Notes from the
studio

No. But there is a version of this question worth taking seriously.

Cheap is fine, badly set up is not

A budget guitar plays perfectly well once it has been set up properly. What stops beginners is action that is too high, meaning the strings sit far from the fretboard and every chord hurts.

A setup at a local shop costs far less than a new instrument and transforms one you already own.

Where the money is better spent

  • A setup, if the guitar has never had one
  • New strings, which change the sound more than most people expect
  • A clip on tuner, so you are never playing an out of tune instrument without knowing

When to upgrade

When you are playing most days and can hear what you want and cannot get it. Not before. An expensive instrument does not make practice happen.

Read next

A simple listening routine you can do on the bus, with nothing but a recording and your attention.
Why short frequent practice sticks, and how our students structure a week around real life.
What the first three months actually look like when you learn by ear instead of by reading.