Tally it up: bought new or used?

photek

Currently all of mine were purchased second hand. Totals that I have a record for run at 75 Used, 9 New. Didn't realise I had purchased that few new guitars!

Teetonetal

I only have two 2nd hand guitars, I nearly always buy new, but always in the sale.

thermionic

All but one of my electrics are used. All were bought in superb condition and at a good price (3 from here!), apart from one which was not so vgc as the others.

My two acoustics were bought new, but one was 15 years ago, and the other a rather nice Chinese-made guitar that only cost £200.

LuttiS

I immediately said USED!

Then i counted.

And it's new. 

They're all new..

Any i did get used have either gone or are in pieces under the kitchen counter waiting for me to do things to them..

not_the_dj

Of the guitars I still have:

Used:
PRS CU22
Gibson Les Paul Smartwood
Gibson The Paul

New:
Fender American Pro Strat
Fender MIM Strat
Fender MIM Tele
Ibanez BFP JEM (reissue)
Gibson ES Les Paul
Gibson Les Paul Trad Pro 2
Gibson Les Paul Jnr


....so mostly new for me.

New ones tend to be bought on finance, which makes it pretty easy to fund whereas a lump sum for a 2nd hand deal can be more difficult (of course I could save up but  it's usually I WANT IT AND I WANT IT NOW!)

Phil_aka_Pip

new: 2 Yams, 3 acoustics, 1 cheap chinese plank, 1 bass, 1 keyboard, 4 combos, 1 cab
s/h: 3 Gibbos, 1 Squier Strat (shop soiled IIRC), 1 bass, 2 acoustics, upright & Rhodes pianos, 2 Hammond organs, 1 keyboard, 2 combos, 4 heads, 4 cabs

TTony

Of the current stock

Bought new;  8
Bought s/h;  18
Built:  15
In build:  2

In my defence, I am trying to sell one of them.


Most of the Kawais were bought  s/h, for the obvious reason that they've not been sold for about 30 years.

Hadn't realised that I had that many self-builds, although quite a few of those are Bailey course builds or built around GSPBasses parts.

The bought-news include stuff that I've had for many years (ie 30+).  Not bought much new in the last 10 years.

fretfinder

New
Fender acoustic my wife bought me when we got married 32 years ago.
A NOS 70s Tele I bought from Flying Pig in Hanwell in about 1986.

Used
Approximately 80 guitars, mainly electric, that I’ve bought over the last 30+ years. The vast majority of them have been sold over the years. (Otherwise the marriage would definitely not have lasted this long!)

designerseye88

If you're happy not having that new feeling then go second hand, Let someone else take the 30% drop in value once it leaves the store. I got my first guitar years ago new but that's it. I only ever buy second hand now. Even if i want a particular spec id rather hold out for the closest thing to come along. I kind of prefer second hand too because you don't feel as precious about it. Nothing worse that having a nice shiny guitar and then realising you've put your first scratch in it. 

amarok1971

designerseye88 said:

If you're happy not having that new feeling then go second hand, Let someone else take the 30% drop in value once it leaves the store. I got my first guitar years ago new but that's it. I only ever buy second hand now. Even if i want a particular spec id rather hold out for the closest thing to come along. I kind of prefer second hand too because you don't feel as precious about it. Nothing worse that having a nice shiny guitar and then realising you've put your first scratch in it. 

My philisophy too, let someone else take a bath. My only new guitar was a bright red/pink charvette in 1989 and that lasted me until about 2 years ago.

Jack_

I bought my first Squier Strat from Argos for £100, and then my second guitar (which I consider my first good one) was an Ibanez S470, which I still have, cost me about £300.

Never bought new since, probably bought (I don't still have them all) over 100 guitars since then, all used.

Guitars has got to be one the best markets to buy used IMO - because so little can go wrong with them, any electrical issues are a quick fix, so as long as the body/neck isn't damaged it's all good - I can do setups, wiring etc.

I don't think I'll ever buy new again.

I actually quite like guitars that are worn in, I'm not really one for minters - you don't have to worry about adding a ding or two if you never had it mint in the first place.

Roland

New: 3. One on ‘76, one in ‘86, and an acoustic in about ‘96.
Used: 5.
Built: 6. I blame @TTony for all of these.

munckee

I'm stunned by the tolerance of wives and size of available space you all have.  I have 3 acoustics, one new, 2 second hand, 3 electrics one was new (but it was a harley benton for a project) and 2 second hand.  Only other guitar I bought new was an Epiphone Les Paul Special II I bought when I was starting out on electrics.   

The other guitars which have been and gone were all second hand and have been sold on.Apart from 2 acoustics I broke, one by falling on when trying to remove jeans when drunk.  If a guitar has got to go that's how I think it would want to go.

JerkMoans

munckee said:

...Apart from 2 acoustics I broke, one by falling on when trying to remove jeans when drunk.  If a guitar has got to go that's how I think it would want to go.

I so love a good bit of slapstick.  Did you then step on a rake, before putting your other foot into a bucket of paint?

munckee

JerkMoans said:

munckee said:

...Apart from 2 acoustics I broke, one by falling on when trying to remove jeans when drunk.  If a guitar has got to go that's how I think it would want to go.

I so love a good bit of slapstick.  Did you then step on a rake, before putting your other foot into a bucket of paint?

If only it was that good.  I fell asleep and when I woke up in the morning had completely forgotten about what happened until I saw the carcass of my beloved encore in bits.  My dad screwed it all together again but it was like something from pet cemetary, better to let them go!

Danny1969

I haven't got anything I brought new, everything is either secondhand or was built from secondhand parts. That includes computers, audio interfaces, mixing desks as well as guitars and amps. 
As a working musician  \ electronics repairer I'm notoriously tight when it comes to buying gear .... generally preferring to buy faulty equipment because I can get it cheaper

bloodandtears

Guitars..
8 used (5 charvel model series, 2 Esp LTD, 1 steinberger)
1 new (1994 Ibanez JEM 555)

steer

New - One acoustic

Used - every other guitar I have ever owned - 6 I think. 

Xsmnmy

i have only ever bought one gtr new, have bought a few pedals new, but everything else used all the way