what do u look 4, when buying secondhand

hey guys do u have any tips 4what 2 look 4 when buying a second hand mpc 2500...

My GOLDEN RULE as far as gear is to never buy used unless I personally know who it's coming from, Because you just don't know the history of the machine. People will tell you anything on EBAY or at your local Pawn Shop. But everything has it's Price, If I seen a 2500 in a pawnshop for let's say $400.00 and it looked nice and clean and I tested it out and everything seemed to be ok, then yeah I would take my chances and cop it (Just To Flip It). But me myself I have always preferred to buy new. Just look it over real well and if you see signs of abuse and neglect such as Major Scratches, Cracks, Dents & Dings, Cigarette Burns, Damaged Screw Heads, Sticky buttons etc. LEAVE IT ALONE. They should let you test it out, If for some reason they don't. Let it go! Good Luck!!!!!!!!!!!

Take your time, ask a lot of questions and trust your gut feeling with the seller. Take someone with you if you can, it doesn't have to be someone who knows the MPC, more important is someone who knows people, and can help you judge if the seller is being honest.

Check all the outputs, including digital if you can. You can use headphones plugged straight into the alt outs.

Check inputs, including digital, if you can.

External wear is obvious. Also make sure the screen is OK - adjust the contrast and look for inconsistencies.

Make a fresh long sample, play it back. Listen for any distortion or strangeness.

If it has a hard disk, save that sample, reboot and load it again. Same with CF reader and CD if it has one.

Check all the pads, knobs, buttons and q-links. Anything that moves is prone to wear.


Make a list of all the things you need to go through, and don't be shy to ask for help if you are stuck. You are the customer and should be treated as such.


My experience is that only a small minority are trying to con you. In most instances you should be fine.

Good luck!

thanks 4 the replies guys, makes me think i should really get a new 1....

babar141 wrote:thanks 4 the replies guys, makes me think i should really get a new 1....

My first 1k was advertised as near new. a few weeks later the pads started dying and then the HD failed...Sold it as is and bought a new one.

i bought a 2000xl off ebay and when it got here,i dont even think the pics were of the same machine,,no lie it was in 3 pieces,front off top, all loose and almost off,about 20 broken buttons(no lie) could have been from the move but i doubt it....c and d pad banks didnt work, the d light was out, the slider was shot,screen has permanent burn in it,all hardware was different,and the up and down on the cursor were shot....

i mean i fixed it all but dude said "looked like new and worked like new"...and because i only paid 400 on the dot with shipping and it came max ram and with cf drive, i didnt b1tch i just went to mpcstuff and blahblahblah,,,

my whole plan from when i bought it was to make it new because i knew it was gonna be old anyhow..
i knew i would have to do some soldering and all that and i wasnt worried about it,i actually wanted to do all that stuff to make it newer and more durable,,,

but with the 1000 being as low of a price as it is for as new as it is,i wouldnt risk it,,

look at urs like a lexus
while i look at mine like a restorer!!!

just bought a demo display model 2500 from shop.

how much??

950 euros, with no exra hd, no memory and no cd rom....