Many people - whether they're musicians or not - believe there's a reason some guitars are more expensive than others.

Guitar makers say the main difference is the type of wood used and that exotic wood, such as koa, rosewood, lacewood or wenge, results in superior sound quality and a more expensive price tag. 

However, a student from Australia's La Trobe University has been studying the quality of sound on a variety of different guitars and says that there really isn't a difference in the sound that is produced by the various instruments, regardless of price.

"It really looks like all of them are pretty much identical," student and musician Matthew Angove told The Age. "I was surprised at just how identical they were because the guitars were very different in shape. As I was listening to them, I showed other guitar players and they were surprised as well, they were convinced they all came from the same guitar."

Angove told the news provider that although the type of wood used, shape and price hasn't been proven to influence the sound, there are some factors to consider when purchasing a new or used guitar.

"You can get varying qualities of the hardware that holds the strings. The brand is important to some people, mostly because their idols may play certain brands," he told the newspaper.

While Angove's research isn't complete, there are bound to be some doubters about its accuracy. The good news for them is that they can purchase a more expensive guitar for the price of a cheaper one by opting for a used instrument rather than buying a brand new one.