Members MackieJ Posted January 13, 2011 Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 Just curious about others experience buying a guitar they haven't played before buying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members diocide Posted January 13, 2011 Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 I've bought 3 out of my current 6 guitars without playing them beforehand. Pleasant experiences with all three. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brewski Posted January 13, 2011 Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 I bought: 10 Agiles and 4 SX's on line1 PRS Custom 24 10 Top off ebay2 Agiles off ebay the thing is you can usually flip the ebay deals and get either your full money back or close. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PlinytheWelder Posted January 13, 2011 Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 I got my MIK Hamer Studio, Charvel Fusion and PRS SE Single cut Soapbar of of Ebay without any problems.I looked a long time for each of them though..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluesnapper Posted January 13, 2011 Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 Got my SRV Strat - not on eBay but a random local newspaper small ads website on the other side of the country to me. Phoned the guy up and chatted for a while - he told me he was a pro and had many guitars and didn't need it anymore. He was honest about the chips/dings and other little bits of damage - I felt like I could trust him and went ahead with the purchase. Guitar arrived - needed a bit of a set up but was everything I expected. Plus the price was low - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members undergod12 Posted January 13, 2011 Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 I've bought a Schecter 12-string and an Ibanez 5-string bass off of ebay as well as many audio interfaces, microphones and other assorted studio gear with 0 problems. Of course that was years ago before ebay turned into the wretched hive of scum and villainy that it is today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ashasha Posted January 13, 2011 Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 N4, Axis, LP Classic...all keepers and all in my signature. There was also a Sheraton that I sold (can't remember why I sold it to be honest, it was a nice guitar) The N4 was a basket case, but I knew that going into it. Nothing but good experiences so far. Good pictures and good communication are paramount for me though. If the pictures are dodgy, the description illiterate or too good to be true and the seller doesn't get back to me in a reasonable amount of time with good answers than I pass. Most times people are very good and eager to sell their gear though. I've probably sold about 10 guitars over the years on e-Bay as well and have had nothing but happy buyers. I've been straight up and probably a bit anal in my descriptions, but I do believe that karma is earned so I work for it and I think that is why I've been so fortunate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Oldskool Texas Posted January 13, 2011 Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 I bought a '96 American Series Strat from an individual, a PRS SE from Sweetwater's eBay store, and a resonator and a California Telecaster from smaller eBay dealers. My newest acquisition, the Casino in my avatar, was also an eBay purchase. All excellent guitars, great deals, and flawless transactions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bubbluz Posted January 13, 2011 Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 3 off ebay..2 G&L's , 1 Godin 1 MIM Strat off guitarsbyleo site All sight unseen...still have them all.All smooth transactions Just look for excellent feedback,lots of pics and ask lots of questions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brujo13 Posted January 13, 2011 Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 most guitars ive bought on ebay,i get ripped off on, Ive paid for 3, recived 1, Ive had good results with other stuff, but ive won 2 great deals on guitars and the seller never shipped them. I eventually got my money back, but i much have rather gotten the guitars I Paid for! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ExiledCrow Posted January 13, 2011 Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 4 guitars, all off ebay and I've gotten what I expected out of all of them. All transactions pretty smooth. As time has gone on I've found myself liking the neck on one of them less and less, but that's a feel thing and recent, there's nothing structurally wrong with it. Oh, and they've all been cheap so my expectations were not custom shop quality, if I were paying more than $500 I'd probably want to play it first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members vintage clubber Posted January 13, 2011 Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 out of what is still in my collection:Hamer VectorIbanez Artcore AM 73TSquier CV '50's TeleEleca Goldtop LP Copyall keepers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Northstar Posted January 13, 2011 Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 I bought these from eBay or online: Partscasters (or eBaycasters if you will): And the latest project, a real (but gutted) '59 Melody Maker: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cobalt Blue Posted January 13, 2011 Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 I've purchased dozens (at least three dozen), and I've had two bad experiences, and both of those bad experiences wound up being resolved. One was resolved by eBay, who got all my money back for me; the other was resolved by MusicCorp, who, cordially honored a warranty (paid for shipping and replaced, gratis, the Fishman Powerbridge Powerchip) on a Parker after the alleged Parker dealer on eBay refused to help me. (PM me if you plan to buy a Parker on eBay, and I'll let you know who to stay away from.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MackieJ Posted January 13, 2011 Author Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 Thanks for the info! This was helpful. I was hesitant because choosing a guitar is such a "feel" thing. If that makes any sense. It also seemed like I was letting my local dealer down sense he's worked with me in the past. He just doesn't get what I'm looking for in his shop that often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Steadfastly Posted January 13, 2011 Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 I bought my Ibanez AG-75 off of eBay. I got a great price, great service and the guitar was very well packed. I don't think you have to play an electric to decide whether it's a good one or not. With today's mfg. methods, they are pretty much all the same. With an acoustic, it may be a different story but I think even there when people say they played a "dead" one or a "live" one or brand X sounded way better than brand Y, a lot of this is because of old strings or different strings and sometimes, just plain out of tune. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ashasha Posted January 13, 2011 Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 Yeah, that happens or if they do get it into the shop it's rather pricey. There are great deals on e-Bay, but the only thing that I'd probably be really worried about is counterfeit or relabeled guitars. Gibsons are still pretty easy to tell if you know what to look for, but Fenders are a real challenge. Based solely on pictures you don't know if someone put a new sticker on it and refinished it or if it's a partscaster. Heck, my N4 was a parts guitar from Washburn parts (supposedly). There were issues with it, but like I said before the seller was really straight up and even refunded me for a bad pickup that he wasn't aware of. Communication. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mockchoi Posted January 13, 2011 Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 I have. Eight of them I think. All good experiences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members notjonahbutnoah Posted January 13, 2011 Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 My Gibson and Fernandes (my 2 favs, visible in the link in my sig) are from the bay. Love em. Xaviere is also from the inarwebz. Love it as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fireproof777 Posted January 13, 2011 Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 I bought an ESP/LTD Viper 200 FM and EC1000 DLX off eBay about 5yrs ago and they came in great condition; the EC1000 became my instant #2 guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DTrane Posted January 13, 2011 Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 I bought a strat from a local ebay seller in person. Guitar was better than I could have hoped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Eddie Posted January 13, 2011 Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 Bought and sold many guitars via eBay. Ask questions before placing your bid. Look at the seller's reputation and feedback comments.I've had minor issues. For example, a guitar came with a scratch and the case was also damaged. The seller gave me the option to return it or to have an additional discount. I opted for the discount.Another time a Hamer Monaco Elite had some very minor dents in the neck. I told the seller, he apologized and told me that it was a floor model and allowed me to return it and a Monaco SuperPro. I gladly kept them.Usually I've had flawless experiences, and in case of minor issues sellers have been very accommodating. I did have a problem once, after I won a "custom" stratocaster worth "at least" $1300 and it turned out to be an SX guitar worth probably $80. The seller had 100% positive feedback, but he was an idiot. I got my money back, and he left some insulting comments towards me, PayPal, and UPS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members brandass Posted January 13, 2011 Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 Bought a bunch, haven't sold any on e-bay yet. So far I've had pretty good luck, axes as advertised. The one real issue has been packing; some pack well, others not so much. I had one arrive in a single box, a few wads of newspaper as the only padding, scrapes and holes in the box - figured it was firewood, but miraculously it somehow made it through with only a couple of small scrapes that didn't bother me at all, still have it today. Much prefer to do CL etc, try before buy, but if the axe is hard to find locally and the deal is right I roll the dice with e-bay. Use online stores all the time, but that's way less risky because returns are straightforward and real reputations are at stake. Again, better to try, but often that's not an option for me, so online it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members victorcrane Posted January 13, 2011 Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 I buy and sell many guitars on the bay, as a rule I only even consider ones I can collect in person to avoid disappointment. The one guitar I did buy without viewing was my SE soapbar and the thing couldn't have been better in any way. Just be careful, do your homework, study the feedback etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members o.versteer Posted January 13, 2011 Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 I bought my PRS DGT unseen on eBay. Seller was really cool, communicated very well, was honest, etc. Guitar arrived exactly as described, and is fantastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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