Description
Review of the WINZZ AC309CE 39 Inches Cutaway Nylon-String Classical Electric Guitar with Built-in Pickup, Kit Set and Online Lessons
The WINZZ AC309CE is a 39 inch nylon-string classical guitar with a cutaway body and onboard electronics, sold with a gig bag, digital tuner, strap and cable. It uses sapele for the top, back and sides, a nato neck and a rosewood fretboard, with a 25 inch scale and a 4-band equaliser. The combination of nylon strings and a pickup is less common than it sounds and defines who this suits.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Nylon strings with a pickup is a genuinely useful combination. Classical guitars are quiet, and amplifying one properly usually means buying a pickup separately and having it fitted. Having it built in removes that cost and that work.
- The 4-band EQ gives real control. Amplified nylon strings can sound boxy and mid-heavy, and separate bass, middle, treble and presence controls are what allow that to be corrected at the guitar rather than fought at the amplifier.
- The cutaway opens up the upper frets. Traditional classical bodies block the fretting hand above the twelfth fret entirely. A cutaway makes the top of the neck usable, which matters for anyone playing melody lines rather than only chords.
- Nylon strings are far kinder to fingertips. They hold much lower tension than steel, so chords can be fretted without pain during the first weeks when fingers have not toughened.
Cons
- The battery situation is muddled. The spec table records a CR2032 battery requirement against the guitar, while the description attributes that cell to the supplied clip-on tuner and states it is not included. Separately, the listing never says what powers the 4-band preamp, which normally needs a 9V cell.
- The tuner arrives unusable. Its CR2032 battery is explicitly excluded, so the one accessory a beginner needs most will not work on arrival unless a cell is bought in advance.
- The top is not described as solid. Sapele is named for top, back and sides, but the listing never says solid. A laminated top will not develop tonally with age the way a solid one does.
- No amplifier is included. A cable is supplied but nothing to plug it into, so the onboard electronics cannot be used until an amplifier or PA is available.
- The online lessons last one month. That is a short window, and anyone relying on them should plan for what happens after it expires.
Detailed Product Description
The body is a classical cutaway shape at 39 inches, built from sapele for the top, back and sides. Sapele is an African hardwood commonly used as a mahogany substitute, giving a warm midrange with moderate brightness. Using the same wood throughout produces a more uniform, slightly darker voice than the usual spruce-topped construction. The finish is a glossy brown.
The neck is nato with a rosewood fretboard, over a 25 inch scale. Nato is another mahogany-family substitute, stable and easy to work. The 25 inch scale is slightly shorter than the classical standard of around 25.6 inches, which marginally reduces string tension and shortens the reach between frets. Rosewood as a board is open-pored and will need occasional conditioning oil.
Strings are nylon and the bridge is fixed. This is a classical guitar, so the neck is likely wider and flatter than a steel-string neck, which suits fingerstyle playing but makes barre chords harder for a beginner with small hands. Electronics are a piezoelectric pickup feeding a 4-band equaliser. A piezo sits under the saddle and responds to string pressure rather than to air moving inside the body, which is why amplified acoustics sound thinner plugged in than they do unplugged.
What Comes with the Product
The set includes the guitar, one month of online lessons, a gig carrying bag, a cleaning cloth, a wrench, a drawstring bag, an adjustable strap, a digital tuner and an instrument cable.
The CR2032 battery for the tuner is not included, and no amplifier is supplied. There is also no capo, no spare string set, no stand and no hard case. Buy the tuner battery before the guitar arrives, since without it the tuner is dead weight. Whether an amplifier is needed at all depends on how the guitar will be used, and the guide to amplifying an acoustic-electric covers that decision.
Who It Suits
This suits a classical or fingerstyle beginner who expects to play amplified at some point, whether in a church, a small venue or a recording setup, and who wants that capability built in rather than retrofitted. It also suits an adult beginner whose fingertips cannot yet handle steel strings.
It does not suit someone who wants a steel-string sound, since nylon produces a softer and quieter tone that does not suit strummed pop or rock. Those buyers should read the nylon versus steel string comparison first. Players wanting a purely acoustic classical at lower cost should look at the Yamaha C40 or the Yamaha C40II. Another full-size nylon option is the Hola Music HG-39GLS.
How to Maintain
Nylon strings stretch heavily when new and will need retuning several times a day for the first week, then settle. They do not corrode the way steel does, so they last longer, but they go dull and are worth changing roughly once a year with regular use.
Keep the guitar away from radiators and out of direct sun. Acoustic bodies react to humidity far more than solid-body electrics, though nylon tension is low enough that the risk is smaller than on a steel-string. Condition the rosewood fretboard when the strings are off, and remove the preamp battery if the guitar will not be plugged in for months.
Tips and Recommendations
Set the EQ flat and cut rather than boost. Piezo pickups produce a hard upper midrange that boosting only worsens, and reducing the middle control usually improves an amplified nylon guitar more than anything else.
Buy a CR2032 cell in advance so the tuner works on arrival, and consider a spare for the preamp once its battery type is confirmed. Nylon strings need retuning constantly at first, so the tuner is not optional. More instruments sit under acoustic-electric guitars and classical and nylon string guitars.
Product FAQ
Is a battery included?
No. The CR2032 for the supplied tuner is explicitly excluded, and the listing does not state what powers the onboard 4-band preamp.
Does it come with an amplifier?
No. A cable is included but no amplifier, so the onboard electronics cannot be used until one is obtained separately.
What is it made of?
Sapele for the top, back and sides, a nato neck and a rosewood fretboard. The listing does not state whether the top is solid or laminated.
How long do the online lessons last?
One month, according to the listing. No detail is given about what happens after that period ends.
