I just received my Rogue RA-090 guitar today from Musicians Friends. Actually, it is a nice guitar for a cheap price. At first, I was thinking that it was going to be a kids guitar but this is not a kids toy. I’m glad of that!!! This is a real guitar for beginners or people who needs a traveling guitar to carry around and not worrying about the surface getting scratched. This guitar is put together nicely, and it sounds wonderful. For , I would recommend people to purchase this guitar. My guitar came in mint condition, no scratches, no strings detached or nothing, everything was perfect, and package real good. The only thing I had to do was tune it up and start playing. Be sure to purchase a Snark tuner as well. Snark tuners are perfect for tuning quickly and accurately. I will definitely do business again with Musicians Friends, very quick arrival of my package. Plus it came a day early.

UPDATE: February 19, 2011

Two days later, the high E string broke. I can’t complain; I was going to replace the strings with better quality strings anyway. The strings that came with the guitar sounds brilliant but they’re a little hard on my fingers. I will probably get some lighter strings; I think these strings are medium or heavy. Overall, I’m still satisfied with the Rogue RA-090 guitar; it is a nice looking guitar. For 40 bucks, you can’t beat a deal like this for a playable guitar. I still consider people to purchase this guitar; you will not be disappointed.

I bought this for in march, and it is now december, meaning I have had this for 9 months now. This is my first guitar so here’s my review. It’s nice, sturdy, durable (i don’t use a case), and it is well worth it. I tell my friends that it is a forty dollar guitar and they are impressed at how cheap it is.

It’s very very solidly built but light, like wield-it-as-a-sword type of light. I am still using the original strings and I agree that the strings are on the tight side. Compared to friends’ acoustics I have played, this one is usually louder and its ring is more “pop” if that makes sense. I recently played a Jasmine acoustic/electric and the Jasmine was more serene sounding and each strum blending, compared to this one where each string rings distinctly and with flare. On this one, action is high so when strumming carelessly hard, I have to make sure I press down harder or else it will buzz … but I don’t mind this because it helps me learn properly 😉 Everything I have said in this paragraph are not cons, just characteristics.

EDIT: I thought I should update. I changed my strings a few weeks ago since I broke the G-string (ha-ha). It’s a bit crazy but I changed the strings to elixirs. It’ll sound like I’m advertising elixir strings but my guitar is much more finger friendly. Strings are more gentle yet still solid. How does it sound? Ah-mazing. It rings clear, vibrant, wider in a sense, and …uh, well just take my word. My friends agree it sounds better. So with that in mind, who knew that a string breaking could be a good thing? 😉

I have a collection of guitars that exceeds well over 100. I have guitars that cost thousands of dollars and I also have some cheapies. Some of the best sounding and best playing guitars are the “Cheapies” I’ve been dealing with Musician’s friend forever. Rogue is Musician’s Friend’s brand. Music 123 is a Musician’s Friend affiliate and they also sell Rogue guitars. I have several different models of Rogue guitars and I’m impressed with all of them. The Rogue RA-090 is an entry level dreadnought acoustic guitar which is every bit as good if not better than the Fender Starcaster. Here’s the good part, the Rogue is about half the price of the Fender! Many people think they want to learn to play a guitar until they get one. Once they realize it’s not as easy as they thought and it hurts thier fingers,they quickly lose interest and the guitar gets stored under the bed to soon be forgotten. If you’re not sure if you’re serious about learning to play, this is the guitar for you. Even if you’re an intermediate to advanced player, you still can’t go wrong with this guitar. It has a deep rich tone like that of a much more expensive instrument. The finish and workmanship is also like what you’d find on a more expensive guitar. They look, play and sound great! Many people tend to shy away from Rogue guitars because of the low price. They figure a guitar that cheap can’t be much good. That’s where they’re wrong! You have to actually play one to understand what I’m talking about. Once you play a Rogue guitar, you too, will become a believer. This is the kind of guitar you can take camping to play around the campfire. If it happens to get damaged or stolen you’re not out an arm and a leg. I love Fender guitars and they are among some of my favorites, but for an entry level dreadnought acoustic guitar, the Rogue is a much better value than the Fender and equal if not better in quality. The Rogue RA-090 comes in a variety of color choices. If or when you decide to sell it, you can usually get back what you paid for it.
I give Rogue guitars my highest recommendation and promise you will not be disappointed it you buy one. I’ve been playing guitar for 51 years so I should know what I’m talking about. I do not own stock in Musician’s Friend, Music 123, or Rogue guitars and I don’t get paid to endorse them. This review is my honest opinion.