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Many of the normal things that we do in our lives have been changed by the Internet. Most of these changes have had to do with the way we purchase things that we need or want, from household appliances, home decor, furniture, clothes, and food. Of course, musical instruments like drums, pianos, and guitars are not far behind. Several years ago, the thought of buying and paying for a guitar sight unseen would be unheard of for many guitarists.

But times are changing, as I've mentioned. Any nonbelievers would only need to take a peek at E-Bay to see how many guitars and other musical instruments are being sold and bought daily. This isn't to suggest, of course, that guitarists should just go ahead and buy their guitars and not carefully consider the possible consequences of buying online. Buying a guitar that you've never seen and listened to before does have its fair share of risks, especially if you're buying from someone or from a dealer you probably don't know.

Shipping instruments is always a hassle. Musicians are very finicky about the way their instruments are touched and handled. As much as we'd like to think that everyone who touches your new instrument while it's being shipped will handle it with as much care as you would, from the store down to the delivery guys, sometimes it's just not true. There may be times when your newly-bought instrument will arrive with some dings and scratches, due to improper packaging, or rough handling during shipping. So before shipping the guitar, you should consider getting the instrument packaged professionally. Some online companies can do that for you. A perk of using a service like this is that it allows the buyer to contact the store before the instrument is shipped.

Aside from the dealer and shipping risks, perhaps the most intimidating concept of buying an instrument online is that you don't get a chance to play the instrument before you've paid for it. If you've ever been in a music store and played various models of the same guitar will know that quality varies wildly from instrument to instrument. Of course, anything that is made out of an unpredictable material such as wood will have varying degrees of quality. Sure, it may look jazzy and shiny, but in the end, looks aren't what you're really looking for in a guitar, are you?

There's always a possibility that when you receive your guitar, you'll find out that it's not at the level of quality that you were hoping for. But fear not, because most online music shops are offering 24-hour or 48-hour return policies to prevent you from being stuck with a lemon. What retailers will generally not tell you, however, is that they are usually required, by law, to provide a 30 day return policy.

Hundreds of guitar shops and music stores abound on the Internet. Many operate primarily as a music store in a specific location and also offer mail order via the web. However, there are also several music shops that only operate through the World Wide Web. These music retailers, as it is their only means of doing business, are more experienced in buying and selling via the web, so you can expect that your deals and purchases will be smoother and less likely to be stressful.