Should I Buy a New or Used Guitar
Old or New?
With a new guitar there may be some room for improvement as it gets older or it may fall apart the day after you pay for it (although that is unlikely). With an old guitar you may be buying some other person’s headache and one reason that this dealer tries to buy the guitar himself is to get to know it. One should never serve a dish he wouldn’t eat himself.
I do like a little age on a guitar because if it hasn’t fallen apart in the first few years, things are really looking up. At that point, if taken care of, a guitar can outlive us. When I judge or look for a guitar I look for balanced sound, a nice neck and a guitar that feels right under my fingers. Yes, I use the word “feel” a lot, but we do use our hands and our feelings and I do have a limited vocabulary. When looking for a guitar just go with what really feels good to you not what some teacher /star/big ego person plays who may have gotten the guitar for free. (God, I hate that, heh heh) If the neck is wacky, your fingers will tell your eyes. If it sounds bad your ears will tell your hands to hold onto the cash.
Look for cracks (okay in my book) that should be fixed before you have a look at the guitar. Never think you will get “used to the neck” if you can’t play the damn thing. Neck size has very little to do (where’re the jokes?) with it. I’ve played large scales that felt great and have had small necks that will break your hand. Again, trust your hand. Don’t let a person say, “ Oh you’ll get used to it.” Think of it as buying a pair of running shoes. Would a runner (sorry, I’m a runner) buy a pair of shoes that doesn’t feel right on their feet? If he did his rewards would be blisters and injuries - which can also happen for guitar players if the neck is unsuitable for the player.
