Description
Review of the Vangoa VJ100E 3/4 Size 36 Inch Acoustic Electric Cutaway Guitar Bundle
The Vangoa VJ100E is a three quarter size steel string acoustic with a cutaway, an onboard pickup system and a small bundle of accessories. It is aimed at beginners and students who want an instrument they can practise on quietly at home and still plug into a mixer or a PA for a lesson recording or a small performance. It appears in both the acoustic electric guitars and kids and junior guitars sections, and the biggest issue with the listing is how much it does not say.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- A built in tuner is part of the preamp. This is the single most useful feature on a beginner’s acoustic electric, because the tuner is always attached and always to hand rather than living in a drawer.
- Two band EQ plus volume. Bass and treble controls on the body let a player cut boom in a small room or add cut through a PA without touching the mixing desk, which matters because piezo pickups are naturally bright and thin.
- Bone nut and saddle. Bone is harder and denser than the plastic normally fitted at this level. It transfers string energy more efficiently into the top and, on an acoustic electric, presses more consistently on the under saddle pickup, which improves string to string balance when plugged in.
- Sealed nickel tuners with 18:1 gearing. Higher gearing makes small tuning corrections easier to land, and sealed housings keep grit out of the worm gear.
Cons
- There is no specification table on this listing at all. No weight, no scale length, no fret count, no nut width, no wood for the back, the sides, the neck or the fingerboard. Only the spruce top is named. For a buyer comparing instruments on paper, almost every number is missing.
- The top description is garbled. The listing describes a “0.019 inch thinner Spruce top bridge features Orchestra Model”, which mixes the top thickness, the bridge and the body shape into one phrase and gives a figure with no reference for what it is thinner than.
- The accessory list names strings twice. Both “guitar strings” and “an extra set of strings” appear as separate items, so it is unclear whether one spare set is supplied or two.
- No amplifier or cable is included. The onboard electronics are the reason to choose this model, and neither the lead nor anything to plug it into is in the box.
- No battery information. A preamp with a tuner and EQ is an active circuit and needs power, but the listing does not say what battery it takes or whether one is supplied.
Detailed Product Description
The top is spruce, which is the standard choice for acoustic guitar tops because it is stiff for its weight and responds quickly to string energy, giving a bright attack and good note separation. Vangoa notes that a lighter touch suits a spruce top, and that is a fair observation: spruce rewards fingerstyle dynamics rather than heavy strumming, which on a three quarter body would overload the top quickly. The listing does not name the wood used for the back and sides, so the tonal contribution of the body is unknown.
The electronics are the defining feature. The pickup system provides a built in tuner, a two band equaliser covering bass and treble, and a volume control, and the listing states it can be connected to an acoustic amplifier, a mixer or a PA system. Acoustic electric pickups of this type sit under the saddle and read string pressure rather than string movement, which resists feedback at volume and produces a bright, percussive signal that usually needs treble cut and a little midrange added to sound natural. Whether an amplifier is needed at all is discussed in do you need an amp with an acoustic electric guitar. Phosphor bronze strings are fitted, the modern standard acoustic winding, warmer and longer lasting than older bronze recipes.
What Comes with the Product
The listing states the bundle contains the three quarter cutaway guitar, a gig bag case, three picks of different thicknesses, a capo, a shoulder strap, guitar strings, an extra set of strings and an owner’s manual.
Not included: an amplifier, a cable, a clip on tuner, a stand, a hard case, a battery for the preamp unless one is factory fitted, and any lesson material. The cable is the practical gap here, since the electronics cannot be used without one.
Who It Suits
This suits a student aged roughly nine and upwards, an adult with a short reach or small hands, or a beginner who expects to plug in for lessons, recordings or small performances and wants the tuner built in. It also travels well, since a three quarter body fits in spaces a full size dreadnought does not. The guide on what size guitar to buy for a child covers how to check fit.
Look elsewhere if the buyer wants a documented specification sheet, because this listing publishes almost none. Adults of average build who intend to play seriously will also outgrow a three quarter body’s volume and low end. The Vangoa VG100S three quarter acoustic is the same size without electronics, the Yamaha APXT2 three quarter acoustic electric is the better documented alternative, and the Pyle PEAG91 30 inch acoustic electric is a step smaller.
How to Maintain
Wipe the strings after every session, because phosphor bronze dulls from skin acid faster than it wears from playing. Keep the guitar in the supplied bag, away from radiators and out of direct sun, since a spruce top on a small body has thin panels that move with humidity. If the preamp uses a removable battery, take it out before long storage, as a leaking cell inside the body is difficult to reach. Unplug the cable when the guitar is put away, because the jack usually doubles as the strap pin and a hanging lead levers on it. Clean the finish with a barely damp cloth. Storage detail is in how to store a guitar.
Tips and Recommendations
Buy a cable with the guitar and test the preamp within the return window, since intermittent output is the most common fault on budget acoustic electrics. Check what battery the preamp uses on arrival and keep a spare in the gig bag. Set both EQ bands flat for the first plugged in session and adjust one at a time, because it is easy to lose the sound entirely by cutting both. If the guitar sounds thin through a PA, cut treble before adding bass, as piezo brightness is what usually causes the problem.
Product FAQ
What is the scale length? The listing does not publish one. This model has no specification table, so scale length, fret count and nut width are all unstated.
What wood are the back and sides? The listing does not say. Only the spruce top is named.
Is an amplifier included? No. The bundle covers the guitar, bag, picks, capo, strap, strings and manual, with no amp and no cable.
