Steve PMHShopping for gear online has only gotten more common. However, most online instrument sales are dicey prospects at best. Thomann Music is here to change that.
Thomann has branched out in the United States which has been raising tons of questions about their products and services. However, most musicians in North America still don’t know about the Thomann brand—and that’s a shame.
Check out the rest of this guide to learn about the best kept secret in buying instruments online.
Check the Products and Prices of Thomann Music
Meet Thomann, Europe’s Biggest Retailer of Musical Equipment
Musikhaus Thomann was founded in Germany in 1954 by Hans Thomann, Senior. The Thomann family has always been in love with music, and they’ve built that love into one of the world’s largest instrument, gear, and music accessory retailers. In 1990, Hans Thomann handed the family business over to his son, also named Hans Thomann.
This business has taken off in the world of online instrument sales. Lovingly called the Thomann Cyberstore, this online retail operation is the largest in Europe and one of the largest in the world. It’s a classic story of a small business slowly growing into a not-so-small business.
Thomann has always taken pride in its customer service. This goes beyond just helping you make the sale, but supporting your purchase through repairs, guarantees, and return services. Thomann regularly wins awards for their customer service and more.
Without further ado, here’s what you get when you shop with Thomann.
What Does Thomann Have to Offer for Musicians?
Thomann has plenty that’s going to attract American musicians. We have a lot of choices when it comes to where we buy our instruments, but if you’re shopping online that number just gets bigger. In order to stand out in the world of online music instrument sales, you need to offer something really special.
Here’s what makes Thomann work.
Instruments, Accessories, and Gear for Sale
The first thing you want to check out when you’re shopping in a new instrument store is the selection. You want to find a store that caters to your niche tastes, but also has a wide enough selection to introduce you to new products you might not have considered otherwise. Thomann happens to have one of the most impressive selections of instruments, gear, and accessories on the planet.
Their selection of gear covers everything from introductory-level model guitars for beginners to show stopping lighting for working DJs. The shop has a truly impressive selection, and you’re guaranteed to find what you’re looking for when you shop around on their website.
Whether you’re just looking for a few cables to replace the ones that died out on your last tour or you are looking to upgrade your kit to something that suits your skills, Thomann has it all.
Here’s just a few of the categories that Thomann has covered. Keep in mind that they are always bringing in new stock and adapting to changing tastes in music. There’s going to be new categories added and each of these categories is full of sub-categories that you could spend all day exploring.
- Guitar & Bass
- Drums
- Keys
- Studio
- Software
- DJ, PA, & Lighting
- Video
- Brass & Traditional
- Sheet music
- Cases
- Mics
- Accessories & Gear
Instrument Repair
What happens when you break your instrument, and it is no longer covered to buy return periods or warranty? You need to look for instrument repair. Thomann offers an instrument repair service that is backed by over 100 experts covering everything from electronic equipment, to loudspeakers, to pianos and more.
The repair team is composed of expert craftspeople to know these instruments inside and out. These are people who not only repair instruments, but they also build them.
Thomann has also partnered with some of the biggest names in music to offer warranty repair services in their shop. This means that Thomann can honor your warranty with big brand names and handle the repairs and house.
Thomann also has an entire section dedicated to repairing and fine-tuning their own line of guitars. You can expect that any guitar purchase from this company is going to be treated with the highest of standards, but their own in-house brand is going to be something else entirely.
Warranties and Guarantees
Thomann offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on all of their purchases. This covers nearly everything that you buy in the store with a few exceptions.
Here are the only things not covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee at Thomann:
- Custom items such as cases
- Items that can’t be returned for hygienic reasons such as mouthpieces
- Software that has been registered
Thomann offers an impressive 3-year warranty for every product that they sell that doesn’t qualify as a “consumable.”
Thomann classifies products as consumables if they’re things with expected lifespan such as strings, batteries, and the other smaller purchases better designed to be replaced after a while—which makes a lot of sense. After all, you can’t really have a 3-year warranty for guitar strings!
Bigger purchases are covered for three years with an impressive warranty. This includes full service and even full replacement for any damages. The only major exception to this warranty is when the damage has obviously been caused by improper care for the instrument or accessory.
As long as you’re taking proper care of your instrument, you have a 3-year warranty that offers you total protection for your purchase from Thomann. They will even offer a full refund if they can’t repair, replace, or offer an equal value exchange if your item is out of stock.
Instrument Help from the Experts
Thomann also has an impressive array of options if you’re looking to contact an expert.
This is a great resource for when you purchase something from Thomann and you need some help with your product. Whether you are looking for a quick tip to get something up and running or you’re having trouble fitting a reed into your woodwind instrument, their team of experts has you covered.
Thomann has an entire call center staffed with music experts that can answer questions about the products you purchased from them.
The only catch to this service is that you have to have purchased an item from Thomann in order to get this level of service. You should have your customer number from your transaction ready when you give them a call, and they’re experts will help you out with whatever you need.
Plenty of Ways to Pay
Thomann takes your information security very seriously. Most online retailers have a few basic protocols in place designed to prevent the theft of your credit card or payment information. However, Thomann has taken this to a new level and honestly has a robust cybersecurity presence when it comes to your transaction.
You can pay with credit card, PayPal, Amazon, or even bank transfer when shopping with Thomann. They offer an incredibly secure approach to paying online for music instruments.
These are typically big money transactions, and you want to make sure that the extra safety has been put in place when you’re purchasing a new instrument.
All About the Guides
Do you know how to pick the right beginner instrument for you? How about setting up PA speakers for that set you’re doing in a local coffee shop? Which budget range of electronic drums is right for you?
These might seem like some silly questions, but Thomann provides guides for nearly everything you could have to ask about music instruments. These guides cover everything from the basics like how to set up an electric guitar all the way over to more complicated issues designed for working musicians.
These guides are completely free and available on their website. You can check out the guides at Thomann and learn the basics of countless different aspects of music. This feature might not make or break a sale, but it is a great resource to have available for the global community of musicians.
Check out the Classifieds
Are you looking for some used instruments? Thomann has a classified section where users can upload sales ads for their used gear. It’s not just used gear that you can find in these classifieds, but also ads for voice lessons and guitar lessons.
This is a community posting board where individuals can offer up what they have for sale. This is a great place to find an amazing discount on a used instrument or sharpen up some skills.
You’ll never know what you’ll find at the Thomann classified section. It’s always a random assortment of the gear that people are looking to sell as well as some services that they have to offer. It’s always worth taking a quick look at the Thomann classifieds just to see if there’s something that catches your eye.
Don’t Miss the Bargains & Remnants Section
If you’re looking for even more ways to save, the bargains and remnants section of the Thomann website has countless deals.
A good amount of the bargains and remnants section is based on returns. You’ll see plenty of instruments that were lightly used and then returned to Thomann. These items have been checked over by the experts at the Thomann repair shop and are ready to hit the sales floor.
There are also overstock and discontinued gear. This means essentially you’re paying for an item that’s in great shape, but just has an open box. This is a great way to save a little bit of money off of the top of the cost of a new instrument or some new gear.
Does Thomann Ship to the US?
The Thomann music instrument shop is currently shipped to the United States. The United States shipping times are calculated during checkout as well as shipping costs. They have a large shipping warehouse which means words are processed quickly and handed off to their shipping partners faster than most.
How Thomann Music Works from Start to Finish
When you first land on the Thomann website, you’re going to notice that it’s very clearly laid out. They have a unique approach to separating the categories of instruments and gear that they have for sale. Honestly, it’s refreshing to see so many categories which allows you to hone in on what you’re looking for without digging around too much.
As you find what you are looking for, you can add it into your shopping cart just like you would with any other online music instrument shop. You’ll calculate your shipping time and cost during checkout, but you can expect these to be pretty reasonable.
Thomann offers some pretty respectable shipping times and costs for getting instruments to the United States.
Once you have your gear, you can get in touch with the customer service team at Thomann if you have any questions. They have music instrument experts that can answer your questions about setting up your gear, how to best take care of it, or any other questions you might have.
What should you do if something breaks? Thomann has a 30-day return policy as well as a 3-year warranty on nearly everything they sell. All you need to do is ship your items back to Thomann, and they’ll fix them up and send them right back.
Pros
- Customer-friendly policies including the warranty, repairs, and returns
- Outstanding selection
- Additional features like the guides and expert help are a plus
- Classifieds and discount options offer impressive deals
Cons
- Shipping to US-based customers might not be as fast as local options
- Returns could also be more complicated due to international shipping
- Prices are comparable with most local shops
Our Verdict on Thomann Music
Thomann is one of the largest online music retailers on the planet. They offer everything from custom-made equipment to gear and accessories for musicians in every genre and every walk of life.
Their customer service is also incredibly refreshing and offers a new standard that other line music instrument retailers are going to have to live up to.
Here’s our verdict: the next time you’re shopping for instruments or accessories online, do yourself a favor and head over to Thomann. You won’t regret it.
Check the Products and Prices of Thomann Music
