2 Important Steps To Take Before Buying A Guitar From A Pawn Shop
Posted on: 12 November 2014
Pawn shops are great places to shop if you like finding good deals, but are pawn shops the right places to go if you want to buy a guitar? The answer is yes–if you know a lot about guitars, or if you simply want a beginner guitar to try out. If you decide to shop for a guitar at a pawn shop, here are two things you should do before you pull your cash out to pay for it.
Inspect It Thoroughly
If you currently play guitar, you may have a good idea of what to inspect. For a new guitar player, this can be slightly harder. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced player, you should inspect the following things on any guitar you are thinking about purchasing:
- Knobs and buttons – make sure it has all the knobs it should have and turn each to make sure they work.
- Battery compartment – you can check whether the battery in the guitar works by pressing the battery button (which most guitars have). Some guitars do not have batteries though.
- Neck – the most vital thing to inspect on a guitar is the neck. Before you buy a guitar, make sure the neck is straight and not bowed at all. A bowed neck on a guitar often creates buzzing sounds on the frets, and it is something that can be nearly impossible to fix.
- Body – examine the guitar to make sure there are no cracks or major problems with the body of it.
- Input – if the guitar is electric, bring a cable with you and plug it in to an amp. This will help you determine if it works or not, and it will help you hear the way the guitar sounds when it is amplified.
Once you have thoroughly looked over every part of the guitar, it's time for you to play it to see how you like it.
Play It
A lot of people will never buy guitars unless they play them, and playing a guitar first is a good idea. Not only will this help you hear the way the guitar sounds, but it will also help you determine if the guitar feels comfortable to you. You may want to plug it into an amp as you play it, and you may also want to bring in your own amp to see how it sounds through that.
When you buy a guitar from a pawn shop, you can end up with a great instrument if you know what to look for. You may want to visit a pawn shop you're familiar with, or you could visit several different shops to see what types of guitars they have.
If you're looking for a reputable pawn shop in your area, visit Naperville Jewelry & Coin Exchange.
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