Buying Used Guitars

Alright! You've decided to buy a used guitar. Sweet.

There are a lot of used guitars out there in Las Vegas & even if you're not from Nevada, there are usually at least a dozen guitars in each pawn shop in your city. For the most part, these guitars aren't in the best condition & the prices are somewhat marked up. Yep, pawn shops are trying to make their money too! They're almost as sneaky as a used car salesperson.

So! If you're looking for something to help you get past the "learning curve", take a friend that definitely knows how to pick out a quality guitar - that way you don't end up with a totally crappy hunk of wood. It might "look" good (i.e. the paint job or design) but it's what's inside and how well it's been maintained over the years/since it was first made that counts.

Usually, the strings on these used pawn shop guitars are beyond dead - meaning...you can't even tune the strings to see if the guitar itself is worth the money they're asking. So it's a really tough battle to find a "keeper". The old saying that, "it's like trying to find a needle in a haystack..." - i can somewhat be applied here.

Your best option would be to buy from a small or large music store. One that has consignments or "used gear". If they don't have it advertised, try getting to know the owners or the people who make the calls & decisions like that. It's vital to form a good solid relationship with musicians in your community. that's how "success" is "found". From here, you can let them know what you're looking for so they can keep an eye out for your new, errr....used guitar. heheh. ;)

Ultimately, it comes down to caring. If you care about the people you interact with, genuinely want them to success as much or more than you - it can only help you in the world of music. Whether you want to just learn cover songs for yourself & family - or, you want to get "Oprah Rich", no one has ever gotten anywhere of worth by cutting corners. There has to be value in whatever you're doing or buying. And if it's not worth it, it's just NOT worth it. Trust me.

About 2 weeks ago i found Washburn acoustic guitar at the Summerlin Guitar Center. It was marked $99, no joke. I put it on layaway & was puzzled why it was so inexpensive. Well, after getting it home & getting new D' Addarrio strings put on it, i found out that the bolt on the 4th string's tuning peg was stripped and wouldn't tighten against the headstock of the guitar. Also, the holes on the bridge looked like they had been super-glued to keep the string pegs from slipping out. CRAZY.

So you see, even what seemed like a great used gear deal - was in fact, not as great of a "score" as i had thought. I'll probably have to invest in some new tuning keys/machineheads for the acoustic but i really like the tone of the guitar & it has a "root beer" color to it! All in all, not to bad of a find. It's just really easy to get stuck with a crappy guitar. The better route would be to save up for at least a $3-600 acoustic electric guitar or try a fully electric guitar for around $125-200.

The main point that has to be understood is that - buying a guitar, is an investment. It's kind of like buying a Harley Davidson motorcycle - they only APPRECIATE in value over the years. And when it comes down to it, when you meet the right guitar for you... YOU'LL KNOW IT.