just called Drum City Guitarland, and they did 20% off! Plus $20 for shipping, but still saved a bundle, and the price difference vs used is like $70, so for me it's a no brainer to save 1.5 hrs of driving and a lack of warranty support. Thanks, man!

Thanks to the rest of the people that weighed in on here. I trust you guys way more than the randos on Reddit, etc., because I have no history with any of them.

EDIT: oh, btw, @crushingpetal you can have a regular dinner, without a side of hat.

Siiiiiiick, that's a win! I just had a burrito sans the hat, so we're good.

Post an update about how the pedal works out for you.

 

[Hollowway]

I still have some Roland stuff I bought new in the 80s and they're still going strong.

But they don't build em like they used to: my son picked up what he thought was a steal (big-ass Zoom multi-fx unit), but two years later it makes everything sound like Donald Duck on smack farting through a straw.

I know it makes me sound like a crotchety old man, but I think you're right about not building them like they used to. There's so much cost cutting and efficiency now, and obsolescence, breakage, and the expectation to rebuy is just accepted by us as "consumers" now. Most of my digital stuff I bought ages ago, and it's going strong. But when I buy used, I expect a decent discount, and since I couldn't get that, it gave me pause.

I can promise you all that DG will drop the price on the Infinity, now that I have one, though.