As the world's leading guitar manufacturer, Fender offers an array of both electric and acoustic guitars. For those looking for an acoustic guitar to add to their collection, it's possible to find a quality Fender acoustic at just about every price point.
And thanks to the company's unique and innovative design choices, you can find anything from a classic dreadnought to the one-of-a-kind Acoustasonic guitars. In this article, we'll offer our top seven picks for best Fender acoustic guitar and give you some advice to help you choose the right guitar for you.
Best Playability
Redondo Classic
Most Versatile
American Acoustasonic Telecaster
Best All Acoustic
Paramount PM-3
Our Top 7 Picks For Best Fender Acoustic Guitar
Fender Malibu Player -- Best Affordable Option
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Brief Review & Star Rating
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This distinctive, small-bodied guitar is one of the members of Fender's California Series. It's a fairly affordably priced acoustic, and it comes with a solid Sitka spruce top and laminated mahogany back and sides. The mahogany neck warms up your sound, and it's a slim C profile just like most Fender electric guitars.
The Malibu's Strat-style headstock is painted to match the body. From both an aesthetic and playability standpoint, this is a great performance guitar--it comes with a Fishman designed pickup system and onboard preamp for great live acoustic tone.
This guitar's shape is unique to it, but it looks and sounds a lot like a scaled-down dreadnought. The dreadnought is one of the most versatile guitar shapes, but it can be bulky and harder to handle, especially for small players. The Malibu can give you dreadnought sound in a smaller package.
Our Star Rating
Because of its great features and relatively accessible price point, we think this is the best affordable guitar on the list. We give it four out of five stars.
Fender FA-345CE Spalted Maple--Best Exotic Wood Guitar
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Lots of players want a guitar with an aesthetic that stands out. This unique auditorium-style acoustic guitar is made with spalted maple, an exotic-looking wood that gives you clear, crisp sound and impressive projection.
The narrower acoustic build may not have as much sustain as dreadnought guitars, but that can help eliminate feedback issues that are more common with dreadnought or jumbo bodies. Its back and sides are made of another unique tonewood called lacewood, which has a distinct and beautiful grain.
The nato neck is lightweight and durable, and distinctive inlays add some extra visual interest. Even though this Fender guitar is made of all laminated woods, its quality Fishman pickup system with 2-band EQ means you get great amplified acoustic sound.
Our Star Rating
Thanks to its beautiful spalted maple and lacewood construction, we think this is the best exotic wood guitar on the list. We give it three and half out of five stars.
Fender American Acoustasonic Telecaster -- Best Versatility
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Fender's Acoustasonic series of guitars is truly one of a kind. The Acoustasonic Telecaster is a true hybrid acoustic/electric guitar. This guitar comes equipped with two pickup systems--you get a traditional Tele bridge pickup for when you want the signature bluesy Telecaster sound.
The guitar is also equipped with the renowned Fishman Matrix acoustic undersaddle pickup for sparkling acoustic tone. A five-way switching system with A/B mod control means that this is a guitar with 10 different voicings. If you want to be able to switch between acoustic and electric tone even in the middle of a song, this is a guitar worth checking out.
Our Star Rating
Because this guitar is essentially an acoustic guitar and a Fender electric guitar in one, we think it has the best versatility on the list. We give it five out of five stars.
Fender Tim Armstrong Hellcat -- Best Signature Guitar
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Some artist signature models are very expensive, but the Fender Tim Armstrong Hellcat acoustic is a surprisingly affordable choice. This concert-body, satin-finished Fender acoustic guitar is also a departure from the spruce tops we so often see.
It has a beautiful solid mahogany top for warm, midrange-heavy tone with plenty of sustain, and the laminated back and sides help keep it both beautiful and affordable. The C shaped neck is fast and very playable, and the onboard Fishman pickup system with a built-in tuner mean this is a stage-ready guitar.
Our Star Rating
This is a well-made guitar in its own right, and it still manages to be affordable. We think that makes it the best Fender artist signature guitar on the list, and we give it four out of five stars.
Fender Redondo Classic -- Best Playability
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Brief Review & Star Rating
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This nice-looking guitar is another installment in Fender's California Series of unique guitars. It's a dreadnought with a cutaway, so you can enjoy the combination of full, overtone-rich acoustic sound and easy playability. The Redondo Classic has a solid Sitka spruce top and solid mahogany back and sides for balanced tone that suits any genre.
And like other guitars in the California series, it has a slim-profile neck and a headstock that's painted to match the body. This guitar comes in either Cosmic Turquoise or Hot Rod Red Metallic. It comes equipped with custom-voiced Fishman electronics for natural live acoustic sound.
Our Star Rating
Thanks to its electric-style neck and cutaway, we think that this guitar has the best playability of any of the Fender guitars on the list. We give it five out of five stars.
Fender Paramount PM-3 -- Best All-Acoustic
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Fender's Paramount Series guitars combine incredible craftsmanship with great value. The PM-3 is one of the most affordable guitars on the list, and it's also one of the only ones made of all solid mahogany.
This guitar has a triple-zero (auditorium) body with a cutaway, making it easy to hold and play. The top is a distinctively beautiful open-pore mahogany, and the contrasting checkered purfling gives it vintage appeal. This guitar also comes with a Fender hardshell case and humidifier to keep it in peak condition.
Our Star Rating
This is an affordable all-solid guitar, and we think that makes it the best true acoustic guitar on the list. We give it five out of five stars.
Fender FA-235E -- Best Unusual Finish
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Fender is a manufacturer that isn't afraid to go outside of the bounds of traditional finishes on acoustic instruments. This beautiful concert-body acoustic guitar has a flamed maple sunburst finish that's reminiscent of moonlight, and the headstock is finished to match.
While it's made of all laminated woods (the back and sides are made of laminated mahogany), this is a good affordable acoustic-electric guitar. It comes equipped with Fishman electronics and a built-in tuner.
Our Star Rating
This guitar's stunning looks mean that it has the best unusual finish on the list. We give it three out of five stars.
Buying Guide: What Should You Think About Before Buying a Fender Acoustic Guitar?
Fender's vast selection of available acoustic guitars can be overwhelming, especially if you aren't quite sure what you want in an acoustic guitar. In this section, we'll go over some of the things to consider before buying your next acoustic.
Which Body Style Do You Need?
Any acoustic guitar buying guide will tell you to pay attention to body styles. Fender's collection of acoustic guitars goes beyond your average dreadnought and concert-style instruments--you may find yourself drawn to the unique aesthetics of the California Series guitars. The Fender Acoustasonic series--while it's somewhat controversial--is arguably a true acoustic/electric hybrid that gives you two guitars in one, making it more versatile than most acoustic body styles.
Because Fender acoustic guitars often transcend traditional acoustic body shapes, it's a good idea to listen to sound demos of any guitar you're considering purchasing. Ideally, try to find sound demos played by a few different people--this will give you a better sense of the guitar's sound. You can easily find a dreadnought or auditorium-style Fender guitar, but if you want to try playing something different, this brand will let you do that too.
Playability Features--What's Important?
Many guitarists love the full, nuanced sound of a classic dreadnought acoustic. However, bigger dreadnought guitars are sometimes a bit more difficult to play, especially for smaller players. Many newer acoustic guitars from Fender have playability features that make the playing experience easier and more comfortable.
Here are some of the features you may want to look for as you compare acoustic guitars:
Solid vs Laminate Guitars
While acoustic guitars made of all-solid wood sound much better than guitars made of laminate, many all-solid acoustic guitars are prohibitively expensive for many. If you can't afford an all-solid guitar, keep in mind that a solid top is most important when it comes to tonal quality. Laminate back and sides probably won't sound quite as natural as solid back and sides, but there's a world of difference, sonically speaking, between a solid-top and laminate-top acoustic.
In Conclusion
Fender's acoustic guitars are known for being both high-quality and affordable. We think you can't really go wrong with any guitar on the list, but our top choice is the Redondo Player. This guitar is affordable, but it's made with all solid wood and comes with quality electronics. It also has an easy-playing, slim neck and an eye-catching finish.
That said, if you have a little more to spend and want the best tonal versatility, we think the Acoustasonic Telecaster guitar is a great choice, especially if you need a guitar for live performance. And lastly, if you don't need a guitar with electronics, the beautiful and vintage-inspired all-solid Paramount PM-3 is one of the most incredible values on the list.
Make sure you listen to demos, think about the features you need, and weigh the pros and cons of each acoustic you consider, and you'll be well on your way to finding the best one for you.
The feder newporter.is I little smaller than the redondo.Easier to play.