Would You Buy A good Second hand Guitar online?

I'm a bit of a purist about this one in that I won't buy a guitar I haven't played.

However, if I'd asked my local shop to get me a Gretsch white Falcon at two and a half thousand Great British Pounds that'd be a slightly different matter. I'd expect it to be in perfect condition and all I'd need to do (having played one before) is make sure it was all in working order.

A :-)

I have three guitars that I bought online. Love 'em all.

I don't shop for guitars online. Every guitar is an individual, and you can't really tell if an individual guitar is for you until you put it in your hands and play it.

Parts, strings, electronics, accessories -- no problem. But not a whole guitar.

I think for most of us that hunting for a new guitar is about as much fun as playing. Take you time, do your research and don't be afraid to try out the equipment at the guitar shops in your area. You may also come across a good deal for a used guitar. If you end up buying online you will just be better informed. If you're not sure about an on-line purchase, then make sure the seller will accept a return if the guitar is not what you expected.

-- Rob

Daza, I'm assuming (NZ not being the largest marketplace to choose from) that this would be an international purchase?

In general, I agree with the others. I like to hold something in my hands before I buy. Especially if it's something like a guitar which can have an individual character to it.

But if you are dealing with a reputable dealer, with a generous return policy you should be ok.

I bought two off eBay and one found on Craigslist, the latter I played before buying, but just to confirm it was functional. In all cases I bought from individuals, not dealers (as best I could tell). And I bought name-brand guitars (Fender, Epiphone, Takamine).

Online? Yes .... Second hand ... now that scares me.

If you're thinking about buying a second-hand guitar online, and you're not even sure if you should be upgrading, I'd say go with the new. You might get a great deal second hand, but if you're unsure of stuff like build quality, resale prices, etc., and you don't even get to try it out first, I'd say the risk is too high. At least with a local store and a new guitar you can be reasonably sure of not getting a total dud and you can take it back if you discover a problem with it after buying.

Fwiw, I bought two guitars sight unseen (one online, one ordered in a local store). Each cost less than £300 so was a cheap-low midpoint price. And I bought them after having played and owned several guitars for about a decade. One was a MIM Tele I was planning to upgrade parts on anyway, and that came from a store within travelling distance from me so I could return it if it was duff, while the other was my Tomcat and had received seriously wonderful reviews in various magazines. Even then, I only went for it because the cost of the hardware would have come to about as much as the guitar itself, and I figured I could always use that hardware on another axe if this guitar sucked. Turns out it doesn't suck. I did also buy a strat body off eBay, and a strat neck from a fellow GN user. Again, I got good deals on those, but I did buy the strat body accepting the fact that I might get burdened with a lump of junk.

Thanks for the feedback guys, I think you have made some valid points and have decided that when I upgrade it will be new and from local shop. As for a secondhand online in NZ for my daughter to learn on and may not even stick with it, I will buy online.

Thanks Daza.

Pawn shops, second hand shops and standard music retailers often have some good used instruments in stock.
In the case of music stores, they are usually trades, from when someone has upgraded as you intend to do in the future.

Yeah, I'm all for second hand if you can check it out and play it.