Fender Redondo Acoustic

I traded a beautiful (but not as true or as rich-sounding) used factory-refurbed Washburn natural ash E-11. Paid $75 plus the Washburn (which cost me $200 a couple years ago).

I believe this is a Japanese model from 84 or 85, but I'm not sure. Number on placard in body is 850027, number stamped on a top brace inside the body near the base is 84012.

Maple top, I would guess, Mahogony sides, back and neck. Back is two-piece mahogony with a very thin white divider: gives it a little extra fine look, actually. Thin neck and rosewood fingerboard. Neck appears to be fixed. Strat-style head with somewhat boxy, enclosed chrome tuners. Tortise shell pick guard, no screws. String-thru body bridge that extends a little longer than most with a subdued "smile" shape.

This guitar is a solid as a Steinway piano, and true through and through. The strat-style neck makes it play like its classic electric brother.

Nothing fancy about the features except the strat-style head which shouts "Fender" from any distance. Just a basic big-body dreadnaught accoustic.

I've owned it less than a week now, but just can't put it down for very long. May find something(s) I don't like about it over time, but haven't come across any yet.

The sound is best of any I've ever owned. By far. Rich throughout the range. Its very best feature.

I play mostly rock, soft rock, folk, a little blues. Works for all of them: the classic acoustic rock stuff, picked sounds, open chords, bar-chords, the gamut.

I enjoy electric and acoustic playing, mostly for my own (and my patient wife's) enjoyment, but occasionally play for and with friends at get-togethers, parties.

Frankly, I just can't seem to get over the sound. Clear, rich, sharp. Great, GREAT tone.

There may be better playing acoustics out there, but not many. The strings lay close to the neck all the way up the fingerboard without any rattling. It plays like a strat! It's a gas for me to play high accoustic riffs, like those made for electrics on this axe.

The finish is high-quality, high gloss (a little more than my personal preference would dictate, but no complaints).

Bought it used, but it appears hardly used. One very small nick, a few streaks, but no scratches, dents, dings, chips, cracks or other blemishes. Good to very good condition.

The action is good to great.

This guitar would withstand about anything you want to do with it short of using it for a crowbar. Feels as stout as about any I've ever played. It says "quality musical instrument" through and through to me. I haven't done live playing in years, but would have NO hesitation whatsoever.

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Naturally, lots of great web sites out there (like this one) for support, Fender-owned and otherwise. But I've no experience and no reason to find out.

I've been playing (around, mostly) for +/- 30 years. I guess it's not a Martin, but it's super-solid, a 10-for-sound, great action, very playable, fun, rich Fender accoustic. Best Fender accoustic I've ever played, by far. What more could an amateur ask for? I really feel like I got a steal on this piece.

My Fender Redondo acoustic guitar was bought in NYC in 1989. It was made in Korea after 1985.

The neck is fiberglass with a rosewood fretboard and Strat-like f-glass headstock.

Body is maple-like top (Is it spruce?) with mahogany-like sides and back and nice pearl-like inlay. I say "-like" 'cause I'm not sure what this stuff is exactly, but all in all it seems like decent wood. It ain't a Martin, but the electric neck makes it unique.

Very good, fairly full sound that is great to play for Fender electric players 'cause the neck so closely resembles Fender's electrics.; Teles esp. Nice warm sound from the country-stye body, but it's not a Martin.
I play alternative, country, and rhythm rock (Beatles, Feelies).

Was set up fine when I bought it and seemed to be OK for years but it now needs to have the action reset, probably by a prosfessional. A little bow action. Hmm. Body finish now shows mysterious long crack on surface opposite pickguard. Yeah, it's been dropped and fallen over more than once, but the crack remains a mystery; just on the finish though.

Live playing. Without pick-ups it's a non-issue. Personally, I would want something better for live playing unless I was going for some kind of eclectic effects work. With pick-ups it could be useful live. I haven't tried it but the neck feels so electric! Stock hardware is OK but machine heads could be replaced with something better. Fiberglass neck is durable enough but drill holes for the tuning pegs have dislodged and loosened somewhat when guitar was occasionally dropped (usually fallen to the side). Fixed it myself by shoving toothpicks in worn hole and re-screwing.

Decent playing guitar when action is properly set. Stock tuning pegs on Korean model aren't the worst but... A lot of fun to play, great feel for Fender fans. Nice practice guitar for Fender electric players who want an acoustic for those occasional quiet moments but don't want to relearn the neck layout. I see possibilities with pick-ups and effects in live setting.

Mid-80s Fender Japan built dreadnaught with "stratocaster" style headstock on a slim fixed neck. 20 frets, no cutaway body joins neck at 14th fret. all solid wood, 2-piece mahogany back, sides & neck with sitka spruce top and headstock veneer. tortoise binding top and bottom of body. thick 'modern' finish. 6-piece 'saducer' type saddle pickup and endpin jack. no onboard controls (best, as no routing of body which usually adversely affects tone). Truss-rod adjustable from sound hole end. serial number (inside on bracing) 5716036.

One point deducted for the cheap boxy tuners which let the guitar down (although it stayed in tune well, they looked awful and were corroding.) I had them replaced as soon as i bought it.

A slightly unusual & very attractive looking guitar, now becoming quite collectable.

Excellent plugged and unplugged sound. This is why these are getting harder to snap up. Extremely sweet sounding, with full tight bass and high end shimmer. sounds great strummed or picked, fingerstyle or flatpick. Unbelivable for a guitar originally sold for around $500 - rivals many high end models from top manufacturrers & always turns heads with its beautiful tone.
lovely to grab & noodle on at home, but really kills on stage through PA or an acoustic amp. I bought this as a backup & for home use, but ended up sellling my Tacoma chief as the Redondo is just so much sweeter sounding.

great fast low action, very very easy to play, frets were a little worn from 17 years use, but will last me another year or so. may have it refretted with medium-jumbo frets like my Tacoma had, thats all i miss from the Tacoma.

reciept/paperwork shows the guitar is 17 years old, original price (when new) $340, plus $165 for pro pickup fitting by Fender authorized dealer.

I was lucky to get this as was beaten by over $50 on auction, but high bidder (ebay) pulled out & seller lived near me. He let me come over, try it & buy it. :-)

i have seen a couple of these in better cosmetic condition. This one has lots of pick-scratches, heavy belt buckle-wear on back and countless small 'dings' - but is all only superficial, it in no way affects the great tone or playability. Structually the guitar is very sound, neck is straight and true, and from 10 feet away it looks good as new.

This guitar is 17 years old, warranty expired.

been playing 10 years, had a Seagull for 2 years, then a Tacoma chief before this, got it coz a former schoolfriend's father had one and it killed my Tacoma tone wise.
play with friends / camp/ barbeques and some small gigs, country, bluegrass, pop, at coffee bar, beer bar venues, have played in church, and doing some stuf with a classic rock/pop cover band (this guitar really scores there too) and some more folksy stuff.

if it were stolen i'd try to find another one, but they getting harder to find now, I hate 'collectors' moving in, this is a guitar to be played every day, not stuck in a case.

worth a 10 for the playability & tone, but this one has been well-used & dinged up, and will need a refret soon, so I knock one point off.

One of the very attractive looking "California Series" of acoustics made in Japan (until 1985, when production was switched to Korea) with set necks and "Stratocaster" style headstocks.

These guitars were a kind of re-issue of the original US made acoustic guitars from the 60's (which all had bolt-on necks, and a somewhat 'rounded-off' version of the Strat headstock), some with the same name & features (Mailbu, Newporter, Redondo), but later other 'new' models were added (San Luis Rey, San Marino, San Miguel, etc.). All production ceased by 1995.

This guitar has a Spruce top and mahogany back and sides, and was produced as a pure acoustic. I had a pickup installed by the shop at the time I bought it (in Kilburn, London, England in 1983). I played about a dozen similar models in the shop, all played decently, but this one stood out head and shoulders above the rest in terms of sound and tone.

6-on-one-side enclosed cast tuners, not best quality but work well. Guess I will replace these with "Kluson-style"Gotohs when they eventually go.

This is where it still knocks me out everytime I play it.... Sounds better than any other acoustic I have owned, including several Martins & a Takamine Santa Fe Collectors Edition costing 5 times as much! Unplugged it has a wonderful full tone with plenty of sparkley highs, just the right amount of warm mids not to sound 'tubby' & and nice tight bass. With the added undersaddle pickup through the P.A. , it sounds almost identical to the unplugged sound (first acoustic guitar I've played which does this). Considerig this was near the bottom of the range, it is all the more surprising.

Obviously not a top of the range guitar, but I was lucky to get a Japanese one from the 2 years ('83 - '84) before production shifted to Korea. Action, intonation & bridge seem fine, but I don't like the cheap-ish cast tuning pegs or the thick glossy finish. For the price it's about what you expect, I guess.
Have soem regular acoustic work coming up in early 2002, so I may have it re-finished & install new pegs, replace the plastic bridge, nut etc. with Tusq or similar.

I gigged this guitar for the first half of the show in a 60's / Rock'n' Roll band up to 3-5 nights a week for 6 years (before leaving it with my parents when I moved to Hong Kong in 1990), and apart from "strumming scratches" it looks as good as new. My poor old Strat, on the other hand, had to be re-finished & have the bridge nut/replaced twice in that time, so I guess I shouldn't knock the Redondo's thick plasticky finish too much!

When I returned to UK for a few weeks last summer I immediately rediscovered how good this guitar is - the sound AND playability trashes my '94 Takamine Santa Fe Collectors' Edition which I had been using in HK, & sold as soon as I got back!)

Warranty would have expired over 15 years ago. Local (Hong Kong) Fender dealer says it will be available again (as a USA built guitar?!?!) from February 2002, but he often gets his facts wrong. Maybe a 'new model' Redondo would be different anyway?

I am really an electric player, have been playing Strats for almost 30 years, and have a really good '64 that i love. As for acoustics, this is just what I had been looking for, but never thought I'd find - & certainly not at this budget price. Stunning acoustic & amplified sound with a really slim Strat-like neck, perfect for a guy like me who plays electric 90% of the time.
After a 10 year break from it when I left it behind in UK, the first tiime I played it again last year, it made fall in love with playing acoustic all over again again. (something NONE of the Martins, Takamines or Taylors I'd payed in the meantime did),
Although it's basically a cheap Japanese budjet model, this particular guitar has a certain compelling magic that no other acousic I have owned or played has ever had. I just can't put it down, it sounds like heaven, and makes you just WANT to keep on and on playing.
Of course, I may have been ultra lucky and got the only "non-dog" in the whole production run, but I hope the rumour of this model being re-introduced turns out to be true, so that it may help others to find the fun and enjoyment (not to mention the friends AND money) I have goten with it over the years!

I believe this was made in the 70's, but it may be later.
It is a no nonsense, 20 fret acoustic guitar, no electrics fitted, with a really nice full tone. It comes from a range of guitars called `Tonewoods` and has the traditional `Fender` headstock shape, as on a strat.

The natural spruce top seems to be solid with a nice grain and a tortoise shell pick guard. Sides and back are nicely grained mahogany with tortoise shell bindings. All sections have a gloss lacquer finish.

The bridge is a fixed rosewood. The serial number, stamped inside on a back bracing near the neck joint is 5718313.

Machine heads are the individual enclosed type, plain chrome, and are very efficient. They don't look like quality machines, but as stated, they do the job very well. The guitsr has excellent tuning stability.

I use this guitar for recording.
Many of you will know that this is a critical area for an instrument as any problems are immediately noticed when trying to get a good sound to `tape`.
I use light guage strings with a plain 3rd (G)and it sounds full and warm. There is a great resonance about the sounds from this guitar, which are perfectly suited for recording.

The action, as on most acoustic guitars was not disigned for fast lead work. I have reduced the hight of the bridge string guide by sliding it out from the rosewood base, and sanding it down on the bottom edge. If you happen to go a bit too far, you can always `shim` it a little. The action is a lot better now and I find it comfortable to use.
The rear panel of the guitar is a two piece job with a thin, two colour wood jointing strip. The sides are not book matched, but they are very nice pieces of timber.

The neck has 20 frets, medium height. The fingerboard is a light coloured wood, not rosewood, with light plastic dot inlays.
The fret edges are very smooth and the guitar is very comfortable to use for long periods.

There are no frills to this guitar, but the quality of construction is very good.

I have never used it for live playing, but I would do so without hesitation.
There is no cause for concern with the durability of this instrument. I have owned it for several years and I expect to own it for many years to come. If it `aint broke, don't fix it`.

No direct dealings.

Playing for 31 years. I am lucky enough to own lot's of gear, as I have built up my own studio. I currently own six other guitars, (Patrick Eggle Berlin Pro Deluxe, a `Climaxe` by patrick Eggle and a Fender Lonestar Stratocaster. Other acoustics are an Eko Ranger 12 string, and a Tanglewood nylon classical.
The only thing I dislike about this particular guitar is the `playwear` on the fingerboard near the nut. The wood is worn from the fingered chord positions by the previous owner(s)

My favourite feature is the sound. I suppose that is THE most important part, but all other areas do have a bearing on my general feelings about an instrument. I suppose the best description for this guitar would be a trusty, no frills performer with great tone.

This guitar is just an acoustic, not an electric Acoustic but just a plain ol' acoustic guitar. But as far as acoustics go this one is a good one. The features: it's a jumbo acoustic with a tortoise pickguard that looks rather cool. I bought it used a don't know much of the history of it but I imagine it was constructed in the late 80's early 90's. I have never loved an acoustic like this before. The rosewood fingerboard and mahogany neck make for a nice action. Again I love this guitar. Acoustics normally don't require a lot of features but for an acoustic this is a good one.

This guitar has an ass like Jennifer Lopez. It is so fat it makes just a beautiful sound. I play just about everything from country to classical to jazz and when I want a good down home acoustic sound I want to be using this guitar. The sound is warm and full like a stomach full of ribs.

As I said before the action is great. I also said I bought it used. The condition of the guitar when I got ahold of it was pristene. Almost as if it had never been played. Or rarely anyway. So from that condition I believe that it was a good guitar from the factory. The tuning pegs seem to be of high quality and never lose tune. The only flaw in this guitar is one I put their during a show one time. (I dropped it after consuming mass quantities of alcohol). An all around great guitar.

This guitar has taken everything that has been thrown it's way (literally). It is like a timex watch. It takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'. I would and hope to use this guitar for ever. I DO use this guitar at gigs without a backup. I feel that every accessory on this guitar is of the highest quality. As with any guitar I'm sure in the next few years something will need to be replaced or repaired but I can almost guarantee that it will only be because of my stupidity and not the fault of Fender and the the little guy who made in the factory in Japan. Did I mention it's japanese.

Bought it Used.
No warrantee.
Never dealt with the company.
Never had it repaired.
Great guitar.
Love it.

This guitar is great but I think I have already expressed that. I also own a strat knock-off that is rather shitty, a bass that also is rather shitty but it's cool too 'cause it sounds decent and I'm not afraid to fuck it up. I also own a Tascam Porta 02 (4-track). I currently am not in a "band", but am writing on a regular basis. I don't consider myself a great guitarist but I can play well enough to get by in a band situation. I don't look rediculous and can hold my own in a heavy jam sesh. I am 20 years old and have been playing for 6 or 7 years now. I love music and I love guitars and I love how I can write and read reviews of gear before I go looking for something to buy. One last time the Fender Redondo Acoustic is a great guitar.