Fender AUS-0970710103-COMBO-DLX Acoustic Guitar: Full Review

The Fender Redondo Deluxe Acoustic is an acoustic-electric guitar model from Fender's California series. Fender is one of the most well-known and respected guitar brands, with a long history of crafting high-quality instruments.

The Redondo Deluxe is a versatile acoustic-electric that aims to deliver rich, full-bodied sound and comfortable playability. It features a concert body shape made from solid spruce and mahogany, resulting in warm, balanced tone. The guitar comes equipped with a built-in preamp and tuner for amplified performances.

Overall, the Redondo Deluxe combines traditional acoustic craftsmanship with modern appointments, providing an attractive option for players looking for a great-sounding, easy-playing electro-acoustic. This review will take a closer look at the build, sound, and playability of the Redondo Deluxe.

Appearance

With its elegant auditorium body shape, the Fender Redondo Acoustic is a beautiful instrument to behold. The guitar has a rich midnight satin finish that gives it an attractive classy look. Despite the full-bodied shape, the Redondo Acoustic is lightweight thanks to its back and sides being made of mahogany with a spruce top. This makes the instrument comfortable to play whether sitting or standing. The body has a convenient cutaway for easy access to the higher frets.

The guitar has a narrow 1-11/16" nut width and a total length of 41", making it a nice mid-sized acoustic that will fit most players well. Overall the Redondo has an aesthetically pleasing and ergonomic design. The rich midnight satin finish gives the guitar a sophistication that will appeal to many players, while still retaining a classic acoustic look. The mahogany back and sides paired with the spruce top provide a balanced and full tone.

Fender has designed the Redondo Acoustic to be an attractive and comfortable guitar to play. The smooth finish and contoured body shape make it a joy to hold and perform with. While maintaining a traditional dreadnought appearance, Fender has added some unique twists like the cutaway and narrow nut width. This allows greater ease of play while still producing the robust acoustic tone expected from a guitar of this size and shape.

Players looking for an acoustic with classic appeal but excellent playability will appreciate the Redondo. It has the looks and construction of a fine acoustic guitar, with ergonomic tweaks to enhance the playing experience. The lightweight build and smooth finish facilitate prolonged practicing or performing. The Redondo delivers outstanding aesthetics alongside great acoustic sound and comfortable handling.

For players seeking a similar full-size dreadnought acoustic guitar, the Fender CC-60S is another excellent choice. It features a solid spruce top with mahogany back and sides, producing a rich sound. The slim neck profile with smooth satin finish creates comfortable playability. And the stylish appointments like the mother-of-pearl acrylic rosette give the CC-60S attractive visual flair. Overall, the CC-60S combines classic acoustic design with comfortable handling and great acoustic tone.

Build Quality

The Fender Redondo acoustic guitar features a solid top construction with laminated back and sides, indicating a higher quality build than all-laminate guitars in this price range.

The solid Sitka spruce top allows for better resonance and responsiveness. Sitka is a popular choice for acoustic guitar tops thanks to its strength and balanced tone.

While the back and sides are made of laminated mahogany rather than solid wood, this helps keep costs down while still providing good aesthetics and lightweight build. Mahogany is a versatile tonewood that offers a balanced sound.

The guitar appears cleanly constructed with no visible glue marks or imperfections. The smooth gloss finish on the body contributes to the overall sense of quality and attention to detail.

The bridge and fret ends are smoothly finished with no sharp corners or unsightly gaps. Overall the guitar offers a refined appearance and sturdy construction that punches above its price point. While not at the level of premium all-solid wood models, the materials and craftsmanship are impressive for an affordable acoustic-electric.

If you're looking for a more compact acoustic-electric, check out the Oscar Schmidt OA10CE Mini OA10CEFN-A-U. This mini guitar has a similar build quality to the Fender Redondo but in a smaller, more travel-friendly size. It features a solid spruce top with mahogany back and sides, smooth gloss finish, and Fishman electronics. The smaller body size makes it great for younger players or anyone looking for easy portability without sacrificing tone. While not as full-sounding as a dreadnought, the OA10CE Mini punches above its weight with a balanced acoustic voice. The high-quality construction and electronics make this a great option if the Fender Redondo seems too large for your needs.

The Fender Redondo strikes an excellent balance between quality materials, construction and affordability. While the laminate back and sides keep costs down, it outperforms other guitars in its price range thanks to the solid top and expert craftsmanship. Players looking for great acoustic tone without breaking the bank will find a lot to love in this thoughtfully designed instrument.

Neck and Fretboard

The Fender Redondo acoustic guitar has a C-shaped maple neck with a 20-fret laurel fingerboard and rosewood bridge. The C-shape provides excellent comfort for both chording and single-note playing. Maple is a common choice for guitar necks due to its strength and bright tone. The laurel fingerboard offers tight grain and warmth, pairing nicely with the maple's crisp highs. The combination of maple and laurel produces balanced tone with good note separation. The neck has an adjustable truss rod for relief adjustment, ensuring proper action and playability. The fingerboard edges are smoothly rolled for comfort. With its smooth playing feel and resonance, the Redondo's neck and fretboard facilitate versatility whether strumming open chords or playing intricate leads. This thoughtfully-designed neck has outstanding playability right out of the box.

Bridge and Tuning Machines

The Fender Redondo Deluxe features a synthetic bone saddle and bridge made from rosewood. This gives it a smooth feel and pleasant resonant tone. The tuning machines are open-geared and finished in aged white to match the vintage vibe of the instrument. They hold tune reliably while still being easy to turn for quick tuning adjustments. Overall the bridge and tunings are well-made, attractive, and functional. They contribute to the guitar's resonant tone while also looking stylish. The tunings in particular are an upgrade from cheaper tuning pegs, helping the Redondo Deluxe stay in tune even during vigorous playing. While not top-of-the-line, the hardware is more than adequate for a guitar at this price point. It gets the job done without any major weaknesses.

Electronics

The electronics on the Fender Redondo Player are designed to offer versatility for a wide range of musical styles. It features a Fishman Sonitone pickup system with a built-in preamp.

Pickups

The guitar has a Fishman Sonitone undersaddle pickup, which uses a piezo transducer to detect string vibrations. This creates a balanced and natural acoustic tone. The undersaddle design means each string has its own dedicated pickup, allowing for even response across all six strings.

Preamp

It has an integrated preamp with volume and tone controls, allowing you to shape and optimize the amplified sound. The preamp has a tuner out and phase switch for reducing feedback at high volumes. There are easy-to-use knobs mounted on the side of the guitar.

Controls

The volume knob controls the output level of the guitar, while the tone knob lets you dial in more bass or treble response. Having these onboard tone controls makes it easy to tweak your amplified sound without any external EQ. The preamp's phase switch aims to prevent feedback issues when playing live.

Sound

The Fender Redondo Deluxe acoustic combines high-quality tonewoods and considered design to produce excellent sound across the frequency range.

The combination of solid Sitka spruce top and mahogany back and sides provides balanced and articulate tones. The spruce top offers brightness and clarity in the highs and midrange, while the mahogany back and sides add warmth and fullness in the low end. Together, they create rich and well-projected sound.

The guitar's modified low oval neck shape and smooth satin finish also contribute to great sustain. The comfortable and slick neck allows easy movement up and down the fretboard for long, ringing notes and chords.

Overall, the Redondo Deluxe delivers impressive volume, resonance and sustain for its price range. It's a versatile acoustic that sounds fantastic whether strumming chords or picking leads. The crisp highs and robust low-end cater well to various musical styles too.

Playability

The Redondo Deluxe Combo's playability is quite good overall. The action is set medium-low from the factory, which makes chord formation and fretting easy without buzzing. The neck has a modern C-shape that most players will find comfortable to grip and enjoyable to play.

The back of the neck has a satin finish that allows for smooth shifting up and down the fretboard. The fret ends are smoothly finished as well. Overall, the feel and comfort level of this guitar makes it suitable for long practice or jam sessions without hand fatigue. Players with smaller hands may find the neck width slightly wide, but it remains very playable.

The lightweight body balances well whether playing seated or with a strap. The cutaway allows easy upper fret access too. From feel to comfort to ergonomics, the Redondo Deluxe Combo satisfies on the playability front.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Classic Fender shape and styling provides a timeless look
• All-mahogany body and neck produce a balanced, warm tone
• Fishman Sonitone electronics provide natural plugged-in sound
• Mahogany neck with 20-fret rosewood fingerboard is comfortable and easy to play
• Forward strap button for playing comfort while seated
• Lightweight and comfortable to hold and play for long periods
• Comes with bag, picks, strings, digital content for lessons and more

Cons

• Not as affordable as some other entry-level acoustic options
• Electronics could be higher quality for the price point
• Lower fret access slightly limited due to body shape
• Unfinished neck may feel sticky or tacky during play
• Not as loud when unplugged as some other acoustics

Verdict

The Fender Redondo Acoustic Guitar Combo Deluxe is an excellent choice for beginning and intermediate guitarists looking for a quality acoustic-electric guitar package. Its classic dreadnought body style produces full, balanced tone and good projection. The spruce top and mahogany back and sides provide a nice blend of warmth and brightness.

The 22-fret rosewood fretboard is comfortable and easy to play, while the satin finish on the neck allows for smooth playability. The Fishman preamp and pickup system produces natural amplified tone. Tuning stays stable thanks to the die-cast chrome tuners.

Overall, the guitar looks attractive, plays great, and sounds fantastic when amplified or unplugged. The included instructional DVD, strings, gig bag, tuner, strap, picks, and polishing cloth make this bundle a very good value. I would highly recommend the Fender Redondo Acoustic Guitar Combo Deluxe. Its combination of quality materials, electronics, and accessories in one package make it a great choice.