The Checks That Decide the Purchase
Look at the neck and truss rod first, then the frets, then the bridge and body joints, then every pot, switch and output jack. Neck and body faults are the expensive ones. Dull frets, old strings and a high action are usually setup work. Once the instrument checks out, work out whether the seller is a business or a private individual, because that decides what recourse you have if something is wrong.
Most used guitars sold around Perth are honest instruments with a bit of wear. We have serviced instruments for the Perth music community for twenty years, and the buyers who regret a purchase are almost never the ones who bought something scratched. They are the ones who bought something structurally tired.
Sighting the Neck and Truss Rod
Hold the guitar flat and sight down both edges of the fingerboard from the headstock. A small amount of forward relief is normal. What you are hunting for is a twist, where the two edges disagree, and a hump or dip where the neck meets the body. Then ask the seller if you may slacken the strings and turn the truss rod a quarter turn each way. A nut that will not move, or one already wound to its limit with the neck still bowed, means the adjustment range is gone.
Next, run a fingertip along the top of the frets under the first five positions, where most playing wear collects. Shallow divots and flat spots can often be levelled and recrowned. Deep wear through to bare board, or frets lifting at the ends, points to a full refret, which costs considerably more than a level and crown and can exceed the value of a budget instrument. If you are unsure which category the wear falls into, our workshop gives free repair quotes in store, and a quote before you buy is worth more than a guess afterwards.
Bridge and Body Checks on Acoustics
On a steel-string acoustic, slide a business card under the back edge of the bridge. If it slips in, the bridge is lifting and the glue joint needs attention before string tension makes it worse. Sight across the top in raking light for a belly behind the bridge or a sink in front of it, follow the grain of the top and sides for hairline cracks, and check the heel for any gap opening between neck and body.
Perth storage leaves its own marks. Instruments that have spent summers in a garage or a shed often come in with dried, grey fingerboards, shrunken tops and fret ends standing proud of the binding. Guitars from coastal homes tend to show corrosion on tuners, saddles and bridge pins instead. Fret sprout and tarnished hardware are usually straightforward to put right. A cracked top or a moved bridge is worth a bench opinion before money changes hands.
Plugging In Before You Pay
Never buy an electric without hearing it through an amp. Take a lead with you. Roll every volume and tone control through its full sweep listening for scratching, click through all switch positions, and wiggle the plug at the jack to expose a loose solder joint. Tap each pickup with a screwdriver to confirm it is alive, and listen for squeal at volume, which suggests a pickup that needs re-potting. A seller who will not let you plug it in is asking you to buy blind.
Then turn the tuners. Backlash, slipping and stripped gears are common on older budget instruments and inexpensive to replace. Check that a tremolo returns to pitch after a bend. Mismatched screws, a bridge that does not match the body routing, a logo that sits oddly on the headstock or a serial number that the seller cannot explain all suggest a parts instrument or a fake rather than the model advertised.
Working Through the Purchase in Order
The inspection is one step of five, and the steps either side of it are where buyers save the most:
- Establish fair value. Find the current new price if the model is still made, then look at what comparable examples actually sold for rather than what sellers are asking. Compare like with like, model for model, whether that is a budget import or one of the Maton acoustic guitars we stock.
- Inspect in daylight, unplugged and then plugged in, following the order above.
- Arrange a pre-purchase inspection if the asking price justifies it. Bring the guitar to our bench at Unit 4/101 Winton Rd, Joondalup, where quotes are free, or call 08 9300 0033 first to pick a time. A private seller confident in the instrument will usually agree to that, and a refusal is information in itself.
- Negotiate using what the inspection found, with a quoted repair figure rather than a vague objection.
- Budget for a setup and fresh strings on the day you buy, because almost no second-hand guitar plays its best on the strings it arrives with.
Second Hand Dealers and Stolen Guitars in WA
In Western Australia, any person or business that buys, sells or exchanges second-hand goods on their own behalf or on another's behalf needs a Second-hand Dealer Licence. WA Police Force Police Licensing Services issues the licences and publishes a current licence holders list, so you can check a trader before handing over money. Police Licensing Services also requires licence applicants to have no findings of guilt or pending charges for dishonesty, fraud or stealing offences, which is a probity check you cannot run on a private seller.
Because a private sale carries no such check, proof of ownership is worth asking for. Consumer Protection WA suggests asking the seller directly whether they are selling as a business and looking for a registered business name or ABN rather than a personal name. Ask for the original receipt, the case the guitar came in, and a straight answer on how long the seller has owned it. Treat a cash-only meeting in a car park, a seller who cannot explain where the instrument came from, or a price far below anything comparable as a reason to walk away rather than a bargain.
What Consumer Guarantees Cover Second Hand
Buy from a business and the guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law apply to goods sold in trade or commerce. As the ACCC sets out, goods must be of acceptable quality, fit for purpose, match their description, and be owned free of undisclosed securities. Those guarantees are automatic and cannot be excluded or contracted out of, which is part of what the price difference between a shop and a private sale is buying you.
Buy privately and most of that falls away. Consumer Protection WA says consumer guarantees, statutory warranties and cooling-off periods generally do not apply to private sellers. Two things do survive a private sale under the Australian Consumer Law: a private seller still cannot pass on defective title or conceal a security interest, and misleading or deceptive conduct, including by omission such as concealing a repaired headstock break or a non-original pickup, is prohibited. Where guarantees do apply, Consumer Protection WA notes that acceptable quality for second-hand goods is judged against the item's age and price, and there is no remedy where the fault was disclosed, where you knowingly bought something faulty, or where you inspected the guitar and missed an obvious problem.
Anything electric bundled with the guitar carries its own rule. An amp, pedal or power supply must still be safe, must not have been recalled or banned since it was first sold, and any safety claim made about it must be accurate. Consumer Protection WA takes reports of an unsafe second-hand product on 1300 30 40 54.
Bring the Guitar to Winton Road
If you have found something promising and want a second opinion before you commit, our bench is at Unit 4/101 Winton Rd, Joondalup, open seven days, and quotes in store are free. We handle re-strings, parts, servicing and repairs, so the same visit can tell you what the instrument needs and what that work involves. Call the shop on 08 9300 0033 to check a good time to come in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is used always better value than new for a first guitar: Not always. A new instrument bought from a business comes with the consumer guarantees that apply to a retail sale, and is usually set up to play, while a used one may need that work. Once a setup and a fret dress are added to a private-sale price, the gap often closes. Our starter guitar buyer guide compares the options.
Can a second-hand guitar work for a child: Yes, provided the size is right for them rather than for the bargain. Check scale length and body size before condition, because an instrument that is too large will not get played whatever it cost. Our guide to sizing a child's guitar sets out the measurements.
What should be requested when buying sight unseen from regional WA: Ask for video of the seller playing every fret on every string, a raking-light photo across the top, a close photo of the bridge edge and of the truss rod nut, and the serial number. Confirm the guitar will be shipped in a hard case, and agree the return position in writing before paying.
Do nylon-string and bass guitars need different checks: Broadly the same order applies, with two differences. Many classical guitars have no truss rod, so a bowed neck is a bigger problem, and the glued bridge carries the load, so check that joint carefully. On a bass, the longer scale makes neck twist more obvious, and active electronics should be tested with a fresh battery.
What should be done in the first week after buying: Have it set up and restrung, and the fingerboard cleaned and conditioned, particularly if it has been stored dry. Then think about storage, because a guitar left on a stand in a hot Perth room moves more than one kept in a case. Our comparison of a hard case against a gig bag covers the trade-off.