Fender American Acoustasonic: the Telecaster that can do it all

Guitarists are constantly on the hunt for an instrument that can do it all. To many, the perfect guitar should be versatile enough to play all manner of genres, whether it’s jamming to Stevie Ray Vaughan or playing along to the mellow tones of Jeff Buckley.

However, the ideal set-up usually requires at least two guitars - an electric and an acoustic - to cover all bases.

There are guitars out there that bridge the gap between the two, such as a conventional electro-acoustic. But it’s almost impossible to find a guitar that can scream like an electric, but also offer the nuanced tones of an acoustic.

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That’s about to change, though, as Fender has created a new American Acoustasonic series that, it claims, will offer musicians the best of both worlds.

How does it do this? Well, Wired’s Jeremy White says the Telecaster-shaped Acoustasonic guitars are equipped with a trio of pickups and a “stringed instrument resonance system”, which helps amplify the guitar’s acoustic sound while retaining a body that’s almost as slim as an electric.

And, “thanks to some digital wizardry” courtesy of acoustic pickup maker Fishman, musicians can play with “heavy distortion that’s free from feedback”, says White.

This could make it a “game changer” in the live music world, as musicians wouldn’t need to swap guitars between songs, says Maxim.

“Three years ago, we set out to create a truly innovative acoustic guitar,” said Billy Martinez, a Fender vice-president.

“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,” he added. “The result is an amazing acoustic guitar that melds the best of both the analog and digital worlds.”

Traditionally, Fender’s acoustics “are made overseas at lower prices and are aimed at beginners and intermediate players”, according to Reuters. However, the Acoustasonic will be produced at its factory in Corona, California, giving them a more authentic Fender instrument.

These electric-acoustics won’t be cheap, though, as Fender plans to sell them for £1,649 a piece, says Stuff.