When it comes to buying a used electric guitar, you want to find the right guitar for you in terms of appearance, sound, price, playability and comfort, just as you buy a new electric guitar. The main difference is that used guitars come with the past, and if you are not careful, your future may include a junk guitar.
Experienced guitarists know what to look for when buying a used guitar, but guitar buyers risk making a bad purchase for the first time if they are not prepared.
Used guitars for sale at a local record store are usually much less risky than buying a used guitar from a stranger, especially if the store that created an honest and honest business. If a business has spent many years of hard work, building up trust and a good reputation with its customers, it is unlikely that it will sell them used electric guitars that are in poor condition.
Strangers no longer exist with strangers. Although there are many honest people who sell used electric guitars in good condition, there are many who are not honest. That is why power and protection come with knowledge. If you are buying an electric guitar for the first time — from a stranger, a music store, or where — prepare in advance with the following tips and reduce the chances that you will leave with a bad purchase.
When you read the tips below, keep in mind that some problems, such as intonation or light worship, happen despite every guitar at some point. Often, getting a serviced electric guitar is usually less than $ 50 and includes minor adjustments to the neck, fret, action, and intonation, if necessary. As a rule, whenever you buy a used electric guitar, it is a good idea to have it serviced, or you get it from a store, or a stranger.
However, tips.
1. Check your guitar for cracks, especially along the neck and between the neck and the head, which is the weakest point on the electric guitar. Cracks in the finish are cosmetic and far from their ugliness, and not a big problem. Structural cracks can lead to complete destruction of the neck. Finishing cracks can work in any direction, but structural cracks tend to follow the grain of the wood and can crack.
Scratches, dents, and wearing are completely normal: after all, the guitar is used. Just take a look at the Bruce Springsteen Fender Telecaster finish line or Stevie Ray Vaughn's Fender Stratocaster. Or should I say what to do? Without such flaws that you experience aesthetically, they do not create a problem.
2. Look at the neck of the guitar to make sure that it is not distorted or bowed. The fastest way to do this is to keep the guitar at eye level, when the body of the guitar is closest to you and again with the neck closest to you and look down on both sides of the neck. It should be straight. If the guitar neck is slightly bowed or distorted, the adjustment of the truss rod should fix the problem and no other problems arise, this is not a serious problem. In fact, this is a common problem. If the deformation or worship is expressed and has been in this way for some time, the neck may need to be replaced.
3. Check intonation. This is problematic for novice guitarists who have not yet learned how to play harmonics. Just play the harmonica on the 12th fret, and then on the same string, play the note on the 12th fret and compare. If the sound sounds higher or lower than the other, the intonation is off. Do this for each line. For accuracy, it's best to use a guitar tuner for comparison.
4. Check the action. Guitar action is measured from the bottom of the string to the top of the fret. For an electric guitar, the standard action is 6/64 inches on the sixth string and 4/64 inches on the first line. You cannot judge this with your own eye, so just know that the strings should not touch the frets, and they should not be so high that it hurts your hand to bother the notes.
5. Strings should not pop, buzz or mute during playback, regardless of whether the guitar is connected or disconnected. Make sure that none of the frets is free.
6. Insert the guitar to check the receivers and selector switch, as well as the tone and volume controls. There should be no pops or buzzing, and the sound should not sound.
7. Ask the seller how long he owned the guitar, and if he bought it or used it.
8. Ask if there is still a guarantee on the guitar, and if so, this guarantee can be transferred.
9. Ask the seller if any guitar work has been done, and if so, why.
10. After you agree with the guitar, examine the make and model. Is she or she discontinued? Check out customer reviews. Find e-bay, Craigslist, and other classified features to see if anyone sells the same make and model and how much. This will help you determine if the seller’s asking price is too long (time to negotiate), too short (this is true) or at market value.
11. Finally, remember what I said in the first tip. Used electric guitars will exhibit varying degrees of wear and may require minor adjustments. If you find a used electric guitar that has no serious problems and feels and plays like it is in your hands, buy it!
