If you're new to playing the guitar and have seen one you like, you'll probably be in for quite a shock when you see the price, especially if it's the guitar that your favourite musician happens to play.
It's always recommended that every musician match their budget to their level and we wouldn't recommend that novices start spending thousands of dollars on their new hobby.
There are ways to get more for your money, though, especially if you're happy to buy a secondhand or used guitar. However, you do need to know what to look for and how to check if you're really getting a bargain or are getting swindled.
Whether you're in the market for an electric guitar, acoustic guitar, or classical guitar, here's our advice on why you should buy secondhand, what you should look for, and what you should pay.
Even if your playing isn't the best, there's no reason your guitar can't be!
Why You Should Choose a Secondhand Guitar
You're probably wondering why you should go through the process of buying used or secondhand guitars when there are plenty of places where you can buy brand-new guitars.
The market for beginners is huge and it's quite easy for companies to take advantage of them. After all, beginners are often excited about their new hobby and can easily get overexcited and overspend, especially when they're not really sure what they're paying for. An experienced guitarist will likely spend more, but they'll also know what they're looking for in their guitars.
The main reason to buy secondhand guitars (not vintage guitars) is that they'll be cheaper than brand-new ones. The price of a guitar, like many other commodities, immediately drops once it's been used, even if it's almost in perfect condition. This is particularly funny when you consider a lot of the guitars hanging up in guitar shops have probably been played quite a few times anyway.
For the same price, you can get a better secondhand guitar than a brand-new one. For novices, this means you can start playing on a quality instrument rather than the cheapest and nastiest guitars they offer for beginners.
Since you bought secondhand, the value of your guitar won't diminish as much, either. If you keep your guitar in excellent condition and take care of it, there's no reason that you can't sell it for the same price as you bought it. Certain models may even become collectors' items over time and increase in value. Limited editions, rare features, and special colours and finishes often tend to increase in value over time.
If you have your sights set on something like a Fender, Gibson, PRS, Gretsch, or another premium brand, you may still pay quite a bit secondhand, but you can still pay less than brand-new guitars. The same is true of premium acoustic guitars, too.
Different Guitar Brands and Models
For any kind of guitar, be it acoustic, electric, or electro-acoustic, there are a number of well-known and reputable brands that many guitarists swear by.
Quite a few brands do both electric and acoustic guitars and brands like Ibanez, Yamaha, Gibson, Epiphone, ESP, and Fender are all quite popular in the world of electric guitars. As for acoustic guitars, we should also mention brands like Breedlove, Taylor, Alvarez, Seagull, and Martin. Generally, the guitar's brand is quite visible on the instrument and it's very common for manufacturers to put their logo on the headstock.
The same tends to be true for the model and Gibson, for example, has Les Paul emblazoned on each model in the series. They do the same with their other series but they don't always mention the exact model.
Fender does the same with their series of guitars. You'll often see Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jazzmaster, etc. next to the Fender logo. However, much like with Gibson, they don't always say exactly which model it is.
It's common for the back of the headstock to feature the serial number and where it was made, too. A lot of these companies have factories all over the world and their guitars from their native countries are often the most expensive in their ranges.
With acoustic guitars, you'll likely find the brand name on the head, too, but if you look into the sound hole, you'll see that there's usually a sticker or label with some details.
Prices for Secondhand Guitars
So how much should you pay for a secondhand guitar?
Working out the price of a guitar is down to the market, supply and demand, and so many other factors that you'll only really start to understand once you start looking for guitars and doing your research.
It's impossible to put an exact number on it since every guitar is different and there are so many factors to consider. Generally, guitars will get cheaper and cheaper as they get older, but the inverse is also true if they become sought-after items. After all, the market for vintage guitars has some people paying millions of dollars for special guitars, especially those with famous owners!
For most used guitars, you can save somewhere between 20% and 50% off the retail price, but you can't guarantee this and it's very much a case of looking at different guitars, seeing how much certain models go for, and jumping on a good deal when you find one.
Don't even consider something vintage or special when buying your first guitar. Always try to match your budget to your level. A nice guitar won't make you a better guitarist.
Where Can You Buy Secondhand Guitars?
Fortunately, for anyone in the market for a secondhand guitar, there are plenty of options for buying used musical instruments.
In Music Shops
Music shops often sell new and used musical instruments and that often includes guitars. Some will buy guitars from musicians to sell them and with the best music retailers, there are also added protections for sellers such as a guarantee and maybe sometimes other goodies and accessories thrown in when you buy from them.
The good thing about a music shop is that they'll often set up the guitar before selling it again. A lot of things can happen to a guitar when it gets used that will affect its tone and playability. An instrument that's been professionally set up will often play much better and sound much better.
Online Stores
This is essentially the online equivalent to a music shop and it's common for online stores to also resell used instruments. Again, there are often protections for the seller like guarantees and return policies if you're not happy with the instrument, its condition, etc.
The only downside to this is that you can't necessarily try the guitar before you buy it, but as long as the returns policy is good, you're fairly safe and the worst that can happen is that you have to cover shipping, which will be in the tens of dollars rather than thousands.
Stock B
Stock B are brand new instruments that have imperfections or damage. You can find some real bargains if you buy the floor model or imperfect guitars.
That said, it does mean that you'll have a harder time if you choose to sell it at a later date because guitarists tend to be quite precious about their instruments and many buyers will be put off by even the tiniest aesthetic imperfections.
Individual Sellers
You can find classified ads both online and offline for people selling guitars. These individuals will likely be fellow guitarists or parents of kids who've decided that learning to play the guitar was too difficult and have given up.
This is the option that tends to come with the most risks for the buyer, but if you can see and try the guitar before you buy it, then you really don't have much to worry about.
Checking the Condition of a Secondhand Guitar
Ideally, when you buy a secondhand guitar, you'll want to be able to check that everything's fine.
This is particularly difficult for beginners and even harder for somebody who's never played a guitar before. If you can, try to have a fellow guitarist, your teacher or tutor, or somebody else come along to help you.
Whether you're buying an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar, there are three main areas that you need to check when buying used models.
The Head
Check the tuning pegs of the guitar for damage and wear. Tune up the guitar, play it a little, and make sure that it doesn't slide out of turn immediately.
You should also check the nut. This is the part at the top of the head that the strings rest on. Fortunately, this part is quite easily replaced if there are any problems and you can find them quite cheap.
The Neck
Look closely at the fretboard and the frets for signs of wear. Check that action and make sure that the strings don't rattle against the frets when you play. In some cases, these issues can be fixed by getting your guitar set up by a professional, but in other cases, it might be unfixable and a sign that you shouldn't buy the guitar.
The Body
Most dents and dings on a guitar's body won't drastically affect it and are mainly aesthetic. However, a lot of damage could be a sign that the guitar hasn't been well-maintained and there may be other issues that you can't see.
Cosmetic damage is often a way to get a few dollars off the price, at least if the seller hadn't indicated the damage previously. In most cases, you'll find guitarists are pretty honest about the condition of their guitars and will even list guitars online with plenty of closeup photos of even the most minor cosmetic imperfections.
When buying an electric guitar or an electro-acoustic guitar, don't forget to check that it works when plugged in and play it through an amp when testing it.
Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
