A cheap guitar is the first instrument many musicians will ever play. Since they can become very nostalgic items, you may wonder if you should upgrade a cheap guitar. Well, it’s a lot of un and good practice to work on a cheapie guitar and see how much you can improve it. However, you’re not going to get much bang for your buck on those upgrades. A cheap guitar will always be a cheap guitar the same way a cheap car with nice rims is still a cheap car. The difference is that you can substantially improve the sound system on a cheap car. Sadly, the same cannot be said of your instrument. I’ll explain the differences between cheap and expensive guitars and show you why it’s better to level up with a new, better guitar.
Should I upgrade a cheap guitar? You should not upgrade a cheap guitar. Although it’s perfectly acceptable to start playing on a less expensive instrument, especially if you’re not sure whether you’ll pursue it, don’t add to a cheap guitar. Doing so will not make much difference in the sound quality if any. Instead, upgrade by choosing a better quality guitar.
Should I Upgrade My Guitar Or Buy A New One
If you wonder whether you should upgrade your cheap guitar, then ask yourself why first. If you’re hoping to turn a lump of coal into a diamond, it’s not going to happen. A modified or upgraded cheap guitar is still a cheap guitar.
Musicians want to create high-quality music. Doing this on cheap instruments isn’t going to sound the same as it will on a good guitar. Generally, you should save up and buy a nicer, new guitar.
A gorgeous WINZZ 40 Inches Cutaway Acoustic Guitar from Amazon will replace that cheap old guitar. With gorgeous balanced sound and four stunning colors to choose from, you’ll love your new guitar. Best of all, you get everything you need to play right out of the box, plus a month of online lessons. Learn more by clicking right here.
When To Upgrade Your Cheap Guitar
When your cheap guitar is warped or broken, and you want to keep playing it, upgrade. There’s no reason not to do so. Still, please don’t go crazy on it. Upgrades are only really worth the money if they improve a decent guitar.
Regrettably, improvements won’t make a big difference on the thing that matters most, sound. Your cheap guitar will never play like a top-tier guitar. What it can do is play as the best version of itself. Sometimes an upgraded fix is more cost-effective than a new instrument.
Technically a repair with better materials is a sort of upgrade. It will sound ‘better’ because it plays correctly again. Still, the sound won’t change much. Moreover, there are a couple of other excellent reasons to upgrade.
For one, you can always level up because it gives you something you want. Whether it’s pride in a nostalgic instrument, joy in general, or that fretboard you always wanted, it’s a legitimate reason to upgrade a cheap guitar. The other reason to work on a cheap guitar is that you want to learn to DIY.
Self-repairs and upgrades are better on cheap guitars, at least at first. Mistakes are part of the learning process. You don’t want to ruin a high-quality, expensive guitar if you’re new to upgrading.
Are Cheap Guitars Worth Buying
You should always buy the best guitar you can afford because upgrading a cheap guitar isn’t with it. That said, it’s okay to buy a cheap guitar. When you’re just starting and learning, you don’t need a thousand-dollar-plus guitar.
Figuring out the fingering and strumming is essentially the same regardless. Likewise, as you grow your skills and knowledge base, you will also learn to appreciate the quality of a good instrument. Chord progressions, music theory, and muscle memory don’t depend on your guitar.
Practice will make you a better musician. A better, more expensive guitar will make your sound better. However, in the beginning, it will only be slightly easier to play a nice guitar.
Additionally, you cannot judge a guitar on price alone. Thrift store finds can be incredible. More importantly, modern manufacturing practices allow for cost-effective guitars that still sound incredible.
Don’t buy the bargain bin special when you could have a JMFinger Full Size Cutaway Acoustic Guitar from Amazon instead. Don’t sacrifice quality when you could have everything you need without going bankrupt. You’ll appreciate the outstanding customer service if you have any questions. Better still, the one-year warranty against manufacturer defects also comes with a thirty-day money-back guarantee. Play a better guitar worry-free by clicking here.
Do Expensive Guitars Really Sound Better
Whether you upgrade your cheap guitar or not, it’s not worth as much as an expensive guitar. Without a doubt, most expensive guitars sound better. This is due to the level of skill in designing and manufacturing a top-quality guitar.
Moreover, the materials on an expensive guitar are of better quality. You’re getting what you pay for. There will always be a difference between a cheap woods’ resonance and the more costly boards. That is why they cost more.
Take the time to research your guitar carefully. Whatever your price range, go for the best you can get. Read reviews and talk to professionals who aren’t selling anything. You can find a great guitar in any price range, but you’ll find richer sound comes from high-end instruments. You will feel and hear the difference when you have a great guitar in your hands.
One of the best-sounding guitars you can start with is the Fender Squier Dreadnought from Amazon. The Lindenwood and Mohogany give this guitar a rich, beautiful tone. Not only is this model cost-effective, but it’s also durable. Balancing cost and quality is hard, but you’ll never go wrong with a Fender. Make a Dreadnought your starter guitar by clicking here.
Are Cheap Guitars Harder To Play
Not only should you not upgrade a cheap guitar in general, but they can be harder to play. Learning the fingering and other basics on a well-made, inexpensive guitar is fine. However, many cheap guitars are harder to play.
With a lower quality manufacturing process, you can end up with neck issues. Unfortunately, near the high end of the fretboard, you may have too much string gap. With a good truss rod, an experienced musician might be able to make adjustments.
Your truss rod controls the angle and bend of the neck. A level or slightly relief neck style is easy to play. Alternately, a twisted or bent neck is harder. When there’s too much gap, it’s rough on your hands and much more difficult to play.
You can still play a cheaply made guitar. However, the harder it is on your hands, the slower your musical progress will be. ‘Feeling’ the quality is not a philosophical or emotional statement. You can physically tell the difference when you hold a good high-end guitar.
Well-made instruments are properly balanced. Moreover, they have the exact right proportions. A small difference like a couple of millimeters of the string-to-fretboard gap can change everything about the way you play.
Hand and finger fatigue is a problem for all musicians, but more so when you’re new. That gap makes you press harder. In addition to muscle strain, you will also find this causes far more callus formation.
Some callus is normal and good. It’s a sign your fingers are protecting themselves from skin damage as you strum and fret. Regrettably, overdoing it with a cheap guitar isn’t going to help more.
Bigger calluses do not equal better playing. Too much callus depth can reduce sensation or cause pain. Skip the hand trauma, and get a better guitar because it will give you a better musical experience and make it far simpler to learn and play.
Don’t find out the hard way how much harder a cheap guitar is to play when you could start with the Ashthorpe Full-Size Cutaway Thinline from Amazon instead. This gorgeous red spruce, Okoume, and basswood guitar will give you outstanding high-quality sound. Plus, you get a gig bag, picks, a strap, so it’s easier to play right away. Read the outstanding reviews when you click here.
Final Thoughts
Playing a better instrument will help you in many ways. Rather than worrying whether you should upgrade your cheap guitar, save for a nicer model. You can keep your inexpensive starter as a reminder of where you started, but no addition in the world will make it sound like a world-class build.
In general, you should spend as much as you can on your first guitar and expect to spend more on each progressive model. Obviously, it would be best to do your research, but a more costly guitar will almost always offer you more value and a better sound. Anyone can knock together some wood with minimal information and make a guitar shape that plays. Meanwhile, it takes decades for a master to reach the level of design a good guitar truly requires.
Should you want to learn to craft better guitars, then, by all means, practice on your cheap instrument. When you want a quality guitar, you will either have to build it from scratch years from now or buy it from someone who knows their trade.