What to look for when buying a used guitar

Introduction

Buying a guitar can be a great source of fun going from shop to shop playing countless guitars, searching through magazines and of course browsing various web sites but unless you are aware of some of the pitfalls it can all end in tears.

Firstly there are several questions you need to ask yourself:

1. What type of guitar do I wish to purchase (acoustic/electric)?
2. What is the purpose of the purchase (learning/fun/professional)?
3. What is my budget?
4. Do I want to purchase a new or second hand guitar?

This article applies to purchasing a used acoustic or electric guitar. I, generally, regardless of my budget, purchase second hand guitars. As you will always get a better deal on a second hand guitar you will find generally that the quality of the instrument will be much higher than a new guitar of the same price. For example, say I have $800 to spend there is no way possible to get a brand new Strat or Les Paul for this amount, however, there is a definite chance of getting one second hand for this price. Or even if I only have $300 to spend I could buy a new no name cheap poorly made brand new guitar or I might be able to pick up a reasonably good low end Ibanez or Yamaha second hand.

1. Find a guitar that is visually appealing

Never underestimate the aesthetic value of a guitar. You want to feel proud of your instrument. A well crafted guitar is beautiful thing, a piece of art. Some collectors hang their guitars on walls like paintings.

2. Play the guitar to see if it is comfortable

Pick it up and play it. If it doesn't feel right straight away move on. Is the neck too thin or is it too fat? Can you get your fingers up to the higher frets comfortably? Are the frets too large or two small? Basically does the guitar feel right for you?

3. Examine the guitar for obvious faults

Second hand guitars will always have little scratches in their finish. This is not an issue as they can normally be buffed out. Besides it gives the guitar character to have a little wear and tear. But examine the body and neck of the guitar closely for cracks in the wood. This means the guitar may have been dropped, I suggest you do the same and walk away. Also look for dents on the bottom of the body, the end of the body and around the headstock. Dents in this area are also an indication the guitar has been dropped. Small dents on the face of the body are not usually an issue.

4. Take a closer look

4.1 Necks

Now let's take a closer look at the neck. Electric guitars have three types of necks; bolt-ons, glue-ons and straight thrus. Straight-thrus are the most robust as this is where the neck makes up the centre part of the body of the guitar. So the neck actually runs from the base of the body all the way through to the headstock. There are not too many guitars with necks like this, Carvin still make them and the Gibson Firebird that was made in the sixties had a straight through neck.

Apart from being more solid the straight through theoretically gives you better tone and sustain. However, the jury is still out on that one as I don't know any better sustaining guitar than a Gibson Les Paul and that has a glued on neck.

Glued on necks are the next most robust guitar neck and many guitars are made with glued on necks. The bolt on neck is the least robust and can allow for sideways movement of the neck if the bolts loosen. So if buying a bolt on neck guitar ensure that the neck is straight not twisted and there is no sideways movement in the neck. Fender guitars have bolt on necks.

4.2 Twisted Neck

 It is also possible that a glued on neck can become twisted from being dropped or dramatic climatic changes. To check if a neck is twisted hold the guitar flat by the body and up to eye level. Look down the length of the guitar from the bridge to the headstock. Make sure that the frets all look aligned. It should look similar to looking down a railway track as if the strings are the tracks and the frets are the sleepers. If the frets are not aligned the neck could be twisted.

4.3 Neck Bow

Because of the high tension that steel strings place on a guitar neck, the neck will eventually bow. Guitars have a truss rod that runs the length of the neck. A truss rod is made usually from steel and it is adjustable. As you adjust the truss rod it adjusts the bow in the neck.

The neck can also bow due to expansion or contraction of the neck from changes in temperature or humidity. Also the thicker the steel string the more tension is placed on the neck.

Never buy a steel string guitar acoustic or electric without a truss rod. Classical guitars which use nylon strings do not usually need truss rods as the nylon strings do not place the same tension on the neck that steel strings do.

You can see the truss rod on a Fender Stratocaster at the base of the headstock. On a Gibson Les Paul it is under the model name plate on the base of the headstock. With quality acoustics you often have to thread a tool through the strap peg on the bottom of the guitar into the truss rod at the base of the neck.

4.3.1 Checking the bow in the neck

Even though a guitar has a truss rod you should check the bow in the neck. There actually needs to be a slight bow so the strings can vibrate along their full length.

To check the bow in the neck first hold the guitar as if you are about to play it sitting down, then press your left index finger down on the first fret of the sixth E string and the index finger of your right hand down on the fret one higher than where the neck meets the body of the guitar on the same string. Look down on the E string. The bow in the middle of the neck should be minimal in fact the distance of the E string from the neck should be almost exactly the same the full length of the neck, with a slightly increased gap about ? millimeter in the middle of the neck. The slightly increased gap in the middle is the natural bow of the neck.

4.4 Action

This is also a good check for the action of the guitar. The action is how far the strings are above the frets. Most rock guitarists like a low action (strings closer to the frets) as it allows them to play more quickly and use less pressure to fret a string. Jazz and some blues players prefer a slightly higher action as they can get more purchase on a string and thus more feel. Also with a higher action there is less chance of fret buzz. Slide players like a very high action as they never fret the strings and a higher action whilst playing slide gives the guitar a cleaner sound.

4.5 Fret buzz

Check all the frets to see if there is any buzzing. First play the strings open and ensure they all ring clearly without any hint of buzzing. It is possible to get fret buzzing without fretting a string if the neck is out of shape or the action is just way too low. Or it could possibly be a problem with the nut or the bridge. If you get buzzing when playing open and you have already checked the neck I would suggest it is a nut or bridge problem. So a close examination of those two parts would be in order.

Once you have played the strings open, play each string at each fret all the way up the neck. Take note of frets that buzz. Buzzing frets are not necessarily a great problem if there are one or two frets that buzz they can be shaved down. If there are many frets that are buzzing go back and re-check the neck. If the neck appears to be ok you may have to raise the action.

5. Electronics

If you are purchasing an electric guitar you should always plug it into an amplifier and check that the electronics are working correctly. You should be able to tell immediately if there is any excess hum or noisy pickups. Often on used guitars the earth wire breaks on the pickups and you get that low 50 Hz hum. This can be easily fixed.

Ensure that while adjusting the volume and tone pots for each pickup that there is no scratchy noise. You want your volume and tone adjustments to be smooth and clean. If you hear scratchy noise it may only be dirt in the pot and it is easily cleaned. But you should investigate further.

Also make sure you can hear the difference in volume and tone after making the adjustments. Change the pickup selector to each pickup and ensure that each one is working correctly and there are no scratchy noises as you change the pickups. You can tap each pickup with a screwdriver to ensure that a specific pickup is active.

Depending on your experience and how much you want to spend, the electronics of the guitar may not be that important to you. You may have already decided to rip everything out and replace it with the pickups of your choice. Remember electronics are about the easiest part to the guitar to fix and they do not affect the playability of the guitar.

6. Sustain

Check the sustain of the guitar by unplugging it from the amplifier and playing a string open. Let the string ring unimpeded. If you are buying the guitar in a guitar shop you might want to compare the sustain of the guitar you are purchasing with other similar guitars in the shop.

Next plug he guitar back into the amp and again check the sustain on an open string. Compare to another guitar if you can. Then check the sustain by fretting a string and bending a string. You will find the guitar will have less sustain when it is plugged in as the magnetic force of the pickups reduce sustain. This can be minimized by lowering the pickups away from the strings.

7. Harmonics

Check the harmonics of the guitar by using a guitar tuner. Play an open string and tune it to the tuner. Play the same string, fretted at the 12^th fret and ensure the tuner reads exactly the same as it did when you played the string open. If it doesn't than the harmonics are out. Harmonics can be tuned by adjusting the bridge but if they are out then the guitar will sound in tune when you play an open chord but out of tune when you barre a chord further up the neck.

8. Wood

Quality guitars are made from quality wood. Ask the seller what wood the guitar you are interested in purchasing is made from. Cheap no name guitars use cheap wood and don't advertise the type, so the dealer may not know if you are spending $200 on a cheapie.

Gibson Les Pauls are made from mahogany, with a rosewood or ivory fret board. Fender Stratocasters are made from ash or alder with a maple neck and sometimes a rosewood fret board. Good acoustic guitars are usually made from mahogany with a spruce top, maple neck and rosewood fret board.

If you are not sure what wood the guitar should be constructed with you can go to the manufacturer's website and check the wood type for the particular model. This information is not always available at the manufacturer's site so you might have to do a little research.

Conclusion

Buying a guitar is a lot of fun. Take your time and enjoy the experience. Make sure you are completely happy with the instrument before you part with your hard earned cash.

Remember the following tips:

• The guitar should be visually appealing.
• The guitar should be comfortable to play.
• The guitar should be free from obvious faults.
• The neck of the guitar should not be twisted.
• The neck of the guitar should not be bowed in either direction.
• A steel string guitar should have a truss rod.
• Make sure you are happy with the action of the guitar.
• Check the guitar for fret buzz.
• Plug the guitar into an amp and check that it sounds ok.
• Plug the guitar into an amp and check for noisy electronics including volume and tone pots.
• Check the sustain of the guitar.
• Check the harmonics of the guitar.
• Ask the seller what wood the guitar is made from.

Follow the tips above and ensure the instrument is good quality. Point out any flaws to the seller as this will drive the price down. Once you have found the right guitar, shop around don't be too eager to purchase it. You might find the same guitar for a better price or a guitar that is even more suited to you.

Happy Playing...

Stokesy