Fender DG-3 Acoustic

Light, typical Fender, made in China found in a skip!

The guitar was found abandoned in a skip and although badly damaged, had a full set of old/used strings and when tunes, played beautifully. It has a mellow yet loud sound but is now under repair and I can't wait to pay it again.

As it was "found", I am not sure about the settings nor how it should play. It had severe damage to the body in three places but the neck, frets and tuning heads are in perfect condition.

The guitar sounded great but is now in pieces as I attempt to repair the damage. It wil only then be played for personal reasons.

Not been used

I also own an Eko Ranger 6, a Yamaha and a semi-acoustic Crafter but the Fender beats the Yamaha and Crafter but my favourite is the Eko.

THis guitar has a great sound feel and playability for something my friend found in his restaurants dumpster.

i play a lot of reggae type and acousticy roots music this guitar does it beautifully.

frets are kind of rough around the edges.

Fresh sounding. Not particularly suitable for thrashing. I play rock/pop/funk and this baby can play all.

Given to me by a relative so not sure how the factory settings were.
I'm lefthanded so had to have it refitted. It was set-up beautifully when I got it back from the makers.

I've had this guitar for nigh on 10 years now and have used it for jamming, practise and countless number of gigs. No probz....Until...Recently I have been having trouble with the intonation and buzzing from the 6th fret down...I am going to take it down the shop sometime next week...Hopefully that will solve it.
I have always used this guitar without back-up and will continue to do so

I wish it was semi-acoustic...That's about it...
Currently looking for an upgrade in pricerange and amplification

Tuners are cheap and come creeping out of their place. Bridge is cheap and came wilting forward, so intonation is impossible. Worst of all, frets have pried themselves up out of place, so playing the guitar actually produces lacerations on the first finger, not to mention catching the first string. Frets are simply unacceptable but the guitar is not worth a re-fretting.

I've heard much worse guitars, but you would expect Fender to eek out the best in class for the price range. Not even close to a Yamaha or Washburn for the same price. Bellowy and nasal sounding, like a combination of cardboard and plastic.

Action choices are high and hard or low enough to fret out. Neck warped quickly enough to make action assesment meaningless. No particular flaws in construction -- just in design and materials.

It's not even really "suitable" for practicing at home, just adequate and better than some cheap guitars. Quality degraded rapidly (tuners, bridge, frets - see above - and neck warping) but sort of 'flatlined'.

It's a bad guitar. There's no point in writing a review and giving it decent marks based on low expectations. This is not a good guitar, although there are worse. It may be the best that a beginner could get for $75 used, but that's debatable.

Circa 1998 Chinese built 20 fret acoustic guitar.
Standard natural finish and what looks like a rosewood fingerboard.
Came with bag, learn to play book a strap and strings

Very projecting and quite crisp. Especially the mid-high frequencies. I'd say the bass frequencies can be a wee bit mushy when thrashed, but it's a fantastic sounding guitar for even 2x the price.
With a set of new bright strings, it sings!

Well I bought it 6 years ago and have only had to change the strings. No setting up or repairs needed or done.
I've not had any issues with the action or frets or anything else sometimes mentioned about these guitars.

Well 6 years of busking, jams, moving houses and playing has left it scratched in places and with the odd crack in the varnish from bumping into things, but it's all in one bit and still still feels solid as ever.

The only thing I'd change (if I'm picky) is the nut.

I'd willingly jump onstage or head to a jam in a bar with this guitar alone and no back-up. There's no need for a backup and I've never had a cause to think about needing one.

Never had to call

I needed a cheap-ish acoustic guitar ASAP for a folk jam once and this fit the bill. I remember trying it against some other slightly more pricey acoustics and still prefering this one. I really love its simple design and fantastic feel. I'm sure a neck as cheap as this should suck more. If it were stolen (god forbid), I'd willingly buy another one, but maybe without the "how to play book". I've been playing for 13 years and don't really need it, so if they did a version of just the guitar and not the starter pack, I'd be well chuffed.

If anything, I wish it could be plugged in, there's no pickup option and I don't think the bridge would take a piezo being placed in it.

Bought in 1997, China made, laminated top, nice sunburst.
22 frets. Cost about $200.
Like someone else already said, the tuners are pretty bad, I had no problems with mine except for the third string one.
No problems with frets 13 and 14 however, and any other frets following.. The lower E string does get caugth under them though.
I don't have an option to adjust the neck since its been nicely glued in a fixed position, but I don't want to change anything anyway.

This guitar has a great sound, and that' what everyone of my friends who played it told me, and they own all kinds of guitars.
I don't really have a music style, but its ok for playing the music i like.
there is noise when you go beyond frets 14-15, but its hard to get there anyway, so the metallic sound is more or less inevitable.
It's my opinion, but maybe the guitar lacks a bit in the low frequency range, but otherwise its sound is pretty much what makes it nice.

The factory setup was ok, I figure the guys at the store did some aftermarket stuff, like lockingthe neck with glue and putting extra finish over it so it looked spotless.
Third tuner is kind of loose, still haven't got over it.
Don't know what's wrong with the bridge but I had to put small pieces of paper under both E strings eventually, otherwise they buzzed against it. The string holes did get loose too, with time, it's not a problem with .10s, or lighter strings, but mediums made them pop-out, so for those I used some mild glue, in case I want to get them out later.

This guitar lasted for seven years, and it could probably last many more. The finish is still fine, except in the places where I hit it accidentally, I think it'll last. Strap button is ok, not that I used it much.
And it would go fine by its own at a gig.

not applicable.

Been playing for about 9 years.
Recently purchased a B.C. Rich electric, can't even determine the model though, its platinum series though.

If it were stolen I'd look into buying a different guitar though, just to see what else is out there.
I bought this one mainly because it was a fender. And if I ever wanted to buy it again, i'd go for one made in USA, definitely.

It's the same as most other DG-3's: Chinese-made, natural look.
But it's reliable and fairly good looking.
It didn't come with any accessories: quick sale, second-hand style.
It had a few scratches and fag burns in the finish (nothing a bit of work couldn't shift). But someone must have used it as an ashtray.
Again, it's simple and so there's nothing to go wrong.

As with most guitars, the sound you get from one DG-3 can be totally different to another of the exact same model.
As it is, mine has an excellent sound, really suits my style (acoustic rock), it's really mellow and mature
Major problems with the higher frets 14+, but who needs to go that high?

By the time this guitar got to me it had obviously been used quite a bit, and probably adjusted, but there wasn't any noticeable flaws.
Besides, the monkey who sold it to me didn't look like he could fix a lightbulb.
On the upside, the action is perfect for what I need.

This guitar has obviously been used a *lot*, and it still plays like it's a spring chicken.
For any gig where you want a raw, acoustic sound, this is the dog's bits. There's no way I could find a backup that would be as good.

I've been playing for about four years. My first guitar was a nylon strung Hohner - good for practice - but believe me there's no comparison.
It only lacks the electro- quality that would be easier for gigs. I know I'm gonna have to buy an electro-acoustic sometime soon, but I don't want to be disappointed by it.

acoustic guitar, 22 frets, black finish, laminated top
Manufactured in China

I play mainly indie rock and the sound of the guitar fits well to the acoustic rock stuff. It has a nice full sound, really good when you compare it to guitars of similiar price. No problems with the 13th/14th frets but the sound does go really thin (metallic sounding) when played in the higher frets

Overall finish was ok except that some frets were not attached properly and the bottom E string tended to get lodged under it. The tuning heads are shit and the G & D strings go out of tune often.It doesnt hold up well to temperature changes and will drop 1/4 step in tone sometimes. I had light gauge strings on it and the neck warped when i left it in a hot apartment. Was fixed easily by a pro but really had me worried.

has taken a few knocks and shows the signs of it.

Ive been playing for 5 years and this was my first guitar that I bought solely because of the Fender name. I liked the guitar & sound then and I still like now even though it has caused me a few problems. In comparison to other acoustics it is a bargain for its price. I would agree that its a guitar for beginners but what better way to learn then with a really nice sound for a great price

simple acoustic - no electronics. see other reviews for more info

This thing is cheap, but tolerable. Construction typical of sweatshops. Nothing glaring-nothing to write home about. CHEAP tuners as someone else wrote about. The top will bow at first sign of arid weather, cheap plastic nut, and the bridge will eventually fail. ITs a cheapy, what should you espect

It seems that its lifespan will be in the decades as it was marketed to beginners who will play it 2 times and case-it until their children are teenagers. Regular gigging will kill this thing in about a year. the frets are cheap, nut is cheap top is cheap and the bracing is cheap.

Purely a beginners instrument. IF it costs you more than $150, buy soemthing else. As it was free, I think it'll be fine for around the house noodling

I think it was a 1998 model (though i can't be sure), probably some sort of cheap japanese/chinese peice of junk. it has 21 frets, with a laminated black top. It is an acoustic so it has no pick ups etc. i think the neck is either rosewood or mahogony, i dunno coz i am not a wood expert! it has a dreadnought style body. it came with a strap, 4 picks, and thats about it!

its a pretty pukka guitar!

I am a learner (been playing like six weeks). it dosent suit the style i wanna play necesserily, but i am learning, thats the main thing. it does most things quit well, i can even do an acoustic version of smooth criminal! it offers a rich full, bright sounds suitable for most acoustic styles. (REM - Everybody hurts sounds fantastic on it!)
the only thing i dislike is the fact it goes out of tune very very quickly! quicker than any other guitar!

i bought it second hand so i couldnt coment on the factory settings as such. the only thing wrong with it was that there were a few little flaws in the black colouring on the top, and a couple of the tuning pegs arnt exactly tight!

This guitar should withstand live playing, as long as it is not thrashed, as it tends to become un-tuned vert very quickly. yeah the guitar sems sturdy enough, as long as you aint gonna burn/smash it! the strap buttons are so solid i cant get the strap of th guitar! yeah i would use it at a gig, once i am good enough!

never dealt with them, so no opinion!

I have been playing approx six weeks. i dont own anything else. I wish i had bought a tuner to go with it, coz its a pain in the arse to tune every 30 mins or so! If it was lost/stolen i would not hesitate to buy it again for the same price! though i only bought it coz i couldnt afford a decent electric guitar set-up, so i might go for the electric this time! I love the fact that it's black, and that it sounds great! I hate the buzz you get on it regularly. i wish it had an electric pick up so it was semi-acoustic so i could wack it through an effects pedal etc. i looked at some cheapy encore guitars which were in the same price range, but were brand new. i went for this coz it had the quality sound to it, and the fender name!

Go buy it, borrow it or steal it! its a quality instrument for the money!

20 frets, starter kit..came with some other stuff(tuner, strings, bag, useless strap, etc)
I really dont know how to rank this category...its a pretty simlpe guitar...but i like it

I really like the way this guitar sounds and for the price....you cant beat it. I got this guitar for Christmas a year and a half ago as my first guitar and have been really happy with it. I also use a Seymour Duncan acoustic tube pick-up with it, and a peavy 15 watt keyboard/acoustic guitar amp. It sounds ok through it i guess, but i usually just play it unplugged. There is some occasional rattling but nothing major. As for the thing about the 13th and 14th frets being the same pitch...I do not have the problem, and I left it the way it was out of the box. I noticed someone else said that they had played guitars with a price tag of 3 times that of the DG-3 and still preferred the DG-3..all I can say to that is me too!

I left the guitar the way it came and am happy with it.As for the finish...its not bad, i mean come on...its a $200 guitar

The only things that bother me are the cheap tuning knobs, which really arent that bad, and the holes getting too big for the pegs, nothing a little piece of toilet paper cant fix.

Ive been playing for a year and a half..I also have a Les Paul Standard...and if money weren't an issue, I'd rather the Les Paul get stolen.... If you are looking for a good guitar to start on this is definately it. I doubt you could find a better sounding guitar for this price.(new)

20 fret acoustic, not much I can say about that

This thing sounds allright. It is very bright sounding when you use a pick. But what really suscks is that on the 13th fret the strings vibrate against the 14th fret. the pitch is just like the 14th fret. It produces this horrible sound with no sustain and it sounds like its vibrating against metal, like it is.

The action is too low to play slide guitar on. Its Finsh is allright.

Ive played live with this once. I wax all by myself and sitting down. I would stand up but nack then it only had one strap button (Now it has none, I took one out to put in my electric). I guesse i can depend on it

I dont know.

I played an ovation earlier today and it rocked!

Bought Christmas 1996 6 string acoustic, laminated, Chinese made Gig bag, Fender strap, Seiko Tuner, Peg put on other end of body to make strap less awkward. Guitar was 110 UK pounds, I got the lot above for 150.
They're now available in blue and black as well as the natural wood I had and they're great value.

Great sound for the price, many 'experienced' guitar players couldn't believe how little I'd paid for it. Sounds good gently strumming basic chords or really meaty barred ones. Mmmm, nice. Really pleased with it

Finish is nice, action was good. After restringing at a local guitar shop in St Albans there was an incredible buzzing, turned out that one of the tuning pegs was loose (they're not top quality ones) but a bit of superglue fixed that.

Played live with it, sounds good and is very solid. I'm trading it in for a semi-acoustic Tanglewood solid top today and am gutted, it's been *such* a good first proper guitar.

Doesn't apply

I'd definitely buy another one as a good basic acoustic The best feature is the sound, it sounds like a guitar costing two or three times as much.

Made in China...20 frets...laminated top...included gig bag, strap, tuner, etc

have had serious problems with this things, there is a humming noise that is pretty annoying, the tuners are cheap (some turn w/ ease, some it almost takes a wrench to turn them), and the high frets are all messed up, i.e. i get the same note when i play strings on the 14th fret as i do on the 13th fret...making it impossible to play chords or solo that high on the fretboard...very frustrating.

action is fine, the finish is nice (for a laminated top)...as noted above there is a flaw with the fret setup. also, after 2 years of playing and no cold weather storage, the bridge has a crack and probably won't last much longer

the only reason i still have this guitar is because i'm in college and have no money for another one. I've been told i can fix the cracked bridge problem, but the fret deal is something i just have to deal with. I'm not a rockstar, so using this live would be fine, and my current backup is a fisher-price electric.

If i was smart, i would have gotten this thing fixed when before my 1 year warranty was up. Too bad i didn't play enough my first year to realize there was a problem.

I've been told the trade in value is $50.00, so with the change I have in the cushions of my couch, I have about $50.39 to buy a new guitar, which I would like to do as soon as possible. I'm not currently worried about it being stolen, unless it's to be used as a stage prop in a school play, where it would be excellent to smash over someone's head.

dreadnought acoustic came w/ a gig bag, strap. It has a rosewood freatboard. It has a laminated top. It is a real pretty guitar.

This thing sounds great. I mainly play classic rock like ccr and the eagles. I have played sevral guitars that were triple in price and still didn't have that good of sound.

The guitar was set up very well w/ the factory, there were no flaws in the guitar at all. If it would play just a hair bit easier it would just be perfect.

This guitar would definitely withstand live playing. It has a great finish, very dependable and you would not need a backup.

never dealt w/ fender before

I have been playing for quite a while. I mainly bought because it was fairly inexpensive but the price tag means nothing, it is just one heckuvan acoustic. wouldn't trade it

Its a 1997 DG-3 made in china,it has 20 frets,with a nato top (which is in the mahogany family).The neck I think is maple neck with a rosewood fretboard.The body style is a dreadnought.The neck has medium frets.It came in a value pack with picks,strings,gig bag,cheap tuner,polish,polish cloth,etc.I thought it might be cheaply made but I had $250 so I bought it I thought what the hell its a fender.I was right its actually pretty good and its great for the price.

Its pretty cool I play almost everything and it sounds great.It sounds pretty good you can play jimi hendrix (with light guage strings)on it and it kick ass with chords.

It was pretty well set up except when I got it home I had to adjust the truss rod a little.The top back and sides were bookmatched pretty well but on the top you have to look pretty well.One fret had one side thatstuck up a little but it wasnt up high enough to make a difference.

The hardware seems like it will last.The finish is pretty good I guess. I can depend on it and I might use a backup if I was at a gig.

It had a warranty for one year but i've never had to deal with fender.

I've been playing for 1 year.I also own a fender deluxe super strat which kicks ass.If it were stolen or lost I would buy a DG-7 which came out after I bought the DG-3 and the DG-7 is $250.I love it because it sounds great and pretty reliable.I chose this one because I needed a guitar that came with everything I needed to start out with then I would buy the more exspensive guitars.

Made in 1997. Acoustic guitar. Nothing special and nothing to go wrong.

Absolutely wonderful guitar. Thoroughly recommended.

Low action, rattled at first but soon rectified.

Guitar is simple which means nothing to go wrong. Sturdy and reliable.