6 Tips To Buying A Used Acoustic Guitar

Buying a used guitar has many perks besides costing less. Used acoustic guitars have aged, the wood has had a chance to dry out which brings out the most beautiful sounds and the instrument over all has matured.

In this article I'm going to be talking about buying a used acoustic guitar, but many of these points are the same for a used electric guitar. Once done this article you should be able to go out with confidence and find yourself a great buy on a used guitar.

1 – How's it Look?

The look of an instrument isn't as important as the sound it is important that you like it. Note any bad scratches or cracks.

2 – What's it Sound Like?

The strings on the guitar are probably quite old and a new set could do wonders for the sound. If you really like the instrument consider spending the $5-$10 bucks and buy your own set of strings to put on the guitar to see how it sounds.

3 – Check the Neck

The most frequent maintenance item done when a used guitar is bought is a neck reset, they cost about $200. Look to see the neck is straight and not warped. Check the action of the strings, is it too high? Too low? Check to see that the neck has a truss rod to keep it straight and true.

4 – Check the Bridge

You should look at the bridge to see if it's pulling away from the body at the back. Often times this can be repaired, but too much tension can cause a serious repair.

5 – Are there any Cracks?

As mentioned in #1 above, bad cracks should probably be avoided but small ones can usually be repaired for under $100. Use your own judgement here, but if a guitar looks really beat up, it probably was, so unless this is a diamond in the rough pass on it.

6 – Check the Body for Soft Spots

Push around on the top of the body, be careful not to push too hard just hard enough to notice any soft spots. Once an a while an reinforcement will let go inside. These are repairable how ever it's still good to know what you're getting into and what potential costs you might have to incur after purchasing.

One issue can be how do you shop for a guitar if you haven't learned guitar yet? If you're not sure how it should sound how can you test one out?

One option is to purchase a guitar instruction dvd before you buy your instrument this way you have some basic knowledge to go on. A course like Learn and Master Guitar would be a good one to check out.

You could also take a friend along who can already play guitar. This can be easier since an experienced player will know what to listen and look for.

If you take your time when shopping you can find a great deal on a used acoustic guitar, just be logical about it and try not to let any one thing such as a the look of the guitar make your decision for you.