Fender 2003 Acoustisonic Acoustic Guitar Combo Amp Reviews
Convincing acoustic images, sweetness unmarried-whorl tones, and slinky playability make up an impressively commonsensical hybrid musical instrument.
Ratings Pros: Cons: Street: Fender Acoustasonic Stratocaster | Tones: Playability: Build/Design: Value: |
Most of us probably think of electric/audio-visual hybrid guitars every bit a relatively modernistic design concept. But they are an idea that has existed since the electric guitar was born—even if they have endured a protracted and awkward adolescence. Early on and mid-century explorations of electric/acoustic hybridization yielded curiosities as varied and weird every bit the Martin 00-18E, Gibson J-160, and the Danelectro Convertible, and seemed to question the hybrid guitar'south raison d'être: Should a hybrid be an audio-visual that can be amplified, or an electric that can sound more similar an acoustic?
As sound systems grew more than powerful—creating feedback headaches for acoustic players and sound technicians the globe over—electric/acoustic hybrids found a very existent and practical reason to exist. By the 1980s, a more consistent design ethos emerged, likewise: slim-bodied instruments that combined comfy electric guitar dimensions and playability with piezo pickups that delivered passably acoustic-ish tone. Every bit performance tools, they served a purpose. But for the most part, the mix of piezo tones and slim, less-than-resonant bodies left a lot to be desired.
Fender'south new Acoustasonic Stratocaster, which follows on the heels of concluding twelvemonth's Acoustasonic Telecaster, is, in some superficial respects, an evolution of those slim-bodied hybrids. But information technology as well takes many leaps ahead in terms of style, sound, blueprint, and performance potential. Thanks to an excellent acoustic imaging system designed with Fishman, the Acoustasonic generates digitally voiced variations on classic flattop tones that are startlingly authentic in many settings.
But information technology also sounds, feels, and plays like a well-built—and very light—Fender solidbody. And in an age where eclectic home-recording projects and small spaces make a one-size-fits-all guitar an appealing proposition, the super-playable, high-quality, and endlessly entertaining Acoustasonic Stratocaster is a very intriguing solution.
Design Rooted in Diverse Intentions
Though yous could guess at the Acoustasonic'due south intent at a glance (the soundhole is a less-than-subtle hint), the familiar lines muffle many intricate pattern elements. While the profile suggests a solidbody design, the Acoustasonic is put together a lilliputian like a regular flattop. The mahogany trunk is routed in a way not dissimilar from a Rickenbacker. The lightly braced Sitka spruce pinnacle (which, on our guitar, is the section finished in black) is then laid into the body where it's secured by the 4-ply black-and-white binding. The soundhole is a separate piece of mahogany that's affixed to the top past a wider ring of binding. Information technology is no mere adornment, though. Y'all hear the Acoustasonic Stratocaster in a much more organic way for it'southward presence. In most other respects, the Acoustasonic looks and feels similar an electric Stratocaster.
Fender was bold with the Acoustasonic pattern, from a visual perspective. From certain views information technology looks like a cubist deconstruction of a Stratocaster trunk—particularly in the high-contrast-color black and ruby-red finishes. Other angles flatter the layered profiles less. To my eye, colors that contrast less with the mahogany make for a more counterbalanced visual whole. The soft transparent sonic blue and natural finishes, for instance, are especially complimentary to the cocoa hues of the torso and highlight the elegance in the compound curves. But it would be overnice if there were an choice for a mahogany, or more mahogany-colored, top.
The most remarkable slice of engineering in the Acoustasonic might be the intuitive ease with which you can express yourself.
A Case of Mistaken Identity
If you lot delve into the engineering intricacies backside the Acoustasonic before you play, y'all might worry that this guitar is a scattering to manage. But the nearly remarkable piece of engineering in the Acoustasonic might be the intuitive ease with which yous can express yourself. The guitar feels fantastic. It's incredibly light, and the neck, with it'southward 12" radius, "Deep-C" profile, and narrow-tall frets, manages to feel slinky, fast, and quintessentially Fender while facilitating flattop-style technique. That Fender and Fishman were able to aqueduct the sounds and functionality of half-dozen digital audio-visual images, a torso-sensing pickup, an undersaddle transducer, and a noiseless electric via two knobs and a five-way switch is impressive. And the system is very easy to apply.
The Fishman imaging system doesn't utilise digital models, only a circuitous mix of analog and digital processing that combines with the torso backdrop of the instrument to approximate the voice of various acoustic guitar types. On the Acoustasonic Strat, yous can blend and move between dreadnought images and smaller-bodied guitar images using the aft "mod" knob. But y'all tin can besides mix the resonance from the body sensor with a dreadnought image in the third position, blend a dreadnought vox with a clean electric tone from the magnetic pickup in position ii, or blend semi-clean and dirty electrical tones in position 1.
The audio-visual images are ofttimes surprisingly authentic and rich. And while you probably wouldn't error the Strat's "Sitka spruce and mahogany dreadnought" epitome for a vintage D-18 if y'all played them side by side, in a recording or performing mix the acoustic images can sound very disarming. The electric sounds are lovely, as well, and the position-ii blend of "spruce/rosewood dreadnought" image and a clean, very Stratocaster-similar electric tone is particularly full of possibilities.
I tracked several of these sounds every bit a vocal by plugging the guitar directly into an interface, and even without EQ or reverb the mix sounded very much as though information technology was assembled from several different guitars and real acoustic instruments. Information technology's incommunicable not to be intrigued past the recording potential of the Acoustasonic—particularly if you're a player that likes layered and varied guitar textures merely doesn't accept the space for five different guitars. It could too be a huge asset for artists for whom the guitar is not the sole or primary focus. In this respect, many gimmicky musicians that motion readily and speedily between guitar, keyboard, and sampled sounds volition find the Acoustasonic Stratocaster invaluable.
The Verdict
Whether yous use the Acoustasonic Stratocaster for demos, studio tracking, performance, or practice, it gives yous a broad palette of satisfying and inspirational sounds to work with. As a holistic, ergonomic engineering effort it's impressive equally well—making it piece of cake to generate and record wildly varied tones and moods with a few simple knob adjustments and a flick of the selector switch. Plus, it's calorie-free and feels effortless under the fingers. The unapologetically non-traditional styling may put off a few purists. But in terms of comfort, performance, and pure utility, the Acoustasonic Stratocaster is a praiseworthy piece of guitar engineering science brimming with possibilities.
Source: https://www.premierguitar.com/gear/reviews/fender-acoustasonic-stratocaster