Buying a guitar

[TechFox]

Would you buy a guitar online, or would you insist on handling it first?

 

depends if it was a hand built model or a mass produced.

Earl

 

[TechFox]

Could you please explain what the difference would be to you?

 

Would you buy a guitar online, or would you insist on handling it first?

depends if it was a hand built model or a mass produced.

most mass produced like Gibson of Fender are made to a standard and will benefit from correct setting up.

Earl

 

[Bri]

Eqiupment like that is tactile, funnily enough I've just come in from Abergavenny and there was a guy with a guitar stall in the market, it was heaven to be able to pick up an instrument without havimg to adhere to those stupid signs that say' do not touch the guitars please ask an assistant. He had an acoustic bass for £59.00 and a round back semi acoustic for £59.00 too, was very tempted.

Anyway back to the question, having had a similar business where goods need to be trialled and tested I advocate the handling route.

 

[sellickbhoy]

i have bought a guitar online

I was looking for a very specific model and i searched online to get it at the best price because my local music shop couldn't get it in for me.

i'd be more inclined to buy things like strings, straps, picks, effects pedals, spares (pick ups etc) as i like to see teh guitar in the flesh

but you could have a decent returns policy to allow people to see it 1st (though of course, you'd want to have a similar return policy with oyur supplier in case you end up with a lot of stock!)

i have noticed a lot of local music shops don't have ecommerce websites - maybe if you offered to do a website and sell your own items plus items form the shop you could get the best of both worlds - could save you a lot of stock and customers could collect form the store it it suited them and they wanted teh guitar set up/customised (with you taking a commission on the sale)

 

[Bri]

I also need to add that we had an impromptu jam session on the stall when one guy picked up the Bass, another a violin and the owner on guitar playing 'Truckin' you wont get that on the internet.

 

Could you please explain what the difference would be to you?

Most mass produced guitars have a similar sound for a given model.

Hand built models have an individual sound.

Earl

 

[Matt1959]

no I wouldnt buy a guitar online, the main reason being that its a bulky and fragile item therefore very liable to get damaged in transit. If damaged on reciept, of course it has to be sent back and I dont fancy taking a guitar to my local post office to post let alone paying the postage cost. the very easy and painfree alternative is to pop into the local music shop, take a physical look at them, give em a strum, buy one thats unmarked and return home with it very carefully. Simples as opposed to mail order which is fraught for what sort of saving??? a tenner:|

 

[bluedreamer]

I wouldn't buy online either, you really need to try instruments out to see whuch one feels right, you can't do that online.

Sure mass produced instruments should feel the same but often they don't, pick two identical guitars up and one will inevitably feel slighly different to the other.

One good reason for visiting a good music shop is that you can try out as many guitars as you want. You may have one make/model in mind but trying others out will sometimes reveal nice surprises, you can't do that online.

But most of all music shops have always been open to doing a deal with you, it's not unusual for them to throw in £10-£20 worth of accessories, a strap, picks etc. Even better if you buy several expensive items you can haggle a bit on price and save a decent amount of money. I recently bought a new bass and got a nice Marshall practice amp thrown in at no extra cost (retail £99)... can't be bad!

 

[Allan123]

Well sell beginner's/practice guitars from £30- £200, and do a decent amount over the year without them being handled/touched.

I must say we sold more when we were in a retail store in the town centre compared to online, but with the DSR's you have to stick to these days, if you don't like it... send it back simple.

 

[Lee Jones Jnr]

I don't play but if I did and were looking to buy a mass made guitar I would at least look online. I wouldn't have a problem buying either.
A handmade item is entirely different, in that case I would want to touch, hold, play.

 

[Matt1959]

, but with the DSR's you have to stick to these days, if you don't like it... send it back simple.

but how is sending a guitar back simple? bulky, fragile, risk of damage on the return trip, or have I got this wrong?

 

[Allan123]

but how is sending a guitar back simple? bulky, fragile, risk of damage on the return trip, or have I got this wrong?

If it was me personally you purchased from i collect the item via FedEx, so if damage was made in transit it's covered by standard insurance.

If sending back to any other company and using say a broker like Interparcel you can specify the level of insurance required.

 

[paulears]

I'm a bit of a collector, and have never sold one of my guitars since I was 17! (Bar one, and really regretted it).

If the guitar is one that I really know I want, then after reading the reviews and forums, I just order it on-line, but when I need something and I cannot find a specific model being talked about and recommended, then I go to a shop with a decent range and play them. I don't even worry too much about makes, just pick one up and play. It's very common to find expensive, name brands like Gibsons that are dreadful to play - you know within just a few seconds if it's for you. Virtually all can be hugely improved by setting them up, but if one's a dog in the shop, why bother?

I've got two Gibson Les Pauls, and they have different shaped necks, being made a few years apart. Not much of a difference, but one is easier to play.

Sending them back is possible - if you buy from Thomann in Germany - they are happy to do refunds if you pay the postage back.

 

[Allan123]

Sending them back is possible - if you buy from Thomann in Germany - they are happy to do refunds if you pay the postage back.

UK under so many days would be the retailer responsability to pay.

 

[Deleted member 3454]

I personally would want to try the instrument first, in case there were any faults unique to that one.

no I wouldnt buy a guitar online, the main reason being that its a bulky and fragile item therefore very liable to get damaged in transit.

My parents bought my trombone from John Myatt in Hitchin (really pleased to see they're still in business 25 - 30 years later ). I remember a conversation my parents had with staff about people ordering instruments to be shipped worldwide and the staff told us they packaged instruments up with as much protective packing as bossible but had had a brass instrument returned that looked as if someone had actually jumped on it in transit!

 

[Kev Jaques]

Having bought many guitars and also made guitars (also own a Gibson Les Paul ), this like others have mentioned is a touchy, feely but also hearing thing. Different woods produce different tones/acoustics.
For the general buyer then sure online is fine, however it really depends on the target market.
For the dedicated guitarist then you will not beat a shop (or handmade workshop) that has a good range of guitars. I would say they are a special breed of guitarist looking for very very specific parts etc...

So you really need to look at who you are trying to sell to and what range of guitars, acoustic nylon/steel, electric, semi acoustic etc... AND more importantly genre.

Not only that but there are also the newer more unique guitar like instruments such as the Chapman stick and variations on that. Line 6 Variax for example is more than just 1 guitar and would appeal to lots more than specific genre of music.

 

[emonkey]

Yes I would and have bought guitars online. It depends if you know what you want and have an idea of what they feel and sound like. It also depends how much of a guitar geek you are and the music you are into.

For example if you are into thrash metal, the delicate intonation of an acoustic guitar is not an issue. I personally wouldn't buy an acoustic online as even the same model varies in tone. Electrics are different and generally if the build quality is good, there's no real difference.

I had a series of Epiphone Les Pauls and would gladly buy more online as I know what I am getting.

 

[deniser]

I would buy a beginner's guitar online but not anything more advanced.

I have bought 3 violins online - beginner models up to £75 each. But wouldn't buy a more expensive instrument anywhere other than a dealer.

I have also bought a stage piano online because the online price was £750 compared to the shop price of £1200. As I had seen it in the shop initially I did ask them if they could discount the price a little as it was £750 online. If they had even offered £100 discount I would have bought it in the shop but they refused to drop it by a single penny so I then had no qualms about buying it online and saving myself £450.

 

[MartCactus]

Would you buy a guitar online, or would you insist on handling it first?

My first ever Ebay purchase was (rather riskily) a Gibson Firebird purchased from someone in the USA - at the time the pound was rather strong against the dollar, and it appeared so cheap, even after shipping costs. I'd never bought a guitar that I hadn't played, especially not a used one (it was a 1990 so a good decade and a half old when I bought it).

It turned up and everything was fine - it played great. The case was a bit battered (which I knew all about from the good Ebay description) but still does its job. I'd played firebirds before so knew what it would feel like.

Later I bought a used hohner headless guitar for travelling, again on ebay. Met the guy selling it outside his class in central london (he was a music teacher) and it was another great buy.

My experience has been that if you trust the seller (good feedback on Ebay) and you know what you're buying, then it can work out, but I appreciate there is a risk of eg twisted neck, etc (but then again similar problems you can't see are a risk on any ebay auction).

 

[Esk247]

i find ebay a bit hit and miss..the same as everything on the net, you CAN get some great offers on there but in the main..after all that searching i still buy my guitars and additional components from a good old high street store that has been around for years, the old fashioned music man shops, they know what they're talking about, they can supply anything you need for your instrument and the prices really are not much more than the interwibble but with virtually zero risk

 

[BusinessIdeas]

Most people buying a copy will try out some guitars at their local musical instrument shop, and then opt for paying the reduced online price. If its a cheap copy, there wont be any difference, so you might as well buy online. A dealer is not going to set up cheap guitars without getting paid for the set-up. My advice would be to buy online, ebay is ok if you choose from sellers with good feedback, then pay to get it set up locally. - I used to run guitar shops by the way

 

[BusinessIdeas]

but how is sending a guitar back simple? bulky, fragile, risk of damage on the return trip, or have I got this wrong?

I used to sell them online and get them sent back if faulty, no problems going back and forth, never had a damaged one in all the years that I traded guitars. More likely to get faulty goods from the trade supplier (which as a dealer I would just send back for a credit note) - than to get b2c or c2b damaged in transit.

 

[paulears]

If its a cheap copy, there wont be any difference, so you might as well buy online. A dealer is not going to set up cheap guitars without getting paid for the set-up.

This is exactly why shops are vanishing at an alarming rate. Dealers know people can buy cheaper on-line, so spending a few minutes setting up each cheap guitar to play well - and make a feature of telling people - will mean people think they are actually getting something for the extra money. In my experience, many shops don't even set up the premium models. How many shops actually have guitars on the hangers with low actions? In fact, as a set up guitar plays so much more easily, maybe they'd sell more to beginners who need hands like vices to play a chord!

With a bit of practice - every guitar shop could do the set-up. If they don't know how, then they can't even claim to be better than an on-line retailer. So when the kids come in and buy a cheaper copy, how about an extra £25 for pro-setup? At the very least this could be a neck tweak, action lowered set of simple things - fret dressing, polishing and flattening isn't needed at the basic level.

The same happens to drums - nobody even tunes them so they sound horrible.

The local piano shop wouldn't have an untuned piano in the shop, would they?

 

[An Oasis]

A well know musician I worked with used to go to the manufacturer and try out one by one each item, putting them into three piles.

• Probable
• Maybe
• Leave with the manufacturer

I leave it with you to work out what you should do.

 

[mangyao]

I don't need to buy a guitar, we sell the saxophones.

 

[PP&CHltd]

It would depend on whether or not i thought it was a real bargain, and the distance was too great to collect.

I remember buying my first guitar from Argos (spanish) i was clueless, but having bought it, rang a friend up who played proffesionaly in a 60/70's band, to come and give a tune up, when he saw it, he said "where did you get this piece of s**t from?", i told him it was from Argos, he said "take it back, it's probably had washing machines sitting on top of it.." he then advised me to buy from a music shop where they would at least check that it was fit to sell on.

Secondly, i have worked in the courier business in the past, and cringe at the thought of what someones 'precious buy' might endure enroute.

Have bought my last 4 guitars from music shops, after handling, and the last one was taken straight from the shop straight to a luthier (John LeVoi) to set it up, result....bliss

Over all, i come back to my first sentance, packaging?, if ebay, then feedback scrutiny ect, ect....

 

[jocel]

hi, newbie here

is there anyone can give me reason to buy any spanish guitar. my friend told me to do so, but still i can't find any reason why should i..

 

[PP&CHltd]

hi, newbie here

is there anyone can give me reason to buy any spanish guitar. my friend told me to do so, but still i can't find any reason why should i..

Erm.....Neither can i, my first guitar (other than the Argos washing machine packing piece) was a copy of a strat (encore and i still have it 18 years on!) and have stuck with the electric ever since, for learning, i would say the strat types are probably the best to learn on.

Maybe Rodrigo's concerto di aranjuez is your thing, in which case it doesn't sound much cop on a Ibanez ( i have tried! ) good on a spanish guitar

Other than that, the only reason for learing on a spanish might be the lack of amplification, which only seems to benifit others who have to listen, while you try to master three blind mice, or something similar....in my case it was greensleeves:redface: lol

 

[trendy kid]

As an accoustic player I would never buy a guitar without playing it. Its impossible to have an opinion on electrics because I don't have one. Even the handmade ones sound different. I played my way through a few hummingbirds before I chose the one I have now. I was really impressed by some of the base level indie accoustics. But some sounded pants and buzzed on the frets. Its a real minefield. You can't buy without playing them.
Strings and accesories no problem. But I'd still rather go into a shop, infact I will go out of my way to do so. Just my thoughts though. People who don't play may buy online as they wouldn't know what to look for.
Strangely the only accoustics I have ever come across that sound the same time and time again are yamaha.

 

[montrano]

This is interesting to read, as i've just started a guitar company.
At the moment I'm buying damaged guitars and repairing and refinishing them, which i will likely resell online as im working from home. Ive been going with unusual paint jobs too, to make them more unique and they all come set-up correctly.
Ive also been advertising at local colleges and music venues, selling set-up, customising and repairs services.
I'll eventually get into building custom instruments, I've been making my own for 8 years, but i'm trying to find funding to better tools.
I had been toying with the idea of opening a retail premises and increasing my stock levels with chinese imports

 

[paulears]

Over the past few weeks, many of the Chinese guitar suppliers have suddenly stopped selling them - plenty of quite good copies, but all references to Fender, Gibson, Gretch, PRS and Rickenbacker have gone. Plenty of saxes and brass in general, but guitars seem on the wane.

The ones I've had have taken very little effort to bring up to a pretty decent standard of playability - when I've got spare time, a little fret work will be needed on a couple to get the action even lower - but the construction standards are pretty good. Finish wise, they're excellent - some really nice veneers and colours.

 

[montrano]

3 of the guitars I have now to repair are chinese clones of BC Rich warlocks, theyre all made of decent wood, got a good set of humbuckers and a floyd rose copy bridge. They were damaged on import, so i got them at a good price, they need some woodwork on the body then repainting.
I've applied for a small buisness loan from barclays to buy a CNC machine, its taken weeks to find any sort of funding and I'm only looking for a couple of thousand.
I certainly sympathise with people trying to find larger amounts for start ups.

 

[chesslau]

i may choose to buy it online.

 

[Ryan T-Mobile]

I've tried both options and I think it comes down to how much you are spending. For the lower priced guitars (so long as you find them in a shop first) it's a great idea. I've even bought a guitar online without testing and got a great price for a superb guitar (Kramer Explorer, Flloyd Rose tremelo, quad humbuckers, etc. Plays beautifully), but I did have to spend time setting it up...

I'm in the market for a steel strng acoustic. I have no idea how, but in our recent move I managed to completely lose my old one. How is that even possible?

 

[PP&CHltd]

I've tried both options and I think it comes down to how much you are spending. For the lower priced guitars (so long as you find them in a shop first) it's a great idea. I've even bought a guitar online without testing and got a great price for a superb guitar (Kramer Explorer, Flloyd Rose tremelo, quad humbuckers, etc. Plays beautifully), but I did have to spend time setting it up...

I'm in the market for a steel strng acoustic. I have no idea how, but in our recent move I managed to completely lose my old one. How is that even possible?

Gutting..

It would break my heart, if that was me..... any way it wouldn't - come to think of it, they (3) would be transported by someone i could trust.....ME!

I think guitars (and probably many other instruments) have come a long way in build quality in recent years, ecpecially those made in Korea (which is a fair few) point taken that they are not built as well as the prestigious makes Gibson, to name one...I have an Epiphone G-400 (Gibson SG) made under licence from Gibson, which is Korean made...and i wouldn't part with it, it was made in July 2002 and it still looks brand new!

Get a decent effects pedal, play about abit, and you'd be hard pushed telling it apart from a Gibson SG, there will be perfectionists that could i'm sure, but to the average Joe (like me anyway) you cant....Has great reviews too - And seeing though Tommy Iomi played 'Paranoid' on the SG, to me - when playing it, sounds close enough to me...

To come back to topic, i assume, as it was made in Korea, logistically it didn't come here by being delivered by a stork wrapped in a towel... so how it is packed plays an important role.

Same story goes for my Ibanez, although it has had some money thrown at it - in the shape of 2 x Paf Pro Dimarzio's & 1 Cruiser Pickup in the middle...also Dimarzio, it was taken from the shop staright to a well known Luthier to have it sorted, end result....bliss!.....£750.00 lighter, but for a guitar that worth that much, its a big risk being entrusted to postman pat (or his cat) but that may just be me.:|