Hey folks ...
It's me again, Mr. Beginner with yet another question.
Is buying a used Strat on eBay a good idea? What questions should I ask the buyer if he/she doesn't post much information about the guitar? The seller did put up about a dozen pictures taken from every angle.

Because you identify yourself as a beginner, I'd say no. Even for an expert, ebay's troublesome, because some of the the sellers lie

There are other places to buy guitars.

i would feel safer on the guitar center website's used section. if you buy it there, you have 30 days to return it if it doesn't work for you. they also check the items to make sure they are legit.

i bought 3 amps from their website, and have been very happy

I have no issue with eBay. If you KNOW what you are looking at and can identify if it is the genuine article, you are 90% fine. Asking important questions is the other 10%. Ask if the truss rod is working, and that the neck is not twisted or warped. About 99.99% of the time, buying a used mexican fender off ebay is totally safe. Vintage and many USA models can and are faked and sold off to those who have no idea what they are looking at. I would be more worried about how the seller will package and ship the guitar than whether the guitar had a major issue. The neck is the important part. Everything else is easy to fix and repair

I agree. Look at seller ratings, ask questions, see how friendly and willing the seller is to answer the questions (jerks often turn out to be ripoffs, and do your homework before buying. I have bought and sold 100s of bodies and necks on ePay. There is that chance you might get a bum deal but just be picky and look for the right price!

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Xhefri's Guitars
www.xhefriguitars.com

I just bought a '62 Reissue Strat of eBay and got a great guitar at a great price....but you do have to know what you're looking at and be careful,remember...if it seems too good to be true,it usually is.

This is the Strat,and also this '67 Vibrolux Reverb came off eBay,I had been looking for a Vibrolux for a long time,this had a great price on it also.

This worries me. If they are vague in their initial description, steer clear. Also, unless you are buying for re-selling or collection purposes, I would steer clear of buying guitars online. The thing about guitars is, no one is like another. You MIGHT get lucky buying online, but I would urge you to only buy in person so that you can play the guitar and get to know it.

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eBay can be fine. So long as you do the necessary prep work. Know what your looking for, know the spec, have an idea of the value. I always ask for the serial number if not in the photos or description then fire off an email to fender. Ask the seller questions, search the completed listings for comparable items. If anything doesn't sit right with you walk away from it. I recently bought a 2008 lite ash tele off eBay here in the uk and it was fine.

Good luck.

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ukraider
"money cant buy you love but it can buy guitars!!!!!!"

Ebay can be a great place to buy things. Sometimes e bay is just shops using another outlet. Recently ive come close to buying 82 "smith" strats off the bay but pulled back because basically they were just too damn expensive not because i didnt think they were genuine.

Sure you can get burned, that applies anywhere, if your new to buying tho something you can pick up and have a good look at seems a better route.

FWIW the last one i did buy off the bay last Nov is probably by a fluke ithe BEST sounding sweetest guitar i could hope for in the experiance ive gathered. It was from a reputable outlet shop (as far as anyone can really tell) though.

JMO of course.

It can be a good idea, but if you're not sure what you want than it get risky.

Say you want an economical MIM strat the chances are good that you'll get a good one for under $300. But, the more expensive the model the more you have to watch out for.

Anymore I approach a seller as if I were filing a eBay fraud report. I want to get him to put in his reply to my message that the guitar is all original, there are no cracks in the wood or chips in the finish, there are no serious wear notches in the frets and that everything works. If they won't answer those questions move on no matter how much you want the guitar.

As important are the types of sellers to buy from. There are a lot of pawnshop sellers who clearly state they're selling "as is" and leave it to you to ask questions. I tend to avoid those. The buyers I like are the ones where it looks like they're selling a guitar they just don't play anymore which are usually in pristine condition. They're usually eager to show you what good shape it's in, will send extra pictures and often have the case candy with it. Those may cost you an extra $50 or so, but you get what you pay for.

Good luck, post here and I'm sure someone will look it over for ya. . .

You might try Craig's List instead for your local area. That way you can meet the person and actually hold the guitar in your hands before you hand him the money. If you do that though, it might be a good idea to take someone along who does know guitars to make sure you're getting something good.

I've bought quite a few guitars off eBay and sold a couple there, too. I'm more into buying than selling, but that's another story. The last guitar I bought was exactly as advertised and I have loved it from day one - it's become one of my regular gigging axes.



I'd never even heard of this guitar before I found reference to it on this Forum. I went looking and after a few weeks found this one for sale on eBay. Good communication with a 100% positive-rated seller (just like me) clinched the deal. I set my high bid and came away with a great guitar.

Oh, and for those who don't know, this is a 90s-vintage Korean-built Fender Toronado GT with US Seymour-Duncan pickups - reverse-wound Vintage 59 at the neck and a Pearly Gates at the bridge. This guitar wails!

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Dennis in CR
Rockin' since 1963

I have to agree that, if you must shop on online, this is the way to do it. I am of the opinion that a guitar is almost like an entity in itself (I know that sounds crazy but oh well) and I truly believe that, in order for a guitar to do what you ask it to, you need to become its friend, get to know it. That is why I never buy online. or at least without playing the guitar extensively before my purchase.

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From the other point of view, I sold my VG on Ebay. I was honest, answered any questions took extra images answered any questions etc. Got a good price and great feedback from the buyer.

How far is the guitar from you? Cash on collection maybe.

You do have comeback but maybe best to agree up front what to do you if aren't happy with the deal. It would need to be a legit reason rather than I changed my mind. Ask as many questions before you bid. look at the guys feedback.

my 5 cents