Can you sell an acoustic guitar that does not work?
Yes. Repairers, people replacing one component and buyers who want a project all shop deliberately at this end. None of them will accept a fault they discover after paying.
What actually goes wrong with acoustic guitars
These are the faults that move an acoustic guitar down the grades, and the first things a buyer will ask about:
- A lifting or re-glued bridge, which buyers read as expensive
- Cracks in the top or sides, even if repaired
- High action caused by a rising neck angle
- Laminate construction on an instrument priced as if solid
Grading it honestly
Fair covers something heavily used, or with a described fault or missing part: around £22 to £112. For Parts covers something not working or incomplete, sold as seen: roughly £12 to £62. Grades are seller-declared and nobody inspects them for you, so grading up does not raise what you get — it produces a buyer who arrives expecting something else. All five grades explained.
Working out what you actually have
Establish the fault properly rather than guessing at it:
- Look into the soundhole at the edge to see whether the top is solid or layered
- Check the bridge sits flat with no gap at the back edge
- Measure the string height at the twelfth fret
Photographing the fault
Photograph the damage directly and in focus — it is the evidence that the rest of the description is honest:
- The full guitar front on, against a plain background
- The bridge and soundboard close up, showing any lifting or cracking
- The neck sighted down its length, and the headstock showing the brand
- The action at the twelfth fret, plus any dings, buckle rash or repairs
What to state in the listing
Alongside the fault itself, buyers of broken acoustic guitars want these confirmed:
- Brand, model and body size or shape
- Whether the top is solid wood or laminate
- Action height at the twelfth fret, and any neck relief issues
- Any cracks, bridge lifting or previous repairs, and whether a case is included
Brand, model and body shape: “Yamaha FG800 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar, Solid Top”. Whether the top is solid or laminate is a genuine value driver and worth stating. If it is a three-quarter or parlour size, put that in the title — buyers searching for a smaller guitar need to find you.
What buyers will ask
Answer these in the listing rather than waiting to be asked:
Measure the string height at the twelfth fret and give the figure. High action is the most common reason a cheap guitar is unplayable and the buyer will ask.
Examine the soundboard carefully in raking light and photograph anything you find. Top cracks are repairable but must be disclosed.
Slide a thin piece of paper under the bridge edge. Lifting is a serious and expensive repair, so buyers check it first and honesty here protects your rating.
Is it worth repairing first?
Usually not, unless it is cheap and you can evidence it. What lifts the price is condition and completeness, which a repair rarely restores:
- Solid top construction rather than laminate
- A flat bridge with no lifting, and a stable neck angle
- Tonewoods that mature with age on better instruments
- Original hard case
If the work would cost more than the gap between £62 and what a sound one fetches, sell it as is broken and let the buyer decide.
When to list it
Steady all year with a lift before Christmas and in September. Recognised brands sell within a fortnight; unbranded beginner guitars are plentiful and slow.
Getting it to the buyer
Post only in a hard case, with the strings slackened and the headstock well padded — that is where guitars break in transit. Local collection lets the buyer play it, which sells a guitar far better than photographs.
WishThrift does not process payments, arrange delivery or hold funds. Confirm the money has cleared before the item leaves your hands, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed.
Ready to list it? Free to list, no commission, and neither side pays a buyer-protection fee — create a free account, or read the full acoustic guitar selling guide if yours turns out to be sound.
Frequently asked questions
Is a broken acoustic guitar worth anything?
Yes — typically £12 to £62 at For Parts against £50 to £250 working. Repairers and people harvesting one component buy deliberately at this end. A lifting or re-glued bridge, which buyers read as expensive
Should I repair it before selling?
Usually not, unless the repair is cheap and you can evidence it. The things that genuinely lift the price are solid top construction rather than laminate and a repair rarely restores those.
What do buyers ask about a faulty acoustic guitar?
The fault itself, in detail. Measure the string height at the twelfth fret and give the figure. High action is the most common reason a cheap guitar is unplayable and the buyer will ask. The listing that answers it before being asked is the one that sells.
See also: what acoustic guitar is worth by condition · how to sell acoustic guitar · condition grades explained · all broken & damaged guides · all selling guides.