Where Should You Actually Buy a Used Guitar? Reverb vs. a Local Shop vs. Facebook Marketplace

Here is the short version, because you probably came for an answer and not a lecture: the best place to buy a used guitar is wherever you can either play it first or send it back if it lies to you. Everything else — price, selection, bragging rights — is secondary to those two things. I have had hundreds of used guitars across the bench, and the ones that show up with heartbreak attached almost always came from a channel where the buyer had neither.

So let's walk through the real options, honestly, from someone who fixes what these guitars need after the sale.

The one chart that sums it up

Every channel trades one advantage for another. Nobody wins on all five things that matter, so I scored them the way I'd score a guitar coming in the door — bluntly.

Reverb: the specialist marketplace

Reverb is where most serious used-gear shopping happens now, and for good reason: the selection is enormous and the buyers and sellers are almost all musicians. The important thing to understand is the safety net. Reverb Buyer Protection isn't insurance or a warranty — it's a dispute process. If a guitar shows up damaged or not as described, you have to report it (with photos or video) within 7 days of delivery to be eligible for a return, and in that window the seller is generally on the hook for return shipping. Miss that window, or modify the guitar, and you fall back on the individual seller's own return policy, which can be anything from generous to nonexistent.

The catch with Reverb is the same catch with any shipped guitar: you're buying from photos. You can't feel the neck, you can't hear whether the frets buzz at the 12th, and a "plays great" listing is one person's opinion. Read the seller's return policy before you buy, not after. That single habit removes most Reverb regret.

Guitar Center and Sweetwater used: the big-box safety net

Buying used from a large retailer trades a little bit of price and soul for a lot of peace of mind. Guitar Center's used gear currently carries a return window (30 days at the time of writing), which means you can get the guitar home, play it through your own amp, and send it back if it's not what you hoped — just watch for anything tagged "As-Is" or "Clearance," which is usually final sale. Sweetwater's Gear Exchange is a marketplace, so the seller picks the return window (7, 14, 21, or 30 days), and the platform steps in if the item was misrepresented.

The downside is condition roulette. Big-box used listings are often photographed and graded by staff moving huge volume, not by someone who set the guitar up and knows its quirks. The return policy is your friend here — use it, and actually inspect the thing when it arrives.

eBay: everything, buyer beware

eBay has the widest net and the widest range of sellers, from established shops to someone offloading a relative's guitar with no idea what it is. Your protection is the eBay Money Back Guarantee, which covers items that never arrive or that arrive materially not as described. It works, but you have to open a case and document things properly. Prices can be excellent because listings are messy and searchable in ways Reverb isn't. Just assume nothing about setup or truss-rod life until you've verified it, and treat vague listings with suspicion.

Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist: the great local gamble

This is where I have to raise my voice a little. Local classifieds are the only channel that lets you play the exact guitar before you buy it, which is a genuine, real advantage — you can feel the neck, plug in, check tuning stability, and haggle in person. But understand the trade you're making: a local, cash pickup has no platform coverage at all. Facebook's Purchase Protection only applies to shipped items bought through Checkout (and caps out on higher-priced gear); the moment you meet someone in a parking lot with cash, you are entirely on your own.

So if you go local, go prepared. Bring a tuner and a small flashlight, sight down the neck for twists and back-bow, press each string at the first and last fret to gauge relief, check that the truss rod still turns, and look hard at the headstock on any Gibson-style instrument. If the price feels too good and the seller is rushing you, that is the feeling. Walk. For what to actually look at, our used Gibson red-flags guide and how to spot a fake Gibson are worth a read before you drive out.

Forum classifieds: knowledgeable sellers, no net

The Gear Page, MyLesPaul, and similar forums are full of obsessive, honest owners who describe guitars better than anyone — weight, neck spec, every ding. Prices are often fair and the community polices itself. But there's no buyer protection, deals usually run through PayPal, and you're trusting a username. Fine for experienced buyers who know exactly what they want; risky for a first used purchase.

My honest take from the bench

If you're new to buying used, or you're spending real money, buy somewhere you can either play it or return it — a local specialist shop, a big-box used counter, or a marketplace seller with a stated return policy. A good specialist shop is the quiet winner on this chart precisely because it covers the two things that matter most: you can play the guitar, and a real person set it up and will stand behind it. That's not sales talk, it's just the part I see fail most often when guitars arrive here broken-hearted from a parking-lot deal.

If you're experienced and hunting a specific piece, cast the wide net: Reverb and eBay for reach, forums for honest descriptions, Marketplace for the local steal you're qualified to judge. The price you save is real. Just never confuse a cheap price with a safe purchase — they are not the same number.

Whatever route you take, if you want to see what a properly inspected, set-up used guitar looks like before it ever ships, that's the whole idea behind what we keep in stock. And if you're weighing an online purchase specifically, our take on buying a used guitar sight unseen and how to negotiate a fair price pick up right where this leaves off.

FAQ

Is it safe to buy a used guitar on Reverb?

Generally yes, as long as you read the seller's return policy first and inspect the guitar the day it arrives. Reverb Buyer Protection lets you start a return for an item that's damaged or not as described if you report it within 7 days of delivery. After that window, you're relying on the seller's own policy.

Does Facebook Marketplace protect you when buying a guitar?

Only for shipped items paid through Facebook Checkout. A local, in-person, cash purchase has no platform coverage whatsoever, so the protection is your own inspection. That's the price of being able to play it first.

Is it cheaper to buy used from a private seller or a shop?

Private sellers are usually cheaper on the sticker, because you're absorbing the risk and doing the setup yourself. A shop's price includes inspection, a proper setup, and someone to call if something's wrong. Whether that's worth it depends on how confident you are judging a guitar's condition on your own.

What's the safest way to buy a used guitar online?

Buy from a seller with a clear, stated return policy, pay through the platform (never off-platform to "save fees"), and inspect the instrument the moment it lands so you're inside the return window if something's off.

Prices, return windows, and buyer-protection terms change — confirm each platform's current policy before you pay.