PlayJazzGuitar.com Forum

alfonso · Joined: 25 May 2005 Posts: 1256 Location: Sacramento

Has anyone on this site ever bought a guitar on Ebay or one of the other auction sites? Was it a good experience or a regret? Please, care to share your thoughts? thanks

Gorecki · Posted: Sat Mar 04, 2006 9:49 pm Post subject: Re: Ebay or Auction type guitars

dkaplowitz · Joined: 28 Apr 2005 Posts: 193

I got an ES-175 from ebay. The seller was kind of a dope in that he said "there's not a mark on her", which was completely untrue, there were a lot of scratches here and there. He also had the strap button installed right in the cutaway. So when you play in the higher register it's right in your palm. It's my fault for not noticing it, as one of his pictures did kind of reveal that. I was an inexperienced buyer of archtops then. (I've since gotten used to it being there, and actually when playing with a strap, it's really comfortable and secure, but still it's wrong for that guitar to have it there).

So from my experience, I'd say don't buy any guitar you don't know inside and out. Ask for more pictures if the ones up there aren't sufficient. Ask any question not answered in the auction (is it all stock? Any accidents? Any scratches? Refinished? Touched up? Worked on? Etc. etc.). I'd also only buy from someone whose feedback reflects previous satisfied sales of guitars of that caliber. In other words, don't buy a $3000.00 archtop from someone who's only sold a couple warmoth telecasters, or worse, someone who's never sold a guitar before. Just my opinion though. There are tons of great deals happening up there.

Good luck!

dchos · Joined: 03 Jan 2006 Posts: 27

I recently bought an Ibanez AS-73 brand new on ebay, saved heaps on retail & the istrument was in perfect order, well set up etc. I picked it up in person though, there is no way I would shell out for a guitar I had not seen in the flesh.

I've heard horror stories about shop demo models with no adjustment left in the neck being sold over the net, but these were from sales guys in retail outlets who must be bitter about losing customers to online dealers.

The retailers say that they go the extra mile with cases, bags, strings, set ups & service (yet to experience that one. The greasy long haired idiots at my local have to be the slackest), but the reality is that they can't compete with on-line dealers who have none of the overheads associated with running a shop. Which I think is good news for the consumer.

There are bargains to be had, but be careful & happy bidding !