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Hi all, just seeking some advice from more experienced members of the forum.
I purchased an Ibanez AF-105F off Reverb for $550. The seller listed it as 'Used - Excellent' and there wasn't much written in the description.
The guitar arrived unplayable. Cosmetically it's good, but I think it still has the original strings from the factory in 2006. There are dead spots all over the neck, the frets have some grime on them and need polishing, the string spacing is off (I guess the bridge shifted) so now the high E is way misaligned. The input jack connection is corroded and sometimes drops out.
Anyway, all this is to say it needs a good $100-150 in a setup and new strings.
My question is -- should this be expected for every second-hand guitar purchase from an online seller? Is it the buyer's responsibility to ask questions about all of these things before purchasing? I understand every instrument needing setup tweaks for the buyers preference - but what if it arrives unplayable?
This is not meant to be inflammatory, just trying to turn this into a learning experience.
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01-04-2026 12:39 PM
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I’d say that (unfortunately) many sellers do overstate the condition their guitars are in and don’t disclose some issues. So you do have to be somewhat skeptical.
But this pertains to relatively minor stuff (such as it having old strings or being a bit more dinged up than was evident in the pictures). Calling a guitar that can’t be played “excellent” is out and out lying and is very unethical.
If you bought it from one of the platforms that has policies that protect buyers when sellers don’t describe instruments honestly (e.g., Reverb), you have recourse. With 1-1 sales it’s more difficult, but I would push to have the seller accept a return (and pay for the shipping). A compromise could be a partial refund to cover repair costs, but I’d be wary about doing that unless I were certain the guitar is fixable without major effort.Last edited by John A.; 01-04-2026 at 05:16 PM.
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Well cosmetic condition says it all in some sense, but I am not sure what you mean by dead spots on the neck or frets? Is the string fretting out and will not play or buzzes? This happens because of a high or low fret and in general a fretboard that needs attention. Can you measure the neck relief that would be needed. The amount of relief if you fret the 1st fret and the 14th or 15th. The neck should be close to straight but no completely. Look at the daylight in the middle frets of 7-8 to check.
That fact that the strings are worn is basically a non issue. While it would be nice to have good strings most players use different ones that the guitar they buy used have already on them. Will also note the many dealers possibly the majority of them just have old used strings on the guitar they don't care. The dealer should point out any issues but really it is completely up to the buyer to ask questions. I ask many to say the least.
It sounds like to me the guitar did not come ready to play at least to your specs. That actually is typical I have to generally adjust every guitar I buy to my playing and needs. It sounds to me like you may not be able to set up your guitar at least very well yourself. Since this is an archtop with floating bridge then yes after shipping you generally have some work to do. On the whole is seems quite workable and easy thing to get fixed.
Unplayable, not guitar should not be unplayable but should be able to be set up by a reasonably competent player. Without seeing in person I can only guess. Tell me more.
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Since you bought it on Reverb,i would return it and get a refund as the seller totally misrepresented the condition.Did this seller have a lot of positive reviews? I have bought used off Reverb for a long while and have had zero problems mainly because i only buy from sellers with a positive history of multiple sales. Sorry that this happened to you.
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Thank you all for the kind replies. Yes the seller has 5 stars with 225 feedback.
In some spots the string is fretting out and in others it buzzes. The neck is not straight all the way through, there is a dip between the 12th and 15th frets which is where its fretting out.Well cosmetic condition says it all in some sense, but I am not sure what you mean by dead spots on the neck or frets? Is the string fretting out and will not play or buzzes? This happens because of a high or low fret and in general a fretboard that needs attention. Can you measure the neck relief that would be needed. The amount of relief if you fret the 1st fret and the 14th or 15th. The neck should be close to straight but no completely. Look at the daylight in the middle frets of 7-8 to check.
I understand the importance of learning to do these things yourself. I have taken up DIY in my other hobbies but not yet guitar.
Does anyone know of any techs in the Sarasota or Tampa Bay area?
Thank you. I believe all of these issues can be remedied, my main concern is that I just paid too much for this particular instrument given that. So I may ask for $100 or so back. I do like the guitar!Since you bought it on Reverb,i would return it and get a refund as the seller totally misrepresented the condition.Did this seller have a lot of positive reviews? I have bought used off Reverb for a long while and have had zero problems mainly because i only buy from sellers with a positive history of multiple sales. Sorry that this happened to you.
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Give what you just said I would send the guitar back right away no question.
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Can you expand on the why for educational purposes (and so I can tell the seller in a non-confrontational way)...
Originally Posted by deacon Mark
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I'd simply say that a guitar in excellent condition should be playable as received with no work needed beyond normal adjustment to your preferences, e.g. relief and action. This one clearly needs a lot of work to be put into excellent condition, and that's not how the guitar was presented or priced. Originally Posted by trailmixer
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Reverb has an article on their site that has definitions of each of the categories of condition:
Just a moment...
To the extent there are severe playability issues, it does not sound like your guitar was even close to their definition of Excellent. Perhaps these definitions will help you if you decide to return it based on misclassification.
Good luck, I hope it all works out!
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Just tell the seller details you said. You put a straightedge on the fingerboard ( string served this purpose by being straight from fret 1 to 15) and then explain the dip between 12th and 15 fret. That should not happen at all if anything it could actually fall off a little and give more clearance but you describe a dip that is unplayable. It has a hump at the end of fingerboard so it frets out based on you description. Tell them about the jack and you are not buying the guitar. Then of course they get it back no matter what and Reverb backs you or hopefully your credit card too if you used that.
Not much to explain to the seller make sure you are confident in the approach and there is no wiggle room. There are thousands of guitars available at the price that have no issues and play fine right out of the box.
I am going to give on example of what I mean by set up. If I buy an archtop guitar say an acoustic Gibson L5 and they ship me the guitar. The seller should take the bridge and saddle off and put it in the pocket to keep guitar from getting punch in by it on some huge drop to the top. In this case the player is going to have to set the bridge and saddle up when they get the guitar. Most guitars you can see where the bridge and saddle set just due to wear or marks on finish. Not always and it may need to be moved a bit depending. A good seller would actually mark the top with some blue tack tape where the bridge and saddle set but not some don't. They should also mark the bass and treble sides of the saddle and bridge but normally it is pretty obvious. How the action is set is up to the player normally would be just what it came off with. In the end if a player is not able to do this kind of adjustment, I would not recommend buying a guitar like that through the mail.
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Buying guitars from distant sellers on the Internet carries risk. Reverb and EBay offer to mitigate that risk with their refund policies, but my experience is that they will sometimes not get you a refund that you think you may be entitled to.
IMO, buying a cheap guitar carries even more risk. The odds of it not needing some luthier work to be set up well is high.
I have bought quite a few guitars through the Internet and I have been more pleased than not. I have had a few deals where I was able to compromise with the seller and a few where I simply took the loss (If I feel I have not gotten the benefit of my bargain, I consider that a loss). I have also made some great deals (particularly buying from members of this forum), so I consider myself way ahead overall with my Internet purchases. As I think I am now finished buying guitars, I feel like the guy who left the casino on a good night with some winnings in his pocket.
My advice to the OP is to see if you can compromise with the seller. If not see if Reverb will let you cancel the deal. Good luck.
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Okay, I'll contact the seller about a return. I really appreciate everyone's input!
For posterity, I really like the AF-105F itself. It's very well made and feels less 'cheap' than my old Epiphone Joe Pass. I read a lot of comments dissing the stock pickup but I thought it was totally passable. I just wanted a cheap 'back-up' hollow-body. Going to try to find another one without the issues...
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Can you post pics of the neck from the side to show the humps/dips /relief etc..? Originally Posted by trailmixer
Okay, I'll contact the seller about a return. I really appreciate everyone's input!
For posterity, I really like the AF-105F itself. It's very well made and feels less 'cheap' than my old Epiphone Joe Pass. I read a lot of comments dissing the stock pickup but I thought it was totally passable. I just wanted a cheap 'back-up' hollow-body. Going to try to find another one without the issues...
S
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Yeah, see below. The dip is actually around the 10th fret, which explains why above 12 is fretting out. Originally Posted by SOLR
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Thx Originally Posted by trailmixer
Yeah, see below. The dip is actually around the 10th fret, which explains why above 12 is fretting out.
From where i'm sitting, considering the price of this guitar, I'd say minor issues, the pros will offer more expert opinions. Have you tightened the trust rod? there's a lot of relief at the 9-10th frets...bridge is likely misaligned as you noted along with 20yr old strings de-ox-it for the jack etc... Can you really find another around that price even including the professional labour? You have 7 reverb days to send in a claim for refund , I'f you have time go to a luthier and have them estimate the work costs maybe, decide after.??
S
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Thanks, I'm inclined to agree with you, the issue is I don't know any luthiers in my area. I'm in Sarasota for the season. Normally in Chicagoland where there's lots of options. Would appreciate if anyone in FL can refer someone. Originally Posted by SOLR
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I believe that if one notifies Reverb of the issues, tell them you're contemplating a return, but will need more time to get a professional opinion from a luthier, they'll give you an extension, i.e., the "7 day" return period is not rigid. Originally Posted by SOLR
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Personally, I expect to spend whatever my local tech charges for a "setup" every time I buy an instrument, whether it's used or new. (There was a time I would have expected a new instrument to get a setup by the shop staff before it left the premises, but I've stopped expecting that, and only been pleasantly surprised once in the last ~30 years.) I mentally add $75 plus the price of a new set of strings to any instrument I purchase, and then don't even evaluate how it plays until after it's had that setup work. Originally Posted by trailmixer
And yes, if the Classified ad is short on information, it is the buyer's responsibility to ask questions pre-sale.
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Appears to be in the price range for this guitar, I would say the seller misrepresented it's condition, what you've described is certainly not "excellent" -- Ibanez AF105F Artcore Custom - Estimated Value on Reverb
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Could you not use this guitar as your first attempt at doing your own set up?
I'm no luthier but not so long back I bought an old Hofner which couldn't have been played for many years. With a new set of strings it was evident that the neck was all over the place. Luckily it is a later Hofner with a truss rod which worked. I had to physically bend the neck back to be able to carefully tighten the rod without a catastrophe! Still the frets were choking even with a straight neck but my first attempt at fret dressing was really sucessful and now it plays well. I realised that only minute adjustments to the fret heights turned it from unplayable to playable very easily and quickly.
My gut feel is that, just looking at the photo, you have a nice guitar there, and it will work out great.
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I'd take SS' advice and see what it takes to get it up and running, maybe the seller can bend a little on the price.
Granted it wasn't exactly as described but everyone is so return minded these days, it might just need a truss rod adjustment.
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Definitely decide whether you're going to return it or work out a deal BEFORE trying to fix any issues. I believe that messing with the guitar you received (even if it has problems and even if you get a professional to do it) can void Reverb's buyer protection. Even just changing the strings.
Last edited by luk_luk_guy; 01-04-2026 at 10:36 PM.
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There’s risk inherent in every online purchase. It’s odd that over a 7 year period I purchased over 100, many high dollar, arch top without a single issue. Count my blessings I guess.
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As a veteran of many online guitar purchases, I will offer my experience:
The great majority of used guitars will need setup work and new strings.
A guitar described as "excellent" should not require fret leveling. Reverb's criteria for grading guitars is clear. But don't necessarily view this as dishonest. Many sellers just don't know that their guitar has problems.
Having a guitar returned is a big pain for a seller. If you like the guitar and can get an estimate for repairs, the seller may agree to a partial refund.
Good luck!
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In any purchase, new or used, caveat emptor has been the rule for a couple thousand years or more. That said, nothing sounds terribly surprising here for a used guitar bought via the Internet. The description you give is of a guitar that's been sitting in the corner for 5 years or something, unplayed and untended, before being sold. Things have a bit of oxidation. Originally Posted by trailmixer
Putting on new strings is to be expected when buying a guitar, as far as I am concerned- even new from a music store. This will probably fix the dead spots and maybe even the fretting out. As far as that goes, it's impossible to reliably eyeball this from a photo but it look like the neck relief is way too much, which can result in buzzing around the 12th-14th fret. Polishing the frets- well, when you take the strings off to replace them, that's easy with some 0000 steel wool; put masking tape over the pickups and vacuum off the guitar to make sure you get any little bits of steel wire off the guitar before taking the tape off. A drop (one drop for the whole fingerboard) of mineral oil or linseed oil rubbed into the fingerboard is a good idea too. The bridge shifting to the side could easily happen in shipping and is readily fixed (slide the bridge back where it belongs). Setting the action and relief to taste would be expected, as you note. While the strings are off I would clean and polish up the body. The jack is a bigger concern, potentially, but a squirt of DeOxit contact cleaner might readily fix it; a squirt in the pots and switch would be good, too. To me this is all part of the turf; if I was buying used from a music store I'd expect those things to be taken care of, but not necessarily when buying from a private party (who might not know anything about guitars- this could be something that belonged to a deceased family member or something).
"Unplayable" is "the strings are 1/2" off the fingerboard and can't be lowered any further." "The neck is separated from the body." "The neck is backbowed and the truss rod is frozen." "The pickups don't work at all." Things like that.
Good luck with the new guitar! Those Ibanezes are often excellent instruments and good bang for the buck. Once you've got it cleaned up and restrung, you'll probably like it a lot more. Granted, I actually enjoy doing all that stuff. For something like this, an opinion from a good tech might be worth the time and money- and a better informed opinion than people like me looking at little photos on my laptop.
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