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  #1  
Old 10-04-2008, 09:46 PM
denny1948golf denny1948golf is offline
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Default How Can You Trust Buying an Acoustic Guitar On Ebay?

I've been reading a lot of different threads tonight. I can't believe how many people have bought their Taylor Acoustic on Ebay. I've been playing for longer than I like to admit. One thing I most definitely know is not all guitars, including Taylor, are created equal. I spend a lot of time in area music stores trying out guitars. There's a high end music store that carries Taylor, Martin and Collings guitars. They sometimes have three or four of the same models. The tone of these guitars are all over the place. I played Limited Edition, 800 series, 900 series and all the way down to the 110's and Big Baby. There have been times when the best sounding Taylor they had was a 110. I've also played 900 series Taylors that I wouldn't want at a third the cost.

That being said, I would never trust buying an acoustic guitar that I haven't played first. What has beween your experience, Good or bad?

Denny
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Old 10-04-2008, 10:35 PM
ewalling ewalling is offline
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On the whole, I think I'd agree with you, but I have gambled a few times. I've bought two Taylors online without playing them first, an XXX-MC and an NS44, both of which were disappointing and ended up being sold. Having said that, an Epiphone EL-00 (ebay), a Godin ASC (new) and a Gibson CJ165 (new) I also bought unplayed and each turned out to be spot on.
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Old 10-05-2008, 01:08 AM
PaulData PaulData is offline
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You've only got the seller's photos (usually bad ones), description (usually vague), indirect answers to 'pointed questions', and probably most important the reputation of the seller, to base an online purchase decision on. That covers overall structural/cosmetic condition of the instrument; but as for tone / volume / playability /mojo, etc you have to take a leap of faith anytime you buy before you try.
My personal experience having bought a bunch of acoustics over the net, has been about 50/50. Some keepers, some sleepers...
My current 3 Taylors I had the luxury of playing before buying, and they seem to be keepers.
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Old 10-05-2008, 05:44 AM
rosewoodsteel rosewoodsteel is offline
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Default How Can You Trust Buying an Acoustic Guitar On Ebay?

Buy a Taylor. They are very consistent in construction and tone, imo. Any differences within a given model are often related to the strings, not the guitar (once again, imo).
Play an bunch and see what model you want.
If you find one on ebay that you like, ask the seller all of the questions that you need to have answered and ask for additional pictures, if needed.
If you are satisfied with the response and the price is right.....

If you want to hand pick a guitar, I would suggest that you buy from your dealer.

But, why not buy here (AGF Classifieds) instead?
I picked up an incredible 914c here a while back.
Good luck!

Last edited by rosewoodsteel; 10-05-2008 at 05:49 AM.
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Old 10-05-2008, 06:37 AM
denny1948golf denny1948golf is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rosewoodsteel View Post
Buy a Taylor. They are very consistent in construction and tone, imo. Any differences within a given model are often related to the strings, not the guitar (once again, imo).
The Taylor's are the most consistent acoustics I've experienced. But even the Taylors in the same model/year can be very very different from one to the next. The high end music store I mentioned in my original post, not only keeps fresh strings on all their guitars, they also make sure they are set up with low action. I never have to tune a guitar I've picked up in this store. They tweak them to get the most out of each guitar. The owner is an outstanding finger style player in the vain of Doyle and Chet. He's also knows all the ins and outs of setup for acoustic guitar. The only reason I'm telling you this is to make my point on the difference from one guitar to the next.

At Guitar Center and Sam Ash, the Taylors along with all the other acoustic guitars are not cared for at all. Old strings are a big problem in the box stores. That being said, my experience has been the really good acoustics still sound good with bad strings. I've played guitars that I wanted to like because of playability and looks that sounded dull and lifeless. I've had them install new strings with only slight improvement.

I should also say that I'm extremely particular about all my guitars and the the way they play and sound. I usually change strings every ten days or so. I have friends that hardly ever change strings. Drives me crazy to have my buddy with his wonderful Collings D2HA and old dull strings.
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Old 10-05-2008, 06:52 AM
MattM MattM is offline
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I have had good experiences both here and on ebay. That being said, you are absolutely correct that there is no substitute for playing a guitar first before you purchase it, so I am very careful to pay an amount that I know I can recoup if it doesn't work out. So far I have purchased 2 electric guitars online and I still have (and love) both of them. I have also purchased about a dozen acoustic guitars online and I only still have one of them. On the other hand, I have bought 3 acoustic guitars in person and I still have all three. Even though most of the "sight unseen" guitars don't ultimately stay in the stable, it is still fun to experiment around without having to pay full retail. It has really helped me to fine tune my tastes and also to appreciate the guitars that I already have more. If you know what you are doing, you can actually make pretty good money buying and reselling acoustics on ebay, but that is for another thread.
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Old 10-05-2008, 07:07 AM
rosewoodsteel rosewoodsteel is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by denny1948golf View Post
The Taylor's are the most consistent acoustics I've experienced. But even the Taylors in the same model/year can be very very different from one to the next. The high end music store I mentioned in my original post, not only keeps fresh strings on all their guitars, they also make sure they are set up with low action. I never have to tune a guitar I've picked up in this store. They tweak them to get the most out of each guitar. The owner is an outstanding finger style player in the vain of Doyle and Chet. He's also knows all the ins and outs of setup for acoustic guitar. The only reason I'm telling you this is to make my point on the difference from one guitar to the next.

At Guitar Center and Sam Ash, the Taylors along with all the other acoustic guitars are not cared for at all. Old strings are a big problem in the box stores. That being said, my experience has been the really good acoustics still sound good with bad strings. I've played guitars that I wanted to like because of playability and looks that sounded dull and lifeless. I've had them install new strings with only slight improvement.

I should also say that I'm extremely particular about all my guitars and the the way they play and sound. I usually change strings every ten days or so. I have friends that hardly ever change strings. Drives me crazy to have my buddy with his wonderful Collings D2HA and old dull strings.
From everything you've said, I would suggest you buy from a dealer and get the exact guitar that you are looking for.
-Stay away from ebay.
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  #8  
Old 10-05-2008, 07:11 AM
michaelw michaelw is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by denny1948golf View Post
...I played Limited Edition, 800 series, 900 series and all the way down to the 110's and Big Baby.
There have been times when the best sounding Taylor they had was a 110...
i agree - i've experienced the exact same thing
if you're looking for a standard model (non-BTO),
i'd recommend trying to play before you buy

there are dealers that have a return/trade-up policy

buying on eBay has worked out for me well in the past
for the most part - when it doesn't, though, it's a nightmare
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Last edited by michaelw; 10-11-2008 at 06:31 PM.
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Old 10-05-2008, 07:19 AM
denny1948golf denny1948golf is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rosewoodsteel View Post
From everything you've said, I would suggest you buy from a dealer and get the exact guitar that you are looking for.
-Stay away from ebay.
I agree. The only reason I would buy sight unseen is if it was a great price and I knew I could get my money back. The only problem with that is, I'm to honest for my own good. If someone ask my opinion on the sound/playability, I wouldn't sugar coat it. I'd tell it like it is. I've sold guitars on ebay and the guitar forums and everyone has been very happy with the deal. Since I've never bought sight unseen (except through online stores that guarantee the return with no questions asked), when it came time to sell, I was selling a guitar that I thought was great.
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Old 10-05-2008, 07:26 AM
emmonsh emmonsh is offline
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my only problem ever online was on these forums[which i now wont do anymore]/ ebay has their reputation and paypal has their security. on these forums their is nothing built in to help you. i have bout about 4 guitars and sold 6 on ebay and never 1 problem. there are a lot of great people here and honest but there is still no recourse if you have problems.
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Old 10-05-2008, 07:47 AM
denny1948golf denny1948golf is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by emmonsh View Post
my only problem ever online was on these forums[which i now wont do anymore]/ ebay has their reputation and paypal has their security. on these forums their is nothing built in to help you. i have bout about 4 guitars and sold 6 on ebay and never 1 problem. there are a lot of great people here and honest but there is still no recourse if you have problems.
Whenever I've sold on the guitar forums (not ebay), I have given the buyer three days for return at his expense. As long as the guitar comes back in the same condition I sent it, I'll refund the money. When buying, I'd want the same arrangements with the seller.
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Old 10-05-2008, 08:11 AM
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I'll throw in my 2 cents then let everyone bash me like they always do.

I bought my 514ce on ebay nearly 5 years ago. It's a 2002 and I bought it in late '03. Transaction was smooth and the guitar was exactly as it was described. Used. If you know what you are looking for, are patient enough to wait for the right guitar at the right price, and you understand that a used guitar is exactly that, you can get a fantastic deal on a fantastic guitar.

The more you look and shop round at various sites, or watch a series of auctions, the more information you have to make your decision. When I bought my 514ce off ebay, I watched auctions of Taylor guitars for over 3months. I knew exactly what each model of guitar I was interested in should go for and the types of conditions I could expect. I must have followed 200 or more auctions. I got to the point where I could practically predict the final price.

I believe there are several issues for many who don't trust ebay or any other online dealer. The biggest one is patience. People get the guitar fever "GAS" and run headlong into a a purchase like lemmings running off a cliff. They act like that is the only 814ce or D28 on the planet and if they don't buy it now it will be gone and they'lll never see another one again. For crying out loud, Taylor and Martin make 70,000 guitars a year each. There' will be another one. just sit and wait till the right one comes at the right price. It absolutely baffles me how much folks are willing to pay for a guitar that is basically a dime a dozen. I bought both my Taylors used and paid a little more than half retail for each one because I waited, I watched, and I paid cash.

Taylors and Martins are the most consistent guitars. There are literally thousands of them out there and 95% of them are awesome. I think folks get finicky about the guitar that plays "just right" or has the "perfect tone" as a means to justify a hasty and rushed purchase that they end up paying too much for.

Folks rush in and buy these guitars and then a month later they hate it and wish they'd never bought it. So what do they do, they sell it for a loss and rush in to buy another one. It's amazing how so many folks will spend more time fussing and fuming and obcessing over the purchase of a 1-2k guitar than over a 20k car.

Another issue is that people want a brand new guitar (perfect condition) at a used price. I read the posts here about what people expect and how they describe their used guitars. My opinion is that over half of them must not play their guitars or if they do, they mother them to the point of obscession. When I look at used guitars on ebay, I uderstand a very simple principle, it's used. I expect it not to be perfect.

That's my take on it. I don't think it's the online seller or the ebay seller that we should question as much as ourselves. Personally, when it comes to a purchase, I don't trust myself, so I take my time and wait. The times I've got suckered were the times I was impulsive and careless.
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Old 10-05-2008, 09:32 AM
denny1948golf denny1948golf is offline
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Nelson, I think it comes down to what each of us perceive as a good deal or the right guitar. If I'm wrong, please tell me so. But what I'm picking up from your post is your very focused on the price you're paying. You said several times that it's a "Used" guitar and that's what you should expect. It's great to get a good deal (price wise) on a guitar, but if it's not up to my standards, it's not a good deal. The guitar doesn't have to be perfect cosmetically, but it does need to have balanced tone, good playability and decent volume. None of which has anything to do with weather it's used or new. In fact, if it's used, the guitar should have had time to open up and sound better than a new guitar.

The biggest problem with the Taylors I've found is in the balance department. Most all of them are very good on the treble side. Where I see the biggest difference is on the bass response side. I've found quit a few that just lack base response. Especially when compared to the higher register.
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Old 10-05-2008, 05:27 PM
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I've bought lots of guitars from ebay and this forum, as well. Almost all of the experiences have been good ones. While there still is some risk, the advantage is that, if you're patient, you can get prices and selections that far outdo most local options (especially in the pacific NW). That said, I almost solely deal with Taylors (which seem to have excellent quality and consistency amongst their many models), I never buy unless I feel I can sell easily at or above what the purchase price is, I always communicate with the seller before sending the money (preferrably by phone) and I try to make use of the protections offered by paypal and ebay. So far, things have worked out great...
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Old 10-05-2008, 05:54 PM
Chazmo Chazmo is offline
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Denny,

I know exactly what you're saying. It's a bit of a crap shoot with eBay.

I've bought a few vintage guitars, including an old Taylor, and I'd say that not seeing old guitars is more of a problem than with a modern Taylor. You have issues like neck positioning, internal brace damage, fret problems, worn saddle/nut, the list goes on...

On the other hand, eBay has the advantage of a huge selection to choose from. If you don't mind taking a little risk, you can get your hands on models that you otherwise wouldn't get to play.

My favorite guitars, though, were not bought on eBay. I got them at the store or from another forum member on one of the boards I frequent. Truly, there is no substitute for being able to sit down with a guitar to decide first.
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