Then why read the thread? (Spacey)
In the case of the violin, I would not get the best one, I would say well, I will buy a pretty good one, but we all will see if you really stick with it. Unless it has re-sale value in the future and will be worth more, then a pretty good one may do the trick. It is nice to be promising but until you actually get into the heat of the battle meaning symphonies instead of just local perhaps and orchestras and perhaps play that music for any number of years, being in an orchestra or a symphony even a great one is not the same as being the artist standing up front being the virtuoist playing. And only so much time can be spent on anything especially when college may be coming and well, will it all continue in that way. (I know somewhat since I played in both a junior symphony and a senior symphony orchestra during high school at the same time. Well, the boring afternoon Saturday rehearsal practices got to me as I looked a the sunshine out the window of the place because I was a percussionist and being outside instead of being bored inside while listening to rehearsal again and again and again while waiting to play one cymbal crash - Got To Me! I rather play football with friends and no padding and be tackled, anything except those boring tedious hours I still remember to this day. Fine if it fits someone else, but look man, I was in high-school, there are a million things to do other then make a small sum of money doing nothing most of one of the only days off from school. Get real!) I was a kid!
I would think the teacher has some personal feeling about creating a student who makes him/her famous as she took lessons from me. I would be careful about all of that, and the way the child may be used only later to find it all failed down. What is that line in Stargate? Still failing upwards?
Who took the poll about which company is more popular or not? I have not seen a link or anythings or anything except some perhaps personal feelings that Fender is more popular than Gibson? Perhaps it is Country Music! I turned on the radio today and took about 10 minutes of it - Drink your beer, chew tobacco, chew tobacco, chew tobacco, spit while praying to the man upstairs. The song before was about loving or liking Christmas Cookies or something, and to tell you the truth, I had to turn off the radio, period.
What exact music are you talking about? The fact that musicians are not making as much as they once did, the fact that they may play different instruments in this day and age of other guitar makers, the fact and possibility of the record companies only promoting single artists and certain female singers, or the whole probable ball of bull that inherits this Country lately. And perhaps it depends on what music you are listening too also.
The fact that if you read Sweetwater, 60% off on a PRS guitar there, while Gibsons where only 30% off, or the fact that they are just trying to sell the guitars or it's Black Friday week, weekday, weekend, whatever.
People buy what they think they can afford most of the time except maybe the ones that run the reality or show or lean towards incompetence like some of the high-ups wherever that is, the fact that some people complain about quality but again it is just another personal feeling, again and again and again.
Well, ya, I just bought a Gibson, and no I have not tried a Fender ever, I did once at the jam, just don't fit my clubby keyboard hands like the beef of the neck of my new Gibson does which I am still lowering the action on because it is pleked so I can plink and plunk and puck and tuck and plek, plank plonk, and whatever.
Can make up an entire song about any of it I suppose, so back to trying to play guitar. Just don't look for me to be famous.