Why do you buy new instead of used?

[blueman335]

Re: Why do you buy new instead of used?

When I wanted to buy my first "LP" I went to several shops and after settling on the Michael Kelly Patriot Limited I had the guy bring down ALL the Limited he had and then I played them all back to back until I were sure which of them all I liked the best.
That took me more than an hour (actually close to an hour and a half).

That's something I could never do used.

But what are you really evaluating at a music store? Which wood happens to sound best with the stock PU's? Which guitar was set up & intonated best? How much did the store amp influence the sound, and your decision? There's posts here from some of the knowledgeable members that say the acoustic sound and resonance has little relationship to a guitar's amplified sound (my experience bears this out).

I think some very good guitars get passed over at music stores, because the PU's don't match the wood very well, the intonation is off, the action's terrible, the PU's are too low, the strings are rusty, neck needs a minor truss rod adjustment, etc. This is all easy stuff to do, and no, you shouldn't have to do it, but you could miss one of the best guitars in the store. Some of these rejects may end up sounding better than any of the others with a good set up & maybe a PU or magnet swap. Personally, I have no idea what a guitar will sound like, or play like, until I do some basic work to it. Maybe a certain PU will just shine in that guitar, but you don't know that in the store. If you want a guitar that needs no work what-so-ever, fine, the music store A/B trials are fine. But I never buy a guitar thinking that it's already perfect. Most can be improved on (just look at how many Gibson, PRS, & Fender owners here swap PU's).

 

[darnright]

Re: Why do you buy new instead of used?

I very rarely buy new. If I can get a used one...I'll buy used.

-dave

 

[LesStrat]

Re: Why do you buy new instead of used?

For the warranty, the virginity, and...











OOOHHHH, shiny things!

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Why do you buy new instead of used?

the only things i always buy new are strings and picks. if its a good piece of gear i dont care if its used

Same here.

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: Why do you buy new instead of used?

You usually end up paying a lot more buying new at GC. Makes eBay look awful good to me.

i've saved over $500 shopping there though, with the sorts of deals i've gotten and the PG warranty i used to buy my SG faded.

 

[cayle_6]

Re: Why do you buy new instead of used?

there's something about the smell of new gear that i just like.
and it's hard to find "good" used gear here. most have dings and scrapes, which i don't like.

 

[j9fd3s]

Re: Why do you buy new instead of used?

it's really hard to find good left-handed guitars on the used market.

+1!

 

[beandip]

Re: Why do you buy new instead of used?

I buy used most of the time. Mainly, because I can't afford what I want new. I could pay 1200 dollars for a new guitar, or I could pay 600 for the same git-fiddle with one or two dings and call it a day.

The only thing I buy new are cases. Just because a case looks in good shape doesn't mean that in inside protective layer hasn't been compromised. I'd rather shell out an extra 30 than take my chances.

 

[Joelski]

Re: Why do you buy new instead of used?

Guitars find me, not the other way around. I can go for months without noticing a guitar I'd like to have and then BAM!! I buy 5-6 in a few months time. I bought 6 new guitars in the past 2 years on this basis; it flashed in the corner of my eye, I resisted, it persisted, I picked it up and walked out of the shop with it. God, I'm glad I lost that car thing years ago!

 

[StratTom]

Re: Why do you buy new instead of used?

Thanks for the comments guys. I think there are some good points made all around. Definately you save money when it comes to buying used, that's a given. Warranties are a nice thing to have, however, if you do anything as much as a pup swap, you are most likely voiding the warranty.

 

[rowdy27]

Re: Why do you buy new instead of used?

I buy new & used..whatever strikes my fancy. :cool2: Life's too short to have a crumby guitar!

 

[beandip]

Re: Why do you buy new instead of used?

Thanks for the comments guys. I think there are some good points made all around. Definately you save money when it comes to buying used, that's a given. Warranties are a nice thing to have, however, if you do anything as much as a pup swap, you are most likely voiding the warranty.

Actually most warranties become void if you change the strings yourself

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Why do you buy new instead of used?

I buy used 'cause it's impossible get NEW MIJ early '80s guitars.

Exception was a Takamine EC260, which I've bought 'cause I needed an acoustic for a gig and I've found one that was exceptionally well made.

The last was a PRS SE EG that I've paid half price because it had a nick in the paint.

 

[Travis]

Re: Why do you buy new instead of used?

I only buy new if there's something I really want that I can't get on the used market. I don't care about nicks and dings, they make me less worried about putting that first one on there myself.

 

[SlowGroove]

Re: Why do you buy new instead of used?

Obviously a question for those of us who buy guitars new opposed to used. What are your reasons for doing so? I have only bought one guitar and a bass used. All of my others have been new. I know that buying used I will get more for my money, but all these years, I have continued to buy new. Just wondering what some of your reasons are.

I get MUCH MUCH better value for my money !

I bought a Gibson SG (all in parts/boxes, minus the pu's) for $300.00 USD.

I female friend of mine bought an Epi Blackbird bass (in utter mint cond.) for $250.00.

I am now buying a 1981 Ibanez Artist for $280.00 in uber pristine cond.



James

 

[Fender_Punk]

Re: Why do you buy new instead of used?

Only guitar I bought new was my first Strat. Everything since has been bought used off a friend, pawn shops, kijiji and a used axe shop. Its nice seeing stores that sell mostly used instruments, as its always interesting to see what comes through and IME they're always priced better.

I'd buy new if I had the coin to drop on a new axe I really wanted and couldn't find it used or if I had saved up for a custom shop axe (to my own specs).

I see the advantages to buying new, but if I can get an axe at 1/2 the retail price off the used market, I'd rather get it used and spend the coin I saved on mods.

 

[KeeperOS]

Re: Why do you buy new instead of used?

But what are you really evaluating at a music store? Which wood happens to sound best with the stock PU's? Which guitar was set up & intonated best? How much did the store amp influence the sound, and your decision? There's posts here from some of the knowledgeable members that say the acoustic sound and resonance has little relationship to a guitar's amplified sound (my experience bears this out)...

The wood basically. At least in my case (my ears if you will) I can easily filter the pu out of the equation (since it's the same pu in all cases) and hear how the guitar truly sounds.
And I can't speak for anyone else but IME the acoustic tone of the guitar ALWAYS affects the amplified tone as well.
I can always fiddle with the amp's EQ a little later but I can't add highs or lows where there aren't any to begin with. Same goes for after-market pus (which are almost always a given).
There are ways to offset a shortcoming I guess but at least IMO it's preferable to start with the best platform possible.

However I must note that in this particular case the amp I tried them WAS in fact exactly the same as mine so that was also factored out. As for playability, in this particular case every one of them was identical which was spot on but I would always expect to get a guitar feel better after a proper setup.

For me this method works exceptionally fine, in fact that's also the way I choose pickups i.e. I take the guitar in question at the shop and try out all the pickups I would be interested in (hold them over the strings, not actually install them) and choose the one that works the best.
It is however necessary to go with things like pickups, amp and setup already in one's head least the become misleading factors like you mentioned...

 

[Petrovsk Mizinski]

Re: Why do you buy new instead of used?

I bought a guitar new once because I got a great deal on it.
In Australia, it just isn't worth paying full price for a guitar unless it's Aussie made because imported stuff is just too expensive for what it is.

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Why do you buy new instead of used?

my 2 cents... i've bought many fixer uppers and cheaper used stuff... i at one time enjoyed fixing them up as a hobby... i don't find it as thrilling anymore as i once did but still once in a while work on some of these things i've picked up... and i'm also finding it harder to have the time to work on them.. These days i keep my main players in good top shape at all times and leave the rest on the back burner for now...

It got kind of funny after a while as i'd walk into one of the many stores i used to visit and they knew what i was looking for... wrecks, parts, odds and ends... they used to set stuff aside for me and wait for me... i ended up with a bunch of necks and PU's and bridges, tuners...

Plus i started making my own necks and bodies from lumber... if and when i complete all the bodies and necks i have started, plus my collection of working guitars, i could have over 35 electrics all together...

add it all up and i'm way out of room...

i love buying brand new axes with all the case candy... and i love keeping them like new as long as i can... that is why i didn't love the idea of buying my Closet Classic CS strat... buying a distressed strat at a high cost makes no sense but it was such a deal i could not pass on it... But the idea of buying a brand new shiny axe and keeping it that way is what i like!

a friend of mine that moved about 12 years ago from Canada to Austrailia came home last year and saw one of my axes that he saw me buy 20 years ago... he was shocked that it still looked brand new! it freaked him out how well i took care of it...

for playing in bars and stuff i normally use my beat up bunch of used axes... showing off sometimes playing i get rough with my axes and i will not treat my new looking shiny toys that way... but the pre-worn abused cheaper stuff is ok... that is why i bought them..

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Why do you buy new instead of used?

Some of the best gear I've ever bought was new. When you go into a guitar store, you can always try out a guitar before buying. That means you can find the one with the exact voicing you're looking for. No two guitars ever sound the same so if you're as obsessive as I am with gear, you want the one guitar that sounds "just right". Not to say you can't end up with winners sight unseen (that's how I stumbled upon my two PRS), but that was luck and I ended up selling 2 other PRS in the process because they didn't measure up to my standards. I can tell you that if I had just saved up a few extra hundred from the start, I'd have saved myself lots of time and aggravation trying to find the perfect guitars to settle down with.