I explained this in the thread about "why not to buy skateboards from Wal-Mart". Having the potential to be a good guitar player but being stuck with a shit guitar = unlikely to ever reach that potential, likely to just put the guitar down and quit. General response was "No, with artistic outlets, money doesn't matter, where there's a will, there's a way", which is bullshit, because like it or not, in our society, without money, there may be a will, but the way is gated with a price you can't afford to pay.

It isn't as big of a deal when an artistic outlet is just starting, if you have shit tools noone else has any better so whatever. But now, if you buy shit running shoes, shit guitars, shit skateboards, to train with, your max potential is going to be measurable percentiles less than someone who can afford better, so you're out of the competition before it even begins.

Money matters. If you can only afford running shoes from Wal-Mart, you're better off not buying those running shoes, because you'll not only dissuade yourself from running when you injure yourself in the shit shoes, you'll have the new health costs incurred from injuring yourself in shit shoes. I'm not saying hospital visits immediately after running in the shoes, but down the line, you're at greater risk of knee/back/ankle/joint problems at a younger age from using poor equipment = less productivity, more likely to miss time at work, less money, etc. etc., digging that hole deeper.

Whether we like it or not, money matters, and if you can't afford at least a modest quality of tool in whatever endeavor you choose, you're better off not even bothering.