1960s Fender Acoustics bad rep or bad rap?

[pezcleo]

I'm thinking of buying one.
Anyone played one recently? Bolt-on Neck Broomstick inside the body.
Made in USA From 1963 to 1971.
I found some clips with them and found they had impressive tone.
Jimmie Newman, Buck Owens and Johnny Cash.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feGgrTX1l48
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYKVb...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DaeC...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pALSK...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1NDEdKkAaQ

[Wade Hampton]

Pezcleo, I've picked up and played many Fender acoustic guitars from the 1960's that have the support rod through the body, and have YET to play or hear one that had "impressive tone." In fact, when I first started playing, the very first time I ever picked up and and played any acoustic guitar that I'd become discerning enough to determine was a terrible-sounding instrument, it was one of those California-made Fenders.

In all the years since then, I've never heard a good-sounding one, frankly. Even though I've looked.

As for the YouTube clips you linked us to, the three that I looked at appear to be lip-synched. I don't think you're actually hearing the guitars that you're seeing, and I doubt that Fender acoustic guitars were used in the recording studio for those records.

What Fender did back then was give away a lot of freebie acoustic guitars to recording artists who were using Fender electrics and Fender amps. Leo Fender himself was primarily a country music fan, so people like Buck Owens and Johnny Cash were given those instruments, and were courteous enough to use them for public appearances.

But they didn't get used much (if ever) in the recording studio, not so far as I can ascertain.

Before you convince yourself that a Fender acoustic guitar from the 1960's is something you want to own, you owe it to yourself to track some down and play them for yourself before you go spending any money on one. Buying one off eBay without playing it first could be an expensive education, and a very disheartening experience overall.

I'm not trying to dampen your spirits, but I can scarcely think of another group of instruments that sounds as bad as those California-made Fender acoustic guitars. I don't know of any serious players who use them, even though there are certainly plenty of those guitars still floating around. If they had anything going for them from a musical standpoint they'd have a strong cult following, but the truth is that they don't have much tone and whatever following they do have is so small as to be invisible, and virtually nonexistent.

Having written that, I'm sure to offend someone who has one and loves it, but that's the risk I take, I guess. Perhaps you might be the person to build a musical style around the "quirks" of the broomstick Fender acoustic guitar, but at the very least, try one before you buy one.

You might be very, very sorry if you choose to disregard that advice...

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller

[Wade Hampton]

By the way, I went back and watched some more of that Jimmy C. Newman clip, and about a minute and thirty seconds in you can clearly tell that he's lip-synching. Up to that point it's a medium-tight closeup on him, and he's doing well with his synchronization to the recording. But when the camera pulls back to show the band, you can see that neither Newman or the guy playing the Gibson L-5 archtop behind him are playing the rhythm guitar part that you can hear on the track. His lip-synching gets ragged at that point, as well.

Short version: the Fender acoustic guitar you see is probably not the guitar that was used on the recording.


whm

[RussMason]

In my humble O, you would be wasting your money on a not-very-good guitar. I don't know what they cost, but these days there are quite a few very fine instruments available inexpensively.

Maybe you think it would be cool to own an old Fender acoustic? If it's just for fun and not for sound or play-ability, then that's your choice. But don't buy it to impress others - as some do.

I guess you have to ask yourself: why are you thinking of buying it?

[zabdart]

Have to agree with everything Wade said... again! Jeez, I sound like a broken record (dating myself, here), but Wade is so RIGHT.

[Tony Burns]

Wades 100 percent right . Ive played a few , they were mediocre and just didnt have a decent sound to say the least, their very chunky and tone dead . They used alot of them in beach movies and the like -Yes Fender gives guitars away to celebrities, but most guitar companies do that as well ( nothing new -even thou they say they dont ) They are a funky guitar but i wouldnt spend any serious money on one.

[zabdart]

Johnny Cash got away with playing one for a few years... but only because you couldn't hear it over Luther Perkins' Telecaster.

[Wade Hampton]

One more piece of additional evidence that the YouTube clips in question were lip-synched: on the Buck Owens' "Together Again" clip, when the camera pulls back you can see a couple of Fender amplifiers serving as stage props, but none of the musicians are plugged into them: not the bassist, the steel guitarplayer or the guy with the Tele.

Given that wireless rigs for guitars hadn't been invented yet when that song performance was filmed, that basically settles it.


whm

[Mr Peebuddy]

played all laminate guitars that sounded much better than solid topped fender acoustics. specifically yamaha's and blueridge bristols. sorry, but fender overcharges for what they offer in acoustic guitars, and they dont offer much

but if its worth anything, i played a fender acoustic bass(some sort of sig model) and i thought it sounded pretty good.


EDIT: sorry, i misread the topic, i dont know anything about old fender acoustics. just play it and see, if it sounds good to you, buy it!

[JohnZ]

Though they sounded terrible, they had style (if in a band playing Feder electrics) and playability. Remember the pale green ones? How cool is that?
Fender ought borrow the Taylor bolt on neck and quality of construction and start popping them out again as an actual acoustic alternative rather than the stage prop they were.

[zombywoof]

Buddy Miller is also known for playing one.

Yeah, those guitars were generally bad rapped when they came out. As such many of us never even gave them a chance.

A little while back our local store had an original Newporter in and so I got a chance to get may hands on it. While it was about as heavy an acoustic as I have ever played, that guitar surprised me a bit - it sounded a whole lot better than its reputation would have it. Not saying it was a "tone monster" or "cannon" or any of those other descriptions folks toss around but to my ears it still it sounded better than I was expecting. And it was definitely cool looking.

[Opa John]

I tend to let all of this Fender acoustic guitar bashing go in one ear and out the other.

I just happen to own one that's 30 years old now and still holds it's own when up against a whole lot of other guitars. It's an '81 F-65 dread that was one of the last F-65s Fender built. Still looks as good as the day it was born and the neck, and everything else about it, is holding up just fine......thank you.

No......it doesn't sound like my Martin. But it sounds as good as any other all laminated guitar I've ever tried. Actually, it sounds BETTER than most of 'em and that's not just MY opinion. I've had a few guys in the Bluegrass jam I go to tell me the same thing about it after they played it.

I also think a lot of the Fender bashing is a "monkey see, monkey do" sort of thing. I'd venture to guess that MOST Fender bashers never even picked one up simply because of what they've heard other bashers say. My $.02!

[Gypsyblue]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Pezcleo, I've picked up and played many Fender acoustic guitars from the 1960's that have the support rod through the body, and have YET to play or hear one that had "impressive tone." In fact, when I first started playing, the very first time I ever picked up and and played any acoustic guitar that I'd become discerning enough to determine was a terrible-sounding instrument, it was one of those California-made Fenders.

I agree. I'm old enough to remember when Fender/CBS released those guitars and I didn't like them then and don't like them now. I can't remember how I got it, but I did own a "nice" one back in the day. Took it on trade I'm sure. Other than their value as a guitar made by a historically important company (Fender) they're just nothing special at all. Something that amazes me tho is how those CBS Fenders are now valued as "vintage" guitars. They're just old guitars and they were not made by Leo Fender...he'd sold the company to CBS by then and CBS was on the way to almost ruining the great reputation Fender held prior to the sale of Fender to CBS.

[pezcleo]

Originally Posted by zabdart

Johnny Cash got away with playing one for a few years... but only because you couldn't hear it over Luther Perkins' Telecaster.

His Black Fender Malibu sold for $60,000.00

btw Jimmie C Newman Fender King Sold $3500.00

[pezcleo]

Originally Posted by JohnZ

Though they sounded terrible, they had style (if in a band playing Feder electrics) and playability. Remember the pale green ones? How cool is that?
Fender ought borrow the Taylor bolt on neck and quality of construction and start popping them out again as an actual acoustic alternative rather than the stage prop they were.

Kingman is being made but a not a bolt on
http://www.fender.com/products/searc...tno=0960211232
I saw them being made in New Hartford CT.