I'm still learning, but after comparing it to others in stores and of my friends I like it more than most guitars that are 3 or 4 times the price. They obviously needed to take some shortcuts to make such a nice looking, well built, quality sounding, easy to play guitar for this cheap, but they are mostly inconsequential. For example, the pick guard just has a printed logo instead of the metal Epiphone applique found on their higher end models. There isn't a built-in tuner but you'll have an easier time tuning with an external tuner anyways, I love my&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Snark-SN-5-Tuner-for-Guitar-Bass-and-Violin/dp/B004XNK7AI/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Snark SN-5 Tuner for Guitar, Bass and Violin</a>, it's cheap and easier to use. Also, there isn't an amp output on it, but it can play very loud acoustically and if you're starting out it's unlikely you'll need to amplify beyond that anytime soon. The only reason to pause before buying this one, is if you want to use an amp or a game/e-learning app like&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Rocksmith-2014-Edition-PC-Mac-Cable-Included/dp/B00D6PTMHI/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Rocksmith 2014 Edition - PC/Mac (Cable Included)</a>, you'll need the amp out and a modern PC or game system, and you'd probably be better off with a cheap Epiphone electric. Also, the strings seem a little lighter than some others I've tried, it seems to me that this makes playing notes easier, at the expense of a little string buzzing until your technique improves.