Description
Review of the Vangoa VA20CE BKM12 12 String Acoustic Electric Guitar, Black Matte
The Vangoa VA20CE is a full size 12 string acoustic electric with a cutaway dreadnought body, a spruce top over sapele back and sides, and a built in equaliser and preamp. Vangoa aims it at beginners and intermediate players who want the thicker, chorused sound a 12 string produces, and it ships as a bundle with a padded bag, cable and spare strings.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- A bone nut and saddle. Bone transfers string vibration into the body more efficiently than the moulded plastic used at this price, and it is one of the few upgrades that genuinely changes the sound.
- 18:1 ratio tuning machines with sealed chrome housings. On a 12 string this matters twice over, because there are twice as many strings to bring into tune and the finer ratio makes each adjustment more precise.
- Spruce top over sapele back and sides. Sapele behaves much like mahogany, warm and slightly compressed, which balances the brightness of twelve strings.
- A built in equaliser and preamp, so the guitar can be plugged into an amplifier or PA without an aftermarket pickup fitted.
Cons
- The dimensions read 43.5 by 43.5 by 4.7 inches, a square outline that cannot describe any guitar. The width figure has been duplicated from the length and no usable body measurement is published.
- The scale length is given in millimetres, 655 mm, while every other measurement on the sheet is in inches. That works out to roughly 25.8 inches, a standard long scale, but the inconsistency makes it easy to misread.
- The top is described as AAA spruce, which is a grading of grain appearance rather than a claim about construction. The listing never says whether the top is solid or laminated, and that is the detail that most affects the sound.
- The preamp needs power and no battery is listed in the bundle.
- A 12 string is harder work than a six string. The combined tension is far higher, chords need more finger pressure, and tuning takes noticeably longer. That is inherent to the format rather than a fault of this model, but it is the main reason beginners abandon them.
- The listed 10.78 pounds is the packed weight of the bundle, not the instrument.
Detailed Product Description
A 12 string guitar pairs each of the six strings with a second one. The bottom four pairs are tuned an octave apart and the top two pairs in unison, which produces the shimmering, chorused sound the format is known for. It also roughly doubles the tension pulling on the neck and the top, which is why the truss rod and the bracing matter more here than on a six string. Whether the format suits a particular player is worth thinking through, and the guide to who should buy a 12 string guitar covers the tradeoffs.
The top is spruce, the standard soundboard timber, with sapele back and sides. Sapele is an African hardwood widely used as a mahogany substitute and it shares mahogany’s warmer, more compressed character, which is a sensible pairing with a bright dreadnought 12 string. The neck is okoume, another light African hardwood, with a walnut fingerboard. Walnut has become a common rosewood replacement since trade restrictions tightened and it feels similar under the fingers.
The neck is described as a slender C shape with the string pairs sitting close together, which is the correct approach for a 12 string: the wider the pairs are spaced, the harder it is to fret them cleanly. The matte finish is more practical than gloss on a black instrument, since it does not show fingerprints.
The electronics are a built in equaliser and preamp feeding a standard output jack, with an audio cable included. Light gauge bronze strings are the factory fitting, which is the right choice: heavier gauges on a 12 string put a great deal of load on the top.
What Comes with the Product
- The 12 string acoustic electric guitar in matte black
- A 5 mm zipped padded gig bag
- An audio cable
- A backup set of strings
Not included: a battery for the onboard preamp, an amplifier, a tuner, a capo or a stand. The battery should be added to the order, since the electronics do not work without it. Whether the amplification is needed at all is discussed in the guide to amplifying an acoustic electric guitar.
Who It Suits
This suits a player who already has some experience on a six string and wants the fuller, ringing sound a 12 string gives to strummed chords, particularly for folk, singer accompaniment and rhythm parts. The bone nut and saddle and the 18:1 tuners are sensible choices for the format, and the cutaway and truss rod address the two things that usually make cheap 12 strings unpleasant.
It suits less well an outright beginner, since the higher tension and the doubled strings make everything physically harder in the first months. It also suits less well a lead player, because bending strings in pairs is difficult. Comparable instruments include the Vangoa VA21CE 12 string with sapele body, the Vangoa VGE12 12 string acoustic and the Janerock 12 string acoustic. The full range sits in acoustic electric guitars.
How to Maintain
Wipe the strings after every session. Twelve strings cost roughly double a six string set to replace, so making them last is worth the thirty seconds.
Remove the battery if the guitar will sit unused for weeks, and unplug the cable when finished, since on most acoustic electric systems the jack socket doubles as the power switch.
Tips and Recommendations
Change strings a few at a time rather than removing all twelve at once. Releasing the full tension in one go lets the neck move noticeably and the guitar takes days to settle again.
Stick to light gauge sets. Heavier strings on a 12 string put considerable load on the bridge and top, and the format is already loud enough. The tradeoffs are covered in the guide to guitar string gauge.
Warranty & Support Information
Vangoa states a one year warranty on the instrument along with a response service for questions. No further detail about coverage or the claim process appears in the listing, so that would need confirming with the seller.
Product FAQ
Is the spruce top solid?
Not stated. The listing calls it AAA spruce, which grades the appearance of the grain rather than confirming solid construction.
What is the scale length?
655 mm, roughly 25.8 inches, which is a standard long scale. It is the only measurement on the sheet given in millimetres.
Does a battery come with it?
No. The onboard equaliser and preamp need power and no battery appears in the bundle contents.
