Buying a Used Guitar? - 5 Things You Should Check BEFORE You Buy!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 มิ.ย. 2024
- Buying a used guitar can be intimidating if you don't know what to look for! Here are a few things you should always check before you buy!
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Time to go shopping for some used guitars! Enjoy :)
Are there any other things you guys look for when shopping used?
I have an idea for a video I think many would find interesting but I am not sure how to contact you about without just saying on youtube and giving the idea to whoever. let me know if your interested at all. Watch all your videos, great stuff as usual!
Fret wear and fretboard condition.
Thanks Daryll. Very helpful. Amazing tips. Big Fan🙏
When will you announce results of giveaway
@@nerfgun260 what he said^
Wondering too! 😊 🎸
The dislikes for this video are probably sellers who are trying to sell damaged guitars. LoL
Yeah lol
Amen brother man...
Well, then, part the guitar out and throw away the bad stuff. Or sell it as a project guitar.🤔
Maybe the just hate the dood preaching about the shits.
Facts. 💯
Fret wear and other setup needs can add significant $$$ to a used "find".
Surprised nothing mentioned about frets at all.
Absolutely. A refret job could cost anywhere from $200-$500. That’s a significant amount for a used guitar, unless you’re buying something vintage that costs as much as a new car. Obviously used guitars will most likely have been played a lot, and there is a very good chance the frets will be worn down if they’re not stainless steel.
Yup, affordable guitars with dented frets are a dealbreaker. Not worth fixing or repairing.
Depends on the value of the instrument. Anything less than say an American Standard level Fender probably isn’t worth a refret.
Yea,I got burned on a firefly that was unplayable. Hundreds later,it's playable now,not perfect but at least playable now.
A good tip from Phillip McKnight is to avoid listings with blurry photos or sellers that are "selling for a friend". Blurry photos can hide defects, and the seller saying they're "selling for a friend" gives them an excuse in case the guitar is found to be fake or even stolen
I’m getting my first electric guitar this Friday! It’s an Ibanez S621QM!! So exited!
Ibanez are a great company own 4 guitars by them all play flawlessly
Congratulations!
Nice
Congrats
nice
I will add for the jack tightening at 8:00 make sure to hold the jack and the nut. If you just tighten the nut you'll spin the jack and doing that enough times will cause the jack wire to snap off. (It happened to me) So hold the jack in place with one hand and twist the nut with the other :)
Same thing happened to me, after I repaired the wire tho I put loc tite on the threads of the jack and it hasn’t moved since
Thanks this could be useful, seeing as I can’t buy a guitar new! XD
Edit: Congrats on 700k Darrell! Here’s to 1 Million!
Thanks man!
@@DarrellBraunGuitar Np :)
Yes, the best guitar guy on YT deserves 1 Million! 👍👍👍
@@DarrellBraunGuitar you're awesome man. Have you got my message about guitar give away?
Just an addendum regarding the output jack: when tightening it, hold the soldered parts inside in place, or they can end up twisting and snapping some (or all of the) wire connections. Which will result in no sound coming out of your instrument.
Check for fret wear. You don't want something that's going to need to be refretted soon. Check the tuners for binding/skipping. Cheap and easy fix, that may get you a better price, if they're not functioning properly. If you're looking at something with a Floyd Rose, check for wear on the base plate knife edges, and posts. Very frustrating to have a guitar that won't stay in tune.
How often does one typically need refretted?
@@oeald886 depends on how often you play. The most used guitar of mine is 6 yo, frets are still fine, so that's mostly about old instruments (or you must be some addict playing 40 hours per day)
Yes I’m surprised this wasn’t mentioned
If you're buying a Gibson pull the truss rod cover and see how many threads are sticking past the brass. lot of Gibson's out there that the truss rod has met their Max that neck is no longer adjustable
Great point Mike, obviously there are more than 5 deal breaking ideas, this is most certainly one. I considered buying an Aria Pro 2 semi hollow electric recently. The Japanese shop advised me about a complete lack of truss rod adjustment, and away I ran.
I was also going to comment on this. Especially on older Gibsons this is an important thing to look into.
Not just gibsons, any guitar. once the truss rod is not adjustable and cant be adjusted, the repair will be super expensive. and complicated
Talking about deal breakers and 2nd hand guitars, it is possible to straighten some warped necks, but it can take 6-8 months, and, of course, if it's a bolt-on, replacement is a feesible option. Emphasis on fee 😁
This is actually easy to get around. You can buy washers that act as spacers and it solves the problem.
I've had no idea about that 'hump at the heel' phenomenon! Thank you, Darrell! 🙂
I look for sharp, or uneven frets. Looking down the neck and seeing an elevated fret, or frets which appear low as well.
Not a dealbreaker.IMO
Dead pickup is the least of my worries: Just pop in a working one. I can repair most electronics. Repairing wood problems is a whole different story. Run like mad from those. That includes guitars with high action that, when lowered to a decent height, start buzzing. That means fret work that takes a lot to learn or pay a pro to do. Then, like Darrell said, you start losing savings you got buying used: not just the money cost but driving cost, fuel cost, time cost.
I am really getting a lot out of your videos! Just started playing again a couple of years ago and I don’t know a lot about different guitars and the condition, etc so your videos really teach me a lot!! Keep up the good work!
Check the truss rod to make sure its not maxed out or frozen- especially on older acoustics !
also make sure the frets arent super low, sucks to find out you bought a guitar that pretty much needs a re fret
Thanks for this video, Darrel. I recently bought my 1st electric, an Ibanez RG170R. Armed by viewing many of your videos, I was comfortable doing so. Background research is so valuable. Several guitar handbook pubs were great too,: Denyer (rev.ed.2014) and Cutchin et al (2008).
Great advice Darrell! I've gotten many good deals used. Thanks for posting!
Congrats on 700k!!! Love your videos Darrell!!
Another short and informative video. Thanks Darrell 😊
Always enjoy watching this channel.
Great tips, thanks Darrell
This videos are really helpful, thanks much DB
I'm old enough to remember before used guitars became "vintage".
LOL over 50's hey????
Hang on a minute !
We're vintage ! 😳
@@Customwinder1 sure are, like fine antiques.
Funny, me too! I also remember when a brand new American made Fender Strat was $600!
@@bldallas I'm closing in on 70. I remember when they were $300.
Excellent video, thank you!
Would love to get your thoughts regarding online buying versus in person purchases.
I also would like to know more. Its hard to buy without playing first.
I’ve bought everything online my whole rig, if you use guitar center used market you know that they had to verify that it was worth buying in the first place
@@AdamManley7 Reverb is good too. It helps that you can call the seller or email them about questions.
Try a local music store. Got a new gretsch 5232t for 550 instead of 650 new.
@@ramjam6934 I haven’t had very good luck with Reverb. My last two guitar purchases had to be returned due to undisclosed damage (dishonest sellers).
Great info as always!
One of your best videos and my go to guide for when I venture out in the world of second hand guitars. Thanks!!
Thanks for the valuable information Darrell
Congratulations on 700k subscribers!!
I Bought a used squier affinity for less than 100 usd. In my country Colombia thats really cheap. it was super dirty and needed some love. I learned to deep clean a guitar, to set a bridge and polish the frets and even round the edges. something I'd never do on a new guitar. I think a used cheap guitar is a really nice way to join this world
Great one this Darrell.
You and your high voltuten guitar advice!
Good tips Darrell and that is still one of the nicest looking Les Paul guitars I have seen.
Excellent video.
Good advice for the newbies, Darrell. And maybe a few not-so-newbies, too. I'd agree with all of your walk-away suggestions except for a dead pickup since I'm almost certainly going to replace them anyway.
Other things to watch for are divots in the frets or substantial fret wear... Yes, a guitar can have a serious fret dressing done or even partial or complete fret replacement but this can be expensive and if the guitar you're considering is entry level it probably won't be worth the expense. Also, check to see the tremolo arm or socket isn't stripped, if you care about that feature. A lot of entry level guitars use the crappiest metal for the bridges and arms and that metal is easily damaged.
Also, it's good to play it with a strap so you can really feel the weight. A heavy guitar can be a deal-breaker, especially for a kid.
Great Video! Thanks!
Always, ALWAYS check the truss rod. A seized rod with either lead to a new truss rod replacement + installation ($$$) or a new neck altogether. Most imports use standard metric Allen wrenches (I recommend buying an inexpensive full set at Walmart or something) but companies like Gibson and PRS have a specific rod nut which usually requires a special tool. Be safe, good luck!!
My Squier bass is 4 mm Allen wrench
Gold video! Thanks 👍
Hey Darrell. Great video. As always! But this one was especially informative, even for an old pro, lifelong full-time musician like myself. For these many years doing this, I have always advised to playtest an instrument before purchasing it. Always! But just in the last few years, that notion has gone by the wayside. Many to most instruments, including my very own, are now bought online. I have a brand new method of advising on the purchase of an instrument now. I wonder: could you prepare a video on the manner in which to search for and purchase a new, or especially a used, instrument sight unseen, or remotely? What are your methods? What do you look for? What are your "red alert" issues? Etc. It's a new era within a global economy and consumerism. How do you go about making wise, smart, educated, informed and smart purchases without good, old-fashioned hands on?
Great advice and explanation for sure.
Yoooo grats on 700k!! Closer to 1m :o
Good one Darrell 👍!
Thx mang, buying an axe for a loved one for Xmas. You wisdom is appreciated.
Great video. Thanks.
Thanks for the video! Great advice overall; I would also check for excessive fret wear on a used guitar, since a re-fret can run a few hundred dollars.
All great advice Darrell!!! I would add a broken truss rod as a deal breaker... also a backbow in a maple neck is most times unfixable... great video!
Great advice, I have been looking for a good used guitar. 👍🤘
Great advice Darrell
Good tips, especially for beginners!
Can you talk about guitar maintenance? especially humidity (to much/less humidity)?
Love your videos. You really helped me choose between an acoustic / classical guitar.
One big thing to watch out for is counterfeit guitars. Scammers are getting pretty good these days at making fakes. Be wary
You didn’t mention that very high action on an acoustic or set net = costly neck reset
Darrell this is a great video. Maybe you can get different examples of those wrong things in used guitars: photos or something like that to compare and know better. Saludos!
Thanks for the vid right in time
Major congrats on the major 700,000 milestone, Darrell! Quite well-deserved. 👏👏👏
Tbh Darrell, I watch multiple TH-cam guitarists and whenever I’m watching your videos my wife always comments on how soothing your voice is 😂😂 I love your content. Keep doing what you’re doing 👍🏻
Thanks, Darrell. I've played for 60 years, 40 of those professionally, and I learned a thing or two.
Great video
Read my mind! Have been on the hunt for a used MIM strat. Great info here!
ask the Seller! best advice I ever had.
Always enjoy your video’s Darrell, what’s your favorite pedal man we all have one I think?
thanks for the tips
If it smells like cigarette and you don't smoke: Walk away!
I used to smoke a lot in my room where my strat has been laying for years and it never smelled smoke. Is that really a thing ?
@@WagnerWarner yes it's a real thing the smoke slowly starts to coat the finish and it causes discoloring over time, I once picked up a nice 80s lp custom the lacquer was completely yellowed and it reeked of smoke
@@WagnerWarner probably not if it was a poly-finished Strat. But nitro finishes react to everything
Ok thanks for your answers and yeah it was a poly finish that must be why
Agreed.
I have never bought used. Just buy new and upkeep. It's a trip to have guitars age with you, especially if you can take care of them. My 2007 SG is starting to develop the pink binding and finish checking. Nothing beats genuine aging.
For me other than the major structural/ playability issues such as the twisted neck I would just use the small flaws like faulty wiring and finish cracks as negotiation points to get a lower price. But all of these are great points especially for a first time buyer who maybe isn’t familiar with the many problems that guitars can develop over the years
Hey Darrell, great stuff. Very helpful. I've been shopping for a used floyd rose type guitar. I would love to see a locking tremelo electric shoot out, maybe guitars between 500 and 1000 USD.
Thanks broo, some things I didn't even know that could happen like twisted neck
I didn't know about the hump on the neck by the body, good to now. I also check every neck thru or Gibson type guitars for repairs with a little blacklight, to look for hair line cracks behind the head stock or neck, you will see the white glue with a blacklight in a dark room.
Good advice 👍
Hi Darrell, the hump can be fixed. You can remove wood on the neck and fix any elevation on the frets. Easy...
Sound advice as always 👍
Great video, mate.
This is great advice for those who are new to buying used guitars.
As someone who has bought many used guitars over the years, this is the kinds of advice I would have loved 15 years ago rather than learning the hard way! 🤘🎶
Great advice. My only comment on neck related “deal breakers,” is if the guitar or bass is a Fender or “fender clone,” replacement necks can be purchased for a wide variety of prices, and they are really easy to install. My preference for necks is any Fender licensed necks from WDMusic.
And Allparts !
I love the 80's era Ibanez Roadstar guitars and especially the basses.. incredible instruments that's what I shop used and have some great basses from that era at great prices...your #1 is amazing...race car is apt for that beauty
One thing I like to check is the neck profile - how does it fit and feel in my hands.
I would like to see a how to on amp buying.
Missing parts, problems with electronics are no gos, unless you can work with electronics well.
Spot on. Comfort and feel are the top priority with electric guitars and sound is secondary because the parts that make the sounds can be changed. Shape,profile and guitar comfort are often not changeable.
Incredible video. I know this seems dumb, but it happened to me. If it is a guitar which uses a trem bar or bigsby, make sure the trem bar is included or bring your own. Test that bigsby to make sure it works. Out of tune is okay, broken is a big expenditure.
I've played a few guitars with neck twists. Sometimes it's perfectly fine - Usually these are ones where the twist is gradual along the whole length of the neck, and they have individually height adjustable saddles. This can get you some real good guitars really cheap, if you're daring.
Mind you tho, Torzal makes basses with a 20 degree twist in the neck. Crazy stuff.
Hey everybody, hey Darrell. I would also suggest doing some basic research on the value of parts. Sometimes the combined value of the parts will be more than the the asking price. For me thats always a no brainer! Thanks Darrell, love the channel.
I recently picked up a 2003 PRS CE 22 really cheap because the seller had bought the McCarty 3-way harness to replace the rotary setup and whoever installed it really botched it. The volume knob didn’t work and the pickups sounded really thin and quiet. Once I got it home, it took a couple hours to figure out how to fix it and get it soldered up. It came roaring back to life. I could easily double my money.
I started buying and reselling guitars about a year ago. It has been soooo much fun!!!! I've had over 30guitars. Most important thing to check is the neck
I bought a "fixer upper" guitar earlier this year and one MAJOR issue I never ran into is...basically the nut is in the wrong place.
Right now it's still at the shop, I learned more advanced luthier skills by working on a $35 Strat copy and putting a new bridge on (fill and redrill for the screws and Dremeling the crap out of the tremelo cavity) as well as pretty much everything else. What is stock is the body, the neck and the output jack cup. I bought a drop in nut blank for an import guitar and I started to file a wider slot. Well once I got to about a credit card's width I decided to have a professional do it. Now after a few weeks at the shop, last week I got a call saying it was off so bad that it would never play in tune. Ok, I did not mess up THAT bad. Well, as a first for me I bought a guitar where the nut was in the wrong place. The shop said it was an eight of an inch too close to the body. My response was to say shim that wood and put the nut where IT SHOULD BE.
This is a single pickup (GFS Surf 90) single knob (CTS volume) strat with basically GFS parts and I did as much as I could as a learning project. The guitar was not playable as I got it as half the nut was messing on the G, B, and E strings. The finish was cool, the neck is odd but there is so nice figuring on the maple, the fretboard is Rosewood. The whole thing came together with a fair degree of effort but that was the idea until I hit that issue. So still waiting on the outcome and I suspect this repair will double the cost of the guitar. That said it still should be a pretty cool rocker once it is done.
UPDATE:
Just got the guitar back. So the repairs on the nut (shimmed and relocated towards the headstock) were successful. As I thought the cheapo guitar had the nut slightly too close to the body to play in tune. Since this is the first time since buying it that it has played is sounds really good. A few other issues crept up. The big one is that the truss rod does not work. The edge of the bridge closest to the jack is riding slightly on the pickguard so I need to Dremel that when I replace the strings. There are a few places on the neck where the frets are off. These would be an issue to a lead player but since I am mainly a rhythm cat, not a major deal breaker.
So all in all it was money worth spending. I upped my repair game on this guitar. I learned EXACTLY where my novice skills stop. I have a cool looking, cool sounding, and fun playing guitar. While my financial goal was to come out of this between $200-250 was blown past, honestly I can call it a success. There are still a few things to do to get it where I really want it. Also there are a few bigger issues that once I am ready I can tackle them (new truss rod, refret with jumbo stainless steel frets) so it is a purchase and a project where I can continue to challenge myself down the road. It's 90% done. If it was my only guitar I might no be so rosey but it plays, it works, and its cool.😎👍✨
I also check if the frets are worn out. Replacing the frets can be expensive and you also need to know that the fret replacement would be successful.
I also do some stalking on the previous owner to get an idea on what the guitar might have experienced before I buy it.
And I always ask "why do you want to sell it?" and "are you the first owner of this guitar?".
If the guitar has passed over several owners, there's probably something wrong with it.
Thanks for the video, I would love a part-two
Darrell, probably doesn't get mentioned enough, your hair and facial hair are always on point. Nice work.
Half of my guitars are used aria pro ii LP, SG and strat and an aria diamond trini Lopez custom. All law suit era. I have a hagstrom super swede tremar p90 and les Paul custom I built myself. All of them bought on the internet. Never had an issue with any of em.
Also I really hope you do a review of the hagstrom super swede tremar p90 and or the humbucker. I reckon you’d be really into them. Great guitars.
I ordered an Artist grungemaster today for the princely sum of $260 Australian Dollars, I have bought from them before and recieved a great guitar, this is the first guitar I have owned with P90 pups and my first ofset style guitar so I am excited and am looking forward to the tones I should be able to get with it.
As someone who has repaired thousands of guitars, always make sure the truss rod works. I have seen so many unrepairable guitars which had 1) broken truss rod 2) stripped truss rod nut and 3) a truss rod that had no adjustment left (was tightened or loosened all the way). The stripped nut is repairable, but is a very expensive repair.
When I buy used guitars I always bring some tools to check out the things that are not readily visible when the guitar is assembled. It is also a good way to avoid being sold a counterfeit guitar or partscaster.
Head stock breaks and humps on vintages as long as they’re repairable are fine. The price of buying one of those and then getting it repaired is often less then buying one without the issue in the first place. Living room gear demos has a video on refretting from a while ago with a luthier named lars dalin thats pretty great and informative.
I was also thinking of that video
Don't just squirt contact cleaner in there, get a can of air or a compressor and blow them out first. If you go straight in with the cleaner fluid you're gluing the dust in.
Thanks for the tips! Luckily any used guitars I’ve purchased have avoided the walk away.
Buy both the guitar AND the seller!
The same make/model/condition of used guitar generally sells for a bit less from a private seller, and can be a great way to save some of your hard-earned money if you've done your homework regarding that make and model, can inspect the instrument in person before buying, and if you are confident in knowing which questions to ask and what to check (thanks Darrell for the very informative video).
If you have less experience and/or would rather have the added peace of mind, then buying preowned through a reputable guitar dealer, luthier, or similar business may be your best bet. Chances are their offerings may be a bit more costly than that same used guitar would be from a private seller, however the upside is after-sales support, greater assurance of authenticity, and in a worst case scenario, more options regarding exchange repair, or return.
I've bought guitars both ways in the past: from private sellers after doing my homework and asking the right questions, and from businesses that sell guitars.
Last but not least: when buying a pricey guitar from a private seller, one option is to meet at a luthier or guitar dealer, and get an estimate on giving that guitar a full setup. If the answer is it doesn't need anything beyond a setup, pay the seller, get your newly acquired guitar dialed in right, support your local guitar tech or luthier, and *everybody* goes home happy!
Thanks for the video...I would add to the list a good check to the frets.If they show deep grooves caused by years of playing, this may need expensive frets replacement, levelling and crowning from a liuther..
I found a nice Epiphone Les Paul at a guitar swap meet for $225. It was filthy, but nothing that i couldn't deal with. But it had really loud buzz when plugged in that went away when i touched the bridge. I figured it was simply a bad ground wire so i bought it. Sure enough, broken ground wire. Took 5 minutes to fix it. Great guitar after a minor repair and a lot of cleaning!
I love the 2 tone Powder Blue colors on the Stratocaster
I'm 80s into the video and can't stop laughing already
I had no idea the neck can be twisted like that. Thanks for this realisation
Had a uke with that issue. Not proud to confess I flogged it
@@joguipo ouch
So short necks can twist too
@@ArturBrzozowski444 Yup. Brand new Gretsch too....
It’s just like cars, always go used. I recommend every player primarily buying used gear after a certain point. Guitars for better or worse are like toys to many-I’m tempted to say most-players. A lot of players will buy an instrument, play it a few times, then move it on for the next thing. If you’re patient you can snag pretty much anything you need in the gear space used and in great condition. And unless you want something stupid rare like a synthaxe or something, your money goes far, FAR Further.
Man Darrell is the best. Now, he's teaching us the ups and downs of buying used instruments. I really have only taken two chances on ebay and it worked out fine. But, that's it, not buying another one that way.
I'm considering a purchase of a used PRS Custom 24 SE in the future, and I really appreciate your advice on buying a used guitar. Wouldn't have thought a pick-up being dead would be that big of a deal if you get a really good deal as a result and you're willing to fix it. All of those other conditions are alarming. How to determine the authenticity of a vintage instrument would be helpful for those who may be considering buying a vintage instrument. It certainly would be a bad day to find out that the expensive guitar you bought was a fake.
Late 2022, first thing to check is that asking prices aren't higher than the new price!! Seriously, many sellers are deluded lol!
Can we agree? The twisted neck I totally understand but the hump if the guitar is a classic and an unbelievable deal that can be fixed these can be found on Martin guitars from the 30s and 40s so all I’m saying is of course a recent guitar if you see it but an old classic guitars and if the deal is amazing it can be repaired it will take a complete refresh it will take Many things so there are just other things to think about here but your videos as always are awesome keep up the great work Daryl