Jasmine S35 – Redefining The Budget Segment

Body And Neck:
Hardware:
Sound:
Value:

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When it comes to extremely affordable acoustic guitars, the market is awash with a range of models from many different brands – some are household names, like Fender and Yamaha, while others are less known. Sitting in the latter category is Jasmine, who perhaps aren’t as well-known as the bigger brands, but certainly know how to hold their own when it comes to producing a quality instrument for less than hundred bucks. Their S35 is a testament to this! Let’s take a closer look.

Body And Neck

Of course, while Jasmine offers good quality, it’s normal to expect a certain level of compromise when buying in this price range. In this case it’s the use of laminated materials and a mediocre setup on arrival. However, both of these issues can be expected at under $100.

The S35 features an attractive 25.5” scale length dreadnought body made from X-braced laminated spruce on the top, paired with laminated nato back and sides. The neck is also made from nato, capped with a reasonably smooth rosewood fretboard, 20 frets and simple pearloid dot inlays. There’s nothing overly fancy about this model, but it’s a good-looking acoustic with a smooth satin finish, a durable build and sleek playability. You can’t ask for much more!

Hardware

In terms of hardware, there’s nothing too extraordinary here either. Yet the components Jasmine opts for make this a reliable guitar. At the bottom, there’s a rosewood bridge paired with a synthetic bone compensated saddle and a nut made of the same material. At the headstock, there’s a set of chrome-covered sealed tuners, which do their job and hold tuning relatively well, although not quite as stable as some of its peers.

Sound

While you may not be expecting much from a cheap guitar in terms of tone, the Jasmine S35 is a pleasant surprise. Sure, it’s no all-solid-wood Martin, but the tone is quite well balanced and the projection is big and clear. It’s probably not up to stage performances, but there’s enough tone to work with for both beginners and more experienced guitarists looking for a cheap steel-string to bash around on.

Conclusion

If there’s one thing the Jasmine S35 shows, it’s that you shouldn’t write off cheap acoustic guitars. While it leaves plenty to be desired in the setup, and the components aren’t as smooth or durable as you’d find on more expensive guitars, the overall style, tone and playability is very good for the price. For those working on a strict budget, or for beginners who don’t want to commit to anything too pricey, the S35 will definitely appeal.

For more info about the Jasmine S35, click here.
For more top affordable acoustic guitars, click here.