17 years old DS wants a new guitar

[Anonymous]

DS has been playing guitar since the age of nine. He starts taking it very seriously at age 12 by practicing two hours everyday and more on weekends. His current guitar is a two years old Seagull Acoustic-Electric guitar that we purchased two years ago for $1300. He said that it is time for him to get another guitar because, according to him, the sound on this guitar does not suite his style of music.

I took him to Guitar Center and he tried about 35 different guitars and he settled on one of the expensive Martin guitar that will set me back 4k. While I can easily afford the 4k guitar, I wonder if a 17 years old needs to have a 4k guitar. Then again, I am not a musician so I don't know how important the guitar is to musicians. Thoughts? TIA

[Anonymous]

I got an expensive Gretsch Duo Jet when I was 16. I still play it at 33 years old. It’s one of my most precious possessions.

To a musician, our instruments are like our babies. He sounds like he’s passionate; buy him the guitar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I got an expensive Gretsch Duo Jet when I was 16. I still play it at 33 years old. It’s one of my most precious possessions.

To a musician, our instruments are like our babies. He sounds like he’s passionate; buy him the guitar.

Oh, I’ll say I bought myself a Martin a few years ago and it’s AMAZING. Martin has been making acoustic guitars for hundreds of years and they’re glorious.

[Anonymous]

Another guitar player here.

Does he NEED a 4K Martin? No. But it sounds like he's put a lot more serious, self-directed, self-driven hours into practice of his instrument than just about any teenager I know. If the 4K won't set you back unduly, and since he's likely going to spend much of the summer at home with not a lot to do, and possibly some/all of the school year if the virus forces new shutdowns in the fall, why not? Better to be putting that much time into perfecting his craft (which is an ability he'll have throughout his life) than spending every waking hour online, watching Netflix, videogames, etc.

(P.S. Martins really are solid, long-term instruments, especially in that price range)

[Anonymous]

They don't. Tell him to get a job and pay for it. He has a good guitar. He doesn't need one for $4K. Or, set a budget and tell him that's it.

[Anonymous]

The Martin is an accoustic, the Seagull is an electric, so technically he is correct that those guitars are used for different styles of music. But too bad. It's not relevant for a 17 year old -- whose not paying for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Martin is an accoustic, the Seagull is an electric, so technically he is correct that those guitars are used for different styles of music. But too bad. It's not relevant for a 17 year old -- whose not paying for it.

And you’re not paying for it either, so why the attitude?

His guitar isn’t that great. If he’s a devoted musician and his parents can afford a great instrument, why shouldn’t he have it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Martin is an accoustic, the Seagull is an electric, so technically he is correct that those guitars are used for different styles of music. But too bad. It's not relevant for a 17 year old -- whose not paying for it.

And you’re not paying for it either, so why the attitude?

His guitar isn’t that great. If he’s a devoted musician and his parents can afford a great instrument, why shouldn’t he have it?

You have an attitude. Different guitars meet different needs but he could go with a new $500-2K and not 4K or get a job and contribute. He could teach guitar online.

[Anonymous]

Yes,. Goof instrument could be an investment, you can sell it more than what you paid.

[Anonymous]

I mean, there are probably parents on here who easily drop that much on a season of travel sports and no one tells those parents to tell their kids to pay for that themselves.

A good instrument is a long term investment for a serious musician and will allow them to develop and improve. An inferior instrument, at a certain point, will limit your ability to improve. If you can afford it, and he’s a serious musician, yes, you should get it for him.

[Anonymous]

If we ever nip this Covid thing in the bud, that guitar could pay for itself if he starts gigging.

[Anonymous]

I’d make him pay for a portion of it. At least $1,000 or give him a much lower budget.

At 17 he needs to have some skin in the game for big purchase.

Life doesn’t hand you everything you want. You earn it or compromise based on how much effort you put into it. Time for him to realize that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another guitar player here.

Does he NEED a 4K Martin? No. But it sounds like he's put a lot more serious, self-directed, self-driven hours into practice of his instrument than just about any teenager I know. If the 4K won't set you back unduly, and since he's likely going to spend much of the summer at home with not a lot to do, and possibly some/all of the school year if the virus forces new shutdowns in the fall, why not? Better to be putting that much time into perfecting his craft (which is an ability he'll have throughout his life) than spending every waking hour online, watching Netflix, video games, etc.

(P.S. Martins really are solid, long-term instruments, especially in that price range)

OP here. Thank you very much for the advise. you just affirmed what I also have in mind.

His eyes lit up when he sees the Martin OM-28E. The guitar costs around 5k (tax included) at Guitar Center. He doesn't care about having a new car, only a new guitar. You're definitely right about having this guitar skill throughout his life. Thanks again.

[Anonymous]

If you can easily buy it during a pandemic when he has all the time in the world to play it, why not? Once he graduates from college he will have to buy his own guitars anyhow,.right?

[Anonymous]

I bought my 9 year old a $4K violin, because the $10K wasn't worth it in terms of price:quality ratio. If it had been, I would have been tempted. A nice full-size violin costs $50K and up (of course, Strads cost millions).

I don't know anything about guitars, so I'd do a little research on the internet if I were you, as well as ask here and elsewhere. Does he or did he have a teacher at some point you could ask?