Saving Money With Used Guitars - What to Look for to Get the Best From Your Music Store!
By Andrew Rumph

The old saying 'As broke as a musician' is certainly no surprise to the musicians out there - whether you are in it for fun, or are actually trying to make it big, or at least make it big enough so you don't have to have a regular job, playing music costs money, and it does not take long to realize that it can cost big money, even if you are just a singer.

But there are ways to save - this article will focus on guitars, but buying used gear is one of the easiest ways to get great equipment at a price that is much less than retail - often half of what retail was, or more.

You do have to be careful about buying used, though, so it helps to know what to look for, especially if you have not had a lot of experience buying guitars (other gear will be covered later). First you need to decide what type of guitar you want - do you mind a beat up looking guitar? (Some people even pay for new guitars to be 'stressed'). If you don't mind a few dings and scratches it will greatly expand the available pool, but there are plenty of guitars out there in pristine condition, such as this little Telecaster style guitar I found at a local store.

The first thing to look at on any used guitar is the neck - look at it straight on, and then look sideways at the neck to see how straight it is, and whether it has any humps or uneven spots. These are a sign to leave the guitar alone. If it arches one way or the other to severely, this can usually be fixed with little trouble. Many necks will have a slight arch in the direction of the strings - this is fine; it is called relief, and it usually allows for a lower action on the guitar.

Action is the next thing you want to check, and it also has to do with the neck, 'Action' refers to the amount of space between the frets and the strings. Fender calls for string heights of 3/64's to 5/64's (or 1.2 - 2 millimeters), with the lower figure being the treble strings. Some players like it slightly higher - whatever the action is, look closely at the side of the neck - the strings should be about the same height above the frets at the first fret and the 20th.

After you examine the neck, plug the guitar in - make sure the cable is seated tightly, and then play some lines while moving the volume and tone knobs to make sure they are in good shape, and are more or less silent when you turn them. The final step will be to use the pickup switch to test the different pickups in the guitar; each selection should have about the same volume, and once again should be over noisy when you are using them.

For an acoustic guitar, the concerns will be much the same - check the neck, plug the guitar in if it has electronics, and make sure you understand the warranty on the guitar if something does go wrong, or if what you think is a minor fix turns out to be a major headache.

There are many great places to buy used guitars, both from individuals, independent music stores, and flea markets, but one of the best places to find great deals is in pawnshops. Find out what is available in your area, and use these simple tips to help you buy a great guitar for a lot less money than new!

Andy Rumph, the author, works at Gaston Music & Pawn, one of the biggest Music Stores in Gastonia, NC and has been playing music and writing about it for more than 20 years!

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