The player, novice through expert needs some insight to what fits them best. The radius of the neck must be exactly right for you or you will get hand cramps.(A little known fact.). The materials and components that make the instruments value. Certain woods reguardless of physical beauty may be unfit for use depending on many factors, density, moisture content, grain oreintation and closeness. You hear typs such as Alder, Mahogany, Bass, Western maple, Eastern maple, All of these are suitable and favored for use in guitar building. The Key is (I.e) Western maple is favored for its grain patern [figuring] beauty ,tonality and Finishing qualitys. Eastern maple is extreemly popular, but for other reasons entirely. Where Western Maple is pretty to look at ,it lacks the rock hard density that Eastern(rock) maple is known for. Thus stress areas such as the neck is built from Eastern rock Maple sawn in 1/4 sawn grain while Western Maple is flat sawn to reveal its beatifull grain atop of the Guitars body.                                                                            CHOOSING  A guitar. Three things are paramount,  Looks .,Sound , and Playability. While looks and maybe sound are posible online there are some things to look for that will give you insight to what you are getting. While the neck near the middle should be no thicker than 3/4 in thick by  less than 2in wide. The top and bottom string at the same middle location should be no more than 3/16 in from fret board to string bottom. If handeling the guitar you could simply look down the neck as a rifle to see if the neck is bowed. Ask if the guitar is equipped with a truss rod. This can help correct the bow. A little bow is ok. A streight edge along the top of the fret board should touch the top of every fret. If not it is in need of fret work maybe minor(just a few miss the edge 2 or 3) to an expensive fret overhaul and neck streigtening.You may ask the seller to play or strum the guitar over the Phone. Ask them to depress all of the strings against the fret board at the twelfth fret, then play each note seperatly. Listen for buzzes or flat note(thud sounds instaed of resonating note.) If electric make sure they plug it in. Repeat the same at the 3rd fret. These are a few things to look for. Happy Hunting.  Steve A. Weems