questions to ask when buying a used guitar online.

[brandon]

what are some useful questions to ask when buying a used guitar online from an "independent" seller? i have an idea of what i need to ask but just want to make sure im not leaving anything out. thanks for your help.

in His grasp,

         brandon

[Denis]

what are some useful questions to ask when buying a used guitar online from an "independent" seller? i have an idea of what i need to ask but just want to make sure im not leaving anything out. thanks for your help.

in His grasp,

         brandon

How about asking for a 2-3 day approval period.  I think if you're buying online, you should know within a few days whether you're going to want to keep it or not but you want to make sure you've got time to properly inspect the instrument or even better have it inspected by a luthier.

[patrickgm60]

What Denis said.

Ideally, you should have the option to return the guitar within those 2-3 days for any reason, not just issues that were not accurately described.

An acoustic guitar has so many components that fit into the overall playability and sound that asking individual questions about fret wear, neck straightness, cracks, etc. still leaves room for deal-breaking flaws. A "barely used" guitar by a manufacturer with a consistent quality reputation takes some of the risk out.

[stuco]

 

If they will offer you an approval period that'd be great.  Ask about how many owners, cracks, repairs, modifications, and try to make sure it's not a scam artist.  One way is if they have an ebay account, they can give you their ebay name and you can check their feedback and ask them a question to confirm it's them(they have to be selling something to ask though, new rules )  Use paypal if possible, that way you can account for the transaction and if the seller does not hold his side of the bargain, you can return(print label through paypal) the guitar and put a hold on your money until it gets back into your account.  Good luck

[imwjl]

I'm not sure I saw look inside with a mirror for problems, cracks, glue that is a sign of a repair.

Keep in mind that any warranty the guitar maker originally had is most likely for the original owner.

Also look at craigslists where your metro area or one near might have guitars that interest you. I got my HD-28 that way, spared shipping and got to play it and inspect it before I handed over the cash.

Good luck.

[whiskeyjack]

Good advice up there, every bit!! 

If the guitar is not being sold or auctioned by the owner:  avoid it completely unless there is a trial period and/or the seller is a guitar player and can prove he knows something about it.

If the guitar being auctioned or sold by the original owner here's some stuff to ask or dig into even if it is disclosed in the write-up:

1) the types (genre) of music he or she plays: you're looking for a response that connects the genre to the instrument and is technical enough to confirm their familiarity with the guitar.

2) modifications: you're wanting to know if a bone nut or saddle was added, if the tuners are original, if the finish has been altered. . . .

3) repairs: you're interested in major cracks and ANY structural repairs. . . .and how old those repairs are.

4) are they the original owner?  'Better if they are: the history of the guitar will be more reliable.

5) fret ware and its location: this gives you some idea of where their fretting hand spent most of its time and should correspond to the genre of music they've told you about. . .sometimes.

6) neck profile: ask them to describe the neck profile as best they can.  This gives you some sense of what your fretting hand will encounter.  Their descriptions are never accurate but may refer you to a known profile (Martin's low profile or modified low oval or modified V) that you're familiar with.

7) tone: ask them to describe the tone and how old the strings are.  Subjective as it is, there are sometimes comparisons mentioned that might provide you with some idea of what the guitar sounds like i.e. ". . .the low end sounds more like a Martin than a Larrivee. . ."

8) action: ask how high the strings are off the fret board at the 12th fret AND what gauge strings they usually use.  This tells you a little about how much work your fretting hand will be doing.  If the neck is warped or twisted or has been re-set, it'll probably be mentioned as you talk about the action.

That's all I can think of for now.  Hope it helps.