As a touring session musician who predominantly works with pop acts, the Players Tele Acoustasonic has been a godsend piece of gear for me that solves a wide range of gripes I was experiencing with a more traditional acoustic. It 100% designed as a touring instrument imo, and those using it for applications in the studio are not really experiencing its true purpose. 1) the Fishman modelling system is an absolute god send and time saver when building patches. I have toured with my Taylor 414R or Maton EGB808 for 5 years prior, and the amount of Helix blocks and IR experimentation I had to do to pull a “natural” sounding non-piezo sound was ridiculous. With the Acoustasonic, I literally plugged it in using the modelling setting, preamp block, eq block, compression, reverb and have an infinitely more usable sound in a mix. The first tech rehearsal I did with it, our sound guy (who is an industry legend) said it was the best “plugged in” acoustic sound he’d ever heard in a mix. 2) flying: I can put it in a guitar vault with my electrics and saves space for another guitar. 3) no feedback on stage 4) don’t have to take my far more fragile acoustics that cost 4x the price on the road 5) bonus Tele bridge pickup, which also sits great in a mix, so it’s another option if I ever have any really quick guitar changeovers in a set. It allows me to stay on the same instrument The last one is a bit more of a unique point to me, but many of the artists I work with (and a lot of modern pop artists generally) use pretty “lofi” and crunchy sounding acoustics in their recordings. The acoustasonic nails this stuff too, especially in the dirty piezo middle position. Anyway, just thought I’d add my two cents, as I’ve noticed a lot of people focus on this as a studio instrument, when it is very clearly meant to excel in live applications as a versatile touring instrument that sits well in mixes. I think Fender’s rnd knocked it out of the park. Aesthetically, it’s an ugly motherfucker but it’s an amazing tool. I always say that this is the only guitar I’ve bought because I “needed” it, not “wanted” it

You can tell you’re being genuine because you read the user manual. I respect it

I gig with mine, I’m a solo, and I use a looper, and this allows me to get way more dynamic sound. I can loop up some acoustics and play some electric tones over it. It also handles pedals very well.

Everyone missed the big one. The thin body that still has a resonance chamber is fantastic for songwriters. Would be super comfy to just chill with and sketch of song ideas in. Also the tones would be perfectly serviceable for a demo recording.

My uncle is a gigging musician in KC. This is his favorite guitar to gig because it allows him to bring one guitar to get acoustic and electric tones. I hate the look, but tonally, it’s convincing of decent electric and acoustic tones especially in a live setting.

I found one of these on reverb for $499. It was supposed to be mint, but it arrived new in the factory box. This music store must have been dumping them because the listing remained after my purchase. I gave it to a singer songwriter friend who plays at local clubs. His initial reaction was a polite smile and a dismissive " he watched something on youtube" comment to his sound engineer. He strummed it a few times and handed back to me as if to say I wasted my money. I smiled and said "No good?. No problem". The next day he picked it up and started checking the variations. Then he got serious and hooked it up to his gig equipment. The next day he was changing parts of his acoustic set to transition from clean to dirty which made the guitar sound flow with the vocal intonations. It was great. Very creative. The next day he traded me his acoustic guitar for the acoustasonic. Now, it's his gig guitar.

We went to a local downtown bar for drinks and food. There was a 1-man band playing in the corner, with one of these. He was doing a decent job playing all different kinds of music. I could see him not wanting to lug around 2 different guitars, along with all the other equipment. Maybe I'm crazy, but that lick you played, sounded pretty dam good.

I was in an emo/alternative rock band and I had an American Acoustasonic Tele. It was pretty awesome to do the acoustic rhythms and arpeggios and switch to distorted choruses LIVE. It’s a very great BALLAD and writing guitar!

I think it has a niche within live Praise and Worship where it can be flexible for the player and the audience can barely tell the difference between acoustic and clean electric. As guitarists, we think other people can hear the difference when in fact many of them can barely tell if you hit the wrong note.

It’s a joy to live in such times. We get to pick whatever like, and it doesn’t matter.

I like this guitar. Even if you don't, you've kind of made me want one. I like the sound of the hybrid electric/acoustic. Playing around with it, you can get some cool stuff.

as a busking, traveling and worship guitarist, this guitar is such a versatile weapon in my arsenal. Yes, its not going to sound like a traditional acoustic or an electric, but i dont think of the guitar trying to replicate other guitars but rather as a hybrid instrument on its own. Having the ablility to switch tones with the flick of a switch, without changing the feel of the instrument is what makes it shine in my eyes. If you don't look at it as what it doesnt do, but rather look at what it does, it opens up so many opportunities to develop and expand upon songs, especially with build ups in worship. I respect this video, and yes, i do agree that this isn't the guitar for you. But, for someone who can't necessarily afford to have tons of stunning guitars and doesn't have the room, the acoustasonic has become my favourite guitar. (Plus, they're super light and insanely comfortable)

I mostly play 3 hour solo acoustic sets in bars and coffee shops. It’s useful to loop an acoustic progression and then switch to the lead sound and solo over top. I think if you are in a proper band playing in proper music venues such as yourself then you really don’t really have a need for it. It’s also easier to hold and play one of these for several hours than a traditional acoustic. I got the USA Jazzmaster used for around $1000. I think new they are overpriced. Enjoyed the video!

It's just not a product for you. Nothing wrong with not liking, or getting it. You gave it an honest shot, and let us know your thoughts. It's nice to know that people can form their own opinions on things.

Many people don’t get it until you get it. For me it’s a fantastic couch, campfire, and travel guitar. One big thing is that it’s not so wide like my dreadnoughts and is easier on me ergonomically.

The purpose of this guitar is for live players that don't want to lug a bunch of guitars to each gig. That's it. There's no mystery

Not sure what Rhett is hearing and feeling in the room, but out here it sounds gorgeous. Stellar playing too ❤

It makes perfect sense to me. At home it's just fun. And if you gigging low volume at a restaurant by yourself or with a singer you can dial up a tone that covers several genres of music without dragging loads of gear with you. One amp, one guitar, great gig.

Wife is a gigging musician and has the American Jazzmaster Acoustasonic and absolutely loves it. She runs it in the middle pickup position with the body sensor all the way up and hasn't brought her Taylor 714 to a gig since. Lighter weight, lighter action, thin, low/no feedback, it's great.

You got some really beautiful tones out of it. I can see why some people would like it. That was a very honest and fair review. If it wasn’t your cup of tea, I respect that.

Totally respect Rhett for his honest opinions. A lot in the industry won’t put out videos like this so as not “bite the hand that feeds you.”

I have the Strat version and it has an in body percussion pickup in addition to the other two that I really love. Just a hobbyist here playing it through a Spark Mini at my desk most of the time with reverb and a little delay. I love the thing because it's so much easier to sit down with than my dreadnought acoustic, and it's much quieter to use with headphones (or without) if you don't want to bother other people in the house.

I think it would be interesting as a "flavor" guitar to add layers to a guitar production. I also think it would be neat to record the guitar acoustically and record the guitar through an amp, same performance and blend them.

I have two American Acoustasonics…Strat and Tele. I’m an older player in a Classic rock band. I can take one guitar to any gig and have what I need, and, the light weight really helps reduce the arthritic pain from a heavy guitar. We do not use amps…just direct to pa from Fx. I love this guitar…and it works well for my situation.

This is my go-to for solo acoustic gigs. I run acoustic strings , and through a TC Body Rez, and it’s a great tone. For guitarists who stand while gigging, playing this light weight thinline guitar is much more comfortable than a standard acoustic.

I love my Acoustasonic Tele. Before it came out I found myself wishing I had an acoustic that played as easily as my electrics. Then these came out and there it was, so much easier to play. And I also find it cuts through the mix a lot better in a full band scenario than a regular acoustic. And yes, it doesn’t sound like a regular acoustic or a regular electric-it has different tones and different vibes than you usually hear-and I really dig it for bringing something new to the table.

I got one for about half off on Reverb. I like the tone options they have. I mostly do bedroom recording so I like having a guitar that can do a mix of different tones even if they aren't perfect. Its better than buying a bunch of VST's that end up costing more than the guitar.

What a honest, yet fair review. I really appreciated it.

I play in church most weeks, and it is perfect for that scenario (silent stage, quick dial in of sounds, ease of use when leading...) it has been consistently great and the sound guys also love it! (I have a J200 and rosewood PRS SE acoustic as well...but it just makes life easy and is lovely to play!)

You have to always remember guitarist hear tone and nuances that 98% of the audience doesn’t at your show. They just think that sounds like a guitar and can’t even hear the difference between a strat and a LP. So really this is a great gigging guitar.

I have one and love it! It’s my go for practice at home. Haven’t played a gig with it yet but wouldn’t think twice about gigging with it.

For my 2 cents, I like it. I’ve always hated playing acoustics, too big and bulky and prefer electronics but like the sounds of an acoustics. This is a great compromise. I’ve always wanted an acoustical guitar shaped like a tele or jazz master and then fender went and made one! Also am a fender fan boy, sometimes cool is cool and I like what I like and it does have to be the best to be cool. Sometimes we make things because we can make. Why? Because we can, that’s what fender did here and think yeah why not?

Brian Swerdfeger, who designed the Acoustasonic, is an old friend. One of the things that I got when I had the chance to play one (and interview Brian about it at the NAMM show where they debuted), is that it really is designed to run through a full-range, quality sound system. That was the original American-made version. Haven't played one of the Player versions, but, once I'd been clued into what the purpose was, it was a pretty satisfying experience when I got to take one home for a few days. Not up to my '64 Guild D-50, but I'd certainly gig with it or use it as a texture track on a recording.

Refreshing to see someone in your position take the approach you took in this review; i.e., "I've been judging the heck out of these things but in all honesty have almost no experience with them, so let me give a real try." Love it!

I picked one up for $600 new inbox, as a full-time working multi instrumentalist, I love this guitar. At most gigs, I am bringing a keyboard, my pedal board, and my saxophone, being able to bring one less guitar and get this variety of sounds that sound 80% as good as their single use counterpart… Is a godsend! I love your studio set up, you’re playing is fantastic, and I dug the track too!

I tried the jazzmaster version at my local music store and was impressed with the playability, light weight, and the ability to plug right into my reguar amp.

The good thing about gear is that it's subjective and not everything is for everyone. I certainly appreciate your take and the tune was fun!

I used to work at GC and I was saving up for one of these, American made, of course. To make a long story short, I ended up going with a Taylor 323ce and I can’t explain just how happy I still am with my decision 3 years later!

I have the American version. What I do is run it through a Yamaha acoustic amp with various simulated microphone models. By blending the mic models and adding a nice hall reverb, the guitar really comes to life in the studio. Using the on-board guitar models in the acoustasonic, you now have several different acoustic sounds all in one guitar rig. Sounds amazing and plays great with lower action than any conventional acoustic (micro tilt engaged).

It has an electric body and makes acoustic tones, which is why I like it. I much prefer the electric body over the acoustic. So it gives me the best of both worlds.

I loved seeing you produce a track with a new peace of gear. Felt so inspiring, even if you didn’t like the guitar.

Back when I was doing bar duo gigs I would 100% have played this over my nice Larrivee acoustic. More robust, more variety of tones, takes effects much better, less feedback, etc. And the people in the bar don't care if the "tone" isn't killer.

For me it’s all about comfort, it’s a nice way to get a decent acoustic sound with a guitar that is extremely comfortable to play.

Rhett!! love your videos and was really excited to see you give this guitar a run. As an owner and fan of this particular guitar I’m a bit sad that you didn’t like it as much as I do but that highlights why there are so many different guitars like there are so many different guitar players. I am always excited to hear your real feedback and honestly I didn’t expect this to be your favorite instrument. In your search of finding “who this guitar is for” I think it’s been said many times in the comments. This is for the “busking” vibe, or gigging musician who needs an acoustic sound every now and then. For me I find that I like playing this over my acoustic guitars live primarily b/c of how it feels to play. I often refer to this guitar as the acoustic guitar for electric players. I also really like to use this acoustasonic live along side another acoustic guitar as it sounds really great in the mix as a different but complimentary sound. If you haven’t returned it yet maybe experiment with some of that just for fun.

I imagine it might be a good choice/tool for stage show pit musicians. Great, honest review. Loved the respect you gave to Fender and the development team. Thank you.

I find it absolutely insane, that they left out the body percussion pickup in the player series. To me that in combination with what's shown in this video makes the "classic" acoustasonics a great all in one guitar for solo looping.

We use two of the USA models in our band Zru Vogue. We play direct into the mixer, we have digital drums, and we use headphones as monitors. They work great for the variety of our songs we play. I’ll even play thru an octave down pedal to get simulated bass, and rhythm at the same time.

Man I wish I had the money to spend $1000 on something I don't want 😂

I bought one of these and used it in a gig setting just me a looper and a mic kinda busking vibe. It was great for that so i used it as an electro acoustic. It is super light not noisy at all no chance of feedback but great using a good echo and a boss RC-20 loop station a big thumbs up from me its also super comfy to play with a great neck!!!!

Probably not a common thing, but I have a shoulder issue that makes playing even concert sized acoustics hurt after 15-20 minutes, so I got a Player Acoustasonic Tele and it's been great having something close to an acoustic that I can actually play for a while.

Good review Rhett. I have to concur 100%. I had essentially the same take on that guitar for a couple years now. I also am a huge Fender guy being born and raised in the lap of Southern California.

Love your Videos Rhett. Really good exposition on this one too. I've always been curious about it. I think the market they're shooting for is as a competitor for the Taylor T5Z. I've been looking at the Taylor, but this is a serious competitor in terms of price and similar functionality.

Hi thanks for this review! I had the player tele and then returned it for the American Strat Acoustasonic. The American one feels just amazing, the finishing on the neck it so nice. I end up playing it for hours as it is so light and easier to play than an acoustic. I really want to get a strandberg now after realizing how much more enjoyable it is to play a light guitar. You can play for hours without discomfort.

I actually ordered one of these after Christmas and it arrived this morning. The blonde (more yellow) Player Tele has been heavily discounted at various retailers here in the UK since Christmas so with about 30% off the price (below what people are trying to charge for used) I decided to get one. It certainly is an odd looking guitar and I’ve not been that keen on getting one in the past but in the few hours I’ve had it now I have to say it’s a very nicely made guitar. Mine had to be ordered in because the retailer ran out of stock but it’s still nearly two years since it was manufactured so I expect Fender have a lot of stock of these - watch out for discounts! I’m thinking of using it as my couch guitar as I’m kind of afraid anything nicer left on the couch is going to get damaged.

Really enjoying this track....thanks for the free music.

I appreciate how even when you clearly are really not digging the instrument, you go out of your way to look for something nice to say. And that ambient jam at the end was pretty sweet.

I have never tried one. That said, I really like the approach you took… kept an open mind, bought one to reduce bias, took time to try to understand it (read manual), played it pretty extensively in different ways/modes. Regardless of whether anyone agrees or disagrees, a useful, honest evaluation. 👍 I would still go and play one if I thought I may want one though.

The reason that I got mine was because I was playing in an acoustic duo. The acoustasonic gave me playability above the 15th fret for leads while still giving me an acoustic sound for strumming. This is a hybrid multipurpose guitar that will never be as good as single use instruments. However, when you need that flexibility it's good enough to do the show in both areas. I also strongly recommend running it through an amplifier designed and made for acoustic guitars. The tonal improvements are huge in the acoustic tone.

I once put a piezo under the bridge of a tele. routed it and put in a stereo jack socket. it sounded just like a magnetic pickup tele. an acoustic has a loss of vibration in certain ways in its construction that makes it sound 'right' to our conditioned ears.

I owned one for about a year, and liked the convenience of the acoustic/electric right in one place. In the end though, it wasn't quite acoustic enough for the acoustic songs, or "electric" enough for the grittier songs. I landed on a lovely epiphonr ej160e that does both better, in my opinion. Thanks for your thorough, honest review!

I love mine in a live setting. Does great with feedback and sounds wonderful when I need those those tones.

So far I love everything about that Guitar! The sound, the look, appears to play nice. I have a Fender Sonoran, and I love that guitar.

Seems like it would be a great versatile guitar for the coffee shop/bar/open mic performer. Beats dragging around several guitars and looks really cool too. If I didn't already own too many guitars, I'd consider buying one.

Thank you, Rhett, for keeping it real!

I quite enjoy my American Strat. It’s my favorite neck and I love the electric pickup. Works great in church and bar gigs.

I have an american one, and I love the body sensor on it to make percussion loops, it's also a great quiet guitar when you don't want to bother anyone at home. I also have electrics, and great acoustics, so I'm not missing out. It's a lot more comfortable to play than my acoustics(they do sound better, by a long shot, but I can't play them as long as the acoustasonic). They're not replacing anything, so for me it's another tool in the bag.

My wife got me one of these for Christmas in White! Talk about a great Christmas!!😉 I play in an Alt-Metal Band, but also do solo Acoustic Sets of 80's, 90's Rock Covers. I haven't put it though the paces you have, but so far I love it! Appreciate your honest opinion! Great video!!

As always great work on the vid. Ur attention to the audio and video and editing especially are greatly appreciated. I think ur opinion is very similar to a lot of lead guitar players. I do think they have a place tho 4 those of us who sing lead and play rhythm and take some leads or add layers or even those not in a full band situation. I just can't stare down at my pedal board the whole time. Less sh!t going on during each song keeps my focus on lyrics cuz ya know it's costly if that goes. Have a great '24

This guitar looks perfect for practicing notes on the couch, without having to plug to an amp.

Sounds surprisingly good with modulation. Pick outs sound way better than the full strums...but overall, it seems like it would be a cool addition to the quiver.

Fianlly a good review ! thank you so much !

Rhetts opinion is like comfortable because he owns over 40 string instruments and holds a hundred thousand dollar bank account. For most of us non-lucky-blessed-by -sheer-luck non digital influencers, this guitar is probably just pretty cool to own and definitely fun to play.

I've had the Acoustasonic Strat for a couple years now. It's a beautifully made guitar, very comfortable to play. My use case is playing at church every Sunday morning. Small church with a small band. My setup is guitar into the pod go and sending that signal direct to PA. Very simple, works well. The default guitar sound is good, doesn't feedback, and I use the pod go for a bit of compression, reverb, and delay. For that use case it's a very convenient, solid, and comfortable setup. I'm thinking about switching the pod go for maybe a HX stomp or some other small pedal so I could fit the whole setup into a gig bag. Overall, I'm happy with my setup and my sound.

This video to me shows how any guitar through a great amp sounds GREAT! And honestly, that Two Rock sounds GREAT!

well, you have rooms full of guitars and amps, so you can pick whatever you want to make sound. Some of us don't have your resources for equipment so something like this is appealing.

I could see one of those being useful in a musical theater setting where space is limited. Many books call for acoustics and electrics (sometimes in the same piece), so having the ability to use one instrument to cover both would be useful where space/setup doesn't allow for having a second guitar.

They look decent. Looks like an indie lofi country players dream

I liked most of the acoustic tones quite a bit. I'm not immediately jazzed about the look, but it sounds good.

It's a base for running the modeling guitar simulations through whatever effects you're running. That's the conclusion I came to 15 minutes into the video when he ran the "dreadnought" simulator through effects. What's the point of a modeling amp? "Why do these exist?" People get it: it's to simulate amps and effects they probably don't own, without having to add more amps and effects pedals to their collection of gear, until or unless that's a part of a sound they regularly use. So it's a modeling guitar for simulating a guitar or guitars one doesn't own, that they can run through the amps/effects they do own. Because not everyone owns "only" 6 guitars or "only" a dozen, etc. and yes; I realize a big chunk of KZfaq viewers subbing and watching gear guitar channels like this one do own more than a dozen guitars of various types for a range of sounds and situations, and are understandably scratching their heads over why Fender developed these. As for professionals, touring artists, composers, etc. Can't speak for any of those. Not me.

I have one and use it for acoustic sets where I primarily play an electric. It's less bulky than my Taylor and sounds pretty good. The dirty Tele settings works as a boost for solos on the acoustic tunes. I will say for what it is, it's a little pricey, and Im not a fan of the rechargeable thing, but it has served me well on solo and modern country band gigs.

15:17 love your playing from this section out. You are a great guitar player bro!! So much emotion and soul! Thank you 👍

From the beginning, I looked at the Acoustasonic series as Fender's stab at a Taylor T5. That guitar is polarizing in its own right. I happen to be one of the weirdos who loves the T5. And when I heard about the Acoustasonic series, I was thrilled with the idea of a Jazzmaster shaped T5 style guitar. I don't think it hits all the marks right, but I also recognize that it is largely a digital gimmick in its infancy. Maybe 5-10 years from now, there will be a revision that nails everything it was going for.

I have one, and love it. I play through a modeller, with no amp, no effects ... just a stereo room reverb. And in headphones is insanely beautiful. There is no way I could get such a beautiful and realistc acoustic sound in my home set up.

Rhett, quick question… what model watch is that? I love it.

I would definitely use one live with my band instead of a big acoustic. I would use it with a TC Bodyrez to enhance the acoustic quality, it sounds great with piezo.

I play in an acoustic duo and use a looper to do solos. My acoustasonic jaguar is great for this..and plus its so much easier on the hands than a traditional acoustic. It's not my favorite guitar but it is perfect for the need.

Thinking about one of these because it would still give an acoustic sound but be more comfortable during longer sessions with my shoulder.

i just love your chanel keep up the good work

I‘m actually surprised how good it sounds and the little difference to the custom telecaster. It’s a cool guitar and I would use it for a set half acoustic half electric - that would work pretty fine for me in a live setup.

I really like my pink paisley acoustasonic tele. I never got on with the ergonomics of regular teles, but I love the ebony fretboard and lightweight thin body of the acoustasonic. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Thanks for making this video! Ive been real tempted to get one because I play 3 hour cover gigs and I enjoy both electric and acoustic. But, bringing both guitars to every gig is kinda a lot. I would be interested to know if that slapping sound that ive grown to love on acoustic is convincing with the acoustic sonic, but i think after seeing this video, im just gonna have to man up and start bringing 2 guitars to my gigs. Thanks Rhett!

I can't play an acoustic anymore due to arthritis and this has been a huge help. Now I can still play. And don't have to change guitars for an electric sound. Not that it compares to my 54 Les Paul

The ambient looping stuff is where it shines, in my opinion. That's the plan for mine, and I really enjoy it.

I’ve seen Sting live in 2023… his son opened the show. He only had an American Acoustasonic Strat for his half-hour set. Got him through the cowboy chords, the small solos etc. If it’s enough for somebody with his possibilities, that says something. Much love

I got one of the Mexican built ones from Franklin guitar works on reverb for under 600 what a deal it was

It’s a live musicians guitar. I’ve been tempted to buy one for my acoustic duo project as it would allow me to strum through most of a song and then switch to the lead sound for a solo. For that purpose it’s perfect.

I feel like these would be great for performing in extreme weather conditions where traditional acoustics would break down. I’m on the lookout for a great deal on a used one. Until then I’m using a Squier tele when it’s hot and humid, light rain, or cold.

As someone that doesn't really like playing giant acoustics but loves the sound of them, this is interesting for the acoustic tones if nothing else. Those "#3 tones" sounded pretty good.

a friend of mine bought the stratacoustic when they first came out, nearly 20 years ago, I just happened to have the fender acoustisonic jr. amp, it was like they were made for each other!

I also like gear but as long as an artist/creator i come across with do a track, I automatically trust their choices, even if it would be with a ukulele toy, it sounded great man 👍