Description
Review of the Best Choice Products 39in Full Size Beginner Electric Guitar Starter Kit
This is a 39 inch full-size electric guitar in jet black, sold as an all-in-one beginner kit with an amplifier, cable, carrying case, spare strings, a pick, a whammy bar and a strap. It is aimed at someone starting from nothing who wants a single purchase that produces amplified sound the same day.
Pros & Cons
- The kit genuinely covers the essentials. Amplifier, cable, case, spare strings, pick and strap are all supplied, which removes the second shopping trip that catches out most first-time buyers of a bare guitar.
- Three single-coil pickups give real tonal choice. Moving between neck, middle and bridge positions changes the sound from rounded and soft to thin and cutting, so one guitar covers a wide span of styles.
- The tremolo bridge and removable whammy bar add expression. Being able to dip the pitch is a genuine technique rather than a gimmick, and having the bar removable means it can be taken off while the basics are learned.
- The strap has an attached pick holder. A small thing, but picks are the most frequently lost accessory a beginner owns.
- A maple neck is the right choice for stability. Maple is stiff enough to resist string tension without a heavy profile, which keeps the neck slim and comfortable.
- The body wood is never named. Nowhere in the listing is a body timber stated. On a solid-body electric this determines weight, resonance and durability, and the omission is significant.
- The specification table is empty. There are no published attributes at all for this item, so weight, scale length, fret count, neck width and fingerboard radius are all unavailable before purchase.
- The stated dimensions do not describe a guitar body. Overall figures of 39 inches long by 10.5 inches wide by 2 inches high are given. A full-size electric body is closer to 12.5 inches across, so the width appears to be a packaging measurement rather than the instrument.
- A composite fretboard is a cost-saving choice. Composite boards are stable and consistent, but they feel harder and less grippy than rosewood and cannot be sanded or refretted as easily.
- The amplifier is barely described. No wattage, controls, speaker size or headphone output is stated in the description, so what it can actually do is unknown before it arrives.
Detailed Product Description
The guitar follows the familiar double-cutaway outline with three single-coil pickups and a tremolo bridge, which is the configuration most people picture when they think of a first electric guitar. Three single coils in a row give the classic bright, glassy sound and respond strongly to how hard the strings are struck. The trade-off is mains hum, which is inherent to the pickup type rather than a fault, and which is more noticeable near computer monitors and dimmer switches.
The neck is maple with a composite fretboard. Composite fingerboards are made from resin-bound wood fibre or similar engineered material. Their advantage is that they do not shrink, crack or need oiling; their disadvantage is a harder, slicker surface that feels different from natural timber and gives less feedback to the fingertips.
The bridge is a tremolo system with a removable whammy bar, described by the seller as allowing pitch bends during play. Tremolo bridges float against spring tension inside the body, which means the guitar must be retuned as a system rather than string by string, and a broken string will pull the remaining ones sharp.
The finish is described as a quality paint with custom black tuning pegs and accented binding. Binding is the strip that runs around the edge of the body; on a solid-body electric it is decorative rather than structural. What is not described anywhere is the timber underneath, which is the point that would tell a buyer most about how the guitar will behave. What a starter bundle should and should not contain is set out in the starter bundle guide.
What Comes with the Product
The listing states the set includes the guitar, an amplifier and cable, a nylon carrying case, extra strings, a pick, a whammy bar and a shoulder strap with an attached pick holder.
Not included: a tuner, a stand, a capo, headphones, or any setup tools such as hex keys for the truss rod and bridge saddles. Whether the amplifier has a headphone socket is not stated, so silent practice cannot be assumed. A clip-on tuner is the first thing to add, since an electric guitar is difficult to tune by ear and playing out of tune trains the ear badly.
Who It Suits
This suits an absolute beginner or a parent buying for a teenager, where one box that makes noise on the first evening matters more than any individual specification. It also suits a household that wants a spare electric to leave out for guests.
It suits less well a player who already owns an amplifier, since the money in the bundled amp would go further in the guitar itself, or anyone who needs the specification confirmed before buying, as almost nothing about this instrument is published. Alternatives sit in beginner starter kits and electric guitars.
How to Maintain
Wipe the strings after every session, since skin oils dull them faster than playing does. Keep the guitar away from radiators and out of direct sun.
With a tremolo bridge, change strings one at a time so the spring tension never drops to zero and the bridge stays where it was set. Check the output jack nut periodically, since a loose jack is the usual cause of crackling on a new instrument. The composite fingerboard needs no oiling. Coil the amplifier cable loosely rather than wrapping it tightly, which shortens its life.
Tips and Recommendations
Consider blocking the tremolo during the learning phase. Tightening the spring claw screws so the bridge sits flat against the body removes most of the tuning trouble, and the arm can be freed again later.
Keep the amplifier clean and quiet for chord practice rather than reaching for distortion. Gain masks muted strings and sloppy fretting, which slows progress. Expect the guitar to need a setup out of the box, since budget instruments ship with a high action so nothing rattles in transit. Small practice amplifiers have real limits, and the amp wattage guide for home practice explains where those sit.
Product FAQ
What is the body made of? Not stated. The listing describes the fretboard as composite and the neck as maple but never names a body timber.
What are the guitar’s real dimensions? The listing gives 39 by 10.5 by 2 inches overall. The width is narrower than a full-size electric body and appears to be a packaging figure rather than an instrument measurement.
Can it be practised silently? Not confirmed. The listing does not say whether the amplifier has a headphone output.
What comparable kits are there? Similar all-in-one packages include the RockJam electric guitar kit, the Pyle full-size electric guitar kit and the LyxPro 39 inch kit with a 20 watt amp.
