You might be wondering how different defects in used guitars may affect their value. Vintage guitars are valuable, but newer guitars are like cars: you take them out of the store and they lose value. Depending on a guitar’s condition, you can decide whether or not it is worth the money to buy used, or if you should just go for a new one.

Note: Vintage Guitars

• Vintage guitars are their own special breed. Good old guitars are hard to come by, and those that you do find are often very valuable since a lot of the manufacturing properties of the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s just aren’t in existence today. Because of this, a good vintage guitar is generally going to be worth the repairs you will need to have done. The price of repairs won’t exceed the $2000 price tag on an old Strat, but wouldn’t be worth it on a newer model that is worth a fraction of the vintage price tag. We aren’t saying every vintage guitar is valuable, or that every repair is worth it, but age and quality of a used guitar are important factors in determining whether or not you want to fix it up. Also, please note that replacing parts on a vintage guitar may lower their value.

Scratches and Dents

• Again, in this aspect, guitars are like cars. A scratch or a ding in the body is not desirable, but is not the end of the world. A guitar can be repainted just like a car, and dings and holes can be filled to the point where they are nearly undetectable if done by professional. A used guitar should be expected to have some scratches on it, as players are almost never perfectly careful with their guitar. We are, after all, only guitarists. For this reason, minor scratches or dents in the body should be expected, and while they cause a guitar to lose a bit of their value compared to a brand new one, they can be repaired and should not deter you from buying the guitar, and should only cause you to bump the price of a guitar down by a little bit. Larger scratches or dents, like a chunk missing from a body or such, are a different story. A guitar plays only as good as it is constructed, and if a large part of it is damaged, you might want to consider looking elsewhere.

Cracks on the neck or fretboard

• If you find cracks on the neck or fretboard, consider a few things before making a purchase. First off, if you plan on playing the guitar, will you have enough money to have a crack professionally repaired. A crack will most likely hinder playability, and is generally a fatal flaw to those without the pocketbook to repair it. Second, think about how you plan to use the guitar. Will you keep it and play it for yourself, or do you plan on reselling it? If you plan on keeping the guitar, it might be a better option to just have the neck replaced with one of your choice. This way fractures are not a problem and you can choose to tailor your sounds. On acoustic guitars, this option is not so plausible, since necks aren’t bolted on like electric necks. If you are planning on reselling the guitar, consider the impact of replacing a neck on the guitar. On one hand, the guitar will be playable, and on the other, it will lose its authenticity if you replace a stock part with a different one, unless it is of the same model guitar and year.

Routing

• Routing can be an issue with purchasing a used guitar as well. If the previous owner has routed a guitar to accommodate different pickups than the stock ones, you want to make sure it was worth it, and fits the style of guitar. You might not want a guitar that used to have a SSS set up that has been rerouted to fit dual humbuckers. Generally, guitars with swimming pool routes are flexible, and allow you to change your mind on the pickup style, and leave little damage behind when you do, but aren’t as desirable as a guitar that came routed for a good style and brand of pickup that will last. Always check underneath a guitar’s pick guard if the previous owner has modified anything, since a mistake in routing can mean either costly repairs, or sacrifice of tone.

Wiring

• Bad wiring in guitars is a common problem. Cheaper guitars aren’t assembled with the best equipment or care, and often times wires can come loose or need replacement. This is not a big problem, and can be done inexpensively by a professional, or yourself if you are willing to take a chance. Bad wiring in a guitar can cause an owner to think it is broken, so take a look inside of a guitar for the wiring and see if you can spot a problem before you buy it. If you do see something that might be a bad connection, solder, or wire, you can probably replace it after you purchase the guitar, and get the guitar for a steal.

Strings

• Broken or missing strings should not even be classified as damage. They are a fact of guitar playing, and occur often. What you do want to look out for however, are strings that slide from side to side because of a damaged nut or bridge, and make sure that the strings are aligned and angled properly. These could potential be signs of a bigger problem, but don’t sweat the small stuff like a break.

Nut

• The nut makes sure that your strings stay in place and a damaged one can mean tuning problems or loose strings. Replacing this however is not a terribly complicated repair in most cases, and you can purchase a new nut for relatively cheap, depending on the material. If this is all that is wrong with your used guitar, don’t hesitate to simply take it into the local guitar shop for repair.

Bridge

• A damaged bridge is generally a small problem as well. In the grand scheme of guitars, a bridge is relatively inexpensive, and should not keep you from purchasing a used guitar if all it requires is a replacement bridge. Often times you can upgrade your bridge while you’re at it, and it will give your guitar better action or intonation. However, one thing to watch for is where the damaged bridge is installed. A bridge with a tremolo will likely have an impact on the body, and can leave marks, dents, scratches, or holes behind should you need to replace it.

Tuners

• Replacing a tuner on a guitar is typically an inexpensive option. Don’t let it stop you from buying a guitar, since you can take it in to your local shop and they can order you some new tuners that will match your old ones. Tuners, like bridges, can often times be upgraded, but there is a small possibility that an oddly constructed tuner can leave an imprint or damage behind on replacement.

Knobs

• Knobs getting dirty and needing cleaning or replacement are a fairly common problem as well. Knobs are inexpensive and can be customized if you want to give your guitar a cooler look. However, if you are going for a purity factor because you want to keep it as a collector’s item, it will be relatively inexpensive to replace the knobs of your guitar with those of the same model if you find someone selling them on eBay.

Pickups

• Pickups are replaceable on most guitars, and aren’t often damaged. This is because contact with pickups is minimal if any, and without them a guitar would be useless, so they would likely be replaced upon failure by a previous owner. Keep in mind though that you can always switch out pickups or upgrade them, but you might want to get them installed professionally in order to preserve the integrity of your guitar. Don’t let the pickup damage keep you from buying a used guitar if it is newer, but if it is vintage, they might be one of the major attractive points of buying a vintage guitar in the first place.

Input Jack

• As a guitar ages, the input jack normally wears out first. Why? You constantly plug and unplug cables into it every time you play through an amp. For this reason, damage on an input jack is a minor deal, and can be replaced cheaply and easily. Often times people will even sell a guitar for cheap because they deem the input jack broken when really the culprit is a loose wire or nut holding the jack together. If this is the only concern in buying a used guitar, go for it, and replace it afterwards.