As a touring session musician who predominantly works with pop acts, the Players Tele Acoustasonic has been a godsend piece of gear for me that solves a wide range of gripes I was experiencing with a more traditional acoustic. It 100% designed as a touring instrument imo, and those using it for applications in the studio are not really experiencing its true purpose. 1) the Fishman modelling system is an absolute god send and time saver when building patches. I have toured with my Taylor 414R or Maton EGB808 for 5 years prior, and the amount of Helix blocks and IR experimentation I had to do to pull a “natural” sounding non-piezo sound was ridiculous. With the Acoustasonic, I literally plugged it in using the modelling setting, preamp block, eq block, compression, reverb and have an infinitely more usable sound in a mix. The first tech rehearsal I did with it, our sound guy (who is an industry legend) said it was the best “plugged in” acoustic sound he’d ever heard in a mix. 2) flying: I can put it in a guitar vault with my electrics and saves space for another guitar. 3) no feedback on stage 4) don’t have to take my far more fragile acoustics that cost 4x the price on the road 5) bonus Tele bridge pickup, which also sits great in a mix, so it’s another option if I ever have any really quick guitar changeovers in a set. It allows me to stay on the same instrument The last one is a bit more of a unique point to me, but many of the artists I work with (and a lot of modern pop artists generally) use pretty “lofi” and crunchy sounding acoustics in their recordings. The acoustasonic nails this stuff too, especially in the dirty piezo middle position. Anyway, just thought I’d add my two cents, as I’ve noticed a lot of people focus on this as a studio instrument, when it is very clearly meant to excel in live applications as a versatile touring instrument that sits well in mixes. I think Fender’s rnd knocked it out of the park. Aesthetically, it’s an ugly motherfucker but it’s an amazing tool. I always say that this is the only guitar I’ve bought because I “needed” it, not “wanted” it
I also think a more fair test would be to compare the Acoustasonic’s fishman acoustic engine modelling against a regular piezo in an acoustic. I have done this comparison on multiple acoustics and it’s night and day, the Acoustasonic always sounds better in a live mix as it’s imitating a mic’d acoustic sound. I think the video could have spent a little more time considering it as a live touring instrument.
That is definitely a good reason to use the acoustasonic. You can also however take something like a graphtech ghost system and install it on a tele that looks, plays and sounds to your liking. Or maybe try out something like a Music Man JP6/JP15/MAJESTY but these defenitely don't fit the pop aesthetic :D
Yeah, this is finally the piece of gear that does for the guitarist what a Clavia ddrums did in the 80's for drummers, and the Stage piano's did for keyboardists in the 90's. You now have all the tones out of a cable, at the flick of a switch. No more mic setups. No more dragging around multiple keyboards or hoping the place you are going to have a decent piano. Combine with a modelling amp, and you can get whatever sound you need for a full evening of cheesy covers.
I find mine great for writing demos or even finished tracks. It's time consuming to set up condensers properly in a small domestic space and the room is never ideal. This does for acoustic guitar what DI-ing an electric or bass does.
My uncle is a gigging musician in KC. This is his favorite guitar to gig because it allows him to bring one guitar to get acoustic and electric tones. I hate the look, but tonally, it’s convincing of decent electric and acoustic tones especially in a live setting.
Exactly, that’s the use for this guitar. An electric with a Boss AC3 weights, cables and the rest of all logistic all solved with this guitar. It’s a troubadour guitar.
he managed to keep a straight face while reading "the naturally resonant telecaster body offers rich acoustic tones when unplugged" when taken out of context it's even more ridiculous sounding lol
I loved seeing that. I'm new to guitar, but in the world of production it's so common and frustrating when people make videos about products and all their complaints are 100% user error.
I gig with mine, I’m a solo, and I use a looper, and this allows me to get way more dynamic sound. I can loop up some acoustics and play some electric tones over it. It also handles pedals very well.
This is exactly what I was thinking it would be great for - solo guy/girl with looper, acoustic and electric tones on demand. It doesn't appeal to me personally, but it has it's niche.
I've been having fun looping drum beats with the mic pickup turned up. I can get a decent kick sound from the bridge and snare from the body. I run it right into a bass amp or PA.
It just doesn't handle Distortion/Fuzz pedals well at all. Because of the nature of these guitars, being Acoustic unplugged, they're prone to mass amounts of feedback. If you are going to use pedals, avoid all drives, distortions and fuzzes
Yeah. I often play my. American Acoustasonic Strat through a Line 6 PodGo. Gotta go easy on the distortion and gainy stuff…or stay away from my monitor 🤣
@@martinthompson2425 the strat ones are cool, though I prefer the Tele. It's just the Acoustic nature of them. You also need an amp that does Acoustics, Electrics and everything in between. The Boss Katana springs to mind. Also I don't really get the PodGo. I briefly owned a POD HD500 and that thing wasn't great. I'd personally say HX Effects or the Firehawk would work perfectly
Everyone missed the big one. The thin body that still has a resonance chamber is fantastic for songwriters. Would be super comfy to just chill with and sketch of song ideas in. Also the tones would be perfectly serviceable for a demo recording.
@@nicksalvatore5717 not really less convenient. I have a small washburn steel string acoustic. People think it’s a childs instrument until they hear the sound. I’ve carried it everywhere from the southernmost islands of Indonesia to the arctic outback. I would have never brought something like that tele-thing - bigger, heavier and just generally less useful, especially for emergent social settings
If you want a guitar that feels like an electric and has upper fret access, but sounds decent unplugged and doesn't have the weight of a solid body then didn't the old stratacoustic line do all that but cheaper?
I was in an emo/alternative rock band and I had an American Acoustasonic Tele. It was pretty awesome to do the acoustic rhythms and arpeggios and switch to distorted choruses LIVE. It’s a very great BALLAD and writing guitar!
I found one of these on reverb for $499. It was supposed to be mint, but it arrived new in the factory box. This music store must have been dumping them because the listing remained after my purchase. I gave it to a singer songwriter friend who plays at local clubs. His initial reaction was a polite smile and a dismissive " he watched something on youtube" comment to his sound engineer. He strummed it a few times and handed back to me as if to say I wasted my money. I smiled and said "No good?. No problem". The next day he picked it up and started checking the variations. Then he got serious and hooked it up to his gig equipment. The next day he was changing parts of his acoustic set to transition from clean to dirty which made the guitar sound flow with the vocal intonations. It was great. Very creative. The next day he traded me his acoustic guitar for the acoustasonic. Now, it's his gig guitar.
I bought one from the same seller. It's now my "office axe" because it's so quiet. I can noodle around on it and not bug the other occupants of the building - much - and when they leave for lunch I have a Yamaha THR10II to plug into now and then.
I think it has a niche within live Praise and Worship where it can be flexible for the player and the audience can barely tell the difference between acoustic and clean electric. As guitarists, we think other people can hear the difference when in fact many of them can barely tell if you hit the wrong note.
One of the guitar players in the P&W band I was in for 10 years had the original acoustasonic and you’re exactly right, it had a good enough acoustic and electric tone to be useful live in a church where people don’t really care how “good” the electric and acoustic sounds are. Through a Boss multi effects pedal, the guitarist could get any sound he wanted, including some good-enough distorted electric tones for the more rocked up CCM songs.
This kind of guitar does appeal to that kind of musician as well. I'm bringing all my stuff to church myself, so bringing 2 guitars means on my own back - much prefer to bring 1 guitar. And I might be playing acoustic for all but 1 song that needs electric. I didn't get an acoustasonic because ultimately I think there are much better "hybrid" guitars out there than the Acoustasonic. I have a Godin that has both great acoustic and electric tones. The Taylor T5 is another example, or Emerald Guitars has a few. This product category makes sense to me, but Fender's is not the best implementation in my opinion.
I think most of the audience don’t know the difference between bass guitars and guitars. They just see them as guitar guitars on stage. They don’t care as long as the band sounds like they should. This guitar could definitely have a place in P&W, but we have to get past how it looks. We hear with our eyes.
We went to a local downtown bar for drinks and food. There was a 1-man band playing in the corner, with one of these. He was doing a decent job playing all different kinds of music. I could see him not wanting to lug around 2 different guitars, along with all the other equipment. Maybe I'm crazy, but that lick you played, sounded pretty dam good.
While I agree, I also think someone would be just as well served getting their hands on a Godin with piezo saddles (maybe even synth access, if they're brave), or some other electric set up similarly.
as a busking, traveling and worship guitarist, this guitar is such a versatile weapon in my arsenal. Yes, its not going to sound like a traditional acoustic or an electric, but i dont think of the guitar trying to replicate other guitars but rather as a hybrid instrument on its own. Having the ablility to switch tones with the flick of a switch, without changing the feel of the instrument is what makes it shine in my eyes. If you don't look at it as what it doesnt do, but rather look at what it does, it opens up so many opportunities to develop and expand upon songs, especially with build ups in worship. I respect this video, and yes, i do agree that this isn't the guitar for you. But, for someone who can't necessarily afford to have tons of stunning guitars and doesn't have the room, the acoustasonic has become my favourite guitar. (Plus, they're super light and insanely comfortable)
@@RansomedSin yes usually a Roland Cube, I use one when I busk if the cops don't care. But why tf in my right mind would I then spend 1k on a new guitar to play through a Cube when I could sound probably better with an Ibanez GIO from offerup for 80 USD.
It's just not a product for you. Nothing wrong with not liking, or getting it. You gave it an honest shot, and let us know your thoughts. It's nice to know that people can form their own opinions on things.
It's telling that his status makes him a bit blind to the usual plight of the gigging/open-mic player who doesn't have an array of instruments and probably a tech whenever they play a show or has mics ready to go to record acoustic. This thing is great for open mics or for laying down acoustic tracks on demos without having to rig up something to record them especially in a home studio with limited space that uses modelers and DI instruments. I have a great sounding acoustic that isn't plug in and when I'm recording on the fly and want to add a passable acoustic track this thing is golden for that reason not to mention its become my go to open mic guitar due to being comfortable as a primarily electric player and being able to play acoustic and electric songs in one set with no swapping.
It’s a product designed for a problem that no one had or wanted solving. It’s hilarious how much they’ve dropped the prices to try and clear them out now.
@@Jonathan_Doe_ I dunno as someone who plays open mics often and likes to play various types of songs on both acoustic and electric it's nice to have one guitar that does it all effectively. Through a PA the difference between the acoustic sounds on this and a piezo plug in acoustic is negligible. I've got plenty of other great guitars but this thing is perfect for what I needed in a comfortable profile that's light and easy to play for a primarily electric player that plays a lot of acoustic covers as well. I feel like the people that don't like it don't play gigs and think "why don't you just play an actual acoustic" without considering how useful a guitar like this is on stage and for adding quick acoustic tracks to recordings without having to mic anything. Running it through a good acoustic amp modeler adds a lot of body to the sound as well. My Martin GC MMV is an absolute workhorse but I don't always have the time or space to mic it appropriately and this thing is a great stand in for things like that as well. They didn't solve a made up problem it's just a tool that people might not understand if they don't have a need for it. For me it's exactly what I needed.
i think it typifies human nature, it's the sort of guitar as rhett says that is neither one thing or the other, but the people who like it convince themselves it's good for whatever reason they think it's good. i mean clearly if yo want an electric guitar you, er, buy an electric guitar, and more importantly, if you want an acoustic guitar you buy an acoustic - and in BOTH cases you want the best sounding guitar you can afford - it may be a great guitar, but it's not a good acoustic and it's not a good electric, you have to WANT it to be. can anyone (sincerely) name a band who uses one?
@@aphotosyntheticworld agreed, and you're an example (no disrespect at all) of what i was saying in my comment, you have to want it to be good for all your needs. but it is a compromise as both acoustic and electric.
I mostly play 3 hour solo acoustic sets in bars and coffee shops. It’s useful to loop an acoustic progression and then switch to the lead sound and solo over top. I think if you are in a proper band playing in proper music venues such as yourself then you really don’t really have a need for it. It’s also easier to hold and play one of these for several hours than a traditional acoustic. I got the USA Jazzmaster used for around $1000. I think new they are overpriced. Enjoyed the video!
I would do the same thing, 3 hour solo acoustic gigs and I imagine this guitar would be awesome for that. Luckily for Rhett he's not going around gigging for 3 hours, hes editing content during that time. I bet this guitar slaps in the right hands.
Obviously, this guitar is going to appeal to a certain player, you Rhett, not being one of them or myself. I appreciate the effort you have gone into in this video. Thank you! Like what you said about spending $ on two, solid electric plus a good acuistic, second that! "A solution looking for a problem" for sure!
I like this guitar. Even if you don't, you've kind of made me want one. I like the sound of the hybrid electric/acoustic. Playing around with it, you can get some cool stuff.
Wife is a gigging musician and has the American Jazzmaster Acoustasonic and absolutely loves it. She runs it in the middle pickup position with the body sensor all the way up and hasn't brought her Taylor 714 to a gig since. Lighter weight, lighter action, thin, low/no feedback, it's great.
It makes perfect sense to me. At home it's just fun. And if you gigging low volume at a restaurant by yourself or with a singer you can dial up a tone that covers several genres of music without dragging loads of gear with you. One amp, one guitar, great gig.
I think too many people dive straight into a ton of preamp and electronic interference instead of just giving the thing a chance. Listen to it first. Then mess with the signal.
Refreshing to see someone in your position take the approach you took in this review; i.e., "I've been judging the heck out of these things but in all honesty have almost no experience with them, so let me give a real try." Love it!
You got some really beautiful tones out of it. I can see why some people would like it. That was a very honest and fair review. If it wasn’t your cup of tea, I respect that.
@@mazukakai I totally agree, once the effect chain is introduced you can alter any signal to something interesting. A gimmick waiting for a hot rod kid.
well, you have rooms full of guitars and amps, so you can pick whatever you want to make sound. Some of us don't have your resources for equipment so something like this is appealing.
I have two American Acoustasonics…Strat and Tele. I’m an older player in a Classic rock band. I can take one guitar to any gig and have what I need, and, the light weight really helps reduce the arthritic pain from a heavy guitar. We do not use amps…just direct to pa from Fx. I love this guitar…and it works well for my situation.
@@Philip_Taylor I'm not him but I would say the Jazzmaster is the best of the bunch if you want punchy electric tones and resonant acoustic tones. The strat has pretty muted acoustic tones but decent electric tones and the Tele has a good balance of both with less dirt on the electric tones than the other two but not nearly as resonant acoustically as the JM.
He's probably unconsciously comparing it to better plug in acoustics or micd acoustics and not considering the use case where it's worth sacrificing a truly 1:1 acoustic tone recreation in exchange for the versatility and utility of a comfortable to play electric profile guitar that plays decent sounding acoustic tones and electric tones suitable for playing through a PA at small gigs or open mics opening up your choice of songs and being a great one stop shop for live looping.
I play in church most weeks, and it is perfect for that scenario (silent stage, quick dial in of sounds, ease of use when leading...) it has been consistently great and the sound guys also love it! (I have a J200 and rosewood PRS SE acoustic as well...but it just makes life easy and is lovely to play!)
Many people don’t get it until you get it. For me it’s a fantastic couch, campfire, and travel guitar. One big thing is that it’s not so wide like my dreadnoughts and is easier on me ergonomically.
Yeah as someone with constant roatator cuff/shoulder pain episodes, this makes playing less painful. Its also so light and comfortably to play sitting on your couch for sure!
For my 2 cents, I like it. I’ve always hated playing acoustics, too big and bulky and prefer electronics but like the sounds of an acoustics. This is a great compromise. I’ve always wanted an acoustical guitar shaped like a tele or jazz master and then fender went and made one! Also am a fender fan boy, sometimes cool is cool and I like what I like and it does have to be the best to be cool. Sometimes we make things because we can make. Why? Because we can, that’s what fender did here and think yeah why not?
It has an electric body and makes acoustic tones, which is why I like it. I much prefer the electric body over the acoustic. So it gives me the best of both worlds.
I have the Strat version and it has an in body percussion pickup in addition to the other two that I really love. Just a hobbyist here playing it through a Spark Mini at my desk most of the time with reverb and a little delay. I love the thing because it's so much easier to sit down with than my dreadnought acoustic, and it's much quieter to use with headphones (or without) if you don't want to bother other people in the house.
I love my Acoustasonic Tele. Before it came out I found myself wishing I had an acoustic that played as easily as my electrics. Then these came out and there it was, so much easier to play. And I also find it cuts through the mix a lot better in a full band scenario than a regular acoustic. And yes, it doesn’t sound like a regular acoustic or a regular electric-it has different tones and different vibes than you usually hear-and I really dig it for bringing something new to the table.
I tried the jazzmaster version at my local music store and was impressed with the playability, light weight, and the ability to plug right into my reguar amp.
Back when I was doing bar duo gigs I would 100% have played this over my nice Larrivee acoustic. More robust, more variety of tones, takes effects much better, less feedback, etc. And the people in the bar don't care if the "tone" isn't killer.
Exactly. I got mine specifically for an acoustic duo where I had to play a lot of leads all night long. I ran it through a Fishbox Loudbox Artist and the tone was as good as any other acoustic duo playing live with actual acoustics and I could get up to the 20th fret which you can't on most acoustics.
@@BkBk-gy6vr Through that acoustic amp, yes. It makes a huge difference in the tone. Most of the players in my town are either running acoustics through a regular guitar amp, or direct to the PA. Doing that doesn't capture the full sound of the acoustic. I was shocked when my lead singer/guitar player in my last band got one and brought it to a casual acoustic jam. The tone was so much better that the other guitar player and I went out and bought one the next week. I had thought my Twin was good enough for acoustic tones. I was dead wrong.
Brian Swerdfeger, who designed the Acoustasonic, is an old friend. One of the things that I got when I had the chance to play one (and interview Brian about it at the NAMM show where they debuted), is that it really is designed to run through a full-range, quality sound system. That was the original American-made version. Haven't played one of the Player versions, but, once I'd been clued into what the purpose was, it was a pretty satisfying experience when I got to take one home for a few days. Not up to my '64 Guild D-50, but I'd certainly gig with it or use it as a texture track on a recording.
I was thinking about Brian watching this video because this guitar reminds of the Taylor T5 which he had a hand in creating 20 years ago. I had no idea he was involved with this fender model but I'm not surprised
Depends - Probably sounds better than this demo through a Bose S-1. They cost less than that cab, (Around $600) weigh 15 pounds, and are battery powered. You'll have no problem keeping up with a drummer or playing for a couple of hundred people with one or two S-1s @@ThePlanarchist
@@ThePlanarchist I don't think it's about 'needing' a top notch system, it's more that you can just DI into a full-range system and get pretty decent acoustic and electric tones without needing cabs and mics and multiple guitars. Try looking at it as a guitar for a busker or wedding singer, or a songwriter that wants to experiment with different sounds, and it makes some sense.
Rhett!! love your videos and was really excited to see you give this guitar a run. As an owner and fan of this particular guitar I’m a bit sad that you didn’t like it as much as I do but that highlights why there are so many different guitars like there are so many different guitar players. I am always excited to hear your real feedback and honestly I didn’t expect this to be your favorite instrument. In your search of finding “who this guitar is for” I think it’s been said many times in the comments. This is for the “busking” vibe, or gigging musician who needs an acoustic sound every now and then. For me I find that I like playing this over my acoustic guitars live primarily b/c of how it feels to play. I often refer to this guitar as the acoustic guitar for electric players. I also really like to use this acoustasonic live along side another acoustic guitar as it sounds really great in the mix as a different but complimentary sound. If you haven’t returned it yet maybe experiment with some of that just for fun.
The fun part of this is even though you didn't dig the axe, you got great tones out of it. I just closed my eyes and listened to that "all Acoustasonic" track and all the tones were quite useable, IMO. So, it's just another tool in the box for a player to use. Every player has different tool preferences and it's all good at the end of the day. Good vid and I respect your views.
I think it would be interesting as a "flavor" guitar to add layers to a guitar production. I also think it would be neat to record the guitar acoustically and record the guitar through an amp, same performance and blend them.
This is my go-to for solo acoustic gigs. I run acoustic strings , and through a TC Body Rez, and it’s a great tone. For guitarists who stand while gigging, playing this light weight thinline guitar is much more comfortable than a standard acoustic.
My bread and butter is solo acoustic gigs, I play at least 4 per week, the tone and playability of this guitar compared to an intro level Taylor is insane. It really is a gigging weapon.
You have to always remember guitarist hear tone and nuances that 98% of the audience doesn’t at your show. They just think that sounds like a guitar and can’t even hear the difference between a strat and a LP. So really this is a great gigging guitar.
Strongly depends on the artist and the audience. If you go to watch a generic rock band that may be the case. But if you go to see Joe Satriani or Steve Vai it's guaranteed the audience knows more about what's going on.
@@Joe-mz6dc a generic rock band is exactly who this is for. People playing on the weekends with friends. If you're a touring pro, then you can have whatever guitar you want and your tech brings it out to you. If you need a jack of all trades, but master of none then this one fits the bill perfectly at a reasonable price point.
@@Joe-mz6dc I'd also bet that a large portion of that audience are fellow players. But also Vai or Satch could play one of these and still get good tone.
Fully agree, my only problem with it is the price. It’s just not worth almost 2 grand at all. Like Rhett said you could get an amazing $1000 electric and an amazing acoustic for that amount. Having 1 guitar that’s kinda okay at both shouldn’t exceed $800-900 in my opinion ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I have one, and love it. I play through a modeller, with no amp, no effects ... just a stereo room reverb. And in headphones is insanely beautiful. There is no way I could get such a beautiful and realistc acoustic sound in my home set up.
I picked one up for $600 new inbox, as a full-time working multi instrumentalist, I love this guitar. At most gigs, I am bringing a keyboard, my pedal board, and my saxophone, being able to bring one less guitar and get this variety of sounds that sound 80% as good as their single use counterpart… Is a godsend! I love your studio set up, you’re playing is fantastic, and I dug the track too!
I have an american one, and I love the body sensor on it to make percussion loops, it's also a great quiet guitar when you don't want to bother anyone at home. I also have electrics, and great acoustics, so I'm not missing out. It's a lot more comfortable to play than my acoustics(they do sound better, by a long shot, but I can't play them as long as the acoustasonic). They're not replacing anything, so for me it's another tool in the bag.
I find it absolutely insane, that they left out the body percussion pickup in the player series. To me that in combination with what's shown in this video makes the "classic" acoustasonics a great all in one guitar for solo looping.
I used to work at GC and I was saving up for one of these, American made, of course. To make a long story short, I ended up going with a Taylor 323ce and I can’t explain just how happy I still am with my decision 3 years later!
I appreciate how even when you clearly are really not digging the instrument, you go out of your way to look for something nice to say. And that ambient jam at the end was pretty sweet.
I imagine it might be a good choice/tool for stage show pit musicians. Great, honest review. Loved the respect you gave to Fender and the development team. Thank you.
I've been in the pit for musicals a few times and can see this as a possible option. Instead of buying another guitar for this purpose, though, I use an acoustic emulator. It allows me to use my main electric guitar for most of the show, then just step on a button and have an acoustic sound. I can see the Acoustasonic working for some - you'll always be compromising on something in a pit, it's just a matter of what you choose to prioritize
I've had the Acoustasonic Strat for a couple years now. It's a beautifully made guitar, very comfortable to play. My use case is playing at church every Sunday morning. Small church with a small band. My setup is guitar into the pod go and sending that signal direct to PA. Very simple, works well. The default guitar sound is good, doesn't feedback, and I use the pod go for a bit of compression, reverb, and delay. For that use case it's a very convenient, solid, and comfortable setup. I'm thinking about switching the pod go for maybe a HX stomp or some other small pedal so I could fit the whole setup into a gig bag. Overall, I'm happy with my setup and my sound.
I used this as my acoustic option in a touring rock act and the fishman sounds are great - it’s also super comfortable to play and doesn’t feed back. It’s 100% not a studio instrument.
From 11:00 to 12:00 there is hardly ANY difference in the sound between the acoustasonic "electric" tone and the real Telecaster! CLOSE YOUR EYES and really listen. It's barely noticeable! I think you're really doing a GREAT job selling how incredible the guitar actually is! 😆 Of course, you're hearing the actual acoustics in the room and you're feeling the guitar (so as the player, you're noticing a huge difference) but the direct sound is actually very, VERY good! Thank you!
I have never tried one. That said, I really like the approach you took… kept an open mind, bought one to reduce bias, took time to try to understand it (read manual), played it pretty extensively in different ways/modes. Regardless of whether anyone agrees or disagrees, a useful, honest evaluation. 👍 I would still go and play one if I thought I may want one though.
We use two of the USA models in our band Zru Vogue. We play direct into the mixer, we have digital drums, and we use headphones as monitors. They work great for the variety of our songs we play. I’ll even play thru an octave down pedal to get simulated bass, and rhythm at the same time.
"This guitar is a solution looking for a problem" .. Well said .. All I can really see this guitar (at $1000) being really good for is performing live (like the roundback Ovations) maybe really comfortable, and in most live band gigs, the piezo is decent for strumming sounds
I bought one of these and used it in a gig setting just me a looper and a mic kinda busking vibe. It was great for that so i used it as an electro acoustic. It is super light not noisy at all no chance of feedback but great using a good echo and a boss RC-20 loop station a big thumbs up from me its also super comfy to play with a great neck!!!!
The reason that I got mine was because I was playing in an acoustic duo. The acoustasonic gave me playability above the 15th fret for leads while still giving me an acoustic sound for strumming. This is a hybrid multipurpose guitar that will never be as good as single use instruments. However, when you need that flexibility it's good enough to do the show in both areas. I also strongly recommend running it through an amplifier designed and made for acoustic guitars. The tonal improvements are huge in the acoustic tone.
I actually ordered one of these after Christmas and it arrived this morning. The blonde (more yellow) Player Tele has been heavily discounted at various retailers here in the UK since Christmas so with about 30% off the price (below what people are trying to charge for used) I decided to get one. It certainly is an odd looking guitar and I’ve not been that keen on getting one in the past but in the few hours I’ve had it now I have to say it’s a very nicely made guitar. Mine had to be ordered in because the retailer ran out of stock but it’s still nearly two years since it was manufactured so I expect Fender have a lot of stock of these - watch out for discounts! I’m thinking of using it as my couch guitar as I’m kind of afraid anything nicer left on the couch is going to get damaged.
Seems like it would be a great versatile guitar for the coffee shop/bar/open mic performer. Beats dragging around several guitars and looks really cool too. If I didn't already own too many guitars, I'd consider buying one.
Too thin sounding for open mic especially playing by yourself. It has almost zero bottom and sounds like a cheap 3/4 guitar. I have witnessed someone more than once using it open mic.
So I am a solo working musician who primarily used an acoustic prior to owning an Acoustasonic . After buying the American made version and using it for about 3 months at gigs I picked up a used players version (MIM). Yes the players had more options with the blend knob but the American version sounds way better in my opinion. When I use the American version for gigs I play mostly in an acoustic setting but when I step out to play lead I can flip the switch all the way to the right and get a decent tele sound which cuts through my looped mix. The other thing I like about both guitars is how light they are so when I’m playing a 3 hour gig I don’t even feel the weight. The neck and playability is better on the American version even after adjusting both the neck and tilt options. I bought the used players for $600 in excellent condition so I don’t feel so bad about it! I may actually sell it because I prefer the American version. Thanks for your honest review I agree you can’t get a Gibson J45 sound not an American Professional 2 Tele sound out of an Acoustasonic and yes I own both but I prefer to not drag these to gigs.
Hi thanks for this review! I had the player tele and then returned it for the American Strat Acoustasonic. The American one feels just amazing, the finishing on the neck it so nice. I end up playing it for hours as it is so light and easier to play than an acoustic. I really want to get a strandberg now after realizing how much more enjoyable it is to play a light guitar. You can play for hours without discomfort.
Probably not a common thing, but I have a shoulder issue that makes playing even concert sized acoustics hurt after 15-20 minutes, so I got a Player Acoustasonic Tele and it's been great having something close to an acoustic that I can actually play for a while.
The ergonomic design does make me wonder if it is for aging players (like myself). Makes an acoustic smaller and a Telecaster weigh lighter in one package.
@@andy_182 Give a bad player a $5k guitar + $5k amp, and it's still gonna sound like crap. Give an experienced player $100 guitar and $100 amp and it's going to sound decent. Technique is king; gear is secondary.
This guy just shat on this guitar for half of the video and then the other half being like "yeah, I'll just play the most beautiful sounds I can ever imagine with THIS guitar". I respect you being as authentic as you can about it.
I swapped my strings to electric 10-46 and it’s incredible!!! You get all the acoustic sounds, with the ease of playing a slinky electric. I use this guitar as my “beach/party” guitar with my portable Boss Street amp. It’s a game changer as far as versatility goes. Just another opinion and always value yours!!
Thanks for saying this, I bought one recently and have been thinking about trying this. I get his opinion, but at the same time I paid 500 bucks for the exact same guitar… so definitely get the value out of it
I got one for about half off on Reverb. I like the tone options they have. I mostly do bedroom recording so I like having a guitar that can do a mix of different tones even if they aren't perfect. Its better than buying a bunch of VST's that end up costing more than the guitar.
I agree with a lot of your takes but a big part of the issue with the current guitar industry is. So many people say they want these big brand companies to do better and think of something new. And then when they try to innovate they get hated on and attacked for not sticking with what works.
Cole Clark Guitars' True Hybrid would likely be more your cup of tea. Lloyd Spiegel's demonstration videos (including Cole Clark's electronics wizard explaining their development of humbucker and single coil pickups) should be viewed first.
From the beginning, I looked at the Acoustasonic series as Fender's stab at a Taylor T5. That guitar is polarizing in its own right. I happen to be one of the weirdos who loves the T5. And when I heard about the Acoustasonic series, I was thrilled with the idea of a Jazzmaster shaped T5 style guitar. I don't think it hits all the marks right, but I also recognize that it is largely a digital gimmick in its infancy. Maybe 5-10 years from now, there will be a revision that nails everything it was going for.
The same guy who designed the T5 designed this for Fender, so that makes sense. He always thought of the T5 as more electric, this is more acoustic. At least the American one is.
Been gigging with the T5 for 10 years. 2 guitar duo act. 3-4 sets. The durability, sound and comfort of the guitar is great. I can see why the Fender model will do the job. Just might get one.
If you were playing live solo gigs with a looper, this guitar allows you to solo electric sounds over your looped acoustic rhythm without bringing two guitars, without setting up two guitars and without needing to take the time to switch to a different guitar during the song. (for most of us the pay is very low, so you want minimum equipment that you can set-up and break-down quickly) Also if it is bar work and you are alone, you want to reduce the amount of equipment that you bring for a ton of reasons. Not the least of which is concern about theft or a rowdy patron accidentally spilling drinks on your equipment. The more equipment that you bring, there more you have to lose. Also at these bar gigs, your job is far more about entertaining your audience as opposed to trying to sound great. I think this guitar is a great fit for that type of gig.
Instead of saying "sound great" I should have said, "sound like a specific instrument", Because that guitar can sound great. That being said, I agree with you that it does not do a great job of sounding exactly like the specific instrument that it is meant to emulate. But in many gigs, that is simply not a priority.
These would be super cool for a live gig and when it’s a primarily solo performer. The different acoustic voices one can get at your disposal are very convenient. Plus, not making a lot of stage volume is really great for a PA scenario. Studio- not really feeling it personally. But I think it’s really just about the use case.
Exactly my thoughts on this guitar! This is a performance tool. I use mine with a live looper to layer my loops with different sounds from acoustic to electric lines. Very quick change overs (if more than 1 guitar) NEED to be done quickly in a looper scenario.
There was a sale on reverb throughout December where these could be had for $500 new. For that price, im very pleased with it! Really comfortable couch guitar, perfect for open mics, and will likely be the main instrument i use with one of my bands. I dont think I'd be happy paying $1000+ for one.
I got one during that sale for $500 also. I love mine. I mainly play electric and love the feel of this over a normal acoustical guitar. It also came with a great gig bag for that $500 new price.
I did the reverb sale too, at $500 it was a bargain. I had to adjust the micro tilt to get the action down a bit, but otherwise seems well built. It is acoustic focused, I did not really like the electric tones much with its acoustic strings.
@@euphoria6938videos don't do justice just how much this thing resonates unplugged. It sounds more like a parlor guitar than it does an unplugged electric.
@@euphoria6938 You can't hear them as well. Maybe an ES330 would provide that volume, but it would not have a Fender neck feel. I do both unplugged tele and the Acoustasonic. It just sounds at the right volume and feel in the unplugged mode.
I owned one for about a year, and liked the convenience of the acoustic/electric right in one place. In the end though, it wasn't quite acoustic enough for the acoustic songs, or "electric" enough for the grittier songs. I landed on a lovely epiphonr ej160e that does both better, in my opinion. Thanks for your thorough, honest review!
My wife got me one of these for Christmas in White! Talk about a great Christmas!!😉 I play in an Alt-Metal Band, but also do solo Acoustic Sets of 80's, 90's Rock Covers. I haven't put it though the paces you have, but so far I love it! Appreciate your honest opinion! Great video!!
Honestly, huge respect for giving something like this a fair shake. Not a lot of musicians will go out of their way to buy a piece of gear they don't like, and genuinely try to make good music with it, before making an opinion about it. That's very cool of you. Kinda makes me want to try the same thing sometime.
As someone that doesn't really like playing giant acoustics but loves the sound of them, this is interesting for the acoustic tones if nothing else. Those "#3 tones" sounded pretty good.
@@gregsey8239 Nice. I also actually quite like that "piezo sound". This does that AND some much better blended/simulated acoustic tones. Seems useful to me.
Still unsure myself. I initially really liked the idea. I didn't buy one, and appreciated this because it's what I wanted to do, but didn't have the means. It sounds good to me. You're getting finicky as you age, and aquire the best of tools. Great playing as always man! Thanks
I would definitely use one live with my band instead of a big acoustic. I would use it with a TC Bodyrez to enhance the acoustic quality, it sounds great with piezo.
I feel like these would be great for performing in extreme weather conditions where traditional acoustics would break down. I’m on the lookout for a great deal on a used one. Until then I’m using a Squier tele when it’s hot and humid, light rain, or cold.
Get a 70's Yamaha acoustic. Yamaha designed their laminated bodies specifically for live performances. I've seen rain, beer, and 🤮 attemp to destroy an FG of a buddy. A thorough wet towel wipe-down, drop the tuning a whole step, and allow to dry overnight, and it was back to normal for a Saturday performance. After that he and I ordered Yamaha's custom shop "Paul Simon" acoustics and 3 SG2000's. I still have both of mine 35 years later. Very collectible, very high-quality instruments. I would bet cash money that nobody who played them back-to-back against the Fender would chose the "Acoustisonic."
If you need a guitar to play in extreme weather conditions I would suggest to go directly for a carbon fiber one. I have got one myself: it is less expensive, more sturdy and absolutely does not suffer the change of humidity and temperature related to the change of weather (it keeps tuning very well). And, obviously, far better water proof than a wooden instrument.
@@BillNelson-OU812 I have got a Lava me 2. There are 2 versions: electrified (with internal effects and kind of mini internal ampli) and not electrified (which costs a bit less). Now they have launched version 3, which I don' t know...anyway it seems that many brands are interested in carbon fiber guitars and I think the price will go down. They are not for every guitarists but for sure they are perfect for travelling musicians or simply as sidebed guitars.
I play in an acoustic duo and use a looper to do solos. My acoustasonic jaguar is great for this..and plus its so much easier on the hands than a traditional acoustic. It's not my favorite guitar but it is perfect for the need.
I dont know.... hearing all these tones out of 1 guitar I'm seriously impressed! Not only from a live situation but also from a writing standpoint. Having acoustic and electric tones in 1 shot being able to try out which fits the song best..... That sounds like a good deal to me.
I’ll be honest, I was surprised that the dreadnought setting sounded as usable as it did to my ears. And I think the LoFi setting B was actually pretty dope. I get basically the same sound out of my Strat bridge pickup as the Tele sound, so I can take or leave that. But overall, I could probably find some use for this weird ass guitar. And like I super appreciate you putting it through its paces instead of writing it off, because while you may not have liked it that much, you gave me the opportunity to learn that I did. Thank you Rhett. 😊
I have one of the player series, its great for live where feedback can be a big issue. It is also very light and comfortable. It exists to solve a problem for people who play acoustic on stage with electrics and drums LIVE. You should try that sometime, I wouldn't use mine for recording.
I really like my pink paisley acoustasonic tele. I never got on with the ergonomics of regular teles, but I love the ebony fretboard and lightweight thin body of the acoustasonic. 🤷🏼♀️
I think Joe from alt-j said that he used it quite a bit on the “the dream” album. I mean they are so experimental and don’t necessarily need THE electric or THE acoustic sound. It’s probably enough for them to just get 80% there. I see how it can give you a lot of versatility when songwriting. But I think I also hear the Accoustasonic on the final album quite often. And boy! That album is a masterpiece 👌 Go have a listen😉
Rhett has done a very good and useful review of the Fender Acoustasonic Hybrid A/E guitar. Around 15 years ago Taylor came out with their T5 series, which was a 'hybrid' A/E that has some similarities to these Acoustasonics. I was doing a solo show that was 75% 12-string based, so I bought a pair of them (because I was doing a lot of alt/open tuning). (I also used a Variax Acoustic 700 for the other 25% of the show, but that's another story.) Anyway, I think Fender is sort of chasing that whole 'techno-gimmick', but decades late and maybe ideas-short. The Taylor T5-12s that I had were a much higher-end sort of design, with a true acoustic top (maple) that could be miked, (though I rarely did) and it DID NOT USE PIEZOS for it's acoustic sound, but rather used a specially designed magnetic body sensor that was OK. I ended up self-installing a set of K&K Western Minis ($100) and running them out of a separate jack, for a really convincing and decent passive acoustic/piezo sound, not that 'simmed' signal that I think the Fender uses. As far as the electric aspect of the T5-12, well they didn't sound like Ric Toasters either, but I didn't expect or need them to. However, with a Janglebox compressor and a couple other pedals I was where I wanted to be. The main thing about those T5 hybrids, for me, was that they played better than any other 12 string on the market at the time (15+ years ago), and that thinline body was perfect for my shoulder/elbow/wrist issues that had made me sell off my prior pair of Taylor Jumbos (also with K&K pickups). Now, both my T5s are long gone, and I'm not playing any more shows. I've brutally culled my stable of guitars in favor of a handful of nice small body acoustics, (mostly Waterloos) and although I miss that big sound around me; the bi-amped stereo12 strings into a nice PA and tube amps, things change as you get older or get into a different playing situation. An important consideration is this: are you looking for an electric that can sometimes sound like an acoustic, or the opposite; an acoustic that can sound electric when needed? (In my case, the acoustic consideration was first.) I've personally never lusted for one of these Fender Acoustasonics, but if one happened to come my way super cheap or in a trade, I might get some fun with it for a minute. I seriously doubt it would last longer than six months in my current stable though... I guess the point of this rant is that what Fender is trying to achieve here, I've seen before, and in my opinion, done better. However, if you have a use for a tool like this type of hybrid A/E guitar, it can cover some bases for you while minimizing the amount of gear you haul. It will never be your "#1 go-to axe", but it might solve some issues for you, at least until you can afford a guitar tech or really good roadie to haul your 'good stuff'...
I‘m actually surprised how good it sounds and the little difference to the custom telecaster. It’s a cool guitar and I would use it for a set half acoustic half electric - that would work pretty fine for me in a live setup.
I have one and I love it... I think that during your review that you actually appeared to be impressed with it but just couldn't bring yourself to say it.
As a touring session musician who predominantly works with pop acts, the Players Tele Acoustasonic has been a godsend piece of gear for me that solves a wide range of gripes I was experiencing with a more traditional acoustic. It 100% designed as a touring instrument imo, and those using it for applications in the studio are not really experiencing its true purpose.
1) the Fishman modelling system is an absolute god send and time saver when building patches. I have toured with my Taylor 414R or Maton EGB808 for 5 years prior, and the amount of Helix blocks and IR experimentation I had to do to pull a “natural” sounding non-piezo sound was ridiculous. With the Acoustasonic, I literally plugged it in using the modelling setting, preamp block, eq block, compression, reverb and have an infinitely more usable sound in a mix. The first tech rehearsal I did with it, our sound guy (who is an industry legend) said it was the best “plugged in” acoustic sound he’d ever heard in a mix.
2) flying: I can put it in a guitar vault with my electrics and saves space for another guitar.
3) no feedback on stage
4) don’t have to take my far more fragile acoustics that cost 4x the price on the road
5) bonus Tele bridge pickup, which also sits great in a mix, so it’s another option if I ever have any really quick guitar changeovers in a set. It allows me to stay on the same instrument
The last one is a bit more of a unique point to me, but many of the artists I work with (and a lot of modern pop artists generally) use pretty “lofi” and crunchy sounding acoustics in their recordings. The acoustasonic nails this stuff too, especially in the dirty piezo middle position.
Anyway, just thought I’d add my two cents, as I’ve noticed a lot of people focus on this as a studio instrument, when it is very clearly meant to excel in live applications as a versatile touring instrument that sits well in mixes. I think Fender’s rnd knocked it out of the park. Aesthetically, it’s an ugly motherfucker but it’s an amazing tool. I always say that this is the only guitar I’ve bought because I “needed” it, not “wanted” it
I also think a more fair test would be to compare the Acoustasonic’s fishman acoustic engine modelling against a regular piezo in an acoustic. I have done this comparison on multiple acoustics and it’s night and day, the Acoustasonic always sounds better in a live mix as it’s imitating a mic’d acoustic sound. I think the video could have spent a little more time considering it as a live touring instrument.
That is definitely a good reason to use the acoustasonic. You can also however take something like a graphtech ghost system and install it on a tele that looks, plays and sounds to your liking. Or maybe try out something like a Music Man JP6/JP15/MAJESTY but these defenitely don't fit the pop aesthetic :D
Yeah, this is finally the piece of gear that does for the guitarist what a Clavia ddrums did in the 80's for drummers, and the Stage piano's did for keyboardists in the 90's. You now have all the tones out of a cable, at the flick of a switch. No more mic setups. No more dragging around multiple keyboards or hoping the place you are going to have a decent piano. Combine with a modelling amp, and you can get whatever sound you need for a full evening of cheesy covers.
I find mine great for writing demos or even finished tracks. It's time consuming to set up condensers properly in a small domestic space and the room is never ideal. This does for acoustic guitar what DI-ing an electric or bass does.
Didn't want to lug around my bigger Martin. I had the Godin.A6 This thing sound better.
My uncle is a gigging musician in KC. This is his favorite guitar to gig because it allows him to bring one guitar to get acoustic and electric tones. I hate the look, but tonally, it’s convincing of decent electric and acoustic tones especially in a live setting.
I’ve scene guys killing this at weddings etc
Exactly, that’s the use for this guitar. An electric with a Boss AC3 weights, cables and the rest of all logistic all solved with this guitar. It’s a troubadour guitar.
That’s how I feel about the PRS Hollowbody Piezo. Then I bought a Tele go figure.
Yeah but the PRS SE Hollowbody Piezo ii does everything this does but better, for cheaper
@@hammill444have you seen the name of the channel, mate? It literally is all about Rhett here!!
You can tell you’re being genuine because you read the user manual. I respect it
Real men don’t need no user manual 😂
he managed to keep a straight face while reading
"the naturally resonant telecaster body offers rich acoustic tones when unplugged"
when taken out of context it's even more ridiculous sounding lol
I loved seeing that. I'm new to guitar, but in the world of production it's so common and frustrating when people make videos about products and all their complaints are 100% user error.
If, at first, you don't succeed, read the directions. 🤓
@@russellzaunerlol😂
I gig with mine, I’m a solo, and I use a looper, and this allows me to get way more dynamic sound. I can loop up some acoustics and play some electric tones over it. It also handles pedals very well.
This is exactly what I was thinking it would be great for - solo guy/girl with looper, acoustic and electric tones on demand. It doesn't appeal to me personally, but it has it's niche.
I've been having fun looping drum beats with the mic pickup turned up. I can get a decent kick sound from the bridge and snare from the body. I run it right into a bass amp or PA.
It just doesn't handle Distortion/Fuzz pedals well at all. Because of the nature of these guitars, being Acoustic unplugged, they're prone to mass amounts of feedback. If you are going to use pedals, avoid all drives, distortions and fuzzes
Yeah. I often play my. American Acoustasonic Strat through a Line 6 PodGo. Gotta go easy on the distortion and gainy stuff…or stay away from my monitor 🤣
@@martinthompson2425 the strat ones are cool, though I prefer the Tele. It's just the Acoustic nature of them. You also need an amp that does Acoustics, Electrics and everything in between. The Boss Katana springs to mind.
Also I don't really get the PodGo. I briefly owned a POD HD500 and that thing wasn't great. I'd personally say HX Effects or the Firehawk would work perfectly
Everyone missed the big one. The thin body that still has a resonance chamber is fantastic for songwriters. Would be super comfy to just chill with and sketch of song ideas in. Also the tones would be perfectly serviceable for a demo recording.
You can do exactly the same with a proper electric or small acoustic tho.
@@whynottalklikeapiratslightly less convenient though. It’s nice when it’s small and light, when it’s a late or casual setting
@@nicksalvatore5717 not really less convenient. I have a small washburn steel string acoustic. People think it’s a childs instrument until they hear the sound. I’ve carried it everywhere from the southernmost islands of Indonesia to the arctic outback. I would have never brought something like that tele-thing - bigger, heavier and just generally less useful, especially for emergent social settings
If you want a guitar that feels like an electric and has upper fret access, but sounds decent unplugged and doesn't have the weight of a solid body then didn't the old stratacoustic line do all that but cheaper?
it kinda sund like shit actualy... just buy the fender CD-60SCE... an small acustic guitar wih uper fret acces..
I was in an emo/alternative rock band and I had an American Acoustasonic Tele. It was pretty awesome to do the acoustic rhythms and arpeggios and switch to distorted choruses LIVE.
It’s a very great BALLAD and writing guitar!
In addition: I never ever planned or had a desire to record with it.
I found one of these on reverb for $499. It was supposed to be mint, but it arrived new in the factory box. This music store must have been dumping them because the listing remained after my purchase. I gave it to a singer songwriter friend who plays at local clubs. His initial reaction was a polite smile and a dismissive " he watched something on youtube" comment to his sound engineer. He strummed it a few times and handed back to me as if to say I wasted my money. I smiled and said "No good?. No problem". The next day he picked it up and started checking the variations. Then he got serious and hooked it up to his gig equipment. The next day he was changing parts of his acoustic set to transition from clean to dirty which made the guitar sound flow with the vocal intonations. It was great. Very creative. The next day he traded me his acoustic guitar for the acoustasonic. Now, it's his gig guitar.
I bought one from the same seller. It's now my "office axe" because it's so quiet. I can noodle around on it and not bug the other occupants of the building - much - and when they leave for lunch I have a Yamaha THR10II to plug into now and then.
I think that’s exactly who this thing is for. That’s sick man.
i think i bought one from the same person 😂
@@noahlowemusicwho’s the seller?
Come on! Help me and the seller out! Who are they!!!?
I think it has a niche within live Praise and Worship where it can be flexible for the player and the audience can barely tell the difference between acoustic and clean electric. As guitarists, we think other people can hear the difference when in fact many of them can barely tell if you hit the wrong note.
One of the guitar players in the P&W band I was in for 10 years had the original acoustasonic and you’re exactly right, it had a good enough acoustic and electric tone to be useful live in a church where people don’t really care how “good” the electric and acoustic sounds are. Through a Boss multi effects pedal, the guitarist could get any sound he wanted, including some good-enough distorted electric tones for the more rocked up CCM songs.
This kind of guitar does appeal to that kind of musician as well. I'm bringing all my stuff to church myself, so bringing 2 guitars means on my own back - much prefer to bring 1 guitar. And I might be playing acoustic for all but 1 song that needs electric.
I didn't get an acoustasonic because ultimately I think there are much better "hybrid" guitars out there than the Acoustasonic. I have a Godin that has both great acoustic and electric tones. The Taylor T5 is another example, or Emerald Guitars has a few. This product category makes sense to me, but Fender's is not the best implementation in my opinion.
I can tell
I think it's really important to recognize how much of the music market is supported by the P&W section of it.
I think most of the audience don’t know the difference between bass guitars and guitars. They just see them as guitar guitars on stage. They don’t care as long as the band sounds like they should. This guitar could definitely have a place in P&W, but we have to get past how it looks. We hear with our eyes.
We went to a local downtown bar for drinks and food. There was a 1-man band playing in the corner, with one of these. He was doing a decent job playing all different kinds of music. I could see him not wanting to lug around 2 different guitars, along with all the other equipment. Maybe I'm crazy, but that lick you played, sounded pretty dam good.
That's pretty much exactly who this guitar is for.
While I agree, I also think someone would be just as well served getting their hands on a Godin with piezo saddles (maybe even synth access, if they're brave), or some other electric set up similarly.
@@johntougas4494Yes, Godins are freaking awesome.
I use mine for solo gigs and love it.
as a busking, traveling and worship guitarist, this guitar is such a versatile weapon in my arsenal. Yes, its not going to sound like a traditional acoustic or an electric, but i dont think of the guitar trying to replicate other guitars but rather as a hybrid instrument on its own. Having the ablility to switch tones with the flick of a switch, without changing the feel of the instrument is what makes it shine in my eyes. If you don't look at it as what it doesnt do, but rather look at what it does, it opens up so many opportunities to develop and expand upon songs, especially with build ups in worship.
I respect this video, and yes, i do agree that this isn't the guitar for you. But, for someone who can't necessarily afford to have tons of stunning guitars and doesn't have the room, the acoustasonic has become my favourite guitar. (Plus, they're super light and insanely comfortable)
I feel like you would need an amp if you went busking with this?
@@kenny6920in my experience many busking musicians have a battery powered amp that they take with them.
@@RansomedSin yes usually a Roland Cube, I use one when I busk if the cops don't care. But why tf in my right mind would I then spend 1k on a new guitar to play through a Cube when I could sound probably better with an Ibanez GIO from offerup for 80 USD.
It’s a joy to live in such times.
We get to pick whatever like, and it doesn’t matter.
It's just not a product for you. Nothing wrong with not liking, or getting it. You gave it an honest shot, and let us know your thoughts. It's nice to know that people can form their own opinions on things.
It's telling that his status makes him a bit blind to the usual plight of the gigging/open-mic player who doesn't have an array of instruments and probably a tech whenever they play a show or has mics ready to go to record acoustic. This thing is great for open mics or for laying down acoustic tracks on demos without having to rig up something to record them especially in a home studio with limited space that uses modelers and DI instruments. I have a great sounding acoustic that isn't plug in and when I'm recording on the fly and want to add a passable acoustic track this thing is golden for that reason not to mention its become my go to open mic guitar due to being comfortable as a primarily electric player and being able to play acoustic and electric songs in one set with no swapping.
It’s a product designed for a problem that no one had or wanted solving. It’s hilarious how much they’ve dropped the prices to try and clear them out now.
@@Jonathan_Doe_ I dunno as someone who plays open mics often and likes to play various types of songs on both acoustic and electric it's nice to have one guitar that does it all effectively. Through a PA the difference between the acoustic sounds on this and a piezo plug in acoustic is negligible. I've got plenty of other great guitars but this thing is perfect for what I needed in a comfortable profile that's light and easy to play for a primarily electric player that plays a lot of acoustic covers as well. I feel like the people that don't like it don't play gigs and think "why don't you just play an actual acoustic" without considering how useful a guitar like this is on stage and for adding quick acoustic tracks to recordings without having to mic anything. Running it through a good acoustic amp modeler adds a lot of body to the sound as well. My Martin GC MMV is an absolute workhorse but I don't always have the time or space to mic it appropriately and this thing is a great stand in for things like that as well. They didn't solve a made up problem it's just a tool that people might not understand if they don't have a need for it. For me it's exactly what I needed.
i think it typifies human nature, it's the sort of guitar as rhett says that is neither one thing or the other, but the people who like it convince themselves it's good for whatever reason they think it's good. i mean clearly if yo want an electric guitar you, er, buy an electric guitar, and more importantly, if you want an acoustic guitar you buy an acoustic - and in BOTH cases you want the best sounding guitar you can afford - it may be a great guitar, but it's not a good acoustic and it's not a good electric, you have to WANT it to be. can anyone (sincerely) name a band who uses one?
@@aphotosyntheticworld agreed, and you're an example (no disrespect at all) of what i was saying in my comment, you have to want it to be good for all your needs. but it is a compromise as both acoustic and electric.
I mostly play 3 hour solo acoustic sets in bars and coffee shops. It’s useful to loop an acoustic progression and then switch to the lead sound and solo over top. I think if you are in a proper band playing in proper music venues such as yourself then you really don’t really have a need for it. It’s also easier to hold and play one of these for several hours than a traditional acoustic. I got the USA Jazzmaster used for around $1000. I think new they are overpriced. Enjoyed the video!
same scenario! i got the jazzmaster usa for 1k. I'm glad I got it, works great for gigging.
I would do the same thing, 3 hour solo acoustic gigs and I imagine this guitar would be awesome for that. Luckily for Rhett he's not going around gigging for 3 hours, hes editing content during that time. I bet this guitar slaps in the right hands.
Prs hollowbody piezo? Isn’t it just better in every way?
In a nutshell.
Obviously, this guitar is going to appeal to a certain player, you Rhett, not being one of them or myself. I appreciate the effort you have gone into in this video. Thank you! Like what you said about spending $ on two, solid electric plus a good acuistic, second that! "A solution looking for a problem" for sure!
I like this guitar. Even if you don't, you've kind of made me want one. I like the sound of the hybrid electric/acoustic. Playing around with it, you can get some cool stuff.
Kida weird like If a hippy had a kid with a punk rocker and Went on vacation....???? Portland???
@@AMPProf Well, as a metalhead singer-songwriter who's also quite into folk music and classical music, I know I'm a weirdo unicorn.
get a prs se hollowbody 2 piezo instead and thank me later
@@AlanJohnPeachtbh great recommendation man
Wife is a gigging musician and has the American Jazzmaster Acoustasonic and absolutely loves it. She runs it in the middle pickup position with the body sensor all the way up and hasn't brought her Taylor 714 to a gig since. Lighter weight, lighter action, thin, low/no feedback, it's great.
Totally agree I think there fantastic
It makes perfect sense to me. At home it's just fun. And if you gigging low volume at a restaurant by yourself or with a singer you can dial up a tone that covers several genres of music without dragging loads of gear with you. One amp, one guitar, great gig.
I think too many people dive straight into a ton of preamp and electronic interference instead of just giving the thing a chance. Listen to it first. Then mess with the signal.
Rhett's a bonehead lol
Refreshing to see someone in your position take the approach you took in this review; i.e., "I've been judging the heck out of these things but in all honesty have almost no experience with them, so let me give a real try." Love it!
You got some really beautiful tones out of it. I can see why some people would like it. That was a very honest and fair review. If it wasn’t your cup of tea, I respect that.
The beautiful tones come from all the top-flight gear surrounding that overpriced turd guitar. Please stop recommending this nonsense, RUclips.
@@mazukakai I totally agree, once the effect chain is introduced you can alter any signal to something interesting. A gimmick waiting for a hot rod kid.
@@mazukakaiBeautiful tones? When? I heard horrible tones until 6:30ish, when I turned off the video.
No gear in the world will make a bad player sound good. @@mazukakai
Coming from an average guitarist, who bought the worlds ugliest guitar, a copper colored chunky pile, his opinion is way off these are great
well, you have rooms full of guitars and amps, so you can pick whatever you want to make sound. Some of us don't have your resources for equipment so something like this is appealing.
I have two American Acoustasonics…Strat and Tele. I’m an older player in a Classic rock band. I can take one guitar to any gig and have what I need, and, the light weight really helps reduce the arthritic pain from a heavy guitar. We do not use amps…just direct to pa from Fx.
I love this guitar…and it works well for my situation.
Which one do you prefer, and why? Or are they about the same aside from shape?
How often do you have to charge the guitar? That part seemed new. I have a 1965 Fender Mustang.
@@Philip_Taylor I'm not him but I would say the Jazzmaster is the best of the bunch if you want punchy electric tones and resonant acoustic tones. The strat has pretty muted acoustic tones but decent electric tones and the Tele has a good balance of both with less dirt on the electric tones than the other two but not nearly as resonant acoustically as the JM.
Not sure what Rhett is hearing and feeling in the room, but out here it sounds gorgeous. Stellar playing too ❤
He's probably unconsciously comparing it to better plug in acoustics or micd acoustics and not considering the use case where it's worth sacrificing a truly 1:1 acoustic tone recreation in exchange for the versatility and utility of a comfortable to play electric profile guitar that plays decent sounding acoustic tones and electric tones suitable for playing through a PA at small gigs or open mics opening up your choice of songs and being a great one stop shop for live looping.
When you can afford to buy whatever equipment you want, there will always be something "better".
Rhett probably like what he hear too. His emphasis seems that buyers can do better.
He's a goofy wannabe hipster now. These are great
I play in church most weeks, and it is perfect for that scenario (silent stage, quick dial in of sounds, ease of use when leading...) it has been consistently great and the sound guys also love it! (I have a J200 and rosewood PRS SE acoustic as well...but it just makes life easy and is lovely to play!)
Crap music on a crap guitar, makes sense 😆
Many people don’t get it until you get it. For me it’s a fantastic couch, campfire, and travel guitar. One big thing is that it’s not so wide like my dreadnoughts and is easier on me ergonomically.
Yeah as someone with constant roatator cuff/shoulder pain episodes, this makes playing less painful. Its also so light and comfortably to play sitting on your couch for sure!
For my 2 cents, I like it. I’ve always hated playing acoustics, too big and bulky and prefer electronics but like the sounds of an acoustics. This is a great compromise. I’ve always wanted an acoustical guitar shaped like a tele or jazz master and then fender went and made one! Also am a fender fan boy, sometimes cool is cool and I like what I like and it does have to be the best to be cool. Sometimes we make things because we can make. Why? Because we can, that’s what fender did here and think yeah why not?
It has an electric body and makes acoustic tones, which is why I like it. I much prefer the electric body over the acoustic. So it gives me the best of both worlds.
Or you could just use an acoustic simulator pedal with any electric guitar.
Totally respect Rhett for his honest opinions. A lot in the industry won’t put out videos like this so as not “bite the hand that feeds you.”
But honestly, this is going to be great advertising for Fender, nonetheless. Any exposure is good exposure.
lol, fender don’t give him anything.
@@officialWWM which makes it a Win-win for Fender.
@@TheBeeRescuerbut not as many as if he said, “man this thing blew me away!”
This guitar is so ugly and so uselss and soooo expensive. I don't think many ppl buy them.
I have the Strat version and it has an in body percussion pickup in addition to the other two that I really love. Just a hobbyist here playing it through a Spark Mini at my desk most of the time with reverb and a little delay. I love the thing because it's so much easier to sit down with than my dreadnought acoustic, and it's much quieter to use with headphones (or without) if you don't want to bother other people in the house.
I love my Acoustasonic Tele. Before it came out I found myself wishing I had an acoustic that played as easily as my electrics. Then these came out and there it was, so much easier to play. And I also find it cuts through the mix a lot better in a full band scenario than a regular acoustic. And yes, it doesn’t sound like a regular acoustic or a regular electric-it has different tones and different vibes than you usually hear-and I really dig it for bringing something new to the table.
What you said - I love mine ❤ good review though!
For me it’s all about comfort, it’s a nice way to get a decent acoustic sound with a guitar that is extremely comfortable to play.
I tried the jazzmaster version at my local music store and was impressed with the playability, light weight, and the ability to plug right into my reguar amp.
Back when I was doing bar duo gigs I would 100% have played this over my nice Larrivee acoustic. More robust, more variety of tones, takes effects much better, less feedback, etc. And the people in the bar don't care if the "tone" isn't killer.
I care
@@BkBk-gy6vrthen he wasn’t talking about you. No need to worry
Exactly. I got mine specifically for an acoustic duo where I had to play a lot of leads all night long. I ran it through a Fishbox Loudbox Artist and the tone was as good as any other acoustic duo playing live with actual acoustics and I could get up to the 20th fret which you can't on most acoustics.
@@MageeMC You think it was as good.
@@BkBk-gy6vr Through that acoustic amp, yes. It makes a huge difference in the tone. Most of the players in my town are either running acoustics through a regular guitar amp, or direct to the PA. Doing that doesn't capture the full sound of the acoustic.
I was shocked when my lead singer/guitar player in my last band got one and brought it to a casual acoustic jam. The tone was so much better that the other guitar player and I went out and bought one the next week. I had thought my Twin was good enough for acoustic tones. I was dead wrong.
Brian Swerdfeger, who designed the Acoustasonic, is an old friend. One of the things that I got when I had the chance to play one (and interview Brian about it at the NAMM show where they debuted), is that it really is designed to run through a full-range, quality sound system. That was the original American-made version. Haven't played one of the Player versions, but, once I'd been clued into what the purpose was, it was a pretty satisfying experience when I got to take one home for a few days. Not up to my '64 Guild D-50, but I'd certainly gig with it or use it as a texture track on a recording.
I was thinking about Brian watching this video because this guitar reminds of the Taylor T5 which he had a hand in creating 20 years ago. I had no idea he was involved with this fender model but I'm not surprised
This is super important. Plugging this into a Boss Acoustic singer vs. an Imperial Mkii is a night-day difference.
To my mind if you need a top notch sound system this makes this even less of a good deal, surely?
Depends - Probably sounds better than this demo through a Bose S-1. They cost less than that cab, (Around $600) weigh 15 pounds, and are battery powered. You'll have no problem keeping up with a drummer or playing for a couple of hundred people with one or two S-1s @@ThePlanarchist
@@ThePlanarchist I don't think it's about 'needing' a top notch system, it's more that you can just DI into a full-range system and get pretty decent acoustic and electric tones without needing cabs and mics and multiple guitars. Try looking at it as a guitar for a busker or wedding singer, or a songwriter that wants to experiment with different sounds, and it makes some sense.
The good thing about gear is that it's subjective and not everything is for everyone. I certainly appreciate your take and the tune was fun!
Rhett!! love your videos and was really excited to see you give this guitar a run. As an owner and fan of this particular guitar I’m a bit sad that you didn’t like it as much as I do but that highlights why there are so many different guitars like there are so many different guitar players. I am always excited to hear your real feedback and honestly I didn’t expect this to be your favorite instrument. In your search of finding “who this guitar is for” I think it’s been said many times in the comments. This is for the “busking” vibe, or gigging musician who needs an acoustic sound every now and then. For me I find that I like playing this over my acoustic guitars live primarily b/c of how it feels to play. I often refer to this guitar as the acoustic guitar for electric players. I also really like to use this acoustasonic live along side another acoustic guitar as it sounds really great in the mix as a different but complimentary sound. If you haven’t returned it yet maybe experiment with some of that just for fun.
The fun part of this is even though you didn't dig the axe, you got great tones out of it. I just closed my eyes and listened to that "all Acoustasonic" track and all the tones were quite useable, IMO. So, it's just another tool in the box for a player to use. Every player has different tool preferences and it's all good at the end of the day. Good vid and I respect your views.
I think it would be interesting as a "flavor" guitar to add layers to a guitar production. I also think it would be neat to record the guitar acoustically and record the guitar through an amp, same performance and blend them.
naww add echo distortion.. And punk it up
This is my go-to for solo acoustic gigs. I run acoustic strings , and through a TC Body Rez, and it’s a great tone. For guitarists who stand while gigging, playing this light weight thinline guitar is much more comfortable than a standard acoustic.
That Body Rez pedal does wonders for this guitar.
My bread and butter is solo acoustic gigs, I play at least 4 per week, the tone and playability of this guitar compared to an intro level Taylor is insane. It really is a gigging weapon.
Body Rez is a total miracle. 🤘🏻
You have to always remember guitarist hear tone and nuances that 98% of the audience doesn’t at your show. They just think that sounds like a guitar and can’t even hear the difference between a strat and a LP.
So really this is a great gigging guitar.
Strongly depends on the artist and the audience. If you go to watch a generic rock band that may be the case. But if you go to see Joe Satriani or Steve Vai it's guaranteed the audience knows more about what's going on.
@@Joe-mz6dc a generic rock band is exactly who this is for. People playing on the weekends with friends. If you're a touring pro, then you can have whatever guitar you want and your tech brings it out to you. If you need a jack of all trades, but master of none then this one fits the bill perfectly at a reasonable price point.
@@Joe-mz6dc I'd also bet that a large portion of that audience are fellow players. But also Vai or Satch could play one of these and still get good tone.
@@MageeMC I think this would also fit well in a Church setting which is one of the largest demographics for guitars these days.
Fully agree, my only problem with it is the price. It’s just not worth almost 2 grand at all. Like Rhett said you could get an amazing $1000 electric and an amazing acoustic for that amount. Having 1 guitar that’s kinda okay at both shouldn’t exceed $800-900 in my opinion ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I have one, and love it.
I play through a modeller, with no amp, no effects ... just a stereo room reverb. And in headphones is insanely beautiful. There is no way I could get such a beautiful and realistc acoustic sound in my home set up.
I picked one up for $600 new inbox, as a full-time working multi instrumentalist, I love this guitar. At most gigs, I am bringing a keyboard, my pedal board, and my saxophone, being able to bring one less guitar and get this variety of sounds that sound 80% as good as their single use counterpart… Is a godsend!
I love your studio set up, you’re playing is fantastic, and I dug the track too!
I have an american one, and I love the body sensor on it to make percussion loops, it's also a great quiet guitar when you don't want to bother anyone at home. I also have electrics, and great acoustics, so I'm not missing out. It's a lot more comfortable to play than my acoustics(they do sound better, by a long shot, but I can't play them as long as the acoustasonic).
They're not replacing anything, so for me it's another tool in the bag.
I find it absolutely insane, that they left out the body percussion pickup in the player series. To me that in combination with what's shown in this video makes the "classic" acoustasonics a great all in one guitar for solo looping.
Yeah, they really dropped the ball on that one. I agree no one mentioned that. That shows that you have a very qualified opinion well done.
Jeez, if that isn't a statement from the brand about percussive playing than I don't know what is. A shame, because I kind of really like it overall.
I used to work at GC and I was saving up for one of these, American made, of course. To make a long story short, I ended up going with a Taylor 323ce and I can’t explain just how happy I still am with my decision 3 years later!
I appreciate how even when you clearly are really not digging the instrument, you go out of your way to look for something nice to say.
And that ambient jam at the end was pretty sweet.
Sounds beautiful to my ears and, I find a tin body acoustic is more comfortable under the right strumming forearm. Great guitar 👍🏴🇬🇧♥️
I liked most of the acoustic tones quite a bit. I'm not immediately jazzed about the look, but it sounds good.
I imagine it might be a good choice/tool for stage show pit musicians. Great, honest review. Loved the respect you gave to Fender and the development team. Thank you.
Yeah I agree so I am a little shocked he’s going straight to the studio to track it.
I've been in the pit for musicals a few times and can see this as a possible option. Instead of buying another guitar for this purpose, though, I use an acoustic emulator. It allows me to use my main electric guitar for most of the show, then just step on a button and have an acoustic sound. I can see the Acoustasonic working for some - you'll always be compromising on something in a pit, it's just a matter of what you choose to prioritize
I've had the Acoustasonic Strat for a couple years now. It's a beautifully made guitar, very comfortable to play. My use case is playing at church every Sunday morning. Small church with a small band. My setup is guitar into the pod go and sending that signal direct to PA. Very simple, works well. The default guitar sound is good, doesn't feedback, and I use the pod go for a bit of compression, reverb, and delay. For that use case it's a very convenient, solid, and comfortable setup. I'm thinking about switching the pod go for maybe a HX stomp or some other small pedal so I could fit the whole setup into a gig bag. Overall, I'm happy with my setup and my sound.
I can't recommend the Tech21 Flyrig enough. I have the Bass v2, Flyrig v5 2, and Acoustic, and they're all righteous. One unit easily fits in a bag.
I used this as my acoustic option in a touring rock act and the fishman sounds are great - it’s also super comfortable to play and doesn’t feed back. It’s 100% not a studio instrument.
From 11:00 to 12:00 there is hardly ANY difference in the sound between the acoustasonic "electric" tone and the real Telecaster! CLOSE YOUR EYES and really listen. It's barely noticeable! I think you're really doing a GREAT job selling how incredible the guitar actually is! 😆 Of course, you're hearing the actual acoustics in the room and you're feeling the guitar (so as the player, you're noticing a huge difference) but the direct sound is actually very, VERY good! Thank you!
I have one and love it! It’s my go for practice at home. Haven’t played a gig with it yet but wouldn’t think twice about gigging with it.
I loved seeing you produce a track with a new peace of gear. Felt so inspiring, even if you didn’t like the guitar.
I have never tried one. That said, I really like the approach you took… kept an open mind, bought one to reduce bias, took time to try to understand it (read manual), played it pretty extensively in different ways/modes. Regardless of whether anyone agrees or disagrees, a useful, honest evaluation. 👍 I would still go and play one if I thought I may want one though.
We use two of the USA models in our band Zru Vogue. We play direct into the mixer, we have digital drums, and we use headphones as monitors. They work great for the variety of our songs we play. I’ll even play thru an octave down pedal to get simulated bass, and rhythm at the same time.
"This guitar is a solution looking for a problem" .. Well said .. All I can really see this guitar (at $1000) being really good for is performing live (like the roundback Ovations) maybe really comfortable, and in most live band gigs, the piezo is decent for strumming sounds
I bought one of these and used it in a gig setting just me a looper and a mic kinda busking vibe. It was great for that so i used it as an electro acoustic. It is super light not noisy at all no chance of feedback but great using a good echo and a boss RC-20 loop station a big thumbs up from me its also super comfy to play with a great neck!!!!
The reason that I got mine was because I was playing in an acoustic duo. The acoustasonic gave me playability above the 15th fret for leads while still giving me an acoustic sound for strumming. This is a hybrid multipurpose guitar that will never be as good as single use instruments. However, when you need that flexibility it's good enough to do the show in both areas. I also strongly recommend running it through an amplifier designed and made for acoustic guitars. The tonal improvements are huge in the acoustic tone.
I actually ordered one of these after Christmas and it arrived this morning. The blonde (more yellow) Player Tele has been heavily discounted at various retailers here in the UK since Christmas so with about 30% off the price (below what people are trying to charge for used) I decided to get one. It certainly is an odd looking guitar and I’ve not been that keen on getting one in the past but in the few hours I’ve had it now I have to say it’s a very nicely made guitar. Mine had to be ordered in because the retailer ran out of stock but it’s still nearly two years since it was manufactured so I expect Fender have a lot of stock of these - watch out for discounts!
I’m thinking of using it as my couch guitar as I’m kind of afraid anything nicer left on the couch is going to get damaged.
Seems like it would be a great versatile guitar for the coffee shop/bar/open mic performer. Beats dragging around several guitars and looks really cool too. If I didn't already own too many guitars, I'd consider buying one.
Too thin sounding for open mic especially playing by yourself. It has almost zero bottom and sounds like a cheap 3/4 guitar. I have witnessed someone more than once using it open mic.
So I am a solo working musician who primarily used an acoustic prior to owning an Acoustasonic .
After buying the American made version and using it for about 3 months at gigs I picked up a used players version (MIM). Yes the players had more options with the blend knob but the American version sounds way better in my opinion.
When I use the American version for gigs I play mostly in an acoustic setting but when I step out to play lead I can flip the switch all the way to the right and get a decent tele sound which cuts through my looped mix.
The other thing I like about both guitars is how light they are so when I’m playing a 3 hour gig I don’t even feel the weight. The neck and playability is better on the American version even after adjusting both the neck and tilt options. I bought the used players for $600 in excellent condition so I don’t feel so bad about it! I may actually sell it because I prefer the American version.
Thanks for your honest review I agree you can’t get a Gibson J45 sound not an American Professional 2 Tele sound out of an Acoustasonic and yes I own both but I prefer to not drag these to gigs.
Hi thanks for this review! I had the player tele and then returned it for the American Strat Acoustasonic. The American one feels just amazing, the finishing on the neck it so nice. I end up playing it for hours as it is so light and easier to play than an acoustic. I really want to get a strandberg now after realizing how much more enjoyable it is to play a light guitar. You can play for hours without discomfort.
Probably not a common thing, but I have a shoulder issue that makes playing even concert sized acoustics hurt after 15-20 minutes, so I got a Player Acoustasonic Tele and it's been great having something close to an acoustic that I can actually play for a while.
The ergonomic design does make me wonder if it is for aging players (like myself). Makes an acoustic smaller and a Telecaster weigh lighter in one package.
I understand completely, I have back issues and the acoustasonic is a blessing in that aspect.
Have you picked up one of the new Fender Highway series acoustics? I'd be curious to know how that compares to these for your (not uncommon) issue.
This video to me shows how any guitar through a great amp sounds GREAT! And honestly, that Two Rock sounds GREAT!
More accurately any guitar (within reason) played with good technique can sound good. Add great gear and it sounds better.
@@ruthlessadminno it’s really just high quality pickups. Pickups sound the same in any guitar
@@andy_182 Give a bad player a $5k guitar + $5k amp, and it's still gonna sound like crap. Give an experienced player $100 guitar and $100 amp and it's going to sound decent. Technique is king; gear is secondary.
No, it's gotta be the pick.
@@DonBeckett If it's not the pick then it's gotta be the tonewood. Or tonewood and pick combo. Yeah.
This guy just shat on this guitar for half of the video and then the other half being like "yeah, I'll just play the most beautiful sounds I can ever imagine with THIS guitar". I respect you being as authentic as you can about it.
What a honest, yet fair review. I really appreciated it.
I swapped my strings to electric 10-46 and it’s incredible!!! You get all the acoustic sounds, with the ease of playing a slinky electric. I use this guitar as my “beach/party” guitar with my portable Boss Street amp. It’s a game changer as far as versatility goes. Just another opinion and always value yours!!
i'd guess you're under thirty, right?
Dude!
I have a buddy who has the strat acoustic, and it is so freaking fun to play..
Thanks for saying this, I bought one recently and have been thinking about trying this. I get his opinion, but at the same time I paid 500 bucks for the exact same guitar… so definitely get the value out of it
Haha, actually over 30. :)@@HarryNicNicholas
The ambient looping stuff is where it shines, in my opinion. That's the plan for mine, and I really enjoy it.
I got one for about half off on Reverb. I like the tone options they have. I mostly do bedroom recording so I like having a guitar that can do a mix of different tones even if they aren't perfect. Its better than buying a bunch of VST's that end up costing more than the guitar.
I agree with a lot of your takes but a big part of the issue with the current guitar industry is. So many people say they want these big brand companies to do better and think of something new. And then when they try to innovate they get hated on and attacked for not sticking with what works.
well said
Cole Clark Guitars' True Hybrid would likely be more your cup of tea. Lloyd Spiegel's demonstration videos (including Cole Clark's electronics wizard explaining their development of humbucker and single coil pickups) should be viewed first.
So far I love everything about that Guitar! The sound, the look, appears to play nice. I have a Fender Sonoran, and I love that guitar.
From the beginning, I looked at the Acoustasonic series as Fender's stab at a Taylor T5. That guitar is polarizing in its own right. I happen to be one of the weirdos who loves the T5. And when I heard about the Acoustasonic series, I was thrilled with the idea of a Jazzmaster shaped T5 style guitar. I don't think it hits all the marks right, but I also recognize that it is largely a digital gimmick in its infancy. Maybe 5-10 years from now, there will be a revision that nails everything it was going for.
The same guy who designed the T5 designed this for Fender, so that makes sense. He always thought of the T5 as more electric, this is more acoustic. At least the American one is.
Been gigging with the T5 for 10 years. 2 guitar duo act. 3-4 sets. The durability, sound and comfort of the guitar is great. I can see why the Fender model will do the job. Just might get one.
I quite enjoy my American Strat. It’s my favorite neck and I love the electric pickup. Works great in church and bar gigs.
If you were playing live solo gigs with a looper, this guitar allows you to solo electric sounds over your looped acoustic rhythm without bringing two guitars, without setting up two guitars and without needing to take the time to switch to a different guitar during the song. (for most of us the pay is very low, so you want minimum equipment that you can set-up and break-down quickly) Also if it is bar work and you are alone, you want to reduce the amount of equipment that you bring for a ton of reasons. Not the least of which is concern about theft or a rowdy patron accidentally spilling drinks on your equipment. The more equipment that you bring, there more you have to lose. Also at these bar gigs, your job is far more about entertaining your audience as opposed to trying to sound great. I think this guitar is a great fit for that type of gig.
Instead of saying "sound great" I should have said, "sound like a specific instrument", Because that guitar can sound great. That being said, I agree with you that it does not do a great job of sounding exactly like the specific instrument that it is meant to emulate. But in many gigs, that is simply not a priority.
These would be super cool for a live gig and when it’s a primarily solo performer. The different acoustic voices one can get at your disposal are very convenient.
Plus, not making a lot of stage volume is really great for a PA scenario.
Studio- not really feeling it personally.
But I think it’s really just about the use case.
Exactly my thoughts on this guitar! This is a performance tool. I use mine with a live looper to layer my loops with different sounds from acoustic to electric lines. Very quick change overs (if more than 1 guitar) NEED to be done quickly in a looper scenario.
There was a sale on reverb throughout December where these could be had for $500 new. For that price, im very pleased with it! Really comfortable couch guitar, perfect for open mics, and will likely be the main instrument i use with one of my bands. I dont think I'd be happy paying $1000+ for one.
I got one during that sale for $500 also. I love mine. I mainly play electric and love the feel of this over a normal acoustical guitar. It also came with a great gig bag for that $500 new price.
I don’t have one, but this is exactly my thought. At the end, Rhett had it sounding pretty good.
Exactly! I got one for $500 and love it, for a $1000… not so sure I’d feel the same. 🤘🏼
I did the reverb sale too, at $500 it was a bargain. I had to adjust the micro tilt to get the action down a bit, but otherwise seems well built. It is acoustic focused, I did not really like the electric tones much with its acoustic strings.
They look decent. Looks like an indie lofi country players dream
You beat me to it. And I think you described it better than I would.
Man, the looks are part of what puts me off to the whole series. But you know what they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder!
@@RhettShull in my view, I think it's a ok looking skinny acoustic. Plus the wood curves seem a little comfy.
Not that I'd buy one 😂
@@RhettShullI always thought they looked really cool
I agree it looks cool. I'd probably buy it and hate it too thought. I can see myself fighting it.
This guitar looks perfect for practicing notes on the couch, without having to plug to an amp.
u can do the same thing on regular electrics
@@euphoria6938videos don't do justice just how much this thing resonates unplugged. It sounds more like a parlor guitar than it does an unplugged electric.
@@euphoria6938 You can't hear them as well. Maybe an ES330 would provide that volume, but it would not have a Fender neck feel. I do both unplugged tele and the Acoustasonic. It just sounds at the right volume and feel in the unplugged mode.
@@aphotosyntheticworld hey man whatever floats your boat :3 just not for me
I owned one for about a year, and liked the convenience of the acoustic/electric right in one place. In the end though, it wasn't quite acoustic enough for the acoustic songs, or "electric" enough for the grittier songs. I landed on a lovely epiphonr ej160e that does both better, in my opinion. Thanks for your thorough, honest review!
My wife got me one of these for Christmas in White! Talk about a great Christmas!!😉
I play in an Alt-Metal Band, but also do solo Acoustic Sets of 80's, 90's Rock Covers. I haven't put it though the paces you have, but so far I love it!
Appreciate your honest opinion! Great video!!
Honestly, huge respect for giving something like this a fair shake. Not a lot of musicians will go out of their way to buy a piece of gear they don't like, and genuinely try to make good music with it, before making an opinion about it. That's very cool of you. Kinda makes me want to try the same thing sometime.
As someone that doesn't really like playing giant acoustics but loves the sound of them, this is interesting for the acoustic tones if nothing else. Those "#3 tones" sounded pretty good.
There are small acoustics.
@@DH-og5yr I know. I have one.
The guy I play with in a duo has a $3000 Taylor acoustic and through the PA he likes my Acoustasonic better. They sound great
@@gregsey8239 Nice. I also actually quite like that "piezo sound". This does that AND some much better blended/simulated acoustic tones. Seems useful to me.
I love mine in a live setting. Does great with feedback and sounds wonderful when I need those those tones.
Thank you, Rhett, for keeping it real!
Still unsure myself. I initially really liked the idea. I didn't buy one, and appreciated this because it's what I wanted to do, but didn't have the means. It sounds good to me. You're getting finicky as you age, and aquire the best of tools. Great playing as always man! Thanks
I would definitely use one live with my band instead of a big acoustic. I would use it with a TC Bodyrez to enhance the acoustic quality, it sounds great with piezo.
It sounds crap for the price.
I feel like these would be great for performing in extreme weather conditions where traditional acoustics would break down. I’m on the lookout for a great deal on a used one. Until then I’m using a Squier tele when it’s hot and humid, light rain, or cold.
thas smart
Get a 70's Yamaha acoustic. Yamaha designed their laminated bodies specifically for live performances. I've seen rain, beer, and 🤮 attemp to destroy an FG of a buddy. A thorough wet towel wipe-down, drop the tuning a whole step, and allow to dry overnight, and it was back to normal for a Saturday performance. After that he and I ordered Yamaha's custom shop "Paul Simon" acoustics and 3 SG2000's. I still have both of mine 35 years later. Very collectible, very high-quality instruments. I would bet cash money that nobody who played them back-to-back against the Fender would chose the "Acoustisonic."
If you need a guitar to play in extreme weather conditions I would suggest to go directly for a carbon fiber one. I have got one myself: it is less expensive, more sturdy and absolutely does not suffer the change of humidity and temperature related to the change of weather (it keeps tuning very well).
And, obviously, far better water proof than a wooden instrument.
@@GreenHoleSun what are you using? I’m definitely into carbon fiber guitars but the ones I’ve seen are expensive.
@@BillNelson-OU812 I have got a Lava me 2. There are 2 versions: electrified (with internal effects and kind of mini internal ampli) and not electrified (which costs a bit less). Now they have launched version 3, which I don' t know...anyway it seems that many brands are interested in carbon fiber guitars and I think the price will go down.
They are not for every guitarists but for sure they are perfect for travelling musicians or simply as sidebed guitars.
I play in an acoustic duo and use a looper to do solos. My acoustasonic jaguar is great for this..and plus its so much easier on the hands than a traditional acoustic. It's not my favorite guitar but it is perfect for the need.
I think that's exactly what its for....the fairly large looper community
I dont know.... hearing all these tones out of 1 guitar I'm seriously impressed! Not only from a live situation but also from a writing standpoint. Having acoustic and electric tones in 1 shot being able to try out which fits the song best..... That sounds like a good deal to me.
I’ll be honest, I was surprised that the dreadnought setting sounded as usable as it did to my ears. And I think the LoFi setting B was actually pretty dope. I get basically the same sound out of my Strat bridge pickup as the Tele sound, so I can take or leave that.
But overall, I could probably find some use for this weird ass guitar. And like I super appreciate you putting it through its paces instead of writing it off, because while you may not have liked it that much, you gave me the opportunity to learn that I did.
Thank you Rhett. 😊
I have one of the player series, its great for live where feedback can be a big issue. It is also very light and comfortable. It exists to solve a problem for people who play acoustic on stage with electrics and drums LIVE. You should try that sometime, I wouldn't use mine for recording.
I really like my pink paisley acoustasonic tele. I never got on with the ergonomics of regular teles, but I love the ebony fretboard and lightweight thin body of the acoustasonic. 🤷🏼♀️
15:17 love your playing from this section out. You are a great guitar player bro!! So much emotion and soul! Thank you 👍
Thank you!
Even with a guitar he hates (alright, maybe dislikes), he makes great music.
I dont have one at all .....but you have just made the best demo vidio for it that I have ever seen . love the channel :-)
I think Joe from alt-j said that he used it quite a bit on the “the dream” album.
I mean they are so experimental and don’t necessarily need THE electric or THE acoustic sound. It’s probably enough for them to just get 80% there.
I see how it can give you a lot of versatility when songwriting. But I think I also hear the Accoustasonic on the final album quite often.
And boy! That album is a masterpiece 👌
Go have a listen😉
I hate to admit it,but now I think I want one. I play in a twang rock band and this would would be perfect.
Rhett has done a very good and useful review of the Fender Acoustasonic Hybrid A/E guitar. Around 15 years ago Taylor came out with their T5 series, which was a 'hybrid' A/E that has some similarities to these Acoustasonics. I was doing a solo show that was 75% 12-string based, so I bought a pair of them (because I was doing a lot of alt/open tuning). (I also used a Variax Acoustic 700 for the other 25% of the show, but that's another story.)
Anyway, I think Fender is sort of chasing that whole 'techno-gimmick', but decades late and maybe ideas-short. The Taylor T5-12s that I had were a much higher-end sort of design, with a true acoustic top (maple) that could be miked, (though I rarely did) and it DID NOT USE PIEZOS for it's acoustic sound, but rather used a specially designed magnetic body sensor that was OK. I ended up self-installing a set of K&K Western Minis ($100) and running them out of a separate jack, for a really convincing and decent passive acoustic/piezo sound, not that 'simmed' signal that I think the Fender uses.
As far as the electric aspect of the T5-12, well they didn't sound like Ric Toasters either, but I didn't expect or need them to. However, with a Janglebox compressor and a couple other pedals I was where I wanted to be.
The main thing about those T5 hybrids, for me, was that they played better than any other 12 string on the market at the time (15+ years ago), and that thinline body was perfect for my shoulder/elbow/wrist issues that had made me sell off my prior pair of Taylor Jumbos (also with K&K pickups).
Now, both my T5s are long gone, and I'm not playing any more shows. I've brutally culled my stable of guitars in favor of a handful of nice small body acoustics, (mostly Waterloos) and although I miss that big sound around me; the bi-amped stereo12 strings into a nice PA and tube amps, things change as you get older or get into a different playing situation.
An important consideration is this: are you looking for an electric that can sometimes sound like an acoustic, or the opposite; an acoustic that can sound electric when needed? (In my case, the acoustic consideration was first.) I've personally never lusted for one of these Fender Acoustasonics, but if one happened to come my way super cheap or in a trade, I might get some fun with it for a minute. I seriously doubt it would last longer than six months in my current stable though...
I guess the point of this rant is that what Fender is trying to achieve here, I've seen before, and in my opinion, done better. However, if you have a use for a tool like this type of hybrid A/E guitar, it can cover some bases for you while minimizing the amount of gear you haul. It will never be your "#1 go-to axe", but it might solve some issues for you, at least until you can afford a guitar tech or really good roadie to haul your 'good stuff'...
I‘m actually surprised how good it sounds and the little difference to the custom telecaster. It’s a cool guitar and I would use it for a set half acoustic half electric - that would work pretty fine for me in a live setup.
This guitar is beautiful and that Tele mode sounded so good!
I have one and I love it... I think that during your review that you actually appeared to be impressed with it but just couldn't bring yourself to say it.