If you’re a musician, you certainly heard of C.F. Martin & Company. This is one of the top American guitar manufacturers. The products that come out of this company enchant you with unique sound and a magical look. So, you may dream of such a guitar, but don’t have the budget for it. In this case, why shouldn’t you look for used Martin guitars?
In this article, we’ll teach you how to find your next purchase among the coolest guitars, and where to look for them. Also, you can read on how to verify if your next guitar is as flawless as it looks. Let’s proceed!
Why You Should Consider Used Martin Guitars
Martin’s are some of the coolest guitars. The manufacturer’s specialty is made of vintage-looking guitars, and acoustic models that take your breath away. Yet, one of the main reasons why you should buy used Martin guitars is just their value. One product from this leading manufacturer may even have a six-figures price. Meanwhile, used Martin guitars are available for around $4,000.
If you’re into the modern and awesome electric guitars, you might even have a chance to find one for around $170.
Also, the descriptions are, in most cases, complete. These usually include the serial numbers of the used Martin guitars, year they were made, possible maintenance works, pictures, seller ratings, and contact numbers if you want even more details.
Where to Buy Used Martin Guitars
- Specialized large stores like Guitar Center or Reverb: These are some of the most trustworthy sources among users. They usually receive positive feedbacks due to customer service. Also, the filters are pretty helpful, especially if you want to find a cool electric guitar or a vintage acoustic.
- The big online world: There are also sellers like Ebay which feature used Martin guitars. Yet, since these are mostly general stores, you should use them only if you know the seller and get additional information. The advantage here is that large platforms also have pretty good return policies – check them out before you purchase.
- Small shops: If you saw one or even a few used Martin guitars that might interest you, pay attention to all details, when it comes to small online shops. This is not a recommended method, due to the fragility of these products. Yet, some stores may even deliver them faster or have some rare guitars in stock that you can’t find somewhere else.
- Online Independent Sellers. You must be careful with online sales. Safety is definitely a big part of this as well as making sure the guitar is actually in good condition. Many times, people will say one thing online, but it will end up not being truthful. To avoid this, you have to make sure you are inspecting the instrument before purchasing it. There are safety things to think about when you are making any purchases from a random stranger on the internet. Some of the things are meeting in a public place or at the police station. We personally suggest meeting inside a music store. This is a great place to inspect the guitar and make sure it lives up to everything the owner promised online. Online independent shopping will sometimes get you a win for the price because these people want to get rid of a sometimes valuable instrument.
What to Check at Used Martin Guitars Before You Purchase
- First, make sure that the size, scale and sound fit your budget and music. Before you make the purchase, look close at the above information. This way, when the guitar is in your home, you know it makes the sound you look for.
- Check the neck. The necks of used Martin guitars have dovetail joints. Yet, even if the guitar ages well, you might need to reset it. Have a guitar technician investigate this aspect to save you from future work.
- Look at the accessories. The case is not a big deal, when it comes to a valuable vintage guitar. You can purchase one separately for less than $100 dollars. However, pay attention to the humidifier it needs for protection. If the seller didn’t include one, do your research and find an accurate product.
- Get in touch with the seller. Talking to the seller might save you some extra work, when it comes to the details you need. If there’s anything from the description that it’s not clear for you, take that phone and call the seller. This way, you avoid having a guitar that only resembles to the one in your dreams, but doesn’t sound alike.
Thumbs Up from Other Buyers
Reddit user gehenom gave an insight on Guitar Center’s used Martin guitars, praising the return policy.
I’ve done it plenty. You can return it to your local GC, so worst case scenario you just end up paying for shipping. (And I’ve convinced them to refund shipping a couple of times when the product really was crappy.) Since you can save a few hundred bucks on some items, it’s worth doing.
WBedsmith also spoke on reddit about Reverb. He also included buying a product which was different than expected, but not too much.
Pretty good experience so far. […] The only slightly negative experience I had is that I bought a Roland JC77 on there that was in slightly worse condition than I thought it was, but it still sounds and plays pretty good.
Two thumbs up from me.
Reddit user unreliable_force talks about the difference between what you see, hear about and get on eBay.
Actually just bought a guitar off of EBay last week. The seller shipped it using EBay’s global shipping program, which I had heard horror stories about, but the guitar arrived quickly and in perfect condition. The packing was excellent.
Shopping for Music
You may have now decided to purchase one of the vintage and beautiful used Martin guitars. Therefore, your final worries would only be the packaging and shipping time and rates. Once these are solved, it’s literally just a matter of time.
Martin guitars are unique and resistant. If you pay attention to the above details, you will notice they are also accessible. Get your next guitar and share your experience with us!
