Great beginners instrument--good sound!
345267
I bought this for a gift for a friends son.....I took it out of the box to check it. It was great and her son just loves it!
1692511
I am very happy with this purchase.  The neck is a bit longer than I expected.  Other than that I have 0 complaints.  The guitar is lightweight, and produces a nice tone.  A really great instrument for the beginning bass player (which I am).  Solid value!  Pick this up!
3127448
This is my first uke. I did a lot of research (as much as a novice could anyways). And things turned out with no surprises. This is a decent sounding uke...more than good enough for the novice. And the package offers a lot of bang for the buck. Snark tuner is easy to use. I highly recommend this hard case over the soft bag that comes with Kala ukes. I bang it into things all the time and that shower cap bag offers little protection. The MK-T isn't glossy or made of fancy wood, but you don't need that if you are just learning. The strings started holding their tune better after 4 weeks or so. Action was a little high (noticeably higher than my friends' concert ukes) -- made it very difficult for me to get a clean "F". It is harder to hold than the smaller ukes...a strap or uke leash is helpful...a must if you ever want to play standing. I picked this size b/c I wanted something less cutesy Hawaii sounding and more like that used in pop music. And it does work for that, but concert ukes don't sound bad for pop music in retrospect. (Had it for 14 months now)
3305507
For the price I didn't expect much, but this is a sweet little instrument! The quality is quite good, the sound surprisingly nice. I would definitely purchase another and recommend it to others!
840994
I was comparing a lot of different tin whistles and ended up with this one. It has a clear and pretty sound. Also as a first time player, it was easy to make decent sound. Enjoy practicing and playing it now!
3488057
The best thing about this instrument is that it came with a storage bag which makes it easy for my son to carry it to and from school.  I can't attest to the sounds because quite frankly, it's a beginner/toyish musical instrument (plus my son is not musically inclined) so one cannot expect much in terms of sounds.  I recommend the instrument!
4329315
Durable instrument and perfect for a beginner to learn to play with something authentic looking.  I bought a PVC one which is fine, but you can feel a little extra back-pressure from the slight curve.  Easy to switch between the different embouchures.  Perfect for a high-humidity country because this isn't going to crack unless I hit it with a hammer (which I won't).
3452517
This is a great beginner uke! I received it about a week ago and I just can't stop playing. The bridge holds the strings in place well and the intonation is in good tuning (I've heard that since the makala line is so inexpensive, the intonation can be wrong), and it has overall good build quality. It won't take you to the ends of the earth but it's great for travel and jam sessions with the band.

My only real grip about this ukukele is that the tuning machines are a bit loose, so the strings slack down very easily. Nothing a few seconds with a flathead screwdriver can't fix.

 Make sure to buy new strings when you order this,  because it comes with very cheap placeholder strings. I'm currently waiting for my Aquila strings to come in the mail, but I found some good, cheap strings at the local music shop.
4548110
I had never played a stringed instrument before; however, I wanted to learn, and after the reviews selected this instrument, and I'm very happy with my choice! After a few months of playing, it's still in great shape. I have been able to easily tune it and keep it sounding great. I also get a lot of compliments on the look.
2823650
I've only played guitar a few years, so I am not an expert on the various types of guitars. However, I am a multi-instrumentalist. Therefore, I know what sounds good and what is good quality. I feel this guitar meets and exceeds what I expected.

Because I was used to playing smaller instruments, violin, mandolin, flute, and uke, the guitar was overwhelming for me to maneuver. The owner of a music store told me to check out folk guitars because they are smaller. I did a considerable amount of research, and found this one on Amazon. It received good reviews for the price. For an adult and wants an adult size guitar sound, but is petite, this is a great option!

I now teach guitar lessons, as well. This guitar has become one of my fav. instruments to play. In comparison to my students' guitars, this one has a richer tone. I think some days they forget their instrument just so they can play this one! In my opinion, the guitar is of good quality workmanship. It appears to be well made and is very pretty to look at. Equally important, it sounds great for chord strumming as well as finger picking.

I'm very satisfied with this guitar. I wish my students had one of their own so I could quit sharing mine! ;-)
3464072
What a great instrument for fifty dollars. I am an experienced guitarist, so I appreciated being a beginner mandolinist--good intonation up the neck, beautiful woodwork, great set up with strings to fretboard, nice treble, overall wonderful way to get started. The only negative is the dull sounding bass, but who expects perfection for fifty. I recomment this for a beginner to see if it is one's cup of tea.
561339
This is a nice beginner insturment. Not a fancy xylaphone... but it has a beautiful sound. For the price it is a great buy! Nice carring case. I wish that it came with a few sheets of music, though. Fast shipping.
4021534
It came in the mail promptly, and it makes a wonderful sound when I play it.  I find it very easy to pick up and start playing.  It's a simple instrument to use, it comes priced very fairly, and I very much appreciate this purchase.
318469
This is a great sonding whistle for the price. I wasn't sure at first about the sound me being a beginner and all but then after a few weeks of playing and listening to other whistles I can say for sure it has a great sound. It is so easy to play. It does not take a lot of air at all, so sometimes it is too easy to squeak and sqauk  on the lower notes, but the more I play the more I get used to it. The only drawback might be the seam that runs down the back, which might be uncomfortable for  some people, but I find that it helps me to grip the whistle. Also it does not take me long before I have to blow out the spit so that I can continue playing. I shelled out the extra dollar for the Celtic paint job as I did not care for the Dancng Billy on the Sweetone modles, but they are the same whistle. The paint job is great, I love the dark green color. Sometimes it looks black and other times green, but I like it that way. I only reserved from giving it five stars because it is the first whistle I've owned and don't have anything to compare it too, and would like to leave room if I ever get one better. I recomend getting an instruction book if you are a beginner. The one published for the Clarke is what I purchased along with it.
4690407
I was skeptical at first, but after buying this instrument, I was amazed by the rich sound quality and stupendous construction quality for the money. The only problems with this instrument are the poor quality reeds, and the extremely fragile, useless ligature. However, these two problems can easily be fixed. I definitely recommend this instrument for beginners.
4859139
I decided to start learning to play guitar, but didn't want to spend too much money on a hobby I wasn't sure I'd stick with.  After a lot of looking around I settled on this starter package.  Based on reviews it appeared to be a decent instrument at a low price point.  And after two months of slowly learning to play, I have to say I'm quite pleased with my purchase.  The guitar arrived right on time and in fine condition, with everything as listed.

The guitar itself sounds good, obviously it isn't a top of line model, but considering the fact I'm learning and am pretty awful so far, it sounds really good.  I don't really have a frame of reference to say whether the action is easy or hard to play, but I can say that I haven't been frustrated with the guitar itself, only by my lack of finger coordination and dexterity.  I'm pretty sure a more expensive guitar wouldn't improve my coordination or dexterity.  ;-)  All said, I have no real complaints about the guitar itself, and that's the most important piece of this package, right?

As for the accessories.  It's a bit of a mixed bag...  The good?  The kit includes a nice assortment of picks of varied thickness, shapes and sizes.  After trying a few I settled on one that felt comfortable in my hand and I'd guess everyone will have the same experience of being able to find one they like in the mix.  The guitar strap is comfortable, adjusts to my needs and I'm not worried about it coming loose.  And the electronic tuner is quick and easy to use.  I haven't had occassion to use the extra strings that were included, but they are there and they look to be the same style and quality as the set that were pre-strung on the instrument, I'm sure it will nice to have them on hand one of these days should a string break...

I can't comment on the DVD, I haven't watched it.  A friend loaned me a set of DVD's and CD's that he had and I've been using that exclusively...

As for the pitch pipe and guitar bag, neither are impressive.  Honestly, with the electronic tuner I don't see much need for the pitch pipe, but I tried it out one night and found that matching the pitching pipe put several strings out of tune according to the electronic tuner.  But, my son enjoys playing with the pitch pipe like a harmonica and tuning with the electronic tuner is all I need, so...  As far as the guitar bag goes, it isn't going to protect the guitar from anything other than dust settling.  It's just a thin plastic bag with a zipper and woven nylon handles.  No pockets for storing music, tuner, strings, picks, no padding.  Just a simple plastic bag.  But, in my case, I picked up a cheap guitar stand and that's pretty much where my guitar sits all the time when I'm not playing it.

Ultimately, I bought this package for the guitar and to have everything I needed to start learning to play without spending a ton money on a hobby I wasn't sure I'd stick with.  And for that purpose, this package meets the need.  If you are looking to learn to play guitar or looking to buy a starter package for someone that is looking to start learning to play, I'd recommend this as a good value.
3774575
I am writing this review as a complete novice. My only experience has been with a bamboo flute for many years. I figure it's about time to learn the basics with a new flute. (There are many good, basic texts, but that's not the focus of this review).

The flute is beautiful. The lacquer finish seems durable-- I have been careful with the instrument. The mechanisms all seem to work properly. After a couple of months (not daily use) one key makes the faintest noise when depressing it. The sound/notes seem good; at least that is the feedback when playing the flute for other flute players. The instrument comes packed from the factory very securely. The included nylon/canvas case is very adequate protection. The cleaning rod & rag is a necessary toot that is included. I notice the price seems to fluctuate; I paid less than $200 early Dec '05. (The silver plated flute also by Hamlin for less may be a better deal, in other words). I do hope to find time to continue practicing. Again, I am just a novice, but since there weren't any reviews for this instrument, I thought it might be helpful to say this buyer is satisfied with this instrument.  Have fun!

UPDATED: OCTOBER 2010-- for what it's worth I wanted to share that the lacquer (Blue) finish wears off with continued use. I am using flute more as i learn to play instrument (daily practice, lessons). the blue lacquer wears to bare metal (silver color)  at all stress points -- contact points. I still like flute, but realize that if i am to become serious student, will need to buy another instrument.