What to Check Before Buying a Used Guitar or Amp

Play It Before You Buy It

The first rule with any used instrument is simple: play it before you decide. A guitar that looks perfect hanging on the wall can have problems you'd only catch by actually picking it up and running through a few chords or scales. Don't be shy about asking to plug it in or take a few minutes with it before you make up your mind.

Check the Neck First

On a guitar, sight down the neck from the headstock toward the body. You're looking for a neck that's straight or has a slight, even relief, not a warp or a twist that throws the strings out of line. Check that the strings sit at a comfortable height above the frets all the way up the neck, and fret a few notes near the top to make sure nothing buzzes when you play it. Check the tuning pegs too, giving each one a turn to feel for slipping or excess play before you settle on a price.

Listen for Crackle in the Pots

If you're looking at an electric guitar or an amp, plug in and roll the volume and tone knobs all the way up and down while listening through the speaker. A little dust crackle is common on an older instrument and usually clears up fine once it's been worked a bit. A knob that cuts out completely, or crackles badly no matter how you turn it, is worth asking about before you commit to buying it.

An amp should hold a clean signal at low and high volume without any hum or buzz that wasn't there when you plugged in. On a drum set, check that the heads aren't torn or badly dented and that the hardware tightens down solid without slipping. On a keyboard, run through the full range of keys and listen for any that stick, feel dead, or sound quieter than the rest.

A 30-Day Guarantee Backs You Up

Every used instrument we sell, guitars, amps, drum sets, keyboards and saxophones, carries a 30-day guarantee. If something turns up after you get it home that you didn't catch at the counter, bring it back and we'll make it right. It takes the pressure off making a perfect call on the spot.

Before you check out, ask what comes with the instrument. A hard case or gig bag protects your investment a lot better than carrying a bare guitar around, and it's worth knowing whether one is included or whether you'll need to add one. The same goes for a strap, a cable, an amp cord, drum sticks or a keyboard's power supply and sustain pedal. It's a lot easier to ask at the counter than to realize you're missing a piece once you get home.

If you're not sure whether an amp is tube or solid state, ask, because they behave differently as they age. Tube amps can develop a faint background hum or a microphonic ring if a tube is worn, which usually just means the tubes need replacing down the line, not that the amp itself is bad. Solid state amps tend to be more stable over time but should still be checked for a clean signal at every volume. Either way, plug in and listen before you decide.

If you've found the instrument you want but aren't ready to pay for it all at once, put it on layaway. It gets set aside for you and you pay it down over time, the same as anything else in the store, for up to 12 months.

Quick Checklist Before You Buy

• Play it, don't just look at it
• Sight down the neck for warps or twists
• Roll the volume and tone knobs and listen for crackle
• Check drum heads and hardware for wear
• Run every key on a keyboard from bottom to top

Try the Wall at Either Store

Our instrument wall is worth a visit at both locations. Stop by Paragould at 1401 W Hunt St, (870) 205-0626, or Jonesboro at 3205 E Nettleton Ave, (870) 931-6000. Both stores are open Monday through Friday 9 to 5:30 and Saturday 9 to 4, closed Sunday, so you can come in and see the wall before you decide.