buying guitars before playing them

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flatheads_4ever

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I've owned a lot of guitars in my 44 years of playing. There are a few I've held on to, but I've never kept one I've bought off of eBay or the internet for more than a couple of months. It seems I always find lifeless duds. Have you guys had any luck buying guitars before buying them?

I have never owned a good acoustic guitar. I'm looking at a Collings/Waterloo. I want to pull the trigger but all the damn music shops are closed down for a while it looks like.

Ed
 
Yes, I’ve bought a ton without playing first. If I don’t like it, I usually lose a little on the resale but figure that’s the cost to try it. One of my favorite guitar was an Ibanez PGM301 I got off eBay about 15-20 years ago and still have it. But I’ve also flipped a lot because I didn’t gel with them. But several keepers.
 
All but one of my guitars were purchased before playing them. I love a couple of them and like several a lot. Some are just cheap and there to do a “job” or have a specific pickup, body style, etc.

I rarely find “the one” when I go to guitar shops. There have been only a few over the years that have really stood out to me. I find that I have to spend a lot of time with most guitars and eventually I learn their quirks and bond with them. I did buy a used McCarty that I felt at home with right away but that’s an exception.
 
I was wanting a nice acoustic a couple years ago and did a lot of research. I ended up going with a Collings without playing it and it’s the best guitar I’ve owned. Every time I play it, I can’t believe how good it sounds. I got a D2ha from Wilcutt guitars. They gave me a decent discount on it too.
 
tstern66":25qcj9gj said:
I was wanting a nice acoustic a couple years ago and did a lot of research. I ended up going with a Collings without playing it and it’s the best guitar I’ve owned. Every time I play it, I can’t believe how good it sounds. I got a D2ha from Wilcutt guitars. They gave me a decent discount on it too.
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Thank you. My intention was to buy one from Willcutt. They are only a couple of hours away from where I live.

Nice choice on that guitar too. Congrats on finding a keeper!

Ed
 
flatheads_4ever":udb28w0o said:
I've owned a lot of guitars in my 44 years of playing. There are a few I've held on to, but I've never kept one I've bought off of eBay or the internet for more than a couple of months. It seems I always find lifeless duds. Have you guys had any luck buying guitars before buying them?

I have never owned a good acoustic guitar. I'm looking at a Collings/Waterloo. I want to pull the trigger but all the damn music shops are closed down for a while it looks like.

Ed
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I played USA Hamers for yrs, with an old 87 RG550 as my main backup for weekend gigging. When I bought my first Charvel, I knew that was the neck profile/feel for me. So I'd buy mostly from GC used as they have such a great return policy. Mostly USAs with a few MIJ in there, 08-10s. Also bought a couple Customs here on RT. Guitars are so personal, that it just takes a while to find the 'one'. I've found an 09 SoCal that has chased both custom shops away, and an 84 that's close but its just my downtuned option now.
It is really hard to buy used without trying, but GC allowed me to buy and try probably 30 Charvels over the years (last 10) until I found THE one.
 
i'm finding good ones online. just recently got a used km7 that is amazing.
 
All of my guitars were bought sight unseen, I have 9 or so right now, a few Ebay scores, some Kijiji guitars and some parts guitars that were bought from ebay.

the last guitar I bought in October of 2017 on ebay arrived and was perfect as is! and is now my daily player.

I've also never had a guitar get broken in shipping or lost and I've been buying and selling on ebay since 1999. but I just jinxed that.

haha
 
I've bought many online without playing first. I guess I found what tonewoods, electronics, bridges, fingerboard radii and other such nerdy shit works for me, so I decide to purchase based on the specs of the guitar.

I recently bought (of all things) a Harley Benton Agufish from Thomann in Germany. For the price and the specs, this was an amazing deal, and the guitar sounds, feels, plays and looks awesome. For $500. Go figure.
 
Now that I think about it most of my sight unseen guitars were custom builds. I've only bought a few online and one of them was from here and I really only considered that one because it was a member here who always has nice gear. I already had CSB Les Paul but that purchase ended up working out because it sent the old one packing.

I need a new acoustic my old cheapo is borderline unplayable anymore and I'm actually considering 'investing' in an old Martin. Make a day trip up to Gruhn's or something.
 
I've bought a couple online without playing them....still own one from 2000. thats it. All others I have bought from usually craigslist, and been able to play them/check them out first. A guitar can look great online, but you could pick it up and if it doesn't sustain not plugged in, it won't plugged in, unless you can tell it needs a total setup. I'm not saying don't buy online without playing first, just think it's more of a chance. We've discussed on here how even some amps sound different, especially if manufacturing years have moved production....but guitars, it's an entirely different tree/piece of wood. So everyone sounds different.
 
i have probably bought 50 blind and 200 plus that i played prior. i now own around 40 guitars at the moment. so lets say they come and go. i do a lot of flipping though, so that does factor in there.

i personally don't see a pattern with myself, but everybody is different.
 
This thread is like 15 years outdated
No hesitation buying online guitars, mostly awesome experiences
 
crankyrayhanky":3ad7psn3 said:
This thread is like 15 years outdated
No hesitation buying online guitars, mostly awesome experiences
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Perhaps....

I think I'm probably just beyond picky.

About 15 years ago when I went searching for my Fender Custom Shop '51 Nocaster, I went to several shops across the US to try them out while traveling for work. I probably played 10 or more of them before I found the one I purchased. It just had a "spank" to it that was far beyond some of the others. Some of them were pretty lifeless for $3000+ guitars, but some of them were better than ok as well. I probably could have lived with one of those, but would not have been nearly as happy as I am with what I purchased. Buying on line makes me wonder if I'm missing out on something.

I think I've talked myself out of pulling the trigger for now. I think I'll wait until things open back up again. Besides, visiting music stores is fun!


Ed
 
Every guitar I've bought in the past ten years have been alone. Through that I've found several of my all-time favorites. Only a couple I haven't liked.
 
I’ve done it more times than not. Sometime you win, sometimes you loose.
 
I think it matters how picky you are. I play a lot of MIJ Jacksons. They are for me at least highly consistant and cheap. I have held onto most of those, after throwing gotoh trems in them and setting them up to my spec I know what I am going to get.

Gibsons? Hell no. I have only bought two Gibsons online, they went straight back (these were new at the time a decade or so ago). I only buy Gibsona I can demo. Same goes for high(ish) end Fenders, but not to that severity.

My ESP's and Ibanez Prestige just happened to be local and the ESP's will die with me, and I have unloaded half of my Ibanez Prestige's.
 
All my best guitars were bought without playing them. I've bought a few on-line that I had to flip because they weren't for me. So I guess it is a crap shoot, even if you think you'll like the tone woods, etc.
 
I would say about little over half of my guitars were bought online, unplayed.
But I choose most of them for having already a reputation of good quality; the 80's Burny Les Pauls and the Tokai Hard Puncher bass.
My Kramer SM-1 was bought used, online from a musicstore, so I would have some form of warranty and that's a great guitar as well.

If anything, most of the guitars I've sold (over 15), were bought after playing them, but after a certain while I grew out of.
 
flatheads_4ever":1hy2shp8 said:
I've owned a lot of guitars in my 44 years of playing. There are a few I've held on to, but I've never kept one I've bought off of eBay or the internet for more than a couple of months. It seems I always find lifeless duds. Have you guys had any luck buying guitars before buying them?
I have never owned a good acoustic guitar. I'm looking at a Collings/Waterloo. I want to pull the trigger but all the damn music shops are closed down for a while it looks like.Ed
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Speaking exclusively electric, I have never picked up a guitar that I was totally happy with as-is...but I have almost never found one that I couldn't tweak to perfection..the only exception I can recall is a 2017 Fender American Pro Strat that had a dead spot at the 15th fret ..unfixable

but electrics are all set-up and electronics, despite what many people claim otherwise...acoustics are different...and like you, I have never owned an acoustic guitar that satisfied me..gave up trying on this front long ago
 
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