An old beater: a guitar perfect for the beach or around the campfire. Sometimes fit for IN the campfire. These guitars usually are inexpensive, in poor shape, and probably don't play very well.
People generally have this idea that the price to fix an instrument is directly related to the cost of the instrument. Wrong! Often, "old beaters" require lots more work because they're beaters. They could have serious neck problems (a bad angle, some weird warpage), or the body could be buckling, splitting, deteriorating or rotting. The headstock could be some weird shape or size that makes installing new tuners a big song and dance. The bridge could be breaking or coming off, taking some of the (cheap plywood) top with it.
Some people also cling to this idea that anything is fixable, and even worth fixing. You found it on the side of the road and now you want to "invest" some money into making it playable, but you don't want to spend much 'cause, like, you found it? Maybe consider doing your own repairs...
The problem, though, is that a job that normally costs, say $20, might cost more because we have to deal with uncommon sizing or spacing, things that were done wrong in the first place, or things that are rusted/seized/deteriorated. Sometimes "setting it up" just isn't possible without a host of other repairs first, or a bunch of "extra steps" (i.e.: unpleasant surprises, "The Unexpected")
Be realistic, don't expect too much from your beater. Anyway, if it played as well as a Taylor, what would be the point in even owning a Taylor?
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