Of course I would be absolutely remiss if I didn’t mention buying a guitar online. A number of years ago, purchasing a guitar online site unseen was unheard of. However, the internet has changed the way we do many things, including how guitars are bought. You can look at the E- bay guitar auctions to see just how many guitars are being bought and sold every day. |
Even so, guitarists should not dive in recklessly. We all know that there are possible consequences if you buy online. There are a lot of hazards attached to buying a guitar online from someone that you do not know. If you want to buy a guitar online be sure to check Dealer Reviews archive. This site lets guitarists submit ratings and descriptions of certain instrument retailers. You will find reviews of retailers such as Musician’s Friend and others. The most current reviews of vendors are found on Eopinions.com. On this site you can enter the name of the vendor you are thinking about buying from and do some research. |
Shipping instruments can be a hassle as well. Those who handle your instrument will not always use care and sometimes instruments arrive damaged. The damage could have been caused by incorrect packaging or rough handling. You may want to get your instrument packed professionally using a store like Mailbox Etc. if you are getting it shipped. When you use a service like Maibox Etc., the buyer can contact the store before the guitar is shipped and get a confirmation of the contents. |
The most intimidating part of buying an instrument on the internet is that you will not get a chance to play the guitar before you purchase it. Many people who have played guitars in music stores know that quality varies a great deal from guitar to guitar. Any product made from wood will have different degrees of quality. Because of this, you may get a guitar that does not have the quality you want. In this case, most retailers online offer a return policy that will allow you to send back a guitar you don’t want. You can return the guitar between 24 and 48 hours. However, what retailers will not tell you is that by law, they are required to give you a 30 day return policy. |
Once you have weighed your options, and you still want to take a chance and buy your guitar online, you will have to search for that perfect guitar. There are a number of sites that can help you find certain guitars. |
The Guitar Base Mall lets individuals search for certain guitars and provides contact information for the person of store that is selling the instrument. On this site, there are many guitars being sold by singular owners so you may find more problems than if you purchase the guitar from a major retailer online. |
There are numerous guitar retailers online. There are a lot that operate mainly as a music store in a certain location and may take mail orders through the web. There are also those music stores that are online only. A lot of these retailers are more experienced in selling and buying on the internet so the purchasing process should go smoothly. |
Three online websites you can look into are 1-800-Instuments, 8th Street Music, and Costello’s Music. 1-800-Instruments combine a store and an e-zine that features review. It is based in Australia but has international shipping. 8th Street Music offers keyboards, pro-audio gear and other items for sale. This site features used and vintage guitars. The selection is limited though. |
 Costello’s Music doesn’t carry a lot of guitars but they offer such items as keyboards and drums. They ship only in the within the United States. |
Guitar Trader Online, Musician’s Friend, Music123.com, and Zzounds are other good sites to buy a guitar. Guitar Trader Online offers a big selection of guitars and other equipment and shipping in instantly calculated when you place an order. |
Musician’s Friend has an extremely large collection of guitars and guitar equipment. This site is one of the most popular music retailers on the internet. The site features internet deals and weekly articles. Music123.com is a large online music retailer and sells different instruments. There are many guitar brands for sale on the site at good prices. Zzounds is another site with a large selection of guitar brands. This site has contests and free giveaways. They don’t offer international shipping. |