Description
Review of the YMC 38″ Blue Beginner Acoustic Guitar Starter Package
This is a 38 inch steel-string acoustic sold as a complete first-guitar package, finished in blue gloss with laminated basswood construction and a birch neck. It is aimed at absolute beginners and school-age students who want an instrument and the surrounding accessories in one box rather than assembled piece by piece.
The model code is BG38-BU-AKIT, and the listing dates the package to July 2016.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- The accessory list is genuinely complete for a first month of playing. Gig bag, strap, nine picks in three thicknesses, a pick holder, two pickguards, a full spare string set plus two extra treble strings, and an electronic tuner with the battery already fitted. Nothing else has to be bought before the first lesson.
- A 30.9 inch scale length is short. That reduces string tension noticeably, so chords take less finger pressure. For a child or a small-handed adult this is the difference between practising and giving up.
- Extra-light gauge strings are fitted from the factory. Combined with the short scale, this is about as forgiving as a steel-string acoustic gets on untrained fingertips.
- Two strap buttons are fitted. Many budget acoustics only fit one at the tail and expect the player to tie the strap to the headstock. Two buttons means the strap goes on properly without knots.
Cons
- The listing calls this a beginner guitar while the specification table lists Proficiency Level as Intermediate. The two claims cannot both be right. Every other detail on the page points at a starter instrument, so the Intermediate entry looks like an import error rather than a description of the guitar.
- The pick thickness field says medium while the description lists nine picks at 0.46mm, 0.72mm and 1.0mm. That is three thicknesses, only one of which is medium. Buyers expecting a uniform set will get a mixed one, which is arguably better but not what the table says.
- Listed item weight is 2.8 pounds. A 38 inch acoustic alone typically weighs more than that, and this figure is meant to cover the guitar plus a bag, tuner, strap and spare strings. Treat the weight field as unreliable rather than as evidence the guitar is unusually light.
- Fully laminated basswood body. Body, top and back are all laminate, which means the top does not open up with playing time the way a solid top does. The tone stays where it starts.
Detailed Product Description
The body is 38 inches overall with a laminated basswood top, back and sides, finished in a blue gloss with linden binding. Laminate construction is layered wood under a thin veneer. It is more resistant to humidity swings and knocks than a solid top, which matters for an instrument that will be carried to school, and it costs far less. The trade-off is a flatter, less resonant voice with limited dynamic range.
The neck is birch with an ebonized fingerboard. Birch is stiff and stable, and on a short-scale instrument the reduced string pull means the neck has an easier job than on a full-size dreadnought. Scale length is 30.9 inches, which is well below the roughly 25.5 inches of a standard adult acoustic and closer to a three-quarter or half-size instrument in feel, despite the 38 inch body figure.
The bridge is a hard tail with alloy steel strings in extra-light gauge, tuned by chrome geared machine heads. There is no pickup and no preamp, so this is an acoustic instrument only. Two strap button end pins are fitted.
Package dimensions are 38.5 by 15 by 4 inches, so the box is close to the guitar’s own footprint.
What Comes with the Product
The set contains the 38 inch acoustic guitar, a gig bag, a guitar strap, nine ABS picks split across three thicknesses, a pick holder, two pickguards in teardrop and hummingbird shapes with the teardrop possibly already fitted, a complete spare string set of six plus two extra thin strings, and an electronic tuner with a CR2032 battery included.
What is not included: no amplifier and no cable, because there is no pickup to plug in. No hard case, only a soft gig bag. No capo, no stand, no cleaning cloth, no string winder and no printed or online lesson material. A guide to what belongs in a starter bundle is useful for judging whether that list is adequate.
Who It Suits
This suits a child or teenager starting out, a school music programme buying several instruments, or an adult with small hands who finds a full dreadnought unwieldy. The short scale and extra-light strings make the first weeks of chord work considerably less painful.
It suits less well an adult of average build who intends to keep playing, because a 30.9 inch scale will feel cramped within a few months and the laminated top limits how far the instrument can grow. It is also the wrong choice for anyone who wants to plug in, since there is no pickup at all. Anyone unsure which size to buy for a child should check sizing guidance first.
How to Maintain
Wipe the strings after each session. Extra-light strings are thin and corrode quickly once sweat sits on them, and a dull set is the fastest way to make a cheap guitar sound worse than it is.
Keep the guitar in its gig bag when not in use. A laminated body handles humidity better than a solid top, but the finish still marks and the bag is the only protection supplied.
Tune before every session with the included tuner. Short-scale instruments with low tension drift more than full-size ones, and playing an out-of-tune guitar teaches the ear the wrong thing. Change strings when they look grey and sound thin rather than waiting for a break; string change intervals are worth knowing.
Tips and Recommendations
Start with the thinnest of the supplied picks. The 0.46mm picks flex against the strings and forgive an inaccurate strum, which is what a beginner needs; the 1.0mm picks are for single-note work later. The differences are covered in the picks guide.
Fit the spare pickguard before playing rather than after. Applying it over an already scratched top does not hide the damage.
Product FAQ
Is this a beginner or intermediate guitar? The description and the entire accessory package point to a beginner instrument. The Intermediate entry in the specification table conflicts with the rest of the listing and should be treated with caution.
Does the tuner need a battery bought separately? No. The listing states the CR2032 battery is included.
Can it be plugged into an amplifier? No. The pickup configuration field reads No Pickup, so it is a purely acoustic instrument.
What size is it really? The body is 38 inches overall but the scale length is 30.9 inches, which is short-scale territory rather than full size.
Similar packages sit under beginner starter kits and acoustic guitars. Comparable bundles include the Smartxchoices 38 inch acoustic bundle, the JOYMUSIC 38 inch blueburst kit and the Lankro 38 inch starter set.
