I've been looking into buying a new guitar lately, and I've decided I'll buy a Jackson KE3. I've played a used one at the local music shop, and it feels great. However, this used one has got a few chips of paint missing, and about 5cm of one of the corners has been beaten of, but glued into place again. This particular guitar is $600.

A new guitar of the same model would cost $800. They haven't got any new ones in stock, but they can order if I'm going to buy one.

I am also going to make a guitar body in wood shop (or whatever you call that subject in school in which you get to cut stuff out of wood and so...), which will later need a neck and 2 pickups, a bridge and some tuners and stuff.

Now, my question is, what would you recommend me to do, buy the used KE3, thus getting a guitar that looks (and possibly, sounds (haven't had the opportunity (sp?) to compare to a new one)) much worse than a new one, but have more money left for my homemade guitar, or buy a new KE3, and have to wait for a long while before I can buy the stuff for the homemade guitar.

The guy in the shop says I should go for the used guitar, becasue it's a good guitar, and I can buy other stuff for the $200 I save. But I want to hear your opinion.

Thanks for reading all this.

PS. The above prices have been converted to USD from Swedish Kronor using an exchange rate of 10SEK per 1USD, which is probably not correct right now. It's probably more like 8SEK per 1USD, but I couldn't be bothered counting that in my head.

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I would suggest playing a new one (keep looking for one) and compare it. And I would go with the used one. Lots of people have used guitars and I love it. But as for the beatin body, like you said your building a new one so just replace it. Also sometimes older used guitars can get a new/better/diffrent sound.

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I say get a new one, and while your playing the new one, you can be saving up, you'll be so syked about how cool your new one is that you wont care about a homemade one until you have enough money for it.

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Darko:
Isn't $200 a pretty small decrease in price considering the damage done to the guitar? I mean, how much would I be able to sell an unused (only "stored") guitar for after say five years?

Playing a new one isn't really an option, as the shop I'm thinking about buying from is (as far as I know) the only one in a radius of 300km, and it's pretty difficult for me to get my parents to drive me that far.

The body I'm making is a really strange shape, which I'm not sure will feel nice to hold, so I wouldn't get a Kelly-style body. But yeah it's an option...

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Is the local music shop a music shop or a music pond shop, usually if its a pond shop you can usually bargan but actually, I would go with a new one because a new one just feels more...well yeah, you will probabbly feel better.

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Being Swedish causes trouble... What's a pond shop?

After having asked a few people I know, I feel pretty confident that a new guitar will be the better buy. However, another option has popped up. I saw an ad for a WRXT yesterday. It's said to be in perfect condition and would cost me roughly $600, which to me appears to be a really good deal. I don't know yet if the guy has sold it, but if he hasn't, I will definately visit him and play that WRXT, to see if it's as nice as a KE3. And, if it is, I'll probably buy it.

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Buy a new one. I bought KE3 from Germany and it cost about 550€. That is not bad price.

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Too late now Bought a used KE3 for $400. It's said to be in perfect condition though. It hasn't arrived yet, probably will tomorrow.

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