Taylor consistency/risks on buying used sight unseen?

[ctkarslake]

I just wanted to say that I've had very good luck purchasing on ebay.  Do you research, know what to look for and what you want in a guitar.  Taylor's build quality is very stable, guitar to guitar, far as I've seen.  I'm always looking for the small variables Taylor changes within a model number-nut widths, revoicing, upgrades in woods etc. As was mentioned above, you really won't lose $ buying used (provided the guitar is priced within reason) and can flip it for another down the road if the guitar isn't what you thought it would be. 

[fmbstrummer]

Without question I think it is best to play before you buy, but you can't always.  I have ordered two Taylors through retail dealers, both models not the most popular, therefore difficult to play before I could buy.  NS34CE, 2010, and GA4E, 2012.  Very Pleased with both.

With the GA4E, I picked up within two hours of the UPS delivery.  Opened the box, great set up and in tune!  The NS34CE had been opened and inspected by the dealer prior to my picking up, but no adjustments were needed. 

Just my experience. 

FMB 

[luckycanine]

Have bought both new and used.  GAS takes over and the herd is modified.  Seems you lose a bunch on the new bought almost without exception.  I usually buy used or trades nowdays.  If you have a tryout agreement of a few days, and you are dealing with a person you know or have researched, at least as to the posts available on the guitar forums, your chances are reasonably good to get a nice used one at a reasonable price. The UMGF has a mandatory try out period I believe.

[egkor]

I have played the same Taylor models side-by-side and noticed differences.  I like a "alive" guitar.  Sometimes I pick one up and when strummed its just "more dead" or "flat". Could be strings, wood set, bracing, ?

All this to say, I would play the guitar first before committing to it.

-Gary K

[Invguy921]

I'm yet to find a Taylor which wasn't pretty much spot on. That said, I've only bought 600 series and up.

[SlowGoing]

I've bought three guitars sight unseen: two new Taylors from a dealer and one other brand, new, that was shipped across the country. All three had problems. Both Taylors had a buzz. Based on that experience, I would never buy a guitar sight unseen unless there was a guarantee that I could turn it down if it didn't meet my expectations. With a private-party sale you then run into issues of packing and shipping and who's going to pay for return  shipping, and how you're going to get a refund. I wouldn't do it.

[stepchildusmc]

I've bought three guitars sight unseen: two new Taylors from a dealer and one other brand, new, that was shipped across the country. All three had problems. Both Taylors had a buzz. Based on that experience, I would never buy a guitar sight unseen unless there was a guarantee that I could turn it down if it didn't meet my expectations. With a private-party sale you then run into issues of packing and shipping and who's going to pay for return  shipping, and how you're going to get a refund. I wouldn't do it.

that stinks. i bought three from across the country also. all of mine came to perfect ! the store i got all 3 from does a very thorough inspection and setup before it's shipped to me. extra packing material and humidpaks and the world is fine ! good thing as i was a bit scared at the 324 i unwrapped this morning. the box looked like it had been used for target practice by the Afghan national police. the box was so well protected that the case didnt have a scratch and of course the guitar never moved in it's case...gotta love those snug taylor cases ! ok, off to tune it up some and spend some love on it !

[techman]

I also think that the Taylors tend to be much more consistant.  I usually play as many as I can locally to hone in on what model  attracts me the most over time.  If I have the money I start watching craigslist until one pops up.  That way I can go play it and know for sure.  I have bought a GS8 off of ebay for a very good price.  I personally think that the GS8 is a really good buy used.....see them going for a good price quite often. Not as popular as 714 or 814 I guess.  Every once in a while I will see a top shelf taylor that seems just dead.....not strings, either.  Just like once in a while you will hit one that just has it all together in a special way.  Another thing to keep in mind is that you can usually get a big discount with used ones that are dinged up.  I would much prefer a great sounding dinged up guitar than a pristine dead one....
Best of luck to you....


Edited--please use PM's to discuss pricing. Thanks!

[michaelw]

I've bought three guitars sight unseen: two new Taylors from a dealer and one other brand, new, that was shipped across the country. All three had problems. Both Taylors had a buzz. Based on that experience, I would never buy a guitar sight unseen unless there was a guarantee that I could turn it down if it didn't meet my expectations. With a private-party sale you then run into issues of packing and shipping and who's going to pay for return  shipping, and how you're going to get a refund. I wouldn't do it.

i'm curious to know which production year & model these guitars were,
where they were shipped from & when & where they were shipped to
if they were NOS models that were a few years old, being shipped in the winter time,
it wouldn't be surprising to me if they needed to be restored to the correct humidity
levels, with the possible need for setup work & perhaps even neck resets on the Taylors -
purchasing a guitar from an out-of-state dealer should come with the understanding that if the guitar
is received & it is out of "factory specs", then a return should be granted or the cost to correct the
concerns covered, unless it's a blow-out, as-is, sale is final on a store demo that's never been sold

ymmv

[SlowGoing]

I think my post may have been misunderstood. I wrote that I bought "two new Taylors from a dealer and one other brand, new, that was shipped across the country." That means two Taylors shipped to my local dealer from Taylor and one guitar of another brand that was shipped across the country by a private party.

Diagnosing and solving a problem like a buzz can be very difficult, and I will never again accept a Taylor with a buzz in hopes that the cause will be found and fixed. I only got rid of the first problem when I sold the guitar, but was pretty astounded when the second guitar had the identical buzz, on the same fret.

In the case of the third guitar (private-party sale), the owner detuned it (error!), packed it, and left it sitting in the box for a couple of weeks in a hot, dry climate before shipping it. By the time it got to me it had a serious bow in the neck and I refused it. We then haggled about who was at fault and who should pay for shipping. I had trouble getting a refund from this seller and he charged me shipping both ways. The lesson here is that you have no control at all over what the other party on the other side of the country does---how they pack the guitar, whether they honor the agreement you made, etc. There are so many chances for something to go wrong here. I would never do this again.

[MexicoMike]

I have purchased a few new guitars directly via the internet…in every case I sold them within months.  So I learned my lesson and I would not recommend purchasing any guitar that you could not play first and, ideally, compare it to others directly.

As far as consistency - When I bought my 414ce, there were three in the store, I bought the one that sounded best and it clearly did.  Even the guitar sales guy there commented on it.  Also, don't be concerned or surprised if you go into a store intending to buy a Taylor ABC and end up with a Taylor XYZ…or even a totally different brand of guitar.  I went in specifically looking for a Taylor because I had heard that they are "brighter" sounding and I wanted a slightly brighter sound for gigging, plus I wanted a cutaway.  I did NOT go in looking for a 414ce ("Ovankol, what the heck its Ovankol?  I don't want some wood I never heard of!") but that's what I ended up with.  Though if I had to do it over, I wouldn't get the "c" because it turns out that I don't use the capability at all and I'd prefer the look of a standard shape.

I have a friend who went into a store a couple of weeks ago to buy a Collings but walked out with a Huss and Dalton.  You just never know how in-store shopping will turn out!  But that's a good part of the fun.

[michaelw]

I think my post may have been misunderstood. I wrote that I bought "two new Taylors from a dealer and one other brand, new, that was shipped across the country." That means two Taylors shipped to my local dealer from Taylor and one guitar of another brand that was shipped across the country by a private party.

Diagnosing and solving a problem like a buzz can be very difficult, and I will never again accept a Taylor with a buzz in hopes that the cause will be found and fixed. I only got rid of the first problem when I sold the guitar, but was pretty astounded when the second guitar had the identical buzz, on the same fret.

In the case of the third guitar (private-party sale), the owner detuned it (error!), packed it, and left it sitting in the box for a couple of weeks in a hot, dry climate before shipping it. By the time it got to me it had a serious bow in the neck and I refused it. We then haggled about who was at fault and who should pay for shipping. I had trouble getting a refund from this seller and he charged me shipping both ways. The lesson here is that you have no control at all over what the other party on the other side of the country does---how they pack the guitar, whether they honor the agreement you made, etc. There are so many chances for something to go wrong here. I would never do this again.

i don't believe i misunderstood the post, other than the Taylors that were shipped to a local dealer, which still
could  have been across the country & they could  have been NOS models from a F&F sale, which still leaves the
questions regarding which year model guitars they were, where they were shipped & during what time of year

more times than not, diagnosing & correcting a buzz in a guitar is not too difficult & it may require
a little time & a logical approach, but depending on who is doing the work & the type of experience
they have in successfully troubleshooting & then performing that type of repair is rather important -
i used to work at a ford place & a "senior" tech's idea of diagnosing a no-start was to immediately drop the fuel tank,
only to find the tank was empty, rather than to verify power, putting a fuel pressure gauge on the schrader valve &
when the gauge didn't register, thinking about possibly putting in a gallon, or 3, of fuel in to see if it changed anything 

the other brand of guitar was used, as it was not purchased from an authorized dealer & due to previous owner's lack
of care of the guitar was the likely the cause of the neck issue, rather than a defect in the manufacture of the guitar -
if the purchase was made using a credit card through PayPal, there may  have been some buyer's protection coverage,
but it was a used guitar from private owner & since it was not a Taylor, it has little, if any bearing, in this discussion, imho

i'm dealing with a slightly different situation, as it's a little more than a buzz, but i have plenty of control
over the situation & if worse comes to worst, the most i'll be out is some of my time, but not any of my $

ymmv

[SlowGoing]

More times than not, diagnosing & correcting a buzz in a guitar is not too difficult [/font][/size][/color]

That wasn't my experience. And sending a guitar across the country to Taylor (after talking with your local dealer and then making the rounds of the luthiers in your region) isn't my idea of fun. This can be avoided simply by only buying a guitar that you've played and inspected carefully, or by buying from a trusted source with clear return conditions that suit you.