Buying a guitar on e-bay
I’m in the market for a new, mid-priced acoustic guitar. (Something around $1,000)
Since I’m not buying before November or December, I have plenty of time to shop around.
A co-worker recently mentioned that she had bought her guitar on e-bay and got a nice instrument for a good price.
My question— and this may be better suited to GQ— is: How do I judge a guitar I can’t see or play?
What is the equivalent to the blue book for guitars, if any?
Are there good websites for finding out how a make and model measure up against other types of guitars in general?
I guess the final question is, given that there are four music stores within walking distance of my house and that many again with biking distance, is e-bay a good option for buying a nice guitar? (I’d almost prefer avoiding the salespeople and the inevitable condescension that go with buying in a brick-and-mortar shop.)
Again, this may be a GQish question, but feel free to opine to your hearts content.