TO BUY NEW OR USED?

Which offers the best value is a tougher call than it might first appear…

If you’re on a limited budget, there’s no denying that – on paper, at least – you can usually get a higher-spec used guitar than you can buying brand-new for the same money. So it’s a no-brainer, then? Well, in practice it’s not quite so simple and there are a few factors to balance out. Yes, you can find some nice used guitars for £500 to £1,000. A casual look around Gumtree and Facebook gear pages shows that kind of money can get you US-built Strats and Teles (typically 90s/early Noughties models that are a little out of fashion at the moment), lower-tier Les Pauls and even the odd core-line PRS if you stretch the budget a little, though it’ll probably be something with a bolt-on neck or a solid-colour finish.

Major models from big brands hold their value surprisingly well, however, so if you want to buy something classic for under a grand you’re probably going to have to accept some form of compromise, either on condition, spec, originality or what have you. You might find the original case is no longer with the guitar and the guitar’s documentation is missing, for example. You might also find the guitar has been ‘upgraded’ by its previous owner with non-standard parts. That might be a good thing, from the point of view of looks, playability and tone… or it might not. But it will typically reduce the guitar’s resale value unless the original parts are still with the guitar and the mod is fully reversible. The point is that buying used you may spend a bit more time and money sorting out your ‘bargain’ after you buy it than you anticipated. The spectre of unadvertised damage or historic repairs is also a worry with buying used over the internet, sight unseen.

Take all of those little hassles and gambles into consideration and buying a new guitar suddenly makes more sense. Your guitar might not be such a high spec on paper, but it will arrive with a warranty, documents and probably a case, too. If it’s been set up by a conscientious retailer, it will also play nicely from the get-go (or you can send it back). There are big advantages before you even lay your money down, too: in a store you can try new guitars before you buy, or if buying over the internet you’ll typically have a no-quibble right to return within a specified period. Those factors even up the odds considerably. Alternatively, some find that buying used guitars from a retailer offers the best of both worlds, and though you won’t get such a bargain price on a used guitar, that way you will probably get a decent setup and some after-sales support.

Ultimately, there’s no ‘right’ answer, just pros and cons to weigh up. That said, nothing beats the feeling of opening the case of a brandnew guitar, still smelling of fresh lacquer, knowing it’s all yours to begin adventures in music with.