Does Buying The Best As A Beginner Ever Make Sense | Podcast Clips 

www.youtube.com/@MarkLewisguitar Follow my guitar journey here - 1st video coming soon 😂

guess the real question is how likely do you think you will stick to that plan. If you know you have the attention span of a goldfish to anything you start, better get the cheap guitar, if you finish what you start then knock yourself out. also guess on what the thing is - a bike that was top notch 10 years ago might not be considered so good now but a quality guitar will probably more desirable in 10 years than it is now.

Spot on Mark! As a guitar teacher, it's frustrating when I hear about people who gave up guitar because they didn't enjoy playing the cheap "beginner" guitar they were told they needed to start on. Even worse is when a beginner wants to learn rock/metal/blues and they're told they need to start with a classical guitar first. The right guitar for a beginner is one that you enjoy playing. Enjoy your Gibson.

The thing with getting a high end guitar as a beginner is you don't yet know what suits you. So you're getting a good guitar, but not necessarily one that will be right for you. You definitely want to start with a well set up instrument (as important if not more as its intrinsect qualities) that makes you want to pick it up though.

Don’t buy an expensive bike… if you’ve never tried cycling. Buy something good, used, and within your budget. I learned this from my experience with fishing. It’s easy to buy a bunch of lures and never throw a single one 😂

Excited for this guitar arc - somehow it already amuses me, and I look forward to all the guitar analogies that are bound to start popping up everywhere. Saying this as someone who has a guitar, a cello, a violin, a clarinet, and can't play any of them.

Agree with you regarding most skis. Not race skis, not race snowboards, and not race cars. A set of race skis will be too stiff and difficult to flex for a proper carve/arc, being able to carve a turn at low speeds is fundamental to being able to carve a turn at high speeds. I dont race anymore but still but a model down from the stiffest race skis, they need less speed and force to work properly. Also if you wanted to get into local track racing with full size autos, get a nissan 350z, not a 2023 mustang gt500. The less advanced slower car will let you learn techniques in essentially slow motion for what youll need with a real race car. Even the Top Gear hosts would comment on how some cars were just too advanced and their most pronounced benefits can only be realized by very very seasoned drivers. As for bikes go for it buy what you can as long as the geometry suits you. Not every expensive item requires high level competence to make it shine.

Havent watched this video yet but I can say: sometimes its a good choice to buy something very good and expensive. It can also keep motivation high. Example: when it comes to sports clothes i prefer to buy the highest quality. It just pleases me the most.

There's definitely points in my lifting career that having beginner equipment to begin with that taught me additional skills that I could carry over to more advanced equipment. An automatic car is easier to drive but I suspect driving a manual for a while teaches an additional skill set and how the car behaves when pushed . Nor do I think something like an alpha fly is a good starting shoe

Totally agree mark! I ran 5k @ 25:15 in “older trainers” I bought alphaflys and my 1st 5k back was 23:01 👍👍 Buy the best then it’s only your own ability’s that can let you down

Absolutely agree. The mentality of needing to “earn it, before you can have it” baffles me. I’ve worked my nuts off for decades to have some disposable income…I’ve already “earned it” to buy myself or my wife whatever (within budgetary reason) I want…. And I’m going to dammit 😉

Beginners should buy the best instrument they can afford, so they can concentrate on their playing rather than dealing with the inadequacies of the instrument. But then again you don't need to deserve or earn an expensive instrument - if it makes you happy and you enjoy playing them that is more than sufficient! (99.9% untroubled by talent, and learning to build instruments so I can have instruments I can't afford).

Plus a quality well set up guitar with a great tone, will keep you playing and inspire. The more it speaks to you, the more you will reach for it. There are some very good budget minded guitars for those with less to spend, or not mature enough to know if it is just a passing phase, but that doesn't sound like it is you.

Mark, I am 39 years old, too fat and never liked running. 6 weeks ago I started couch to 5k and your videos are a great motivation for me. I even like running (mostly because I am taking it slow enough to not be completely spent after every run and then not run for 4 weeks). Anyway on Gadgets: My Watch told me that my resting Heartrate went down considerably in the last 4 weeks, so that was also great to see and motivated me to keep going!

I take the somewhat opposite approach when trying something new. I don't actually go out of my way to get rubbish, but I'll often get the cheapest version that will adequately do the job while I get started so that 1) I can find out if I'm going to enjoy it enough to justify a pricier option, and 2) I can learn what features/qualities/characteristics I actually care to spend money on. All that said, I have no opinion whatsoever on what you or anyone else buys. As long as you can afford it, and you didn't do some harm to acquire it, then tally ho, enjoy it!

I've always worked on the basis that you should buy the best you can afford regardless of your ability, if you can afford the best buy the best! Hope learning goes well 👍🏻

Experienced guitar players don’t merely focus on how the guitar “sounds,” they focus on how it feels: the action, the weight, texture of the wood. They even focus on the smell. You will not appreciate what you have if you don’t know the contrast. Until you’ve played on trash for a while, you don’t realize how different playing on something of genuine quality is.

Jen looks like she regrets commenting that the guitar was expensive

As a guitarist, this discussion is right up my alley. I started on a cheap catalogue guitar aged 11. It was horrendous and very difficult to play. I gave it to a friend as I hated it. Once I upgraded to a better guitar I progressed so much on the instrument it was night and day. Now, spending 2 grand on a Gibson j45 isn’t that expensive if you can afford it. Most decent guitars nowadays start at the 2 grand mark. I’d much rather have a decent guitar than a cheese grater guitar! But if you bought a 6 grand Murphy Lab j45, that’s a different story! 😉

I’m a runner in my 7th decade. And I started running (as a way of life) a year ago. I bought the best of EVERYTHING that I could afford. An Apple Watch Ultra AND a Garmin Epix. ASICS shoes that cost a couple of hundred quid! The lot!!! I’m going out running later - hopefully to find my MIND. I’ve clearly lost it somewhere 😂😂

I am only slightly younger than you and at the same point. All though I have played guitar all my life. I am still fairly new to running. Just over a year and have a Fenix 6 pro, Garmin HRM, 2 daily trainers and a pair of race shoes (250+ each, Salomon vest etc etc etc. I don't have time for cheap and nasty. And I am to old for anymore discomfort than I am already putting myself through. You earned your money. Spent it how you want

Always remember, as a musician of any level: the number of guitars / basses / instruments you need is N+1 where N is the number you already have

While your argument being valid, I do think you have a very slight tendency to go overboard with your spending, probably because you have the ressources. I have played the guitar for 28 years and never spent more than 1k on any instrument. The diminishing returns are real and unless you are a session musician that goes for absolute top of the line or a very specific sound it simply isn't necessary. There is a middle ground between buying high end and buying 10 Euro crap off of ebay. :)

I think the real take away point here is the look of Jen, and how she is imagining mark as a 60 yr old and how non excited she seems 😂😂

I think the general advice is because most people stick with hobbies for less than 18 months. The idea is you should wait until you are sure it’s something you will take to long term before investing so much money.

I’ve always said, “Get the best gear you can afford then, if you’re still rubbish, you know it’s you and not the equipment”. That aside, the Gibson is a lovely guitar and could turn into a friend for life. All I would say is please, please stick with it. The early weeks and months can be frustrating but then something will click and you’ll be flying. Looking further down the road, making music with other people is one of the most rewarding things I have in my life. Just apply the same determination as you did jogging from lamppost to lamppost and you’ll be ok.

Jen, has the patience of a saint…. Just sayin 😊

I have used two $2K AUD cycles over 7 years to do 10K km each year. Just bought a brand new Canyon that is $6.7K AUD. And It feels awesome. Feels like I have graduated to the level cycle is and I can now get the bets out of my body and utilise the cycle technology.

IT MAKES ALWAYS SENSE! 💕

If you can afford it then go for it. A lot of people saying start on something cheap are often commenting from a position of envy. That said, don't think that spending £10K on a bike will make you any faster than you would be on a 500 quid second-hand bike off eBay. It will make you feel better though, much like a lot of people do when they buy into fashion brands.

Real deal Fender guitar is 100% worth it, cause you’ll be learning to play, not struggling through bad equipment

As is mentioned in the clip, I think for certain activities buying the best equipment isn't the best idea due to how specialised it can get. If I tried to learn the guitar on a Gibson flying V, I think i'd get pretty sick of having to hold the thing up.

I have a Roland electric drum kit at the time was worth 4K I still have it and play regularly, but my sister plays guitar and my niece bass so I have enough friends and a huge love of progressive metal and push and encourage it does make a lot of difference.

Interesting that you talk about the sound of the guitar. For me it was more about how fast & easy the neck was to play.

This is an issue I've thought about a great deal over the years. I think the only real answer is- it depends. There are some things that can spoil a beginner and are not good to learn with. Pro level cameras is an example. People moaning that they've only got 36mp will never know what it was like to wait a week to get their negatives back from the developers and find one good photo in a roll of 36. There are some things that starting off with the cheapest thing can be really dangerous. Like buying a skateboard from Argos- don't do it. Added to the mix, we all have different personalities and motivations. It might seem smarter financially to buy the best thing first and be done with it, but it doesn't always work out that way if you decide you're not really into the activity you started. Those of the more ADD variety that can be completely into something for a few years then had enough and want to do something else. And those that start things they will do for the rest of their lives. Often you don't know where you are when you start a new activity. Incrementalism in learning can make a huge difference to genuinely appreciating when you get to the top of a field, with the best tools. That's special. Then you can really appreciate how much faster, or dynamic, or rigid or harmonic an instrument is, or a bike frame is. Starting on the best can never really give you that appreciation. It is swings and roundabouts. I've never ever been a fan of the cheapest crap, because most of that stuff is usually unsafe and a waste of money. There are however, extremely good entry level products, that can help those to understand if a sport or the activity is for them, without breaking the bank or breaking their leg. I am obsessed with quality, but I rarely have the money to fulfil that obsession. When I started running I was taking it more seriously. But I didn't quite know if I'd still be doing it after a year or two. So I bought not the cheapest running watch, but the one above that- a Garmin 245. Now 3 years later, the watch battery is running low, I'm running up hills and there's no altimeter and I know I'll be a runner as long as I can go running. So I'm looking at the fancier end of the market now. Other arcs have been more or less gradual. Some things are specific to technology. Laptops. I've been using Apple laptops for 22 years. I always buy the best one I can afford because it future proofs it, it lasts the longest and is therefore the best value. In that realm, the technology is more mature now, the speed of progress has slowed. Other areas are moving much faster and it's not a sound investment to buy the most expensive you can afford because a few years later it's going to be superseded and worth half as much. Guitars, well, they can maintain their value or even increase in value if they are made by a real artisan. So, I think the only real answer is- it depends.

As a musician I totally agree with Mark here. I am sure this is not the case for many things (like cereal fi.) but for a musical instrument you should try and buy the best one you can afford. In the beginning you will love how it sounds and it will inspire you to get better, then later on you will be better and you will still like the sound, and also won’t have to upgrade to a better instrument. A bad player on a crappy instrument is the worst (especially for Jenna). Just imagine having to sit next to that…

I wonder what bike you have bought Jen for her upcoming cycling events ? full carbon road bike ? Comfortable Gravel ? I agree, buy what makes sense and trade up when you need to.

Bought my friend’s very used guitar a few years ago. Learned how to play on it and now I can’t get rid of it because other guitars feel too different. I hate it, but I can’t get rid of it 😂

It's an interesting question isn't it. My mindset has always been that I need to earn the right to upgrade my kit and if I start out some activity or hobby with fancy and expensive equipment I'll be one of those "all the gear and no idea" blokes. I've seen it with my cycling pursuits: unfit middle aged blokes riding on $10k carbon rockets (I ride a very run of the mill alloy bike). But who am I to say how other people should spend their money?

I think the advice is generally more aimed at getting value for money. That Gibson may well be a very good guitar, but having played guitar for many years, I actually don't really like Gibsons. I much prefer more "modern" designs like Jackson, Ibanez, etc. If you've bought something that depreciates fairly quickly and you end up realising you'd prefer a different style or fit, then it can be wasted money. Smarter in some ways to get a mid-range bit of gear, figure out what you like and don't like, then get something great. But yeah if you've money to burn, then yeah spend whatever whenever

The guitar is actually a stupid example, as if you can afford it, better guitars are easier to play. They have lower action, therefore this decrease's the difficulty in fingering chords etc. Plus they don't buzz as much, so you get less if any weird rattles. If you enjoy it, go for it I say. BTW pro tip to supercharge your learning. Get a guitar grip trainer. They are like wrist trainers, but have individual springs for each finger. Builds up the strength you need to hold chords etc. They also have a callus developer that helps strengthen the tips of your fingers. However, cause you are a strong man, remember, good guitar players play without tension and actually don't grip the neck hard at all. They are light on pressure which means you use less effort and can glide and move faster. Do not fall into the trap of brute strengthening it all, as it will hold you back in the end.

i found the cheap guitar i learnt on hard to play, hard to keep a tune , just hard. a tasteful upgrade that i could afford helped me play and most important, kept my interest. nice stuff is nice as long as your willing to put in the work. except climbing shoes, work your way up that scale haha!

No one’s asked me, but my opinion is that it depends on what it is you’ve bought. Does an overweight 55 year old bloke need alpha flys next % for his couch to 5k? Probably not, and they won’t help him enjoy it anymore if he’s never been physically active or had a positive experience with fitness before. Does a 50 year old need an all singing and dancing guitar to start on? No, but it will sound better, feel better, and maybe a lot more enjoyable, plus the financial aspect may motivate you to pick it up and practice those extra 20 minutes once or twice a week when you’re not feeling it and could be the difference in you still doing it ten years down the line - so in this case it would be worth it, plus if you can afford the better version then why not, like everything it just needs a bit of context

While I get that spending lots on something you've never tried and don't know if you'll like makes no sense, the flip side is that better more expensive stuff often has an advantage, whether it's a lighter racquet, or lighter bike, or pinlock insert on a motorbike helmet, there's often some advantage. So if you have the money, why not take that advantage, even if just a little of it.

I think the difference you missed is you know you are going to stick at it. Most people flake and so an expensive guitar isn’t worth it as they stop after 2 months. However I will say it is a shame you won’t ever feel the difference over a period of time. Making a cheap instrument sound great from 2 years of practice and then making an insanely expensive instrument sound stunning is very fun. However in your case as I am confident you will learn I agree for you it makes sense to start expensive as it is a kind of one time purchase that you keep for life. All of my cheap gear I sold and now only have guitars worth 2k and above (not that money is the defining factor)

Quality guitars keep their value assuming they are looked after, so if you give up (unlikely in Mr Lewis' case) then you can sell it and all you have "lost" is what the money you invested could have been doing for you in the meantime.

A quick question .How many people are over biked ? That is everyone that cannot ride there bike to the limit. Or over cared ,how many people own more car than they need? The market relies on people buying products on there dreams ..NOT there skill..

I think much of this applies to kids who are all enthusiastic about something then get bored of it really quickly which transpires as being a waste of money. not sure if you fit into the kid category, Mark... although I do concede that's debatable...

I think with acoustic guitars, you are better getting the best you can afford. Because cheap acoustics (mostly) sound tinny and are hard to play

That guitar is a lifer. Next you will need a telecaster and an amp. Thank me in 10 years :)

You could get a fantastic 'Furch' or 'Eastman' for a fraction of the price of your Gibson and possibly even have a better guitar. Depends on what style you develop and its very much a personal choice. The Gibson should keep it's value though so nothing to lose if you have the cash.

I've got a lovely fender strat I don't play. I still love it I just can't play it. 😂

Mark. It certainly makes sence with an acoustic guitar to buy quality. The Gibson will be easier to play than a cheap one, which will give you encouragement to carry on with it. Plus. It will certainly sound better. And the real big thing with a good quality guitar is that the sound quality improves over years (maybe 10 years of regular playing to bring the best out of it). With respect sir, you don't have the luxury of time any more. So we'll done. Enjoy the Gibson. My only concern is that you didn't buy a D28 lol. 😀

I feel like its like learning to drive a car, you don't learn in a ferrari because the damage you'd do along the way is way more expensive than learning in something cheaper like a Ford Ka. You're not as good as using the thing now as you would be in 10 years which causes unnecessary damage. But you seem to be looking at it purely from a "I can afford it, so why not" point of view which makes all other points of view invalid.

I love how your wife has the exact same look of "we all know youll buy another one either way." I know because it's the same look that my wife gives me.

Started guitar at a similar age to you. Bought a POS and struggled. Went upmarket. Better(expensive) guitars sound better and play so well! Only got seven guitars now. Beware GAS!

Same for trainers? Is it OK for a beginner to wear the vaporflys so long as they can afford it?

Some things, it's nice to buy a crappy version just so you know what you want/don't want from an expensive version

You can also buy nice things and sell them on if you no longer use them therefore only spending the cost of the cheap version to 'rent' it. Whereas the sell on value of the cheap item will be closer to zero

Theres a big difference between good kit and advanced kit whether its guitars or golf clubs. Do you want the cheapest brand as a beginner, no, it makes it harder to.learn. Do you want some advanced 8 string guitar / blade irons as a beginner, also no. Its much easier to learn guitar on quality well setup kit.

I completely agree... Bournemouth beach is awful, buy whatever you want though.

That Gibson J45 was ALMOST a Martin... it'll be amazing when you play like Al DiMeola in ten years time.👍

I think the mistake most people make is to not realise the thing you said about expense being relative and think that everyone is in the same boat of financial struggle, so therefore that everyone should spend the amount that makes sense for their skill level. So if I were to buy skis, I should buy the cheapest ones that will do the job, because I suck and I would probably use them twice. BUT... what if I then turn around and tell you I'm a billionaire? Suddenly, it's obvious that I'm going to buy the best set of skis that are appropriate for a beginner. I think people struggle to see that just because you're not a billionaire, doesn't mean you have to skimp on stuff that isn't to do with your profession, You'll see the cognitive dissonance that people have with this when asked how much they spent on their car. It's often a significant portion of their wealth. Why? Are they professional drivers? Do they even spend a relatively large amount of time in their car? Probably not. They just think that they should get as good as they can afford, but when it comes to newbies buying guitars, that somehow doesn't apply. I'm a reasonably experienced musician and I own a crappy guitar but I'm glad you have a good one. Good on you Mark.

I see your point, but with the guitar thing, when you're a beginner you can't appreciate the sound of a great guitar, because that's all you've experienced. going from a cheap but still good guitar, then after a year upgrading, you will be able to appreciate the different tones it brings. also, you may decide after a year that you want a strat, cause you are more interested in learning songs of that style. I can almost guarantee that in 10 years that won't still be ur only guitar ;)

I think the argument is that you may not get into it as much as you initially think then you have a $5000 guitar sitting there doing fuck all. Even if thats true it isn't going to waste as guitars just get better with time and you can likely sell it for almost as much as you paid so your $5000 guitar may have only cost you $1000 rental over 10 years. Or if you're really lucky, $0. I wish I had $8000 for a gravel bike but instead I spent $100 on a road bike and $50 on tyres hahaha

when the ... gently weeps 😁

If being a beginner means you're likely to damage it, then yea a cheap one should be used as a beginner

Great choice of guitar.

Just wanted to say I live in Bournemouth, it is lovely and I'm offended. When are you going to upload your rendition of wonderwall on the "overpriced guitar" channel. Keep it up love your stuff

With bicycles i think life's better with worse! You can steadily get faster on a steel bike with luggage racks front and back. 15 kg. You can probably achieve the the same ergonomics. Your heavy touring tyres with higher rolling resistance wont get punctures. You can smash the thing through rocks and gravel without consequences. It's multi purpose. You can be Super serious about your fitness without paying much for the bike. You can get very very fast. If you manage to be in the top 20 in a race you could still get a race bike.

so there!

with no talent for music whatsoever i bought a used fender jazz bass a few years back, hardly ever use it ...but i can't sell it. One reason i stopped or don't practice is lack of like minded peeps to play along with at my age most players are very very accomplished and i can only imagine would have little or no time for my lack of skill 😢 but probably this is one area that would bring it on a bit. Any way no idea why i shared this with everyone 😂 there you go....

A rubbish guitar is harder to play, so if you can afford it, why not?! Jenna- guitar collecting is a common disease, brace yourself 😂 (I had the disease)

My camera setup suggests yes…but lots of that community very strongly disagrees with me

I always buy the best I can afford when it comes to gear. I don’t see the point in buying the cheep stuff and being miserable while using it. However I try not to pay full price.

😂😂 Don’t worry about the cost of the guitar …it’s the amplification what’s going to get you .

I dont agree with buying twice if you can afford what you really want .. you end up with some cheap tat that was a waste of money.. just buy the right thing for you when you want it and save money in the long run

You always need at least 6 more guitars than you have bikes. I have 4 bikes......😅

Nah, the bike was a ridiculous purchase and per ride to date i would imagine it probably cost around £500.

I'm really glad Mark has grown his channel, made it uber-professional with all the latest audiovisual equipment,... but for me I feel these podcast clips somewhat dilute the content of the channel.

There are very marginal gains to be had in the very top end pieces of equipment but incredible increases in cost. The best advice to a newbie in any sport is to get something just above the budget lines. You'll have a better quality product that you will enjoy using and if you find you don't stick to the sport you aren't taken any finance out and can sell it if needs be.

Guitar talk. Can see how a girlfriend wifey would screw up one’s face. I get both schools thought.

I used this rationale on a big piano purchase. Wish I had not.

As an adult returning to cycling for fitness, I bought a 2nd hand Raleigh road bike. I didn't want to be that middle aged guy flexing a Gucci bike while being passed on the climbs by youngsters on Halfords specials. That would kill me.

Expensive isn't always better. PS5's are out now. Last year I got a PS2 again. Didn't even pay for it, swapped it. PS5 I'd need expensive tv, expensive games, internet connection. Ps2 I need tv, cheap games. Same with my phone, is a cheap Nokia brick type phone. 3 weeks battery life. I can't stand smartphones and how addicted everyone is to them.

Jen looks like she knows she can't win. That look of disagreement but no chance of pursuading you other wise, is exactly the same look my partner gives me when i come home with something expensive. Personally I'm looking forward to hearing how bad you can make an expensive guitar sound.

if a person can afford the best then crack on and anyone judging is just a hater because they had to play heap of junk while learning

Buy cheap buy is a motto I live by! It’s false economy and if you can afford the nice things in life then why not!🤷🏼

I often think mark is a millionaire, just because he has every product that I want in life

(I'm a guitarist) Over time, your tastes and skill level changes. You will most likely have a different guitar in 10 years. When i was teaching, most of the adult students bought an acoustic guitar, after about a year, they realised that electric is easier to play and more fun which is what i was trying to tell them at the start. I personally dont like the J45, its uncomfortable for me, so how do you know if it's uncomfortable for you if you have no reference? You need to go through the motions and try different body shapes and neck shapes and string guages, fret guages, different types of wood and after 10 years, you'll be able to buy yourself something that suits you. I dont think there's anything wrong with buying an expensive first guitar. I just dont like your reason. It's kind of like starting running for the first time and going out to buy £600 carbon plate spike track shoes with nano runquickasfuck technology when you're going to be trail running.

Gibson j45? Name on Headstock …worse guitars but not many for the money…smaller brands like Eastman easily as good for half the price…LR Bags transducer good if you know what that’s for….it’s actually an electro acoustic…make sure you pay attention to humidity else be firewood in a year 😂

At least a guitar will hold it's value so whoever you gift it to can really appreciate it. :o)

Recording studio in 10 years.

ok sir I read down at a few comments - your point that you could afford the guitar and wanted it is really all that need be considered. Everything else can simply be filed under " other people's emotional baggage" - yes I include myself in that comment as well!

Life's too short to buy crap tools when you can afford ones that will last. This goes for cars, motorcycles, bikes, guitars, espresso machines, anything at all. Period, end of story. No one looks at a fat old rich guy who buys a Mercedes super car and says it's too much car for him (ok - maybe I do) Besides - we have enough crap filling up the landfills without disposable learning devices that are designed to be thrown out.

Why does Jen look so scared ?

IMO - If you have the money, life is really just too short to not buy good things.... Being old happens quickly especially when you hit mid 40s... I wish I had a much better bike for my first triathlon back in 2016....

Thank you. The prefect excuse to buy the very best of anything, right now! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

It'll be fun to look back at this video when he makes some newb mistake and breaks something.

sir I thought you made a great choice for a guitar!