Selling Guitars To Pawn Shops: Learn Which Guitars Pawn Shops Buy

Guitars are one of the most popular and iconic musical instruments in the world. According to the Music Trade Association, guitar sales in the United States reached $1.3 billion in 2020. Guitars are popular items commonly found at pawn shops that carry musical instruments.

Pawn shops accept most types of guitars including electric, acoustic, and semi-acoustic, and most brands such as Fender, Gibson, Epiphone, Ibanez, Yamaha, and Martin. The valuation of your guitar will vary based on specific factors - later in this post, we discuss how pawn shops value guitars and things you can do to improve the valuation.

Guitars can be played in many different ways, such as fingerpicking, strumming, and tapping. Different techniques can be used to create different sounds and effects. Guitars can also be amplified using pickups and amplifiers.

Guitars are typically made of wood, such as maple, mahogany, or rosewood. Guitar strings are usually made of steel or nylon, and the guitar neck is usually made of maple or mahogany. Frets along the neck are metal strips that help create different notes. The headstock is located at the top of the neck and is where the tuning pegs are located.

Types Of Guitars

Electric Guitars

Electric guitars are the most popular type of guitar in the United States, representing 48% of all guitar sales. An electric guitar is a type of guitar that uses electromagnetic pickups to convert the vibration of its strings into electrical signals, which are then amplified. The electric guitar is one of the most popular instruments in modern music and has been used in a variety of genres, from rock and roll to jazz and country.

Electric guitars typically have a solid body, which is usually made of wood, and a neck with a fretboard. The strings are usually made of steel or nylon and are plucked or strummed with the fingers or a pick. The pickups on an electric guitar can be single-coil or humbucking, and the guitar can be plugged into an amplifier to increase the volume and create a variety of sounds.

Semi-Acoustic Guitars

Semi-acoustic guitars are the second most popular guitar in the United States, representing 33% of sales. A semi-acoustic guitar is a type of guitar that combines the characteristics of an acoustic guitar and an electric guitar. It is a hybrid instrument that is designed to produce a sound that is somewhere between the two. The body of a semi-acoustic guitar is usually made of wood, like an acoustic guitar, but it also has a hollow chamber like an electric guitar. This chamber is usually filled with foam or other materials to help reduce feedback.

The pickups of a semi-acoustic guitar are usually a combination of electric and acoustic pickups. This allows the player to achieve a variety of tones, from a warm acoustic sound to a bright electric sound. The pickups are usually mounted on the guitar's body, but some models may also have a neck pickup. The pickups are connected to an amplifier, allowing the player to control the volume and tone of the guitar. Semi-acoustic guitars are often used in jazz, blues, and rock music, as they provide a versatile sound that can be used in a variety of musical styles.

Acoustic Guitars

Acoustic guitars are the third most popular guitar in the United States, representing 19% of all sales. An acoustic guitar is a type of guitar that is not electrically amplified. It produces sound through the vibration of its strings when they are plucked or strummed. Acoustic guitars come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are usually made from wood. The body of the guitar consists of a soundboard, which amplifies the sound produced by the strings, and a bridge, which transfers the vibrations from the strings to the soundboard. The strings are usually made of steel or nylon, and the fretboard is usually made of rosewood or ebony.

Acoustic guitars are often used in folk, country, and blues music, as well as in many other genres. They are also used in solo performances, as well as in accompaniment to other instruments. Acoustic guitars can be played with a pick, or with the fingers, and they can be strummed or plucked. Many acoustic guitars also have a pickup installed, which allows them to be plugged into an amplifier or sound system.

Classical Guitars

A classic guitar is a type of acoustic guitar that is characterized by its large body size and unique sound. The classic guitar has a deep, mellow tone that is perfect for playing classical and flamenco music. It has a large, round sound hole in the center of the body and a long neck with six strings. The strings are made of nylon, which gives the guitar a softer sound than steel strings. The body of the classic guitar is usually made of wood, such as spruce, cedar, or mahogany.

The classic guitar is often used in classical and flamenco music, but it can also be used to play other styles of music. It is a great choice for musicians who want to explore different genres of music. The classic guitar is also popular among guitarists who want to play solo or accompany other instruments. The large body size and unique sound of the classic guitar make it a great choice for any musician.

Flamenco Guitars

A flamenco guitar is a type of guitar that is used to play the traditional music of Spain known as flamenco. It is typically made with a spruce top, cypress back and sides, and a rosewood fingerboard. The body is usually slightly smaller than a classical guitar, and the neck is narrower. The strings are also typically thinner than those of a classical guitar.

The sound of a flamenco guitar is distinct from that of a classical guitar. It is characterized by a bright, sharp attack and a fast, percussive rhythm. The strings are often plucked with the fingernails, which gives the sound a more percussive quality. The sound of a flamenco guitar is often used to accompany traditional flamenco singing and dancing. It is also used in many other genres of music, including jazz, rock, and pop.

Pawning & Selling Guitars

Guitars are a hot item at pawn shops that carry musical instruments. Pawn shops buy popular brands of guitars including Fender, Gibson, Epiphone, Ibanez, Yamaha, and Martin. Used guitars can be worth anything from $20 to several thousand dollars at pawn shops based on the guitar’s characteristics and rarity. The pawnbroker will research the guitar and likely offer you 20% to 60% of the resale value. You can read more about how pawn shops determine value.

We recommend that you read our post on figuring out an item’s value beforehand so you have the data and understand your guitar’s resale value.

Factors that will influence the guitar’s value include:

• Age: Generally, the older the guitar, the more valuable it is.
• Brand: Certain brands are more desirable than others, and thus more valuable.
• Condition: A guitar in good condition will generally be more valuable than one in poor condition.
• Rarity: If a guitar is a rare or limited edition, it will usually be more valuable.
• Celebrity Ownership: If a famous musician owned or played the guitar, it can significantly increase its value.
• Paperwork: Guitars with original paperwork and origin documents are worth more.

Other differentiating factors that can influence the pawnbroker’ include:

• Body type: Acoustic or electric
• Tonewood: The type of wood used to construct the body of the guitar
• Neck type: Bolt-on, set-in, or neck-through
• Number of strings: 6-string, 7-string, 12-string, etc.
• Scale length: The distance between the nut and the bridge
• Pickups: Single-coil, humbucker, or piezo
• Bridge type: Fixed or tremolo
• Fretboard material: Rosewood, maple, ebony, etc.
• Nut material: Bone, plastic, graphite, etc.
• Finish: Gloss, satin, or matte

Before you take your used guitar to a pawn shop you should clean and tune it. Preparing your guitar will help you fetch the most amount of money for it when the pawnbroker inspects it.

Cleaning your guitar

• Clean the strings: Use a soft cloth or a string cleaner to wipe down the strings and remove any dirt or grime.
• Clean the body: Use a soft cloth and a guitar polish to clean the body of the guitar. Make sure to avoid any contact with the pickups and other electrical components.
• Clean the fretboard: Use a soft cloth and a fretboard cleaner to clean the fretboard. Make sure to avoid any contact with the frets.
• Clean the hardware: Use a soft cloth and a metal polish to clean the hardware. Make sure to avoid any contact with the electronics.
• Clean the electronics: Use a soft cloth and an electronics cleaner to clean the electronics. Make sure to avoid any contact with the pickups.

Tuning your guitar

1. Start by making sure your guitar is in tune. Use an electronic tuner or an app on your phone to make sure each string is in tune.
2. Tune the low E string to the correct pitch. This is usually an E note at 82.4 Hz.
3. Tune the A string to the correct pitch. This is usually an A note at 110 Hz.
4. Tune the D string to the correct pitch. This is usually a D note at 146.8 Hz.
5. Tune the G string to the correct pitch. This is usually a G note at 196 Hz.
6. Tune the B string to the correct pitch. This is usually a B note at 246.9 Hz.
7. Tune the high E string to the correct pitch. This is usually an E note at 329.6 Hz.
8. Check the tuning of each string by playing a chord or a single note. If the notes don't sound right, you may need to adjust the tuning of the strings.
9. Once you have tuned the strings, check the tuning again. Make sure the strings are in tune with each other.