Have you considered the possibilities of Fender’s game-changing Acoustasonic concept? Have you been looking to add such an instrument to your arsenal, but are waiting to see if a more affordable version appears?
If so, then I have some good news for you…
Contents
Fender Acoustasonic Standard
Fender have stolen the show at NAMM this year with their new Indonesian-made Standard Series, which we have covered in this Fender Standard Series blog. Part of the release includes these new, excellent Acoustasonic Standard guitars, and we felt like they deserved their own blog!
Indeed, they are part of the new Standard Series, but as instruments they are quite separate from the uniformity of the Stratocasters and Telecasters that comprise the rest of the range.
The Acoustasonic Standard is, for those new to the concept, a hybrid acoustic-electric guitar. It is designed to be equally familiar (and useful) to both electric guitarists and acoustic players, as the guitar uses several types of technology to create accurate acoustic and electric guitar tones from the one instrument.
The concept initially began with a USA-made Acoustasonic guitar, which was available in Telecaster, Stratocaster and Jazzmaster styles with varying features.
A more affordable Mexican-made Fender Acoustasonic Player model followed a few years later, offering slightly different sounds and styles, but the same principle.
Now, new for 2025, we have these fantastic new Indonesian Acoustasonic Standards. Shall we take a look?
The Details
So here’s what to expect with the new models, which are announced just now but available in Spring.
Shapes and Finishes
You can have a Telecaster or a Jazzmaster shape, both of which remain more or less identical to the ones we’ve seen previously. This is great news, because it means that there hasn’t been a major redesign: Fender have managed to retain the proper essence of what makes these guitars visually unique and striking.
For example, you still get the ‘waterfall’ soundhole, a very distinctive feature that is also instrumental in achieving the guitars’ unplugged sound.
In terms of finishes, there are three available upon launch: Black, Aged Natural and Honey Sunburst. These have a different look to previous versions, in that the colour covers the entire top and sides, which looks even better than the others to my eyes, at least! The arm contour is still marked out by some purfling, as before, but the colour continues on the other side. Very nice!
The Technology
There are two pickups onboard, each bringing a distinctly different sound to the guitar. There’s a magnetic Shawbucker designed especially for these models by Fender pickup guru Tim Shaw, and a Fishman undersaddle pickup for the acoustic tones. It’s a slimmed down version of the systems that have appeared on the other Acoustasonics, and part of this is reflected in the onboard controls.
This new model uses two control knobs: a master volume and a blend control. This blend control lets you dial electric tone only, acoustic tone only, and any mix point in between.
Build Specs
Us guitarists like a little spec sheet, so here’s some choice stats for the Acoustasonic Standard:
- Solid Sitka Spruce top
- Nato back & sides
- Nato neck
- Rosewood Fingerboard
- 25.5” scale length
It’s largely what you’d hope for with such a guitar, with the added bonus of a solid top, which I didn’t automatically expect. This helps the instrument resonate, which adds to both the unplugged sound and the undersaddle transducer’s tone.
Next Generation Today
Wev’e had Acoustasonics for a while now, but they’ve never been available at this price point, and never with such a lot of value packed into the price. If you’ve been an interested party who’s so far sat on the fence with these guitars, then now is surely the time!
The Acoustasonic Standard is available to pre-order now!
Pre-Order the Fender Acoustasonic Standard
