Is Your Guitar Holding You Back?

As you strive to improve as a guitarist, you’ll encounter difficulties that are due to your own ability and some that are the result of your gear. Sometimes, however, it’s difficult to know what’s holding you back: Is it you or your guitar?

That’s the subject of this video from Phillip McKnight, titled “Is Your Guitar Holding You Back?”

“Whether you’re new to guitar or playing for a few years,” Phillip says, “how do you know when your playing ability is being held back by your guitar’s performance ability?”

As he explains, the musical instrument industry labels low-end guitars as “beginner” guitars. But what are the performance differences between those guitars and the similar high-end models you see pros using onstage? For that matter, can purchasing a more expensive model actually help your playing ability?

In this video, Phillip gives some advice on how to identify if your guitar is holding you back and what it is about a higher-end model that may benefit you. He notes that if you determine that your guitar is holding you back, that doesn’t mean you need a new and better guitar—it may just be a matter of making some adjustments and changes to your existing model, such as those he demonstrates in this video.

The bottom line is that you don’t necessarily have to buy a better guitar or a more expensive model—but you do need to figure out the right course of action that helps you break through whatever barrier you’re currently encountering.

Take a look at the video below—there’s a lot of good advice and information in here.

As always, we encourage you to check out the many fine videos on Phillip’s YouTube channel and subscribe to stay up to date on all his new posts.

Watch On