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's where to look
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 good.
Craigslist.com, 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.
Here's what to look for
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. It's hundreds of dollars to repair bad bracing.
- 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.
- Do you like the sound of the instrument? Is it easy to play?
- Try playing each note up the fretboard on every string. If there's a buzz, find it now before it drives you crazy latter.
If you have a friend that knows about guitars, take them with you. You want to get an instrument that not only sounds good, but one that will last for many years.
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.
I started out with a guitar that had a very “high action”…a term I didn’t know about at the time. I had such a hard time pressing the strings down. Later I learned that I might have had the strings adjusted closer to the neck so playing would be easier. I did however, learn that putting a capo on the neck solved the problem somewhat, but then all my playing was in a higher key. I finally purchased a better guitar that had a good action set up by the shop’s luthier, and my playing ability improved right away. And to think I almost quit trying to play, and all because I had an instrument that wasn’t working for me. Usually shopping with a small establishment will provide service that will help you purchase the right instrument for you. Realize that a large establishment such as Guitar Center might not answer all your questions due to the large volume of customers and instruments they represent. A good luthier is a good thing.
Anita, you are so correct. A hard to play guitar can make anyone want to quit. Glad you got a better instrument! Blessings, Jean