5 Best Bad-Credit Guitar Financing Options (Feb. 2024)

Bad Credit Guitar Financing

Every guitarist, from beginner to professional, will tell you that there’s a guitar they’ve always dreamed of owning. Whether it’s the rockabilly feel of a semi-hollow Gretsch or the versatile action of a classic Fender Strat, most everyone who plays dreams of one day owning “the one.”

But what if your poor credit history is standing in the way of financing the guitar of your dreams? Fear not — we’ve researched the market and uncovered no fewer than 15 options for financing your dream guitar, even with a bad credit rating. Let’s take a look at the choices for bad credit guitar financing. We’ll explore options for financing through the music store itself, personal loan options, and credit cards that may be well-suited for purchasing your next six-string.

Store Financing (#1-5)  |  Personal Loans (#6-10)  |  Credit Cards (#11-15)

In-Store Guitar Financing (#1-5)

A handful of music stores offer financing options for instruments and equipment purchased at the store, either online or in person. The following is a list of music stores that approve customers with a less-than-perfect credit rating.

FlexShopper Logo1. FlexShopper
For purchases of $2,500 or less, users can lease-to-own a guitar (or another instrument) with affordable weekly payments. FlexShopper has flexible credit score requirements and won’t require a down payment from most qualified applicants. You’ll need to earn at least $1,000 a month and have an active bank account to qualify.

American Music Supply logo2. American Musical Supply
This store offers 0% interest payment plans, one of which doesn’t require a credit check. All customers are pre-approved to make three monthly payments on orders that cost between $249.00 and $995.94, with no interest attached. To make monthly payments for longer than three months, you’ll need a credit check. 

Guitar Center logo3. Guitar Center
With a Guitar Center Gear Card, you’ll get exclusive financing offers. This includes payment installment plans with  0% interest for 24 months on guitar, bass, keyboard, and amp purchases that come to $699 or more. Guitar Center also has a 30-day layaway program, requiring 25% of the price total to be deposited up front.

Chicago Music Exchange logo4. Chicago Music Exchange
Online financing with Affirm allows customers to pay in 3, 6, or 12 months. Affirm implements a soft credit check to verify eligibility for financing. In-store financing with GE Capital won’t charge interest until after 6 months of payments. PayPal’s Bill Me Later offer is also a lenient financing option available upon checkout.

zZounds logo5. zZounds
The “Play As You Pay” installment plan is a simple, no-interest, automatic-approval option available upon checkout. You can choose 4-Pay, 8-Pay, or 12-Pay depending upon the price range of your merchandise. Only orders shipped to the U.S. are eligible for this program.

Picking a finance plan to accompany your guitar purchase makes the final price easier to handle. Oftentimes, paying in increments is more doable for customers, but be on the lookout for high interest rates or fees. The cost could end up being more than you anticipate.

Personal Loan Financing (#6-10)

Instead of involving yourself in a store-specific payment plan, you can easily take out a personal loan to finance your guitar. The BadCredit.org team has rated and approved the following five lenders as reliable sources of loans for people with bad credit.

  • Short-term loans up to $5,000
  • Online marketplace of lenders
  • Funds available in as few as 24 hours
  • Simple online form takes less than 5 minutes
  • Trusted by more than 2 million customers
  • See official site, terms, and details.
★★★★★

4.8

Overall Rating

Loan Amount Interest Rate Loan Term Loan Example
Up to $5,000 Varies Varies

See representative example

7. Avant

  • Personal loans of $2,000 to $35,000
  • Compare rates in 2 minutes without affecting your credit
  • Best for low origination fees for bad credit
  • 550 minimum credit score required
  • Powered by Credible
  • See official site, terms, and details.
★★★★★

4.7

Overall Rating

Loan Amount Interest Rate Loan Term Loan Example
$2,000 to $35,000 9.95% - 35.99% 12 to 60 Months

See representative example

8. Upstart

  • Personal loans starting at $1,000
  • Find loans you prequalify for, complete your application, and close your loan
  • Loans for 300+ FICO Scores
  • Checking rates doesn't impact your credit score
  • Powered by Credible
  • See official site, terms, and details.
★★★★★

4.7

Overall Rating

Loan Amount Interest Rate Loan Term Loan Example
$1,000 to $50,000 6.40% - 35.99% 3 or 5 Years

See representative example

The above options offer installment loans (for those who qualify) that allow you to pay the loan back over time, whereas the following two options are short-term loans of up to $1,000 that require the borrower to pay the loan back in a shorter period of time — more of a paycheck advance, if you will.

  • Short-term loans up to $5,000
  • Online marketplace of lenders
  • Funds available in as few as 24 hours
  • Simple online form takes less than 5 minutes
  • Trusted by more than 2 million customers
  • See official site, terms, and details.
★★★★★

4.8

Overall Rating

Loan Amount Interest Rate Loan Term Loan Example
Up to $5,000 Varies Varies

See representative example

All five of these companies specialize in approving those with poor credit for a loan. Applying online is a quick process that can finance your musical purchases within hours. If you keep up with your monthly payments, you can earn a better credit rating as well.

Credit Card Financing (#11-15)

Have you considered using a credit card to finance your purchase? Not only do the following five cards approve those with bad credit, but they also report your payment history to credit bureaus, which can help your credit score in the long run. Besides, after landing the guitar of your dreams, you might need the extra spending power of a credit card to buy yourself an amp or case to accompany it.

  • No credit check to apply
  • Adjustable credit limit based on what you transfer from your Chime Checking Account to the secured account
  • No interest* or annual fees
  • Chime Checking Account and qualifying direct deposit of $200 or more required to apply. See official application, terms, and details link below.
  • The secured Chime Credit Builder Visa® Card is issued by Stride Bank, N.A., Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used everywhere Visa credit cards are accepted.
  • *Out-of-network ATM withdrawal fees may apply. See here for details.
★★★★★

4.8

Overall Rating

Application Length Interest Rate Reports Monthly Reputation Score
5 minutes N/A Yes 9.5
  • $400 credit limit doubles to $800! (Simply make your first 6 monthly minimum payments on time)
  • All credit types welcome to apply
  • Monthly reporting to the three major credit bureaus
  • Initial Credit Limit of $400.00 (Subject to available credit)
  • Fast and easy application process; results in seconds
  • Use your card at locations everywhere Mastercard® is accepted
  • Access to your Vantage 3.0 score from Experian (When you sign up for e-statements)
  • Checking Account Required
★★★★★

4.7

Overall Rating

Application Length Interest Rate Reports Monthly Reputation Score
10 minutes 29.99% Yes 7.5/10
  • Earn 3% Cash Back Rewards* on Gas, Groceries and Utility Bill Payments
  • Earn 1% Cash Back Rewards* on all other eligible purchases
  • Up to $1,000 credit limit subject to credit approval
  • Prequalify** without affecting your credit score
  • No security deposit
  • Free access to your VantageScore 4.0 score from TransUnion®†
    *See Program Terms for important information about the cash back rewards program.
    ** Prequalify means that you authorize us to make a soft inquiry (that will not affect your credit) to create an offer. If you accept an offer a hard inquiry will be made. Final approval is not guaranteed if you do not meet all applicable criteria (including adequate proof of ability to repay). Income verification through access to your bank account information may be required.
    † Your credit score will be available in your online account starting 60 days after your account is opened. (Registration required.) The free VantageScore 4.0 credit score provided by TransUnion® is for educational purposes only. This score may not be used by The Bank of Missouri (the issuer of this card) or other creditors to make credit decisions.
★★★★★

4.7

Overall Rating

Application Length Interest Rate Reports Monthly Reputation Score
7 minutes 29.99% or 36% Fixed Yes 8.0/10

While the above three cards are our top offers for those with bad credit, the following two are still viable options from reputable issuers.

14. First PREMIER® Bank Credit Card

This offer is currently not available.

N/A

Overall Rating

Application Length Interest Rate Reports Monthly Reputation Score
N/A N/A N/A N/A
  • Up to $1,000 credit limit doubles up to $2,000! (Simply make your first 6 monthly minimum payments on time)
  • All credit types welcome to apply!
  • Monthly Credit Score – Sign up for electronic statements, and get your Vantage 3.0 Score Credit Score From Experian
  • Initial Credit Limit of $300 – $1,000 (subject to available credit)
  • Monthly reporting to the three major credit bureaus
  • See if you’re Pre-Qualified without impacting your credit score
  • Fast and easy application process; results in seconds
  • Online account access 24/7
  • Checking Account Required
★★★★★

4.5

Overall Rating

Application Length Interest Rate Reports Monthly Reputation Score
9 minutes 29.99% APR (Variable) Yes 8.5/10

Keep in mind that credit cards aren’t a quick fix but a long-term investment. You will be responsible for paying back what you spend, but as long as you plan ahead and make your payments on time, you can avoid paying any interest on your credit card purchases.

Ready to Rock?

As you can see, the options for financing a guitar with bad credit are plentiful. From in-store financing to traditional lenders, there are a number of choices for you to consider when making your next purchase. There’s nothing quite like picking up a brand-new, shiny guitar that still smells like its protective lacquer coating and strumming those first chords — and knowing you’ll be taking that guitar home with you.

With these 15 financing tips, not only can you land the guitar of your dreams, but with regular on-time payments, you may also end up rebuilding your credit in the process.

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