| Build Quality: |  |
| Hardware: | |
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| Sound: | |
| Value: |  |
| Average: | |
Pros:
- Affordable
- Part of a Bundle
- Perfect for Beginners
Cons:
- Not for professional use
- Tuning Issues
Now that it is winter (at least it is now when I am reviewing this guitar) it is only appropriate that we all bundle up and start buying bundled presents. I mean when is there a better time to pick up a guitar bundle for so cheap you might even consider it a Christmas miracle? This guitar is destined to belong to a rock and roll star in the making, so that he or she can jingle bell rock along with the most famous christmas songs, and beyond.
Build Quality
The guitar has a rather surprising construction quality for the price it is offered at. A nice little double cutaway, ¾ sized guitar with an alder body means a lot of happiness for anyone receiving it as a gift, or picking it up for themselves. The construction is pretty solid, with the laminated body promising to keep the wood from getting old for a long time after you get it. The instrument is extremely light, especially thanks to its ¾ size.
The bolt-on neck of the guitar is pretty solid and rather easy to play, something all beginner players will definitely appreciate. The fretboard is rather smooth and also easy to play, optimized in a way to reduce the string hum from the guitar.
Hardware
The hardware on the guitar is pretty average. Chrome, as expected, is the preferred material for most of the hardware, and as usual, I have nothing against it. The only problem that you might encounter is with the tuners, as a lot of musicians and buyers report that these have an issue remaining in tune for a long time. A simple to fix the issue if you pick up a new set of tuners. Though it doesn’t seem to bother all models and for beginners for whom the priority is a small size eases of play and actually learning the ropes, this should not be a huge problem.
Electronics
The electronics set up on this guitar is pretty straightforward, something we all have gotten used to and learned to expect from cheap models like this. A standard three single-coil pickup configuration, with the availability of several volume and output control knobs, as well as a mode switching lever. The pick ups, as to be expected, are not the best thing to ever be put on a guitar, but are adequate enough for a beginner-level player. Though, just like your child will outgrow the guitar in size, he or she will outgrow it in sound maturity as well, and might want to either replace the pickups someday or pick up a new guitar altogether.
SX Short Scale Sound
The sound of the guitar is adequate, which is something you should be excited about, especially at this price point. There is some hum present, but it is minimal and should not get in the way of a beginner’s playing. The pick-ups, combined with the laminated alder of the body, produce a warm, pleasant sound. As is usual, advanced players will find it lacking, and as the age of the pickup the once beginners will want to replace them as well, but for a beginner, they should work fine.
Conclusion
This is a nice guitar, the best you can get for the price you are looking at. And it comes in a bundle, so you get everything a beginner would need to start out playing, even a beginner’s guide on how to play guitar. Don’t expect it to be the best purchase in the world though, as this is a very basic instrument. For all of you looking for a travel guitar, look into upgrading most of whatever electronics and hardware it has.
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