Description
Review of the Pyle Acoustic Guitar Kit, 3/4 Junior Size 36 Inch
The Pyle PGA550CAPU is a 36 inch three quarter size steel string acoustic with a cutaway body, a 23.2 inch scale, 20 frets and a linden wood construction with white ABS binding and chrome die cast machine heads. It ships with a gig bag, six spare strings, picks, a cleaning cloth and a detachable shoulder strap. It is aimed at a child, a teenager or a smaller adult who wants a reduced size guitar with the basics included.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- 23.2 inch scale length. This is a genuine three quarter scale rather than a full size neck on a small body, so the frets sit closer together and the strings are under less tension. Both matter enormously for small hands.
- Cutaway body. The carved away shoulder gives the fretting hand access to the frets nearest the body, which is unusual at this size and price.
- Adjustable bridge, so string height can be lowered as the guitar settles. This is the single most useful adjustment on a beginner instrument.
- Chrome die cast machine heads. Enclosed geared tuners hold pitch far better than the open friction pegs found on the cheapest small guitars.
- Six spare strings included, which is a full replacement set rather than the token single string some kits supply.
- Detachable strap, useful because small players often prefer to sit at first and stand later.
Cons
- The colour is given as Deep Ruby in the product name and the specification table, while the description repeatedly calls the finish a hand rubbed matte purple. Those are different colours and the discrepancy should be settled before ordering, particularly if the guitar is a gift.
- The specification table lists the body material as basswood while the description says all linden plywood top, back and sides. Linden and basswood are closely related but the description and the table do not agree on how the guitar is described.
- The table records a pickup configuration of “H” on an instrument the description sells as purely acoustic, with no preamp, output jack or battery mentioned anywhere.
- The fretboard is listed as plywood. A laminated fingerboard will dent and wear faster than a solid hardwood one.
- No tuner is included, which is the accessory a beginner needs first and most often.
Detailed Product Description
The guitar measures 36 inches overall with a scale length of 23.2 inches. Those two numbers are what make this a genuine three quarter instrument: the scale is the vibrating length of the string between the nut and the saddle, and shortening it both reduces the stretch between frets and lowers the tension needed to reach pitch. A child pressing a string on a three quarter scale is doing measurably less work than one pressing the same string on a full size guitar. How sizes map to ages is set out in the guide to what size guitar for a child.
The construction is described as linden plywood for the top, back and sides, with an okoume headstock. Linden is a soft, light, even grained timber, closely related to what is sold as basswood, and plywood here means a laminate rather than a solid panel. A laminated top is damped by its glue lines, so it is quieter and less responsive than a solid top, but it is also far more resistant to cracking when humidity swings, which suits a guitar that will live in a child’s bedroom.
Twenty frets are fitted over a wood fretboard, listed in the table as plywood, with a decal rosette, white ABS binding and celluloid inlay. Six steel alloy strings run over an adjustable bridge. Steel strings are harder on untrained fingertips than nylon, and for a young child that difference is worth thinking about before ordering, which the guide to nylon versus steel string guitars covers.
The full guitar dimensions are given as 36 inches long, 14.6 inches wide and 4 inches deep, and the listed weight is 6.27 pounds.
What Comes with the Product
- The 36 inch three quarter size cutaway acoustic guitar
- A storage gig bag
- Six spare strings
- Picks
- A cleaning cloth
- A detachable shoulder strap
No tuner, capo, stand, string winder or instructional material is listed, and no online lesson access is mentioned.
Who It Suits
This suits a child of roughly eight to twelve, a smaller teenager, or an adult with small hands who finds a full size dreadnought unwieldy. The genuine three quarter scale is the reason to choose it over a 36 inch guitar that keeps a full length neck.
It suits less well a full size adult, who will find the body small and the projection limited, and it suits less well anyone who wants to plug in, since the electronics claim in the table is not supported anywhere in the description. Worth comparing are the Pyle 36 inch acoustic guitar kit, the Hola! Music 36 inch acoustic bundle and the Donner 36 inch dreadnought kit. The wider selection sits in the kids and junior guitars section, and players with smaller hands should also read the guide to guitars for small hands.
How to Maintain
Use the supplied cleaning cloth on the strings after every session. Alloy steel dulls quickly from skin oils, and children rarely wash their hands before picking up a guitar.
Keep the guitar in the gig bag rather than leaning it against furniture. Most damage to a child’s first guitar happens when it falls over, not when it is being played.
Avoid fretboard oil on a laminated board. Oils are formulated for open pored hardwoods such as rosewood and do nothing useful on a plywood fingerboard. A dry cloth is enough.
Tips and Recommendations
Buy a clip on tuner at the same time as the guitar. It is the cheapest accessory with the largest effect, because an out of tune guitar sounds wrong however well it is played, and a child will conclude they are the problem. The process is covered in the guide to how to tune a guitar.
Check the string height at the fifth fret on arrival and use the adjustable bridge if the strings sit high. High action is the single most common reason a young player stops practising.
Confirm the finish colour with the seller before buying as a gift, since the listing describes it two different ways.
Product FAQ
What size is this guitar?
Thirty six inches overall with a 23.2 inch scale length, which is a genuine three quarter size instrument.
What colour is it?
The product name and specification table say Deep Ruby, while the description calls the finish hand rubbed matte purple. This should be confirmed with the seller.
Can it be plugged into an amplifier?
The description mentions no electronics at all, although the specification table lists a pickup configuration. It should be treated as an acoustic guitar unless the seller confirms otherwise.
Is a tuner included?
No. The kit lists a bag, spare strings, picks, a cloth and a strap, but no tuner.
