Description
Review of the Best Choice Products Beginner Acoustic Electric Guitar Starter Set, 41 Inch Cutaway
The Best Choice Products Beginner Acoustic Electric Guitar Starter Set is a full size cutaway acoustic with an onboard preamp, sold as a bundle with a padded carrying case, a strap, picks and a cable. It targets first time buyers who want one instrument that can be played unplugged at home and run into an amplifier or a PA when needed. It sits in both the acoustic electric guitars and beginner starter kits sections, and the published specification data for it is unusually inconsistent.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Onboard tone shaping is more detailed than most starter guitars offer. The description lists treble, bass, middle, tone and volume controls on the body, which lets a player correct a boomy room or a thin PA without touching the amplifier.
- Cutaway body. The scoop below the neck joint gives the fretting hand access to the upper frets, which matters as soon as a player moves past first position lead lines.
- The bundle includes a cable. Acoustic electric bundles often omit the one item that makes the electronics usable, and this one includes it.
- The gig bag has backpack straps and a storage pocket. Being able to carry the guitar on both shoulders and keep picks and a cable in a pocket is a practical benefit for anyone walking to lessons.
Cons
- The body material field is not a wood at all. The specification table lists the body material as “Plastic, Metal”, while the same table gives okoume for the top, back and neck, and the description calls it an all wood cutaway design. The three statements cannot all be right, and the listing never explains which surfaces are wood.
- The string material contradicts the pickup type. The table lists nylon strings alongside a piezoelectric pickup and a multi band equaliser. Under saddle piezo systems and full EQ preamps are almost always fitted to steel string guitars, and a separate materials field names spruce, okoume and linden without ever clarifying the strings.
- The scale length figure is the overall length. The table lists a 40.5 inch scale. A 41 inch dreadnought has a scale of roughly 25.5 inches. The published number describes the whole guitar, not the vibrating string length.
- Two different overall lengths are published. The description says 41 inches, the dimensions field says 40.5 inches.
- No amplifier is included. Despite being an acoustic electric bundle, there is no amp in the kit, so the electronics need separate hardware to be heard.
Detailed Product Description
The guitar is a full size dreadnought shape with a single cutaway, listed at 6.9 pounds with dimensions of 40.5 by 15.5 by 4.5 inches. The specification table names okoume for the top, back and neck, with a wood fretboard of unspecified species, and a separate materials field mentioning spruce, okoume and linden. Okoume is a light West African hardwood used widely in budget acoustics because it is stable, cheap and takes a finish evenly. As a top material it is stiffer and less responsive than spruce, so the unplugged voice is likely to be direct and mid focused rather than open and ringing.
The electronics are the reason to consider this over a plain acoustic. The listing describes a piezoelectric pickup, which sits under the saddle and reads string pressure rather than string movement through a magnet. Piezo systems are the standard fit on acoustic electrics because they resist feedback at volume and do not need a soundhole magnet. The onboard controls cover treble, bass, middle, tone and volume. In practice, a piezo pickup gives a bright, slightly brittle signal, and the ability to cut treble and lift the middle from the body is what makes it usable through a small amp. Whether an amp is needed at all is covered in do you need an amp with an acoustic electric guitar.
What Comes with the Product
The listing names a padded carrying case with backpack straps, padded lining and a storage pocket, a strap, a pick case with picks, a cable, and a fitted pickguard. It refers to nine accessories in total without listing the remainder.
Not included: an amplifier, a tuner, a capo, a stand, spare strings, a battery for the preamp if one is required, and any lesson material. The battery point is worth checking on arrival, because an active preamp with a multi band equaliser needs a power source and the listing does not say whether one is supplied.
Who It Suits
This suits a beginner who already knows they want to plug in eventually, a worship or open mic player who needs a knockabout instrument for a small room, or a household that wants one guitar to cover both quiet practice and amplified use. The cutaway and the EQ make it more versatile than a plain starter acoustic at the same level.
Look elsewhere if tone quality unplugged is the priority, because a laminate okoume top will not compete with a solid spruce top. Anyone who needs certainty about the strings and the body materials before buying should also be cautious, given how much the published data disagrees with itself. Comparable options include the other Best Choice Products acoustic electric starter set, the Glarry AEG Black 70 with a 15W amp, and the Vangoa full size acoustic electric bundle.
How to Maintain
Keep the guitar in the supplied bag when it is not in use, and keep it away from radiators and direct sun, because a laminate body still reacts to humidity changes. Wipe the strings and the fretboard after each session. If the preamp uses a battery, remove it when the guitar is going into storage for months, since a leaking cell can damage the cavity and the wiring loom. Unplug the cable from the guitar rather than leaving it connected, because on most acoustic electrics the jack doubles as the strap button and a plugged cable puts leverage on the end block. Clean the finish with a barely damp cloth. Guidance on storage is in how to store a guitar.
Tips and Recommendations
Confirm which strings are fitted before restringing. If the guitar has steel strings, as the piezo pickup and EQ suggest, fitting nylon would drop the tension and stop the pickup reading properly. If it has nylon, fitting steel could pull the neck. Test the preamp with a cable and an amp within the return window rather than months later, since an intermittent piezo is the most common fault on budget acoustic electrics. Keep the volume control low and lift it slowly the first time it is plugged in. A small acoustic amp or a keyboard amp is a better match than a guitar amp built for overdrive, and guitar amp wattage for home practice covers what size is enough at home.
Product FAQ
Does it work without an amplifier? Yes. It is a hollow acoustic body and plays unplugged normally. The electronics only matter when it is connected to an amp, mixer or PA.
What strings does it use? The specification table says nylon, but the piezoelectric pickup and multi band EQ described alongside are hardware normally fitted to steel string guitars. Check the fitted strings on arrival.
Is an amplifier included? No. The bundle covers a case, strap, picks, cable and pickguard, with no amplifier.
