> such a guitarist might say your $3000 instrument is a vanity thing as well. No, they wouldn't. Playing well on a shit instrument is a way to demonstrate skil

> such a guitarist might say your $3000 instrument is a vanity thing as well. No, they wouldn't. Playing well on a shit instrument is a way to demonstrate skill good enough to overcome shit, or part of your public persona. Or they have a good quality instrument that looks like shit because it hasn't been treated well in the past. All professional musicians know what to expect from a good quality instrument (up to a point of course - spending $15000 on a guitar puts you right back with the audiophiles).