How To Buy A Used Guitar

Looking for a good used guitar? You can find great deals with used guitars, or you can end up with a really bad instrument. Here are some things to watch for.

Where can you find a good used guitar?

When you’re looking for a used instrument, do not buy one sight unseen from ebay or other Internet auctions, unless they have a money-back guarantee. You can’t tell by a picture if the instrument is sound.

Craigslist or a site like it would be a good source to look for used guitars. You local paper, swap meets or garage sales are good too. You need to see the instrument.

What to check out before buying a used guitar.

Here are some items that you should look at before buying any used guitars.

• Are their major cracks in the wood? I wouldn’t purchase a guitar with major cracks.
• Check the neck of the guitar for warping. You can look down the side of the neck, like a billiard stick to see if there are warps.
• Take a business card to see if you can slide it under the bridge. That's where the strings attach to the body of the instrument. They can pop off and expect to pay at least $50 to get them repaired.
• Check the guitar bracing. You can tap the instrument and if there's a lot of rattling inside, the bracing may need to be repaired.
• Check the heel of the instrument. Those can pull away from a guitar too. The heel is located on the back of the guitar and helps to hold the neck and body together. Most manufacturers assemble the guitar bodies separately from the necks. Then they are glued together later. Spanish guitars have what is called a Spanish foot. The whole guitar is assembled and glued at the same time. The neck actually protrudes inside the body and you can see the foot through the sound hole. The neck will not separate from the body.
• Do you like the sound of the instrument? Is it easy to play?

If you have a friend that knowledgeable about guitars, take them with you. You want to get an instrument that not only sounds good, but one that will last for a while too

If you don’t have a lot of experience playing the guitar it’s a good idea to take a knowledgeable friend. Visiting guitar shops is helpful. It will expose you to many guitars. They often have specials and some even sell used instruments too.

Happy shopping!

PS. You may want to look at our Student Level Guitars. They are easy to play and quite inexpensive and new instruments.

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