Vangoa VA21CE NT12 Acoustic-Electric Guitar: Full Review

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Vangoa is a relatively new brand in the acoustic guitar world, having been founded in 2016. Based in Southern California, Vangoa aims to provide high-quality, affordable acoustic and acoustic-electric guitars. They focus specifically on the beginner and intermediate markets, offering instruments with solid construction and reliable electronics.

Vangoa offers an array of dreadnought, concert, and travel-sized acoustics across various price points. They use combinations of popular tonewoods like mahogany, spruce, maple, and rosewood. Some of their guitars incorporate Fishman electronics as well as built-in tuners and equalizers. Overall, Vangoa guitars cater towards players looking for a dependable, budget-friendly acoustic-electric.

The Vangoa VA21CE NT12 reviewed here exemplifies the company's mission to deliver quality guitars with stage-ready features at a wallet-friendly price.

Body Style and Construction

The Vangoa VA21CE NT12 has a classic dreadnought body shape that's been popular for decades. This large body style provides powerful bass response and volume projection thanks to its generous interior air space. The VA21CE features a laminated spruce top, laminated mahogany back and sides, and a mahogany neck. The use of laminated woods instead of solid tonewoods helps keep costs down. The guitar has a standard 25.5" scale length. The body binding and rosette add a touch of visual flair. While not built from the most premium tonewoods, the VA21CE's conventional dreadnought construction aims to deliver balanced warm tones at an affordable price point.

The dreadnought body style is known for its booming bass and strong projection. Many iconic acoustic guitars feature this familiar shape, including models from Martin, Taylor, and Gibson. While the VA21CE may lack the pedigree of more expensive instruments, its conventional build aims to provide a reasonably priced option. The spruce top should lend bright overtones, while the mahogany back and sides offer warmth and sweetness. The laminated woods may not resonate as complexly as solid tonewoods, but help meet a lower price point. The VA21CE appears to balance cost and traditional acoustic character.

Speaking of affordable dreadnought acoustics, another model to consider is the Grote LPF-001. This beginner-friendly guitar also has a laminated spruce top and mahogany back and sides. The Grote features a slimmer body depth for enhanced comfort and playability. And the LPF-001 comes equipped with a built-in preamp and pickup system for plugging into an amplifier or PA system. While it may not have the ornate looks of the Vangoa, the streamlined Grote could be a practical choice for acoustic-electric performance on a budget.

Tonewood

The Vangoa VA21CE NT12 features solid tonewoods for rich, full sound - a solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides.

The spruce top is known for its crisp, bright tone that projects well. It has an open and airy resonant quality. Spruce is a popular top wood choice known for its dynamic range, clarity, and balanced tone.

Mahogany back and sides offer a warm, balanced sound with good low-end presence and nice overtone brightness. Mahogany is a versatile tonewood that works well for both fingerstyle playing and strumming. The mahogany body gives this guitar a vintage look and feel.

Together, the spruce and mahogany tonewoods produce a well-rounded sound - bright but not too bright, with enough warmth and bass response. The combo of spruce and mahogany is a tried and true pairing found on many quality acoustic guitars.

When choosing an acoustic guitar, it's important to consider the tonewoods used. The wood combination impacts the sound profile and character of the instrument. Spruce and mahogany is a popular configuration known for balanced warm and bright overtones.

In addition to the Vangoa, other reputable acoustic guitar brands like Martin Guitars also rely on spruce and mahogany woods. The Martin 000-15M StreetMaster is an example of a mahogany back and sides acoustic guitar with a solid Sitka spruce top.

Like the Vangoa, the StreetMaster 000-15M produces a warm, well-balanced tone. The mahogany adds depth and richness, while the spruce provides crispness and clarity. Together they create a versatile sound across multiple styles. While the Vangoa offers great bang-for-buck, the Martin carries premium woods and craftsmanship.

When researching acoustic guitars, the specific woods used will give you insight into the tonal characteristics. All solid wood construction from quality tonewoods will yield better sound over laminate materials. Spruce and mahogany is a safe bet for a balanced and responsive acoustic guitar. But there are many wood combinations to explore for tailored tonal flavors.

Neck

The Vangoa VA21CE NT12 has a Nato neck and rosewood fretboard. Nato, also known as Eastern mahogany, is often used as an affordable alternative to mahogany. It has a similar look, feel and tonal qualities as mahogany but costs less. The Nato neck provides a nice rounded, comfortable neck profile that is easy to play.

The fretboard is made of rosewood which gives it a rich, warm tone. Rosewood is a popular fretboard wood prized for its beauty and resonance. The rosewood fretboard on the Vangoa has a nice smooth feel and provides clear note definition. The combination of a Nato neck and rosewood fretboard offers a great blend of playability, comfort and warm tone.

Electronics

The VA21CE NT12 features Vangoa's NT12 pickup system, which is designed to accurately capture the warm, resonant tone of the solid spruce top. The pickup has a built-in preamp with 3-band EQ controls for shaping your amplified tone.

The controls include:

• Volume - Controls the overall output level of the pickup

• Bass - Boosts or cuts low end frequencies

• Treble - Boosts or cuts high/mid frequencies

This simple but versatile EQ section allows you to easily dial in a balanced tone whether playing live or in the studio. The pickup produces a balanced, natural acoustic tone that retains the nuance and dynamics of the guitar. Many reviewers praise the NT12 for its authentic acoustic sound reproduction and flexibility. Overall the electronics package on the VA21CE NT12 provides excellent amplified performance in a small-body dreadnought acoustic-electric guitar.

Hardware

The Vangoa VA21CE NT12 features quality hardware to provide stable tuning and optimal sound transmission. It utilizes chrome die-cast tuners that provide precise and smooth tuning. The tuners are mounted on a quality hardwood headstock and feel solid and durable.

The nut and saddle are made of plastic which is quite common on guitars in this price range. The plastic nut is cut properly for good string spacing and action. The saddle sits in a slot on the rosewood bridge and transmits the string vibrations well into the top producing a balanced tone. Plastic is an affordable material but can lack the resonance and sustain of bone or tusq alternatives found on more expensive models. However, the plastic nut and saddle perform well overall and help keep costs down while not severely impacting tone or playability.

Replacing the nut and saddle with better materials in the future may yield some tonal improvements, but the Vangoa VA21CE NT12 offers excellent hardware for the price that gets the job done. The chrome tuners and plastic nut/saddle allow the guitar to be set up well, hold tune, and transmit string vibration into the body effectively.

Sound

The Vangoa VA21CE NT12 produces a well-balanced tone across the frequency range. It has good volume and projection, able to fill a room without needing amplification.

The spruce top provides brightness and clarity in the high end, while the mahogany back and sides add warmth and body in the low end. The combination results in a versatile acoustic tone.

When plugged in, the onboard preamp and pickup system accurately reproduces the guitar's acoustic tone. The EQ controls allow shaping the amplified tone, adding more bass or treble as desired. Feedback is well controlled.

The Vangoa can handle medium to hard strumming while staying articulate. Notes remain distinguishable when strumming full chords. The tone holds together nicely when playing more aggressively.

Overall, the Vangoa VA21CE NT12 offers a great sound for the price. It's suitable for playing diverse musical styles and different live or studio applications. The acoustic and amplified tones are well-balanced and high quality.

Playability

The VA21CE NT12 features a playability that makes it a joy to play. The action on this guitar is set nice and low, which allows for easy fretting without excessive finger pressure. This makes it more comfortable to play for long sessions without fatigue.

The neck profile on the VA21CE NT12 is designed for comfort as well. It has a medium C-shaped neck, providing a substantial feel in your hands without being overly bulky. The neck depth along with the smooth satin finish facilitates quick movement up and down the neck for leads and solos. Overall the VA21CE NT12 is crafted for optimal playability right out of the box.

Pros

The Vangoa VA21CE NT12 has many positive attributes that make it a great value acoustic-electric guitar.

• Quality Materials: The guitar is constructed using solid mahogany on the top, back and sides. Mahogany is known for its balanced tone and good resonance. The neck is made from quality nato wood and the fretboard from engineered rosewood. Overall, the Vangoa uses tonewoods and materials typically found on more expensive instruments.

• Good Electronics: The guitar comes equipped with Vangoa electronics including an undersaddle piezo pickup and 3-band EQ. The electronics help amplify the guitar's natural acoustic tone and allow for sound shaping. The controls are easy to use while providing versatility.

• Impressive Sound: Considering the affordable price point, the Vangoa VA21CE NT12 sounds fantastic. It offers a balanced and rich acoustic tone that projects well. The mahogany construction gives it some warmth and resonance. When plugged in, the guitar maintains its acoustic character thanks to the quality electronics.

Cons

• The Vangoa VA21CE NT12 has a relatively generic dreadnought body shape and style, which some players may find uninspiring. It lacks some of the ornamentation, bindings, and design elements found on more expensive acoustic-electrics.

• While still fairly durable, the VA21CE NT12 uses more plastic parts such as the nut and saddle compared to solid bone or brass on premium models. This may impact resonance and tone slightly. The plastic tuners are also more prone to slipping than higher end metal tuners.

• The preamp and pickup system, while decent for the price, is fairly basic and lacks some of the sophisticated EQ and shaping controls found on higher end electronics. It provides simple volume and tone adjustment.

• The laminate spruce top is less resonant than a solid wood top. While the basswood back and sides provide a balanced tone, they lack the complex overtones of more premium tonewoods like mahogany or rosewood.

• The intonation and action may require more setup work out of the box than some other acoustics. Plan on a professional setup for best playability.

• The lighter build prioritizes affordability and playability over the deepest and richest acoustic sound. It lacks some bass and projection compared to a high end dreadnought.