Is it worth buying a guitar online?

fantasyvn

May I ask if it is better to buy a guitar online, just as you would prefer to buy a book or a TV from Amazon and other online retailers? Or should we still buy a guitar at a high street store?

Nile

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere (please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com"][email protected][/EMAIL].

baxie

You may get a better deal buying online, but I would never buy a guitar without trying it first, to see if i like the sound, size etc.

Of course you could always go round the music shops trying guitars, then when you find one you want, buy it online. Just a suggestion.

laurel7172

It depends what you want, I think. If you're at Yamaha Pacifica level, then you might as well buy online. But the time spent trailing around independent shops for my daughter's "trade-up" guitar convinced me that you really do have to handle them, try them for fit...and fall in love a little.

taliesin

Lots of small, easily fixed things can be wrong with a guitar when it leaves the factory - nuts cut badly, sticky tuners; and lots can happen to guitars in transit - wood can warp, fret-wires can pop. All guitars, even cheap ones from the same factory with the same label, are not equal!

Some of the music shops that deal online give instruments they send out a cursory check, but the likes of Amazon are, let's face it, just shipping you a box.

On the other hand, a proper music shop will check any guitar over before they hand it to you. And if you find something isn't working properly when you get it home, they will adjust it for you. They will support you in all sorts of other ways, too - help you find a teacher, advise on the right strings, picks, stands, music books, and probably give you a discount on these subsequent purchases. Most will take your first guitar in part-exchange for the next one, or even sell it on commission, when it's time to trade up.

Most of them will match online prices on like-for-like instruments, too.

fantasyvn

Wonderful replies. I think I will try to visit some shops in London to check and buy a guitar.

If you have a favorite shop , pls recommend.

dlusman

baxie wrote: »

Of course you could always go round the music shops trying guitars, then when you find one you want, buy it online. Just a suggestion.

if everyone does this , the next time you try to visit your local store it will not exist and will have been converted into a coffee shop.

A._Badger

baxie wrote: »

You may get a better deal buying online, but I would never buy a guitar without trying it first, to see if i like the sound, size etc.

Of course you could always go round the music shops trying guitars, then when you find one you want, buy it online. Just a suggestion.

Not a very sensible one. Guitars aren't like MP3 players - every one the same. Even the most mass produced guitars are very variable, one from another, in aspects that really matter - particularly to a beginner who doesn't know what he is doing and can't adjust it to compensate for problems.

This is one area where its easy to be penny wise, pound foolish.

ada1988

if you have got some counpon code for online shopping.
it will be better to buy the guitar on line.

fluffymuffy

I found the guitar I wanted in a specialits guitar shop - it was £480. I knew it would need the frets lowering (high frets are a feature of that brand) and I found a luthier 80miles away (plus £10 toll road fee) who would do it for £30. And then at the last minute I was swayed by the same model on eBay for £280 (slightly secondhand) and went for that instead.

I was taking a chance that someone else might have already had the frets lowered - but they hadn't - & perhaps that's why it was a bargain. So there was the journey to drop it off at the luthier, and collect it, 160 miles petrol + £20 toll + £30 labour. But then I'd have had that cost anyway.

And the shop where I would have bought it was 130 miles away.

{Talking about a Classical Guitar btw}

MusicalLawyer

I'd buy in store.

I used to work in a music shop and was always playing this one guitar. I loved it. The store closed down and I never got to buy it - so bought one online. It is totally different! It doesn't even sound the same, always sounds out of tune etc.

If you go in to a store and see one you like the feel and sound of - put a deposit down on it. The majority of music retailers do the Take It Away scheme (I think it's still running?) which is 0% finance on the instruments - or you can just buy it outright on payday etc.