Sturdy, solid instrument with many uses!
585394
This is a great pandeiro that has many uses. You can play it traditionally as in Brazilian samba, getting some pretty low tunings out of the stock head. This makes for a great surdo-like sound if you press from the bottom of the head with your gripping hand. It is a bit heavy, but keep in mind that it's a 12" drum. I've had better use out of this as a bass drum, believe it or not! I rigged up a little mount for it to be played with a fluffy bass drum beater and it works great! Especially when it's miced up, this thing sounds pretty amazing. I've also used a similar mounting system to use it like a tom and have turned it upside down to use like a drumset tambourine. Overall a great and sturdy product. I wouldn't hesitate buying this if you're looking for a versatile frame drum to add some new sounds to your set up.
930283
I really like playing this instrument! It is clear that whomever set this instrument up knew what they were doing. Other instruments at this price will often have issues, like a bridge that is too high, improperly spaced strings, a nut that is too high, etc.  This instrument is either manufactured well or the Kennedy luthiers are good at making adjustments. The bow is quite satisfactory. Another review mentioned a warped bow, but mine is quite straight.
My only complaint might be the heavy weight of the instrument, but with a shoulder rest I barely notice a difference. Also, the amp is your typical battery powered practice amp, so the sound you'll get from it is very unsatisfying. You'll want to upgrade quickly to a larger guitar/keyboard/bass amp.
4582797
I didn't expect much from this baritone ukulele, seeing how it was only a little over $50 - but I am very very happy with this instrument! I have experience with other ukuleles and this uke is ALMOST the same quality as my $190 tenor ukulele. It comes with standard ukulele tuning strings (G-C-E-A) and they sounded good, but I got a baritone to sound more like a guitar so I switched to classical guitar strings (D-G-B-E) and it still sounds wonderful! The wood looks quite different from the picture but it is beautiful. (Pictured with guitar strings)
1867670
Beautiful sound and beautiful to look at! This is a quality Persian setar at a budget price. If you already play guitar or another fretted instrument, you'll be able to make some pleasing sounds on this right away. Lots of resources on the web about tuning, etc. The wood and finish on the instrument are extremely beautiful. The walnut neck is straight and strong--plays true all up and down the fretboard.
 Extremely well packed & fast shipping (about three weeks). Comes with two sets of replacement strings.
(If you break a string, replacement is easy--but remember you can take the wooden tuning peg completely out of its hole, wind the end of the string around it with a little tension on it, then replace the tuning peg in the hole, pushing down a bit to seat it again--really easy!)
3812913
Beautiful instrument. Feels comfortable in your hand and the tip is sharp for cutting. Great for cutting heavy material and is a smooth cutting scissors. Finish is a bright metal and will last for many years. Don't hesitate to buy this. Delivery was fast and it is priced fairly.
3970422
I received the instrument promptly and am very very pleased with it. I had never played a harp Guitar but with scads of You Tubes to demonstrate it's now a familiar instrument after one week. I did a minor truss rod adjustment and re-strung the guitar b=neck with silk & steel strings and it intonates beautifully. After reading that these guitars go of multi-thousands of dollars I am quietly overwhelmed at the sound and quality at this price. For now I do standard tuning and DADGAD on the guitar neck and I conveniently pitch the bass strings to (from thinnest to thickest : E  (same as guitar's 6th string )  D  C  B  A  G .  I had to tune tune the first bass string  unison to the guitar's 6th string to keep it from buzzing, any lower pitch on this string buzzes.  But they are all now very solid and useful.  The 8 zithery  treble strings I keep in an " all purpose" pent-tonic scale of , from shortest to longest -floor to sound hole :  E'  D  B  A  G  E  G  D  ----  the lowest pitched of these -nearest the sound hole , is unison with the D of the guitar's first string at the 10th fret..........NOW  MY ONE NEGATIVE :::  it would have been perfect if the makers had included a tuning wrench for the thin harp string posts as they are not geared tuners.  My autoharp tuning wrench was too small so I have to use a 5/16th socket wrench to tune them. The lady that tunes my piano looked at it and will order me a #2  piano wrench. Anyway, I would have glady paid extra for a fitted tuning wrench.  That said, these tuning posts really hold the strings to pitch and I was surprised to transport the guitar and when I arrived I pulled it out of it's bag and the thin strings were still IN TUNE !!!  yay  yay...........I would have paid for a sturdier bag or case as I have a keyboard case on order for it.  All in all this instrument is well worth the price and then some....I would recommend it to anyone and will.....But please , throw in the tuning wrench.  Love & Peace
3080751
Have owned this product for years and have enjoyed it all the way.  The instrument sounds amazing and the tone just gives one joy when played!  Sounds great plugged in or acoustic.  Tuning to different scales or pitch patterns is really easy to do, and having a chromatic tuner makes it a quick process.
It's small enough to go anywhere, and being an acoustic instrument, you don't need anything else to make joyful music on the go.  Best part is being able to plug it into an amp via the 1/4 inch jack for entertaining friends (or an audience), or into a recording device for recording purposes.
The design is really sleek and simple, but sturdy and functional.  It's not awkward to hold in the hands at all.  Solid wood/metal construction feels durable, yet it's very lightweight so doesn't tire the hands, wrists, or forearms when playing for extended periods.
This is an instrument that can be enjoyed by anyone, even non-musicians, because it is really easy to learn how to play and sound good on!  Thanks to the internet, there are tons of resources for teaching yourself how to play this instrument.  Hard to beat 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.
4457200
Had been looking for quite awhile for a good quality tambourine for my one year olds first birthday. I wanted a "real" tambourine, not a plastic toy. He had played with one similar in a high end toy store that only sold the instruments all together, so I wanted something similar.  This is amazing! It is excellent quality- holds up to a old year old's throwing and tossing all over. He can easily hold it and shake it bc of the light weight. He has a small wooden spoon that he beats on it with and the tambourine still looks brand new. And it a very nice looking instrument as well!!  I know this will be with us for a long time, as he continues to grow into it! I look forward to purchasing other instruments from Hape. You will not be disappointed with this product!
3527354
High quality instrument made from beautiful wood. Was really impressed with the tuning and strength of material!
2202226
Amazing and unique musical instrument that I had the chance to play in many ways. There are wonderful sound synthesisers and a unique way to control them through my very own recorded actions. Great product!
3903225
Let's be clear - this is an instrument for less than $40. I have many years of playing piano, guitar, and various other instruments. After picking up my mandolin recently, I decided I would like to give a violin a try. After looking through reviews and reading comments, I decided to gamble $40 on this one.
It makes a really steady sound and reverberates well. It is not a professional instrument, by any means, but it is also far above a toy. The tuners work and everything functions as it should.
It was shipping strung, but they were loose, so there were no problems with that for me, unlike another reviewer. I also have not had any issues with the tailstock like some of the other reviewers.
There are a few blemishes with the finish, and a few places where the stain just didn't get into the corners, but they are not glaringly noticeable.
For the price, I am extremely satisfied.
2266026
A fantastic piece for the price.  Solid quality and a ton of fun features from altering sounds to recording to importing music to play along with. Very happy with my choice!
4120691
The Taylor 214ce is a lovely instrument with a full cheerful sound. Its electronic components work well too, I plug it directly into my mic port on my laptop using an aux adapter and get great quality in recording. I especially like the omitting of a gloss finish on the neck, as my hand frequently sticks to gloss neck finishes. Stock Elixer light strings sound great, and the deluxe hard case is sturdy and form fitting. This guitar stays in tune longer than any guitar that I have had even with daily use. I would highly recommend this guitar to anyone in the same budget.
3709200
I got this guitar as a gift, and have found it to be a magnificent instrument. I've played on various guitars, and this is one that I will keep around for a long time to come. The strings play well, and evenly in tone. Also I have small fingers so it is hard for me to play most guitars, but the neck is narrow enough where I don't have trouble, and its great for transitions between the chords.
685044
We just received this for our daughters birthday and are extremely excited about it. Here is every reason why I would recommend this to anybody with musically inclined children.

Quality: The quality is better than what you would expect. It isn't orchestra quality, but it is quite durable. Our one year old daughter was banging everything around and nothing loosened up, the drum didn't rip as some people stated. If your children bang the drum on a corner of something very hard, then it might rip. The symbols aren't the loudest, but they are also small, about 3 and a half inches in diameter, so I don't expect them to sound like real symbols. The triangle sounds amazing. The maracas aren't the loudest, but you can still hear them over the rest of the instruments being played at the same time. Overall, definitely worth more than the 20 dollars you will pay for it.

What's included: Rhythm sticks, 2 maracas, tambourine, symbols and triangle. Also a handy small wooden crate. We don't store the instruments in the crate. We actually used the crate to hold small pots for an herb garden. It was a pleasant bonus.

Educational value: This set is great for teaching children not only how to keep rhythm, but also about different types of instruments. It says it is for ages 4+ but our one year old has a blast with it. We keep an eye on her, and don't have it down off of the shelf when we are out of the room. She already knows how to hold the triangle by the string and make noise with it.

Negatives: I really have to push for negatives. I can see how if you want professional quality instruments this could be upsetting, but it is meant to be a play and learning set. It is a bonus that these instruments work as well as they do. I wish it came with some kind of rope to keep the triangle parts together, I see the metal pole getting lost if we aren't careful. However, it does come with a hole in the metal pole so I am going to go buy some heavy duty string to tie it to the end of the symbol to prevent loss.

Over all we are very pleased with this and would recommend it to anybody who loves music and knowledge.
3355071
This is a fine musical instrument.  I've been playing it every day since I bought it in April 2013; it still looks great and sounds better with each passing month.

I'm an amateur and didn't want to pay a lot so relied on a friend who is a professional guitarist; this was his recommendation. Before buying I played the Yamaha at a local music store and listened to the sales rep (who is a very good musician) play it.  I was immediately taken with the sustain and resonance.  The guitar also has an authentic, solid feel, even to my relatively small and untrained hands. It has a natural finish with rosewood back and sides and a classy black ebony fingerboard.  The rosette is a mosaic design, the hardware is gold with mother of pearl tuners. Some statistics of possible interest: Body depth: 3.7-3.94", Nut width: 2.05", String length: 25.6"

My friend, who is expert in guitars, assures me the Yamaha CG182S is comparable to guitars costing two or even three times as much. Sometimes I will sit quietly and play a single open string just to hear the sound of the tonal vibrations. For those who may not know, "CG" stands for "classical guitar" and S for the solid European "spruce" top. At the time of my purchase, only spruce was available. Guitar enthusiasts debate the merits of spruce vs. cedar.  I can only speak from personal experience; this spruce top guitar plays and sounds great.

Yamaha  has been in business since 1887 and is the largest manufacturer of musical instruments in the world. Yamaha got to be the largest by making low cost quality instruments for a long period of time. It's a proven product.

This is a fine musical instrument.