Basswood 30-Inch Beginner Acoustic Guitar Package (Blue), Basic Starter Kit W/Gig Bag, Strings, Strap, Tuner, Picks

Had to return as I had ordered it for myself (an adult) and because it’s not well listed, it’s actually a child sized guitar. Was very disappointed, as I really wanted a pink guitar.

I bought this as a Christmas present for my son, and honestly it’s been one of the best gifts we got him. Since Christmas morning, he’s picked it up every single day to play. That alone says a lot. He was so excited when he opened it and couldn’t wait to start strumming. I love that it came with everything he needed right away, so there was no frustration or extra things to buy. It actually made him want to keep practicing, which I didn’t expect. Now it’s just part of his routine he grabs it, plays for a bit, and shows us whatever he’s learned. From what I can tell, it looks and feels like a true guitar, just a bit smaller. Not too thick to fit under his arm and definitely adjustable based on the players height. The size is perfect for him, it sounds good for a beginner guitar, and it’s held up really well even with daily use. It’s been really nice seeing him get genuinely interested in learning something new instead of losing interest after a day or two. If you’re looking for a Christmas gift that doesn’t end up collecting dust, this one was a win in our house.

Very nice and reasonably priced

This guitar is fun for the littles, especially if they want to copy an older sibling or a parent, but it's not a viable instrument for a child interested in learning music properly (unless you're willing to invest time in fiddling with stuff normally left to a luthier or guitar tech). As a toy, I'd probably give it 4.5 starts. As an introductory instrument, I'd give it 1 star or maybe 2 at the most. If you are looking for a "toy" instrument that your child can strum on and bang around, this will suffice. It's lightweight and has a decent strap, makes sounds, and comes with the extras you'd expect in a beginner guitar kit. However, if you are looking for an affordable beginner/student instrument for your child, I would recommend an actual instrument manufacturer that produces 1/2 scale and 3/4 scale instruments like Yamaha (their APXT2 acoustic 3/4-scale guitars are fantastic quality for the price point). You are simply not going to find a decent instrument in the $50-$60 range unless you hit a home run and find a used instrument from a reputable manufacturer on eBay/Craigslist/FB Marketplace/your local music or guitar shop. Entry level student guitars are typically going to be at least $150+ for steel string and $125+ for nylon string/classical if buying new. ISSUES: - TUNING: similar to most toy stringed instruments, the strings constantly drop out of tune, especially in the lower registers, even with continuous stretching and retuning to break in the strings. For an instrument this small, tuning up to G or A will help keep the tensions better, but the strings/tuners still tend to slip. The tuners appear to be plastic finished to look like metal. - ACTION isn't terrible (not the worst I've seen on toy guitars), but still a little high. - INTONATION: This is one of the deal breakers. As you fret higher up the fingerboard the pitches go sharp and don't stay in tune. The distances between the nut to 12th fret and 12th fret to saddle are close to equivalent, so it may be an action issue or a fret placement issue. If you want to have a fun DIY luthier project to mess around with, then maybe this is a good starting place. Perhaps fiddling with the nut and/or saddle height would correct some of the tone issue, but I doubt that's something you want to do. I haven't checked fret spacing, but there's a chance this isn't tonally salvageable unless it's refretted. - FINISH: decent finish, but there is overspray from the body color on the base of the neck. I could see some value in using this to teach basic notes and open chord shapes, with the caveat that you may have difficulty having those notes sound at the correct tuned pitch (and chords may sound dissonant). As a toy, it's decent value, and better quality than other options. As an instrument for a child earnest about entering into wonder and joy of the world of music, it sounds bad and won't provide a serious experience. The time, effort, or money you'd have to spend to make this playable would be better invested in an actual student-grade/entry-level guitar.

Kids guitar, a toy, not for an investment.