Know Your Gear Podcast — Episode 429

“What's Going On With Used Guitar Prices”
Host: Phillip McKnight
Date: September 20, 2025

Episode Overview

In this lively and informative episode of the Know Your Gear Podcast, Phillip McKnight takes listeners on a deep dive into current trends in the used guitar market, the impact of digital modeling on guitars, amps, and pedals, and a broad spectrum of guitar-related questions from the community. With his trademark mix of practicality, transparency, and humor, Phil explores issues affecting players, buyers, and industry insiders alike—including pricing trends, gear choices for pros and hobbyists, equipment safety, and customer service. Along the way, he recounts personal stories, industry anecdotes, and offers advice you won’t hear anywhere else.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Starting Off: Safety in Soldering for Beginners

[03:00–21:30]

• Question: Can soldering be safely done inside an apartment?
• Phil’s Advice:
  • Recommends the Weller 70-watt digital soldering station (~$95), citing safety features like auto temp drop.
  • Suggests using a solder fume extractor (especially for apartments), eyewear, and wearing a mask for added safety.
  • Advocates for lead-free solder if others share your space, though he notes personal preference for leaded.
  • Extra Safety: Use a fire extinguisher and fire blanket nearby.
  • On risk: “No matter what I say, somebody's going to tell me I'm not being safe enough, and somebody's going to tell me I'm being too, too safe. So you make your own choices in life. I just told you what I've done and what works for me.” (11:20)

2. Latency in Digital Gear and the “Concessions” of Modern Tech

[21:30–41:00]

• Topic: Do digital modelers and pedals introduce noticeable delay (“latency”), especially for advanced players?
• Insights:
  • Latency is a real (but improving) concern, more perceptible to fast, articulate players.
  • “Gear is for the musician, not the audience. …As long as the audience doesn't think they hear crap, I guess you're fine, right?” (26:40)
  • Pros like Joe Bonamassa and Joe Satriani can sound good on any gear—talent outweighs tools.
  • Digital gear is chosen for practicality, cost, portability, and reliability— not always pure tone.
  • Hardware gets better as computers (and thus processing power) improve over time.
  • “The benefits outweigh the concessions… it's like having my effects built in, having reverbs, having it sound the way—being able to record really easy and fast.” (40:10)

3. Brian Wampler's Take: Digital Modeling vs. The Pedal Industry

[41:00–54:30]

• Context: Phil references a Brian Wampler interview comparing the rise of digital plugins and modeling to the disruptive impact of Napster on the music industry.
• Key Points:
  • Digital modeling and plugins undercut the analog pedal market—no tariffs, mass replication of tones, and micro-paying for software.
  • Brands like Boss moving toward plugout pedals is a calculated response to these shifts: future profits may lie in $10 licenses, not $150 pedals.
  • Phil distinguishes his preferences: “I just can’t come up with a good reason to buy that plugout pedal instead of my HX Stomp. …It just means it’s not for me.” (50:30)
  • “Maybe in the future [companies will] discontinue a pedal and sell it as a plugin.” (49:10)

4. State of the Used Guitar Market: ‘No Crash’ – But a Cool Down

[54:30–1:19:00]

• Reference: Cites a 5 Watt World/Reverb interview; places like Reverb are seeing no “crash” but a clear downturn from the boom years.
• First-hand evidence:
  • Phil’s “My Collection” in Reverb is down about 20% from two years ago.
  • Retailers are making aggressive offers; sales are still happening, but with more discounts.
  • No market “crash,” just a rebalancing—some brands will weather it, others may disappear.
  • “What doesn’t happen is every company goes down 10 or 15%... Some companies drop 80% and just go out of business, and some are fine, and some are up.” (1:10:53)
  • Customers now exercise more discretion, remember poor treatment during the boom, and reward brands that treated them well.
  • “When it’s a seller's market, the buyers remember how they were treated. When it becomes a buyer's market, the sellers don't really remember the buyers.” (1:12:00)

5. Guitar Center & Sweetwater: What’s Actually Moving Right Now?

[1:19:00–1:23:50]

• Guitar Center insights:
  • “We’re choking on used Katanas and inexpensive Squires. …But cool and unique stuff flies out the door.”
• Trend: Excess supply (esp. pandemic overstock) is stalling “commodity” guitar sales; buyers chase only new and interesting models.

6. Customer Service: What to Do With a Dinged Guitar

[1:23:50–1:32:30]

• Listener buys a Sur from Sweetwater, finds a minor ding.
• Phil’s action plan:
  1. Take pictures, contact your rep for compensation: partial refund, repair, or a goodwill gift.
  2. Sweetwater/Guitar Center are generally excellent at resolving issues, whether you’re a YouTuber or a regular customer.
  • Quote: “Sometimes the pushback to me is like, yeah, but they take care of you because you're a YouTuber. I'm telling you, I have experiences not as a YouTuber, you know, weekly…” (1:31:00)

7. Gear Deep Dive: PRS SE Pickups and Mesa 4x10 Cabs

[1:32:30–1:38:00]

• PRS SE GNB pickups: Were mass produced, decent quality; now replaced by PSE pickups as PRS seeks more specialized tone for new models.
• Mesa Boogie 4x10 Open Back Cab: Phil rates it as “the best sounding” he’s tried among 4x10s, though he now prefers 1x12s for personal use.

8. Fix-its & Tinkering

[1:38:00–2:01:00]

• Smoothing the “spur” on a Strat switch tip: Sand with 800 grit or a nail/cuticle file, then polish.
• Leveling lopsided pickups: Add foam beneath the bobbin to flatten.
• Mixing active and passive pickups: It’s possible but tricky—doesn't blend great; requires stereo jack, differing pot values.

9. Learning Guitar — When Instructors Don’t Help

[2:01:00–2:06:00]

• Advice for students stuck after several teachers:
  • Take a break from lessons, play with other musicians instead; musical interaction often spurs growth and motivation.
  • “You have to play music with somebody no matter what your level is.” (2:04:30)
  • “Never be the best musician in the room. If you are—you’re in the wrong room.” (2:05:05)

10. DIY Relicing: Why It's Harder Than You Think (and a Warning)

[2:06:00–2:15:40]

• Phil’s tale: He and Ralph tried to relic a Highway 1 bass with keys, kicking it, acid, fire—it never looked as good as pro relics.
• Poly finishes are much harder to relic convincingly than nitro; most DIY attempts look bad.
• “Before you’d relic a guitar… take a stroll on OfferUp… and watch all these hacks… They’re horrible.” (2:14:35)

11. Show-&-Tell: Chipsin Gift Box Segment

[2:15:40–2:28:30] [Light/Comic Interlude]

• Phil unboxes a gift pack from Chipson, featuring stickers (“Keytar Center”), Pepto-pink picks, and the “Tone Mug” (which goes to 11).
• Shares a military story inspired by a “Don’t Shred on Me” flag—a humorous tribute to the Marine Corps.

12. How To Ship Guitars When Selling Online

[2:28:30–2:41:00]

• Phil’s tips for online sellers:
  • Never offer “free shipping” if you can avoid it; always charge something to cover your bases in case of returns.
  • Keep shipping charges “emotionally reasonable”—even if actual shipping costs vary widely.
  • Always pad and double-box acoustics; never ship a value guitar without a case/gig bag inside a box.
  • If you’re selling for the first time, start small—try pedals or simple items first to get experience.
• “I always under-promise, over-deliver…I never want to see it again—I want it gone!” (2:40:23)
  • For expensive sales, pay for professional packing/shipping and insurance.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On gear concessions:
  “Sometimes you don't want to spend two hours setting up your rig. Maybe you perform better if you haven't spent all that time.” (28:40)

• On digital modeling’s impact:
  “Think about this: digital products don't have tariffs.” (47:48)

• On the leveling-out market:
  “Buyers are buying, but their discretion—they use discretion on their expense. They know they can get a deal now. They don't have to fall for all the gimmicks.” (1:13:10)

• On relicing:
  “It's like seeing art that looks like someone just splattered paint—and then you do it and it looks like ass.” (2:13:15)

Useful Timestamps

| Topic | Timestamp | |--------------------------------------------------------|-------------------| | Solder Safety in Small Spaces | 03:00–21:30 | | Latency in Modelers & Why the Pros Choose Digital | 21:30–41:00 | | Brian Wampler on Plugins vs Pedals (The Napster Debate)| 41:00–54:30 | | Used Guitar Market: Boom to Correction | 54:30–1:19:00 | | Retailer Insights (GC & Sweetwater) | 1:19:00–1:23:50 | | Customer Service: Dealing with Dinged Gear | 1:23:50–1:32:30 | | PRS SE Pickups & Mesa 4x10 Cabs | 1:32:30–1:38:00 | | Fixes: Bumpy Knobs, Lopsided Pickups | 1:38:00–2:01:00 | | Guitar Lessons Rut—What to Do | 2:01:00–2:06:00 | | DIY Relicing: Pitfalls & Warnings | 2:06:00–2:15:40 | | Chipsin Gift Box Segment (Comic Relief) | 2:15:40–2:28:30 | | How to Ship Guitars Right | 2:28:30–2:41:00 |

Overall Tone & Takeaways

Phil maintains his familiar mix of technical know-how, approachability, and dry humor throughout. The episode provides both practical, actionable advice for guitarists at home (from soldering to shipping) and a candid, nuanced view of broader trends in gear and the industry. He brings perspective as a tech, retailer, player, and digital creator—making the show relatable, trustworthy, and fun for listeners at all levels.

If you're a guitarist (or gearhead) looking to navigate the gear market—whether buying, maintaining, or pondering future trends—Phillip McKnight’s podcast is essential listening. And always remember: safety first, but don’t forget to set your mug (and your amp) to 11.