You might be buying a guitar for the first time. You might be a seasoned guitarist looking to expand your play. Whatever your experience and reasons, there are many advantages to buying a used guitar: better prices, getting a well-established or vintage model, and sound quality to name a few. It’s also a great way for someone who is just beginning to find a well-rounded model to learn on without straining the wallet. (Garage rockers starting bands on a budget: rejoice!)
Buying a used guitar, however, is similar to buying a used car: the buyer should research, ask the seller questions, conduct a personal inspection and – of course – take it for a test drive. The pointers below outline how to make an informed decision – including perks and pitfalls to watch for – when buying a used guitar.
Research First
Before you start shopping, figure out what you’re looking for. Begin by taking into account what type of guitar you’re after: acoustic, electric, classical, etc. Then you can look up what brands produce the best guitars of that kind. Some of the most reputable brands for acoustic guitars, for example, include Martin, Epiphone, Taylor, Gibson, and Yamaha among others. Next, consider how much you are willing to spend – with research you can get some idea of what’s available and recommended in your price range.
With this information in mind, search and visit forums to read what other people have posted on the subject, or pose a question of your own. Community exchange is a great place to find general feedback, as well as specific guitar recommendations, often from other people in a situation similar to yours. Here you can earmark some makes and models to check out, as well as learn about different advantages and disadvantages offered by various models, strings, and other factors. It’s also a good idea, when you earmark a model, to cross-reference forum feedback with professional reviews.
There’s no need to decide on a specific guitar just yet. This research, however, is invaluably helpful in fleshing out what qualities you want your instrument to have, and what is going to suit your need.
Buying Online Versus Buying in Person
Buying used instruments online is convenient, and at times far cheaper than buying a guitar from the shop. It is, however, more difficult to verify the condition of an instrument without physically seeing it, being able to turn it over in your hands and look at it closely from different angles. When buying online, then, make sure to use whatever information is available to you in your judgment: does the seller have good reviews? How does he or she list the guitar’s condition? Are there photos posted? If still uncertain, it is perfectly reasonable to ask the seller for additional photos or to ask specific questions – you’ll be glad you did.
Unless you, the guitarist, or the person you are buying for has some experience playing and knows something about what they’re looking for in a guitar, in most cases it is better to visit a music store or guitar shop. A guitar salesperson is also usually an expert player, so even if you walk into the store with nothing more than a price range in mind, he or she can offer excellent advice and help you find the right model. There are some advantages to buying in person that just can’t be had on the internet.
Look before You Buy: Assessing Physical Condition
Whether through pictures online, hands-on from a friend, in a music store, or otherwise, you’ll want to closely examine a guitar’s physical condition before buying it.
Look over the guitar’s face and back – scratches are not uncommon in used guitars, but don’t worry: a surface scratch will not affect the sound. Check for loose parts – make sure there aren’t any, and that no parts (pins, pegs, tuners, knobs) are missing. Be sure to thoroughly inspect the neck of the guitar, as this is the area most susceptible to cracks or breakage, and sometimes becomes bowed or warped with age. Bowing and warping can usually be fixed, but a broken neck cannot be; a crack is a deal breaker.
Finally, be sure to ask: does it come with a case? This detail alone will tell you what sort of care its previous owner(s) treated it with – and if it does come with a case, which is a good sign and ideal, it saves you the trouble of purchasing one separately.
Play before You Buy: Assessing Sound Quality
If the physical condition of the guitar is good, pick it up and check out how it plays. First, pluck each of the strings by themselves. Ideally, each will produce a strong, full sound. If you notice any weak or strange resonating, like a buzz, bring it to the seller’s attention; it may be fixed by changing the string. But make sure you do not buy the guitar in such condition (unless you plan to fix it yourself), as that particular issue will not resolve itself and does inhibit playback.
After testing each string, check each individual note. For those without experience playing, this is done one string at a time, and means starting at the head of the guitar (with the tuning knobs), holding down the string at each fret, and plucking. In short, each fret is a different note. Again, look for strong, full sounds. For electric guitars, make sure your test play includes plugging in and trying the volume and tone knobs.
Last Details
For those who really want to be thorough: before buying a used guitar, note its make, model, and year. (If a seller doesn’t know, the details may be printed on the inside of the guitar.) This information will allow you, if you haven’t already, to research reviews for that specific model. Every seller is different, but many secondhand shops and music stores will let you put a guitar on hold, perhaps for a day, so you can finish researching or shopping around before you buy it. If you’re debating between two or three models or just want to be on the safe side, this is a great opportunity to take advantage of.
The beauty of buying a used guitar lies in unexpected perks. You just might end up with a vintage collector’s item at a bargain price! And even if it’s not worth a lot of money, a used guitar’s age can pay off in other ways: for acoustics, the sound is said to open up and mature as it gets older. This gives your music unique character, even before you start.
On that pleasant note – no pun intended – you can rest assured that a used guitar, though less expensive, often proves just as good, if not better than a new one. Research and good judgment will help you ensure that yours is. Happy hunting!
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