I played for years, on a cheap, short-scale, Univox bass, and getting a used Rick[0] (don’t judge the hair. It was in style, back then) made a huge difference.
I no longer play, but did get get pretty good. In that case, the tool made the difference (and a buttload of daily practice. I felt I needed to earn the right to play that thing).
But I think everyone knows some rich bastard, that has a handmade bespoke axe, and is absolutely terrible.
I agree 100%. Getting a Gibson was also a game changer for me. Today there is cheaper stuff that is also good quality (but you gotta dig), but back in the day you needed the kind of gear used by pro musicians to actually go the extra mile.
And it's a good observation about bespoke guitars: I feel like the problem is people trying to go beyond that, with the illusion that "even more expensive" will be even better. Then they start buying things that are hella expensive but don't give much more (due to diminishing returns, or sometimes they actually suck, like bad handmade instruments), or doing things like collecting 20, 30, 40 overdrive pedals just to find the "perfect one".
> Today there is cheaper stuff that is also good quality (but you gotta dig)
I think I disagree here - You don't have to dig for cheap and quality anymore. An entry level squier from the last 15 years is sufficient quality for a beginner IMO, and one step up (classic vibe) is firmly into the "instrument for life" territory these days. You only need to upgrade for preference/feel.
I have the luxury of regularly getting to play a Gibon SG from the 70's which has been well maintained. Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful instrument in it's own way, but my 2007 MiM strat is a _far_ superior instrument.
To me the biggest change has been to amplifiers. Mid range practice amps now sound passible. Digital modelling is pretty good, and helps keep the volume down. That wasn't true before, most practice amps made guitars sound horrible. I always recommend people spend more on the amp than the guitar. I have a motley collection of cheap guitars and they all sound preety good into my Fender Twin... my Classic Vibe strat (as another commenter said) sounds perfect, as does my homemade Tele with homemade pickups.
Digital Modelling is a game changer. I've got a Helix Stomp XL, and it's replaced every pedal and amp in my house for guitar & bass, _and_ it's smaller than a pedalboard.
Even the Pod Go (which I had before this) is completely usable up to a level where you can absolutely afford to replace it with a helix.
I have an HX Stomp as well, but I'm doing most of my practice lately with a Tonex One, which I got for €150 brand new, and sounds amazing. It's incredible how far we come.
I no longer play, but did get get pretty good. In that case, the tool made the difference (and a buttload of daily practice. I felt I needed to earn the right to play that thing).
But I think everyone knows some rich bastard, that has a handmade bespoke axe, and is absolutely terrible.
[0] https://cmarshall.com/MulletMan.jpg (I still have that guitar, and the neck is still true.)