New Gear: Fender Redondo Special and Malibu Classic Acoustic Guitars

BY GREG OLWELL
GUITARS DEMOED BY PAUL GELLER
Born in mid-century Southern California’s sunny climes, Fender has long associated itself with idyllic images of the area’s beach-centric lifestyle. Though long loved for its playable, dependable electric guitars, often finished in lively custom colors like Fiesta Red and Lake Placid Blue, the company’s acoustic line was—let’s be honest—not originally its strength. However, in a market with strong acoustic and faltering electric sales, Fender has refined its acoustic line and is now making perhaps the best steel-string guitars yet to carry the company’s name.

Fender has also added a few compelling features to appeal to modern guitarists who may be just getting started on the instrument, electric players branching out to the acoustic, or players who simply dig the looks of these player-friendly instruments. The new California Series is the latest expansion of Fender’s line of well-built and great-feeling acoustics—guitars that feature eye-catching finishes, impressive appointments, and convenient onboard electronics.

The series rolled out with three different body styles, spread across three different lines: the dreadnought-sized Redondo and a pair of smaller-bodied guitars, the Malibu and the cutaway Newporter. For our test, we received a Redondo from the mid-level Special series and a Malibu Classic from the top of the California line. Both the Classic and Special lines feature all-solid-wood bodies, while instruments in the basic Player line, not reviewed here, have solid tops and laminated backs and sides.

Fender skirts the troublesome rosewood issue by fitting these guitars with viable, sustainable alternative woods that feel more like an opportunity than a compromise. The Classic and Special series have fingerboards and bridges made of pau ferro, a rosewood substitute also known as morado or Santos rosewood, while the Player guitars use walnut, a common and sustainable North American wood. Each of these guitars comes equipped with strap buttons and a sturdy, plush-padded gig bag with abundant storage pockets. Plus, you also get Fender’s iconic six-on-a-side headstock, painted to match the top’s finish, and access to Fender’s new online guitar lessons.

FULL REVIEW acousticguitar.com/review-fender-redondo-special-and-malibu-classic/