Whether you’ve just cashed in your first paycheck, saved up over the last 24 months or got some cash for Christmas, there is one sure thing: you know what to do with it, and it’s buying a new guitar

So what should you check out before buying a new guitar? I’ve compiled 3 lists of things to check out for, one list is for buying a second-hand guitar, one list is for buying a new guitar in a shop and one list is for buying a new guitar on the internet. What about buying a second hand guitar on the internet? I don’t advise it, unless you are aware of and willing to take the risk.

5 things to do before buying a second-hand guitar:

1. Tune the guitar

Yes, you can have a look at the neck to see if its shape is straight, you can look at the state of the fretboard. However, if you aren’t sure what you are looking at, it won’t tell you much. Tuning the guitar is the best way to check the guitar can actually be tuned properly - which is what matters, isn’t it?

2. Check all the pieces work

Check out that each pickup and each knob does what it’s supposed to be doing.

3. Play on various parts of the fretboard

Does it feel smooth and regular?  Or do you feel something is stopping you from playing as fast as you know you can? 

4. Check for the weight

A common reason for selling a guitar can be its weight. Even if you don’t play on stage, you want to buy a guitar with weight that doesn’t prevent you from jumping all around your bedroom with it.

5. Ask the seller why he/she is selling

It’s always good to know the background of a guitar, what it was used for, why it didn’t meet the seller’s requirements etc. Of course, they might lie to you but in addition with testing the guitar itself, it can be a good indication of whether you should proceed forward or not. If the seller seem dodgy and untrustworthy to you, don’t buy.

5 things to do before buying a new guitar in a shop:

1. How solid is the built?

Do the volume and tone pots feel loose? How about the mic switch? And the strings machine heads? Do not hesitate to touch and move all the movable parts while trying out the guitar in the shop, even if the shop assistant is looking at you in a weird way. The quality of such parts is usually a good indicator of how much quality control has gone into manufacturing the guitar.

2. Play on various parts of the fretboard

Does it feel smooth and regular? Or do you feel something is stopping you from playing as fast as you know you can?

3. Check for the weight

Even if you don’t play on stage, you want to buy a guitar with weight that doesn’t prevent you from jumping all around your bedroom with it.

4. How does it feel?

Does it feel better or worse than the other guitars you have put your hands on before?

5. Check other guitars within the same price range

If you are like me, one of your criteria will be money, eg you have set a certain amount aside to spend on a new guitar. Make sure to check a few guitars that meet this criteria and get the one that is the best for you.

5 things to do before buying a new guitar on the internet:

1. Read at least 10 reviews of that guitar

Yes, people might want different things from their guitar but things such as poor built and poor manufacturing will show through in reviews.

2. Check out the return conditions

What is the policy in case you are unhappy with the item?

3. Compare the real price of buying online with the real price of going to a guitar shop

Include all the costs, from delivery if you order on the internet to the cost of you actually getting to the shop. Also, do a comparaison in terms of practicality - if you don’t have personal transport and your nearest guitar shop is 2 bus rides + 1 train ride away, it might not be very easy to carry your guitar back that way. However, if the online order doesn’t make it much cheaper or easier, then why not make a trip to the shop? It’s always fun to go to a guitar shop and try a few guitars, and it’s the best way to make sure you get the right one for you.

4. Do a search on the website(s) you are considering buying from

On music forums, people often warn “don’t use such and such company, they delivered the wrong item to me” and so on. Do a quick search on Google to check potential negative feedback on the online company you want to order from. My own experience, for the UK, is not to use Flying Pig Instrument Supply Co (they ripped me off £200) and to use GAK (the Brighton shop, which also has an online shop) and Strings Direct (more for accessories). 

5. Check which courier they use

Some couriers are better than ever, there’s no doubt about it. My biggest problem when ordering from GAK is that they use what is probably the worst mainstream courier in the UK, that is CityLink. They are not flexible, their depot is hard to get to and their customer service skills are close to zero. Despite liking GAK, it has stopped me from ordering from them recently, after too many bad experiences with CityLink. On the other hand, I’ve ordered from companies using UPS and the delivery has always been excellent.

Testing an electric  guitar should always be done first through an amp with a clean setting, so the amp doesn’t influence the sound that much. If you have a favourite amp, then do it through an amp of the same brand if possible. After testing the guitar with a clean, you can test it through a special effect if this effect is very important to the sound you are looking for. For testing an acoustic guitar, you can pretty much go through the same points, except the one about testing the microphones and pots of course ;)  

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