FenderAmerican Ultra Luxe Telecaster

Before you buy a used American Ultra Luxe Telecaster

• Check the serial number and the neck date. Ask for a photo of the serial (on the headstock or neck plate) and match it to the year the seller gives. Fender necks and bodies are usually dated where they join; a mismatch can mean replaced parts.
• Look at the frets. Grooves under the strings on the first few frets mean a fret dress or refret soon, which costs £100–£350. Listings that say "set up" or "refret" are tagged above.
• Ask what's been changed. Swapped pickups, tuners or bridges are common and fine to play, but a stock guitar holds its value better. Tick "Stock (not modified)" to hide the guitars whose title says they're upgraded.
• Be wary of a price far below typical. Fakes (especially of Gibson, Martin and Fender Custom Shop) and scams are priced well under the going rate to look like a bargain. We flag anything 35%+ under similar listings and never count it as a deal. Our fake guitar checklist has more.
• Think about postage. A guitar needs a proper box and careful packing. Many sellers offer collection only: the location is shown on every listing.
• Pay through eBay. eBay's Money Back Guarantee only covers you if you pay through eBay. Never pay by bank transfer outside it, however good the deal.