Description
Review of the Kadence Electric Acoustic Guitar A06 EQ in Ash Wood
This is a 40 inch cutaway acoustic guitar with a built in preamp, sold with a padded bag, strap, capo, cable, picks and a spare string set. The preamp adds volume control, a two band equaliser and an integrated tuner, so the instrument can be played unamplified or run into a PA or acoustic amplifier. It is listed under acoustic electric guitars and the manufacturer aims it at players aged fourteen and up.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- The onboard tuner is built into the preamp. A tuner mounted in the side of the guitar is always present, cannot be lost, and mutes the output while tuning on most designs, which is what makes it useful on stage rather than just convenient at home.
- Two band EQ with bass and treble control. Amplified acoustics are prone to boomy low end in a room, and being able to cut bass at the guitar rather than at the desk is the fastest way to fix it.
- A built in truss rod is specified. This is what allows neck relief to be corrected as the wood responds to string tension and humidity, instead of leaving the action permanently high.
- The rosewood bridge is named. Rosewood is dense and hard, so it transfers string vibration into the top efficiently rather than absorbing it, which is a common weak point at this price.
- The cutaway opens up the upper frets. The shaped upper bout lets the fretting hand reach positions that a full shoulder body blocks, which matters once a player moves past open chords.
- The accessory bundle includes a capo and a cable. Both are needed early and both are frequently omitted from acoustic electric bundles.
Cons
- The only claim that this guitar is ash is in the product title. The manufacturer description names the rosewood bridge and a deep pore paint finish but never states the top, back or side wood at all. The spec table for this listing is completely empty, so nothing corroborates the ash claim.
- The listing calls it a semi acoustic guitar. In normal usage a semi acoustic is a semi hollow electric guitar, which is a different instrument entirely. Here it appears to mean an acoustic with a pickup fitted, but the wording is misleading on a listing page.
- No structured specifications are recorded at all. There is no scale length, no nut width, no fret count, no weight, no string gauge and no string material. A buyer cannot compare this against a properly specified guitar on any measurable basis.
- The preamp battery type is not stated. Onboard preamps require power, usually a 9 volt block or a pair of coin cells, and the listing does not say which, whether one is supplied, or how the compartment is accessed.
- Solid or laminated construction is never mentioned. This is the specification that most determines how an acoustic sounds and whether it improves with age.
- No amplifier is included despite a cable being supplied. The cable implies amplified use, but the buyer still needs an acoustic amplifier or a PA input to make use of the electronics.
Detailed Product Description
The body is a 40 inch cutaway shape with what the manufacturer calls a deep pore paint finish, meaning the grain texture remains visible through the colour rather than being filled flat. The streamlined curvature is described as integrating the head and body visually.
The electronics are the reason to choose this over a plain acoustic. A preamp takes the low output of an under saddle pickup and raises it to a level a mixing desk or amplifier can use, and the volume control, bass and treble controls and tuner sit together in a side mounted panel. What the listing does not say is the pickup type, which matters: an under saddle piezo sounds different from a soundhole magnetic pickup, and the two need different amplification. The guide on whether an acoustic electric guitar needs an amp covers what is required to actually use the output.
The bridge is rosewood, chosen for hardness and vibration transfer. The truss rod is described as balancing the tension caused by strings and by temperature driven shrinkage, which is a fair account of what a truss rod does. Because the top wood is undisclosed, the guide on solid top versus laminate acoustic guitars is worth reading before assuming this instrument will open up with playing.
What Comes with the Product
The listing states the package contains the guitar, a padded gig bag, an adjustable strap, three picks, a capo, a cable and a set of strings.
Not included and not mentioned anywhere: an amplifier, a stand, a string winder, a cleaning cloth, a hard case, a spare preamp battery and any lesson material. The amplifier is the important gap. An acoustic electric played unplugged works as a normal acoustic, but the preamp, EQ and cable are useless without something to plug into, and a standard electric guitar amplifier will not flatter an acoustic pickup.
Who It Suits
This fits a player who already knows they will need to plug in, whether for a small venue, a church group or home recording, and who wants the tuner and EQ built into the instrument rather than added later. The accessory bundle makes it a single purchase for someone starting from nothing.
It does not suit a player under about fourteen, given the manufacturer’s own age guidance and the full 40 inch body. It does not suit anyone who wants documented specifications before buying, because this listing records none. Anyone comparing options from the same maker should look at the Kadence Frontier FR01 EQ and the Kadence Slowhand acoustic electric, or the Kadence Frontier 40 inch acoustic if the electronics are not needed.
How to Maintain
Wipe the strings and fingerboard after each session, since skin oils are the main cause of dull acoustic strings. Keep the guitar in its bag when not in use and away from radiators and direct sunlight.
Remove or disconnect the preamp battery if the guitar will sit unused for months, because a leaking cell in a side mounted compartment is expensive to clean up. Many preamps also draw current whenever a cable is plugged in, so unplug the cable after playing rather than leaving it connected.
Use the truss rod only when the string height climbs or open strings begin buzzing, adjusting in increments of roughly a quarter turn with a day between adjustments. If the guitar will be stored for a long period, slacken the strings a little to reduce sustained tension on the top.
Tips and Recommendations
Test the electronics on arrival by plugging into whatever amplification is available, and check that the tuner powers up. Preamp faults are the most common defect on inexpensive acoustic electrics and are easiest to raise early.
Keep a spare battery of the correct type once it has been identified, since a preamp that dies mid performance leaves no fallback. Start with the bass and treble controls flat and cut rather than boost, because boosting an acoustic pickup is the fastest route to feedback in a small room. Use the capo from the start to play in different keys without needing barre chords.
Product FAQ
Is the body really ash?
The product title says ash wood, but the manufacturer description never names the top, back or side wood, and the spec table is empty. The ash claim is unsupported by the rest of the listing.
Is an amplifier included?
No. A cable is included but no amplifier. The guitar can be played unamplified, but using the preamp requires an acoustic amplifier or a PA input.
Does it come with a tuner?
Yes, built into the preamp panel rather than as a separate clip on unit.
What size is it?
The listing gives 40 inches overall and recommends it for players aged fourteen and over. No scale length or nut width is stated.
