I will start off by saying I am new to the instrument. Did a lot of research as I was (as you likely are) in that rather awkward position of unwilling to spend a lot of money not knowing if I would just end up quitting, but also not wanting to purchase a guitar that was so horribly made I would be forced to upgrade within months if I did indeed stick with it. This is a very well made, well set up, respectable acoustic guitar that can be appreciated by long time players. It's the solidly built, dependable Honda Civic (or VW Golf if you're European) of acoustics. There are obviously much better out there (not anywhere close to this price range) but one will not be embarrassed pulling up to the 'traffic lights' with this.Forget about cheap, inferior 'starter' or 'learner' guitar packages. Those are 3/4 size and/or all laminate pieces of junk that sound horrible. They will pretty much ensure you rarely practice because they are so difficult to play. This is a full size guitar, a little thinner than a traditional Dreadnought with a tighter waist, making it more comfortable to manipulate. People that have played for 30 years prefer this Concert size, very versatile. It also has a solid wood top which makes a significant difference with superior tone.Being new to guitar, I did change the strings to 10s (lighter) to make it a little easier on my fretting hand. I believe it ships with 12s which are the standard and require more hand strength.In short, learning guitar is difficult enough without the added burden of a lesser quality instrument. Give yourself a better chance of succeeding with a very decent, reasonably priced tool.