My local Long&McQuade music shop has a used Gretsch G5622 Electromatic Center Block Double-Cut with V-Stoptail, Left-Handed. On the website it is priced at $649 Canadian, Condition: āUsedā, (their New price is $1099). And instructions to call the store for more details. I called, but the only information I got was āitās actually in really good conditionā ā¦. They have it on hold for me so that I can go into the shop and check it out tomorrow.
I have never purchased a used guitar before, the only ever owned one inexpensive small acoustic. Iām still just learning, but my cheap guitar is no longer, so I wanted to replace it with something betterā¦ something that sounds good and can have some fun and be versatile it music genres. Switching to electric has its appeal as I live in an apartment and being able to plug into headphones or a volume control amp will make practicing easier. I was initially considering something like an Ibanez AS53 for under $500 new, but but finding anything left handed is not easy. Then I came across this Gretsch, a little more expensive but potentially could be better value.
If anyone here is knowledgeable on shopping for used guitars, and Gretsch guitars (specifically the Gretsch G5622 Electromatic), I would love some advise on what to look for, question to ask, and what you think of the price.
I donāt have much experience with this guitar, but I was also in the market for a semi-hollow at Long-Mcquade. So, I canāt give really specific advice, but :
Long-Mcquade offer a free guitar setup by a luthier with guitar purchase, so thatās at least 60$ saved right there. Be sure to ask for it.
The price seems fair if you want a semi-hollow and Gretsh seem like a reputable brand. I did not find much cheaper semi-hollow in Canada. For comparison, the Epiphone ES-335 is priced at 799$ with the boxing day deal.
You might want to try another guitar shape at the store to see which one you find more confortable. For instance, a Squier Stratocaster is smaller.
Thanks for info, do you know if stores like Long & McQuade are required to inspect and disclose any issues existing of a used product? Iām a little nervous that as an amateur I may not notice something off that someone with more expensive might notice.
Good question ! I really donāt know how thorough the inspection is in guitar stores.
All of the 3 brand new guitars that I bought in other stores came with some playability issues, which is probably normal because they are made in big factories. But, the setup from the luthier is really useful in adressing them and itās great that it is included at Long and Mcquade
Just want to add L&M set-up is good for a year so itās best to play the guitar at home until it acclimated to itās new environment then take it in.
I buy most of my guitars secondhand. Hereās my thoughts on what to look for ā¦
Cosmetics - a lot depends on your attitude to it being āperfectā. Personally Iām very happy to buy a guitar with a few scratches or dings - stops me worrying about being the first! Take your time and have a really good look over it. Headstock and edges can get bumped a lot. Check for signs of breaks / repairs particularly on headstocks.
frets - these are really consumables on a guitar. Over time they will wear and need replacing, but on a lower cost guitar it can be a significant proportion of the value of the instrument to get it done. Any guitar that has been played (sometimes even new in a shop if itās been there a while) will show some fret wear particularly on the first 2 or 3 frets. A little wear isnāt an issue, but look out for big divots which might need attention. Sometimes a fret dress will resolve the issue, sometimes you might need to replace a few frets. In practice Iāve never had this problem on a secondhand guitar, but I always check.
Controls - make sure everything is working. Check both pickups, check volume and tone controls and check switches work.
truss rod - I have seen secondhand guitars (typically older ones 10/20 years) where the truss rod is seized. I like to at least take a look and make sure the nut looks clean with some adjustment left.
set up - Obviously you will get a good feel for it as your play the thing, but I play every fret on every string, checking for a clean sound and no buzz. Check open string too,.
Machine heads - check these turn smoothly and arenāt bent. A knock or drop can easily bend a tuning peg.
Case - look at the case or gig bag it comes with. In a store these are often not shown to you until youāve completed the purchase. Does it come with any case candy?
Thatās the basics for me. Sounds like a lot, but Iād check this stuff on a new guitar too.
I bought my Epiphone Les Paul used over the internet (from Guitar Center) sight unseen. I guess it would have been a little smarter to have it shipped to the local store so I could look at it before taking it home. Because I did find an issue with it.
The jack was messed up. The nut that secures the jack to its mounting plate was stripped, so it would not stay tight after tightening it. I did take it into the local store when I found that and they found a new nut to put on for no cost.
So my experience in this case was that the guitar was not thoroughly inspected. When I brought it into my local shop, this was confirmed that itās apparently variable across the company. He said when they get used guitars in the local store, they try to be pretty thorough about inspecting them, but not all locations do this.
This was the only issue Iāve had with it. I did get it set up after playing it for a little bit and Iāve been playing it for several months now with no issues.
The inspection list posted above looks pretty solid. If there have been any repairs, that wouldnāt prevent me from buying a used guitar unless those repairs were poorly done. I may not have said that a year ago, but after visiting a luthier recently for a small repair on my wifeās ukulele and talking to him for a bit, if a repair was well done, Iād not hesitate to buy a guitar I otherwise really liked. He particularly pointed out that folks are often crushed by broken headstocks, but those are usually easy repairs for him.
Thanks for this check list. I had a look at the guitar today and they are holding it for me to think about and give me time to check out a used Epiphone ES335 at their other location.
The Gretsch seemed to be in overall good shape, the and played clear. The most obvious wear and tear I noticed was that the nobs, pick-ups, and bridge appeared grimy from oil or sweat. The guitar is 2019 model that was first purchased in 2020; they owned it for about 2.5-3years, returned it, it was then sold to someone who kept it for about 6months before returning it.
How much the build up of skin oils and sweat can lead to damage or speed up the wear and tear components.? How difficult it would be to detail clean them. Give the store offers a āSet-upā with purchase I wonder if it would be reasonable to request a detailed cleaning of the guitar and its components. Normally their set up is just around playability of the stringsā¦
A few years ago, my first electric guitar was a Gretsch hollow body. It was the cheapest Gretsch available from Sweetwater but it was beautiful and had a great sound. I had chosen the Gretsch because it was hollow body. I just noodle around in my house or on the patio and I wanted a guitar that I could play plugged in or unplugged early in the morning or late at night. I knew it would have some acoustic sound but was not sure how close it would be to my acoustic guitar. It turned out to be about half the volume level of my acoustic and it is perfect when I just want to pick it up and work on something quickly. I certainly canāt do that with my other electric hard body guitars.
On my PRS guitar, the pickups and bridge are all shiny and it does get dirty pretty easily. Usually, a cleaning cloth without any product on it just does the trick. Itās easier to do when you are changing the strings or they are at least loosened. Maybe a specific product exists if itās really dirty.
Ask what the result would be. Simply wiping down the guitar would not satisfy me. I would take it home, pull off the strings and give it a good detailing with a mild cleaning solution intended to not hurt the finish and wipe away without residue. Iād work on the fret edges where they meet the wood with a cotton swab and the cleaning solution. I would do the same on the pickup nooks. Iād pull off the knobs and clean under there too. If you think it needs more cleaning, then do that before you take it back in for the setup. All that detailed cleaning probably means a couple drops of fretboard oil to replace what you cleaned off. Truly - like 2 drops on a tiny square of cloth. You should need to work in the oil a bit. If oil glistens on top, you used too much. Check it again next time you change strings to see if it seems dry.
One thing I see when visiting the local used guitar shop is that my hands feel really sticky and unclean after touching a guitar or two. My guitars at home donāt get that way. I think it is just giving them a good detailing every few weeks that keeps them nice. I expect the one you are looking at will be quite nice once it has some attention.
