Do you generally purchase new or used and why?

[Tube Sound]

Used. Money matters and I like vintage mojo/tone.

[Mark Stone]

I buy only new, because of the warranty. I trade for used occasionally - actually all three of the guitars in my sig are traded for.

[AuthenticRick]

I bought 3 used. Two Authentics and one Marquis for 2 reasons:
1) Each of the models had been discontinued, and
2) At 67 years old, I didn’t want to wait for the guitars to “realize they were guitars, rather than a tree”. Someone else played them in for me.

[packmule]

As a working class kid who had champagne taste on a shandy budget I got into the habit of seeking out second hand guitars from an early age and have pretty much stuck to that for all these years which allowed me to own a lot of really great guitars. I've commissioned three other instruments in the past 10 years though - two mandolins and a tenor guitar. Only one of those (the second mandolin commission) is still with me. The tenor guitar was nice but my preference in specs changed over time so it wasn't getting played as much and got sold when I needed the cash. It was eventually replaced by my current tenor, which was purchased second hand and is a real keeper.

[EZYPIKINS]

Not totally opposed to used. But I do like the used ones I buy to have little play wear.

I like my guitars to not have been taught too many of the wrong songs.

Bought used J-200 recently, frets look new. A bit of paint wear on the rear flower of the pickguard.

Didn't buy it to look at. Bought it to beat the crap out of it.

I don't play Willy Nelson heavy. But I have been known to whale away with a pick.

[Andromeda]

I generally buy used. Mostly because they were no longer in production and they were less expensive. Below are the only ones I purchased new...the rest in my signature were purchased used.

Six strings
Yamaha FG830
Yamaha FG850
Oscar Schmidt OG2N-A

12-Strings

Takamine GJ72CE

[KevWind]

New,,, with one exception a Mark Hatcher from forum mod Larry K

Which was in such pristine condition it might as well have been new

[leew3]

Originally Posted by bigbang

The short-
Do you tend to buy new or used and why?

At 56, I don't know how much longer the new kids on the block and the venues they play at will let me hang with them. And when that time comes, I'm pretty certain I won't play nearly as much. Hard to say if I'll care what I've got in the stable at that point.

Decisions decisions...

So, why do YOU buy used or new?

I bought my first 'good' guitar (2012 Taylor 814ce) when I was your age and had similar concerns. I've bought 7 more guitars of nearly equal or more expense since that time, all new. At 66 I have four gigs this week (which is more than usual but still!) and am enjoying every minute of it. In short, buy the guitar(s) you want if you can afford them.

[KevWind]

As for the other things brought up in the OP.
For me it is not a matter of whether I will be playing out or not I's a matter of what pleases me (Although if the new kids on the block you speak of are any kind of real musicians your age should be irrelevant). If not find a new block. I still attend an open mic that has players from their 20's to their 80's and a great time is had by all

I buy new "Because I can" that may sound arrogant BUT We spent years on a tight budget counting every penny ( and admittedly it is a hard habit to change) But with all that hard work and scrimping we have now reached a point where is it not necessary for survival .

[ewalling]

Originally Posted by Andromeda

I generally buy used. Mostly because they were no longer in production ...

This is one reason I buy used. I often pick up used out-of-production models that I prefer over newer offerings. One example would be the Taylor GC series. I do not have one right now, but I have owned a few, and they're my favorite Taylors for quality, aesthetics, sound, comfort and price. However, it looks like other people didn't like them enough, and they can now only be found used.

Another reason is that I chop and change a lot, and it makes little sense to buy at full new price if I'm going to take a hit in resale sometime down the line. I like trying out different guitars, and buying and selling used is one way I can justifiably indulge this habit. Add to this that many used models from GC Used Online are in as good condition as the new guitars I used to buy.

[Aahzz]

I started out buying new - since I didn't start playing until I was 24, I had more disposable income than your average new guitar player.

Then I discovered that I didn't like what I thought I liked...and became a serial flipper. Mostly electrics over the years, but there were some acoustics. As a serial flipper, I tended strongly towards used because not losing money was important to me - and I generally managed to break even, and occasionally make a wee bit of a profit.

Then about 2 years ago, I realized I was spending far too much time flipping and tone chasing, and not enough time playing. I found an electric I really liked (used PRS Vela), and decided I was good there. I bought a used semi-hollow Vela to go along with my solid, so I'd have a backup that was similar but gave just a slightly different flavor. I found an amp I loved in my VHT D-50, so that's staying. All of that was done with an emphasis in my head of finding a new band, after my previous band (where I played bass) broke up.

Started working with a new band, the pandemic hit...oof. Over the past couple years I've been involved with several startup projects, none of which have made it off the ground. At 54, I'm tired of dealing with people who can't be bothered to show up, or learn the songs.

So, time to switch my focus to acoustic, and solo. Went out to find a cheap Yamaha for gigging, and realized my ears want more, even if I'm only hearing it acoustically during practice. So, I bought a new PRS AX20E instead, because I loved it. Had some pickup issues with it, and when it was clear it needed to go to my tech for a bit, I started looking again. Couldn't play one locally, but ended up with my Eastman AC322CE, which is a lifer. So those 2 were bought new.

Anyway, back to the point - I now tend to buy new, because I'm looking for keepers. There's a shortage of good acoustic shops in Cincinnati, so if I'm buying unplayed, I want new, with warranty and a return policy. Internet research can get me a good portion of the way there, but can't tell me about neck feel, or give me the full tone picture. So, new with return policy. I do still scroll through Craigslist on occasion, and would consider going used if I can play it first, but now I just feel safer going new the majority of the time.

[Deliberate1]

Used guitars.
Used cars.
Used clothing.
New wife (40 yeas ago).

David

[Slimt]

I mostly buy used these days. If I dont like what I bought. I can actually get back what I paid.

New guitars are a given loss

[s2y]

Usually new since I go custom.

[Horseflesh]

I usually buy used when I am not as particular about the details of the item, and buy new when I have specific desires that I cannot find used. I also tend to buy new the more expensive the item is, if I think I might need that warranty.

For example when I wanted to upgrade from the beater acoustic that I started learning on, I wasn't too particular. Thanks to other threads on here I had a long list of good candidates, so I kept an eye on Craigslist and eventually the right guitar showed up.

When I wanted to upgrade my starter electric guitar to a better Strat-style, I had a shorter list of candidates because I had more requirements. I didn't find any used candidates that looked great so I ended up spending more and buying new... but I also found a sweet limited edition instrument at a better price than I expected.