Fender 971757022 Acoustic Guitar: Full Review

The Fender Armstrong Hellcat Acoustic Guitar is a solid acoustic option for those looking for high quality tonewoods and a performance-oriented design. Part of Fender's Armstrong Collection, this model focuses on driving sound and expert craftsmanship.

The Hellcat features a dreadnought body style with a solid spruce top paired with solid mahogany back and sides. This tonewood combination provides balanced resonance, clarity and articulation. The mahogany neck offers smooth playability, while the rosewood fingerboard and bridge provide crisp highs.

With its stylish open gear tuners, bone nut and saddle, and Fishman Presys electronics, the Hellcat Acoustic is built for amplified and unplugged playing. Overall, it provides versatile sound across genres along with responsive feel and quality construction.

Appearance and Build Quality

The Fender Armstrong Hellcat acoustic guitar has a distinctive body shape with a rounded lower bout and pointed upper bout. It features an all solid mahogany body with a satin finish that gives it an elegant, yet understated aesthetic.

The mahogany used on the guitar's top, back and sides provides a rich, warm appearance. The grain pattern of the solid wood is visible through the satin finish. There are no binding or inlay around the body or neck for a minimalist look.

The headstock has Fender's standard vintage-style shape with die-cast tuning machines. It has a smooth matte finish that matches the body. The nut and saddle are synthetic bone.

Overall the Hellcat has excellent build quality and attention to detail you would expect from a major brand like Fender. The guitar feels solid and durable in your hands. The satin finish is smooth to the touch. All components are tightly fitted with no loose joints or uneven gaps.

The Fender Armstrong Hellcat acoustic guitar delivers impressive sound quality and playability at an affordable price point. It has a rich, resonant tone thanks to its all-mahogany body construction. The mahogany provides a balanced tonal response with emphasis on warm, rounded lows and clear treble notes.

This guitar is an excellent choice for players looking for an affordable, great-sounding acoustic with classic Fender styling. It works well for various music genres including rock, pop, folk and country. The slim neck profile and low action facilitate smooth, comfortable playing.

Fender offers the Fender 0372820002 Hellcat acoustic in concert and dreadnought body sizes to suit different playing styles and needs. It comes equipped with a quality Fishman preamp and pickup system for amplifying your acoustic tone.

The mahogany construction provides a balanced, vintage-inspired voice. Players praise the Hellcat's rich low-end, sweet mids and clear treble notes. It handles both strumming chords and fingerpicking melodies with ease. The slim neck and low action also get high marks for comfortable playability.

This mahogany acoustic guitar represents an outstanding value in Fender's lineup. It delivers pro-level tone and playability at a budget-friendly price point. The satin finish and minimalist styling give it an understated, classic vibe. It's an ideal choice for players who want great Fender sound without breaking the bank.

Tonewoods Used

The Fender Armstrong Hellcat Acoustic Guitar utilizes quality tonewoods that provide excellent resonance, projection, and balanced tone. The top is constructed from solid Sitka spruce, which is a popular option known for its bright, responsive sound. Sitka spruce provides loud and clear tones with excellent articulation.

The back and sides are made from mahogany, which offers a balanced sound profile with smooth midrange, warm bass, and clear trebles. Mahogany is a highly versatile wood that works well for both lead and rhythm playing.

The neck is also crafted from mahogany. This provides stability, durability, and a comfortable feel during extended playing sessions. The mahogany neck promotes balanced tone and sustain.

The combination of a solid spruce top with mahogany back, sides, and neck makes for an acoustic guitar that is tonally balanced with excellent resonance and projection. The tonewoods give the Armstrong Hellcat a versatile sound suitable for various musical genres and playing styles.

When selecting an acoustic guitar, the tonewoods used are an important consideration. Along with the Fender Armstrong Hellcat, the Donner DST-200 EC1380 is another great option constructed with quality tonewoods. It features a spruce top with mahogany back and sides for balanced and well-rounded tones. The neck is also mahogany for stability and smooth playability.

The Donner DST-200 EC1380 produces clear trebles, warm midrange, and rich bass thanks to its tonewood combination. It projects very well while also having excellent resonance and sustain. The crisp articulate sound works nicely for various playing styles and music genres. It's a great choice for beginners and intermediate players looking for an affordable acoustic with quality construction and well-balanced tone.

When researching acoustic guitars, be sure to consider the specific tonewoods used. Spruce and mahogany are common options known for their balanced and versatile tonal qualities. The wood combination impacts the sound profile and playability. High quality tonewoods like those used on the Fender Armstrong Hellcat and Donner DST-200 EC1380 allow the guitars to produce excellent resonance, articulation, and musical tones.

Hardware

The Fender Armstrong Hellcat comes equipped with quality hardware that enhances its playability and sound.

The guitar has a synthetic bone nut and saddle. The nut guides the strings at the headstock, while the saddle positions the strings over the bridge. Both being made of synthetic bone improves resonance and sustain.

It features die-cast chrome sealed tuning machines, which provide smooth and accurate tuning stability. The tuners are mounted in a straight line for a classic look.

The bridge is made of walnut with a compensated synthetic bone saddle. This helps with proper intonation across the fretboard, ensuring chords are in tune up and down the neck. The walnut matches the darker aesthetic of the mahogany top.

Overall, the hardware complements the design and materials used in the Hellcat. The components are durable and do not detract from the guitar's full-bodied tone. Players will appreciate the tuning stability and intonation provided by the nut, saddle, tuners and bridge.

Electronics

The Fender Armstrong Hellcat is equipped with Fishman electronics that deliver excellent amplified tone. It has an undersaddle piezo pickup that accurately captures the guitar's natural acoustic sound.

The preamp is Fishman's Presys Blend system which combines the piezo pickup with an internal microphone to provide a well-balanced amplified tone. It has volume, tone, and blend controls to shape and optimize the amplified sound to your preference.

The volume control adjusts the overall loudness of the amplified signal. The tone control lets you dial in treble and bass to suit your needs. The blend knob balances between the piezo pickup and microphone to get your ideal amplified tone - from pure piezo to blend in more of the mic's natural sound.

This flexible and easy-to-use preamp gives you excellent control over your amplified acoustic tone for both performing and recording. The combination of the undersaddle pickup and mic delivers rich, full-sounding results.

Playability

The Fender Armstrong Hellcat Acoustic Guitar features a comfortable and easy to play neck profile that provides smooth access all along the rosewood fingerboard. The neck has a modern C-shape that's a nice balance between chunky and slim, making it accommodate both intricate lead lines and thick chording.

The fingerboard itself has a 12" radius and medium jumbo frets, giving a very playable feel across the entire width of the neck. It's not overly flat like some modern fingerboard radii, but has just enough curve to fit the natural shape of the hand. The medium jumbo frets provide enough height for various techniques while not being too tall or causing discomfort.

Overall the action on the Hellcat is set up nicely out of the box with a good balance between buzz-free clear tones and ease of fretting. The nut width is a comfortable 43 mm which allows for easy fretting and chord changes. The action is generally praised as being set up well straight from the factory, providing a very playable acoustic guitar right away with little need for adjustment.

Sound Quality

The Fender Armstrong Hellcat Acoustic Guitar produces warm, balanced tones with good articulation across the frequency range. The guitar sounds open and resonant without too much boom on the low end. The C-shaped maple neck and rosewood fingerboard give it a bright snap that complements the mellow body.

Strumming and flatpicking both sound full and responsive. The mahogany body provides a pleasing warmth while the spruce top lends clarity, presence, and lively highs. There's good separation between the bass, mids, and treble.

It maintains its balanced character when played both gently and aggressively. The guitar blossoms when strummed forcefully and doesn't get too muddy. Overall it has a very musical and nuanced voice that covers various genres and playing styles nicely.

The Hellcat is a versatile instrument tonally. It can produce everything from delicate, intimate fingerstyle tones to driving rhythms. The guitar is dynamic and expressive. It's easy to control the dynamics and voicing with your picking hand.

Pros

• The Fender Armstrong Hellcat acoustic guitar features a distinctive design that stands out from the crowd with its black finish and tortoise pickguard.

• The Hellcat produces a warm, rich and balanced acoustic tone that works well for a variety of musical genres. The solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides provide excellent resonance and sustain.

• This guitar offers great playability right out of the box, with a comfortable neck profile and low action. The rosewood fingerboard is smooth and fast.

• The Fishman Ilusso pickup and preamp system does an impressive job of accurately capturing the Hellcat's natural acoustic tone. The onboard tuner is very handy as well.

• Fender's quality control and attention to detail is evident in the construction, fit and finish of the Hellcat. It feels like a well-crafted, durable instrument that will last.

• At around $400, the Hellcat provides very good value for a solid top, all-mahogany acoustic-electric guitar with electronics from a respected brand like Fender.

Cons

The Fender Armstrong Hellcat is a beautifully crafted acoustic guitar with warm, rich sound. However, there are a few potential downsides to consider:

• The wider nut width of 1.75 inches may be uncomfortable for those with smaller hands who are used to narrower nut widths on acoustic guitars. It requires stretching your fingers a bit further to fret notes and chords.

• The guitar's all-solid wood construction makes it more delicate and prone to dings than laminate models. Special care is required when transporting and handling it.

• The Hellcat's cost is on the higher end for an acoustic guitar, so it may exceed some buyers' budgets. While the price is justified by the quality, those on a tighter budget have less expensive options.

• The guitar's warm tone emphasizes the low end and bass rather than the high end. So it may not be the ideal choice for those who prefer brighter tone with more articulate highs.

• The wider nut width and heavier gauge strings means beginners may find the Hellcat more difficult to press down than other acoustics aimed at students. It's better suited for intermediate players and above.

Summary

The Fender Armstrong Hellcat Acoustic-Electric guitar offers solid build quality andplayability in an attractive package. Its mahogany top produces warm, balanced tones that work well for various music genres. The preamp and tuner allow plugging in for live performances.

Overall, this is a great option for the intermediate player looking for versatility. It provides excellent value for those seeking a quality acoustic-electric guitar without breaking the bank. The comfortable neck, nice projection, and Fishman electronics make this a guitar you can enjoy practicing at home with as well as gigging out live.

While the plastic nut and saddle may bother some, they help keep costs down while still delivering good intonation and playability. The neck may also be a bit wide for those with smaller hands. However, the quality materials, construction and electronics outweigh these minor drawbacks.

In summary, the Fender Armstrong Hellcat offers very good bang for your buck. For an affordable price, you get a handsome, great sounding and playing acoustic-electric suitable for most music styles. I would recommend it to any intermediate level player looking for a versatile and gig-ready acoustic guitar.