New vs Used Guitar?

[UTGrad]

I’m working on getting a LP Standard. New the prices are beyond my reach for a family man with young children. Used I can get one off Reverb in my price range ($1500-$2000).

Are there any major negatives of buying a used LP Standard off an online bidding site? What are the benefits of used vs new? Any nightmare experience buying used online?


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[Thundermtn]

Re: New vs Used Guitar?

Never buy a Gibson without playing it first!

So I love my Gibson's but the reality of them is that historically to get a good one you need to play a couple dozen to find one that is truly great. Some will be good, and some will be a joke.

So what happens to the ones that didn't make the cut? They sit in a store sounding bad until they get clearanced out. At that point they are they same as everything else on a used site.

You want to buy the ones that people DON'T want to sell, or at least get to play it and decided for yourself. Can you tell a Chibson from the real deal is becoming more important too.

Proceed with caution.

 

[Thundermtn]

Re: New vs Used Guitar?

You should also play stuff other than a standard. I dislike the current standard, too light and feels like a toy to me and they have a different vibe than say a traditional.

If you're set on used standard, '02s are generally regarded as a high point on recent production, the 2002-'05 are well loved by most people and are weight relieved instead of chambered iirc.

Neck feel is a big deal on a LP too, know what you like before you decide on something.

 

[Mincer]

Re: New vs Used Guitar?

I think buying new sight unseen can have issues, too, but sometimes that is all we have. I have gotten lucky, but make sure you you do research, as Gibson changes specs every year. Get the specs you want. There are less Gibson dealers every year, so it isn't as easy to go to the local store and play them. Besides, many at the local music superstore are in abysmal condition.

 

[Chris Pile]

Re: New vs Used Guitar?

The nice thing about buying used gear is it's already depreciated in value. You can usually sell it for what you bought it for at a later date. On new stuff, you'll wait decades for the value to rise to whatever you paid when it was new.

I've owned hundreds of guitars and basses in the last 40 plus years... The brand spanking new ones I've purchased could be counted on two hands, no toes needed.

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: New vs Used Guitar?

Buying used is a great way to go. I've bought most of my guitars this way and have had relatively few dogs. Just do your research and know what features you want. Ask the seller any questions and how he/she responds will tell you a lot. Reverb is a great site and I don't look at ebay like I used to. You'll do fine on Reverb and we can help if you find something you like but have questions on.

 

[6stringerguy]

Re: New vs Used Guitar?

I have around six guitars that I use, four of which I bought without playing first, I never bought a guitar straight from the factory, I’ve bought 2nd hand, ex demo and b stock.
That being said my main guitar that feels the best to me was one I tried before I buyed.
All of them are great though

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: New vs Used Guitar?

I am one to say, "Try before you buy," when it comes to a Gibson. I have 14 Gibsons; bought some new and some used, but never sight unseen.

A Taylor, Ovation, or G&L? If they have the right specs, I would buy sight unseen. But a used Gibson, or even a new one...it's a crapshoot, even from a reputable dealer.

Bill

 

[zionstrat]

Re: New vs Used Guitar?

+1 never buy Gibson unless you can play first... Too many quality variables.

An exception, if you are close to a Guitar Center, you can buy from another store, they ship it in, and then you have 30 days to return

. I've done this many times and returned a few guitars on the spot taking home a few, and kept quite a few so it's a good opportunity for everybody.

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[Gtrjunior]

Re: New vs Used Guitar?

I’ll reiterate the comment about the neck sizes on a Gibson.
I have both a 50’s style Studio and a 60’s slim taper Standard. For me, the 60’s is absolutely perfect. The 50’s is a baseball bat. Now, I played the 50’s guitar for YEARS without issue before I got the 60’s.
It’s certainly something you will get used to, and some people much prefer the larger neck but for me, it’s too chunky.

 

[Thundermtn]

Re: New vs Used Guitar?

If you don't mind a gold top, a used custom shop R7 will eliminate a bunch of dogs. I've only played 3 or 4 CS guitars ever that weren't pretty damn good. If you keep an eye peeled and save up a little longer you can find them in the $2.3-2.7K range. They won't depreciate and I think going forward the Wilson era guitars will be second golden era type stuff.

 

[Returned]

Re: New vs Used Guitar?

If there was a single mainstream brand of guitar I would not buy used without examining it in person it is Gibson. Sketchy QC, high 'Brand" value, common yet easily hidden repairs, fakes, etc...

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: New vs Used Guitar?

I’m only ever buying them in person, new, from an authorised dealer. I like to make sure I’m getting the most for my money.

 

[Thundermtn]

Re: New vs Used Guitar?

That's how I do it now. The only Gibson I ever bought sight unseen had issues. Now I'll play as many as it takes until I find one better than my custom shop Ibanez. I only ever found two that I could afford that were past that level.

 

[Aceman]

Re: New vs Used Guitar?

Number ONE rule of buying online: Be prepared to send it back, resell, or eat the cost. I don't care what guitar you buy.

Now - regarding getting a Les Paul. The question here is "Do you want a Les Paul?" or "Do you want THE Les Paul?"

If you want THE Les Paul, then see rule number one, and I also strongly advise against buying without playing a bunch to find that one that you bond with. If you just want a Les Paul, ignore the cork sniffers about. Yeah - Les Pauls vary. But not that much. Maybe the top ten percent are magic, and the bottom 10 are muddy dark messes....but the in between batch are pretty much the same guitar with a few variations in top end, resonance, mids, and neck size/weight.

If 20 guys all played 20 Les Pauls, and they picked their top 2, half might pick one and half another for the "best." But there would 18 different number two choices.

Now - a used LP for ~1500 is exactly the price point they should be new. As mentioned, you can probably sell for the same price or close to it. Think of it as maybe a 1500 dollar lease....It's a really good deal.

As for how they play - ignore that crap too. I get the impression a lot of guys here judge based on the action and intonation as found in GC. LP's are really easy to adjust. If one can't be set up to your liking, you don't like Les Pauls. And as for the tone - again, welcome the the SDUG boards. Get whatever pickups YOU need. A set of Seths, PGs, Whole Lottas, a Jazz/JB, a PG/Custom, or a Distortion bridge can turn a good/great LP into a fire breathing pile of awesome!

 

[Aceman]

Re: New vs Used Guitar?

Again - it cracks me up to listen to the Les Paul Police. We can dicker about how straight the binding is, the quality of top etc...

At the end of the day, a Les Paul Standard, from any year is rock solid guitar. I could walk into a store, pull about anyone off the wall, and play it all night no problem. I can EVEN turn the knobs on the amp and get a usable (but likely not amazing) sound out of a 490/498 set.

Yeah - 50/60's neck makes a BIG difference. 9 v 11 lbs might make a difference for some of these delicate artist flowers (as if half of them play anywhere besides sitting on a stool in the living room).

What I will say, is that for 2000 plus....I expect everything to be spot on out of the box. That might not be the case. But for a (very) little effort, except for the neck size, there is rarely anything not adjustable to "works great / sounds great."

 

[Aceman]

Re: New vs Used Guitar?

That's how I do it now. The only Gibson I ever bought sight unseen had issues. Now I'll play as many as it takes until I find one better than my custom shop Ibanez. I only ever found two that I could afford that were past that level.

Well, that means it must happen to all of the Gibson.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: New vs Used Guitar?

My Gibson was an "online exclusive "
And I just couldn't pull the trigger online
Local dealer ordered one in and it took 3 months
I got it in my hands and it just felt great
It had burrs on the frets, a flakey switch
But just felt great. Light resonate
Had that durned switch down by the knobs and out of the way
All my buttons
Great deal out the door

But without it in my hands. I wasn't going to do it

 

[AlexR]

Re: New vs Used Guitar?

I've bought many secondhand guitars internationally. Of course I cannot play before buying and I will have issue with sale if they have problems. But you play the game and take the risk/reward.
The ones that have been poor I've sold off without much issue.....but have lost out due to the shipping to get them here.

Most of the issues the Gibson suffer from is in the binding dept. Its a real quality step that is incompatible with HJ's cost cutting mania. Hence marks in binding or poorly finished nibs etc. The artificial boosting of the 'firsts quality' guitars by merely lowering the standard for a pass is not a winning strategy. Setups similarly get a bit glossed over.

But a secondhand guitar often has a lot of these issues either corrected for, or lost amongst the usual marks etc present in an older instrument.

 

[YeRedHouseOverYonder]

Re: New vs Used Guitar?

Number ONE rule of buying online: Be prepared to send it back, resell, or eat the cost. I don't care what guitar you buy.

Now - regarding getting a Les Paul. The question here is "Do you want a Les Paul?" or "Do you want THE Les Paul?"

If you want THE Les Paul, then see rule number one, and I also strongly advise against buying without playing a bunch to find that one that you bond with.[...]

Now - a used LP for ~1500 is exactly the price point they should be new. As mentioned, you can probably sell for the same price or close to it. Think of it as maybe a 1500 dollar lease....It's a really good deal.[...]

Get whatever pickups YOU need. A set of Seths, PGs, Whole Lottas, a Jazz/JB, a PG/Custom, or a Distortion bridge can turn a good/great LP into a fire breathing pile of awesome!

+1 Ding ding ding. We have a winner. If you're buying sight unseen and online, shop where returns aren't frowned upon. A lot of the early 2000s and traditional LPs seem to be the best bang for buck if you're looking for a standard (~$1500 +/-). Hell, even the classics will do. Especially, if you intend on switching electronics/pickups. I would honestly look locally on Craigslist for the best deals.

FWIW, there's no shame in buying used. It's a hell of a lot smarter and best way to go with Gibson guitars. I've owned about 10-11 gibsons ranging from Studios-Custom Shop and I've only bought 4 new. *Most of them sight unseen. You really can't be picky with vintage guitars or used CS guitars.

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