Your friend is right for electric guitars. The wood is just there to look nice.

That being said, guitars are actually just cars.

You can get a super low budget Kia. It'll go when you press the gas pedal. It may or may not have air conditioning. It might struggle to go 90mph, but that doesn't really matter, as the speed limit is only 60 anyway. It'll get you to where you need to go. The thing is, they aren't comfortable. You might need to decide whole driving at 45mph between listening to the radio our having the air conditioning on if you want the car to be able to stay at 45.

Now you start looking into nicer cars. Maybe a Challenger, a Cadillac, or maybe even a Corvette. Pretty fancy, right? The seats are nicer, the top speeds are over 150 and it doesn't have that weird rattle while it drives. In fact, everything seems to just work when you touch it. Automatic seats, built in gps, and Bluetooth everything. It might not break down too! It's not just the little things that are nicer here, it's the normal things too. An all around better version of the exact same Kia from before. Sure, you pay more, but it feels like you're getting more.

Now let's stare in unaffordable awe at the majesty of getting that guitar from Mayones. Because it's the Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Bugatti from the poster that's been on your wall since you were thirteen. It's a racecar from outer space. You could give a shit less if the thing even has a radio, because you just want to hear the engine roar. Your entire purpose in life now is to park your car in places to exclusively make everyone else jealous, because those peasants don't have one. Random people are taking photos of it. Your life feels a little bit better every time you feel the keys in your pocket, and you don't have a problem or care in the world from the time you turn close the door until you open it again. Sure, the speed limit is still 60, and it might cost more than your yearly salary, but that's not what it's about.