Expensive vs Cheap Guitars Choosing Your Priorities

When deciding between expensive vs. cheap guitars, the choice often feels like a strict budget-versus-quality debate. Expensive guitars are typically built with higher-quality materials and superior craftsmanship, often resulting in better tone, playability, and durability. However, they may not be worth the extra cost for a beginner or a casual player.

While cheaper guitars can be an excellent starting point for new players, they may not offer the same longevity or sound quality. Ultimately, the best guitar is the one that inspires you to play. Your decision should be guided by your experience level, budget, and, most importantly, personal feel. Whether you’re hunting for the best value guitar for your money, a collectible vintage piece, or just a great guitar for beginners, we hope this article helps you prioritize what truly matters.

An Insider's Experience: Why Price Isn't Always a Priority

If your goal is to invest in Vintage or soon-to-be vintage guitars, that's a valid financial approach. However, when it comes to finding guitars to play on a regular basis, a person can get lost in the woods quickly. Here’s my story about why I changed my mind about choosing expensive vs. cheap guitars, which might help you work out your own budget and needs.

I have owned literally over 120 guitars in the last 34 years to support my guitar-singer project. For a long time, it was a necessity—I had to sell or trade one instrument to afford the next.

The biggest revelation is that it truly isn’t about the price or the prestige; it’s about the particular instrument. For example, I have owned five thousand-dollar, beautiful Zemaitis instruments. They were stunning to look at but sounded nothing more than average.

Conversely, I played a Squier Telecaster that I paid $75 for, and I played it for about a decade. It was the best-loved guitar of my life. I played it until I wore it down and out and it was retired.

Proof: What a $75 Guitar Can Sound Like

A $75 dollar guitar can produce a range of sounds depending on its quality and construction. While cheaper guitars may have less resonant materials, with proper tuning, technique, and a good setup, they can still produce pleasant tones suitable for beginners or casual players. The key is to remember that investing in a higher quality guitar can greatly improve the overall sound and playing experience, but is not mandatory.To demonstrate the potential of an entry-level instrument, I recorded the song "Black Heart" on that very $75 Squier. The tone and quality of a build is what matters, not the headstock brand. Listen to the Track: You can hear my recording, "Black Heart," performed on the $75 guitar before I started writing on Guitardoor.com, by visiting my music page here. This should prove that budget doesn't limit creativity! Another [iece of advice is to focus on tone and quality of build vs. what it says on the headstock.

Listen to black heart here http://jimmyflemingmusic.com/track/3012682/black-heart

Expensive vs Cheap Electric Guitars: Finding the Right Feel

As younger players, we often want what our favourite musicians use. While this is a good starting point, remember that each guitar and each player‘s hands are different. Neck shape and profile are incredibly important.

For example, I have large hands, so I can tackle a Gibson Firebird, while someone else might struggle with the width of the Firebird's neck or other Gibson or Gretch Style Guitars. If you have small hands, these might not be the best choice. You may need to look into guitars that suit you better, like a Fender Player Mustang or even a Squier Mini Strat. Here is an article on the topic for more advice.

If you choose an Epiphone or Gibson Les Paul, you could go through 20 different ones, and every neck will feel different. One major revelation for me was the Fender Telecaster 1972 Custom and its counterpart built by Squier.

The original 1972 model was my "Holy Grail" for decades, but when I finally found a used one for $1,500, I played it, and it was horrible. I later bought a Squier version that was better, and ultimately bought a reissue Stock Fender version that became one of my favorites. Every guitar will make you play differently.

Even the Humbucker vs. single-coil sound can throw a curveball and make you alter your playing style in response to the tone. This is why many players specialize, but I find it all applicable, as a change in sound is often needed when making recordings.

Check out our GuitarDoor Friend Ritchie Dave Porter demonstrating the capabilities of a modern, affordable instrument:

Sound of a Fender Squier Affinity Arctic White Telecaster

Cheap vs Expensive Acoustic Guitars: The Tricky Subject

The acoustic guitar is the trickiest subject where the sentiment of "you get what you pay for" often rings true. It depends on the qualities you want. A nice playable acoustic that has a perfect neck feel may lack sound and volume. It may play well and sound like a cardboard box.

Martin guitars that fit the bill as an all-around player's dream can cost thousands. However, Martin has a more economical version, “Sigma by Martin,” that won’t require selling your house to buy. Fender also has some great affordable acoustics, like the F-100. If you are looking for a lifelong, high-end instrument, I recommend checking into Taylor guitars, like their GS Rosewood series.

The Rise of Budget Electric Guitars

We are currently seeing the rise of brands like Glarry, Monoprice, Indio, and 50 other companies. Their instruments, often ranging from $100 to $350, are all over YouTube, and reviews are generally truthful. It’s sometimes worth a $100 gamble.

Unfortunately, many instruments must be bought online now, as the brick-and-mortar "try it before you buy it" music store is becoming a thing of the past. It’s really a gamble now, as your best course of action is to never buy a guitar you haven’t played. Have I broken that rule? Yes, and 9 times out of 10 it worked out well. But that tenth time, you might as well have a hockey stick for a guitar.

Are Expensive Guitars Worth it? The Definitive Answer

Look, the entry-level Paul Reed Smith SE is a brilliant guitar at around $500. The Squier “Classic Vibe” instruments often rival an American-made Fender custom shop. You just need to study and dig around to find what you are willing to pay your money for when investing in guitars.

I had an enlightening event happen a few years back that solidified my opinion regarding “Paying for the name.” I was in Pontiac, Michigan, for the Grande Ballroom 50th anniversary gathering. During the performance by the “The Grande All-Stars,” Amboy Dukes Legend the late Steve Farmer took the stage and performed their classic “Journey to the center of the mind.”

Detroit All-Stars with Steve Farmer, Journey to the Center of the Mind. Grande Ballroom 50th:

Afterward, I caught him backstage and managed to ask a question that wasn't about playing in a band with Ted Nugent: “Out of all the guitars you have owned, what one is your favorite?”

After a twenty-minute conversation about Guitars and amps, he ultimately said, “Well, besides the red Gibson 335 I’ve had since The Dukes started, I would say the guitar that I played tonight is my favorite.”

I asked what it was, knowing already it was a Stratocaster but seeking the specifics. Steve smiled and said, “It’s a Squier I paid $200 for.”

That, my friends, says it all. A good guitar is whatever you find, and many times has nothing to do with the name or the price. While having something like a $6,000 Gibson Les Paul is a small level of prestige, it is not the only path.

As my late Dad once proclaimed when turning down a job offer based on prestige alone: “Prestige and 50 cents will only buy the same cup of coffee I buy every day; it means nothing.”

Happy Guitar Hunting and be careful out there! May your journey through checking out the Legendary names lead you to an instrument you truly love.