Fender Flat Top Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

Good sound and feel, especially for the price. I honestly really enjoyed playing this guitar. However, it is quite disappointing that the craftsmanship was lacking, since I always took great care with handling it, and the bridge snapped in half. I was using it very often, so it may be best for beginners or for only periodic use.Nick

I bought this guitar because it was the cheapest acoustic in the store and I wasn't sure I'd stick with playing. I have had so much fun with it a year later I feel compelled to write a review! This guitar looks, feels, and sounds great, and mine rarely needs a tune-up despite regular use. Folks are saying the action is too high but I haven't noticed (and as a newbie maybe that's helped me build finger strength more quickly, who knows.) The only con I can think of is the sound is a tiny bit thin, but for a casual player like myself, that's no big issue. Anyway, I love this guitar and would absolutely recommend it for newbies/casual players. This is a great value instrument!Nomi

I have always had trouble with guitars. My hands are small and not very strong, so I've never had good luck trying to get good, consistent sound out of a guitar. It's just been too frustrating for me to continue. I also have a hard time feeling comfortable with the size and shape of most guitars I've tried. I've got limited funds to invest in an instrument and I wanted to make sure it was going to be an instrument that would let me play the things I wanted to play, and give me the range I was looking for. I've looked at banjos, classical guitars, and even junior guitars. But I always came back to the acoustic guitar in terms of sound and range. So when this guitar went on sale, I took the plunge and placed the order (after watching numerous video reviews, of course). I couldn't be happier! This is a gorgeous guitar that feels great, and it doesn't take much pressure at all to get a beautiful sound from it. It is wonderfully constructed. I had mine shipped to the store, which may have protected it. Either way, I didn't experience any of the construction issues I read in some of the other reviews, but also I was confident in the purchase guarantee of Guitar Center, and I knew I would have received a replacement if anything was wrong. It's definitely why I purchase through Guitar Center. Now I'm so excited about playing this guitar that I practice twice a day because it's so much fun and it sounds so great. As a new player, I simply couldn't be happier about this purchase. The onboard tuner makes it very easy to tune quickly. When I first tuned it, I used my Super Snark tuner to check the accuracy and they both matched exactly. I also purchased the Fender 20 watt amp and plugged it in. Wow! What a fun set-up! This is definitely a purchase I will treasure forever.Kristin

Very nice playing guitar, sits right next to my Gibson LP and my Fender Stratocaster!!!! Plug it in to my Marshal amp and it will play and sound just great . I do think this was well worth every penny spent!!!! Best Regards Stevestepeye-0

I have 6 Other Guitars and have been playing for a number of years. The build quality is Okay but One Thing about the construction is the Machine Head mounting location for the "D" String and the "G" String are situated in such a way that the Strings run really Close to the Adjacent String. The Sound is also Very Bright and Lacks Warmth in Tone even with the Tone Control all the way Down. Having said that it has a Good Action but the Fretboard was really Dry. Not a Bad guitar for the Money.Mark K.

I love this guitar. It's such a joy to play and the tones are wonderful. The acoustic alone sounds fantastic, but the electric feature works awesome and the built in tuner is great! I am also impressed that the guitar came with two batteries, one of which was already installed. I am thankful to have my new guitar. To get the quality of a Fender guitar at this affordable price is a great way for me to get serious with my playing while I enjoy learning on it.michapicar

A fine, good looking guitar that sounds every bit as good as it looks. The Fender feel is right there and the tone. The design has been adhered to rigidly, this is transferred over to the player , it blends into the body. Then of course, the price, I would have willingly paid a lot more than the Fender price for a guitar that was up to the Fender standard . Unbeatable.footballer10sweeper

Sounds great and does everything it needs to! Ticks all the boxes for me as I’m just starting out as a guartarist… thoroughly recommend for anybody starting out, although consider whether you want an amp or not first, this version doesn’t have an audio output…Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I bought this guitar for my wife to learn how to play and it is perfect. I have been a Fender devotee my whole life and could not believe the great value for money this guitar was. Manny's allowed for a trouble free purchase, I can recommend them for both price and service!Greg

This is the first Acoustic/electric that I have owned that I actually love playing. The action is great even with the large gauge acoustic strings on it. Comes with a very nice gig-bag/case. I love the way the neck and back of the guitar looks. I also love the Strat 5-way switch that selects the degree and type of acoustic sound. The only downside with this guitar is the cover that serves as a cover for the electronics and pick guard. It looks cheap, more like a decal than a cover. I think Fender can do better on this detail for the price of the guitar. However, if you can get past that then it is a fine playing and sounding guitar. I have owned several Acoustic and Acoustic/Electric guitars. The action on even high-priced acoustics was so terrible I just ended up selling them. I also do not like the large back ends of most acoustic and acoustic electric guitars, but this guitar is small and easy to play. I would give it an A-.Bill

The research I did on trying to learn more about this instrument via general internet, YouTube, assorted standard Music Company's like Sam Ash; Sweetwater; Guitar Center; Alamo; and other assorted Music Guitar critics provided a good array of opinions and product test results that produced a positive majority with impressive perspectives for the instrument I purchased. The Fender American Acoustasonic Stratocaster Acoustic-Electric Guitar Cocobolo I purchased from Sam Ash was not a disappointment. Aside from the 10 different options of Guitar unique sounds it provides from Acoustic and Electric mixes. The one-of-a-kind Cocobolo wood identifies a further fingerprint in supporting its own private one-of-a-kind signature sound with relationship to the Cocobolo wood unique to it alone. That just blows me away with how special the sound of specialty signature sound it produces with the ten different built in technical sounds the Fender Guitar company developed with this special edition. I feel overwhelmed in learning to continue how to play this guitar. It allows me so many more possibilities with playing soft country to hard rock a really strong guitar enjoyment experience.Guitar Enthusiast

Overall, I am very happy with this guitar. It exudes classic Fender looks and tone. The quality and craftsmanship are decent for the price point. I have a US Tele and, after putting some TLC into this player strat, it feels and plays almost as good as the Tele. I would give it five stars if it were not for fretwork that was needed. Body – The finish and surf pearl color are gorgeous. The wood grain is barely visible (raised) so I would not say the finish is flawless, but the grain is very subtle and adds character in my opinion. The routed cavities for the electronics (top) and the tremolo springs (back) are precisely cut and clean. The electronics cavity was even finished with black paint. Neck – The finish and appearance are great. However, all 22 frets had sprouted; some as much as 1/32". I can't say this is a craftsmanship issue as the frets were probably fine when it was assembled. It must have been a very high humidity environment, though. Nevertheless, after painstakingly filing and redressing all 44 fret ends it feels good. The frets themselves were well seated and leveled. The 3rd and 11th frets were a few thousands of an inch high, but not enough to cause any buzzing issues. The frets were well rounded and polished. Hardware – The tuners are just okay. One of them feels a little rough turning, and they seem to have a low turning ratio making it very touchy to dial in perfect pitch. The 2-point fulcrum tremolo bridge seems like a better design than the traditional (six screw) bridges, but I did not test it. I prefer to block them for more stable tuning, which worked great with this bridge. I have upgraded electronics I had planned to install in this guitar, but the stock pickups aren't bad. They are very quiet and have good tone – there is no rush to replace them. Setup was a breeze. Truss rod adjustment was smooth, nut slots were to spec, and intonation was perfect. The action needed adjustment since I blocked the tremolo, but that was easy.Dave S.

I used to play guitar in the 70s now that I'm retired I decided to pick it up again and this is a great guitar to learn all over again. It's kind of like riding a bike you never forget but your body doesn't want to cooperate with your mind. So it's a task. I'm working through it and thankfully this guitar is easy to play. I almost forgot it sounds great too. I've never had a acoustic guitar that sounds as good as this one.Neil

Mine shipped fast and well packaged. No damage, no defects in finish on first observation. Pickguard was bowed up and center pickup was loose. I really wanted a pearl pickgaurd anyway, so I purchased one in pearl and one in tortoise. Think I like tortoise better. Will need to route them for the non-standard pickups. Overall an outstanding value, but I wouldn't be able to play out of the box. Unsure if temp had anything to do with it, but it was -20 below the day it was delivered.Keith

This feels like a tel but has a better variety of tones than the sandard pickups. I don't play country music so I have never liked the Tele sound but I do like the sounds that this one puts out. it plays very nicely. I like male fret boards on my Fender electric guitars.David

I got it on sale for ($) what a steal. It came set up nicely, did not have to tweak the neck or bridge. It plays smooth and fast, and with 3 pickups on a 5x selector it is versatile. I give it four stars only because it is 21 frets vs 22, and because a 7x selector would fill out the possibilities between 3 pickups. This is the least expensive guitar I own, but it is my favorite. Go figure.Steven

I got this guitar on September 14th, 2021, and have had some minor issues with it. When I receive this guitar, it was perfect. Not a single case of fret buzz, the nut was perfect, and it was an all around great guitar. However, after about a month. I realized the tuners were a bit out of wack. I would be a bit flat, and turn the tuning peg over and over and over, only to not tighten the string at all. Then when I finally did one last turn, I'd be sharp by a whole note! Whatever, just replace the tuners. I had been putting that off. The next issue was a bit weird. I play really hard, and over time, the bridge pins were starting to get loose, and eventually a whole screw came out, and I had to take the guitar to a tech. I know this is probably user error, but still. I eventually just decided to turn it into a Jonny Greenwood tele, with lace sensors, a kill switch, and all. And let me tell you, this guitar is perfect now. The neck is (and always was) exactly what I was looking for. It's a bit thinner that my Squier Affinity Strat, but I like a thinner neck. Bottom line, I would recommend this guitar if your okay with getting new tuners. No one else I know has had problem with the bridge, so consider that. (P.S. I forgot to say that the stock pickups are amazing! I almost just kept them, they sound really good)Cory

I have owned a number of high-end 12 Strings. This Fender can hang with them and some Twice as expensive and more! It was perfectly set-up right out of the box. Great action and play-ability.I am still Impressed with this guitar especially at it's price point. The strings it came strung with were not for me. It is The one thing that I changed and it just made the sound POP, the voice INCREDIBLE and made the guitar even more impressive. The strings I used are the Martin Retro Monel Custom Lights. It opened a whole new sound for this guitar. I have owned this now over 4 months and am still awed. For a twelve string it holds its Tuning even when I am wailing and using my Dunlop Brass slide. You really cannot go wrong with this well built and great sounding Guitar! Don't wait if your looking, pull the trigger and BUY IT NOW! You will have NO regrets, and with AMS's great payment plans what more could you ask for?!?!?Spikeola

Things I like: -Noiseless pickups sound pretty close to regular single coils but without the annoying hum. They may not sound 100% as glassy as my Tele single coils, but if we're honest, very few people will notice the difference and the trade-off for quiet pickups is well worth it. -One volume and one master tone is user friendly like a Telecaster -Comfortable body and neck -Rotary switch adds a nice boost to get closer to Tele or p90 when needed Comments: -First time I tried out the rotary switch I thought it was kinda of dumb, but after setting it up, I think it is most valuable to add some thickness when the thinner Strat sounds needs a bit more. I like it now but still think the lower settings aren't truly necessary. Makes the neck pickup more suitable for jazz and gets the bridge close to a Tele. -After received, we tweaked it but adjusting the truss rod, filing the nut a bit for a couple strings, raising the pickups to the Fender specs (3.2mm), adjusting the rotary switch so when you turned it the knob would stop and not just keep spinning when you got to the end of the options. -Make sure you unplug the guitar from the amp or the battery will run down very quickly -Never owned a Pau Ferro fretboard before but it's very close to Rosewood. If you're on the fence, I wouldn't let it put you off. In the end, we've got a very usable, comfortable, versatile Strat that sounds great! If you are looking for a Stratocaster that can do Strat tones and can get close to Tele or even Les Paul (maybe a bit far on the Les Paul but again, close is the operative word–there is no ONE guitar) when needed, all with noise-free pickups, then this is a great choice.Steve

This is a fantastic guitar – it sounds beautiful and is really easy to play. Amazing value for money. I had an issue with my first order, and PMT were excellent with their customer service and everything got resolved perfectly within a day, and I received the guitar the following day. Thank you for the fantastic service.Melissa R.

Got this to downsize from dreadnought and I am extremely pleased. Specs on MF, M&A, GF, all say dreadnought on body type, it's a triple-o concert. Found the correct specs on Fender, which would make sense because they are the manufacturers. Medium strings sound better than light (in my opinion). Great buy and well constructed! My first all solid guitar & I would buy again! Fenders are economical and good quality! It's got really good sound and Fingerstyle sounds amazing! My arm does not fall asleep, from blood circulation being cut off, like it did with the dreadnought! If you are looking to learn Fingerstyle, or play Fingerstyle, and are looking for a comfortable guitar this is it! Also would recommend it for electric players who might be looking to play an acoustic!Guitarist

On my previous review I forgot to mention that the bridge pin, for the low E string, had a split towards the end and half way up on the side. I had taken the strings off to do a detailed cleaning and seen the split. Thankfully it came with one spare so I could finish my work and none of the other pins had any splits. Glued the split one, with wood glue, and have another spare! Guess it can be expected for a wooden bridge pin to split like that as it has the pressure of the string pulling against it. Had seen a video on YouTube that a guy bought a second hand one (Fender pm-3) and had the same issue. Note to anybody who buys a guitar with wooden bridge pins, check them after buying before it has a chance to break and fly out while you're playing! Other than that I am totally satisfied with the guitar and it's constructed very well!Guitarist

I am an old guy that has been playing a long time. I wanted a quality acoustic electric that would not set me back $3,000. I really liked the guitar. However, at owning the guitar just over a month the guitar was developing fret buzz around the 10th fret or so. It got worse. I took it back to Guitar Center thinking it needed a truss rod adjustment. I was told the guitar was developing a bulge in the fret board that would need major repairs. In doing some research it appears the mahogany used in the neck is not of good quality.Christopher

First of all, this is a gorgeous guitar. It looks just great. It has a big, rich sound even moreso than other larger bodied guitars I've seen. The tuner works great. I love playing it. A few minor issues. First, I find the action high, & the bridge is not adjustable. 2nd, the complaints others have offered about the fret edges being VERY rough are entirely true: you can practically leave your hand bloody, I'm sure, if you play long enough, just from being roughed up by the fret edges. I'll try filing them down & refinishing them, as some have suggested. Finally, you'll want to get rid of the strings & go with a lighter gauge, partly to alleviate the high action issue. I'd get this guitar again. I think it is a $500 – $600 guitar lurking for only a little more than half that price. But before recommending it to a friend, I'd point out these couple issues.DET

Poor quality control! Neck is a mess with all of the fret ends protruding and sharp. One fret is noticeably higher causing all kinds of issues. Inside edge of the sound hole is poorly finished and some of the ribs look rough, like they weren't sanded smooth. This one's going back!Bill

Great intermediate acoustic. Thinner, lightweight body that makes it very comfortable. Neck design more like an electric with rolled fingerboard edges and smooth frets. Cutaway enables a surprising amount of high end fret access. Piezo amplifier is really deep and rich sounding. Colours and design features convey nice 1950s vibe: well made and very good finish. Action a little high, but badly so, just that it could be lower – but a set up would rectify this. Overall a fear guitar at a superb price and inspiring to look at and play.Chazz

This Fender guitar is awesome. Out of the box it is almost perfectly set up. The intonation is off just by a little bit and only with 2 or 3 strings. The sound seems a little washed while playing chords, but single notes are loud and clear. All the frets have edge treatment, nice and smooth. The synthetic bone used for the nut and bridge are way better than plastic, allowing for a long sustain. The guitar could use better tuning keys, but the guitar stays in tune good enough. Over all my guitar was built well, and I'm glad it sounds good, too. I would recommend this guitar for all beginner guitar players because of the sound quality, and anyone else who don't have the money for their dream guitar.Tim

The pick guard is just a cheap adhesive sticker thingy and it was already damaged and peeling off when I opened the box. Not a great first impression. But I chose to take it off completely and thankfully, the glossy finish that's all over the body of this guitar is also underneath the pick guard, so it doesn't look too bad at all and I can always replace it if I want to. The "champagne" color looks champagne in the right light, but appears khaki or even greenish the rest of the time. I do love the shape though. It's smaller, lighter, and sleeker than most guitars I've handled, awesome for a more petite person like me. I'm 5 feet tall and 90lbs, so a lot of guitars have been too bulky and awkward for me. In that respect, the Newporter has made me a better player since you naturally do better when you're more comfortable. I also love the neck/head with the electric style shape and inline strings. I like the strings it came with a lot. It didn't come properly tuned, but that was a quick fix, especially since the tuner works so nicely. The sound is surprisingly rich. Great volume, especially with a pick. Overall, it's a really nice option at a really nice price, I just wish the quality control was better. Getting a new instrument with peeling parts is really disappointing, feels like I got it used or something 🙁 but if you're lucky and get a unit that is perfectly intact, you'll love this rich, beautiful, comfortable guitar. But if you can afford to spend about double, then I would suggest you do that so you won't be gambling with the quality as much.Trudy G

besides the weird booming sound coming from the amp when strumming, and the guitar constantly being out of tune. i would suggest this to a friend when starting out. however if you have more prior experience, get a better guitar and amp than this one. other than that, the price is somewhat equal to the quality of the guitar.thao

…so I purchased this as an alternative to my acoustic guitar. The 1st thing I noticed is how light it was. The maple neck was a different feel and gave me more accessibility to the frets. Once I got the guitar in tune I was surprised how nice it sounds. The amp is not the best, but if you don't have one, you won't notice. Overall I like this guitar. Thank you Fender for making an affordable electric guitar. I would get this again for a beginner. As I progress, this guitar is pushing me to upgrade to another Fender. It's that good. I have a lot of fun with this G-tar.No name

I have always been pleasantly surprised at the quality of these cheaper Squier Affinity and other similarly priced Squier guitars. I have played Squiers for decades, including jazz basses, Teles, and of course this Stratocaster. It plays as well as a guitar can play. It looks absolutely gorgeous. It sounds like any much higher priced Strats and the humbucker is a great go-to for playing leads without having to have a pedal boost or having to go to the amp controls for boost. It set up as well as any Fender I have worked on and I have worked on quite a few over the years. I would not hesitate to use this guitar on any stage or in any studio production. The frets needed no top or side dressing and no leveling.bobvarns

Let me start by saying this – I will never go anywhere else for our guitar needs other than SamAsh Music. The reason? I work at a Title I school just south of Cincinnati in a little town called Dayton, Kentucky. When disaster struck and our guitars were damaged due to a heating issue in the building, SamAsh stepped up and saved the day! They gave us a GREAT deal on brand new FA-115 Dreadnaught Guitar Packs. We were able to purchase an entire class set, and it wouldn't have been possible without their generosity! These guitars are significantly better than the recent Honer brands we were using. The attack of the notes is crisp, the resonance is fantastic, and its incredibly easy and smooth to maneuver on. My students were ecstatic when they came back from Winter break! Thank you Fender, and thank you SamAsh music for making many young musicians happy, and eager to play the guitar!NONE

This guitar is great. I upgraded my rogue starter guitar and this one sounds so much better. They gave me extra strings and a case. The strings are much closer to the fret and there is a notable quality difference from the previous starter guitar that I got. I think this is well worth it! Sam Ash was also great. They did a really good job and I am glad I purchased from them. They happen to give me extra picks!Grace

Exactly what I was looking for and my sales person was extremely helpful and not pushy. He tried to analyze what me needs were and once he did he focused on it and even though he did up sale me on a tuner, he wasn't pushy on upsalesDenny

Having a couple guitars I was curious about the short scale. Came across a Mustang P90 in surf green with maple fret in the open box section. Awesome deal , guitar is a joy to play. Sounds great clean or with overdrive. What an fantastic bang for the buck fun. Fun to play blues , metal , punk thrash…etc Cannot say enough good things about this guitar.Michael P

Overall: I can't believe there aren't any reviews of this guitar yet!I have the Burgundy Mist version of this with the pao ferro fretboard which, sadly, zZounds no longer carries. It's pretty, really pretty, and it exudes a seriously vintage vibe. (I saw an antique Burgundy Mist Chevrolet last week and I immediately thought of my feisty little Fender.)The hardware; bridge & tuners, is your standard MiM Fender quality. They're more than up to the task. The Strat-style bridge makes this an easy guitar to keep in tune. (I once had a 1978 Mustang and keeping it in tune was a nightmare that not even Edgar Allen Poe or H.P. Lovecraft could imagine.)The MP-90 pickups are capable of so much that it I could fill a whole page trying to accurately describe them. They are beefy enough to really drive a good tube amp. (My main amps are a Marshall DSL1 and Vox AC4-C112.) On a clean setting the neck pickup on its' own isn't particularly impressive, kinda dark, but the middle and bridge positions are really versatile if you tweak the volume and tone controls.With distortion, in my case a Boss MD-2 Mega Distortion (it's more of a gargantuan fuzz than a distortion pedal), all three positions sings with a tone that would make Leslie West smile broadly.I'm not a big guy (5'9", 150 lbs) so the small offset body and short scale neck are really comfortable.There is only one real drawback to this marvelous axe but it's something that shouldn't for even a second dissuade anyone from adding this guitar to their guitarsenal, and that's the pickup selector switch. It's junk. It cuts out and is rather staticky (is that a word?). It's a cheap piece of junk but it usually works so I can deal with it. (And you can as well.) I'll eventually replace it but there's no need to right now.My particular specimen had a truly beautifully grained pao ferro fretboard, with the frets being smooth and very well dressed. I love a big monstrous tone and this little wonder genuinely delivers.(Fender's prices have gone up since I bought mine but this particular axe is an absolute joy to play and for the price is still a true bargain. It loves, LOVES, full six-string power chords so if you're in a Mountain tribute band then you'll find a lot to like in this guitar.)I am first and foremost a "Telecaster guy" but I love pulling out this little dude and blasting away like Han Solo in a cantina full of Greedos.I've gone on for far too long here but it's only because I really, really like this guitar.[In my 'stars' rating I give this guy five stars in the 'manufacturer support' column because I own a bunch of Fenders and have never had a problem.]Mark

PMT service is fantastic, ordered it on a Sunday had it buy the Wednesday that week. Unpacked it gave it a quick tune and of I went started playing. This is my first fender and what can I say it's a lovely looking guitar, well finished and sounds great . There is a lot of variation you can get from switching between the different pickups which I love.John O.

The guitar came in faster than expected. The service at Sam Ash was excellent, and the salesman was very helpful with putting my order together. After unboxing, I looked the guitar over closely before plugging to my amp. The fit and finish was flawless. The neck relief, string action, and pickup height were spot on. Then I plugged in and cranked up. This guitar comes with Player Strat pickups, and Player Strat neck. And it flat out Rocks. Everyone says the Korean guitars are so good for the money. But these Mexican made Fenders are every bit as good. Personally, I'd rather have a guitar made in the American continent than one made in Asia. Good job Fender. And Kudos to Sam Ash.michael

This is a phenomenal instrument for its price. It looks, plays, feels, and sounds like a far more expensive guitar it is worth every cent. After getting this guitar I simply don't find any of my other acoustic guitars to be on par with this one. Playing this is effortless the size is perfect the best thing about this guitar though is that it produces an amazing warm tone that is surprisingly Loud for its size. Lastly the woods, hardware and electronics on the hellcat are amazing quality and again this thing looks, sounds, and feels like a guitar that cost a couple thousand dollars not 450. Can't recommend it enough it is my daily acoustic guitar now.Daniel Boutchyard

So far, so good. The guitar was shipped to me and arrived in pristine condition. It's gorgeous to look at and the sound is just what I wanted. Very warm and resonant. I'm not a small person, but I wanted something a bit more compact to get my arms around and learn on but didn't want anything too bright sounding. This fits the bill perfect for me. I did want to say, I was looking for a guitar that was made in the USA, and while Guitar Center has its country of origin as USA, this was manufactured in China. If that is important to you, you may want to keep searching.Rebecca D

I did a bunch of research on acoustic electric guitars priced around $500 or less and landed on the Hellcat. Three reasons to buy. First, the construction and materials that are built into this guitar punch well above the price tag. Solid mahogany top, mahogany sides and back; scalloped bracing and fishman electronics. Most guitars with that lineup are going to cost you substantially more $. The fretboard and saddle are walnut, but that doesn't bother me in the least nor does it effect the sound. The nut and saddle are plastic, and over time maybe I will upgrade. Second reason, is the sound. With all mahogany this guitar has a very warm tone. If you're looking for more of a bell-like tone, this is NOT the guitar for you. To me this is a very bluesy, folk sounding guitar. Third is the size. This is a small body concert guitar. Pick one up and give it a feel. You will either love or hate the small body. I like it… fun, easy to play and very portable. The last reason that will either draw you to the guitar or push you away is the aesthetic. The hellcat and skull inlays are not for everyone. I think they are fun.John

The CC 60sce has a more cheery upper range, great for folk or country songs. The tuner is accurate and easy to read. The colors of the guitar really shine in good lighting. I'm not sure if it's the strings being new or if it's just the guitar but they seem to need some frequent tuning. Other than that, this is a great guitar for beginners hoping to play for a small audience or jamming with friends at home. Finally, I noticed it has good response vibrations in the body when you strum a full chord. It reacts nicely against your body. Would buy it again.Kai

Great feel and sound. But the little $1.99 door that holds the battery for the Fishman electronics is or will break, and it's a non-repairable part. You have to return the guitar to repair it. Disregarding the battery, the guitar is great. And I would buy it again. It's not a top of the line $1000 guitar, but it is a top of the line $200 guitar (with an extra $150 added on for broken electronics). The overall size is good, and the neck and frets are a good size for my 12 year old daughter. The action feels good with little fret buzz and it seems to stay in tune all day. I've had 2 of these now. My first one had a broken batt door when opening the box. Per Fender's rules, I returned the whole guitar for a replacement. Great! Except on the 2nd one the little door is too wimpy to stay clipped shut. So the battery just falls out. Maybe I'll have to resort to a big strip of duct tape to hold the door shut. Yeah. That sounds like a good idea. Or just rely on the clip-on tuner I already have and use a Mic to amplify it.Ben (again)

Great guitar for a beginner like me. Shame that the plastic battery cover didn't fit properly and I broke it trying to install the battery on the first day. That said, this is a really nice guitar for any level player. Good quality guitar but Fender should spend a few more pennies on that battery cover. Brilliant delivery from PMT ordered late afternoon arrived first thing the next day.Stephen D.

This is a phenomenal instrument for its price. It looks, plays, feels, and sounds like a far more expensive guitar it is worth every cent. After getting this guitar I simply don't find any of my other acoustic guitars to be on par with this one. Playing this is effortless the size is perfect the best thing about this guitar though is that it produces an amazing warm tone that is surprisingly Loud for its size. Lastly the woods, hardware and electronics on the hellcat are amazing quality and again this thing looks, sounds, and feels like a guitar that cost a couple thousand dollars not 450. Can't recommend it enough it is my daily acoustic guitar now.Daniel Boutchyard

So far, so good. The guitar was shipped to me and arrived in pristine condition. It's gorgeous to look at and the sound is just what I wanted. Very warm and resonant. I'm not a small person, but I wanted something a bit more compact to get my arms around and learn on but didn't want anything too bright sounding. This fits the bill perfect for me. I did want to say, I was looking for a guitar that was made in the USA, and while Guitar Center has its country of origin as USA, this was manufactured in China. If that is important to you, you may want to keep searching.Rebecca D

I did a bunch of research on acoustic electric guitars priced around $500 or less and landed on the Hellcat. Three reasons to buy. First, the construction and materials that are built into this guitar punch well above the price tag. Solid mahogany top, mahogany sides and back; scalloped bracing and fishman electronics. Most guitars with that lineup are going to cost you substantially more $. The fretboard and saddle are walnut, but that doesn't bother me in the least nor does it effect the sound. The nut and saddle are plastic, and over time maybe I will upgrade. Second reason, is the sound. With all mahogany this guitar has a very warm tone. If you're looking for more of a bell-like tone, this is NOT the guitar for you. To me this is a very bluesy, folk sounding guitar. Third is the size. This is a small body concert guitar. Pick one up and give it a feel. You will either love or hate the small body. I like it… fun, easy to play and very portable. The last reason that will either draw you to the guitar or push you away is the aesthetic. The hellcat and skull inlays are not for everyone. I think they are fun.John

Sound: Sounds balls to the wall. They're EMG's so you already know how this story ends. I'm running through a 100 watt Windsor head with a chorus in the loop, a Bad Horsie, DS-1 and gate out front. Sounds so much heavier than my Epi with Slash pups. Features: I like the one knob feature, the locking tuners are really great and hold the strings no matter how hard I bend. And I'm a Zakk/SRV kind of bender, Hard and heavy. I've heard that they stopped using Ebony boards and went to Rosewood but mine is ebony. Dark tight grain. Ease of Use: The action is great…I tuned up out of the BEAUTIFUL CASE!!, and maybe 1 string here or there since but wow… Quality: The finish is made to wear thin or relic naturally. My Zakk is reliced so I kinda dig that. The Root is of the same quality as my SRV. Blacked out hardware with it's minimalist design gives it a very mean profile. Value: Great Value!!! I'm really glad I took a chance on it. I was looking at the DiMartini, So Cal and another ESP (super strat) but looked through so many reviews of all of them and for the price you just cant beat it. I was worried about the MIM thing but don't be. Manufacturer Support: No relations as of yet The Wow Factor: I like the minimalist desighn, the neck and joint, and the basic stance of this guitar. And again it's just something different that you dont see alot of. Overall: I'm an EC 1000 kind of guy, Like probably every other metal player in the world. I have a Windsor 100 head as well as a Marshall DSL 40 C. I have an Epi Buzzsaw Zakk, an EC1000, an SRV and a Nuno N24. I was really close to pulling the trigger on another EC but really wanted something lighter and to be honest just something different and was looking at Charvel/super strat kind of stuff. Well I kept running into awesome reviews of the Root Tele so I went and played one. Holy Crap !!!! This thing is awesome. Blows my other guitars away. Quality and playability is even with my 1600.00 SRV. Only because the Root neck is modern C instead of the Baseball SRV neck my hand doesnt cramp. I left came home and ordered this thing via pay as you play. I've played for 20 years and other than a Kramer Nightswan I had in the 80"s, this is the best I've had. For the price you cant beat it. So if your wondering and contemplating just look at all the reviews as there is not a bad one out there. There are even non metal players buying the guitar and changing out the pups to suit their needs. All based on the awesome playability of this instrument. I like the simple 1 knob feature as I'm playing metal nothing less so dont need it. I've only had to tune it twice in 2 weeks.Christopher

Overall: I bought this for the ebony fingerboard and because I wanted a tele with chunkier pickups than the standard. As a life long classical guitarist, I have an attachment to ebony. It has been the classical luthiers' choice for the fingerboard for at least a century. To me, there is no substitute. (I found this guitar by googling ebony fingerboard electric guitar.)As a player of electric and acoustic guitars since the late 1960s, I have noticed a steady decline in the quality of fingerboards. Sadly, now we see iconic brands producing expensive, iconic instruments with fingerboards not much different from the ones that used to appear only on the cheapest no-name imports. OK, sermon over.I would have preferred if this axe came with some sort of regular humbuckers rather than active pickups. Nothing against EMGs, I have them on my Charvel and on a custom bass. I just don't like batteries. Now to the instrument itself. In the course of a forty-year career as a player, I have owned and/or played all the classics. After a couple of weeks of getting to know this tele, it's looking to be one of the finest electric instruments I have played.I switched out the plastic volume knob for a black steel tele nob. Other than that, I'm not making any changes.A lot of the PR and reviews and youtube videos are all about what a great metal shred machine this is. I'm here to tell you this guitar will play whatever you can play. If you have t in your hands, this thing will deliver it. Many thanks to the zZounds people for excellent service.Steve

Sound: Heavy. I bought this for drop B and A tuning and it's immaculate. Put this through your tube amp of choice and crank up the gain and its crushing. I run through a 50w Orange Rockerverb and it's a high gain monster. The volume knob is quite responsive though. Dial back the gain and the volume knob and you have a Les Paul esque sounding blues and jazz guitar. Wouldn't be my go to for that, but definitely could work in a pinch. Features: The 12" ebony fretboard is what honestly sold me. I'm not a huge fan of compound radius fretboards and the traditional c shape is perfect. I own a couple other Fenders but this neck honesty feels like a vintage Les Paul. Toss a little mineral oil on the neck and glide like butter. The EMGs are great. I've honestly never played a set on a guitar I actually thought played well so they're a pleasant surprise. I bought this guitar thinking I may swap the pickups for some passive Seymour Duncans but there's no need. Ease of Use: Two humbuckers, 1 knob, pretty simple. You'll have to replace a nine volt battery every once in a while which takes 60 seconds. Quality: Once you dial it in, its great. That being said, it needed some work out of the box which is my biggest beef with this guitar. I had a small speck of glue beneath the 7th fret that I sanded off. I also needed to completely set it up. If you're comfortable setting up a tension rod, saddle height, intonation, pickup height, etc. it won't be a big deal. That being said, a $1k guitar should at least pretend to make an effort. The neck is straight, frets are smooth with no sharp ends, fretboard is a buttery dream. In less than a half hour I got it singing and smooth, but unless you can set it up, prepare to drop a few bucks on getting it ready to play. Value: Guitars in this price range are always kind of funky and manufacturers know it. Compared to other guitars in this range, I'd say it's worth the money and comparable to other guitars in the same boat. Are you going to get a custom-shop-playing guitar of your dreams full of unicorns and rainbows and pixie dust out of the box? If you already own a guitar like that, then no. If you don't, then maybe. But what you do get is a solid foundation that's very customizable to your touch and can be a fantastic playing and sounding guitar with just a little bit of work. Manufacturer Support: N/A. Yet anyway. The Wow Factor: This guitar is super unique. I'm not a huge Slipknot or Stone Sour fan, but I know that the sound Jim Root gets out of this guitar through an Orange Rockerverb is sublime. That was my primary motivation towards looking at this guitar. With the ebony fretboard, mahogany body, and 12" radius, I was sold. It 100% meets my expectations. If you're kinda a quirky player like me, it'll do the same for you. Overall: Fantastic guitar if you want a metal guitar but like more traditional feel.Brad