Ask any live musician and we’ll all tell you we love a good bargain. Some of the best savings on music equipment can be found on eBay. There’s almost always a good deal to be found on eBay if you just take the time to search for it. There are tons of guitars for sale on eBay and if you search through them you can find some real bargains. Here are some basic tips for buying a guitar on eBay:
- Make sure the seller has a high seller rating with at least 50 items worth of feedback.
- The more pictures the better. You can’t play the guitar so pictures are your only source to evaluate the instrument.
- Be very careful buying vintage instruments on eBay. They may not be as “Vintage” as they seem.
- Make sure the seller has a return policy in case the guitar is junk once you receive it. You may need to return it for a refund.
- Pay with Paypal as it offers buyer protection ranging from $200 to $2000 at no extra charge.
- Ask the seller as many questions as you can think of. How old is the guitar, are you the original owner, has it been played a lot.
- Ask the seller to e-mail you detailed pictures of the neck, frets and the serial number if they aren’t in the auction.
- You’re safer buying name brands like Fender or Gibson but you can find some real deals on off brands as well.
These are some basic guidelines for buying guitars on eBay. It’s a risk but I’ve found that it’s a risk with very good returns. I have always had good luck buying on eBay and once you buy a guitar on eBay, it could turn into an addiction!
One final thing, when you search for a guitar on eBay use various search terms. Some items are listed using abbreviations of the actual name. For instance sellers will list a Fender Stratocaster as a Fender Strat. The listing for Fender Strat will generally draw less bidders which will give you a better chance for getting a bargain on that guitar. Also, search for modified guitars that would be easy to return to factory specifications. A lot of people won’t bid on a modified guitar and that will give you a better chance to find a great deal. Some search terms would be “Fender Stratocatser Modified”, “Fender Stratocaster Upgraded”, “Fender Stratocaster New Pickups”. Those listings will give you some real deals.
In the banner below I’ve searched for the Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster. Use the arrows on the sides of the banner to see the results. If you want to try some different search terms, just type them in the Search box. Good luck in your guitar search!
