What does "new" mean to you in terms of guitars?

[SausageofPower]

So I've had a couple of NGD's recently, a pair of beautiful PRS SE's. Both billed as 'new', one came sealed in the box from the PRS factory and was flawless. The other not so much. It had a decent amount of surface scratches (that I could have removed, probably, with some polish and and elbow grease), some build-up on the fret board that looked like dead skin (or maybe cleaning solution that just built up) and the deal breaker which was a couple of dings (nothing major, but still...add it all up and it doesn't scream "new" to me). Thankfully the shop I dealt with agreed to take it back and ordered me a new one, so while I'm left waiting until it arrives at least they're fixing it for me.

Now, like most guys I've been to Guitar Center and seen "new" guitars that kids scuff up with their belts, bump into walls/amps/etc, and generally just mess up. I'd never buy one of those, a.)because Guitar Center's prices are rape and b.)because that's not "new" in my book. Still, I know I'm a picky bastard.

So, I'm just wondering, what does "new" constitute to you guys?

[Jayster]

Well, for me.... New, means new to me. I'm a huge Ke1 fan, so ....

[dg]

"New" means unplayed to me, with the possible exception of guitars from shops that let serious potential buyers carefully try something. GC floor models aren't new.

[Alvin_Wilson]

I generally don't buy any guitars that are "new" from the guitar shop. I did buy an Agile AL-3000 from Rondo's website about two years ago, though. Like my man Jayster, i consider a "new" guitar one that I have just acquired, whether used or not. I guess that would make 90% of mine "new-old guitars."

[atomic charvel guy]

new to me was something i didn't have before.

[SausageofPower]

I guess what I meant was, if someone advertised something as "new" in terms of a guitar what would you expect to get? I'm just seeing if my expectations are the same as others.

[Jayster]

SOP, that's a tough one. On account of different qualities in finish, shipping, and peoples expectations. I believe what you mean is 'mint', like it's supposed to be off the line.

Generally, I can tell right away if someone knows what they're talking about when 'talking' with them. If you feel uneasy about a seller or they will not provide pics out the yang, upon request.... then I would be hesitant to deal with them.

[Shawn Lutz]

new is new, unplayed and not a floor model

[Carbuff]

New means unplayed out of the box to me. A guitar that someone owned for a while but kept mint is still not new. Like new, mint, is all very nice but if its advertised as new it should be practically untouched. If youre buying from a person and its obviously not new then you should know not to expect new even if the person describes it as so. But if bought from a store as new, I would expect just that, new, unplayed. Its tough though, as many new guitars have been taken for a spin by potential buyers so may have some wear.

[Larz]

Still has that new guitar smell and the bad factory set up.

[markD]

hmmm, good question. i had to put a bit of thought into this one. "new" to me is a guitar that i purchase at a music store that is not advertised/presented as used. it may be a floor model, but it is not scuffed, dinged, chipped or damaged in any way. it must come with all of the documentation, tools, tags, etc.

[SausageofPower]

I guess it's open to interpretation, but I'm glad I'm not the only one who reads "new" and thinks of it as "never touched/played/etc." In this case the guy is remedying the problem by ordering up a new one (it was either that or take a 20% restocking ding on the refund, which is a bit insane to me given the nature of things but as long as I get the guitar I paid for I'm fine), so it should work out. Lesson learned though, I'll always make sure the guitars I buy are "new in box," not just "new."

[DalyTek]

My Mom bought a used car from the dealer that was a floor model.
She was the 1st owner, and it was in flawless condition, but it had 3 miles on it, so technically it was not "new" anymore so she got a killer deal.
I think the same principle should apply to guitars, because they deteriorate in value instantly once they are "used."
(Of course, there are exceptions for rare guitars (and cars) but you get the idea....)

[Newc]

I expect guitars on display in a store advertised as New to have been played by potential buyers as well as tire-kickers, but not so much that they show considerable signs of wear. That's where both parties (dealer and in-store player) have to take some responsibility - the dealer should assure the in-store player removes or covers their belt/chainmail/car keys clipped to their belt/metal shirt buttons/scratchy accessories/etc before playing, and the in-store player should have the common decency to respect the store's property by not walking down the crowded aisle ogling the finish and banging it into stuff.

If it has visible wear from in-store use, it should be listed as shopworn and discounted accordingly if it can't be fixed (polish the surface swirls/slight scratches out, clean the board, change strings as needed, etc). I know that's a burden on the dealer, and you don't get as many sales if you stick "Do Not Touch" tags on everything, but when someone comes in to buy a new guitar, they want a new guitar, not one that's been there so long it's re-classified as Used.

Also, the in-store player has a responsibility to not dog out the guitar they can't afford by playing it every day in the store. Yeah it's nice, yeah you want it, stop pawing it like an iron monkey unless you've got the money because you're fuckin it up.

[Larz]

what if its from the Fender Road Worn series?