Fender Acoustic Electric Guitar

When you look at the mid-1960s, Fender launched a type of laminated-wood acoustic guitars that, with names like Malibu while the Redondo—references to Southern California coastline culture—were more enjoyable than severe. Fender’s Paramount guitars might share some of the beauty products of these ’60s counterparts, like checkerboard detailing and abnormally shaped pickguards, however these brand-new, all-solid devices tend to be not whimsical. The PM-1, PM-2, and PM-3 I reviewed all feel and sound robust: more appropriate selections for the phase or studio versus beach.

Consistent Playability, Contrasting Voices

Designed in america and made in China, the Paramount show includes three standard human anatomy types—dreadnought (the PM-1), 12-fret parlor (PM-2), and triple-0 cutaway (PM-3). Each is available in a normal or sunburst finish and in a deluxe variation, with Indian rosewood as well as edges, or a standard variation, with mahogany as well as sides and streamlined appointments.

The very first thing I noticed about the luxurious test designs is how well they perform. Their reasonably thin C-shaped necks have a decidedly modern—and extremely comfortable—feel. The activity is reduced and buzz-free throughout elements of the necks, which have not one of this dreaded dead places, together with intonation is perfect. Plus when playing barre chords for longer periods, we don’t encounter any fret-hand fatigue.

All of the guitars sound good, though not knock-your-socks-off good. The dread features a decent amount of projection in addition to tight bass response typical of the human anatomy dimensions. It’s beneficial to strumming with a plectrum, whether in Carter design or for the accompaniment to a song like Beatles’ “Two folks.” And although it offers a narrower nut than its cohorts, your guitar works just as well for fingerpicking an arrangement of “Amazing Grace” in DADGAD tuning: the fretted notes and available strings ring collectively pleasingly.

The parlor, the smallest guitar associated with lot plus the lone 12-fretter, has also great projection and an abundant mid-range. It’s the oldest-sounding of Paramounts, and lends itself really to a fingerpicked arrangement of a ragtime piano piece like “Maple Leaf Rag” or a jazz standard such “Body and Soul.” it is additionally got a pleasant bark when I really dig on some country-blues improvisations in E.

The triple-0 sounds much more refined, with a decent balance between its registers and a hot resonance. It could be more functional Paramount, good number to anything from boom-chuck to Gypsy-jazz accompaniment, from bluegrass lines to chord-melody soloing. And, whilst the just cutaway in bunch, it offers much more extended—and usable—range than its friends.

All three Paramounts sport brand new electronics designed in collaboration with Fishman. Each one of the three preamps is voiced designed for the guitar’s body shape and includes bass, treble, master volume, and stage controls, and a readable and user-friendly tuner. The preamps are more attractive than most, blending in aided by the dark rosewood sides, and much more essential, the electronic devices deliver persuading reproductions associated with the guitars’ all-natural noises when plugged into a Fender Acoustasonic amp.

A Handsome and Well-Built Trio

The Deluxe Paramount trio has many nice appointments. The embellished fretboard inlays are borrowed from Fender’s 1960s Concert Tone banjos, in addition to vintage impact is rounded completely nicely by the checkerboard purfling and rosette, and open-geared tuners, making use of their black colored butterbean knobs. Most of the test models are produced from a good collection of tonewoods: securely grained, high-grade Sitka spruce when it comes to soundboards, and richly coloured, quarter-sawn East Indian rosewood for the backs and sides (the standard designs when you look at the Paramount show offer mahogany back and sides at a lesser price).

The guitars boast great artistry, the frets tidily crowned and entirely smooth at their sides, plus the peanuts and saddles completely notched. Inside package, the bracing (scalloped X on top) appears to have been sanded and glued carefully. Besides a little orange-peel impact in spots, the finishes are effortlessly used– if a tad shiny, going for away as imported guitars.

There are lots of great options these days for all-solid imports costing around a grand, and also some US-made tools by the loves of Martin and Taylor choosing very little more than that. However with their particular distinctive styling, superb playability, and nice noise, and undoubtedly their particular top-notch electronic devices, the three guitars in Fender’s Paramount deluxe sets promote themselves as worthwhile contenders: a long way off from Fender’s 1960s acoustics.

HUMAN BODY
(PM-1) 14-fret dreadnought size;
(PM-2) 12-fret parlor dimensions;
(PM-3) 14-fret 000 dimensions with Venetian cutaway
Solid Sitka spruce top
Solid East Indian rosewood back and edges
Ebony bridge
All-natural gloss finish

THROAT
Mahogany
Ebony fingerboard
25.3-inch scale (PM-1 and PM-3); 24.75-inch scale (PM-2)
1.69-inch nut (PM-1); 1.75-inch nut (PM-2 and PM-3)
Nickel tuners with old black buttons
Natural gloss finish

EXTRAS
Fender/Fishman PM System electronic devices
Fender Dura-Tone 880L strings (12–52) (PM-1); Fender Dura-Tone covered 80/20 Bronze strings (12–52) (PM-2 and PM-3)