Fender Acoustasonic Player Telecaster

W
hen it launched at
NAMM in 2019,
Fender’s
Acoustasonic
Telecaster was a real
talking point for looks and sounds.
But after we played one we had
something else to say; when were
going to see a more aff ordable
Mexican-made version? And of
course Fender plans this kind of
thing waaay in advance because
here it is. So what’s changed and
what are the compromises here
compared to the California version
that launched for £700 more?
First, a quick rewind because
there’s now a US Acoustasonic
Strat and Jazzmaster too; Fender is
committed to this concept and we
can understand why. You can view
these guitars as electrics for
acoustic players or vice versa;
our experiences so far veer on the
side of an electro-acoustic with
magnetic fl exibility. But the
Acoustasonic Jazzmaster’s
Shawbucker pickup blurred the
line the most. All share the same
core design; a ‘tuned’ sound hole
that is integral to the acoustic and
plugged-in response, a traditional
bolt-on electric neck with
Fender’s Modern Deep C-shape
neck profi le strung with bronze
acoustic strings, and the crucial
‘Acoustic Engine’ alongside
a magnetic pickup.
For the Strats and Teles, this
is a noiseless N4 for the electric
tones. The digital and analogue
‘Acoustic Engine’ is a collaboration
between Fender and Fishman;
active preamp circuitry (the board
has over 380 components on it)
with pickup/s. Here it’s an
under-saddle piezo. For the US
Tele, there’s also the addition of
a Fishman Acoustasonic Enhancer
under the guitar’s top. That model
had fi ve modes and fi ve-way
selector with a Blend Knob for
blending. Here there’s three with
six voices in total vs the USA
model’s 10. Less is more or less
is... less? We’ll get to that.
This is the fi rst black fi nish
Sitka spruce top Acoustasonic
we’ve reviewed in TG and it’s our
favourite yet. While the idea of
a Tele with a sound hole (or
Stringed Instrument Resonance
System as Fender calls it) will
always turn heads, the fi nish here
gives it a cool, even understated
look that looks just right on the
Tele curves, complemented by the
darker grain highlights in the
mahogany on our guitar.
In terms of feel and build we
honestly can’t fi nd a compromise
between this Ensenada-made
Player and the US Acoustasonics
we’ve tried. A lovely dark
rosewood fi ngerboard and bridge
replaces ebony but that’s not
an issue for us. The feel of the
bevelled arm rest and fi ngerboard
edges says quality and comfort;
this is an inviting guitar and that
Modern Deep-C neck will feel
familiar to anyone who has played
the electric Player series models.
As you can imagine from
a hollow Tele; it’s neck-heavy.
It’s also a very persuasive guitar
without even being plugged in.
Despite the 44.5mm body
thickness, the SIRS system does
a superb job at conveying a lively,
boxy tone that you’ll be happy to
play around the house. It’ll be
a revelation for some players
because even with the increased
tension of the .011-.052 gauge
Fender Dua-Tone coated phosphor
bronze strings, this has a fast
electric guitar neck with the
FENDER ACOUSTASONIC
PLAYER TELECASTER
Has Fender hit the sweet spot on price
as well as tone with its hybrid guitar?
£1049
BODY: Mahogany with
Solid Sitka spruce top
NECK: Mahogany,
Deep C-shape
SCALE: 25.5”
FINGERBOARD:
Rosewood
FRETS: 22 Narrow Tall
PICKUPS: Under-saddle
piezo, Fender N4
Noiseless single-coil
magnetic
CONTROLS: Master
Volume, Blend Knob,
3-Way Switch
HARDWARE: Graph Tech
TUSQ, Fender Standard
Cast/Sealed Staggered
tuners
AT A GLANCE
1
POWER
While the US
Acoustasonic used a USB
rechargeable power source
for its active electronics,
the Player needs a 9V
battery offering up to
20 hours power. A bit old
school but rechargeable
third party options
are available.
2
EXTRAS
We were critical of the
underwhelming quality of
Fender’s gig bag with the
recent Player Plus electric
models, not so here with
Fender’s superb FE1225
with 1200 denier polyster
and 25mm padding.
It retails for £99.99
on Fender.com.
3
TUNED SOUND
HOLE
The patented SIRS
design here is much
more important that it
might seem – as well as
maximising the acoustic
response and output from
the guitar’s small body
cavity, Fender says it
informs 55% of the
sound you hear from
the electro output.
Photography Olly Curtis
REVIEW
87
FEBRUARY 2022 TOTAL GUITAR
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