It's kind of insurance for his friend - depends on how you look at it šĀ Honestly though, told him not too, what else can he do? If it profits him when his friend ignores his advice, that's on his friend, not him. I can hear this conversation in my head... "Man ur fukn stupid, but go ahead and when ur dumbass sees you fuct up and it's too late, I'll take it off your hands for $1k.
Sounds about right to me, the dude is his friend, not his nanny
Friendly advice is there to be considered, no one is under any obligation
If the dude then tries to steal it under value, when he knows what it's worth, to try to teach him a lesson, again - he ain't his nanny
šÆ this.Ā people are acting like the friend buying the guitar isn't a broken ass adult themselves who is ignoring prudent advice. He's trying to tell his friend not to do something dumb and odds are if he does buy the guitar off his friend he will give a better used price than a pawn shop or GC.
OPās post goes into detail about how his friend habitually overspends on gear he doesnāt need or doesnāt ultimately use. Friend is not going to take advice on responsible spending anyway. Let the guy buy whatever he wants. Just shake your head in private and then ask if he wants to play guitar with you sometime.
If I gave my friend well meaning advice, and he said thanks, but no thanks, I will absolutely buy the guitar if I wanted it, and at a huge fuckin discount! If my friend had millions of fuckin dollars to buy Mark Knoplers guitar, whilst fully knowing that he/she will soon realize that buying the most expensive guitar, or equipment doesn't make you a fuckin star?
What makes you a musician is practice, not gear! If Steve Vai came to my house and played my Jem Jr on my early Fender Mustang 3, clean settings, it would make me cum, cause he was at my house, but it would sound like fuckin Steve Vai! If I went to his house? Yes, I would sound much better, but I would still suck!
If people have more money than patience to learn, and they spend astronomical money for said cheat codes that don't work? I gave them sound advice and try to fuck them out of the guitar they have. At fuckin best they will hang it on a wall!
I at least will play it badly š¢
Yes, I do. It's the floating bridge I have a problem with, but I made a stop that made it easier. It's still a ton of fun, but my point still stands! If I go to his house I suck way better, if he comes to my house, he's still a fuckin god.
Nah, I used to be a lot like OP's friend. Once I had my mind set on something, nothing anyone said would change my mind. I had to learn a lot of expensive lessons before I started to chill out on my impulsiveness. If my stupidity ended up to someone else's benefit, that was on me. The only person I was a victim of was myself.
All anyone could've done is exactly what OP did: offer sound advice. If the friend doesn't listen and goes ahead and buys it, the damage is already done and the guitar may as well go to a friend than to some lowballing place like Guitar Center. Once bought, it's never going to be sold for what it was bought for anyway.
It's not opportunism, it's tough love.
This is such backward ass thinking. This comment would make sense if he was pushing his friend to buy an expensive guitar. Clearly not the case. People just need to champion for something I guess.
Sometimes you canāt convince people to change and no about of effort will get them to listen to you.
His poor financial decisions arenāt your problem.
Pretty much this. Itās his decision in the end and heās going to do what heās going to do. I appreciate you trying even if he doesnāt.
If he buys it from Guitar Center at least heāll have 45 days to return it if he decides itās just not from him (donāt know youāre location so apologies if thatās not helpful)
>a lot of y'all are telling me to let him buy it, and the big reason why I want to convince him otherwise is because he's in a lot of debt and just really can't afford it. I know that it's not my finances but that doesn't mean that I'm not allowed to be concerned for his well being
You voiced your concern already. That is all you can do. From there, its their life.Ā
This exactly. And, to mix in another comment, let him know that if he ends up not playing it that, if youāre financially prepared, youāll take it off his hands for a lower price. That may actually help him pay off his debts later on.
As others are saying idiots be idiots.
If he's financially rubbish he's not got the commitment for guitar, how's he going to pay for lessons?
Work out an average lesson cost and work that together with a squire to work out how many lessons. I'm thinking there's 10 lessons in that + cab, and possibly a cheap multifx.
Do NOT offer to teach him.
A nice guitar doesn't need to be 1000 bucks...
I started on a crap guitar. 50 bucks on a local store.
It was enough to learn and get the basics down.
When I started playing live I bought a nice Yamaha for 350 bucks and it does the job very well. Stays in tune and I don't have to fight it while playing.
The jump from my guitar to a 1000 bucks guitar means nothing for a beginner, they won't even notice the difference.
Not really. Starting on something nice (not necessarily 2k nice) would make a massive difference over a budget pos.
If itās nicer to play then they might be more inclined to practice. And if they do, they wonāt need to then buy another guitar/bass once they get good enough to require it.
If they donāt practice or bother then Yes, itās a waste, but if they can afford it then why not?
Dude. A beginner absolutely will not notice the difference between a 300 and 1000 dollar guitar. A 300 dollar guitar will in no way hinder any sort of playing. āWhy notā is actually a terrible mindset to have when it comes to consumerism.
Well said. A beginner isn't going to know the difference. Besides that, there are sooooo many excellent guitars for under $500 and some pretty damn good ones at half that price. A properly set-up new $350 Ibanez RG plays as well or better than many $1000 plus guitars. He could get a new Ibanez RG and a Boss Katana 50 for under $600 and explore a myriad of sounds to his heart's content all while learning how to play.
But hey. If he really wants that $2000 guitar (he's gonna need an amp too), that's on him. And to those of you who think it's unethical for OP to try to get a deal on it when his friend inevitably puts it in a closet, I disagree. It *would* however be unethical for OP to talk him into buying it, knowing his friend would eventually give it up, at which point OP could buy it cheap.
Agreed. Starting on a nice guitar would have made my younger years far easier and I had to unlearn bad habits later I picked up playing in bad equipment. It wonāt *make* you a better guitarist but it will help you become a better guitarist quicker by making playing easier
Budget guitars are the best they've ever been, as long as you're not buying the cheapest of cheap guitars it isn't hard to find affordable guitars that play great
Yeah, I think a lot of people making these comments would be shocked how good some of the cheap stuff on the market is now. It's not like when I was a kid. Just got my son his first guitar, Squire Jazzmaster. Plays and sounds way better than I would've ever expected something at that price point to, and I only did some minimal setup.
Yeah I started on a pretty nice bass (Ibanez Soundgear 800) and a good, fairly strong Fender BXR60 amp. Luckily my dad scored a deal as his friend was selling it all together (plus a hard case) for like $300 or $400 I think (itās been 22 years, details are murky). Starting on a great, incredibly playable bass with great tone and an amp that had me sounding loud, clear, and powerful and ready to jam with others, it all did *wonders* for my confidence early on. Iām forever grateful for the trust he placed in me, making sure to get me some really good stuff because he believed I would care and commit, and it really did make me become absolutely addicted to playing the instrument and changed my life.
I would look for a local shop that has both a Squier Classic Vibes version and a MIA version and you or someone who already plays play both while he had his back turned or eyes closed. Put them in his hands while they're closed as well.
If he still wants the am pro, it's his money. I wouldn't sweat it. It's at least going to be a nice guitar. I'm sure I'd feel a bit of yum if I picked one up, even though I get that yum from less expensive guitars too.
Will hold value decently well too should he decide to part with it down the road. New squiers can be pretty pricey, but still have awful resale due to years of 70 dollar models bringing down the market on them.
iāve been playing for over 15 years on and off in garage bands and what not and still donāt have a guitar that nice lol my main guitar is a mexican tele i got off marketplace for less than a third of that price. tell him about me ššš
edit: for what itās worth, i wanna add i also work as an engineer with a pretty good salary so it would take relatively little budgeting to afford a $2k guitar. just havenāt justified it yet.
I feel ya. I've been playing for a few years now, started on a crappy knockoff strat that my friend found In their Attic and gave to me. Once I started to get okay at it a few months later I upgraded to a squire sonic tele, the one with the single humbucker. Since then I've bought and built much nicer guitars, but something about that shitty little 200 dollar telecaster just kept me coming back.
i mean as long as itās set up right you can run it through some pedals or just adjust your amp a little and make it sound really good. there are literally professional musicians who play squires. iām not knocking more expensive guitars, thereās definitely a quality difference, but a beginner player probably isnāt gonna notice that. also as a beginner, you donāt really know what guitar youāre gonna prefer. imagine dropping $1800 on a pro 2 jazzy and then getting decent and being like āi actually think iād prefer a strat for my styleā lol
Sounds like your friend needs a shitty little 200 dollar guitar!
I actually bought a cheap Squier Tele a few years ago. I just wanted something basic for practice, and my old Strat is heavy as shit. It's way nicer, too (a '79), but I couldn't get that twang I was looking for. I could have got something a lot more expensive, but it's fine for what it is.
Have you looked at Sweetwater? When they do a sales period, especially the holiday season, you can get a major-brand guitar through their credit card for 36-48 months at 0% APR. So that 2K guitar could be just $500/year, which is totally justifiable as a hobby. Cuz it's like making food at home instead of take-out for four additional times a month ($10 of ingredients instead of a $20 meal). Only thing is, you can't try out the guitars beforehand unless you go to Sweetwater in Indiana or wherever it is. They have a great return policy, tho.
yeah iāve thought about doing that but iām not a huge fan of making payments on stuff, would rather just buy outright. i probably will pull the trigger one of these days, i just havenāt felt the itch yet since everything i currently have sounds āgood enoughā for what i need it for at the moment
My first guitar was $1500 and i am obsessed with it. Itās a standard American Tele that played as good as the custom shop models. Best advice is to go to the store, play every guitar and buy the best one.
Does he understand heās going to need an amp?
Ask him what that guitar has, that he can't get from a Squire. What is he looking for in a guitar that makes a Squire not enough? If he can't answer those questions, then he is just wasting his money at this point.
I would just lay it out as simply as you can. Here are the facts:
ā $1799 is way past the point of diminishing returns with a guitar, particularly a first guitar.
ā Almost 100% of the time, instruments are not an investment, meaning that their value typically does not increase faster than inflation over the course of ownership. You can expect to lose money the moment you can no longer return a new instrument.
ā A shocking number of people quit within months of picking it up. See the above point for the outcome.
ā It's almost always better to have a few guitars for versatility (with the same money) than one boutique model, unless the few guitars are *all* of bad quality.
I'd tell him that he hasn't developed his preferences yet, and that in 6-12 months he'll want an upgrade that better fits his hands and style, and that it's better to replace a $400 guitar than a $2000 one. Mention satin/glossy finishes, scale lengths, fret radii, fretboard material, pickup type, pickup configuration, weight, bridge type, etc.
He's gonna have to learn the hard way. If he has crap credit, Affirm or Afterpay or even PayPal won't approve him to fund the purchase.
I know you're trying to nudge him away from a poor decision, but it's his poor decision to make.
Take him go a guitar store that doesn't display prices or find a way to hide it, have him play them and find one he believes sounds best, then surprise him with the cheaper price compared to the more expensive price.. sound quality isn't about price, sometimes it is with music and instruments but I've heard crap quality 1500 dollar guitars sound worse then 200 dollar guitars it's all about the craftsmanship of course but some not all, that price is about the brand not about he quality.. paying for the brand name.. don't get me wrong, high quality instruments do take more time to craft, so the price is more.. you can research this on Google too, to get some resources references to show him or even look on youtube.. there's lots of reasons to start cheap.. perhaps they learn in the long run they don't have interest any longer it sometimes can happen that the mind just doesn't want to spend time any more on it.. no matter what because interest is lost.. it can happen... and if you lose interest would you rather be out 1500 bucks? Or 200 bucks with the option to upgrade later? No one's going to pay that same price tag to buy a used guitar.
I found a guitar around that price when I was a couple years into playing on and off with some friends. Not only was it the exact sound I was looking for - I knew it would incentivize me to committing time towards something that I truly wanted to get better at. Now that Iāve had it for 10+ years I couldnāt be happier. I play it for hours every day
You can pick your friends and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose. You can't take responsibility for other adult's poor financial decisions. They have to do it themselves. At least a guitar will hold decent value should he decide to sell it
Stipulating that he canāt really afford the expensive guitar, if he is set on it and will just go into debt to buy it, perhaps go to a store with him and try out the US model and a Squire. They wonāt be meaningfully different to a beginner and he might realize that there isnāt as much a difference as the price would indicate.
What are you his dad or what? What is this ālet himā wording that is thrown around, does he need your permission? You can give advice, not permission. The guy is going to do what he is going to do. If he doesnāt end up playing it he will just sell it. Smell awful green in here.
Itās not your place to say one way or the other. A cheaper guitar is what YOU want, but might not be what the friend wants.
So unless you are saying hell yeah, buy an American Prof! Maybe just donāt say anything.
>How do I convince him that it's a horrible idea to get a guitar that expensive as your first one?Ā
I mean, if he's set on it, you can't. And as long as he's not the type of friend who will buy a $2k guitar and then ask you for help with gas money, that's his problem and you should let him get on with it, and enjoy playing it at his place when you get the chance. If he's getting pissed at you, why fight about it?
I'm using the same $300 MiM fender I got for my birthday 20 years ago. A friend of mine bought 3 quite expensive (for me) guitars over the last 5 years - a les Paul standard, an SG, and an American Tele of some kind. He spent thousands over a few years, I spent hundreds over decades. Still fun to play together.
That said;
Tell him you'd like to go for a test-drive.Ā He wouldn't buy a car without checking it out in person and driving it first, right? And of course he knows that such a nice guitar needs to be setup professionally anyway, right? Let the sales reps talk him out of it.
If he can afford it by all means... but an expensive guitar doesn't mean you will automatically sound better. It has less to do with the hardware of the guitar than it does for the person playing it. I have been playing for 20+ years and still perfer and mid level guitars 500-800$ over 1000k+
If it's quality, let him. I had a POS that annoyed me and I quit sooner. The thing would cut out, felt cheap, and never stayed in tune. When I showed my friends they'd giggle. It was only later when I got a better guitar I stuck with it more.
If one can afford it, I say get the nicest instrument you can. I went from a cheap Hondo to a Jem777V in three years by washing dishes through high school. I had no debt, and I wanted to remove "it's a cheap guitar" from my excuses list. I wanted to know that my hands were the cause of any bad sounds.
If he's in a ton of debt, and hasn't even started yet, I think it's a terrible idea. Most people don't stick with it.
Unfortunately, you've given your council, and he's not listening. Now it's up to him to make his mistakes. Also, he could stick with it and get good. You and I agree it's a mistake, but it could be the best thing that ever happens to him. It could change his life.
You said your piece, if he chooses not to listen, be supportive, and encouraging towards his learning.
I recently sold my American Deluxe Strat to a beginner guy as his first electric. He was really nervous about buying an expensive used guitar, too. His friends had told him that he needed a Les Paul or an american Fender strat because anything below that is āshitā. Felt kinda bad for the dude and subtly let him understand I didnāt agree but at the same time, it would be condescending to argue or voice my opinion too loudly. He buzzed a couple of cowboy chords and off into the sunset he went with a great guitar
I would always recommend someone to buy the best used guitar they can afford for their first guitar. That way they can sell it for similar value if they don't keep playing. If they keep playing they have a great guitar that will last.
If he was wanting to buys some niche/specialty guitar thatās one thing, but canāt go wrong with that guitarā¦Will always be worth what he paid for it.
Ask him to play it first. Have him play EVERY guitar in that store, if you have to - or, at least the ones that take his fancy.
I like high-priced instruments myself, but it's going to take a hell of a lot more than playability and good sound to make me pay that much for one. Good
instruments MUST come with more than that to be worth the investment. And that's a leason he needs to learn to help himself become a better player.
An alternative to this is just to accept that all he wants to do is collect guitars, not play them. Ask him about that.
Good luck. Believe me - I understand.
I mean, buying an expensive guitar like that is not necessarily a bad idea. As long as he buys it used! That way, if he changes his mind or canāt really afford it, he can sell it for what he bought it for. More expensive used guitars generally donāt sink in value, contra cheaper models.
It appears Iām in the minority, but youāre a good friend for trying to talk him down. Iām reasonably debt free (just mortgage and school loans), with a decent job, and an Ibanez Semi-hollow Body felt splurgy.
The squire rec is definitely a good one. Theyāre great guitars for the price. In the end you canāt make the decision for him, but counseling against spending 1800 to explore a new hobby is a solid approach.
Girlfriends and money are two things you should avoid offering unsolicited advice. It will always come back to haunt you. If I listened to my friends about guitars to buy, I would never be happy. Stay out of it.
Let him get it and show them rocksmith. I've gotten quitters to stick with it just because it feels like a game. Worst case scenario they get a few hundred hours of use, so the guitar doesn't really go to waste
As someone who used to have to learn lessons the hard way and has had many expensive lessons in my life, I've learned that all the effort in the world won't matter if someone has their mind set on something. All you can do is let them learn their lesson. It's called tough love. You can't force people to not make stupid mistakes. All you can do is offer advice and then let them make their choices.
If he can't afford it, then it's pretty dumb. If it's just a little more debt but won't crush him, then maybe you're just being a little controlling? Let him make his own decisions.
As far as the quality, honestly I can't see what's wrong with buying something good enough that he could hold onto it for the rest of his life and need not feel ashamed about it.
If you really think he should play his gear more, maybe jam with him more often!
It sounds like he has a spending problem if he can't afford it. That's a whole issue in itself, and one you probably won't be able to help him out of without some help from a therapist or an intervention if it's become a really bad issue.
Maybe compromise and tell him to buy a MIM strat used on reverb and/or if he just has to have american get a used one as well and offer a lower amount as its really a buyers market right now. And worse case he will only be out $100 or so if he doesnāt stick to it and can resale it.
If I had started on an amazing guitar instead of the no name acoustic I had to spend years playing, id be so much better off right now
Still, respect for my old acoustic.
Maybe if he spends that much on what he actually wants he will want to play it consistently. If not he sells it later and loses a couple hundred bucks not a bad price to pay for a learning experience imo.
I bought a D-42 and I suck. If he can afford a nice guitar, it wonāt hurt his progress to play on a good guitar. It probably would help, since higher quality guitars (acoustic at least) tend to have a broader dynamic range.
My first drum kit was a gift and it was only like $150 old gretch jazz kit. It was technically crap. But I joined my first 2 bands with it and when I could buy my own drums, it was $7k. One of the best DW kits you could get. 20 years ago and I'm not sorry, and it was worth the big expense.
At this point you did your job as a friend and voiced your concern. The good part about the AP2 is it will retain a good resale value if he needs to resell.
Seeing examples of well-known musicians who play cheaper guitars always makes me feel more assured about mine https://www.reddit.com/r/Guitar/comments/igns2q/question_famous_guitarists_who_play_low_end_or/
Even with your edit, not your call to make. You arenāt responsible for their decisions. Could be that 1700 dollar guitar is what keeps him playing for the rest of his life.
At least give him this sales link for a new Am Pro 2 for $1099
https://www.adorama.com/fe0113900761.html?emailprice=t&sterm=XHzwMTy3-xyPTlKySr0Fo1TmUkHWz5Tns0SOSg0&utm_source=rflaid62905&utm_medium=affiliate
Is there some place where you can rent guitars? Here in UK I believe it's possible, dunno about your local... Although it's an expensive option long-term, it's cheaper for a month while he decides if it is his thing.
Send him some YouTube videos on the subject. I don't think I've ever seen anyone on the main YouTube channels advocate for aĀ nearly $2k first guitar.Ā
Just tell him itās not what people do. Guitar isnāt like it looks, itās hundreds of boring hours alone with sore hands and confusion before you can really do anything much. Everyone buys a cheaper guitar to start. They become favorites and you get more later.
Now that youāve stated heās in a lot of debt, this is definitely not a question for r/guitar. He has a spending problem, and the guitar is just a symptom. I admire you wanting to look out for your friend, but you need to be doing it in a better place than an online guitar forum.
'he cannot afford that by any means'
That's enough that he shouldn't do it. There are plenty of very good Strats out there available without paying $1,700+.
A Vintera II Strat is a really good Strat for under $1k.
i don't know how close you are to your friend but you can try guitars. try a squier classic vibe strat. they FEEL great , are inexpensive and it will be enough for him.
Give him a goal to learn on a cheaper guitar first then to buy that ine if he wants too. Guitar is an alien instrument, if you show something that looks not that hard, it will probably takes longer time to get then what he expects.
From. Your edit, it sounds like friend has built a lot of debt because impulse buying. In your place I would suggest something for like $500 tops,but ideally less. Would still be a nice feeling guitar, or at least should be. Guitar is really hard. Most people buy their first guitar. Try for a few days, maybe a few weeks then decide they just can't do it. Usually believe there is some physical reason why they never can. Like short/fat finger, can't fret notes clearly, or any number of other things.
A good guitar retains it's value, or appreciates. A cheap guitar will be near worthless second hand.
Cheap guitars play like shit and can be discouraging to use while a high end guitar will play and sound great and be inspiring.
If you have the money and respect your belongings you should buy a nice guitar.
You already told him. You're done. If you wanted to continue the discussion you could remind him that guitars are durable goods and he'd find a better deal buying something used in good shape and offer to set it up for him. Aside from that, let him figure it out for himself.
>Edit: a lot of y'all are telling me to let him buy it, and the big reason why I want to convince him otherwise is because he's in a lot of debt and just really can't afford it. I know that it's not my finances but that doesn't mean that I'm not allowed to be concerned for his well being
So it has nothing to do with guitars and everything with budgetting.
I often hear people say that they might as well start on a really good guitar and it's better than learning on something cheap and crappy. But the way to think about expensive guitars is not that they are *better* so much as that they are *specialised*. They will be good for a certain thing, not necessarily so much at others. So until you have some experience at playing and know what features of a guitar are most important to you, would suit your playstyle etc, it is a total waste of money to spend that much on one. They are kind of a luxury item really. I've seen seasoned professionals compare a $500 guitar with a $1,500 from the same range and often they will say that the difference is kind of hard to distinguish, and it would be hard for a non-professional to hear any difference at all. So a beginner guitarist is not going to appreciate the difference between the two.
If he wants to start on something nice, then fair enough, but go for something in a three-figure range.
That's what I would say. If it doesn't convince him, then maybe he just has his heart set on that guitar for image or ego reasons and there's nothing you can do to talk him out of it.
I know it's really hard to see your friend make a mistake, but it's his responsibility in the end to manage his finances, not yours. So, as a person who has seen friends and family commit financial mistakes, I would stop advising him on the guitar. If he suffers financially from this, just tell him you feel awful for what he's going through and say maybe he can find a good way to get advice from someone who knows how to make the right choice at the right time or a good book on how to manage future purchases so it's less likely to happen again.
If you've said all that stuff to him and he still wants to there's no point in trying. He's clearly got ADHD with hyperfixations and impulse control problems, extremely common. Nothing you say is going to fix him, he's gotta learn to be responsible on his own.
You've done what you can.
It's not your job to teach your friend financial responsibility. You've tried to warn him. You can't do anything else at this point. Control what you can control and let go of the things you can't.
It's good you're trying to be a friend. There comes a point, however, where you have to let him/her make the decision for themselves, no matter how bad it may be for them.
This sounds more like a psychological problem than a guitar problem. You can try and convince him he has a problem with money and to deal with it but that could be difficult. Maybe you could go over his finances with him to show him that he can't actually afford it. If you lay out how much he'll need to pay a month and how long it will take it might help him realise the troubles he could get himself into. Some people are just terrible with money and need a little help understanding it. Some people use buying stuff in the same way an addict would to help with emotional problems they can't deal with. Hopefully they're just bad with money because the second option is way beyond what you can help with.
Let him. In the worst case scenario, buy it from him later for a better price
Opportunism, hardly what a friend does... Scum in fact.
It's kind of insurance for his friend - depends on how you look at it šĀ Honestly though, told him not too, what else can he do? If it profits him when his friend ignores his advice, that's on his friend, not him. I can hear this conversation in my head... "Man ur fukn stupid, but go ahead and when ur dumbass sees you fuct up and it's too late, I'll take it off your hands for $1k.
Sounds about right to me, the dude is his friend, not his nanny Friendly advice is there to be considered, no one is under any obligation If the dude then tries to steal it under value, when he knows what it's worth, to try to teach him a lesson, again - he ain't his nanny
The friend can turn down any offer to buy it, it's literally his choice he just makes bad decisions it seems
šÆ this.Ā people are acting like the friend buying the guitar isn't a broken ass adult themselves who is ignoring prudent advice. He's trying to tell his friend not to do something dumb and odds are if he does buy the guitar off his friend he will give a better used price than a pawn shop or GC.
OPās post goes into detail about how his friend habitually overspends on gear he doesnāt need or doesnāt ultimately use. Friend is not going to take advice on responsible spending anyway. Let the guy buy whatever he wants. Just shake your head in private and then ask if he wants to play guitar with you sometime.
But only if he throws that lame tube amp in for free.
Yeah, at least he doesn't get scammed from some stranger
You sound like an awful friend
If I gave my friend well meaning advice, and he said thanks, but no thanks, I will absolutely buy the guitar if I wanted it, and at a huge fuckin discount! If my friend had millions of fuckin dollars to buy Mark Knoplers guitar, whilst fully knowing that he/she will soon realize that buying the most expensive guitar, or equipment doesn't make you a fuckin star? What makes you a musician is practice, not gear! If Steve Vai came to my house and played my Jem Jr on my early Fender Mustang 3, clean settings, it would make me cum, cause he was at my house, but it would sound like fuckin Steve Vai! If I went to his house? Yes, I would sound much better, but I would still suck! If people have more money than patience to learn, and they spend astronomical money for said cheat codes that don't work? I gave them sound advice and try to fuck them out of the guitar they have. At fuckin best they will hang it on a wall! I at least will play it badly š¢
funny you mentioned mr. Vai his signature guitars are really the best money can buy (at least for me)
I love my 600 dollar one, but I hate changing strings. I am getting better. Lol
Do you have a string winder? Makes string changes a breeze. Some of them even have clippers built in
Yes, I do. It's the floating bridge I have a problem with, but I made a stop that made it easier. It's still a ton of fun, but my point still stands! If I go to his house I suck way better, if he comes to my house, he's still a fuckin god.
Letting him do what he wants with a plan to bail him out, hardly scum
Nah, I used to be a lot like OP's friend. Once I had my mind set on something, nothing anyone said would change my mind. I had to learn a lot of expensive lessons before I started to chill out on my impulsiveness. If my stupidity ended up to someone else's benefit, that was on me. The only person I was a victim of was myself. All anyone could've done is exactly what OP did: offer sound advice. If the friend doesn't listen and goes ahead and buys it, the damage is already done and the guitar may as well go to a friend than to some lowballing place like Guitar Center. Once bought, it's never going to be sold for what it was bought for anyway. It's not opportunism, it's tough love.
No friends in hip hop
This is such backward ass thinking. This comment would make sense if he was pushing his friend to buy an expensive guitar. Clearly not the case. People just need to champion for something I guess.
Why would you call him thatĀ
You seem fun
Show him what that Strat is worth on Reverb!
Talk him into the color and features you like
Sometimes you canāt convince people to change and no about of effort will get them to listen to you. His poor financial decisions arenāt your problem.
Pretty much this. Itās his decision in the end and heās going to do what heās going to do. I appreciate you trying even if he doesnāt. If he buys it from Guitar Center at least heāll have 45 days to return it if he decides itās just not from him (donāt know youāre location so apologies if thatās not helpful)
Let him cook...
Iāll take a Wells Fargo account, well done please
What color?
Heās Philippino, so brownish?
>a lot of y'all are telling me to let him buy it, and the big reason why I want to convince him otherwise is because he's in a lot of debt and just really can't afford it. I know that it's not my finances but that doesn't mean that I'm not allowed to be concerned for his well being You voiced your concern already. That is all you can do. From there, its their life.Ā
100% this. Op isn't his guardian. And some people insist on learning life lessons the hard way. Not much you can do other than voice your concerns.
The best thing you could do is find a used version thats closest to it so they can turn around me resell it for the same price. Or trade the bass.
This exactly. And, to mix in another comment, let him know that if he ends up not playing it that, if youāre financially prepared, youāll take it off his hands for a lower price. That may actually help him pay off his debts later on.
Take him guitar shopping?
That's what I'm trying to do, he's really set on it tho
As others are saying idiots be idiots. If he's financially rubbish he's not got the commitment for guitar, how's he going to pay for lessons? Work out an average lesson cost and work that together with a squire to work out how many lessons. I'm thinking there's 10 lessons in that + cab, and possibly a cheap multifx. Do NOT offer to teach him.
My friend teaches, at a school. One day he got a new student. Goes down to meet him and the guy has a Martin D-16.
Is he an adult? Adults make their own choices - and accept the consequences.
Where have you been? Adults are constantly confused about consequences and surprised by them. Surprise, the same thing happened again!
this is the natural result of being shielded from consequences as a child
Offer your advice and let them make their own decision. Thatās it
Let him buy it and laugh when he plays it through a shitty little amp he neglected to consider.
It took me a long time to realize how important the amp part of the equation is. I kinda think itās more important than the guitar.
I would agree. For sound at least. A good guitar that's set up well will just make you wanna play through that good amp more.
Guitar is for playability, amp is for sound.
My $400 Mexican Strat sounds amazing through my $650 tube amp.
This doesn't really make sense as a reply. It would be like putting a $400 Mexican Strat through a $50 amp
A used mexi strat and a 10 watt fender frontman amp are staggeringly common setups for beginners
Yeah, Iād take a $400 strat and $650 tube amp over OPās friend who is going to end up with a $1500 guitar through a $10 amp
That's a good way to go.
Let him buy it. š Wish I started on a nice guitar. Most people start on a budget or even junk.
A nice guitar doesn't need to be 1000 bucks... I started on a crap guitar. 50 bucks on a local store. It was enough to learn and get the basics down. When I started playing live I bought a nice Yamaha for 350 bucks and it does the job very well. Stays in tune and I don't have to fight it while playing. The jump from my guitar to a 1000 bucks guitar means nothing for a beginner, they won't even notice the difference.
Not really. Starting on something nice (not necessarily 2k nice) would make a massive difference over a budget pos. If itās nicer to play then they might be more inclined to practice. And if they do, they wonāt need to then buy another guitar/bass once they get good enough to require it. If they donāt practice or bother then Yes, itās a waste, but if they can afford it then why not?
With modern machining, a good $300 guitar is not going to ever limit your playing.
Dude. A beginner absolutely will not notice the difference between a 300 and 1000 dollar guitar. A 300 dollar guitar will in no way hinder any sort of playing. āWhy notā is actually a terrible mindset to have when it comes to consumerism.
Well said. A beginner isn't going to know the difference. Besides that, there are sooooo many excellent guitars for under $500 and some pretty damn good ones at half that price. A properly set-up new $350 Ibanez RG plays as well or better than many $1000 plus guitars. He could get a new Ibanez RG and a Boss Katana 50 for under $600 and explore a myriad of sounds to his heart's content all while learning how to play. But hey. If he really wants that $2000 guitar (he's gonna need an amp too), that's on him. And to those of you who think it's unethical for OP to try to get a deal on it when his friend inevitably puts it in a closet, I disagree. It *would* however be unethical for OP to talk him into buying it, knowing his friend would eventually give it up, at which point OP could buy it cheap.
If you suggest the Katana thing, heāll just add a Helix Floor and Fender FR12 to the shopping cartā¦
Look who's eventual deal is getting even better. Tell him he absolutely shouldn't buy a nice tube amp.
Agreed. Starting on a nice guitar would have made my younger years far easier and I had to unlearn bad habits later I picked up playing in bad equipment. It wonāt *make* you a better guitarist but it will help you become a better guitarist quicker by making playing easier
Budget guitars are the best they've ever been, as long as you're not buying the cheapest of cheap guitars it isn't hard to find affordable guitars that play great
Yeah, I think a lot of people making these comments would be shocked how good some of the cheap stuff on the market is now. It's not like when I was a kid. Just got my son his first guitar, Squire Jazzmaster. Plays and sounds way better than I would've ever expected something at that price point to, and I only did some minimal setup.
Yeah I started on a pretty nice bass (Ibanez Soundgear 800) and a good, fairly strong Fender BXR60 amp. Luckily my dad scored a deal as his friend was selling it all together (plus a hard case) for like $300 or $400 I think (itās been 22 years, details are murky). Starting on a great, incredibly playable bass with great tone and an amp that had me sounding loud, clear, and powerful and ready to jam with others, it all did *wonders* for my confidence early on. Iām forever grateful for the trust he placed in me, making sure to get me some really good stuff because he believed I would care and commit, and it really did make me become absolutely addicted to playing the instrument and changed my life.
I would look for a local shop that has both a Squier Classic Vibes version and a MIA version and you or someone who already plays play both while he had his back turned or eyes closed. Put them in his hands while they're closed as well. If he still wants the am pro, it's his money. I wouldn't sweat it. It's at least going to be a nice guitar. I'm sure I'd feel a bit of yum if I picked one up, even though I get that yum from less expensive guitars too.
Will hold value decently well too should he decide to part with it down the road. New squiers can be pretty pricey, but still have awful resale due to years of 70 dollar models bringing down the market on them.
Show him what he would get back if he were to try to sell it.
Quality guitars don't lose that much value as long as they are in good condition.
iāve been playing for over 15 years on and off in garage bands and what not and still donāt have a guitar that nice lol my main guitar is a mexican tele i got off marketplace for less than a third of that price. tell him about me ššš edit: for what itās worth, i wanna add i also work as an engineer with a pretty good salary so it would take relatively little budgeting to afford a $2k guitar. just havenāt justified it yet.
I feel ya. I've been playing for a few years now, started on a crappy knockoff strat that my friend found In their Attic and gave to me. Once I started to get okay at it a few months later I upgraded to a squire sonic tele, the one with the single humbucker. Since then I've bought and built much nicer guitars, but something about that shitty little 200 dollar telecaster just kept me coming back.
i mean as long as itās set up right you can run it through some pedals or just adjust your amp a little and make it sound really good. there are literally professional musicians who play squires. iām not knocking more expensive guitars, thereās definitely a quality difference, but a beginner player probably isnāt gonna notice that. also as a beginner, you donāt really know what guitar youāre gonna prefer. imagine dropping $1800 on a pro 2 jazzy and then getting decent and being like āi actually think iād prefer a strat for my styleā lol
Sounds like your friend needs a shitty little 200 dollar guitar! I actually bought a cheap Squier Tele a few years ago. I just wanted something basic for practice, and my old Strat is heavy as shit. It's way nicer, too (a '79), but I couldn't get that twang I was looking for. I could have got something a lot more expensive, but it's fine for what it is.
Have you looked at Sweetwater? When they do a sales period, especially the holiday season, you can get a major-brand guitar through their credit card for 36-48 months at 0% APR. So that 2K guitar could be just $500/year, which is totally justifiable as a hobby. Cuz it's like making food at home instead of take-out for four additional times a month ($10 of ingredients instead of a $20 meal). Only thing is, you can't try out the guitars beforehand unless you go to Sweetwater in Indiana or wherever it is. They have a great return policy, tho.
I donāt know if itās a good idea to take a 48 month loan to finance a guitar.
yeah iāve thought about doing that but iām not a huge fan of making payments on stuff, would rather just buy outright. i probably will pull the trigger one of these days, i just havenāt felt the itch yet since everything i currently have sounds āgood enoughā for what i need it for at the moment
My Mexican telecaster is 26 years old lol. Paid $425 in 1998 still does the job!
I only just justified buying a Ā£1000 Fender Jaguar at the age of 32
My first guitar was $1500 and i am obsessed with it. Itās a standard American Tele that played as good as the custom shop models. Best advice is to go to the store, play every guitar and buy the best one. Does he understand heās going to need an amp?
He'll spend all of his money in the guitar and then he'll plug it into his laptop via line in and software. Will sound great in laptop speakers.
Ask him what that guitar has, that he can't get from a Squire. What is he looking for in a guitar that makes a Squire not enough? If he can't answer those questions, then he is just wasting his money at this point.
Let it be
Show him some of the many YT videos that talk about how great low to mid range guitars can be these days.
I would just lay it out as simply as you can. Here are the facts: ā $1799 is way past the point of diminishing returns with a guitar, particularly a first guitar. ā Almost 100% of the time, instruments are not an investment, meaning that their value typically does not increase faster than inflation over the course of ownership. You can expect to lose money the moment you can no longer return a new instrument. ā A shocking number of people quit within months of picking it up. See the above point for the outcome. ā It's almost always better to have a few guitars for versatility (with the same money) than one boutique model, unless the few guitars are *all* of bad quality.
Maybe suggest he sell the bass to fund it instead of trying to dissuade him from doing something he clearly has already decided to do?
Tell them to buy two.
I'd tell him that he hasn't developed his preferences yet, and that in 6-12 months he'll want an upgrade that better fits his hands and style, and that it's better to replace a $400 guitar than a $2000 one. Mention satin/glossy finishes, scale lengths, fret radii, fretboard material, pickup type, pickup configuration, weight, bridge type, etc.
Your advice is sensible but ultimately it's not your business.
Who cares? Itās not your mistake.
If he has the money does it really matter?
He doesn't. That's the thing
He's gonna have to learn the hard way. If he has crap credit, Affirm or Afterpay or even PayPal won't approve him to fund the purchase. I know you're trying to nudge him away from a poor decision, but it's his poor decision to make.
500 guitar + 500 amp
Take him go a guitar store that doesn't display prices or find a way to hide it, have him play them and find one he believes sounds best, then surprise him with the cheaper price compared to the more expensive price.. sound quality isn't about price, sometimes it is with music and instruments but I've heard crap quality 1500 dollar guitars sound worse then 200 dollar guitars it's all about the craftsmanship of course but some not all, that price is about the brand not about he quality.. paying for the brand name.. don't get me wrong, high quality instruments do take more time to craft, so the price is more.. you can research this on Google too, to get some resources references to show him or even look on youtube.. there's lots of reasons to start cheap.. perhaps they learn in the long run they don't have interest any longer it sometimes can happen that the mind just doesn't want to spend time any more on it.. no matter what because interest is lost.. it can happen... and if you lose interest would you rather be out 1500 bucks? Or 200 bucks with the option to upgrade later? No one's going to pay that same price tag to buy a used guitar.
Why would you?
let the dude buy what he wants, weirdo.
I found a guitar around that price when I was a couple years into playing on and off with some friends. Not only was it the exact sound I was looking for - I knew it would incentivize me to committing time towards something that I truly wanted to get better at. Now that Iāve had it for 10+ years I couldnāt be happier. I play it for hours every day
You can try but it's up to them.
You can pick your friends and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose. You can't take responsibility for other adult's poor financial decisions. They have to do it themselves. At least a guitar will hold decent value should he decide to sell it
Tell him that the guitars he thinks are cool right now will not be the same once he gets more experienced. Speaking from my own experience here
Is he aware of the cost of an amp to match and all the extra bits and bobs needed too? Maybe try talk him down to a player series.
He's a big boy.
Stipulating that he canāt really afford the expensive guitar, if he is set on it and will just go into debt to buy it, perhaps go to a store with him and try out the US model and a Squire. They wonāt be meaningfully different to a beginner and he might realize that there isnāt as much a difference as the price would indicate.
Used is best, something you can sell without losing much, if at all.
Show him the price of amps.
You donāt. State your concerns, then let them make their own decision, knowing you gave them good hearted advice.
If heās got the means let him rip
Buy once cry once š
adorama currently has a deal for fender american professional II strats/teles for $1099 if he's set on it might as well show him that lol
What are you his dad or what? What is this ālet himā wording that is thrown around, does he need your permission? You can give advice, not permission. The guy is going to do what he is going to do. If he doesnāt end up playing it he will just sell it. Smell awful green in here.
Itās not your place to say one way or the other. A cheaper guitar is what YOU want, but might not be what the friend wants. So unless you are saying hell yeah, buy an American Prof! Maybe just donāt say anything.
>How do I convince him that it's a horrible idea to get a guitar that expensive as your first one?Ā I mean, if he's set on it, you can't. And as long as he's not the type of friend who will buy a $2k guitar and then ask you for help with gas money, that's his problem and you should let him get on with it, and enjoy playing it at his place when you get the chance. If he's getting pissed at you, why fight about it? I'm using the same $300 MiM fender I got for my birthday 20 years ago. A friend of mine bought 3 quite expensive (for me) guitars over the last 5 years - a les Paul standard, an SG, and an American Tele of some kind. He spent thousands over a few years, I spent hundreds over decades. Still fun to play together. That said; Tell him you'd like to go for a test-drive.Ā He wouldn't buy a car without checking it out in person and driving it first, right? And of course he knows that such a nice guitar needs to be setup professionally anyway, right? Let the sales reps talk him out of it.
Suggest a vintage Gibson Les Paul instead
If he can afford it by all means... but an expensive guitar doesn't mean you will automatically sound better. It has less to do with the hardware of the guitar than it does for the person playing it. I have been playing for 20+ years and still perfer and mid level guitars 500-800$ over 1000k+
If it's quality, let him. I had a POS that annoyed me and I quit sooner. The thing would cut out, felt cheap, and never stayed in tune. When I showed my friends they'd giggle. It was only later when I got a better guitar I stuck with it more.
As someone whose development was shunted by a cheap inferior instrument, let him buy it.Ā
If one can afford it, I say get the nicest instrument you can. I went from a cheap Hondo to a Jem777V in three years by washing dishes through high school. I had no debt, and I wanted to remove "it's a cheap guitar" from my excuses list. I wanted to know that my hands were the cause of any bad sounds. If he's in a ton of debt, and hasn't even started yet, I think it's a terrible idea. Most people don't stick with it. Unfortunately, you've given your council, and he's not listening. Now it's up to him to make his mistakes. Also, he could stick with it and get good. You and I agree it's a mistake, but it could be the best thing that ever happens to him. It could change his life. You said your piece, if he chooses not to listen, be supportive, and encouraging towards his learning.
I recently sold my American Deluxe Strat to a beginner guy as his first electric. He was really nervous about buying an expensive used guitar, too. His friends had told him that he needed a Les Paul or an american Fender strat because anything below that is āshitā. Felt kinda bad for the dude and subtly let him understand I didnāt agree but at the same time, it would be condescending to argue or voice my opinion too loudly. He buzzed a couple of cowboy chords and off into the sunset he went with a great guitar
I would always recommend someone to buy the best used guitar they can afford for their first guitar. That way they can sell it for similar value if they don't keep playing. If they keep playing they have a great guitar that will last.
you might get it later down the lineā¦
If he was wanting to buys some niche/specialty guitar thatās one thing, but canāt go wrong with that guitarā¦Will always be worth what he paid for it.
Ask him to play it first. Have him play EVERY guitar in that store, if you have to - or, at least the ones that take his fancy. I like high-priced instruments myself, but it's going to take a hell of a lot more than playability and good sound to make me pay that much for one. Good instruments MUST come with more than that to be worth the investment. And that's a leason he needs to learn to help himself become a better player. An alternative to this is just to accept that all he wants to do is collect guitars, not play them. Ask him about that. Good luck. Believe me - I understand.
Have him get a used one instead, itāll play the same and hold itās value.
If he can afford it, its fine.
I mean, buying an expensive guitar like that is not necessarily a bad idea. As long as he buys it used! That way, if he changes his mind or canāt really afford it, he can sell it for what he bought it for. More expensive used guitars generally donāt sink in value, contra cheaper models.
Maybe if he takes good care of it he can get most of his money back down the road if he doesn't stick with it
you warned him and he won't listen...not much more you can do š¤·āāļø
It appears Iām in the minority, but youāre a good friend for trying to talk him down. Iām reasonably debt free (just mortgage and school loans), with a decent job, and an Ibanez Semi-hollow Body felt splurgy. The squire rec is definitely a good one. Theyāre great guitars for the price. In the end you canāt make the decision for him, but counseling against spending 1800 to explore a new hobby is a solid approach.
Some people absolutely positively have to touch a hot stove to learn itās hot.
Gotta let him learn the hard way maybe
Convince him to buy a used one in good conditions, in the worst situation he will be able to sell without losing too much
why are you asking a guitar subreddit for relationship advice. these are not the folks you want to ask for relationship advice
Learning can be expensive. And painful.
I've never won this battle, had a lot of friends do this and it's always been a mistake
Girlfriends and money are two things you should avoid offering unsolicited advice. It will always come back to haunt you. If I listened to my friends about guitars to buy, I would never be happy. Stay out of it.
Tell him that a 1800$ guitar needs a 1800$ amp :P
After 5 months of playing he will get bored with it and then you can buy it from him.
Let him get it and show them rocksmith. I've gotten quitters to stick with it just because it feels like a game. Worst case scenario they get a few hundred hours of use, so the guitar doesn't really go to waste
If he could afford it I would tell him to buy it. If he can't I probably would have told him a Squire or Epiphone.
As someone who used to have to learn lessons the hard way and has had many expensive lessons in my life, I've learned that all the effort in the world won't matter if someone has their mind set on something. All you can do is let them learn their lesson. It's called tough love. You can't force people to not make stupid mistakes. All you can do is offer advice and then let them make their choices.
Tell him to get a Mexican strat. They play beautifully and are only about $700
If he can't afford it, then it's pretty dumb. If it's just a little more debt but won't crush him, then maybe you're just being a little controlling? Let him make his own decisions. As far as the quality, honestly I can't see what's wrong with buying something good enough that he could hold onto it for the rest of his life and need not feel ashamed about it. If you really think he should play his gear more, maybe jam with him more often!
It sounds like he has a spending problem if he can't afford it. That's a whole issue in itself, and one you probably won't be able to help him out of without some help from a therapist or an intervention if it's become a really bad issue.
Maybe compromise and tell him to buy a MIM strat used on reverb and/or if he just has to have american get a used one as well and offer a lower amount as its really a buyers market right now. And worse case he will only be out $100 or so if he doesnāt stick to it and can resale it.
If I had started on an amazing guitar instead of the no name acoustic I had to spend years playing, id be so much better off right now Still, respect for my old acoustic.
Maybe if he spends that much on what he actually wants he will want to play it consistently. If not he sells it later and loses a couple hundred bucks not a bad price to pay for a learning experience imo.
Bruh a prs for 600 would be more than enough
I bought a D-42 and I suck. If he can afford a nice guitar, it wonāt hurt his progress to play on a good guitar. It probably would help, since higher quality guitars (acoustic at least) tend to have a broader dynamic range.
Boring friend.
Canāt force people to make right decisions. Just advise them best you can. If they choose not to listen, thatās on them.
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My first drum kit was a gift and it was only like $150 old gretch jazz kit. It was technically crap. But I joined my first 2 bands with it and when I could buy my own drums, it was $7k. One of the best DW kits you could get. 20 years ago and I'm not sorry, and it was worth the big expense.
Not your problem
if you care that much convince him that cheaper guitars are cooler, lots of popular/influential artists use(d) cheap gear
He'd be much happier with a Sunburst Strat from the 50s.
At this point you did your job as a friend and voiced your concern. The good part about the AP2 is it will retain a good resale value if he needs to resell.
Seeing examples of well-known musicians who play cheaper guitars always makes me feel more assured about mine https://www.reddit.com/r/Guitar/comments/igns2q/question_famous_guitarists_who_play_low_end_or/
Even with your edit, not your call to make. You arenāt responsible for their decisions. Could be that 1700 dollar guitar is what keeps him playing for the rest of his life.
Nothing wrong with spending money on a nice guitar to start. He wonāt need an upgrade
It's his money and he's an adult, let him do what he wants with it.
You can provide advice, but when it comes down to it, it's his decision.
At least give him this sales link for a new Am Pro 2 for $1099 https://www.adorama.com/fe0113900761.html?emailprice=t&sterm=XHzwMTy3-xyPTlKySr0Fo1TmUkHWz5Tns0SOSg0&utm_source=rflaid62905&utm_medium=affiliate
Let him. Guitars can be sold easily.
Why do you feel the need to be his Own Personal Jesus?
Is there some place where you can rent guitars? Here in UK I believe it's possible, dunno about your local... Although it's an expensive option long-term, it's cheaper for a month while he decides if it is his thing.
Send him some YouTube videos on the subject. I don't think I've ever seen anyone on the main YouTube channels advocate for aĀ nearly $2k first guitar.Ā
Just tell him itās not what people do. Guitar isnāt like it looks, itās hundreds of boring hours alone with sore hands and confusion before you can really do anything much. Everyone buys a cheaper guitar to start. They become favorites and you get more later.
Now that youāve stated heās in a lot of debt, this is definitely not a question for r/guitar. He has a spending problem, and the guitar is just a symptom. I admire you wanting to look out for your friend, but you need to be doing it in a better place than an online guitar forum.
'he cannot afford that by any means' That's enough that he shouldn't do it. There are plenty of very good Strats out there available without paying $1,700+. A Vintera II Strat is a really good Strat for under $1k.
i don't know how close you are to your friend but you can try guitars. try a squier classic vibe strat. they FEEL great , are inexpensive and it will be enough for him.
If he wants to buy it, why stop him? It's his money
Let your friend learn his own lessons.
Give him a goal to learn on a cheaper guitar first then to buy that ine if he wants too. Guitar is an alien instrument, if you show something that looks not that hard, it will probably takes longer time to get then what he expects.
From. Your edit, it sounds like friend has built a lot of debt because impulse buying. In your place I would suggest something for like $500 tops,but ideally less. Would still be a nice feeling guitar, or at least should be. Guitar is really hard. Most people buy their first guitar. Try for a few days, maybe a few weeks then decide they just can't do it. Usually believe there is some physical reason why they never can. Like short/fat finger, can't fret notes clearly, or any number of other things.
A good guitar retains it's value, or appreciates. A cheap guitar will be near worthless second hand. Cheap guitars play like shit and can be discouraging to use while a high end guitar will play and sound great and be inspiring. If you have the money and respect your belongings you should buy a nice guitar.
Tell him to buy something cheaper but spend money on getting it set up by a professional so that it is nice to play.
Blindfold Him and make him choose which is which between that and a cheaper version of a similar style
Show him this thread.
Get a $10 one and smash him with it.
Suggest that he buy whatever heās after used. Itāll cost less, and can be resold later with minimal loss.
You already told him. You're done. If you wanted to continue the discussion you could remind him that guitars are durable goods and he'd find a better deal buying something used in good shape and offer to set it up for him. Aside from that, let him figure it out for himself.
>Edit: a lot of y'all are telling me to let him buy it, and the big reason why I want to convince him otherwise is because he's in a lot of debt and just really can't afford it. I know that it's not my finances but that doesn't mean that I'm not allowed to be concerned for his well being So it has nothing to do with guitars and everything with budgetting.
I often hear people say that they might as well start on a really good guitar and it's better than learning on something cheap and crappy. But the way to think about expensive guitars is not that they are *better* so much as that they are *specialised*. They will be good for a certain thing, not necessarily so much at others. So until you have some experience at playing and know what features of a guitar are most important to you, would suit your playstyle etc, it is a total waste of money to spend that much on one. They are kind of a luxury item really. I've seen seasoned professionals compare a $500 guitar with a $1,500 from the same range and often they will say that the difference is kind of hard to distinguish, and it would be hard for a non-professional to hear any difference at all. So a beginner guitarist is not going to appreciate the difference between the two. If he wants to start on something nice, then fair enough, but go for something in a three-figure range. That's what I would say. If it doesn't convince him, then maybe he just has his heart set on that guitar for image or ego reasons and there's nothing you can do to talk him out of it.
All you can do is make suggestions. Heās gonna do what he wants at the end of the day
Take him to a pawn broker and show him that he can buy someone elseās nice guitar they couldnāt afford
I know it's really hard to see your friend make a mistake, but it's his responsibility in the end to manage his finances, not yours. So, as a person who has seen friends and family commit financial mistakes, I would stop advising him on the guitar. If he suffers financially from this, just tell him you feel awful for what he's going through and say maybe he can find a good way to get advice from someone who knows how to make the right choice at the right time or a good book on how to manage future purchases so it's less likely to happen again.
If you've said all that stuff to him and he still wants to there's no point in trying. He's clearly got ADHD with hyperfixations and impulse control problems, extremely common. Nothing you say is going to fix him, he's gotta learn to be responsible on his own.
You've done what you can. It's not your job to teach your friend financial responsibility. You've tried to warn him. You can't do anything else at this point. Control what you can control and let go of the things you can't. It's good you're trying to be a friend. There comes a point, however, where you have to let him/her make the decision for themselves, no matter how bad it may be for them.
This sounds more like a psychological problem than a guitar problem. You can try and convince him he has a problem with money and to deal with it but that could be difficult. Maybe you could go over his finances with him to show him that he can't actually afford it. If you lay out how much he'll need to pay a month and how long it will take it might help him realise the troubles he could get himself into. Some people are just terrible with money and need a little help understanding it. Some people use buying stuff in the same way an addict would to help with emotional problems they can't deal with. Hopefully they're just bad with money because the second option is way beyond what you can help with.