****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I'd never played guitar until I bought this one last month, so I can't compare this to others, but it's a great deal for the price. Yamaha quality and consistency are worth the few extra dollars you'll spend over cheap starter guitars.If you're buying this as a gift for a beginner who has nothing, this is probably an awesome deal. If you're buying this for yourself, the extras may not be worth the extra money, unless you're a complete beginner who isn't sure if you'll stay with it, in which case the DVD alone is probably worth it.Concerning the glue issue raised by another reviewer, mine did not have any unsightly extra glue squeezed out from where the neck extends onto the body. Sure, it's evident that glue was used, but only upon extremely up-close inspection.--------PRICEThe guitar alone (F325 Acoustic Guitar) is currently $17 less on Amazon, so you're essentially paying that much for the extras. From what I've seen looking about at DVDs for learning, the DVD is worth that if not more. Unless you decide that playing guitar isn't for you though, you'll most likely be replacing other extras, so, except for the extra set of strings, I wouldn't factor those much into the price.--------EXTRASSome thoughts on the extras:DVD: Excellent -- professionally done and doesn't seem to be available without the kit. Teaches the basics like how to hold it, tuning, strumming, etc. The Chord Dictionary is pretty nice -- shows various chords and finger positions for them. The Chord Studio is pretty cool -- you play chords you've learned with a backup band, which makes practicing fun. The only negative thing I'll say is that the initial intro had me worried about the quality of the rest of the DVD, but it turned out to be great (the instructor seems much more comfortable showing you things than he does just standing there and speaking at the beginning).Digital Tuner: The one included in the kit is the Qwik Tune Electronic Guitar and Bass Tuner ' QWIQT11. Based on reviews, you're probably going to want a Korg, as another reviewer said. You can the higher-rated Korg GA-30 Ultra Compact Guitar and Bass Tuner currently for less than $11, or pay a few dollars more for a large-display model like the Korg GA-40 Large Display Guitar and Bass Tuner or Korg TM-40 Large Display Digital Tuner and Metronome (which both had "add to cart" pricing as of this review).Extra Strings: You'll need them, eventually. Worth a few bucks, anyway.Picks: You can buy these for next to nothing, but it's nice to have a few to start with.Guitar Strap: It's not pictured in the non-kit F325, so not sure if it's a true extra. At any rate, I'm not convinced this would last more than a few months before starting to look ratty. It's a strap though and functions as one.Gig Bag: Like someone said, it's not worth much, but for this price, I wouldn't expect much either. It might keep your guitar from getting scratched -- or might not (since it's not padded or lined, I wouldn't be surprised if putting it in and out of the bag won't do more harm than good over time.). It's not going to protect the guitar if you intend to travel about with it and it's not useful for carrying anything but the guitar. Check out the World Tour WG20D Deluxe 20mm Acoustic Guitar Gig Bag or Musicians Gear Deluxe Dreadnought Case, Black for a couple of high-rated, economic options.Overall, I'm thrilled with my purchase, even though I've added a hard case, strap and tuner to my wish list for Christmas.
