Question about Jasmine by Takamine S35

I don't know if it's the same model, but my daughter bought a Jasmine, then quickly lost interest when her fingers got sore. I did a little setup - nut slots, a tiny bit of trussrod adjustment, and it was really playable. She'd already lost interest though, but it was a really good-playing guitar at that point. She wound up selling it to a friend who fell in love with how easy it played.

They're really pretty nice, but...if you get a nice setup and not-so-thick strings, it's way more fun to play. The same could be said or just about any guitar :)

to be honest the horse is already out of the barn if you've bought it already.

the thing about lower end guitars is they are really a crap shoot weather it will be a good one or not.
if you were able to have it checked out by a friend who plays then you might be able to pick the best one of the bunch or at least avoid getting a bad one.

reguardless, a $100 guitar is not much of a loss if it turns out to be a dog and with a $45 investment in a set up it can sometimes make a cheapo a keeper.

Takamine makes great guitars, Jasmine is their low end line and the S35 is about as cheap as you can go.

tcombs07 wrote: are they really as good as the reviews say they are for beginners

In my opinion, it really doesn't matter what the reviews say. If you liked the Jasmine enough to buy it and you enjoy learning to play it, that's all that matters. But then, I'm one who doesn't give a rat's behind whether my shoes say Nike or not if they feel good and serve me well.

IMO, easier-to-play equals better for a beginner. If a guitar is difficult to play, you could become discouraged and give up. So if a set-up is needed to make the action a little lower, it could be well worth the investment. On the other hand, it may not need that at all. Get familiar with it and if you can, ask a more-experienced player their opinion on if a set-up is needed.

I think you're wise not to invest hundreds of dollars in a starter guitar, until you know you are going to stick with it. Eventually you may want to invest in a higher-end guitar, as you learn more and decide what type of music you want to play. Or maybe you won't. Yours is the only opinion that matters.

Enjoy your Jasmine! :D

Margaret