Fender FA-115 Acoustic Guitar: Full Review

The Fender FA-115 is an affordable full-size dreadnought acoustic guitar aimed at beginner and intermediate players. Part of Fender's Folk series, it offers classic looks and a balanced tone that works well for various music genres.

With a laminated spruce top, laminated mahogany back and sides, and Walnut fingerboard and bridge, the FA-115 delivers clear treble and warm low end. Other features include a Nato neck, 20-fret fingerboard, dual-action truss rod, and die-cast chrome tuners.

While not the most high-end acoustic, the FA-115 provides excellent value for those looking for a well-constructed, good sounding entry-level dreadnought with the trusted Fender name. Its comfortable body shape and smooth playability make it a great choice for new players.

Body Style and Design

The Fender FA-115 is built in the classic dreadnought body style, which produces a full and resonant tone. This is one of the most popular acoustic guitar shapes thanks to its versatile sound projection.

The dreadnought body has distinctive rounded shoulders and a wide waist for enhanced bass and volume levels. This allows the guitar to produce a balanced tonal range, from bright trebles to deep lows.

The Fender FA-115 features a laminated spruce top with X-bracing for strength and stability. The back and sides are made from laminated mahogany, which provides warmth and sweetness. Overall the dreadnought design and tonewood combination generate a bold, balanced acoustic tone.

The dreadnought body style became popular in the early 20th century and remains a staple acoustic guitar design today. Many well-known models feature this recognizable shape, including the Martin D-28, Gibson Hummingbird, and Taylor 810. The expansive lower bout provides booming bass tones, while the narrower upper bout allows for focused treble sounds.

In addition to the Fender FA-115, there are many other quality dreadnought acoustic guitars on the market. The Gretsch G9240 2718013503 is an excellent option with a classic dreadnought design. It produces rich lows with sparkling highs thanks to its solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides.

The Gretsch G9240 dreadnought has a comfortable neck profile and smooth satin finish. It utilizes an LR Baggs Element pickup system for amplified performances. Overall, the Gretsch G9240 provides excellent value in a traditional dreadnought package.

While the Fender FA-115 and Gretsch G9240 have some similarities, there are also key differences that set them apart. The Fender utilizes laminated wood, while the Gretsch has solid tonewood construction. The Gretsch also includes higher-end appointments like binding and mother-of-pearl inlays.

Ultimately, the choice between the Fender FA-115 and Gretsch G9240 comes down to budget and preferences. The Fender is more affordable, while the Gretsch provides all-solid wood construction. Both guitars produce balanced dreadnought tones perfect for strumming chords or fingerpicking melodies.

Tonewood

The Fender FA-115 acoustic guitar features laminated wood construction. The top is made from laminated spruce, which produces balanced tone across the tonal spectrum with good projection and volume. Spruce is a classic acoustic guitar top wood that provides a foundational tone.

The back and sides are laminated mahogany, which adds warmth, emphasis on the midrange frequencies, and good note articulation. Mahogany is known for its mellow and round sound. The combination of spruce on top and mahogany on back and sides makes for a versatile and balanced acoustic guitar.

While laminate woods lack some of the complex overtones of solid woods, they provide consistent quality and durability. The laminated woods allow Fender to produce the FA-115 at an accessible price point while still delivering good playability and balanced tone.

In contrast, the Taylor 200 Series Deluxe 224ce-K-DLX features solid wood construction with a solid Sitka spruce top. Sitka spruce is known for its strong and complex overtones, crisp highs, and resonant bass. It helps the Taylor guitar project sound with clarity and definition.

The back and sides are made of layered koa wood, which provides a balanced sound with focus on the midrange frequencies. Koa creates a warm, rounded tone while still allowing the spruce top to shine. Together, the spruce and koa create a detailed and nuanced acoustic guitar tone.

By using solid tonewoods, the Taylor 200 Series Deluxe guitar captures more complex harmonics and overtones than laminate wood guitars like the Fender FA-115. The all-solid wood construction allows the Taylor to reveal more tonal colors and dynamics. While this does come at a higher price, discerning players appreciate the musical depth achievable from solid wood instruments.

Both the Fender and Taylor use quality materials suited for their target price points. The FA-115 relies on laminate woods to meet budget-friendly goals, while the 224ce-K-DLX leverages solid woods to provide exceptional acoustic tone and resonance.

Neck

The Fender FA-115 features a nato neck with a rosewood fretboard. The nato neck offers stability and sustain while remaining lightweight. It has a smooth satin finish that feels comfortable against the hand.

The fretboard is made of rosewood, which is known for its rich, warm tones that pair nicely with the dreadnought body shape. Rosewood is also a dense, durable wood that can stand up to years of playing without warping. The FA-115 has 20 frets, allowing for a wide range of notes and chords to be played up and down the neck. The frets are medium in size, making them comfortable to play whether you use a light or heavy touch.

Overall, the neck is designed for playability and consistency. The smooth nato and rosewood fretboard allow you to move easily up and down the neck for both rhythm and lead playing. The construction provides a solid feel that stays true over time.

Hardware

The Fender FA-115 features quality hardware that enhances its sound, intonation and playability. The guitar has chrome die-cast tuning machines, which provide smooth and accurate tuning stability. Many acoustic guitars in this price range use cheaper plastic tuners, so the chrome tuners are a nice upgrade.

The nut and saddle are both made from synthetic bone, which has a smoothness and resonance similar to natural bone. The saddle is compensated, meaning it is shaped to improve the guitar's intonation across all strings and fret positions. This helps chords sound in-tune even when strummed hard. The nut and saddle both contribute to the FA-115's quality of tone and sustain.

The guitar has a chrome bridge plate which cleanly transfers string vibrations into the top of the guitar. The pins are also chrome-plated. Overall the hardware is a cut above other guitars in this class and contributes to the FA-115's reliability and musicality.

Electronics

The Fender FA-115 is an acoustic guitar, so there are no electronics built into this model. Unlike many acoustic-electric guitars that have onboard preamps and pickups to amplify the sound, the FA-115 relies solely on the guitar's acoustic properties to project sound. This is a traditional, all-analog acoustic guitar.

The lack of electronics simplifies the design and removes components that could fail over time. It also allows the guitar to focus purely on its acoustic tone, without concern for adapting the electronics to match. However, it does mean you'll need to amplify the FA-115 through a microphone if you want to play live shows or record with it. Going completely electronic-free gives the FA-115 a classic, raw acoustic guitar sound.

Sound Profile

The Fender FA-115 dreadnought acoustic guitar produces a balanced, warm tone that works well for a variety of musical styles. The all-laminate construction and basswood back and sides generate a focused low end, pleasant mids, and clear, bright highs. While it doesn't have the complex overtones of a solid wood instrument, the FA-115 has a full, rounded sound across the frequency range. The tone is matched and complementary when strumming chords or picking single notes. It's not overly bright or boomy, making this an adaptable, easy playing guitar. From mellow folk fingerpicking to upbeat rock strumming, the FA-115 provides an inspiring voice.

Playability

The Fender FA-115 dreadnought acoustic guitar is designed for easy, comfortable playing. It features a C-shaped neck profile that feels smooth and natural in the hand. The neck thickness is ideal for chord shapes and single note playing.

The low action on the FA-115 makes fretting notes effortless across the fretboard. Even high up on the neck near the body, there is no noticeable buzzing or resistance when fretting. This allows fast runs and solos to sing out clearly.

The smooth satin finish on the back of the FA-115's neck allows for speedy movement up and down the frets. Overall, the FA-115 offers superb playability and will make playing for long periods an enjoyable experience for any guitarist.

Pros

The Fender FA-115 acoustic guitar has several notable pros that make it an attractive option for beginner and intermediate players.

Quality Materials

The FA-115 features solid laminated spruce tops paired with laminated basswood back and sides, providing good resonance and balanced tone across the tonal spectrum. The quality tonewoods enable nice sustain and clearer notes.

Easy Playability

With its comfortable C-shaped neck, slimmer nut width, and low action, the FA-115 is designed for easy playability. The smooth neck allows for quick transitions up and down the fretboard, while the string height makes practicing chords and notes simple, especially for novice players.

Balanced Tone

The combination of spruce and basswood produces a balanced tonal response. The guitar offers a bright, crisp treble from the spruce top and robust, round low-end from the basswood that complement each other nicely. It handles both strumming and fingerpicking well.

Cons

The Fender FA-115 has a few drawbacks that are worth considering.

• The guitar does not have any electronics or a cutaway. This means you cannot amplify or shape the acoustic sound, and upper fret access is more limited. Players who need amplification or want to reach higher frets may find the lack of electronics and cutaway restrictive.

• The back and sides are made of laminated wood rather than solid wood. While laminate is more durable and affordable, it does not resonate or age as nicely as solid wood. The tone may lack some warmth, complexity, and refinement compared to all solid wood models.