Description
Review of the Fesley 39″ Electric Guitar, Full Size Solid Body for Beginners, ST Style, Maple Neck and Fretboard, HSS Pickup Kit, Matte Morandi Black
The Fesley FST350M is a 39 inch full-size solid body electric in the Stratocaster mould, finished in a matte black the listing calls Morandi. It pairs a poplar body with a maple neck and fretboard and an HSS pickup layout, and ships with a tremolo bar, wrench, gig bag and manual. The listing positions it for beginners and intermediate players rather than experienced buyers.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- The HSS layout is the most useful pickup set for a first electric. Two single coils cover clean and bright material while the bridge humbucker handles distortion without falling apart. A beginner exploring different genres will not run out of usable sounds in the first year.
- A 5-way switch with two tone controls gives real range. Independent tone shaping across pickup positions is more than many entry-level guitars offer, and it teaches a player what the controls actually do.
- A maple fretboard needs no oiling. Maple boards are sealed rather than open-pored, so they wipe clean and never dry out. On a first guitar that removes an easily forgotten maintenance job.
- Twenty-two frets with a satin neck finish suits long practice. Satin does not go tacky under a warm hand the way gloss does, so position shifts stay smooth through a long session.
Cons
- There is no specification table at all. Unlike most listings, this product carries no structured attribute data, so scale length, string gauge, weight, bridge type and hardware finish are simply absent. Everything known comes from marketing copy.
- Scale length is never stated. On an ST-style guitar it is almost certainly the standard length, but the listing does not confirm it, and that is the figure that determines whether a player with smaller hands will find the reach comfortable.
- No amplifier is included. The kit contains a tremolo bar, wrench, gig bag and manual, but nothing that produces sound. An electric guitar without an amp is close to inaudible.
- No cable, strap, tuner or picks are listed. Even with an amplifier on hand, a buyer still needs a cable to connect the two, and none is described as included.
- Poplar with a thin matte finish marks easily. The listing quotes a 0.2mm coating, which is very thin. It will feel pleasant but it offers little protection against knocks and belt buckles.
Detailed Product Description
The body is poplar, a light tight-grained hardwood common at this price because it machines cleanly and takes an opaque finish well. Tonally it behaves close to alder, the traditional wood for this shape, so the voicing is conventional rather than unusual. The matte finish is described as eco-friendly and just 0.2mm thick, which keeps the wood feeling like wood rather than plastic but leaves it more exposed to dents.
The neck and fretboard are both maple with a satin finish, carved to a C profile. A C shape is the shallowest common profile and the least demanding for a new hand, since it fills the palm without forcing the thumb over the top of the neck. Twenty-two frets is one more than the classic twenty-one, giving a full two octaves on the top string.
Electronics are two single coils and one humbucker, with a 5-way selector, one volume and two tone controls. Hardware is described as vintage-style zinc alloy tuners and a cold-rolled steel plate bridge. A steel plate bridge with a tremolo arm means the bridge floats against spring tension, which allows pitch bends but makes string changes fussier and is the usual culprit when a budget guitar will not hold tuning.
What Comes with the Product
The kit includes the guitar, a tremolo bar, a wrench, a gig bag and a user manual.
That is a narrower package than the word kit suggests. There is no amplifier, no instrument cable, no strap, no picks, no clip-on tuner and no spare strings. A buyer starting from nothing will need at minimum an amplifier and a cable before the guitar is usable, and realistically a tuner and strap as well. The guide to beginner guitar accessories sets out what is genuinely worth adding first.
Who It Suits
This suits a beginner or improving player who already owns an amplifier and cable, and who wants a plain, comfortable ST-style guitar without paying for bundled accessories of unknown quality. The HSS layout and 22-fret neck give it more range than a basic three-single-coil design.
It does not suit someone buying their very first electric with no other gear, who would be better served by a package such as the Pyle electric guitar kit with amp. Buyers who want a documented specification table before committing should look at a listing with fuller data. Comparable HSS instruments include the Donner DST-200 and the same maker’s Fesley FST100 kit.
How to Maintain
A matte finish behaves differently from gloss. Do not use polish or wax on it, because both will create shiny patches that cannot be undone. A dry microfibre cloth is all that is needed, and the guide to cleaning a guitar covers what to avoid.
Wipe the strings after each session to slow corrosion. Check the tremolo spring claw and the bridge screws every few months, since a floating bridge on a soft-bodied guitar can shift as the screws settle into the wood. Store the guitar in the supplied gig bag away from radiators and direct sun.
Tips and Recommendations
Consider blocking the tremolo while learning. Wedging a small offcut behind the tremolo block converts it to a fixed bridge, which makes tuning far more stable during the months when a beginner is concentrating on chord shapes rather than pitch bends. It is fully reversible.
Buy a small practice amplifier rather than a large one. Ten to fifteen watts is enough for a bedroom and can be driven at usable volume, whereas a big amp only sounds good loud. The amp wattage guide for home practice covers the tradeoffs. More instruments sit under electric guitars and beginner starter kits.
Product FAQ
What is the scale length?
The listing does not state it. No specification table is present on this product, so scale length, weight and string gauge are all unconfirmed.
Does it come with an amplifier?
No. The kit contains the guitar, a tremolo bar, a wrench, a gig bag and a manual only.
What pickups does it use?
Two single coils and one humbucker in an HSS arrangement, with a 5-way selector, one volume and two tone controls.
How many frets does it have?
Twenty-two, on a maple neck and maple fretboard with a satin finish and a C-shaped profile.
