Is musicians friend.com a good website to buy an instrument off of???
If the instrument is made of wood, then I suggest buying it locally and bring someone with you that has some experience with that type of instrument. The variations in wood instruments means that even for the same make and model, even if they were made on the same day in the factory, that one could be great and the next one terrible. Also, you are more likely to get an instrument that is set up properly, meaning that the local store gets the instrument out of the crate it was shipped in, checks it, tunes it, makes sure that nothing is missing or broken, and that there aren’t problems. Bringing someone with you that has experience will help you avoid the pitfalls of buying an instrument because they will know right away if said instrument is worth buying or not. It’s also a good idea to develop a relationship with your local store so that you are treated like a customer not just an order. Just my two cents.
