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Topic: Initial Guitar Inspection |
Jeff Strouse
From:
Jacksonville, Florida, USA
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Posted 28 Feb 2004 11:25 am |
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Occasionaly, I run across a steel in a pawn shop or something, and I was curious as to what one should look for when inspecting a guitar.
For instance, is it possible for the naked eye to tell if a guitar neck is warped? How 'bout a double or triple neck? I assume if it were a major warp, the eye would probably see it. But are there any simple tests or things I can do to check when giving a used guitar an inspection?
If it has strings, I always ask to plug it up and take a listen, which is probably one the best tests one can do. But, I've seen some dusty, old, beat up looking steels without strings, that I didn't even want to hold, much less own!
Does anyone have a "standand 14 point inspection" they do when looking at a steel?
...woops...that reminds me that I'm waay overdue for an oil change... 
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Michael Johnstone
From:
Sylmar,Ca. USA
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Posted 28 Feb 2004 3:24 pm
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| You can sight down the edge of the fingerboard to check for a warped neck although it's not common on steels and a lot less important than the neck on a standard 6-string guitar in which case it means everything. Beyond the overall cosmetic condition,what I'd look for is to see if the electronics work - mainly the pickup.If the pots/switches are scratchy they are easily replaced but that fact could be used to dicker on the price.If the strings are missing you can tap on the pickup with a coin and get a pretty good idea at least that it's working. But pickups can be rewound so if it's a prewar bakelite Rick 8-string with a busted pickup and you are a good debater w/cash in his hand,you might turn an $850 guitar into a $300 guitar in the mind of the pawnbroker.There are a couple guys right here on the forum who can rebuild old pickups to original spec or better for not a lot of money.Make sure the tuners work or are of a common style still available today.Sometimes on old steels the plastic tuner buttons are disintigrating or gone completely.These can be fixed by a competent luthier but it's a hassle.The one thing it's real tough to get past is missing parts.You just can't hardly get parts for a guitar that hasn't been made for 50 years unless you can get them off of another guitar - it's possible but difficult and you can't count on ever finding such parts.If the case is missing,that's another bargaining chip and other cases can be found or built.Also it depends on if you are looking for an investment or something to keep and play.A top notch investment piece will be in great shape,have all the parts,the original case and everything will work. I recently found a triple neck 8-10-8 Rick console in a pawn shop but the finish was shot,it was missing the tuning pan covers,the end plates,the legs,the case and one of the fretboards was laying on the floor beside the guitar.I couldn't get the guy down past $360 and to me it just wasn't worth that - plus what it would take to get it going again versus just keep looking for something nicer - which is what I did. -MJ- [This message was edited by Michael Johnstone on 28 February 2004 at 03:28 PM.] |
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Nicholas Dedring
From:
Beacon, New York, USA
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Posted 8 Mar 2004 8:02 am
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If you are talking about collecting something, then I would be checking for solid, original parts. Old stringmaster tuning pans, for instance, are nearly impossible to get. Decent finish, working tuning machines, and so forth. Original pickups would seem to be a plus. If you plug it in and it isn't satisfying, you actually can fix most of the problems. An old instrument that has an electronics problem can be fixed. If it is missing key parts that have been replaced with non-stock, you can't fix that, and you can't buy the original parts anymore either...
I don't really think a lap steel can warp the neck, really... though it is something you could confirm by checking the intonation at the twelfth fret... |
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