A gutiar doesn't define you as a guitar player... in any way shape or form. A guitar isn't going to instantly make you a better guitar player... It may allow you to feel more comfortable... or make things seem easier... But it's not going to make you a better guitar player... I know a guy that plays a 3,000 USD Paul Reed Smith Custom Ten Top and he can't do much more than play barre chords.........

Like everyone else has said. It's about what you think. I, personally, think it's important to grow on lesser quality instruments before moving onto higher quality instruments... 1. because sometimes people make an investment on a nice guitar early on in the guitar playing career then get bored with it and either let the guitar sit or sell it off for less than they bought it for... 2. because lower quality instruments will actually make you a better guitar player than most quality instruments... You'll find that with lower quality instruments you may have to try extra hard to get all the tone out of a certain lick that you're playing... adding more vibrato or bending a string extra hard to get it to pitch.... With high quality instruments these things are generally taken for granted because they're made so much easier....

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.