Fender may be a name that's forever associated with the iconic Stratocaster and Telecaster electric guitars, but that hasn't stopped the company experimenting with form and function over the years. Most recently, the Parallel Universe series has seen the firm merging different guitar styles and capabilities into hybrid instruments. Now Fender has come up with an acoustic guitar that can be an electric when you need it – the American Acoustasonic Telecaster.
Fender describes the new guitar as being an "acoustic, electric and everything in between." The idea is to provide players with one guitar that can change tonal personalities to suit different songs, meaning there's no longer a need to swap instruments between tunes.
"Three years ago, we set out to create a truly innovative acoustic guitar," said Fender's Billy Martinez. "This allowed us to create an entirely new instrument that blurs the lines between acoustic and electric guitars, giving artists multiple acoustic body shape and wood tones, as well as great electric tones, at their fingertips. The result is an amazing acoustic guitar that melds the best of both the analog and digital worlds."
The electro-acoustics have been in production for years, the American Acoustasonic range is being pitched as much more. Unlike the harsh angles that meet a picking forearm on many acoustic guitars, Fender has contoured the top of the hollowed body for playing comfort. The instrument also rocks a 22-fret mahogany Tele neck with ebony fingerboard for an electric guitar playing experience, though there is an acoustic-like bridge down the other end.
The Acoustasonic has been treated to Fender's patent-pending Stringed Instrument Resonance System, a specially tuned sound hole that directs the flow of air to create a naturally loud acoustic voice with lively harmonics.
The guitar's natural acoustic flavor is helped along by an Acoustic Engine from Fender and Fishman, which optimizes the tone and then modifies the resonance to offer a carefully curated collection of acoustic and electric voices.
Finally, Fender has installed an Acoustasonic Noiseless magnetic pickup near the bridge for a hum-free electric tone that can be played solo or blended in with the acoustic voice for hybrid sonic creations.
"If the American Acoustasonic were a car, it would be a high-performance SUV," said Fender CEO Andy Mooney. "It is not just a state-of-the-art acoustic guitar that sounds great on stage – it's a state-of-the-art electric guitar that sounds great on stage. That's a challenge Fender was proud to take on."
Made in Corona, California, the American Acoustasonic Telecaster is priced at US$1,999.99 and comes in five color options. The video below has more.
Product page: American Acoustasonic Telecaster series
