Fender FA-125CE AUS-0971113532-COMBO-STD Acoustic-Electric Guitar: Full Review

The Fender FA-125CE is an affordable dreadnought cutaway acoustic-electric guitar, ideal for beginner and intermediate players looking for a well-built and easy-to-play instrument. Part of Fender's Performer series, the FA-125CE offers great bang for your buck with its laminate wood construction, Fishman preamp system, and smooth satin-finish mahogany neck.

While it doesn't have the rich, complex tone of Fender's premium solid wood models, the FA-125CE still delivers balanced and resonant dreadnought tones. The cutaway body provides excellent access to the upper frets, making it a versatile choice for diverse musical styles. Overall, the FA-125CE is a reliable workhorse acoustic-electric that punches above its weight class.

Body Style and Construction

The Fender FA-125CE acoustic-electric guitar features a classic dreadnought cutaway body design. This large, deep body shape provides a full, rich, and resonant tone that acoustic guitars are prized for.

The use of a single-cutaway design allows easier access to the upper frets, making it more comfortable for playing solos, lead lines, and melodies up the neck. While a standard dreadnought limits access to the upper register, the cutaway opens up the entire fretboard.

Dreadnoughts are among the most popular acoustic guitar shapes due to their versatility. The FA-125CE combines this highly playable body style with modern appointments like the cutaway and built-in electronics. This makes it a great choice for both acoustic rhythm playing and amplified performance situations.

The FA-125CE's dreadnought cutaway body gives it a clear advantage over concert-sized acoustics in terms of projection and dynamic range. The large body produces louder and more complex tones. While smaller-bodied guitars often sound more articulated and focused, the FA-125CE provides the full-bodied voice that dreadnought aficionados love.

The dreadnought body style has been popular for decades, with its origins tracing back to early 20th century Martin guitars. The big, booming dreadnought sound has powered countless recordings and live performances. From folk and country to rock and modern pop, the dreadnought is an icon of the acoustic guitar world.

Fender's FA-125CE combines the best elements of traditional dreadnought design with modern enhancements. The cutaway allows easy upper fret access while the Fishman electronics provide plug-and-play amplified tones. Guitarists looking for an affordable, great-sounding, and easy-playing acoustic-electric can't go wrong with the full-bodied voice of the FA-125CE.

Another high-quality dreadnought acoustic-electric worth considering is the Altamira N100. This guitar features a solid cedar top and mahogany back/sides for robust acoustic resonance. The slim neck profile is ideal for fast, comfortable playing. Like the Fender, the Altamira N100 utilizes a cutaway dreadnought design with built-in electronics. Between its clear articulation and the Fishman Presys preamp, the N100 is capable of natural acoustic tones just as well as amplified performance. Players looking for top-tier dreadnought sound without breaking the bank will appreciate the quality and value offered by the Altamira N100.

Tonewoods

The Fender FA-125CE features a laminated spruce top, a popular choice of tonewood for the soundboard of acoustic guitars. Spruce is lightweight and responsive, providing crisp highs, balanced mids, and tight low end. Despite being laminated rather than solid wood, the spruce top offers impressive resonance and volume projection.

The back and sides are made from mahogany, an excellent tonewood that produces warm, rounded lows and smooth mids. Mahogany's balanced tone pairs nicely with the spruce top, resulting in an acoustic guitar with a pleasing blend of brightness and body. Together, the spruce and mahogany body woods generate rich, full-bodied acoustic tones.

Many guitars at this price point use more affordable basswood or other composite materials for the back and sides. The all-wood construction certainly helps the FA-125CE punch above its weight in terms of sound quality. While not as fancy looking as flame maple or rosewood, the spruce and mahogany body offer excellent value, ideal for beginners seeking great acoustic tones without breaking the bank.

When it comes to acoustic-electric guitars like the FA-125CE, the choice of tonewoods also impacts the amplified tone. The spruce and mahogany body provides a balanced and natural acoustic character when plugged in. This allows the guitar's preamp and EQ to shape the tone, rather than fighting against excessive brightness or boominess often found in cheaper laminate guitars.

For players seeking an affordable acoustic-electric with quality tonewoods, the Gretsch G2622T-P90 2807500588 is another great option around the same price. It features a solid spruce top with mahogany back and sides, resulting in impressive acoustic resonance and balanced electric tones. The classic body shape and Broad'Tron BT-2S pickup make it an excellent choice for traditional acoustic-electric tones across a variety of musical styles.

Neck and Fretboard

The FA-125CE features a smooth maple neck and walnut fretboard with 20 frets. The maple neck provides stability and durability while adding some brightness to the guitar's tone. Maple is a common choice for acoustic-electric necks due to its resonant qualities.

The walnut fretboard offers a pleasing contrast to the maple neck while providing a comfortable and fast playing feel. Walnut has a slightly warmer, darker tone compared to rosewood or ebony, adding some harmonic complexity to the guitar. The 20 frets give you plenty of room for soloing up and down the neck.

The neck has a 25.3” scale length and a 1.69” nut width, which is comfortable for most playing styles. It has a C-shaped profile that fits nicely in the hand. The satin finish on the back of the neck allows for smooth playability.

Overall, the maple neck and walnut fretboard combo offers a great feel while providing the balanced tone Fender is known for. The smooth neck and 20 easily accessible frets make this a very playable and enjoyable guitar.

Electronics

The Fender FA-125CE features Fishman electronics, including an under-saddle pickup and preamp system. This helps produce a natural amplified tone, preserving the inherent sound of the dreadnought body and spruce top.

The Fishman preamp includes volume and tone controls, allowing you to shape your amplified sound. There's also a built-in tuner, providing convenience if you need to tune on the fly. The Fishman pickup and preamp deliver excellent amplified tones comparable to more expensive acoustic-electrics.

The electronics package as a whole is well-suited to this guitar's design and price point. It's a great option for plugging in and amplifying your acoustic tone in live performances or recordings. The preamp is easy to operate, gives you control over your tone, and produces impressive plugged-in sound.

Hardware

The Fender FA-125CE features quality hardware that enhances its playability and intonation. It has chrome die-cast tuning machines that provide precise and smooth tuning stability. The tuners are mounted in a straight string pull configuration for optimal down pressure, resulting in great sustain and resonance.

The compensated saddle is another noteworthy piece of hardware. Compensated saddles are designed to improve a guitar's intonation by accounting for the slight variance in string gauge. This saddle compensates for the thicker bass strings by positioning them slightly farther back. The result is excellent intonation across the entire fretboard, allowing for accurate tuning and chords up and down the neck. The compensated saddle makes the FA-125CE an impressively in-tune acoustic-electric guitar.

Sound Quality

The Fender FA-125CE delivers a balanced tone that works for a variety of musical styles. The spruce top produces bright, articulate highs while the mahogany back and sides provide warmth and resonance in the midrange and low end. This guitar can produce clear fingerstyle tones as well as robust strumming for rhythm playing.

The built-in Fishman preamp and EQ gives you control over shaping the FA-125CE's tone. It has bass, mid, and treble controls so you can dial in just the right EQ curve for your needs. Turn up the bass to fill out the low end or boost the treble for more sparkling highs. The mid control lets you shape the core of the guitar's tone. Overall the EQ is quite versatile and allows you to craft tones ideal for any style, from soft and warm jazz chord melodies to bright country strumming.

Playability

The Fender FA-125CE acoustic-electric guitar features a slim neck profile and low string action, making it very comfortable and easy to play. The neck has a 25.3" scale length, 1.69" nut width, and 20 frets. It uses a "Modern C" neck shape, which is slimmer and less rounded compared to traditional acoustic neck profiles. This results in excellent playability for chord shapes and lead playing up and down the neck.

The action from the factory is set low, thanks to the truss rod in the neck. This allows the strings to be closer to the frets, requiring less pressure to fret notes and chords. Lower action significantly improves playability, reducing hand fatigue. It's especially beginner-friendly, as new players won't have to press down as hard on the strings.

Overall, the slim neck, low action, and smooth neck finish of the FA-125CE make it a very comfortable and easy acoustic-electric guitar to play. It excels for rhythm and lead playing, accommodating different hand sizes and playing styles. The modern feel of the neck and fretboard aids in versatility and accessibility for guitarists.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• The Fender FA-125CE delivers a clear and balanced amplified tone. The under-saddle piezo pickup and preamp system provide a natural acoustic sound when plugged in.

• This guitar offers great value for the price point. Fender is known for quality guitars across price ranges, and the FA-125CE upholds the brand's reputation while keeping costs down.

• The slim C-shaped neck profile provides comfort for playing over long periods. It's easy to wrap your hand around for chording and soloing.

Cons

• As a budget model, the FA-125CE may not have the same level of build quality and componentry as a high-end acoustic-electric. The tonewoods, hardware, and electronics are serviceable but basic.

• Those who prefer the richer tones of all solid wood guitars may find the FA-125CE's laminate top limiting. While still sounding good amplified, it lacks some acoustic resonance when unplugged.

• The preamp offers no tone shaping controls like EQ or Tuner, just volume. Players wanting more ways to shape their amplified sound may need to use outboard gear.

Conclusion

The Fender FA-125CE is a great entry-level amplified acoustic guitar for beginners and enthusiasts looking for the trusted Fender name. It features a classic dreadnought body shape with a spruce top and mahogany back and sides, producing balanced tone across the frequency range. The cutaway body and Fishman preamp give players easy access to higher frets while amplifying their acoustic tone.

While it doesn't have the richness and projection of Fender's premium acoustics, the FA-125CE punches above its weight class. It excels as a practice and jamming instrument, especially paired with the built-in tuner. The slim neck and low action facilitate easy playability while the Fishman pickup captures Fender's signature acoustic voice.

For those seeking their first amplified acoustic or a reliable grab-and-go guitar, the FA-125CE is an impressive value. Its quality components and Fender styling make it a great entry point into the world of amplified acoustic instruments. Beginners and casual players will appreciate its comfortable feel and versatile amplified tones.