How to not get ripped off

[iparkforfree]

My first expensive guitar purchase was a used Martin HD-28. I didn’t know what I was doing. It sounded okay and looked good. A more knowledgeable musician put a bright light on it to point out the guitar had cracks all through it. I have never considered buying a used guitar since then, over ten years ago.

What do you all do to prevent getting ripped off on a used guitar sale?

[L20A]

I buy new.
In the back of my mine, I always wonder why someone sells their guitars.

I'm happy paying for a new guitar.

[rollypolly]

It’s always a risk but I’ve never felt ripped off. I have yet to buy anything that arrived with undisclosed issues. Usually any issues are pretty obvious but I guess it can happen.

[Racerbob]

As you learned how to look for cracks now there are other common things to look for with guitars. Just like shopping for cars means looking for leaks, smoking, uneven wear on tires etc. I have mostly bough used and yet to get a problem guitar. The members here endlessly talk about things to look at either in person or through pictures.

Buying new can get expensive and as threads here can attest that doesn't mean you won't get a problem. Maybe if there isn't a sticky check list for what to look for there should be. But educating yourself with lots of reading the forum is really a must to learn what to look for and how to structure a deal.

[TBman]

I've bought used from GC and Sam Ash, no problems. I bought used here in the classifieds and got a guitar case with the guitar that smelled like glue for months and is still in my basement airing out a bit. Not disclosed by the seller. It smelled so bad my wife wouldn't let me open the case in the house.

I didn't make a big deal out of it, but it was a bit nervy of the seller to sell to a long time member something like that. I should have returned the guitar and case on principle (but the guitar sounds great and the guitar doesn't smell now. I bought an inexpensive case to keep it in, so...).

Anyone want to know the member name of seller, pm me.

[FormerFoodie]

Originally Posted by iparkforfree

My first expensive guitar purchase was a used Martin HD-28. I didn’t know what I was doing. It sounded okay and looked good. A more knowledgeable musician put a bright light on it to point out the guitar had cracks all through it. I have never considered buying a used guitar since then, over ten years ago.

What do you all do to prevent getting ripped off on a used guitar sale?

First of all, I'm sorry to hear that you had a bad used guitar experience. I can only imagine how much that would suck.

There's a saying that goes something like "Good decisions come from experience. Experience comes from bad decisions."

Early on, we are not experts, so we rely on others. In the early years of my guitar journey, I only bought used, but I also only purchased guitars from reputable dealers with a return policy. I never had to return a guitar.

Nowadays, I still prefer buying used, but I'm willing to make purchases from forum members, particularly those with a good reputation. In fact, I've had a number of amazing transactions from AGF members.

There's always going to be a certain degree of risk, but there are steps you can take to mitigate it. If I'm going to spend a chunk of change on a guitar, I would definitely want to speak with the seller. If you're still unsure of the seller, you can always ask for references or additional pictures. If there's apprehension, that may be a warning sign.

[Rosewood99]

Never had a problem buying used. The only time I had a problem with the guitar was a new Martin that had a defective neck. Had to send it back.

[Tony Burns]

I would only buy used , it takes experience and alot of questions . and if im not
convinced its what i think it is , i pass . I prefer to see the guitar first hand , so i do a bit of drivng
-not far mind you but I live between two larger cities and Im also not far from Pittsburgh .
I save about half of what they are new - and it would be easy to get back what i paid for them -
becasue i take good care of what i own -

basically i believe that we never really own things, were just stewards of them ,
we need to take great care of them for their next owners !






.

[slimey]

I consider myself a fairly savvy individual but.
I recently purchased a guitar trading another one against the new one. I knew what value the retailer could sell the trade for but they said they could only sell it for $400 less than I thought. I managed to get them to reduce the price a little on the new instrument and got to a place where I would accept the price but was not really delighted with the deal , it was just acceptable.
I"m very happy with the new instrument but 3 days after the deal they listed my used guitar on their website at exactly at the price I thought they could sell it for. The long and the short of it is they lied to me in order to make another $400.
Over the years I've bought maybe 5 guitars from them , there's been some changes in staff and I guess the culture in the store has changed. Used to be a place of honesty, I guess no more.
I hope they're happy with the extra $400 of my money because it's the last dollars of mine they'll ever see.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by L20A

I buy new...I'm happy paying for a new guitar...

Ditto to that...

[Jengstrom]

I have 5 acoustics, 4 new and one used. The used one, that I was able to test drive before buying, had issues. Fortunately, I saw those issues (except one) before buying, and I bought it anyway. One of the new ones (the most expensive one, BTW) had issues in the first year.

The two I bought online without playing first are perfect. Go figure.

Ya pays yer money and you gets what you gets.

John

[birdsong]

I have purchased ~10 guitars from these classifieds. It was fairly easy to do a forum search (as suggested above). I could read up on what to consider, and also I could read up on seller's other posts etc, sort of get to know the individual that way......

Then, ask a few questions as needed and take the plunge.

Each purchase has been flawless and I still have all but one of the instruments (which I sold simply to move up the food chain).

I presume you're asking about used/not in person. To be thorough about this - I've done two from Craigslist and for those I had a chance to play them, etc. So of course, standard sort of purchase.

I only buy used. At this stage in life, I'm just sampling things that are different, for the fun of it. I have no "sound" in mind. Indeed I've lost a lot of high end hearing and so I'm just trying out different builders/brands, woods, and sizes. I just need to determine that the guitar of interest is structurally sound.

There's a small, neat, "young hippie" type guitar shop just half a mile from me. I take instruments there for set ups and consignments. They mostly sell electrics and have some really great ones, all price points. I wish I played more electric. The day they have "the right" acoustic, I'll buy it from them.

[b1j]

To the OP, I feel for you. Some people betray others, it’s the way of the world.

How do I avoid getting ripped off? I guess it comes down to acting on my instincts about people.

As a young hippy with his first few hundred dollars (student loans, if you must know! I never told my parents.), I bought the Gurian from Terminal Music in Manhattan, a once legendary establishment on the now defunct Music Row. The place was its own credibility. See the links for a bit of history. Of course it was a new guitar and I personally A/Bd it against a Martin for over an hour; that helped a lot.

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/pe...-eighth-street

https://bobbyowsinskiblog.com/48th-street-music-row/

Slow forward forty years. After my now wife’s 1964 0-18 was stolen during a break-in at her house, we took the insurance money and went looking for a replacement. Someone was watching out for us, because a few weeks after we asked Gryphon to be on the lookout for one, they called and said they had a 1952 in good shape. They underpromised and overdelivered. Again, credibility made it easy to decide to buy from them. And what a beauty that 0 is.

Another seven years and yours truly wants a dread. After a blizzard of Internet research, I settled on a J-45. This time I went with new again. But again credibility ruled the day. Music Villa earned my trust through emails and phone conversations while they waited (quite a while) to get one in stock. They said all the right things to give me confidence that I’d love the guitar, and they were right.

Almost a year later I took the first genuine leap of faith and bought the used HD-28E from a forum member a half-hour’s drive from me. He was the second owner, so, double risk, right? Once again, I just asked him open-ended questions: tell me about the guitar. I liked what I heard and asked many follow-up questions. Nothing came back with a red flag. Turns out the seller is a terrific, ethical guy whose guitar expertise is off the charts. 10 out of 10 credibility.

What ties all of these together, I suppose, is that I treated every purchase as a symbol of a personal relationship. I made it personal by asking pointed questions that conveyed to the sellers that I was placing my trust in them.

Did I just get lucky four times? I don’t think that’s it. I just would have walked away if something didn’t pass the smell test. By the way, those are just the ones I did buy from. I did walk away from several others, but I don’t store those memories.

Now that you’ve been burned, use that to guide your questions. And make it personal. Only a real jerk will persist with a lie when they see you expect them to stand by their word of honor.

I read somewhere that life is the opposite of school. First you get the test and then you get the lesson.

[Tenn]

Tried to buy a guitar off this forum a while ago. I asked the seller for a pic of the string breakover at the saddle and the action height. The seller took a pic that did not show the breakover and claimed to not have the tool to measure action. I took the leap despite this assuming the seller was somewhat clueless. When the guitar arrived it was apparent that a neck reset was needed desperately. I contacted the seller. He disputed my claim...would not refund .....would not send a shipping label.

Luckily I had used regular PP, not friends and family, and went to them to claim a fraudulent transaction. They solved the problem after months. Thankful but what a pain.

As a result I will never ever buy a used guitar unless the seller can provide the basic details of the setup with pics. Even then...when I receive a guitar I will do the light test and take a mirror to the inside to check for undisclosed gluing, crack repair, damaged bridge plate, repairs etc.

Sadly the experience turned me into a "caveat emptor" buyer

[SalFromChatham]

I’ve bought new plenty. I’ve bought used plenty. In shops, online, on forums. I suppose the only two problems involved guitars where the nut was cut incorrectly, with strings sliding off the neck, and a horribly poorly done setup.

If buying new or used, and especially a Martin, I need assurances about the binding and the neck set. I won’t buy unless I can see how tall the saddle is, and see the measured action. With other guitar brands I’ll always look at the neck set, evidence of improper care… such as humidity cracks, loose braces, and I’ll ask if the truss rod was adjusted or played with.

That’s about it.