11 Tips For Buying a Used GuitarExecutive summary by Jeff Meiczinger
 used electric guitars When it comes to buying a used electric guitar, you want to find the guitar that is right for you in terms of look, sound, price, ease of play, and comfort, just as you would shopping for a new electric guitar. The main difference is that used guitars come with a past, and if you aren’t careful your future might include a junk guitar. Experienced guitar players know what to look for when buying a used guitar, but first time guitar buyers run the risk of making a bad purchase if they aren’t prepared. Fortunately getting an electric guitar serviced is usually under $50 and includes minor adjustments to the neck, frets, action, and intonation if needed. 1. Check the guitar for cracks, especially along the neck and the area between the neck and the head, which is the weakest spot on an electric guitar. 2. Sight check the guitar’s neck to make sure it isn’t warped or bowed. If the guitar neck is slightly bowed or warped, adjusting the truss rod should fix the problem and absent any other problems, isn’t a major concern. 3. Check the intonation. 4. Check the action. A guitar’s action is measured from the bottom of the string to the top of the fret. 6. Plug in the guitar to test the pick-ups and the pick-up selector switch as well as the tone and volume knobs. 5. The strings should not rattle, buzz, or mute when played, no matter if the guitar is plugged or unplugged. 7. Ask the seller how long he’s owned the guitar and if he bought it new or used. 8. Ask if the guitar is still under warranty, and if so, is that warranty transferable. 9. Ask the seller if any work has been done on the guitar, and if so, why. 10. After you’ve arranged to see the guitar, research the make and model. Is it still available or has it been discontinued? Check out customer reviews. 11. Finally, remember the first tip. If you find a used electric guitar that has no major problems and feels and plays like it belongs in your hands, buy it! Check out other guide on Guitar Sheet Music.
Posted in: Guitar Shopping | No Comments » Where to buy your guitarArticle by Zander Boon
 guitar shop Whether you’re about to start your first guitar lessons, or if you’re an experienced player, you still need to think about where to buy your first (or next) guitar. This article looks at some of your options. Buy from the guitar store The main advantage with this approach is that generally you’ll be able to try a huge range of different guitars, from many different makers. Any reputable dealer should carry a large range of instruments, and if you visit the right part of a city, you should find a couple of streets or blocks where all the music stores gather together. This means you should be able to find an example of anything you want to buy, within walking distance. If you’re buying second hand, you should also be able to find a good selection. Guitar shops are always on the lookout for top-notch vintage guitars. This also means that you might be able to trade in your own guitar, which takes away the hassle of selling it privately. In addition, some stores undertake “commission sales”, which is where they sell a guitar on behalf of a private individual, in return for a small percentage of the sale. The obvious downside to buying from a guitar store is that the guy who runs the store needs to make a profit, so the prices will likely be higher than you’d pay to a private seller. Buy from a private individual It’s true, there are bargains to be had if you buy privately, from the small ads in papers, or from listing sites like craigslist. But beware, there’s a whole load of leg-work involved, quite literally. You’ve got to phone the number, leave a message with someone because the seller’s out, miss his call when he calls back, finally make the appointment, find the location, hope the seller remembered to be at home… Even when you actually get to try the guitar, you can sometimes end up with someone who doesn’t really want to sell their guitar at all, when the time comes. On the other hand though, if you like it, and they want to sell it, you can sometimes negotiate a good bargain, especially if you catch someone who needs the money. You’ve gotta be ruthless though! Buy from an auction site Web sites like eBay are HUGE these days, and it’s no wonder why. Look at the problems you can get with a private sale? With an online auction, you don’t need to leave the house; you don’t need to make any appointments, or go schlepping across town in the rain; when the auction ends, you’ve either won or lost, there’s no uncomfortable haggling; and if you’ve won, it’s yours - the seller can’t change their mind. Also, there’s an undeniable thrill about winning an auction, and then there’s the excitement of waiting for your guitar to turn up! However, the biggest problem with buying a guitar online is that you don’t get to try it, and all those lovely photos the seller put online won’t show you what the guitar looks like in real life. Having said that, I’ve bought a couple of Gibsons from eBay, and they’ve been fine. Most sellers will ship the guitar well-packed, in it’s case. At the other end of the scale, I once received a guitar in the post where they’d stuck it in a square box with the neck sticking out, and then wrapped the neck and headstock in cardboard and sticky-tape. Somehow the guitar was OK, but I got a bit of a shock when I saw it! Good luck with whatever you decide to do, and I hope you find the guitar you really want. Check out other guide on Guitar Sheet Music.
Posted in: Guitar Shopping | No Comments » Guitars - Buy Cheap Or Good?Exectuive summary by Michael Russell
 cheap electric guitar So if you’re looking to get your very first guitar, what do you do? There are two schools of thought on this subject. The first school of thought is that you want to get a guitar that is well made and sounds good, even if it costs a little more. If a new guitar player buys a cheap guitar with a poor sound, he is more likely to lose interest early on. The reason is because when you first learn to play the guitar you’re mostly playing scales and simple tunes that really aren’t all that interesting. The extra money will have, in a sense, saved money in the long run. A good quality guitar for a beginner will probably run about $300.
The other school of thought is to get the beginning student a beginner’s guitar, maybe something with a price tag of $100 max. Why? If you bought a cheap guitar to start with, the student is going to want something better. Find out how serious he is about his guitar playing.
How To Make A Cheap Guitar Sound Great Executive summary by Rich Geyer
The most popular clones are made overseas by Gibson and Fender themselves through the Epiphone and Squier lines. Replacement pickups are available with a lot of variety in sound output. Choose your replacement pickups and you’re ready to upgrade. You’ll need several things for the job. A good stable workbench or table, with plenty of room to lay your tools out, makes things much easier. Here’s a list of what you need: 1.screwdriver set, both flat head and philips 2.soldering iron 3.solder 4.new set of strings 5.wire cutters/strippers The first thing you need to do is remove your guitar strings. Next remove the pickguard cover. The new pickups come with a wiring diagram that is color coded but take a good look at each pickup before you replace it in case something isn’t quite right with the color code. It’s important that you replace one pickup at a time so as not to mix up the bridge, middle and neck pickups. Heat up your soldering iron. Remove the first pickup. I usually start with the neck pickup. Cut and strip the wires according to the instructions and solder the wires to the new ones. Replace and tune the strings and plug in. I have several of these upgraded strats for the price of one expensive one and more versatilty with different pickup sounds. Check out other guide on Guitar Effect Pedal.
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