Your collection - bought new vs 2nd hand vs discounted

[Gtrjunior]

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

Which begs the bigger question: are we here all bargain-hunters and/or cheapazzes who shop for ex-fleet vehicles and buy tires on clearance only too (like me)? Or does the new stuff just not appeal to us from a quality/interesting-ness perspective (also true for me, btw)?

Good question.
I think that most of us are players as opposed to collectors. So we probably tend to see the value that is still in a used instrument. (It’s broken in, probably has a couple of scratches already, maybe has a mod or 2).

 

[ehdwuld]

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

I have several guitars

both my current acoustics were bought new
the Epi Hummigbird was on sale at the time I got it but it just happened to be just what I wanted at just the time I wanted it

one my basses was brand new the SR500
I then found a maple neck SR300 in candy apple red at a pawn shop for $150 out the door
then another Jetstream Green maple neck for $150
I have since sold the CA one to a friend

my Gibson was new
my Ehdwuld was new (needed work new, but theres a thread on that )
my Dean was new but discounted at the particular retailer where I got it
the Florentine was new but listed as a B Stock

my RG2 was a floor demo at GC heavy holiday discount
my RG4 was used
my Candy Apple Squire Strat was used
my Daphne Blue was a return with a bad volume pot ($50 to the house)

 

[Mincer]

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

A few, I bought new...most are used, including my #1 Music Man. Some I bought through the artist program with particular manufacturers, and a few I got for free as an artist.

 

[Demanic]

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

I look for the best quality that I can afford.

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[ItsaBass]

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

I actually just counted and calculated for ya:

30 percent: inherited
26 percent: bought brand new at or within 15 percent of normal retail price
16 percent: bought new-ish (B stock, pre-owned but like new, grey market, etc.) at a discount
16 percent: bought used
7 percent: bought brand new at greater than 15 percent discount
5 percent: builds

 

[dave74]

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

guitars half used/new
amps mostly used, only one new
pedals mostly used with a few exceptions
cabs; 2 new and 2 used

 

[some_dude]

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

4 new, 3 used

I like what I like.

 

[some_dude]

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

Which begs the bigger question: are we here all bargain-hunters and/or cheapazzes who shop for ex-fleet vehicles and buy tires on clearance only too (like me)? Or does the new stuff just not appeal to us from a quality/interesting-ness perspective (also true for me, btw)?

Probably depends on where you live. Some of the places I’ve lived used prices are too high, which makes buying new more appealing.

Other places have been the opposite. So much great gear floating around that all it takes is some patience.

 

[FuseG4]

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

3 out of 4 New But Discounted. One new Squier Bullet that was sitting in the shop for forever, played great, had been well set up, but it's pink. So I made them an offer of $85 and got it. Two "Blem" Fenders, purchased from a major retailer and got about $200 off on my strat for an tiny tiny flat dent on the lower bout on the back of the guitar, and $150 off on a tele that had a shallow pinhole mark on the headstock. I never see the dents while playing. Really satisfied. Came with a full warranty which I took advantage of in the case of the Player Telecaster having short bridge saddles.
My Squier Jazzmaster was brand new from American Musical and I got it new on a payment plan, at the time I had horrible credit but the 3 payments let me get instant gratification.

Also my amp was a "warehouse reseal" where I saved $200 just for someone having demo'd and returned it. The Supersonic amp had reliability problems since it came out so I felt better getting one made recently, after they have resolved most of the issues, and got it with a warranty and exchange policy in case I got it home and it wasn't for me.

I've bought some brand new guitars before and sometimes if you're at a smaller store or even like guitar center, and you're looking at new sticker price and they wont budge, sometimes you can get them to throw in free stuff. I've gotten gig bags, boxes of strings, capos, straps, and that kind of stuff thrown in. But only through face to face transactions.

 

[DKSEARS]

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

I just counted them all up. Out of 19, only one was bought new, my ‘97 Ace Frehley Signature LP.

I inherited one, built three (soon to be four, once I decide what I want), reclaimed one from a trash heap (actually my late FIL, pulled it from a neighbor’s trash bin and I refinished it) and the rest have been bought used.


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[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.