How to score good guitar parts cheap

I've said before that buying any guitar "with upgrades" isn't necessarily the way to go. However, there is one instance where it is an advantage...

...and that's when buying a guitar for parts rather than for the guitar itself.

When I searched for a parts guitar before writing this, I found one selling for $279 with free shipping. Cheap. But this is what it has in it:

Now when you put all those parts and accessories together were you to buy them separate, the value of all that is...

Get ready for this...

...about $415.

That's just the parts and case if all bought new, without the guitar.

Yes, it's true that desoldering the pickups and deconstructing the guitar is necessary just to get all the parts out of it. But the point is that all that stuff is acquired for about $135 less than if bought new outright.

Why is the guitar selling low when the total value of the parts should make it higher?

Two reasons.

First, any guitar "upgraded" with parts that it didn't have when sold new means it's non-original. And non-original means devalued.

Second, the fact the parts are in use means every single thing in the guitar is technically used, even if it was installed yesterday. That's another devaluation.

Seeking out specific parts? You may get lucky with "upgraded" guitars

Try a search for "guitar with upgrades" and see what you find. You might be able to score some real good parts and/or accessories far cheaper than if you bought new.

Published 2017 Dec 22