Rogue RA-090 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar Sunburst

Comments about Rogue RA-090 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar:

Everything about this guitar is cheap and lightweight....except its tone and playability. That's saying a lot for a bottom-of-the-market offering. Some background: ROGUE "Fine Instruments" are a generic housebrand. These guitars generally sell to the entry levelers because they are priced attractively. The instruments are contracted to Chinese (and Korean) manufacturing entities such as Samick and Daewon instrument corporations for design and assembly. This dreadnaught model originates from a China factory, as do so many other name brand instruments. How they can cover costs and profit margins from halfway round the globe for this price is a mystery to me, but nonetheless a bonus for the underfinanced customer.

Regarding this instrument: I have a fairly large collection of stringed instruments and merely bought the RA-090 to use up a soon-to-expire credit coupon. Curiosity about what a low priced guitar would sound and play like drove my purchase more than anything else. It was received double-boxed and in good (new) condition. The strings were slacked about 3-haltones to reduce shipment stress and wrapped in oiled paper. A chromed allen wrench was included for truss rod adjustment. This was not needed as the neck was straight and I detected no fret buzz once tuned to proper pitch. Sight down the neck and note that the brassy fret wires are quite even. There is just a slight hint of edgy-ness to the fret ends, but fine, really.

I measured the body, neck, headstock, and bridge dimensions against my Martin D-28: almost identical. Heck, the bridge, the headstock shape, and the pickguard look almost exactly like Martin's. The Rogue weighs several ounces less though and sports a single full sheet of (birch?) plywood for its top. Probably the same for the back and sides which are concealed by a piano-black coat of laquer paint. The outer finish is polyurethane, glossy but thinner than usual. There are no edge bindings anywhere, no ivoroid heel caps, no sound hole or seam marquetry. There are also no noticeable glue globs, bridge-to-top gaps, or generally nasty finish details to chastise. I rather like the soundhole surround decal - sort of a Greek urn style roping, gold over black to match the finish colors and wires. The tuners are unmarked Schaller-ish clones, but they are decently chromed and held tuning after the strings stretched a bit. The headstock nut is robust and cleanly cut. Nicely polished and rounded edges. The saddle nut is similar material with no discernable compensation chamfers. Surprising accurate intonation when checked at the twelfth (bit of sharpness in the B and high E).

Playing the guitar was a surprise. I expected high action, dull or wooden tone, and bad intonation. Instead I found reasonably low action (could be a smidge lower, but not bad) and a pleasant overall string tone with nice ringing treble notes. The midrange and lower notes are slightly muddy, but benefit from the dreadnaught size. Fingerstyle and picking both work pretty well with it. Hard strumming with a heavy pick might reveal its weaknesses, but I just don't go there. The brassy looking strings have a comfortable softness to them. I think the tone secret with this cheapie lies in its light, light construction. The design eschews the usual additional layer of spruce top veneer and back and side mahogany veneers which tend to damp other entry grade non-solid wood guitars. It has a perfectly reasonable neck shape (probably because it copies Martin's shapes) and string spacing. Dot position markers are traditional but well executed. The fingerboard (if it is rosewood) has been stained like the bridge to resemble black ebony. All the blackings probably hide various flaws in the wood surfaces, but they can't hide bad tone. I won't say this guitar has great tone, but it does have pretty darn GOOD tone. Perhaps as a happy accident of its lightness and cheapness.

If you need a starter product to test the waters with without really committing to guitar investment, this is probably as cheap and good as its gonna get. If you're flying off on a business trip across the States and can't trust the fate of your precious American made flattop, you can ship one of these suckers (now free!) to your destination just ahead of you. It's a weird consumer world we're living in these days. Enjoy the options while they last. And on the other spectrum, save up for and support our American made products when the time is right. A fine Gibson, Martin, or Taylor are worthy investments in their own right and far beyond the tonal reaches of these starter-outers.
Everything you need, but nothing more.
Middling for guitars in general, but pretty darn good for this price point, and the criticism is focused more on the quality of materials rather than how it's put together.
I could have gone with 8 or 10, but only time will tell if it holds up.

Comments about Rogue RA-090 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar:

I really enjoy playing this guitar, especially since it is my first guitar and I am a beginner player. It was very inexpensive and a good instrument to being playing on. I can play good music, while not being afraid if I drop it or break it somehow. I have no complaints about this great guitar!
There are not a lot of special features, but beginning accousitic guitars rarely do. This guitar has all the features to play great sounding music.
I have had the guitar for 8 months now and has held up well. I have not had to replace any strings since I got it. The pick guard has gotten some scrates in it, but that is to be expected since that's what the pick guard is designed for. Nothing has broken on it and doesn't look like it will anytime soon! The sound is very great quality while I've played many songs with and without a pick.
This is an extremely good value guitar. It sounds great and is a very good price compared to many guitars. This is my first guitar, but I am very satisfied with the cost, as well as the instrument I received for the cost.

Comments about Rogue RA-090 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar:

After EXTENSIVE research (via reviews and youtube) I took a risk and purchased the natural guitar as a starter for my tweenager. What a pleasant surprise when it exceeded not only my expectations (which I admit were guarded because of the price), but that of the 4 pros who broke it in for me when it arrived.

It arrived in great condition out of the box; no dings, scuffs and I was told required no set up at all. The action was low and even, the neck didn't need adjusting and the frets/bridge/nut were playable as-is. Just the same it's always a good idea to have someone who knows what to look for to give it a good once over should you buy one. After a good workout from the guys, the intonation remained quite good all things considered and it held tune better than expected.

The RA 090 had a lighter lacquer finish than your average guitar which seemed to work in it's favor in producing a nice clear sound. The higher registers of the fret board also produced little to no buzz. Even the tuning pegs, though obviously not high-end, were a nice presentable polished chrome.

As a novice, I wouldn't know what to look for, which is why I had it delivered to my job, where I work with various levels of guitar players, including one who builds guitars (and a few self professed "guitar snobs"). I was very pleased with their reaction. All had a great time taking turns playing and looking it over, and agreed that for this ridiculously low price point, it had a nice sound, and for what it was worth, turned out to be a nicely constructed attractive guitar.

They felt it was most suitable as a starter for a beginner, or a travel guitar to jam with, leaving the much nicer high end guitars safely at home for bigger and better things.

I can't speak for the other Rogue models, but this particular one had the best reviews pound for pound and can't be beat for the money. Time will tell how well it will hold up.

Comments about Rogue RA-090 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar:

The Rogue RA-090 is a great beginner or practice guitar well worth the money with great sound. However you do get what you pay for so dont have high expectations. It does have small flaws that are visible but do not affect playability. .
Rogue RA-090 guitar has stanard features like adjustable truss rod, pickguard and rosette.
Decent quality for the price. It's no higher priced guitar. There are some visual imperfections in the finish and not a perfectly smooth sanding job before the finish.
I dont think you can find a guitar this cheap anywhere else. I even looked for awhile for used guitars but couldn't get one for the price. I wasn't as concerned about the quality or sound because this is just a practice guitar I leave at work and will probably get beat up anyway.

Comments about Rogue RA-090 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar:

I am only 15 years old, but ive been playing guitar for about eight years now, and I bought this guitar about a week and a half ago, and it is awesome. Like it says in the description, you can hear it across the room, you really can hear it from far away. My neighbor even complained to us about how I was being too loud. I would recommend this guitar to almost anyone because of its feeling, and its sound. And for its cost, it is amazing. You couldnt find a guitar that is this good, anywhere else :)

Comments about Rogue RA-090 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar:

First of all, I am a snobby, critical electric guitar player. I've been playing for about a decade and am very particular about my equipment.

I ordered this guitar totally impulsively. I've never had an acoustic. (That's not true, I had a Songbird for about two days before I returned it because I was afraid of screwing up the humidity or temperature or something... like I said, I'm anal about my gear.) I figured that I couldn't go wrong with such a low price, no tax, free shipping and all 5 star reviews. Turns out I was right. I expected a piece of junk, to be honest. But at least I'd have something that I could play unplugged. I got it yesterday and it far surpasses those expectations. I'd price it at about $400, just judging by the sound and construction of the guitar. One thing not mentioned in other reviews is that this thing is loud. You'd typically expect a cheap guitar like this to sound tinny and subtle but instead, it is loud and bright. It even came with some nice strings on it. This thing is awesome, thank you! Did you send me the right one?

Comments about Rogue RA-090 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar:

SORRY FOR THE EXTREMELY LONG REVIEW, BUT THIS IS A THOUGHTFUL REVIEW FOR THE INTIATED READER, SO BY ALL MEANS READ ON: I have been playing for about 20 years now and I have owned and been able to play some very nice acoustics over that time, but I have gone without an acoustic guitar for the past 4-5 years, and I recently had the urge to own one again. Unfortunately due to my current economic situation, money is extremely tight for me right now. I wanted to buy an acoustic on the cheap so I could have SOMETHING to play until my finances turned around. I looked at Fenders and Epiphones, amongst others, and I played several of them, but I didn't like what I was hearing - dull, lifeless, thin-sounding acoustics with no character to the tone they produced. Then I saw the Rogue RA-090, and I decided to check it out on YouTube. There wasn't much posted, but there were two posts that revealed something about the Rogue's sound that caught my attention - a fullness and warmth, and a midrange texture that I found appealing. But, at this price, I certainly had my reservations about construction quality, and consistency from one guitar to the next, as well as my ability to receive a half decent guitar that compared to what I had heard on YouTube. I figured at this super-low price, I could take my chances and at the very least, it would be a good laugh! So I ordered one. Man, let me tell you, what I received exceeded my expectations in a way I NEVER thought possible. This is an absolute gem of a guitar! The tone that emanates from this thing is incredible. There is a depth of tone, and fullness, and a midrange that is full of warmth, clarity and complexity, as well as a sweetly balanced treble. All these qualities come together to make this guitar truly something special. This guitar also sounds extremely balanced from top to bottom - no peaks in bass, middle or treble at all. Strum or fingerpick chords anywhere on this thing and you will be rewarded with the very definition of balance. One amazing thing is the fact that there are no "dead" sounding spots anywhere on the neck. Go above the 5th fret on any other cheap guitar, and the sound quickly starts to get wooly and/or thin-sounding. This guitar has NONE of that, and at no time does the tone collapse the higher you go up the neck. I can play this thing above the 12th fret and all the tone, and volume is still there. Another amazing thing is just how effortless the sound comes out of this guitar. Even at very low playing volume, this guitar still throws out a very full, complex, and inviting sound. This is something that is truly hard to find in ANY guitar, and is also great for a nuanced playing style or for playing late at night. The construction of this guitar is also something that exceed my expectations. The fit and finish is very good. The finish itself is very nicely applied with absolutely NO blemishes anywhere on the mirror-like body. The only blemish I could find in the finish was on the neck near one of the fret markers above the 12th fret - who cares? The "whitewood" top on this guitar is very attractive and has a very nice grain pattern to it, and is actually better looking than in the picture. My guitar even has a touch of flamed figuring below the bridge! A look inside reveals that this guitar actually has an X-braced top! Guitars this cheap aren't supposed to have X-braced tops! Hell, at this price, I'm surprised it has bracing at all! (Just kidding). An X-braced top is unheard of anywhere near this price and is surely part of the great sound of this guitar. It's nice to see that someone actually put in some care and thought in regards to properly designing this thing. Also, all of the braces and linings (the ribbed part inside that helps join the top to the sides), are completely devoid of excess glue. Everything has glue right up to the inside edge of each joint, and that's it. No beads of glue, or glue drips to be found anywhere, which lends itself to a very tidy looking interior. This thing is spotless. Based purely on interior cosmetics, the fit and finish is as good as any acoustic you'll find - no kidding! You really don't expect this kind of workmanship in a guitar in this price range, let alone one that sells for THIS cheap! It's amazing to see that these things aren't just slapped together. Quite impressive. However, one minor reservation I have about the construction is that the top is a little thinner than a normal acoustic, but being that it has a laminate top, it SHOULD be just as strong as a solid wood top of any other guitar. However, the fact that it has a thinner top may also be the reason why this guitar sounds the way it does, because this allows the top to vibrate more freely. Also, maybe there is something to the whitewood used for the top and body as well? This is a wood that I have never heard of before for guitar making, but maybe this wood has something to do with the great sound this guitar produces, DESPITE it being a fully laminated guitar. There HAS to be something to it - the wood, the X-brace, or both? The bridge is nicely finished and the neck is comfortable to play. However, the description says both the bridge and the fretboard is made of rosewood, yet both are painted flat black. Maybe they aren't rosewood after all? Oh well. When a guitar sounds this good, who cares? And at this price point, these are sins of omission. The action is very nice and it takes very little finger pressure to fret notes along the fretboard which makes it effortless to play. And as cheap as the tuning machines look, they turn very smoothly and even hold tune really well! I guess I won't need to replace them until they wear out! Who knew?! So, to wrap up, if you can't tell, I am absolutely blown away with this guitar! I don't know if I received a "ringer" (i.e. the so-called pick of the litter), but what a voice this guitar has, and for this price?! Utterly baffling! And to all of you cheese-eating wine sniffers out there, don't impulsively bash this guitar until you have held one in your hands and played it. You'll be as surprised as I was! Go and buy one! Play it. Enjoy it. LOVE it. Mine is going to the grave! Highly recommended!!! Peace. :)

Comments about Rogue RA-090 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar:

Best guitar value I have seen so far.
This is a very basic dreadnought based on the Martin d-28 design. It's a pretty accurate replica even down to the large dot inlays on the fretboard. (The only thing that sets it apart is the rosette inlay and that it's not made out of solid spruce/rosewood)
I bought this guitar when it was on sale. I didn't expect much at all, but when the guitar arrived it looked beautiful and sounded surprisingly good. Yes it's made out of a laminate, but the dreadnought body really gives it a good volume.
I own a Taylor GS5 which is 45 times (!) more expensive than this guitar. Well let me tell you, I enjoy playing them both equally. I have played a lot of guitars that were much more expensive than this, but didn't sound as good. I am also not worried about bumping this one or scratching it.

Comments about Rogue RA-090 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar:

The other reviews are pretty spot on, so I won't waste your time repeating them.

I will say that 2 experienced guitarist LAUGHED at the guitar but did say it was a great deal. It doesn't compare to a $1000+ guitar but who would expect it to.

The ONLY bad thing I would say, which should be EXPECTED is... The finish... Looks extremely cheap and has a strong glue smell.

Good guitar overall, stock strings are OK, stays in tune (surprise) and has a rich almost bright sound, with some warmth. Great Deal.

Comments about Rogue RA-090 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar:

I am 67yrs.old and just started playing again after 30+ years. I've owned many guitars including a vintage Yamaha FG75 and a 76 Takamine. Several months ago I purchased an Epiphone DR100 Ebony which I am pleased with after lowering the bridge and adjusting the truss rod. I ordered this guitar because of the price and also I wanted a natural finish guitar. It arrived very quickly and I was immediately pleased with the appearance. I was blown away with the way it played and sounded. I have yet to find one single flaw in this instrmuent. Its the only one I pick up to play every day. Right out of the box ready, nothing needed to be done except tuning which took about a week for the strings to wear in and now it stays in tune. If you want a great guitar at a great price this is it. If you want a great guitar at any price this is it.

Comments about Rogue RA-090 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar:

I ordered this guitar for the primary reason of putting my infant son to sleep when he arrives in June. I was looking for something very inexpensive, when I stumbled upon this guitar. It is a great sounding acoustic guitar, but I believe it is limited to a practice instrument. The neck seems to be all one piece, and the fretboard is carved just fine. Just please understand that you get what you pay for, and that it is in no way a Taylor or PRS acoustic. It sounds great, plays well, and I'm sure it will put the baby to sleep many a night, if it doesn't do the same for me. Buy it, you will enjoy it and be surprised by its tone.

Comments about Rogue RA-090 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar:

This is the second time I bought this guitar. Sold the first one and missed have an easy to play low cost guitar. I don't think you can find a better guitar for this kind of money anywhere. Looks good and has low action out of the box. All metal tuners and a very good sound. The guitar is light in weight with a small neck which helps make it easy to play.

Comments about Rogue RA-090 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar:

Ok, you have a cheap looking GREAT playing, GOOD sounding acoustic guitar.

Action: LOW, that's right LOW. People pay to get thier guitar set-up with action like this.

Sound: GOOD! Much better than the $120 Takamine Jasmine I had. Much better than the Art & Lutherie Wild Cherry Canadian built guitar I used to have. The Art & Luther was built beautifully, excellent workmanship, looked like a high end acoustic guitar, played decent, but sounded ho-hum, very boxy. I never liked the sound at all. This cheap Rouge, without a doubt, sounds better, imo. Right out of the box it was set-up with low action and the intonation is great. Chords are in tune when played high up on the neck. The A string had slight fret-buzz, a 1/4 turn of the truss-rod fixed that. It sounds good, really good. Nice balanced tone, fairly loud, good for strumming or finger picking. You could certainly use this to record with or for a songwriters night, it's that good playing and sounding. I just bought one for my brother.. the real guitar player (I'm a songwriter/strummer), he on the other hand, is a real guitarist and a dang good one,... and he couldn't believe how good it played and sounded.

I don't know how long this will last, but this guitar is PERFECT for a beginner and PERFECT for a kick-around strummer for anyone.
Well, it's cheap guitar with cheap everything, but...
I mean it's no Martin and it does look like a cheap guitar all around due to the back and neck being painted, though the top looks decent.
For the price shipped it's an amzing value.

Comments about Rogue RA-090 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar:

This value is definitely made better by the customer service at "Musician's Friend".
I bought this for myself to experiment with "open tunings". I was not overly concerned with the quality due to the low price. I was very surprised when it came. "Fit and finish" were more than acceptable. The fretboard and frets were flat and even. It sounds fine.

This is the second instrument by "Rogue" that I purchased from "Musician's Friend",... the first being a Mandolin. The Mandolin was also excellent! If Rogue keeps producing instruments of this quality for such reasonable prices, they will have us as a repeat customer.

My wife runs an alternative guitar program for handicapped folks, and will start recommending this brand to her students.

I do not have anything to do with this company. I am just a consumer of their products. This is an honest review.
For price, usefulness, and appearance.
Best value I've seen to date.

Comments about Rogue RA-090 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar:

I found this guitar surpassed my expectations. I was expecting it to sound OK. After all, I paid less than $50 for it. The sound is much better than expected and it is easy to play. Friends that have played it could not believe how well it sounded and how little I paid. I'm sold.

Comments about Rogue RA-090 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar:

What you get when you but the RA 090 is a cheap guitar with no frills, which is what you would expect. But what is surprising with this guitar is the fact that it is actually well-made, the finish is beautiful and the sound is fantastic! I replaced the strings it had with ultra-lights as this was for my little grand-daughter, but that was all that I needed to do to have a nice-sounding, very playable beginner's guitar that any kid would be very pleased with. I bought an Epiphone d-100 last year and though it was a much nicer-looking guitar, the rogue is its equal in sound and overall quality. Very surprising.

Comments about Rogue RA-090 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar:

Overall, im impressed. The fact that they can ship out a guitar like this and make it for such low money is quite impressive. I was also very happy with the 3-year warranty for only an extra $19, i wish they had something longer i would have bought it haha. If you are thinking about buying this guitar, think no longer, its a very good choice. Don't let the dislikers and critics get you down about this deal.
The features arent the highest of quality, but it definitely is worth, if not better, than what your paying for. I opened it when i got it, of course i had to re-tune, but it was in great shape! Once tuned it sounds great for a beginner guitar.
The quality is not to be greatily expected, especially for how cheap it is, but i guarantee it is a nice guitar for anyone. On the go, or right at home this guitar plays smoothly, great slide on neck, and easy adjustments make this an easy to use play and style guitar.
Worth. The. Buy. The sound is not for a quality musician, then again most good musicians arent usually looking at low priced guitars. Whether it is a practice guitar, for a beginner, or in my case as a gift, the play makes it one of the best cheap quality guitars you can buy, recommended to everyone who is starting to learn guitar or just wants something to practice on.

Comments about Rogue RA-090 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar:

Overall, I most definitely recommend this guitar. Especially if you are a beginner and/or on a budget. This guitar is very nice looking and has a smooth, shiny surface. As a beginner, this guitar has done very well at allowing me to learn and practice on it. It fits nicely with my body (I'm 5' 6).
What I like most is the sound. I have many friends with guitars and we like to play together. They paid much more for the guitars yet all the time they ask "How come your guitar sound much better than mine?". The sound is loud and rich.
All though the guitar sounds great, the strings were a little thin and flimsy. One of them broke after a month of use so I am replacing them all.
One of the only negatives is that the guitar requires a lot of tuning. Most of the time before I play I end up having to re-tune it.

Overall though, I do recommend this guitar and thoroughly enjoy playing on it.

Comments about Rogue RA-090 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar:

I've been playing guitar for over 30 years. My guitars have to have a solid tone and stay in tune! This one fits the bill! It sounds really good for the folk and country music I play. It comes ready to play. Just open the box, and after some unwrapping, tighten the strings and play! The strings can easily be upgraded to better quality, and the sound will improve. It sounds just fine as it is shipped: very bright and punchy! Several friends have played my Rogue, and are amazed at the price! Such a good deal! The Rogue 090 is not my main guitar... I actually leave it at work so I can play with a co-workers at lunch! This is the perfect guitar for a beginner, or a very nice 2nd guitar to take to the beach or to a jam session. This is a WONDERFUL guitar! I've played guitars with big names and price-tags... the price of this guitar is far under its quality! P.S. I have bought 2 Rogues... NEVER A PROBLEM! Thanks!

Comments about Rogue RA-090 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar:

The only reason I gave it a 9 is because the strings were crappy. Other than that it is a gorgeous guitar and well worth the money. Excellent guitar for beginners and to have as a backup. Just buy good strings with it