Would you buy a guitar you haven't played?

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pchorman

pchorman

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Advise please: Once in a while a guitar catches my interest on ebay and I'm tempted to bid on it. But then I think I'd have to be nuts to buy something I haven't played, especially in the $500 to 1000 range. I've also wanted to order a new instrument over the internet or from a catalog, such as a tele or strat, but have had the same hesitation. My concern is that there could be too much variation in playability, intonation or sound from one guitar to the next due to quality control limitations. This makes me feel it's too risky to shop this way, even if the instrument is new coming from a reputable on-line dealer, like the Mars website someone posted below in the bass discussion.

Just out of curiousity, how many of you would or have already purchased instruments that you haven't played first, and how did it work out?

Thanks much
 
From ebay?

Are you out of your mind? Absolutely not!

From a reputable dealer with a 24 - 48 hour no-questions-asked return policy?

Of course!

foo
 
I've bought 2 of my guitars before playing them (one off ebay). If they have a good rep, and will take it back if you're not satisfied (get it in an email and save it) you shouldn't have a problem.
 
Never, the last thing I would want to do is be sending guitars back and forth.
 
Bought a bass on e-bay, It was a good experiance and a good deal. The seller had a good report.
I wouldnt do that every day.
 
I have, three times! Two turned out to be fantastic buys and one from Ebay was a slightly better than average purchase. I seem to be OK as long as I avoid MUSICIANSFRIEND!!!
 
what happened with Musiciansfriend? sounds like a horror story coming. (Although I never used them, I thought they were in the reputable category.)
 
I bought a $500+ piece of equipment from them and called specifically to ask if it was a reconditioned unit. I was told they would never do that! lo and behold when the unit arrived it had Reconditioned stickers plastered all over it. I didn't even open the box. I'm in the process of trying to get my cash back from them now. Steer clear of MF at all costs! There are too many other reputable equipment sites out there
 
I've bought 2 guitars on Ebay, and was thrilled with both. One was just an Epiphone LP Jr Dbl Cutaway, but I couldn't find a dealer in my area that had one in TV Yellow. The other was a Gibson Les Pauls Gem series, which are tough to find because they were only made for 3 years. Only place I could find them was on Ebay.
Jeff
 
No.

The two main factors in guitars are:playability
Sound (especially acoustic guitars).

Some guiatrs like epiphones have such a shit quality control you can have one guitar with beautiful action, the next a high action, etc.

The only guitar I would buy before playing would be a vintage guitar-say one of Hendrix's. The only problem is that once I bought it I still might not be able to play it.
 
I just bought a gibson les paul studio off ebay but it was through a music/guitar shop and i even called him on the phone...actually i emailed him to see if he would deal off ebay and he did....extremely kind and polite and said if you have any problems that of course i could send it...
its a 92 wine red with chrome hardware...i am excited
 
I'll throw in the other side on Musician's Friend. I've bought thousands of dollars worth of stuff over the last 10 years from them without any problems. The customer service people can be a little clueless, but they've always put me in touch with a knowledgable tech when I've had questions.

Would I buy a guitar I hadn't played? It depends. I wanted a knockaround electric to take to the office for early morning practice (I usually get to work about an hour before anyone else), so I bought a cheapie $129 Squier Strat (from MF) just to bang around on. I did order my American Standard Strat several years ago by mail order (forget which company, but it wasn't MF since they didn't carry Fender guitars back then), but I had to send two of them back before I got the one I was happy with (the first one even had a rosewood fretboard when I specifically ordered maple). After that experience, I'd be hesitant to order another that way. That's especially true when you consider that places like Guitar Center have a couple of big sales each year where the prices come down to match the mail order houses. In the past that was the big rub, do I order a Strat for $625 from a mail order house or pay $900 to get one locally where I can play several of them and pick the one I like best? My gut feeling is that if I was buying a "good" guitar that I expected to record and/or play live with, I'd play it before I bought it. If it was for practice or such, I wouldn't worry about playing it first and would go for the cheaper price.

<--Will-->
 
I have owned bookoos of guitars, and bought exactly 2 by mail order: a lovely '63 Gretsch Chet Atkins Country Gent w/original hard case I paid $425 for in 1982 (that was when they were used, not vintage) and this fall when I bought a carvin LB20 bass. I don't recommend buying this way without a lot of guarantees. there's too much variation, even in reputable guitars. And an amplifier??? Never. If you're in love with a guitar and you don't want it primarily to play, buy it however you can get it: My Country Gent was a "have-to-have" and I couldn't find one locally -- then ended up playing it as my primary instrument until I got the goldtop-of-my-dreams in '97. But I would not shop for another Les Paul online or by mail -- one in a hundred sounds the way I like! Another example is my Dobro: I tried out every wood body (round and square neck) that came through town for 3-4 years until I found one with "the sound"; I would have been sending a whole lot of Dobros back to the dealer trying to buy one mailorder.
 
Lots of variables = lots of risk. More pronounced if you're looking at stuff on e-bay instead of a dealer's inventory. So the question could be rephrased as an inquiry about your own risk tolerance. e-bay? Watch out; you're likely to be dealing with an individual who does something else for a living, or else a commercial outfit looking to dump inventory. Nothing against those guys, but don't hold your breath waiting for customer service.

I bought a high end Taylor used from Elderly Instruments ( http://www.elderly.com ), an outfit that has been around a long time and has earned a good rep. I've never been disappointed by them, including with this purchase (an 815c), BUT I confess I'm still searching for that "killer sound" and wonder if I would have picked the guitar out of a lineup if I had played them all. Probably yes, because it's a beauty; but then, I don't really know. And maybe that's the point.
 
I did and the reason was simple, i saw a Second Hand Jackson Randy Rhodes Style Guitar and im telling you ,this is one guitar you cant play on your lap (you need a Strap)
Thinking it was a good make (Jackson) I coughed up the money and ive regretted it ever since. I Bought what is without any doubt in my mind as the Biggest Pile of Chit ever Bolted together.

Its so Bad i cant even Sell it for a Measly 50 Notes
which when you consider the guitar has a RRP of 649 Dollars
is a little annoying. It Looks Great,Plays like The Devils Balls!

Regards
 
I bought an American Deluxe Tele a year ago from Musician's Friend. I'm still very happy with it. Of course without their return policy I wouldn't have sprung for it sight unseen.
 
Hell no fool.
guitars are like women........you have to try before you buy!

Berty bert bert bert
 
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