Tips for Buying an Acoustic Guitar

Sound Advice for In-Store Shopping

Detail from a 1995 Martin ad.

Note: In 1980, an editor at Rolling Stone asked Tom Wheeler and me to write an article for their July 10th issue. Published as “Won’t Get Fooled Again: Tips for Buying an Acoustic Guitar,” this article was aimed at helping prospective buyers navigate the pre-online world of music stores. Forty-five years later, our advice about assessing new and used acoustic guitars still holds true. While Tom and I worked side-by-side at Guitar Player magazine for more than a decade and remained close friends until he passed away in 2018, this is the only article we wrote together.

It used to be you’d mail fifteen dollars to the catalog company, cross your fingers, and hope that the guitar in the picture would arrive without the smiling guy in the shiny tuxedo. Of course, decades later you can still buy acoustic guitars that way, but odds are your nearest music store has a wall of them for sale. And finding a decent one for a fair price isn’t that hard, as long as you keep a few things in mind.

If you’ve never bought a guitar, first decide what type you want. A fine blues guitar might not make a good bluegrass instrument; a wide-neck, nylon-string classical model will feel and play much differently that a 12-string. Flat-top, round-hole steel-string guitars are the most common acoustics in America, while non-electric arch-tops—once the rhythmic mainstays of big bands—are more rare.

It’s a good idea to figure out your budget before shopping. If you’re a beginner, stay away from extremely expensive instruments until you’ve acquired a stable set of musical and stylistic preferences. It’s also advisable to avoid instruments at the low end of the spectrum: a bargain-basement guitar will frequently have little or no resale value, and often a student will give up because the thing is too difficult to play or doesn’t sound good.

Scores of new, modestly priced instruments have comfortable necks, good action (adjustable string height), and accurate intonation (proper tuning at all frets). Steel-string instruments made with spruce or cedar tops and rosewood, mahogany, or maple backs and sides are among the most popular. Moderately priced classical models with spruce or pine tops and rosewood backs and sides usually fall in the same price range as steel-strings, though low-end classical guitars—popular among young students—sometimes cost less; these have less string tension and thus require less internal bracing.

Because of the number of factors that affect a guitar’s worth, most generalizations about price must be balanced with several qualifications. Higher-priced instruments may involve better grades of wood and more handwork, as well as fine tuners, fancier inlays and body trim, or an ebony fingerboard (though some players prefer the feel of more porous rosewood). Any assessment of a guitar’s inherent worth must also be filtered through commercial considerations, such as collector’s value (if any), current fads, product availability, and local discounting practices.

Once you’re ready to make the round of music stores, take along a friend who understands the instrument. If you’re an accomplished musician, having someone else play while you listen from various angles and distances will help you judge an instrument’s projection qualities.

Don’t be intimidated or pressured by sales hype, and take all of the time you need. Trust your own judgment; your ultimate goal is to have the guitar you want. Find a dealer who’s knowledgeable enough to answer all your questions. If he avoids them and tries to redirect your attention with a quick “Well, I don’t know anything about that, but look at this deluxe deal I’ve got here” routine, find another salesman or go somewhere else.

Inquire about the store’s repair facilities, since your guitar may need servicing later on. It’s also a good idea to buy a recognized name brand. Though some less well-known makes can be suitable, popular guitars are generally easier to service and carry a higher resale value.

Don’t let flashy mother-of-pearl inlays, fancy binding, or other purely cosmetic beauty marks mislead you. Your main concerns should be with the guitar’s sound, craftmanship, and action, all of which can vary from instrument to instrument. If you decide on, say, a Guild D-50, play as many as you can. Strange as it may seem, two guitars crafted from the same bundles of wood by the same pair of hands may look, sound, and play differently. Experienced guitarists will sometimes spend hours exploring tonal subtleties before selecting one instrument over another.

Take each instrument you’re interested in to the quietest spot in the store (some shops will have rooms designed for this). If an instrument you’re seriously considering has worn-out strings, ask the salesman to restring it with the brand and gauge you plan on using; otherwise, it will be difficult to judge its action and sound quality. You should also find out if the instrument has already been “set up” (that is, properly adjusted), because manufacturers may have shipped it with intentionally high action.

Experiment with all your techniques: play lightly and vigorously, trying partial, barre, and open chords. Make sure that the notes in each position are in tune. Flatpick, fingerpick, strum, and sing along with the guitar. Check all the fret positions for buzzes and dead spots, Listen to the bass and treble strings separately and then hear how they blend. Test single notes all over the fingerboard and notice tone changes.

Whether the instrument is new or used, pay special attention to the neck. If it’s warped or unnaturally bent, the guitar will be difficult or impossible to tune. Most acoustics have an internal truss rod with which the neck can be adjusted. If you’re uncertain about a neck’s alignment, have the shop’s repairman check for bowing. A dislocated or broken truss rod can cause the neck to rattle. Run your hand along the fingerboard’s edge to make sure you won’t be cut by a fret. Sharp frets might mean the wood has shrunk and the frets may need redressing.

Check the instrument’s intonation by picking each string in the open position and again while fingering at the twelfth fret. Are the notes a true octave apart? If the guitar plays out of tune in any position, have the dealer make the necessary adjustments before you hand over any cash.

Be sure each tuning key functions properly. If you turn one and nothing happens until it suddenly pings to a different pitch, either the guitar is improperly strung or something is wrong with the machine itself.

Carefully examine the entire body for cracks in the wood and irregularities in the finish. Check everywhere the wood is joined for rough edges, misaligned joints and seams, and gaps where the glue may have loosened. Rap the body gently; the chamber should resonate. Buzzing may indicate a loose internal strut or brace. Look inside the guitar to see if the builder did a good job of gluing. With 12-strings in particular, look for swelling on the guitar’s face near the area where the bridge is attached. This is caused by pressure from the strings and indicates that the instrument may eventually be rendered worthless or in need of a major operation.

If you’re thinking about buying a used guitar, it’s important to take along a knowledgeable person. After discovering a used guitar you think may be worth owning and restoring, ask if a qualified repairman can examine it. And whether the guitar you buy is new or used, be sure you understand all warranty and guarantee documents before cash changes hands. Should a problem occur once you’ve made the purchase (most defects will appear in the first few months), have it serviced right away. A last consideration: protect your instrument by storing it in a sturdy case. Treated right, that guitar could be with you as long as a good friend.

This one’s for Tom.

###

To help me continue producing guitar-intensive interviews, articles, and podcasts, become a paid subscriber ($5 a month, $40 a year) or hit that donate button. Paid subscribers have complete access to all of the 220+ articles and podcasts posted in Talking Guitar. If you’re already a paid subscriber, thank you for your much-appreciated support!

©2025 Jas Obrecht. All right reserved.