Fender Gemini II Acoustic

Just a standard guitar. When I started to learn guitar, all I wanted was a non-dime store standard guitar. And thats what I bought.

Let me just say that I've had the guitar for over 18 years - purchased it new. I've had several high end guitars since and still own a couple of high end Takamines. This is the guitar that I keep lying around the house - it has the most unique and comforting sound and I enjoy playing it more than any other acoutic guitar I've owned. Others are impressed by its sound and the guitar is very responsive to player input - its amazing what you can get out of it.

Being just a "standard guitar", the fit and finnish was excellent when I purchased it. Even to this day its a fine guitar! The action has always been "right there" and for whatever reason, this guitar holds its tune.

After 18 years, the fretboard and frets are showing their age as is the finish on the spruce top - lots of character cracks. No complaints here.

After about a month of ownership, it had an unfortunate incident where the neck cracked slightly around the body. The local guitar shop fixed it up and it has not so much as hinted at cracking in over 18 years. Other than that, just the usual set-ups and fret dressings.

This guitar has survived several trips to the middle east. Its been through some of the most extreme temperature and humidity swings you can imagine (cold Canadian Winters to boot), tripped over, slept on, banged about in cars, boats, campers, shot at by a pellet gun (1 pellet still remains lodged in the back wedged between a brace - 17 years ago)and the biggest stress test of all - 3 kids! It continues to play and sound awesome!

Never had to contact Fender. Initial repair was taken car of promptly and professionaly by the store I purchased it from, Rainbow Music.

Been playing over 18 years. Currently own Tak 6 and 12 string acoustics, Washburn classical, American Strat plus, Korean Telecaster .. I think thats it. A few amplifiers.

If it were lost would I replace it? I think I would.

In short, one of the most robust, reliable and hard working guitars out there.

Gemini II Acoustic Made between 1984-1987. Mine was purchased new end of 86'. Korean Samick factory no doubt - or worse. Laminate woods everywhere. Spruce top / Nato back and sides. Most likely a low grade rosewood fretboard. Bridge is made from God-knows-what because it's obviously painted. Dreadnought shape (Martin copy). High-Gloss finish is obviously too thick on the top, preventing proper vibration (a common problem on inexpensive instruments). Neck and headstock exhibit a smooth polyurethane or satin finish. Tuners are friction fit, complete junk and, I need to replace them. Terrible garbage. Mother-of-Toilet-Seat plastic circle fret markers.

Sounds like the big engine that couldn't - even for $200. Poor wood selection (laminates) coupled with poor craftsmanship result in an over-bearing, box-like drone. No piano-like crispness in the bass notes married to twangy high notes without body. If you are tone-deaf, this is the instrument for you.

Action has been average from day one. One of the tuners does not match the other five exactly. It's close but obviously a whoops and not noticed during the original purchase. Interior craftsmanship is poor but typical of instruments made for this price. The guitar does have volume but the tone is unrefined and unbalanced - even for a dreadnought. The treble can barely be heard and it's collectively just BLAH. In short, I've heard it better coming out of my toilet. What is everyone else thinking on this page?

Well, for almost 20 years it has withstood very little playing and much storage. Guitars made from laminate woods can last longer and be more durable than solid woods though. This is the only thing going for it - it's a tank. My Mother purchased it for my Father as a gift because it was in the right price range. Stay away from this instrument if your a player. But, as a starter for a teenager who is big enough to hold it properly - it's a gem.

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I've been playing for 20 years. I own 12 top-end guitars from Gibson, Martin, Fender, ESP, Schecter, Jackson and Ibanez. I suppose I have a seasoned ear and an intense love of guitar construction and tonewoods. There are many books, encylopedia's, and publications on guitar manufacture and repair that I enjoy reading and collecting. The price My Mother paid for this guitar in 1986 is now shocking. She could probably get her money back now because it says "Fender" on the headstock.

This is a 1986 Fender Gemini II acoustic dreadnought guitar made in Korea. A very nice acoustic axe - real East Indian Rosewood back and sides and Alaskan Sitka Spruce top with a Rosewood fretboard to bring it all in. A look inside shows solid Spruce bracing and probably Mahogany or Rosewood kerfing. The factory tuners work wonderfully; the thing stays in tune for weeks. The finish is your standard polyurethane finish which shows the woodgrain wonderfully, a trait in common with Fender's acoustic and electric guitars from the post-CBS era. Although polyurethane doesn't really present any tonal advantage over satin or nitrocelluose(in fact, it sort of pales in comparison to either of them).

"The Gem" as I have named it suits my playing like no other acoustic I've played short of the higher end Martins. I play tons of rock and soem blues here and there on the side. (Ya' know. Those expensive suckers that'll run you $3200 from the warehouse catalogs like Musican's Friend.) It has a tone that brings to mind Epiphone's Masterbuit series of acoustics, like the AJ-500RE (a winner of Guitar Player's Editor's Pick awards) or even some of the more accessable Martins. (The ones that are priced at around $1500 from different catalogs.)

The tone of The Gem is loud without being rude or too boomy. The sound is very well-balanced with very clear projection. The mid-range is a very nice part of the tone, too. The sound is never muddy; very well balanced with any kind of chord you want to strum away with. And the 19 or 20 years under it's belt only helps make that tone better.

The Gem's action is nice, but, then again I got this as a used item for chump change. When I reach for an electric, I reach for a Fender Strat, so the rather low action was familar to me. It's not too low as to make you think it may have a problem - a costly problem - but low enough to feel comfortable and reassuring. But, don't get me wrong, it's not as low as a Strat. Just low in acoustic terms.

The finish is great. Tough and sturdy. When I bought it, it was in great shape for a guitar pressing on 20-years old. It had a few scratches, but no ghastly rips on the finish. Whoever owned this before me kept this thing stowed away in a case or under a bed for years-on-end for it to be in such great condition.

I have no doubt in my mind The Gem will withstand a major gig. (Like MTV Unplugged... Well, think Alice In Chains Unplugged rather than Insert-No-Name-Pop-Star-Here Unplugged.) And as for needing a backup... What back up? I wouldn't need no stinkin' back-up.

I wouldn't doubt that it will last longer than I will. Like I've said previously, the finish is tough and sturdy. It's not easy to scratch or chip. And I bet if I treated it like a pure dog, it would still come back for more abuse.

Well, I've had to deal with Fender's customer support on fixing one of my Strats... And if they're responsible for putting a Squier pup in my '92 Sunburst Standard, I'd like to kill 'em. (I beleve it to be the shop's doing, but I still wonder.)

As far as I know, all Fenders produced after CBS sold the company to a group of investors have a limited lifetime warranty. And I beleve it is fully transferable.

I've been playing for 5 to 7 years now, and although that is a short amount of time, I've managed to cram all I could learn in that amount of time - guitar facts and other worthless nougats included. I currently own a '92 Fender Strat, a Custom Fender Strat with a Kahler Trem, a '03 Squier Tele Special, and a '04 Epiphone Hummingbird.

The Gem is the 5th guitar I've purchased and own. I prefer playing this to my Epi... As a matter of fact, since I bought The Gem, I haven't played the Epi since. If some rat bastard robbed me and took this guitar, I will be looking for another. Anyhow, I don't beleve I'll part with it or sell. So, if you want mine, you'll have to pry it from my cold, dead fingers!

well it plays like a dream and its mint its smooth and it gives you the sound you need

well I started playing 7 years ago on a washburn electric and i play lead like crazy and when I get on my acustic I dont have to slow down a bit the action lets me play what I want to play with great sustain and vintage feeling

Well the neck is very smooth and none of the frets bog out and you can get unbelievable harmonics out of it It squeels like a pig and whispers like the wind

I play pretty hard and this thing shown no sign of slowing down I have a feeling It will be around alot longer than I will

I got this guitar as a gift from my grandmother she bought it roughly 20 years ago for another person and never gave it to them and it was put up in their attic for years never to see the light of day and one day she gave it to me about a month ago and its never been damaged or anything and whats weird is it has the original strings on it and I pluck them hard playing solos and they never break. I break string all the time on my electric guitars Im up to guage 12 in strings.

Have been covered

I've had this guitar 15 years and it gets better with age. Has a deep, rich, reverberating sound. A bit bassy, but really kicks with a pick

I have never had it adjusted, but the action is too high. I've played with the rod a bit, and it buzzes too much when lowered. The finish has stood the test of time. It stays in tune fairly well.

This is a durable guitar. Mine was damaged at the base when shipped(due to poor packing) but still plays great years later. A very durable and well made guitar.

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Overall this guitar is a steal at the $200 or so it cost. I would prefer it to be more, 'player friendly' as you really have to work your fingers on the frets to get it to sound clean, but I don't think I'll ever get rid of it.

I inherited this guitar from my dad so I don't have any details on the woods used, etc. I think other reviewers have covered this pretty well, however. One thing I noted when I took it in for a setup, is that according to my guitar tech, the bridge on it (which I'm 99% certain is the original) is bone and of good quality. I have not felt the need or desire to replace it. However, I believe the original nut was plastic or some other relatively low quality material and it cracked after a few years (see below). The factory tuners are reasonably good quality (15:1 ratio), but are worth replacing.

This guitar sounded pretty good to begin with. After replacing the standard bridge pins with some Tusq pins from Graphtech (if you're going to do this, the larger Martin-style pins fit perfectly) and putting a Tusq nut on it, it sounds great! I can honestly say that I've not found an acoustic guitar selling for under $1,700-2,000 that I like the sound of better than my Gemini. Individual notes are clearly discernable when jamming out chords with a pick, yet it is still clean and plenty loud enough for fingerpicking, especially with the new nut and bridge pins. The sound is not what I would call "punchy," (e.g. scooped/deep), but nonetheless it is very full, with great sustain, good balance, even volume across the strings, and notes that ring clearly from the lowest E to the higest fret I can reach on the fingerboard.

When I first got the instrument, the G string was very weak and muddy sounding compared to the others, but when I replaced the nut I found that the old one was cracked directly underneath that string, and it's been fine ever since the new nut was installed.

I can't speak to the factory setup because I got the instrument from my father several years after he purchased it, but I've always found the action to be good and the neck to be very playable and pretty fast for an acoustic instruments. I generally use Elixir Light or Custom Light strings on it. I tried mediums (13s) once, and it was fine tuned down a half step, but as soon as I tuned it up the G string snapped. I wouldn't recommend anything heavier than 11s or maybe 12s.

The factory tuners did start giving me some trouble recently; not holding their tuning well and not making smooth/fine adjustments, but the instrument is over a decade old so this is not abnormal. I had them replaced with some 18:1 Planet Waves tuning machines and was right back in business, although I did have to have the 11/32" diameter peg holes redrilled to the more common 10mm size.

I've banged this guitar on door frames, counter tops, chairs, tables, and lord knows what else more times than I can recall. I've dropped it or had it knocked over by my cats on many an occasion. I've left it in my car in the heat of summer and dead of winter before I knew better, and after all of that it looks and sounds as good as new aside from one or two small dings in the body's finish, only one of which is noticeable if you're not looking for it. I think it would take an intentional effort to seriously damage this guitar.

Never had to deal with them.

I've been playing guitar as a hobby for about 8 years now, but just started playing "seriously," if you will about a year ago. This guitar was easy to learn on, and is still a very capable, useful, nice sounding instrument. When I asked my guitar teacher (who has been playing seriously for over 12 years), if I should get a "better" instrument, he told me flat out I wouldn't find a better one for less than $1,500. Now that I know what to look for in an instrument, I wholeheartedly agree. I can't find anything I don't like about this instruemnt. If it were ever lost, stolen, or irrepairably damaged, I would be quite upset and would definitely get another one if I could find it. Sure, there are better instruments out there, but you won't find one for anywhere near this price point.

Just a cheapo I picked up at a garage sale with no tuning keys and a hole in it.Went back to the same sale a week later and found the keys on a junk yapaneze axe.Put on new fender accoustic strings and she sounded sweet right from the gate.

Been playing since the Hippie days in So.Cal.Sounds good and can take alot of abuse.No problems with keyboard or tuning keys.

First I have big hands.OK have had no problems with this old beater.Would sell my Ibanez before this one.

What can I say,it's the Ford F-150 of guitars.Takes a likin and bounces back for more

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After trying all the high dollar crap out there,this puppy rocks

Bought new in 1990
made in Korea
serial S00000127
medium frets, excellent condition after playing for 13 years, good wire
the Fender info tag I got with it says, "The tops, on some models, are made of Alaskan sitka spruce", " the backs and sides of selected models Indian rosewood is used"
Case

I bought this while in the US ARMY , stationed in Suadi Arabia during desert storm. It was around 200 dollars through AAFES catalog. THe sound is very nice. It has a very " full range" voice, with long midrange sustain.

The action was very high on this from the beginning, I thought maybe the neck was warped "up-bow" from the heat in Saudi. I have just lived with it (makes for strong fingers). The neck and side, back wood is very dark and tight. This guitar has lasted a long time. The fit and finish compared to a johnson guitar I bought was excellent, I would give that a ten, but then I will mark it down for the action being so high.

It's lasted 13 years, I had this thing for a year in suadi, then drug it to virginia and back home to michigan and all around. It would be safe to say, I have really beat on this thing, the fret wire on my other guitars is really worn, but this fret wire has really stood up.

never had to deal with them

I have been playing 20 years. The sound is my favorite thing about this guitar. I think it's very soulfull. It reacts to the way you play it. The harder you play it, the louder it gets, but maybe that's true of any guitar.

Made in Korea 1964
22 frets, I don't know where it came from it given to me as a inheritance but for the several years i've had it its been a good guitar Probably a maple neck with asolid top. Its finish is transparent a big Gemini II with a slightly sawed down birdge and perfect action, with a fat neck.

It sounds great regardless of what strings i've had on it unless when its out of tune. Has a good sound for playing classical guitar,and a bright loud sound.

The neck was a little bent when i got it and the bridge was too high but with ten dollars i got it fixed

I've moved this thing in and out alot and dropped it several times and it only has a few minor dings, also it has been able to suvrive the Hot Texas weather for many years and its finish still looks brand new

Despite the few problems with it when i got it this thing has rocked on!

This guitar is my husbands. It has a ligkly wider neck than other Fender's I have come across inclding my f200. Other than that, it seems pretty standard, for an acoustic. The neck is Rosewood. It works great for my Husband who has average hands and for his friend who has huge hands, but not so well for my teeny tiny hands (but that's why I have an f200).

Te sound on this guitar is great. It's loud without being abnoxious, and not too bright. We did replace the strings however, because the first strings were pretty bad. For a used and very inexpensive guitar, we feel like the sound is 100x better than we expected.

The action ok. It could be a little lower, but that may be just because it needs adjusted. We bought it used and I think it had been pretty abused because it was VERY dry. Considering it's previous abuse the finish is in wonderful shape, with no cracking or crazing. The fretwire does need filed though, probably as a result of the humidity.

This guitar was probably kept in a barn based on the horrible smell of the gig bag it came with. The gig bag went in the garbage, and we stuck a humidifier in the guitar for a few weeks and polished the guitar and used some lemon oil on the neck. When we restrun the guitar we were very surprised at how good it sounded after the abuse. It has only one scratch on it, where the previous owners installed a button for the guitar strap. This guitar has also withstood the attentions of a 7 year old and 18 month old. This has to be an incredibly durable guitar. For the price we paid, I give it an a+

Never dealt with Fender.

I've only been playing for about 6 months, but my husband wanted to learn to play, but my guitar was too small so we bought this off Ebay, keeping our fingers crossed that we weren't throwing money away:) ... It was the best 50.00 I've spent. (But it did take a few weeks to see that our investment paid off). If it were lost or stolen I would buy it again if I could get it for the same price. It seems to be a great beginner guitar.