Buying a second-hand guitar - Checklist. - Shopping

Buying a second-hand guitar - checklist

Check all over for structural defects - Cracks, splits in the wood. A concave (collapsing) soundboard on an acoustic guitar is a sign of the guitar drying out and changing shape due to lack of moisture. Common causes - central heating during the winter, guitar left in direct sunlight.

Check the shape of the neck - Look down it from either the headstock or the bridge end. The neck should be basically straight or very slightly concave. Steer clear of any guitar with a sideways twist in the neck. An acoustic guitar neck that dips down from the 12th or 14th fret to the sound hole is evidence of a collapsing soundboard. The changing body shape has pulled the neck down in this area.

Convex and concave bends in electric and steel string acoustic necks can often be corrected by altering the metal truss rod that runs down the neck, but twists and dips from the 12th/14th fret to the sound hole cannot be corrected in this way. Classical guitar necks don't have truss rods and bent necks require a more involved and expensive repair.

Check the frets - Play every fret on each string. Are there any dead notes or annoying buzzes? Is there much wear? If there are deep furrows in the frets (these usually appear first under the E and B strings on the first three frets) the guitar would need a re-fret. Bear in mind that a re-fret by a professional could add considerably to the cost of your guitar. Some slight wear on a second-hand instrument is to be expected, and the frets can be "dressed" to make them even again if the wear is not too much (ie they can be levelled off - a less expensive repair than a re-fret). Also, check for frets that are coming out of the wood. Run your hand very gently and slowly along the top and bottom of the neck and feel if any of the frets are protruding (this could be another sign of a guitar drying out, or poor initial workmanship).

Check the electrics - Check all the switches and dials on electric guitars and electro-acoustics. Plug into an amp, do they all work? Also, is the guitar excessively noisy when you are not playing? (Note - This could be the amp though, or interference by other nearby electrical appliances, including the cell/mobile phone in your pocket).

Check the set up - Do the 12th fret harmonic test. Play a 12th fret harmonic and check it against the fretted note at the same fret on the same string. Play them alternately. If they sound a little out of tune with each other then the guitar would need a set up. (It's perhaps unrealistic to expect a second-hand guitar to be perfectly set up, but professional set ups cost money, so this demonstration in front of a seller could be an opportunity to ask for a discount). If the two notes sound like a high-pitched version of the Jaws theme tune, there may be a problem with the guitar that a simple set up won't remedy. By the way, make sure you don't press down hard when fretting a string at the 12th fret, or pull the string up or down, as this will cause the note to play slightly sharp anyway, and give a wrong impression of the set up. Just press hard enough to get a connection between string and fret (ie don't press the string down to the wood of the fretboard).

If you don't trust your ear to tell you if the harmonic and fretted notes are out-of-tune, take an electronic tuner with you. Tune up the open strings and then play the individual notes at the 12th fret. They should also be in tune with your tuner, and if they are not then the guitar would need a set up.

Check the bridge on an acoustic instrument - Check to see if the bridge is coming away from the body of an acoustic or classical guitar. This is more often the case with second-hand classical guitars, especially if an owner has previously put unsuited steel strings on it.

Of course, also play the guitar - how does it feel and sound?

Mark Baxter 2008-2011 (c)

Griffbretter Gitarre