This was my first really high quality acoustic guitar that I ever bought. I got lucky. I bought this New Old Stock so I paid a lot less for it and got in my opinion a better guitar. The guitar was already 8 years old and the wood had aged and had a much more mellow sound. Also being older it had better wood. Most Taylors are a little too high end sounding to me, but this has more bottom and I like that. Even before getting a set up it played great. It stays in tune very well and sounds really good plugged into a PA. I'd recommend this guitar to anyone. Especially if you can get a good older used one.