I've got a Crafter myself (my first cheapo steel-string, bought 10 years back, and I still like it). There are nice instruments at that price, but the trouble is the variability - some are great, most are OK and some are downright dogs. Also many will need a good setup, bcos they don't often seem to come set up well (I don't know why - surely if it's a production line then getting the action right is easy?). The best plan though is to steer clear of anything with a sunburst, cos chances are that it's all veneer covering up a poor-quality box. And whatever you do, do *not* buy a Daisy guitar for your daughter, just bcos it happens to be pink!

I think strings play a much more significant factor in cheap guitars though - a good guitar will sound good regardless, whereas cheap plywood guitars tend to only sound good with specific strings, and most commonly treble-heavy strings to get the plywood moving. My Crafter is certainly that way, and others like Ovations also seem to be the same. Solid-wood tops don't seem as bad for this, but plywood tops certainly are.

Graham.