Fender CD-60 AUS-0970110221-COMBO-DLX Acoustic Guitar: Full Review

The Fender CD-60 is an affordable dreadnought acoustic guitar that provides versatile sound and impressive playability at a modest price. Part of Fender's popular CD series, the CD-60 delivers classic dreadnought tone thanks to its solid spruce top, mahogany back and sides, and other traditional appointments expected from an instrument in this price range. While not loaded with premium tonewoods and high-end components, the CD-60 offers beginners and intermediate players a reliable, well-rounded acoustic guitar for practice, jamming, and recording.

Body Style

The Fender CD-60 features a classic dreadnought body style. This is among the most popular and iconic acoustic guitar shapes, with its recognizable rounded, curvy shoulders and overall full, balanced vibe.

Dreadnought acoustics like the CD-60 project a rich, full tone that's nicely balanced across all frequencies. The large, wide body offers ample internal air space for robust bass and low mids, while still retaining clear, well-defined highs and crisp articulation. Whether playing chords or single notes, the CD-60's dreadnought design provides a versatile tonal palette.

This body style gives the guitar a comfortable feel and accommodates various playing styles, from fingerpicking to strumming. The curved edges rest nicely against the player's body. Overall the dreadnought form-factor of the CD-60 hits a sweet spot between power and playability.

Tonewoods

The CD-60AU features an all-laminated mahogany body. Mahogany has been a popular tonewood choice for acoustic guitars for decades thanks to its balanced tone. It has a rounded low end that's strong but not overpowering, clear mids, and pleasant highs. Laminated wood is less expensive than solid wood, helping keep the cost down on this beginner model. The laminated mahogany body still sounds great, with rich warmth and excellent projection. While not as complex sounding as premium solid wood tonewoods, the CD-60AU's mahogany body produces pleasing acoustic tones for playing all genres of music.

When choosing an acoustic guitar, the tonewoods used are an important consideration. Tonewoods each have their own tonal characteristics that contribute to the overall sound profile of the guitar. Mahogany is a popular choice that provides a balanced tone. Other common tonewoods like rosewood and maple have their own unique flavors as well. The construction method of the wood also impacts the tone, with solid wood guitars generally having more complex resonances compared to laminated wood guitars. However, laminated wood is more affordable, allowing lower cost models like the CD-60AU to still deliver rich acoustic tones. Models that use alternative tonewoods like ovangkol can also achieve impressive results while keeping costs down.

If you're looking for an acoustic guitar with different tonal qualities, check out the Gretsch G9500 2704000503. This jumbo guitar uses a solid Sitka spruce top with mahogany back and sides. The combination produces excellent projection with crisp highs and tight lows. Spruce is prized for its resonant and complex tone. It captures and reflects string vibrations extremely well. Paired with mahogany, it creates a guitar that excels at both rhythm and fingerstyle playing. The jumbo body shape further boosts volume and bass response. If you want an acoustic guitar optimized for stage use or lively jam sessions, the Gretsch G9500 2704000503 is an excellent choice worth considering.

Neck

The Fender CD-60 sports a 25.3" scale length and a comfortable "C"-shaped neck profile. The scale length strikes a nice balance - it's not too short like a parlor guitar, yet not overly long like a jumbo dreadnought. This allows for clean fretting and makes the CD-60 accessible for players with smaller hands.

The "C"-shaped neck has a slim taper on the treble side that increases in thickness as you move up the fretboard. This substantial but elegant neck shape fits nicely in the hand. It provides a beefy grip for the thumb on the bass side, while leaving the fingers unencumbered for fretting and chording. The satin finish allows for smooth, fast runs up and down the neck. Overall, the CD-60's neck offers a versatile feel that most players will find comfortable and playable.

The neck is crafted from nato wood, which is similar to mahogany. Nato has a warm, balanced tone that enhances the guitar's overall voice. It also has a tighter grain than mahogany, providing added strength and stability to the neck. This allows the neck to resist warping and twisting over time. Nato is an excellent choice of tonewood for the neck of an affordable acoustic guitar like the CD-60.

The neck joins the body at the 14th fret in a comfortable sloped shoulder cutaway design. This allows easy access to the upper frets while preserving the guitar's traditional look and feel. The cutaway does not detract from the CD-60's full-bodied dreadnought tone.

The neck has a standard 25.3" scale length. This shorter scale length reduces string tension compared to larger guitars, making the CD-60 very comfortable to play. The shorter scale also means less distance between frets, allowing for easy forming of chords and fretting of notes up and down the neck. The 25.3" scale length is versatile enough to handle many playing styles and techniques.

The CD-60's neck width at the nut measures 1 11/16", which is a standard width for steel-string acoustic guitars. This nut width provides adequate room for fingering chords and single note runs without feeling too cramped. Players with larger hands may want a slightly wider nut width, but most will find the CD-60 very comfortable to fret and chord.

The neck has 20 frets, with traditional dot position inlays at the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 17th, 19th, and 20th frets. The inlays provide visual references for orienting the hands up and down the neck. The fretwork from the CD-60 is quite good for an affordable import guitar. The medium wire frets are smoothly finished with no sharp edges. They offer a low, fast playing action right out of the box.

Overall, the Fender CD-60 features a great neck design for a budget-friendly dreadnought acoustic. It has a comfortable "C"-shaped profile, smooth satin finish, carefully cut nut, and smoothly finished frets. This makes the CD-60 feel like a much more expensive guitar in the hands. Players looking for their first serious acoustic will appreciate the playability and quality of the CD-60's neck.

If you're looking for a high-end acoustic guitar with exceptional playability, check out the Taylor FA02032017005111000. This premium acoustic guitar has a neck crafted from tropical mahogany for added warmth and resonance. It features a narrow-profile neck shape for fast, smooth playing all over the fretboard. The ebony fingerboard and bridge provide crisp note articulation and bright tone. Overall, the Taylor FA02032017005111000 represents the pinnacle of acoustic guitar neck design and playability.

Fretboard & Bridge

The Fender CD-60S has a rosewood fretboard and matching rosewood bridge. This adds a richness and warmth to the guitar's tones. Rosewood is known for its bright, articulate sound that complements the spruce top. It also feels smooth to play. With 20 frets, the fretboard provides ample room for solos and musical expression all along the neck.

The rosewood bridge transfers vibrations nicely from the strings to the guitar body, contributing to the CD-60S's balanced tone. The compensated bridge saddle helps with proper intonation, ensuring chords played up the neck stay in tune. Overall the all-rosewood fretboard and bridge produce pleasing sounds and let this guitar live up to its musical potential.

Hardware

The Fender CD-60 comes equipped with quality hardware that enables stable tuning and comfortable playability. It has chrome die-cast tuning machines, also known as machine heads or pegheads. These are shiny metal tuners that keep the guitar in tune well and are durable.

The nut and saddle on the CD-60 are made from compensated synthetic bone. The compensated saddle is shaped to help achieve accurate intonation across all six strings, ensuring notes ring out true up the neck. This is an upgrade over cheaper guitars that may have a plastic saddle. The synthetic bone nut and saddle transfer vibrations efficiently for better resonance.

Electronics

The Fender CD-60S is an all-acoustic dreadnought guitar, so it does not have any electronic components. There is no built-in preamp, tuner, or pickup system. This is fairly typical for an acoustic guitar at this price point.

The lack of electronics helps keep costs down, but it also means you'll need to amplify the CD-60S with an external microphone if you want to play live or record with it. It's best suited for practice, jamming with friends, songwriting, and other unamplified situations. Those looking for stage-ready acoustic-electrics will need to spend more for a model with onboard electronics.

Overall, the electronics on the CD-60S are minimal by design. It's focused on delivering solid acoustic tone and playability rather than high-tech features. If electronics are important to you, you may want to consider a pricier electro-acoustic model. But for an all-acoustic experience, the CD-60S fits the bill nicely.

Sound & Playability

The CD-60 provides a balanced, warm tone that works well for various musical styles. The dreadnought body helps produce full low end, balanced mids, and clear treble notes. Both fingerpicking and strumming sound tonally balanced across the strings.

The slim neck with smooth satin finish promotes fast, comfortable playing. The action is set medium-low from the factory, making chords and solos easy to fret without buzzing. Lower action reduces hand fatigue during longer practice or gigging sessions. The nut width of 1.69" gives a nice in-between feel, accommodating intricate fingerstyle work yet not too cramped for strumming.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• The CD-60 offers great value for a budget-friendly dreadnought acoustic. It has a solid top made of spruce, which helps produce good volume and dynamics. The back and sides are made of mahogany, providing some warmth and resonance to the tone.

• The construction quality is impressive for an entry-level acoustic. The guitar feels sturdy and well put together. The fit and finish is decent, especially considering the affordable price point.

• It's an ideal choice for new players looking for their first "real" acoustic guitar. The tone is balanced and versatile enough for various styles. The playability is beginner friendly too.

Cons

• The CD-60 lacks a cutaway, which limits upper fret access. This isn't ideal for players who need to reach higher notes on the neck. Adding a cutaway would expand the guitar's versatility.

• While the hardware performs adequately, it's basic and unbranded. Upgrading components like the tuners could offer minor improvements in tuning stability and feel. But this would drive up the cost.

• The plastic nut and saddle are serviceable, but bone or Tusq would provide better sustain and resonance. Again, small upgrades have to be weighed against affordability.

Verdict

The Fender CD-60 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar is an excellent choice for beginner and intermediate level players looking for a quality, affordable instrument to learn and jam on. Though it lacks some of the premium appointments and finely tuned acoustic properties of pro-level guitars, the CD-60 punches well above its weight class in terms of looks, playability, and tone.

The classic dreadnought body paired with a solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides delivers balanced, resonant tones that work well for all styles of music. The neck is comfortable and beginner-friendly. Hardware, electronics, and craftsmanship are solid across the board.

Some compromises were made to keep costs down, like the laminated wood construction and painted gloss finish. However, these don't seriously detract from the playability or sound. Overall, the Fender CD-60 is a fantastic bang-for-buck acoustic that will provide countless hours of enjoyment as players develop their skills. It's an easy recommendation for any new guitarist's short list.