alt Hacker NewsI'm sure it seems that way to you, but for people who never touched an electric guitar before that's going to be torture. You need an instrument that you really want to pick up and play, that stays in tune, etc. It doesn't need to be $1500, but at $150 they better have an uncle who's a guitar tech.
I have an old Gibson Marauder that rapidly gets out of tune. So far no shop has been able to do anything about that. It would probably go for $400 or more retail, to a beginner who doesn't notice (or thinks the problem is his/her fault). But it's no fun to play. Chords sound bad. And that kind of thing is not unusual.
Replies
Setup is a huge factor. I got a $300 parts "Telecaster" on Craigslist and took it to Bill's Music (https://www.billsmusic.com/) for their premium setup and it definitely took it to the next level in terms of the electronics, frets (especially worn and / or protruding), intonation, etc... So if you have a guitar you want to love that isn't quite there, consider getting a pro setup by a shop you trust.
>You need an instrument that you really want to pick up and play, that stays in tune, etc. It doesn't need to be $1500, but at $150 they better have an uncle who's a guitar tech.
If you really want to play you will play regardless of the instrument you have. Like many, I started with cheap instruments, so I figured out how to fix them or at least make them better. I was 12 and wanted to play guitar, my parents were not willing to spend money on it and just found some handme downs from the relatives, and I made it work because I wanted to play guitar. Ended up teaching myself lutherie, made some money, made some instruments. These days it is easier than ever to maintain your own instrument with the internet to answer all your questions, I had to learn to repair and maintain my guitar by working backwards from books on construction since that is all my library had.
>So far no shop has been able to do anything about that.
It is an issue with the bridge, the nut, and or the tuners, on a guitar of that age it is a fair chance it is a combination of all three. I am guessing you are bringing the instrument to normal guitar shops that primarily do sales and lack anyone even remotely competent when it comes to repair.