Fender 0970722008 Acoustic Guitar: Full Review

The Fender Malibu Player Acoustic Guitar is a new entry into Fender's California series of acoustic guitars. Coming from the iconic American guitar brand Fender, the Malibu features classic, easy-playing dreadnought construction and a bright tone, making it an appealing choice for all levels of acoustic guitarists. This is an introductory model aimed at providing solid build quality, playability, and sound at a budget price point.

The Malibu Player is crafted with a solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides, along with a mahogany neck and walnut fingerboard. It produces rich, balanced acoustic tones across the frequency range, with crisp highs and robust lows. The guitar's slim neck profile and low action facilitate easy fretting and comfortable playing over long practice sessions or gigs. Overall, this is a versatile, well-made instrument suitable for various styles, from strumming chords to fingerpicking melodies.

In this review, we will take a closer look at the construction, hardware, electronics, sound quality, playability, aesthetics, included accessories, and alternatives of the Fender Malibu Player. We aim to provide a comprehensive overview to help you determine if this new acoustic model suits your needs as a developing or hobbyist guitarist.

Construction

The Fender Malibu Player is constructed with a solid sitka spruce top, mahogany back and sides, and a mahogany neck. The combination of spruce and mahogany contributes to the guitar's balanced tone and articulation.

Spruce is a popular tonewood for acoustic guitar tops, prized for its lightweight and resonant properties that help project sound. It offers clarity in the mid and high frequencies. Mahogany lends a smooth, rounded quality to the midrange, with good distinction between notes. The mahogany neck provides stability and sustains notes longer.

Overall, the woods used in the Malibu Player are geared towards an acoustic with definition and balanced tone across the frequency spectrum. The construction utilizes traditional materials tried and tested for their acoustic properties.

The choice of tonewoods has a significant impact on the sound profile of an acoustic guitar. Spruce and mahogany are two of the most commonly used woods that complement each other well. However, other wood combinations can also produce excellent instruments, such as cedar tops with rosewood backs and sides found on the Yamaha FG830 TBS. The Yamaha FG830 uses solid Sitka spruce for the top coupled with rosewood back and sides. This produces an acoustic guitar with strong projection, sparkling highs, and rich low end. The dreadnought body further boosts its volume and bass response. While the Malibu Player goes for a balanced tone, the Yamaha targets power and depth. The construction and wood materials have a major impact on the voice of the guitar.

Beyond the tonewoods, other factors in the construction process affect the final instrument. These include the bracing patterns, neck joints, bridge material, saddle and nut material, and final finish. Careful craftsmanship is required to translate the design into a quality acoustic guitar. Attention to detail with the construction directly correlates to the playability, structural integrity, and tone of the guitar. Master luthiers combine artistry with engineering to build guitars capable of inspiring musicians.

While the Malibu Player takes a traditional approach with its solid wood construction, some modern enhancements include scalloped bracing for better resonance and high-end response. The neck incorporates a truss rod for adjustability and reinforced polymer nut and saddle for clearer articulation. The construction balances the conventional with some contemporary appointments to enhance the acoustic properties. Overall, the materials and techniques used in building the Malibu Player come together to produce a quality, professional-level acoustic guitar.

Sound

The Fender Malibu Player California series combines solid Sitka spruce tops with mahogany back and sides to produce a balanced, articulate tone. The all-mahogany body generates rich lows and pleasing sustain while the solid spruce top adds shimmer up top. It's a versatile acoustic guitar tonewood combination capable of everything from strumming chords to fingerstyle playing.

The mahogany back and sides offer a natural compression that evens out the response across the tonal spectrum. This allows the Malibu Player to handle heavier strumming without distorting or getting overly boomy. The spruce top provides crisp highs with complex overtones that ring out clearly. Together they create a balanced voice that is articulate when picked yet also full during strumming.

The mahogany neck further enhances the warm, rounded tone. Its smoothness blends seamlessly with the resonance of the body woods. Overall, the Malibu Player delivers a versatile acoustic voice that handles both lead lines and rhythm parts while retaining Fender's characteristic sparkle and clarity.

Fender is known for making high-quality acoustic guitars with great sound. One of their newer models is the Fender HIGHWAYDREADNATRW. This is a dreadnought style acoustic with a solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides. It produces a balanced and articulate tone perfect for various playing styles.

The Highway Dreadnaut has a rich low end thanks to the mahogany body. The solid spruce top adds shimmer and sparkle to the treble frequencies. Together they create a versatile guitar that handles lead lines as well as strumming chords. The mahogany neck provides a smooth feel that enhances resonance and sustain.

Some key features of the Highway Dreadnaut include a bone nut and saddle, die-cast chrome tuners, and a compensated bridge saddle. It has a 25.3" scale length and 21 frets on the rosewood fingerboard. The body binding and rosette add an elegant visual aesthetic.

Players praise the Highway Dreadnaut for its quality construction and great value. It punches above its price point with impressive volume, sustain, and tone. The mahogany and spruce combination provides a balanced sound across the tonal spectrum.

Fender did a great job voicing this dreadnought for versatility. It handles fingerstyle playing nicely but also has the punch for heavier strumming. The crisp highs blend well with the tight low end. Overall, the Highway Dreadnaut combines classic tonewoods with modern playability.

The Highway Dreadnaut joins Fender's California Series as an affordable option. It has the warm, vintage-inspired voice expected from an all-mahogany dreadnought. The spruce top adds shimmer and articulation to the treble. This guitar covers various musical styles with its balanced and responsive tone.

For players looking for a great sounding dreadnought acoustic, the Highway Dreadnaut is worth checking out. It delivers impressive value by combining Fender's craftsmanship with premium tonewoods. The versatile sound palette works for lead playing as well as rhythm guitar. Overall, it's another quality acoustic from the iconic Fender brand.

Playability

The playability of the Fender Malibu Player acoustic guitar is excellent overall. The C-shaped mahogany neck has a smooth satin finish that feels very comfortable and allows for fast, fluid playing.

The 25.3” scale length along with the slim taper neck profile creates a nice balance of comfort and playability. The neck width at the nut is 1.69” which provides a good amount of room for chording and fretting while still feeling slim enough for smaller hands.

The lightly rolled fingerboard edges prevent sharp corners from digging into your hand during long practice or playing sessions. The 20 medium jumbo frets are finished smoothly and don't have any sharp ends to irritate your fingers.

The lightweight and balanced body along with the comfortable neck shape and profile make this an easy and enjoyable guitar to play either seated or with a strap while standing. It's very responsive and lends itself well to lead playing and soloing.

Hardware

The Fender Malibu Player is equipped with quality hardware that enhances its playability and sound. The guitar features open-geared chrome tuners with vintage-style fender buttons. These tuning machines keep the strings in tune excellently while adding a classic aesthetic.

The bridge is also noteworthy, utilizing a synthetic bone nut and saddle. The bone nut helps provide clear and resonant tones, while the saddle gives bright and balanced sound across all six strings. The saddle is specifically engineered with an offset string break that increases vibration and sustain. Overall, the hardware components on the Malibu Player are thoughtfully designed to maximize the guitar's musicality.

Electronics

The Malibu Player features a Fishman Sonitone undersaddle pickup and preamp system, which is known for providing excellent amplification and sound reproduction. The preamp has volume and tone controls, allowing you to shape your amplified tone.

The Fishman preamp is seamlessly integrated into the guitar, with easy-to-use controls and a built-in tuner. The undersaddle pickup accurately captures the guitar's natural acoustic sound. Fishman is one of the top names for acoustic amplification, making this an excellent choice.

The preamp includes a phase switch to prevent feedback at higher volumes. The tone control allows shaping of the EQ, providing a balanced tone when plugged into an external amp or PA system. The pickup and preamp deliver great amplified sound while retaining the guitar's all-around acoustic character.

Overall, the Fishman electronics provide high-quality amplification without compromising the Malibu's inherent warm, balanced unplugged tone. This is an ideal acoustic guitar amplification system for stage use or recording.

Aesthetics

The Malibu Player combines classic Fender style with contemporary enhancements. It comes in three attractive finish options - Natural, Sunburst, and Black.

The Natural finish shows off the all-solid wood construction, with a spruce top and mahogany back and sides. This light tan look allows the wood grain to shine through.

The Sunburst option features a tobacco brown sunburst pattern on the top, with lighter tan sides and back. This elegant vintage aesthetic nods to Fender's long history while putting a modern spin on their classic designs.

Finally, the Black finish gives the Malibu Player a sleek, modern vibe. The deep black top, back, and sides have a glossy sheen that dresses up this instrument.

All three finishes use an elegant pearloid rosette and body binding to provide a classy accent. The Malibu Player's available colors let you choose the perfect match for your style and musical tastes.

Accessories

The Fender Malibu Player comes with a few useful accessories included.

Gig Bag

The Malibu Player includes a padded gig bag to protect the guitar during transport and storage. The gig bag features backpack straps for easy carrying. The soft interior lining prevents any scratches or dings to the instrument. While not a hard case, the included gig bag provides adequate protection for bringing your guitar to lessons, band practice or shows.

Strings

Extra strings are also included with the guitar. Having backup strings on hand ensures you won't be sidelined by a broken string at an inopportune moment. The included Fender strings match the factory strings, so you can quickly swap them out if needed. It's recommended to change strings regularly to keep your guitar sounding its best.

Alternatives

The Fender Malibu Player is a great affordable option for those looking for a quality all-solid wood acoustic guitar. However, there are some comparable models worth considering as alternatives from other top brands:

• Taylor Academy 12e - This is another all-solid mahogany acoustic-electric guitar perfect for players looking for Taylor's signature sound at a more budget-friendly price point. It has a slightly smaller body than the Malibu but impressive tonal qualities.

• Martin Special X Series - Martin's Special X series features all-solid wood construction with Fishman electronics. The X1AE model is most comparable to the Malibu Player in size, build materials, and electronics. Martin's reputation for expert craftsmanship applies even at lower price points.

• Yamaha FS800 - Yamaha offers an all-solid spruce and mahogany acoustic with their FS800 model. It's comparable in size to the Malibu Player and comes in around the same affordable price range, appealing to beginners seeking Yamaha's known quality and reliability.

• Seagull S6 Original - This all solid wood acoustic by Seagull Guitars offers a slightly wider neck profile but comparable build quality and sound at a similar price point as the Malibu Player. Seagull is respected for making quality acoustics with rich sound.

While the Malibu Player stands on its own merits, players shopping in this price range would do well to try some of these other models by top acoustic brands to find the right fit for their needs and preferences. The Malibu Player acoustic offers excellent bang for your buck, but has some close competitors.

Summary

The Fender Malibu Player is an excellent acoustic guitar for a variety of players and purposes. It has a balanced and vibrant tone, making it suitable for strumming chords or fingerstyle playing. The smaller concert body size makes it comfortable for playing over long periods while still providing ample projection.

Some of the key pros of this guitar are the solid spruce top which gives it a bright, articulate sound, and the mahogany back and sides which add warmth and richness to the tone. The slim neck profile with rolled fingerboard edges makes it an accessible instrument for beginners while still feeling great for more advanced players. It stays in tune well thanks to the synthetic bone nut and saddle.

Potential cons are the lack of electronics which could be limiting for some players who want to plug in for live performances or recording. It also does not come with a hard case, only a padded gig bag. However, the excellent build quality and sound make this a hard guitar to beat in its price range.

Overall, the Malibu Player is an ideal choice as a first guitar or as an affordable second acoustic for gigs and practice. It punches above its weight in terms of features and tone, and is built to last. For players looking for a great all-round acoustic with classic Fender looks and vibe, the Malibu Player delivers excellent value.