The first couple of times I noodled around with it Id just played it acoustic.
It sounds fantastic and its the most comfortable acoustic Ive ever played.
But a hollow-body Stratocaster can only make so much sense until you plug it in.
Im a beginning player.
First, I play it with the volume knob down to demonstrate the acoustic tone.
Finally, I choose the position one electric setting and play it through the amp again.
The overdriven tone of position one is out of this world.
Theres more crunch there than I expected from a Stratocaster voice, acoustic or otherwise.
Ive been noodling with it for a few weeks and Im still blown away every time I hear it.
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As an acoustic, its mindbogglingly good for a guitar that looks nearly the same size as a Strat.
The Acoustasonic Strat has ten voices.
Each voice is distinct, which makes this guitar very conducive to different play styles.
In the studio, this things incredibly versatile.
For pro or gigging guitar players, this probably wont replace your favorite Stratocaster or Dreadnought.
It makes minor concessions that put it in an all-together different category.
On the electric side, youll have to get used to a wound G string.
On the acoustic side, well, its shaped like a Stratocaster.
Also, the acoustic voices are a bit warm.
As an electric, it draws a lot of attention to the flaws in your technique.
This is a good thing though.
This guitar forces me play better.
On the other side of the equation its also a pretty nifty acoustic for a beach bum.
When you break this out around the bonfire its going to catch everybodys attention.
If theres one thing Fender did not sacrifice, its amazing unplugged tone.
However the concession here is that its not quite as loud or resonant as most dedicated acoustics Ive played.
Specifications (screenshots via Fender.com):
I think this guitar is an all-time great in the looks department.
I also get tickled at the idea that this guitar has a USB charging port.
Fender says it lasts 20 hours and that sounds about right to me.
Per the usual, I do have a couple small quibbles with this product.
First, the neck is a tad wider than Im used to.
If you like the newer modern C you could disregard this gripe.
The other bother I found was in how loud and clicky the selector switch is.
As a tech person, I find this guitar fascinating.
To the best of my knowledge theres nothing else out there like it.
As a beginning guitar player, Im keen on the idea of learning to play on this six-string.
The acoustic tone works almost like a mini-monitor when Im quietly playing scales and practicing riffs.
Its easier to tell when Im screwing up.
But its also a kick-ass rocker I can play metal on too.
The bottom line: The Acoustasonic Stratocaster is a glorious monster.
If youre a beginner, itll challenge you to get better.
I cant think of a guitar made recently that Id rather have, and thats saying a lot.
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