Rogue Guitars... Not too bad

I don't even know how Rogue can make a decent guitar for $80 but they do. I happened along a deal for a guitar, a hard shell case, a strap, and a capo for $30. I didn't know what type of guitar it was, but the ad said it was in excellent condition. This was a perfect time to get a "beater" guitar that would be ok playing around the camp fire or letting someone else play. I figured even if the guitar was bad the hard shell case alone was worth more than $30. When I finally saw the guitar and saw Rogue on the headstock I have to say I was disappointed, because Rogue is synonymous with very cheap. I just checked it for cracks, didn't even play it, put it back in the case and took it home.

On the way home, I stopped at Burger King to get a #9 (Chicken sandwich meal) but before going in I took the guitar out in the parking lot and played it. I was absolutely blown away at the sound coming out of this cheap, all-laminate guitar. The build quality was good too, all of the edges and seams looked good. Not as clean on the inside with some noticeable glue, but not too bad. The edges of the frets weren't smooth and the action a little high, both fixable though. So now I'm feeling a little better. I would have NEVER considered buying an $80 guitar, but Rogue has really changed my mind.

So after getting it home I cleaned and polished it and removed the plastic saddle. I put in a tusq saddle and it sounded even better. The only thing is the plastic saddle was very very tall and the tusq saddle was about 3/8" shorter so the strings are now hitting the fretboard when I strum. So now I have to shim the saddle and clean up the fret edges and the guitar will be perfect.

My usual suggestion for buying an acoustic guitar is to always get one with a solid wood top, which usually starts above $200. But if you know someone who is wanting to learn guitar, but doesn't have a big budget or a parent who doesn't want to invest in an expensive instrument because they are not sure if their child will stick with it, the $80 Rogues are worth looking at.