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Guitar Buying on a Budget: How to Find Hidden Gems
I dream of someday having the money to walk into a guitar store, point at a guitar high up on the wall (you know the ones), and hand over my debit card without breaking a sweat.
Until that day happens, the price tag matters.
If you’re like me and still not independently wealthy (despite wishing really hard), you’ll be guitar shopping on a budget for the foreseeable future too.
And that means you want your dollar to stretch as far as it can.
The good news is that you can find good deals on quality gear. But how do you do it? What are the tips and tricks? How can you get solid, playable gear while on a tight budget?
Here are five strategies to get you there.
Sleep on it
It’s important to remind ourselves often that guitars are a luxury. We don’t really need them; as strange as it sounds, billions of people have lived fulfilling lives without them (I know — I don’t get it either).
That truth, as uncomfortable as it is, can help us. Even though we might feel an incredible urge to buy a specific guitar after watching a YouTube demo (or 10…okay, 50), we don’t ever need to make a purchase right away.
This can help us avoid overpaying because of our emotions. At the very least, if you plan on buying a guitar, sleep on it. Maybe even put it in the back of your mind for a week or a month.
I’ve found that for most guitars, my interest level waned considerably after sitting on the idea for a few days.
In fact, I’ve probably saved more money not impulse buying guitars than by any of the other strategies below — combined.
Research, research, research
But say you’ve got a guitar living rent free in your head. You’ve slept on it, considered it, and you still really, really want it. (Don’t feel bad; I’ve got two of ’em right now.)
At this point, it’s time to research.
What exactly is it about this guitar that piques your interest? Is it the color? The pickups? The carve of the neck?
