Introduction
For some musicians the thought of buying a guitar online really does sound like a joke and a bad one at that. On the surface it certainly appears that could indeed be the case. Just the thought of having your new baby handled by couriers would strike fear into the hearts of even the hardiest of tour hardened musos, with many of us instinctively opting for Kevlar cases. I am here to tell you that it doesn't have to be like that at all and that there are actually numerous benefits to be gained by going down this route.
Check The Return Policy
This is really the golden rule of buying anything online, as once you have checked this, you can’t really go wrong. Ideally you want a no questions asked returns policy, which doesn’t require payment. Also, remember that until you sign for the receipt of the goods, they are not legally yours, so if your new axe turns up “folded” for postage you can send it back on it’s merry way (without signing anything).
It’s logical Captain
Most people worry about how the instrument will get to them and more importantly how it will be mishandled. But just think about that for a minute, do you really think the Guitar Shops receive them from bubble wrapped couriers with velvet gloves? It is obviously in the interests of the vendors to get the instrument to you in good shape because the cost of fixing that particular problem will likely render the sale void of profit.
Can’t Try Before You Buy
Many would argue that not being able to try the instrument before buying it is the real deal breaker and that could of course be the case. But lets face up to another couple of realities here. First up, most of us have at least decided on a make and model before buying one and while the quality and sound can vary greatly between instruments, it is my experience that a lot of this is due to set up or lack of it. Most shops spend little time on this either, so really, a guitar you find in a shop that has a great action and sounds great out of the box is more by luck than judgement. Obviously, Guitars at the top of the range should have been factory checked but that is not always the case. I picked up a Les Paul Gold Top a while ago that had been reduced by 50% because it played like a dog. I snapped it up took it to my set up genius John and had it sounding sweet in no time. This obviously only works for adjustable guitars, but for any guitarist getting a good set up done by a professional is not only essential, but will really make your playing enjoyment and value of ownership oh so much better, take it from someone who has made the mistake too many times!
The major benefit of buying online is the latitude that a private store probably won’t give you. When I first bought guitars I often bought dogs because I just didn’t know what I was looking for, and having worked out that they were dogs I found it next to impossible to get a refund or a replacement (we’ve all heard the Hendrix used to play with a really high action line, it’s just that when you can park an SUV under the E-string it begins to sound a little unbelievable). Obviously, the sooner you return the guitar if you find a problem the less likely you will have difficulties, don’t gig, sweat and vomit on it and then expect to get a full refund!
Money Matters
You can get really good deals online too that a shop just can’t make. I have bought a couple of Guitars from Amazon for instance and I did so because the price was right because they buy in bulk. The average town has one or no music stores, so the ability to price up an instrument from all the available online stores can make a significant difference in the cost of the instrument as competition is great, but don’t just go for the cheapest ALWAYS make sure the returns policy is iron clad.
I like Mine Cherry
Most guitars you buy from stores will also have been played by thousands of people before you even see it, the guitars that you get online pretty much always turn up boxed and packaged without seeing any sunlight since they left the factory, I like that! I want to wear it in myself with my technique and gently break it in, not having had the greasy fingers of a million other Jimmy Page wannabes on it before hand!
Conclusion
I have bought anything from a Les Paul to a Martin online and while I have had some difficulties, it is certainly not as stressful as having a greasy piercing riddled Goth ask you “how it is” every 2 minutes or the tutting and sighing that goes with asking to demo the most expensive guitar in the shop or competing with 20 other strummers for audio space in a guitar shop. I would certainly recommend trying it, it works for me, provided you factor in a good set up (which you should for any guitar anyway). Once you get over the initial paranoia it is actually probably the most sensible way to buy one anyway.
