Would you buy a new guitar?

[AH Acoustic]

Interestingly, so far, about 90% have voted they would buy a new guitar, with 10% indicating not.

That's at the 1 week mark.

Will be curious to see in future weeks how things shape up.

Thanks everyone.

-a.h.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by brensec

Hi Mate... You say you bought online... Were you concerned that it may not play well when you got it? Or did you have occasion to try it out elsewhere?

This one, I believe is also missing at least one necessary option...

Hi Brensec, Welcome to the AGF! When buying new online I'll buy from somewhere that has an excellent return policy. I've only returned a single guitar at no cost.

I haven't bought a used guitar online in years (eBay) but they came in with no issues. They were only ~$350 so it wasn't a big concern. One of them I upgrade the pickups and gigged with it many times (electric guitar).

[brensec]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Hi Brensec, Welcome to the AGF! When buying new online I'll buy from somewhere that has an excellent return policy. I've only returned a single guitar at no cost.

I haven't bought a used guitar online in years (eBay) but they came in with no issues. They were only ~$350 so it wasn't a big concern. One of them I upgrade the pickups and gigged with it many times (electric guitar).

Thanks Dru... Thanks for the post. I was asking because, as I said in the forum previously, I've only ever bought new but was thinking about buying a used one online, at eBay also in fact. I decided against one and since have gone for another.

I decided to go for this one as it looked wonderful and it had a great rap from it's owner and I felt good about it and ended up speaking to the bloke I was buying from. It turned up this afternoon and I feel I made the right decision with this one, no doubt.

It's an Epiphone Sheraton II VS. Not an overly popular guitar over here. This one is in absolutely brand new condition, with not a single blemish anywhere. It's 6 years old and he's had it set up for what he termed as "great playability" and I believe him because it plays beautifully.

Thanks for the advice and the opinion. I may change my attitude to buying only new after this experience...

[RalphH]

It's an interesting question that never occurred to me. Personally, I would never buy a used guitar -- the price of a guitar is not a major concern to me and I would always rather have one from new than have an instrument with an unknown history and unknown problems.

The only reason I can see me buying a second-hand guitar would be because it had a known history and I wanted that -- eg if had had the opportunity to buy [insert your favourite guitarist]'s favourite guitar.

[Picker1]

Guitars fall apart, wear down, and acquire problems as they age. There are some pluses, but I prefer new.

[Highroller]

I've bought new, I've bought used. It's all good.

Price becomes a factor when you get to a certain point. If it's expensive, I'll start looking around for a good used example of whatever it is I'm trying to buy.

[richie1959]

As a lefty who needs a guitar with 1 7/8 nutwidth i am doomed to buy new guitars instead of used...

[TOPDOGJIM]

I just had a choice between a 2020 D-18 MD and a used 2019 but with a K & K.
I play at open mic’s and at 64 lifetime Warranty with a quality Martin is not important. So I went with the used one and saved $$$. It arrived cleaner than most new ones.

[cdkrugjr]

Just as soon as I win the lottery . . .

My acoustics are one new, one used.

[brensec]

Three out of the last five posts have mention cost or 'savings' being a factor in such a choice... What if money was no object for you, would you always buy new or would you be open to buying used...?

I have bought my first used guitar, at the age of 62. Money has always been a BIG factor in what I purchased but I always had an aversion to buying used so I bought what I could afford in a new guitar. My very recent purchase of my first used guitar is a very much out of character because, having recently retired, money is not so much a factor any more and here I am buying used... Lol.

The reason is simply that the price was outrageously cheap and the guitar was in 'showroom' condition, without a blemish anywhere. It had also, since new, been 'set up' nicely for lovely playability (at least in my opinion). It turns out that I have managed to get a 'better than new' (given the 'setting up') version of what I wanted for exactly half the price...

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by brensec

Thanks Dru... Thanks for the post. I was asking because, as I said in the forum previously, I've only ever bought new but was thinking about buying a used one online, at eBay also in fact. I decided against one and since have gone for another.

I decided to go for this one as it looked wonderful and it had a great rap from it's owner and I felt good about it and ended up speaking to the bloke I was buying from. It turned up this afternoon and I feel I made the right decision with this one, no doubt.

It's an Epiphone Sheraton II VS. Not an overly popular guitar over here. This one is in absolutely brand new condition, with not a single blemish anywhere. It's 6 years old and he's had it set up for what he termed as "great playability" and I believe him because it plays beautifully.

Thanks for the advice and the opinion. I may change my attitude to buying only new after this experience...

Congrats on the Sheraton! You should post a NGD thread over in the Electric Guitar sub forum. Lots of love there for semi hollow bodies.

[brensec]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Congrats on the Sheraton! You should post a NGD thread over in the Electric Guitar sub forum. Lots of love there for semi hollow bodies.

Thanks Mate... Will do.

[Kevin Bishop]

That was awesome!

[Kaydee]

Originally Posted by JParrilla

For me, there are just so many high end guitars that are purchased new and hardly touched by people. Guitars are one of the top instruments that people want to learn, but give up from frustration. Guys with a ton of cash who buy awesome guitars and never play them are a dime a dozen... so I prefer to wait for them to give up and snatch them up used.

I would buy new... but only if there was a specific reason to

So where would you look,and trust to buy a top grade used guitar please.

[rule18]

Originally Posted by Kaydee

So where would you look,and trust to buy a top grade used guitar please.

That's a great question. Up until 2015 or so I would only buy from (and recommend) Mandolin Brothers in Staten Island, NY. Some time after Stan's death in 2014, his family closed the business. I'd like to find a reliable place with knowledgeable people to buy from.