Description
Review of the Vangoa VG100S 3/4 Size 36 Inch Acoustic Guitar Kit
The Vangoa VG100S is a three quarter size steel string acoustic sold with one of the deepest accessory packs in its class, aimed at younger players, travellers and adult beginners who find a full size body awkward to hold. Vangoa builds it around a spruce top with sapele back and sides, and fits bone nut and saddle parts that are usually reserved for more expensive instruments. It appears in both the kids and junior guitars and acoustic guitars sections.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Bone nut and saddle. Bone is denser and harder than the plastic normally fitted at this level, and it transfers string energy into the top more efficiently. It also holds a slot shape better, which helps tuning stability at the nut.
- A two way truss rod is fitted. Neck relief can be corrected in either direction, which means a guitar that develops a bow after a season can be brought back rather than written off.
- 18:1 tuner gears. Higher gear ratios mean the string moves less for each turn of the button, so fine tuning is easier and pitch is easier to land exactly.
- The accessory list covers almost everything. Three picks of different gauges, a 5mm padded bag, a strap, spare strings, a truss rod key, a clip on tuner, a capo, a cleaning cloth and a manual is a more complete pack than most bundles at any size.
Cons
- The body shape is described two different ways. One bullet calls it an Orchestra model body producing a clear balanced tone, and another calls it a 36 inch dreadnought body. Orchestra and dreadnought shapes have different waists, different depths and different tonal balance, so the two claims cannot both describe this guitar.
- The kit includes an amplifier cable for a guitar with no pickup. A cable is listed among the accessories and the specification table’s musical style field says “acoustic electric guitar”, yet nothing in the listing describes a pickup, a preamp, controls or an output jack.
- The body material field says “Engineered Wood”. The description names an AAA grade spruce top with sapele back and sides, while the table lists engineered wood for the body. Engineered wood is a laminate or composite, which is a different claim.
- The fingerboard is listed as “Scientific wood”. That is a marketing phrase, not a species. Fingerboard material affects feel, wear and how the board responds to dry air, and this tells a buyer nothing.
- The pickguard is supplied loose and self adhesive. The guitar ships without a pickguard fitted, and sticking one on straight and square is harder than it sounds.
Detailed Product Description
The guitar has a spruce top with sapele back and sides according to the description, a sapele neck, and 20 frets. Spruce is the standard acoustic top wood because it is stiff for its weight and moves readily under string energy, giving a bright attack with clear note separation. Sapele is a mahogany relative, slightly harder and with a similar warm midrange, and it is one of the more musical woods available at this level for back and sides. That combination is a sensible pairing: brightness from the top, warmth from the body.
The bridge is walnut and deliberately smaller than usual, which Vangoa says enhances the bass response. A smaller bridge adds less mass to the top, letting it move more freely, and on a small bodied guitar that helps recover some of the low end that a reduced body volume loses. The neck is a slender C profile, chosen so smaller hands can wrap comfortably, and the two way truss rod runs its length. Tuners are closed chrome plated units with 18:1 gearing.
What Comes with the Product
The listing states the kit contains the guitar, three picks of different thicknesses, a 5mm padded gig bag, an adjustable strap, an extra set of strings, a truss rod Allen key, a user manual, a clip on tuner, an amplifier cable, a self adhesive pickguard, a cleaning cloth, instructions and a capo.
Not included: a hard case, a stand, a humidifier, and any lesson material. The amplifier cable is included but has nothing to connect to, since no pickup is described. Treat it as a spare rather than as evidence that the guitar can be plugged in.
Who It Suits
This fits a child of roughly nine to fourteen, an adult with small hands or a short reach, a traveller who wants a guitar that fits in an overhead locker, or a beginner who wants everything needed to start in a single box. The bone nut and saddle and the two way truss rod are specifications that usually appear a tier or two higher. The guide on what size guitar to buy for a child covers how to check the fit.
Look elsewhere if the player is an adult of average build who intends to play seriously, because a three quarter body loses low end volume that a full size instrument keeps. Anyone who needs onboard electronics should choose a model that actually has them. Close alternatives are the Vangoa VJ100E three quarter acoustic electric, the Donner 36 inch dreadnought bundle, and the Fender FA-15 three quarter steel string.
How to Maintain
Wipe the strings after each session, because phosphor bronze dulls from skin acid faster than it wears from playing. Keep the guitar in the padded bag rather than leaning against a wall, and keep it away from radiators and direct sun, since a spruce top responds to humidity swings and a small body has thin panels. Use the supplied Allen key only if the neck genuinely needs adjusting, and turn a truss rod in small increments with the strings at pitch. Change the full string set rather than single strings, and how often guitar strings should be changed gives a schedule.
Tips and Recommendations
Decide whether the pickguard is wanted before sticking it on, because a self adhesive guard is difficult to remove cleanly and will leave a mark on the finish. Fit the clip on tuner to the headstock and leave it there, since a tuner in a drawer does not get used. Check the string height at the twelfth fret in the first month, because a new guitar settles once the neck takes tension. If the strings feel loose or the guitar sounds slack, a slightly heavier gauge suits a short scale instrument better, and guitar string gauge explained covers the trade offs. Keep the capo in the bag rather than clamped on the neck, since leaving it in place stresses the strings unevenly.
Product FAQ
Is it a dreadnought or an orchestra shape? The listing says both. One bullet describes an Orchestra model body and another describes a 36 inch dreadnought body, with no reconciliation.
Can it be plugged into an amplifier? No pickup, preamp or output jack is described, despite an amplifier cable appearing in the accessory list and an acoustic electric label appearing in the specification data.
What size is it? Three quarter size, 36 inches overall, which typically suits players from around nine years old through to adults with a short reach.
