I just got back from a trip to Vancouver Island during which I needed a guitar to play during a couple of jam sessions with old friends. I am one of those guys who refuses to put his good guitar (a Guild) in the belly of an airplane. I had thought that I should go to the local pawn shops/second hand guitar stores and look for an old guitar but I procrastinated. So, after arriving in Victoria, I went to a local music shop and bought a new Epiphone DR100 for $129 Cdn (probably the twin of the guitar olddude bought for his nephew.) I had a 4-hour drive ahead of me, through the fog on unfamiliar roads so I didn't even open the box before leaving the store. When I did cut the packing tape, I was pleasantly surprised. The action is as good as the Guild. It is very easy to play. After I replaced the factory strings with D'Addario Phosphor Bronze lights, the sound improved markedly. I probably played it for about 7-8 hours before we returned home and I think it has potential. I didn't put this guitar on the airplane, either. I left it in British Columbia with my step daughter for the winter. I'll pick it up in April and will drag it along with me prior to a mini-vacation in Washington and Oregon.