Good guitar?

Question:

Good guitar?

The local music store is running a special on Takamine guitars. You get a Takamine Jasmine acoustic guitar and a hardshell case for $150. Is this a good deal? Would this be a good guitar for my husband for Christmas? He just wants one to sit around and play. He's an intermediate player. Nothing professional but he wants a good sound. If you don't like this one, what's a good one on the cheap (under $250)? I want to surprise him for Christmas and I don't know a thing about guitars.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Takamine has a very good reputation for acoustic guitars. Jasmine is a sort of spin off from Takamine, budget versions of the regular Takamines. For $150, that's a pretty crazy deal to get a hardshell case with it. It is a used instrument? It's a good deal if it's used, it's a ridiculously good deal if it's new (almost suspiciously good...I'd be wondering if there's something they weren't telling me!). Maybe it's a discontinued model or something...which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
As for sound, I've never played a Jasmine...perhaps what you might do (if you're so inclined) is go to the store, find a guitarist among the customers and politely ask them for their opinion on the sound of the guitar. Most musicians will be all too happy to grab the guitar, give it the once over, and offer their honest critique of the sound, the playability, etc. The sales guy, well, who knows how forthright he's being about the guitar if he's talking up a sale to a nonmusician.
Jasmines generally have 5 yr warranties (again, depends if this was a used instrument).
Again, I think the key is to get somebody to try it out. Great playability means nothing if it sounds bad, great sound means nothing if it's got lousy action or an uncomfortable neck or whatever. Comfortable to play and sounds okay, that's what needs to be confirmed. If you can confirm that, then hell yeah, for $150 that's a deal.
Also - if it sounds a little dull, check the strings for wear. A so-so guitar with new strings can sound as respectable as a great guitar with absolutely worn old strings, so make sure you're comparing apples with apples and oranges with oranges. If the strings are really beat up and it STILL sounds okay, then remember it'll sound even better when fresh strings are on.
On the other hand - if the strings are brand new, and it merely sounds okay, that's as good as it'll ever sound - it'll just get duller and duller as the string set wears.