According to most guitarist I hear at the music store, ALL failings on the guitar can be overcome with more volume and more distortion. Hey buddy, before you drop $3000 on that sweeeet guitar, how about you invest in some lessons so you know what to do with the damn thing.

And beginning brass is much, much less painful than beginning woodwind. Screeching sax or clarinet is grounds for an insanity defense.

Congrats getting to play with the legends. I almost got to play trumpet with Wynton Marsalis once when I was in high school. He was friends with the guy I took lessons from. All the same, I guess. I would have been so nervous I would have choked on my own spit.