Guitars and basses: look for repairs and structural issues

Inspect the areas most likely to receive impact or stress: headstock, neck joint, bridge, body edges and mounting points.

Look for:

• cracks or unusual finish lines;
• traces of glue;
• added holes;
• modified routing;
• disclosed repairs;
• parts that appear misaligned.

Not every repair makes an instrument unreliable. A professional repair can be perfectly stable, but it should be known, described and reflected in the overall valuation.

If you cannot distinguish a simple finish crack from a structural issue, ask a qualified technician before buying.