I am not sure I can quite pull the trigger on buying a guitar without having played it before purchasing. I was just wondering if anyone on this board took the gamble and if it paid off or not.

I've bought four instruments from vendors on Ebay -- a 2006 Robert Cray Strat, a 2005 MIJ Strat 12-string, a CIJ '65 Re-issue Strat, and a 2004 MIM Jazz Bass.

All were fine instruments, exactly as described and depicted in the listing.

The best bet is to look the photos over very closely, read the description carefully, and note the seller's feedback. Anything less than a 98% rating should be a red flag.

Best of luck, HTH

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

Ya I have been looking and thinking if I did try this I might be more comfortable with a seller that sells primarily guitars. Did you get them all from the same one or two sellers. Is there anyone in particular you would recommend their listings?

All of the purchases were from different private parties, not Ebay "stores".

Other than following the protocols I previously posted, I have no recommendations.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

Hi mathiasXX,

I have bought many used guitars on eBay with great results. Just make sure the seller is reputable, check feedback, and a detailed description with lots of good pictures. If anything about the ad makes you skeptical, don't buy. There are plenty of reputable sellers, and lots of great deals. The better sellers will quickly answer emails about their ad. I think that a good used MIM Strat is the way to go instead of a new one, but make sure about fret wear or other damage. Sometimes the owners of the used guitars have already done cool things like pickup upgrades.

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---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.

General ebay and buying info.

Read the whole listing completely.
Check their feedback is sales not purchases.
See how long they have been listed.
Confirm they have been actively trading which reduces the chance of you coming across a hijacked seller account.
Try not to buy off a seller who lists his sales as private its a way they hide fake feedback.
Check the sellers other customers buying habits to see if they are genuine as well.

Make sure there are high ticket (expensive) items in there as well and they look legit sales.
Check the grammar and if it matches the seller for instance a complex return policy on someone that actually doesn't have a store. It can mean its a cut and paste from somewhere else.
See how fast the person communicates its an indicator of things to come.
Be suspicious of "No returns" type things in the listing.
The more and higher quality the photos the better it is. But then again a bad photo could be a hidden bargain. Just be weary if you cannot see it properly you are going on their word.
Check photos with other items they sell is it really their picture or a sample?

Keep it local if you can.
Request the sellers contact details before you pay. Look them up.
If your really unsure ask if you can confirm them by phone etc.
Always pay by paypal if getting it posted never direct deposit and make sure there is postal insurance. This will avoid problems later if it goes missing.

Ask questions early before buying not afterwards.
Ask something like this if you don't have everything spelled out...
"Please list any wear or probs in detail that the instrument has sustained since brand new. Such as and not limited to scratches, chips, dents, holes, marks, electronic probs, fret condition, rust, trussrod & neck alignment issues, missing parts or playability problems."
You might want to ask for the serial number so you can look it up.
If the whammy is not in the photo it deserves asking if its included.

Just to give you an idea of what people can be like I asked everything but "has it got holes" once on a guitar that had a small description.
It ended up having two holes in the body where a bridge had been modified that could not be seen in the photo.

Another guitar I asked if it had any cracks in it. It ended up having a crack from the neck pocket down along the back of the guitar. I would say it was wood deep.

Luckily both were local to me so I had the option to refuse to pay.

Craigslist will have great deals as well. Same pitfalls though. You need to check both frequently if you want a bargain and there is a few out there if your persistent.

Hey thanks for the advice. There a few things in that last post I hadn't considered. Good stuff!

No problem anytime.

+1 for Shock's post - I've bought an MIM and an AMDeluxe from ebay, and have been more than satisfied both times.

Indeed I am a heavy user of ebay, being lazy and mean-ish it's my first port of call for most things I want to buy - by using the guidelines outlined in SW's post I've not had a bum deal yet (touch wood).

I've bought 5 or 6 guitars on Craigslist and have been very happy each time. I always like to check out the instrument in person. Got some killer deals over the last 2 years. Best deal was an immaculate Classic Players 50s in 2 tone burst for $400. It was really nice, but I had trouble getting used to the soft v neck and sold it for $550 via Craigslist as well.

Got an absolutely mint 2001 MIM standard in black with a hard case for $225 which I though was a great deal. There is not a scratch on the guitar or the case.

I check the local Craigslist a couple of times a day.

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Ì bought two MIM Strats on eBay and both were just what I wanted.

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2012 Fender American Standard Stratocaster
2013 Fender Pure Vintage 65 Stratocaster
2003 Gibson ES-355
2015 Gibson Les Paul Traditional
2002 Gretsch Duo Jet
1980 Rickenbacker 360/12 Fireglo
2014 Martin 000X1AE
2014 Fender Blues Junior III