🎸 10 Essential Tips Before Buying a Used Guitar

How to avoid unpleasant surprises and find a real gem

Buying a used guitar can be an excellent way to get a quality instrument at a reasonable price. But it's also a minefield for both beginners and experienced guitarists. A poorly maintained, badly repaired, or simply poorly constructed guitar can turn into a costly nightmare.

Here are the most important things to check before opening your wallet.

🔍 1. General condition of the body

• Inspect the guitar under good lighting.
• Look for cracks, impacts, visible repairs, or areas where the finish looks abnormal.
• On acoustics, a crack in the soundboard can be a sign of a structural problem. Tap the soundboard to detect loose braces or other parts.
• On electrics, check that the cavities haven't been tampered with or modified, and if they have, ask why!

🪵 2. The neck: straight, stable, and comfortable

The neck is the heart of the instrument.

• Check the straightness of the neck by sighting down it like a rifle.
• Check the curvature (relief): too concave or too convex = truss rod problem or improperly set tension.
• Make sure there is no twist, a difficult and costly defect to correct.

🔧 3. Does the truss rod really work?

• Ask the seller for permission to test the truss rod.
• A slight rotation should produce a visible effect on the neck's curvature.
• A stuck or ineffective truss rod is a red flag.

🎯 4. Action and playability

• Action that's too high can hide a structural problem, especially on acoustics.
• Action that's too low can cause fret buzz.
• Ideally: test the guitar all over the neck, not just a few open chords.

🪙 5. Frets: wear, leveling, and comfort

• Check for wear: frets that are too deeply grooved will require leveling or perhaps even partial or complete refretting.
• Run your finger along the edges: if it catches, the neck may have moved (fret sprout).
• Check if any notes buzz or choke.
• Frets that have been leveled multiple times and are too thin will need to be replaced.

🎼 6. Intonation

• Play open notes and then at the 12th fret.
• If the difference is significant, a simple adjustment might suffice... but not always.
• On an acoustic, poor intonation can be more difficult to correct.

🔌 7. Electronics (for electric guitars)

• Test each position of the selector switch, making sure there's no looseness in the mechanism.
• Check that the potentiometers turn smoothly without crackling.
• Listen to the pickups: parasitic noise, volume loss, weak or uneven sound.
• Look inside the cavity if possible: clean wiring or questionable DIY work.

🪕 8. Bridge, nut, and tuners

• The bridge must be securely attached and not cracked.
• The nut should not be cracked or warped under pressure.
• The tuning keys should turn smoothly and hold tune.

🧾 9. History and provenance

• Ask for the year, place of purchase, and any repairs made.
• An original receipt or certificate of authenticity adds value.
• Be wary of overly modified instruments without explanations.

💰 10. Price: realistic or too good to be true?

• Compare with market prices for the same model.
• An unusually low price may hide a problem.
• A price that's too high can be negotiated if you've spotted defects.

🎤 Conclusion

Buying a used guitar is a bit like buying a car: you need to take the time to examine it thoroughly, understand its history, and ensure it's in good condition. With these tips, you'll maximize your chances of finding an inspiring, reliable, and enjoyable instrument to play.