How long have you had that guitar?
Is it playing better than it used to… or worse?
At some point most players ask the question:
Should I fix this one — or just buy a new guitar?
Let’s be honest.
There’s nothing quite like a new guitar. It’s like a new romance. You open the case, that finish gleams, it smells new, and you can’t wait to get home from work and pick it up.
You can’t really put a price on that feeling.
But let’s set emotion aside for a minute and look at the numbers.
The Math (Using a Real Example)
Let’s use a Squier Affinity S-Style as our example.
- New price today: around $320
- Your current used Squier might sell for: about $150
- Your “upgrade cost” after tax: roughly $200 out of pocket
You go home with a shiny new guitar.
Or…
You bring your current guitar into Hank’s Guitar Shop for a full MasterPro Setup.
That includes:
- Professional setup (relief, action, intonation)
- Fretboard cleaning and conditioning
- Fret polishing
- Nut inspection (and replacement if needed)
- Full cleaning and polish
- New strings
Total: around $130 with tax
So on the surface, you “saved” about $70 by fixing your old guitar instead of upgrading.
But that’s not really the full story.
Here’s What Most People Don’t Realize
New guitars are almost never ready to play perfectly right off the shelf.
After working on thousands of instruments, here’s what we typically find on brand-new guitars:
- High or uneven frets (very common)
- Nut slots cut too high
- Relief slightly off
- Action not dialed in
- Intonation rarely spot-on
In other words:
That new guitar you just bought?
It needs a setup too.
And not just once.
Every guitar — new or old — should receive at least a light professional setup every 12–18 months. Guitars that get played often may need it more frequently.
What About Expensive Guitars?
You might be thinking:
“Sure, but a USA Fender or Gibson wouldn’t have those problems.”
I wish that were true.
Even high-end instruments often need fretwork and setup refinement. In fact, some boutique or custom brands can require more attention because they’re built in smaller batches with less automated consistency.
Higher price does not mean “ready to play perfectly.”
It just means you paid more for the platform.
The Real Bottom Line
If you buy new:
- You spend $200 to upgrade
- You’ll still need a setup
- You’re into it for quite a bit more than you expected
If you repair what you already own:
- You spend about $130
- You know the neck
- You know the feel
- You keep a guitar that already fits your hands
- And it plays dramatically better
And here’s something players over 50 understand better than anyone:
Comfort matters.
If you’ve bonded with that guitar over the years, it probably already feels like home. A professional setup can make it feel better than it did when it was brand new.
So What Should You Do?
If you simply want something different — a new color, a different pickup configuration, a fresh start — then by all means, buy something new and enjoy it.
But if your current guitar just feels “tired,” plays stiff, or buzzes in a few spots…
It probably doesn’t need replacing.
It probably just needs attention.
Before you spend hundreds upgrading, bring it in.
Let’s evaluate it honestly and tell you whether it’s worth investing in.
You might be surprised how good your “old” guitar can feel again.
And sometimes, that’s even better than a new romance. can save a bundle just by giving it some love!
