Advice for buying guitars?

steeler4life

mccreadyisgod said:

I like the looks of this one:

http://lancaster.craigslist.org/msg/4656041252.html

I'm assuming you're in Lancaster? Anyways, the price is right on this one. A few upgrades, a nice hardshell case. They blocked the trem, but that's easy to revert if you want it unblocked. It's a solid color with flake, so it's a bit sparkly but not nearly as flashy as the splatter Strat. That said, it looks like it has 100% of the play and sound of the other one at 45% the price.

Thanks for the tip. What do you think about this one?
http://lancaster.craigslist.org/msg/4656872771.html

Same price, just different color. Is there any real difference between them?

mccreadyisgod

Biggest difference between them is the maple neck on the white one, versus the rosewood fretboard on the red one. The red one comes with a hardshell case, the white one comes with a gig bag. The red one was made in 96, the white one was made in 08 (in this case, I think older is a bit better, since I feel like the Mexican factory heyday was 1988-2000). I don't know what pickups were installed in the red one (he just says Fender custom shop), but he does say he installed the Fender FBX tone pot, which is a cool upgrade.

Then again, this is where the previous advice really comes into play: Try before you buy. Different guitars made to the exact same specs by the exact same factory can end up VERY different in quality, tone, and playability. This can be true of guitars back-to-back off the factory line, let alone 12 years apart. And you won't know which is which from photos on a Craigslist page. Ask the seller to let you try it out, and play it a bit. Remember what I said earlier: play it in a quiet space, unplugged, at least at first. See if it resonates with you and your playing style. See if the action is at least playable.

One of these guitars sounds far better on paper, but you may fall in love with the other one. The maple fretboard may be something you want. The white finish might be more your style. If it plays good, go for it. If not, try the red one. If neither of them call out to you, keep looking. One eventually will, and it will be worth the wait and the diligence.

steeler4life

Thanks for the insight. I'll try to try them out.

steeler4life

What about this one http://lancaster.craigslist.org/msg/4657821495.html

xtremehardy388

Again, it's all about trying the guitar and getting the feel and making a connection with the instrument. Much like test driving a car, everything will be based on your preferences. Test as many as you can

Dog Loyal

I agree that you shouldn't buy anything without playing it first. For added peace of mind, bring along a guitar expert for guidance/affirmation (not the salesperson). Used guitars can be great. I just got a good deal on a '78 Electra MPC X330 and am head over heels for it. This is a little-known Les Paul knock-off with onboard effects. It's 37 years old and plays like dream; even the funky old effects modules still work.

I'd never heard of Electra and would not have even known to look for one. I'd been looking for an affordable but nice Les Paul for a while and saw this one hanging on the wall in the local record store. I gave it a try, liked the way it played, had my guitar teacher check it out (he's way more expert on these things than I am) and did some research on this model, its history and current value. It also helped that I know/trust the shop owner and it was one of his personal guitars.