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There's still a lot of crap cheap guitars out there, and some truly dreadful cheap amps

Yes. But about 200+ currency units especially in used gear can get you something genuinely usable, if you know what to look for. But knowing and variety is a problem in itself.

Not so lucky if you want e.g. a sax bigger than an alto, a bassoon, oboe, french horn... Some instruments just don't seem to have dirt cheap versions.

(No, I don't have a problem. I can stop any time!)

Of course, some instruments require a lot of manual tweaking during fabrication and/or are too niche for manufacturers to invest in proper automation. Then there's the price of some raw materials (esp. wood and metal) which drives up the price.

There will always be crap sold to people who want a cheap gift or decorative item. But once you shop just a bit above the bottom price there are a surprising amount of decent instruments to be found.

I ran a music store dude i know what I'm talking about

Ah, the good old argument from authority fallacy? ;)

Running a music store means you'll want to sell the most expensive stuff with the higher margins so you have every incentive to convince people cheap stuff is crap. Why should I trust you?

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