Guitar Buying through the ages

I’ve said it a hundred times and believe it more every time I say it.  There has never been a better time to buy a guitar (or most any musical instrument) than this time in history.  We have more options, brands, variations, color choices and so on than ever before in the history of mankind.  This is one reason I’m so adamant about exploring all the guitar world has to offer.  For the first time buyer, there are more brands and styles at very good prices that are infinitely better than much of the beginner junk that was around for previous generations to get started on.  For the high end player, there are more custom models and brands that virtually any thought that can be applied to a guitar can and will be done, for a price of course.  For the intermediate player, the world is wide open and affordable.  We’ll classify the intermediate player as someone not really pro but not beginner either, in other words most of us that have been playing for a while.  In this price range there are so many good companies that make guitars you could easily gig with but won’t cost you an arm and leg, like ESP and Ibanez.