Or you could get a Squier Bullet for less than a $100 and it's a better guitar than the one that comes in the starter pack and for $100 you can get a small tube amp like a Fender Champion 600
im with fada on this one. i was really curious about the SE pack, so i had one of the sales guys at GC open up one of these for me (sunburst with tortoiseshell pickguard) to see if it was a good enough deal, since they came with the amp already (this was when they were selling for $189 just after christmas).
all i can say is bleh. i think i was bleeding from my left palm after working the neck over one time from the sharp frets. the pickguard isnt even tortoise shell. its printed on a white one-ply. so what good is a pickguard if your pick will wear away the painted finish? basically, overall, the fit and finish of the guitar is horrible.
ok so it might be a stretch for some... but for $40 more ($250 total) you can get a squier bullet (own one... much much much better made) for $100, a roland microcube $125, and a monster cable $20. and if you are thinking about all the "goodies" that the starter pack comes with...
gigbag: junk. i see these on craigslist all the time. i own two. i cant even give them away. but i admit i still use them every now and then just because they came free with the guitar. haha
picks: really? you'll lose the three that it comes with within the first month.
tuner: junk also. ive seen two of them in my guitar class. they just dont work very well at all. plus you can find online tuners that you tune to by ear. save up $20 for a korg.
folding stand: ok those arent bad. but theyre also only about $10-15.
instructional dvd: really? why are we here on ukulele underground. because we can learn here. on the internet. same can be done with guitar.
so basically its a buncha stuff thats gonna get thrown away eventually for better stuff. all those rave reviews on the kit, well, i hope i dont offend anyone here, but judging by the vernacular, it would be hard to tell if most of them are older than 10.
the squier bullet, monster cable, and microcube is an excellent setup to start with. its got the everything a beginner would need, and is good enough to keep throughout the learning process. we are actually giving one away. my brother will be playing it on stage before raffling it off. in front of over 1000 people.
