Every manufacture at every price range has it’s duds. So yes some guitars don’t sell because they don’t sound like people expect them to.
No, they have a very good return policy but that also means the new in the box guitar you buy may have been returned by someone else. This doesn’t mean it’s a bad guitar some people return guitars because they just don’t bond with it.
The only manufactures you can buy direct from are small custom shops. All major manufacture sell through dealers.
There are advantages to guitars that are played a lot the more a guitar gets played the more it opens up. Some brand new guitars can sound stiff when new but after a few month of playing they loosen up. Some people say they need to forget they are trees and start being guitars.
The best thing to do is go to your local guitar store and play as many guitars that they have in your price range and pick the one that you feel is the best fit for you and your style of playing.
It might surprise you that the guitar you think you want isn’t the one you buy.
Yep I read that this is the way to go. My concern is that at this early stage, I wouldn’t recognize bad electronics/faulty knobs/bad frets, etc, don’t know what to listen for, and wouldn’t know a bad sound if it smacked me in the face. Plus it’s probably a good assumption that I will not own the same model of amp that it’s plugged into, so that seems to make it even more complicated…basically I am overwhelmed at the idea of buying an electric guitar, though I want one pretty bad.
Get to know the staff. Introduce yourself. They are usually very friendly. To quote the words of the person that helps me out “We are all guitar players here, so try to look after each other!”. They have all been in the exact same position as you at some point. Just explain to them you’re a beginner, ask them any questions that are on your mind, try out the guitars on the same amp you plan to use. Ask if their tech will check the guitar out for you before purchasing.
Similar to most I think here, my first electric was bought online sight unseen. My two purchases since then I’ve gone to the store and tried out, and then purchased the specific ones I’d tried. TBH I’d want to know that the specific one I’m buying is the one I liked the feel and sound of so wouldn’t want box fresh same model unless I’d had the chance to play it too.
Just know your first electric is not going to be the ultimate guitar for all time. I would choose one from a decent manufacturer in the newbie price range (eg Yamaha, Squier, etc) that feels great to YOU in your hands and that you like the look of. One that makes you want to play it.
The other things you mentioned there - faulty stuff - that’s warranty stuff on a new guitar. Bad frets perhaps not.
This may be a slight aside but a couple of days ago I wanted to see how nitsuj got on with the F chord and I happened to notice in a later lesson that he gets a new guitar so I had a look. Module 9 practice 3. It was during the pandemic so he couldn’t go to his favourite store and he had to have it delivered. It is in a nice rectangular box which he proceeds to open during the video and to his complete surprise he finds another box in side containing the guitar. I thought Justin it is a long time since you have bought a guitar off the internet “sight unseen”
I think my point is that sometimes circumstances dictate, I bought my first guitar off the internet during pandemic, no other option shops were shut and my second guitar to get what I wanted had to get it delivered as local shop did not have any available or on order.
Michael
I had done a lot of research before I went to the shop so I knew what I was after and also ones that were very similar in the Yamaha range and was able to try one of them. I was more interested in neck width and radius, string spacing as I knew it would be different to my classical guitar. I don’t think there are any issues with the set up but I am only just getting to the end of Grade 1 so not knowledgeable enough. Will probably get it looked at in the next few months when I can find a local luthier.
As appearance, the Yamaha web site has pretty good quality photos and seen similar ones in the shop so was not disappointed when it came out of the box.
It came from Yamaha’s London Store and it had definitely not been repackaged, you have to trust your supplier on that score.
Hope this helps.
Michael
This concept is tough for me. I am a collector of many things but I don’t want to collect guitars! I have limited space and just don’t want to have a rack full, so I was sort of wanting to buy one electric to grow into for the next decade.
And I am willing to spend quite a bit too. But it is hard to do that at this beginner stage. Some feedback I have gotten is to just buy something in the style I like, in the color I like, so that I will, as you also mentioned, want to play it. I have compiled a wish list of features for an electric that has resulted in, evidently, a guitar that is hard to find or doesn’t exist (this is SO me to do something like this!) Basically, an S shape body, with a fixed bridge, with a passive humbucker at the bridge, in the $850-$1500 range, in a dark blue, preferably an Ibanez because that is my dream brand.
Side note, I will collect at least two electrics, because in a few weeks I’m going to see my sweet dad, who is giving me a Squier Bullet that he’s had in his collection. That will be my first electric. I probably wouldn’t have opted for a Bullet on my own, but I will take it and also love it, because it was his, and appreciate that he gave me both my first acoustic many years ago, and soon my first electric as well.
@roger_holland how was your experience buying the guitar with no head and buttocks online? That’s a really interesting one as was an international purchase based on the individual photos of the guitar on the store website.
On should always ask when testing it because depending on the popularity of the model and logistics and policy of the store, that might differ.
I must admit I ordered a guitar I NEVER played, I have NEVER seen and has a premium brand and dito price tag. Lukily, the guitar itself passed throgh the hands of said brand’s custom shop luthier.
I did the same for a custom guitar, only knowing “I like the feel and scale length of a typical Jaguar”.
Still, some shops, like Bax shop in Belgium and The Netherlands, sport a “longer than typical” return period (like 60 days) which should be more than enough time to exmaine your specimen.
I did the same but not a premium guitar, just a Epiphone Inspired by Gibson ES-335. It was difficult to get a hold of one due to the shortage resulting from Covid and the subsequent increase in demand. Eventually, two became available in the colour that I wanted and I quickly selected one based on the photos of them before someone beat me to them as they were going fast at the time. Thankfully, it was from the same store I’ve bought a previous guitar from which has a superb reputation. The guitar was given the quality check by one of the store luthiers and set up before dispatch. Very happy with the purchase and have built up a good relationship with the sales person which I think is important.
What you might find is that as you play more, what you want changes . Nothing wrong with getting an awesome guitar! I also plan to get a better electric in a few months. Just know what you like to play might change. If you don’t want to collect, there are plenty of places to buy and sell guitars (Facebook marketplace where I live is popular). Or, you might get a forever guitar!
I just know so many people that have been playing for longer than me that took a while to discover the guitars they like. Les Paul guys who discovered they like strats better or whatever. Buying and playing guitars is an emotional experience, buy a guitar you absolutely love.
I bought a guitar I thought was pretty awesome and I’m now wanting something different .
Hi James,
I didn’t buy this one across the border…I typed in the brand and copied the first picture…normally I buy from Thomann Germany (oh I often have to wait there for a long time, but otherwise perfect and super good solution when something goes wrong (and that’s the most important) )… This Ibanez came from Dijkman music from the Netherlands … only 1 working day(That is 3 guitar playing days) having to wait…
Greetings…
I completely believe you! I know myself and I generally do change my likes over time. I’ve got so much learning to do at guitar, that I think with my acoustic, an electric with some single coils (from my dad) , and one with only humbuckers (one I’ll buy myself), that should be plenty to keep me entertained for a long while (years).
The thought of owning three guitars is a wild thought right now, considering I only know 8 chords and literally nothing else in the way of technique! But I’ve got to start somewhere and I like having some variety up front.
And I think that’s the part that is bothering me right now- is that I feel very limited by my skill, and also by my lack of variety of instruments. Yet I dont want a bunch of instruments either, so this guitar journey feels a bit conflicting for me right now.
I’ll be interested to see what you get in the coming months, and what guitars you might be changing from.
For anyone interested, I did push myself to handle some guitars in person yesterday. I didn’t plug any in, I just sat with them and felt their weight and shape and finishes. Tragic plot twist- I didn’t love the Ibanezes they had, which were two AZ series models and an RG something or other that was quite heavy. I want to find an S series model somewhere because I think they’re sleeker and contoured. Two PRS SE models felt ok, but I think I don’t like the bulk of a rounded body style all that much because I’m a small framed person. Strats felt good. And so did an LTD H1001 that was in the used section, in great condition. And it’s not dark blue! Hmmmm, haha.
. Nothing wrong with getting an awesome guitar! I also plan to get a better electric in a few months. Just know what you like to play might change. If you don’t want to collect, there are plenty of places to buy and sell guitars (Facebook marketplace where I live is popular). Or, you might get a forever guitar!
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