Do you have to play a guitar before you buy it?

I feel like I have to play the guitar before I can buy it, usually more than once. This could be due to my limited experience with guitars.

Those of you who buy off the internet, what do you do if you get a guitar and you don't like it? Especially if it's an $$$ one.

The feel of it is so subjective. For me, in order of priority it has to be feeling/play-ability, then sound/tone, then finally looks. It needs to have all three for me to pull out my credit card (or wad of cash). Since these vary so greatly from guitar to guitar, even the same maker/model, especially on the first point, how do you deal with this if you buy online? Do you just ship it back and that's that, try again?

Also, guitars look very different in person than in photos. I saw this at the guitar show. Many guitars I'd been curious about because I'd seen photos of them did not interest me when I saw them in person.

It's hard to even judge the sound of a guitar listening to it on a recording vs. playing it live. Some of the recorded demos are very high quality and don't really reflect how the guitar is going to sound in your living room or backyard.

I know internet shopping is here for good, and there are fewer and fewer shops where you can go and play the guitars before buying.

What say all you seasoned wise folks?

(Not that I am thinking about buying a guitar online at this every second.)

[Athens]

Great question. Might be a good survey....?

I’m a stickler for trying before I buy. The only time I’ve bought without trying is a couple of times from GC where there’s a 45 day no excuse return policy.

Other than that, if I can’t try it out first, I move along.

[Coler]

Yes.

But a good returns policy does the job. You don't have to shop in person - although being able to make in person comparisons is potentially useful especially if you consider yourself to be inexperienced.

Then again (edit) my dread was a custom build...not exactly a leap on the dark though.

[jmagill]

Play before you pay.

If you can't, ask lots of questions, look at pics & video until you feel it might work for you, then require an evaluation period (two to three days is common) so you can send it back if it doesn't ring your bell.

[Lillis]

I buy mostly online. I've burned myself a couple of times but was able to send them back. The ones I sent back were electrics that I just didn't like the ergonomics on. I do a lot of research on a guitar before I buy so I'm pretty confident I will like the tone and comfort. Been pretty fortunate so far-no dud acoustics.

[Bob from Brooklyn]

I've done both. The ones I don't like I send back.

[keith.rogers]

I prefer trying the guitars, and on multiple days. There are a few shops around so I can do that, but I've bought online, too, and my most expensive purchase was that way (used GC). And easy return policy would be a requirement, but you need to understand current shipping costs vs. the price of the instrument to decide if that's something that's reasonable, i.e., if you're going to be paying insured shipping on a guitar and have that eat up a lot of your initial budget.

[rmp]

It is not 100% necessary for me.

If I buy on line and if it's a dog, it goes back really quickly

I'm ok with that.

[brencat]

Most of the guitars I've owned over the years were purchased long distance from forum members. Generally though, I do not buy completely blind. Most times I've played examples of the models I'm purchasing, but in the case of select boutiques like the Merrills, there are so few available in the wild to try that those were a leap of faith. But I knew they would have the flavor of vintage Martins so that was not a hard choice, the only wildcard was the neck/playability and thankfully that worked out.

I'm also careful not to overpay for things, and also consider ease of resale for when the eventual day comes that I'll want to move it on to try something new. I generally avoid no-name luthiers and overly customized one-off pieces as they are difficult to sell without a massive price discount. Let someone else worry about that; it isn't going to be me, I don't care what it sounds like.

Lastly, there is no guarantee I will long term bond with a guitar, even when playing in person before buying. Annoyances creep up over time, and historically the 1 to 1.5 year mark of ownership is when I start to get antsy.

Hope this helps.

[mr. beaumont]

I've bought 2 guitars without playing and got lucky twice.

I'd MUCH rather play it in person, though.

[rollypolly]

But I agree that in general it's nice to try a guitar in person. I recently bought my first in-person guitar in a long time. I wasn't even at the shop to buy that particular guitar but it attached itself to me and I couldn't not take it home. Still loving it every day.

[GoPappy]

I have 4 acoustics. 3 of them I bought online. All 3 worked out great - I love the sound, setup and ergonomics.

I've seen online ads for several guitars at local shops and drove there to play them and was disappointed in some aspect of the guitar. So I feel very fortunate that none of the 3 I've bought online was a disappointment.

[mawmow]

Well, I used to buy online while I lived far away from well stuffed stores. So
I bought over forty acoustics… and sold some twenty-five to thirty over a ten years period.

In the more recent years, I moved and now have three well-stuffed stores in
the area, but still bought some used jewels from reputed builders online.

In store, you can readily discard a guitar for a reason you did not suspect before
trying it.
To buy online, you have to know what to look for (mainly nut width and shaved saddle).

But whether you try in store or buy online, it took me some weeks to months
to make a clear opinion whether I would keep the guitar or not since I sometimes
had to make some string trials which take some time.

[phavriluk]

I've bought only one guitar without playing it (or its demo copy on the wall) when I bought my Taylor GS Mini from GC. Sealed box over the counter. My instructor urged me to put the dreadnought I made back in the case and get the Mini. He was right. And Taylor consistency means any one's as good as another of the same species.

I think buying used guitars without a hands-on test is right sporty.

My other guitars since the Mini, I've made.

[Bob Womack]

I own a couple I bought from the Internet but most of mine have been purchased in person. There is just so much to the process that it makes little sense to me, especially with the expensive ones, to hope and pray for a good one from a remote source. I prefer to bond before I buy. But "have to" seems so.. final... doesn't it?

Bob