I have an Aria AW 6810 (dreadnought) that I’ve owned since 1976 (paid US$175 in 1976 dollars) and I’ve been very pleased with it–good tone and action, and the construction quality is good. I’ve thought of trading recently, but can’t find a comparable guitar (solid rosewood back and sides, solid spruce top) that I can afford! To address your question: Aria made some very good guitars in Japan in the 70’s but I’m not sure of the quality now; since there’s no longer a local Aria dealer, I haven’t been able to check them out. I agree with Jordan’s post, though, there should be a lot of guitars in your price range, so I would compare several brands before making a final decision. My feeling is the Aria would be a good choice for a beginner-intermediate player on a budget if the quality is anything near that of my guitar. I would add Lasido’s Seagull line and Dean to Jordan’s list. They are making some great guitars that should be in your price range.

$350 canadians is what $300 or more american? if so as a beggining guitarist you can get a damn good guitar for $300. Im not sure about that brand, but if all else fails you might want to try fender, jasmine, or even yamaha. plenty of good choices for that money. good luck