Description
Review of the Fesley FST100 39 Inch Beginner Electric Guitar Kit with HSS Pickups
The Fesley FST100 is a full size 39 inch solid body electric with a poplar body, a Canadian hard maple neck, a rosewood fingerboard and an HSS pickup layout, sold as a player pack with a 10 watt combo amplifier and a full accessory set. The specification is unusually detailed for this end of the market, naming the scale length, fret count, nut width, switch type and bridge. It sits in the beginner starter kits and electric guitars categories.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- The scale length and fret count are actually published. A 25.5 inch scale with 22 frets is the standard full size arrangement, which means any conventional string set fits and the fret spacing matches almost every tutorial and chord chart a beginner will use.
- HSS pickups with a five position blade switch. Two single coils cover clean and bright tones, the bridge humbucker handles overdriven rock, and the five positions include the two blended settings that a three way switch cannot reach.
- A curved neck joint for upper fret access. The heel where the neck meets the body is the obstacle that stops a hand reaching the top frets, and shaping it is a finishing step manufacturers usually skip at this price.
- The fingerboard is described as buffed with no protruding fret ends. Sharp fret ends catching the hand are the most common complaint on inexpensive guitars, and this is the specific step that prevents it.
- The amplifier has a clean and distortion switch, an auxiliary input and a headphone output. Two channels means an overdriven sound at low volume, and the headphone output makes silent practice possible in a shared house.
- The accessory list includes a string winder and an adjustment wrench. Both are tools rather than filler, and both are needed the first time strings are changed or the neck needs correcting.
Cons
- The spec table for this listing is completely empty. Every specification quoted, including the poplar body, the 25.5 inch scale and the 22 frets, comes only from the manufacturer’s own bullet text. Nothing in the structured product data corroborates any of it.
- The nut is plastic and described as a feature. The listing calls a 1.65 inch plastic nut a stability and playability benefit. Plastic is the cheapest nut material and the one most likely to bind strings and wear grooves. Bone or synthetic bone would be a step up, and 1.65 inches is the nut width rather than a quality measure.
- The amplifier is described inconsistently. One bullet calls it a 10 watt combo amplifier and another calls it a portable mini amplifier. Those describe different classes of product, and no speaker size, dimensions or power arrangement is given.
- The 39 inch figure in the title is not the scale. It is the overall instrument length. Buyers who read it as a scale measurement will be comparing the wrong number against other listings.
- No weight is given anywhere. A full size solid body on a strap for an hour is a comfort question, and there is no figure to judge it by.
- The colour and finish variants are not described. The listing mentions a glossy finish without stating what colours the FST100 designation covers.
Detailed Product Description
The body is poplar with a gloss finish. Poplar is light and even grained, sitting between basswood and alder in density, with a fairly neutral voice and a slight midrange emphasis. The listing describes contoured curves for a comfortable seated and standing fit, which on this body style means a forearm bevel and a back contour.
The neck is Canadian hard maple with a C profile, bolted on and shaped at the heel for upper fret access. C is the shallowest common profile and the least tiring for a hand that has not built strength. The fingerboard is rosewood, dense and oily, needing no finish coat, and it carries 22 frets over a 25.5 inch scale.
The electronics are two single coils and a bridge humbucker with a five position blade switch, a master volume and two tone controls. The bridge is a six screw chrome tremolo, the traditional design for this body style, with a tremolo bar supplied. Six screw tremolos are simpler than locking systems and hold tune reasonably well provided the nut slots are cut cleanly, which is where the plastic nut becomes relevant.
The amplifier offers clean and distortion channels, a 3.5mm auxiliary input for backing tracks and a 3.5mm headphone output. The guide on guitar amp wattage for home practice covers what a 10 watt output supports.
What Comes with the Product
The listing states the player pack includes the guitar, a combo amplifier, a gig bag, a strap, a polishing cloth, picks, a connection cable, a string winder, a spare string set, a tremolo bar and an adjustment wrench.
Not included and not mentioned: a tuner, a stand, a capo, a hard case, and any lesson material. The tuner is the significant omission, because it is the accessory a beginner needs from the first minute, and it is one of the few items this otherwise thorough bundle leaves out. No power supply or battery detail is given for the amplifier.
Who It Suits
This fits an adult or teenager starting electric guitar who wants a properly specified instrument rather than a bundle that hides its measurements. The published scale, fret count, switch type and neck wood make it easier to know what is being bought than most kits at this level.
It does not suit a child, given the full size body and 25.5 inch scale. It does not suit anyone who needs amplification beyond a bedroom, since 10 watts will not carry in a rehearsal. Anyone comparing packages should read the guide on what is in a guitar starter bundle. Comparable options include the Fesley FLP350 for a single cutaway body, the Fesley FST350M and the Donner DST-100B kit.
How to Maintain
Wipe the strings with the supplied polishing cloth after each session, since skin oils rather than playing wear are what dull electric strings.
Pay attention to the plastic nut. If strings ping or stick when the tremolo arm is used or during tuning, the slots are binding. A light rub of pencil graphite in the slots is the standard fix and costs nothing.
Keep the guitar in its bag away from radiators and direct sun. Use the supplied wrench only when the string height rises or open strings buzz, turning it in increments of roughly a quarter turn with a day between adjustments. Stretch new strings by hand after fitting them, because a tremolo bridge amplifies the tuning drift that unsettled strings cause.
Tips and Recommendations
Add a clip on tuner as the first extra purchase, since the bundle does not include one and everything else a beginner needs is already covered.
Use the clean channel for the first weeks with the tone rolled back slightly. Distortion hides fretting and timing errors rather than fixing them. Learn positions two and four on the five way switch early, since those blended settings are the sounds most people recognise from recordings and many beginners never find them. If the strings feel stiff, a lighter gauge set reduces effort without any change to the instrument.
Warranty & Support Information
The manufacturer states that Fesley electric guitars carry a one year assurance and that customer support is available around the clock for questions covering both aftermarket enquiries and music theory. The listing does not define what the one year assurance covers, what is excluded, or how a claim is made, so buyers should treat it as a stated commitment rather than a documented warranty policy.
Product FAQ
What is the scale length?
The listing states 25.5 inches with 22 frets, which is the standard full size arrangement. The 39 inches in the title is the overall instrument length, not the scale.
Is a tuner included?
No. The pack includes an amplifier, gig bag, strap, cloth, picks, cable, string winder, strings, tremolo bar and adjustment wrench, but no tuner.
What pickups does it use?
Two single coils and one humbucker at the bridge, with a five position blade switch, a master volume and two tone controls.
What is the nut made of?
Plastic, with a 1.65 inch width. Plastic is the cheapest nut material and the most likely to bind strings, which is worth knowing on a guitar fitted with a tremolo.
