Inexpensive guitar

I have a question , as time goes by and I get better and practice a lot , do I eventually have to buy a more expensive guitar in order to show my full potential or I can still play well with my current one ?

You don't have to but I bet you'll want to.

It's an aim. A reward when.........

You play whatever you enjoy playing. That is the only requirement. You play the guitar that brings you joy.

As @tinpan said, you may want to buy a more expensive guitar but you certainly do not have to.

There is no better example of the minimalist approach to guitars, in my opinion, than Jack Pearson. One of the greatest guitarists alive and former member of the Allman Brothers. He could probably play any guitar he wants and get signature deals. I met him on a cruise and he is also the most humble guy alive. He plays inexpensive Fender Squire Stratocasters.

At the opposite extreme you have a guy that can barely play at all yet plays, maybe undeservedly, expensive guitars, namely me. They bring me joy playing them. I'm retired and my wife and I have put together a few pennies in savings so buying them is not taking food off the table. She and I agree on each guitar purchase. (She spends equally on home decor!) I enjoy nice PRS guitars and just purchased a new Martin m-36.

Bottom line is probably play the guitar that will encourage you to play more.

Originally Posted by: darickmendes

I have a question , as time goes by and I get better and practice a lot , do I eventually have to buy a more expensive guitar in order to show my full potential or I can still play well with my current one ?

It depends...but you don't have to buy a new guitar really. The full potential question is really more about; does my guitar inhibit my ability to get better?

That is to say; if your guitar works for you and plays nicely, there's no reason to go buy a guitar thinking that it will help you better. The big part of my statement is the 'IF' part. If you have a guitar that was $120, it might be ok for now but you would pretty surely benefit from an instrument upgrade. If you have a guitar that was something like $400+ new, it's more likely that your guitar will do you just fine.

Since I've got a good few guitars, there's a range of values from $500 and up. Thing is, I have a $550 import Gretch Jet Electromatic and a $2000 Gibson Les Paul. How much of a difference do I get between the two? Not enormous. To be honest, that Gretsch Electromatic is a really, really great value and, as they say in boxing; punches well above its weight. That's why I got it. It's playeds as well as any of my guitar and all my guitars are great players.

The point being, money does not (always) equate to playability so it's more a matter of how comfortable you are.

We can't know what guitar you have or how well it works for you. My mental rule of thumb is; if you're playing acoustic, if your starter guitar is under $300, at some point, you may want an upgrade to a new instrument. For an Electric, that number is anything below $450.

This is a rule of thumb. It's not a law and there are guitars that are an exception to the rule of thumb. This is a general guide from my years of obervation and playing a million instruments of differing values.

A much cheaper guitar might have structural issues in construction that limit its ability to be improved enough. There's only so far you can tweak a guitar and a cheaper one is likely to fight you a little more with limited ability to make it maximally playable. Once you get to the next rung of intermediate guitars like my 'guide' above, you've crossed a line where the guitar is more about what they call 'fit and finish'. The details. Stuff that has less to do with playability. Even then, import guitars like my Gretsch came ready to play out of the box...and I do play it a alot.

I hope that guide helps. It's just my thoughts and all of this is not a science so this is just an idea of how to approach instruments.

But, like Tinpan said, I bet you want to.....

I mean it does sounds good I agree but I noticed it missing gears on it and weeby bar (hope that's how it spelled ) , is the bar super essential? Hope its not dumb question lol im new to the guitar

I have a $2000 strat- and a $90 camping guitar I bought on sale at GT. Guess which I play more? Yep- the $90 one. It stays in tune more and tone wise, I can't really tell much difference. The strat looks nicer I suppose. The set up, action, pups and it's ability to stay in tune is what makes the instrument more enjoyable to play- at least for me. If you like your guitar, treat it to a tune-up and keep it. Eventually, you can get another one if you want to. Instead, I would apply that $ to an FM3 (assuming electric)- but that's just me.

My wife's Question: How many guitars do you need?

My answer every time is. "Just one more..."

If it is in your budget and you want it, I say go ahead and get one. If it's a hobby and a passion you like then go for it. I started with a couple of acoustics then purchased a budget strat clone that I experiment with and then added another tele clone. They all actually play fairly well, stay in tune and are more than adequate for my needs, but I wanted to go for something more substantial (turned 50 yesterday) so I treated myself and expanded my family with two additional PRS guitars (Single cut and have a double cut on order). Initially thought I would lose interest in the other cheaper guitars but found that I enjoy picking them up and playing those just a much as I enjoy the higher end one. [br][br][br]

Good luck on making the decision.

Agree with everything prior. It is fun shopping for gear. And once you have even basic rudiments down, you will find that some guitars feel better in your hands and feel easier to play than others.

Good luck with your search!