I think I was about 19 when I purchased my first electric guitar. I had it on lay away at a local music shop for about 3 weeks before I actually went and picked it up. I thought I was getting a great deal because I was buying a little vox amp and a guitar for only $150 and in a way I was. On the other hand, I was about to take on somewhat of a burden. You see my primary objective was to get some cheap equipment together and try to start recording my mediocre concoctions. I guess you could say I met my goal, but only to find later that an out-of-tune instrument is not a good thing to have playing in your song. Especially not if you're basing your vocals on that instrument! I played that thing for quite some time and I still do every now and then, but when you play that song back over the speakers and hear the guitar hit perfectly on 4 notes and on the fifth it's damn near a fret sharp, it is very disappointing. On some guitars this problem goes way beyond a set up. Whether the problem lay in the neck of the guitar or the fretboard or tuners, these are 9 times out of 10 the guitars we don't spend much money on. This seems to be true for bass guitars, acoustics, and many other instruments as well. I've skimped on all and got the same results every time. So what do you do if you're an aspiring musician ready to jump into song writing with guitar in hand?? Save some cash. There are ways to be economical while still getting a decent instrument. There are several brands that offer reliable electric guitars that keep tune well and play nicely for under $200. Buy new unless you've got someone with you who really knows his/her stuff. They can tell if the instrument meets the necessary criteria for playing and recording. The same goes for electronics. Buy good chords to reduce hum and fuzz. Spend at least a couple C notes on an amp. If you've got a nice guitar and nice chords running through a faulty amp, it's all for nothing. Like I said before, the same basic principles apply to the majority of all instruments so make sure to plan ahead if you want to stay ahead of the drawbacks in picking up new note makers. If you're new to the music world I'd have to suggest staying away from vintage equipment for now. The beauty and nostalgic glory of these pieces can come later. To sum up, save up some decent dollars before you go shopping for that new piece!! GLHF!!