How lucky (or unlucky) have you been with online purchases

[dilver]

Is it luck or is it diligence? I’ve bought most of my guitar used, a couple new. Since I’m confident in my skills to do own set ups, fretwork, nut replacements, electronics, etc, I can pretty much get any guitar to play how I want it, unless its really messed up, in which case I’m not buying it. I take the time do my research and ask my usual questions so I know what I’m buying. Most people I’ve dealt with have been cool, so I guess that part is luck.

[warfrat73]

Originally Posted by dilver

Is it luck or is it diligence? I’ve bought most of my guitar used, a couple new. Since I’m confident in my skills to do own set ups, fretwork, nut replacements, electronics, etc, I can pretty much get any guitar to play how I want it, unless its really messed up, in which case I’m not buying it. I take the time do my research and ask my usual questions so I know what I’m buying. Most people I’ve dealt with have been cool, so I guess that part is luck.

Yeah, right, but sometimes the problems are just not disclosed or evident... I'm confident in my ability to do setups too. But if the seller is lying, or (more likely) just oblivious or incompetent, what are you supposed to do? "I'm not buying that" is all well and good if everything is above board, but goes down the shute if the seller doesn't know what they're talking about. And, even worse if they think they know but they really don't.

[EZYPIKINS]

What you have to realize is that everything looks better in pictures than in real life.

Have bought used guitars online and when they arrived the dings and scratches were more prominent than what the looked in the pics.

Bought one vintage electric. G&L Broadcaster, from Hawaii, on Reverb. Guitar spent its entire life in Hawaii. All metal was heavily corroded. Had to replace the switch, pots, caps, and output jack. Also replace the string tree, I would've liked to have new bridge saddles, but they no longer make them the same width.
Cut and polished the body, put it all back together, and am very happy with it now.
Just never expected what I was presented with in the beginning.
broadcaster.jpg

[TStan]

I have made several online purchases with no problems but my preference is Gruhn. My sales rep is Corey. If you find a guitar online at Gruhn ask him to record a demo for you. He will be glad to. He will tell it to you straight. I first visited Gruhn in the late 70s and have never had a bad experience. Not from sales or repairs or advice. I've only found quality customer service.

[TheGITM]

I've not yet bought a guitar I could not play/inspect first. I will shop online, but only for locally available stock. There are too many good guitars available and I'm on the outskirts of a relatively large metro area. I just don't want to deal with the 'what if I don't like it or something is wrong with it' scenario.

I know that not everyone is able to do that, so for some, buying online is the only realistic option.

[brencat]

Only had to send one guitar back that was damaged in shipment, but that was Fedex's fault, not the dealer's. Everything else, from buying new to buying used, dealer or private seller, has been largely flawless. Almost all of those guitars are long gone now as I regularly like to try new things.

The key is to know who you're dealing with. If it doesn't feel right, you walk away. No settling, no maybe's, no 'going for it', and no hoping.

[FLRon]

My online purchasing record is so so.
I purchased a new Martin from Maury’s with no hiccups. Same for a used Martin from the old Buffalo Brothers. I bought a used Larrivee from Notable Guitars with no problems. Both my purchases from guitar forums, including the AGF, were way less than desirable.

[Gryf]

I've bought two guitars online (Martin OM15 from LA Guitars, and a G&L ASAT from Sweetwater). Both transactions went well, and I loved the guitars. The fact that the Martin binding seperated at the waist is still supremely irritating and should never happen coming from a company like Martin, but that could (and often does) happen with Martins all over the planet these days.
And I bought one amplifier online-my Boss Katana. Zero problems with that. Other than that, I just buy strings and capos and stuff online occasionally.

[Gryf]

Originally Posted by FLRon

My online purchasing record is so so.
I purchased a new Martin from Maury’s with no hiccups. Same for a used Martin from the old Buffalo Brothers. I bought a used Larrivee from Notable Guitars with no problems. Both my purchases from guitar forums, including the AGF, were way less than desirable.

Feels like there's a story to tell here.....

[KevWind]

I have had great luck all 4 times total . I have purchased new from dealers 3 times (1 electric and 2 acoustics) and one used but mint condition like new, Mark Hatcher I purchased from an AGF member

Years ago I purchased My Breedlove Masterclass Phoenix new from a Dealer. Then two years ago I Purchased a new Furch Rainbow (dealer build to order) from a dealer in Canada and later that year I purchased a New old stock Limited Edition Fender Telecaster.

[zeeway]

I have bought several guitars on line, and they are all good. Come to think of it, I have bought all my current guitars on line, except for one I made (sole survivor out of seven) and a Taylor 12 string bought from a local shop.

I bought an Emerald X20, Rainsong WS, Yamaha silent guitar, an Epiphone 339, and a Voyage Air…all on line and all good.

[tomcstokes59]

I have bought and sold probably 20+ guitars on line. I had one potential shipping mishap - UPS didn’t wait around for a signature and left a Waterloo on someone’s porch for three days. It turned out well in the end. The one purchase issue was a J-35 collectors edition that was less than advertised. That one cost me about $500 for a new bridge plate and a loose brace. The seller’s exact comment - “I never noticed that”. Then they ghosted me.

I can find the usual suspects locally. If I am interested in anything else, I shop on-line.

[thestubbyone]

Originally Posted by KevinH

I've purchased about half of my guitars online and haven't regretted any of them. Some were eventually sold, but about the same fraction as the ones I'd played before buying. It takes me months to figure out if I really want to keep a guitar.

That's exactly why I purchase from GC, even though they really can have a quality control issue with returned guitars. I found nobody locally that comes close to a 45 day no questions asked guarantee. I have bought seven guitars from them in the past 2 months returning for reasons of defects for the most part, 5 of them. I didnt buy them all at once. I would repurchase one defective and get replacement. But they have never winced when they see me coming into store knowing I have a proficiency for returning a lot of the stuff I have bought from them. I bought 3 times, an Alvarez baritone guitar. The first one had the pick up loose in the body of the guitar, the glue failed. The next one was used and the neck was warped, someone tried doing E tuning on it. the first guild I bought had a plastic bowl floating around in it which presumable held a wet sponge for wood repair inside and they forgot to take it out. But I finally got a wonderful Guild Baritone 8 string which so far I am very pleased with. I like the fact I can take it to the store and return is done!

[RiffRalf]

Unfortunately the guitars that I dream of are not available in stores near me. I would love to try a Yammie FG5, a Yairi DYM60, etc but the GCs around here don't have them.
So interweb it is.
Been lucky so fat. Two Alvarez MD60BGs, one 40th anniversary squier strat, one FG800.

[Raj the Smiler]

I have had mostly positive experiences purchasing online. All of my current line-up of acoustics were from online sales (except an old Guild that has been with me since pre-internet days).

On the negatives - A few guitars, I just didn't care for, and returned them without issue. Musician's Friend once sent me a "Brand New" HD-28 that indeed was at best a beat up Guitar Center floor demo. I complained and they took it back without issue. And a couple of shipping hiccups over the years.