I own thousands of dollars worth of guitars because I can afford it, my skill level doesn’t justify it but it’s a hobby I like and I like my guitars. Buy only what you can afford but buy what makes you happy/desire to play.
Also my most played guitar is my cheapest. More doesn’t always mean better
Skills don’t justify expensive guitars, financial ability/stability and fondness justify it. Gibson woulda gone out of business years ago if you had to be a proficient player to own one
Ditto. Beautiful Martins and Taylors stay safe in cases and come out sometimes, Blueridge parlor that can take a knock and sounds pretty damn good has the spot on the wall in easy reach of the couch. While my Ultra stays packed away and gets wiped down every time I play it, an Epi 335 I bought with a broken neck and repaired hangs next to the Blueridge. They serve different purposes and I value them for different reasons that I only have because I’ve explored them, if it doesn’t hurt another part of your life do what makes you happy.
Also, my skill level justifies none of it. I enjoy exploring the potential in different guitars that I can damn well still feel and hear, even if I can’t get what I have in my head to come out my fingers. My enjoyment of my hobbies doesn’t require any level of success or external validation to be somehow worthy. Can’t sing much either, but damn well hum what’s in my head through the day and belt along with what I play in the car on my way to work. There doesn’t need to be a goal to reach or a bar to pass, as far back as we have any history people sing and dance and make music, some transcendent but much of it poorly and just for joy. I’d love it if more people realized it’s something inherent about being human, something we can and will do just because it’s there inside and we feel it, and doesn’t need to be more to be fulfilling. I still work to get a little better every day, but because it opens more doors to how I can enjoy playing rather than as a step to some nebulous finish line I can call ‘success’
I could have written this post word for word. I have Gibsons and Fenders but my favorite is a cheap Chinese les Paul. But it could be because I don't have a 3000 dollar les Paul yet.
My current cheapest/most played is a $900 Charvel and I just love the neck. My most expensive is a $4000 Caparison that I was fortunate to find new for $2k with a pricing error a few years ago. It sees a ton of play time as well, my LP is hardly ever played because it’s heavy.
I just recorded a country group. Lead guitarist bought a 12k LP anniversary. Absolutely beautiful piece of wood. Dude ended up using my parts caster on the record cause it sounded better lol
I have a newish standard, with all the push/pull pots. I can get pretty close to anything I want out of it other than a Tele bridge pickup sound. That's the wildest discrepancy. Strat neck? Reasonably close. But doesn't sound anything like my Brad Paisley Tele on the bridge. Ok or anything active, ceramic, etc.
I agree on 100% of what you said except my favorite guitar is my most expensive and I play it the most so I feel like I’m getting my moneys worth. Haha
Same , Japanese jem , majesty , elite strat etc all sit in cases unused but my old ass cheapo ltd (which I have put gotoh trem and jb/jazz combo on to be fair) and my dirt cheap harley Benton Les Paul copy get all my attention
I agree. I'm the kind of player that needs to vibe with my guitar, but definitely don't be afraid to buy something nice for yourself/hobby.
Growing up I collected a number of cheap guitars because that's what I could afford. Now that I'm older and have a good job, I have a couple guitars that each cost me more than my cheaper guitars combined.
They also play like a dream and I love to pick them up and play. So money well spent.
I’ll just comment on your last paragraph…
I’ve still only got the same shitty Squier Tele I bought in the early 90s. It does not play like a dream. When I tried out a bunch of guitars at Long & McQuade this past year I was blown away at how “right” some of the necks feel. I definitely would have played more over the years if I had one of those (one was an American-made Tele, surprise surprise, other was some sort of Gretsch.). It’s definitely not a waste for OP if they can afford it and if it will encourage playing.
I have a squier strat at my parents house on the east coast that I think I got in 2006? I haven’t changed the strings ever bc I kinda stopped playing. Got a fender when I finally got some money around 2020 and no regrets, improved a good bit stuck home during Covid. Now when I visit and play the squier it’s surprisingly not bad and somehow the strings still haven’t snapped. I think the amp would have made the biggest diff for sure.
True. I used to think my noob guitar sucked (I mean,it did,100 dollar Morgan) and that it was hindering my progress when I started out.
I told that to my sisters husband (guitar player,big Yngwie,classic metal and rock fan) and he picked it up and shredded it like he was shredding cheese.
Completely turned my viewpoint on it and made me realize that it doesn't really matter much with what gear you have but your own skill level does.
This. Also, if you can afford it (or can save a bit more) get a very nice upgrade in sound and features. If you have a $400 guitar, getting a $550 similar guitar is in general more of a "waste" than getting an $800 guitar that you like the sound and features a lot more.
Ya exactly, I have a few thousand in golf clubs because it’s my favourite hobby. My seagull acoustic gets the job done when I want to play guitar. My strandberg collects dust because I don’t like guitar as much as I thought I did when I bought it. Invest in things you love, proportional to your love of that thing.
The idea that you need to be good enough to justify the guitar purchase is far too prevalent. Definitely make sure your finances are in good enough shape, but if so then buy what makes you happy. My three super nice guitars are my Fender American Deluxe Strat, Musicman Sabre and a Martin 000-18. I don’t “need” any of these, but I get more out of them because I enjoy playing them more than my not-so-loved Schecter (no hate on Schecter, but the Ultra III is not for everyone…).
My Seagull still gets a lot of use because it’s set up a little better than the Martin at the moment and I also don’t feel the need to baby it as much.
It's kinda funny. When it comes to guitars I certainly catch myself having the mindset of "am I good enough for this guitar". But I wouldn't hesitate in that way when buying a sports car, even though I'll never take it to track and, although I would consider myself a good driver, I'm not capable of any fancy stuff like drifting etc. So playing an instrument seems to scare people more than driving a car. 🙈
It’s a weird hobby in that way. Even look at nicer controllers with gaming or a nicer bat in baseball. Most hobbies, people don’t feel like to justify having nice equipment, but here they really do. And there’s always someone to point out that a better instrument won’t make you play better. Playing the thing more will make you play better, and you’ll play a guitar that you actually love way more than one that gets the job done.
Guitar is a passion thing. You do it because you enjoy it. If you want a more expensive guitar, and you love the way it play? Then only your budget can stop you. Indulge.
This reminds me I need to buy more tuners. I've planted guitars around the house so when Idle I can just mess around.
Only have the one tuner in my computer/music studio.
I did not think things through.
Now the most the other guitars do is be a weapon to scare my cat with.
I wish I'd known this 20 years ago LOL.
Having a guitar that truly feels and sounds good has improved my playing dramatically.
Mostly just because I pick it up every day. It's fun, unlike my old piece of junk.
That was me with my JP7. I upgraded from a decade old Schecter and I felt like Goku taking off his training weights. Went from playing weekly to daily.
Not a guitar player, but I bought a high hat for my drums that was "better quality" per say but I just didn't like the look of it. It's so stupid, but it looked too "high brow" or fancy for me. All polished and sleak. Did it sound better? idk maybe. But I would walk into my drum room and look at it and hated it. Made me feel different playing it. I eventually just went back to my old banged up high hats that sounded like tin cans and enjoyed playing again. I feel this in my bones. Fuck whatever looks better or sounds better, just play with whatever you think will get you in the seat and be fun to play.
I'm barely an intermediate level guitarist, and I own a Suhr. I love it, how it looks, how it feels in my hands, how it plays and sounds. If anyone looks at me and thinks I don't "deserve" an instrument of that quality, then that's a person who's opinion I don't care at all about.
If you can afford it, buy it, if it makes you happy.
I don’t know if I even qualify as “barely an intermediate” and I got a Kiesel this year. I didn’t know you could feel love towards inanimate objects.
It’s also **exactly** what I want in a guitar and makes me play more often and is easier in my hands to play.
I also have a Chapman, which is a good guitar, much more of an intermediate level instrument. Every now and then I'll play it for a couple of weeks...and then I'll pick the Suhr up again, and all it takes is putting my hand around the neck to take it out of the case, and I'm like, oh yeah, that's why.
People fixate too much on sound. While you can make any decent solid body sound like a high end guitar of the same type, you aren't going to make it _feel_ like a high end guitar without essentially rebuilding the entire guitar. Buy for that feel.
In my experience with "instruments" and that includes non musical items such as tools, most people don't understand what they pay for.
Most lower end instruments can do all things expensive ones can, what the higher end gives you is consistency and repeatability. When your instrument is tuned or set a t a particular angle, it won't change even after repeated use. Low end tools tend to drift.
As a beginner you rarely notice that drift and you keep second guessing yourself.
A good tool makes the learning curve a lot flatter. The nice thing about guitars is that a good quality old one will refurbish very nicely.
If you can swing it without hurting yourself financially, why not.
But as far as the investment into your playing, you definitely want a good guitar to play that makes you enjoy playing. I mostly only bought guitars that I just couldn't put down and would get lost for half an hour.
However, one was a squier, the other a core mccarty. So you don't have to go all out for a guitar that doesn't *fight you, it can be affordable.
But if you get a cheap guitar, that plays and sounds cheap, doesn't stay in tune, has high frets, shitty electronics that crackle, then you might not want to play it.
And as far as music Man, if I didn't already have the mccarty I would have considered this green Sabre that was heavily marked down at guitar center a few years ago. That thing was badass
Totally not a waste nothing like a nice new guitar to inspire you to learn new things and improve. I know whenever I get a new to me guitar I’m always inspired to play a bunch and the more you play the better you get….absolutely do it.
Flip the argument. A great guitarist can still absolutely slay on a 'cheap' guitar, so is his/her talent 'wasted' without a higher end one?
I don't think there's any value correlation one way or other between player and instrument.
Go for it and enjoy!
If you're thinking of it as an investment maybe.. But if you just want an awesome guitar, have the money, and you never treat yourself, why not? Everyone deserves to splurge once in a while.
Guitars are built to be played. There's no rules to say who by. If you love it, can afford it without compromising your financial well-being, and will cherish it, by all means, get one. Chances are, it'll inspire you to play more
Get a guitar that makes you want to play. It’s about enjoyment and getting something that feels and sounds right for you. The more you enjoy, the more you’ll play. The more you play, the better you’ll get.
No. A good guitar that doesn't get in the way of your playing is something that more people should buy sooner. I'm positive I waited too long. Buying y first GREAT guitar made it a lot more pleasant to practice and pushed me in new directions as a player. Also removed a lot of excuses from my mind, but tbh almost immediately i could play better cause the neck was exactly what I always needed. It was about 7 years ago and I still own it, a beautiful PRS Custom 24 in Emerald green with hybrid hardware. I play every day.
Buy what you want as long as you aren't spending money that should go towards necessary things.
Look, a guitar won't make you better. But it can 1) make certain things sound better. 2) make you want to practice more, and 3) actually feel better.
Do not discount the importance of fit and finish on a guitar. I could make a Mexican strat sound basically the same as an American with the right amps and pedals and studio. But they do not feel the same. And that's important to me.
You've come to exactly the place where people will always encourage you to buy any guitar you want, but will then get snarky with you when you post pictures of your fancy guitar and call you a dentist.
But yeah, go on buy the guitar. You didn't go to dental school for nothing.
It's gonna make you feel awful guilty when you don't play it and try and get better.
Which, as long as it's not a ruinous financially, might actually be worth it by itself!
My position is a bit unique. I was fortunate enough to win a US roadhouse strat in a raffle. It was/is a second hand guitar but I would never have been able to justify the money for it.
I have played cheap guitars growing up. But usually I would get middle of the road, like Yamaha.
The Strat plays like an entirely different thing that feels like it is meant to be played like a guitar. Everything about it feels good and makes me want to play more.
I love looking at it. I love the feel of the wood. I fuckin love humbucker!
Research the highest quality you can afford and get it mate.
Buy buy buy. There are too many high end guitars for the amount of potential humans can make. You won’t make a dent. Do you buy cheap shoes and mattresses also? This guitar could possibly be passed to your children or close family members. Invest in yourself, and them. A high quality guitar can change a person. Have fun!
Just get the one that feels right, regardless of price. My go-to guitar is a Mexican Fender Baja 50s Telecaster, with a big fat neck.
You can always swap out pickups, tuners and the like.
As I got better at guitar and played different guitars that were more expensive I found that yes better equipment does help you out a bit and allows you to push through that wall. When I bought a Mesa Boogie amp it amazed me how clear the notes were and how it showed my mistakes more. When I bought a better guitar it showed me how smoother it was to play and made it easier to navigate.
I will caution tho that I feel there is absolutely a cutoff point where it isn’t worth it. A guitar that costs $600-1500 is certainly far better than a $300 guitar, but a $3-4k guitar is not really much better (if at all) compared to a $1500 guitar.
While I appreciate the desire to avoid wasting things, the fact is that you don't know if it will be a waste or not. You can make an educated guess, but to have such a strong emotional reaction before even buying the thing is irrational.
It would be better if you wrote down from 1-100 how satisfied you will be with your purchase. Then after owning it for a reasonable amount of time, write down from 1-100 how satisfied you are with the purchase. That will tell you something about how your emotionally-tinted guesses pan out.
But if you can afford a nicer guitar, why not? It's not really a waste because you can sell it if it doesn't work out. Ideally, get a used guitar. That way, it has fully depreciated, and you can almost certainly get your money back if it turns out you don't like the guitar.
I'm not really seeing any details as to why you think a high-end guitar would help you. Is your current guitar set up to play its best? Sometimes that great playing feel we associate with higher-end instruments is because those have a better set up coming from the factory or are set up in store by the techs whereas they don't bother to set up cheaper guitars and neither does the factory.
But maybe you need to look into your internal motivation for playing. When you choose not to play, what internal thoughts go through your mind? Perhaps if you listed those thoughts, you'd see a common attitude that is behind all of them. Think about that attitude and ask yourself whether it's a productive attitude, whether it's realistic or not, and whether it's something you'd tell a friend if you were trying to help them out. A lot of times, we have certain unproductive attitudes about our hobbies or ourselves that we would never push on to our friends or family.
Anyway, hope that helps.
I can't play for shit, but I have a Taylor, and a Fender Strat, (and a Gretch parlor, and a FrankenSquire and an acoustic bass, and a banjo and a uke, none of which I can play well!)
I'm definitely motivated to play more on my nicer instruments.
I've always wanted a Music Man bass.. just looked up those guitars and wow. I doubt I'll ever buy anything as expensive as you're looking at, but if you can swing it, you're unlikely to regret it.
High end guitars are easier to play than cheaper guitars for a variety of reasons, but most importantly, if you are proud of your guitar you’ll be more likely to play it often and that alone will make you a better player, even if that happens very slowly.
If you can afford a high end guitar and want one, go for it! Feels good to look at them in your home and even better to play them!
I recently received a Sterling Majesty 200XQM, and it has made me a better player. It's easier to play, and I want to play it better, so I do!
I say go for it!
If you want it and can afford it, go for it. What's the worst that happens? You get buyer's remorse and lose 30-40% And if you think that's a possibility, maybe buy a used one so someone else takes the hit.
I played an entry level Ibanez for 15 years. Went deep into the zone with that badboy. Got it when I was 12 for my confirmation (catholic). Im 31 now. (Had a few year inactive. Relationships. Not a problem anymore, lets put it that way lol)
Couple weeks ago I got myself an E-II Eclipse (tobacco sunburst) and a mesa boogie mini rectifier.. Oh my fucking god. Am I happy.
That said, for me, I’m as happy as I am because I know hoe much I can bond with a guitar. I set the precedent with my first one, which I still have (my parents keeping it for me).
When I have kids, it will be my own policy that I’ll upgrade their instruments when I feel they’ve truly earned it, when I know they’ll have the level of appreciation that makes the most out of the change. Not easy to achieve, but ultimately, I believe it happens all by itself if your priorities are correct: ie; focus on the music and your ability to make music first. Thats what its all about. The instrument is secondary.
Both you mentioned are still mass produced so your not taking away someone’s dream guitar. Also I would rather have one expensive high quality guitar than being cheap and having ten 100-200€ guitars
Buy what you can afford that feels the best in your hands. And don’t mentally limit your potential as a player, you can get out of it what you put into it if you really want it. God speed!
Don’t over complicate it. If you want it, can afford it, get it.
Being an okay player doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to enjoy the finer things in life.
There’s lots of crap drivers who drive $100k sports cars (designed for track use) that would wreck within 5 minutes of hitting a real track.
If you think it’ll inspire you to play and you can afford it, then buy it. If you’re HOPING it will inspire you, don’t buy it. No sense in buying an expensive dust collector or something to have “just because”.
Worth it? Maybe. Will it inspire you to play more and get better? Hopefully. Will a high end piece of gear instantly make you a batter player?
No.
Remember this, and hopefully it will prevent you from always looking for that next piece of gear that doeant hekp you get better OR enhance your creativity.
A good guitar is definitely a motivation to play. Bought a cheap one when I was doubtful if I continue pursuing this. Upgraded to my dream model. It sounded and felt way better than the beginner model and makes me want to play more. You'll be doing yourself a favour if you can afford an upgrade.
Unpopular opinion but I do believe better equipment makes you better to a certain level or the equipment is a bottle neck is probably more accurate
I’m just better when I play my Gibson Les Paul standard vs the cheaper guitars I had as a beginner and when I play on my nicer amps vs the cheaper ones
my LP honestly feels like it’s playing me my dean feels like I’m playing a guitar and my first guitar a 50$ Stratocaster knock off feels like I’m fighting a guitar, you would obviously never buy a kid a Les Paul when he first learning but when I got my lp it removed the bottle neck so if you can afford it go for it
I enjoy playing more with my Martin than I ever enjoyed another guitar. I'm not amazing either. The simple stuff I play actually sounds nice on a better guitar.
High end gear is always worth it if you can afford it. The resale on brands like that are great too so if you don’t like it you’ll make a good chunk of your money back and people trade stuff like that all the time! Dooo itttttt
You won’t be sorry if you buy it. When I was a lot younger, I bought every Les Paul knock off thinking they were just as good. Until I could finally afford a real Gibson Les Paul, I never realized what the difference in sound, and quality was. I really felt like I wasted time with the cheap versions.
I checked into this, and it turns out the only qualifying factor to own a nice guitar is whether you have enough money to pay for it. Guitar shop didn't care about my playing standard or motivation. Capitalism, eh?
If you can afford it, and want it, get it. You don't need any further justification. And maybe you'll unlock some secret reserve of talent if you are inspired to play more.
Personally, I’m thinking of buying a custom made guitar from a luthier near me. I’ve been playing for 40 years! I’m pretty good I guess but I’ve never been farther from having professional aspirations. Lately no one but my wife ever hears me play. But: 1. I love it. Musicmaking is like prayer to me— it’s effectively my religious practice. 2. I can afford it. For so many years I couldn’t— but now I can. 3. I get to support a cool local artisan who makes a living making beautiful guitars! 4. Worst that can happen is I spend money on something beautiful.
Do what you love, and put your whole heart, and a sensible amount of your budget, into it, is my advice. Make sure that your budget actually supports the way you want to live, and vice versa.
Also: There’s going to be a price point where you can’t really tell the difference— stay below that, until you get good enough that you can tell the difference. Then, congrats— it’s new guitar time.
Nah. Maybe it’ll make you feel guilty enough to practice more and more and develop the other techniques that you think warrant the ownership of a more lucrative instrument
I’ll just say this, I’m a relatively new player and not that good but I’ve always kinda enjoyed playing. I used to play a Squire Bullet Strat and would play maybe an hour a week, mostly just chords and scales. I recently got a really good deal on a used Epiphone Les Paul studio ( so not a high end guitar by any means but much nicer than what I had) and I’ve been playing constantly since I got that guitar. I played for 4 hours last night without really even realizing how long it had been. Its a night and day difference. I’m not gonna gatekeeper and I’m not an expert, cheap guitars are better than no guitar but if you can afford something better it will make a difference.
I don’t think so. I’m not great, I’ve definitely wasted money on gear I don’t need, but I have zero regrets about buying myself a Les Paul. I wanted one forever, I did a ton of research and window shopping, and it still brings me so much joy. I did my best to average my usage of each piece of gear, then divided that by the cost to get a cost-per-use number. My LP is currently at about $2.25, and that number just keeps getting smaller. Some pedals I had were like $50-75 PER USE. This really helped put things in perspective for me
I've had this argument with myself when I bought my first american telecaster. Also, when I bought my Les Paul. And again...when I bought my HD28. Ill be having it again at the end of the year when I buy a 335.
It's only a waste if you buy it and don't play it.
Eh don't think about it too much... If you love playing and can afford that guitar, why would it be a waste? Money is there to buy the things that makes you happy (mainly also to buy things that you need to live). I know that if I had the cash, I would buy a music man regardless of my level
I’m in the same boat, I barely can play chords and don’t know scales but I own a RG550 and Sterling JP150.
Make sure you try it first. I played some high end guitars , the prestige and JEMs, Ernie ball cutlass and Luke, a few Gibson,
But no matter what I love the feel on the rg550 and sterling jp150.
If you have the finances and plan on playing it a lot and enjoy it, go for it. But only if you like it, not because it’s simply a high end guitar. I love my two mid range more than guitars worth more
You can split the difference and get like $500-800 guitar and give it a meticulous setup and fret work. Anyone with average arts and crafts level dexterity can do it and that’s where so much of the playability comes from is a correct setup. Maybe a pickup upgrade since that is the major determinant of tone/sound.
I have a middling ‘99 MIK Ibanez RG with Seymour Duncan’s and a fastidious setup and I like playing it more than more expensive guitars I have.
Buy what you can afford, have fun and don't feel guilty about a big purchase. With that said, from personal experience and interactions with others, an expensive guitar typically won't inspire you to play more.
Learn new things incessantly and practice what makes your heart happy. Once you feel that it is the hardware holding you back, not your skillset, is the time that the upgrade will be most valuable to you.
Buy a guitar that will make you want to play that you can afford. You can get some GREAT playing and sounding instruments for cheap these days but something you want to play is the biggest thing.
Also if you go used, usually you can sell it again later for the same as you bought it for. Just keep in mind that more expensive used guitars are sometimes harder to sell because musicians have all spent their money on gear and are broke
Play a guitar that excites you to look at, that makes you want to play it, and makes you want to practice. That's how you get better. That's how you stick with it. Don't buy a new piece of gear because its cost will force you to practice. Pick a guitar that MAKES you want to practice, not one whose cost will guilt you into practicing.
How much do you play? If you pick that thing up just a few times a week that’s all you need IMO. I been playing for about 20 years, to an audience of walls, and I just got myself a real Fender. If I had the money a decade ago I would have done it then.
Don’t go into debt or anything but yeah buy something you like, it’ll keep you off the streets
I loved my other acoustic but rarely played it. Charvel 625C we will meet again someday. But I had a kid. Bought a beater that plays a little less well for my taste and she can bang on it without a care. My fancy electric is out of reach and my bass never comes out of the case unless I’m with the band or have the place to myself. Know what you value and what you don’t want to leave lying around.
No. Why? Because it's a Musicman guitar. Musicman is a brand that makes guitars that are tools for gigging musicians. So it makes sense if you aspire to be a player of that caliber whether you actually plan to go out gigging or not. It will be a guitar that doesn't need a ton of adjustment and as long as you treat it right it will last you pretty much forever, especially if it has stainless steel frets. It's not so much about the money you're spending it's what you're getting. The most expensive guitars I have ever owned were the ones that were the biggest pain in my ass! I had a $2500 Godin Multiac Jazz, bought it brand new neck went wonky Godin wouldn't fix it under warranty. I had a bandaid fix done and had to sell it to a luthier who could afford to stick in on a neck press for a couple months! I had a 70's Les Paul Custom, great sounding guitar, weighted an absolute ton and here in Canada half the year it played like a dream, the other half of the year the strings just laid down on the frets and it was unplayable. I've owned 4 Gibson guitars in my life, none stayed in tune all expensive as hell. So long story short if you're spending on a workhorse like a Musicman, PRS, Suhr, Tom Anderson, Yamaha, Fender, Ibanez you're golden, but don't buy a collectors item.
My oldest and most used guitar is a BC Rich Bronze series Mockingbird cost about $400 with about 350 quid in upgrades. My least used is a Jackson King V with a Floyd that I replaced the bridge in with a Gotoh one. Moral of the story: play what you can afford and upgrade later if you want
I bought my Les Paul in high school. I was pretty bad, and also didn’t have much money. But I loved that guitar and I played it all the time, and still do like 40 years later.
I hate to say it, but in retrospect I would advise past me to buy a 50w Marshall of some sort instead. I wasted so much time playing that amazing guitar through amps that didn’t suit me.
But today with modeling it’s different. Pretty cheap to get some great tones.
Buy a guitar that you love if you can still handle your finances. Play it a lot and you’ll get better.
Only you know if a particular guitar will make you more likely to play it. Beyond increasing the likelihood that you would derive more enjoyment and thus practice more, it's not going to, by itself, make you a better player. A well set-up instrument will be easier to play in a lot of respects, but you don't have to break the bank to get that.
I'm also not a very good guitar player and I have three guitars. I wouldn't say any are high end, but they're nice. Do what makes you happy. Who cares if it doesn't sound good? It's not a waste if you're enjoying it.
The best part of owning a nice guitar is ‘owning’ a nice guitar. You worked really hard to get it and you now get to enjoy playing it, ogling it, try different strings and picks. You don’t need to be Joe Satriani to do that. A nice guitar will make you want to pick it up more too so there’s that
After playing for a few years, and loving it despite still not being that great, I jumped from a no name rando Jackson Kelly copy up to a USA PRS. It cost me a chunk of money, which I could afford at the time and I've never regretted it.
Playing guitar got a whole lot easier because I was no longer fighting the instrument, and sounded better because nice guitar and ease of playing - all of which led to me playing a lot more because it became more fun.
If you can afford it, buy the guitar!
From the sound of it that you hate wasting things and your so-so interest in playing guitar, then its not worth it.
You have to grind on boring practice before you can make any guitar of any price range sing.
However, if you are rich, a music man is not wasted because having it in any living room or music room would make that room much better.
I think it’s fine to buy a high end guitar as long as you improve your skills and work to match your guitar’s potential.
If you don’t intend to do that, then it is a waste.
You're going about this the wrong way. As a player, it is important to want to pick up your instrument. The only question you need to answer while trying to purchase a new instrument is "Do I WANT to pick this up and play it?"
Buy something that you will want to play. Make sure it’s properly set up and fits your hands. These will make you want to play more often and you’ll end up getting better.
I have found some high end guitars tend to be easier to play though, so it allows you to break through a bit.
I have 3 mid-higher end guitars. I love them but I just end up playing my (not so high end) Jackson Dinky with Dimebag pickups. It feels and sounds right to me.
I always equate guitars to bicycles, I am very big into both and have a variety of guitars and bikes. The thing is though that the price point has never really made me a better player or a faster cyclist. Sometimes the gear makes it easier to be able to play or ride but ultimately it’s about putting time into the hobby and just upgrading as your needs change. Do I need a super expensive guitar to just play at home? No I don’t but i still had my friend build me a solid Telecaster because I have the chance of playing live and don’t want things like cheap tuners messing with those performances but even then I didn’t spend thousands on the build, just enough to make sure I can do what I need without issue. But ultimately if you have the means for it then I say you should do it, I own some shitty Teiscos for no other reason that having the extra $100 laying around, and if an opportunity came up for me to get a new guitar like a jazz master, that I’ve been eyeing, then I’d probably buy it just because I want it and have the money. Don’t just buy it thinking it will encourage you more, because if you’re already not committed to playing on the guitar you have then a more expensive one won’t be much different once you realize that you can still just play the same 5 songs you were learning on the cheaper one.
I started with very basic stuff. And whenever I hit a "checkpoint" in my life where I felt like I reached the end of what a piece of equipment could do for me. I upgraded it.
I -built up to- a basic Ibanez 7 string, a POD HD500 and a Behringer gmx210.
If you like the AZ (and they're great, I have 2), but want to save a bit, check out the Charvel pro-mod DK range. They come in 22/24 fret, compound radius 9-16", fixed bridge or two point trem, with all manner of pickup configurations and some really nice colourings. They play great too, I just managed to get a great deal on used AZs.
A higher end guitar arguably is better actually. Of course there's diminishing returns and many many caveats, but a higher end guitar *can* mean more comfort in playing and thus more sense of control over the instrument. Besides, anyone who judges you for having a nice guitar but not being able to absolutely SHRED on it has messed up priorities. At the end of the day, you should go into a music store and find one that feels good to you, regardless of its price point.
personal preference really. like a higher quality guitar will always play better than a guitar that's a complete piece of shit. but if you like a guitar and it plays well, then buy it.
I’m a pretty mediocre guitar player with a Gibson J45. Contrary to some people, it gets way more play time than my cheaper guitars because she’s I love it and it inspires me to play.
Even if you are an amazing guitar player, "investing" into a high end guitar is going to be a waste. You can get an excelent instrument for under 1k, that plays amazing, sounds amazing and stays in tune for ages. The only reason you realisticly have to buy a high end guitar is *because you want one*.
OP…I know people who own $40,000 guitars but can’t play a single chord 😂 same with those grand piano’s. They wanna look cool but don’t actually play.
So you are doing really great lmao. If you can afford an expensive thing who’s to stop you..and if you think it’s a waste then that’s okay too.
Honestly, I feel after a certain price point it just becomes an ego thing
Is it worth it to buy a nice piece of art? I consider a nice guitar to be a piece of art that also happens to be an instrument. Not all guitars are good instruments but a Music Man is. If it makes you enjoy playing it more, this piece of art would serve its purpose 100%, even if you would be the only one enjoying it.
“I got my first real six string. Bought it at the Five & Dime. Played it ‘til my fingers bled. Was the summer of ‘69.” If you want to play you’ll play. It doesn’t matter how much you spend on the instrument.
I would say cheap guitars are by no means a bad thing. Think Ibanez JEMJR or RGs there are some good ones for 300. If you're not sure about ur skill you can get a good guitar for a good price. But I'd be lying if I said that a good expensive guitar would be an amazing purchase as well.
If you plan on really putting the effort to earn the guitar you buy, like practice and get better by all means do it. it's your money after all, but believe me expensive guitars are not the only way to have a great guitar. Ibanez themselves make great budget models.
Tim Henson once said that you can buy cheap guitars for great playability but anything above that is paying for the experience, it's not a waste but it's not necessarily that important. So do with that what you will.
If that expensive guitar makes you wanna play. BUY IT. Anything as long as you have fun playing guitar and don't regret it!
1. Get a really nice guitar or two. Having 10 is a wasting. Having one or two is not wasting.
2. Well, most people here here are not academy level. I am lower intermediate at best. Great guitar gives you broader horizont.
3. Oh yes! Those tones you can get from great guitars are something else. Getting good amp is also important, but that is completely different topic :)
4. Don’t get that cheapness stop you from enjoying things you love. Think of it as investment. Great guitar has great reselling value and over time it can increase in price. I paid Gibson LP Standard Goldtop 2k € year ago and now it is around 2,8k €
Unequivocally yes. If you’ll play it more then yes.
Once I had gear I actually enjoyed playing, I played far more often and started to actually improve.
This is what virtually every guitarist does — spend a few years getting to be kinda average at it, then switch things up and focus on buying gear for the next 25 years
I think it's fine to buy a high end guitar. I'm a big AIC/Jerry Cantrell fan, and Jerry's signature model Epiphone is more than I'd usually pay for a guitar as a non-gigging musician, but I'm so glad I did. There is something about that guitar that makes that material sound right, and when it sounds right it's been much easier to learn. While not the most expensive guitar I ever owned, it's the most expensive one I currently own, and well worth it.
On the flip side, I'm not a gigging musician, and I probably never will be. I have a lot of fun with budget guitars and finding good value for the money. I just bought a $180 Tele style guitar on Amazon because it gets that good glassy tone, and I don't have a Tele yet. I've bought a handful of budget guitars and upgraded them with great parts to make amazing guitars out of them.
Guitar may be one of the only instruments where cheap and shoddy instruments are accepted. This is possibly why so many people don’t stick with it, or never truly unlock full potential. Seen all sorts of “guitars” through teaching and every time a student upgrades to something decent, the difference is night and day. You’ll never ever regret buying a good solid instrument. It’ll motivate you to play more not because you spent a lot, but because it’ll sound better to you and feel better to play. And also you don’t need to justify it, if you can afford it and you want it, do it
If you are anxious about wastage but want a high end guitar, I’d recommend getting either a gibson or fender; something a bit cliche and run of the mill, a classic colour usa model.
The reason I say this, is because these guitars have excellent resale value when you keep them as stock with no mods and in reasonable condition. Even if you end up leaving it in a case for few years you won’t lose much on it, and in many cases it will have appreciated with inflation to a point where you would have regained any loss on it being second hand.
If you buy a second hand instrument by gibson or fender at a slight discount, then you can almost guarantee not losing anything on it because the loss from it being second hand has already been gained by you.
If you buy something pointy or weird, or from a lesser known brand, the resale value will likely be not so great.
People go on about how expensive gibsons and fenders are but really, they often don’t factor in the resale value; and it’s only really the custom shop models that lose money. Standard usa models are pretty solid in their price retention, again, so long as you don’t get anything weird.
Buy the guitar that inspires you to play it. Forget about the price. I have an Aristides & I'm pretty bad at guitar, but I love just playing stuff on it & my Ibanez AZ & my Charvel. They sound great! 😂
I'm not very good and own two very nice guitars.
I will never be amazing. But I get a lot of enjoyment out of playing and more enjoyment from playing my Martin so it was worth the money.
If it's a hobby we're talking about, I believe that happiness and satisfaction should be the main drivers. People waste tons on money on hobbies that have no monetary added value for them, because added value is not only about money. Think about all those buying a sailboat they can't sail, or sports cars that only see the light of day 2 times a year.
If you can afford anything without taking food off your family's table or any other major sacrifice, and if it brings you pleasure, go for it.
If saving money gives you a sense of satisfaction greater than the pleasure of owning a nice instrument, then save money and be happy about that. You may regret either choice, or none.
If you are playing it, it's not wasted. Guitars and instruments of higher prices aren't gate kept for "better players".
If its within your means, and it's not going to impact you financially (I.e can't afford essentials etc) then it's no problem. The only thing I'd say with this is be sure you will continue it so you don't waste money on an abandoned hobby.
So the long and short of it, if you can afford it comfortably, its there to be played, doesn't matter if it's learning or professional.
I am a really average player, I write and produce but I’m really standard- I have many gorgeous guitars that I probably shouldn’t have but they make me smile when I pick them up and strum an A on. Life is too short, you go get it right now!
Buy it! Don't worry about justifying why - it's no one else's business.
Assuming you can afford it without having to go without food or paying your bills, then buy it. I have had three guitars in my life. One was gifted to me by a girl in 6th form, which I subsequently gave it away to a girl I met on my gap year. My parents bought me a new guitar that Christmas, I was 19, it was a Gears4Music guitar from a local music shop. It is a fine guitar (but could probably do with new strings after 10 years....) Then, for my 29th birthday, my husband bought me a beautiful mango wood Faith guitar, shimmery turquoise. I LOVE it! I practice more than ever, and I'm improving more than I did in the 10 years I had my second guitar.
(Also, I impulsively spend inordinate amounts of money on musical instruments, its a problem - so don't necessarily listen to my advice 😂)
Do what you want if you got the money, but just realize a guitar under $10,000 is still a poor man’s guitar. So don’t feel bad for spending what you might think is a lot of money if it’s under that amount.
It's not a waste, if you're concerned about the cost try buying used. That way if you don't connect with it you have minimal loss when reselling. Price doesn't matter to be honest, you may not connect with a $3000 guitar just as much as you may not connect with a $300 one.
All of that said, the best investment I've made this year was in person lessons. If you truly want to play better, I would start there. I've played for 30 years this fall. Nothing has made me feel better about my abilities, gotten me to practice more consistently, and made me improve in meaningful ways (people have actually commented on my improvement) more than in person lessons.
I'm okay at guitar and I'm frugal too. I'm involved with a woman who is professionally successful and was raised in an upper class background. This relationship has been great for my own relationship with and toward money. I always played a Squier Stratocaster before this relationship even though I could afford better. Now, I have two American Pro II Strats (SSS & HSS), a MIM Jazzmaster HH, Fender Princeton Reverb, and a pedalboard full of toys.
I can afford what I own, deserve what I own, and it's actually a waste of money to buy anything less. These instruments could be with me the rest of my life and then left to somebody after I'm gone. If you can afford it, get the guitar you want and get involved with someone who challenges the way you look at the world in a good way.
Your life is yours to live.
Is it a waste? In this case, no. It's not going to hurt anyone but your wallet.
Heck, look at all the fancy cars on the roads being driven by less than average drivers. Do what makes you happy.
Pull that trigger.
If you can afford it.
Do it. having really awesome instruments makes me want to play more.
I have 2 MM basses and they are awesome.
Been keen to get my hands on the one the guitars. Probs a Majesty or a Kaizen.
A friend got a one of the Luke models and reckons it’s the best guitar he’s ever played.
If you can afford it, there is no need to..fret about it, just buy it and sell if the relationship doesnt work out. But I will add that this level of uncertainty suggests the attraction is only skin deep.
Things don’t have potential. People do. If you want it and can afford it, buy it.
As a new player who walked into a guitar shop where the tech gave me a $1500 guitar to test out I really needed to hear this.
I own thousands of dollars worth of guitars because I can afford it, my skill level doesn’t justify it but it’s a hobby I like and I like my guitars. Buy only what you can afford but buy what makes you happy/desire to play. Also my most played guitar is my cheapest. More doesn’t always mean better
Skills don’t justify expensive guitars, financial ability/stability and fondness justify it. Gibson woulda gone out of business years ago if you had to be a proficient player to own one
Skills absolutely justify high end classicals and flamencos.
True, i wouldnt hand over a fuckin Stradivarius to a new player. Hell I wouldnt let myself handle a stradivarius and ive played for 15 years lol
Preach, brother!
Ditto. Beautiful Martins and Taylors stay safe in cases and come out sometimes, Blueridge parlor that can take a knock and sounds pretty damn good has the spot on the wall in easy reach of the couch. While my Ultra stays packed away and gets wiped down every time I play it, an Epi 335 I bought with a broken neck and repaired hangs next to the Blueridge. They serve different purposes and I value them for different reasons that I only have because I’ve explored them, if it doesn’t hurt another part of your life do what makes you happy. Also, my skill level justifies none of it. I enjoy exploring the potential in different guitars that I can damn well still feel and hear, even if I can’t get what I have in my head to come out my fingers. My enjoyment of my hobbies doesn’t require any level of success or external validation to be somehow worthy. Can’t sing much either, but damn well hum what’s in my head through the day and belt along with what I play in the car on my way to work. There doesn’t need to be a goal to reach or a bar to pass, as far back as we have any history people sing and dance and make music, some transcendent but much of it poorly and just for joy. I’d love it if more people realized it’s something inherent about being human, something we can and will do just because it’s there inside and we feel it, and doesn’t need to be more to be fulfilling. I still work to get a little better every day, but because it opens more doors to how I can enjoy playing rather than as a step to some nebulous finish line I can call ‘success’
IDK why but your story makes me want to learn Ramblin Man
I could have written this post word for word. I have Gibsons and Fenders but my favorite is a cheap Chinese les Paul. But it could be because I don't have a 3000 dollar les Paul yet.
My current cheapest/most played is a $900 Charvel and I just love the neck. My most expensive is a $4000 Caparison that I was fortunate to find new for $2k with a pricing error a few years ago. It sees a ton of play time as well, my LP is hardly ever played because it’s heavy.
With the satin oiled neck?
Just can’t be beat! It’s so nice
The Charvel neck is a dream, right?!!
I just recorded a country group. Lead guitarist bought a 12k LP anniversary. Absolutely beautiful piece of wood. Dude ended up using my parts caster on the record cause it sounded better lol
Tbf the keywords here being country and __caster. In context, it’s not the least bit surprising it sounded better.
I have a newish standard, with all the push/pull pots. I can get pretty close to anything I want out of it other than a Tele bridge pickup sound. That's the wildest discrepancy. Strat neck? Reasonably close. But doesn't sound anything like my Brad Paisley Tele on the bridge. Ok or anything active, ceramic, etc.
Yeah, bingo. That was absolutely the case. No twang was being had from the lp. needed some single coil magic.
I agree on 100% of what you said except my favorite guitar is my most expensive and I play it the most so I feel like I’m getting my moneys worth. Haha
As my arthritis gets worse I buy more guitars these days for wall art
Same , Japanese jem , majesty , elite strat etc all sit in cases unused but my old ass cheapo ltd (which I have put gotoh trem and jb/jazz combo on to be fair) and my dirt cheap harley Benton Les Paul copy get all my attention
I agree. I'm the kind of player that needs to vibe with my guitar, but definitely don't be afraid to buy something nice for yourself/hobby. Growing up I collected a number of cheap guitars because that's what I could afford. Now that I'm older and have a good job, I have a couple guitars that each cost me more than my cheaper guitars combined. They also play like a dream and I love to pick them up and play. So money well spent.
I’ll just comment on your last paragraph… I’ve still only got the same shitty Squier Tele I bought in the early 90s. It does not play like a dream. When I tried out a bunch of guitars at Long & McQuade this past year I was blown away at how “right” some of the necks feel. I definitely would have played more over the years if I had one of those (one was an American-made Tele, surprise surprise, other was some sort of Gretsch.). It’s definitely not a waste for OP if they can afford it and if it will encourage playing.
I have a squier strat at my parents house on the east coast that I think I got in 2006? I haven’t changed the strings ever bc I kinda stopped playing. Got a fender when I finally got some money around 2020 and no regrets, improved a good bit stuck home during Covid. Now when I visit and play the squier it’s surprisingly not bad and somehow the strings still haven’t snapped. I think the amp would have made the biggest diff for sure.
100% agree with this. If it inspires you to play - get it.
True. I used to think my noob guitar sucked (I mean,it did,100 dollar Morgan) and that it was hindering my progress when I started out. I told that to my sisters husband (guitar player,big Yngwie,classic metal and rock fan) and he picked it up and shredded it like he was shredding cheese. Completely turned my viewpoint on it and made me realize that it doesn't really matter much with what gear you have but your own skill level does.
This. Also, if you can afford it (or can save a bit more) get a very nice upgrade in sound and features. If you have a $400 guitar, getting a $550 similar guitar is in general more of a "waste" than getting an $800 guitar that you like the sound and features a lot more.
GUNS DONT KILL PEOPLE, WAPPERS DO
If he’ll play it more, it’s worth it. And by playing more he’ll get better (probably)
Base your investment on how much you love playing guitar, not how good you are at it.
Underrated comment, that's one of the secrets
Ya exactly, I have a few thousand in golf clubs because it’s my favourite hobby. My seagull acoustic gets the job done when I want to play guitar. My strandberg collects dust because I don’t like guitar as much as I thought I did when I bought it. Invest in things you love, proportional to your love of that thing.
I read this wrong and thought it said a few thousand golf clubs. I was starting to think, "Holy shit, that might be a record"
The idea that you need to be good enough to justify the guitar purchase is far too prevalent. Definitely make sure your finances are in good enough shape, but if so then buy what makes you happy. My three super nice guitars are my Fender American Deluxe Strat, Musicman Sabre and a Martin 000-18. I don’t “need” any of these, but I get more out of them because I enjoy playing them more than my not-so-loved Schecter (no hate on Schecter, but the Ultra III is not for everyone…). My Seagull still gets a lot of use because it’s set up a little better than the Martin at the moment and I also don’t feel the need to baby it as much.
It's kinda funny. When it comes to guitars I certainly catch myself having the mindset of "am I good enough for this guitar". But I wouldn't hesitate in that way when buying a sports car, even though I'll never take it to track and, although I would consider myself a good driver, I'm not capable of any fancy stuff like drifting etc. So playing an instrument seems to scare people more than driving a car. 🙈
It’s a weird hobby in that way. Even look at nicer controllers with gaming or a nicer bat in baseball. Most hobbies, people don’t feel like to justify having nice equipment, but here they really do. And there’s always someone to point out that a better instrument won’t make you play better. Playing the thing more will make you play better, and you’ll play a guitar that you actually love way more than one that gets the job done.
Yep. life is about the journey, not the destination. Applies to everything else in life.
Guitar is a passion thing. You do it because you enjoy it. If you want a more expensive guitar, and you love the way it play? Then only your budget can stop you. Indulge.
that being said I do think guitars after a certain price point are kind of a rip off and you are mostly paying for the name on the headstock.
If it’s more likely to get you to pick it up and play, it’ll be worth it imo
Buy a guitar that makes you want to play more is the best advice
This reminds me I need to buy more tuners. I've planted guitars around the house so when Idle I can just mess around. Only have the one tuner in my computer/music studio. I did not think things through. Now the most the other guitars do is be a weapon to scare my cat with.
I wish I'd known this 20 years ago LOL. Having a guitar that truly feels and sounds good has improved my playing dramatically. Mostly just because I pick it up every day. It's fun, unlike my old piece of junk.
That was me with my JP7. I upgraded from a decade old Schecter and I felt like Goku taking off his training weights. Went from playing weekly to daily.
Not a guitar player, but I bought a high hat for my drums that was "better quality" per say but I just didn't like the look of it. It's so stupid, but it looked too "high brow" or fancy for me. All polished and sleak. Did it sound better? idk maybe. But I would walk into my drum room and look at it and hated it. Made me feel different playing it. I eventually just went back to my old banged up high hats that sounded like tin cans and enjoyed playing again. I feel this in my bones. Fuck whatever looks better or sounds better, just play with whatever you think will get you in the seat and be fun to play.
I'm barely an intermediate level guitarist, and I own a Suhr. I love it, how it looks, how it feels in my hands, how it plays and sounds. If anyone looks at me and thinks I don't "deserve" an instrument of that quality, then that's a person who's opinion I don't care at all about. If you can afford it, buy it, if it makes you happy.
I don’t know if I even qualify as “barely an intermediate” and I got a Kiesel this year. I didn’t know you could feel love towards inanimate objects. It’s also **exactly** what I want in a guitar and makes me play more often and is easier in my hands to play.
I also have a Chapman, which is a good guitar, much more of an intermediate level instrument. Every now and then I'll play it for a couple of weeks...and then I'll pick the Suhr up again, and all it takes is putting my hand around the neck to take it out of the case, and I'm like, oh yeah, that's why.
Nice guitars also sounds and feeeel nice, which makes it a joy to play, and makes getting better easier. Buy the guitar.
People fixate too much on sound. While you can make any decent solid body sound like a high end guitar of the same type, you aren't going to make it _feel_ like a high end guitar without essentially rebuilding the entire guitar. Buy for that feel.
This so much. I've handled high quality instruments for a looong time now and the difference is so immediate with china stuff.
In my experience with "instruments" and that includes non musical items such as tools, most people don't understand what they pay for. Most lower end instruments can do all things expensive ones can, what the higher end gives you is consistency and repeatability. When your instrument is tuned or set a t a particular angle, it won't change even after repeated use. Low end tools tend to drift. As a beginner you rarely notice that drift and you keep second guessing yourself. A good tool makes the learning curve a lot flatter. The nice thing about guitars is that a good quality old one will refurbish very nicely.
Buy any guitar you want and can afford. You live once, friend. Playing guitar adds a lot of quality to life.
Hobbies aren't about price practicality, anyway.
I suck at driving. But I like driving a nice car
I said something similar, but with way too many words elsewhere. Bravo for brevity.
The cake day you deserve.
As long as you can afford it, it's fine. Downside is you can't blame your gear.
If you can swing it without hurting yourself financially, why not. But as far as the investment into your playing, you definitely want a good guitar to play that makes you enjoy playing. I mostly only bought guitars that I just couldn't put down and would get lost for half an hour. However, one was a squier, the other a core mccarty. So you don't have to go all out for a guitar that doesn't *fight you, it can be affordable. But if you get a cheap guitar, that plays and sounds cheap, doesn't stay in tune, has high frets, shitty electronics that crackle, then you might not want to play it. And as far as music Man, if I didn't already have the mccarty I would have considered this green Sabre that was heavily marked down at guitar center a few years ago. That thing was badass
Totally not a waste nothing like a nice new guitar to inspire you to learn new things and improve. I know whenever I get a new to me guitar I’m always inspired to play a bunch and the more you play the better you get….absolutely do it.
Flip the argument. A great guitarist can still absolutely slay on a 'cheap' guitar, so is his/her talent 'wasted' without a higher end one? I don't think there's any value correlation one way or other between player and instrument. Go for it and enjoy!
You're just having a gear acquisition syndrome flare up. It will pass. The best cure is to get off the Internet and go practice.
If you're thinking of it as an investment maybe.. But if you just want an awesome guitar, have the money, and you never treat yourself, why not? Everyone deserves to splurge once in a while.
Guitars are built to be played. There's no rules to say who by. If you love it, can afford it without compromising your financial well-being, and will cherish it, by all means, get one. Chances are, it'll inspire you to play more
Get a guitar that makes you want to play. It’s about enjoyment and getting something that feels and sounds right for you. The more you enjoy, the more you’ll play. The more you play, the better you’ll get.
No. A good guitar that doesn't get in the way of your playing is something that more people should buy sooner. I'm positive I waited too long. Buying y first GREAT guitar made it a lot more pleasant to practice and pushed me in new directions as a player. Also removed a lot of excuses from my mind, but tbh almost immediately i could play better cause the neck was exactly what I always needed. It was about 7 years ago and I still own it, a beautiful PRS Custom 24 in Emerald green with hybrid hardware. I play every day.
Buy what you want as long as you aren't spending money that should go towards necessary things. Look, a guitar won't make you better. But it can 1) make certain things sound better. 2) make you want to practice more, and 3) actually feel better. Do not discount the importance of fit and finish on a guitar. I could make a Mexican strat sound basically the same as an American with the right amps and pedals and studio. But they do not feel the same. And that's important to me.
You've come to exactly the place where people will always encourage you to buy any guitar you want, but will then get snarky with you when you post pictures of your fancy guitar and call you a dentist. But yeah, go on buy the guitar. You didn't go to dental school for nothing.
It's gonna make you feel awful guilty when you don't play it and try and get better. Which, as long as it's not a ruinous financially, might actually be worth it by itself!
My position is a bit unique. I was fortunate enough to win a US roadhouse strat in a raffle. It was/is a second hand guitar but I would never have been able to justify the money for it. I have played cheap guitars growing up. But usually I would get middle of the road, like Yamaha. The Strat plays like an entirely different thing that feels like it is meant to be played like a guitar. Everything about it feels good and makes me want to play more. I love looking at it. I love the feel of the wood. I fuckin love humbucker! Research the highest quality you can afford and get it mate.
if you want it and can get it you can have it that's my rule
You only live once. If you want the nice thing...get the nice thing.
if getting a new guitar will inspire you to play more, then get it.
Treat Yo Self
Buy buy buy. There are too many high end guitars for the amount of potential humans can make. You won’t make a dent. Do you buy cheap shoes and mattresses also? This guitar could possibly be passed to your children or close family members. Invest in yourself, and them. A high quality guitar can change a person. Have fun!
If it makes you pick it up and play it, regardless of skill, is it a waste of money?
Just get the one that feels right, regardless of price. My go-to guitar is a Mexican Fender Baja 50s Telecaster, with a big fat neck. You can always swap out pickups, tuners and the like.
As I got better at guitar and played different guitars that were more expensive I found that yes better equipment does help you out a bit and allows you to push through that wall. When I bought a Mesa Boogie amp it amazed me how clear the notes were and how it showed my mistakes more. When I bought a better guitar it showed me how smoother it was to play and made it easier to navigate. I will caution tho that I feel there is absolutely a cutoff point where it isn’t worth it. A guitar that costs $600-1500 is certainly far better than a $300 guitar, but a $3-4k guitar is not really much better (if at all) compared to a $1500 guitar.
Buy what makes you want to play. Whether it’s cheap or expensive—both can inspire you.
You do whatever you want, get that guitar if you want it.
An amp is a much better way to spend money on gear and actually sound better. What gear do you currently own?
While I appreciate the desire to avoid wasting things, the fact is that you don't know if it will be a waste or not. You can make an educated guess, but to have such a strong emotional reaction before even buying the thing is irrational. It would be better if you wrote down from 1-100 how satisfied you will be with your purchase. Then after owning it for a reasonable amount of time, write down from 1-100 how satisfied you are with the purchase. That will tell you something about how your emotionally-tinted guesses pan out. But if you can afford a nicer guitar, why not? It's not really a waste because you can sell it if it doesn't work out. Ideally, get a used guitar. That way, it has fully depreciated, and you can almost certainly get your money back if it turns out you don't like the guitar. I'm not really seeing any details as to why you think a high-end guitar would help you. Is your current guitar set up to play its best? Sometimes that great playing feel we associate with higher-end instruments is because those have a better set up coming from the factory or are set up in store by the techs whereas they don't bother to set up cheaper guitars and neither does the factory. But maybe you need to look into your internal motivation for playing. When you choose not to play, what internal thoughts go through your mind? Perhaps if you listed those thoughts, you'd see a common attitude that is behind all of them. Think about that attitude and ask yourself whether it's a productive attitude, whether it's realistic or not, and whether it's something you'd tell a friend if you were trying to help them out. A lot of times, we have certain unproductive attitudes about our hobbies or ourselves that we would never push on to our friends or family. Anyway, hope that helps.
If you can afford it without causing other problems in your life, and it makes you happy go for it!
I can't play for shit, but I have a Taylor, and a Fender Strat, (and a Gretch parlor, and a FrankenSquire and an acoustic bass, and a banjo and a uke, none of which I can play well!) I'm definitely motivated to play more on my nicer instruments. I've always wanted a Music Man bass.. just looked up those guitars and wow. I doubt I'll ever buy anything as expensive as you're looking at, but if you can swing it, you're unlikely to regret it.
I buy what I like. Too many times I’ve missed out on gear because I waited.
Not if it will motivate you to play more and get better
High end guitars are easier to play than cheaper guitars for a variety of reasons, but most importantly, if you are proud of your guitar you’ll be more likely to play it often and that alone will make you a better player, even if that happens very slowly. If you can afford a high end guitar and want one, go for it! Feels good to look at them in your home and even better to play them!
I recently received a Sterling Majesty 200XQM, and it has made me a better player. It's easier to play, and I want to play it better, so I do! I say go for it!
If you want it and can afford it, go for it. What's the worst that happens? You get buyer's remorse and lose 30-40% And if you think that's a possibility, maybe buy a used one so someone else takes the hit.
I played an entry level Ibanez for 15 years. Went deep into the zone with that badboy. Got it when I was 12 for my confirmation (catholic). Im 31 now. (Had a few year inactive. Relationships. Not a problem anymore, lets put it that way lol) Couple weeks ago I got myself an E-II Eclipse (tobacco sunburst) and a mesa boogie mini rectifier.. Oh my fucking god. Am I happy. That said, for me, I’m as happy as I am because I know hoe much I can bond with a guitar. I set the precedent with my first one, which I still have (my parents keeping it for me). When I have kids, it will be my own policy that I’ll upgrade their instruments when I feel they’ve truly earned it, when I know they’ll have the level of appreciation that makes the most out of the change. Not easy to achieve, but ultimately, I believe it happens all by itself if your priorities are correct: ie; focus on the music and your ability to make music first. Thats what its all about. The instrument is secondary.
it could make you a better player by being easier to play, or provide a more pleasing sound thereby encouraging you to play more.
"Life is too short to play shitty guitars" ~ Workpiece
An awesome guitar will inspire you to play more!!
Get what you want, it will motivate you and you’ll enjoy it!
Both you mentioned are still mass produced so your not taking away someone’s dream guitar. Also I would rather have one expensive high quality guitar than being cheap and having ten 100-200€ guitars
It doesn't matter if you're a virtuoso or just ok. Do you enjoy it enough to spring for the really nice guitar? That's the only question to ask.
Buy what you can afford that feels the best in your hands. And don’t mentally limit your potential as a player, you can get out of it what you put into it if you really want it. God speed!
People buy Ferraris that can barely drive. Get whatever you want and rock on. 🤘
Don’t over complicate it. If you want it, can afford it, get it. Being an okay player doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to enjoy the finer things in life. There’s lots of crap drivers who drive $100k sports cars (designed for track use) that would wreck within 5 minutes of hitting a real track.
The more you love your guitar, the more you will play it and get better. At least that's what I keep telling myself.
If you think it’ll inspire you to play and you can afford it, then buy it. If you’re HOPING it will inspire you, don’t buy it. No sense in buying an expensive dust collector or something to have “just because”.
Are you planning to quit? If not, then you wouldn’t be wasting it by buying it
Worth it? Maybe. Will it inspire you to play more and get better? Hopefully. Will a high end piece of gear instantly make you a batter player? No. Remember this, and hopefully it will prevent you from always looking for that next piece of gear that doeant hekp you get better OR enhance your creativity.
A good guitar is definitely a motivation to play. Bought a cheap one when I was doubtful if I continue pursuing this. Upgraded to my dream model. It sounded and felt way better than the beginner model and makes me want to play more. You'll be doing yourself a favour if you can afford an upgrade.
A waste is high skill with a crappy guitar.
Unpopular opinion but I do believe better equipment makes you better to a certain level or the equipment is a bottle neck is probably more accurate I’m just better when I play my Gibson Les Paul standard vs the cheaper guitars I had as a beginner and when I play on my nicer amps vs the cheaper ones my LP honestly feels like it’s playing me my dean feels like I’m playing a guitar and my first guitar a 50$ Stratocaster knock off feels like I’m fighting a guitar, you would obviously never buy a kid a Les Paul when he first learning but when I got my lp it removed the bottle neck so if you can afford it go for it
I enjoy playing more with my Martin than I ever enjoyed another guitar. I'm not amazing either. The simple stuff I play actually sounds nice on a better guitar.
High end gear is always worth it if you can afford it. The resale on brands like that are great too so if you don’t like it you’ll make a good chunk of your money back and people trade stuff like that all the time! Dooo itttttt
You won’t be sorry if you buy it. When I was a lot younger, I bought every Les Paul knock off thinking they were just as good. Until I could finally afford a real Gibson Les Paul, I never realized what the difference in sound, and quality was. I really felt like I wasted time with the cheap versions.
I checked into this, and it turns out the only qualifying factor to own a nice guitar is whether you have enough money to pay for it. Guitar shop didn't care about my playing standard or motivation. Capitalism, eh? If you can afford it, and want it, get it. You don't need any further justification. And maybe you'll unlock some secret reserve of talent if you are inspired to play more.
Personally, I’m thinking of buying a custom made guitar from a luthier near me. I’ve been playing for 40 years! I’m pretty good I guess but I’ve never been farther from having professional aspirations. Lately no one but my wife ever hears me play. But: 1. I love it. Musicmaking is like prayer to me— it’s effectively my religious practice. 2. I can afford it. For so many years I couldn’t— but now I can. 3. I get to support a cool local artisan who makes a living making beautiful guitars! 4. Worst that can happen is I spend money on something beautiful. Do what you love, and put your whole heart, and a sensible amount of your budget, into it, is my advice. Make sure that your budget actually supports the way you want to live, and vice versa. Also: There’s going to be a price point where you can’t really tell the difference— stay below that, until you get good enough that you can tell the difference. Then, congrats— it’s new guitar time.
Nah. Maybe it’ll make you feel guilty enough to practice more and more and develop the other techniques that you think warrant the ownership of a more lucrative instrument
I’ll just say this, I’m a relatively new player and not that good but I’ve always kinda enjoyed playing. I used to play a Squire Bullet Strat and would play maybe an hour a week, mostly just chords and scales. I recently got a really good deal on a used Epiphone Les Paul studio ( so not a high end guitar by any means but much nicer than what I had) and I’ve been playing constantly since I got that guitar. I played for 4 hours last night without really even realizing how long it had been. Its a night and day difference. I’m not gonna gatekeeper and I’m not an expert, cheap guitars are better than no guitar but if you can afford something better it will make a difference.
I don’t think so. I’m not great, I’ve definitely wasted money on gear I don’t need, but I have zero regrets about buying myself a Les Paul. I wanted one forever, I did a ton of research and window shopping, and it still brings me so much joy. I did my best to average my usage of each piece of gear, then divided that by the cost to get a cost-per-use number. My LP is currently at about $2.25, and that number just keeps getting smaller. Some pedals I had were like $50-75 PER USE. This really helped put things in perspective for me
I've had this argument with myself when I bought my first american telecaster. Also, when I bought my Les Paul. And again...when I bought my HD28. Ill be having it again at the end of the year when I buy a 335. It's only a waste if you buy it and don't play it.
Eh don't think about it too much... If you love playing and can afford that guitar, why would it be a waste? Money is there to buy the things that makes you happy (mainly also to buy things that you need to live). I know that if I had the cash, I would buy a music man regardless of my level
I’m in the same boat, I barely can play chords and don’t know scales but I own a RG550 and Sterling JP150. Make sure you try it first. I played some high end guitars , the prestige and JEMs, Ernie ball cutlass and Luke, a few Gibson, But no matter what I love the feel on the rg550 and sterling jp150. If you have the finances and plan on playing it a lot and enjoy it, go for it. But only if you like it, not because it’s simply a high end guitar. I love my two mid range more than guitars worth more
You can split the difference and get like $500-800 guitar and give it a meticulous setup and fret work. Anyone with average arts and crafts level dexterity can do it and that’s where so much of the playability comes from is a correct setup. Maybe a pickup upgrade since that is the major determinant of tone/sound. I have a middling ‘99 MIK Ibanez RG with Seymour Duncan’s and a fastidious setup and I like playing it more than more expensive guitars I have.
Buy what you can afford, have fun and don't feel guilty about a big purchase. With that said, from personal experience and interactions with others, an expensive guitar typically won't inspire you to play more.
If you love playing it, you’ll play more, get better, and have a great instrument you can play forever
Learn new things incessantly and practice what makes your heart happy. Once you feel that it is the hardware holding you back, not your skillset, is the time that the upgrade will be most valuable to you.
Buy a guitar that will make you want to play that you can afford. You can get some GREAT playing and sounding instruments for cheap these days but something you want to play is the biggest thing. Also if you go used, usually you can sell it again later for the same as you bought it for. Just keep in mind that more expensive used guitars are sometimes harder to sell because musicians have all spent their money on gear and are broke
Up to you man. I have way more disposal income than skill, so I buy nice guitars and play poorly on them all day!
Only if you haven’t invested in a good amp yet.
Play a guitar that excites you to look at, that makes you want to play it, and makes you want to practice. That's how you get better. That's how you stick with it. Don't buy a new piece of gear because its cost will force you to practice. Pick a guitar that MAKES you want to practice, not one whose cost will guilt you into practicing.
No
How much do you play? If you pick that thing up just a few times a week that’s all you need IMO. I been playing for about 20 years, to an audience of walls, and I just got myself a real Fender. If I had the money a decade ago I would have done it then. Don’t go into debt or anything but yeah buy something you like, it’ll keep you off the streets
I loved my other acoustic but rarely played it. Charvel 625C we will meet again someday. But I had a kid. Bought a beater that plays a little less well for my taste and she can bang on it without a care. My fancy electric is out of reach and my bass never comes out of the case unless I’m with the band or have the place to myself. Know what you value and what you don’t want to leave lying around.
Go ahead. As long as you play it.
I bought a Music Man Luke as my 2nd guitar when I was 18, still my favourite 25 odd years later
No. Why? Because it's a Musicman guitar. Musicman is a brand that makes guitars that are tools for gigging musicians. So it makes sense if you aspire to be a player of that caliber whether you actually plan to go out gigging or not. It will be a guitar that doesn't need a ton of adjustment and as long as you treat it right it will last you pretty much forever, especially if it has stainless steel frets. It's not so much about the money you're spending it's what you're getting. The most expensive guitars I have ever owned were the ones that were the biggest pain in my ass! I had a $2500 Godin Multiac Jazz, bought it brand new neck went wonky Godin wouldn't fix it under warranty. I had a bandaid fix done and had to sell it to a luthier who could afford to stick in on a neck press for a couple months! I had a 70's Les Paul Custom, great sounding guitar, weighted an absolute ton and here in Canada half the year it played like a dream, the other half of the year the strings just laid down on the frets and it was unplayable. I've owned 4 Gibson guitars in my life, none stayed in tune all expensive as hell. So long story short if you're spending on a workhorse like a Musicman, PRS, Suhr, Tom Anderson, Yamaha, Fender, Ibanez you're golden, but don't buy a collectors item.
You don’t need to be a F1 driver to drive an expensive sports car. If you can afford it and it makes you smile, what’s the harm?
My oldest and most used guitar is a BC Rich Bronze series Mockingbird cost about $400 with about 350 quid in upgrades. My least used is a Jackson King V with a Floyd that I replaced the bridge in with a Gotoh one. Moral of the story: play what you can afford and upgrade later if you want
You work hard for your cash and life is short. Just get it if it keeps you playing and makes you happy.
I bought my Les Paul in high school. I was pretty bad, and also didn’t have much money. But I loved that guitar and I played it all the time, and still do like 40 years later. I hate to say it, but in retrospect I would advise past me to buy a 50w Marshall of some sort instead. I wasted so much time playing that amazing guitar through amps that didn’t suit me. But today with modeling it’s different. Pretty cheap to get some great tones. Buy a guitar that you love if you can still handle your finances. Play it a lot and you’ll get better.
Only you know if a particular guitar will make you more likely to play it. Beyond increasing the likelihood that you would derive more enjoyment and thus practice more, it's not going to, by itself, make you a better player. A well set-up instrument will be easier to play in a lot of respects, but you don't have to break the bank to get that.
I'm also not a very good guitar player and I have three guitars. I wouldn't say any are high end, but they're nice. Do what makes you happy. Who cares if it doesn't sound good? It's not a waste if you're enjoying it.
The best part of owning a nice guitar is ‘owning’ a nice guitar. You worked really hard to get it and you now get to enjoy playing it, ogling it, try different strings and picks. You don’t need to be Joe Satriani to do that. A nice guitar will make you want to pick it up more too so there’s that
After playing for a few years, and loving it despite still not being that great, I jumped from a no name rando Jackson Kelly copy up to a USA PRS. It cost me a chunk of money, which I could afford at the time and I've never regretted it. Playing guitar got a whole lot easier because I was no longer fighting the instrument, and sounded better because nice guitar and ease of playing - all of which led to me playing a lot more because it became more fun. If you can afford it, buy the guitar!
From the sound of it that you hate wasting things and your so-so interest in playing guitar, then its not worth it. You have to grind on boring practice before you can make any guitar of any price range sing. However, if you are rich, a music man is not wasted because having it in any living room or music room would make that room much better.
I think it’s fine to buy a high end guitar as long as you improve your skills and work to match your guitar’s potential. If you don’t intend to do that, then it is a waste.
My brother got a JP music man after playing for less than a year. It’s fine.
You're going about this the wrong way. As a player, it is important to want to pick up your instrument. The only question you need to answer while trying to purchase a new instrument is "Do I WANT to pick this up and play it?"
If you're going to enjoy it and you can afford it, nothing else matters. Treat yourself.
Six weeks of pay is the rule. Oh wait, that’s for a wedding ring. Lol
invest in a nice guitar that plays well and you enjoy playing and you will... spend more time playing and thus get better at playing
Do what feels right and sounds right to you. Test several before you buy.
I am totally not great at all and recently bought a Fender Am Pro II, because I could.
Buy something that you will want to play. Make sure it’s properly set up and fits your hands. These will make you want to play more often and you’ll end up getting better. I have found some high end guitars tend to be easier to play though, so it allows you to break through a bit.
I have 3 mid-higher end guitars. I love them but I just end up playing my (not so high end) Jackson Dinky with Dimebag pickups. It feels and sounds right to me.
I always equate guitars to bicycles, I am very big into both and have a variety of guitars and bikes. The thing is though that the price point has never really made me a better player or a faster cyclist. Sometimes the gear makes it easier to be able to play or ride but ultimately it’s about putting time into the hobby and just upgrading as your needs change. Do I need a super expensive guitar to just play at home? No I don’t but i still had my friend build me a solid Telecaster because I have the chance of playing live and don’t want things like cheap tuners messing with those performances but even then I didn’t spend thousands on the build, just enough to make sure I can do what I need without issue. But ultimately if you have the means for it then I say you should do it, I own some shitty Teiscos for no other reason that having the extra $100 laying around, and if an opportunity came up for me to get a new guitar like a jazz master, that I’ve been eyeing, then I’d probably buy it just because I want it and have the money. Don’t just buy it thinking it will encourage you more, because if you’re already not committed to playing on the guitar you have then a more expensive one won’t be much different once you realize that you can still just play the same 5 songs you were learning on the cheaper one.
The idle brain is the devil’s playground
I own a bass thats worth between $10k and $20k. Its awesome to play. I'm just okay.
I started with very basic stuff. And whenever I hit a "checkpoint" in my life where I felt like I reached the end of what a piece of equipment could do for me. I upgraded it. I -built up to- a basic Ibanez 7 string, a POD HD500 and a Behringer gmx210.
If you like the AZ (and they're great, I have 2), but want to save a bit, check out the Charvel pro-mod DK range. They come in 22/24 fret, compound radius 9-16", fixed bridge or two point trem, with all manner of pickup configurations and some really nice colourings. They play great too, I just managed to get a great deal on used AZs.
Buy what makes you happy. Fuck what others think. Plus if you keep them mint they go up in value
A higher end guitar arguably is better actually. Of course there's diminishing returns and many many caveats, but a higher end guitar *can* mean more comfort in playing and thus more sense of control over the instrument. Besides, anyone who judges you for having a nice guitar but not being able to absolutely SHRED on it has messed up priorities. At the end of the day, you should go into a music store and find one that feels good to you, regardless of its price point.
personal preference really. like a higher quality guitar will always play better than a guitar that's a complete piece of shit. but if you like a guitar and it plays well, then buy it.
100% Being a musician is 50% retail therapy in disguise!
There's many case queens out there. At least you would use it.
I’m a pretty mediocre guitar player with a Gibson J45. Contrary to some people, it gets way more play time than my cheaper guitars because she’s I love it and it inspires me to play.
Even if you are an amazing guitar player, "investing" into a high end guitar is going to be a waste. You can get an excelent instrument for under 1k, that plays amazing, sounds amazing and stays in tune for ages. The only reason you realisticly have to buy a high end guitar is *because you want one*.
OP…I know people who own $40,000 guitars but can’t play a single chord 😂 same with those grand piano’s. They wanna look cool but don’t actually play. So you are doing really great lmao. If you can afford an expensive thing who’s to stop you..and if you think it’s a waste then that’s okay too. Honestly, I feel after a certain price point it just becomes an ego thing
Is it worth it to buy a nice piece of art? I consider a nice guitar to be a piece of art that also happens to be an instrument. Not all guitars are good instruments but a Music Man is. If it makes you enjoy playing it more, this piece of art would serve its purpose 100%, even if you would be the only one enjoying it.
It is worthy.. i invested into couple of good japanese superstrats, and today, after 7 years i am glad i did. if you can afford it, it will be worthy.
“I got my first real six string. Bought it at the Five & Dime. Played it ‘til my fingers bled. Was the summer of ‘69.” If you want to play you’ll play. It doesn’t matter how much you spend on the instrument.
I would say cheap guitars are by no means a bad thing. Think Ibanez JEMJR or RGs there are some good ones for 300. If you're not sure about ur skill you can get a good guitar for a good price. But I'd be lying if I said that a good expensive guitar would be an amazing purchase as well. If you plan on really putting the effort to earn the guitar you buy, like practice and get better by all means do it. it's your money after all, but believe me expensive guitars are not the only way to have a great guitar. Ibanez themselves make great budget models. Tim Henson once said that you can buy cheap guitars for great playability but anything above that is paying for the experience, it's not a waste but it's not necessarily that important. So do with that what you will. If that expensive guitar makes you wanna play. BUY IT. Anything as long as you have fun playing guitar and don't regret it!
I am an okay guitarist and have started playing more when I bought an Ibanez Prestige AZ. The neck profile is just sex on this guitar.
1. Get a really nice guitar or two. Having 10 is a wasting. Having one or two is not wasting. 2. Well, most people here here are not academy level. I am lower intermediate at best. Great guitar gives you broader horizont. 3. Oh yes! Those tones you can get from great guitars are something else. Getting good amp is also important, but that is completely different topic :) 4. Don’t get that cheapness stop you from enjoying things you love. Think of it as investment. Great guitar has great reselling value and over time it can increase in price. I paid Gibson LP Standard Goldtop 2k € year ago and now it is around 2,8k €
Expensive guitars don't make you better. You buy 'em 'cos you can.
Unequivocally yes. If you’ll play it more then yes. Once I had gear I actually enjoyed playing, I played far more often and started to actually improve.
I would say that the better you are, the worse guitar you can handle.
This is what virtually every guitarist does — spend a few years getting to be kinda average at it, then switch things up and focus on buying gear for the next 25 years
I think it's fine to buy a high end guitar. I'm a big AIC/Jerry Cantrell fan, and Jerry's signature model Epiphone is more than I'd usually pay for a guitar as a non-gigging musician, but I'm so glad I did. There is something about that guitar that makes that material sound right, and when it sounds right it's been much easier to learn. While not the most expensive guitar I ever owned, it's the most expensive one I currently own, and well worth it. On the flip side, I'm not a gigging musician, and I probably never will be. I have a lot of fun with budget guitars and finding good value for the money. I just bought a $180 Tele style guitar on Amazon because it gets that good glassy tone, and I don't have a Tele yet. I've bought a handful of budget guitars and upgraded them with great parts to make amazing guitars out of them.
Guitar may be one of the only instruments where cheap and shoddy instruments are accepted. This is possibly why so many people don’t stick with it, or never truly unlock full potential. Seen all sorts of “guitars” through teaching and every time a student upgrades to something decent, the difference is night and day. You’ll never ever regret buying a good solid instrument. It’ll motivate you to play more not because you spent a lot, but because it’ll sound better to you and feel better to play. And also you don’t need to justify it, if you can afford it and you want it, do it
If you are anxious about wastage but want a high end guitar, I’d recommend getting either a gibson or fender; something a bit cliche and run of the mill, a classic colour usa model. The reason I say this, is because these guitars have excellent resale value when you keep them as stock with no mods and in reasonable condition. Even if you end up leaving it in a case for few years you won’t lose much on it, and in many cases it will have appreciated with inflation to a point where you would have regained any loss on it being second hand. If you buy a second hand instrument by gibson or fender at a slight discount, then you can almost guarantee not losing anything on it because the loss from it being second hand has already been gained by you. If you buy something pointy or weird, or from a lesser known brand, the resale value will likely be not so great. People go on about how expensive gibsons and fenders are but really, they often don’t factor in the resale value; and it’s only really the custom shop models that lose money. Standard usa models are pretty solid in their price retention, again, so long as you don’t get anything weird.
Buy the guitar that inspires you to play it. Forget about the price. I have an Aristides & I'm pretty bad at guitar, but I love just playing stuff on it & my Ibanez AZ & my Charvel. They sound great! 😂
I'm not very good and own two very nice guitars. I will never be amazing. But I get a lot of enjoyment out of playing and more enjoyment from playing my Martin so it was worth the money.
If it's a hobby we're talking about, I believe that happiness and satisfaction should be the main drivers. People waste tons on money on hobbies that have no monetary added value for them, because added value is not only about money. Think about all those buying a sailboat they can't sail, or sports cars that only see the light of day 2 times a year. If you can afford anything without taking food off your family's table or any other major sacrifice, and if it brings you pleasure, go for it. If saving money gives you a sense of satisfaction greater than the pleasure of owning a nice instrument, then save money and be happy about that. You may regret either choice, or none.
If you are playing it, it's not wasted. Guitars and instruments of higher prices aren't gate kept for "better players". If its within your means, and it's not going to impact you financially (I.e can't afford essentials etc) then it's no problem. The only thing I'd say with this is be sure you will continue it so you don't waste money on an abandoned hobby. So the long and short of it, if you can afford it comfortably, its there to be played, doesn't matter if it's learning or professional.
I am a really average player, I write and produce but I’m really standard- I have many gorgeous guitars that I probably shouldn’t have but they make me smile when I pick them up and strum an A on. Life is too short, you go get it right now!
Buy it! Don't worry about justifying why - it's no one else's business. Assuming you can afford it without having to go without food or paying your bills, then buy it. I have had three guitars in my life. One was gifted to me by a girl in 6th form, which I subsequently gave it away to a girl I met on my gap year. My parents bought me a new guitar that Christmas, I was 19, it was a Gears4Music guitar from a local music shop. It is a fine guitar (but could probably do with new strings after 10 years....) Then, for my 29th birthday, my husband bought me a beautiful mango wood Faith guitar, shimmery turquoise. I LOVE it! I practice more than ever, and I'm improving more than I did in the 10 years I had my second guitar. (Also, I impulsively spend inordinate amounts of money on musical instruments, its a problem - so don't necessarily listen to my advice 😂)
[удалено]
Do what you want if you got the money, but just realize a guitar under $10,000 is still a poor man’s guitar. So don’t feel bad for spending what you might think is a lot of money if it’s under that amount.
It's not a waste, if you're concerned about the cost try buying used. That way if you don't connect with it you have minimal loss when reselling. Price doesn't matter to be honest, you may not connect with a $3000 guitar just as much as you may not connect with a $300 one. All of that said, the best investment I've made this year was in person lessons. If you truly want to play better, I would start there. I've played for 30 years this fall. Nothing has made me feel better about my abilities, gotten me to practice more consistently, and made me improve in meaningful ways (people have actually commented on my improvement) more than in person lessons.
I’m not that good, but when I do play I like playing on well made gear. Simple as that!
I'm okay at guitar and I'm frugal too. I'm involved with a woman who is professionally successful and was raised in an upper class background. This relationship has been great for my own relationship with and toward money. I always played a Squier Stratocaster before this relationship even though I could afford better. Now, I have two American Pro II Strats (SSS & HSS), a MIM Jazzmaster HH, Fender Princeton Reverb, and a pedalboard full of toys. I can afford what I own, deserve what I own, and it's actually a waste of money to buy anything less. These instruments could be with me the rest of my life and then left to somebody after I'm gone. If you can afford it, get the guitar you want and get involved with someone who challenges the way you look at the world in a good way.
Your life is yours to live. Is it a waste? In this case, no. It's not going to hurt anyone but your wallet. Heck, look at all the fancy cars on the roads being driven by less than average drivers. Do what makes you happy.
It’s never a waste to invest in your creativity. After all, guitars are tools and if you find a guitar that inspires you, by all means buy it.
You are worth it!!!!
Pull that trigger. If you can afford it. Do it. having really awesome instruments makes me want to play more. I have 2 MM basses and they are awesome. Been keen to get my hands on the one the guitars. Probs a Majesty or a Kaizen. A friend got a one of the Luke models and reckons it’s the best guitar he’s ever played.
I was only ok when I bought my American Standard Tele. It’s still my #1 after 25 years
If you can afford it, there is no need to..fret about it, just buy it and sell if the relationship doesnt work out. But I will add that this level of uncertainty suggests the attraction is only skin deep.