Your collection - bought new vs 2nd hand vs discounted

[Mincer]

Re: Your collection - bought new vs 2nd hand vs discounted

My first thought when looking for a particular model is to look for used. I generally won't buy new unless it is an astoundingly great deal, or it is one of those 'life changing' instruments you can't do without.

[beaubrummels]

Re: Your collection - bought new vs 2nd hand vs discounted

I’ve never tracked this kind of data. Probably because I’m a guitar player. Now if you want to know what caps to use...

[mojosman]

Re: Your collection - bought new vs 2nd hand vs discounted

Of all of my electrics only one was purchased new, which is my SRV strat. That is a first year model, but not one of the Brazilian rosewood fretboard models that are sought after. The others are all a variety of bought used, partscasters, or trades. All of amps were bought used as well. I've had my first year silver face Princeton Reverb since the mid 80's, which I bought used from Daddy's Junkie. They said it was an early 70's, and I never questioned it. Recently my buddy was attending a Fender amp tech course and part of the course requirements is to bring broken tube amps in to diagnose and repair. Mine needed new caps, as it was all snap, crackle, and pop like a bowl of rice crispies. They checked the date codes and told me it was actually made in the 60's and was probably a very early silver face. They went all through it and it sounds killer now, and all I paid was parts. I have two low end acoustics which were both bought new, but were very inexpensive.

[dystrust]

Re: Your collection - bought new vs 2nd hand vs discounted

I currently have 12 guitars and I've owned 24 over the years. The only one I bought new was my '01 LP Standard Plus. It's one of the nicest LPs I've played so I don't regret it, but these days I tend not to buy stuff unless I can get a great deal which usually means used.

[Jeff_H]

Re: Your collection - bought new vs 2nd hand vs discounted

The only 2 guitars I've purchased new since 1992 were an Alvarez Dana Scoop new in 92' or 93' and a new but discounted Taylor 314ce in 2005. Actually, I bought two, but the 2nd one was used. I kept them both for about 3 months and sold the loser of the two. Jolly now has the winner that I kept.

Other than that, I've gone through 25+ guitars and all were used. I get that from being in the Auto Finance industry since 97'. Buying cars and guitars new, for me, is a money losing proposition. Buying any car is, but it's a necessity.

[voggin]

Re: Your collection - bought new vs 2nd hand vs discounted

One I bought new, one was a gift from my wife, bought new, and 6 used.

[treyhaislip]

Re: Your collection - bought new vs 2nd hand vs discounted

My acoustic I bought new...my Warmoth Bass and Warmoth Tele were built from all brand new parts. My Strat was made from new and used parts.

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Your collection - bought new vs 2nd hand vs discounted

Oh...I forgot
I bought my Taylor 516CE new as well.

[Thundermtn]

Re: Your collection - bought new vs 2nd hand vs discounted

I have mostly new stuff.

Serious metal guitars in my neck of the woods just never showed up used locally, yeah there's a few $150 imports that are first guitars that sound bad and are beat to hell, eff that stuff. Way back I got seriously burned on a couple of used E-bay axes so I don't do that anymore and most of my stuff was bought before Reverb existed.

The big thing for me is how does it feel in my hands. How does it play, and what does it sound like. A keeper is a keeper so if it sounded great and covered a certain tone I bought it.

Probably 25% of mine are used, the rest were bought new after playing them first for the most part. I think I only have three that are new and untested before I paid and thankfully those worked out.

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: Your collection - bought new vs 2nd hand vs discounted

Many of mine are used. I have a bunch that were bought new many years ago and are still with me. Most of my purchases in the last decade have been used, bought in person (I much prefer to play a guitar in person before buying) or on the Web if they were something unusual that caught my interest. Of the guitars I've acquired in the last ten years, one was custom built, one was bought new, and two were new but with scratch-&-dent discounts.