Laguna LE50 Review – Short Scale Rock On A Budget!

Body And Neck:
Hardware:
Sound:
Value:

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Not every child wants to learn how to play the guitar on a classical acoustic – sometimes only an electric guitar will do! But there’s a balance to strike – you don’t want to break the bank buying an overly expensive instrument, although equally you don’t want to buy a piece of junk that may put them off practicing. So settling on an affordable and good-looking kid’s guitar is the key – which is where this budget Laguna LE50 comes in. Laguna are no certainly household name, so are their models worth your time and money?

Body And Neck

The LE50 is a good-looking rock machine, with a few appointments that make it look a little more premium than it actually is. The headstock shape is reminiscent of something you’d find on a much more expensive model, as is the smooth black satin finish – awesome. However, at under $100, it’s certainly entry-level in its makeup. The body is noticeably smaller than regular guitars, with a scale length of 22.75” that makes it easier for children to hold and chord.

The double-cutaway basswood body is well-contoured and looks stylish, with its matching headstock and black hardware, while the bolt-on neck has a comfortable slim C shape. This smooth neck is made from maple, with a 1.62” nut width, bound rosewood fretboard and 24 jumbo frets, for the full two octaves. A good set up from a local pro is advisable, but it’s generally a very playable guitar.

Hardware

Giving the LE50 a surprisingly powerful voice are two high-output ceramic humbuckers fitted at the bridge and neck position. A three-way pickup selector switch controls these, while you’ll also find a master volume and master tone rotary control on the lower bout. At the headstock, the tuners are black die-cast chrome, and do a decent job of holding tuning stability when paired with the fixed bridge. The strings it comes shipped with are pretty poor and there’s a plastic nut – pretty common on a guitar in this price range – otherwise there’s not too much to get excited about.

Sound

Another surprise – it sounds pretty good! It’s no tone machine, but you can definitely find some thick rock sounds through the humbuckers. With the right amp it’s capable of producing a relatively warm clean sound and an articulate overdriven growl, which is great for lead and rhythm playing. For practice and jamming, the LE50 is proof that you don’t need to spend too much to find an acceptable sound.

Conclusion

For the budget price you have to expect some compromise in quality and the Laguna LE50 does suffer from some sloppy finishing, a little fret buzz, and a few rough spots here and there. But after a string change and good set up, it’s a fun little guitar with a good sound and eye-catching style, that should keep your child keen to practice. For adults it actually makes a pretty mean travel guitar!

For more info about the Laguna LE50, click here.
For more guitars for kids, click here.