Confused whether to buy used guitar for sale at the pawn shop or not? Whether you are upgrading or are a newbie, buying a used guitar is indeed beneficial and money saver.
But what should you look for, to make sure that you are getting a good deal?
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO BUYING A USED ACOUSTIC GUITAR
1. CHECK FOR ANY CHIPS AND CRACKS
If you care about what your guitar looks like, you certainly want to check out the body for any scratches, chips and cracks. The general thing when buying a used guitar is to inspect the guitar thoroughly, both front and back. Most pre-owned and pre-loved guitar usually have some sort of cosmetic damage like chipped around the head or sharp edges, however, these are not important and don’t affect the sound or playability
2. CHECK THE NECK
The neck is most likely to be damaged over time with use. Since it affects the sound and even the playability of the guitar, you should look at it with great care and detail.
Look down over the entire neck from either side of the base of the guitar’s body for any obvious bends. If you still struggle to see whether the neck is straight or not, you can use a ruler to accurately examine the neck.
Yet another thing to look for is a twisted neck because a guitar with a twist is impossible to repair. A simple way to detect a twisted neck is to look at the first fret and the last fret, if they aren’t parallel with each other, the neck is twisted. If you do find a bend, you must best avoid buying the guitar.
3. HAIRLINE CRACKS IN THE BINDINGS AND JOINTS
Hairline cracks usually appear at places where the neck joins the body and where the bindings join on to the body. Since these not obvious to see, you’ll have to look carefully along all the bindings.
Check for hairline cracks on bindings that go all around the body and especially the joints. Usually, in older guitars, the glue can become brittle, causing hairline cracks along the joints. These can be difficult to repair so it is recommended to not buy used guitar like this.
4. FRET WEAR AND TEAR
The condition of frets and the amount of wear can affect the way the guitar plays. It usually depends on how heavily the guitar was used and less on the age of the guitar.
You can get a good idea of the quality of the fret board by getting the strings out of the way to see the frets clearly and see what sort of condition they are in. Another great way to check the condition of the quality of frets, the neck and playability by checking the height of the strings from the fret board – called the Action, which shouldn’t be too high nor too low.
5. CHECK THE HEADSTOCK
Look for obvious damage on the headstock. Simply detune and retune it to feel for any tightness. Also, examine if the bushes (the steel knobs that hold the wire) are cutting into the wood. While this may not pose a problem to a seasoned guitarist since they can simply replace it but if you are a first-time buyer it’s best to avoid such a guitar.
6. CHECK THE BRIDGE
One of the most common issues is the body distorting or warping around the bridge. Often caused by years of being left fully tuned or caused by damp heat or just age, the body tends to subside over time. This can severely affect the intonation and playability of the guitar. Simply take a paper and see if that piece of paper will go under the bridge. It is a tell-tale sign that shows you about the bridge is giving off.
All said and done, the best way to judge whether a used guitar is worth buying or not is to play it.
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We are one of Sydney’s most trusted licensed pawnbroker and second-hand dealer for more than 20 years.
We specialise in short-term instant loans and buying and selling quality second-hand goods.
