Buying used is often the smartest guitar purchase — if you know what to check. Here's the list.
This checklist is what we'd run through ourselves before buying anything. You can do most of it in five minutes if you know what you're looking for.
Before You Play It
- Headstock and neck heel — look for cracks, repairs, or signs of a break. A repaired headstock isn't always a dealbreaker, but know what you're buying.
- Neck straightness — sight down the neck from the body toward the headstock. It should be mostly straight with a slight forward bow. A severe bow or backbow is a red flag.
- Fret wear — look at the frets under a light. Flat spots or deep grooves mean a fret level or refret is coming. Factor that into the price.
- Body cracks or repairs — check the top, back, and sides. Small finish cracks are usually cosmetic. Structural cracks near the bridge or bracing are not.
- Bridge and nut condition — the bridge should be flat against the top with no lifting. The nut should be intact with no cracked or missing slots.
When You Play It
- Action — how far are the strings from the frets? High action makes playing harder and may mean the neck needs adjustment or the guitar needs a setup.
- Tuning stability — tune it up and play for a few minutes. Does it hold? Tuners that slip or binding nut slots will cause constant tuning issues.
- Intonation — play an open string, then the same note at the 12th fret harmonic and fretted. They should match. If they don't, intonation needs adjustment — usually fixable.
- Fret buzz — play every fret on every string. Some buzz is setup-related. Buzz in one spot on multiple strings can indicate a high fret.
- Electronics (electric guitars) — test every pickup, every switch position, every pot. Scratchy pots and dead pickups are common and usually cheap to fix.
What's Fixable vs. What Isn't
Usually fixable: high action, tuning instability, fret buzz, scratchy electronics, minor cosmetic issues.
Usually not worth it (or expensive): structural cracks, severe neck warp, broken truss rod, lifted bridge on an acoustic.
The Setup Question
Most used guitars that come through the shop in Glens Falls haven't been set up in years — action is high, intonation is off, and the previous owner just got used to it. A setup before you play one seriously makes a bigger difference than most people expect. None of that tells you anything about whether the guitar itself is worth buying — a guitar that needs a setup isn't a bad guitar.
Skip the Guesswork — Bring It In
You can do this checklist yourself, or you can bring the guitar in and we'll do it with you. We look at used guitars every week — we know what's worth buying, what needs work, and what to walk away from. If you're buying from a private seller and want a second opinion before committing, that's exactly what we're here for.
We also buy and take trades — so if you're selling, see how that works. And if you want to see what we currently have on the floor, browse our used inventory.
Paul's Guitar Hideout is located at The Shirt Factory in Glens Falls, NY. Use the Cooper Street entrance and take the stairs up. If you need assistance, give us a call and we'll come down.
The Shirt Factory
71 Lawrence St., Suite 201B, 2nd Floor
Glens Falls, NY 12801
Wednesday–Sunday, 12–5pm
(518) 217-8695 · info@paulsguitarhideout.com