a decent classical guitar
358984
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Amigo-1-2-Size-Classical-Guitar-for-Kids-or-Children/dp/B0002IHETU/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Amigo 1/2 Size Classical Guitar for Kids or Children</a>

I was very surprised with the quality of the sound. If you are looking for a small guitar for your young child, this one is a very good bet. A real classical guitar for the price of a toy one.
871215
EDIT: 3-29-2012 Since I wrote this review I notice the price has gone Waaaay up. What was impressive at thirty five is a good bit less so at eighty!

First off, let's get some perspective here. This is a thirty dollar student guitar. It rates 4 stars compared to other low end guitars. It could not be compared to a 4 star rated Concert Gibson.
I had been practicing on a light, cheap Mexican guitar that appeared to have been made expressly for selling to tourists in souvenir shops. In comparison the Lucida compares very favorably. The box weighs about 40% more than the Mexican guitar. The tone is pleasant with no buzzing strings. The neck is the correct angle with the strings at the proper space from the frets.(The frets on my old guitar looked like they were hand made from brass rod, with a hammer and a file)like all new guitars and strings, It will have to be re tuned often until the strings get bedded in. What I was not expecting was the quality of finish on the box. It is a beautiful, high gloss coating virtually devoid of imperfections.
All in all, a nice starter guitar that is capable of making beautiful music further down the road. The only problem is you may want to save it from the student to use as wall art.
2293243
its got its own unique sound to it. it does lose tuning a little quicker but it definitely holds tune for some time. i think it plays appropriately for the price. it generally sounds "nice" feels horrible to anyone who has held/played a higher end guitar, and when i say higher end i simply mean actual brands of guitar like Yamaha or Fender put Huntington to shame BUT if you're just testing the water definitely give this a try but you WILL want to buy a better guitar.
2726561
An attractive, reasonably well built guitar with good action and tone.  It was heavier than I expected even given that it has a built in tuner, but is comfortable to hold.  I replaced the strings with Elixirs and the tone got even better.  The headstock tuners are heavy duty and well constructed so the instrument stays reasonably in tune over time.  The fret markers are installed well with no sharp edges.  The nut will need to be replaced eventually.  It is the only low quality item I have found on this guitar.  Spacing between the first and second strings is just a tad off causing some playing misfires due to improper clearances.  For the price, this guitar is hard to beat.
2312047
I bought this guitar while it was on sale for $66 and some change, and for that price I am not regretful of this purchase. I received the guitar in perfect condition even though the box had minor cosmetic issued. I have have the guitar for about 8 months now and bought it initially just to jam and see if I would actually play an acoustic guitar (Originally playing bass guitar and electric guitar). The tone is wholesome and warm, and can easily fill a room. The action is a little high around the highest frets but is not unbearable.  It is a full size model and does not feel uncomfortable to play. I have played this guitar regularly ( at least every other day or so) and have not had any issues. I thought this deal was a "steal."
1625990
Guitar has good tonation, is pretty well made. The back of the neck was a bit rough but Less than 5 minutes of mild sanding with 1,000 grit sandpaper fixed that issue
832217
A mockingbird mocks the call of other birds, this guitar, with the tonal options on the ST model, can mock other guitars very well.

First, it is a neck thru mahogany (NATO which is classed as mahogany because it is in the same family of trees/bushes and the wood has some of the qualities of mahogany but it's not as high quality as the South American mahogany the Gibson and PRS high end guitars are made from) body.  Neck thru is a plus.  Next, the humbuckers are Seymour Duncan designed with a nice range and aren't muddy, it's funny that Rockfield pickups are advertised but mine came with Duncan Designed.  Next there are a coil tap switch for each pickup to kill one side of the pickup giving it a fair single coil sound.  Next it has a reverse phase switch which thins out and brightens the sound. Finally there is a five way vari-tone switch that seems to either be neutral, cuts or boost the signal from the pickups.  It is passive so no batteries.  The reverse phase switch only works when both pickups are selected (mid position on the 3-way selector).  I've forgotten, off hand, if it is 24 3/4 or 24 5/8 scale, and it comes with D'Addario 9's.  It has BC Rich's version of a stop tail.  Tuners do their job.  I do wisn the hardware was smoked chrome instead of black.

If you set your amp on clean and just use the vari-tone switch you can go from an almost electric / acoustic sort of sound thru to a very gritty Almost AC/DC sound only using the vari-tone and main toggle for the pickups.  Using this and the coil taps you can coax some fairly convincing Strat sounds to almost Les Paul.  It falls a little short of each, but good enough for an all around guitar.  With the right amp, EQ, and pedals you should attain all you want.

Quality was very good, especially if you consider all guitars when new, need to be set up.  Frets were very well finished.  I found no finish flaws or imperfections of any type.  It plays well right out of the box.  You could use it for any style you want with the correct amplifier etc., though it may look a little funny on a country stage, it just looks rock, metal and so on.  I expect extra care will be needed because any guitar with an odd shop, large body, or pointed extremities will be easy to bang on things, the finish does look tough though.

They have a list on them of around 700 bucks but can usually be found cheaper.  I got mine for 450 out the door with BC Rich molded generic case (case came from somewhere else at a giveaway price) as a year end inventory reduction thing.  Good, eye pleasing, very play worthy guitar.  If you decide on this one, take it to a good tech, get it set up with some good strings, and I think you'll be happy and rockin' out fast!
2018894
The packaging that the guitar arrived in was rather shady- it looked hastily packaged, but I didn't knock any points for that. However, I did remove one star due to a few minor cosmetic flaws that I noticed upon examining it.

The fretboard was my only main concern.

- It had a scuff on it, and was rather dry. The mark wasn't that noticeable, and a bit of oil really made it shine and play smoothly.
- There are a few places around the frets where the glue is visible.

Despite the low price, I'm having no issues with playability or tone, and there's no sign of fret buzzing. It seems to hold its tuning very well, also.
If you're looking for an affordable bass that plays well, then this one is perfect for you.
530021
I played guitar when I was younger and picked this up a few years ago when my kids got into music.  I avoided a solid top guitar because I did not want to have to baby it (and didn't mind slightly lower volume of a laminated top).  The guitar is a solid choice for the price - you will not find better for the money.  The tuning machines are better quality than other starter guitars (we've replaced 2 on my son's Ibanez V70 purchased at the same time). My F325 guitar in the pack was produced in Indonesia. It was well made (no excess glue or crooked tuners) and set up fairly well out-of-the-box. It has a folksy sound and is good for strumming and fingerpicking (not so much for barre and power chords). Over the years, the guitar has been abused, but has held up fairly well (a few small dents and very minor warpage in the top - at a low angle, you can see where the X-bracing is). I've heard of bridges delaminating on cheap guitars, but mine looks solid. My complaints about the guitar are the lack of a front strap button and the lack of a dot on the third fret.
Of the extras that come in the pack, the picks and strings are nice, the strap and the case are junk, and the DVD and tuner are adequate - but at the price of the Gigmaker kit, consider it a $150 guitar and free extras.
1116724
Bought this guitar recently, and I have to say that I really don't have much experience with other resonator guitars beyond listening to them.  Since I play slide in open tunings, I feel like they have a superior sound for that style.  This one felt like a pretty safe bet being a Dobro brand.  It is made in China, which is a bummer, but seems well constructed.  The body is thick, and solid feeling.  The matte finish and wood grain look great.  It has a very antique look about it.  The action from the shop was set pretty nice, frets easily, yet the slide doesn't bang around on the frets.  The first thing I did was drop some heavier strings on it, which really made a difference in the sound quality over the factory strings- that usually goes without saying I suppose.  I like having the pickup on it as well, sounded really good on just a cheap fender frontman amplifier.  I'm definitely not an expert, I've never even touched a National, so I don't have much to make comparisons to, but I'm pretty well pleased with the sound and construction upon my purchase.
863948
I have the sea foam blue/green "Session" guitar by Godin. It sounds like a twangy/snappy/quacky Telecaster in the top four positions and can scream with distortion in the bridge/humbucker position. Feels very nice too. The neck is medium sized and very smooth. The fret ends are not sharp. There is no need to take it to a luthier for set-up. Not a light guitar, but is nicely balanced so the strap sets well on your shoulders. This guitar comes with a written quality control checklist which starts with its construction and ends with intonation and playability.  You can buy a cheaper guitar, put some nice pickups on it, smooth out the sharp fret ends, hope the neck does not warp, etc., or just get a Godin and not have to "work and hope" on it. I got mine, barely used, for under three hundred. I am liking it alot. The gig bag is a "heavy" one with nice padding, an inner velcro neck holder, and lots of zippered pockets.
750463
Great guitar, comfortable to play, standard classical neck.  Electronics are good quality (better than my Taylor ns32ce).  Needs a strap nut added to the heel or your stuck sitting down.  High quality fit and  finish.  Needs an amp to enjoy;  too narrow to generate sufficient tone without. I like it alottt.
2271417
I gave this set only three stars due to the tuner and picks not being included in the box as advertised. However, the guitar is of nice quality and plays smoothly. The soft-case isn't anything special as it lacks sufficient padding and outside extended pockets. Although the amp is only a 6" 10amp, it is fun to use when just fooling around. The cable works in a pinch but there are better cables out there that aren't so stiff and rigid. All things considered, regardless if you're just starting out playing guitar or you've played for years, the guitar that comes with this bundle makes a nice addition to any collection.
1231818
I recently sold my 1000 dollar yairi cy118 classical and picked this one up in cedar top to replace it. To say i am pleasantly surprised is an understatement. The stock strings that came on the guitar didn't sound good but after changing them out...wow..talk about waking up the sound. It has a very warm and mellow sound now but with a respectable  amount of volume for an inexpensive guitar. The fit and finish on mine was great, no complaints at all. A couple of things I would recommend to all buyers of this guitar that will make a BIG difference in the sound quality. Firstly change the strings as soon as you get it. I have used savarez 520 series, d' adario, and Augustine blacks and all sound great. Right now I'm running the Augustine black low tension and am very happy with the time and volume. The other thing is to change the saddle out to one made of real bone that raises the action slightly. This guitar comes with a synthetic saddle that lowers the action and makes it more appealing to beginners however most professional ( high quality... ie expensive) concert classicals do not use a very low action. You lose both tone and volume with a low action in most cases. It's better in my opinion to learn on a guitar that is set up like a standard classical unless you are playing flamenco in which case many players prefer the lower action. These two things will transform a decent sounding guitar into a very good sounding guitar, considering price tag.
812191
I bought this one a few years back after seeing Jonny Greenwood (Coldplay) play one in concert.  (He's probably better known for playing the '72 Thinline, but he played one of these as well.  And I already had an SG, so I wanted something different.)  And I heard that the guys in Radiohead have a thing for Thinlines as well.  This guitar definitely does alternative rock; it's still a Tele, but it has a certain airy funkiness that regular slab Teles don't.

Let me be clear, though:  the '69 Tele out of the box is nice, and it plays great.  But the tone isn't awesome.  The bridge pickup is OK, but very, very trebley, even for a Tele.  The neck was just muddy, and largely unusable for me.  The reason to get this guitar is that it's put together really well for a sub-$1000 guitar, it has a great wide neck, it's super light, and its really easy to swap out the pickups to make this into a truly world class guitar for a very reasonable price.

I swapped out my electronics for Duncan Alnico II's and 250k pots (about $300 installed, including a quality set up for the guitar), and this is now an absolutely killer Tele.  It still has a lot of treble and Tele twang, but all the mud is gone.  In fact, I think it's better sounding than my stock American Tele.  I can still do alt rock, as well as jazz, blues, funk or anything else that you can do on a Tele.  No question it's substantially cheaper (even after the mods), and it's a whole lot lighter as well.

So now I've got clean classic Tele tone in a very well built box that I can hold all night long, and at a great price.  Viva Mexico!
9027
I believe this model was part of a Guitar Center special run in 2015.  The specs are very similar to the 60's player strat, with the vintage tremelo, frets and pickups.  The neck is finished in a clear gloss, and has a nice C shape.  The finish is polyester and looks almost like a mix of daphne blue and surf green, very attractive and appropriate for a vintage strat finish.

The guitar arrived in it's original sealed carton, unopened.  Upon unboxing, the guitar was flawless but needed a lot of adjustment to get it in playing shape.  I wasn't surprised as I'd seen the late 2014 production date on the box.  Fortunately, I have a lot of guitars and learned to do my own setups to save money, and this guitar didn't fight me at all.

After a complete setup, I plugged it into my Vox AC10 and was very impressed with the tone.  The pickups are definitely vintage (low output) models, which are my favorite type of single coils, and they sound clear and articulate and quiet.  I think these are the same pickups used in the Classic series.  Anyway, the tremolo and tuners are vintage style and they both work surprisingly well for tuning stability.  The fretboard is a nice medium tinted rosewood and the frets are narrow but smooth and level.

Overall I'm very pleased with this Strat.  Yes, it's a MIM model but I found nothing to complain about in the quality of the materials and craftsmanship.  It's a beautiful guitar and it sounds and plays great.  I'd put this guitar up there with my American Strats, and the lower price makes this a more attractive package to me.  I wish it came with a case but the gig bag is at least sturdy and very padded.  Anyway, I'm proud to own this guitar and pleased with the price.  It's a player and a keeper!
2807691
I decided one day to try out classical guitaring, so I bought a used Fender from a Craigslist ad.  The thing sounded awful; shallow, muffled and not very loud even after installing new high-end strings.  It also went completely out of tune every two days.  I eventually got rid of it and was soured on nylon stringed guitars for a while.

Then my teacher showed me her $4,000 custom built classical guitar and it sounded beautiful, so I decided to give nylon fingerpicking another shot.  I went to Guitar Center and tried out over a dozen different guitars in their special classical guitar room, and this was the one I decided on.  Even though it was the second cheapest model they sold I felt it had a deeper, richer and louder sound than 75% of the rest, some with $800+ price tags.  It's also easy to play (at least compared to my steel stringed Seagull).

Since then I've had no reason to regret my decision.  I compared it side-by-side with my teacher's guitar, and although hers does sound better it's not by the margin you'd expect when compared against the price tags.  Overall a very satisfying playing experience.

If I had to nitpick at something it would be minor asthetic imperfections.  The guitar body has a thick glossy finish (something I don't care for), and the fret board is unevenly stained and has evidence of glue residue around some of the frets.  None of this, however, detract from its sound and playability.