Stagg SW203

I just have a few detail points to add to other peoples' reviews, which say what needs to be said.
This one is the 'SB' model, a very dark sunburst. As everyone has said, this is made of linden wood (find out all about magical linden trees here! http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/polcrt/Linden.html) with a maple neck, with truss-rod access via the sound-hole. The X-bracing is forward-shifted, as Martin would say. It is really quite a strong, heavy acoustic.
The machines are black, unbranded individual ones - see below for comments.

I put on some Martin Light/Medium SPs just for fun, and with those it has a strong, rich sound although the heavy bracing and rather thick laminated top inevitably take a toll on the tone. Volume is pretty impressive for what it is.

Purchased second-hand. Saddle was very high and seems to be glued solidly in place, so I had to shave it down by a couple of mm in situ in order to achieve good action.
Re. machine heads - others here have commented that these are nice little units, but it is worth noting that on this not-very-old guitar which had clearly been well kept and treated, they were _very_ loose - practically coming apart - and I had to tighten up the screws on the buttons, and the nuts on the headstock, to make them safe and keep things in tune. So perhaps not such great quality as they appear - I think they would need periodic checking.

This has a feeling of great solidity and is quite heavy for a dreadnought acoustic.
The finish seems to be quite hard and should be resilient, although dark finishes of this kind can really show off any abrasions or chips.

In terms of comparisons - I have or have had, a number of cheapo acoustics which I have refurbished (most of which have gone to good homes) and this one I would describe as an unpretentious, straightforward instrument for someone who wants to get into playing and needs an indestructible guitar to take to parties, festivals and music lessons across town.
Very usable, and will certainly not discourage anybody from learning provided that the action is set properly when they buy.

Made in 2004 Received as a gift after not playing for many years. Chinese made, 22 frets, full size dreadnoght, linden top, back and sides. maple neck and ?rosewood finger board. Stagg branded sealed die cast tuners. neck is on the smaller side (which I like) and is very smooth and playable. action is a little high for my taste but not glaringly so.

I have played around with quite a few cheap acoustic guitars and most have sounded dead. The thing that struck me immediately about this guitar( I had never seen or heard of Stagg prior to this) is it had a really lively tone. Playing up next to a friends fender acoustic he commented on how well it sounded. It sound as good or better than the Sigma that I owned previously. The intonation is good and it stays in tune well. some minor frett buzz in spots.... nothin serious. Tuned it up and off i went. chords, finger picking, individual notes, all seem good. (barre chords took getting my hands back in shape then it sounded even better ) I like it more and more as I play it. Thinkin of equipping it with a pick up to see how it sounds amplified.

As before action just a little high for my taste. fit and finish excellent for this price range guitar. nothing fancy, no obvious flaws that i have been able to find. high gloss royal blue finish looks bullet proof. Strap peg seems tight. some minor fret buzz in spots...not major...can be fixed. had to shake out some loose glue globs from inside.

I've been putting this thing thru the paces pretty hard (gets played daily) withstands multiple tuning changes. can pull it out of tune a bit if i'm bending hard.(stings may not be quite that high quality.) would definitely hold up to live play. I Intalled a strap button on the butt of the neck (did't come with one). Don't like to gig without a back up but till $ allow will be. Hasn't failed me yet. as i said before the finish looks pretty tough. I did drag it accross a belt buckle and left a visible scratch, but did not get thru to the wood.

My wife bought it at Music Go round. They are great and their guitar tech is tops. have not had to deal with the company at all. Nice Web site. www.staggmusic.com has 1yr warranty.

I've been playing on and off since age 9 (i'm 36) and have owned several guitars (sigma, ovation, gretch) getting back into it seriously, began with this guitar. (was guitarless for 10 yrs) I liked it so much I bought a Stagg Strat copy to play around with. If lost or stolen I would buy it again. tremendous value for the money. good for beginner to intermediate player.

This guitar is an entry-level beginners dreadnaught. Mine is black, has 21 frets, tidy looking enclosed tuners, and a bridge with pins to hold the strings in. The neck is rosewood (?).

The strings it shipped with are nice and bright and don't feel "cheap".

I got a free gig bag with it.

Well I have to say I really like it. Sure it's not a solid top, but it's bright, loud and jangly. I have some other acoustic guitars that were much more expensive and I have to say that although this isn't quite up there, it's really not bad at all.

The action is a tad high. I'll probably put lighter stings on mine (they feel like 12's). That will make it easier. But even so, it's very playable.

The finish is a bit untidy in places (hey it's cheap!)

I bought this guitar for knocking around at home. I'll probably do the "party" gigs with it but nothing more serious.

I've only just got it so I can't say how long the finish will last.

Never dealt with them. They have a nice website though.

The shop I got it from said they sell loads and never have any problems with them. They also said that as "starter" guitars go, they are generally the most playable out of the box.

I've been playing for 30 years and have several "nice" guitars. I got this for knocking around the house. I really pleased with how much guitar I got for the money.

this is another view on the guitar, the review below was my first view on it, dont mind about it, I was kinda pissy when I wrote it, it doesn't really count

So here we go again
dreadnought acoustic guitar w/linden top - back & sides : linden - fingerboard & bridge : black stained maple - machine heads: diecast, lack - finish: highgloss - colour: natural.
20frets

it was in a starter pack with a functional bag and strap, an extra set of strings, and a pitch pipe...ow, and also a guitar :p

every feature is on it, sadly enough, all features are rather cheap-built, but still, everything it needs for such a price
( by the way, buying a new guitar, I noticed this one has WONDERFUL tuners! Really, they look silly and cheap but they're great)

well...I bought a solid top jumbo model, and this guitar can't match it, it doesn't even come close to the quality of a solid top, but still, for 95? and a beginner guitar, it sounds warm and for a laminated top even great. ( until you hear a solid top :p )

A BEGINNER WON'T HAVE ANY TROUBLE WITH THIS SOUND, THE LOW SCORE ONLY COUNTS FOR EXPERIENCED PLAYERS, FOR BEGINNERS IT GETS A 7!

If you're a more experienced player but on a budget, save some more money, dont buy a beginner guitar for christs sake :p

action and finish are moderate to poor.
the action is a little bit too high to my liking, but again, this is not a problem for beginners, since I find it too high for barre chords, for others it feels just fine.
The finish on the other hand is a matter of luck, if you're lucky you'll get a model with no flaws to find, but I had bad luck and got a model with some flaws in the paint and some tiny damaged parts.
I compared it with another guy's sw302, he's was fine, so that's what I mean by luck.
The Highgloss finish looks quite natural, sometimes even pretty, but its a dust-and-scratch-magnet, be careful with it.

When I said be carefull with it I didnt mean the durability but the finish, really, when it comes to durability, this a rock, It wont be damaged quickly ( maybe also due to the overdosis gloss :p )
Also when you hit something or play for a long time it just wont go out of tune ( at least not on mine, as I said, you need luck ) because of the really impressive tuners I've got.

To be honest, I would do a gig without a backup with this piece o' equipment...but I wont since I've got a better guitar, guess this one's my backup :p

durability is wonderful, thumbs up here

never dealt with stagg, but the shopkeeper is wonderfully friendly and helpful...
But I've read in other reviews stagg's costumer support isnt good at all.
Since I've never dealt with the company so far, I'll give a score to the store where I bought it.
Don't know about warranty

summary: great beginners-guitar, nice tuners, great durability, but experienced players wont like it at ALL

REMEMBER: BEGINNERS DONT NEED TO BE SCARED OFF, for beginners I give the guitar a 7, for experienced ones the score I officialy gave

Think it's made in 2002 or something, not really sure
It's got 20 frets
Laminated top
linden top, back & sides are linden, fingerboard & bridge are black stained maple. dont know much about different woord types, but it just radiates CHEAP
finish is natural
dreadnought body
tuners are....made of freakin' plastic....but they do stay in tune for a while!

starter set with guitar ( duh ) gig bag, strap, pitch pipe, and extra snares

pfff, well, the features are all there for an acoustic....but they look and feel like freakin' toys!

just want you guys to know Im a beginner, but don't worry, I'm not a wothless noob, I've gathered so much info about this stuff my head explodes :p

the sound of this things is...well...toy-like :p
Overall I would say a beginner could use this thing for 3 months for learning a few things ( which I did ) and then notice how bad this thing sounds...( which I also did :( )

the action...A friend of mine bought ( in the same store ) a Nashville with solid top for only 40? extra, and it sounds beaaaautiful, and the action is wonderfull! its much lower then on my toy, waaaay too high on this one, I even play better with his one...
but still, the action is rather normal, guess its personal taste for lower action...

when it comes to flaws, it was OK, not good, but OK, there were some flaws in the laquer on the back an on the neck, but since I don't do gigs with this guitar it doenst matter that much

it feels pretty solid, but still...I can't even touch it with a nail or there is a terrible scratch in the laquer, the thing looks terrifying after a while :'(

never dealt with the company, but the store where I bought it is very helpful and friendly! thumbs up for them!

Ive been playing for a few months now, all goes well, but I already need a better guitar after just a few months!!!

If I could choose again I would definitely go for a Nashville solid top, they're marvelous for beginners!

If it were stolen I would have pitty with the one whom stole it, he's a moron...dont get this one!!! stagg makes SOME fine copies, but this is NOT FINE!!!