I bought my first beginner ukulele only six months ago, but enjoyed enough that I decided to move up from the toy class to something a little better. The OU5 was on sale at under a hundred dollars, but I have to say that the leap in quality and sound far outweighed the $70 price difference between this and my first ukulele. Like others who have rated Oscar Schmidt products, I have been impressed by the beautiful finish of this instrument, but it's the improved action and sound quality that totally won me over. Go ahead and buy your $20 Rogue instrument to see if you like the ukulele, but when you're ready to step up to the next level (but perhaps aren't ready to shell out $250), this is a solid stepping stone. I'm really happy with this instrument. Keep your really cheap one to take to the beach, though. You'll like this one enough that you won't want someone grinding sand into the finish or spilling beer on it.