Description
Review of the Pyle Heavy Metal EG Fire Electric Guitar with Amplifier Kit
This is a full size electric guitar kit built around a solid paulownia body with dual humbuckers and a three way switch, bundled with a 10 watt amplifier, a gig bag, a strap, a cable, spare strings, picks, a tremolo rod and an Allen key. The manufacturer aims it explicitly at heavier styles, and the neck is Canadian maple with a high density engineered fretboard over 21 frets. It sits in the beginner starter kits and electric guitars categories.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Two humbuckers with a three way selector. A humbucker uses two coils wired to cancel mains hum, which matters more the higher the gain, and that is exactly what heavier styles demand. The three way switch gives neck, bridge and both positions.
- A simplified one volume, one tone control layout. Fewer controls means fewer things to misunderstand, and on a high gain guitar the master volume knob is the control that matters most.
- Paulownia keeps the body weight low. Paulownia is one of the lightest tonewoods in use, so a full size body remains manageable on a strap through a long practice session.
- The amplifier has a drive switch plus treble, bass and volume controls. A dedicated drive stage means an overdriven sound at a low listening level rather than only at high volume.
- A headphone output on the amp. Silent practice is essential for a guitar aimed at distorted playing in a shared house.
- The kit includes a tremolo rod and an Allen key. Both are tools rather than filler, and both are needed the first time the bridge or truss rod is adjusted.
Cons
- The listing contradicts itself on the finish. The product title describes the guitar as Black Matte, while the manufacturer’s own bullet states the guitar has a black glossy finish. Matte and gloss are visually different and wear differently, and the listing does not resolve which is correct.
- The spec table for this listing is completely empty. Every specification quoted, including the paulownia body, the maple neck and the 21 fret count, comes only from the manufacturer bullet text. There is no weight, no dimensions, no scale length and no structured data of any kind.
- No scale length, nut width or body size is stated anywhere. The guitar is described as full size and nothing more precise, so buyers cannot order replacement strings confidently or compare fret spacing.
- The amp input is described as a 3/4 inch jack. Guitar cables use a quarter inch jack. Three quarter inch is not a connector size that exists on guitar equipment, so this appears to be a typing error, but it means the input specification cannot be relied on as written.
- The fretboard is high density man made wood. Engineered fretboard material is dimensionally stable and consistent, but it is a cost substitute for rosewood or laurel rather than an upgrade, and the listing presents it as a premium feature.
- The amplifier cabinet is described as coated in premium leather. Amplifier cabinets at this level are almost universally covered in vinyl or tolex rather than leather, and no other detail is given to support the claim.
Detailed Product Description
The body is solid paulownia, a very light and soft timber sometimes called kiri or foxglove wood. Its main practical advantage is weight, and its main drawback is that it dents easily, so a knock that would leave a mark on alder will leave a dent here. Tonally it is bright and quick responding with limited sustain compared with denser woods.
The neck is Canadian maple, stiff enough to hold its relief under string tension, with a high density engineered fretboard carrying 21 frets. Engineered fretboard material is made from compressed wood fibre and resin, and it is stable across humidity changes in a way natural timber is not.
The bridge is described as a classic single cutaway style tremolo with chrome hardware and matching tuning pegs. A tremolo bridge allows pitch bending with the picking hand via the supplied arm, and it trades some tuning stability for that expression. Combining a tremolo bridge with dual humbuckers is a common configuration for rock and metal.
The amplifier has a 5 inch loudspeaker, a drive switch, and volume, treble and bass controls, with a headphone output for silent practice. The listing describes the speaker as designed for high frequency response, which on a small cabinet generally means limited low end. The guide on guitar amp wattage for home practice covers what 10 watts supports.
What Comes with the Product
The listing states the kit includes the guitar, the 10 watt amplifier, one guitar cable, one Allen key, one tremolo rod, one gig bag, six spare electric guitar strings, one guitar strap and three 0.96mm celluloid picks.
Not included and not mentioned: a tuner, a stand, a capo, a string winder, a cleaning cloth, a hard case, and any lesson material. The tuner is the omission worth correcting immediately. The picks are specified at 0.96mm, which is a heavy gauge favouring single note lead playing over strumming, and a beginner may find a thinner pick easier for chords. The guide on what is in a guitar starter bundle is a useful comparison checklist.
Who It Suits
This fits a beginner or returning player who already knows they want heavier styles and wants one purchase covering the guitar, amplification and accessories. The humbucker pairing and drive equipped amp are matched to that intent rather than being a general purpose setup.
It does not suit a child, since the body is full size. It does not suit a player after bright, glassy clean tones, which single coils deliver better than humbuckers. It also does not suit anyone who wants documented specifications before buying, because the structured data on this listing is empty. Comparable options include the Pyle full size humbucker kit, the WestCreek Revenge for a guitar only purchase, and the LyxPro 39 inch kit with a 20 watt amp.
How to Maintain
Wipe the strings after each session, since skin oils rather than playing wear are what dull electric strings.
Treat the paulownia body carefully. It is light because it is soft, and it marks more easily than denser woods, so the gig bag is worth using rather than leaning the guitar against furniture.
Tremolo equipped guitars need extra attention to tuning stability. Stretch new strings by hand after fitting, lubricate the nut slots lightly with pencil graphite if strings bind when the arm is used, and allow a settling period after each string change. Use the supplied Allen key only when the string height rises or open strings buzz, turning in increments of roughly a quarter turn with a day between adjustments.
Tips and Recommendations
Add a clip on tuner as the first extra purchase, since the kit covers everything else a beginner needs.
Keep the amp drive switch off for the first weeks. High gain masks fretting and timing errors rather than exposing them, and hearing errors is how they get fixed. Buy some thinner picks alongside the supplied 0.96mm ones, because a heavy pick makes strumming stiff and awkward for a beginner. Use the headphone output for late practice, and coil the amp cable loosely rather than tightly, since a sharply kinked cable fails at the plug.
Product FAQ
Is the finish matte or gloss?
The listing says both. The title describes the guitar as Black Matte and the manufacturer bullet says it has a black glossy finish.
How powerful is the amplifier?
Ten watts, with a 5 inch loudspeaker, a drive switch, volume, treble and bass controls, and a headphone output.
What is the scale length?
Not stated. The listing describes the guitar only as full size, with no scale length, nut width or overall dimensions given anywhere.
Is a tuner included?
No. The kit covers the amplifier, cable, Allen key, tremolo rod, gig bag, spare strings, strap and picks, but no tuner.
