My dad got me one of these for my birthday last year September and it rekindled my love of playing the bass, which I had given up for years. I play it a few times per week even though I have since bought other much nicer instruments.
One thing about starting anew is that I couldn't stand to hear myself amplified as my chops and finger strength came back. Even now as I learn new songs I find that this is a better tool for fumbling about. And some things just sound better on it (although not amplified, I admit). In fact, I'm tempted to buy a second one to keep at the office, but I spend too much time here anyway and there are many other guitars I'd like to own. In my humble opinion, this guitar at this price is a no brainer for anyone curious about trying the non-upright acoustic thing.
My daughter helped me personalize it (pic below), which is something you can do with a $200 ax without feeling like a vandal. I tried lots of different strings until finally settling on Chromes, and so far the bridge has stayed put despite the higher tension.
I swear am not affiliated with Dean in anyway