Keith Urban’s Player Guitar Package Reviews

Keith Urban’s Player Guitar Package is a 50-piece set which promises to teach new budding guitarists 30 songs in 30 days.

About Keith Urban Player Package by HSN.

Country music star and American Idol judge Keith Urban lends his name to this guitar and lesson package sold through HSN and promoted on late night infomercials. The 50-piece set includes a guitar, 30 DVD lessons, 8 guitar picks, guitar strap, a set of strings, polishing cloth, Allen key, chord poster, and padded guitar case.

On Day 1, you’ll learn the basics of the guitar, how to tune it, and two chords. This will allow you to play your first song, “Live to Love Another Day.” One the second day you’ll learn a third chord which opens up the ability to play numerous songs, such as “Sweet Home Alabama.” Additional chords and songs are added over time.

Below are some of the statements and claims made in the 30-minute infomercial which heavily aired throughout 2015:

• Hand-crafted guitar designed by Keith.
• You’ll learn 30 songs in 30 days, which are included on 30 DVD’s. 15 songs are by Keith Urban, and 15 other classic songs are also included.
• One testimonial states, “I was convinced it was a $1000 high end guitar.”
• The guitar is handmade, and takes 3 months to produce.
• Strings are lower to fret board than standard guitars, the neck is narrower, and a special coating is included on the strings.
• Available colors are Rich Black, Brazilian Burst, and Military Green (added in late 2015)
• The entire set is a value of over $1300
• “All wood” guitar including spruce tops and mahogany arched backs.
• Interior tone bar and scalloped x-bracing.
• Almost 250,000 player guitar packages sold

Cost

The set costs $299.95, or 6 payments of $49.99. Shipping is $19.95 for standard shipping, which takes 4-6 weeks. Rush delivery (7-10 days) is $39.90, while “extreme rush” shipping (3-5 days) will cost you $49.90.

In early 2016, an upgrade to free rush shipping was offered, along with a free capo.

You can only purchase the set via the official website, although additional Urban models are also available at HSN.

The official product website is playerbykeithurban.com, which was registered in April 2014. Earlier Keith Urban guitar models were sold on HSN.com, which also operates the current official website.

Other models

The guitar featured in the 2015 infomercial is not the first Urban guitar pitched by HSN. It appears that Urban has released several guitars via HSN over the past few years, including electric models.

Reviews

You can find a host of reviews for various HSN Keith Urban guitars which have been posted on YouTube since late 2013. Reviews for the guitars are not generally as positive as Urban’s lesson DVDs which are included in the set.

One reviewer of an earlier guitar model noted that he kept his expectations down and was pleased with the guitar, but “It’s not gonna put Martin (a high-end guitar manufacturer) out of business.”

Many customers who have purchased the HSN Keith Urban guitars have stated that the instrument required being “set up” in order to perform optimally. Setting up a guitar is the process in which a technician makes certain adjustments to optimize the instrument. Such adjustments include intonation, action, neck adjustment, pickup height, etc. Replacements or upgrades of some components may also be made during this process. The cost to set up a guitar varies, but can run anywhere from $25 to $100 (or more), depending on the technician and the work required to be done. Some DIY types like to set up guitars themselves, but caution should be used if you are not familiar with how to properly set up a guitar.

The review below features the Keith Urban Brazilian Burst guitar. The reviewer notes that it is made from a very light, thin wood and includes plastic components. He states that he replaced the saddle and nut, put on new strings, and the sound of the instrument improved greatly.

It would appear that those customers most pleased with the guitar are those who made initial minor adjustments to the instrument. While there is a small percentage of commenters who have stated that they were happy with the guitar (and most of those required additional set up), the consensus appears to be that the guitar is not as well made as a Yahama that can be found at a comparable price.

If you take the additional steps to have a guitar tech give your Keith Urban guitar a look, you will find it to be a decent entry-level guitar. The DVD lessons are well-suited to beginners and should help many new players get over the hump and learn to play a few basic songs.

An obvious benefit to the lessons, especially to fans of Keith, is that you’ll be learning directly from Urban how to play his own songs.

Alternatives

Several established manufacturers such as Yamaha and Ibanez produce respectable starter guitars in this price range. Purchasing a guitar locally by a known brand will allow you the convenience of comparing multiple models to suit your individual tastes. As far as the lessons go, there are, of course, untold numbers of free guitar lessons to be found on YouTube, but fans of Keith Urban will likely appreciate his unique personality in the 30 DVD lessons.

Some consumers have expressed interest in the DVDs independent of the guitar itself. It does not appear that these are sold separately, although we did spot a few for sale on eBay and Craigslist.

A much less expensive alternative to the DVD set is the 2013 book by Keith Urban Keith Urban – Strum & Sing Easy Guitar which details how to play 26 classic Urban songs. That publication can be found for under $10.

Bottom Line

The Keith Urban Player Guitar package has been met with somewhat negative reviews for the guitar itself, although many have stated that the instrument can be salvaged with an inexpensive setup and new strings. The DVD lessons by Urban himself, however, have been met with mostly positive feedback.

Fans of Urban, or those who may not mind having the guitar properly adjusted, may find the package to be an acceptable purchase. Those who are looking for a good starter guitar may want to shop around at a local music store before investing in this product.

Be sure to read dozens of additional reader comments on our Lockerdome page.

Updated January 9, 2016
Originally published February 2015