We take extreme pride in the quality of gear we sell at Holy Heck Music. Some music shops will sell old unloved gear and just call it vintage. Quality vintage gear should never be mishandled, stored improperly, poorly maintained, or beaten to hell. We know better. That's why we only acquire gear that we would be proud to own ourselves.

What is it?
Before we even consider acquiring an item we confirm exactly what it is, where it's been, and how it's been cared for. Is that the correct bridge for this year? Was it heavily gigged and tossed around a van for 10 years? Was it stored in the extreme temperatures of a barn for a half-century? We often see sellers trying to withhold certain details in the hopes of the buyer not noticing but we know what to look for and will back away from anything that looks remotely suspicious.

Any hidden issues?
After the item passes an overall inspection and we decide to acquire it for our shop, it then gets handed over for a second more-thorough inspection. This is where we confirm any past repairs or modifications by inspecting it from head to toe, and we start to rate the quality of each aspect of the instrument. On a vintage guitar we will confirm the date on all parts and verify that they're original, as well as check the nut for wear, rate the fretwear, measure the neck for straightness, test the truss rod, and inspect every other aspect of the guitar.

How's it play?
Once the gear has passed the second physical inspection it moves on to the most exciting test of all...the playability test! We plug in and crank it up! We have to make sure it plays great and sounds great. On guitars we set the action, set intonation, adjust the tremolo, lube the nut and bridge, adjust pickup height, adjust neck relief, and then rock out until our fingers are black and blue. We will also test how fast the neck plays, check for any fret buzzing, and of course bask in the glory of the beautiful sound it produces. On a vintage tube amp we will test the tubes, look for any scratchiness in the pots, and listen for any abnormalities.

Is that a ding?
Upon completion of our playability and sound test, the gear gets a good cleaning and prepped for photos. We photograph the item as best we can and focus on areas of wear and typical places of concern. We strongly believe in not hiding anything and will always photograph every area of the gear, including any possible imperfections. Along with detailed photos comes a detailed description where we comment on every aspect of the instrument, good and bad. Our detailed descriptions first include a complete identification of the item including make, model, year, trim, options, and color. We also describe the playability and how the instrument sounds. Then we accurately describe the condition including any repairs, modifications, scratches, scrapes, swirls, dings, nicks, indentations, or any other wear.

Keep it safe!
After our gear is posted for sale it gets stored back in its case or box and kept in a temperature-controlled environment where it will stay safe until you're ready to purchase it. Holy Heck Music does not have a storefront so your gear is never handled by dozens of strangers every day like other music stores.

Rest assured that your item has been loved and cared for during its stay at Holy Heck Music. Most importantly, we hope you enjoy the heck out of our gear!