Starters I think cheap local guitars should be fine, as long me mag setup sayo na marunong.
Intermediate syempre upgrade na ng gamit, syempre marunong ka na so ma appreciate mo na sound quality defined by the wood, pickups, and others..
Experts: me kita na ito sa mga gigs at me budget to buy beautiful instruments. Personal preference na ito when buying original stuff. I believe these kind of musicians are more appreciative to quality than price. If they have the money they would buy origs, it's love...