Fender Tim Armstrong Hellcat Acoustic Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

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

I bought this guitar from Musicians Friend almost two years ago. First of all, I love the way it looks. The mahogany body and the skulls on fretboard are awesome. It looks amazing hanging on the wall with my other guitars. But with guitars, sound is most important. The sound it makes when unplugged is very unique. This is because of it's smaller size. The top face of this guitar is roughly the same size as my other acoustics, but the sides are an entire inch shorter. This makes it easier to transport and hold, but changes the sound. Yet it is still about the same loudness as my other acoustics. If the unplugged sound was always like that it would be fine, but the wiring inside the body is not done well, and it makes noises. The plug connecting the wires from the jack/battery to the tuner/knobs often comes just loose enough to allow it to rattle inside the body when you are playing. It only takes a second to reach into the soundhole and put it back in place, and it only will happen once a week or so, but I would never want to play live with this guitar for fear of it happening in the middle of a performance. Now there is the issue of playing while plugged in. The guitar has built in volume, bass, middle, and treble knobs, which is great, but they cause problems due to the poor quality pickup. The higher you turn up the volume knob, the more static you get, but if you turn it down, it is too quiet. The higher you turn up you turn up the bass the more feedback you get, and the higher you turn up the middle and treble the more of this annoying humming sound you get, but if you turn these knobs down you lose all your tone and the guitar sounds dull and boring. To achieve the best sound I just put all the knobs around the halfway point. Even if you do this, depending on how loud you want your amp, you have to be a specific distance away from your amp or else you will get the most horrendous sounding feedback (it's comparable to holding a mic right in front of the same amp its plugged into). If your amp is on the quiet side, you need to be about 5 ft. away, if it's kind of in the middle you need to be about 10 ft. away, and if it's loud you have to be almost 20 ft. away from your amp. The other thing I would like to address is the guitar's playability. Due to its smaller body and thinner neck than most other acoustics, it is very easy and comfortable to hold. However, the action is so high to the point where it is difficult to play certain songs, but that can be fixed by filing down the saddle. Oh, and for some reason the bridge on mine is slowly starting to come off, it's just the edges now, but I fear it will get worse. Under close inspection, it appears that hardly any glue was used. This is probably just a defect and not all are like this. I will simply glue the bridge back on should it come off completely. To sum it up: If you permanently fix the wires in place, and lower the action, this would be an amazing acoustic guitar; one that would be (for the price) deserving of 5 stars. As an electric it would need a much better pickup, and that would require addition money to replace (if you even can, I haven't checked), so as an electric instrument, I would give it 2 stars. But it does sound alright through an amp if you carefully set your tone and stand back. Overall I'd say it's a decent guitar, so I'll give it 3/5 stars.Duftite

I bought this guitar for my boyfriend for Christmas, & he loves this guitar. It's a lot better than the acoustic that he bought himself on Amazon & now that He has this guitar He's debating wheather he wants to keep the Amazon guitar or not. This is a great guitar! He does have a few complaints about it. It's a little too quiet, the frets are smaller than what He's used to, because He mainly plays electrics with either medium jumbo or jumbo frets. The only other thing that He wishes it had is a cut out for the higher frets. All in all he thinks this is a great guitar & it sounds & plays great. The action is low, the neck isn't too thick, so if you have small hands, you should still be able to play it. All in all this is a good guitar & if you are looking @ acoustics then he implores you to consider this guitar, He has yet to find a Fender that He don't like.Piano/Guitar Man

So its my birthday and as a leftie on a budget I wanted to get a cool new guitar since I hadn't bought a new w one in 15 years.So I gave myself 2 weeks before my Birthday to make my purchase. I heard of musicians friend from a friend when I was looking for a Ovation (which I've always wanted). So I see this guitar and think man thats cool. So I ordered it but when it came in the Fishman electronics were different. So I called Fender and they said the electronics I received were from the 2010 model and since then they had upgraded to better sliders and a large electronic box instead of the tiny tuner knobs for bass mid treble… So I called and the rep was cool and said return it and w'ell get another one out and I'll have my guys at the warehouse open the box to be sure it has the right electronics before we ship it. So I spend my time going to the UPS store on my only break. Musicians friend sends me my guitar. Open the box. WOW… Same guitar same electronics.. No follow through. This is not how you do business. Called and was told first rep didnt do his job right and too bad too sad basically. I just wanted the guitar they had pictured. That Musicians Friend showed they were selling… Could they not make sure the product they had pictured is the product they were selling? Yeah-I know- big cry baby- but sometimes you dont get alot of pleasures in life and my pleasure was looking forward to a new instrument. My lifes been tough this past few years with the economy. I'm working over 100 hours a week 7 days a week for 2 1/2 years- so yeah – I'm disappointed and frustrated.Ousso2112

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

Bought this LH Fender because I wanted an acoustic. Overall the sound is good with the right strings. Within 3 weeks of purchase I had to have the neck adjusted and frets filed because they were inset too high. The sound overall is bright and vibrant. Had a couple times playing where the sound was not the best. Overall, it's a solid entry level guitar. Could be better but could be far worse.Phil

Overall: While this has a decent tone, it's not going to improve with age as the top is a laminated top–not solid spruce.Moreover, since this is a guitar targeting the beginning student, I mark it down because the setup is NOT conducive to the beginner. The action needs to be lowered and the Fender branded DuraTone strings it came from the factory with feel more like a medium gauge than a light gauge. I have a 12-string Yamaha that is easier to play than this.But to give it some props–the price includes a hardshell case–something no other guitar in this price range offers. And the abalone rosette is a nice cosmetic touch.The tuning machines turn smoothly and it does hold a tune very well.And for those who object to Chinese-made guitars, this was made in Indonesia.David

Generally, it is a great guitar. Many of you would expect a low volume for a mahogany top, back and side guitar. However, it's dreadnought style compensates for this and thus you will have a warm mellow toned guitar whilst still having plenty of volume. The guitar looks a lot better in real life than on the photos you may see on the internet. Contrary to the CD60S spruce top (built in Indonesia), this guitar is manufactured in China. The tone difference between CD60S spruce top and this one is small as the spruce top also has mahogany back and sides. This guitar however is one with great overtones. Being a novice, it is a great starting guitar. My only complaint is that the nut and saddle are plastic. The nut, in particular, causes the guitar to be in need of tuning every 2 or 3 days. However, this disadvantage is very manageable and if you prefer, you can spend a tiny bit of money to replace the nut with a bone nut at a guitar shop. If you webchat with a guitar center rep they might be able to give you a discount to cut the cost of this guitar to the price level of the cheapest possible for a major manufacturer's acoustic guitar.Dan the Beginner

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

I bought this guitar from Musicians Friend almost two years ago. First of all, I love the way it looks. The mahogany body and the skulls on fretboard are awesome. It looks amazing hanging on the wall with my other guitars. But with guitars, sound is most important. The sound it makes when unplugged is very unique. This is because of it's smaller size. The top face of this guitar is roughly the same size as my other acoustics, but the sides are an entire inch shorter. This makes it easier to transport and hold, but changes the sound. Yet it is still about the same loudness as my other acoustics. If the unplugged sound was always like that it would be fine, but the wiring inside the body is not done well, and it makes noises. The plug connecting the wires from the jack/battery to the tuner/knobs often comes just loose enough to allow it to rattle inside the body when you are playing. It only takes a second to reach into the soundhole and put it back in place, and it only will happen once a week or so, but I would never want to play live with this guitar for fear of it happening in the middle of a performance. Now there is the issue of playing while plugged in. The guitar has built in volume, bass, middle, and treble knobs, which is great, but they cause problems due to the poor quality pickup. The higher you turn up the volume knob, the more static you get, but if you turn it down, it is too quiet. The higher you turn up you turn up the bass the more feedback you get, and the higher you turn up the middle and treble the more of this annoying humming sound you get, but if you turn these knobs down you lose all your tone and the guitar sounds dull and boring. To achieve the best sound I just put all the knobs around the halfway point. Even if you do this, depending on how loud you want your amp, you have to be a specific distance away from your amp or else you will get the most horrendous sounding feedback (it's comparable to holding a mic right in front of the same amp its plugged into). If your amp is on the quiet side, you need to be about 5 ft. away, if it's kind of in the middle you need to be about 10 ft. away, and if it's loud you have to be almost 20 ft. away from your amp. The other thing I would like to address is the guitar's playability. Due to its smaller body and thinner neck than most other acoustics, it is very easy and comfortable to hold. However, the action is so high to the point where it is difficult to play certain songs, but that can be fixed by filing down the saddle. Oh, and for some reason the bridge on mine is slowly starting to come off, it's just the edges now, but I fear it will get worse. Under close inspection, it appears that hardly any glue was used. This is probably just a defect and not all are like this. I will simply glue the bridge back on should it come off completely. To sum it up: If you permanently fix the wires in place, and lower the action, this would be an amazing acoustic guitar; one that would be (for the price) deserving of 5 stars. As an electric it would need a much better pickup, and that would require addition money to replace (if you even can, I haven't checked), so as an electric instrument, I would give it 2 stars. But it does sound alright through an amp if you carefully set your tone and stand back. Overall I'd say it's a decent guitar, so I'll give it 3/5 stars.Duftite

I bought this guitar for my boyfriend for Christmas, & he loves this guitar. It's a lot better than the acoustic that he bought himself on Amazon & now that He has this guitar He's debating wheather he wants to keep the Amazon guitar or not. This is a great guitar! He does have a few complaints about it. It's a little too quiet, the frets are smaller than what He's used to, because He mainly plays electrics with either medium jumbo or jumbo frets. The only other thing that He wishes it had is a cut out for the higher frets. All in all he thinks this is a great guitar & it sounds & plays great. The action is low, the neck isn't too thick, so if you have small hands, you should still be able to play it. All in all this is a good guitar & if you are looking @ acoustics then he implores you to consider this guitar, He has yet to find a Fender that He don't like.Piano/Guitar Man

So its my birthday and as a leftie on a budget I wanted to get a cool new guitar since I hadn't bought a new w one in 15 years.So I gave myself 2 weeks before my Birthday to make my purchase. I heard of musicians friend from a friend when I was looking for a Ovation (which I've always wanted). So I see this guitar and think man thats cool. So I ordered it but when it came in the Fishman electronics were different. So I called Fender and they said the electronics I received were from the 2010 model and since then they had upgraded to better sliders and a large electronic box instead of the tiny tuner knobs for bass mid treble… So I called and the rep was cool and said return it and w'ell get another one out and I'll have my guys at the warehouse open the box to be sure it has the right electronics before we ship it. So I spend my time going to the UPS store on my only break. Musicians friend sends me my guitar. Open the box. WOW… Same guitar same electronics.. No follow through. This is not how you do business. Called and was told first rep didnt do his job right and too bad too sad basically. I just wanted the guitar they had pictured. That Musicians Friend showed they were selling… Could they not make sure the product they had pictured is the product they were selling? Yeah-I know- big cry baby- but sometimes you dont get alot of pleasures in life and my pleasure was looking forward to a new instrument. My lifes been tough this past few years with the economy. I'm working over 100 hours a week 7 days a week for 2 1/2 years- so yeah – I'm disappointed and frustrated.Ousso2112

I bought this guitar from Musicians Friend almost two years ago. First of all, I love the way it looks. The mahogany body and the skulls on fretboard are awesome. It looks amazing hanging on the wall with my other guitars. But with guitars, sound is most important. The sound it makes when unplugged is very unique. This is because of it's smaller size. The top face of this guitar is roughly the same size as my other acoustics, but the sides are an entire inch shorter. This makes it easier to transport and hold, but changes the sound. Yet it is still about the same loudness as my other acoustics. If the unplugged sound was always like that it would be fine, but the wiring inside the body is not done well, and it makes noises. The plug connecting the wires from the jack/battery to the tuner/knobs often comes just loose enough to allow it to rattle inside the body when you are playing. It only takes a second to reach into the soundhole and put it back in place, and it only will happen once a week or so, but I would never want to play live with this guitar for fear of it happening in the middle of a performance. Now there is the issue of playing while plugged in. The guitar has built in volume, bass, middle, and treble knobs, which is great, but they cause problems due to the poor quality pickup. The higher you turn up the volume knob, the more static you get, but if you turn it down, it is too quiet. The higher you turn up you turn up the bass the more feedback you get, and the higher you turn up the middle and treble the more of this annoying humming sound you get, but if you turn these knobs down you lose all your tone and the guitar sounds dull and boring. To achieve the best sound I just put all the knobs around the halfway point. Even if you do this, depending on how loud you want your amp, you have to be a specific distance away from your amp or else you will get the most horrendous sounding feedback (it's comparable to holding a mic right in front of the same amp its plugged into). If your amp is on the quiet side, you need to be about 5 ft. away, if it's kind of in the middle you need to be about 10 ft. away, and if it's loud you have to be almost 20 ft. away from your amp. The other thing I would like to address is the guitar's playability. Due to its smaller body and thinner neck than most other acoustics, it is very easy and comfortable to hold. However, the action is so high to the point where it is difficult to play certain songs, but that can be fixed by filing down the saddle. Oh, and for some reason the bridge on mine is slowly starting to come off, it's just the edges now, but I fear it will get worse. Under close inspection, it appears that hardly any glue was used. This is probably just a defect and not all are like this. I will simply glue the bridge back on should it come off completely. To sum it up: If you permanently fix the wires in place, and lower the action, this would be an amazing acoustic guitar; one that would be (for the price) deserving of 5 stars. As an electric it would need a much better pickup, and that would require addition money to replace (if you even can, I haven't checked), so as an electric instrument, I would give it 2 stars. But it does sound alright through an amp if you carefully set your tone and stand back. Overall I'd say it's a decent guitar, so I'll give it 3/5 stars.Duftite

I bought this guitar for my boyfriend for Christmas, & he loves this guitar. It's a lot better than the acoustic that he bought himself on Amazon & now that He has this guitar He's debating wheather he wants to keep the Amazon guitar or not. This is a great guitar! He does have a few complaints about it. It's a little too quiet, the frets are smaller than what He's used to, because He mainly plays electrics with either medium jumbo or jumbo frets. The only other thing that He wishes it had is a cut out for the higher frets. All in all he thinks this is a great guitar & it sounds & plays great. The action is low, the neck isn't too thick, so if you have small hands, you should still be able to play it. All in all this is a good guitar & if you are looking @ acoustics then he implores you to consider this guitar, He has yet to find a Fender that He don't like.Piano/Guitar Man

So its my birthday and as a leftie on a budget I wanted to get a cool new guitar since I hadn't bought a new w one in 15 years.So I gave myself 2 weeks before my Birthday to make my purchase. I heard of musicians friend from a friend when I was looking for a Ovation (which I've always wanted). So I see this guitar and think man thats cool. So I ordered it but when it came in the Fishman electronics were different. So I called Fender and they said the electronics I received were from the 2010 model and since then they had upgraded to better sliders and a large electronic box instead of the tiny tuner knobs for bass mid treble… So I called and the rep was cool and said return it and w'ell get another one out and I'll have my guys at the warehouse open the box to be sure it has the right electronics before we ship it. So I spend my time going to the UPS store on my only break. Musicians friend sends me my guitar. Open the box. WOW… Same guitar same electronics.. No follow through. This is not how you do business. Called and was told first rep didnt do his job right and too bad too sad basically. I just wanted the guitar they had pictured. That Musicians Friend showed they were selling… Could they not make sure the product they had pictured is the product they were selling? Yeah-I know- big cry baby- but sometimes you dont get alot of pleasures in life and my pleasure was looking forward to a new instrument. My lifes been tough this past few years with the economy. I'm working over 100 hours a week 7 days a week for 2 1/2 years- so yeah – I'm disappointed and frustrated.Ousso2112

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

This 79 buck guitar was the biggest surprise ever! I really didn't expect much, and was having second thoughts after I placed the order. I bought the sunburst version on a SDOTD as a total impulse buy. I have several expensive acoustics, and I don't need a cheap guitar. But I have to say, this is a really nice instrument. The fit and finish is above average, with relatively smooth fret ends and a huge sound. The tuners, however inexpensive, work as intended and stay in tune. The sunburst finish is lovely, with only one small thumbnail scratch. The neck joint is well done, and the neck has a comfortable full feeling. Epiphone has improved the "E" symbol on the pickguard, it is made into the plastic, and not glued on and wanting to fall off like on the older Epiphones. The rosette appears to be painted on, but it looks good regardless. The bridge (rosewood) is solidly attached to the top, with no lifting or gaps. The body has a white plastic binding front and back that is well executed. The rosewood fretboard is attractive with nice grain. And the sound! This guitar has a huge, loud sound for a laminate guitar. Tomorrow I plan to replace the original strings with some quality mediums, which can only make it sound even better. One odd feature is a false truss rod cover, held in place with three wood screws. There is nothing under it! The access to the truss rod is inside the sound hole. I did have to remove some glue from around the truss rod adjusting nut inside the guitar. Quite frankly, the quality and sound of the Epiphone just blows me away! If I had to sell all of my other acoustics and only keep this one, I would be content. It's that good!JimmyJ

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

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

I've been looking for a particular sound from an acoustic to replace my Ibanez. I went into to the GC to get strings for my other axes and try out a white Tele they had. Tele wasn't quite what I was looking for so I went into the accoustic room and this just stood out and I had to tryit. I was sold after one strum of Dm-A-G. That was the sound I wanted. Mids somewhere between a J45 and a Taylor. Highs have just the right amount of brilliance without stealing the show. Exactly what I was looking for. It has a bone nut and saddle so this thing rings out so well. The only thing I can think of negative is the Epiphone Deluxe tuners feel cheap. I'm just going to order some Gibson Deluxe's, other than that this is a beaut!JR

This guitar is beautiful. I've played many guitars, but none are more pretty than this. I have the Cherry Burst, wow! The fretboard material is Laural Wood. It plays nicely with bended notes, nice and firm. This guitar has good "weight." It is one of the heavier acoustics I've played. I like that too, it feels like great quality. Mine is not made in China. It was manufactured in Indonesia. These Asian manufacturers are doing a great job and I like it that mine is from Indonesia, too. There is good balance in sound from string to string, too. It's nice that it came with a sound hole cover, but such a nice (and fairly pricey) guitar should come with a gig bag or case.Boomer

Overall: Ok let me first say that I have been playing guitar since 1964. I have so many guitars since then I can't even remember them.In my experience Epiphone guitars have always been a solid platform for someone who is first starting and novice and intermediate level players.After reading about these " Inspired By Gibson" series Masterbilt guitars I thought I'd give one a try to see how close to a real Hummingbird it is.It caught me off guard. The fit and finish is outstanding. The playability was absolutely perfect out of the box.The original 1960's Headstock makes it look really nice. Not that deeply scalloped extended swelled at the top one usually find on an Epiphone. Nice touch Epiphone !The tulip Keystone vintage tuners are excellent. Smooth and tight. Fret work was amazing for a guitar in this price point as well as getting a guitar with beautiful solid mahogany and Sitka spruce that is finished in an accurate vintage toner. The real Mother of Pearl inlays are a really nice touch.At this price point getting an instrument with a one piece mahogany neck with no seperate heel is almost unheard of. I am tempted to say this Epiphone is so close to the Gibson model it amazed me that Gibson would allow Epiphone to produce something this close to their high dollar Hummingbird.In conclusion…. BUY IT !! You will not be sorry. zZounds is the best out there for sales, service and amazing one day delivery.Ed

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

I went into the local music store expecting to buy a Taylor 114 or Taylor 214 also. I picked up the 214 and it just wasn't the guitar for me. I picked up a fender 140 c e and it had no Bass to it at all hardly. Didn't like some of the other readers here I stumbled across another guitar thinking it was a fender and it sounded beautiful. To my surprise it was a Yamaha fgx800c. Never considered buying a Yamaha but it sounded as deep and Rich as I could have wanted. Just goes to show you when you listen with your ears and not with the name brand and price tag you get the same response many of the reviewers here got. You will need to add another strap button to the neck because it only comes with one. For the money this is Bar None the best guitar I think that is made. I went out of my way to write this review so somebody out there searching for a good acoustic guitar who leads worship at church as I do and in youth groups would not miss out on this deal!AndrewSGI

Bought a Fender guitar to practice with an acoustic guitar (I own 5 guitars total classical, electric, and travel guitars). The bottom bridge came unglued after ten days of taking it home, so I wanted something different and better built. I wanted to stay in the $800 or less budget, so I headed to Guitar Center; I played with over 30 guitars for over two hours (including Taylors and the mini travel Martin's). I stumbled on this Yamaha which had the most clear rich sound! I was very impressed with the quality of the electronics; particularly the tuner! I took it home and plugged it up to my amp, and once again, I was very impressed with the guitar's capabilities! I highly recommend this guitar even when it never crossed my mind to own a Yamaha.Tavo

I'm backing up a woman who writes, plays a Taylor, and sings like an angel. We play at some venues that are crowded with lots of other musicians running around on and back stage. I had been playing a $3600 Martin HD-18V and was somewhat nervous about it getting damaged or stepped on. So I set out to find reasonably priced guitar with good sound. I hit all the local music stores in the Atlanta area and played just about everything on the market for under $1000. NOTHING came close to the Yamaha FSX800 and FGX800 series as far as consistency, quality, playability, or PRICE. To get a Martin or Taylor that sounded and played this good, one would have to spend at least 700, and more like $1000 to get a comparable guitar. One that that really stood out to me as I spent 2 days of test driving acoustics all over Atlanta was the incredible consistency in the Yamaha guitars. Even in their models that were under $200. So with the intention of having a nice sounding a playable "insurance policy" substitute for my Martin, I ended up with a great sounding guitar that I really enjoy. And, if it were to be stolen or demolished, I now know that I could get a replacement for it that would be as good. While it's not quite the guitar that my expensive Martin is, it really lacks nothing. It's sounds good and plays good. It's fun to play and is incredibly loud. The electronics (when plugged in) actually sounds as good or better than my music partners $2K Taylor. Strongly recommend anyone looking for a good quality acoustic guitar to check out Yamaha. These guys have really nailed it.Very Yahama-pleased

Overall: Played one 10 or so years ago but didn’t get because of other obligations. Never forgot how it played and sounded! Finally got one and it is a truly excellent guitar. I have a Gibson CJ165EC, which I love, and the 000-15M is a totally different sound, which I wanted. Needed some Martin jangle! Out of the box fantastic. The mahogany tone is unmistakable and rich! Neck is a thin Martin neck, which I’m fine with. I’ve been playing for 53+ years so I kinda know what I’m talking about. Putting in a Fishman rate earth soundhole pickup and this will be my busking guitar! Really happy with the guitar and with zZounds. Delivery was fast and purchase was flawless. Highly recommend both the Martin 000-15M and zZounds!!Reverend

I ordered this online after discussing the purchase with Sam Ash Staff, it was in short supply, they scouted all Sam Ash Stores, they found one and it arrived two weeks early just after christmas. My wife loves it! It's her 2nd Martin Guitar and this one is her prize instrument. The staff at our local store were really helpful both with the Order process and preparing the the guitar upon arrival at the store. I asked about the 1st year instrument maintenance option and they were able to update our purchase to include that. The guitar sounds great, my wife loves playing it even though she is a novice. Totally satisfied with the instrument and the staff that helped obtain it. Thanks guys.Britinusa

I have wanted a triple-aught mahogany guitar. I preferred the Guild D20 dread to the Martin D15, but was open-minded about which 000 brand. Didn't like videos on Taylor and Alvarez all hog orchestra models and was very impressed with the Martin videos. So ordered this. Was also a big fan of Kenneth Pattengale and I'm With Her who use the 00-15 model. Let the box sit half a day. Upon opening it I was greeted by this amazing scent. The guitar came set up with low action, slightly detuned. The bridge and fretboard appeared to be stained morado (a very hard and valid wood, harder than rosewood but not quite as much as ebony). Tuners are Grover Statites. They are firm and perhaps a little too sensitive to sometimes dial in. The body was a gorgeous chocolate with amber-orange highlights. The guitar was immaculate. Martin Lifespan 2.0 PB 12-54 strings. It sounded really nice with the ebony pins which were fit absolutely perfectly. However, I had already purchased Blisstime unbleached bone pins which fit perfectly too. I got even more sustain and a more melodic tone, along with greater volume. This improved the strumming tone immensely. May switch to nickel-bronze 12-56 strings, but I will wait for now. The guitar is super-light and weird to hold after dreads. The tone is dark (as expected) but ringing. There is the hog compression, but I was amazed how great this sounded brand new. I did humidity it overnight. Intonation was spot on. The frets were dressed wonderfully with no protruding ends. No truss rod wrench, nor polishing cloth like with my DSS-17. The case had a small ding in the tolex which I was able to bond into place cleanly and disguise. The case is very nice, but without built-in humidification like my Guild. The tone is beautifully even and not bass-heavy like the D15. The treble keeps up with the expected mids. The end pin was not pushed in all the way by me as it was very tight. May opt to have that professionally assessed. I don't gig, so a pickup is not for me. I did get a tortoise pickguard. This is definitely a keeper which I will pamper.Tom

Once I let the guitar acclimate to my home, this guitar sounded phenomenal. It's a solid warm tone, across the strings and up the fret. mine didn't need a setup it was perfect out of the box. I didn't adjust anything, though I did change the strings. The case is OK, but the sound from my Fender is so warm and sweet and it not flat at all, I couldn't put it down for the first couple weeks, the action was easy, and the neck was great, I actually sold my Eastman as It was IMO inferior to my Fender and forced to re-evaluate my collection. I might add bone pins just to see if it enhances the highs a little but no changes needed out of the case. I love this guitar.Charles

I purchased this Guitar as part of Andertons Black Friday Deal. It even comes with a Case! First Impressions of this items were incredibly Positive. The neck feels very slim and comes in a satin finish which is my preferred feel. The Action on my model came set up reasonably low to medium for my tastes. As primarily a Single Cut Electric Guitar player i felt immedeately at home. Due to its small size it doesn't have a very pronounced low end but it still has a very full sound, albeit much brighter than a traditional dreadnought western guitar. The built in electronics include a Tuner and Fishman pickup. I so far only tried the pickups with my electric guitar amp which naturally colours the tone but it still sounded quite nice on a squaky clean setting.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

A. I sent it back. B. They could have had a winner, but they just didn't. Why? the neck is sized for children who's parents aren't likely to spend this much for what was supposed to be a traveller for the general population. The design was pretty cool but they really didn't do it any favors with the lackluster matte milky satin finish, and I like satin finishes a lot, just not this one and not on this guitar. The top is super thin so it was very resonant, but still very thin a marginally voiced. Lot of sustain though, not well balanced at all. I guess to put it in perspective, I've played numerous mini guitars all a fraction the cost of this model and they were all around more pleasing and had tone to eat this one alive. They all had the same nut width, but you could play them and happily, that was not so for me with this one, was very cramped and like holding a small flattened pipe. Lots of buzzing, very low saddle but still medium (higher than ideal action) all that is code for "poor neck angle". Was glad to see this one go and wait for the right mini guitar. wish the guitar was as good as the case. I really wanted to like this one, but didn't really like anything about it but the sustain and purfling.th

I have a number of acoustic type guitars – both steel and nylon strung. When playing these I rarely strum – it's a finger style combination of rock, flamenco, folk, blues and jazz ( a real mixture). The first thing I did was to change the strings (D'Addario Silk & Steel). As a result this little Fender beauty has turned into an excellent parlour guitar: it's responsive, lovely to play and remarkably loud for its size. Build quality is good and the sound projects well. If you're a chord strummer, I wouldn't suggest that the Sonoran is for you – but it responds superbly to finger style playing. It's subtle and responsive. For the money, it's very, very good. And of course, it's very, very easy to lug around. Love it!Gillian B.

Pretty nice sounding instrument! Way less money than most solid wood, small bodied shorter scale guitars, & stacks up decently against “higher end” offerings. As a traditionalist, the onboard electronics were an annoying detraction, but in practice the pickup system sounds far more natural than I was expecting. And as a couch/practice guitar, having a tuner on the instrument is handy, I’ll grudgingly admit. If I were the type to plug in an acoustic on stage, I’d get good use out of these features. There are a few other general things that caught my attention, listed in no particular order. The dynamic range is an interesting departure from typical full scale acoustics. It’s quieter when finger picked softly, but as loud or louder when dug into with a pick. Definitely doesn’t sound small when played with authority, & generally has great resonance. I’ve yet to try lighter strings, but with 12 gauge phosphor bronze, it doesn’t feel too slinky or incredibly different than a longer scale length acoustic. I do find it a tad more comfortable, but not a night & day difference. The only lesser aspect is mostly down to the stock setup. Action was a little on the high side, & the G# fret under the low E string was a little high, so G chords buzzed on that string. This doesn’t detract from my over all impression, as I’m imagining most folks buying a decent instrument will end up setting it up & leveling fretwork to taste. All in all, mine’s a very nice acoustic guitar by any measure, & its sound punches way above its weight class in terms of cost. I dig it.WJJ

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

It?s a solid guitar for beginners. It came with everything you need to get started and it sounds great. It also came with 3 months of free lessons. It was a great price and I recommend it to anyone looking to get started or even an experienced guitar player.TIM

These new solid tops from Fender feel like a game changer in the low end/starter guitar price point. I was at sweetwater just wasting time looking around with no intent to pick up a new guitar. This cd60s in mahogany is hanging on the wall and catches my eye. I play it and it sounds REALLY good and I'm a sucker for mahogany so I check the price. I couldn't believe it. I have a nice martin and home but for that price I snatched it up to replace my laminate starter guitar I keep at work to fool around with at lunch. Out of the box it's perfectly playable and it looks and sounds great. Didn't have to do anything to get the action where I want it and that's not always the case with an new acoustic. I expect once the word gets out on these they will have a hard time keeping them in stock. Does it sound as good as a high end guitar? No it doesn't, I'm not going to be that guy. It is however a great value that does produce the kind of sound that's hard to find for under $500. I didn't think a solid top guitar was possible at this price point with this level of quality.jhub9057