I have played this brand of guitar, in fact I have played many brands of guitar and I have come to the realization that it isn't the guitar that makes the great sound, but rather how skilled the individual is that is playing the instrument.  Not to say that you are wrong, they are cheapy guitars, but even for a beginner they are a decent buy.  If the beginner has a real desire to learn and forge a talent as a guitarist,  starting with this brand is a good first step.  Then eventually they can move onto a more expensive guitar like a Les Paul or a PRS.  They'll apreciate the more finer and expensive instrument more and will be apt to fufill their wanting talents at a higher level.

These guitars are crap. They are just a toy. As a parent and a guitar player if you have a beginner interested in the guitar , I would suggest try to evaluate if the individual has a genuine interest in playing , and if they do I would go with a fender sqiure or maybe a lower line epiphone both can be bought for around 100 dollars. with a cheapie like first act sometimes you can deter someone who actually has an interest because of a crappy poor playing and sounding guitar.

I bought a first act guitar at walmart, and I thought it was the fact that I was new a year ago when I bought it. I started up private lessons, and not only have my friends but also my teacher have shown me the difference in other brands, and first act is by far the worst quality out of them all! It sounds bad, plays bad, and is falling apart after a year of use!

My first electric guitar is a First Act, and it seems decent enough. After a few years of playing just accoustic guitar, I'm amazed at how easy it is to hit the chords on an electric. You just don't have to press as hard.