Like the Tele, we've got a master volume control and five-position lever Voice Selector. The Acoustasonic Stratocaster is not a bad guitar, it is in fact, a great guitar. If it lacks the depth and power of a full steel-string acoustic it nonetheless has a three-dimensional tone profile that belies the avant-garde design. The bridge pickup through an electric rig is fun and games, especially with some raw heat from an overdriven amp. The electronics feature knobs for master volume and a Mod control that blends the voices you have selected via the five-way blade-style switch. Superb innovation. There’s a very ‘open book’ vibe here. Rhythmic taps and percussive raps on the soundboard come across as organic and musical. You could pretty much find a place for this in anything from old blues to modern country, or more classic Americana or altrock. While there’s only one sound pair where you can blend acoustic and electric, it’s extremely well voiced. If it lacks the depth and power of a full steel-string acoustic it nonetheless has a three … No compensated saddle for an unwound third string. With its natural or coloured inset spruce top, it initially appears far less modern than its original sibling, albeit far from our vintage friends. © In many cases, via dual outputs, you can use two amps – one for the acoustic side, the other for the magnetic. Shape aside, there is little difference in its construction from the Telecaster version. The active electronic circuit is charged via USB and offers a lot of potential. One charge should last you 20 hours of playing time. The voicing of that bridge pickup is superb and the clean, hair and hairier crunch will soon have you rocking out. With range of quality amplified acoustic tones. The Acoustasonic Strat ups the ante with an even more versatile range of tones than the superb Telecaster, and its inventive hybrid build remains a joy to play. The big PCB, which has over 380 components, we’re told, is a very alien sight – about the only ‘normal’ thing is the five-way lever switch! Throw a little fuzz or drive pedal in front of it and the Acoustasonic Strat really comes alive. All rights reserved. But even still, it does feels like a paradigm shift for guitar design. © We've seen the Acoustasonic idea in practice, liked it, and, why not, indeed? Fender was bold with the Acoustasonic design, from a visual perspective. It has an immediately impressive acoustic voice. There are smaller body voicings that are huge. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. And if push comes to shove, we prefer it to the original Telecaster. Even before you plug in to explore the different acoustic and electric voices, it has a surprisingly strong and full voice, and while it obviously won’t challenge even the smallest of acoustic steel-strings for volume and depth, it’s roomy and resonant, an inviting playing experience. Receive mail from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors? It has an immediately impressive acoustic voice. But until then, for the creative musician, or simply someone who wants quality acoustic sounds in a very easy and ergonomic package, there’s nothing quite like this. Our first impressions with the Acoustasonic Strat would suggest that Fender is fast-perfecting the Acoustasonic recipe. And that’s exactly what it is and it leans almost as heavily as the Telecaster on those amplified acoustic voices. Played through an electric rig and the Acoustasonic can take to all kinds of styles. But the ‘deep C’ neck profile is exactly the same as Fender’s Professional series, except it has a slightly flatter fingerboard radius. As we mentioned in our introduction, however, it’s the unplugged acoustic sound that initially impresses with surprising volume and a strong mid-flavoured voice that you could probably put a mic in front of and capture quite an accurate acoustic archtop or even Selmer Maccaferri-ish voice. • Fender Acoustasonic Telecaster The Acoustasonic is reassuringly lightweight. BA1 1UA. With the same full list-price as the Fender American Elite Telecaster, you might think this Acoustasonic Telecaster is over-priced. We were surprised just how good a rhythm guitar this is with more crunch and gain than we’d considered. The lightweight electro-acoustic experience is a winner, too, playing to the compact form of the Stratocaster's strengths. Sure, we are not shocked by the Acoustasonic idiom, not having played it. That familiarity certainly informs this new 2020 Stratocaster version. But the Acoustasonic? By design, the Acoustasonic platform is about much more than simply giving you some pretty impressive acoustic sounds. Receive news and offers from our other brands? You'll find a bit more heft to the tone than with a regular Strat, but there is a little less sustain. Setup on our sample was pretty much bang on 1.6mm on treble and bass sides. Bath There are five pairs of voices (A and B) that you can use individually or blend together via the Mod control. Review: Fender American Acoustasonic Stratocaster Fender follows the Acoustasonic Telecaster with a double-cut version, complete with a range of … It’ll probably be the lightest Strat in your collection, and even though it’s very slightly heavier than the Tele we reviewed last year, at 2.32kg (5.1lb) it’s light in anyone’s book. Like the Tele, it’s a full Fender-scale bolt-on but with acoustic strings, including a wound third string, acoustic-style bridge and compensated saddle – very much an acoustic/electric hybrid. The top and body are very resonant, and the tone emanating from the soundport has an interesting speaker-like compression akin to a resonator cone, where each note pops out with definition. This is bolted-on to a body comprising mahogany on the back and sides and an inset solid Sitka spruce top. Our first impressions with the Acoustasonic Strat would suggest that Fender is fast-perfecting the Acoustasonic recipe. It is well built with high quality materials in the USA, it has a plethora of tonal possibilities making it an almost endless source of potential combinations, and it offers something that no other instrument offers right now, nearly 10 instruments in one. The small LED will flash red when you’re down to about two hours of charge. The Acoustasonic Strat has a mahogany neck, carved into a modern ‘deep C’ profile a la the American Professional series. What we have in our hands right now is a clever hybrid between the steel-string acoustic and an electric guitar profile loaded with well-designed electronics. But we have lived with the Acoustasonic Tele for a year and it now feels part of the Fender lineup. Our test time only scratches the surface of the instrument’s potential. But what’s clearly visible is the hollow nature of the guitar and the two small longitudinal top braces running either side of that doughnut soundhole. There was a problem. The deep C profile is the same as those of Fender’s Professional series, but the fingerboard radius is marginally flatter. Players who like heavier strings on their electric will take to it like a duck to water.