I've only actually built one, but it was very simple to assemble and definitely a good beginner's project. So long as you're patient and careful, there's very little to go wrong.
If it's your first time ever soldering, I'd get something really simple and throwaway to try - like one of those Velleman kits, or a bit of perfboard and some resistors, just to learn the technique. It would stress me out trying to do something 'proper' if it was literally the first time I'd ever soldered.
