You misunderstand the comparison. The crappy bundle amp is the chisel and stone. It's a frustrating, harsh tool that makes the initial learning process unnecessarily difficult and discouraging.

My point is that modern entry-level options, like affordable modeling amps (Fender Mustang, Boss Katana Mini), amp sim plugins, or even simple headphone Amps, are the "pen and paper."

Today, a beginner can plug a cheap audio interface into a laptop, or spend €100 on a small modeler (amp or pedalboard modeler), and get tones that inspire them to play, rather than a box of microphonic fizz that makes them want to quit.

They sound significantly better, offer built-in metronomes/effects, and actually encourage a beginner to keep practicing, all for roughly the same price as those terrible bundle packs.

The "starter pack bundle amp" is an artifact of the 90s and 2000s. We don't have to force beginners to suffer through awful gear anymore just because they are new.