Fender CN-140SCE 0970264321 Acoustic Guitar: Full Review

Fender is one of the most iconic and well-known electric guitar brands, though they also produce high quality acoustic guitars like the CN-140SCE. This is an affordable, mid-range acoustic-electric guitar from Fender's California Series that offers solid performance and features for the price.

With its laminated spruce top, mahogany back and sides, and slim neck profile, the CN-140SCE provides Fender's signature warm, balanced tone expected from their acoustic lines. While not a professional-grade instrument, it's ideal for intermediate players or professionals looking for a reliable acoustic gigging or practice guitar. The built-in Fishman electronics make it stage-ready, and the comfortable feel and playability make this a versatile, well-rounded package for players across genres.

The CN-140SCE delivers Fender's renowned craftsmanship and sound at a reasonable price point, earning its popularity as a quality all-purpose acoustic-electric among gigging musicians. This review will take a closer look at the guitar's top features, sound and playability, and how it stacks up to other guitars in this price tier.

Construction and Hardware

The Fender CN-140SCE acoustic guitar features a solid spruce top with scalloped X bracing, providing brightness and volume. The back and sides are made of laminated mahogany, adding warmth and resonance to the overall tone.

The guitar has a natural gloss finish that lets the wood grain show through beautifully. The bridge is made from rosewood, which complements the fretboard material. Speaking of the fretboard, it is also crafted from rosewood and has 20 frets.

The nut and saddle are both synthetic bone, which provides crisp and clear notes. Overall, the hardware and construction materials chosen for this guitar result in a balanced and rich acoustic guitar tone. The combination of spruce, mahogany, rosewood, and synthetic bone produces a versatile acoustic guitar capable of many musical styles.

Another comparable acoustic guitar is the Yamaha C40R. This is an affordable entry-level acoustic guitar with a solid spruce top and meranti back and sides. The Yamaha C40R has a nato neck and rosewood fretboard with dot inlays. The hardware includes a rosewood bridge and chrome die-cast tuners.

The Yamaha C40R produces a balanced tone that works well for beginners learning to play guitar. The spruce and meranti wood combination provides enough projection for practice and jam sessions. While not as rich sounding as higher-end models, the Yamaha C40R offers good bang for your buck if you're shopping for a budget-friendly acoustic.

Comparing the Fender CN-140SCE to the Yamaha C40R, the Fender uses higher quality tonewoods overall. The solid spruce top is similar, but the Fender has laminated mahogany back and sides instead of meranti. Mahogany boosts the low end better than meranti. The Fender also has an all-rosewood fretboard versus rosewood with a nato neck on the Yamaha.

Hardware wise, both guitars use combination materials to provide clean articulation. The Fender has a synthetic bone nut and saddle, while the Yamaha uses a urea nut and rosewood saddle. These material choices impact tone, but both aim for balanced resonance and sustain.

The Fender CN-140SCE does cost significantly more than the Yamaha C40R. However, the upgraded woods and appointments make the Fender a better choice if you can fit it into your budget. That said, the Yamaha C40R is a totally respectable entry-level acoustic for new players or folks on a tight budget.

Electronics and Pickups

The Fender CN-140SCE is equipped with Fishman electronics, providing excellent plugged-in tone and flexibility. It has an onboard preamp with volume and tone controls, allowing you to shape your amplified sound. There is also a built-in tuner, making it easy to keep your guitar in tune without additional accessories.

The guitar comes with a Fishman Presys pickup system, including an undersaddle transducer and soundhole mounted preamp. The undersaddle pickup captures the guitar's natural acoustic tone, while the preamp provides EQ control and shaping of the amplified signal. This combination results in clear and balanced amplified tone across the tonal spectrum.

The pickup configuration with the undersaddle transducer allows each string to be sensed individually. This enables even and consistent amplified tone from string to string. The undersaddle pickup also allows the top to vibrate naturally, maintaining the intrinsic acoustic resonance of the guitar.

Overall, the electronics and pickup system on the CN-140SCE give acoustic players the flexibility of both natural acoustic tone when unplugged and quality amplified sound when performing live or recording. The presys pickup configuration accurately captures the guitar's tone, while the preamp provides adjustments for ideal amplified tone.

If you're looking for a high-quality acoustic-electric guitar with great electronics, also consider the Cordoba C5-CET 04662. This nylon-string guitar has a solid Canadian cedar top with Indian rosewood back and sides for a rich, warm tone. It comes equipped with the Fishman Presys Blend pickup system with a built-in tuner, providing natural amplified sound. The Cordoba C5-CET has a comfortable neck for both chording and soloing, with a 52mm nut width. It produces a balanced tone across the tonal range, ideal for various styles from Latin to jazz. With solid craftsmanship and excellent electronics, the Cordoba C5-CET is an acoustic-electric classical guitar worth considering alongside the Fender CN-140SCE.

Sound and Tone

The Fender CN-140SCE produces a balanced, well-rounded tone that works well for a variety of musical styles. The combination of solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides provides a nice blend of brightness and warmth.

The spruce top allows the notes to ring out clearly and project well, while the mahogany body adds depth and roundness to the sound. There is a good balance across the frequency range, with articulate highs, balanced mids, and full low end.

The guitar has impressive volume and projection capabilities for its size. Players report it has no problem keeping up with guitars twice its size. The sound also maintains its character when playing more aggressively.

Overall, the CN-140SCE offers a versatile tonal palette suitable for fingerstyle, strumming chords, and lead playing. The guitar is responsive and resonant, with a balanced tone profile that sounds great played solo or when backing up a vocalist.

Playability

The Fender CN-140SCE acoustic guitar features a comfortable easy-playing neck profile that feels great in your hands. The neck has a modern "C"-shaped profile that provides just the right contour for various hand sizes and playing styles. It's not too thin or too chunky, allowing your hand to wrap nicely around the neck.

The string action on this guitar is set perfectly right out of the box. You don't have to worry about raising or lowering the bridge saddle heights for optimal playability. The action is low enough to make chord changes and fast runs easy to play, yet still high enough to avoid fret buzz.

The frets are finished excellently on this guitar. The ends are smoothly rounded off so you won't get any sharp fret edges digging into your fingers. The fretwork is consistent all across the neck. There are no uneven or protruding frets that can throw off your playing. Overall the fretboard is silky smooth and comfortable.

Versatility

The Fender CN-140SCE is a versatile acoustic-electric guitar that can handle a wide range of musical genres and playing styles. The traditional dreadnought body shape and spruce top give it a balanced tone that works well for strumming chords and fingerpicking.

This guitar really shines for folk, country, and classic rock. The crisp highs and balanced mids and lows allow the guitar to cut through a mix well during jam sessions or live performance situations. It has enough projection for small to medium venues.

While versatile, the CN-140SCE does have some limitations in highly overdriven and high-gain genres like metal and hard rock. The guitar was not designed to be played aggressively with a pick or to handle tons of gain before feedback. The electronics and pickups are best suited for cleaner tones.

The CN-140SCE is also not ideal for resonant, bass-heavy jazz tones. The dreadnought body focuses more on balanced tone across the frequency range rather than deep lows. For jazz or blues, a player may want to choose a guitar with a larger lower bout for more bass response.

Overall, the Fender CN-140SCE excels as a stage-ready acoustic guitar for artists playing Americana, pop, indie rock, worship music, and other mellower genres. While versatile, it's smart to pair it with a more aggressive guitar for hard rock or metal gigs.

Pros

The CN-140SCE Acoustic Guitar has many excellent features that make it a great choice for players looking for an affordable, quality acoustic-electric guitar.

• Excellent playability: The CN-140SCE has a comfortable neck and low action that makes it very easy to play. Both beginners and experienced players will enjoy the smooth feel.

• Quality materials: Even at its lower price point, the CN-140SCE doesn't skimp on materials. The spruce top and laminated mahogany back and sides provide great sound and durability.

• Builtin electronics: The guitar comes equipped with a Fishman preamp and pickup system that provides great plugged-in tone with clear articulation and balanced EQ. No need to install electronics later.

• Traditional dreadnought shape: The dreadnought body style produces a full, rich acoustic tone and allows for energetic strumming and picking. It's an extremely versatile shape.

• Fender name: Coming from a respected brand like Fender, you can trust the CN-140SCE meets expected standards of quality and playability. Fender has a proven track record.

• Excellent value: Considering the materials, electronics, hardware and playability, the CN-140SCE packs in impressive value at an affordable price point. It punches above its weight class.

Cons

The Fender CN-140SCE acoustic-electric guitar does have a few downsides to consider:

• The nut and saddle are made of plastic rather than bone. This can negatively impact tone, tuning stability, and sustain compared to bone nut and saddle alternatives.

• The tuners are covered gears rather than open gears. Open gear tuners tend to hold tuning better and feel smoother when tuning.

• The guitar has a laminated spruce top rather than solid spruce. Solid wood tops vibrate better and produce slightly richer tones. However, laminate tops are more affordable and resistant to climate changes.

• The pickup and preamp system, while decent, may not have the warmth and responsiveness as higher-end electronics. Upgrading the pickup and preamp could improve amplified tones.

• The wider nut width of 1.69" may feel too wide for some smaller hands. Those with smaller hands may prefer nut widths around 1.625".

• There are no cutaway options. A cutaway model would improve upper fret access.

• The satin finish, while nice, doesn't produce the same acoustic resonance as a gloss finish. However, it also reduces glare under stage lights.

Alternatives

When looking for a great beginner acoustic-electric guitar, there are a few other models worth considering besides the Fender CN-140SCE:

Yamaha FG800

The Yamaha FG800 is one of the best-selling acoustic guitars thanks to its affordable price, quality construction and excellent sound. It features a solid Sitka spruce top, Nato back and sides, and rosewood fingerboard. The electronics include a built-in tuner and simple EQ controls. Overall, it's an excellent entry-level acoustic-electric guitar.

Epiphone DR-100

Epiphone's DR-100 offers traditional dreadnought style in a budget-friendly package. It has a select spruce top, mahogany back and sides, rosewood fingerboard, and Fishman Sonitone electronics. The hardware includes sealed die-cast tuners for stable tuning. It delivers balanced tone across the frequency spectrum.

Washburn WD20SCE

The Washburn WD20SCE is another great entry-level option with a solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides. The electronics include a preamp and tuner for amplified performance. It produces a balanced and resonant acoustic tone.

Taylor GS Mini

The Taylor GS Mini is a high-quality travel-sized guitar with a spruce top and layered rosewood back and sides. The ES-B pickup provides natural amplified tones. It's ideal for players of all levels who want Taylor craftsmanship in a more compact size.

Conclusion

The Fender CN-140SCE is an excellent choice for beginners and intermediate players looking for an affordable acoustic-electric guitar. Its spruce top and mahogany back and sides provide a balanced tone that works well for various musical genres. The easy-to-play neck and slim body profile make it a comfortable guitar for practice and jam sessions.

While it doesn't have the projection and richness of high-end models, the CN-140SCE holds its own for a guitar in this price range. The built-in tuner and pickup system make it stage-ready right out of the box. The tone comes through loud and clear whether playing acoustically or plugged in.

Overall, the CN-140SCE offers great bang for your buck. The quality construction and electronics give you the freedom to play anywhere without breaking the bank. If you're looking for a reliable, versatile acoustic-electric that won't let you down, the CN-140SCE is an excellent choice. Its classic styling, comfortable feel, and flexible sound make it a winner for new and experienced players alike.