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  #16  
Old 09-12-2019, 06:41 AM
Skarsaune Skarsaune is offline
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Originally Posted by BluesKing777 View Post
Some very long drives involved with this policy.
Same here.

I try to work these in with other road trips - we were in MI last week, partly to see a friend and partly so I could play a Martin America 1 at Elderly Instruments.

Unfortunately I didn’t get along with the neck on that guitar. Fortunately I played it before laying out ~$2000 to try it and have to go through the hassle of return shipping, etc.

I did buy my Gibson J-15 used here on AGF sight unseen and unplayed. Smooth transaction and I love the guitar. That and my Voyage Air are the only ones in my collection bought without being able to play them first.
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  #17  
Old 09-12-2019, 07:31 AM
DCCougar DCCougar is offline
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Originally Posted by Mbroady View Post
I always ask for a pic of:
The Saddle hight
String hight at the 12 fret
A straight edge running from the neck to the bridge....
Yeah, these are the key things to check.
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  #18  
Old 09-12-2019, 10:54 AM
AndrewG AndrewG is offline
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I would never buy unseen and unplayed from a private seller. Too many horror stories. With dealers you at least have statutory consumer protection legislation.
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  #19  
Old 09-13-2019, 03:50 PM
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guitargabor guitargabor is offline
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Originally Posted by AndrewG View Post
I would never buy unseen and unplayed from a private seller. Too many horror stories. With dealers you at least have statutory consumer protection legislation.
Agree.And once most people have your money their behavior changes....

I believe that most of the guitars sold here on AGF are fairly safe.
Reverb and other sites ,not so much.
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  #20  
Old 09-13-2019, 10:21 PM
Orfeas Orfeas is offline
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I hope that you will find an instrument that fits you. I would not buy a guitar sight unseen. Too much to handle if something went wrong. You are brave.
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  #21  
Old 09-14-2019, 03:13 AM
AndrewG AndrewG is offline
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I hope that you will find an instrument that fits you. I would not buy a guitar sight unseen. Too much to handle if something went wrong. You are brave.
Yes; 'it wasn't cracked when I shipped it'. And so it begins...
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  #22  
Old 09-14-2019, 09:28 AM
mawmow mawmow is offline
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Three overlooked and almost never mentionned things to look at :
- action as seen on lateral views of the entire neck : ASK for specific PHOTOS !!!
- Is the bridge nut shaved down ? Indicator of neck reset needed.
- tiny crack at the base of the neck toward the sound hole.

I actuallly used to look at photos with scrutiny and found many of these that were not mentioned !
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  #23  
Old 09-14-2019, 09:47 AM
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Originally Posted by Orfeas View Post
I hope that you will find an instrument that fits you. I would not buy a guitar sight unseen. Too much to handle if something went wrong. You are brave.
Most of my Martins were purchased on line.Over the years Jon and Sharon of My Favorite Guitars have been able to obtain excellent new Martins for me.

There were a couple I had to send back.Their exchange policy and accommodation was outstanding.

I have bought 3 used guitars from private owners.One was a great sounding 1972 Martin 00-18 which had a very poorly done neck reset.They basically chopped the neck off at the 14th fret and reglued it.The seller did disclose this to me.I kept that guitar for a couple of years then resold it and came out even.The second used Martin had an improperly installed pick up.I returned it to the seller.

I believe that if you find an honest seller who is not obsessed with making every last dime, the transaction can be manageable both for parties.

It is a bit of a hassle in terms of shipping stuff back.Most of us do it anyway dealing with Amazon.

Gabe
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  #24  
Old 09-14-2019, 10:32 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vindibona1 View Post
If you accept that there are gems and dogs in every brand and every model then it should be logical that buying an acousitic sight-unseen is rollling the dice...
I really don't think that guitars can always be broken down into "gems and dogs." Instead, I think that most fall into some middle category whatever that would be. This is further compounded by our individual subjective opinions as to what constitutes a desirable guitar vs an undesirable one.

In the same way, what constitutes reasonable used condition is going to vary among us. As a seller I try to divulge all pertinent information about a guitar, but unless directly asked, I may not know what's pertinent to every potential buyer. I prefer that potential buyers ask lots of question so that I can provide all the information that would either help make a positive sale or deter one before payment or shipping.

Some potential buyers either request or demand recordings, but I'm not sure how helpful that really is. I recently turned down a Reverb sale because the seller not only made a lower offer than I was willing to accept but also wanted to be willing to return it if he didn't like it. That makes sense as a buyer; however as an individual, non-commercial seller, the idea of shipping a considerably discounted $2000 guitar from coast to coast and offering a money back guarantee should the buyer decide he doesn't like it made me decide to pass on the sale.

While I'm still quite willing to purchase a guitar from a distance, I've begun to increasingly embrace Craigslist as my primary sales platform. The advantages have become increasingly obvious for me as a seller: instant cash payment, face-to-face interaction, face-to-guitar inspection, no shipping fees, no Reverb/Ebay fees and no potential loss or damage due to shipping. Sure that minimizes the potential pool of buyers, but I'm ok with that for now....
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  #25  
Old 09-14-2019, 10:49 AM
Tahitijack Tahitijack is offline
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In your situation I'd monitor the websites of guitar shops in Western Washington and if something of interest came up, call and put a credit card deposit. Then drive over to the shop. Even a visit to Seattle from Spokane can be a day trip. And if the guitar didn't work for you it's a cool road trip and beautiful drive.
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  #26  
Old 09-14-2019, 11:29 AM
Tony Burns Tony Burns is offline
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There are certain shops that are trustworthy - My favorite guitars and elderly - ( are two i know of )
IMO tell you the facts and dont beat around the bush - ask here about other dealers ,
or shops -some have reputations that make their business
- Guitar Center is not a decent place to buy something sight unseen - some are good most are not.
Ive bought 3 guitars from other forum members -all went well .
The only problem ive ever had was from a ebay seller on a mandolin
but that was a long time ago - i learned from that
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  #27  
Old 09-14-2019, 01:36 PM
Arthur Slowhand Arthur Slowhand is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vindibona1 View Post
Lastely, ALWAYS film the unboxing to document the condition as it comes out of the box and case. There are stories on the forum where the buyer found damage upon opening and then had a disputed with the sellers who would claim otherwise.
If I had to do that every time I bought a guitar it would tell me one thing... I bought from a dealer, or person, I couldn't trust. No need for video evidence if you buy: a) from a reputable dealer [we have really good consumer protection in the UK*]; and b) if you buy from an individual, do it on eBay and you'll be protected if you pay with Paypal... they always find in favour of the buyer.

*In the UK, under consumer law, it's the responsibility of the seller to ensure that goods arrive in the condition in which they were advertised.

Last edited by Arthur Slowhand; 09-14-2019 at 01:41 PM.
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