A used guitar can be the best deal in music — or the most expensive mistake you make. The difference is knowing what to look for before you commit. Here’s the complete checklist.
Used guitars are one of the best value propositions in music gear. A $400 guitar bought used can easily be a $700 instrument in excellent condition, played by someone who took care of it and simply needed to sell. The risk is buying someone else’s problem — a guitar with a cracked headstock, a warped neck, or damage that’s been cosmetically hidden.
These 9 checks take about 15 minutes and catch almost every significant issue before money changes hands.
1. Check the Headstock for Cracks or Repairs
The headstock — the part at the top of the neck where the tuning machines sit — is the most common site of serious guitar damage. It takes the brunt of any fall. Look carefully at the area where the headstock joins the neck. You’re looking for:
- Hairline cracks running across the grain
- Filled or refinished wood that looks different from the surrounding surface
- Slight misalignment between the headstock and neck
A repaired headstock crack isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker, but it should be disclosed and reflected in the price. An undisclosed repair is a red flag about the seller’s honesty.
2. Sight Down the Neck for Warping
Hold the guitar horizontally and look down the neck from the headstock toward the body, like you’re looking down a rifle sight. The fretboard should look straight or have a very slight concave curve (called relief — this is normal and desirable). What you don’t want:
- Significant backbow (the neck curves backward, strings buzz everywhere)
- A hump or rise in the fretboard at the body joint (14th fret area for acoustics)
- Twisting (the fretboard looks different on the treble side than the bass side)
Slight relief is adjustable with the truss rod. Significant warping or twisting is expensive to fix and sometimes unfixable.
3. Check the Frets for Wear
Run your fingers along the frets. They should feel smooth and consistent. Signs of wear:
- Grooves or divots in the frets where strings have worn through the metal
- Flat spots on the tops of frets
- Fret ends that poke out sharply from the sides of the neck (a sign of wood shrinkage, less serious but uncomfortable)
Badly worn frets require a fret leveling job ($100–$200) or a full refret ($200–$400). Factor this into your offer if the frets are worn.
4. Play Every Fret on Every String
Fret notes on every string at every fret position from open to the 12th fret (or higher). You’re listening for:
- Buzzing that doesn’t resolve when you press harder (fret buzz is different from light touch buzz — fret buzz persists regardless of finger pressure)
- Notes that sound dead or muffled at specific positions
- Intonation problems — notes that sound sharp or flat at higher frets even when the open strings are tuned
Some buzz is fixable with a setup adjustment. Persistent buzz at specific frets points to uneven frets or neck issues.
5. Tune It and Play Open Chords
Tune the guitar properly (bring a tuner or use an app) and play a G, C, D, and Em chord. Every note in every chord should ring clearly — no buzzing, no muffled strings. Then play each chord up the neck in several positions. If chords sound increasingly out of tune as you move up the neck, the guitar has intonation problems. This can be adjusted on most electric guitars; it’s less adjustable on acoustics.
6. Check the Nut for Wear or Damage
The nut is the small piece of bone, plastic, or synthetic material where the strings cross from the headstock to the fretboard. Check:
- String slots aren’t so deep that strings sit flush with or below the top of the nut (this causes buzz at the first fret)
- The nut isn’t cracked or chipped
- Strings track smoothly in the slots without catching
A replacement nut is inexpensive ($20–$50 installed) but is a negotiating point.
7. Inspect the Body for Cracks and Damage
Look carefully at the entire body — top, back, sides, and inside the soundhole if it’s an acoustic. You’re looking for:
- Cracks in the top or back (particularly near the bridge on acoustics)
- A lifted or warped bridge on acoustics (a gap between the bridge and top is serious)
- Buckle rash or finish damage (cosmetic — reduce your offer accordingly)
- Evidence of repairs — re-glued braces, filled cracks, color-matched touch-up paint
On electric guitars, check around the pickup routes and control cavities for damage from previous modifications.
8. Test All Electronics (Electric and Acoustic-Electric)
For electric guitars and acoustic-electrics:
- Plug in and test every pickup position
- Turn the volume and tone controls through their full range — crackling or dead spots indicate dirty or worn pots (a $5 fix with contact cleaner, or $30–$60 to replace)
- Wiggle the output jack — if it crackles or cuts out, the jack needs tightening or replacement (minor fix)
- On acoustic-electrics, test the built-in tuner and EQ controls
Dead pickups, failed preamps, or broken switches are repair costs that should reduce the asking price accordingly.
9. Check Tuning Stability
Tune the guitar, play for five minutes, then check tuning again. A guitar that won’t stay in tune has tuning machine problems (loose bushings, worn gears) or nut slot issues. Both are fixable but are legitimate negotiating points. Tuning machines can be replaced for $30–$80.
Negotiating Based on What You Find
Every issue you find is a legitimate reason to negotiate the price. A good framework:
- Minor cosmetic issues (dings, buckle rash): $20–$50 off
- Setup needed (high action, no recent setup): $40–$75 off (the cost of a professional setup)
- Worn frets needing leveling: $100–$150 off
- Cracked nut or worn tuners: $50–$80 off
- Undisclosed structural damage: walk away
Where to Buy Used Guitars Safely
Guitar Center Used — inspected before listing, 30-day return window, playable in store. The safest used guitar marketplace.
Sweetwater — their used inventory is certified and inspected. Reliable.
Reverb.com — the largest guitar marketplace. Buyer protection exists but varies by seller. Read feedback carefully, ask for additional photos, and use the platform’s buyer protection.
Facebook Marketplace / Craigslist — local sales mean you can inspect before buying. Cash transactions, no buyer protection, seller-dependent. Never wire money or pay before seeing the guitar.
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