GEAR REVIEW
FENDER AMERICAN ACOUSTASONIC JAZZMASTER | Doug Doppler
KEY FEATURES
• Contoured Jazzmaster Body
• Four New Acoustic Voicings
• Mod Knob
• Carved Neck Heel
• Speedy Neck
Hands down , the American Acoustasonic Jazzmaster is my favorite American Acoustasonic model yet . More tones , incredibly comfortable to play , considerably more volume acoustically speaking than its older siblings , and a neck and action that are truly shred worthy !
Noting that this is the third installment in this growing family of instruments , people are clearly loving what Fender is doing here . As far as the ‘ House of Worship ’ goes , the first questions that many people will be asking is can it replace both my acoustic and electric guitars ?” to which I ’ ll reply , “ Yes , but …”
On the acoustic front , the range of tones and the ability to blend them is nothing short of amazing . The larger body size definitely impacts the way the guitar sounds and feels when using the acoustic voicings . I ’ d happily play this over many acoustics any day of the week , because
it sounds and feels great !
On the electric side it is important to keep in mind that the Tim Shaw-designed humbucker is still sitting in an acoustic instrument which means that by definition its job is to amplify the sound of the guitar itself . Because of this the electric tones are a bit like a blend that reminds me of a Tele with a hint of acoustic thrown in . Thinner , but not thin would be the best way to describe this guitar , and so long as you voice your gear appropriately , there are a wealth of amazing new tones begging to be discovered here . You can get some squeal when using the gain circuit on Position 1B on the Shawbucker ( see below ). The piezo in position 2B also has a crunch circuit and is a more than worthy option for the gainfully inclined !
CONTROLS The Volume Control adjusts the output level , which for acoustic sounds is a major luxury . The 5-way Switch enables you to select each pair of voicings , which you can shapeshift between using the Mod Knob .
POWER Like it ’ s older siblings , the Acoustasonic Jazzmaster requires a proper charge via a 5-volt USB charger to operate . The Cable but not the charger included , and you ’ ll want to give your axe a good charge before firing it up for the first time . Charge life is approximately five hours .
GIG BAG Not all gig bags are created equal , and the one that comes with this instrument is designed for the rigors of life on the go .
VOICINGS There are a total of ten voicings that are accessed in set pairs via the 5-way Switch . In turn you can toggle or blend each pair as you sweep the range between of the Mod Knob . The A and B terminology maps to what is normally the all the way up and all the way down positions on a traditional volume or tone control : 1A Fender Electric Fat / Semi-Clean , 1B Fender Overdriven Electric , 2A Lo-Fi Piezo , 2B Lo-Fi Piezo Crunch , 3A Rosewood Auditorium , 3B Body Sensor Pickup , 4A Mahogany Jumbo , 4B All-Mahogany Small Body , 5A Rosewood Dreadnought , 5B Mahogany Slope Shoulder .
CONCLUSION This one goes to eleven , stars included !
$ 1,999.99 MAP Fender . com