Fender Acoustics?

[fpuhan]

I've been seeing and hearing more about Fender's line of acoustics. Apparently the belief is that Fender has taken to improving the build quality and playability of these instruments, and some people are paying attention.

Coincidentally, I noticed that the Stupid Deal of the Day on Musician's Friend is a Fender CD-60SCE All-Mahogany Limited Edition Acoustic-Electric Guitar in satin natural going for a stupid-low $249.99. All mahogany? Cutaway? Fishman electronics? 43 mm nut? Rosewood fingerboard?

Other than it's made in China, this would be a hard deal for some to pass over. Alas, it's now late, so it goes back up $100 in a couple of hours.

[KESTLY]

Generally speaking, Fender acoustic guitars are wretched! There is no polite way to say it. They own the electric guitar world, but their acoustics are not good.

[Wellington]

It continually blows me away how I have yet to play a nice sounding fender acoustic, how is this even possible to be possibly the king of electrics and the peasant of acoustics?

[phcorrigan]

An inexpensive Fender acoustic (about $120) got me playing again in about 2015. It wasn't a great guitar, but it was playable and sounded "good enough."

I bought it when I was across the country from my home. After about three years, when I was restringing it, the bridge pulled up from the top. The quotes for repairing it were about $150. At the time I had few tools with me, so I got some machine screws, nuts, and washers, drilled a couple of holes through the bridge and top and bolted it down. Again, not a great guitar, but playable. I ended up giving it away, since it really wasn't worth shipping home.

[Street Glider]

You folks have obviously never played one of their Spring Hill models. Those guitars were exceptional...

[lapetrarca]

I have a Fender CC-60S Concert size.

While it can't compete with my Gibson or even my Washburn in terms of tone, it plays easily and sounds pretty decent so, it sits out on a stand so I don't have to leave any of my better guitars out for fear of being damaged.

For $199, it's perfect for the job!

[Osage]

With a few rare exceptions like the Spring Hill models, Fender acoustic guitars are entry level instruments. They often play nice. They almost always sound mediocre. You could certainly do a lot worse for a first guitar or inexpensive beater but that's really what they are.

[musicman1951]

I have yet to play one that was worth the price - at any price - but I have not played one in a few years and can't speak to an potential recent improvements.

If you want a cheap guitar get a Yamaha.

[Purfle Haze]

Originally Posted by KESTLY

Generally speaking, Fender acoustic guitars are wretched! There is no polite way to say it. They own the electric guitar world, but their acoustics are not good.

I haven't played one. I wonder if Fender makes them for the brand-loyal fans of Fender electrics, who don't know much about acoustic guitars but would like to add an inexpensive acoustic to the herd. Maybe that's a large-enough market segment to make producing acoustics profitable.

[MikeBmusic]

Originally Posted by fpuhan

I've been seeing and hearing more about Fender's line of acoustics. Apparently the belief is that Fender has taken to improving the build quality and playability of these instruments, and some people are paying attention.

Coincidentally, I noticed that the Stupid Deal of the Day on Musician's Friend is a Fender CD-60SCE All-Mahogany Limited Edition Acoustic-Electric Guitar in satin natural going for a stupid-low $249.99. All mahogany? Cutaway? Fishman electronics? 43 mm nut? Rosewood fingerboard?

Other than it's made in China, this would be a hard deal for some to pass over. Alas, it's now late, so it goes back up $100 in a couple of hours.

Just so you realize, the back and sides on this are laminated hog, not solid.
Fender acoustics have always been maligned here on the AGF.
I have an older CD140SCE, solid spruce top, laminated sides/back. Got it used for $100 less than new ones were going for ($300) back around 2011. This past Wednesday night at my open mic, I was remarking to someone that the sound that one guy had from his $2000 Fender Acoustisonic was the same as I get from my CD140 when plugged in (not that I ever use it any more).

[Nicky Parrish]

I have two Fender acoustics.
A FJ 70 Jumbo that I bought new in ‘78 (internet says 80-81, I still have my receipt) was my go to for 30 or so years. Still have and play it regularly.
I also have a Fender PM-1 Dreadnought NE, All-Mahogany. I think sounds pretty good for a $600 guitar. Does it compare to a Martin D15M, probably not.

Also have a ‘74 Blonde Telecaster and a ‘79 Black Stratocaster.
But I’m not necessarily a Fender guy, my main acoustic is a 000-15SM.

[jjbigfly]

Has anyone tried the newer $800 instruments?
I really WANT a fender acoustic….but my standards require that it sound nice….

[stormin1155]

I wouldn't say all Fender acoustics sound bad, but I can't remember a time trying out guitars where a Fender acoustic was the best sounding guitar at a particular price point.

[Shishigashira]

Starting out a couple of years ago, I bought a Fender CP-60s, a small nice looking parlor with a solid top and a great sunburst. The solid-top affordable Fenders (CD60s, CC60s and CP60s) seemed to be on every top 5 or top 10 list of guitars for beginners. But I have no idea how the guitar got on that list. It came with awful plastic nut and saddle, a dried out fretboard, rusty frets, awful plastic pickguard and bridge pins, etc. And I ordered it directly from Fender.

BUT it was about $175 with no tax and free shipping. So not much lost, and its become the guitar where I hone my meager luthier skills. I oiled the fretboard, yanked the pickguard off, replaced the nut and saddle for bone, replaced the pins for ebony (which made a difference!), and polished the frets. It was fun to try to make it as good as possible. Now the guitar looks really nice and the tone is ... still not very good.

Honestly around that price, I'd go Yamaha every time.

JP Cormier has a review up for the all solid Fender Newporter and he seems to like it a lot. But after my experience with Fender acoustics, no thanks.

[Chickee]

I’m not going to gush about how wonderful, perfect or unique Fender’s acoustic guitars are, because honestly, they are not. But what they are they excel at. They are, at their lowest price point, budget instruments, relatively easy to play and sound acceptable to people that aren’t guitar snobs.

When you get out of the least expensive offerings and migrate to the price point where hundreds of models reside, their guitars are no better or worse than the competition. They are average instruments, very much playable and usable to the majority of the guitar playing population, especially beginners. They aren’t made for people that dissect every grain line in their guitar’s sound board, or measure the binding is the same width all over the back of the guitar, or stick cameras into sound holes to look at glue drips.

Stop picking this scab. If you don’t like Fender acoustic guitars that’s OK, but don’t poo poo every single one of them for the rest of the population. They do in fact make some terrific acoustics. They make acoustics with thin and fast necks the young and small handed kids can actually play. You know, the guitar you would have killed for when you first started, instead of the baseball bat with strings an inch off the deck. Sorry for the rant, but I truly believe this about Fender Acoustics.

This is my terrific OM acoustic. Better than my Taylor that cost four times as much. I have been beating the heck out of this guitar for nearly six years now, and still can’t get enough. My little China doll.