Are Fender Acoustic Guitars Good? [Real Customer Ratings]

Fender, one of the most recognizable brands in guitars, enjoys an enviable reputation for its iconic range of electric guitars and amplifiers. But, how do guitarists feel about their acoustic models? 

Fender acoustic guitars are good for beginners and compare favorably to guitars of a similarly affordable price from brands such as Yamaha, Cort, and Alvarez. Unlike their range of electric guitars, Fender acoustic guitars are affordably priced due to being manufactured offshore, with the exception of their Acoustisonic series being made entirely in the US.

But, don’t just take my word for it.

In the following article, we’re going to take a closer look at Fender’s acoustic guitar range, and how customers who have bought their guitars genuinely feel about them.

We’ve collected customer ratings from Amazon, Sweetwater, Guitar Center, Musicians Friend, and Reverb.com and compiled an average customer rating for each popular model Fender offers.

So, if you’re looking for a completely unbiased opinion on Fender acoustic guitars, stay tuned! But first…

What Makes A Good Acoustic Guitar?

Good means many different things to many different people, but in the case of Fender acoustic guitars, with the exception of the Acoustisonic series, good really means, good value as the price has to be taken into consideration when discussing sub $500 guitars, which the majority of Fender’s acoustic line-up consists of.

Most professional/experienced guitarists won’t consider Fender a serious acoustic guitar brand. But, that misses the point as Fender hasn’t intentionally targeted this type of player.

Therefore, to give a verdict on Fender acoustic guitars we really need to take the opinions of actual buyers who own Fender acoustic guitars.

Fender Acoustic Guitars – Current Range

Fender offers a fairly broad range of acoustic guitars. These include:

• The California series
• The Paramount series
• The Classic Design series
• The Fender Alternative series
• The Artist Design series
• The American Acoustasonic series

Click any of the links above to read more about each of the individual series of Fender acoustic guitars, including features, and specifications.  

The California Series

The California series includes the following models:

• The Newporter
  Orchestra body shape, with cutaway
• The Malibu
  Parlor size body. Available in both a cutaway and non-cutaway design.
• The Redondo
  Dreadnought body shape, available in both cutaway and non-cutaway
• Villager 12™  string
  12 string guitar, with a unique hockey stick headstock design
• Kingman™ Bass
  Short-scale acoustic bass guitar

Below are the average individual ratings the guitars in the California series received from customers.

Are they any good?  Average rating: 4.63 stars
For the most part, the California series has been well-received by its intended market. Purists are less likely to give these guitars a second look, but based on the design and affordable, the California series of guitars will mostly appeal to electric guitarists looking for an alternative to the more traditional acoustic guitar design.

The Paramount Series

The Paramount series include 3 models of guitar, the imaginatively named PM-1 (dreadnought), PM-2 (parlor), and PM-3 (orchestra body shape)

Below are the average individual ratings the guitars in the Paramount series received from customers.

Are they any good? Average rating: 4.60 stars
The Paramount series has been favorably reviewed, with guitarworld.com even naming them the best acoustic guitars Fender has ever produced.

The Classic Design Series

The classic design series consists of 3 models, the classic design 140SCE, the 60SCE, and the 60S.

All three models are available in three separate body styles, the appropriately named CD (dreadnought body shape), CC (concert shape), and CP (parlor shape), while a nylon strung version is also available in the 140SCE and 60S range, and an acoustic bass included in the 60SCE range.

Below are the average customer ratings:

Are they any good? Average rating: 4.58 stars
Serious guitarists aren’t going to be lining up for a CD60 anytime, but this isn’t the intended market for these guitars which otherwise represent great value for money, if not a little inconsistent (according to reports from some customers) with regard to quality control.

The Fender Alternative series

The alternative series features four models.  The 15, 100, 200, and 300 series.

All guitars feature laminate back and sides, which Fender markets as being more durable and more feedback resistant.

Below are the average customer ratings:

Are they any good? Average rating: 4.66 stars

Considering the price of the guitars within this series, the Fender Alternative series delivers for the most part and is well priced for the beginner market. With prices ranging from $149.99 for the FA-15N 3/4 Nylon, up to $439.99 for the FA-345CE Auditorium.

The Artist Design Series

The Artist Design Series, as the name implies, represents the collaborative design process between Fender and artists such as Tim Armstrong (Rancid) and the Alkaline Trio (Chicago Punk Band).

The guitars themselves are released in limited numbers. The models included in the Artist Design Series include:

• Tim Armstrong Anniversary Hellcat (including 12 string and LH models)
• Alkaline Trio Malibu™

Below are the average customer ratings:

Are they any good? Average rating: 4.773 stars
The Tim Armstrong Hellcat (along with the Gretsch Jim Dandy) has long been one of those inexpensive acoustic guitars that, perhaps lacked some of the refinement and finishing touches of its more expensive counterparts but punched well above its weight, making it good value for its sub $500 price. The Alkaline Trio will appeal to some, and not to others but overall has been well received and seems good value at under $300.

The American Acoustasonic series

Lastly, we come to the American Acoustasonic Series, perhaps the most radical departure from traditional acoustic guitar design seen yet.

The American Acoustasonic Series includes both Telecaster, Stratocaster and Jazzmaster options including the following models:

Are they any good? Average rating: 4.695 stars

The Acoustisonic series has been well-received by critics, including several favorably high-profile reviews from guitarworld.com and premierguitar.com.

They’re not cheap, starting at just under $2000 but for an American-made Fender that includes a number of innovative features including the Stringed Instrument Resonance System (SIRS) they represent good value and have been well-received.

Are Fender Acoustic Guitars Good? Final Thoughts

Considering Fender’s history with regard to the acoustic guitar and where things appear to be headed with the Acoustisonic series it seems apparent that Fender will continue to look for new ways to approach acoustic guitar design.

At the same time with a high number of guitars dedicated to the beginner marker including the FA and CD series, manufacturing good value, affordable yet highly playable acoustic guitars will also continue to take up a large part of Fender’s acoustic lineup.

With all things considered are Fender acoustic guitars any good?

Based on the customer ratings above, for a beginner on a budget, a Fender acoustic guitar is a great option.